A/N: Not what I had planned, but couldn't help myself. Sorry for that.

Pairing: Ichihime

Rated: M

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump.

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There are no words,

But I can't help knowing what you want to say.

He tries to stop.

But he can't.

It's impossible.

Every single time he glances at her, their eyes meet.

They're on the same wavelength.

A thrill goes through him each time.

It's dangerous.

But he needs to look at her.

His eyes find her automatically in a classroom full of people.

Though they've been through so much together; at school, they rarely talk.

In the presence of their friends, there was no room for personal interaction.

In their first year, everything had been so normal. Now there was some new awareness and understanding that stood in the way.

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She was walking home alone. Until she saw him, a little way ahead. They were both going the same way, so it wouldn't be too weird, right?

It would be weirder to walk the whole way right behind him, like some stalker, she reasoned.

She fist-pumped a few times to gather courage. That was what the anime characters on TV did, and it almost always seemed to work.

They rarely talked anymore, but so many times she had caught him looking at her, with an expression she could not place.

It scared her.

But it attracted her more.

She ran to catch up with him. He was surprised when he saw her, this was probably the first time they had been alone together since they got back.

She was as cheery as she usually was, and he was amused by her childishness. Walking with her seemed. . . .right. He asked her how she had been. Her exaggerated reply made him smile and in turn, her. She asked about his job, he complained vehemently, using a string of colorful words to describe his boss.

Neither of them mentioned the elephant in the room.

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Soon, they reached Orihime's apartment. She smiled at Ichigo, and said goodbye.

She turned to leave. Ichigo's heart lurched in his chest. Soon, she would walk away, and he would only see her tomorrow, at school. . . surrounded by other people.

She would be right in front of him, but he could not touch.

"Dammit!"

Out of its own accord, a hand found its way to Orihime's arm and gripped her tight. She spun around in surprise. Ichigo pulled her closer.

"Ku-Kurosaki-kun?" Confused, but she liked the way his hand held her- so manly and firm, but not hurting.

Her breathing was fast and shallow- overwhelmed by him. . .She always liked him, but this. . .Her senses were aroused fully.

She looked up at him, and again there was that indiscernible expression she had seen so many times lately.

She was so close, he could smell the sweet scent of her hair, could see the depths of those gray eyes. His hand loosened its grip on her arm and moved up, hesitatingly, slowly, to her face. One hard thumb traced her pink lips, reveling in the softness.

After the initial shock of contact, Orihime's eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted, letting out a small sigh.

If the way she looked at him was an indicator, then she shouldn't mind, he thought. Every time their eyes met at school, she was the one who had pulled away first, every single time. It bothered him.

Moving his hand from her lips, he cupped her face and tilted it towards him.

No longer thinking clearly, Ichigo bent down to cover her mouth with his. As he captured her plump lips, his senses overflowed with her, and her alone- the sweetness of her lips, her scent- consuming him, and there was nothing else in the world, except him and her. He had fantasized about this, so many times, but the real thing was so much more intimate.

His hand stroked her hair as his lips moved against hers. She responded- timidly, but surely.

His tongue ventured out, sliding along her lips, wanting more, tasting more. This sent a thrill of excitement through her, and she let out a low gasp in surprise.

This was enough to bring Ichigo back to his senses. Breaking apart, he stared at her while catching his breath. Orihime stared back, her eyes bright, fingers touching where his lips had been, unable to believe what had just transpired between them.

Fully snapped out of his drug induced state, he regained some control over himself.

Those eyes- earnest and confused- stared up at him. Ichigo held her gaze, intense beyond anything he had ever felt before, willing her to comprehend.

Please.

You have to know.

He didn't have words to say, but he wanted, needed her to understand.

And she did.

As it dawned on her, her eyes widened further, and she covered her mouth with her hands.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"See you tomorrow, Inoue," He walked away. This was enough to sustain him for a while.

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A/N:

Be patient. It's rated M for a reason.