A/N: This is my first Bleach story and it's for Uryu and Orihime. For all of you who read my other stories this is not supposed to make you laugh. Enjoy.
Rain That Falls
It was raining. Not that it mattered, Uryu came prepared. He was always prepared. Well, most of the time anyway. He found himself out for a walk for lack of anything else to do. On this night, despite the rain, it was peaceful. There were no hollow attacking the city, no evil force threatening him or anyone he cared about, nothing that needed protecting.
He walked through the rain. It pattered lightly onto his umbrella and rolled off onto the sidewalk. Out of habit he headed toward the strip where his favorite sewing shop was. As he neared the strip, he saw someone standing just outside the grocery store. It appeared to be a female and then he recognized the spiritual pressure. It was Orihime, a girl with long brown hair and big, bright gray eyes. She went to school with him and though if you asked him he would probably deny it, they were close friends.
He began making his way over to her after noticing the reason she was still standing directly outside the door. It was dry there and she had no umbrella.
"Orihime" he called to her.
She looked up, noticing him and smiled. "Oh, hi Uryu. What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question. Don't you have an umbrella?"
She looked down at her feet. "No. I had to go shopping and I didn't think it would rain, so I didn't bother."
"It's freezing." Uryu said as he took his jacket off and handed it to her. "Here, I'll walk you home."
She looked at him. "I couldn't take-"
Uryu put his hand up to stop her protest. "It's okay. I'm not cold."
She nodded and stepped under the umbrella with Uryu. They walked in silence for a time, each listening to the rhythmic pattering of rain and footsteps, lost in their own thoughts. Orihime looked up at Uryu "What were you doing Uryu? Did something happen?"
He continued staring straight ahead. "No, nothing happened. I was just out for a walk."
She looked down again. "Oh."
Uryu looked at her. He could tell she wanted to talk, but what could he say? "You know," he said, staring out into the rain. "I like the rain. It reminds me I'm not alone."
She looked up at him again. He had a longing expression as he gazed at the rain that would never reach him. He continued. "I know that the rain impacts everyone, whether they see it, or get wet, or just hear it as it makes contact with something… Everyone is impacted." He looked into her eyes and they both stopped walking. He tucked a stand of her hair behind her ear and felt how soft and silky it was. He had never touched her hair, at least not consciously. He could see their breath in the air, smokey clouds that would quickly disappear forever. "Orihime," He looked pained, conflicted. "I… I like you Orihime… a lot"
"I like you too Uryu." She said smiling. "You're one of my closest friends."
He cringed slightly at that last word. He knew she liked Ichigo, but he couldn't help hoping. "Yeah… friends."
He continued walking and she quickly followed. Silence hung heavily between them. As they neared her house they stopped. "Thanks for walking me home Uryu." She said.
"Sure." He said not making eye contact with her.
Neither of them moved. "Um… Uryu? Is there something else you want to say?"
He seemed to think about it for a little while. "No, that's all." He said as he started to leave. After a few steps he stopped and turned around again. "Actually there is something else." He looked Orihime straight in the eye and took a deep breath. "Orihime, I- I want to be more than friends. I… love you."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth he looked down at his feet, blushing. She stood there, speechless. Did he really just say that? How did I not realize? Finally, she found her voice. "Uryu… I- well" she began blushing as well. "I love you too." He looked up stunned. She had never seen him caught quite so off guard. "I mean, I've loved you for a while, but didn't know you returned the feeling so-"
He took her hand and smiled. A truly happy smile. "Orihime Inoue, you talk too much." He kissed her on the forehead and stared at her still smiling. This was the happiest he had been in a long time and he was pretty sure things might finally go his way. She suddenly pulled away. His smile faded. "What is it?"
"Uryu Ishida," she said. "It's freezing out. Put a jacket on." She handed him his jacket smiling, and he took it, breaking into a smile as well. She looked into his deep blue eyes and found happiness there, but it was late and she still had homework. "So, I'll see you at school?"
He kissed her again, on the cheek this time. "Yeah, you'll see me at school." He waved to her happily and walked back to his house feeling as though he could do anything in the world, and he would… if she asked him to.