A/N: Hey guys! It's the last chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update :( I had a few tests to take and they totally preoccupied my mind and time, but we're here now and that's all that matters :D

Disclaimer: does not own Bleach… Sadly.


Ichigo glared at her from his seat.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he's seen her before, maybe in a picture or something. But his mind hadn't prepared him for the splendor her presence had over him.

Even if she sat across the room from him.

Tatsuki said something to her which made her tap her bottom lip with her forefinger in thought. She smiled and gave her friend an answer at which they both laughed.

He couldn't hear her laugh, but he bet it sounded wonderful.

"I hope to have a great semester this year." Professor Ōtoribashi said sweetly, tugging loosely on his frilly shirt. "I'm looking forward to grading stacks and stacks of papers to give bare minimum grades to make it harder for you all to pass." Rōjūrō smiled. "Have a nice day."

Ichigo immediately stood to get a better view of her. Damn it, Tatsuki. Her head was in the way. The two of them met up with Chizuru and walked out into the courtyard. Of course Ichigo's class was in the other direction but he couldn't help to follow.

Her long, bright, hair bounced a little when she walked and between all the noises around him he could finally hear the laugh he was dying to hear.

It was a soft, bubbly giggle as she turned her head and smiled at Chizuru.

Ichigo phone buzzed and he smirked at the message.

So, how do u like the University? The text read.

Its fine gettn the feel of it all. He texted back. Hows tht fancy smanshy school u at?

Fine. Byakuya got me on a tight schedule. Wont be able to visit soon.

An arm wrapped around Ichigo's neck and tugged him down. "Who ya texting, huh?" A familiar voice joked.

Ichigo pushed his friend Akashi off of him before shoving his phone back in his pocket. "No one."

The senior grinned slyly. "Ya ready to party tonight?!" Akashi started. "I know I am."

Ichigo nodded his head. "Ah huh." Akashi was an old family friend, wasn't very bright though.

Akashi rubbed his hands together, licking his lips. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to meet some girls tonight."

Ichigo lifted a brow. "Yeah…" He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Akashi. Just don't do anything stupid."

Akashi shook his head innocently. "No, never that!"

Orihime wrapped the sandwich in foil and plopped it in a brown paper bag. She turned and handed it to her daughter. "Here you go!"

Hitomi yawned and took the bag. "Thanks."

"You need me to drive you?" Orihime asked. She'd be late if she walked. Hitomi always had trouble with mornings. She'd need to over come that if she wanted to take over BabyCakes one day.

Hitomi sat at the kitchen table and stared down at her phone. "No, Kei's picking me up. Her mom said I can stay over the whole weekend if I wanted." There was a loud honk outside and she perked up. "Oh, she's here! Bye."

Hitomi almost ran her father over as she zoomed out the door. Ichigo jumped back. "Hey!"

"Hi…" Orihime kissed him on the cheek. "I thought you left."

Ichigo opened the refrigerator. "I took a day off."

"The boss?" Orihime exclaimed in a joking voice. "Taking a day off?"

Ichigo closed the frig. "Everyone needs a break once in a while." He kissed her on the lips. "Especially on their anniversary."

Orihime made to placed bread into the toaster but Ichigo stopped her with a hand to the wrist. "A break, remember?" Making breakfast was out of the question. "I'll just have an apple."


Later that night.


Orihime persistently pulled at tight dress she was forcefully squeezed into. "Rangiku…. This is too short."

Orihime would have never agreed to come to this party if it meant her boobs were pushed up to her ears, her face was packed with clown makeup and her feet became stilts. What type of human would torture there sole like this?

Rangiku stopped and stared at the freshman, a smile creeping onto her face. "I knew that dress would look good on you! Only girls like us can this dress look that good." Orihime blushed when two boys walked by as Rangiku adjusted the halter top straps. "You filled it out really well."

Orihime glanced up at Rangiku's outfit, which managed to look just as tight, if not tighter, and skimpier. "But I'm cold…" Orihime whispered softly.

The senior rolled her eyes. "You want some cheese to go with that wine?"

Rangiku grabbed her arm and tugged her down the sidewalk. Orihime could just hear the music coming from the fraternity house. "Rangiku… I don't go to parties."

"You're in college!" Rangiku sang. "It's time to start living!"

Orihime closed her favorite book. She sighed, it never got old.

Sometimes Orihime thought back and wondered if they were too young to get married. Twenty-two seemed so far away from now, but it didn't feel like twenty-one years of marriage. She didn't feel that old.

"Ichigo, have you spoken to Tamotsu?"

Ichigo folded down his paper. "Yes. He said Sousuke is teaching him the ins and outs of the business. He says he'll be his successor one day." The man took off his glasses to get a good look at her. "How do you feel about it all?"

Orihime closed her eyes for a moment. "It's… surreal. But it's the way things are... Its how it should had been in the first place..."

"Rangiku, don't leave me," Orihime whispered. It was scary inside. The music was way too loud. Everyone was older and different. Tatsuki said she'd come but she needed to finish her homework. Why did she agree again? Oh right, because she's an idiot.

Rangiku poured her third cup of punch. "Of course I won't." She took a sip out of her red plastic cup. "The punch is to die for. There are these chunks of pineapple and strawberries…"

Orihime froze when she felt a warm body come up behind her. "Hey, wanna dance?" some guy asked.

Orihime shook her head, petrified. "No thank you," she said quickly.

The guy lifted his brow and turned to Rangiku. "Matsumoto?" He took her hand and kissed it. How suave.

Rangiku winked and smiled. "Leave me a spot on the dance floor for later."

Rangiku was ready to move, to dance, though her head hurt, headaches never stopped her from having fun. Only legit hangovers. And she wasn't going to get a hangover from standing around near the refreshment table.

Rangiku poured Orihime a drink and pushed her off the table.

"Hey! Rangiku-"

"Orihime, you see that guy over there?" She said into her ear. Orihime tried to lift her head but Matsumoto told her not to look. "He's been staring at you all night."

Orihime blushed. "No…"

Rangiku nodded. "Yes, really! Go talk to him."

It was that guy she's seen a few times in the courtyard, a smoker, just sitting there with his friends but not much of a talker. The only reason she's noticed him is because he stares at he sometimes- every time in fact. It was creepy then… and kind of creepy now.

"I just can't talk to him. It's… weird."

Rangiku grabbed her arm. "Follow my lead."

The duo walked beside him and stopped. Rangiku went on about some random story and Orihime nodded her head, pretending it was so interesting. The guy just leaned against the wall, staring.

"Oh! I forgot my purse over there!" Rangiku exclaimed quite dramatically.

"Rangiku!" Orihime hissed. "You have no purse!"

She just winked and sashayed away leaving Orihime standing awkwardly in her tight, revealing dress and drink by the strange guy. She took a big gulp of her punch to ease the creeping pain in her head.

"Hey…" a deep voice drowned.

Orihime turned on her heels and smiled wider than she meant to. "Hi!"

The guy flipped his dark hair to the side. "Cool party, right?"

"Um, yeah! It's… cool." Orihime took another big gulp out of her cup. "I like the punch!"

His eyes seemed to sparkle at that. "It's good?" He asked rhetorically. "I made it myself."

Orihime closed her eyes briefly. The pain in her head had become more pronounced as her body became heavier. And did it get hotter in there or what? "Oh! Well the pineapples and the… the… th-"

"The strawberries?" He offered.

"Yeah! Yeah, the strawberries… they're… they're good." Orihime drained the cup. "…Did this have alcohol in it?"

The guy stood and smiled. "A little."

Orihime's blush reddened as he came up closer than expected. Where was Rangiku? "Oh, I don't drink often… I hardly drink at all! Except for that one time at my aunt's vow renewal but I only had a drink or two, nothing major…" Orihime inhaled deeply and exhaled quickly which seemed to blow against his face. She seemed to be stuck between him and the wall which she had the sudden urge to lean on.

"That's cool…" He said, lightly touching her waist. "I like your style."

"Tha… thanks…" She slurred.

"Look, it's noisy down here. I know a place that's quiet."

Now that he said something, Orihime did remember how loud the music was. It was too noisy, no wonder her head hurt and it was affecting her body somehow too because she suddenly felt very tired.

"That sounds… good…" Orihime allowed him to lead her upstairs where the unknown awaited.

"Aye! It's I-chi-go!"

Ichigo was once again bombarded with an arm around the throat. "Hey."

Akashi slapped his back and was shocked when he saw a few others behind him. "Who's this?" Akashi pointed to Ichigo's friends. "We can't have anymore guys here."

Keigo finished laughing at his own joke much to Ishida's and Renji's vexation. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Calm down, we won't be here long."

Akashi took a few steps back and opened his arms out wide. "Aw but the party's just getting started!"

As Ichigo walked in, his eyes scanned his surrounding. Drunken girls and horny, desperate but aloof guys. College was not step further from high school.

Ichigo's eyes kept moving but they stopped when they saw her, accompanied by her bubbly giggle. She was walking up the stairs with some guy.

"Akashi." Ichigo nudged his friend. "Who was that?"

"That's my bud, J-"

Ichigo shook his head. "No. The girl."

Akashi shrugged. "I don't know his pick of the night?"

Akashi moved to the refreshment table and Ichigo followed, hoping to get whatever information he could from him about her.

"His pick?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah!" Akashi chewed on a pretzel stick. "What do you notice about every girl in the room?"

From his view of the large frat house, Ichigo swept the rooms once more. All the guys were a tad bit more alert then normal. All of the girls were completely opposite. "They all have cups."

"Yeah! And the guys? They don't have cups. Wanna know why?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No."

"Here, Ichigo." Akashi handed Ichigo a cup filled with punch. He brushed his arm through the air, gesturing to the house, to his kingdom. "Take your pick…"

The loud noise of the music had muted somehow. Maybe the door closed? She didn't know. Everything was spinning now and it seemed to take longer to draw breath, like her whole body was slowing down against her will. "My head hurts… is there anything I can take?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah, I got something you can take." The mystery guy said. Orihime hadn't noticed she sitting on a bed until he forcefully pushed her down on it.

His mouth was on places were they weren't supposed to be. His hands touching things he wasn't meant to touch. "No, I don't like this." Orihime whispered. She pushed at his chest with her hands, feeble and weak. Where was Matsumoto? "Please stop…" was all she could repeat.

"You'll like it in a second, I promise." His warm, cigarette stained breath blew in her face. Was he always this creepy? Orihime couldn't remember, she couldn't think, all she knew is that she didn't like it… "Just close your eyes."

His long, slender fingers crept between her thighs. She'd kick, she'd push, she'd move a muscle if her dress wasn't so tight and her body weren't working against her. "Ple…. Pla… please."

"Yo, what the f-"

The music was blasting again but the light was fading. Everything was fading. The smell of cigarette breath was gone and her body was lifted into the air like she was on a cloud.

The music drifted away, slowly. And her surroundings became darker and darker and her body became heavier and heavier.

Ichigo clenched and unclenched his fist. It's been a good minute since he punched an ass in the face. He kept his eyes on the road as he drove through campus.

She groaned and turned in her seat. Ichigo stared at her, it was hard not to. Especially with a getup such as that. Ichigo looked back at the road and gulped. "Hey, I'm gonna get you some help, okay."

"I'm cold…" he heard her mumble.

Ichigo slowed the car. He shrugged his jacket off and laid it over her frame. She still shivered but less so. He just hoped that whatever drug that's running through her body wouldn't cause severe harm.

Orihime snuggled under Ichigo a little more. There was nothing like curling up against his body on a cool afternoon. She just loved being near him so. Besides, she was always cold. "…So what are we doing?"

Ichigo blinked innocently at the television. "What do you mean?"

"It's our twenty-first… we have to do something special."

Ichigo settle on a quick movie and looked down at his wife. "Don't stress about it, okay babe."

Orihime nodded. "Okay." How could he be so passive about it? I mean com on! He has to let something on! He just can't leave me hanging with little to none information like that!

"…But are we going out to eat? Will we go see a show or a performance?"

"Orihime." His voice was so stern that she had to sit up to look him in the face. Surprisingly he had a smile on his face. "I got it all under control."


Two days later.


Ichigo had never packed his bag so fast to get out of class before. She wasn't in the next day or the day after that. He worried she'd never come back. "Hey!"

Orihime turned. "Huh?"

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Hey… are you alright?" Though she tried to hide it, a deep blush appeared over her cheeks.

Her bright gray eyes blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "It's just- I… the other night…?" Nervousness? No. He never got nervous when talking to a girl, so why now?

Orihime smiled sheepishly and turned. "I'm sorry; I have to get to my next class."

"Wait-" On impulse, Ichigo grabbed her forearm before she could go. "…You don't remember me, do you?"

The party, the guy, the car, Tatsuki's? They all went to the hospital where Ichigo worried over this girl. He meant to get her name but he'd forgotten amidst the drama.

Orihime's heart raced. "I can't say I do… please let go me…"

He let go just as quickly as he latched on, hoping he didn't frighten her. She scurried off all too fast, in a blink in an eye, her long auburn hair fanning behind her.

"Tatsuki!" Ichigo shouted and caught up. "Tatsuki! Who was that girl?"

Tatsuki shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. She's not interested."

The courtyard became clearing out so Ichigo walked on with Tatsuki. "Tatsuki, who is she?" He asked again.

"Orihime Inoue. She went to the Karakura all girls school with me." Tatsuki looked up at her long time friend. "Ichigo, she's really not interested, trust me."

He lifted his normal narcissistic brow. "How do you know?"

The girl shrugged. "She just isn't like that. She isn't interested in anyone, never has."

Ichigo couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Sure he scared her off this time, but he wouldn't let her get away the next. "That's gonna change."

He rolled his eyes when he heard his little friend guffaw. "A little over confident, are we."

"…We'll see."

"How dressed is over dressed?"

Orihime stuck her head into Ichigo's closet. He was pulling up his dark purple silk scarf she got him for his birthday earlier that year. It wasn't later that she realized purple wasn't exactly his color, but he appreciated it anyway.

Ichigo slid the wide end through the bride in the front and tugged upward. "Dress anyway you like." He looked over from the mirror. "You'll look great no matter what."

Orihime reddened at the compliment. They weren't frequent but they weren't few. Every time one came her way it still took her back to the days before life happened.

The woman scurried back to her closet. It was full, as usual.

"Okay…"

She couldn't wear orange, why did she even have that dress? Red was out of the question. Blue would be nice, if it was darker. This is a nightly occasion. Orihime didn't care for clothes much, but the standard Ichigo was setting was very high tonight.

Black was always safe. Orihime jumped over to the black row. "Hmm…" She pulled a simple dress from the rack. The smallest of smiles formed on her face. It was old, held too many memories, bad or good, she couldn't tell. But this dress wore a lot on her sleeves.

In an effort to reach a pair of shoes on the top shelf, her hands came to a box. She recoiled.


The next day.


Orihime waved goodbye to Tatsuki as she rounded the brick corner. It wasn't Ichigo's intention but when it happened he snagged his opportunity.

"Oof!" Orihime fell to the ground, hitting the brick ground hard. She began picking up her books when her hand came over another.

It was that guy! The guy with the orange hair… and the muscles… and the… the jaw… His lips moved into a smiled and Orihime couldn't help staring at how white and perfect his teeth were. "Orihime, right?"

He's talking you idiot! "Y-yes." She stuttered.

"I'm Ichigo." His smile broadened "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Orihime shook her head, attempting to clear but it only made her worse. "In… Inoue. Orihime Inoue."

They finished gathering her books and the two stood. Orihime remembered Tatsuki talking about him occasionally. Apparently they're good family friends but Orihime had never truly met him until now.

"So, Inoue, I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch." She heard him say before she could make a run for it.

Orihime began walking but he matched her stride. "That's very nice, but I already ate."

"Just a quick coffee then?" He offered.

Why was he talking to her and not to a girl like Rangiku? She's the only one who can always make sweating over a hot pan of stew sexy.

"Um…" Orihime pushed a strand of burnt-orange hair behind her ear. "… Kurosaki-kun… I don't drink coffee… and I don't want you to waste your money on me, really."

A chuckle came from him and Orihime looked up. He was smiling and he didn't look as nonchalant as he did in English. "Trust me, it won't go to waste."

They finally stopped in front of the Arts building. Rangiku and Culinary class was waiting, but she didn't want to part with him just yet… And why was she trying to turn him down and away? "I did have a small breakfast…"

He flashed a big white grin. "I know the perfect place. Shuu's Sushi Shack."

Orihime grinned back. "I love that place!"

"Great!"

"Oh, thank you for gathering my books, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo opened the door to the deli. "No prob." They sat down at an empty table and ordered two waters. "So, why Karakura University?"

"They have a great culinary program." She shrugged her shoulders. "I originally wanted to go to a school primarily culinary, like JCA or Le Cordon Bleu in Toyko, but my aunt said I need to go here or she wouldn't pay." Orihime blushed at his hard stare. "I've said too much."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, no. Your aunt? What about your parents?"

Her face fell quickly before she looked away and immediately Ichigo knew he hit a sore spot.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"

"No, no. It's fine… My parents just aren't around, they never were." She took a sip of her water. "My aunt's been paying my way since my brother died."

Ichigo lifted his hand and ticked off everything he knew about her so far. "So you have an aunt in a brother. Parents are M.I.A. and you are at KU because your aunt is forcing you?"

She sighed. "Basically."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair. "Well if it makes you feel better, KU wasn't my plan either."

She pushed both sides of her wavy hair behind her ear. "Well, I guess us being here together is… fate."

He… he liked the ring of that. "I…" He grinned. "I guess so."

Orihime stared down at her tiny feet. "Flats aren't enough… are they?"

Ichigo pulled her coat out of the closet before looking her over. "They're fine." No matter what she wore she looked nice. Especially in the dress she wore tonight. He's pretty sure he's seen it before… either way he liked it. He really didn't care what she wore on her feet.

"We're not late are we?" Orihime asked as Ichigo helped her into her jacket.

"No, but we will be if you continue stressing like this." Ichigo put on his own jacket and grabbed the keys.

"Should I call Hitomi?" Orihime said quickly, heading towards the phone base. "To see if she's alright?"

Ichigo grabbed her wrist. "She's a big girl." Ichigo said as she ushered his wife out of the door. "If she's in trouble, she'll call."

Orihime needed to calm her self down. After touching that box, pulling it down from its hiding place and staring at it for what seemed like forever, she was on edge. What she needed was a deep breath.

That sinful dress- the dress that spiraled everything out of her control.… Those memories were few but strong nonetheless.

As Ichigo backed out of the driveway and down the road, he placed his hand on top of his wife's. Immediately he heard a sigh of relief. Whatever she was thinking, whatever she was feeling, she needed to remember that he was here too. It didn't hurt to give a reminder once in a while.


Weeks later.


"Did you like the movie?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes, Kurosaki-kun, it was nice."

It was a boring, chilly day, classes were same old same old and they all had gotten bored. No one knows who suggested it but they all went out to a movie.

Ichigo took off his jacket and handed it to her. "Here."

She took it gladly and snuggled into the warm coat. The sleeves were too long and wide but if she zipped it up her boobs would fill out the space where his muscles would be. "Thank you…"

Keigo threw his fist in the air. "That was awesome!" He jumped in front of Ichigo, stopping him in his tracks. "First he was like that and then he went like this! And did you see the part when he was like this?"

"Keigo, I was there!" Ichigo shouted. Orihime giggled. Keigo attempted a few jabs and kicks Ichigo's way which he all deflected.

Orihime felt Ichigo return to his place beside her, never exceeding a proximity barrier. "Are your hands still cold?"

Before she could even object or even think to do so, he grabbed her hand. He warmed more than her hands.

Orihime looked away to hide her blush. "Yeah, they're warming up now."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Keigo shouted as they walking into Shuu's Sushi Shack.

"Yeah, that popcorn just didn't so it." Mizuiro added. Everyone laughed considering Mizuiro didn't eat anything. He just sat on his cellphone the whole time which they tell you not to do.

He couldn't tell you the name of the main character if you asked him.

The girls stayed at the table while all of the guys got in line. "Tatsuki, Chizuru…" Orihime said staring down at her tingling hand. His large hand wrapped around her small one. She could still feel the burn his fingers left when he squeezed her tight. "…I think I really like him."

Chizuru smiled and nodded her head. "He doesn't show it but he really likes you too!"

Orihime ignored Tatsuki's eye roll and smiled and nodded too, happy that someone else shared her excitement. "This feels so different… from anything I've ever felt. It feels like…"

"Love." Keigo said. "You're in love."

Ichigo punched him hard on the arm. "Shut up."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Ishida adjusted his glass, know full well something smart was about to come from him. I've never seen you so open with a woman before. I think Keigo hit the nail on the head with this one." His glasses flashed as he smirked. "You're not fooling us Kurosaki; we all saw the hand holding."

"The movie cuddling." Mizuiro said.

"The googly eye making." Keigo added. He flinched when Ichigo lifted his fist.

The jokester lifted his hands up in defense. "All I'm saying Ichigo, is you got it bad." He slapped Ichigo on the arm. "Even Chad agrees. Isn't that right Chad?"

Much to Ichigo's dismay, Chad gave the tiniest of nods.

They were right. She was driving him mad. He had never felt this way for anyone, not even his old girlfriends… no one compared to her.

Orihime threw her head back in a loud laugh, her golden hair tumbling down in all its glory and the most wonderful sounds of happiness coming from within.

He had to have her.


A few days later.


"So I was trying to reach the kettle corn box but it was too high and she was trying to reach it with her cane and we were both pulling and tugging that before I never it, all the boxes came falling down on top of us."

Ichigo grinned and let a tiny chuckle escape.

"I felt so bad." Orihime covered her face. "I was trying to help but I made it worse and… it was just a big mess."

Breezy and quiet. Students moved back and forth through the courtyard. It was one of the only times during the day when the two could just sit and talk without rushing to class.

"It was nice of you to try to help at least."

Orihime shrugged and to a nibble out of her chocolate bar. "Yeah, I guess."

They sat under the willow tree in the grass. The bench was taken but they didn't mind. It felt good down in the cool greenery. "Um," Ichigo tug anxiously at his sweater sleeve. "I have a question for you."

Orihime put her pencil down and took another bite from her chocolate bar. "Hm?"

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Orihime swallowed the bite whole, coughing as it made her way down her tight throat. "I'm sorry… I… I…"

Ichigo patted her back and handed her his bottle of water. "So… you don't?"

After a few gulps a water and even more gulps of air, Orihime shook her head. Ichigo never felt so relieved when she smiled up at him. "No silly. I thought I already was."

It was then where Ichigo scooped her up and kissed her for the first time.

It was neither of their first kiss. But it was the first time their kisses actually meant something, something more then just lip to lip contact, something more than a good night or unwilling drunken slurs.

This was the beginning of something big.

Ichigo broke it off, he had to. If it went on for any long they would had permanently be sucking face for hours. "I'd apologize but I'm not sorry," Ichigo said into a breathless laugh.

They lay bake on the cool grass. Their next class would start up again, and they wouldn't be able to see each other until later, and later was so far away from the now.

Orihime closed her eyes and waited as another breeze swept the courtyard. "I wouldn't have wanted you to anyway."

The entry was quick and swift; the waiters wasted no time seating the couple since Ichigo ordered the most expensive seat in the restaurant.

Ichigo had two glasses poured and made sure the chef wasted no time in preparing their food.

Orihime loved it when he was the most confident man in the room. He seemed to grow better with age. She'd never tell him but his crow's feet were so adorable, if you could make him laugh that hard. And the wisps of gray against the orange hair added the perfect businessman touch. His spiky do was a little too wild for the PR route.

"Orihime." Ichigo said, interrupting her thoughts. "Last time when we… when you were here… I screwed up. And I wanted to take you back to this place for years but I couldn't bring myself to make the reservations."

"Ichigo…" Orihime wasn't going to say anything, but their seventh anniversary was something of a disaster. But he's had many years to redeem himself.

Ichigo took a swig of his drink before speaking again. "But you know I love you and I'm happy that we've made it this far."

She smiled. "Ichigo…, that's so sweet."

Orihime leaned in for a kiss, sighing into him and cuddling in the private section. When she looked up, there was a woman, sitting at a far away table. He face a lonely, her eyes big and searching.

How many nights had Orihime eaten alone? How many times stood up and forgotten? But look at how she ended up. At her twenty-first anniversary milestone. There was a plenty to complain about but even more to praise.

Just hold on. Orihime wanted to say to the woman. Orihime looked up and meet Ichigo's amber eyes with a twinkle. It's worth it, it really is…


Four years later.


"So, Ichi! Ya popping the question or what?!"

Keigo leaned off Ichigo's desk, dripping with mockery.

Ichigo turned away from his computer. He had ambitions; he wanted to make something of himself instead of being stuck behind a cuticle. Keigo on the other hand doesn't care about work.

If Keigo came all the way up from the fifth floor to the ninth to bother him, he had another thing coming. "Gotta find the right time," Ichigo simply responded.

A loud slap of files falling onto his table turned Ichigo's head. Ishida stood there, eavesdropping as always. "You've been carrying that box around for about a month now… it must be burning a whole in your pocket."

"Yeah." Ichigo grumbled. "Pretty much."

It was not his fault! Well, fifty percent was his fault. He's already tried twice that month. The first time they went to dinner, they waited forever outside in the chill, the service took forever, their food was undone and Orihime caught a cold when they got home. Not the best time to propose to a woman with snot dripping down her nostrils.

The second time was even worse… one word. Disaster.

It seemed as if fate was working against him.

"I wonder, Ichigo." Keigo started, a grin reaching his lips which Ichigo tried to ignore. "How long has it been?"

"What?"

From the corner of his eye he could see Uryū shaking his head. Keigo went on. "You know, since you've gotten some."

Ichigo turned back to his computer. "…Orihime isn't like that."

Orihime believe in matrimony before conception. It was how she was raised and Ichigo had always respected that, he would never try to push and never has. Occasionally there was a slip up of two, a kiss going a little too far, but someone always stopped it before it went too far.

Keigo threw his head back and laughed. "I mean, how can you marry someone without even know how good they are in bed?" Before he knew it, Keigo was yanked down by the collar and was face to face with Ichigo. "Shut. Up." He growled.

"So…" Ishida pried Ichigo's fist from Keigo's collar before continuing. "When are you asking?"

Ichigo returned to his work. "This weekend."

Ishida cut Keigo off before he could say anything else. "Know how?"

"I'm just gonna wing it." Ishida's brow lifted. "Have a better idea?" Proposing was harder than it looked!

Ichigo pushed the suede box around in his hands. He took a deep breath. "Inoue. Inoue… Hime, no. Orihime… Orihime, will you… do you want…?"

The man huffed. Has he really degraded to talking into a mirror? He thought it was supposed to come naturally. This was the woman he wanted to be with, from the day he saw her he knew. It has been the longest four years of his life. He was twenty-two and wasn't getting any younger.

"You see… it's just… there's this new fad that couples are doing… and… I was thinking maybe we could possibly do it too! It's called marriage."

Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her sing: "Dinner's here!"

In the living room, Orihime sat down on the sofa, a box of hot pizza sitting on her lap. "Pepperoni for you." She said as she slipped a slice on a plate for him. "And anchovy, ranch, pineapple and bean paste sauce pizza for me!"

He couldn't believe the pizza place was willing to make such a weird pie. Bean paste for sauce? Who agrees to that kind of thing? Was it because she made the birthday cake for the owner's son without charge? But if it makes her happy…

The theme music for that stupid ghost show came on, and Orihime did the gesture in time to the wacky medium host. What a crack!

Ichigo grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. "Orihime…" He ran a hand through his spiky hair. "I have something to ask you."

She looked up at him. "Hmm?"

"I…. Here, you have something…" There was a chunk of pineapple on her cheek. She tried to reach it with her small tongue but it wasn't long enough. Watching her struggle was adorable but he wouldn't let her struggle long. "I got it." Ichigo took his thumb and wiped it clean off.

His hand lingered there for a while.

Orihime smiled back.

No one can remember what happened next, maybe it was his hand or her smile, but there lips were together before no time.

Like he said, there were bound to be slip ups. There were times when the passion that always simmered on the top burst and spill over the end. Moments where nothing mattered, it was him and her. No boundaries, no rules. This was one of the moments.

Ichigo felt her hand, slightly pushing on his chest, warning him, reminding him. It was then Ichigo realized what he was doing.

It was quiet when the two sat up. There was that ever occurring blush over her cheeks and nose, that flushed redness over her face. "I'm sorry-" Ichigo tried to say. He knew better than that.

Orihime touched his shoulder. "No it was my fault."

"No." Ichigo shook his head before looking back into her gray eyes. "It wasn't."

After a second more of unbearable silence, the volume was cranked up and the slightly warm pizza and devoured.

"What did you need to ask me?"

"Um…." Quickly, Ichigo pointed at a slice of pineapple in the empty pizza box. "If you were willing to share?"

Orihime grinned. "Of course."

On the outside he looked calm, cool, collected, munching on a cold pineapple slice. But on the inside he was banging his head against a hard brick wall.

What a fucking screw up.

Orihime hugged Ichigo's body tight. Every time was just like the first time, if not better.

"Happy anniversary." She heard him whisper.

Orihime pushed up higher with her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Yeah," she whispered back. "Happy anniversary."


One week later.


"Her new baby is so cute!"

Orihime's squeals were too loud. She flipped through another picture and squealed all over again.

Tatsuki snatched her phone back before her friend could begin making googly eyes at her phone. "It's hideous. No baby is cute. I can't believe she's keeping it…"

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose. He couldn't do it, not for this long he couldn't. Everything inside of him hummed when she was around. He needed her insight, her love, her heart.

"How can you say that?" Orihime whined. She took a Shuu fry and dipped it into the hot cup of cheese. "Babies are gorgeous gifts in a world of hate and violence."

Tatsuki scoffed. "Go take a hike hippie."

Orihime sat back in her chair, Ichigo's arm automatically wrapped around her shoulder. "I know I want some babies one day. I want two girls and one boy. Manami, Aya, and I'm still tossed up between Ryuu and Tamotsu. I'm so looking forward to a boy!"

"Orihime!" Ichigo said.

Everyone in Shuu's Sushi Shack looked over to their table of three.

Orihime's eyes widened. Was he mad at her? Is it because of the baby? "Yes, Ichigo?" He doesn't want babies? No. He doesn't want babies with her. He doesn't want babies with her because he doesn't love her and he's breaking up with her right now. Orihime's face paled.

Ichigo had jumped up. Once he was up he didn't know exactly what to do. His hands clenched and unclenched.

Get on one knee dummy.

He did exactly that simultaneously pulling out the black suede box. It seemed to burn even more out in the open with so many eyes on him. The Shack seemed to concentrate their energy on him and her. "Orihime Inoue. Would you do me the honors of becoming Mrs. Orihime Kurosaki?"

Ichigo looked up. There were tears coming from her enlarged gray eyes.

"Orihime…?"

Finally, she shook her head and the quietest of whispered escaped her lips. "Yes."

Ichigo perked up, but still skeptical. "You do?"

The woman jumped out of her seat and into his arms. "Yes, of course I do!"

The customers in the Sushi Shack clapped, and Shuu himself even gave them free lunch, including Tatsuki.

Yet, tears still slowly crawled down Orihime's cheeks and Ichigo asked what was wrong. "….I thought you were leaving me." Orihime whispered. It seemed foolish now because he proposed but what if he did say he was done? He wouldn't have even shown any signs, gave her any warnings! She would have been lost and sad forever!

Ichigo smirked. Who knew what was going on in that little cute head of her's. "No." Ichigo said. "Never that."


Teehee. So the ending is the beginning! If anyone wants to figure out what happens next just read Vows, and after that, Settle Down. Once that's done I think we've come full circle!

Sorry it took me so long to post again. I knew if I didn't study I'd fail! But summer is approaching, thank god! Still got a few more classes to take though!

And thank you, to everyone who read this story, if you're new, returning, or if you were here from the beginning, I appreciate your support for my writing in this hectic time in my life :D

Thank you!

Rocka.