I don't own Bleach.

Wrongly Reasoned Feelings

Michiru was settling against the tree trunk as she sat down. On its other side, Tatsuki leaned on it while standing, arms crossed. Silence passed for several moments and Michiru was ready to complain when Tatsuki finally spoke.

"Something happened between the two of you, didn't? You and Ichigo."

"Something… be a little more specific, Tatsuki." Michiru whined while pouting.

"If I knew what happened I wouldn't have asked, now would I? But it had to be something big for the two of you to suddenly become so friendly like that."

"It's not that unreasonable…" Michiru began, but Tatsuki went on, as though ignoring her.

"I heard from Ryou… about your mother, about how that's what you got the job for. Let me tell you something – that's also why he's suddenly acknowledging your existence."

"What… do you mean?" Michiru asked, now on her feet, her hands curled into fists. Tatsuki sighed as she closed her eyes, her voice dropping in tones to avoid breaking.

"I don't have the right to tell you the story behind it, but that guy… Ichigo has one heck of a mother complex. It means that when he hears something about someone else's mother, he'll act all concerned and worried, just like he does towards you."

"What are you saying?" Michiru asked in a shaky voice. "Are you saying that… I'm still invisible to him?"

"Yep." Came the blunt reply, cutting through Michiru's heart like a hot knife through butter. "Like you said, up until now you were 'normal' compared to 'the rest of us', so he hardly paid you any attention. It's wrong and unfair to blame him alone, though. Up until now, you didn't actually walk up and talked to him either, did you? You didn't." Tatsuki concluded quickly, showing she wasn't really waiting a reply. "You haven't changed. He… hasn't changed." She said, though she knew that might not have been that true. She had a point to make, however, and Michiru was better off not knowing. "Therefore, the only reason he has to even look at you now… would be pity."

She wasn't surprised when Michiru's hand came flying at her cheek. She was expecting it, actually. Truth be told, between her and herself – Tatsuki knew she deserved it, if only a bit. However, that hardly stopped her from slapping Michiru back so hard the girl let out a cry as she fell to the ground, holding her quickly reddening cheek. Tatsuki looked emotionlessly at her tear filled eyes.

"Get a grip! Losing your senses over him like this… in a week or two tops you mom'll feel better and he'll lose any and all interest in you. That is, if you'll manage to draw it out that long. But sooner or later he'll lose interest, that's for sure. And when that happens, and it will happen…" She emphasized upon seeing Michiru wanted to protest. "…you'll wake up and find that none of your friends are around anymore because you acted like a complete bitch and scared everyone off. Don't worry, though; I'll still be here to ask you if he was worth it."

"Kurosaki-kun is…" Michiru tried, and while Tatsuki's cold eyes did frighten her, she had too much to say to keep quiet. "Kurosaki-kun isn't that sort of person! He wouldn't do something like that!"

With a humph, Tatsuki put both her hands on her hips and stuck a smirk on her lips.

"You sure claim to know him well… for someone who never even talked to him."

"But… but Tatsuki makes him sound like a complete bastard!" Michiru accused, distressed. Tatsuki shook her head.

"All I'm saying is that you're not the kind of person who can get close to him, not really. I guess what I'm trying to say is… you're not his type."

"His type!" The girl spat out in disbelief. Tatsuki merely looked away, a dark look settling over her eyes.

"You… how many things did you lose in your life?"

"Eh?" Michiru blinked, for a moment forgetting her offensiveness.

"How many things that were important to you are now no longer here? How many people close to you just suddenly disappeared from your life, never to be heard from again?"

"… old dolls… don't count… do they?" Michiru asked with hopeful confusion. Tatsuki gave her half a chuckle for her effort.

"Nope."

"None then."

Tatsuki sighed and pulled at her hair in frustration. Michiru's eyes widened as she recalled a certain orange haired teen using the same gesture.

"That guy… was one of the happiest people I knew. The Ichigo of that time is still ranked high on my list of annoyingly happy people. Hard to believe, I know, but one day all of that changed. One day he was smiling, and the next, well, I can't say he became the Ichigo we know today, but he was certainly getting there. Even I found it hard to believe it was the same person… no, maybe I just didn't want to believe it…"

"So?" Michiru asked as hesitatingly as she did offensively, pulling Tatsuki away from memory lane as the tears began to form. She instead looked at Michiru with sad eyes.

"My point is you can't understand how he feels, least of all someone who never lost anything like you."

"Then… is Tatsuki Kurosaki-kun's type?"

It was obvious by now that Michiru was completely lost, but Tatsuki still let out a harsh laugh.

"Idiot, have you been listening to a word I said! What've I lost, other than my patience towards you, that is?" She asked with narrowed eyes. Michiru pulled back a little.

"Then… what…"

With a sigh, Tatsuki continued.

"Orihime… about three years ago… lost everything. She acts all jumpy and happy, but she's one of the loneliest people I know. Kuchiki-san, too. No wonder those two stick together like glue, or that Orihime likes that guy so much. People who've lost someone become emotionally handicapped." He fist tightened so much she felt the skin break under her fingernails, but went on. "That kind of people know when it happens to others. That's why Kuchiki-san is hardly seen away from Ichigo. That's why Orihime greets him cheerfully every morning and can describe his frowning face as 'funny'. And that's why he lets Kuchiki-san stick so close. That's why he swallows a part of his pride and greets Orihime back. And that's why…" She looked straight into Michiru's eyes. "that's why you never really wanted to get close… and he kept you at at least an arm's length."

"Then… what am I supposed to do… what am I supposed to do, Tatsuki!" Michiru screamed as she hugged herself. Violent shivers rocked her body, and she was trying desperately to hold back the tears. She was failing quite miserably.

"I can't tell you what to do or not do. Even if I did, I doubt you'd listen, anyway. So I'll just say that no matter what, no matter how, you need to get a grip as fast as you can, and the sooner the better, so that you won't get hurt too badly when he doesn't remember your name again."

"You're making him… sound like a bastard again." Came the reply once the girl managed to calm down to hiccups and quiet sobs.

"Ah, he is."

Michiru's eyes widened as she stared at the other girl in shock. Tatsuki merely threw a handkerchief her way, her face and eyes sealed.

"He's a bastard because he'd rather not get hurt again. He is keeping people away with his frown and when that fails – with his fists, because he'd rather not get too close, rather not hold anyone too fear. You don't care about anyone – they can't hurt you, and above all else – it hurts much, much less when they go and drop dead on you."

The wind blew past them as silence fell, allowing for the voices calling out to Tatsuki from the school's gym to be heard. She walked past Michiru a total of three steps before stopping, making the other girl blink at her back.

"Today I let it slip because you were upset, and because Orihime didn't catch on to you insulting her like you did, but do it again and I won't be so kind. And one last thing." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You do, say, think, breath wrong, give me any indication that you've done anything to Ichigo, anything at all…" She turned back to Michiru with a look saved for those who wanted to pick on Orihime. Michiru took a step back, her back coming against the tree trunk. "…and I'm taking you down."

"Almost sounds like… like Kurosaki-kun's Tatsuki's type." She tried in her defense. A bitter laughter left Tatsuki's lips before she could stop it, letting out all of her frustration at the situation. Once she calmed down enough, she smirked at Michiru in the most stuck up sort of way.

"There're two kinds of people who'd possibly want someone that messed up. The first – people who don't know said messed up person, and the second are people with as many screws loose as him. It's not hard to guess where I fit in the equation. " She turned to leave with a shrug as she left Michiru behind. "I don't."

But the other girl did, and she felt another rush of tears as she also knew exactly where.