…
…
"Orihime-chaaan~"
Curiously, Orihime glanced over her shoulder to see Mashiro. She was rushing towards her, hand in air, eyes bright. Closing her locker door, she turned towards the brunette, "Yes, Kuna-san?"
Mashiro thrust a paper in her face, "I passed! I passed~!"
Kensei was behind her, scowling, "Barely."
"Shut up, Kensei!"
Orihime took the paper from her hand and glanced over it. There were a lot of circled wrong answers, but on the top she had gotten an average score, right on the brink of failing. But she couldn't help it, she gave a small smile. "Good job."
Mashiro beamed, "You really think so?"
"Yes."
"And it's all thanks to you, Orihime-chan. Thank you, thank you, thank you~!" She bowed repeatedly, energetically.
"You're welcome, Kuna-san." Orihime replied softly.
"No, no!" She pointed to her small face, "Call me Shiro-chan."
Sweat-dropping, Orihime stared at her, deadpan, "Do I have to?"
"YES!" Mashiro nodded vehemently. "I like that nickname, but Kensei never calls me it."
"Because it's stupid," The pierced man retorted brusquely.
"You're stupid!" She shot back.
Orihime watched as they argued back and forth, causing students in the hallway to cast them inquisitive glances. But she could feel something strange in her chest – warmth. She'd never had many friends before, and whenever she did, she was much younger and couldn't remember their names or faces. Ever since entering middle school, she'd stayed away from any kind of human contact and kept her nose in the books. None of this was familiar to her – the nicknames and the friendly arguing ("Shut up, stupid!" or not) and the familiarity with one another. It was rather strange.
"I'm going to class," She murmured, trying to shake off the thoughts.
"Bye-bye, Orihime-chan!" Mashiro said brightly.
"See ya," Kensei muttered.
Orihime nodded at them and then turned and walked away.
Strange indeed.
…
…
She paced the floor.
Where is she?
She glanced at the clock. It read 5:21.
Where is she?
She heard the doorknob turn, the door open, and close and then nothing. Rangiku was out of the kitchen before she knew it, and she watched as the pink, colorful book bag hit the floor.
The next thing she saw was scraped knees, dirty skirt, bruised arms, and her eyes finally fell on the girl, large eyes flat of any emotion, expression dispirited, and the long, long locks that she had this morning gone from her head.
Rangiku gasped, reeling backwards, nearly toppling over. Rangiku stared at her niece and Orihime stared back. It wasn't long before a sound between a gasp and a sob broke through the blonde's throat. Quickly, she rushed over to the girl, stooping down and placed her hands on her delicate shoulders.
"Oh! My goodness! O-Orihime, what—"
"They called me a freak," Orihime murmured blankly. Slowly, she raised a hand to her head, touching the choppy, short locks, "And said my hair was ugly."
Rangiku felt the tears fill her eyes and Orihime dropped her arm back to her side as the woman hunched over, a shaky sigh tumbling from her lips.
"Auntie Rangiku," she said and the blonde was forced to face her, "When is Onii-chan coming back?"
…
…
Orihime had felt eyes on her through class. She had thought it was Mashiro – who had become attached to the redhead rather quickly – but it wasn't. She glanced up, honestly curious, and then looked away quickly, almost giving herself whiplash.
It was damn Kurosaki.
She glared out the window beside her, pointedly ignoring the gaze digging in her back.
The bell rung only seconds later and she was the first person up. Digging her hand into her bag, she stuffed things inside and glanced out the window again. It was raining, and she knew she would be soaked if she went home now – she didn't bring an umbrella.
"Are you going home, Orihime?"
She jumped at the deep, familiar voice. Glancing over her shoulder, she gasped sharply. He was closer than she'd thought. His eyes were warm, a smile on his face, and the bag tucked against his side, hands deep in pockets.
Quickly, she wiped her face of any emotion, "It's none of your concern."
He frowned a bit, "Are you still mad at me?"
She jerked again, surprised. She thought he'd forgotten about that entire exchange – or she'd hoped. Taking a large step back, she glared up at him, "I'm leaving." She turned on her heel, away from him. Before he could get any closer to her, a group of boys crowded around him, laughing and asking him questions almost instantly.
"Orihime-chan~!" Mashiro was outside the classroom, tugging Kensei along by his shirt, "Are you staying behind?"
Orihime nodded, "I have to study."
Kensei crooked a brow, "Again?"
"It's important," she insisted.
"Whatever," he let it drop.
"Shut up, Kensei-meanie, I am speaking," She ignored his indignant hollering, "Orihime-chan, I wanted to ask for your cell phone number."
Orihime blinked, "Cell phone…?"
"You're so cute~!" Mashiro squealed.
Kensei rolled his eyes, "I told you she wouldn't know what it was."
"I do," Orihime murmured, "A device that converts acoustic vibrations to electrical signals in order to transmit sound, typically voices, over a distance using wire or radio. Cell phones are the most recent and profligately used transmitters in the world, besides television." She said, deadpan.
Mashiro and Kensei blinked before the small girl cried, "You are sooo smart, Orihime-chan!"
"More like a damn computer," Kensei said, but he couldn't hold the awe in his tone.
"Well, do you have a cell, Orihime-chan?" Mashiro pried, large eyes staring at her expectantly.
"Yes," Orihime reached into her purse, pulling out the small, purple flip phone. It wasn't anything special, and it only had a couple of numbers on it: Rangiku, other relatives, and home. Mashiro was quick to switch numbers with her and Orihime placed it back in her bag as Mashiro squealed. "Please refrain from calling me after ten, Shiro-chan."
"Hai~"
"You talk damn weird." Kensei muttered.
Orihime cocked her head to the side, a lock of vibrant hair falling over her shoulder, "I talk weird?"
An uncharacteristic blush appeared on Kensei's cheeks, "Dammit! I-I don't know! And don't look at me like that!"
Orihime appeared even more confused, "Like what?"
"I'm fucking leaving!" Kensei suddenly whirled around and scrambled down the hallway.
Mashiro giggled, "It's alright. Kensei always freaks out around cute girls."
Orihime grimaced, "Cute girls…?"
"Oh, well," Mashiro shrugged, "I'm gonna go eat cake! Bye-bye, Orihime-chan~!" And she skipped down the hallway.
Orihime waved a limp hand at her before she dropped it to her side. It was still strange – having people to talk to besides Rangiku. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and heaved her bag higher on her shoulder. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw the a group of girls crowded behind her, whispering to themselves, throwing her glances.
Blatantly, she ignored it and continued to the library.
…
…
She scribbled the answer quickly on the page, ignoring her sloppy scrawl as she went to the next question. She needed to finish her English and then she would start on Geometry. She was ridiculously fast whenever it came to English, but she would slow down on Math. It was harder than it appeared.
Working in the back of the library was easier, especially without all the distractions and such. She could work diligently without whispers of her appearance or gapes at her speed. She sat in her favorite spot, right next to the open window, the white curtains fluttering about. It was raining, so it dripped against the sill and she enjoyed the heady smell.
As she began the last sentence, she followed it, grasped it quickly, and wrote down her answer. Right when she was on the last letter, there was a large shadow over her. Her pencil lead snapped.
"Orihime. Yo."
She turned her head and was thoroughly flabbergasted to see Ichigo there. He was standing in the window, crouched on the window sill, perched perfectly yet dangerously. His dark spikes were soaked, falling over brown orbs. His tan sweater was removed, revealing the white button-up underneath and he'd opened that, exposing the red t-shirt. He stared at her with innocent curiosity, a light frown on his face.
Angrily, Orihime glared at him, "What are you doing?!" She hissed.
He blinked, "I was looking for you."
She balled her hands into fists, "You found me. Go away." And returned her attention to her work, finishing the problem and tucking it into a folder neatly. She yanked out her Math book and flipped to the page.
Ichigo watched her for a few moments before he hopped down from the window. Orihime watched him from the corner of her eye as he sat down, placing his book bag beside him. When he caught her looking, he grinned brightly and she averted her gaze, returning to her homework.
What is his problem?
"Hey, Orihime,"
She glanced up without her consent and watched as he stared at her, his eyes interested.
"What?"
"You're always studying, ya know?" He said.
She dropped her pencil. How in the hell did he know that? This was getting weirder and weirder by the second. She did not talk to him, she did not speak to him, and since last week, that was the first time she'd ever communicated with him.
She did not reply, but instead stared at him.
"You're the top of the class, too."
"That's what I've been aiming for."
He grinned, "All teachers say you're really smart."
"You've asked the teachers about me?"
He nodded, as though this was completely normal. "I wanted to know more about you. No one else said they knew you very well." He tilted his head to the side. She stayed quiet. "You don't mind if I stay here, do you?"
She frowned. Of course she did. His presence was not only annoying, but also overwhelming. His skin was still wet, little droplets sticking to the sun-bronzed flesh and wiry muscles. He gazed at her, a gentle smile on his face, his eyes friendly. She scrunched up her nose, wrinkling the delicate skin before turning her face away.
"I don't care what you do." She murmured quietly.
He grinned again, nearly blinding her, "Great! I'll just wait for you to finish then." He folded his arms on the table, and rested his chin them. She blinked in surprise as he made himself comfortable.
She tried to ignore the rising heat in her cheeks and the way her stomach twisted. Licking her lips, she returned her attention to her work, but found it much harder to concentrate. By time she made it to the third problem, her palms were sweating. With an agitated huff, she hopped up from her seat and gathered her things.
Ichigo's head popped up, "Are we leaving?"
"I'm leaving," she corrected him. She walked past him, towards the front, and she distinctly heard him following her. Students stared as the two left the library.
…
…
The rain had stopped at some point and now it was just humid air afterwards. She walked and he followed beside her, as if this was an everyday thing. But Orihime couldn't help but think that she felt less lonely with him there, much to her dismay.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Orihime's head shot up just before she ran face-first into his chest. She gasped, nearly choking, and that was a mistake because she got a whiff of his scent. She almost screamed, but flailed instead, in a panic, and then hopped backwards.
"Stay at a least five foot radius from me, Kurosaki!" She ordered, her voice higher than normal. There was that weird pang in her chest, the fast beating of her own stupid heart. She glared up at him as he watched her curiously, her eyes narrowed.
"That's pretty far away," he mused, almost to himself. She continued to glare up at him silently, trying to push down the annoying blush in her cheeks.
"Shut up!" She'd never used such vulgar language to anyone she was unfamiliar with, but he made her…she couldn't even find the proper word! He jerked, surprised, "I'm going home!" She stalked past him, but he was behind her, his long legs swallowing up the distance between them.
"Do you like karaoke?" He asked.
"No."
He blinked, "You don't? Girls usually like that kind of stuff."
She did not reply.
"Do you like cake?"
"I hate sweets." A part of her wondered why she was even answering him. Was it because she wanted him to leave or she wished for a challenge? Whichever one, it didn't make it anymore less confusing. It was quiet for a moment and then Ichigo asked,
"Why are your tests scores always the highest?"
Her agitation went up, but so did her heart rate. Since when did he pay attention to her scores? "Because I study."
He was quiet again, "You're always studying."
"…"
"Why do you always try your best?"
She blinked at the question before pausing. She heard him stop as well. As she turned to him, she locked eyes with him, "Because there is no point if you are not giving it your all."
He stared down at her. She stared back.
There was a gentle breeze that tangled her hair around her small face and she reached up a hand to tuck a stubborn lock behind her ear. It was silent and a strange, vague look passed over his face before it was gone, and resolve replaced it. She ignored him, nearly rolling her eyes, "I have to g—"
"You're right."
Orihime reeled back when he took a large step closer to her, swallowing up the distance between them. He caught her shoulder and she could feel the heat through her tan sweater.
And then he leaned down and kissed her.
He. Kissed. Her.
Her mind felt like it imploded and her heart hopped into her throat. His lips were soft, softer than she'd imagined – which she didn't – and she vaguely felt his other free hand burrow under her heavy hair and wrap around the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. Her eyes stayed open, widening and widening until it hurt, and his eyes were closed, as though he were drinking her in. His smell was overwhelming and her lips tingled, drawing down to her neck, and the rest of her body.
And then it was over.
Ichigo kept his grip light, but firm and opened his eyes. His eyes were darker and intense. She nearly buckled from having them on her. He smiled, leaning back and lifted his hand to drag his thumb across her bottom lip.
Reality washed in and her heart sank back into her chest, down to her stomach, and to her feet. A blush, so red and warm, ran across her cheeks and covered her entire face. "Y-You…Y-You…"
"Speechless?" He teased, smiling gently down at her. She wanted to deny, but his eyes were too much to handle – smoldering and passionate, "I've decided."
She stared up at him with wide, wide eyes.
"I'm in love with you."
She did not say anything.
"And you're right. What's the point if you're not giving it your all? So now, I will. I'm gonna make you fall in love with me. And I'm gonna try my best."
Finally, her brain began to work.
She cowered backwards, out of his hold, and trembling. Balling her hands under her chin, she blushed a bright, bright red and crowed shakily, "I-I-I-I'm going h-home!"
Ichigo blinked.
She turned and scurried away so fast that dust flew up behind her.
…
…
The door closed behind her.
Curiously, Rangiku glanced up from the stove and walked into the main room, "What? No 'I'm home' today…?" She trailed off, the smile melting from her face when she saw Orihime's. "Orihime?"
The girl slowly sunk to the ground. Rangiku felt panic surge through her.
"Orihime!" She rushed towards her, grasping onto the girl's tiny shoulders, "Are you alright?" Pressing a hand to her cheek, Rangiku gasped dramatically, "You're really warm! And red too!" She leaned in close, staring at her niece hard, "Are you alright?"
Orihime blinked rapidly, long lashes sweeping across the swells of her cheeks before she snapped, "I-I'm fine!" She jolted away from her aunt, pressing her small hands on her crimson cheeks, "I'm fine, I'm fine…"
Rangiku crossed her arms under her heavy breasts, "Who exactly are you trying to convince? Me or you?"
"S-S-SHUT UP!"
Rangiku nearly had a heart-attack when her crimson-faced niece suddenly stood. Her legs shook from the abrupt movement and Rangiku crooked a brow in confusion. Balling her shaking fists by her sides, Orihime squeaked,
"I need food!" And proceeded to scurry to the kitchen.
…
…
Just ignore him. Orihime told herself as she walked towards the school. She kept a tight grip on her bag – the bag he'd given back to her kindly, and buried her chin deep in her pink scarf. If you just ignore him, it'll be like he never exists.
Yet, her lips tingled at the memory of him, his scent, his hand in her hair, his lips so very soft and firm against hers when he—
"AAAAGGHH!" Orihime screeched, startling the few students in front of her. She panted heavily, steam rising from her ears comically, as her cheeks swelled with hot blood.
"A-Are you alright, Orihime-chan?"
She froze at the familiar voice. Hesitantly, she glanced over her shoulder to see Mashiro and, as per usual, Kensei behind her with a scowl. They were staring at her warily, both had one foot behind them in case they had to flee. Orihime was quick to wipe her appearance clean and calm down her breathing.
"I'm…" She took in a deep breath, but her heart continued to thrash around, "I'm fine."
Kensei crooked a brow, "Ya sure?"
"Yes," she nodded, "I'm positive." She should've known better than that. Orihime wasn't the type of girl who would allow her emotions to get the best of her. In fact, Orihime – and others – found herself to be a very impassive person. She kept her nose in the books and kept to herself.
"Well, great!" Mashiro hopped from the ground and lopped her arms around Orihime's neck, squeezing their cheeks together, "We should go get cakes together, ne, ne? Meanie-Kensei won't go with me."
"Because I hate sweets," He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"As do I." Orihime agreed softly.
"EEH?!" Mashiro glanced between them wildly before a dark aura washed around her, causing her to hang her head, "I am forever alone."
"Yer so annoyin'," Kei groused.
Orihime sighed heavily. She did not like when Mashiro was in a bad mood. She tended to be even more maddening than usual and would beg for something she wanted until Orihime agreed. Sometimes she wondered how she even became friends with the girl in the first place. "Fine. I'll go eat them with you."
Mashiro gasped melodramatically and then beamed. Ah. That was the reason she was so close to the brunette. Just that smile could send Orihime reeling in content. She calmed her somehow, and that seemed enough to keep her close by. "Really?" Kensei rolled his eyes.
"Yes. Please call to inform me the time and date."
"Gah! Stop talking so formal!" Kensei barked irritably as Mashiro clamped onto Orihime again. Slowly, Orihime placed a hand on Mashiro's highlighted hair and hugged her back softly. There was that warmth in her chest, subtle yet still growing.
She smiled. It was still strange, but at least it helped.
…
…
"Good mornin', Orihime-chan!"
Startled, Orihime turned her head to see three boys in a group, a few feet from her locker. One was leering at her, a large smile on his face, and the other two watched excitingly, as though she were an animal about to pounce. Timidly, she raised a hand, confused, and waved a bit. The group seemed in awe.
"G-Good morning," She murmured in her quiet tone, blinking with wide eyes as they leaned forward, their grins widening. She could feel the tall-tale of apprehension sliver up her spine.
"Wow! So it's true!" One exclaimed.
"Yeah, now that I really look at her, she's cute." Another murmured astoundingly.
"No wonder Kurosaki wanted to snatch this one up. I should've checked her out sooner," The third said, staring at her with dark brown eyes. Orihime started at the name. Her anxiety grew as their gazes seemed to gleam. Vaguely, she could hear the bell ringing over their heads, and they smirked before exchanging looks.
"Time for class," One hoisted a bag up to his shoulder, "See ya later, Orihime-chan~!" He waved at her again and the other two snickered before they all dashed down the hallway. Orihime stood there, stunned.
What exactly did they mean by 'Kurosaki snatching me up'? She thought sourly, a glint in her eye now as her unease washed away. She slipped on her white school shoes and sighed. She was worrying herself over nothing. But as she felt her lips tingle, she tried to repress a shiver. Nothing.
"Hm? What was that about?"
"AGH!"
Orihime nearly jumped out of her skin at the achingly familiar deep voice behind her. Her heart nearly sprang from her chest. She could already smell him – somehow his scent had been committed to memory ever since that incident. As she tried to regain her usual stoic appearance – just so she could face him correctly – he suddenly popped up in front of her, staring at her with those deep brown eyes.
"Agh…!" She choked, leaning back sharply from him, "W-What're you—"
"They didn't touch you, did they?" He asked, his tone surprisingly hard. Orihime blinked rapidly.
"Eh?"
He chuckled, but it did not sound humorous. Her heartbeat sped up a couple of notches. He continued to crouch in front of her, and lower himself a bit to scoop up her bag. With a small, charming smile on his face, he held it out to her. Nervously, heart racing, Orihime reached out, hesitated, and then touched the bag's handle. She'd been attempting to be quick with it, but Ichigo had other plans. Before she could retract her hand, she felt a warm and wet sensation on her first two fingers and it felt oddly sensual.
Orihime's eyes bugged when they darted down to him.
"EEEEK!" Orihime screeched and hopped back at least five feet away from him. Ichigo blinked, frowned lightly, and then climbed to his feet.
He chuckled again behind a closed fist before tucking his hands in his pockets, "Sorry. Did I frighten you?"
Orihime was practically panting, cowering, her hand pressed against her chest. He had licked her! Licked her!
The nerve…
Her skin still burned from the touch and she wondered why that was. As she glared at him the best she could, she gritted her teeth together, though she was sure she did not look convincing since her face was the color of a tomato. "W-Why would you—"
He grinned brightly, "Didn't I tell you? I love you."
Her anger rose to new heights, "You do not know me."
He seemed confused, "You have to know someone to fall in love with them?"
"Yes!" She squeaked.
He cocked his head to the side, "Why?"
"B-B-Because it's the right thing to do, idiot!" She pointed a finger at him wildly, flailing her arm about. He took a step forward and her heart seemed to go into a frenzy, "S-Stay where you are!"
Ichigo paused, but then smiled, "So I do make you nervous, after all. That's a good sign."
"Are you deranged?" She nearly snarled, "Y-You l-l-li-lic-li—"
"Licked you," Ichigo supplied nonchalantly. "And you taste way better than I imagined." He took another step forward and Orihime pressed against the shoe lockers, her face even redder than before.
"Y-You pervert!" She hissed venomously, "You claim to love me and then you go and sexually harass me."
Ichigo raised his brows and opened his mouth to argue, but Orihime beat him to it.
"I'm not some t-toy!" She continued heatedly, "If you love me, then act like it. And why now? I've been in school with you since middle school and you notice me now? Is this some trick? Some kind o-of prank?"
He blinked again, "I didn't really pay attention a lot in middle school." She did not say anything and he scratched the back of his head, probably a nervous habit, "Sorry. My mom died around that time and everyone pretty much looked the same to me." He paused, a thoughtful silence in the air as Orihime stopped shaking.
Wha—
"And I didn't fall in love with you for just any reason, Orihime." She jolted at her name and her mouth suddenly felt dry. He looked up and locked eyes with her before that bright grin lit up his face.
"I actually fell in love with you when you threw your bag at me."
…
…
"Inoue Orihime?!"
Mashiro's head snapped up, frowning curiously when she heard her friend's name. a group of girls, only two desks away, crowded around each other, whispering back and forth. Mashiro watched keenly as they giggled and one said,
"Yeah, right. It's probably just a rumor."
"I don't know, Mahana." Another piped in.
"Yeah. I heard she was with Ichigo-kun earlier today."
"I'm telling you guys, it's another stupid rumor."
"She's probably right. Inoue is just some weirdo."
"More like a robot."
They all laughed.
Mashiro's eyebrows came together and she glanced back down at the paper sitting in front of her, Math problems all over the sheet. She licked her lips nervously before standing, smoothing down the invisible wrinkles in her skirt. As she walked towards the girls, she tried to strengthen her resolve. Without Kensei, there wasn't much she was able to do, much less standing up against a gang of school girls. She felt her stomach churn.
"A-Ano…" She murmured uncertainly. The girls paused in their insistent babbling and casted her looks. She jerked, but managed a soft, nervous smile, "W-Would you all mind not talking about Orihime-chan? She's m-my friend…" She trailed off when one cracked a large grin.
"Huh? Isn't this hilarious? A freak is standing up for another freak." A girl with long black hair said starkly, causing the others to giggle.
Mashiro's cheeks colored, but she did not back down, "Orihime-chan is not a freak! You shouldn't make up rumors about her like—"
Mahana glared at her harshly, "Mind your own business."
"She's my friend. She is my business…" She frowned, stumbling a step back when the girls all turned, eyes narrowed, glaring at her, "C-Could you…Um…"
"You should learn your place," Another murmured and before Mashiro could reply, she raised a hand, as though to strike the highlighted girl down. Mashiro's eyes squeezed shut and the air changed. There was a gasp and a grunt – a very familiar grunt.
Hesitantly, she peeled back her lids and her eyes popped wide, "Kensei!"
A couple of the girls staggered backwards, "Eh? A third-year?!"
Kensei stood in front of Mashiro's petite form protectively, his hand had a firm grasp on the girl's wrist, who was about to slap Mashiro, and he scowled deeply down at her, "You girls shouldn't play so roughly." His tone was low, but hard. He was in control, Mashiro could tell.
But his eyes clearly said, Even if you're girls, I'll fuckin' kill you.
Dropping the girl's wrist, he sighed heavily, tucking his hands into his pockets, "C'mon, Mashiro." He turned away, towards the door where everyone was gathering for lunch.
"R-Right!" She followed him without hesitation.
…
…
"What were ya thinkin'?" Kensei demanded.
Mashiro took in a deep breath and clutched her knees closer to her chest. "I…I don't know."
He heaved another heavy sigh, "Dammit, Mashiro, you know I can't be there all the time. You shouldn't worry about Inoue. She can take care of herself."
"That's not the point, Kensei-meanie!"
He slanted her a glance. They sat on the roof together, a good distance from the door. Classes had already started, but Mashiro had followed him and decided to ditch any educational futility today. As she sat beside him, she could feel the sun seep into her skin. Fall was already here and she couldn't wait for winter. Tightening her grip around her knees, she rested her chin on top of them. Kensei merely twirled his can of coffee in his large hands.
"She…reminds me of…me," Mashiro whispered almost silently, but Kensei heard her. "When I was younger, before I met you," she licked her lips, a nervous habit, "I was bullied a lot for how weird I was. And then…that one time, when they nearly beat me to death," he tensed at the reminder and she beamed brightly, "You saved me. I want to be there for Orihime-chan like how you were for me."
Taking a long swig of his coffee, Kensei clenched his jaw, "Don't be an idiot. Inoue ain't you. I think she can manage on her own."
"But she shouldn't have to, Kensei. We're her friends, and I intend to be there every step of the way." She took a hold of his hand, yanking him closer to her, "So you should be too, meanie."
He stared at her for a few seconds before turning his face away with a scoff, "Ch!"
She smiled widely in return.
…
…
The room was dark.
Her feet made soft noises against the hardwood floor, and her legs felt like jelly, as though they would give at any second. As she walked towards the door, it creaked open with a press of her tiny hand. She was so accustomed to seeing him on the bed, watching him read or book or cleaning and when she'd enter, he'd smile widely and offer his bed to her.
"Did you have another nightmare, Orihime?"
Her chest was beginning to hurt again. Slowly, she made her way across the planes of the floor and ignored the way the moon illuminated her shadow behind her. It was strangely eerie as she sank down in front of his shrine and bowed her head.
"How could you do this to me?"
There was no reply.
"How could you leave me alone, Onii-chan?"
He did not answer.
She raised her heavy head, staring at the picture, his gently smiling face, "Onii-chan…Onii-chan, please…how could you?"
No response.
"Don't leave me here…all alone…"
…
…
"Cake, cake, cake~"
Orihime hung up her phone. Her Aunt Rangiku had been excited to hear about the news – hanging out with friends and such. Orihime nearly rolled her eyes. She wasn't that anti-social, was she? As she turned her attention to Mashiro, who was literally bouncing in place, singing 'cake' over and over again, she sighed softly, closing her eyes, trying to calm her nerves.
"Orihime-chan?"
The redhead opened her eyes and flinched backward when she saw Mashiro blinking innocently uncomfortably close in her face. The brunette leaned back as well, frowning a bit. "W-What?" Orihime hesitated, growing wary when Mashiro continued to stare at her.
"Those barrettes…"
Orihime stiffened automatically. She'd almost forgotten about them. Today, when she was studying in class, her bangs kept falling into her face and had become increasingly frustrating – she would have to cut them soon. Ever since Sora had given her the childish, sapphire clips for her birthday, she kept them close to her at all times – in her backpack. During Math, she'd tucked the both of them on one loose bang and continued with her work. She'd completely forgotten they were still there.
"Oh, right," she lifted a hand to remove them, but Mashiro yelled,
"No! Don't! They're cute!"
Orihime blinked and dropped her arm back to her side, "…Cute?"
"This way," Mashiro's smile widened, "I can see your face. You're really, really pretty, Orihime-chan."
She felt the warmth in her cheeks before she could even think about it. Turning her face away, she tightened her hand around her bag, "I thought you said you wanted to eat cake."
Mashiro giggled, "Yep!" Turning around the corner, Orihime by her side, they both spotted Kensei stuffing things in his locker. "Kensei, Kensei!" She grabbed Orihime's wrist and tugged her along, "We're going to get cakes~!"
Kensei watched blankly as Mashiro thrust Orihime's and hers fist in the air. Orihime appeared uninterested – as usual – and Mashiro was smiling ear-to-ear. He scowled deeply, placing a hand on his hip, "Go ahead. I'm goin' to practice."
Orihime frowned lightly in confusion as Mashiro said, "You're still on the baseball team? They haven't kicked you off yet?"
Multiple veins throbbed on his face, "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You're on the baseball team?" inquired Orihime.
Both students turned their attention on Orihime. Kensei's grounded his teeth together, "Haven't you been to one of my damn games?!"
"No," Orihime replied bluntly and he nearly tackled her. Raising a finger, as though to prove her point, she explained, "I find it pointless to attend any afterschool events unless there is studying in the process. If I am even interested in a game, I will hear about it the next day. It's a waste of time."
Mashiro pouted, "Mou~ You shouldn't crush Kensei's dreams like that. He's already a dummy."
"DAMMIT!" Kensei raged, causing a few students to peer in their direction. He slammed his locker shut and grabbed up his things, "I'm leavin'!" And with that, he sped off. Mashiro was left blinking after him.
"Oh, well, let's go get caaaake~!"
"…Yay."
…
…
"Ne, Orihime-chan?"
Orihime glanced up from the sidewalk and over to her friend. "Yes?"
Mashiro had a peculiar expression on her face. She was smiling kindly, yet nervously. Quickly, when Orihime looked at her, she hurried to avert her gaze, "W-Well, you see…"
Orihime raised her brows, curious.
"Earlier today…these girls were talking about you."
Mashiro watched as Orihime's eyes hardened, "And? I am accustomed to this."
"W-Well, I suppose so," Mashiro giggled nervously, "B-But since I'm your friend, I wanted to defend you."
This seemed to surprise Orihime. She glanced over at Mashiro, eyes wider than usual.
"They shouldn't talk about you like that, Orihime-chan. It isn't right. And now that I'm your friend, I won't allow it to happen again." She seemed determined about this, leaving Orihime in a daze. She'd never had anyone protect her before besides her family. The warmth in her chest grew until she felt like she was being drowned by it.
A small, tender smile made it way to Orihime's lips. Mashiro jerked, surprised as the smile widened, "Thank you."
Ducking her head shyly, Mashiro laughed again, "It was nothing~"
There were a few moments of comfortable silence before Orihime asked, "What were they saying that made you so upset?"
Mashiro tensed, "It was some silly rumor. Some nonsense about Kurosaki-san and you." Orihime stopped. Mashiro, curious, paused along with her, albeit a few steps ahead, "Orihime-chan?" The redhead appeared paler than usual, and Mashiro watched inquiringly as the girl's cheeks suddenly began to color. Comprehension dawned on her. With a rather sinister smirk, she took a step towards her friend, "Something you want to tell me, Orihime-chan?"
The girl bristled, "N-No! Nothing at all!"
She moved closer, "Are you suuure~?"
"S-Stay away from me!"
"C'mon, Orihime-chan, tell me, tell me, tell me~!" She grasped onto Orihime's shoulders and shook her, "Pleeeeasse~?"
Orihime's resolve wavered, but she quickly averted her gaze, "I-It doesn't concern you."
Green eyes grew wider, "Wait…" Mashiro gaped at her, "Don't tell me…you…" Orihime's face grew redder by the second. A squeal catapulted through the air and made Orihime's ears burn, "You did! You really did! Did he or did you?"
Orihime glared at her, but it wasn't as venomous thanks to the blush in her cheeks, "W-What're you talking about?"
"Did he kiss you or did you kiss him? Are you going out? Do you love him? Does he love you? Orihime-chan, did you guys—"
"NO!" Orihime shot up a hand between them, as though to stop traffic, "I do not love Kurosaki Ichigo. We are not in a relationship, nor will we ever be. He has sexually harassed me and I am deliberating whether I should report him or not." The redhead took a deep breath, "Now, let's go eat cakes."
Mashiro watched as the auburn-haired beauty walked away from her, red in the face, but her expression painfully twisted stoically. She grinned, "Yeah, let's." She hurried to catch up with her. As if she would let this go.
…
…
I hope you liked this chapter. I have to fix a few errors, but I'll do it later. I love Ichigo this way for some reason, even though it's a little weird. Oh, well. And you gotta love Orihime, especially with a personality like that. This story might be longer than I intended though, but I like them like that. I'll try to explain Ichigo and Orihime's relationship better in the next chapter.
Please review. It makes me happy.
-Star