It's a good, clean smell and Orihime decides she likes it. It's not as pretentious as cologne and definately more appealing than the unwashed 'au natural' smell of some of their other male classmates.
She lets herself lean closer until her nose is practically touching the immaculately ironed shirt and breathes deep.
It's definately an appealing smell.
This fascination with smelling people had started that very morning when it popped into her head to find out if Ichigo smelled like strawberries. After all, he really should, right? So walking beside him to class she'd tilted her head towards him and...sniffed.
To her disappointment he smelled like deoderant and the disinfectant his father used in the clinic. Not like strawberries at all.
After resolving to buy Ichigo some strawberry scented bath products for his birthday, she impulsively decided to see what her other friends smelt like.
To her delight they all had distinctive scents - Rukia smelt like fresh air with a whiff of some incense she couldn't indentify. Tatsuki smelt of cotton and chalk. Chizuru smelt of a perfume she'd informed Orihime was called 'Seduction'and she seemed ecstatic that Orihime had noticed.
"I can't believe it actually works!" She'd proclaimed joyfully, flinging her arms around Orihime until Tatsuki had come up and dragged her off.
She found out most of the boys smelt like they were trying too hard- they all wore aftershaves with thick cloying scents and cologne which made her wrinkle her nose and back away.
But Ishida-kun was, of course, different. He didn't need to put on aftershaves with macho names.
"Inoue-san?"
Ishida is looking at her strangely as she hovers with her face mere milimeters from his shoulder.
"Yes Ishida-kun?" she asks brightly.
"What are you doing?"
Well she would've thought it should have been obvious to someone as smart as Ishida-kun. Really, what other reason would she press her nose into his shoulder for?
"I'm smelling you."
He stares at her, a slight frown gracing his features. She smiles up at him.
"You smell good, Ishida-kun."
For some reason he goes slightly pink when she says that and hurriedly looks away, pushing his glasses up his nose. Now it is her turn to frown...why would Ishida be embarrassed about smelling nice? She decides he must not have understood her.
"I mean, you smell really good. Better than anyone else in our class. It doesn't bother you, me smelling you, does it? A few other people thought it was strange but I don't know why. Did you know Ichigo doesn't smell like strawberries? It was very disappointing but then when I got round to smelling you, you smelled exactly like I thought you would Ishida - all clean and fresh and...good smelling. I wonder...is it your shirt that smells like fabric conditioner and your skin that smells like soap or do both smell like both?"
She inhales his shirt deeply, feeling the crisp cotton against her cheek. Definitely it smells more of fabric conditioner but there is still a scent of soap there too. Sliding off of her seat so she can kneel by his chair she then proceeds to delicately sniff the skin of his arm. Yes, it definately smells more of soap.
She can feel the warmth radiating off of him and looking up, she can see he is blushing so furiously that his entire face has turned red. How strange. Maybe Ishida-kun isn't feeling well.
"Orihime, what are you doing?"
Looking up, she sees Ichigo and Rukia staring at her.
"Smelling Ishida, of course," she answers happily.
All three of them look at the bright pink, slightly perturbed-looking Quincy.
Ichigo scratches his head, throwing them both an unreadable look.
"Right, do I want to know why?"
"Because he smells good." she explains brightly, noticing Rukia appearing to be hiding a smirk behind her hand for some reason "Really, really good. You should smell him too, Kurosaki-kun."
Ichigo frowns, looking vaguely disturbed by the idea. "I think I'll pass."
A little pout of disappointment graces her features
"That's a shame, because he smells the best out of the entire school."
Ishida clears his throat a little hesitantly, and brings his hand up to adjust his glasses frames.
"I'm afraid I have to disagree."
Her mouth falls open a little and rather sadly she wonders why Ishida can never ever take a compliment or praise without rejecting it. She hopes it's not because he really doesn't believe he deserves them.
"Actually the person who smells the best in the entire school...is you, Inoue-san."
All three of them stare at him while he straightens his tie and neatens his pile of school books in an obvious attempt to avoid eyecontact. Rukia suddenly grabs Ichigo's arm.
"Come on Ichigo, we've got to go...do that thing?"
He looks confused and annoyed, but doesn't make any effort to loosen her grip.
"What thing? We've got class in five minutes."
She shoots him a look and indicates their friends with a sharp jerk of her head, trying to catch his eye meaningfully.
"You know. That thing. At the place. Where we have to go right now"
He glances between her and the others, and something finally seems to click into place.
"Oh right...the thing at the place. Don't know how I forgot."
He gets to his feet, looking at Orihime and Ishida a little awkwardly.
"See you later, I guess."
Rukia drags him out the door, the pair of them bickering quietly under their breath and shooting looks back at the two sitting at the table.
"Well that was strange. I wonder what it was they forgot to do. It's not like Rukia to forget things, is it? Ichigo is lucky to have her as his friend because she remembers all the things he forgets. Not that Ichigo is forgetful normally, he's quite smart and remembers things alot. I'm forgetful if it's not to do with schoolwork, that's fine but I sometimes forget to buy groceries but that's usually fun because I make do with whatever's in my cupboard and that's when I come up with some of the my best yummiest creations like red bean paste and apricots on potatoes. I eat red bean paste alot, so is that what I smell like?"
She looks up at him suddenly and he draws back, the blush reappearing on his face.
"No, Inoue-san it isn't."
She looks marginally crestfallen but perks up again almost immeadiately.
"Well I guess I wouldn't want to smell like red bean paste anyway because then I'd just make people hungry all the time, including me and Tatsuki says I eat more than anyone else she knows anyway so it really wouldn't be a good thing. Though I don't believe her really I mean some people must eat more than me, I think Chad must eat a whole lot more than anyone else because he's so big and if he didn't eat alot he'd run out fuel and not be able to move and that would be pretty sad. So if I don't smell of paste then what do I smell like Ishida-kun?"
He smiles softly and she thinks she's never seen a smile like it on Ishida's face. Normally his smiles are hard, edged affairs with no real warmth but this one is different and it makes her feel kindof...tingly. In a good way.
'You smell like rain.'
Her face drops a little...after all most people didn't like rain right? It would be awful if Ishida-kun thought she smelt like something he didn't like.
'Oh.'
Then Ishida's hand is on her shoulder and she looks up in suprise.
'It's a good thing, Inoue-san. You like walking in the rain don't you? You know how everything smells better after the rain.'
Her face lights up again. He was right, everything did smell better after the rain, all clean and fresh and somehow richer. Ishida's hand is still on her shoulder though it's gone all tense now as if he isn't sure if he should have it there or not. She can see he's thinking about pulling it away so she reaches up and covers it with her own hand. The look of gratified shock on his face makes her feel all tingly again.
'Thank you, Ishida-kun.'