Words and Lyrics, a bleach fanfic

Summary: "Speak when you are angry – and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." It all started with some chocolate, and a note.

A.N.: This is a reposted one-shot of my first hand at Bleach fanfiction, which kind of failed the first time I posted this. BUT, I fixed it up and now have it ready here. Sorry if Ichigo or Orihime are a bit OOC at later parts, I'm going to try and get better at making them realistic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. The lyrics used were borrowed from "The Promise" by When in Rome.

~Words and Lyrics~

"Speak when you are angry – and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret."—

Dr. Lawrence J. Peter

It all started with some chocolate, and a note.

"K-Kurosaki-kun?"

There was five minutes left of lunch before they were expected to be in class, so most of their group had begun to file out from the roof. Ichigo himself had been about to leave before his friend stopped him with her gentle call. He turned to see Orihime looking up at him. Her gaze met his eyes for a moment, and then fell to the ground. Her hands were behind her back as she swayed from side to side, and to him, she appeared anxious.

"Yeah, Inoue?" She hesitated, then began to bring her hands from behind her back. But she stopped herself just as she was about to reveal whatever it was she was going to show him.

"Oh wait—close your eyes please, Kurosaki-kun, and hold out your hands!" Ichigo frowned, and his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Um…why?" She giggled, though slightly nervously.

"It'll be more fun this way! Please, Kurosaki-kun?" she pleaded with wide, brown eyes. Ichigo sighed, but he couldn't help a small smile as he did as Orihime asked. After a moment's hesitation, she took the small box from behind her back and placed it in his offered hands.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kurosaki-kun!" Ichigo's eyes snapped open and zeroed in on the object in his hands: a black box with a large, red ribbon on the top. His tongue caught in his mouth as he viewed the gift. He hadn't thought he would receive anything today, but as usual, the auburn-haired healer had managed to surprise him once again. He felt his face warm as he opened his mouth to speak, and was only able to make a stuttered reply.

"U-uh…t-thanks, Inoue." Orihime gave a broad smile, despite her blushing cheeks.

"I-It's just some friendship chocolates. I made some for all of our nakama. I…I hope you like them, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime turned on her heel and made a quick exit.

Wow, that was harder than I thought it was going to be. She thought, wiping away the perspiration that had formed on her forehead. I couldn't get the courage I needed to say the words I wanted to say, but…oh well! Maybe…just maybe, I'll tell him next year…Tatsuki-chan will be annoyed with me when I tell her, though. Orihime sighed and shrugged, pulling her book bag more securely over her shoulder.

...

Ichigo had been left gaping after Orihime, standing awkwardly with the box in one hand. After a second, he shook his head and studied the gift silently. He exhaled loudly and scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

"Ah, screw it." He took the lid off the box to see six rows of chocolates. They looked handmade. But on further inspection, he found a card taped underneath the lid.

She didn't mention this being in here, he thought. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. It was made of red construction paper and was written in black script, which read: "Happy Valentine's Day Kurosaki-kun!" on the front, along with some Valentine's hearts and a drawing of some chocolates with smiling faces.

Ichigo grinned slightly. Orihime would decorate a Valentine's gift with silly faces. He opened the card, and once he read the note Orihime had written him, his grin softened into a small smile.

If you need a friend
Don't look to a stranger
You know in the end
I'll always be there

The next day in class, Ichigo spotted Orihime, who had just sat down in her seat, taking out her notebook for their math class. When she bent over to grab a pen and some pencils that had fallen on the floor, Ichigo stuck a folded piece of paper in her notebook and took his seat. He did his best ignore Keigo's annoying wailing at how he didn't receive any gifts for Valentine's Day, while Mizuiro got at least twenty, and "why wouldn't he share?"

By the time the teacher had finished getting the crying boy quiet and in his seat, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

"All right, class, take out your books and notebooks and turn to page 207." A collective sigh ran through the room before the sound of flipping pages could be heard throughout the classroom. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo could see that Orihime had finally noticed the note. He watched as her surprised expression changed, and he saw the uncharacteristically soft smile curling her lips as she read.

And when you're in doubt
And when you're in danger
Take a look all around
And I'll be there

Orihime clutched the piece of paper like a lifeline as she walked home. Her face wore a broad smile, but in her heart, she knew it was fake compared to the feeling of regret in the pit of her stomach.

I've waited so long to tell him, why can't I just say the words? She sighed. I'm weak. Hueco Mundo sure showed me that. A shiver went up and down her spine at the thought of the hell hole she had been forced to live in. It had been five months already since the end of the Winter War, but Orihime knew that the memories would forever leave a scar over her heart. Kurosaki-kun had saved her, but he couldn't save her from everything, no matter what he had promised. But she wished…no, he probably wouldn't ever reciprocate…but one day, she would find the words to make him see…to make him see how much he meant to her.

I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me (I promise you)

I promise
I promise you, I promise you I will

They had never fought before, let alone had a conversation so heated and deep. Orihime had run from Urahara's shop and sprinted all the way home, uncharacteristically throwing open her front door and plopping onto her couch, letting a few tears leak through her tightly closed eyes. The scenes from a few minutes before replayed over and over in her head, making her throat tighten from trying to hold back her crying. She didn't want to cry, not over something like this. It would only prove his point.

"I want to fight, Kurosaki-kun. I want to learn, so that I can get stronger. You learned from Urahara-san, why can't I?" Ichigo sighed wearily, shoving his hand through his spiky red hair. He had asked old Hat-and-Clogs to leave them to talk in the shop, otherwise, Orihime would've asked Urahara (for the second time that day) to teach her to fight with a sword, even though it obviously wouldn't be a zanpakuto. Ichigo stopped the conversation before Urahara had a chance to answer. He had accompanied her to the shop on her request, but she was sure he had no idea what she had planned to ask…until now, that is—only three days after Valentine's Day.

"I know you want to fight…but…I just don't think that's such a good idea." Orihime's expression turned to such steel she had never felt before. She knew it took him off guard.

"May I ask why not?" She knew he could see through her attempt to keep her voice normal and light, but she couldn't help the way her whole body was tense with agitation. He just didn't understand why she had to do this.

"Well…it's just…Inoue…I think it would be better if you didn't." Her eyes narrowed, just a fraction, and she could see Ichigo begin to tense up a bit.

"I-I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, but…I don't think I can just sit on the sidelines anymore, not after…" Memories from Ichigo's battle with Grimmjow flashed through her mind, and how she could only stand and watch as he almost got himself killed, as he took those four bullets for her. Then with Ulquiorra, how she had screamed and screamed and screamed his name over and over, calling the beast forth from within him… No. She would not, could not, do that ever again. She refused to be weak anymore.

"Inoue?" Ichigo asked in concern when he saw her faraway gaze. But she then broke out of her reverie, determination set in her overall demeanor.

"I will not wait like a frightened child, Kurosaki-kun. I refuse to…to wait for my friends to come back to me bloody and beaten for me to heal them, knowing that I did nothing to help them." He stared at her with wide eyes, and took in her ramrod straight form, how unshed tears shone in her eyes from the unwanted memories that had surfaced with their argument.

"Inoue…I'm sorry, I…never realized…"

Your side of it all, he thought. But, I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.

So, he would protect her, as he promised he would.

"But…I won't let Urahara teach you. I can't."

"Why do you not want me to fight?" Orihime asked quietly.

"B-Because…well…"

"Why not?" she persisted. She had never spoken to him so rashly, but this was something she felt strongly about, something she felt would give her purpose. She had to try.

"Look, just drop it, all right." She knew his temper well, and he would soon be at his breaking point. But she was blinded by her own anger, and continued pushing him.

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun…but…" she couldn't believe she was saying this, to Ichigo of all people.

"That's not good enough."

"What do you mean?" he asked testily.

"I…I don't…n-need your permission." With this, she stood a little taller, a bit more confident. "You s-shouldn't h-have to tell me what I can and cannot do. Not without a reason." He visibly froze, and his brows knit together in sheer aggravation.

"Inoue..."

"You haven't given me a reason not to, Kurosaki-kun."

"I…I have." He really hadn't, in her opinion. That he "didn't want her to" was not sufficient.

"Please, Kurosaki-kun. Just tell me why? Why would it be so horrible if I further learned to defend myself properly?"

"Because you're not meant to fight, all right? You're too light hearted to actually kill someone intentionally if you needed to...I'm sorry Inoue, but your skills are just purely for defense, not the offense needed for battle." She felt like someone had just slapped her across the face, and she stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. His expression strangely mirrored hers, and she hoped he realized how much his words had hurt. Not because he had said them, but because they only confirmed what she had always thought of herself. She felt entirely deflated, and so, her gaze fell.

"I see."

"Wait, Inoue–" She heard the remorse in his voice, but she couldn't look back at him now, or else he would see her tears.

She ran, ignoring his calls for her name, all the way back to her house. She knew that he was right, but that just made it all the more painful.

"I-I'm sorry K-Kurosaki-kun. You were right…I'll be a better friend to you. I'll find another way…not to be a burden to you."

When your day is through
And so is your temper
You know what to do
I'm gonna always be there

Orihime was startled by a voice that broke through her thoughts.

"Inoue…you…you'll never be a burden to me." Orihime's head snapped around to see Ichigo, slightly out of breath, but standing in her doorway. He leaned on the doorframe, taking a couple deep breaths before stepping into the house and closing the door behind him.

"Sorry…the door was unlocked," he said sheepishly, before walking quickly over to the healer, who was still looking at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. He hesitantly sat down next to her on the couch, and for a moment they could only stare at one another in silence, waiting for the other to speak.

"Inoue," He started, but paused at seeing her red, tear-tracked face. Ichigo sighed and looked down at his hands.

"I'm sorry. What I said wasn't…I wasn't thinking clearly—"

"No! You were right. I'm…I'm not meant to fight like you, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, Renji-kun, and Rukia-san do." Ichigo sighed once again.

"Inoue—"

"If I wasn't so weak," Orihime whispered. She looked at her fiddling hands, shaking her head. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt saving me. I would have been able to fight off…fight off…Ulquiorra-san and come back home, and you wouldn't have had to rescue me."

Ichigo didn't know whether he was angrier at what she was saying, or at how much it obviously upset her to talk about Hueco Mundo. He had thought he had given her a good enough explanation: she didn't need to fight, he didn't want her to. He had thought that should have been good enough. Of course, the more rational part of his brain said this was an unfair judgment. Now, he knew it was. And he had enough. Ichigo faced her and grabbed her by the shoulders in a firm, but gentle grip.

"Stop it. You're not weak. You were brave and you showed strength in another way, through your willingness to put your own life in jeopardy to save us." He paused, further collecting his thoughts while Orihime regarded him with wide eyes. He loosened his grip on her shoulders somewhat, and slid his hands down to grip her arms lightly.

"As for me…I did things the way I always do: I saved you because you're my nakama, and that's never going to change. So don't give me this bullshit about being weak."

Orihime was shocked by his words, but so touched that he felt that way. The tears flowed down her cheeks, and she could do nothing to stop them as she cried. At seeing her crying, Ichigo let go of her and backed off a bit. He was startled when Orihime impulsively reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked up at her, but her gaze was to her lap as she tentatively held his hand with both of hers.

He regarded Orihime silently, and mentally, he noted that he liked the feel of her hands.

Awkward and hesitant, Ichigo covered her small hands with his free hand, which, he also noted, was much larger than hers. He regretted the harsh words he had said to her. Really, he hadn't meant to yell, but he had his own reasons for not wanting her to fight. He didn't want her to get hurt. He…cared for her.

Sometimes if I shout
It's not what's intended
These words just come out
With no gripe to bear

In the next month to follow since that day, Orihime's thoughts were now plagued by Ichigo and her excessive need to tell him the truth. They were now able to have actual conversations without the awkwardness that had been ever-present before the Winter War, and Ichigo had offered to walk her home, if she so asked. Orihime had many chances to tell him how she felt. As per usual, she only lacked the courage to actually say it.

I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
And if I had to walk around the world, to make you fall for me (I promise you)

I promise

I promise you, I promise you I will...

I gotta tell ya, I need to tell ya, I gotta tell ya, I gotta tell ya...

So…because she couldn't say it…she wrote it down on paper.

She folded it, and even told Tatsuki that morning. Tatsuki encouraged it wholeheartedly.

"Finally give that dense asshole a clue!" Orihime giggled nervously as she remembered her friend's comment. But now she was faced with a new problem: how to give it to him? Orihime sighed.

I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
And if I have to walk the world to make you fall for me (I promise you)
I promise you, I promise you I will...
I will...
I will...
I will...

I hope you guys liked it! I l know it's not very original, but it's something simple I thought I'd start out with as my first Bleach fic. Let me know if I should continue with this, or with something new.