Two Halves Can Fill a Whole

"Hey Orihime! Where's that box with all the books?"

"Umm…I just saw it around here somewhere…where did it go…Ah! Here it is!"

Ichigo heard Orihime grunt in exertion and he quickly called to her, "Don't worry about it! I'll come get it!"

The next moment, Orihime walked into what would soon be the living room and said brightly, "Too late!"

Ichigo couldn't help the grin he gave his new bride as he gestured towards the corner where he had just finished setting up several book shelves and said, "Right over there will be fine."

As they started unpacking the books and arranging them on different shelves, Orihime looked up with a smile and said, "I used to think that my collection of books was pretty extensive, but even our two sets together will not be enough to fill up these shelves."

Looking up from the book containing the complete works of Guy de Maupassant, Ichigo's smile got bigger as he said, "Well, I thought it would be fun for us to slowly add to our library over the years. See how books from our past mingle with those in the future."

"In a sense, two becoming one and then adding to each other."

"Just like that."

They mutually leaned towards each other over the scattered books and shared a long, affectionate kiss. Eventually, they parted, Ichigo swooped in for one more brief peck and then they set back to work.

Despite the fact that they had furniture, clothes, kitchen supplies and other household items to unpack in their new home, for the time being both Ichigo and Orihime were more concerned with pulling out books one at a time, smiling as memories of either reading that story for the first time or where/how they had acquired the book and finding a new home for each book on the shelves above. They didn't feel the need to talk, but sat in comfortable silence.

After about an hour, Orihime was smiling at a well-worn and loved copy of Brothers Grimm fairy tales and remembering how her brother used to read her all sorts of fantasy stories at bedtime or when they would have picnics and so on when she noticed a change in Ichigo's demeanor. Turning towards her husband of over two weeks, she saw that he while he had opened a book that was in similar shape to the one in her own hands, Ichigo didn't seem to be having the same pleasant nostalgic memories she was.

Scooting a little closer to him, Orihime asked softly, "Is something wrong?"

Ichigo didn't answer right away but continued to absently peruse what was written on the page in front of him. Looking over his shoulder, Orihime saw that he had picked up a copy of Shakespeare Sonnets.

Slowly, Ichigo said, "My mom used to love Shakespeare. One time, Dad was up to his usual antics and before anyone could figure out what had happened, they started having a Shakespeare quote Showdown or something. Dad yelled 'The lady doth protest too much!' to which Mom responded with 'I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it,' then Dad retorted 'To be or not to be! That is the question!' but Mom finally won when she proclaimed 'He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.' Then they both had a good laugh."

A small smile lifted the corners of Orihime's mouth at the thought of such an event occurring, but she didn't say anything as she sensed that Ichigo was not finished and that they were about to get to the crux of whatever was bothering him.

"They loved each other. My dad has been a nutcase for as long as I can remember, all though I will say that it got a little more distinctive about a year after Mom's death. Even though Dad was a knucklehead, Mom loved him still."

Seeing where the conversation was going, Orihime looked down at the book in Ichigo's lap and an idea came to her. When Ichigo didn't say any more, but sat there seeming to wait for her to say something, she instead reached over and flipped through the pages of the book before coming across what she was looking for.

Over Ichigo's shoulder, Orihime read the words, "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove."

As if by instinct, Ichigo quoted, "O no! it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken; it is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken."

Seeming to come out of something of a stupor, Ichigo looked at Orihime and went on, "Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom."

Smiling, Orihime finished, "If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

Reaching over to cup the side of Ichigo's face, Orihime said, "At our wedding I vowed to love you and stay by your side 'til death do us part. However, right now I'd like to add that no matter what form you take whether Hollow, Vizard, Soul Reaper or otherwise that I will love and be faithful to you just the same as if you were human. I will stay by your side as long as I live to make your promise to protect me all the easier."

Leaning into Orihime's hand, Ichigo looked deeply into her eyes and responded, "And I promise never to take you or the time we have together for granted."

And once again with pieces of their past lives and hope for the future scattered about them, the sealed their promises with a kiss.

Author's Note:

So here is Day 2 for BlackMoonWhiteSun's Challenge! These are fun because they can be short and to the point before moving onto something else and coming up a whole new idea!

I'm also trying to get as many of these done as possible while still working on my other stuff because once the week hits, reality comes into play and time to write can be hard to find. Also coming up with the energy and imagination to write something worth writing.

Anyway, enough with my whining and excuses. Hope you like this next part!

Just fyi, the sonnet Ichigo and Orihime were quoting back and forth to one another was Shakespeare's 116th Sonnet. Love the words as they are so true. Shakespeare really was a genius.