A/N: Once again, conversations between Ichigo/Hollow Ichigo will be in BOLD.
'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!'
Tatsuki, who had been sound asleep until her phone went off, squinted at the suddenly bright screen in the darkness of her room. When she saw the message was from Orihime, her first gut reaction was to be worried, but then she realized that as ditzy as Orihime could be, she would not be texting if something were seriously wrong. Once she unlocked her phone and saw Orihime's clearly excited or nervous message, she didn't have to wait long before another one popped up.
'Tatsuki, I asked him! I REALLY asked him!'
All sleepiness left Tatsuki's mind as her mouth fell open. 'What?! Seriously?!' She hit send, grumbling in her head that her best friend better not make her ask what his answer had been.
'Yeah! I did it! AND HE SAID YES!'
Tatsuki could picture Orihime on the other end, clutching her phone to her chest and squealing with delight. If she were standing, she would no doubt be twirling on one leg like a ballerina – and possibly falling over. If she were lying down, she would be rolling side-to-side like a stranded turtle. Both images made her smile, but not nearly as much as the knowledge that Ichigo had actually said yes! Beaming, she quickly replied, 'I TOLD you he would!' Privately, she cursed her luck for missing such an important event for two of the most important people in her life. Even so, she couldn't stop smiling for her best friend's good fortune.
On the other line, Orihime was acting exactly as Tatsuki pictured. She had texted her best friend nearly the moment Ichigo left, locking the door behind him as promised and running to her phone scarcely suppressing a squeal. She was still in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with her phone clutched happily to her chest – which felt ready to burst with excitement. The smile that pulled on her lips felt like it was going to be permanent, especially as she texted back, 'You were right.' With an exuberant squeal, she pushed off from the counter and twirled on her left foot, kicking her right leg out behind her.
A smug smile crossing her lips, Tatsuki's sass came through. 'Of course I was.' She waited a moment before adding, 'Did you ask as friends or…'
Orihime looked at Tatsuki's message and felt her smile fall. True, it was what they had agreed to do in order to take the pressure off of themselves as well as the boys (not to mention, did Tatsuki even like anyone?), but it did put a little damper on her celebration. She'd nearly asked just for the sake of asking, her words hanging in the air for the space of a breath – and she had received silence. The sound of his silence had been one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of her life, which seemed ridiculous given everything she and her friends had been through, but it was, and so she'd gone to the fallback plan and asked as his friend. It wasn't the same as going as his date but it was close enough, wasn't it? 'Yes, it's as friends,' she finally admitted.
It had taken her so long to reply, Tatsuki had grown worried. The poor girl's disappointment came through in her response, making Tatsuki feel even worse. I'm going to have to get the details of this tomorrow, she thought to herself before texting Orihime as much.
'Right!'
'It's late, Orihime. Did he just leave?' Although Ichigo still preferred to think otherwise, Tatsuki was well aware of the supernatural occurrences in Karakura Town. She'd heard the soul badge go off, knowing exactly what it was (of course she knew what his actual ringtone sounded like), and had picked up on Ichigo's and Orihime's strange behavior immediately afterward. Based on what knowledge she had gleaned from Orihime's previous confessions and her own observations, she knew Ichigo would be coming back after he dealt with whatever he had to deal with, even before Orihime had finally admitted it to her. She was part of the 'club', just not officially. Part of that knowledge stung after being friends with Ichigo for so long, but the wiser part of her understood his reasons for keeping quiet. He was trying to do what he did best – protect those he cared about – even if it was by keeping information from her (and the others) and occasionally lying to them about what he was up to. However, that knowledge did little to lessen the blow when she caught him in such lies, especially when Orihime got dragged into them. It was even worse when he lied right to her face, even if it was clear he hated to do it.
Heat rushed to Orihime's cheeks even though no one was there to see it. 'He did…'
'What were you two doing?!' Tatsuki's protective streak was awakened, and she decided she would kick Ichigo's ass, whether he was going to the dance with Orihime or not.
Completely unaware of how any of what they were doing could be seen as inappropriate, Orihime's brow furrowed. 'We studied, drank tea, and talked a bit.'
Had Ichigo told her as much, she might not have believed him, but coming from Orihime, she knew it was the truth. 'Fine.' She waited a moment in silence before adding, 'It's late, Orihime. You should get some sleep.'
Orihime frowned at her phone, Tatsuki's words surprisingly similar to Ichigo's own parting words moments before. 'I know. I'll try. Sorry to wake you, Tatsuki-chan.'
Tatsuki smiled. 'Don't worry about it. I'm happy for you! I really am. Now go to bed.'
'Good night!'
'Night.'
Once her screen was shut off, Orihime sighed as she looked around the apartment. Ichigo had insisted on helping her with the dishes – claiming it wasn't fair for one person to do the dishes that resulted from eight people. She could go to bed, but she was scarcely tired after everything that had happened. Her eyes fell to the inside of her left wrist, where she could still feel Ichigo's lingering reiatsu. She could still recall his gentle caress, even though she had scarcely registered it at the time. "He actually touched me," she whispered aloud, still barely believing it herself. The few moments they'd shared had always been after a fight, when he was worried about her or she was worried about him. That line seemed to be blurring of late… A fresh shiver worked its way down her spine before she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Maybe I just need a good hot bath…
The next morning, Ichigo did not bother to hide his irritation when Rukia decided to join him on his morning walk to school, which included picking up Orihime. She walked beside him, her book bag bouncing at her hip, her steps lighter than usual as she smiled knowingly up at him. He wanted to wipe the smug smile right off her face. "Why, today of all days, do you decide to come to school?" he griped, rolling his eyes as they sauntered along.
Rukia knew Ichigo was annoyed – it was impossible to miss – but she wasn't going to miss this for the world! She had to see how he acted after their talk the night before, whether he wanted her there or not. But she did have her other reasons as well. "Believe it or not, Ichigo, my world does not revolve around you," she teased. "I haven't been to the school in a while and I need to catch up. Don't hate just because you wish you could use memory modification."
Ichigo's frown deepened. She had him there. He did wish he could use memory modification and make his teacher forget all the days he missed or make Chizuru decide she wasn't into Orihime… It would make missing school for soul reaper duties a hell of a lot easier. "One of these days you'll have to teach me how to use that," he tried, not for the first time.
Smirking, Rukia shook her head. "You can keep asking, Ichigo, but not until the head captain says so."
He sighed. "Of course." Watching her from the corner of his eye, he decided to try a new tactic. "You do know we have a huge math test today, right? That's what we've all been studying for."
Rukia shrugged, just as unfazed as ever. "Your school tests don't bother me, Ichigo. You should know that by now."
Damn it! I've got to get her to go away! "Yeah, but wouldn't you like to miss all that? Why don't you just show up after lunch? Like you've said, no one will notice the difference."
She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled slyly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me."
He rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I am trying to get rid of you!"
His outburst only made her smile grow wider, but he had a point. She did not want to bother sitting around during one of their tests. The few times she'd tried to take one of them, she had stared at the questions on the page before her with the very real concern that her brain was about to explode. There had been some she'd excelled at or at least found tolerable, but then there were some that may as well have been in a foreign language. Ichigo had roughly explained the importance of such exams, but it was Orihime who had really taken the time to illustrate the role exams and school truly played in the lives of the living. Soul reapers had a very narrowed focus – fighting hollows and other supernatural creatures with zanpakutos or kido, with a few other skills thrown into the mix depending on the soul reaper's select talents. It took a very special person to become a soul reaper in the first place, so it made sense they would be so specialized. The world of the living was basically the opposite. In high school, the students were taught a wide range of subjects introducing them to the broad array of fields open to them for careers. They could become anything – from artists to rocket scientists, construction workers to doctors. School helped shape the foundation that they would build their entire future upon.
As they walked, Ichigo's brow drawn low and his scowl etched into his face, Rukia pondered just what exactly was in the substitute soul reaper's future. Would the Soul Society pull him away from his duties in the living world? Or would the world of the living pull him from the Soul Society? She didn't think that was very likely. Ichigo took his responsibilities too seriously to give them up that easily. Not to mention, the man was a natural! She'd heard the others talk about him; some with voices lined with envy, and knew they spoke the truth. That being said, she also found it hard to see him leaving his life in the living world. He had people here he cared about, people he loved and needed to protect – they were the reason he picked up the zanpakuto in the first place. He wouldn't just leave them behind… It would seem he was stuck in the substitute role for now, and perhaps the foreseeable future. Although sometimes it was obvious living a dual life was hard on him, she knew there was no one better suited for the position than he was, and that knowledge made her smile – this time with pride.
Still grumbling in his head about Rukia's continued presence, Ichigo glanced at her out of the corner of his eye once more, catching her smiling, her eyes distant in thought. "What are you smiling about?" he snapped. They were nearing Orihime's.
Her smile faltered in the slightest as Rukia's eyes rose to meet his. Her cheeks were pleasantly rosy from the crisp morning air. "Oh, I was just thinking," she teased.
He turned to look forward again, not sure if he liked her tone of voice. "About what?" he asked, taking the bait without realizing it was there.
Rukia took one large step to the side so that she could skip, taking long side steps as she sashayed beside Ichigo. This way she could look up at him while she spoke. "That I guess you're right. I'll wait to come to school until after your test."
Ichigo was immediately suspicious. Rukia wasn't one to change her mind so quickly or so lightly, especially when she was clearly so invested. "Why?"
"Call it, my concern for your future."
His lip curling up in confusion, Ichigo pulled back. "What?"
Giggling, Rukia turned and spun on her toes to head in the opposite direction, toward Urahara's, her school uniform skirt twirling around her legs. "I'll see you later, Ichigo! Tell Orihime I say hi!"
The mere mention of the auburn-haired healer's name set Ichigo's heart racing. His stomach fluttered nervously as his mouth was suddenly dry. When he didn't respond, Rukia glanced back at him from over her shoulder just in time to see him swallow and shake his head before resuming his trek toward Orihime's apartment. She had other plans to arrange before returning to the school…
When Orihime felt Ichigo's reiatsu approaching, she couldn't help the nervousness that welled in her gut. Were things going to be different between them? Awkward? Weird? Was he going to look at her differently? She had no idea! But thoughts and concerns about such things kept her up most of the night and she spent much of the morning trying to hide the dark bags under her eyes. She used the leftover tea bags from her morning tea, letting them soak on her eyes for twenty minutes, to help with their over-tired appearance, and was satisfied that at least she didn't have to use very much makeup. For one who rarely spent much time on her appearance, she carefully arranged her hair, placing her pins slightly back from her ears more than usual so they held more of her hair back from her face, while her long bangs still framed her eyes, and then covered her head with her knitted white hat that protected her ears. Although she still had to wear her school uniform, she wore extra thick socks that came above her knees since the weather was calling for snow.
Her anxiety getting the best of her, Orihime pulled on her puffy white coat and stepped outside before Ichigo even approached the apartment. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, her hands trembled as she locked her front door before slipping her keys in her pocket. She was in the process of pulling her gloves on when she caught the sight of Ichigo's tall frame – a black hat hid his orange hair. Ok, ok, ok. I can do this! You can do this, Orihime! She psyched herself up with a nervous pep talk as Ichigo came up the walk, and moved to meet him at the bottom of the stairs.
"Morning, Kurosaki-kun!" she called, for once too nervous to skip down the steps.
Ichigo looked up at the sound of her voice, having been lost in his own thoughts. Before he knew what he was doing, he was smiling at the sight of her, bundled up but just as beautiful as ever, as she descended the stairs to meet him. "Morning, Inoue."
His easy smile set her heart at ease and her smile widened into a grin as she skipped down the last few steps. She quickly discovered the skip was a mistake as her usual clumsiness caught up with her, as it so often did. Her right foot caught her left foot, and before she knew it, she was falling, a surprised, "Oh!" escaping her frozen lips in a gasp.
"Inoue!" Ichigo cried out, dropping his book bag and immediately jumping up the last two steps to catch her, just as he had before. Only this time he was a fraction of a second too late, the stairs were a little too slippery, and Orihime's momentum was just a little bit too much as she collided with his chest. Shit! He felt his foot slip and clutched her to him, one arm wrapped protectively around her back while the other pressed her head gently into his chest. "Hang on," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear as Orihime squeezed her eyes shut.
It was like they were flying – for a moment. Orihime felt Ichigo's body tense against hers, in preparation for the hard landing, and when it came, he absorbed the impact with a grunt. She scarcely felt anything other than a jolt as they came to an abrupt halt with Ichigo flat on his back, Orihime on top of him with her legs between his. Her knees hit the concrete, but she was too filled with nervous adrenaline to notice – the sensation of being held tightly in Ichigo's arms nearly too much for her. He did not immediately release his hold on her as he tried to regain his breath – the fall knocked the wind out of him – and after a moment of feeling his ragged breathing beneath her, Orihime managed to pick her head up off his chest. The hand that had been pressing her head to his chest slid to her back. "Kurosaki-kun?"
His eyes were squeezed shut, his face pinched almost painfully, but the moment he heard her voice, his eyes opened. The gentle pools of brown met her molten gray and she gasped softly, her heart immediately warming in her chest as though he had just lit it on fire with his gaze. "Are you all right?" he murmured, his voice gentle and deep in a way she so rarely heard it, but that instantly made warmth rush to her cheeks. He still had not removed his arms from around her. If anything, they tightened at his soft question.
Pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling, she nodded. "T-thank you, Kurosaki-kun." He smiled softly, one arm releasing her to scratch the side of his head where a tuft of orange hair had escaped his hat, which was now skewed after their fall. Even though he hadn't released her, she pressed her hands against his chest and pushed back, all but throwing herself off of him and into a kneeling position between his legs as she bowed her head in quiet shame. "And I'm so sorry for falling on you! Again!" Her cheeks burned as she stared at the ground between them, her hands clenched into small fists atop her thighs.
Ichigo easily sat up, his arms feeling strangely empty now that Orihime had forcibly removed herself from them. He felt warmth rising in his cheeks and tried to force it down, his hollow's mocking laughter only adding to his consternation. To cover for his unease, he chuckled. "I'm the one who slipped this time."
Orihime's eyes snapped to his. "What?!"
There was no room for argument in his gaze. "It was me. My foot slipped on the step when I went to catch you. So if anyone is to say sorry, it's me."
Visibly shocked, Orihime jerked back, shaking her head. "H-how can you say that? You only bolted up there because I fell."
He shrugged and fixed his hat. "So? If I hadn't slipped, we wouldn't have ended up on the ground." His eyes bored into hers. It was the look that said, don't argue with me, and Orihime knew it well enough. "So if anyone is to apologize, it's me."
She couldn't help it. She couldn't let him take the blame, regardless of what his eyes were saying. "Don't be ridiculous."
He blinked innocently. "I'm not."
They stared at each other, neither willing to back down, for several moments, before Ichigo cracked a smile that made Orihime laugh, covering her mouth demurely. Satisfied, Ichigo pulled his legs back from around her and stood up, extending a gloved hand to help her up. "Come on. We better get to school."
Orihime looked at his hand before looking up at him. The look she couldn't place was back in his eyes, but from what she could see, it was a good look, because his eyes were lighter than normal, almost dancing in the morning light. It made her smile when the first snowflakes started falling between them, contrasting wonderfully against his heavy black hat and coat. Her heart light and pattering against her ribs, she placed her gloved hand in his, silently wishing neither of them were so protected against the cold, and let him haul her to her feet. She pouted inwardly the moment he released her hand. As she dusted herself off he bent to retrieve his bag, and they headed to Karakura High, the rest of their walk quiet and uneventful as snow continued to fall around them.
They made it to class just before the final bell, Ichigo walking in behind Orihime, his eyes narrowed from glaring at several male classmates in the hallway that chose to look at the woman before him a little too long for his liking. She was, as always, either blissfully ignorant, or very good at ignoring their sometimes-blatant stares. Tatsuki took one look at the two and beamed them both a smile, waving to both of them and receiving a simple grunt from Ichigo and a wide smile and hug from Orihime.
"Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime cheered as she embraced her best friend.
"He walked you to school again, Orihime?" Tatsuki whispered in her ear, cautious of the close proximity of the substitute soul reaper in question.
Orihime peeked over Tatsuki's shoulder at Ichigo, who was shaking his head to fluff his hair back out after freeing it from his hat. His eyes were closed and he was already seated. Even in his school uniform, which he never wore exactly to standard – always without the tie, sometimes with the shirt untucked, and always partially unbuttoned showing off whatever color shirt he chose to wear beneath it (which today was black) – his broad shoulders and narrow waist were impossible to miss. After so much fighting and training, his strength was even more defined and obvious, showing through his uniform shirt since he never wore the sweater over it. On the days he did wear something over his uniform shirt (today being as cold as it was, was one of those days), it would be the gray uniform jacket they were allowed to wear, but even that he never buttoned. He was oftentimes a stark contrast to Uryu, who was always impeccably put together, which perhaps reflected some on their clashing personalities. The only person in their class who came anywhere close to his height was Sado, who was actually taller than he was. She still couldn't believe he was going to be going to the dance with her, that he wanted to go to the dance with her. 'Of course I'll go with you,' he'd said…
"Orihime?" Tatsuki asked again, her brow furrowed when Orihime appeared lost in thought.
"What?" Orihime pulled her eyes from the substitute soul reaper who was shoving his hat into his bag and pointedly ignoring Keigo. "Oh! Yes," she breathed, a smile flirting with her lips as she looked back at her friend. Clearly the fears that kept her up all night had been unfounded.
Tatsuki peered into Orihime's eyes, sensing that something was off. "Are you all right?"
Shrugging off her concern, Orihime waved her hand in dismissal. "I'm fine, Tatsuki-chan. I just didn't get much sleep last night." When Tatsuki frowned at her, she elaborated. "It's nothing. The little blue men kept me up."
Pursing her lips to the side, Tatsuki folded her arms across her chest. "Orihime," she started, but the teacher's arrival interrupted her. Glancing to the front of the room, she looked back at her friend. "We'll talk later."
Sooner than anyone liked, roll was called and the dreaded math test was handed out. They were given two hours to complete it, more than they usually were, but it was also a longer test than they were usually given, much to everyone's dismay. Grumbles and groans resounded throughout the room as the test was passed around until the teacher snapped for quiet and the time was written on the board. "Begin!" she shouted, and heads dropped to their tests, pencils furiously writing as minds raced to recall the information and process the questions before them.
Ichigo stared at the questions before him and sighed in relief. Thank Kami for Orihime, he breathed inwardly as he worked through the problems with ease. She had prepped him and drilled him to the point that he had dreamt about math… Now, he could see their study sessions had paid off, and as he finished the first page and flipped it over, he glanced up, his eyes skirting to the auburn-haired healer to his left. She sat with her back straight, ankles crossed, elbows leaning on her desk. Her hair formed a slight curtain around her as she worked, but he could tell she was focused. Just before he went back to work, he caught her cock her head slightly to the side before she sighed and shook her head. Then she stifled a yawn and he smirked before looking back down and resuming his test.
As Orihime powered through her test, she was faintly aware, for a moment, of eyes on her. A tingling sensation began in her back, making warmth pool in her belly, and before she knew what she was doing she was sensing Ichigo's reiatsu, her head cocked slightly to the side. He was calm and focused, with something else mixed in that made her heart race. Even without seeing him, she could tell it was his eyes on her, and it made her pause in her work and smile softly to herself. She wanted to look at him, but didn't want to draw undue attention to either of them, not during an exam, so she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. When her eyes returned to her test, the words were blurred and the fatigue she felt from so little sleep began to creep into her being. Scarcely stifling a yawn, she pinched her arm to wake herself up and resumed her test.
Despite her steadily increasing exhaustion, Orihime was one of the first students to finish the exam, turning her test in and quietly leaving the room as instructed. With nothing to do and none of her friends done, she patiently waited in the hallway, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. It didn't take long before she slid down the wall to rest with her knees drawn up to her chest, her forehead to her knees as her arms wrapped easily around her legs. I'll just rest here for a moment…
Ichigo finished roughly twenty minutes after Orihime did, and when he left the room, he nearly tripped over her. "Inoue!" he whisper-shouted in surprise, crouching down beside her. When she didn't respond he gently poked her in the shoulder. "Hey, Inoue!"
Sleepily, Orihime rolled her head to the side, her bangs strewn across her face and eyes. As a vision of Ichigo swam before her, she smiled, thinking she was dreaming. "Hey, Kurosaki-kun," she breathed.
Her breathless voice was enticing, as was the easy and casual way she said his name, but his concern for her quickly stopped the shiver from working down his spine. "Kami, what are you doing down there?!"
She shrugged, her eyes still dazed. "Didn't get much sleep."
His characteristic frown, which seemed to disappear around her, was back. "Why the hell not?"
The tone of his voice finally convinced her this was not a dream. The Ichigo in her dreams didn't speak so harshly. Blinking, she picked her head up, her brow lined with confusion as she dropped her head back against the wall to look up at him. "Little blue men," she murmured.
Chuckling without humor, Ichigo extended his hand. "Come on."
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at his hand. It was the second time in just a few short hours that he was offering her his hand, and this time it was without a glove. "Where are we going?" Her words were slightly slurred; reminding Ichigo of the times he'd found the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 drunk. Regardless, she placed her hand in his, completely trusting in him as he hauled her to her feet so quickly she squealed, drawing the eyes of other students lingering in the hallway.
"We're getting some coffee." She was unsteady a moment from the sudden change in position and he placed his other hand on her shoulder to keep her from falling, not releasing her hand as his eyes searched hers. In fact, his grip on her hand unconsciously tightened while his dark, intense gaze pierced right through her bleary focus. "You all right?" His voice was softer; reminiscent of the tone he'd used that morning after their fall on the stairs – deep and almost husky. It made her ears warm as her breath caught in her throat.
Brushing her hair out of her face, Orihime smiled, her eyes clear even though she suddenly had trouble remembering how to breathe. Ichigo was holding onto her again! She was acutely aware of each of his fingers gripping her shoulder firmly and securely, and yet gently enough not to hurt her. The sensation of her hand being engulfed in his, which was large and rough, and oh so pleasantly warm, made her heart skip a beat. Not trusting her voice, she nodded and he quickly released her, turning to lead the way. She quickly rushed to keep up, her hand sadly cool now that he'd let it go. Without realizing it, she held the now lonely appendage with her other hand, pressing both to her chest. "Coffee?" she asked, risking a look back over her shoulder as a few other students left the room to join the increasing crowd loitering in the hallway. More than a few of them watched them walk away together.
He smiled crookedly before admitting, "It gets me through the day when I've spent all night fighting hollows."
She couldn't help but smile gently at the presence of his smile. Regardless, responsibility tugged at her and her lower lip quickly found its way between her teeth. "What about class?" she asked, peering at him out of the corner of her eye.
He shrugged, his eyes light and dancing. "We've still got time."
They made it to the cafeteria a moment later. Since it was the middle of the morning, there were relatively few students about, so they had their choice of machines and Ichigo explained to Orihime the different flavors, showing her his favorite and helping her decide which coffee she might like best – although with her odd tastes, he was sure to be surprised. With the cold weather, they opted for hot coffee and went for the cappuccino machine. He chose something mild so she could try his first – hazelnut – which would be sweet but not too sweet, without too strong of a "coffee-taste". Once the brew had been dispensed into his cup, still steaming and with a delicate layer of foam, he held it up for her. "Try it."
Orihime raised an eyebrow but took the hot cup from him regardless. He watched as she gently blew onto the hot beverage, his hollow immediately perking up. 'Well, well, well! This is interesting.'
Rather than answer, Ichigo swallowed dryly, his eyes on Orihime as she closed her eyes, quietly inhaling the aroma of coffee and hazelnut. "It smells good," she whispered before taking a cautious sip.
Kill me now, Ichigo groaned inwardly, running a hand through his hair and cursing his inner hollow, who cackled mercilessly at his discomfort. A delicate layer of cream-colored foam clung to Orihime's upper lip when she opened her eyes to look at him. "W-what do you think?"
A soft smile slowly spread across her lips as she rose to her tiptoes, resisting the urge to bounce in her happiness for risk of spilling Ichigo's brew. "I… I like it!"
'You want to get that foam off her lip there, King?'
Ichigo froze, his hollow's words too close to his own thoughts for comfort, which startled him as much as it scared him; his eyes widening his only reaction. He was both relieved and disappointed when Orihime licked her lips and the tempting foam disappeared, but it was enough to snap him out of his stupor. "Great! You want to try something sweeter? Stronger?"
Not sure what just transpired, Orihime handed Ichigo's cup back to him, his fingers grazing over hers when he went to take the cup back. She gasped at the contact, her eyes shooting up to his, and the sight of him smiling softly down at her made her want to melt into the floor. They lingered, longer than was necessary, before Orihime felt her face warming and had to look away, gently (but regretfully) pulling her hand back. Regardless, she was smiling, feeling like she could be flying without the aid of coffee just from the way he had smiled at her. "Sweeter," she answered with a small rise onto her toes.
Shitshitshitshitshit! Ichigo was practically screaming in his head. He'd let himself slip, wanted to prolong their contact and had and… Orihime hadn't pulled away until she was nearly as red as a tomato. It had been difficult enough to admit his own feelings, but now that he knew she might return them, it made him even more nervous. But why? Shouldn't that be a good thing?! Taking in a deep breath, he forced himself to focus on coffee. Coffee! Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee… "Sweeter like chocolate?" he asked, cupping his chin with his free hand.
Returning to his side, Orihime looked at the machine before them. The numerous names and choices were foreign and confusing. "Surprise me," she decided, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth gently.
Ichigo glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his heart warming at the way she looked up at him with a trusting smile. Kami, I'm in trouble, he admitted, reluctantly pulling his eyes from her to return to the cappuccino machine. He had just the beverage in mind for her, and set his down to ready hers as his hollow spoke up.
'That's what I've been trying to tell you, King!'
His back to Orihime, Ichigo rolled his eyes, setting a cup under the proper dispenser, inserting some money, and hitting the button. The whir of the machine whipping up her re-energizing beverage was a pleasant distraction as he ignored his inner hollow's interruption once more. When he turned back around to offer it to her, she smiled again.
"What is it?" Her gray eyes were wide and bright, curiosity evident in their depths.
He pulled it back from her reaching arms for just a moment before handing it over with a sly smirk. "Just try it," he insisted.
Keeping her eyes on his for a moment, Orihime nodded, taking the cup with both her hands with a gentle bow of her head. Just as she did with Ichigo's, she gently blew on the small layer of cream-colored foam; his eyes glued to her every movement, before taking a cautious sip of the hot brew. Her eyes shot open as the sweet flavor of white chocolate hit her tongue. "It's so good!" she exclaimed, her cheeks warming from more than just the coffee.
Smiling softly, Ichigo turned to retrieve his own coffee and two lids, passing one to her. "I'm glad you like it."
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Her voice was abnormally soft, her eyes downcast as she situated the lid on her cup. Long eyelashes rested on her cheeks, her normally alabaster skin pleasantly dusted pink.
"You're welcome. Now hopefully you don't become dependent on it like I am."
Her brow furrowed as her eyes shot back up to his. "What?"
Chuckling, Ichigo waved her off, taking a sip of his coffee. It was sweeter than he preferred it, but he didn't mind because it had been for Orihime. "Don't worry about it." When she still looked up at him in confusion, he cleared his throat nervously. "Shall we head back to class?"
"Orihime!"
The two looked up in surprise at the familiar voice, both more disappointed by the interruption than they cared to admit, even if it was for someone they cared so much for. "Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime called back nonetheless, while Ichigo simply frowned.
Tatsuki finished her sprint toward them, the martial arts athlete not even remotely winded. "I heard you two disappeared together." Her sharp brown eyes narrowed up at Ichigo, who scowled in return.
Giggling, Orihime shook her head. "Kurosaki-kun just bought me some coffee." She held up the cup in both her hands, the happy smile still glued to her lips.
Tatsuki, who knew her better than anyone, could see the excitement and happiness dwelling within that simple smile, but still… She couldn't let Ichigo off that easily. "Really? Coffee, huh?"
Ichigo's patience was at its limit. His free hand, the one not holding coffee, curled into an angry fist as he challenged her. "What?! You act like that's a bad thing!"
"Tatsuki-chan," Orihime started, but her best friend cut her off with a sly chuckle.
"Oh, nothing." Her eyes darted between the two before her for a moment before she plunged ahead, stepping between them and looping her arm through Orihime's as though she were claiming her. "Look, we've still got over ten minutes before we have to be back to class, so do you mind, dear Ichigo, if I borrow my friend here for a moment?"
His brow furrowing, Ichigo seriously debated telling her to fuck off, but instead he shrugged. "Sure. Go ahead." To Orihime, he said, "I'll see you in class."
Suddenly faced with time away from Ichigo, Orihime's mouth fell open slightly in shock. "Thank you again for the coffee, Kurosaki-kun!"
He was already walking down the hallway, back toward class, so he simply waved at her from over his shoulder, not wanting her to see the scowl that was back on his face. Damn it, Tatsuki!
Once Ichigo was out of earshot, Tatsuki smiled at Orihime as though they were conspiring. "So?"
Confused, Orihime's brow furrowed. "So?"
"I told you I wanted to know more about last night today. It's today. Spill." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I want to know the real reason why you're so tired today."
Sighing, Orihime felt the temperature rise in her cheeks. "Do we have to do this now?"
"If you expect me to follow through with my end of the deal, then yes."
Her eyes widening, Orihime took a sip of her coffee, large curious eyes all Tatsuki could see over the end of her cup. "Who are you going to ask?" she mumbled curiously from her safe place behind her cup. Frowning, Tatsuki closed her eyes and looked away. "Come on, Tatsuki! I didn't even know you liked anyone!"
Dark eyes snapping open, Tatsuki could feel the heat rushing to her face and hated it. She was usually so capable at controlling her emotions… "I don't!" she snapped.
Giggling, Orihime elbowed her best friend. "Sure," she teased. "But if you insist," she glanced back at her friend, giving her the obvious out she so clearly needed as she launched into the retelling of how she asked Ichigo as they slowly made their way back to class. As she spoke and they walked, Tatsuki gripped her arm harder and harder, Ichigo's startled reaction more than irritating, especially when Orihime admitted to at least trying to ask properly, before panicking and asking as his friend when he said nothing. Nothing! Despite her annoyance with his initial reaction, she couldn't help but smile with how he responded when he did answer, and in the end, she also couldn't help but worry over the fact that he had come back to her wounded, something that happened a lot.
"You know, Orihime, I really am glad that he has you," she murmured, smiling gently. She couldn't help it. She'd known Ichigo since they were little kids. He was protective of her, and she was protective of him (although she didn't show it very well). It meant a lot to her that although she was practically helpless against the horrors he faced on a daily basis, he had someone who could be there for him and who could heal him, possibly in more ways than one.
"Tatsuki," Orihime breathed, her heart warming with her friend's words and what they could mean.
Never one to focus on mushy stuff too long, Tatsuki moved on. "Now, what had you so worried last night?"
Exhaling quickly, Orihime pressed her lips together. "Right!" It was easy to talk to Tatsuki, and it was as much of a relief to say the words out loud as it was to have Tatsuki laugh about them in her face.
"Obviously you were wrong!" Tatsuki cackled.
Blushing furiously, Orihime closed her eyes and nodded. "I know! I know!"
They were nearing the classroom. Ichigo's orange hair could be easily seen above the heads of their other classmates, as well as Sado's lumbering form. The two stood in a small crowd of their usual friends – the rest of them had been out for a while now but hadn't decided to go on a hunt for their missing two friends like she had. Keigo and Mizuiro may as well have been involved in their own private conversation as Uryu, Sado, and Ichigo talked amongst themselves. Chizuru stood with them but away from them, her eyes searching, no doubt for Orihime.
Seeing the group and the "hungry" female, Tatsuki slowed. "You know, if anything, I think it's had the opposite effect," she muttered.
Orihime's eyes were wide and shining when she turned to her. "What do you mean?!" she nearly shrieked. Tatsuki simply smiled in response.
A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, but here it is! I've actually had this done for a few days and haven't had time to get on here and upload it thanks to being busy with my new job... I hope you liked it! There will be some other couples featured a little more from here one as well, so stay tuned for that! ;) Now I just need to decide who Tatsuki is going to ask... Any suggestions/ideas? LoL. I'd love to hear them! As always, comments and reviews are always appreciated!
The usual disclaimer, I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. They all belong to Tite Kubo. I just enjoy writing about one of my OTP's.
