The day she saw the rain falling

She was sitting by the window, her head over her arms and her eyes dropping with tiredness, when she felt his reiatsu and looking up, saw his rigid frame and almost bending figure walking down the street, umbrella in hand.

She ran to her door, opened it and ran down the stairs until she was in front of him in the street.

"Inoue! What are you doing outside?" he asked, his scowl even more pronounced than moments ago. The rain was pouring around them, but the shoeless girl paid it no mind. She just whispered the boy's name and grabbing his free hand pulled him behind her and into her house.

Leaving the dripping umbrella beside the front door and his jacket on the floor, he was guided to her living room, where she made him sit while she grabbed a towel.

She started drying his hair and even if he tried to stop her and do it by himself she was having none of that and continued with her ministrations. After some moments, he finally relaxed under her touch and his scowl was replaced by a calm expression.

"You don't like the rain." Inoue said; it was not a question, but an affirmation.

The scowl returned to his face instantly.

"You blame the rain for what happened..." she said and didn't have to finish the sentence for the both of them to know the unsaid words when your mother died. "And when that hollow tried to hurt your sisters…"

"Inoue…" he warned in a low voice. He didn't want to talk about that, not now, when he was finally starting to feel some peace after a busy day of school and work.

"Kurosaki-kun…" Inoue sighed and stopped her drying.

"You like the rain…" Ichigo replied and felt Orihime's chin rest over his hair and her nodding movement. "Why? It was raining when your brother…" he trailed off, feeling the girl walk around his body and sit in front of him.

She grabbed his hands once again and rubbed them. Without looking up, she broke the silence.

"The rain is the only way to connect the sky and the earth… it binds two things that, without that, would never mingle… It can wash away the sadness and bring a new light to the world… The rain can hide your tears when you don't want anyone to see them… It can lull you to sleep and make you laugh when you jump over the ponds…" Orihime whispered and looking up, she saw his serious face observing her.

"But it can take from you so much… It can wash your precious people away… It can hurt you…" Ichigo replied and after a few moments of silence he spoke again. "Do you know what my inner world looks like when I'm sad?" he asked and she didn't have to answer: probably like a flooded city…

"Kurosaki-kun… you can't blame the rain for what happens in our lives… Because, for every rainy day there will always be a rainbow after that…" the girl whispered, her face approaching his.

They could still hear the water pouring outside, but when their lips mingled like the earth and sky, they forgot they were ever apart.

"Inoue…" Ichigo sighed, his forehead against hers.

"I won't talk about the rain anymore…" she replied and he looked up into her shiny eyes. "But look…" she said, pointing towards her open window.

They could see the sun starting to shine behind the clouds and the light creating the colorful arch.

"Let's go…" Ichigo said, getting up and pulling her behind him.

"Where?" she asked, when he extended the girl her jacket and boots.

"Teach me how to jump over the ponds…" he said and her face illuminated. The girl opened the door and pulling him behind her, the couple stepped out into the meshing of sun-and-rain day.

I will be like the rain and mingle you and your happiness together… like they never were apart…