Hey all! I'm trying to redo this, as OD exploded and deleted the first go, even though I saved! T_T

I had a great chapter nearly done, about 4/5 of the way done. I nearly cried.

Anyway, I'm in a really bitchy mood today, well I was BEFORE this, so now I'm about unbearable.

It's time to continue.

Disclaimer- Fuck lawsuits!!

Chapter 10

Ishida walked through the hall, a smile on his face, a spring in his step as he made his way to the third squad's office. He looked around, making sure no more papers came in while he was at the assignment office and upon finding it empty, found a satisfied smirk on his face.

It dropped quickly, though, as he realized there was one last thing to do before he headed out for new furniture.

He knocked at the door, and upon a lack of response he opened the door, wandering in. He made his way to the back room and knocked at the wall quietly.

The door was open, and he just stood there for a second waiting for an answer. After a second he sighed and stepped in, wandering to the futon and leaned down, pressing his hand to the back of the neck of the figure under the covers.

It was still really hot.

Ishida frowned as he stepped back, shaking the warmth from his hand. He looked at the table by the small window and sighed. After four hours he'd only drank half a glass of water.

He quickly refilled the glass before leaving.

Ishida made his way to town. He was in desperate need of furniture and household belonging. In his apartment there was a tatami, a small table and a wood bowl.

He wandered from shop to shop, quickly losing track of time and purchases. They were told to drop the things just inside his door.

By the time he arrived home at eight that night he was sure he'd gotten too many things.

It was ten till the living room was put together. He was glad he already had an idea of how to decorate or he'd be in a color scheme disaster.

He smiled, grabbing the futon and a blanket set he'd gotten and took them to the bedroom.

That was the last thing he really needed to get together before the end of the day. He set up his new bed and looked with a smile before sighing.

One last check on Kira before bed.

He went out and made his way to the apartment, only a few down from his own and didn't bother knocking this time. He'd only been awake once or twice during the day. He'd stopped by every few hours, but never found Kira awake.

He walked right back to the bedroom and knocked lightly, hearing a strangled scream and a crash.

Ishida threw open the door and rushed in, finding Kira pressed to the wall on the opposing side of the bed, gasping for air, his eyes wide with terror. "Izuru-san!" Ishida ran over and Kira's head lashed towards the taicho, tears streaming down his eyes. Kira pushed away from him and crumpled to the floor, sliding on the verge of consciousness down the wall.

Ishida grabbed him and carried him as quickly as he could to the fourth squad.

"He's burning up, he's barely conscious. I don't know what's up with him, but please, take care of him for me?" Ishida gasped for air, burning more energy than he'd intended with his shunpo. Isane started instantly taking vitals while carrying him over to the bed.

"He'll be fine. Trust me." Unohana smiled sweetly at him and stilled for a moment. "So, uh, can I ask you a question?" Ishida turned to her, wide eyed, noticing the look of interest and amusement.

"Is it true Ukitake could hear your Zampactou screaming a half block away?"

Ishida stepped back, the blush burning strong in his cheek as he ran this through his head.

"Wait, why do you sound so interested?" Unohana smiled even more amused at him and Ishida's cheeks tried to turn a brighter red.

"I, uh..." He stumbled back, embarrassed as hell, more about the look on her face than the actual question. "I have to go... Thank you for taking care of Izuru-san." He turned, Unohana noticing the look of disappointment in his tone, the look in his eye.

So he was that type. She smiled with a pleasant wave as he flashed out.

This was going to be fun.

Ishida decided to actually walk back, taking the long way. It was warm, even though the sun had gone down a few hours ago. He walked through, thinking about Kira, about Unohana...

What in the hell was that all about after all? Something so serious and she was... was she hitting on him? He swallowed hard. It wasn't that he was against it, but he'd always been so shy around women. It didn't seem right to have someone ask him questions like that.

He stilled, groaning and was surprised to hear a chuckle. He looked up, surprised, and found Yamamoto watching him with a glint in his eye. "Good evening, Uryuu-kun. What's troubling you on such a fine night?"

"It's nothing. I don't want to bother you with such personal things." Ishida sighed and Yamamoto walked up to him, clasping his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It's just her way of teasing." He laughed and Ishida stared at the old man, eyes wide.

"What? How did- Are you-" He turned quickly, looking back at the fourth squad's office.

Could he read minds?!

"I happened to be talking to young Hanatarou-kun in the next room." He smiled and Ishida nodded.

"So, then, she wasn't..."

"No, not this time." Yamamoto smiled and Ishida let out a relaxing breath.

"Oh, thank goodness!" He didn't know why he felt so relieved, but he did.

"On the other hand, I noticed how close you and Izuru-kun are becoming. It's interesting to watch." Ishida turned, seeing an odd gleam in the smiling old man's eyes.

He realized the insinuation and just stared for a second before blowing up.

"We're not gay!!" He nearly cried and he heard a giggle from behind him, turning to see Matsumoto behind him, staring with wide eyes. "Well, we're not." His tone turned quickly sulky and Matsumoto laughed out loud, walking up.

"Ishida-taicho, he's picking on you." Ishida turned to Yamamoto, who covered his mouth to hide his chuckle. In an odd display Matsumoto walked up and grinned.

"That was awesome!" She high fived the old man and all Ishida could do was stare, more disturbed by this than he would have thought possible.

"Come on, there's something I have to tell you." Matsumoto started walking off and Ishida looked over at Yamamoto.

"Who?"

"The ex Quincy." She turned with a smile and Ishida nodded.

"Have a good evening." Ishida bowed to Yamamoto before following the fukutaicho.

They reached Ishida's apartment and he walked in, headed to the kitchen. "Tea or sake?"

"Sake." She called, surprised by the question. Ishida brought out a tray with two small bottles and two box cups. He handed her one of each before headed to a plush cushion in the corner by his new desk.

"There's no chairs. It's so... traditional. I'm surprised." She looked around impressed. Ishida smiled and nodded. "I just got it all this afternoon. I still have to put together the rest of the place." He sighed and Matsumoto nodded.

"So, what did you have to tell me?" Matsumoto stilled for a moment, thinking of her wording before pouring a cup and quickly sucking down the warm liquid.

"Aerith visited us. She told me that you'd taken Kira down to the fourth squad after he woke screaming and collapsed." Ishida frowned, remembering the look on his face.

"I'd never seen him like that." Ishida bypassed the cup and started sucking the liquid straight from the bottle.

"I've seen it quite a few times. Aerith came to tell me because she knows we're close, but I knew that no one would have warned you. That's our bad and we apologize."

"We? What's going on?" Ishida stared and Matsumoto sucked down another cup.

"Since Gin left us, well, you know it was hardest on him, he's had some problems." She was skipping around the thoughts in her head and Ishida could tell it was something that bothered her. He nodded, telling her to go on. "He's been having night terrors since then. He'll wake up screaming, he'll wake up and pass out, if it's really bad he could throw up. He woke up and accidentally fell out of his window once. He woke up in his yard the next morning with his arm cut open and he didn't know what happened. It was only because Ikkaku noticed him that night that we ever knew what happened. When Amagai was here he was taken to the fourth squad a few times, waking up and screaming, throwing up and passing out. Amagai was scared to death the first time it happened."

"Have you... ever seen it?"

"At least once a month. All I can do is grab him and hold him till he falls back asleep. I know how terrible it can be, but don't take him down there anymore. Unohana-taicho has been on the verge of forcing him into taking medication for a year. He doesn't want that, I don't want that."

"But if it helps, why not?" Ishida slowly took another long draw from the bottle.

"Because it's a mood altering drug. If he takes it it'll change his personality. He wants to be able to get over it himself."

"Ah." Ishida frowned. "In that case, I'll respect his wishes and not take him again."

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, we were just kind of hoping that you'd never see it." She sighed and her head fell low. Ishida could tell she was taking his very hard.

"You have feelings for Izuru-san, don't you?" Matsumoto looked up at him and shook her head.

"It's not like that, it's just, it's Kira." She looked to be on the brink of crying. "It's Kira. I just... Kira's..."

Her hand crept to her face and she started shaking. Ishida walked over, giving her a consoling hug, watching tears dripping from her nose. He knew, even if she wouldn't admit it, even to herself, he knew.

He smiled sweetly, knowing that if that's all it was, as soon as he was over his fever Kira would be find.

It was a while later, Ishida had cleaned up after Matsumoto left, and he finally made his way to bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

It was two days before Kira was out of the infirmary, another day after that till Ishida allowed him to return to work, and only because Kira spent the day before sitting in the office, bored out of his mind.

It was interesting, though, to see Kira return. He grinned like mad, waving at everyone that came near the office. After the paperwork was done, he immediately grabbed them and nearly ran to the assignment room. Ishida laughed, thinking of the usually calm and collected Kira running and grinning like a school boy.

After he was released they went to town, Ishida offering to buy dinner as a celebration to them being out. He would have taken him out for a drink, but seeing as he just recovered, he didn't want to jinx it.

It was a few days before Kira was back to normal completely, and Ishida seemed to smile more and more as time went on.

After a month the squad was more unified, Ishida was nearly always smiling and laughing, Kira was about the same, smiling a lot, turning slowly into an optimist.

Matsumoto started spending more time with them after Kira's hospital visit. Ishida tried to give them their time, leaving to get tea, or headed over to ask another taicho a question, though usually he'd just go walk around the squad area.

He hoped that some day she'd be able to confess to herself, to him...

He smiled as he walked through the squad, and was stopped by Ukitake on his way through to Kurotsuchi's. He needed the readings on something.

"Your smile seems fake today." Ukitake frowned, used to seeing him happy. Ishida turned to him surprised.

"It's not."

"Are you sure? That was definitely a look of longing. Is there something happening at your squad?" Ishida smiled innocently, waving off the question.

"No! It's nothing like that!" He smiled. He was lying and he knew it.

He breathed out heavy, more of a sigh than an actual breath. "I'm hopeful for them, but I guess I'm a little jealous." He sighed and Ukitake frowned, curious.

"Who?"

"Rangiku-san and Izuru-san. They won't admit it, but when they're together it's so obvious. They're adorable." Ishida smiled and Ukitake nodded.

"Ah, so that's the situation."

"So, as you can tell, there's nothing really wrong, I'm just a little..."

"I understand. I have it a little worse than you, though, and I know I'll never get the girl that I want." He smiled and Ishida looked up, surprised.

"You're one of the taicho. Lots of the girls think you're 'hot'. You're almost famous for your kindness. What girl wouldn't be interested in you?" Ishida was surprised. He'd never heard the kind hearted taicho mention a crush before.

"The kind that don't see me as a man, but as a friend. She spent so much time with me, but I was never anything besides 'taicho', and now I'll never get her."

Realization hit and Ishida just stared with wide eyes. "Because of Renji..."

"I guess he has known her forever, I can't say that I'm not happy for them, but a little disappointed. Kind of the same thing with you because of Ichigo."

"It's not because of him anymore. My crush on Inoue-san died off a bit ago."

"Really?" A jovial gleam came to the older man's eyes. "Then who's the lucky girl?" Ishida laughed, the look on Ukitake's face was nearly childish fascination.

"There isn't one. It's just an in general. It would be nice, just to know how it felt to be in love like that, and to have them love me back."

Ukitake stared, nearly drop jawed. "Really, you've never had a girlfriend?"

"No one besides Ai has ever even kissed me, and I don't know if that really counts. There's no real feelings there, she's just after a thrill." Ukitake nodded, trying to run this through his head.

"Wow, no offense, Ishida-kun, but that's kind of sad."

Ishida laughed wholeheartedly at the remark. "I was too serious for that while I was alive, and I've been so busy since I came here. It's nice to have people need me, and to be able to feel like I'm doing something that I have a tendency to make it my reason to be here. I'm happy like this, but I just feel a little let down." Ukitake nodded.

"I have an idea. Come to the bar tonight. It's a guys night out." He smiled and Ishida nodded.

"That sounds perfect. Meet you there at eight?" Ukitake nodded with a grin before waving with a smile.

Ishida smiled and turned, the first thought running through his head being this. 'I hope he's not going to try anything weird.'

Hey all! Hope you liked! I'm already working on the next chapter, should be a day or two! Hope to see you then! Please review!

jasminflower69