Hi! How are you all doing today? I have a new one-shot for you that is bromance themed. I think I only have one other one-shot in this book from this fandom and it was romance themed. It came out years ago and it is about time that I write something else from the universe of Bleach. If you aren't familiar, Bleach is an anime that just so happens to be the first one I ever watched. It has a special place in my heart and the characters are really amazing. Today, I am bringing you a bromance fic about Ichigo and Uryu. I don't know about you but I love their relationship. I think it's really dynamic and can play into so many things. For this fic though, I wanted to focus on the theory of them being related. It isn't based on the actual anime or the manga. It's its own alternate universe, so please keep that in mind while you read. With that being said, let's get into the story.

"On your left!" Ichigo shouts as a stream of these sharp bone-like structures spiral through the air. Uryu is quick to dodge out of the way with his hirenkyaku. The needles embed into a nearby building with a loud boom. Ichigo is quick to slide to Uryu's side, bringing his blade in front of him. "Are you okay?" Ichigo questions.

"Am I bleeding or impaled?" Uryu retorts dryly.

"Well, excuse me for being concerned about your well-being," Ichigo huffs.

"Sorry," Uryu states, "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I wasn't exactly expecting to be stopped in the middle of lunch by a bunch of children sized versions of hollows." They stand on the side streets of Karakura town that is thankfully desolate. Opposite to them are a group of twenty short hollows who all have the tell-tale white masks covering their faces. Small holes appear on each of their chests and on their backs have these shells on them where sharp needles protrude outward. They are the spirits of a preschool class who got into a massive car accident almost a month ago now. It was a tragedy that everyone in town knew about. When Ichigo and Uryu were alerted to the presence of the hollows close by the school building, they already knew whose spirits they would be facing.

They've only been engaging with the beings for a few moments now, but Uryu knows at that moment that they had a difficult situation on their hands. Ichigo has been distracted since they arrived. The fact that these hollows are the spirits of young children is clearly affecting him. Uryu isn't one to be bothered by it, seeing the creatures as what they are now rather than what they were before. Even if they were once kids, they now have the ability to hurt a lot of people if they allow them to run rampant. It is for that reason that Uryu thinks things may go wrong.

Usually, Ichigo and Uryu work well together. Not many know, but they've been a team for years now. As children, they clashed when their parents introduced them and revealed they were cousins. That changed when they realized that they both had the ability to see spirits. They banned together then to convince their mothers to allow them to train together. From that moment forward, they have been working side by side. Their grandfather taught them how to use their Quincy power and Ichigo would practice late at night with Kisuke. Their parents would teach them both hand to hand combat as well as how to work together during a fight. They had worked together for so many years that when they finally faced their first hollow, they had moved without even thinking. They never bumped into one another. They always knew where the other would be. They would watch each other's backs. They would cover for one another. They are a well oiled machine. Two people fighting as one. When Ichigo and Uryu worked together, it was like a rehearsed dance.

And yet there were times where there were issues. They were still human after all. They would mess up. They would falter when their emotions started running rampant. They would get injured. They would fight. Oh, would they fight. The cousins had the same stubborn streak coursing through their veins. They never backed down. And while that is great when facing an opponent, sometimes they end up getting into a spat with one another. It never lasted long. They knew they had responsibilities. And as family, it meant very little when teasing words would be fired at one another. Nonetheless, the cousins would always find a way to stop the threat. No matter what.

"Focus, Kurosaki," Uryu states as he raises his bow.

"I am focused, Ishida," Ichigo says in a sing-song tone.

"I'm going to corner them," Uryu says, "Be ready to purify them with your blade." He doesn't hesitate to rush off, disappearing in a blur. Ichigo readjusts his hold on his sword and as soon as he does a flash of blue passes the corner of his eye. Arrow after arrow arcs through the air and hits the ground. The small army of hollows shuffle away from the shots, moving closer and closer together. Ichigo grits his teeth as he swings his blade back and starts rushing forward. Before he can even strike, the creatures start to clamber on top of one another. Ichigo stops in his tracks and stares at them with wide eyes. As the group of hollows climb onto each other, their bodies become thick and goopy. The black slime-like substance begins to mold and shape into a massive being that stands with large legs. The white shells that were on the small army's back have now become chunks of armor that cover the giant hollow. It lets out a high pitched shriek that sounds like a screaming chorus of children. It then aims its arms outward and sends a giant ring of sharp needles straight towards Ichigo. The soul reaper's body tenses as the attack nears him, but he can't bring himself to move. It's at that moment that a heavy weight slams right into him. Ichigo tumbles to the ground, gritting his teeth as his shoulder slams into concrete. There is then a loud boom as the needles dig into the wall right behind where Ichigo was once standing. "Shit," Ichigo breathes.

"What were you saying about being focused?" Uryu questions as he pushes himself up. The Quincy has a scowl on his face. His hair is a mess from pushing Ichigo from harm's way and rolling on the ground. "They threw me off guard," Ichigo states.

"It's not even a Menos," Uryu huffs as he quickly generates his bow and fires at the creature who has started charging forward. His attack hits the hollow in its shoulder, splintering its armor. It serves to anger the creature who lets out another yell. "Distract it for me," Ichigo states as he pushes himself up using his sword.

"Are you going to attack the hollow this time?" Uryu asks dryly.

"Of course, I am," Ichigo states, "I always do." Uryu scoffs under his breath before rushing off. He generates large arrows, pulling easily from the reishi in the air. He fires in quick succession. Each shot connects perfectly. One slamming in both his shoulders and another two hitting its thighs. The force of the arrows pushes the hollow back. As it stumbles, Ichigo has a perfect opportunity to go after it. And that is exactly what he does. He rushes forward and slashes straight across its chest. The hollow cries out as the soul reaper's blade cuts right through its armor like it's paper. It flies back, slamming into the fencing of the pathway leading towards the preschool. Before the hollow can make another move, Ichigo rushes over and places its blade by its neck. He grits his teeth as he prepares to slash through the hollow's mask, but stops when he hears the soft sound of a child's whimper.

"You're hurting, aren't you?" Ichigo questions, "You must have been so angry. I can understand the feeling, but I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to make it all go away and then you'll be going to a better place." His words do little to comfort the class of young souls in the hollow, who continue to make pitiful noises. Ichigo frowns as he lowers his blade and lets it touch the ground. "I promise that I'm not going to hurt you," Ichigo states as he looks into the gaping holes of the lost souls' eyes. He doesn't seem to notice as the hollow generates a massive spike and inches it closer to the orange haired teen's chest.

"Ichigo!" Uryu shouts as he rushes forward. He grips Seele Schneider, with its bright blue blade, in his hands as he pushes his cousin out of the spike's general vicinity. The soul reaper looks at the Quincy with a stunned expression. His eyes slowly widening as he begins to see the spike. Uryu grits his teeth as he just barely blocks the spike, slicing through it with his blade. He quickly bounds back before generating a bow and bringing Seele Schneider up. He doesn't hesitate to prep the arrow and let it fly. It connects instantly with the hollow's mask and it disintegrates into a pile of ash. Ichigo's shoulders stiffen and he stares at Uryu in complete disbelief.

The Quincy does not appear to be phased as he calmly smooths out his outfit before walking over to where the hollow once stood. He bends down to pick up the hilt of his Seele Schneider and put it back with the others. He turns to look at Ichigo who still stares at him. "You're welcome," Uryu rolls his eyes.

"What did you do?" Ichigo questions.

"What are you talking about?" Uryu asks.

"You know that you're not supposed to strike their mask," Ichigo growls, "That's my job. You just destroyed the souls of twenty something kids!"

"Well, this situation called for me to finish it," Uryu responds simply, "Sometimes it just can't be avoided."

Ichigo lets out a dry laugh and crosses his arms over his chest, "Don't you feel bad at all?"

"Why should I?" Uryu questions simply.

"You killed children!" Ichigo huffs.

"They were already gone, Ichigo," Uryu says.

"But, now they can't be reincarnated," Ichigo reasons.

"It was going to kill you, Ichigo," Uryu states, "So I made the decision to protect you."

"I would've been fine," Ichigo frowns.

"No, you wouldn't have," Uryu grimaces before taking a step closer to his cousin with a serious expression on his face, "We promised our mothers, Ichigo. We said that we would always look out for each other. We told them that we would do anything to keep each other safe."

"It doesn't matter!" Ichigo exclaims, "My life is nothing compared to a bunch of little kids!"

Uryu bristles, "Your life means a lot, Kurosaki! To your father and to your little sisters! To our friends...hell even to the damn soul reapers in the soul society!" Ichigo is stunned as his cousin raises his voice. Even as he takes in Uryu's voice, he can't stop the anger boiling deep inside him. The injustice that he feels towards those poor children who reminded him all too well of his younger sisters. "And to me!" Uryu shouts before taking a slow breath and saying in an even tone, "You're the only family that I'm close to Ichigo. You're more like a brother to me than a cousin. How could I let you die?"

Ichigo doesn't speak. A part of him knows that Uryu is right. There have been multiple occasions where they've needed to kill a hollow rather than purify it and send it to the soul society. It was never a problem before. They made the decisions they had to in order to save lives. But, this feels so much different. Maybe it's the fact that Ichigo knew who these spirits were. He was aware that they were young and still had so much of a life to live. If he hadn't, would he still be as angry as he is at this moment?

"Sometimes..." Ichigo breathes, "I wish that you weren't my cousin." His words hang thick in the air. The cousins stare at each other as silence falls between them. It's in those quiet moments that the weight of those words press heavily into both their shoulders. A guilt ridden apology forms on Ichigo's tongue, but his stubbornness and his emotions about his cousin's actions, stop him from speaking.

"Wow..." Uryu mutters stiffly after a couple moments of complete silence pass. He doesn't say anything after that. He simply turns around, his cape fluttering as he does before taking off in a blur. Ichigo stares at the spot where his cousin once stood with a mix of both regret and satisfaction settling inside of him.

———————

"Where's Uryu?" Isshin asks as Ichigo walks into the house.

"He's not coming," Ichigo states as he trenches into the kitchen. He opens the fridge and grabs a bottle of water. He calmly uncaps it and sips from it. His father stares at him from the couch, waiting for him to elaborate. Ichigo lets out a dramatic sigh before retelling the fight with the hollow from earlier today. Isshin listens intently, nodding his head and waiting until his son finishes to comment. "You know if you really want to blame anyone for this...you should be blaming yourself," Isshin says simply.

"What!?" Ichigo exclaims, "I didn't do anything."

"Exactly," Isshin states, "Kid, you're a great fighter, but sometimes you let your emotions get the best of you. You were distracted today. If you hadn't hesitated and ended it, Uryu wouldn't have had to save you and kill the hollow."

"He could've incapacitated it," Ichigo grits his teeth, "He didn't have to hit its mask."

"Maybe," Isshin shrugs, "But, he made a choice. As did you. In the end, you still took out the hollow and prevented more death. You did good."

"It doesn't feel good," Ichigo huffs.

"Not all fights do," Isshin says, "Even when you're the winner..." Ichigo merely scoffs and starts to head upstairs. He is stopped by a gruff shout from his father. He frowns but turns to face the former captain. "You better apologize to Uryu," Isshin states, "What you said was way out of line. It doesn't matter whose fault this is. Hollows and soul reapers and Quincies, all of this is complicated. There's rarely a right and a wrong in this world. But even with all this messed up upside down hullabaloo...one thing will always hold true...the two of you...you're family."

Ichigo scoffs before turning back around. He stomps up the stairs and into his room with an annoyed expression on his face. He drops his stuff onto the floor before making his way to his bed. He flops onto it and lets out a sigh. He brings his arm over his eyes and before he knows it he is fast asleep.

When he wakes, it's to the streaming light from the window hitting his face. Ichigo groans and turns around, trying to block out the sun. He stiffens. The sun? Why would the sun be out? He fell asleep late in the afternoon. It should be dark out. He slowly rises up and rubs at his eyes. He frowns when he is met with the bright blue sky from his window and the sounds of chirping birds. "Did I really sleep for that long?" He questions. He shrugs as he shifts around and stands from his bed. He stretches his neck before changing into a fresh uniform. He runs a hand through his messy hair and grabs his belongings. He exits his room and calmly makes his way downstairs. As he walks, he can hear the sound of sizzling and the loud chuckles of his father getting louder and louder. The second he steps onto the first floor, he is greeted with a wide smile from his little sister. Good morning!" Yuzu chirps.

"Morning, Yuzu," Ichigo murmurs as he drops his school bag by the front door. He then walks over to the table where his father sits with a large mug of hot tea in his hand. He sits across from his old man, avoiding his gaze. "Karin left early to go practice with her soccer team," Yuzu says as she walks over with a bowl of rice. Ichigo nods his head and takes the bowl from his sister. He thanks her quietly before digging in. As he eats, he can feel his father's eyes land on him. His lips curl into a frown as he puts his bowl down and meets Isshin's gaze. "What?" Ichigo questions.

"Oh, nothing," Isshin responds, "I was just thinking about how much you remind me of your mother." Ichigo rolls his eyes. He lets out a breath as he picks at a grain of rice with his chopstick. "I'll talk to Uryu later today, alright?" Ichigo huffs.

"That's great," Isshin smiles before shifting around in his seat awkwardly, "Um...just one thing...who's Uryu?" Ichigo's brows furrow. He stares at his father with an incredulous expression, wondering if the man is trying to pull his leg or something. Isshin's face maintains a puzzled expression though as his son eyes him suspiciously. "Uryu Ishida," Ichigo explains, "You know...your nephew...my cousin. Black hair. Glasses. Likes to sew and has an affinity for blue crosses..."

Isshin shakes his head, "If I had a nephew, I think I would know about it. Although whoever this Uryu is does sound like an interesting person."

"You're being serious," Ichigo says slowly, "You really have no clue who Uryu is." Isshin shrugs as Ichigo slides back in his seat and stands. The orange haired teen shakes his head before walking over to the side wall where they hang their family photos. His frown deepens. The moments captured are the same, but Uryu is missing from each and every one. He scans it over again and again, hoping to spot the tell tale glasses of his cousin. "You okay, kid?" Isshin asks.

"I don't understand," Ichigo huffs as he forces himself away from the photo wall. He racks his brain for a plausible explanation for all of this. His eyes flick back and forth as he thinks. He huffs as he walks over to his bag, quickly picking it up and rummaging through it. He pulls his phone out and begins to scroll through his contacts. The lack of his cousin's name on the list bothers him. He scowls as he switches to manually entering Uryu's number. He holds his phone to his ear and waits as it rings. He doesn't expect the bespectacled teen to answer. He never does. But, that's not why he's trying to reach his cousin. He doesn't need to hear his voice. Just his voicemail. "This is Uryu Ishida's phone. Please leave a message and I will get back to you," His cousin says in a stiff tone before a loud beep echoes. Ichigo pulls the phone away from his ear and ends the call. Uryu still exists, but for some reason he has no connection to Ichigo. It's like they aren't even family. "Shit..." Ichigo breathes as his words from earlier rattle in his brain.

———————

Ichigo hums under his breath as he makes his way to the roof of the school building. It's been hours since he first realized that his wish had come true. Although he was shocked by the discovery, he later began to view it as a blessing. Uryu was a constant presence in his life and while Ichigo didn't mind, there were times that his cousin pushed him over the edge. It was nice being able to walk to school without being criticized for his attire. Which, for the record, makes no sense to Ichigo cause they wear the same uniforms! It was also nice to be able to sit in class without being forced into a mental competition with his cousin. It was fun sometimes, but exhausting to do every single day. Life without his cousin was different. But, Ichigo couldn't say it was better.

While it was nice to be able to spend some time away from Uryu, the orange haired soul reaper found himself missing the snarky comments fired at him. His day began to feel sort of empty after that. Something big was missing and Ichigo couldn't bring himself to ignore it. His eyes would always unwillingly flit to what should have been his cousin's seat. He would bring him up when retelling some story that had happened to the two, only to remember that none of his friends knew who he was talking about. And Ichigo can't even count the number of times he had tried to turn to his cousin and talk to him, only to realize he wasn't there.

By the time lunch rolled around, Ichigo was regretting his wish and feeling even worse for ever saying it in the first place. He missed his cousin. More than he ever thought he could or would. Ichigo sighs as he steps onto the rooftop, the sun hitting his eyes. He shields his face with his hand. As he does, he clears his vision to spot a lone figure leaning against the side of the building with a needle in his hand. Ichigo's eyes widen and he immediately calls out to the person, "Uryu!" The bespectacled teen looks up at the sound of his name and frowns when he sees Ichigo. He quickly looks back down and continues to stitch, pretending as if he never looked up in the first place. Ichigo huffs at the action and stomps over to the man. "I know this is probably weird to you," Ichigo says, "You don't know who I am, but I-"

Uryu doesn't even look at him as he cuts him off, "I know who you are..."

"You do?" Ichigo questions with wide eyes. His chest sings as hope fills his body. Uryu remembers who he is. He knows that they're cousins. This means that they can work together to fix this wish. They can bring things back to the way they should be. "You're a Shinigami," Uryu seethes. Ichigo flinches slightly at the venomous tone his cousin aims at him. It punctures the balloon of hope building inside of him into nothing. His lips curl into a frown. He shouldn't have just assumed that Uryu remembered. He's just like the rest of them. The wish wipes away any memory of the two of them being family from his mind. And even though he knows this, Ichigo can't help but reach out to his cousin. A part of him praying that he can get through to him. "Listen, I know that you think Shinigami and Quincy can't get along, but they can!" Ichigo exclaims, "There's something going on here and I need your help to fix it. You see...you and I are family and I made a stupid wish yesterday that changed everything!" The orange haired teen continues to explain everything that has happened to him. Uryu doesn't stop him. The Quincy listens with an unreadable expression on his face. When Ichigo does finish, he looks at his cousin and waits for him to say something. Uryu doesn't. He merely reaches for his bag and slips his needlework inside before walking towards the door. "Hey!" Ichigo shouts, "Didn't you hear anything I said! I need your help!"

Uryu shakes his head, "I knew there was something wrong with you people, but I didn't know you could experience such delusions. Stay away from me, Shinigami, or I will make sure that you can never walk near me ever again." With those words, Uryu slips out the door, leaving Ichigo to stare at his cousin with a defeated expression on his face. He lets out a sigh before slowly tilting his head up to look at the sky. "What do I do now?" Ichigo asks.

———————

Ichigo frowns as he racks his brain for a possible solution to his problem. The sun is setting as he walks down the sidewalk back to his house. He's been thinking about this for hours now and he has no idea what to do. He isn't even sure of how his wish came true in the first place. If he doesn't know that, how is he even supposed to reverse it? He can try looking for the source of the granted wish, but that seems like it will be a major dead end. He doesn't know where he would start looking. Something like granting wishes is something out of a fairy tale. And magic isn't real. Is it? Or maybe this has nothing to do with magic but rather some sort of illusion based power like Aizen? Could a hollow have some sort of mind warping ability? Is that possible?

Ichigo lets out a shout. He kicks a can lying on the street and sends it hitting a nearby light pole with a loud clunk. He huffs and shakes his head. He isn't getting anywhere. He wishes at this moment that he had someone to help him. Uryu would be his go to. His cousin always had a plan and could think through the most difficult of problems. Then it would be Kisuke or his father, but they would brush him off for spitting out nonsense about being related to Ishida. He has to figure this out by himself. Even if he has no idea how.

He starts to walk again and a chilling feeling passes through his entire body. Ichigo stiffens and frowns. "Uryu's spirit levels," He murmurs under his breath. He closes his eyes and allows himself to focus on his spiritual awareness. Even with all the training he has been put through from a young age, Ichigo always failed horribly at detecting spiritual pressure. He's just never been able to do it. Except when it came to Uryu. For whatever reason, he could always sense his cousin. His spiritual pressure shines like a bright light that Ichigo can find in the thickest of crowds. He's so in tune to Uryu's levels that the slightest fluctuation puts him on edge. Uryu has always kept his spiritual pressure under control. The only time it ever spikes is when he is fighting a rather nasty hollow.

Ichigo grits under his teeth as he takes off running. He remains inside of his body, knowing that it'll be worse to just leave his limp form on some random sidewalk. Even without his flash step, Ichigo is able to move rather quickly. The thought of a threat facing his cousin pushing him to move faster.

Before he even knows it, he has entered the park where he would train with his cousin and grandfather. Ichigo grits his teeth as he makes a beeline towards the small lake surrounded by large gray rocks. He dodges around trees and twigs on the ground as he runs. The sounds of a hollow shrieking echoing from afar. Sweat gathers on Ichigo's brow. His chest rises rapidly, but he pushes himself to run faster. Uryu needs him.

He comes sliding to a stop as soon as he spots the sparkling blue water in an opening in the trees. He leaps from out of his body and grips tightly onto Zangetsu as he steps onto the rocks. He hisses under his breath as he scans over the massive hollow. It pins Uryu down under a clenched fist. His cousin is knocked out. His glasses are shattered. His leg bent in a weird way. And a pool of blood that is gathering around him. Ichigo sees red at that moment.

The next thing he knows, Ichigo is running with Uryu in his arms. His fight with the hollow was a blur. He isn't sure what happened, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His cousin needs help. He needs it fast. Ichigo grimaces as he continues to flash step through town. His body moves on its own. It already knows exactly where to go. It doesn't matter what the man's reaction will be. He is the closest and he will be able to save Uryu.

Ichigo pants heavily as he comes to a stop at the front door to a massive mansion. He adjusts his hold of his cousin before slamming his fist against the door with as much strength as he can muster. The desperate knocks are more than enough to push the homeowner to rush to the front door. "What!?" Ryuken hisses as he pulls open the door. His expression narrows when he sees Ichigo and only becomes more pissed off when he spots the limp form of his son. "What did you do to him, Shinigami?" Ryuken breathes.

"Nothing!" Ichigo's voice cracks, "I know it's hard to believe, but there isn't time to explain! You need to save him! Please!" His eyes fill with tears and his expression pleads with his uncle to let him in. Ryuken frowns as he scans him up and down before letting out a sigh.

———————

Ichigo's eyes are locked on Uryu's slumbering form. He stands in the corner of one of the many huge rooms within the Ishida household. His arms are crossed over his chest as his uncle checks on the blood transfusion being fed into the injured Quincy's arm. "Is he going to be okay?' Ichigo questions.

"He will need to be monitored in case his condition changes, but as of now, he is stable," Ryuken responds. He walks forward, moving closer to Ichigo, but still maintaining a good distance. He adjusts his glasses and studies the orange haired teen. Ichigo shifts around awkwardly. "Uryu would never associate with a Shinigami willingly," Ryuken states, "Considering that you knew to bring him here, you must be close. How is it that you know my son?"

"It's a bit of a wild story," Ichigo says, scratching the back of his neck.

"Try me," Ryuken states. Ichigo hesitates for a second before letting out a sigh. He starts to slowly explain things to his uncle. He doesn't leave a single detail out. He starts with his past, speaking on his first time meeting the Ishida family. He describes the training that he and Uryu did with their grandfather, Soken. He tells him about the loss of his mother and aunt. And how that day fueled the cousins to actively fight against hollows. He explains how himself and Uryu attracted the attention of a captain of the Soul Society, which led to them being dragged into the mess of the spirit world. He talks and he talks and he talks. He lays his entire life story out to his uncle, who doesn't show even the slightest of emotions to any of Ichigo's words. "And that's how I got here..." Ichigo finishes, his eyes staring at the floor.

"Hm," Ryuken nods slowly.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" Ichigo questions.

"As much as I would like to believe you are..." Ryuken sighs, "I have a feeling that you are telling the truth."

"Really?" Ichigo asks with wide eyes. Ryuken nods. He opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by the sound of loud beeping. Ryuken whirls around and rushes towards the bed. He curses under his breath as he rushes to his son's side. He presses his fingers to his neck before quickly peeling them away. He links his hands together and brings them over his chest. He begins compressions, counting to himself under his breath.

Ichigo's face pales at the sight and he staggers backwards. His entire world spins as he stares at his flatlining cousin and his uncle trying his hardest to resuscitate him. His ears start to ring with the sharp piercing sound coming from the heart monitor. Black spots cross in front of his eyes and a heavy weight presses down on Ichigo's chest. He feels sick. He tries to relax and calm down, but his breaths come out as sharp and labored. Before he knows it, he is tilting sideways and the entire world goes black.

———————

Ichigo shoots out of his bed with a shout. He pants heavily. His shirt clings to his back with sweat. His heart is still racing a mile per second in his chest. He slowly takes breaths in and out. As he relaxes, his eyes take in his surroundings. He is back in his room again. The sky outside is dark and he can hear the hum of the oven coming from downstairs. "Was it all just a dream?" Ichigo questions out loud. Just then, the door to his room swings open. Karin peeks her head inside, "Oh, good! You're awake. Come on down. It's time for dinner." His little sister starts to leave but is stopped by Ichigo's call. "Do you know who Uryu is?" Ichigo asks quickly. Karin's face contorts with confusion and Ichigo can feel his heart start to drop. "Of course, I do," Karin states, "What type of question is that? You must still be sleeping, Ichigo." The orange haired teen lets out a breath of relief. A smile appears on his face. Karin stares at him for a moment before shaking her head and slipping out of the room.

"Thank goodness this is all over!" Ichigo exclaims as he twists around in bed. He stands and stretches as relief courses through his body. Things are finally back to normal. He takes a step forward, but stops when his words from earlier today play through his mind again. He frowns before quickly slipping out of his body and escaping the house through the window.

He flash steps through Karakura Town with a serious expression on his face. He doesn't stop until he reaches a small apartment complex where his cousin lives. A warm yellow light can be seen through the window that Ichigo lands next to. The soul reaper immediately walks over to the door and knocks loudly. "Uryu!" Ichigo calls out, "I need to talk to you!" When he receives no answer, he begins to slam on the door even louder. He doesn't stop until he hears the sound of a lock twisting. Uryu pulls open the door with narrowed eyes. His head tilted slightly up in a snobbish manner. "What are you doing here, Ichigo?" Uryu huffs.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo states right away, "I never should have said that to you. I was being an idiot and I regret it. You mean so much to me, Uryu. I wouldn't be the person I am if you weren't in my life. Hell, I would probably be dead if I didn't have you by my side. I am so grateful to have you and I am so sorry that I made it seem like I wasn't. You're my best friend and my family, Uryu. I will always need you and I would never trade you for anything in the entire world." Uryu doesn't speak at first. The bespectacled teen only stares at his cousin with an unreadable expression on his face. After a couple of minutes have passed, he lets out a sigh and nods his head. "You're forgiven," Uryu states stiffly. Ichigo immediately reaches forward and pulls his cousin into a tight hug. Uryu's lips curl into a scowl as he is crushed against Ichigo's chest. A wide smile blooms on Ichigo's face as he notices Uryu's. Yup. Things are finally back to normal.

The end! I am considering building upon this universe and basically playing with the idea of what if Ichigo and Uryu knew they were related this entire time and what it could mean. We'll have to see if I actually do it or not though cause I have an excessive amount of one-shot fics to catch up on and am determined to finish them all before anything else. With that said, I hope that you enjoyed this fic. I have more planned where we get to see more of Uryu and Ichigo's dynamics, so please look forward to those. If you liked this one-shot, I would really appreciate it if you would comment, vote, follow me, add this story to your library, and check out my BTS AU Ripple. Have a great rest of your day! I'll see you in the next one!