A/N:
My hubby is currently feeding me chocolate while I write and Dragonball is playing on the tv..
Just thought you should know..

Oh and if I owned Bleach, I'd be a millionar, not a student.

Chapter 5.
I've been an idiot

Aside from the yellowish streetlights, the town was dark, asleep, silent.
Ichigo was slowly making his way through the streets, not entirely sure of his destination. Home? Urahara's shop? He certainly did not want to wake the lovebirds at this hour. Ishida? No that's a certain no go. He might actually kill me the if I show up unannounced again.
He felt the Quincy's reiatsu nearby and decided it best to keep his own supressed completely.
I hope no one's too worried.. I didn't really think it through before leaving.
The urge to get away for a while had overcome him after the morning confrontation with the Quincy and he had no idea of where to go. So instead, he had traveled around a bit, doing nothing but sleep, eat and hunt Hollows.
Right as his mind tried to recall the countless number of Hollows he had entercountered, one appeared few inches infront of him, looking ready to leap forward and swallow him whole.
He sighed and within a second, his sword had cut the creature in half. He almost pitied the ones daring to come this close to him. It wasn't a fair fight. It was no fight at all.
It ad taken him almost a year to recover his strength after war and he could never have done it at all had it not been for Renji, Rukia, Urahara, Yoruichi, Sado and Orihime. Day after day, month after month, they had spend hours training with him. Ishida had come around a few times too, but had stayed as far away from the training group as possible. From me..
The urge to mend the broken friendship had always been gnawing at him but lately it had been much stronger. That was why he had run after the Quincy on the last day of school. Orihime's note had just been a good excuse.
For months he had tried to find the right words to describe how horrible he truely felt about what had happened but that day, he had been completely unprepared.
I have to try again..
It was tempting to just catch up to the ravenhaired, he was close by. Ichigo could feel him. He turned a corner and to his own surprise, he saw the back of the man occupying his mind. All he had t do was open his mouth and speak.
But what would he say?
The white uniform was covered in dirt and a few blood stains and the raven hair that normally lay smooth and well combed was a little roughed.
Before Ichigo had a chance to form words and open his mouth, the man in front of him started running, faster and faster, away from him. As if he has noticed the redhead following him.
Ichigo let out a sigh, feeling the dissapointment creep through his body.

"Ichigo... Ichigo.." a soft voice whispered close to his ear.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked in direction of the voice. Yuzu was knelt down besides his bed, a cautious smile on her lips.
"Ah.. Goodmorning Yuzu.." He had completely forgotten how fragile the poor girl was. Leaving without telling her was a bad idea.
"Ichi-nee.. You're home" she smiled, holding back a few tears.
"I heard you come home last night so I made breakfast before tou-san waking up. You better hurry and get some.." she said and pointed at the tray she had sat down at his desk.
"Hai.. Arigato." he answered softly and pulled her onto the bed in a gentle hug.
"I'm sorry I worried you, I should have told you instead of writing a note.."
"It's okay" she replied softly.. "You're a grown man now, I shouldn't get so worried.. Well I better go wake Karin, she has football practice in a few hours.." she said and got up, trowing him a smile before leaving his room.
After Yuzu's breakfast porridge, the familiar morning toss-around with his father and a shower, Ichigo went to visit Sado and Orihime.
It was quite early still but he knew they would be up, both of them being early birds. It did, however, surprise him to see Sado in the kitchen. With an apron even.
"Orihime-chan is taking a shower" he simply said and put an extra plate on the table. Being with Orihime for this long had made him slightly more talkative.
"Oh.. I didn't mean to disturb you guys.."
"You're not.." the taller man said and flipped a pancake.
"I had no idea you could cook" Ichigo said and took some glasses out of a cabin and put them on the small table.
"My grandpa taught me.. There's tea in the pot and juice in the fridge.."
Ichigo brought the juice to the table and found some tea cups right in time for Orihime to join them.
"Kurosaki-kun" she smiled before turning her eyes to Sado.
"Oh Yasutora-kun.. You spoil me so much" she chipped at the sight of the stacked pancakes and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"It's valnut, that's your favorit, right?"
"Hai! Oh you're so amazing, Yasu-kun!"
Ichigo watched as Sado wrapped his big arms around Orihime and hugged her gently. The display awoke a feeling of longing. They were so happy together.
Most of his friends had paired up or found someone while he had barely even thought about it, let alone found someone he wanted to be with.

They sat down and ate, though Ichigo was already somewhat full from earlier and talked about everything and nothing. Sado had gotten a job at a bakery and considered staying in that line of work and Orihime of course was starting colinary school after the summer though Sado seemed slightly worried. Ichigo was of course going to the local university to study medicin.
"Just like Ishida-kun" the busty girl smiled.
"Huh? Hasn't his father gotten him into some fancy and expensive school?" Ichigo asked in disbelif.
"Hai.. But he wanted to get in somewhere due to his own efford and without his fathers influende.. So he applied for the local University in secrecy and got in. His father was not pleased at all."
"Uhm Inoue-san.. I need your advice.. Regarding Ishida.." Ichigo said and looked at his hands. He found it embarassing having to ask for ehr help, but she was the only one who really knew the Quincy after all.
"Oh.. Uhm.. Okay, I'll do my best.." she replied, a little taken aback by his request.
"Arigato.. Well, I want him not to hate me, I wish to regain his friendship" Ichigo blushed as he spoke, but he had turned his eyes on Orihime, determination almost concealing the hurt in them. Orihime thought for a while.
"I think it will be a difficult misson, Kurosaki-kun.. Ishida-kun has had alot of time to build up a pretty strong wall around him.. He even barely lets me in.. He's been alone for a long time, you know.."
"Hai.. I know.. He shouldn't have had to be alone for so long.. It's taken me way too long to admit I missed his friendship.. I've been an idiot.." It did not matter how it the words had passed his lips, there was no way not to make it sound embarassing. It was true, however. He really missed Ishida's company. It had always seemed like they understood each other on a different level. Even with the constant bickering.
"Uhm.. Kurosaki-kun.. I think you need to give Ishida-kun some sort of outlet for his anger before he could start moving forward and potentially want your friendship again.." Orihime said quietly. Sado nodded in agreement.

After spending the rest of the day broding about it, Ichigo had finally come up with a plan. And that plan had lead his straight to the Quincy's front door.