A/N: Hi everyone! Welcome to my newest IchiHime one-shot! It's just gonna be a fluffy little Christmas-themed piece, so I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach; I only own the random ideas that pop into my and require not-infrequent borrowing of Bleach characters.
'Tis the Season
They were studying for an upcoming exam in Ichigo's room – or at least, they were supposed to be studying. Their textbooks were open, resting on the floor in front of them, and Orihime was tapping her pencil lightly against her paper as she contemplated one of the questions. And Ichigo was watching her out of the corner of his eye, noting the way her gray eyes had glazed over and her lips were pursed together thoughtfully. A strand of her auburn hair fell into her face as he watched, and he swallowed subconsciously, forcing his eyes to look away before he did something awkward.
Clearing his throat, Ichigo offered, "We could always come back to it."
Orihime's head straightened and the glaze disappeared as she exclaimed, "Hmm? Oh! Sorry, Ichigo, I think I sort of zoned out for a minute…heh." Her cheeks flushed and she self-consciously tucked away the loose strand of hair, not quite able to meet his gaze.
His lips tilted up at the corners and Ichigo shrugged faintly. "No big deal," he assured her. "This stuff is kinda boring, anyway."
"Yeah," Orihime agreed with a smile. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a sudden crash coming from downstairs.
"What the hell?" Ichigo exclaimed, jumping to his feet and half-stomping to his bedroom door, before yanking it open to yell out, "What's going on out there?"
Yuzu's excited voice came up the stairs as she replied, "We found the perfect tree, Ichigo!"
"Yeah," Karin added sarcastically, "but now Dad's insisting he can set it up all by himself, and we're gonna end up needing a new window or something."
"Everything's under control!" Isshin hollered, his voice muffled.
Ichigo sighed agitatedly. "What happened to doing that tomorrow? I told you, we're studying for a test!"
"We were driving past the tree lot," Yuzu began from the foot of the stairs, "and we decided we'd set it up while you're working, so that by the time you're done, it'll be all beautiful and Christmas-y!"
Orihime, who had quietly stood up while they'd been talking, stepped up to Ichigo and softly said, "If it's too much trouble, I can go home. We did get about half of it done, at least, and we still have a couple of days before the test."
Ichigo looked over at her with a frown. "No, it's fine. It's just my idiot father; we can ignore him."
Suddenly Isshin was crouched in the hall on the other side of Ichigo, awkwardly reaching around him in an attempt to grab Orihime's hands. "No, don't leave! If you're tired of studying, you could-!"
Ichigo interrupted him, using his foot to shove his father entirely out of his room as he cried, "What the hell? You freakin' pervert, I told you to leave us alone! Did you really leave Yuzu and Karin alone with the tree?"
"Oh! The tree!" Isshin declared, as if he'd forgotten it already, before he turned and disappeared down the stairs once more.
Releasing an exasperated, angry sigh, Ichigo turned and ushered Orihime back into his room, slamming the door behind him.
As they returned to their previous spots on the floor beside his bed, Orihime said, "Really, if you wanted to help your family decorate, I would completely understand."
Taking a deep breath, Ichigo shook his head, his expression softening as he replied, "Don't worry about it, Orihime. There'll still be plenty of decorating left to do later."
"Are you sure?" she asked, clearly not wanting to be an imposition.
Another small smile curving his lips, Ichigo replied, "Yeah."
After a moment, Orihime smiled, silently accepting his answer, and they returned their attention to their textbooks.
It was dark outside before they finally finished, and Orihime packed up her school books as Ichigo cast a long glance out the window. Looks like it's gotten colder, he reflected. A quick look over at Orihime and he was almost positive the sweater she was wearing wasn't warm enough for the walk back to her apartment.
She looked up as he was studying her and smiled sweetly, saying, "Thank you for studying with me, Ichigo."
Ichigo scoffed quietly and replied, "You don't need to thank me and you know it; besides, you should at least save the 'thank you's for after I get you home."
Orihime pouted faintly. "You don't need to walk me home, Ichigo; I promise I won't get lost."
"I don't worry about you getting lost, silly," Ichigo retorted immediately, stepping up to her and dropping a hand on her shoulder. When she looked back up, into his eyes, he added softly, "And I am walking you home."
"Alright," Orihime relented with a smile, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to talk him out of it. And she certainly couldn't stop him.
Stepping back, Ichigo grinned briefly before leading the way out of his room. They could hear his father and Karin arguing over where to put something long before either Kurosaki came into view.
The arguing ceased as Ichigo and Orihime entered, the latter pausing and letting her gray eyes take in the sight before her. Ichigo's family had gotten a lot of decorating done in the few hours since they'd gotten home. Their tree was tall and healthy, covered in multi-colored lights and just the right combination of ornaments and tinsel. Several other Christmas decorations were scattered throughout the living room, giving the home a festive, welcoming feeling.
"Do you like what we did with the tree, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked hopefully as she looked over at her older brother.
Ichigo paused and looked obligingly at the tree before saying, "Looks good."
Isshin ignored his son's casual praise and looked over at their guest eagerly. "What do you think? Does it meet with your approval?"
Ichigo clenched his fists, telling himself not to scream at his father for something he hadn't technically done yet. His temper fled, however, with Orihime's response.
Her voice full of sincerity, Orihime gushed, "Oh, it's absolutely beautiful! I always wanted a tree that size when I was little, but we could never afford one. I'm totally amazed at how much you got done already! Would it be alright if I came back when you're all finished decorating, so I can really see it? I've always loved Christmas decorations; they're one of my favorite parts of the holiday!"
The whole family paused at her request, but Isshin jumped right in, exclaiming, "Of course you can come back when we're done! You can come back anytime you like!"
"Oh," Orihime said with a pause, before smiling brightly and adding, "Thank you so much!"
Ichigo watched the conversation silently. He was grateful that Orihime found it so easy to interact with them; more grateful than he'd ever admit aloud. But at times it disturbed him, too. Before she could get dragged into a drawn-out conversation about appropriate decorating techniques, Ichigo said, "C'mon, Orihime; we should go before it starts to rain or something."
"Right," Orihime acknowledged, blushing faintly and moving to join Ichigo in the entryway.
Calmly, Ichigo reached in to the hall closet and extracted two jackets. Slipping into the older one, he held the other out for Orihime. "Here."
Orihime stared at the jacket for a moment, before looking past it, to Ichigo, and saying, "Oh, I don't need a jacket, really; my sweater's plenty warm."
"It looks pretty cold outside," he argued. "At least take it; just in case."
A smile again warmed her face, and Orihime set her briefcase on the ground beside her feet in order to take the proffered jacket with both hands. Silently, she slipped it on, inhaling as much as she dared when she suddenly found herself inundated with Ichigo's unique scent. "Okay," she said, her gratitude shining in her eyes, "I'm all ready now."
Inclining his head, Ichigo reached for the door as he called over his shoulder, "I'll be back later!"
They had walked mostly in comfortable silence, Orihime silently grateful that Ichigo had insisted on lending her his coat; it had proven to be colder than she'd expected after all. After detouring at a local coffee shop – Ichigo's idea – they headed straight to her apartment, using their freshly-brewed drinks to keep their hands warm.
"Come in and warm up for a minute," Orihime insisted when they arrived.
"Alright," Ichigo relented. It was late, and he knew he should head home soon, but despite having spent the majority of the day in her company, he wasn't in any hurry to say goodnight to her.
After they'd kicked off their shoes and shrugged out of the jackets, Orihime led the way into the living room. "I'll throw away your cup," she offered, holding her hand out.
"Oh, thanks," Ichigo said, handing over his empty cup.
"I should be thanking you for buying me one!" Orihime teased, before disappearing into her kitchen.
Chuckling faintly, Ichigo turned his attention to her apartment. After what she'd said before they'd left his house, he wasn't surprised to see that she had already done her holiday decorating.
Silver, gold, and red garland accented nearly everything she could reach – and a few things he really hoped she'd had Tatsuki's help with. Nearly every type of Christmas decoration he could think of was somewhere to be found in Orihime's apartment, and Ichigo nearly choked when he recognized mistletoe hanging above the entry to the kitchen. What the hell does she need mistletoe for?
Forcibly averting his gaze from the strangely threatening plant, Ichigo's eyes settled on a surprisingly empty section of the room. An area that, to him, seemed like a perfect fit for a Christmas tree.
As he realized that, in fact, he hadn't seen a single sign of a tree in the entire apartment, Orihime re-entered the room, smiling innocently. Her smile faltered, however, when she saw the frown on his face.
"Ichigo, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.
Ichigo tilted his head to look up at her from where he sat and asked a question of his own. "Why don't you have a tree?"
"Oh," Orihime said after a moment, her gray eyes shifting to the vacant spot that he had been staring at. Before she answered his question, she moved and settled herself at the table beside him, lacing her fingers in her lap.
Her eyes downcast, she began, "I haven't had one for a few years now. You see, the Christmas after Sora died, one of my neighbors was nice enough to take me to get one. He had a small truck, so he could transport it, and he helped me lug it up the stairs and get it in the stand. But the summer after, his family moved, and…" She sniffled, forcing the tears back before they could fall and adding, "It's not really realistic to try and go get one all by myself. So I haven't gotten one since."
Ichigo wasn't entirely sure what to say. It makes sense, he realized silently. But he hated it. The memory of the way her eyes had lit up when she'd seen the tree his family had brought home had him feeling almost guilty now. "Orihime," he began gently, "I'm sorry."
Confusion now taking over her face, Orihime asked, "What? Why?"
"I'm sure it's hard," he began, "It's obvious how much you love decorating for the holiday, and not getting to have a tree, but having to see everyone else get one…I'm just sorry if I've hurt you with any of this."
"Ichigo," Orihime breathed, her heart warming at his genuine concern. Smiling reassuringly, she reached out and let her hand rest over his upper arm as she said, "Don't apologize; it's fine. Sure, I'd love to have a tree of my own again, but I love admiring other people's trees, too. They're all so beautiful and so different, there's absolutely nothing sad about them. So please don't feel bad; I'm not upset at all."
For a long minute, he said nothing, staring into her eyes, searching for the truth behind her words. It didn't take him long to find it – it never did – and, finally, Ichigo inclined his head, his expression softening again. "Okay," he replied quietly.
Her smile broadened for a moment and she gave his arm a light squeeze before she pulled her hand back, letting it fall in her lap.
After a few more minutes, Ichigo finally forced himself to leave, biding her goodnight and promising to see her in the morning at school. Orihime walked him to the door and watched silently as he made his way down the stairs, the jacket she'd borrowed hanging off of his arm.
By the time he got home that night, Ichigo had been struck by an idea that hadn't stopped nagging at him since it had first cropped up in his head. It was an idea he knew he'd probably give in to, but first, it still had a few kinks to work out. Maybe tomorrow, he reflected.
Ichigo spent most of the next day working out some of the details in his head, frequently tuning in at the end of a class period to realize he'd missed most of the lecture. He forced himself to be half-alert at lunch, mostly because he didn't want to garner any unnecessary attention. Fortunately, Keigo was as oblivious as always, and Chad didn't say a word, though Ichigo felt certain his silent friend had noticed something. Mizuiro spent most of lunch on his phone, and so didn't notice, and Uryuu seemed to have assumed it was the sort of thing that shouldn't be talked about with Keigo and Mizuiro around, and so he said nothing.
By the end of the school day, however, he'd worked out enough to feel comfortable with the idea. And a quick, surreptitious count during a 'bathroom break' told him he had enough money in his wallet to actually pull it off.
Having hurried home after school in order to change into casual clothes, Ichigo quickly found himself standing again at Orihime's doorstep. He could feel her warm, comforting spiritual pressure inside, so he knew she was home. He also knew she'd notice him standing there if he waited much longer, so he lifted his fist to knock.
The door opened right as he attempted to lower his knuckle to it, and he very nearly ended up knocking on Orihime's forehead.
Stepping backwards on reflex, Ichigo dropped his hand quickly and found himself fighting down a blush. "Hey, Orihime," he began, disturbed when he realized he'd nearly stuttered.
She blinked, seeming confused by his behavior, before her face lit up with a smile. "Hey, Ichigo. What brings you by?"
"Well, I," he started, cutting himself off before he could stammer incoherently. What the hell? It's not some huge deal, dammit! Clearing his throat, he smiled apologetically and began again. "Are you busy?"
"Um, no, not really," Orihime replied, her confusion returning. "Did you want to come in?"
"Actually," Ichigo said, shaking his head lightly, "I, uh, was sort of hoping to…borrow you?"
Giggling softly at his choice of words, Orihime managed, "Sure! Let me just grab a coat real quick!"
When he nodded, Orihime disappeared inside her apartment, before returning barely thirty seconds later, clad in a warm coat and still awkwardly zipping up her second boot. She stepped out, onto her landing, and easily locked her door before depositing the keys into her coat pocket and turning to him with a bright smile.
"So where are we going?" she asked as he led the way down the stairs.
Shoving his hands into his jeans pockets, Ichigo replied, "It's a surprise. You're just gonna have to trust me."
She stared at him for a moment, before offering him a familiar smile and nodding as she said, "I think I can do that."
He couldn't quite suppress the grin that spread across his face at her words, even as his mind ran away with him. The further into this I get, the more it seems like a…. Like we're going on a – damn. What the hell did I do to myself this time?
They walked together companionably, Orihime suddenly talking about something that had happened to her at lunch that day, and Ichigo's hands curling into fists in his pockets in order to resist the overwhelming urge to wrap his arm around her shoulders. It would be so easy, he thought fleetingly, before he shook himself out of it. It would also be crossing the line. That's not your place.
Even as they finally began approaching their destination, Orihime didn't seem to realize where they were going. And there were certainly other possible destinations in sight. So when Ichigo finally reached out and dropped his hand on her shoulder, Orihime stopped short and looked up at him, almost expecting him to say he had to leave for some reason.
"We're here," he said instead, jerking his free thumb behind him, to the entrance of his surprise destination.
"Here…?" Orihime repeated slowly, tearing her eyes from his to look past him, as if needing to verify what she already knew. And, sure enough, the lot behind him was still devoted to Christmas trees, just as it had been before she'd known that they were going there. A…tree lot? "Ichigo…what…what are we doing here?"
Adjusting his grip so that he had her hand loosely wrapped in his, Ichigo began to lead her into the lot. "Someone who loves Christmas trees as much as you do shouldn't be deprived of having one of their own," Ichigo replied truthfully. "So, from now on, I'm going to make sure you get one every single year."
Tears were swimming behind her eyes as she recognized that tone in his voice. It was a tone she knew better than to argue with, and yet, she felt compelled to anyway, even as her heart swelled with gratitude at his words. "Ichigo," she breathed, half-choked. "You really don't have to do this…."
Ichigo stopped walking and turned to face her, tightening his grip on her hand. When their eyes were locked, he said firmly, "I'm doing this because I want to, Orihime."
One of the tears broke free as she smiled gratefully up at him and said, "Thank you, Ichigo. Thank you so much."
A warm smile curving his lips, he said softly, "You're welcome." Then he tugged her towards the first row of trees and added, "Now let's find your tree."
They spent nearly half an hour going through the trees, Orihime's excitement building with each tree she looked at. She pointed out several different types, finding things she loved about each, and then she sucked in a sharp breath and latched on to his coat sleeve as she pointed.
"That one! That's my tree, I'm sure of it!" she exclaimed, her excitement barely contained within her as her gray eyes danced and sparkled in the fading sunlight.
Ichigo looked from her to the tree, examining it thoroughly. "You want me to pull it out for you?"
"Please!" Orihime half-begged, releasing his sleeve and clasping her hands before her.
Obligingly, Ichigo moved forward and wrapped his hand around the trunk, hauling it out of the line-up in order for Orihime to properly inspect it. "So, how is it?" he called after a minute, having awkwardly twirled it around for her.
"It's perfect!" Orihime squealed, clapping her hands together.
"Alright, then," Ichigo said, swinging the tree around and wrapping his other hand around the trunk near the bottom so that he could carry it properly. "Let's take it up front."
As they walked to the table, and the man who would officially sell it to them, reality returned to Orihime and she asked quietly, "Ichigo, how will we get it all the way back to my apartment?"
"Don't worry," he said, "I've got it all taken care of."
Before she could question him, they arrived at the counter, and Ichigo gently laid the tree onto the ground off to the side before stepping up and extracting his wallet. In no time, the tree was bought and paid for, and they left the tree-lot, Ichigo leading the way to the adjacent parking lot.
Orihime recognized Isshin Kurosaki leaning against their family vehicle as soon as she saw him. "You really thought this out, didn't you?" she asked Ichigo even as she waved at his father.
"I said I had, didn't I?" Ichigo teased.
"That's a beautiful tree ya got there!" Isshin called when they were near enough. "You kids want a little help getting it home?"
"Just shut up and give me a hand, dammit," Ichigo growled from behind the bushy pine tree.
Isshin stayed to help Ichigo get the tree up the stairs and navigated through the apartment, leaving only after it was standing upright in the stand that Orihime had never been able to bring herself to throw away.
"I'll tell Yuzu not to hold dinner for you, Ichigo!" Isshin teased as he began descending the stairs.
Ichigo ignored the comment – he wasn't going to be home in time for dinner anyway – and rolled his eyes at his father before stepping back inside Orihime's apartment and shutting the door.
Orihime was standing in her living room, staring in wonder at the tree. She had been in such a state of excitement since first arriving at the tree lot that she hadn't taken a moment to let it really hit her. I have my own tree…my very own Christmas tree….
"Orihime?" Ichigo asked, snapping her out of her daze as he stopped to stand beside her. "Is something wrong?"
Blinking her eyes into focus, Orihime turned to look up, into his eyes. "Hmm? No! No, everything's…great." She paused and smiled before adding, "It's just finally really hitting me. I don't have any idea why you decided to do this for me, but…thank you so much, Ichigo."
"You want to know why I did it?" Ichigo asked rhetorically, glancing at the tree before looking back at her. Holding her attention steadily, he said softly, "I wanted to see you smile."
Her eyes widened at his unexpected response, and she smiled despite herself as a blush stained her cheeks once again.
Before she could say anything, however, his own lips curved into a smile and he reached up, brushing his fingertips over the corner of her smile with a feather-light touch as he said, "That makes it all worth it."
Something flashed in his eyes then and he pulled his hand away, straightening, as he added, "Now, do you want help decorating it?"
What…what was that, just now? Sucking in a breath, Orihime willed her heart to slow and turned her attention to the tree. "Well, I could do it by myself," she began, feeling oddly humorous, "but I would prefer to have help; it's always more fun with company."
Shrugging out of his jacket with a casualty he didn't feel, Ichigo replied, "Then let's get to it." Did I really almost kiss her? What the hell was I thinking? I could have screwed up everything!
They dug out two boxes of ornaments that Orihime had kept in a back closet, but they quickly found that they were going to have to make another shopping trip anyway. So they slipped back into their warm clothes and headed to the store to get several boxes of lights, tinsel, and garland. Fortunately, they were able to find everything at the first store they went to, and in less than an hour, they were back at Orihime's apartment.
"Um, Ichigo," Orihime began as they dug through the bags, extracting the light boxes.
"Yeah?" he asked, pausing to glance up at her curiously.
"Well, I know I'm making you miss your dinner," she said, looking back into the bag she held in hopes of hiding her reddening cheeks. "And, I'm sort of hungry, so I was wondering…should I order a pizza or something?"
Glad, for once, that she wasn't watching him – as he knew his own face was unusually red – he replied, "Pizza sounds good."
"Great!" Orihime exclaimed, shooting to her feet. "I'll go order it right now, so that we can get started on the tree!" And she bounded out of the room, going for the phone in the kitchen.
Pulling the final box of lights from the various bags, Ichigo went for one of the longer strands and opened it up. By the time he had it uncurled and plugged in Orihime was returning from her impromptu mission. She joined him beside the tree, and together they began wrapping the lights around the tree.
The pizza arrived shortly after they'd begun placing the ornaments on the tree, and Ichigo quickly joined Orihime at the door even as she took the box from the delivery man.
"Go ahead and take it inside," Ichigo said as he dipped his hand into his back pocket for his wallet. "I've got this."
Orihime looked at him with wide eyes. "But, Ichigo-"
Shaking his head, Ichigo flipped open the worn leather and pulled out the appropriate amount of money. Handing it to the delivery man – who was trying, to his credit, not to stare at Orihime's assets – he said, "This should cover it. Thanks." Their eyes met for a moment, when the delivery man reached out to take the money, and he recognized the subtle look of warning in Ichigo's eyes.
Swallowing heavily, the man handed over the receipt and mumbled, "Good night," before quickly turning and jogging down the stairs.
After shutting the door, Ichigo dipped his fingers into his pockets and ambled into the kitchen, where Orihime had taken their pizza.
She looked up when he entered and frowned at him, an expression which looked horrendously out of place in his opinion. "You could have let me pay," she said.
"It's no big deal," Ichigo promised.
"But you already bought me a Christmas tree! And you barely let me pay for the decorations!" Orihime argued, feeling horribly guilty for costing him so much money.
He shrugged, picking up one of the plates she'd set down, and reaching for the pizza. "Orihime, I promise, it's fine. The tree was a gift, and you wouldn't have ordered the pizza if you weren't busy decorating a tree, so it's only fair I take care of that, too."
Orihime opened her mouth, wanting to argue it, but not knowing exactly what to say. She sighed, and bowed her head, trying not to let him see the smile tugging at her lips. He can be so sweet sometimes…mm, I can't think like that! Lifting her head again, she let the smile show, and teased, "I just can't win with you, can I?" Then she added, the sincerity overpowering her laughter, "Thank you, Ichigo."
Rolling his eyes, Ichigo smirked and held out the other plate to her, saying, "Don't mention it."
After they'd finished the pizza, they returned to decorating the tree. They worked companionably, taking their time and enjoying the task at hand more than either was willing to let on. Orihime would stop intermittently to turn a long-forgotten ornament over in her hands, often pausing to tell a story about it, or a memory it had inspired, and Ichigo would pause as well, listening intently.
It took nearly three hours for them to finish the tree, at which point they stepped back to admire their hard work.
Orihime let her eyes linger over the tree, skimming from the bottom up and then back down. It's perfect, she concluded, her eyes again swimming with tears. She knew it was a tree – and a memory – that she would cherish for years to come.
Taking a deep breath, she turned her eyes up to the man standing beside her, only to find him already watching her, an unidentifiable emotion shining in his eyes. The intensity of it stole her breath and made her pause.
"So," Ichigo began softly, "do you like it?"
She smiled slowly, bringing her hands up and clasping them in front of her chest to keep herself from embracing him, and said sincerely, "No. I love it. Thank you."
Three very dangerous words were suddenly stampeding across his tongue, racing to escape, and Ichigo had to swallow to keep them contained. When he was sure it was safe to speak, he said, "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."
Reaching up to wipe away one of the tears that had escaped, Orihime laughed softly and said, "I really can't thank you enough for this, Ichigo. This is the best Christmas present I've ever gotten."
Ichigo scoffed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You've already thanked me, Orihime. And who said this tree was your Christmas present?"
"Oh no!" Orihime exclaimed immediately, the tears in her eyes vanishing as her expression became serious. "You're not spending any more money on me!"
"I'll spend however much money I want to on you," Ichigo teased, grinning.
Orihime pouted stubbornly. "You shouldn't," she said. Knowing she was again fighting a losing battle, she didn't wait for a response before she switched topics, adding "I'm thirsty; would you like anything?"
Following her lead, Ichigo replied, "No, thanks."
With a half-nod, Orihime turned and disappeared quickly into her kitchen. Ichigo watched her until she was out of sight, and then his eyes travelled up, landing on something he'd almost forgotten about. And then he was moving, until he suddenly found himself leaning casually against the wall that framed the entryway to the kitchen.
What am I doing? he asked himself as he watched her, from his new vantage point, pull out a bottle of water from her refrigerator.
She turned and smiled at him, not realizing that he'd been staring at her, and began walking towards him. "Did you change your mind?"
"No," he replied. I should, but I haven't. I don't think I'm going to.
Assuming that he was just waiting for her, Orihime smiled at him as she continued past him, intending to return to her living room. But her forward momentum was unexpectedly halted as Ichigo's strong hand wrapped around her wrist, holding just tightly enough to keep her in place. Confused and curious, Orihime turned to him, realizing belatedly just how close they were. Her face reddened immediately, but she made no move to pull away.
Sliding his hand down only enough to lace their fingers together, Ichigo leaned down until his lips were beside her ear, and he whispered, "Mistletoe." Then he lowered his head just a bit more, capturing her lips quickly before he could talk himself out of it. After a brief moment, Orihime leaned in to the kiss, and Ichigo smiled against her lips.
Her hand gripped his tightly as her heart pounded against her chest and her head swam. She had no idea why he was kissing her, but she couldn't think straight enough to care. And then his other arm was winding its way around her torso, pulling her against him, and she swore she could feel her toes curling inside her socks.
All too soon, Ichigo pulled back, reminding himself that he really shouldn't be pushing his luck.
"I-Ichigo," Orihime breathed, curling her fingers around his to keep him from releasing her hand.
"I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured, his head bowed and his cheeks strangely pink. "I shouldn't have done that."
Orihime's expression fell noticeably, and her eyes landed on their joined hands. I knew I shouldn't have put the mistletoe up, she reflected, suddenly fighting back tears. He doesn't like me…like that, remember?
Ichigo dared to lift his eyes from the carpet at her silence. He'd expected any number of reactions, but absolute silence had not been one of them. And as soon as he saw the pain on her face, he felt as though someone had stabbed him in the gut. She looked…heartbroken.
Silently, he reached out with his free hand and gently plucked the bottle of water from her grasp. He bent and set it carefully down on the ground a foot away before straightening again and looking into her confused, hurt eyes. Swallowing heavily as guilt and regret tore through him, he brought his hand up and used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear.
"I take it back," he said softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "I shouldn't have apologized; I'm not sorry that I kissed you. Please, don't cry."
Orihime drew a long breath and lifted her free hand, resting it on his chest and curling her fingers tightly in his shirt before she quietly said, "I…I don't understand…" She trailed off, her gaze breaking from his, as she chewed subconsciously on her lower lip.
There's only one way to fix this, he realized, cursing his own stupidity. Knowing that the chances of them ever being what they had been just a few minutes prior were minimal, he cupped her cheek gently, guiding her face up so that he could look into her eyes once again.
"I am sorry," he began, his voice quiet but firm, "about how badly I might've just screwed up. I swear, I never meant to hurt you, Orihime. All of this, it's because I…that is, I…." He swallowed heavily, knowing there was no turning back and remembering why, exactly, he'd sworn to ignore the mistletoe earlier.
Holding her gaze with his, he forced out those words that had tried to slip out just a short while before. "Orihime," he said, his voice thick, "I…love you."
Thin streams of tears escaped the confines of Orihime's eyes as Ichigo's words washed over her heart, instantly mending the crack even as a bright smile lit up her face. Uncurling her hand from his shirt, she lifted it and let her fingers dance along his jaw lightly as she struggled to find her voice once more.
After a long moment, she whispered, "I love you, too…Ichigo."
Ichigo released a breath and allowed his lips to curve upwards faintly as he leaned in, letting his forehead rest lightly against hers and murmuring, "Forgive me, Orihime."
Pulling her hand free from his grasp, she looped both of her arms around his neck and bumped her nose against his as she said, "You know, I think there's a rule about how if you keep standing under the mistletoe after you kiss, then you have to kiss again."
Ichigo chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning in, going slow enough to whisper, "I think I did hear that somewhere." Then he caught her lips with his once more, and this time she didn't hesitate to return the kiss.
The End
A/N: There it is! Merry Christmas, my fellow IchiHime lovers! I hope you all enjoyed my holiday fluffiness!