Disclaimer: The characters and story of Bleach are not mine by any means of the word. They belong entirely to Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all of the other, many people involved. I'm only borrowing them for entertainment and enjoyment's sake.
There's always something about reflections that make them seem unobtainable. Not those from a mirror – every stitch attached too clearly to reality. Even so, no matter how closely Orihime could press her hands on the cold, unresponsive surface, there was always a centimeter or two between the pairs of palms. Completely sterile and completely lacking in consideration.
But there's always something about reflections in a river, puddle, or even cup of tea. Those reflections, broken occasionally by ripples, hold something that has no name and yet is entirely essential to all people. Something which would make the puzzle pieces finally fit between the sky and the earth, creating the horizon. Something which could bridge people together through understanding. And yet, if her fingertips try to reach it, the surface breaks, scattering the reflection into a million petals of colour.
When Tatsuki-chan had seen Orihime's hands deliberately stuck beneath the surface of the river, she had inquired if Orihime was trying to catch a fish. Surprised, Orihime had quickly stood up, yanking her hands from the water, as guilty as a child could ever be. Laughing nervously, "I was just waiting for it to settle" was the only poor explanation she could muster.
When she had seen Kurosaki-kun's reflection, it had been in a puddle during sakura season. Due to the rain, the sakura petals were falling like autumn rain. Before she could even think about reaching for it, an entire flower dropped, disturbing the small surface. Staring at a drop which had landed on her shoe, she heard, "You'll be late for class Inoue." The reflection had long disappeared with the sound of Kurosaki-kun's footsteps.
There was even a time she had reached for Ishida-kun's reflection in her tea. Unfortunately, it resulted in a sore finger, a speechless Ishida-kun, and a raised eyebrow from Yoroichi-san.
Somehow, thinking about it now made her laugh, even if the fact that she would never reach the answer made her want to cry so desperately. And yet, her heart wasn't really in it to cry. Really, it just made her laugh even more.
Tatsuki-chan had stopped walking, a puzzled and inquiring look written across her features. Orihime stopped too, taking a deep breath and dropping the hand from her mouth. "Water makes the plants grow," she replied, matter-of-fact.
Tatsuki-chan, hands on hips, raised an eyebrow. "Ha?"
"From plants, flowers bloom and fruit grows." Orihime turned to her friend, crystal eyes shining. "Everyone has a flower or fruit that they cultivate. That's why I can't reach; it's like trying to reach an apple from a tree without asking it first."
"I swear I'll never understand what you're thinking," Tatsuki-chan shook her head, smiling.
Orihime beamed in return, because she knew that Tatsuki-chan understood. Maybe not through Orihime's words, but Tatsuki-chan is the sort of person who wouldn't have needed to ask about something like that in the first place. After all, Tatsuki-chan always knew just how to get apples and persimmons from trees.