Nosebleeds
there had been more than one times in Ichigo's childhood, that he had been punched in the nose. And not in those normal 'let's-gang-up-on-him-cause-his-hair-is-weird' fights. Nope. He had been punched numerously by Tatsuki. His nose still bore those bumps, he suspected. After the third time, it didn't look as strait as usual.
He had made the mistake, when he was younger, of going up to Tatsuki and telling her he liked her. It had taken him all day to work up his courage. And when he finally told her, she'd laughed, pulled back her fist and punched him.
"Why would I want to go out with a wimp like you?!"
Then had been that time he'd said he didn't know about Orihime's feelings (he still didn't know). Tatsuki had given him that evil smirk, pulled back her fist, let it fly and watched as blood dripped down his blazer.
"That's what you get for being an idiot."
Was it his fault he was an idiot? If people didn't tell him things, he didn't know. Orihime didn't tell him things. What could he do about it. There had been more than one time where Tatsuki's taunts were almost enough to let him punch her. Almost. But two things stopped him. 1, boys are not supposed to hit girls (which had been drilled into his head by his parents) and 2, he still liked her.
So he let her punch him, the odd time she punched him because she felt like it (and even her gentle ones hurt). He'd suffered enough nosebleeds to fill a blood bank. And he never did end up telling her why he never punched back. He just would have been punched again.
Near the end of the school year, though he was falling a little behind, he'd gone up to her. Right in front of the dojo, like the last time. He'd taken a deep breath, because he was more afraid of the punch he'd receive than rejection. Another deep breath, and then he blurted the words out. They had stood in silence for a little while (just like last time) until she started laughing. He raised his arms, poised for the attack.
"Alright, I was wondering when you were gonna get it out."
And that was it. No pain. Just a gentle kiss on his nose. Which seemed a little ironic.
So now more than five years later, he was sitting in a dining room with her. He was fiddling with the ring box in his pocket, while she was still trying to figure out which fork was used for what.
Maybe he should have taken her somewhere she'd be comfortable? But enough of his friends had advised him against that. Even Byakuya, who'd nearly (and only nearly) cracked a smile at the thought of his being nervous at finally getting married.
They all knew it was gonna happen.
So here he was. Fiddling, waiting, nervous as hell.
"What's up with you?! If you fidget like that one more time I gonna punch you."
Threats, love and more threats. What a weird relationship he'd gotten himself into. He took a deep breath, and got down on one knee, pulling the ring box out of his jacket pocket. He asked those four little words. Her eyes lit up in that way he adored, and she laughed. She pulled back her fist, and let it collide with his nose.
Just like the good old days, he supposed.
OWARI
hee. Does anyone like?