Just a one-shot I wanted to do while I'm on a writers block (again -_-) and also for all my amazing reviewers, favourites, readers, etc. I love you all so please enjoy!
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock...
The young man stared intensely at the work load before him, tapping away at his desk as he worked vigorously to finally complete it. He hated overtime, he hated work, but he needed to do it for the sake of paying bills. Scribbling down the paperwork, gazing immensely over and over again at what he had written, finally accepting that it was right, and then turning to the next piece. He loosened his tie slightly, allowing a little air through to his sweating chest. It's almost over. After this last paper, it's at long last over. At last!
The orange haired adult dropped his pen happily, and leaned back into the comfort of his leather black chair. With a quick brush through his locks with a swift hand movement, his eyes turned towards the over head clock that hung neatly on the wall.
'23:41'
How he hated doing so much overtime; He should have left over four hours ago! But it didn't matter now; it was over with. Now, he could return home to his apartment, grab a beer and relax. There was no one waiting for him, and no one that wondered about him getting home. He lived alone, but he didn't mind. There was no one who ever sparked his interest and he didn't care. At the moment, being the supervisor of a major company was enough to let him ignore a life outside of work. It didn't matter to him anymore. Although, even during his school years he had no interest in any of the girls around him. Sure, he had girlfriends before, but nothing that was serious, and nothing that lasted over a few months.
His chocolate orbs slowly closed, bringing him to an even better relaxation. Unintentionally, the young worker began to drift, not realising just how tired he was. 'Perhaps a half hour kip before heading home was in order' he thought. He brought his muscular arms to the top of his shirt, unbuttoning the first two buttons and then crossing them behind his head, allowing himself to reach a comfortable enough position to dose in. Finally, the over worked carrot top dropped his tense shoulders and fell into a deep sleep.
"Orihime-chan, I'm leaving now." A black haired female addressed to her co-worker. She picked up her grey cardigan and looked at the working auburn haired beauty. Sighing, she walked towards her, reaching out with a strong nudge to the personal assistance's shoulder. The sudden light hit knocked the grey eyed doe out of her concentration, letting her stare up to her managing director and smile.
"Okay, Tatsuki-chan, I'll see you tomorrow." She beamed, trying her best to complete the rest of the papers on the desk. Her boss frowned at the hard working lady, wishing she could help, but she knew that tomorrow was too much of an important day to stay behind any longer. It wasn't customary for a MD to be working for so long after hours in the first place, but her PA was also her best friend, so she let the time slide every now and again to help her catch up with everything. However, the more she completed, the more paperwork piled up on her desk. Now, she was unfortunately less than half way through, much worse than she could allow to be kept behind.
"It's midnight, Orihime-chan; please make sure you don't overdo it this time." The dark eyed woman stepped towards the door, picking up her brief case and winter coat.
"I know. Good bye." She watched her boss smile tiredly and head out, closing the door behind her. The young auburn girl sighed and turned to the window. It was snowing, a cold winter day of a December that calmly settled down onto the streets of Japan in a cosy blanket under foot. She could feel the icy breeze the frosty night seep through the window ventilation, but it didn't affect the bare arms of the gorgeous gal. She took a small sip of a polystyrene coffee cup that was left cooling on her table and got back to work. The footsteps of the leaving MD slowly left the ears of Orihime until silence reassembled itself across the atmosphere. She was alone this cold night, working.
Every now and then, she'd take a five minute break. Her older brother always had told her that she shouldn't work too hard; he said she'd get wrinkles. Of course he was joking, but still, a break was defiantly needed. The gentle falling snow casted a shadow on the floor of her office, and reminded her of a sweet memory she had of her brother when he worked late. She would wait, even on freezing days such as this, outside until he returned, and when it did snow, she'd make tiny snow bunnies for him. She smiled bitter sweetly at her reminiscence. It was sad that she didn't have anyone waiting for her return, especially on days such as this.
There were dazzling lights across the entire of Tokyo in celebration of Christmas, with homes filled with stockings, presents, roasted chestnuts, and families all enjoying themselves in a toasty room with a heart warming fireplace that they were all gathered around. But she didn't have that privilege. Her parents were drunkards, her brother was dead, and the aunt who had once cared for her had suddenly stopped sending money, telling her that she was grown and no longer needed a support. That aunt then suddenly disappeared in her life, leaving her with no one. Of course, she had her friends, but all of them had plans over Christmas, even Tatsuki was leaving to visit her parents. She had invited Orihime, but she had to decline, telling her she didn't want to intrude. It took a lot to convince her to let her stay here. She didn't want to impose on her boss's family time; she hadn't seen them for so long and it was important for her to return home.
It was another year alone for her. She didn't like it, but she never had found the perfect person to fill that hole for her. She had never found a decent guy who wouldn't just look at her as meat, or for her money either. She wanted someone who'd love her for her, but she guessed it wasn't the right time.
After her break, she turned back to the piles of paper that haunted her desk. How many hours it would take her to complete all of this, she didn't know. All she knew was that there wasn't anything better for her to do, so this was what she was going to accomplish before she left for home. With all the focus she could manage, she picked up her pen once again and begun scribbling down each piece without a second to spare.
Ichigo's eyes fluttered open with a blur, straining them to the dim light of his desk lamp until they finally awoke. It was darker than he remembered, and the falling snow outside his window ceased to be. 'What's the time?' he wondered drowsily. His curiosity led him over to the ticking clock.
'2:12?! I've over slept!'
His energy levels sparked incredibly, causing a mass panic as he threw his body into over drive, heaving his legs into a sprint to grab his jacket, finally leaving his office to head home. He ran sloppily down the weak lit corridor until he saw the elevator at the end. To his dismay, he worked on the 70th floor of the massive building, and waiting for an elevator was always an impatient linger. His burly finger pushed the glossy button and the eternal wait began.
During this wait Ichigo tapped his foot rhythmically for a few minutes until a sudden notice made his heart skip a beat. His foot stood still as his eyes wondered manically around his footing area. 'Shit, shit, shit! My briefcase!' He sighed in annoyance and ran back to his office in hope to reach his briefcase and be back before the lift had travelled passed. With the fastest sprint he could master, the chocolate eyed hunk reached back to his office and found his case, allowing him to re-sprint over to the elevator.
Almost there, almost there! His breathing was heavy but still he ran. When the elevator was in his sight, he saw something that made his panic rise even further; the doors shutting. Thankfully, his gaze also bestowed on a figure standing inside the metal box.
'That's strange,' Orihime thought, 'There's no one here, but the lift doors opened?' She shrugged it off and let the doors close once again.
"Hold the door!" A sudden voice shouted to her, making her jump and instinctively push against the closing doors. She could hear the fast pace of running footsteps on their way towards her, and see a blur of black and orange before her. Finally, the mysterious person entered the lift.
"Thank you." He gratefully said. She let go of the door and allowed the lift to continue its journey down seventy floors to the ground level. The young auburn girl stared at the tall figure leaning against the wall of the lift. He was gorgeous! His tie was loose around his neck with a few buttons undone, showing the top of a well toned chest. A black jacket hung lazily on his shoulder, gripped in a hefty hand, the other hand running through his amazing orange locks that messily stranded from its place to over his tired eyes.
"You're welcome." She beamed, "But I didn't expect another person to be here so late so you scared me a little." She giggled as he turned towards her, apologising. When he got a good look at her, he suddenly stopped talking and took in her beauty. He had seen her before a couple of times when he had to see the boss, but he never really took notice of her since she was always at her desk working. But, here she was standing and smiling so astonishingly. The only way he had recognised her was by the remarkable auburn hair that he had seen hang over her face while her head was down in her paperwork. Now, he could see her beautiful ocean grey eyes, sparkling with energy that he had never witnessed. Although it was just passed three o'clock in the morning, there was nothing that said she was exhausted. Her features were bright and energised, even her mahogany coloured blouse and skirt were orderly and unsoiled, the perfect look for a very successful business woman.
"Is everything alright?" She spoke angelically, but pondered on why he was staring at her.
"Ah, Inoue-sama, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." The honorific used at her name surprised her.
"I'm sorry; I didn't think we had met..." She admitted shyly; she always forgot names and faces.
"It's no big deal; I've only seen you working when I've had to see Arisawa-sama. It's Kurosaki Ichigo." He shrugged.
"Kurosaki-kun? Oh, the supervisor!" She hit her fist against her palm as she recalled the name. Then, her finger travelled to her chin in a wonder, "What is a supervisor doing behind work so late?" The orange head chuckled in slight embarrassment.
"I... I fell asleep after I had finished my work." His admitted error earned a slight titter from his companion.
"Kurosaki-kun, you are silly." She giggled. He was taken slightly aback from the insult to someone he had only just officially met, but wasn't offended; she seemed too sweet to be taking offence to.
"Yeah, I guess..." He replied scratching his cheek, "Well, what about you? Surely you couldn't have been working all this time."
"Actually, because of demands around Christmas time, I was. I needed it finished and well, there happened to be more than I realised." She put a hand on her other contracted bicep with a Chester cat grin in contentment, "But I kept my head up and completed it!" She cheered at her accomplishment. 'Such a strange woman.' Ichigo thought as he watched her enthusiasm. But still it was nice having such a cheerful person to talk to during the journey. He could even speak to her when waiting for his boss too.
A sudden jolt knocked the merry girl off her feet. She tumbled into her workmate, knocking him to the ground as well.
"Ah! I-I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun!" She shouted with swirling eyes. 'Wow, he's even better at this distance!' She slyly contemplated.
"It's okay, are you alright, Inoue-sama?" He carefully grabbed around her waist and sat her up along with himself. She nodded with a deep blush across her smooth cheeks. There was a flicker of the light above their heads, causing them to fill with concern as it finally flicked off. The entire atmosphere filled with an uncomfortable silence; the elevator came to a halt.
"Kurosaki-kun... What's going on?" Orihime shakily spoke, grabbing tightly onto the shoulders of the man she was sitting on the lap of. She hadn't realised about her position; she was too worried about the situation.
"I... I don't know. I think the lift has stopped." He answered honestly. They turned to face each other, finally noticing the distance that their faces were. With a slight scream, Orihime pelted up with a straight back like a spring and allowed Ichigo to stand on his own accord. Once the taller adult stood, he rubbed the back of his neck. Ichigo's orbs gradually passed across the tiny metal work as his fingers pressed against the buttons, contemplating the circumstances.
"The lift has stopped? But... that means... we're stuck?" The fear in her voice was obvious, and for some odd reason, Ichigo didn't like the fact that she was scared. He put a hand onto her petite shoulder in reassurance.
"Don't worry; I'm sure we can get out. I mean, this elevator always stops unexpectedly, and then starts again in just a few minutes." He lied; This elevator had actually never broken down before. She smiled, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. It settled her to know that, even though she was stuck, she was stuck with a sweet gentleman who was worried about her well being. She nodded and placed a delicate hand onto the larger one that rested on her shoulder.
"Thank you." Her genuine sparkling smile surprised the male, making him blush very slightly at her goddess like features.
"Well," He averted his gaze and retreated his hand back into his pocket. While in his pocket, his fingers collided, then wrapped around a small technological piece. When brought out, he checked over the screen, "There is no reception. Also, I'm not getting a reply from emergency service, so it looks like we have no choice but to wait it out anyway." He put the phone back into his trouser compartment and sighed heavily.
"Is there someone waiting for you at home, Inoue-sama?" She shook her head quickly with a sad gaze. Somehow, Ichigo felt as if he had just asked something that stabbed her harshly. He didn't reply, or say anything else; the last thing he wanted was to be stuck for hours on end with someone who hated him. The silence fell awkwardly, causing the young mistress to fall back onto the wall, sliding down until her butt hit the floor. A few moments passed of stillness with an occasional huff from one of the trapped.
Orihime felt slightly hot in such a stuffy confined area, giving her no choice but to remove her blouse. It wasn't long before Ichigo had noticed her movement, or the humungous chest that had been pushed out in order to remove the jacket covering the angel girl. However, even as the human male turned his head blushing, the sudden annoyed grunting from the female grabbed his attention once again. What he saw made him smile with amusement. She had both hands trapped behind her in the tight sleeves of her brown cover, causing her to get caught in her own clothing.
"Kurosaki-kun... Can you help me? I'm stuck..." She pouted childishly.
"Well, so am I." He laughed at her juvenile nature, "But I can help you get out of your jacket if you want." He stepped over to the auburn lass as she turned around on her knees so her back was facing him. Ichigo knelt down to her back and pulled at the cuffs of the sleeves, yanking them out of the rest of the sleeve, and removing Orihime's diminutive hands from the restrain. He straitened it out and held it up to her, letting her grab it when he passed it back.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" She chimed. It was sweet the way she smiled brightly, even in the situation that were in.
"It's no problem." He replied. Holding that blouse had shown exactly how much smaller she was compared to him; it made him feel as if he would crush her tiny body if he accidently fell on her. He watched as she folded her clothing and place it inside her white briefcase. Under the jacket she was wearing a short sleeved polar white shirt with ruffles on the sleeves and collar. It complimented her figure more than any decent man would like in the complicated condition they were stuck in. Damn, was it getting hotter in there? Ichigo was left loosening his tie even further, but decided to just take it off instead. Hell, they were stuck, so why should he worry about his composure?
Orihime noticed as he took off his tie and placed it with his own black jacket. She was doing everything she could to hold back the blushes rising up to her face. He was hot. And he decided to prove that statement even further by showing his brawny neck as well as more of his chest. She was very lucky that he was the one she was trapped with. Quickly, she had noticed what sort of thoughts were in her mind, making her shake her head and slap her cheeks to bring her back to exactly where they were.
All he could think as he watched her slap her own cheeks and mumble to herself was: what the hell was she thinking about? Slight sweat drops dropped from the back of his head at his confusion, but he decided just to leave it; she was a very strange girl.
Roughly an hour had passed since they became trapped and both orange heads chatted friendly to each other, ignoring the situation as they sat opposite each other. Ichigo's legs bent with his arms resting on them and even reaching to Orihime's sides as she sat with her legs stretched between him. He was much taller than her, reaching at almost six foot; She was a measly 5"2. But she didn't complain; their seating position was comfortable and not at all weird, it was just easier for him because of his much longer legs.
"So she ended up growing into a professional footballer, while Yuzu became a very beautiful young doctor. She works for my dad. She looks so much like my mother, and I swear if any guy tries anything with her he'll have to deal with me first. Same with Karin; there is no way I'm giving my little sisters away!" Ichigo continued his story about his family. Orihime laughed at his protective nature; she thought it was wonderful that he was so protective of his little sisters. It really reminded her of Sora.
"So what about you? What's your family like?" Ichigo smiled, genuinely interested in the bubbly girl's relations. He especially wanted to know about the one who got this wonderful woman as their own.
"Actually, I don't have a family." She smiled with a slight laugh. How could she laugh at that? Ichigo's own grin dropped suddenly.
"Oh... I'm sorry, I wouldn't of-"
"It's okay, Kurosaki-kun, honestly." She waved it off, "The only true family I had was my brother, but he died. To be honest, you talking about your sisters like that made me realise just how much you and him are alike. It makes me feel quite fuzzy inside." Ichigo mastered a small smile with his eyebrows knitted together.
"Yeah, it's part of the big brother's rulebook. Every big brother cares the most about their little sisters and would never let them get hurt. Any brother that does deserves to be pounded." Orihime giggled once again. Ichigo felt as though he had just saved another awkward silence, bringing himself to relax some more.
"Inoue-sama, what about a boyfriend? Surely someone as beautiful as you has a love to call family." The succulent sheila was taken slightly back by the statement. She just shook her head with her ordinary grin.
"No, no boyfriend. I haven't had one for a few years now. I'm going to be the old lady with a dozen cats to keep me company." She chuckled. Ichigo just stared at her bewildered. How was that even possible? How could someone as amazing, gorgeous and successful as Orihime Inoue not have someone to call her own? It was just not possible. As the carrot top tried to work it out, his thoughts were cut short at the sound of his stomach pleading. The loud growl was much more than he had hoped would happen. Orihime stopped babbling and looked over to the older, embarrassed man.
"Kurosaki-kun, are you hungry?" She asked amiably. He met her gaze with a divulged look.
"A little. I haven't eaten since lunch..."
"That's no good!" The zealous girl suddenly leaned forward, placing her hands on the ground, "You need to eat four meals a day, as well as snacks during the breaks, and even snacking while you work!" She lightly patted Ichigo's forehead as a punishment before fiddling with the lock of her briefcase.
"Inoue-sama, I'd get in trouble if I eat during work."
"Not if you don't get caught!" After opening her briefcase, Ichigo saw the content underneath her folded blouse and gawked. All that was there was packets of sweets, crisp, a bento box, chocolate and all other packet food. Even a packet of microwave noodles. That girl... She eats so much but looks like that? The more he learnt about his boss's assistant, the more he seemed to like her. She was a lot different from his boss, or any girl he had met for that matter.
"Take what you like." She offered, passing the food case over to him.
"No, it's okay; I'm not that-"He was again interrupted by a loud growl from his bodily functions.
"I will force feed you." Orihime threatened. Although Ichigo knew there was no way such a small girl could over power him, he didn't really want to send a bad message against her hospitality. He finally gave in, picking up a bar of chocolate.
"Thanks." Her cute smile reached across her face as he lazily ate the chocolate, leaving them in an ordinary jovial peace. For the few seconds it took for Ichigo to devour his snack, Orihime had decided to empty the content of her case over the elevator floor.
"Inoue-sama, what are you doing?" Ichigo pondered.
"If I just leave everything out like this, we can just grab something whenever we are hungry. We have roughly five hours before the first set of workers come in anyway. Also, like this it could kind of be like a party!" She gleefully clapped, giggling like a child. The taller man just shook his head in amazement at her joyful nature and chuckled.
"But you know what a party needs?" She questioned pointing her slick figure towards the ceiling.
"What?" He light-heartedly asked.
"Music! Nice, up-beat music to keep the spirit happy." She brought out her own phone, first re-checking the reception, then going through her playlist, "What sort of music do you like, Kurosaki-kun?"
"Uh... well, what sort of music do you have?" The young female looked once again at her screen, and then decided to pass the phone over to the other worker.
"I have almost two thousand songs."
Ichigo pulled at the corner of his mouth in a surprised half frown. Getting the point, he hesitantly grabbed the higher-up's possession, gazing over and over at each song, genre and artist the beauty before him listened to. To his surprise, most of the songs she had were also songs he was a fan of. Finally, he settled on an optimistic melody which could easily be listened to in order to calm the nerves of any sort of claustrophobia either of them could have been suffering from.
It was extremely bizarre. Even though this youthful lady before him was someone he had only presently first spoken to just over an hour ago, he felt a very tight connection to her, like they had been friends for years. She was extraordinarily compassionate, with the heart of a breathtaking essence, and stunning beyond words. But, perhaps it was more about the loneliness she possessed. He had seen neither his sisters nor his father for a very, very long time. Because of schedules, the chances of them all having the time off to meet was exceptionally rare, no matter how hard they tried to make it. This Christmas was no exception. He was unaccompanied once again, and that solitude was catching up to him. Through discussion, he had also found that Orihime was very much isolated from civilisation during the holidays as well. Being alone was never a nice thing to be for so long, but to have no family at all must have left her in a cruel fate during life. He was bullied when he was younger for his hair colour; her hair colour was close to his, it was apparent that she may have had to endure the same fate as him. Although, she was so happy all the time, with no worries or fear. How could she be so amazing, even though her life had brought her so much sadness? It was very admirable.
Ichigo lent his head back in thought, closing his eyes gently like he was sleeping silently. It had been maybe three hours since the lift had stopped, and all Orihime could do was just stare in AWOL; she had worked alongside someone as caring, thoughtful and handsome as Ichigo, yet she had never noticed. Maybe Tatsuki was right: she over worked a lot and never turns to see what is going on around her. She only worked because she hadn't anything else to do. She was very lonely, and she could easily tell that the attractive chap before her was too. He must have had a hard life with such bright coloured hair; she had enough problems with her own and even that was nothing compared to how vivid his was. Nevertheless, it was an elegant colour that she admired with an odd fixation to want to run her hand through it. His spikes looked tremendously soft and hospitable; it was like it was just welcoming guests. To her dismay, she resisted anyway. Who would what a complete stranger to suddenly feel through their locks? To try and keep herself at bay, she decided that she would get slightly closer to him, scooting over to the wall he lent on with a faint blush and making herself comfortable by hugging her knees to her chest.
"Are you tired?" She suddenly spoke up. The music echoed around the lift graciously, earning the couple of lines sung by either trapped as it played, but there was nothing else that could pass the time than sleeping. As much as she wouldn't admit it, Orihime hadn't slept for days, working so much over time that it had affected her sleeping schedule terribly. Ichigo opened his eyes and turned to his left, jumping quickly at how close and silently she had moved from in front of him to beside him. His head crashed sharply against the barrier to his right, earning a yelp and a quick hand motion to the newly formed bump.
"Kurosaki-kun, are you alright?" Orihime pelted onto her knees, placing her hands onto his own to remove the grip and check the wounded area.
"Yeah, I'm fine, than-" She was stretched above his head, but still sitting on her knees, unintentionally pressing her ample breasts into the horizontal gaze of the injured male. Inadvertently, she had also pushed him into the corner of the elevator leaving him no way to escape. He could feel a strapping flush form over his entire face, his body heating because of the blushing, but his complete body freeze to try and cause unnecessary commotion and misjudgement. After all, she was trying to help him; it would have been bad manners to push an innocent lady back.
"I don't think it's going to brush." She stated, placing her hands across and around the bump caringly. She used a quick excuse to run a long finger through just a small part of his carrot hair, before she smiled and sat back down onto her feet. For some odd reason, the face she witnessed before her was tomato red and staring into the metal work to the side, averting his gaze to in front of him, "Are you sure you're okay? You're face is really red... Are you feeling ill?" Innocently, she pushed the back of her hand onto his cheek, turning his face towards hers, only inches apart. The redness of Ichigo's face grew, causing even more concern to the angelic creature.
"I-I-I'm fine, honestly." He stuttered. After a small observation, Ichigo realised she was positioned just inches away from him, her body pressing dangerously close to his own with his legs loosely wrapped to the sides of her. Any man without a sense of pride or decency would have taken an opportunity like this too far. She was way too kind for her own good and she never realised it. But the chance he had to check her out while she fussed over him was unavoidable.
Her breasts were huge, a size he had only seen in surgery-based woman, but hers seemed natural which just added a bonus to her miraculous face and saintly personality. Her waist went far in, but not so far to make her anorexic. After witnessing her food habits, it was obvious she enjoyed eating what she wished, but maintained her shape beautifully. From the way the top clung to her, it seemed like she regularly exercised. And her hips; perfect for child bearing. They were large, almost reaching to the size of her breasts, giving her the wondrous hour glass figure every woman desired. She had a perfect motherly body, but also an amazing lover's body. Her skin was milky white and smooth, with long legs which affected well against her height, and matched well with her elusive lengthy fingers. A body like that was more than enough to drive a human male's body and imagination into over drive, but to have it so close and in perfect distance to just grab and explore... it took him everything to maintain his composure and keep calm. To both his gratitude and disappointment, she pushed herself away.
After a while, Ichigo had realised just how interested he was in the strange girl with him. She was different in personality: smiley, joyful, innocent and caring, she was unimaginably beautiful, with a body that only devious girls could accomplish. He wanted to know so much about her, body and soul. He started to think that perhaps the fate that held them to meet and then be trapped in an elevator together wasn't such a bad one.
The nursing auburn haired sat back down against the wall, placing her legs bent comfortably to her side, letting Ichigo sit up from the corner and resume his place against the same wall. He muttered his thanks and looked over to her. Her smile was much lower than earlier, fading away all the energy she held before. It seemed the coffee she had was wearing off and drooping her eyes. She was trying hard to keep herself from getting some shut-eye, but Ichigo couldn't understand why she was forcing herself to keep awake. Did she feel a burden of keeping him company? Although, he knew it wouldn't be long before he dosed off again too.
"Inoue-sama, if you want to sleep, then you can; no one's stopping you." I calmly assured. She grinned like usual, trying her best to look as energised as possible.
"I can stay awake. I don't want you to be sitting here with no one to talk to for so many hours. Anyway, I haven't got a pillow." She reasoned. Ichigo couldn't help but smile at her kindness.
"I'll probably sleep too you know, so I wouldn't be sitting here on my own. And... If you want a pillow..." He averted his gaze once again, letting a small blush grace his cheeks, "You could... well... lean on me... Please don't get me wrong, you've been so kind to me, even though we're just co-workers. Even if it's just a small thing, I want you to be comfortable and get some rest."
Orihime blushed at his offer. He wanted her to rest, even be so close to him in order to do so. It was strange for two strangers, but she knew he was trustworthy, she knew he was only offering out of honest kindness. After a couple of moments in silence, she decided to shift closer to him, so close that their hips made contact, and tenderly, gradually, place her head onto his broad chest. His hands awkwardly met her back, resting nicely in a loose hug as her own hands rested on his waist. She could hear his heart beat, steady like a drum, and she could feel the toned muscle breaking out through his clothing. She certainly was comfortable enough to sleep. She couldn't remember the last time she had shared body heat in such a way, the last time she felt at home in sharing a cosy gesture with another person. The warmth of his body made it almost like a blanket around her, quickly bringing crimson cheeks and a gentle smile over her features, before easily falling asleep in his arms.
It was odd that she didn't say a word for or against what he said, but just carefully placed herself into a position like this. His back was pressed onto the corner of the lift again, and she laid cosily between his elongated legs onto his chest, even her hands rested on his waist. Having a beautiful girl in his arms like this was bizarre considering how long it had been since he shared such a warm touch with another person. He could hear her breathing smoothly, sleeping soundly. In order to keep her undisturbed, he quickly flicked the playing phone to their side off, leaving nothing but their soft breaths to atone for the peaceful atmosphere. It wasn't long before the spiky haired supervisor joined his MD's personal assistant in a tranquil fiesta.
When she woke, she could hear the tender breaths of the sleeping Kurosaki above her head. His chest heaved up and down graciously with each breath, and calmly breezed the top of her head where his head rested. His grip was a lot tighter than when they went to sleep; he didn't want her to go, and she didn't mind; she didn't want to go either. Both her hands leaned on his broad chest with ease, but she managed to force herself to remove one in order to reach for her phone beside them.
'7:35? They should be opening the doors in less than half hour, we can finally leave!'
She smiled brightly, but a part of her didn't want to leave just yet. In the six hours she was trapped with Ichigo Kurosaki, she had learnt so much about him, and she wanted to see more of what he was like. The chances of meeting outside of work weren't very high; maybe a small conversation during work would be all that would happen. But she wouldn't give up hope. This unforgettable experience was something she would hold dear to her, and now so was Ichigo. He was so caring, and she knew he was someone who she had developed a strong bond with, even if it was one-sided or not. A friendship like this was rare, but it had happened, and she hoped that their friendship could bloom into a closer relationship. Maybe then, they would no longer be alone.
"Inoue...-sama?" She looked up to see Ichigo staring down at her tiredly, "Good morning."
"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun." She beamed back. A smile like hers felt like the morning sun shining onto his face, "It's almost eight; we should be able to get some help soon."
"That's great!" Ichigo sat up and stretched out his limbs in a starfish fashion, letting an unwilling Orihime off of his chest. Orihime stood onto her feet and also stretched, but into an 'I'.
"Did... did you sleep okay?" Ichigo questioned.
"Yes, thank you for your kindness."
"Oh no, it was nothing, just returning the favour for how kind you were." He smiled and followed the female onto his feet, "You know... I'm sort of glad I was trapped." He admitted sheepishly.
"Really? Me too." Ichigo's features turned into a surprised look, beckoning for her to answer an unspoken why, "If I wasn't, I would have never met you, Kurosaki-kun."
"Same. I mean, I would have never met such a magnificent woman like you." They shared their grins and blushes, leaning next to one another against the wall while waiting out the last of their time.
"What's the first thing you're going to do, Kurosaki-kun? When we get out I mean."
"The first thing? Go home, grab a morning cider and relax by a warm fireplace, probably shredding my cursive paperwork. What about you?"
"I think the first thing I'm going to do is invite someone out for breakfast."
"Oh? Arisawa-sama?"
"No, she's left to her home town for Christmas."
"Then a different friend from the office?"
"Yes, you could say that." She turned her bright gaze over to the lofty man, hoping he could take a slight hint. Apparently, he was very dense to what she was asking, as he never said another word after that.
They were left in small talk for the last few minutes they had together, and picking up the rubbish of food wrappers and uneaten packets, until the best thing they had heard all morning refined their ears.
"Yeah, the black-out last night stopped everything in the building, but when everything turned on, the lift wouldn't start. Thankfully, I believe almost everyone had left the building before then so that's why we waited until morning to call you." A mysterious voice spoke from in front of them, on the other side of the doors. From what they could tell, it sounded like security of the office buildings.
"That's fine, we'll just get the electricity working again through the lift wires and control panel and the doors should open as soon as it's up and running. It won't take more than a few minutes." A second voice replied. From what they could tell, the second voice probably belonged to an electrician. Orihime's glee hit sky high, making her fastly jump and fling her arms around Ichigo's neck.
"Thank you. We need this lift working for those on the hundredth floor especially; there was one over time employee who didn't register out last night and I think she may have pulled an all-nighter again. It's amazing how much she works; it's like she doesn't sleep at all! I mean, she hasn't gone home during the night for at least four nights now." Ichigo turned to his lift partner with a questioning gaze. She just smiled back without a word about their conversation outside. All he could do was question his mind rather than her. But the hundredth floor? He hated waiting for an elevator on the seventieth, let alone travelling one hundred floors! After a few minutes, as promised, the doors sprung back to life, pulling open and revealing the orange haired pair to the outside world.
"Inoue-san!" The security guard exclaimed, "And Kurosaki-san! How long were you trapped in there for?" The man wasn't of a massive build, but still above average for a normal male. His spiked black hair wasn't out of the ordinary either. What was noticeable about the ordinary looking man was the tattoo under his left eye, showing two lines with a '69'.
"About six hours." Ichigo replied exhausted, "Now, I'm going home. I may have had a work day today, but, I think I deserve to get out of this god forsaken building for at least a day."
"It's understandable. I'll tell the boss about your, and Inoue-san's, situation and allow a day leave. Don't expect any favours again though."
"Thank you, Hisagi-kun." Orihime chimed with her sweet sparkling grin. Hisagi couldn't help but smile along with her, as well as Ichigo.
"We'll see you later, Hisagi." The carrot top man waved, pressing the ground floor button.
Finally, both Ichigo and Orihime were opening the exclusive doors of the hundred floored company building with their jackets on and squinting eyes to the glittering snow lounging lazily on the icy winter morning floor. There was a breeze of wonderful fresh air; something both of them had longed for desperately, and with it was the scent of many different home cooking that made the stomach of the princess growl harshly, but not enough to draw attention from her orange haired companion.
"Well then, Inoue-sama, I guess I'll see you at work." Ichigo smiled, slightly saddened at their departure, before turning to walk off.
"Wait, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime grabbed onto his suit jacket, turning him back around, "Did you forget about what I told you?" Orihime had a slight glint in her eyes as she was inwardly humoured at her riddle. Ichigo just looked up to his left hand side confused.
"Going home and having some alcohol doesn't count as a breakfast! You need four meals a day remember!" She scolded, "So... won't you join me for breakfast?"
I hope you enjoyed this little story ^_^
-xlilslayerx-