A/N: Final one shot! This is inspired by a Teen Titan fanfic I read years ago. Can't remember the username of the writer, but wanted to try to give credit where credit is due!
Title: Denial is Not Just a River in Egypt
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First, I would just like to point out that it was a very cold afternoon.
The girls' uniforms are not designed for warmth. When you think about it, the fact that they have to wear short skirts year round is very impractical. Adding some long socks doesn't do anything, it's still cold. I imagine. I've never worn a skirt myself, but you get my point. The boys' uniforms are much better. Long pants make sense. Except in the beginning of the semester when it's really hot. Then the skirts are probably better. But wouldn't everyone rather be too hot versus too cold?
I feel like I'm getting off track. The point is, Inoue was obviously cold. Hollow hunting took longer than expected, even with all four of us there, and once the sun goes down it gets really chilly in Karakura. Furthermore, we're in that awkward time in early spring when you don't know how warm to dress, so she didn't even have a sweater. Just that short skirt and the short sleeve school uniform.
So after Chad, Ishida, Inoue, and I finally managed to get rid of all the hollows, we started walking home. We were way on the west side of town, so we were all headed in the same direction.
So she starts shivering. And later, she said she wasn't, but she definitely was, so I took off my jacket and gave it to her. It was a long walk home! I couldn't just have her shivering. She tried to refuse, obviously, because she's Inoue. But I wasn't going to let her just be cold! It was the gentlemanly thing to do.
Chad and Ishida exchanged this knowing look. That pissed me off. I don't know what they think they know, but they don't actually know anything. Maybe if they were raised better one of them would have offered Inoue his jacket. She's my friend. I have sisters. I would hope they have male friends who would lend them a jacket if they were cold.
Actually, the thought of some punk kid trying to put his jacket on either one of my sisters makes me picture running the imaginary bastard through with Zangetsu. But that's just because I know how teenage boys are! They would probably have some sort of hidden agenda, which is not going to fly with one of my sisters.
But I don't have an agenda! I just didn't want her to get sick, is all. She's a friend. A platonic friend. That's it.
Judging by Chad's and Ishida's little comments as we walked, they don't seem to understand that. Chad actually asked me if I was trying to make some kind of claim. Inoue blushed and tried to give me my jacket back, but I made her put it back on. It's not even that big of a deal to let someone borrow your jacket.
If I were to marry every girl I've let borrow my jacket, then…huh. That's….not helping my argument. Whatever.
So Chad and Ishida took great joy out of embarrassing me and Inoue all the way back to her place. She tried to give me my jacket back once we reached her staircase, but I told her to keep it. It….looks good on her. Plus, she doesn't have any good jackets! They're all really flimsy! I have lots of jackets. It wasn't a big deal.
In hindsight, giving her the jacket might have been a mistake, because Ishida and Chad really had a field day with that one. The only consolation was that Inoue wasn't around to hear the rest of their comments as we headed toward my house.
Ishida said I should just confess my feelings. But I don't have any feelings to confess! She's my friend. That's it. Have I said that already? Whatever. It needs repeating. Ishida pushed up his glasses, smugly. Everything that bastard does is smug. Then, in his smug whiny voice he said something along the lines of 'denial is not just a river in Egypt'.
But I'm not in denial! There's nothing going on between Inoue and me. I mean, can you imagine? Inoue and me? That's ridiculous. We're very different people. I'm a grouchy punk with a bad attitude and Inoue is the nicest, prettiest, and most genuine person anyone has ever met.
Sure, I think she's pretty. I'm not blind. That doesn't mean I'm in love with her or anything.
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…Although, I did get a funny feeling in my chest when I saw her wearing my jacket. Like, heart palpitations or something. And the way she looked at me when I told her she could keep it. I definitely stopped breathing for a second. My jacket is a little big on her, because she's adorably small. Wait, did I just think that? Adorable?! God. What's wrong with me?
Shit. Maybe I do like her.
Fuck. I hate when Ishida is right. That smug bastard.
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A/N: The End! I hoped you enjoyed these!