Tanabata Revised.
Note: This was suppose to be really short, but I got carried away in the beginning
Orihime let a bored sigh as she tried to concentrate during math class; which just so happened to be the class she disliked most because she was seated further away from her Kurosaki-kun.
In the months since the Winter Wars she had been presented with several opportunities to confess to him face to face.
She was with him every single minute during his recovery, Ishida had told him it was best if a friend was always present with him incase hollows showed or something; and had insisted on taking turns hanging around ichigo, but had let Orihime stay with him for the most part.
"I'm not a princess, Ishida!" He angrily began. "I don't need a babysitter!"
Ishida pushed his glassed up before calmly answering, "No one said you were a princess, and no one said you needed a babysitter; all I'm saying is to let us lookout for you like you did for us!"
"I don't want you too! Besides, when you do "lookout for me" it usually ends with me walking Inoue home because you bailed on us!" He retorted, not like he was complaining or anything.
Orihime watched as her two friends argued on about the whatnots of protecting someone; it ended with ichigo throwing his hands up in defeat.
She wasn't sure if he had seen the obvious flaws in Ishida's logic and actions; if he had then he sure didn't bring it up and for that she was grateful.
Another incident occurred when she had first got her job at the bakery. The Kurosaki family had been out on a family outing and had, coincidently of course, landed at the bakery.
She was just getting ready to break when she recognized the boisterous voice of a man followed by the giggles of a girl and the grunts of two older siblings.
"Ah, kurosaki-kun and his family are here!" She smiled, rushing to greet them.
"Eh, Inoue? What are you…?" Ichigo began, only to be cut of by the exuberant Isshin.
"Well if it isn't the lovely Orihime-chan! I bet this is why you wanted to come here, eh son?" Isshin teased, elbowing his son.
"Sh-shut up you pervert! I-I didn't know she worked here!" He retorted, quickly looking elsewhere to hide his blush.
"Don't deny it Ichi-nii, those perverted girls called yesterday and told you where Orihime-chan worked!" Karin calmly said, earning her a death glare from ichigo.
"Eh perverted girls? Oh, you must mean Jasi-chan and Noki-chan! We're both members of the Blackberry Fan club!" Orihime cheerfully volunteered, before realizing how damning that statement was.
"Blackberry Fan club," Yuzu inquired. "What's that?"
"That's what I want to know…" Ichigo mumbled, feeling his blush deepen.
What was she suppose to say? That there was a secret Kurosaki Ichigo Fan Club and she was the president?
"Um, it's a cooking club; we discuss the many uses of blackberries in foods like: unagi, sushi beef stew…"
"Er, I think we get the idea, now may we pleased be seated?" Karin interrupted, earning her another death glare from her older brother.
"Oh right!" She said, leading them to a table. "Um sorry, the bakery is more aimed at couples so only two chairs per table."
"Eh! What about the family tables?" Isshin exclaimed.
"Sorry, all used up." Orihime answered, pointing to the family area which was currently being occupied by a group of soccor players.
"What's wrong with this world?" Isshin cried, producing a picture of his late wife from his wallet. "Masaki Masaki babe! Their trying to keep my girls separate from me!" He bawled on, forcing his two elder children to shy away from him in embarrassment…
"A-ano, I think there's a stool behind the counter, I could get it and that way Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan can sit with you!"
"You'd do that!" Isshin exclaimed.
"Of course, anything for Kurosaki-kun's family!" She smiled, quickly making her way to retrieve the stool.
"Masaki! OUR SON HAS SUCH A SWEET GIRL, JUST LIKE YOU!" He cried, kissing the picture multiple times.
Ichigo sighed and walked towards the couples table, there was no way he could sit with that idiot!
He let out another frustrated sigh; Karin didn't have to say he knew she worked there! All he was trying to do was stimulate the economy and help a friend who had helped him out in the past, was that so wrong?
He watched as Orihime served his family, noticing how nice she looked in her uniform; he especially loved how she bounced when she walked, smiling and approaching him…approaching him?
"Kurosaki-kun, is something wrong?" Orihime asked, stopping to stand behind the chair facing him.
"Oh no, I was just…What's that?" He asked, noting the tray in her hands.
'Oh this! Well, Tatsuki-chan was telling me how you loved chocolate so I thought I'd make you a little something special." She blushed, sitting the tray down in front of her.
Ichigo carefully observed the sugary delights before him; it was a cupcake that had a strawberry with a crown around it drawn on the top with chocolate and strawberry icing. It was so thoughtful of her to make it…wait…Tatsuki was passing girl's information about him? He was absolutely sure that was in some way a violation of his privacy.
Orihime watched as Ichigo's observed the delight, with his stare threatening to melt the icing of the top.
"Is anything the matter, Kurosaki-kun?" She innocently asked.
"Well…um…itadakimasu!" He stammered, quickly biting into the cupcake; strangely enough it tasted good, almost as if it was made out of…
"Blackberries…" He murmured. "This is another one of your uses for blackberries?"
Orihime giggled and nodded her head, Ichigo looked even cuter with icing on the side of his cheek.
He kept eating until he was halfway done; it was so good he hadn't noticed Orihime was still standing there until she cleared her throat.
"Um…I'm on break right now Kurosaki-kun…"
"Oh sorry, please sit down." He muttered, standing to pull the chair out for her. She mumbled her thanks, and soon they were both seated and engaging in a cheerful conservation.
Ichigo talked mostly about school and home, and had even given her the other half of her cupcake.
Orihime had talked mostly about her job and crazy ideas about what she wanted to do in life, strangely enough it all sounded familiar to him.
An hour had passed and they were just finishing off milkshakes.
"Those are good, I love the flavor." Ichigo commented, finishing his off.
"Thanks, but the flavor is a secret." She responded, also finishing hers off.
They both stared at each other for a moment and laughed; Ichigo had whip cream on both sides of his cheeks and Orihime had some just below her lip.
They both reached out at the same time; Orihime wiped the whip cream off his cheeks and let her other fingers glide down his face, sending a tingling sensation throughout his body.
He in turn, slowing brushed the cream of her lip, caressing them slightly before letting his hand cup her cheek.
They both said, "You had something on your face." but neither actually cared, they were lost in each others gaze, feeling heat pour from their bodies.
"Inoue…I've always wanted to protect, ever since I saw you that day with your brother…" Ichigo murmured, placing his free hand over her own.
This was her chance, to tell him how you felt; he had made the first move and the next one belonged to her.
She couldn't.
Shyness got the best of her and all you could do was whisper, "Kurosaki-kun…"
And as soon as it had started it was over, Isshin had danced over to the table and told Ichigo it was time to go home.
She hated herself for not taking advantage of the perfect chance and shying out. Why was it so hard to…
"Inoue, I do hope you're paying attention." Her teacher said, standing right in front of her.
"I was! Numbers and calculations are my strongpoint!"
"That's very nice, but that class ending six minutes ago; now we are in literature class." The teacher responded, obviously irritated.
"Oh, um…" She glanced around the classroom, Ichigo was no where to be seen.
"You're off the hook if you at least remember the book we are reviewing today."
That was an easy one; she hated the story and was hoping to skip the class just because of it…
"Dee Sutefani's: Tanabata Revised."
"Good, now give us a brief dis…HEY!" The teacher yelled as Orihime flew past her faster than the goddess of shunpo could herself.
"Bathroom!" And this time it was true, she needed to go somewhere and cry.
The stalls were empty and she sat there bawling by the sinks.
Life had been harder since the café experience, Ichigo had seemed sort of distant and it didn't make it any easier because she had recently been kicked out of her apartment and the Kurosaki's offered her a place in their home; which you had no other choice but to accept.
She was now going to be sleeping in the room right next to the man she loved; but wasn't sure if he loved her back…
"Hime? Something wrong?" A girl who had entered the restroom asked.
Orihime quickly wiped her tears and turned on a smile, "I'm fine, Jasi-chan!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I've gotta run, bye!" She said, literally running out of the bathroom where she collided into a student.
"Oww! Man you have a…Inoue!"
"Kurosaki-kun!"
"S-sorry!" He apologized, immediately helping her up. "Why aren't you in class?"
"Oh, to be honest I didn't too much care for the story being discussed."
Ichigo smiled, "Me neither, I hate the story!"
"Yeah…" She mumbled. Ichigo's reaction was the same as hers the first time her brother had told her the story, and it didn't help that you pictured her relationship with him as the one in the story.
"A long time ago an evil emperor had chosen to punish his son for loving a commoner. He had a cursed placed upon them so that for five times the couple would live as a white sun and a black moon; always seeing each other but never meeting, never touching…and then when the white sun would rise her black moon would disappear…."
"I hate it!" She suddenly burst out, "Why couldn't the black moon ever touch his white sun!"
"Inoue don't be silly," Ichigo said, cupping her chin and lifting it to meet his gaze. "The moon is always there, watching the sun; even if she can't see it."
"It it?"
"Sure, you see the moon while the sun is out, right?"
"Sure, but…" He cut her off my placing a finger to her lips.
"There you go, he's always there, looking and protecting her; he won't leave her…just like me." He murmured the last part, between leaning down close to her face.
"You promise?" She whispered.
"I promise we'll protect each other; here, lets shake on it." He whispered back, placing his hand on hers like he had done back at the café.
"No," She smiled. "Girls don't shake on promises to boys, they do this…" She responded, leaning in for the kiss.
If was soft and sweet, a feeling of serenity engulfed the two as a familiar heat came to them.
They'd treasure this moment forever.
Their first kiss…nothing could ruin it…not even the fact that class had let out and red cheeked, wide-eyed students were currently gawking at them they there was no tomorrow.
Maybe moving in with the Kurosaki's wasn't such a bad idea after all…
The end!
Phew, first Ichihime story ever!
And yeah, I know his sisters are the same age.
And I know Japanese schools usually have a 10 minute intermission before switching subjects, but I decided to omit that to help the story flow. I think I made ichigo way OOC for that last part, that's just me being cheesy I guess.