A/N: I don't own these characters, they belong to Tite Kubo. I just dress them up and have them dance around for my pleasure.
Pairings: Uryū /Orihime, Ichigo/Rukia
Note: this takes place right after the Soul Society arc, and works under the assumption that Uryū never lost his Quincy powers.

Please don't bash the pairings. I don't really care if you do it or not. I just said that to save you from making fools of yourselves. ; )
Written in the American/English style for names, etc. Thank you.

Misunderstandings

Uryū Ishida:

Uryū couldn't look at her, but he had to look at her. It was almost a biological need. Orihime moved like a dichotomy. Sometimes gentle and quick, sometimes gawky and completely uncoordinated. He was amazed and fascinated. When watching her it also didn't hurt that she was incredibly beautiful. He loved the way her strawberry-blond, almost ginger, hair cascaded down her back. It's only restraints were two very special clips, which sat above each of her delicate ears.

Her brilliant gray eyes seemed to take everything in. He could barely breath when those eyes turned to him. He lamented that her soulful orbs didn't turn his way more often, but he knew her eyes strayed to another.

Ichigo Kurosaki was the object of her desire. Not him, not the last Quincy archer. It killed him inside. He knew her, more than he suspected Kurosaki ever did. Uryū knew the true depth of her. What it meant when she hid her eyes by dipping her head. What she was really doing when she laughed just a little too loud. He lived for her genuine, heart-seizing smiles.

He sighed. But she pined for another. He didn't think she'd ever said anything to the man about her feelings, nor would she. The idiot substitute Soul Reaper loved someone else.

When she had that sad look on her face, it made him want to shake Kurosaki to his senses, or draw her close to take away the empty place in her heart. Neither scenario was going to happen, and he knew it.

The most twisted thing in all this was that he and Orihime had risked their lives to rescue Ichigo's love interest, Rukia Kuchiki. Originally he'd helped Ichigo in saving Rukia because the carrot-topped Soul Reaper was his friend. Later he discovered he also did it because he knew it would make Orihime happy. He would do anything to see her smile again.

It must have tortured Oriheme to see them reunited, but she'd held her tongue. It made him love her all the more. Unfortunately Uryū hadn't discovered his feelings for Orihime until after he'd discovered hers for Ichigo. Everything was a mess. Just like her, Uryū would never confess his feelings to Orihime.

That's why it was so hard to look at her, because he wanted her so much, and couldn't do a thing about it.

Orihime Inoue:

Why was he so gorgeous? It really isn't fair. Men should be handsome, not stunningly beautiful. His black hair, that shined blue like a raven's wings around his face, begged to have fingers run though it. Orihime blushed at her own thoughts, as she tried to look away from the Quincy. But she was again captivated by his deep blue, expressive eyes.

She loved his eyes, but so often they were obscured by his glasses. She knew he could easily wear contacts, but she also knew the glasses served as part of his armor. It was a wall he'd put up between himself and the world.

She'd seen through that armor only on brief occasions. Mostly when he'd been fighting for Rukia. She suspected he had feelings for the petite Soul Reaper, but it was so hard to tell! His expressions, except for glowering, were almost nonexistent.

She'd never seen him cry. He almost never smiled (when he did it was devastating). She'd caught a blush on his pale cheeks a time or two, but he'd been looking down at his feet those times, so she wasn't sure why he was blushing.

The only reason she had her suspicions was because of his actions. With Uryū, actions really do speak louder than words. In the Soul Society he'd fought incredibly hard to get Rukia back safe; he'd almost died.

When she'd asked Uryū why he'd gone that far, he'd told her that it was because he was Ichigo's friend. That had been one time she'd seen past his mask. She'd seen in his eyes that there'd been another reason entirely. True Rukia had become one of her best friends, but Orihime couldn't help feeling jealous over Uryū's attentions towards her.

It had been a shock at first that she felt that way about Uryū. Before their trip to the Soul Society she'd barely known him. Once there they'd spent allot of time alone together. It was a bonding experience.

Orihime had gone to the Soul Society to help her friends; and she'd tried, really she had, but ended up only being a burden to them. Uryū had had to save her many times. She'd loved the feel of his arms around her, but she knew she'd have to let him go. Out of her grasp, and hopefully (eventually) out of her heart.

Almost too late she'd realized that for everyone to be happy Rukia had to be saved, and that Ichigo was probably the only one strong enough to do it. That's partly why she cried when he fell, and rejoiced when he rose again.

Now that they were back in the world of the living, she fought her growing feelings for Uryū. His heart was obviously occupied, so she didn't want to disturb it. She definitely knew how he felt. She tried to distance herself from the archer, but it was hard when they shared friends, most of their classes, and of course Home Handicrafts Club.

It was so hard to be near him and not touch him!

A/N: Hey there, thanks for reading chapter one! Stay tuned for more of this. This is the first Bleach fanfiction I've written so please be kind.
I have never read the manga, and have only seen about two and a half seasons of the English-dubbed version of the show.

Edit Note: I finally am getting back to this piece so I thought I'd run over the first two chapters again and give them a facelift.