Authors Note: This one-shot was requested by my good friend of 13 years ShikaLover77. And according to the feed back I got from her and another friend at camp, she liked it. ^^ I hope you like it and please give me feed back seeing as this is my FIRST ever Bleach fan-fiction.
Moving partners
The early August Saturday morning was warm, the hands on the old worn black alarm clock resting on the wooden bed side dresser with the chipped plastic read 7:15 AM. It was quiet early for any healthy college student to be awake, mostly when it was a Saturday summer morning. But unfortunately for Yasutora Sado sleeping in was alluding him.
It was not the sound of car horns that woke the teenager on the mattress, nor the sound of the loudly cheering and laughing children running up and down or riding their scooters in the parking lot. No, what woke the teenager was the loud thud and stressed voice from the apartment next door.
Sado, also known as Chad by his friends, lay awake for several minutes listening not only to the ticking of his clock but the noise next door, until deciding to investigate. The nineteen-year-old stood, pushing off his white sheet to crumple at the end of his bed. He hunched down and pulled on a white shirt, slipping his feet into a pair of black flip-flops, easily seen due to his short gray pajama bottoms.
Once dressed he exited his apartment and walked to the next apartment to find the door wide open. He blinked, and poked his head around the door frame. "Is everyone okay in here?" He asked, and not a split second later blinked in surprise when his gaze fell upon Orihime Inoue who was knelt in the center of a mountain of boxes sucking her index finger, innocent eyes wide as she gazed back towards him. Laying beside her was a crumpled box with shattered glass.
"Chad?"
He blinked again, surprised to see Ichigo Kurosaki emerge from another room with a white first aid kit in hand.
"Ichigo?"
"Hey, sorry if we woke you, Orihime cut her finger on some glass then dropped the box." The carrot top substitute soul reaper cleared up irritably as he crossed the living room and knelt down to disinfect and bandage the girl's finger.
Chad entered the apartment, still a little confused as to why his two friends were surrounded by boxes and in the apartment right next door to his. After all said apartment had been empty for years, so why were they there? "Orihime," He began, his deep voice hinted with concern. "are you okay?" He asked.
"Huh?" Orihime looked up towards the tall, dark figure innocently before jumping up with great enthusiasm, successfully smacking the spiky haired carrot top in the face. "Oh yes!" She cheered holding out her newly bandaged finger. "I'm fine see! Ichigo took great care of it! And Uryu warned me to be careful, but oh, I guess I wasn't careful enough!" She blurted out hyperly, clasping her hands in front of her, swinging back and forth with a wide smile and a giggle.
Chad sweat dropped as he gazed at her, the sound of an angry and pained Ichigo landing on nearly deft ears. "Uryu's…here to?"
The orange haired girl ceased her swinging and nodded.
"Yeah, this is his stuff."
"Nhg?"
"I am renting this apartment." All heads turned towards the door as Uryu entered the apartment, box titled: CLOTHES in hand.
"You are?" Chad asked, even more confused than he was earlier. Why would Uryu move into a small, dingy apartment when he had a large nice house to live in?
"Yes." The Quincy stated as he set the box down. "I can't stay in that house any longer."
"Uryu and his father just don't see eye to eye." Ichigo stated as he opened a box and began going through it.
Oh, that makes sense. Chad thought.
"Need some more help?"
"Sure!" Orihime cheered. "The more hands we have the sooner we'll get this done! Ooh maybe we'll finish by dinner! I can cook us all some dinner!"
Ichigo and Uryu sweat dropped at the thought of eating one of Orihime's concoctions, but Chad was interested, despite his lack of response.
Due to having just paid his rent, he didn't have money for food until the following Tuesday.
Unpacking went well, organizing went well, at least until Ichigo and Uryu got into a fight in the bedroom over the Quincy's clothes. "YOU HAVE TO MANY CLOTHES DAMN IT!" Ichigo shouted throwing a pair of shirts to the floor, which was already littered with piles of clothes.
"NO! YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT CLOTHES AWAY! I CAN JUST IMAGIN WHAT YOUR CLOSET LOOKS LIKE!"
"ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ME! MY CLOSET IS TOTALLY NEAT!"
Uryu snorted. "IT IS! I CAN FIT ALL MY CLOTHES PLUS RUKIA IN MY CLOSET!"
Chad and Orihime both stood silently in the bedroom doorway, watching the two yell at each other, brandishing various articles of clothing and kicking other articles of clothing at each other. "This doesn't seem," Chad paused, sweat dropping as the Quincy shoved a pair of shorts over the substitute soul reapers head. "to be going anywhere quickly."
Orihime nodded in agreement, eyes wide as she watched the scene unfold before her.
After a few minute she turned towards Chad and tapped his shoulder, successfully getting his attention. "Why don't we go and finish up the living room?"
Chad considered her for a moment before nodding and following her back to the living room, the sound of their arguing friends dimming down just slightly.
The living room had been nearly unpacked and organized, save for some pictures that needed hanging and a lamp shade that needed to be put up. Chad crossed to the stack of photos and picked up a large picture in a black frame. 1The picture had been taken at their high school graduation a year earlier.
Ichigo, Orihime, Uryu and himself were posed in their cap and gowns with Renji and Rukia beside them, cheering them on. "Hey Chad do you know where we could find a ladder?"
He glanced back towards his small female friend, who was currently standing beneath the naked light bulb in her candy pink sweater, holding the lamp shade.
"I think there's one in the shed out back, I'll go check."
"Thanks Chad! You're the greatest!"
While Chad trotted down the steps and walked around the apartment complex, heading for the shed he pondered over his friend Orihime, and all the things they had been through together. It was amazing how time had gone by so quickly, and so far only Ichigo had a girlfriend. Chad paused as he grabbed the ladder, wondering where that thought had come from before shrugging and heading back to the apartment.
"I found a ladder."
Orihime squealed in excitement and bounced up and down.
"Great! Thanks Chad, could you hold it while I hang up the shade?"
"Of course." He replied, setting up the ladder. He turned to tell Orihime to be careful but froze. Orihime had pulled off her candy pink sweater, leaving her in a tight white tank top. She let out a sigh, tossing her sweater aside.
"It was cool earlier but it got warm fast." She mumbled, turning with a smile. "Okay, hold it steady."
Chad nodded, glad his shaggy brown hair was shielding his eyes. How can that top keep her top covered? He thought, blushing slightly as she climbed up the ladder.
While Orihime struggled with the orient shade Chad gazed up at her while holding the ladder steady, of course, he doubted he could have released the metal ladder if he'd wanted to. He was seeing Orihime in a whole new light. No longer was she merely the big chested, kind, and slightly slow fifteen-year-old girl. No longer did he see a sister figure, Orihime was a woman onto herself. He felt himself blush furiously and hoped his dark complexion would hide it.
Orihime's struggle with the light fixture seemed to be a losing battle, whenever she'd manage to almost get the hole at the top over the designated area her knees would wobble uncontrollable causing her to brace herself, and successfully dislodge the fixture. "Guh, I can't, get this thing on right!" She moaned before losing her balance. She squealed as she rocked back and forth.
"Orihime!" Chad released the ladder as the girl tumbled backwards, little orient paper lamp shade going flying across the living room.
Another squeak escaped Orihime as she felt herself caught and protectively held against a broad chest. She blinked in confusion several times before glancing up and into the worried eyes of the usually collected Chad. "C-Chad, T-thanks for saving me."
Chad remained silent for a moment, still slightly shocked by the incident.
"Not a problem Orihime." After he'd spoke they remained that way for several long moments. Both silent, and starring at each other. At least they did up until Ichigo and Uryu entered the living room with worried looks on both their faces.
"We heard you scream, what happened?" Uryu stated, obviously worried.
"AND WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IN CHAD'S ARMS LIKE THAT!" Ichigo yelled indignantly, pointing an accusing finger at the pair. Both Chad and Orihime sweat dropped while Uryu pushed his lgasses up his nose and called Ichigo a moron under his breath.
Orihime, still in Chad's arms gently patted her hair in a self-conscious fashion. "Well, you see, I was trying to put up the lamp shade while Chad held the ladder, but I lost my balance and fell and Chad caught me." She explained, turning her gaze towards Chad she added, "right Chad?"
Chad nodded.
"Right."
Ichigo scowled suspiciously towards the pair as Uryu crossed the room and picked up the lamp shade.
"Orihime you shouldn't try doing this stuff, I can do it myself." He stated as he climbed the ladder and successfully attached the fixture in less then two minutes. Orihime blushed as Chad set her down.
"Oh, well, I just wanted to be useful Uryu. I'm sorry if I made you mad."
"Hng?" Uryu blinked in total surprise before lifting his hands and waving them about.
"No, no Orihime you don't understand, I wasn't mad at you I just don't want you to get hurt!"
She beamed before embracing the Quincy in a tight, rib crushing hug.
"OKAY!"
While Orihime blabbed on and on while hugging Uryu, Chad exited the apartment and leaned against the wall. It didn't take long for the orange haired substitute soul reaper to join him. They both leaned against the wall, Chad's arms at his sides, Ichigo's crossed across his chest. "So, is that all that happened?" When Chad didn't respond Ichigo turned his gaze towards his strong and silent friend. "chad, you can tell me, you're one of my best friends, so is Orihime." He paused for a second before frowning slightly. "She's like a sister to me."
The silence dragged on for a moment longer before Chad replied.
"She, told you the truth." He began, breaking off his words in his lazy fashion before continuing. "But, I felt something different, different between us."
Ichigo cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? Chad, do you like Orihime…as more than a friend?"
Chad felt his heart flutter.
"I think so."
Both remained silent for a short while before Ichigo turned his gaze from his friend.
"Well, I'm glad."
Chad blinked and gazed at the orange haired man.
"Really?"
"Yep. After all, you're kind and stable, and I know you could protect her." He looked at his friend and smiled. "I'm just glad it wasn't Uryu who fell for her."
Chad sweat dropped.
Authors Note: I hope you liked it, please tell me what you thought, even if you didn't like it. Tell me why. And please, give me some helpful criticism.
1: Originally Byakuya was in the picture two, but I didn't want to have to explain what was going on in the picture so I cut him out. Such a pity.