Here is the next chapter. This one has some good Ichigo and Orihime bonding in it. I am not sure about this yet, but next week may not have chapter. It depends on if I get time to write it. May is here and finals are going to start soon, so I may be busy with work. The good thing is when finals are over I'll have the summer off. I'll get free time then to write.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

Today was the same as the as it was for the last six weeks. The sky was gray as result of the clouds blanketing it. They shielded the sun and blocked its life giving rays from hitting the Earth. Snowflakes had fallen from the previous day engulfing the streets with more white powder. Cars were covered in the white annoyance, infuriating the owners who now had to wait for their engines to warm up before they could move the automobiles. The winds blew across the entire town causing people to shiver despite wearing coats. Sickness had fully emerged and plagued people. A good number of people had been or now in bed trying to fight of the sickness that Mother Nature's frigid winds had caused. That was to be expected in Mid-January going on to End of January. The winter break was over. It was the start of a new term. Students were once again in school. The two week break had come and left in the blink of an eye, leaving many people baffled on rather or not they even had a break to begin with. So life returned to normal for the children and teenagers of Karakura Town. Their mornings were no longer their own. Instead they marched to their respective schools in the morning and left in late afternoon. This morning was no different.

"Get a move on it, Inoue!" A clearly irritated Ichigo stood outside in the unforgiving cold. He was wearing his heavy black winter coat. Today he wore dark gray gloves (a Christmas present from Yuzu). His cheeks were stained with blotches of crimson, the cause was joint effort of Mother Nature's artic breath and his impatient nature was starting to beat way at his temper. "Damn it, what can be taking the girl so long?" he hissed. Unable to resist the cold any longer he crossed his arms together to try and retain more of his heat. He hated walking to school in the winter. January was the worst. That was when winter had fully kicked in. No longer was Karakura a winter wonderland that its residents enjoyed. It had become a bitter enemy that challenged everyone and anyone to cross it if they dared.

"Inoue, hurry up! I am freezing my ass off!" he shouted again.

"I am coming! I just need to check on one more thing!" she called back.

This caused the orange haired man to let out an exhausted groan. He liked Inoue, in fact he adored her in her many quirks. The way she would start babbling about any little thing when she got excited or nervous made her cute. The way she pouted her plush bottom lip when she was annoyed was endearing. The way she fussed over everyone and made sure they were alright was something he loved about her. It was one of her best qualities in his humble opinion. Even her clumsiness brought a small smile to his face. If he was honest with himself all of those things were the reason he was attracted to her. However the one quirk of hers that he did not find endearing or cute in anyway was how long the girl took to get ready. Damn, how long did it take to get ready in the morning? It had to be a girl thing because Yuzu and Karin also took forever to get ready.

Usually she was done by now and they would be on their way to school. For some unknown reason Inoue let him, not let is the wrong word. Inoue demanded he take a shower first and get ready before her. He was clueless as to why she was so demanding this morning. She kept insisting and even went as far as to enlarge her glimmering hazel eyes and pout her plump bottom lip at him. In the most alluring and perhaps adorable tone she could muster she asked him, "Please do this for me." It was a dirty trick, a low blow. How could he resist that face? No matter how many times he battled her or how much training he did to try and defeat that face it never worked. She won another argument without so much as raising her voice. He hated losing. He hated the fact that these loses were become frequent, but he hated himself for giving in to her so easily. But more than anything Ichigo hated that he never cared he lost when she rewarded his surrender with his smile. This woman and her effect on him were absolutely maddening. Inoue was not a manipulative person that's what killed him. She would try to persuade him, but that was it. She was able to exercise control over him without even meaning to.

He took his shower, brushed his teeth, combed his growing orange locks, and got dressed. By the time he got out Inoue hurried him along then jumped in herself. This added to his confusion. She missed breakfast with the family. When she finally came down stairs she gulfed down the meal Yuzu made before returning upstairs to retrieve something which she did not go into detail about. That was five minutes ago. Ichigo was waiting outside of the clinic on the orange haired woman.

"She is taking way too long," he muttered to himself. With every passing second Ichigo got colder and colder. His anger also got higher and higher. Since the term started they had begun to walk to and from school together. On days that Keigo and Mizuiro came by they would simply say she came over for breakfast so they could walk together. His favorite days were when Keigo and Mizuiro did not come over and it was just the two of them walking together. This morning would be one of those days they would just enjoy each other's company if she hurried up that was. He hated the cold! Just when he was fed up the door opened up. Orihime jogged her way through it. She flashed him a quick smile before turning around. She was in her pink jacket, white and pink stripe beanie, and white gloves.

"Bye, Kurosaki-san! Have a nice day!" she told the shinigami turned physician.

"Farewell, Orihime! I wish you a wonderful day as well! Keep Ichigo out of trouble!" he shouted. "He is such a troublesome man. He needs a woman like you to keep him straight!"

A vein formed on Ichigo's forehead. He shook his fist threateningly despite knowing his father could not possibly see it. "Old man….." he seethed.

Orihime found Isshin's comments humorous. Her innocent laugh graced the Kurosaki men's ears. She bid Isshin another farewell. "I'll keep Kurosaki-kun out of trouble. Don't worry." She closed the door and hurried over to scowling orange haired man. Orihime could tell by the vein in his forehead and irritation in his brown eyes that he did not find her tardiness acceptable. In order to appease his legendary wrath the healer urged her feet to go as fast as they could. This had consequences for her. In her rush Orihime failed to see the ice on the sidewalk. When she ran past it she lost her footing and slipped. She staggered trying to recapture her footing. It was to no avail. Orihime found her face in the white powder in the front of the Kurosaki Clinic.

"Inoue!" the ex-substitute cried in panic. He rushed to her side, carefully avoided the ice and went down to the woman within seconds. He helped her out of the snow. She avoided his gaze. He caught a bit of red in her cheeks. It was obvious that she was embarrassed about her fall. He did not find it odd for her to withdraw from him after such a humiliating fall. "Are you alright?"

Not trusting her body not to betray her Orihime brushed her red-orange strands in front of her face to give her some kind of buffer between her burning cheeks and her beloved. "I am fine, Kurosaki-kun!" she quickly blurted out. "I can't believe I slipped on a patch of ice. That's so embarrassing! You probably think I am such a klutz! I shouldn't have been in such a hurry anyway. It is really dangerous to just running in this cold weather in the first place. Eh and my face fell into snow!" She could hear her voice getting higher with each word she spoke. She tried to brush off her fall, but it was no use. Every word she said was about her fall and how clumsy she was. That only reminded her how she had just made a complete fool of herself in front of the man who had stolen her heart. That made her cheeks redder. Did she mention that the entire left side of her face was now numb with cold? Well it was. Life was always so cruel to her!

There she was blabbing about anything that popped into her mind, while she was plainly embarrassed. A small part of him was glad she fell. It wasn't that he enjoyed to her suffer, far from it. He despised it with a passion. The small part mind you was glad Orihime had her accident only because he got to see that bashful attitude go in full force. The constant chattering of nonsense and nervousness were cute. Yes he had to admit it to himself. Although Ichigo found his new behavior to be a bit unsettling at times (he didn't find things cute). He could not help, but find the things that Inoue did were cute. When did he become a walking cliché?

'Probably around the time you started smelling her hair just to get a whiff of her scent,' his subconscious answered. Damn that little annoying voice.

"Inoue!" he called at a volume higher than her chattering. The healer ended her long winded speech. He held out his hand in front of her. "Here, let me help you up," he offered. If it was possible Inoue's face became even redder. She embarrassed way too easily. Orihime took his hand and pulled her up with no difficulty.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun," she said just barely above a whisper. If it weren't for this small break in the wind he was certain he would not have heard her.

"It's no problem." He watched as she brushed the shimmering strands of orange out of her face. She was still determined not to look him in the eye. That probably wouldn't change until her humiliation subsided. "If we don't get going we are going to be late." His last assessment had been incorrect. Orihime let out a loud gasp, looked at her watch then turned to face him. She wore her typical overzealous alarmed mask. It was comical. Her eyes would bulge to the point that they became cartoon like. Her voice would become higher. She would give a little squeal before given in the panic. This was yet another mannerism he had grown to find adorable.

"Oh no!" she squealed just as Ichigo predicted. The ex-substitute smiled when she wasn't looking. "I can't believe I took so long! If we hurry we can still make it on time!" Orihime pulled Kurosaki-kun's arm urging him to move quickly. "We have to move now, Kurosaki-kun!" She moved her legs, but found that she was not moving even an inch. Confused as to why she was not moving despite her legs' best efforts. If she could not move that meant someone had to be holding her in place. The realization hit her like ton of bricks. Orihime turned her head to see the orange haired man was standing firmly preventing her from successfully moving.

"Slow down, Inoue," he said in a strong tone. Despite the force in his voice it was not demanding. It was more urging than demanding. "You just slipped on a patch of ice when you were hurrying. If it weren't for that snow you landed in you could have gotten hurt. We are not going to run. There is no telling how much ice is actually out there."

"But we are going to be late!" she protested.

Ichigo disagreed with her by shaking his head. "If we go at a quick pace without running we could still make it in time. But even if we are late this will be the first time since the new term started." School had been in for two weeks now. Determined not to make a bad impression this term Ichigo vowed to make it to school on time and avoid missing class as much as possible. Both tasks were within reach. Now that he was no longer a substitute shinigami he did not have to worry about disposing of hollows. That freed up a great deal of his time. No more long night patrols meant a decent night's sleep. He could actually get up and not feel like a zombie. No more leaving in the middle of class to take care of hollows or missing lectures. He missed being a shinigami, but normal life had its advantages. For the last two weeks Ichigo had been the model student (while the student he was before he met Rukia anyway). Ochi-sensei commented on his improved behavior. She even went as far as to compliment him on it.

He wanted to maintain his "good student" status by making it to class on time. However if he had to choose between being late thus earning a glare from Ochi-sensei or making it on time, but potentially cause harm to Inoue it was no contest which one he would choose. Beside he could take a hit from Ochi-sensei so long as his Inoue was out of harm's way. "Don't concern yourself over being late just this once. If we are late, we'll just make sure to get there on time the next day. The important thing here is that you are careful where you step on. Honestly as clumsy as you are this ice is like an accident waiting to happen." The image of Orihime with a broken leg sprang fourth from his mind. He shuttered at the thought. "Be careful," he expressed his concerns. If there was ever a time he needed her to be on the same wave length with him it was now. He mentally pushed his fears into her mind and pleaded with her to listen to him.

He spoke in his usual low rough tone, but Orihime could hear the slight pleading hidden with the rough tone. The last thing the healer wanted was to make him worry. "I'll be careful," she promised. To show her sincerity she gave him her ultra-serious expression which was followed up by her determined nod.

It was all that Ichigo could do to keep himself for laughing at that serious expression. He internally shook his head at her antics. Time was a pressing matter, so the two carrot tops began their speed walking. "So?" Ichigo started.

Orihime turned her attention to her protector, already wearing her questioning gaze. "So, what?" she repeated.

Ichigo elaborated, "So are you going to tell me what you were doing that forced me to take a shower first and made you miss breakfast?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Orihime directed her gaze to the sky while she put her arms behind her. She had hoped this gave her a nonchalant gesture. Little did she realize just how much she was underestimating Ichigo's prowess in reading her body language.

He produced a smug grin. If he just stared her down he knew she would crack so that's what he did. He stared at her knowing she would continue to avoid his gaze at all cost while the pit of her stomach would be gnawed at by her conscious. Orihime did not disappoint him. She threw her eyes on anything and everything so long as it was not him. While she kept her mouth closed most likely to avoid spilling her secret to him her body gave away her guilt. One of her hands was playing with her hair, twirling it around. The other hand swung her bag up and down. This would have gone beyond notice from most. Ichigo knew these were all tells. In all the time he had spent with Inoue the past few months he knew she only played with her hair if she nervous about something. She was only nervous if she was lying or trying to keep something secret. She was trying to do both.

"Stop it!" she finally blurted out.

Grin still in place Ichigo merely replied, "Stop what?"

The bottom lip went up. The frustration and annoyance converged into her brown eyes. "You know what."

Ichigo continued to play dumb. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Mm," she pouted. Fine if he wasn't going to stop she would continue to avoid him. It wasn't that hard after all. She could handle his penetrating and accusing stare, right? Implementing her plan the princess refused to look him in the eye or even speak to him. If she spoke she knew she would crack which is what he wanted. She was not going to let him have his way this time. As before Orihime underestimated Ichigo. He kept his eyes on her never moving them once. What was more annoying is that despite how fast she was walking he was keeping up with no problems without even looking! Oh and that annoying sexy smirk of his was both enemy and friend to her. She stole glances at him through the side of her eyes. It was not looking if she did not look directly at him. That's when she noticed the increasing length of his untamed hair had achieved yet another new length.

While it was still not as thick or luscious as it was during his final battle with Aizen it had certainly reached the length it had once been. She hated how she kept stealing glances at it while simultaneously trying to avoid that knowing glare and half curved smile. Throw all that in with his rugged orange hair he was like the ultimate sexy badass of Karakura. Yes, she said he was a sexy badass. It wasn't her fault! Sure she revealed she thought the long hair made him look hot, but had no idea he would grow it out. It was bad enough when he reached the height he achieved during the three months span of training in the Dangai along with the muscle mass. Oh god she noticed his muscles were becoming even more defined. All that fighting with shinigami, hollows, arrancar, and the average thugs had built up his body tone. One day last week he walked into his room without a shirt. He apologized and said he needed a new shirt after Yuzu spilled something on the other one. She tried not to look. She really did. Her traitorous body would not fellow her commands again! Instead she ogled him much like the way her admirers would ogle her.

His arms bulged with new muscles he did not have before. The shoulders had become broader. His frame was still lean, but there were noticeable changes. She could clearly see the beginnings of a six pack forming. His breasts were no longer flabby, now they were firm. So firm that they could probably bounce back anything thrown at them as easily as a wall threw back a rubber ball. Why was she thinking about that now? He was wearing his shirt now there was no reason for her mind to take her back to that day. Now her body was heating up just as it had on that day. Her heart started racing. She felt so hot that she wanted to shed this accursed jacket, but knew if she did he would know something was up. It was hard to believe this started from a stupid smirk he was giving her. He was still wearing it! There was no telling when he would notice that her red face was not from embarrassment. If he even suspected she was aroused she would just die. She was not exaggerating she was fairly sure you could actually die from humiliation. If she died he would never forgive himself. For both of their sakes she would have to rid that stupid arrogant sexy smirk. She had to give in and tell him her secret.

"Stop it!" she finally cracked. Orihime covered her face with her gloved hands just so she could avoid that horrid smirk. "I'll tell what I was doing if you just stop it!"

Inwardly celebrating his victory over the goddess and redeeming his earlier defeat to her Ichigo's grin became a full blown teeth revealing smile. "Spill it, Inoue. What were you doing?"

She did not fully trust him yet. He probably still had his stupid grin on just to make sure she would not back out. Orihime kept her face covered. It was not the best idea considering just how accident prone she was, but she trusted Kurosaki-kun to steer her away from anything dangerous. He did take it upon himself to become her personal protector from everything. "The reason I was late this morning is because I was making you something."

Curiosity made its appearance on his face. "What did you make me?"

Orihime removed her hands from her face, but still avoided his chocolate eyes. She went into her bag and grabbed something he did not catch. The next moment she shoved it into his chest and quickly retreated. Ichigo's reflexes were sharp enough for him to catch whatever it was Inoue handed him. On closer expectation he discovered that he was holding what appeared to be card. He looked up from it to ask her about it, but noticed she was still avoiding him. He opened it up. It was a handmade card. On the card was a little cartoon figures of himself, Rukia, Ishida, Chad, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, and finally herself. They were holding up a sign that read, Congratulations on Your New Job! He looked up from the card again wearing a smile. "Inoue, you made me a card for getting a part time job?"

Orihime nodded. Her hands found their way into her hair again. "Today is your first day. I wanted to show you my support," she said meekly. Last week he had finally gotten the call from Nakamura Electronics for an interview. Kurosaki-kun tried his best not to show it she could tell he was nervous. He combed his hair three times in an attempt to tame it to look presentable without having to cut it. His efforts were in vain though. His father jumped him in his usual manner completely ruining all the work her beloved put into it. He delivered such a beating to Kurosaki-san that none of the girls could bear to watch. Before he could completely spiral down into panic she talked to him.

Flashback

Ichigo sighed for the tenth time in the last ten minutes. He was already tensed enough with the job interview only thirty minutes away then his father had to go in pick a fight with him. He completely messed up his hair! If he wanted to get there ten minutes before his interview (he wanted make a good impression after all) he would have to leave now which meant he could not fix his hair. "Damn you old man." The only thing that made this disaster bearable was the fact he beat his father so badly that Yuzu and Karin had to help him to his office to rest. He sighed yet again then went to the door.

"Wait, Kurosaki-kun!"

He turned around to see the owner of the voice, Inoue Orihime. As soon as he laid eyes on her some of the dread he felt disappear. That small smile worn on her lips was enough to make him momentarily forget his dilemma.

"I want to wish you luck before you go," she stated.

"Thanks." He let out a nervous smile.

His uneasiness was so tangible that she could have sworn she could see it. "I am sure you will get the job." She had to make him relax a little so he could interview well. If he kept all of these negative emotions it would seep through to him and effect how he presented himself and answered the questions.

He tried to keep his weak smile up, but failed miserably. "I hope so. I mean my hair is a mess. I wish I had cut it now." Ichigo ran his hand through his ever growing mane. "It gives off the wrong impression you know."

"Yes, but I am sure you will get it because you are very hard working. You have good references," she reminded. "With all of that you are a shoe in!"

"You forgot something."

"Eh?" she squeaked. Unsure of what he was talking about.

"I also have this." Ichigo held out his good luck charm.

Her eyes lit up. "My good luck charm!" she cried.

"As long as I have this I know I'll get the job," he said with the same conviction he had when he told Ulquiorra he would save her. He managed to produce a true smile for her. She knew while he was still nervous that he still had confidence in his ability and in her charm. That was enough to get him through the interview. She was tempted to kiss him under the pretense of good luck but decided against it. Instead she gave him a quick hug and her best wishes. He bid her farewell and went out the door.

End of Flashback

He was flattered that she would put so much effort into doing this over something minor. It wasn't outstanding art work, but it was better than Rukia's crappy drawings. He could at least tell who everyone was.

The miniature Ishida was wearing his traditional white quincy attire. He even had a little bow to boot. Chad was recognizable due to his black and magenta armored arm. The Mizuiro drawing had his face in his cellphone much like his real life-counterpart. Keigo was waving his arms back and forth giving away his identity. Tatsuki was in her karate wear. Rukia was easy enough to discern with that fake cutesy face she often wore and of course the black from her shihakusho. His drawing was by far the most detailed. He could easily see the brown in his eyes. There was his classic half smile and the V shape his eyebrows made to capture his intensity. What really stood out was that he was holding a large curved shape blade that was unmistakably Zangetsu. That's when he noticed like Rukia he too was wearing a black shihakusho. "You drew me as a shinigami."

"Yes," she muttered. Now that the flames in her body had died down Orihime found the courage to look him in the eye. "That's how Kurosaki-kun sees himself."

"But that's not who I am anymore," he said sour tone.

"You are wrong."

"What?" He gave her a questioning gaze, beckoning her to explain herself. How could he still be a shinigami? He could not even see spirits anymore not to mention he lacked any kind of reiatsu whatsoever. "My life as a shinigami is over."

"No it's not!" she stated. "Kurosaki-kun, you will always be a shinigami." He continued to stare at her with doubt and displeasure. "You may not be a shinigami anymore, but your soul is still one. You still protect everyone you care about. Just because you can't fight hollows anymore or send lost souls to rest or even use a zanpakuto does not change who you are. Kurosaki-kun, the man I know is and will always be protector. He will always do everything within his power and then some to make sure everything he holds dear is safe. That's what a shinigami does. They protect the souls they hold dear from hollows and corruption. So long as you never let go of that, of your protective nature you always be a shinigami. At least that is how I see you as."

A pensive expression formed. He directed his thoughtful gaze to her. "You still see me as a shinigami?" He yearned to understand why she felt this way. How could he still be a protector? Their roles had reversed. She had protected him from an arrancar who had wanted his head. She defeated him in order to protect him. Yet he was still a protector? What a laugh that was. "I can't protect anyone with my power. I can't protect you with these hands." He narrowed his eyes reliving the shame of mortality. The chains of human limitations still bonded him and they would forever bond him. His brown eyes fell to his hand. He urged his brain to remember how it felt when he held Zangetsu in it. The memory was dying. It was like a dream, another life. As months passed the more his body forgot what it was like to soar into the skies, to wield a zanpakuto, to travel at speeds beyond any normal human, even the feeling of reiatsu was starting to escape his memory. In anger he squeezed his hands into a fist, punishing it for forgetting his partner and teacher, Zangetsu. Two hands grabbed on to his hands. They brought him out of his anger. She held both of their hands together and looked up to him. Her eyes were clear. They were surprisingly soothing.

"These hands can still protect me. They protect me every time I wake up from a nightmare. They comfort me by holding me. You don't need a sword to do that. Not having your powers has not stopped you from trying to reach out to me. It certainly did not stop you from protecting me. I don't care if you can't see spirits or if you don't have a zanpakuto. You will always be a protector rather you are a human, shinigami, or hollow. That is why you will always be a shinigami to me."

"Inoue," Ichigo just uttered. He could not find the words he needed to express what he felt for this woman at this moment. Gratitude, satisfaction, joy, secure, thankful, and the strongest emotion he felt for her at the moment was weight crushing attraction, this affection. It drew him towards her. He felt closer to her than he had ever felt before. This affection told him to go over there to wrap his arms around her and kiss her to show her how much she meant to him. It was hard to describe. It was almost nauseating yet overwhelming happiness that came over him. It was familiar from all the other times he found himself feeling particular affectionate towards her, but it was stronger. Was this love? Did he love her? Obviously he loved her like he did all of his friends, but was he in love with her? He had nothing to compare it to. He couldn't exactly say with certainty, but he if he was pressed for an answer at this moment he would have to say yes.

"We are going to be late," she said. "If we don't hurry that is," Orihime elaborated. Ichigo acknowledged her with a nod. They sped up their pace. The conversation had died again. This left the former vizard to ponder on the strength of this familiar yet alien emotion.

The last bell of the day rang. Students hurried out of their classes creating a large mob of people battling to get to the door. In order to avoid the crowds Ichigo decided to stay back and head to the locker rooms. He brought a change of clothes for the day. He had no desire to wear his school uniform on his first day at work. His friends being the shadows they were followed him and waited outside for him. Keigo was about to go in, but Ichigo punched him in the arm. This wasn't gym and since Keigo wasn't changing either it felt a little strange to him to have his friend watch him undress.

"Are you nervous about your first day, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked from his cellphone. He had just secured a date for the evening.

"Eh, maybe a little, but nothing too bad," Ichigo replied from the locker room.

"Why should he be nervous?" Keigo questioned. "He has fought monsters and insane pixie/angel like things. This is going to be a walk in the park for, Ichigo."

"But it is also his first job- job. It is perfectly normal for him to still be nervous," Mizuiro argued.

Keigo was still unsure how anyone who could fight hollows and rogue shinigami could find a part time job as a clerk challenging at all, but dropped it. He decided to start a new topic. "What time do you get off?"

"Well I start at 4: 30 and don't get off until 7: 30 today. Since I am a student I only have work three hours on the weekday. However I make up for it on the weekends. I start work at 1 o'clock and get off at 6."

Keigo whistled amazement. "Five hours on the weekend, huh? Damn that sounds rough."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Masaoka says if it's a slow day that sometimes Nakamura will let one of us go early. Plus schedules are subjected to change. This is all just my first week," Ichigo explained just as he emerged from the locker room. He was wearing old faded blue jeans, with short sleeved red T-shirt; over it he wore jean shirt/coat. In one hand he was carrying a bag that held his uniform. The other hand held his school bag in it. "Chad seems to have similar hours too so it sounds typical. It's not that different from school."

"That's true. When you really think about it anyway," Keigo agreed. "Since you get off at 7: 30 you guys want to go get something to eat later?"

Mizuiro was the first to answer. "I have a date. Can't make it," he replied quickly. He was already texting back a reply on his phone to the girl as he spoke.

Disappointment showed on Keigo's face he did not let that deter him. After all he still had one more friend to convince. "Looks like it will be just me and you Ichigo."

Like Mizuiro, Ichigo had to decline Keigo's offer. "Sorry I can't. When I get off I have to go home and do my homework. Afterwards I am hanging out with Inoue. She's supposed to be taking me out for a celebration for getting my job."

"So you both have dates!" cried Keigo. Ichigo and Mizuiro counted down until the bomb that was Keigo would go off on wild rants that frankly went nowhere. "I am the only one among us without a girlfriend! How did this happen? I am a good looking guy! I have a great personality and make people laugh! I should be able to easily get a date!" he whined.

Mizuiro sent of his text. He was now ready to deal with the storm that was one of his best friends. "You scream and whine a lot that might have something to do with it," the short man jabbed. "There is the fact that you are known pervert."

"What are you saying that women do not find me attractive or appealing?"

"In a nut shell yes."

A wave of sadness washed over Keigo completely causing him to sink to his knees. The atmosphere around him became bleak and hopeless. Tears streamed down his eyes. "Hmm, hmm, hmm," he whined like a dog.

Ichigo and Mizuiro almost fell down at the sight of the now very blue Keigo. "This is ridiculous. Get up Keigo and stop embarrassing us and you!" Ichigo shouted. His pleas either did not make it to Keigo or Keigo did not care. Ichigo's temper flared. "Damn it, I said get up now!"

Keigo shook his head sadly. "No, I am too depressed to stand again," he pouted as traced small circles on the floor.

The chocolate eyes were flickering from annoyance. 'This guy is too much,' Ichigo thought.

Mizuiro had the opposite expression of Ichigo's. His eyelids were closed with amusement while his lips were curled into a U shape. "Asano-san is too much," he joked using Keigo's surname to annoy him to boot.

"Don't call me that," Keigo protested in the same defeated tone.

Keigo did not look as though he would get out of his latest depressed state anytime soon. The obsessive cellphone user went to converse with the ex-substitute instead. "Ichigo, you are hanging out with Inoue again? That's good news right?"

"Yeah, I just hope she doesn't do anything too over the top. She already made me this card. She really doesn't need to do anything else."

"You should be happy. She is obviously going through all this trouble just for you. It is proof of her affection for you," Mizuiro said knowingly.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "I think you are reading too much into it. She just wants to celebrate as friends."

He couldn't believe his ears. How could Ichigo still be in the dark about Inoue's affections for him? She wasn't very good at hiding it. The orange haired man was the definition of oblivious. "Come on, Ichigo. Get with it. There is more than just friendship with you and Inoue."

"Sure it is," Ichigo scoffed.

"I am being serious. You two are inseparable at this point. She goes out of her way to eat breakfast with your family just to walk to school with you. The two of you do homework together at your house. She even eats dinner with your family. Arisawa is complaining because you take most of her time."

"What's your point?" Ichigo asked. He wanted know where Mizuiro was going with this.

"That you two are in a relationship without even realizing it."

"What? That's crazy. That sort of stuff only happens in T.V. shows and manga." Honestly that never happened in real life. Being in a relationship without even knowing it, he expected that from Keigo, but not Mizuiro. Mizuiro was the sensible one.

"Two months ago I would have agreed with you. But somehow you and Inoue managed to bring the myth to life," he joked. His cellphone went off. He went for it. Ready to read the reply his date gave him.

"You are exaggerating."

Mizuiro silently read his text before responding to Ichigo. "You constantly ask a girl to eat with you or see the movies with you or just hang out with you alone. You insist it is just the two of you. You hold hands. Yes we've all noticed the hand holding, which reminds me you two look for any excuse to touch each other. Today at lunch you spilled some food on your coat and Inoue wiped it off for you, but kept her hand on your chest longer than it needed to be. There is the constant flirting. The charged stares you two share. Do I need to keep going or did I make my point?"

He was left speechless. Mizuiro was far more observant than he gave him credit for. He remembered all of that and recited it back to Ichigo. Ichigo wasn't a total idiot. He sensed something was different between them. It seemed like ever since that day two weeks ago when he asked her out for ramen that something changed. Orihime was no longer pulling away from him. She gave more of herself to him. She told him about a conversation she overheard her brother have with her mother. She even told him of her fears of becoming just as bad as her mother. Personally he thought it was ludicrous for Orihime to ever be as bad as her mother with the little he knew of her. He was both touched and honored that she would share something so personal with him. In turn he told her stories about his own mother. She was delighted to hear his stories. Their bond had never been stronger. He thought if bullet proof now.

Their new closeness was not just emotional. As Mizuiro pointed out they had become more physical. Not in that sense, but they did hold hands in public minus school. He wasn't sure how it occurred. They were walking home one day and he noticed their fingers intervened. Instead of blushing or freaking out he merely shrugged it off and continued to hold it until they reached the clinic. She was already prone to resting her body on his. Before she would do it sparingly like when they had their date on Christmas Eve or during the New Year's party at Urahara's shop. Now these touches became frequent. He wondered what she would do if he did the same thing. When they were reading their assignments he joined her on the bed. He built up his courage and rested his head on her lap. She said nothing and allowed him to do it. It was natural almost. He noticed all of these changes but refused to acknowledge them. He was afraid. Afraid that if he mentioned them that Inoue would stop, and put boundaries to their ever growing relationship. He didn't want that. He wanted to learn more about her. He wanted to hold her hand for no reason other than he wanted to. He wanted to lay his head on her lap. If he did not acknowledge these changes there was no fear of it ending. Being so committed to this lie that he was he refused to even hope that these evolving feelings were romantic in anyway.

"I better get going if I want make it in time for work," he told Mizuiro.

'Typical Ichigo he is changing the subject. Oh well it can't be helped I suppose,' Mizuiro thought. "I'll see you then." Mizuiro waved Ichigo a farewell.

With his back turned Ichigo returned the wave. "See you, Mizuiro, Keigo," he called back. He was just happy to get out of there. Ichigo may have become more open with Orihime, but that curtsey did not extend to the rest of his friends. He certainly did not wish to share his fears about this. It felt a little too personal for his tastes. He would figure out his relationship with the beautiful healer on his own.

The first hour had been uneventful. There were a few customers to come in every fifteen minutes or so, but it had been quiet. According to Masaoka Mondays in the mid-afternoon were slow. She said it would pick up at 6. Ichigo's first day was going well. Masaoka showed him were they kept the safe, gave him a key to the locks of cases in order to retrieve encased items for buyers, showed him the break room, etc. Right now he was putting CDs up. He thought it wiser to do this task now before things picked up as Masaoka said.

"Hey, Masaoka!" he called.

"What is it, Ichi-kun?" she called back. That was her nickname for him. He cringed at it when she greeted him by that name today. She knew it bugged him, but did it anyway.

"What do we do if some of these don't sale?"

"Well it depends. Sometimes we just leave them out until someone buys them. Other times we just sale them back to our supplier." She was leaning on the register. Today she wore white long sleeved shirt with a yellow vest. She wore jeans again. "Why, are you hoping to get some CDs for free?" she joked.

"Of course not!" he quickly protested. She narrowed her eyes almost suspiciously before grinning.

"If you say so, Ichi-kun." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Say it like you actually believe me!" he screamed in irritation.

"Hey, hey you do not have to explain anything to me. I get it. If you can get it for free of course you would be interested. I should warn you that if steal from the store in addition to being fired charges will be pressed."

"I am no thief! The fact that you would even suggest a thing is insulting!"

Shiori continued to shake her head as though she were dealing with child throwing a temper tantrum. "I am not the one who asked about CDs am I?"

"You," Ichigo seethed.

"Calm down, clam down. I was only having a bit of fun." She waved her hand in an attempt to make a flag of surrender. "Truce, alright."

"Truce," he agreed. Masaoka was interesting to say the least. She was cool. They had the same tastes in music so they talked about a few songs they liked to listen to. She loved to tease him, but despite how worked up he made himself seem the truth was he did not mind it so much. She didn't go to Karakura High. She went to another school he had already forgotten the name of it. She had been working at Nakamura Electronics for about a year now. She knew the ropes at this point and was passing the reins down to him so to speak. The girl was bold. She didn't seem to take crap from anyone. When an unruly customer made trouble for her when he walked in she basically told him he could either accept that she could not give him a refund or shop somewhere else. Her exact words were, "I am not going to kiss your ass and do whatever you want. We have rules here. Just because you broke your DVD player does not entitle you to a refund without a receipt." It didn't end there. His brain went blank and he forgot her name. Ichigo had to embarrassingly ask her for her name again. She smirked in that same alluring manner as she did two weeks ago. Gorgeous golden haired woman pointed at the name tag on her chest then asked him if he liked what he saw. Of course he went completely red to her amusement. Needless to say after that he made her name into a mantra to avoid another situation like that.

Ichigo put the last CD up. Taking pride at a job well down Ichigo allowed himself to smile. He allowed his gaze to linger on the CDs for a while longer. He failed to notice a slim figure sneak up behind him. She waited to see if he would turn around. When he did not she pounced, throwing her arms on to him, startling him. "Got you!" She pulled him down. They collapsed on the floor.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed. His back was on the floor, while Shiori was lying on top of him. The sky blue eyed woman made no attempt to hide her amusement. She let out string of giggles. "I fail to see how this is funny!"

"Let's see me scaring you then us falling down. Yes that is very funny." She renewed her laughter.

His ire was still very much stirred. However seeing Masaoka laughing or perhaps seeing the humor of the situation himself his wrath he allowed himself to smile slightly. She was just lucky she was so light or else his wrath would not be so easily appeased. "Yeah, yeah, ok I guess it was sort of funny."

"It was totally funny. Lighten up, Ichi-kun. Nobody is here. We can afford to goof around for a bit. Besides you get to have someone like me lying on top of you. It's can't be all that bad." The last part was soft and siren like. The oddly pale blue eyes igniting with hungry that Ichigo had never seen before. The look shook him. What did it mean?

He was about to respond the door opened up. This is just what he needed, a customer walking in and seeing two co-workers on the ground in a compromising position and on his first day too. Could it get any worse?

"Kurosaki-kun?" cried an astonished and familiar voice.

His eyes widened in horror. The universe met his challenge yet again and made it worse, much worse. Ichigo shifted his head to the left to see Orihime standing in the doorway. In all the time he had known her he could not recall her wearing an expression of such utter shock. Her mouth was open while her hazel eyes were scrunched up. Perhaps she thought if she adjusted her eyes enough she would make this image before go away. "I-Inoue," he called weakly. "Hi," he greeted. She said nothing and continued to stare at him or rather them. Damn why didn't Masaoka get off of him?

"Hi," Masaoka greeted the red-orange haired woman. "You are friend of Ichi-kun here, right?" It was then she realized she was still on top of Ichigo. She lifted herself from him (to Ichigo's delight). He followed her lead got to his feet.

"I-Ichi-kun?" the healer repeated. She looked from Shiori to Ichigo. Her gaze stayed with him. He knew what she was trying convey. Her hazel eyes silently asked him to explain why Masaoka was on top of him. He saw the mixture of surprise and what he thought was anger. However he blinked and the second emotion was gone leaving only surprise.

"This isn't what it looks like!" he blurted out. Both women turned to him. "Masaoka thought it was funny to play a joke on by scaring me and we fell down. That's when you came in," he continued in quick succession. They both continued to stare at him. However his focus was completely on Orihime. She looked miffed, but it quickly went away.

"Oh I see," Orihime said.

There was something off with her tone. It seemed strained almost forced. It was as if it was all she could from keeping her voice even. She was obviously bothered by his little episode with Masaoka. He just wasn't sure how much.

"Hi I'm sorry. I was just joking around. I didn't mean to jump all over your boyfriend here," Shiori apologized.

Orihime turned to Ichigo again. She saw how tense he was. She knew he was telling her the truth. The minute he spoke she knew it was all true. However it still didn't change the fact that this girl was on him. She called him Ichi-kun! Who was she to call him that? They had only met what two or three times and she called him Ichi-kun already! She was never so bold. It bothered her that this woman was lying on her Kurosaki-kun, giving him a nick name. That's when she took in her appearance. This girl was like a living work of art. Every curve, her figure, her face, her eyes, her nose, and even a speck on her seemed to be there by design. That gnawing feeling that was eating away at her stomach was flaring up. The green eyed monster had possessed her. Suddenly she did not want her Kurosaki-kun anywhere near this woman. When she realized what she was thinking she pushed that thought out of her head. This was his co-worker here and nothing happened. Orihime refused to be that girl, the one who did not want her boyfriend near a pretty face.

'Wait did I just think of Kurosaki-kun as my boyfriend?' she thought. How presumptuous was that? They weren't a couple. They were, she wasn't exactly sure what they were, but they did not clarify it.

"Inoue," Ichigo called. She just stood there. His protective natural was starting to set in.

"Yes," Orihime replied.

Shiori said, "You were kind of just spacing out there."

"Oh I'm fine!" She forced a smile on. "I was just um…."

"Upset you saw me on your boyfriend," Shiori said embarrassingly. Her cheeks were red.

"Well we are friends," she answered.

"Oh, really," Shiori said with a hint of enthusiasm. Orihime picked up on it. A small frown suddenly formed. She did not like hearing this girl brighten at that news. She regretted saying anything at all now.

"Inoue," Ichigo tried again. She took her eyes off Masaoka and turned them on him. He was taken aback slightly when he saw the glare. Like before it dissipated before he could get a closer look.

"Yes, Kurosaki-kun." The same forced cheer radiated in her voice.

"Umm, let me introduce you. This is my co-worker, Masaoka Shiori. Masaoka this is Inoue Orihime, one of my best friends." He observed the two woman shake hands giving each other smiles that seemed false to him. "Hey, Inoue did you need something?"

"No, I just came here to see how your first day was going," Orihime replied. She tried to hide her jealousy from him. She did not want him to see her like that.

"Things have been slow so far. Masaoka says they will pick up at 6." There it was again that displeased frown grace her lips once more. Just as quickly as it appeared it disappeared. That frown and that glare sent chills down his spine. "Hey are we still on for tonight?" he asked.

"Huh? I mean yes tonight. Yes we are still on for tonight. It is almost 6 now. I don't want to stop you two from working." She turned for the door. "Bye Kurosaki-kun I'll see you later. Bye Masaoka-chan!" They said their farewells and she was out of there. As soon as she left the store her force smile fell into a frown. She could not believe how possessive she was back there. It was so unlike her. Even when she was jealous of Kuchiki-san she was never like that. The moment her eyes fell on that girl lying on Ichigo, with this look of desire it set her off. Masaoka was going to be Ichigo's co-worker she had to get her jealousy in check. That was easier said than done though. There was still that suppressed joy when Masaoka found out Ichigo was not her boyfriend. Suddenly she recalled Yuzu's words.

"You should tell him. I mean you say you are fine with just being his friend, but what will you do if he shows interest in another girl?"

Could Yuzu's words have been a true? Did she wait too long? Was Kurosaki-kun interested in that girl? No she wouldn't even think of that. It was too painful to even think of her orange haired savior giving Masaoka that same loving stare that he gave Kuchiki-san, the same one he gave her. There no sense in worrying about something that had not happened yet. Tonight they would talk like they always did. Until then she was determined to not think about Masaoka Shiori.

They had been walking for some time now. He wondered where this celebration would be exactly. When he got home Orihime hurried him along up stairs. She told him to finish his homework so that they could hurry up and go. She was a bouncing ball of electricity constantly jumping from one spot to another one. He asked her what had gotten her in this good of a mood she simply said he would have to wait and see. Several questions later and having them all shot down the ex-substitute conceded trying to weasel any information out of the goddess. Ichigo did as she wished and did his homework. With Orihime's help he was able to quickly power through the assignments. The second he finished writing she grabbed him his hand and hurried him along. He was very interested in what had gotten Inoue this excited. He hadn't seen this side to her in a while.

They bid his family a farewell and they were out the door. Inoue guided him to wherever they were going and he just followed. The journey had a comfortable silence that lulled them into well-deserved and sought peace; a peace that did not seem to be in sight during the war. She spoke only once to tell him to shut his eyes. When he asked why she replied that it was a surprise. He recognized that furious determination in her eyes. No amount of staring would break her resolve this time. With no chance of victory Ichigo did as she asked and allowed Inoue to lead him to their mystery destination. He stayed true to his word and kept his eyes shut. He had no idea where they were or how long they had been walking. Despite this he had no fear. That was the strength of their bond. He trusted Inoue with his life. He would follow her anywhere without hesitation.

"We are here," she said excitedly.

"Can I open my eyes now?" he ventured.

"Yes," Orihime replied.

Ichigo opened his eyelids. His heart stopped for a second. His eyes found one of his favorite sights to see when they opened, her smiling beautiful face. It was a sight he was certain he would never grow tired of.

"Toda," cheered the healer. Orihime moved out of his line of sight revealing her apartment door. He face frowned in perplexity. His surprise was her apartment? They must have been on the same wavelength at that moment because she addressed his question. "It is inside," Orihime stated. She intertwined her fingers with his. Without words she beckoned him to follow her. Once again without doubt he followed her. They went through the door. The apartment was free from any clutter or dust. Orihime stayed with the Kurosakis she still made it a point to go home every so often. She had to maintain it for when she finally returned. Plus Tatsuki was still no wiser to her residency at the clinic. It helped to keep the place still looking in shape for when Tatsuki and she hung out. Ichigo scanned the room to find any changes. Everything looked normal until he spotted a table set for two.

"You um made me dinner?" he asked nervously. He hoped that his face did not show the dread that taken over his heart. Inoue had odd taste in food. She mixed very unlikely ingredients and food items together. Ichigo would brave through a lot and he had. One thing he had prayed and hoped he would never have to brave her cooking.

"Actually I didn't make dinner."

Oh thank the gods. His stomach was safe for another day. It showed its gratitude by doing summersaults.

"I took some of Yuzu-chan's meal and brought it here earlier when you were at work," she explained. She crossed the room with Ichigo in toe. "That's not all."

"Oh," he said with bit of mirth. "What is the rest of it?" He crossed his legs and sat on the floor, in front of the table.

"I just rented one of your favorite movies, Demon Fighter 2!" Orihime presented the DVD cover.

Ichigo's face lit up (not to the extent that Inoue did of course) "Alright! Don't tell me you rented this while I was at work too?"

The healer nodded. "The reason I visited you today is because I was going to the video store to rent it," she explained.

"You lied to me without giving yourself away."

"No! I did not lie to you! I did stop by the store to visit you. I just neglected to tell you I was going to the video store afterwards," she defended.

"I think I might be a bad influence on you," he joked. "I better watch my back. Tatsuki is sure to hunt me down once she finds out about your increasing deviousness."

Orihime shook her head back and forth. "Don't say things like that!"

A smile broke out on his face. Inoue seemed to get these glow to her when she became flustered. "Sorry," he apologized.

She was quick to forgive him. "Do you want to eat first then watch the movie or do both?"

That was right her table was set up near the T.V. If they wanted to they could actually do both. "How about we eat first then watch the movie?"

"That sounds good to me." Orihime took her seat across from him. They started to devour their meals. "How did the rest of your day go?"

"It went good. After you left the store got a lot busier. It made time go by quicker."

"You and Masaoka-chan were pretty busy then?"

When she mentioned Masaoka he tensed up. He was hoping this wouldn't come up. "Yeah, we were pretty busy," he replied.

"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime summoned. Ichigo gave her his attention. She was unsure how to exactly broach this subject. "How do you like Masaoka-chan?" His skin turned as white as the hollow form he took when he was resurrected.

"H-How do you mean?" The confidence he was usually known for had abandoned him.

"It's as it sounds," she said with a bit of annoyance. Was he trying to avoid the question? "Do you think she's nice or pretty?" All of her being was now focused on him and his answer.

"Well she is cool I guess. She reminds me of Yoruichi-san." He was looking straight at his plate, but he felt her stare on him. Sweat started to escape his pours. This was no longer a care free conversation. It was interrogation. He had to choose his words very carefully.

"I am glad you get along with your new co-worker so far." That didn't tell her anything. He did not answer rather she was pretty or not. This called for a new tactic. "Masaoka-chan is very pretty, don't you think?"

"Umm, I guess. I haven't really noticed," he said unconvincingly. It was a good thing he avoided her gaze because she was shooting him a glare. She hated when he lied to her.

"Kurosaki-kun, I…..I felt bothered when I saw Masaoka-chan lying on top of you today." Ichigo looked up from his meal. His eyes had broadened. It was apparent that he had not expected her to say that. "I….I don't like how she was looking at you when I came in there. I am unsure if this is stepping over any boundaries, but I want to tell you how I feel. I know she is your co-worker. I know you will be spending a lot of time with her. I just…. That way she looked at you it just…."

"It bothered you," he finished for her. The healer nodded in agreement. "Inoue, you are very special to me."

"I know," she said.

"I am sorry I made you feel….bothered. You know I didn't do anything though right?"

"Yes, I know you didn't. I believed you when you told me earlier this evening."

He let out a huge breath of relief. Thank whatever deity it was that made her believed him. "After you left customers came in by the minute. We spent the rest of time ringing items up and retrieving things for people," Ichigo explained. He rested his hand on her knee. "You don't have to worry. We are good, right? Things between us have been going so good. I feel like you know me better than anyone else. I love being so in tune with you. You know when I feel shitty and tell listen to me or make me feel better. You….we…..our bond it's different from the other bonds I have with Chad or Ishida or Rukia." He moved his hand to her hair. He brushed the vibrant orange strands away. "Our bond is so strong, it feels untouchable, but I don't want to test that."

"What are you saying?" Orihime asked.

"If Masaoka bothers you I can quit."

"What?" she uttered. Orihime stared at him unsure if this was reality or fantasy.

"Inoue, today I talked to Mizuiro and realized how much closer we are. I don't want to lose that. I don't want you to pull away from me. The way you looked at Masaoka today I was afraid you might start to do that."

"But you just started working there. I shouldn't have mentioned this."

"No, I am glad you told me. I want you to be honest with me about how you feel."

"I am being selfish. I can't ask you to quit a job because I felt bothered by something," she argued.

"I don't want you to feel that way."

"You can't always put me above yourself!" she blurted out. He was taken aback. "I didn't tell you that so you would quit. I just wanted to know where we stood. You need this job." Her fingers touched the cool flesh of his hand still in her hair. "I won't pull away from you, but you can't quit this job. I know that's hard for you because you want to protect me. That's your nature. But sometimes it makes you do drastic things. I am going to protect you from yourself."

He scrunched his face up. "Protect me from myself?"

She smiled. "I told you there are times when I can protect you. This is one of those times. Promise me you will keep this job. Kurosaki-kun, I want you to be happy. I think you aren't going to be if you keep putting my needs first. I think you'll start to resent me if you do that."

"I would never resent you!"

"Not yet, but always making changes for me without a thought to yourself. I'll get over it. Masaoka-chan and I will probably become good friends. I'll deal with it, but please don't quit for me. Trust our bond. You said yourself it is so strong that it can endure anything. I believe that too. I believe that because I don't want to lose any part of you either. I want to us to keep what we have now and get more. But that won't happen if you don't trust our bond."

"Damn you are a lot smarter than me." His lips curved into a U shape. "Inoue, thanks for protecting me. I'll trust our bond and won't quit." His smile formed on her flawless face.

"Do you want to watch the movie now?" she asked.

Ichigo however shook his head surprising her. "I would rather just sit here with you." Their fingers became intertwined once more. Orihime crawled over to him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is what you want to do?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I like holding this hand."

Blush formed on her face. "I like resting on your shoulder."

"Inoue, don't take this the wrong way, but um would you mind if I slept in my bed with you tonight?" She took her head from his shoulder and looked up at him with an unknown look. "I don't want to be away from you tonight."

"I don't mind at all."

Whatever they were or weren't she could no longer deny that there was something there. They both felt it at this point. It wasn't a declaration of love, but that was fine. Their bond was evolving slowly, but considering whom they were it made sense. It might not be what Rukia or Tatsuki had intended for it to be, but it was just right for Orihime. She was still making her bond with Ichigo be what she wanted it.

Do you hate me for no actual confession yet? Stick with me its leading somewhere guys, I promise. It's Ichigo and Orihime though. They are stubborn and emotionally guarded people. The progress is slow, but I think they would actually be this slow. Orihime won't tell Ichigo and while Ichigo loves his friends he keeps them out most of the time. I can't imagine him being any better than Inoue at telling anyone he has feelings for them. That's kind why I am doing this semi-relationship thing. They know they are going beyond friends now, but fear and nervousness if keeping them from bringing it up. This is going somewhere. January is almost over and you know what that means, February which has a certain holiday in it. I hope you guys like it. Please review.