21.

"Oh my gosh, that was awesome!" she squealed. "Your house is beautiful, I can't help but still wonder why you haven't settled down with anyone ichi, this house is too big for you alone."

They walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, but like I said, it's going to be hard to find a normal person to put up with me Orihime." He said going over to the fridge. "What do you want to drink?"

"Um just water." She said taking a seat on a stool. "Do you cook?"

"Ha, heck no!" he said placing a water bottle in front of her.

She unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

"Ha-ha."

"What?" he said opening a coke and shutting the fridge.

"I take it you eat out then most of the time?" she asked placing the cap on the water.

"Yep."

"How do you stay fit then?!" she asked.

"I hunt hollows, beat up bad guys, and run away from women 24/7." He said smirking.

She burst out laughing at that last part.

He smiled.

"That's true." She said.

They were quiet for a few moments, neither wanting to speak. Orihime glanced at the time. It was 2:30 in the afternoon.

Ichigo observed her silently. She was beautiful, she always was to him; he was just too dense headed to realize it. He had always seen her as his comrade and friend in battle, someone he had

to protect along with all the others. Now, she was someone he wanted to protect, always. During their college years, they rarely saw each other, but she was always in the back of his mind.

Orihime turned and caught Ichigo observing her intently.

"What is it ichigo?" she asked.

"Huh?" he shook his head slightly. "Sorry."

She cocked her head to the side. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said taking another sip of coke.

He was about to say something else, when an enormous amount of spiritual pressure went through the room.

Orihime gasped. "Ichigo you feel that!"

"Yeah, I do." Ichigo said going into his bankai.

Out of nowhere Orihime went flying into a wall.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" she screamed.

"ORIHIME!" Ichigo yelled.

He attempted to go to her, when he went flying into another wall. Something invisible was attacking them.

Orihime called ichigo's name. The invisible foe turned to her, although she couldn't see it. She put up her shield. A huge fist hit at it, breaking it instantly. She barely dodged. Ichigo shot up, his sword drawn.

"Orihime get out here now!" he yelled.

He couldn't see it, but he could sense where it was.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" she yelled putting up her shield again.

The foe destroyed it again, breaking through it. Ichigo appeared in front of her, blocking the attack.

Something roared, shattering all of the windows in the house.

"Do as I say!" Ichigo ordered.

"No!" she said powering up.

Using her power, she flew up into the air. Focusing, she shielded her and ichigo in a huge dome, stronger than before. The foe hit it again, and its attack bounced back.

Orihime's hair unraveled, floating around her.

"ATTACK!" she yelled.

Her fighter went out, swiftly going through the foe. It cried out more.

Ichigo watched in awe as she controlled her spiritual pressure, shielded them, and got in an attack.

"Ichigo, now's your chance!" she yelled.

"Right!"

Orihime let him leave the shield. He went out and dashed forward. His blade piercing through a shell of some sort till he felt flesh.

Something didn't feel right. The foe's spiritual was rising at an alarming fast rate. Orihime gasped, and lowered her shield.

"ICHIGO!" she screamed.

Forcing all of her power to the surface, she appeared before him and wrapped her arms around him. Unbeknownst to her, she had a pair of shiny gold wings engulfed around her and ichigo, as the foe exploded.