As always, I have to apologize for life getting in the way of this update, but I have to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who have been following/favoriting this story. I had no idea this was going to keep going as long as it has and I still have so much more I want to do with it. Your support means the world to me, and I hope you enjoy this!
After the big exam, lunch could not arrive soon enough. Orihime sipped on her coffee throughout the remainder of the morning, downing it faster than she would have expected due to its pleasant sweetness and the warmth that permeated her being after drinking it. The fact that it had been a present from Ichigo only aided in her warmth and happiness, making her smile softly to herself after each sip and have to resist the urge to glance back at him over her shoulder frequently during the rest of the morning lesson. They'd spent so much time together over the past couple days she almost couldn't believe it. They'd studied together, walked together, battled a hollow together, and now they were going to the dance together! Ichigo bought her coffee and was smiling! According to Tatsuki, he seemed different when he was with her… Although she didn't quite understand what that meant, what more could she ask for?!
When the bell finally rang for lunch, she found herself both excited and nervous. She felt giddy, jumpy, and warm; and although she had several reasons to be feeling so, it also felt very strange. Should she sit next to him? Would he sit next to her? They'd been sitting next to each other a lot lately, so it would make sense if they did, wouldn't it? If he really was acting different around her (and he certainly was with his smiling), should she bring attention to the change or just go with it? Would anyone else notice? Had anyone else noticed? What if they did? She stopped, her hand on her bag that was still hanging on the hook on her desk as her mind raced. Oh no! What if they do notice?! What will they think? What will happen? Thoughts and fears she hadn't even realized existed burst through her mind at such a rapid speed she could barely keep up, her eyes glued unseeing to the floor beside her desk as she panicked.
"Inoue?" Ichigo's voice broke through the fog in her mind, shattering the wild and outlandish concerns the little blue men were weaving as quickly as if they were spider webs and he were a flame.
Physically jerking with a yelp, Orihime grabbed her bag and flung it over her shoulder so quickly, Ichigo had to jump back in order to avoid being hit in the stomach. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she gasped, her face immediately darkening at the narrowly avoided mishap.
Chuckling, Ichigo shrugged. 'What's gotten into her?' his hollow asked the very question on his mind. "You all right?" he asked instead, his voice uncharacteristically low and soft as his chocolate eyes danced in the light filtering in from the windows.
Orihime was vaguely aware that they were nearly the last ones left in the room. "Yeah!" she answered too quickly and actually flinched. Ugh! Stupid! "I was just… thinking."
Ichigo frowned, his brow creasing as he turned to make room for her. He looked like he wanted to ask more, but chose not to, something she was extremely grateful for while her heart continued to pound nervously within her chest. As they made their way up the stairs to the roof and silence descended upon them, she felt the undeniable urge to fill it, nervous energy and excitement bubbling up within her chest and making her want to bounce on her toes. Or maybe that was the coffee? "Thanks again for the coffee, Kurosaki-kun! I don't know how I would have gotten through this morning without it!"
Walking beside her, Ichigo graced her with a smile once more, the concern finally gone from his face now that her bubbliness was back. "You're welcome, Inoue. I'm glad it helped." He watched the extra bounce in her step as she jumped onto the top landing. "Is that the reason for your thinking?" he teased, reaching forward to open the door for her before she could even do anything.
Giggling, Orihime shrugged. "Maybe!" she chided right back with a smile that made Ichigo's chest warm. She was completely unaware of his reaction to the ringing of her voice, to the way her giggle immediately made him want to smile. Her excitement and happiness were contagious to him, which was not usual for him. Is this what Rukia was talking about?!
A moment later and they were joining the rest of their friends. Due to the snow, they were crowded closer to the building than they normally were, taking shelter under the awning provided and the tall space heaters set up, their flames burning warmly. Although it kept the roof fairly warm, they were the only group of students brave enough to face the weather. Regardless, the moment Orihime's eyes fell on the group and she noticed the newcomers, a grin broke across her face, while Ichigo's smile fell into a frown. "Rukia-chan! Abarai-san! Rangiku-chan! Hitsugaya-kun!" Orihime called, running forward to hug Rukia.
Rukia smiled and hugged Orihime back just as fiercely, her eyes on Ichigo from over her shoulder before the healer moved on to Rangiku.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ichigo snapped.
The tall lieutenant picked Orihime up and spun her around, causing her to squeal happily before setting her back on her feet. "We've missed you, Orihime!" Rangiku exclaimed, pointedly ignoring the drooling gazes of Mizuiro, Keigo, and Chizuru at her back to cast knowing eyes on Ichigo. Giggling, Orihime moved on to the captain, pulling him into a friendly embrace, much to his chagrin.
"I told you I had something to take care of before coming to school," Rukia interjected, drawing everyone's attention back to her.
Drawing a blank, Ichigo stared at her in confusion, scarcely noticing when Orihime returned to his side. "The dance, you idiot! I couldn't let you go with Orihime unattended!"
Ichigo's face immediately reddened, rivaling Renji's hair. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, not wanting to do or say anything that might hurt Orihime's feelings, despite how he felt about being outed in front of everyone. Damn it, Rukia! He settled for cursing her inwardly, his eyes hardened into a steely glare, and his hands curling into fists as he prepared for the inevitable barrage of questions. He barely heard Orihime's stifled gasp at his side.
Behind Rangiku and Toshiro, who looked rather smug for Ichigo's liking, Mizuiro, Keigo, Chizuru, Chad, and Uryu all leaned around to look at the two of them with wide eyes and mouths agape. "W-what did she just say?" Keigo asked, dumbfounded.
"D-did she just say what I think she just said?!" Chizuru gasped, her eyes wide as she looked in shock between the two before her. How can Orihime be going to the dance with Kurosaki?!
Tatsuki, sitting between Chad and Renji, simply bit into her sandwich as though this was an everyday occurrence, scarcely suppressing a smile. "Perhaps you should explain, Ichigo," she offered, smiling roguishly when he turned his glare on her.
"I thought you said there was no way in hell you were going?!" Keigo whined.
"I did," Ichigo shrugged. "And then Inoue asked me, and I changed my mind." Even as he said the words, he hated saying them. He hated talking about these things, especially in front of other people.
"Wait! You asked him?!" Chizuru wailed.
"Of course I did," Orihime answered plainly. "That's the whole point of the dance, isn't it?" She clasped her hands in front of her and rose up onto her toes in an attempt to hide her discomfort but forced herself to meet the red-head's gaze.
"I can't believe this!" Orihime's admirer slammed her lunchbox closed, rose to her feet, and stormed off in a huff. The door to the roof slammed shut behind her, making everyone flinch. Orihime was the only one to look after her with a sorrowful expression, pain evident in the way her eyes were pinched. Even if she wasn't always comfortable around the girl, she hated the idea of hurting her feelings.
"So," Uryu began, speaking for the first time as his eyes slowly moved from Orihime to Ichigo, "Are you two… dating?"
Ichigo coughed, avoiding Orihime's gaze for fear she'd see how he truly felt. Rukia noticed and frowned, especially when the healer's eyes glanced nervously his way, her hands fairly wringing themselves before her. The nervous tick only worsened when his eyes never met hers. "No," Ichigo murmured just as Orihime blurted, "It's not like that."
"And you're going to the dance, too?" Uryu pointedly asked Rukia. The man was nothing if not observant. What he wanted to ask was, 'You came here just to go to the dance?' but given their mixed company, he couldn't. His hidden meaning was understood nonetheless as Rukia smiled and leaned against Renji. The red-head looked down at her and smirked but didn't move away.
"Of course we are! We don't have things like this back home." She likewise had to remind herself of the company they were in, in order not to blow their cover, memory modification or not.
"And you two are going together?" Chad was the one to ask, his hazel eyes peering out from behind his hair.
Renji grinned and slipped his arm around Rukia as though he had been waiting for the opportunity. The tiny Shinigami fit perfectly at his side as her smile grew to match his. "Of course we are," he answered, his voice just as gruff as usual, but there was a spark in his eye that wasn't normally there.
"What about you two?" Orihime asked, looking at Rangiku and Toshiro. The Captain was quite a bit younger than his lieutenant.
Toshiro's lip curled back as he moved away from the buxom beauty beside him. "Of course not," he snapped. Turquoise eyes flared at the other soul reapers. "I'm here to keep an eye on the rest of them. Once Rangiku heard about the dance, there was no keeping her away."
Ichigo couldn't help himself. "So, you're baby-sitting."
The captain's frown turned deadly as the air temperature dropped around them. Those that weren't aware of his power shivered and rubbed their arms, looking around as though they suspected the weather was about to get worse. Ichigo simply narrowed his eyes in challenge. It sure had been a while since he'd had a really good fight…
Sensing tension rise within Ichigo beside her, Orihime reached out to gently touch his arm, not even realizing she was doing it until she suddenly found herself looking up into his eyes. He'd glanced down at her, feeling her gentle touch, just in time to find her lifting her gaze up towards his. The way the soft afternoon light reflected back from her gray eyes made his breath catch in his throat. Her gaze exuded such kindness, such peace and calm, that without realizing it, he could get lost in them. He had no idea his inner thoughts caused his gaze to soften, his chocolate depths to melt as Orihime looked into them. She felt as though he were calling her soul to him with just a look, and it made a tight band form around her heart that squeezed pleasantly and yet painfully at their continued distance.
"Hey! You two gonna eat? Or are you gonna stand there all day?" Rukia interjected, the laughter scarcely restrained from her voice as she grinned.
The sound of Rukia's voice broke the spell Ichigo and Orihime suddenly found themselves under as Ichigo closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his thoughts and Orihime sucked in a quiet breath, immediately pulling her hand back. Even as he watched, her cheeks warmed, practically glowing as she stepped forward to join the circle of their friends. "Sorry!" she squeaked.
Clearing his throat, Ichigo quickly sat beside her, keeping his eyes on his lunchbox and the food before him. How did I let myself get so distracted? And in front of everyone?! His hollow chuckled at his inner turmoil, only earning a growl in response.
The rest of their lunch break (which wasn't long now that everyone had finally started eating) passed quickly as the friends carried easy and amicable conversation filled with easy banter and carefree conversation. Despite the outward appearance, it was clear that there was a lot of inner musings and turmoil both individually and in some cases amongst the group. Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, who sometimes got a lot of flak for his sensitivity to the humans, could easily see this, and wondered just what the cause of the unrest could be. The soul reapers had integrated seamlessly, so it was clear their appearance had nothing to do with it, but it was something more… It couldn't all be the dance, could it?
Curious, Toshiro watched the group of friends throughout the remainder of their meal, keeping just far enough away from them to forget about his presence, while remaining close enough to hear what was said. When the warning bell rang, and they quickly packed up their belongings to head back to class; he and Rangiku took up the rear, his lieutenant for once quiet as she walked beside him. While he still didn't get the whole picture, he at least understood there was a great deal of angst within the group of friends, which made him want to roll his eyes even if he did want to see what happened at the same time.
"Hey, Sado?" Tatsuki all but whispered as she and the large man somehow managed to bring up the rear as their group headed back to class. It was not the first time they had somehow ended up alone together, but this time it was not by accident, at least on her part.
"Hmm?" he hummed, not looking at her as they made their way to the stairwell.
"You know, everyone was talking about the dance at lunch, but I never heard anything from you. Has anyone asked you yet?" she asked, playing it cool as she attempted to work up her nerve. She'd nearly asked him in the middle of lunch, but that would have meant asking him in front of nearly all of their friends – that would have been too much pressure for either of them!
Sado shrugged noncommittally. "No."
She knew he was never a man of many words, but never was that more of a deterrent than it was in that moment. Sucking in a deep breath, Tatsuki forced herself to look at him, if only for a moment, before allowing herself to drop her gaze to her feet. "In that case, w-would you be interested in going to the dance with m-me?" Her normally strong and brash voice was soft and quiet, unsure as she navigated territory completely unknown to her. All the martial arts training in the world could not prepare her for this level of stress. It certainly wasn't how she imagined asking him, in hushed voices as they walked quietly behind their friends back to class, but a deal was a deal and she wasn't about to back down.
Sado's single visible eye widened in shock as he looked at the black-haired martial arts expert beside him. Of all the possible girls to ask him to the dance, he never would have thought Tatsuki would be the one. While the idea excited him (they did have a ton in common, after all), it also scared him – he had zero experience. "Um," the large man's deep, rich voice hummed once more, all but echoing off the cement walls surrounding them.
Tatsuki's hands met in front of her and she clenched them together anxiously. The muscles in her neck stood out as she ground her teeth a moment before blurting, "Imeanwe'djustbegoingasfriends. Nothing more." She immediately cringed at the sound of her voice growing louder with her nervousness, and her eyes darted up to the backs of their still unsuspecting friends in front of them.
The words were scarcely out of her mouth before Sado rumbled, "Okay."
She gasped, her eyes wide on the stairs before her as she focused on not tripping. She was an athlete after all – she couldn't trip! Did she hear him right?! Did he seriously say yes?! Tatsuki immediately voiced her thoughts, her eyes uncharacteristically wide in disbelief. "Yes?"
Sado closed his eyes and nodded, a hint of a smile gracing his normally stoic lips. "I would be happy to."
Tatsuki smiled then, relief and happiness dancing in her dark eyes as the tension left her shoulders. They had reached the bottom of the stairs and while the others filed out through the door, entering the hallway, Sado quickly moved to hold the door for her, something he had never done before – partially because she always insisted she didn't need such acts of chivalry. The subtle, but sweet gesture, brought warmth to Tatsuki's cheeks as she ducked her head when she passed beneath his arm. "Thank you," she murmured, suddenly unable to meet his eye.
Rangiku was the one to break the mood as she clapped her hands together before her chest, jumping happily. "Awe! This is so sweet! Captain, I'm so happy we're here to see this!"
Toshiro's eyes darted to his overly talkative subordinate with a sharp reprimand on the tip of his tongue, which quickly proved unnecessary. Tatsuki's gasp of surprise at their mere presence spoke to the fact that she hadn't been paying attention to what actually came out of his lieutenant's mouth. "Shit!" Tatsuki cursed as she spun around on her toes. Her years of martial arts training kicked in and she immediately dropped into a partial crouch, as though prepared for a fight. "Since when were you two back there?!"
Hearing the commotion, Uryu, Ichigo, and Orihime immediately turned around, Rukia and Renji not far behind. Keigo and Mizuiro noticed a moment later. "What's going on?" Ichigo asked, his brow furrowed in concern for his friend. He'd never seen her look so pale, or so startled, even if she looked completely ready to kick some ass. Rangiku's look of pure happiness and excitement did not make him feel any better.
Now nervous for a completely different reason, Tatsuki's mouth fell open as she jumped again, turning to face the sudden crowd surrounding them. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid! When her eyes met those of Orihime, the auburn-haired healer simply smiled crookedly and shrugged, her face sympathetic for her plight, but clearly saying there was nothing she could do for her. "Looks like there's another couple joining you to the dance!" Rangiku immediately explained, clapping the embarrassed two on the shoulders. In her shock, Tatsuki had to take a step forward in order to keep her balance. Sado didn't so much as move.
"Rangiku!" Toshiro warned, ever-conscious of her insistent meddling.
"Come on, Captain! This is a huge moment!" she argued.
"What?" Keigo whined, stepping forward with a face full of shock. His eyes moved from Tatsuki to Sado, and back before throwing his hands in the air. "Am I seriously the only one without a date now?!"
"Ishida doesn't," Toshiro pointed out, grateful for the distraction. He still glared at Rangiku, who had figured out her mistake, despite his usual insistence on being called Captain. Her form of an apology came by way of shrugging her shoulders with her palms facing up as though it couldn't be helped.
"Fuck you!" Uryu ground out, his eyes flashing as he stepped forward as though he needed to defend his honor.
"Uryu," Rangiku purred as she pushed her way forward. Immediately suspicious, the Quincy's face slackened. "Would you like to go with me?"
The look of utter surprise that crossed Uryu's face was so priceless, Ichigo couldn't stop himself from laughing. Renji and Rukia also chuckled; and rightfully so. They all knew Rangiku and knew what the poor lad would be in for should he agree to her invitation. "With all due respect," Uryu began, holding his hands up as though to ward her off. He was already shaking his head no.
Rangiku waved him off, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. "Nonsense." Her bright eyes darted to her captain, defiant. "I'm only doing it to aggravate the captain."
His dislike for the soul reapers not a secret, Uryu immediately sneered, pushing his glasses further up his nose so that they flashed. "In that case, of course."
Keigo was nearly in tears. Rangiku's smile only grew as she pointedly looked at the girls. "You know what this means, ladies?" She waited the space of a breath for an answer. "Shopping!" she squealed happily, the girls' faces immediately breaking into smiles (except for Tatsuki, who looked uncomfortable). Behind her, Toshiro face-palmed, shaking his head and suppressing a groan.
A/N: Whoo! I'm soooo sorry it took me so long to get this out! And it's shorter than I intended, but this was a pretty decent place to stop. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and attention some of the other couples got this time. Was Tatsuki awkward enough? Please let me know your thoughts/comments! I always love to hear from you!
As always, I do not own Bleach or any of the characters, they all belong to Tite Kubo.
