Let It Snow
Agatha Midnite


Summary: Don't stop your tears from falling because I'm here to wipe them dry… because I'm here to make sure everything will be alright. (Post HM Arc)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Kubo Tite himself.

He sighed as he closed his book. He laid it down on his table and took off his glasses to massage his temples. It was naturally relieving for him to read but this time, he didn't feel he wanted to continue. He added more weight on the chair supporting him and closed his eyes. He was thinking about her.

It's been a week since they went back from Hueco Mundo and they were successful in rescuing Orihime from Aizen. He couldn't deny the fact the delight that suddenly flickered inside him when he saw her. There was this sudden urge of wanting her to be wrapped by his arms but was ceased because of a certain orange-haired shinigami.

Ishida knew that Orihime was in love with Kurosaki Ichigo and that's another fact he couldn't deny.

His eyes suddenly snapped open. It was killing him to accept that statement. Orihime isn't just for Kurosaki. Ishida hated him for not seeing her. He hated the bastard for being so naive about her feelings for him. It was hurting her and he couldn't bear to see that happen to her all through out his life. He always wanted to see her happy—her cheerful nature and innocent antics forming her true personality.

He stood up and decided to go outside for a walk. He couldn't remember the last time he went out just for some leisurely activities. His daily routine would be going to school, back to his apartment and go to the grocery store for food. He grabbed his coat and went for the keys. As he locked the door, he was surprised to see a familiar figure standing in front of his apartment. Her angelic face, so peaceful and caring. Long fiery orange hair hanging freely at her back with two aqua crystal hairpins along the side. Her expression told him she was worried.

Orihime. It was all his thoughts could say. The two remained motionless; neither of them knew what to say. In Hueco Mundo, conversation between them didn't transpire that much. They were so busy concerning each other's safety. The next thing he knew, he was already at Urahara's Store.

He wasn't able to return to school immediately. Yes, his wounds were already healed. His body could hardly show any battle encounter but still, he didn't feel like going. It wasn't laziness that forced him not to. He just wanted to be alone for a while.

Realizing they were staring at each other too long for their own sanity, he decided to be the first one to speak. "Inoue-san, what brings you here?"

Orihime wanted to see him. She didn't know why but when she was at school, since they returned from Hueco Mundo, she can't help but think about the young Quincy. "Ishida-kun, you haven't attended school for a week. I'm worried about you…"

He gently smiled at her. "You don't have to worry about me, Inoue-san. I'm perfectly fine. Thank you."

Finally, he saw her smile again, making her even more beautiful. He had always adored everything about her—from her pretty face up to her exotic cuisines.

"It's a good thing I reached your apartment before you leave, Ishida-kun." she said.

"I was thinking of walking around for a while…" He felt a little hesitant to continue. "… Would you… like to come with me, Inoue-san?"

Her smile widened. "I'd love to."

He went to her side as they started walking. They could tell snow is fast approaching because of the chilly atmosphere that's touching their exposed skin. She looked at him and asked, "The Karakura Park is a good place, do you want to go there, Ishida-kun?"

He simply nodded and they went on with their walking.

They reached the Karakura Park in only a few minutes. Seeing the gaudy decorations laced around the park, he wondered if there's an event or something going on. There were people strolling around—children running with balloons, couples wandering, teenagers like them sitting noisily on the grass chattering. There were food booths around, cotton candies, bentos… but they were not that numerous. It was like the town was celebrating something and it was pretty unusual for him to see this situation—knowing him to be so indulged with books and needles.

They continued to walk until there were only a few people around. It was almost evening so the street lights started to glow. The sky was so calm, giving them a serene feeling. She went in front of him, her hands at the back. "Thank you, Ishida-kun. Thank you for saving me."

When he met her gaze, a tint of blush came visible on his face. With his typical habit, he pushed his glasses up to cover it. "I-It's nothing. You don't need to thank me, Inoue-san." …because I wasn't obliged to do that. I really wanted to save you. I wanted to see you again. He asked his Quincy powers be back from his father so he could protect the one he cared so much. It was always been her why he longed for strength, why he wished for power. He's willing to die just to make her safe.

She looked at the ground and made a weak smile. "Yesterday…" She was thinking if she should continue or not. "…I told Kurosaki-kun my feelings for him."

From the looks of her face, Ishida knew what happened.

Orihime forced herself not to cry. She wanted to prove herself that she's strong, that she could handle herself but her eyes couldn't help but betray her. Tears started to slide down her face. "Tatsuki-chan was out of town because she had a competition to attend. I… I just don't know where to go…" Her voice started to break. She buried her face in her hands and tried her best to stop sobbing.

Ishida went closer to her and gently pulled her in an embrace. He closed his eyes and soothed her. Don't stop your tears from falling because I'm here to wipe them dry… because I'm here to make sure everything will be alright. He wished to utter those words but he couldn't. He felt that it's still not the right time to tell her how he feels. Deep inside him, he wanted to hunt down the substitute Shinigami and knock him down for making Orihime unhappy but as of the moment, all he wanted was to remain this close with her as longer as possible.

He slightly let go of her and got his handkerchief in his pocket. She felt him wipe her tears away, making her feel better. She placed her hands on her flushed cheeks and gave him a faint smile. "Thank you, Ishida-kun… You really know how to make me feel better."

"Inoue-san, always remember that there are people around you who love you more than you think."

Her smile remained on her face. "I'll remember that."

As they stood in front of each other, Orihime noticed something white and cotton-like slowly falling down from the sky. She gently looked up and there she saw snow. "It's snowing…"

Ishida smiled at her and opted to get drunk by her beauty than to look up. She was the most beautiful person he had ever met. He knew that the time will come where he could confess his feelings for her and hopefully she had somehow moved on from her first love, realized that there were indeed people around her who love her more than she thinks. For now, all he could ask for was to be with her under the falling snow.

The End


A/N: In our country, parks were usually big. It's more like a leisure place where you can sit down and relax with your family and friends. I just assumed the Karakura Park is pretty large enough to have those kind of things—the food booths and everything.

I had to revise the last part of the story because it became a bit odd for their situation and personalities. This is my first ever Bleach fanfic and my first ever fanfic that I have posted. I used to write RK fics but weren't able to post them. Anyway, thank you for your time reading this and since this is my first time, I would really appreciate reviews about my work. Please tell me the things you think I should change because I'm very willing to learn. Ja ne!