What?! Ichigo thought as he stared at the floating man with his auburn eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he shut it and shook his head to rid himself of the shock of such a random question. Why would you ask me a question like that?!

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he stammered, slowly recovering from his dumbfounded moment. "You know how I feel about him! He's my other half, he's my partner...that's all." He looked down slowly at his sandaled feet. "So...why bother asking?"

"Is that the truth, Ichigo?" Zangetsu simply asked, his face still unemotional.

The vibrant haired teen's head snapped up as he clenched his fists, a deep crimson blush covering his face.

"Did he set you up to this?! To...to make me question my feelings about Orihime?! To...humiliate me?!" he shouted, slamming his eyes shut as he brought his shoulders up while lowering his chin to his lightly tanned chest. Not bothering to look at his zanpaku-to's spirit. "If so...leave me alone!"

"Hichigo didn't tell me to do this," Zangetsu sighed, shaking his head, "even if he did, I wouldn't do it, you're my master."

"Zangetsu," he breathed out in a heavy tone, lifting his head to look at the man with half-lidded deep chocolate colored eyes, deep in thought, yet looking almost as broken as the albino. "...why do you want to know?"

"Because," he spoke, slowly smiling, "there's something that you need to be aware of of your partner, Hichigo."

XXXX

Hichigo sat on the edge, pushing himself closer as he sighed, wiping his face with the palm of his left hand, a feeling of nervousness welling in his stomach.

T-t'is only happens when - He turned around to see the orange haired shinigami standing there with Zangetsu. Putting the old man aside, his golden-black eyes locked with Ichigo's, seeing that they, too, were in turmoil, as though he had some information he'd rather forget.

Ichigo walked towards him, stopping only at the ledge of the building, looking over at him from the corner of his eye. The snow white haired figure already turned back to look forward, gnawing on his lower lip as his un-sounding heart began to pound angrily.

Angry because he knew Ichigo wouldn't accept him if he knew that he was in love with him.

Looking at yourself in the mirror, like a twin...being in love with the first-born. It wasn't natural.

The bright haired teen slowly sunk down to his level, sitting beside him as he lifted his right hand and placed it on Hichigo's shoulder, the albino's head whipping to his direction. His golden-black eyes wide, tears seeping into his eyes, yet blinking them back.

"Is it true, Hichigo?" he asked in a stern tone, the white form quickly bringing his right hand up to his face again, covering his face and shaking his head, turning his head to the opposite side of the shinigami to glare at Zangetsu.

"Ya told 'im, didn' ya?" he hissed.

The old man just shrugged.

"Hichigo," Ichigo's voice whispered softly, as if pleading that the saddened and broken form to look him in the eyes, "Hichigo...look at me."

And that's exactly what he did, but looked down on the ground, tears streaming down his face, hot and sticky.

"Yes..."