9/4/18 Update: I can't believe it's been 2 months since I published this! EEK! Just ran through and fixed some minor errors while I get ready to work on the next update. Super sorry for keeping y'all waiting!
A/N: Finally, the part some of you have been dying to see (no, it's not the dance yet, lol). I know I've just done 3 rapid-fire updates, but they won't be that fast now, since I don't have as much written as I did for these parts. Hopefully it won't be weeks upon weeks, but you know - life.
I have to give a shout-out once again to my wonderful reviewers! All of you who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story make me so happy and it's such a great motivator to hear how excited you are for updates, and your thoughts. I hope I continue to live up to the praise. Thank you so much!
Saturday found them at the mall, shopping. Somehow the guys had been roped into going with the girls, Uryu insisting that they reserve their tuxedoes while the girls looked for dresses. Ichigo found the whole thing obnoxiously boring and time-consuming. The girls disappeared the moment they arrived, Rangiku dragging Orihime off with an excited squeal that left his ears ringing. In her panic, Orihime had grabbed Tatsuki, pulling her along after them with much less enthusiasm, while Rukia appeared nearly equally as excited as the lieutenant. Uryu was rambling on about the importance of knowing what color of dresses the girls were wearing, despite the fact that they weren't supposed to see the dresses, or at least so the Quincy claimed.
Completely at a loss, Renji looked at Ichigo for help, but he also didn't know. "Why?" Renji finally asked, hating the fact that the Quincy was obviously better versed about the whole situation than he was.
"We have to make sure the flowers match," Uryu answered, pushing his glasses up on his nose in irritation.
"Flowers?" Renji questioned in surprise. This time, Ichigo did know what Uryu was talking about, but chose to let the Quincy handle it.
Unable to continue until the soul reaper at least understood something, Uryu stopped. "Yes, the flowers, you idiot. We are supposed to buy a corsage for them. It's important it matches the dress of our date." His look of astonishment at Renji's ignorance matched the annoyed tone to his voice.
Ichigo couldn't help but swallow at the word 'date' but hid it with a statement no one could argue with. "But you do realize that they could be here all day, right?!"
Finally, with a reason to gloat over the raven-haired Quincy, Renji laughed. "Oh, so there is something the Great Ishida didn't think of?!"
Uryu huffed, turning his back on the two soul reapers and continuing their trek to the tuxedo store. Having no idea where they were going, the rest were left with no choice but to hurry to keep up.
"How do you know all of this anyway?" Renji finally asked, unable to stand not knowing any longer as he looked at Uryu with a furrowed brow beneath his white bandana.
"He would know about it, Mr. Sewing Club," Ichigo jibed, unable to help himself with Renji's perfect opening.
Uryu scoffed, pushing his glasses up pointedly with his middle finger. "Forgive me for actually having some class, something you two would know nothing about."
Sensing an insult but not entirely sure what, Ichigo and Renji looked at each other before shrugging. "Whatever," Renji waved him off. "I still don't understand why we had to come today. Like Kurosaki said, you know the girls are going to take forever."
This time when Uryu looked at the fiery red-head, he quirked an eyebrow with barely concealed disdain. He'd had time to come up with a response to Ichigo's taunt, even though it was Renji who furthered the dig. "You do know it's best not to leave these details until the last minute, right? Even you must understand that."
"Yeah, whatever," Renji grumbled, rolling his eyes.
They arrived at the tuxedo shop moments later, the four silently submitting themselves to the whims of the attendants, who lined them up like dolls before measuring them every which way. The women could scarcely contain their delight at having such specimens before them, something that made each and every one of them squirm uneasily. Chad was especially uncomfortable, the women not used to a man with his height, and therefore repeatedly measuring his shoulders and inseam just to be sure. To break the awkward silence, Ichigo finally ventured to ask the question that had been eating at him since he found out Renji was going with Rukia. "Hey Renji, how'd she ask you?" he blurted, turning to look at the red-haired Shinigami to his left.
Renji scoffed, earning him a glare from the woman trying to measure his waist. "Ask me? She didn't ask me so much as inform me that we'd be going to a dance."
Chuckling, Ichigo could picture Rukia doing just that, probably jabbing a finger in his gut while she did it. "And you agreed?" he teased.
Sensing where this was going, the mirth left Renji's eyes. "Of course I did. You know what it's like to tell that woman no."
Uryu chimed in, turning over his shoulder to add, "It didn't look like she twisted your arm too hard yesterday. Since when are you two so close, anyway?"
Although he said nothing, even Chad looked at him with curious eyes, wanting to hear his answer.
Renji's cheeks were darkening as he glared at the floor. "We've always been close," he grumbled, remembering the time they spent growing up and planning to become soul reapers. He'd felt awful when they disconnected, when Rukia became a part of the Kuchiki family and had to leave him behind. He'd worked his ass off just to be good enough to talk to her once again… "When she told me about the dance, I finally told her how I felt."
Unable to believe his ears, Ichigo gawked. "You what?!"
Throwing his hands up in mock defeat, Renji roared, "Come on, I'm not repeating that!"
Rangiku pulled Orihime along at her side with a grin on her face. She didn't entirely care that they were attending a dance for high school students and that she was technically a lot older than her date. Human stores, clothing, and jewelry always interested her and now she finally had an excuse to go shopping! The captain couldn't get mad at her for this!
As much as Orihime was looking forward to finding a dress, she was equally just as nervous about it. She had no idea how she should dress for a dance such as this, let alone how she should dress for Ichigo. She knew at one time he'd thought she was showing too much skin when she was dressed like the Arrancars, and his words saying as much had cut her to the core. It's not like I even had a choice, she grumbled to herself, her cheeks darkening with shame at the memory regardless. They had all but thrown her in the outfit after ruining her other clothes, and when it clearly hadn't fit in the top, they'd simply ripped the stretched fabric out and tried to say it was stylish that way. She'd never felt more humiliated…
"Orihime?" Rukia asked, her violet eyes ever-perceptive as she looked up at the healer. "What's wrong?"
Her nerves finally getting the best of her, Orihime shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "I have no idea what to wear!" she wailed.
They'd arrived at their first destination and were standing in the middle of rack upon rack of formal gowns and dresses. Most of them were floor length, while others stopped at the knee. Many were strapless while some sported straps of some kind – whether thin ones that went over the shoulders, single-shoulder, or halter-top. All of them were beautiful, shimmering in the overhead fluorescent lights. Many were coated in colorful beads or lace and they all showed varying amounts of skin. Looking around them for a moment, Rukia turned her gaze back up to Orihime. "How can you say that?"
Orihime wished Rukia would remember Ichigo's words without having to repeat them, but it seemed the tiny Shinigami was blind to her silent plea. She was saved by Rangiku, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, as she dropped her arm across Orihime's shoulders. "That's what we're here for, dear! We're going to help you find the dress to woo Ichigo once and for all!"
Mortified by her loud proclamation, Orihime covered Rangiku's mouth with her hand in a rare show of force. "Rangiku-chan!" she squeaked.
Smiling around Orihime's hand, Rangiku gently pulled down the restraining limb. "Why, that is the plan, isn't it?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"Well… I, but, we," Orihime sputtered, her face going white.
"Come on you guys, knock it off!" Tatsuki finally came to Orihime's rescue. She was curious what Rukia and Orihime had been talking about, having noticed Orihime's silent plea that clearly went unanswered.
"Oh, we're just trying to get her to admit her real reason for asking Ichigo to the dance," Rukia explained, a smile spreading across her lips that made Tatsuki uneasy.
"Rukia-chan!" Orihime whined, her lips quivering.
"Come on, Orihime," Rangiku had already turned back to the racks of dresses. "I'm sure we'll find you something."
Orihime swallowed, watching with wide eyes as Rangiku pilfered through dress after dress. Rukia started to pick through a few on her own, while Tatsuki stood next to Orihime, motionless and in awe of the tall woman before her. "Arisawa," Rangiku paused, pulling out a particular black dress. "What do you think of this?"
Tatsuki scrunched her face, immediately shaking her head. "It's too dark for Orihime."
Giggling, Rangiku shook her head, her long strawberry-blonde locks spilling over her shoulders. "It's not for Orihime, silly. It's for you."
Tatsuki's mouth fell open in a silent 'O' of surprise as she looked at the dress with a more critical eye. While it was rare for her to wear such dark colors with her already dark hair, the dress called to her with red and navy flowers sporadically spaced throughout. The dress was long and would reach close to the floor with a slit up the side that would show off her strong legs – but were they too strong? Should she try to hide that? Shaking her head, she continued her perusal of the dress. It would obviously fit snugly, with a modest neckline that still went lower than she was used to. The thick shoulder strap only went over one shoulder, the neckline plunging to below her arm on the left side – the opposite side of the slit up the leg.
"Oh, Tatsuki-chan! You have to try that on!" Orihime cheered from beside her, bouncing up and down on her toes happily. "It's perfect!"
Hearing Orihime's proclamation, Rukia peered around a rack. "Nice!" she exclaimed. "Sado won't know what hit him."
Her face immediately flaming red, Tatsuki stuttered as she reached out for the dress. "I-it's n-not like that!" she spat.
Rukia smiled ruefully. "Uh huh, and Orihime isn't in love with Ichigo."
"Rukia-chan!" Orihime squealed, feeling ready to faint with embarrassment as her cheeks tellingly flamed red.
"I don't know what you're so nervous about, Orihime," Rukia chided, stepping forward with a seafoam color dress that looked much too long for her. "Sometimes all you need is a gentle nudge in the right direction to get things moving." She winked as she pushed the dress toward Orihime.
"With you it's not a nudge, so much as a shove," Tatsuki argued, curiously peering at the dress in Orihime's hands.
Orihime was too distracted by the dress to hear what they were saying. It was simple and yet elegant with two tiny spaghetti straps that would loop over each shoulder. The inner straps crossed the back in an X while, while the rest of the back was virtually non-existent, the fabric opening up and crisscrossing over what would otherwise be exposed skin. The neckline went straight across, but by the length of the straps, would still be lower than what she normally wore. While the dress was satin, it was overlaid with a chenille fabric that still slid through her fingers with ease. It was long, and would nearly touch the floor, the waist tight until it loosely flowed out from the hips. It wasn't a color she usually wore, but maybe that was what she needed.
"He'll love it," Rukia whispered with a wink.
Before she could think otherwise, Orihime whispered, "You think so?" Her eyes finally came up to Rukia's, the uncertainty clear in their stormy depths while Rukia's violet eyes shone with confidence. "But what he said," she began.
Rukia cut her off with a slice of her hand, a smile toying with her lips. "I don't think you understand why he said that," she whispered back, conscientious of the other ears in their presence as she winked.
Orihime's mouth fell open in shock as her mind whirled with possible implications behind Rukia's words. If he didn't actually think that, then why would he say it? If it wasn't because he didn't want to see so much skin, could it possibly be because he didn't want others to? Had she made him uncomfortable? She scarcely had time to process before Rukia turned her toward the dressing room with a not-so-gentle push. "Now go try that on!"
Tatsuki and Orihime found themselves in the dressing room while Rangiku and Rukia continued to peruse the dresses. It was surprising that the soul reapers would find them such perfect garments so quickly, but Orihime knew better than to question them, especially once she slid her dress on and it cascaded down her legs to brush the tops of her feet. She couldn't reach the zipper, but even so, she turned to look at her exposed back, pulling her hair over her shoulder. Oh, my! If I dance in this with Ichigo, his hands will…
"Orihime?" Tatsuki asked, her voice unusually soft and unsure.
"Yes?" she squeaked, startled from her thoughts of Ichigo's hands on her bare back with a physical jump. Her cheeks immediately warmed for thinking such things, even if a different kind of pleasant heat had also kindled within her.
"I can't zip mine," the martial arts expert reluctantly admitted.
Giggling, Orihime popped her head out of her stall. "I can't zip mine either," she chirped.
Tatsuki opened her door, her face a brilliant shade of pink as she looked at her best friend. "I'll help you if you help me."
Feeling oddly brave, Orihime stepped out into the changing room with a grin that nearly made her eyes close. "Of course!"
Mimicking the movement of her best friend, Tatsuki stopped and sucked in a breath at Orihime's dress. "Kami, Orihime," she breathed, her eyes wide.
The dress fit perfectly, snug on Orihime's curves without being too snug. The dress billowed loosely out at the hips without all the obnoxious frill that went under more elaborate dresses and gowns. Although it wasn't obvious at first, tiny silver and white beads were sewn into the corset, catching the light with ease and emphasizing the moderate amount of cleavage shown. The color was not something Orihime normally wore, which only added to the novelty of it all. The light seafoam caught in Orihime's eyes and contrasted wonderfully with her alabaster skin. It was absolutely beautiful to behold and once she zipped the back up for her, Rukia and Rangiku appeared.
"Well I'll be damned," Rangiku breathed. "It's perfect!" She looked at Rukia with a grin before high-fiving her. "Well done!"
Beaming, Rukia indicated with a finger that Orihime should turn around. Blushing, Orihime held her hair back from her face and did as asked, the dress flaring out as she spun. "Do you like it?" she breathed, her heart hammering in her chest as her mind concocted images of dancing with Ichigo once more.
"Like it?! I love it!" Rukia cheered.
"It's beautiful," Tatsuki admitted with a quieter nod of her head.
"You're going to woo the pants right off of him!" Rangiku cheered, her eyes dancing with mischief, earning her a thump from Rukia and an embarrassed squeal from Orihime. The little blue men held onto the comment for all it was worth, despite Orihime covering her face with her hands. She was completely confounded by the excitement that rippled through her like a shock at Rangiku's words, scarcely able to take a deep breath as she shook her head, trying to forcefully clear away the images conjured up by Rangiku's careless words. She was having a hard-enough time without added ammunition for the little blue men… Tatsuki practically snarled at the insinuation.
"Anyway!" Rangiku quickly recovered from Rukia's well-delivered punch, her arm already turning red. "Let's see yours, Arisawa."
Orihime drug her hands down her face in an effort to clear her thoughts and dashed forward to zip Tatsuki's dress, noting that it came up much higher, with a slight plunge to the left from the exposed shoulder. The neckline and back were not straight, the angled cut wavy in appearance. Each flower had yellow beads sewn into the middle, adding depth to the stamen. "Turn around," Rangiku commanded, her eyes bright as she took in the martial arts athlete, who was completely out of her element.
With a grace that was surprising and yet wasn't, Tatsuki slowly turned, holding her arms slightly out to her sides as she did so. The dress nearly dragged on the floor, with a slight train in the back, and once she turned, Orihime could see there was actually white bordering the slit up her right leg. Upon closer inspection, she could see the slit was more like a crossing of fabric, the dress meant to have an appearance to that almost of a "traditional" yukata – minus a lot of fabric. Although understated, the dress screamed Tatsuki in a way Orihime had never seen before. "It's perfect Tatsuki-chan!" she cried, once more bouncing up and down in her excitement.
"She's right," Rukia encouraged with a gentle nod.
"It suits you so well!" Rangiku exclaimed, completely satisfied with her skills in picking out a dress for the one who would have been the most challenging.
"Did you two find something?" Orihime asked, brought back into the moment by the dresses slung over the soul reapers' arms.
Rukia lifted the small stack in her arms with a smile. "I may not be able to pick one out on the first try, but hopefully there's one in here."
Rangiku, on the other hand, had a stack of at least ten – insistent on trying each and every one of them on. It wasn't just that she couldn't find a dress she was satisfied with, she just liked trying fancy dresses on. And so, to humor her, the others ended up grabbing other ones to try as well, even though Orihime and Tatsuki had their hearts set on their first pick. They giggled and laughed, squeezing into dresses that would show way too much skin and others that made them feel like they were nine years old again. It was the most at ease the group of them had felt in a long time, warmth and happiness spreading through them. The only time Orihime felt happier was with Ichigo, a fact that was not lost on her. Tatsuki finally felt like she was accepted by the others, the two soul reapers clearly not trying to hide anything, and she quickly realized why Orihime was so taken with them.
After about an hour, Rukia stepped out of the dressing room with a delicate, almost shy smile crossing her features. The air around them immediately sobered, as Orihime realized this was one the soul reaper was truly interested in. The dress was delicate, the way Rukia appeared even though she would break anyone who dared to say as much. A deep violet, like her eyes, the dress came down to the middle of Rukia's shins, the base of the dress strapless and dipping slightly in the back only to be covered with a thin layer of gauzy fabric that added depth to the dress and functioned like straps going over her shoulders. Like Orihime's the dress was fitted throughout the corset, although Rukia had considerably "less to hold the dress up with", as she liked to complain, flaring out at the hips with the aid of black lace. Lacy black gloves accompanied the outfit, coming halfway up Rukia's upper arms.
"Wow," Tatsuki breathed.
"I'll be damned," Rangiku muttered.
"It's beautiful!" Orihime beamed, the only one who didn't lower her voice.
"You think so?" Rukia asked, holding onto the material and spinning slowly. "It's not too… girlish?"
"Isn't that the point? To be girlish?" Tatsuki retorted, having finally embraced the idea herself.
Rolling her eyes, Rukia groaned. "I mean childish."
Grinning, Rangiku shook her head. "Definitely not."
"Then we're just waiting on you, Lieutenant," Rukia teased with a smirk, forgetting that they were supposed to keep such things under wraps in present company.
Orihime was the only one to notice the slip, her eyes sliding to Tatsuki, who was still appraising Rukia's choice. It appeared she hadn't noticed, or if she did, she didn't think it worth reacting to. Regardless, Orihime let out a silent sigh of relief when Rangiku spun in a circle, the pastel pink dress she wore flaring out from her hips as though made for a salsa dancer. The color perfectly matched the sash she usually wore with her shihakusho, her favorite color. Simple and yet elegant, with a halter-style neckline that clasped behind her neck, leaving the majority of her back exposed, the dress allowed for a moderate amount of cleavage that her breasts clearly strained against. Beautiful, but understated in a way the lieutenant could never be, the hem stopped at her knees, showing her beautifully sculpted calves. "You mean you don't like this one?" she teased, continuing to spin on her toes, her hair flaring out behind her.
"Like it?" Rukia asked, surprise evident in her wide eyes as she finally seriously appraised the fellow Shinigami. "I never would have expected that to be an option you'd seriously consider!" she teased.
Rangiku giggled mischievously. "Oh, I'm not!" Spinning one final time, she disappeared into her changing room. "I've saved the best for last!" She took her time changing while the others took off the silly and odd dresses they had been wearing in relative silence. Orihime had no idea what to expect when they went shopping, but she hadn't quite expected them to have such quick luck in the first store they came to. It allowed her mind to wander, wondering what the boys were up to and what their tuxedoes were going to look like. It brought her back to the image of Ichigo, dressed up in a suit and tie, leaning heavily on her doorframe as his eyes raked over her hungrily as she stood before him in the gown Rukia had chosen for her. The thought alone made her cheeks flush, but she couldn't force it away. She imagined hearing the words, "May I come in?" rumbling from his throat, the sound a gentle caress to her ears that brought goosebumps to her flesh before she smacked her cheeks to clear her mind. She wanted to cause such a reaction, which was anything but helpful given her current predicament.
By the time Rangiku emerged from her dressing room, the other three had hung up their rejected dresses, the ones they chose hanging over the outside of their changing room doors. All eyes were on the second seat of squad ten as she sauntered forward, Tatsuki's mouth actually dropping open in surprise.
"You can't wear that! Uryu will faint!" Rukia teased. "And Hitsugaya will have a heart attack!"
Smiling, Rangiku spun in a slow circle. The periwinkle dress perfectly matched the color of her eyes but was accented with pearl and silver sewn throughout. The plunging neckline scarcely kept her ample breasts restrained, part of her abdomen shown through a thinly covered but purposeful split in the fabric that went nearly to her belly button. Chenille the same color as her dress covered the satin, adding only slight opacity to the otherwise scandalous plunge. Strapless, the dress was fitted through the corset and slightly down her hips before loosening and billowing out in loose folds that stopped just above her ankles. "All the better then, right?" she teased as the dress swirled around her legs.
Orihime was speechless. She knew Rangiku was confident in her appearance and was willing to dress scandalously and provocatively, but she'd never seen it to quite the extent she was currently witnessing. Knowing Uryu, he surely would faint or at the very least have a horrendous nose bleed. She could only hope that he wouldn't choose a white tux.
Tatsuki was the one to voice the obvious question: "You sure they'll still let you in dressed like that?"
Scandalized, Rangiku threw her hair back over her shoulder. "Oh, they'll let me in all right," she replied with a haughty smile. Her mind was made up – this was what she was wearing, and she'd be damned if anyone was going to try to talk her out of it. "Well, ladies, I'd say this was a successful trip!" she beamed, disappearing back into her stall to remove the dress while the others waited in the chairs outside.
"I honestly thought this would take a lot longer," Tatsuki finally admitted, toying with the hem of her dress.
Smiling at their success, Orihime could scarcely sit still. This was something she'd always dreamed of doing, but growing up without her mother, there was never an opportunity to. Tears stung her eyes at the thought and she stoically blinked them away, but not before Tatsuki noticed.
"What's wrong, Orihime?" The words immediately caught Rukia and Rangiku's attention, the tall lieutenant finally leaving the sanctity of her changing stall.
Brushing away her stubborn tears, Orihime tried to wave their concern off, but Tatsuki persisted. "I… just," she stuttered before forcing herself to meet the eyes of the three women around her. "Thank you for this!" she blurted, finally burying her face in her hands out of embarrassment.
Immediately understanding what Orihime was trying to say, Tatsuki slid from her chair to her knees, pulling Orihime into a warm hug that only made the healer sniffle. "Of course," she breathed, squeezing her gently. In a rare show of affection, Rukia soon wrapped her arms around Orihime as well, quickly followed by Rangiku. No further words were shared – they didn't need to – as they simply breathed in the moment until the tension left Orihime's shoulders and they all parted simultaneously.
"Now for the painful part," Rangiku chided, brushing Orihime's hair back over her shoulder with a gentle, warming smile. "Paying."
"Well, better let them know we're done," Rukia began, pulling her phone out from her purse while standing in line to check out.
"Good thing they have bags to hide these in," Rangiku smiled mischievously, shifting her two bags. She'd elected to buy both the pink and periwinkle dresses, despite promising the captain she would only purchase one. "Can't have them knowing exactly what we're wearing, now can we?" She winked at Orihime, whose cheeks immediately darkened.
"We have to meet them in the food court?" Rukia was reading her text with Renji out loud. "Apparently they have to know the color of our dresses."
Tatsuki flinched, embarrassed enough about the whole situation without having Chad right in front of her. When she looked at Orihime, she was oddly relieved to see the same expression on her best friend's face. She knew why they needed the color, it just seemed so… formal. "Do we have to?"
Rukia's brow furrowed. "Ishida won't leave them alone about it," she chuckled. "So yes."
Slapping the two that were dragging their feet on the back, Rangiku leaned down to speak quietly between them. "Come on, girls! Let's show those guys what they have to look forward to!"
"Rangiku-chan," Orihime whispered before being shoved forward with a yelp.
The food court was loud and crowded. The only reason they found the guys so easily was thanks to Chad's towering height and Renji and Ichigo's wild hair color. With bags slung over their shoulders, the girls made their way to them with smiles that were either happy or nervous. Orihime found it hard to meet Ichigo's eyes, while Tatsuki had similar trouble with Chad. Rangiku and Rukia had no such issues.
"About time!" Renji teased with a grin.
"Oh, shut up! You know you're just happy we didn't take all day," Rukia chided right back, elbowing him in the side even as she slipped under his arm with ease.
Orihime saw the casual show of affection and sighed, her grip on the hanger of her dress increasing with her inner turmoil. It was Ichigo's soft but deep voice that brought her from her thoughts. "She's right. We did fully expect you guys to take all day." He was bent over slightly, so he could whisper just to her, a gentle smile on his lips when he stood up tall once more.
"Ah, well, we, I," Orihime stuttered before coughing to clear her throat. "Rukia-chan and Rangiku-chan actually picked out mine and Tatsuki's dresses immediately," she admitted, feeling warmth rush to her cheeks. I'm talking to Ichigo about dresses?! The whole idea seemed absolutely absurd, even to her.
Ichigo's left brow rose as he cocked his head. "Really?" Something flashed in his eyes that she couldn't read before he jolted with horror. "Wait, Rangiku chose your dress?!" No! She'd leave way too much skin exposed!
Giggling, Orihime shook her head. "No. Rukia-chan did."
Relief washed through him like a warm caress and Ichigo sighed despite himself. He knew Rukia had tricks up her sleeve, but he trusted her when it came to Orihime, as much as he could trust anyone other than himself, anyway. Then again, he was starting not to trust himself either…
"Give me some credit, Kurosaki!" Rangiku snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously from where she stood next to Uryu. He was peaking at a piece of her dress she pulled through the slot for the hanger.
Grumbling inwardly, Ichigo suddenly found he felt too crowded. There were too many eyes on him, on them. While he loved spending time with Orihime, he wasn't sure he wanted to spend that time with the rest of his friends, which was not the newest development. He'd grown selfish and greedy of their time together… An issue that was only getting worse the more time they did spend alone together. That, and he didn't want anyone to see just how deeply she affected him. Desperate for a distraction, he dropped his gaze to the auburn-haired healer beside him. "You hungry?"
As if on cue, Orihime's stomach rumbled, causing her to flush and drop her hands to her belly with a soft giggle that warmed Ichigo's heart. He was growing so used to seeing her every day, catching the little nuances of her personality that he'd missed before. The sound of her laughter could melt his heart, while her smile could brighten his soul. He didn't realize he was holding his breath, waiting for her answer, until she nodded softly. "Yes!"
Unable to stop the gentle smile that caressed his features, Ichigo successfully resisted the urge to take her hand – the hand that was closest to him – and nodded his head toward the many choices of food. "My treat then."
The low timbre to his voice made Orihime shiver pleasantly, which she hid by falling into step beside him. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun, but you don't have to do that."
His smile widened, remembering their playful banter just the previous afternoon. "I told you I'd pay you back somehow," he murmured, feeling warmth rush to his cheeks from such a statement but forcing himself to maintain eye contact.
His words had the desired effect, for Orihime stumbled and gasped at the same time, her eyes darting to his even as his hands went to steady her – which wasn't necessary. "K-Kurosaki-kun!" she chastised, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
Somewhat reluctant to take his hands from her shoulders, Ichigo nevertheless let her go, groaning inwardly even as he smiled mischievously. "Deal?"
Her lower lip sticking out in a pout, Orihime reluctantly nodded, her eyes flashing. "Deal."
Warmth spreading throughout his entire being, Ichigo felt in danger of floating away. It certainly wasn't a date, but it was almost a date, right? "Then lead the way," he offered, his hand coming up to rest at the small of her back. The motion was so automatic, he scarcely realized he was doing it until he felt her hair brush against the back of his hand. By the time he realized he was touching her, without the ruse of guiding her through the snow, his first instinct was to panic and pull away, but then he didn't want to hurt her feelings by acting as though she repulsed him. Without realizing it, he'd put himself in the exact same predicament Orihime had been in just the previous afternoon, grabbing his arm between hers on instinct, rather than thinking about it. Instead of pulling away, he smiled nervously when she looked up at him, her eyes bright in the harsh overhead lighting. When she took a slight side-step closer to him as they walked, he inwardly sighed with relief, and left his hand where it was.
"Hey! Where are you two going?!" Rukia shouted, drawing the eyes of nearly half the food court.
"Buzz off!" Ichigo retorted, his eye-roll obvious even though Rukia could only see the back of his head. She simply smiled and looked up at Renji as though she were a proud mother.
Seeing the glee in Rukia's eyes, Renji gently squeezed her. "What do you say we go get some food too? I'm starving!"
"Why, Lieutenant," Rukia teased, her eyes flashing. "Are you offering to buy me lunch?"
Renji's smirk was wide and content as he squeezed the tiny woman beside him. He'd always been confident, except when it came to Rukia. Thankfully, that had changed. "If the lady demands." His eyes twinkled mischievously as Rukia grinned back up at him.
"She does."
"We still have to find our shoes," Rangiku interrupted with a hint of a whine in her voice. Thoughts of their day of shopping coming to a premature end caused her to nearly panic.
"Then find them after we eat," Renji argued, already moving off with Rukia at his side.
"Where the hell is everyone going?!" Tatsuki gasped, terror gripping her at the thought of being left alone with Chad.
"You hungry?" the very deep voice she craved so much startled her and she had to suppress the urge to jump. Warriors do not jump!
Stifling her anxiety, Tatsuki nodded just in time for her own stomach to rumble. Chad smiled gently, the corners of his lips barely moving, before extending his arm for her to take. The ease of the motion surprised both of them – Chad silently sighing with relief when Tatsuki's arm slid through his as though he were leading her somewhere much more fancy and important than the mall's food court. Regardless, he made Tatsuki feel like a princess, and her smile widened – making all the anxiety worth it as they made their own way to whatever drew their fancy to eat.
"Well I'll be damned," Rangiku breathed, shocked at the sudden disappearance of everyone. It was a phrase she was using more frequently than ever over the past couple of hours.
"I guess we better go eat too, then," Uryu offered, looking up at her with disinterested eyes. "Then you can find your shoes while we put in flower orders."
Smiling despite herself, Rangiku nodded. "Always the man with a plan, Ishida."
Uryu chose to take that as a compliment.
A/N: Hehehe! Did you catch the nod toward the manga with Orihime's little daydream? Couldn't resist!
I swear there was an image on DeviantArt that was actually the inspiration for Orihime's dress, but now I can't find it to save my life! I also forgot to mention in my last post that there was also an image on DeviantArt that inspired the hug Ichigo and Orihime shared after she was rescued. I've messaged to see if I can share it/include the link, so if I can I will, but it's wonderful and heart-wrenching at the same time. I hope I painted the picture clearly enough.
As always, thanks for reading. Reviews are always welcome! And of course, I regrettably do not own Bleach or any of the characters. They all belong to Tite Kubo.
