Hurray! A Bleach fanfic! Now everyone's happy!

DISCLAIMER!: I don't own Bleach… yet.

I scowled at the bob of obnoxious orange hair in front of me. He had done this often, too often I say. I had come back from school a bit before him, and so had spent my time sitting on his bed drawing. I was in the midst of a masterpiece of Chappy when he burst in, face flushed from what seemed to be quite a bit of exercise.

"Where were you?" He huffed. Taken aback I simply replied. "I heard you had something to do, so I headed back early, problem?" Though it was obvious there was a problem, I hadn't a clue what it was. He sighed and I was sure he deflated about two inches. Flopping down beside me he hung his head, at that I was seriously worried, if he was moping about something, he was in for a rude, and violent, wake up.

But he spoke before I could verbalise this complaint. "Stupid midget." He mumbled. That was it, I had been having a perfectly good day until now. And a bummed out Ichigo that decided that today was "Pick on Rukia" day, was not going to ruin it.

Carefully placing my artwork on the desk I stood in front of him. "Hey," He didn't answer, which didn't do my mood any good at all. "Oi! A Kuchiki's talking to you, hey? What's up?" He looked up and glared at me. "I don't answer to you." I couldn't believe it. This didn't seem like the normal Ichigo, even when he's depressed he wasn't like this.

But something about the tone of his voice made me stop, he sounded, upset. But it seemed to be a very deep rooted problem. So I knew that I would have to be careful about going about an interrogation.

"You okay?" I asked as gently as I could. He was quiet a moment, then sighed. "I don't know." He winced as though recalling a memory. "Sorry for snapping." That nearly caused me to fall over. I placed my hand on his forehead. "Are you sick?"

Slapping my hand away, he glared once more. But I noticed that he was a little red. So that was it, a fever. "Hey, if you're sick then get some sleep. Can't have you running around like this." He sighed, and I was getting tired of that constant release of hot air. "Look, I'm not sick. Just…" He paused a moment. "Stressed, that's all. Not sick."

Though it was understandable for him to be stressed, it was very odd that he would admit it, and that was the source of my worry. "Ichigo?" he looked up at me, sadness in his eye's. I suppose the shock was portrayed on my face since his grinned and ruffled my hair. "Sorry to worry you, squirt." I sighed, this was pathetic.

I sat down beside him and flopped back, inhaling the scent of spring the open window brought. He looked at my and gave a lopsided smile. I was still worried, but I hoped that if he needed me, he knew I was there.

As he lay beside me I heard his breathing relax, then mine did the same. It was nice, this feeling. Closing my eye's I recalled all the moments of my time in his world. From meeting him, to him coming all the way to Soul Society to "save" me. Watching his skills grow as well as his sense of leadership. "If this we a manga, he'd be the hero." I whispered so only I could hear.

I sat up and looked at him to make sure he didn't hear that; lucky for me, he was still sound asleep. I lay back down and wondered what was on his mind. How could he go from so flustered that he was red in the face, to sleeping peacefully beside me.

Perhaps he felt as relaxed around me as I did around him? We had been through so much together, that his presence was practically expected. He was like a part if me, and I of him.

I chuckled to myself. I was getting pretty deep for a Monday afternoon. "What's so funny?" I heard a very familiar voice say. I chuckled again. "Nothing really," I could see him roll his eyes in my minds eye. "Right. If you're still worried… I'm fine, really." I stretched and sat up. Looking at him, all the familiar features that I had committed to memory right in front of me.

"I know, and I am too." And I'll always be, as long as this feeling never fades.

"Good," He said. "You up for a bite?" I rolled my eyes. "You know I am."

He smiled,

"Of course I do."