[fic] The Thought Behind It

[kiyala.livejournal.com]

Title: The Thought Behind It
Status: Complete
Author: kiyala
Word Count: 909
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Kurosaki Ichigo / Ishida Uryuu
Rating: PG
Warnings: boylove, boys kissing
Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns Bleach
Notes: So apparently it's Ishida's birthday today.


x-posted to ishi_ichi

---

"I'm a shithead."

Uryuu looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow. Ichigo was looking out of the window from where they sat, at the study-desks on the second floor of the library.

"Yes, and...?"

The redhead laughed bitterly and shook his head. "I've known it's your birthday today for what... months? And—"

"I'm not accustomed to receiving presents, if that's what you're concerned about," the Quincy cut him off, gaze already settling back on the novel in his hands.

"Yeah, well that bothers me. And I wanted to do something about it."

"You paid for my lunch today."

"That's different. That's just... taking advantage of something that's already there. You needed food and I had money. Presents have to have thought behind them. Not just taking advantage of someone's needs like that."

"So in essence, presents should be useless things?"

"Useless things with a lot of thought behind them," Ichigo corrected. "And anyway. There's a difference between not needing something and it being useless."

Uryuu considered that. "I suppose."

"So. Is there there anything you want for your birthday?"

The corners of the Quincy's mouth twitched upward. "I thought you said presents required thought behind them. I was of the impression that the gift-giver was the one thinking here. I suppose you are a special case. Need someone to hold your hand through the thinking process, Kurosaki?"

"Shut up," came the reply, but the Shinigami was grinning.

Uryuu was about to say more, but the bell rang to signal the end of their lunch break.

"Time to return to class," the Quincy murmured, standing and closing his book.

"I'll see you after school, then?" Ichigo asked, following Uryuu out of the library. "I'm taking you out for dinner or something, okay?"

"No objections on my part," Uryuu replied. "I'll see you."

He picked up his pace, leaving Ichigo behind in time for his friends to join him and ask why he wasn't on the rooftop like usual.

Ichigo thought about it through the two periods between lunch and the end of school, hoping to suddenly come up with an amazing idea for a present. By the time classes were over, he still had no clue. He went home, changing out of his uniform before heading over to Uryuu's flat, walking through the mall in the hopes that an idea would strike him. It didn't.

"You're doing homework?" Ichigo asked, wrinkling his nose at the books laid out on Uryuu's table once he was let inside. "On your birthday? Are you crazy?"

"Being born on a particular day doesn't excuse one from doing what they're supposed to," Uryuu replied, but he sounded amused at Ichigo's logic. "Are we going out already? I still need to change out of my uniform."

"Take your time."

Uryuu didn't take long, emerging from his room in a coat, trouser and a collared shirt.

"Do you always have to dress so formally?"

"Not always, but I prefer presenting myself well. Is there a problem?"

"No. Come on." Ichigo took Uryuu's hand, but let go as soon as they left the flat.

Ichigo took the standard dinner-and-movies route, which didn't surprise Uryuu the slightest. The food was good and the movie was tolerable. He was too distracted by the feeling of Ichigo's hand holding his throughout the entire movie to pay enough attention to properly gauge its value.

They walked back to Uryuu's flat with their hand in their pockets. The temperature had dropped and their breath formed fog in the air before them as they walked. Uryuu invited Ichigo inside for tea.

"Was that a good birthday?" Ichigo asked from the couch as Uryuu prepared their tea.

"It was the first time in a while that I've spent it with someone else," came the reply from the kitchen. "...Thank you."

Ichigo grinned, "You're welcome. ...Wish I could've gotten you a present, though."

"As I've said before," Uryuu told him, carrying the two teacups to the table. "It doesn't bother me so you don't need to apologise."

They drank in silence, sitting side by side on Uryuu's small, sagging couch. When they put their cups down again, Ichigo took Uryuu's hand again.

"Why do you keep holding my hand?"

"Because I like you, duh," Ichigo replied. "I mean... there isn't anything else to prove we're in a relationship, is there?"

"You spend more time with me. Much more time."

"Yeah, but anyone could do that and people would just think that you've suddenly made really good friends with that person. Which we have... but it's a bit more than that."

Uryuu nodded silently, contemplating that.

"Ichigo?"

"Y-Yeah?" Ichigo looked up, startled to hear Uryuu calling him by his given name, but then even more startled when the Quincy kissed him.

It was a short kiss and the blue eyes watched him carefully as Uryuu pulled away. "There. That's another thing to prove we're in a relationship, isn't it?"

Ichigo blinked in confusion for a moment before his brain caught up to him and he returned the kiss, holding Uryuu close.

"There," Uryuu said quietly and actually smiled. "That can be my birthday present. You've been thinking about that for a while, haven't you?"

Ichigo's cheeks went a little red. "Yeah... but you kissed me first. It would've been rude if I didn't kiss back."

"So you'd kiss anyone who kissed you?"

"No. Just you."

Chuckling, Uryuu pulled him closer. "Then that's good enough for me."

x