She could've kissed him if she wanted to.

Really. The scene had been perfect, Orihime knew. It was like Sleeping Beauty, and she was the handsome prince Philip, and he was the princess, Briar Rose, Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora...

She was so sure she loved Kurosaki-kun. So sure she could die for him. Orihime believed that- no, just not for Kurosaki-kun. For any of her friends- her nakama- she would definitely do anything to save them. Anything.

So when Ulquiorra came for her... she knew what she had to do.

One person, he had told her. She could say goodbye to just one person. That was an awful decision, Orihime thought. There were so many people she wanted to say goodbye to, not just Kurosaki-kun. Tatsuki-chan, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun... Kuchiki-san...

She came to say goodbye to him. She came because she wanted so desperately to protect him, just for once. She promised not just him, but herself, that she wouldn't just watch him from behind anymore. Next time, Kurosaki-kun, I will protect you and not watch from behind.

She wanted so badly to keep that promise, and yet...

And yet... when the time came... why... why did she rely on Kurosaki-kun? Why did she scream? Why did she beg for help from him when he was, dare she say it, dead? Why? She had failed Kurosaki-kun!

And why? Why did she turn to jello whenever he was around her? Why couldn't she put on a strong, confident face? Why did she always end up blushing and stammering when he was around?

There were so many things Orihime didn't understand. Kuchiki-san was smart, beautiful, strong, and gentle. She made Kurosaki-kun so happy, so easily, so quickly. Why couldn't she be like that? Why couldn't she be Kurosaki-kun's rock? Why couldn't Kurosaki-kun look at her with the same face he looked at Kuchiki-san, with his eyes sparkling and face alight? Why couldn't she get that kind of chemistry with Kurosaki-kun?

Would Kurosaki-kun ever stop looking at her they same way he looked at Nel-chan when she cried? Or his little sisters? Would he ever stop seeing her as a child and see her as young woman she was?

She thought she loved him. She was so, so sure. And yet...

And yet, when the time came to say goodbye... she couldn't do it. She couldn't kiss him.

Orihime didn't understand why. Why? She was sure of her feelings for Kurosaki-kun. She could make him notice her, couldn't she? Her happy ending... her halcyon days were meant to be spent with Kurosaki-kun, weren't they? How could she have feelings for him, if, one day, he was never to return them?

Then... then why...

Why, when she took his hand... did it feel so wrong?

She was always watching him from behind, always, always, with her eyes on him.

Orihime didn't realize that if she just turned around, she would find someone watching her with as much love in his eyes as her own held for Kurosaki-kun.

So, years later... so many years later, when Kurosaki-kun is a shinigami again and Kuchiki-san is back, and everything seems to really, finally be alright...

Orihime turns around.

And this time, when she takes Ishida-kun's hand and pulls him enough for her lips to just graze his, and they're both laughing and blushing slightly, just as two people in love do...

It feels right.

(Hello, halcyon days.)