"I'm home," she called out to the inhabitants of the Kurosaki household. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating a mile a minute, as she wasn't sure how she could pull of acting like the brother and son of the people in this home. The light-brown haired girl from earlier that morning poked her head out from the hallway, a smile still on her face.
"Welcome home Onii-chan!" Yuzu greeted her "brother". Orihime nodded and smiled a bit to her. It's… nice to be greeted like this… She concluded, enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling she was getting from the simple hello.
"Oh, you're cooking?" Orihime asked, noting the spatula in her hand as she took off the large shoes and put the nearby slippers on. She could smell something delicious from afar and her mouth watered at the thought of what it could be. Yuzu nodded and pointed towards the kitchen.
"Yup! Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she explained, making her way back to the kitchen to make sure nothing was burning. The healer followed in pursuit, sliding her hands into her pockets.
"Do you need any help?" Orihime offered, a smile still on "her" face. Yuzu stopped and turned around, a shocked expression on her face. "Eh? What's wrong?" She immediately became worried.
"O-Onii-chan offered to help me cook! This has never happened before!!" She sobbed happily, grabbing her "brother's" hand and dragging him to the nearby kitchen. Orihime frowned and inwardly scolded herself. I'm so stupid! I can't believe I made such a mistake!
Yuzu offered her brother an apron which Orihime went bug-eyed over. It was pink with a heart on the front, and ruffles went around the bottom edges of the fabric. I-It's so cute!! She mentally cheered. Gleefully accepting it, she put it on and tied the back tightly. Yuzu watched her brother in amazement, as she had never seen him so fervent to help him before.
"What can I help with?" Orihime inquired, pointing to all the already yummy looking food at the table.
"You can set the table and put those dishes on too," Yuzu told her, busying herself with other foods. Nodding to herself, Orihime grabbed the dishes and brought them to the table nearby. To her surprise, the other twin, Karin was her name if she remembered right, was sitting in the chair, her elbows propped up on the hard surface. She had a bothered look on her face.
"Something wrong Karin?" Orihime asked, feeling guilty about addressing her without a suffix at the end. The girl looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"You…"
"DADDY'S READY FOR DINNER!!" A loud voice bellowed out, startling Orihime. The two looked towards the sound of the voice and in came a man with brown hair and a goatee. Still shaken up, she put down the plates before she'd drop something. Kurosaki-kun's father? She wondered, looking at the man from the corner of her eyes.
Isshin went behind the girl inhabiting his son's body with a large smile. "It's nice to see you actually helping out around here!!" He cheered, giving her a "pat" on the back. Orihime bit her lip in pain, trying to sugarcoat what he had just done. He didn't slap me and it doesn't hurt. She forced the mantra into her head. … Ow…
It wasn't long until the entire family was sitting down at the table, his father at the head and the two girls on one side with him on the other. Orihime took in the delicious smell of all the food, noting she'd have to tell Kurosaki-kun all about the dishes. Scooping some for herself, Orihime stuck her tongue out with determination.
"So Ichigo, my son! Tell me about your day!" Isshin inquired animatedly, grabbing his chopsticks and pointing at the "boy" with forcefulness. Boy, those look dangerous, she noted while swallowing thickly.
"Nothing interesting…" She commented before passing the bowl to Karin, whom had a confused look on her face. The healer shook their stare and looked at the plate of food in front of her. "It was just normal school."
"My, my, what a boring day!" He cried, frowning heavily. Orihime choked back a laugh at his amusing expression and shoved the chopsticks into her mouth. What she met was the yummiest food she'd ever had, and it didn't even have red bean paste or honey on it!! She grinned and took another bite. "Did you talk to Orihime-chan at all?"
Orihime choked on her food at the mention of her name and started pounding at "her" chest to alleviate the pressure. Isshin stood up, startling her, and pointed at her. "Aha, I knew it!! You did!!" He cheered and began to dance. She thought it was a bit amusing, but now she really feared blowing her and Kurosaki-kun's cover.
"O-Oh, well, I did talk to her a bit, I guess…" she replied hesitantly after successfully managing to remove the lodged piece of food. Although 'a bit' was a huge understatement. She had talked to "Orihime" for much more than that, due to their current predicament. Glancing up to the family, the watched the rest of them talk in idle chatter, and she let her lips curl into a smile.
To be around such lively people, who all cared for each other was… nice… Kurosaki-kun was very lucky to have such familial bonds.
Remembering her loneliness from being in her apartment, Orihime began to wish she could have people around her like this. She had friends, but knowing there would be someone there to come home to was a pleasant thing to think about. Propping her head into her hand, she half-heartedly watched the family while pondering her usual isolation.
… I wish I could have a family like this…
--
Hours later, Orihime plopped herself into "her" bed, cheeks slightly flushed at the constant smell of Kurosaki-kun in the room. Her heart hurt still from her painful thoughts from dinner, but the reminder of him made her feel a little better.
A knock at the door startled her, causing her to look towards the entrance with slightly furrowed eyebrows.
"You can come in," she told to person in a low tone, never breaking her gaze with the entryway. Moments later, Ichigo's father, Isshin, walked in with a solemn look on his face. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it immediately instead.
"You were awfully quiet at dinner," Isshin commented, folding his arms with a small smirk on his face. Orihime only nodded before returning her head to the pillow and staring at the ceiling.
"Sorry," she replied unevenly, feeling horrible for not acting like Kurosaki-kun properly.
"No, no, it's okay… Orihime-chan."
Snapping from her lying position, Orihime looked towards the man in bewilderment. "H-How do you…?" She stuttered, flustered. How in the world did he know about the switch?? He grinned and walked over to the bed, taking a seat at the end.
"Your reiatsu," he told her simply. "And I might've gotten a warning call from Kisuke." She dropped her jaw and felt her cheeks heat up. They had been found out.
"H-How do you know Urahara-san? And reiatsus?" She asked, sitting completely upright while folding her hands in her lap. He brought a hand to his chin and began to stroke it as if in deep thought. He sighed deeply before speaking.
"We're old friends. Oh yes, we go waaaaay back," Isshin replied, smiling at fond memories. He quickly turned to her, a stern look on his handsome face. Orihime's cheeks grew hotter as she noticed he had the same brown eyes Ichigo had. He must get it from his father… She mentally commented. "And I'm not as silly as I look. I know all about Soul Society and Ichigo's predicament."
Oh, how Kurosaki-kun would be so livid with her, she reasoned in her head. Now she felt very sick and wanted to cry at the thought of telling the boy she loved that her father knew all about, well, everything. Or maybe she could keep it a secret! Frowning, Orihime didn't think that was a good idea, as she'd feel even worse for withholding information.
"I…" She couldn't speak, as she didn't know what to say.
"You must be special to him," he cut in, a bright grin on his face.
"Eh?"
"For him to go all the way to Hueco Mundo… You must mean a lot to him, Orihime-chan."
Her face was on fire at this sudden revelation. She hadn't thought about it like that at all. The healer figured it was because he wanted to get the war out of the way quicker, or that he actually found it to be a nuisance to have to rescue her. Her heart hammered fast in her chest at new, awkward bubbles of hope, but she mentally commanded herself to calm down. Such thinking was definitely not the case.
"N-No, I don't…" She replied hesitantly, clearing her throat between words. "I-I'm pretty sure he likes Kuchiki-san… Doesn't he?" Isshin looked at her surprised before humming to himself.
"Hm… I'm not sure… I think that's something you'd have to ask him yourself."
Nodding dumbly, Orihime brought her stare to the blue comforter, "her" thumb tracing small circles on the fabric. "Sorry, Kurosaki-san…" She quietly mumbled.
"What in the world are you sorry for, Orihime-chan?" He bellowed, shocking her with his sudden rise in volume. She looked up at him frazzled before bringing her gaze back down.
"For being in Kurosaki-kun's body?" She shrugged, not exactly knowing what she was apologizing for either. Isshin laughed out of the blue and patted the foot of his son's body.
"Don't be sorry about that, Orihime-chan. Besides, it's probably good for Ichigo. He's way too stressed out about girls, and looking like you will do him wonders, with your good looks and all."
Her cheeks flushed hard and she bit her lip. Nodding awkwardly, she really didn't know what to say. Isshin suddenly stood up with a bright grin on his face.
"Don't be afraid to come and talk to me, Orihime-chan! Kisuke said it could last a while, and I'm here if you need it!" He told her, giving her thumbs up. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, she furrowed her brows together.
"Kurosaki-kun's very lucky…" She commented quietly, that familiar ache from earlier returning. "He has such a nice father like you."
"Ichigo doesn't always know what he has," the dad replied huffily, crossing his arms once again. "He doesn't know how great and magnificent of a dad he has," his comment made Orihime laugh for a quick moment, "and he doesn't realize he has you." Her laughter tinkled off and she wondered if he was really telling the truth.
She glanced off to the side in thought before he broke her out of her random bouts of thinking again. "I can be your father figure too, Orihime-chan!" He boldly told her, striking a funny pose. Orihime laughed again and smiled, suddenly feeling very grateful.
"Thank you Isshin-san. I appreciate it very much," she told him thankfully. He gave her one last grin before exiting the bedroom and leaving her alone again. Orihime plopped back onto the bed, staring at the white ceiling once more. So this is what it's like for Kurosaki-kun to lay here… She pondered, almost imagining her own face getting closer and closer as a replay of the night she said goodbye to him.
Closing her eyes, she was about to fall asleep when she remembered the same feeling from earlier. Looking down, her cheeks grew hotter and hotter as she figured out what it was. Standing up nervously, she knew she had to use the bathroom again. Her cheeks burned with shame at what she'd have to do… And see. Oh yes, Kurosaki-kun would be furious with her.
Stumbling off to the nearest toilet, only one though was on her mind.
… Sorry Kurosaki-kun…
--
Scratching the back of "his" neck, he was still having trouble getting used to all this. He even couldn't help but grab a fist of hair as he kneaded the slender neck of Inoue Orihime. Hell, every itch or kneading every sore muscle caused him to jump. He was used to the hard angles of his body, not soft curves of Orihime's.
With a flushing face, Ichigo decided he would get himself something to eat, considering his, er… Her stomach was growling in protest. Stumbling to the kitchen with his new weight, he eventually got to the small refrigerator in her small kitchen. Opening up the small door, he frowned and sighed at the new revelation.
She had almost no food.
What the hell does she eat? He questioned, digging his hand into the chilly box. Scratch that. She probably doesn't eat at all… Ichigo thought bitterly as he remembered just how tiny she was, as well as his comment earlier about her not eating. He even glanced down to see how small her waist was, but couldn't see it as there was something- No, two somethings preventing him to glance down. His face burned and he continued to look into the fridge.
Eventually he gave up and decided to just go to the store down the street. It wasn't a long walk, and he could get there and back in no time. Slipping on the light coat hanging over the nearby chair, he was about to leave the apartment when he stopped and realized something. He looked down at the coat he was wearing.
It was his. The same one he lent to her the day before, the night they were at Urahara's party. In all honesty, he'd actually forgotten all about it. Vaguely, he wondered if she forgot about it too. Shaking his head and continuing his journey to the convenience store, he remembered all the hell the two had gone through in only 24 hours, and the last thing she'd remember is to grab his coat.
Seeing as it was chilly, he picked up the pace to the store, ignoring the heat in his cheeks from the stupid breeze between his knees. He could maybe admit skirts looked good on girls, like Inoue, but actually experiencing it himself. Shuddering, he decided he'd never do it again as long as he'd live.
A small ding went off as he entered the store, the automatic doors sliding open for him. He went through the aisles looking for something edible, until he decided on easy foods he could make for the next few days.
… The next few days… That was right. He was going to be in her body for longer than just this.
He groaned and rolled his eyes. This was so fucking weird.
Placing the items on the countertop, he slid his wallet from the coat pocket to pay for the meals. He inwardly praised his efforts to remember to grab his wallet from his own bag before she left earlier.
"Hey there cutie," the store clerk whistled, startling the poor boy in the attractive girl's body. He glared at the man and remained silent. Does she get hit on this often?? "I don't see you around here much anymore." He pouted as he rang up his items.
"Busy…" Ichigo quickly mumbled, trying hard not to imagine poor Inoue trying to defend herself from this creep. Knowing her, she'd only feel bad about rejecting him and his futile efforts. As far as he knew, she wasn't interested in anyone. … Or is she?
"Aw, come on, baby. Surely you can make some time for me. After all, I'm the best looking gu- Hey, is that a man's jacket?" He stopped his stupid rambling and his question was forced. Ichigo smirked and nodded.
"Why yes, yes it is."
"Fuck, don't tell me you have a boyfriend?"
"I do."
W-Wait, what the hell did I just say?? Inoue doesn't have a boyfriend!! He snarled to himself, wincing at his stupid move. Inoue would surely be upset at him. And upon the thought of her being frustrated, not that she ever would be since she's too nice, his heart started to ache. Damn… I really don't want her to be mad at me. No, I don't want her to be mad period.
"I don't believe you," the clerk scoffed, placing his items in his bag more angrily than he probably would have if he wasn't being lied to. "What's he look like?"
Fuck, what do I do??
"… Brown eyes…"
"… And?"
"Orange hair."
Fuck.
"Wait, wait, wait… You're not referring to that strawberry boy by the park, are you?" The clerk questioned, sounding absolutely aghast by the idea of her liking a punk like him. Refraining from punching the stupid clerk, Ichigo ground his teeth together in anger.
"And what if it is?" He asked in the most polite voice he could muster. He took the plastic bag off the countertop and gave him a hard glare. "Thank you," he spat before turning around and leaving the storm. The shinigami ignored the protests and yelling of how he'd be better than him. Though the more steps he took towards the apartment, the more he hated himself.
Oh shit… I just told a cashier Inoue and I were d-da-dat-… He stopped, unable to complete his sentence while his cheeks burned. She's going to be so upset with me… Ichigo sighed, taking hearty strides towards the flat. The only thing on his mind was how the hell he'd tell her about what happened.
Sorry Inoue…
.
.
.
R & R~
