Being Understood

I do not own Bleach or any of the characters

Liquid brown eyes stared up into sky, stars twinkled in and out of existence. Tan hands played idly in the grass and dew dripped off lithe fingers slowly. A great sigh was heaved and a shudder ran through the boy's tall frame as the cold finally hit him. He sat up slowly, wincing as muscles moved in strained silence.

Ichigo Kurosaki, assistant Shinigami, smiled brightly at the twinkling sky. He stood up in one languid movement and rested his hands on his hips. His hands then swung happily at his sides as he walked in long steps towards the lights of town. The smile on the young boy's face was full of love and wonder, his eyes gleamed with renewed vigor, his walk held a new bounce.

Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai watched the happy young man walk with looks of confusion. Just the night before the boy was unresponsive, depressed, and they could not get a word from him. They watched him walk happily and wondered silently what had happened to make such a drastic change.

Ichigo, oblivious to his concerned friends, was having a silent conversation in his mind, not the first that he had had with the Hollow that resided inside of him.

"Hey, Ichigo, what do you think we can do in our new found feelings? I mean, what can we do with them?" The tan boy couldn't hold in the chuckle that overcame him. "What? What did I say that was so funny?" Ichigo heard the actual confusion in the other's voice and answered, out loud.

"Well, we're not supposed to do anything but enjoy them. That's what the feeling of love is for, to enjoy, to marvel in, to bask in. Don't worry Hichigo, I'm sure that you'll figure it out." The smile stayed on his face even as his hollow self muttered about how he didn't understand.

Ichigo knew that his other half did not understand the feelings inside of him, he was a Hollow after all. He felt saddened greatly by the thought that he could not enjoy what he was. He sighed and smiled sadly. If only he could make him understand. Ichigo had spent the last day and a half trying to explain to the pale man what the feeling were, why they were there and what he could do with them.

He felt slightly depressed at how the Hollow just didn't understand, he tried, he really did but he just couldn't grasp the concept of love. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, concentrating on listening to his friends on the rooftop above, he also concentrated on the familiar aura of Urahara-san getting closer.

Rukia and Renji were even more confused then before. Who could Ichigo possibly be talking to? They looked at each other in confusion.

"He's talking to his inner Hollow, his name is apparently Hichigo." Both the Shinigami fell face forward in shock at the voice of the stealthy blonde.

"What hollow Urahara-san?" Rukia gave him a slight glare of suspicion.

Urahara sighed slightly and slumped. "Kurosaki-kun has a Hollow inside of him form his transformation to a Shinigami before he came to save you. We had thought that we would have to kill him because of the hollow consuming his body, but he ripped off his own mask and became what we both know, the captain class substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki." Urahara sighed again as if this bored him greatly. Rukia's eyes twitched in irritation. "It seems that the Hollow continues to reside within him, and has somehow bonded with Kurosaki-kun. Somehow the two have connected and developed feelings for one another. I do wonder, however, how this could be accomplished. The only thing a Hollow can feel is hate and anger, possibly greed and lust."

"Couldn't it just be the Hollows continued contact with Ichigo that caused him to have feelings? After all Ichigo is a very emotional person." Urahara and Rukia both stared at the redhead in awe at the semi-intelligent statement.

"Well...I suppose if a Hollow were exposed to a persons strong feeling for so long that they could become affected." He turned around and inspected the very still strawberry.

"You know I really appreciate you guys being so concerned for me. I can take care of myself however, and I understand perfectly what Hichigo can and cannot feel, we share the same heart you know. I'll be fine, I promise, you have to let me do this on my own." He turned the affect of those liquid brown eyes on them, they all felt and saw the seriousness portrayed in them.

"Ichigo, how could you possibly contain feelings for a Hollow? One inside of you non the less." Rukia's confused eyes met brown.

"He was the only one who completely understood me, and he is still that person, for you to have to ask that proves that further to me." Ichigo's eyes saddened slightly to a dimmer brown.

"Ichigo think about this, he's a Hollow! Do you even know what love is like? How could you possibly know, you're so young!" Rukia held disbelief and denial in her eyes, maybe even repulsion.

Ichigo sighed deeply. "Love is like a roller coaster Rukia. You go through bumps and loops and you're scared the entire time, but exhilarated at the same time. Friendship is like that too, but with less fear and more bumps. I...I need to take these bumps on my own power, I may piss my pants at the loops, but at least I wont fall out. It will be worth the fear and the loops, even the bumps for the end product of stepping off of the ride with someone by my side, someone who will understand everything I do. Someone who will love me for whatever reasons, even if they aren't good enough for anyone but me." He smiled blissfully at all of them and all doubts drowned away with the sadness in those eyes.

He looked towards his friends and knew they didn't understand, but he could feel inside him that Hichigo did, and that was all that mattered to him. With his smile still in place he turned, hands swinging at his sides happily again. He whistled a happy tune and swaggered his hips a bit to the tune.

Rukia and Renji didn't understand how Ichigo could love a Hollow, they didn't understand that Hichigo really could feel everything that Ichigo could, they didn't understand how finding love could put such a swagger in your step. What they did understand was that Ichigo was happy, he was convinced, and he was in love. That's all that mattered to them, even if they didn't understand.

"I fell in love with such a sap." Ichigo laughed again at the words of his other half, he knew that the statement that made complete sense to him had explained it to Hichigo as well, after all they were very similar.

A/N: So. . .I had gotten more then 7 reviews (shocking as it was, TT thank you!) I however took forever to write another one. The reason for this was that. . .well to tell the truth I like other pairings more then this one now...(bashful) I am sorry for reforming! I know this is short and probably not satisfactory for you and I apologize!! FORGIVE ME!! (gets on knees and pleas forgiveness) and excuse my spelling, I have a good vocab but can't spell worth beans. . .XP.