I can't believe how long it has taken me to write this, and for that I cannot apologize enough. Long story short, life's gotten crazy around here, there have been (and still are) some serious health concerns in my family that drew all of my attention (no, not covid related), and my mind just hasn't been in the right place for what feels like a while now. Writing is one of my coping mechanisms, but not even wanting to do that has been… well, unhealthy I guess is the best word. Not to mention this chapter has had me stumped and then my computer decided to be dumb and I lost part of what I had written… Regardless, I hope to keep the updates more frequent from here on out, especially since we are getting to the good stuff!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have read, favorited, followed, or commented on this story. It means the world to me and I'm sorry I've kept you all waiting for so long.
Also, this tends to jump perspective a bit at the end (kind of like it did here lol). I hope it's not too confusing…
As Ichigo hurried to the grocery store, he was surprised to realize that it was the second time in the same day he found himself on a lonely walk. Normally, he wouldn't have been bothered, or probably even noticed – it wasn't that unusual of an occurrence and a lot of the time the solitude was welcome. But that was before. Now, he felt Orihime's absence with exquisite keenness. It was almost startling how quickly he'd become so dependent on her. No, dependent wasn't quite the right word. Used to her? No, that wasn't it either. He certainly wanted to spend as much time with her as was humanly possible… Keeping an eye on where he was going, his brows drew down into a frown as the words to explain his feelings flittered through the back of his mind like a ghostly specter – something he knew was there and wanted to acknowledge but was also afraid to. Then again, he'd always seen ghosts and they never frightened him. Nothing frightened him quite like this did.
You idiot, he grumbled to himself, closing his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath. He was avoiding and he knew it. But why? Hadn't he already admitted it to himself?
'Glad we can at least agree on something, King.'
His frown turning into a scowl, Ichigo wasn't even surprised by his hollow's words. He'd made a promise, after all. To no one but himself; one no one else knew of, but a promise was still a promise. Is that why he was suddenly so afraid to even think of the "L" word? Oh, come on! Call it like it is, Ichigo, he chastised himself. I'm not a fucking coward. I feel this way because I love her, damn it! He was practically shouting in his own mind, the scowl on his face in complete contradiction to the thoughts fluttering through his heart when he thought about the auburn-haired healer.
'About time, King!'
Despite his hollow's encouragement, Ichigo still felt the fluttering in his heart travel throughout his body; settling in his belly and flowing out through his veins. He felt like he could fly, like his human body was just as capable of shunpo as his Shinigami form. Then again, he also simultaneously felt like Hitsugaya was encasing him in ice while Head Captain Yamamoto engulfed him in flames.
Ichigo had been so lost in his own thoughts, that the next time he looked up from the path directly in front of his feet, his destination was directly in front of him. Running through his list in his head, he moved through the store like a man on a mission, glancing at his phone periodically to check the time. While he did now have more time to accomplish all his tasks, he still needed to hurry. When his phone remained silent the entire time, with no incoming texts or calls, he fought to convince himself that he wasn't disappointed. She's got other things to deal with right now, you moron! Despite his best efforts to convince himself of this, he couldn't help feeling like something was wrong. Something was missing. Have we really been talking to each other that much lately?
His hollow simply cackled in the back of his mind, bringing heat to his ears that he struggled to hide as he gathered his last few ingredients and went to check out. Thankfully, the store clerk knew him just well enough to know that he should be in school, but little enough to keep his mouth shut. He simply smiled and wished him a good day.
Within an hour of leaving school, Ichigo stumbled through the front door with bags swinging from his arms and his bookbag banging against his hip. When the door slammed open harder than he intended and hit the wall, he cringed and cursed quietly under his breath. For once, luck was on his side, as there had been a car parked in front of the clinic so he knew his father was seeing patients and would not be readily available to torment him. Regardless, he quickly kicked out of his shoes, stowed the food away in the fridge, dumped his bookbag in his room and quickly slipped his shoes back on to head right back out the door.
It took him only twenty minutes to reach the mall, roughly fifteen minutes to find the tuxedo shop and pick up his tux, and then only an additional ten to find the correct flower shop once again. He really did need to try to pay more attention to details sometimes… When he stepped foot in the shop, the fresh scent of flowers assaulted his senses in a not unpleasant way, and with the large stacks of orders visible even from the shop's entrance, he was silently grateful for Renji and Rukia's ploy to extend their time to get ready. Even so, there were more and more people coming in and out of the shop with each passing minute, and he rushed to get into the shortest line possible. Thankfully, he didn't recognize anyone in line.
When it was finally his turn, a sense of déjà vu came over him as he stepped up to the counter. The clerk smiled brightly up at him, resting her hands on the counter and leaning forward. Her short blonde hair scarcely came to her shoulders, and her heavily mascaraed eyelashes batted at him as she asked, "May I help you?"
Fighting a frown, he immediately remembered the clerk as the same one that had been looking at him strangely when they placed their orders. Maybe she's like this with everyone? He pondered to himself as he internally cringed and shook his head. "I have an order for Ichigo Kurosaki," he answered quietly, not wanting to draw any undue attention to himself.
"Kurosaki," she muttered, putting a finger to her chin as she spun on her toes and moved to the stacked orders. "What did you have?" she asked after searching for a moment.
After relaying that he had ordered a corsage and dozen orchids (he somehow miraculously remembered what they were called), the clerk smiled once more, her eyes dancing in the fluorescent lighting. "Oh! Of course! Now I remember!" Without elaborating, she spun on her toes and disappeared into a back room for a moment before returning with a small clear box in one hand and the dozen orchids in the other. "The special order!" she cheered as she handed over the flowers. "No way could I forget those," she drawled, looking up at him in a way that left him feeling even more confused.
Reaching out to take his order, Ichigo froze when she murmured, "Whoever she is, she's lucky. You're not just a handsome face, after all."
His ears immediately felt like they were on fire, and the fire was quickly spreading to his face; a fact that had him quickly pulling his purchase to his chest as though he were preparing to bolt. "What?"
Rather than repeat herself, the clerk gave him a wink. "Bye bye, now, Handsome! Enjoy your night!"
Too gob smacked to even say 'thank you', Ichigo clutched his order to his chest and all but ran from the store. When he finally made it outside, into the chilled afternoon air, he couldn't help but breathe a deep sigh of relief. He'd never been hit on so blatantly before, and it had honestly made him uncomfortable. Is this what Orihime feels like when Honsho says those things? If it was, it only made his anger towards the redhead grow.
'Hate to break it to ya, King, but Honsho isn't your biggest problem right now.'
Startled, Ichigo looked around, and seeing no imminent danger, he pulled out his phone and checked the time. "Damn it," he grumbled, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and quickly resuming his trek home.
While Ichigo was just depositing the groceries in his fridge, Orihime was just finishing up in the shower. They had to take turns, Rangiku already showered and ready to go by the time the others arrived. With her hair the longest, the others had insisted that she shower first, allotting for more time for her to dry her hair while the others showered. It was an efficient plan, she had to give it that. Of course, Rangiku had had the morning to set everything up, and she'd had Rukia's help for most of it.
From the moment the trio had walked in the door, Rangiku had greeted them with squeals of excitement and delight. She'd had a light lunch prepared for them, finger foods that they could easily eat as they worked, with all the makeup and hair supplies she would need ready at hand. While Orihime showered, she'd gone over ideas for their hair and makeup with the others, Tatsuki's eyes wide with trepidation at the older woman's enthusiasm. Growing up very much a "tom boy", the idea of styling her hair other than how she usually did it and wearing makeup simultaneously sounded like too big of an ordeal and yet also strangely fascinating. Despite her short hair, she was the next one to shower, unable to stop herself from smiling when she passed Orihime in the hall. Even with her hair and body wrapped up in towels, the excitement in her eyes was impossible to miss; the healthy blush that was constantly darkening her cheeks only adding to her beauty.
As the shower was turned back on, Orihime threw on a button-down shirt and some leggings, as per Rangiku's instruction. She was fully prepared to dry her own hair, but her hair dryer had suddenly gone missing, so she left her hair in a towel and made her way to the living room. There, she found the missing hair dryer sitting on the couch between an excited Rangiku and smiling Rukia.
"Rangiku-chan, I can blow dry my own hair," she muttered, slowly approaching the two Soul Reapers.
Still smiling, Rangiku patted the cushion between them. "Nonsense. Now sit down."
Her brows drawn low in confusion, Orihime nonetheless complied, turning her back to Rangiku and facing Rukia. The tiny Shinigami looked up at her with sparkling eyes as Rangiku immediately set to work freeing Orihime's wet locks from the towel. She then quickly set to work detangling the long auburn tresses, with Rukia watching distractedly.
"Seriously. How can you two have your hair so long?" she finally asked, playing with the ends of her black hair. "Mine is nowhere near that long, and it still feels like it gets in the way all the time."
Rangiku gave her a look over Orihime's shoulder. "That's because you've never prioritized beauty over function."
Orihime winced at Rangiku's harsh words but was relieved to see Rukia in thought at her response rather than appearing hurt. For her part, she shrugged. "I guess I just like it longer," she replied softly, "but I will admit it gets in the way sometimes." Her eyes searched Rukia's face, her imagination filling in where reality did not and making her hair reach to her waist. The lock that always fell between her eyes would remain shorter, but her raven tresses would flow easily with her movement. A change in cut would keep her hair from gathering close to her neck, instantly making her appear several years older, but in a good way. The image was only enhanced when Rukia ran her fingers through her own hair.
"Oh, it would never work," she huffed. "My hair's too thin as it is."
Rangiku set aside one brush to pick up another. "Don't worry about it." She grinned from over Orihime's shoulder. "I have plans for you."
Before anyone could ask for more information, the blow dryer was clicked on and there was no room for any more conversation. It had been so long since Orihime had had anyone play with her hair, let alone dry it, so she closed her eyes and relaxed into the sensation. The warmth of the blow dryer was pleasant, and Rangiku's touch was gentle as she moved the brush through her strands as she dried them. She was scarcely aware of Rukia getting up from the couch when Tatsuki came out of the shower, nor of Tatsuki taking her place. Instead, she let her mind wander, allowing the little blue men to show her what they wanted (or perhaps it was more what she wanted). Unbidden, an image of Ichigo holding her on the dance floor came to mind, lights strobing around them as his fingertips brushed low on her bare back. She'd smile up at him as she adjusted her arms around his neck, shuffling just a little bit closer at the gentle pressure he put on her. He'd smile down at her, that same soft smile only she saw, and rest his cheek against the side of her head as she relaxed against his chest. Then he'd mutter, "Orihime," drawing her attention back up to him before he blocked out all else. Her heart would flutter at hearing her first name from his lips and she'd immediately close her eyes as he leaned closer…
"Orihime! Hello, Orihime?!"
Orihime's eyes shot open, heat immediately rushing to her cheeks and neck as she realized she'd just been daydreaming about kissing Ichigo. Again. "What?!" she shrieked, jumping.
Tatsuki's laugh greeted her, her own short hair still wrapped in a towel as she took up residence in Rukia's previous spot. Curious as to when she got there, Orihime cocked her head, only to also realize that the blow dryer was no longer on. "Are we done already?" she asked, turning to look at Rangiku.
The lieutenant of squad ten simply smiled at her, running her fingers through Orihime's now dry hair. "Girl, we are just getting started!"
Ichigo glanced at the clock on his phone for what felt like the hundredth time before stuffing the device back into the pocket of his pants. It was his first time wearing a tux, not including when they were getting fitted, and while he wouldn't go so far as to say he was comfortable, he certainly wasn't uncomfortable. The pants were looser than his school uniform pants, while nowhere near as loose and baggy as those in his shihakusho. For once he followed "protocol" with his dress shirt, wearing a simple white tank top beneath the white button-up that he had tucked into his pants. A dark gray form-fitting, but not tight vest was mostly concealed by his black jacket, that was similarly form-fitting without feeling like it was restricting movement in his shoulders. Of the two buttons on the jacket, he currently only had one done – old habits die hard. He'd thought about attempting to do something with his hair, but without wanting to cake his wild locks in gel, he knew nothing could be done; so he'd simply allowed it to dry as it always did.
Seeing himself in the mirror in something he'd never worn before, with hair that looked like it was just another Tuesday, somehow left him feeling even more nervous. It certainly was not just another Tuesday. It wasn't even a typical Friday. He was about to go cook for his friends when he'd only cooked for his own family a small handful of times. Not only that, he was going to a dance, something he had stoutly avoided up until this point. Hell, the dance wasn't even the terrifying part. He was going to the dance with the girl of his dreams and was planning on laying his heart at her feet in the process. What was there to not be afraid of?!
"Sure you don't want me to go in your place, Ichigo?" The taunt was clear in Kon's voice as Ichigo's eyes moved to his reflection in the mirror. The stuffed lion sat on his bed, puffy paws on his hips, as he eyed the Substitute Soul Reaper.
Despite his frequent irritation and damn near dislike for the Mod Soul, Ichigo smiled ruefully at the stuffed lion's reflection. "And give you the chance to put your dirty paws all over Rukia?" He paused, cocking his head to the side as he looked up towards the ceiling. "Actually, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea, considering Renji will be there."
At the mention of Renji's name, Kon visibly wilted, slumping on the bed with a defiant kick of his short legs in front of him. "There goes my chance, again!" he wailed, large tears welling up in his eyes.
He wasn't sure if the Mod Soul was doing it on purpose or not (sometimes he could actually be quite endearing, when he didn't want to kill him), but Kon was proving just the distraction he needed to settle the nerves that had started fizzling through his being. Everything was going to be fine. He was going to be surrounded by his friends, his closest friends, and tonight was the night he was going to change everything. There was absolutely nothing to be scared of.
"Can you at least have a dance for me?" Kon whined once more, successfully pulling Ichigo from his thoughts.
Snorting, Ichigo shrugged and ruffled Kon's mane. "I'll try."
Before he could leave, Kon grabbed onto Ichigo's retreating hand and hugged it, fiercely. "Oh, my Ichigo's all grown up!" he cooed, successfully ending the pleasant moment between them.
With a scowl, Ichigo pulled his hand back and quickly moved to the door, simultaneously wanting to slam it closed behind him to show his irritation with Kon, while also wanting to avoid drawing the attention of his sisters. It was late enough that they were home, and Yuzu was nothing if not sentimental. She'd already mentioned pictures, something he hated, but he wasn't sure he could turn her down if he saw her face. He was nothing if not a sucker for his sisters, not like he'd ever admit to that fact. When he pulled open the door to see the coast was clear, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief and headed for the kitchen to gather his supplies.
He'd left the flowers in the fridge – recalling something Yuzu had once said about the cold helping to preserve them and keep them from wilting. As he eyeballed the amount of food he needed to carry behind the flowers, he realized he'd need a bigger bag to carry everything in so he could keep his hands free and protect the flowers. He no sooner stood up and closed the door when Yuzu's quiet voice startled him so much he jumped with a not-so-quiet shriek.
"Here you go, Ichigo." She was holding out a messenger bag he could store the ingredients in that would sling over his shoulder and avoid bunching up his tux. She was smiling broadly, proud of herself for thinking ahead.
"Kami, Yuzu!" he cried once his heart returned to its normal place in his chest. One look at her bright smile and he couldn't even be mad anymore, and he extended a hand to take the offered bag. "Thank you."
From over Yuzu's shoulder, he could see Karin loitering in the doorway, doing her best to not appear interested in anything they were doing. "Will you just ask him already?" she finally demanded of her twin when she hesitated too long.
"Ask me what?" Ichigo asked, returning to the fridge to load up the bag.
Yuzu's apprehension was palpable, like a nervous energy vibrating off of her in waves. Without even seeing her face, he could tell she was poking her index fingers together, looking down at her hands or her shoes as she tried to drum up the courage to ask what she wanted. "I know how you feel about pictures," she started, as he finally turned around. Her wide eyes rose to meet his, and the frown on his face was not encouraging. Nonetheless, she plodded on, undeterred once she'd started. "But can you please get a picture with Inoue for us? Please?"
Ichigo had to swallow before he could answer. Why did she have to make a simple picture seem like such a big deal? Did it really matter that much?
"What she's not saying, is that Mom would have really wanted one," Karin interjected.
The mention of their late mother was enough to pull Ichigo's brows down into a scowl. Few people knew of the tragedy that befell their mother – her loss being the reason why Ichigo so rarely smiled. Something Orihime was rendering, without him even realizing it. Crouching down so he could be at eye level with his youngest sister, Ichigo affectionately ruffled her hair and gave her a crooked smile. "If it means that much to you."
The smile that broke across his sister's face rivaled the sun, and before Ichigo knew what was happening, she'd thrown herself into his arms, embracing him so fiercely she almost knocked him back onto his butt. He chuckled quietly as he returned her hug, before setting her back from him with a purpose. "I have to get there first, Yuzu."
Wiping happy tears from her eyes, Yuzu nodded and stepped to the side as Ichigo turned back to the fridge, pulling out the bouquet of orchids and her corsage. For his sister's sake, he kept them both visible when he turned back around, knocking the fridge door shut with his heel. "You think she'll like them?" he asked, a conspiratorial lilt in his tone.
Karin had approached while his back was turned, and she eyed the flowers over her twin's shoulder. She was the tougher of the two – more stoic and grounded – and so her compliments were few and far between, at least for her older brother; but she had to give him credit for this, especially when Yuzu was too surprised to speak. "Their beautiful, Ichigo." She smiled as she met his eyes, noting how soft they had gotten when they started talking about his 'date'. "Did you pick these out, or did Rukia?" She couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him.
Chuckling, Ichigo stole her hat from her head and tossed it into the other room. "I did, thank you." Pulling his phone from his pocket, he saw it was already after three-thirty. He needed to leave. Replacing his phone in his pocket, he adjusted the purchases in his arms and smiled at Yuzu. "All right, I gotta go."
Not a second later and Ichigo cringed, hearing Karin call, "Dad! Better get over here quick! Ichigo's leaving!"
Ichigo hurried into the living room and the entryway, glaring at Karin as he passed. There was no avoiding his father – he didn't have the time. Despite carefully figuring out how he was to carry everything, he still had to put it all down to put on his dress shoes and pull on his coat. It was chilly, but he had to forego his hat, stuffing it into his coat pocket for after the dance. Karin grinned wickedly at him and went to muss his hair before he caught her wrist in his hand. "I'll get you for that," he growled, the playfulness in his tone evident regardless.
"Tell Inoue I say hi," she responded, her grin only growing, before she pulled free of his grasp and ran up the stairs. Ichigo was still staring dumbly after her when he heard his father enter the room.
"Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye?" his father asked, his deep voice tinged with sadness.
"Actually, yes," Ichigo answered, bending to gather the bag of food and drape it over his shoulder. When his father remained silent, he stopped, one eyebrow raised, and looked at him with suspicion clear in his gaze.
Isshin was looking at the items in his arms, his eyes lingering on the bouquet of flowers wrapped in tissue paper. "You might want to put those inside your coat so they don't wilt from the cold on the way there."
His eyes narrowing, still suspicious, Ichigo replied, "They survived the walk from the mall."
With a shrug, the seriousness drained from Isshin's face, leaving the carefree impulsive father behind. The dancing light in his dark brown eyes made Ichigo nervous. When his father raised a hand to scratch behind his neck uncomfortably, he got even more nervous. "Well, look, I," he started, before dropping his hand into his pocket and smiling. "Have a good time tonight, son."
Pleasantly surprised by the normalcy of his father's words, Ichigo relaxed, the corner of his lip tilting up slightly. "Thanks, Dad." When he turned to move towards the door, his father beat him to it, his speed belying his past as a Soul Reaper. Ichigo's hand was stretched out to open the door, but instead he found his dad holding the door shut with one hand and dropping something into his palm with the other. The wicked grin on his father's face should have tipped him off, but he didn't see it – he was too distracted by the small square package that was now in his hand. The moment he caught a glimpse of the packaging and realized what it was, his face flooded with heat and he burst into a fit of incoherent splutters and expletives. "What?! Why?! Fuck! I don't! A… You gave me a…. What the fuck, Dad?!" he managed to string together a coherent sentence, even as his fist closed around the condom in his hand, trying to hide its existence from his sisters in case they were close. "What the fuck do you think I'm going to be doing tonight?!" he finally managed to hiss out between his teeth, keeping his voice low.
Isshin answered him calmly, stating, "I know you've already stayed over there once." There was no reproach in his tone, nor in his dark eyes as he met the frantic stare of his son and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't expect you to come home tonight."
"Yeah, but," Ichigo trailed off, his fist still clenched around the condom. He was afraid to look at it, to even truly acknowledge what he was holding and what his father was implying. There was a moment, a brief moment, where an image flashed in his mind that was all too appealing, but he quickly pushed it away, shaking his head. Still speechless, he shoved the condom back into his father's chest, the heat still burning his cheeks and ears as he let the offending object go and pulled the front door open without meeting his father's eyes.
For his part, Isshin saw the flicker in his son's eyes through the surprise, mortification, and fear. He knew his son, as much as his son might wish he didn't, so he knew what kind of man he had grown into. His grin turned into one of pride as he stepped forward into the doorway, watching as Ichigo all but ran from the house. The fact that his son had not only refused to take the condom, but acted offended at the thought that he had those kinds of designs for the night made his heart swell with so much pride, his eyes stung with unshed tears. "Masaki," he murmured, quickly brushing the tears away as he shoved the condom back into the pocket of his lab coat. "I wish you could see him now."
As he all but ran down the street, Ichigo had to force himself to slow down or risk slipping and falling in his dress shoes – shoes that really weren't meant for icy sidewalks. Even when he slowed down, his heart continued to pound in his chest, echoing loudly in his ears as he tried to wrap his mind around what just happened. Had his father really just tried to give him a condom?! Seriously?! This was technically his first date! He never thought, well, he couldn't quite say that because he had – of course he had – just not that it would actually happen… Nerves picked up in his stomach as the more he thought about it, the more he dwelled on what his father was implying with that small and yet monumental gesture. He felt ready to vomit as his feet slowly came to a stop and he took deep gulps of air in an effort to steady himself.
'You freak out like that over a fucking condom and you really are going to die a virgin.'
Ichigo scowled at his hollow's words and shook his head. Why'd he have to go and plant that idea in my head?! He inwardly cursed his father, even if it wasn't the first time he thought about it, and responded in his typical fashion to his hollow. 'Will you shut the fuck up?! This is not what I need tonight.'
'Why? So you can make use of that condom you didn't take?!'
'For fuck's sake!' Ichigo was ready to tear his own hair out and fight his hollow. Although it seemed like it wasn't the best idea, given his train of thoughts and what just happened as he tried to leave his home, he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened his messages with Orihime. "Hey, I'm headed your way. Is it a good time?"
He didn't start walking after sending the text. Instead, he leaned against the stone wall at his side, allowing his nerves to settle as he talked some sense into himself. He's just looking out for you, in his own weird way. I guess I should say I'm lucky he's so okay with it? But what the actual fuck?! Running a hand down his face he looked up to the sky, noting the gray clouds settling over the town. Come on, just act like nothing happened. Nothing happened and everything is fine.
'Good luck taking that image back,' his Hollow taunted, and Ichigo knew exactly what he was talking about. It had been quick, so quick he could have missed it, but he'd thought of them together in Orihime's bed, their positions reversed from how they'd woken up just that morning, only with less clothes on…
Closing his eyes tight, Ichigo tried to force the image away. Why was it so hard to forget about it now?! 'You are not helping,' he grumbled to his hollow.
'Who said I had to help?'
His phone vibrating in his hand drew Ichigo's attention away from his inner dialogue with his hollow. Just knowing that Orihime had replied so quickly was enough to ground him, to settle the nerves in his stomach. "Now is perfect! We're still getting ready, but that's okay!" Only a few seconds passed before she sent another message, complete with a grinning, blushing smiley face. "I can't wait to try your cooking, Kurosaki-kun!"
A smile came to his face unbidden, the stress sliding off his shoulders as though she had brushed it off herself. "Good. I'll be there soon."
When Ichigo was just getting home and showering, it was after three o'clock, and Rangiku was nearly done with styling the girls' hair. Although her plans were relatively simple, she took her time, allowing Orihime to feel fully immersed in the experience and Tatsuki to acclimate to doing something so "girly". Rukia was easy to please and excited but managed to keep the excitement from being quite so obvious on her face. Orihime, on the other hand, was an open book. Just one look at her and it was obvious she couldn't wait for whatever was coming next. Her titillation was downright contagious and quickly none of the girls were able to stop laughing or giggling, making everything take longer because they were struggling to be serious, but that only added to their fun.
She was moving on to makeup, following the same order as she had for hair, when Orihime beamed up at her from her perch on the bathroom counter. Once everyone was done showering, they'd moved supplies in there since Ichigo would be coming at some point. "I've never done something like this before, Rangiku-chan. This is so much fun!"
Rangiku couldn't help but smile at the auburn-haired healer's innocence. She'd learned about her tragic past over their time spent together, and much like their shopping trip, had decided to make this the most exciting for her – something they had all agreed on without needing to say a word. "Then we'll just have to find reasons to do it more often, Orihime!"
Tatsuki, who was loitering in the hallway to observe Rangiku work had somehow missed the beginning of the conversation. "Do what more often?"
Orihime waved her arms around, spanning them wide as though to indicate everything. "This! All of it! It's so much fun!"
Despite herself, Tatsuki smiled, leaning against the doorjamb with her arms folded across her chest. Similar to Orihime, she was dressed in a simple button-down top and a pair of sweatpants. With her short hair, Rangiku had been limited in what she could do, but she had managed to tame it and pulled it back from her face at the top, sweeping it to the side while leaving tendrils loose to frame her face. She'd managed to find a pin that matched the red flowers on her dress, and that was used to keep her hair back, leaving the rest of her hair down along the nape of her neck. It was simple, but elegant, and Tatsuki had to admit she liked what the older woman had done.
Rangiku was nearly finishing with Orihime's makeup when Rukia came running in from the living room, waving Orihime's phone in front of her. "Guess who just messaged you?!"
Thinking quickly, Rangiku managed to pull the mascara she was using back from Orihime's face just in time for the auburn-haired healer to jump in excitement as she reached for her phone. "Oh, really?!" she gushed, not even bothering to hide her excitement as Rukia handed over the device.
Quickly unlocking her phone, Orihime couldn't help the sudden swelling of nervous energy that swept through her starting clear down in her toes. Without even realizing she was doing it, she read his text message in her head as though he were speaking it, his tone reverberating through her. "Hey, I'm headed your way. Is it a good time?"
Completely oblivious to Ichigo's torment on the other end of the line, Orihime squealed and looked at the curious faces of her friends. "Kurosaki-kun is on his way!"
Tatsuki looked over at Rukia, one eyebrow raised. "I know I miss a lot but is she always this excited about him?" she whispered.
Rukia's eyes were sparkling, their violet depths reminiscent of the night sky as she smiled up at the martial arts expert. "She's not normally quite so open about it."
With a silent nod, Tatsuki turned back as Orihime was responding. "Now is perfect! We're still getting ready, but that's okay!" Only a few seconds passed before she sent another message, complete with a grinning, blushing smiley face. It was nearly identical to the expression she wore, perched on top of her bathroom counter, kicking her feet like a giddy schoolgirl. "I can't wait to try your cooking, Kurosaki-kun!"
A/N: I'm sorry to stop it here! It just happened to be the best place. I PROMISE the next update will be out soon! Thank you so much for reading and please stay safe and healthy out there!
Also, I know I've asked this before on songs for Ichigo and Orihime at the dance, but I'm also looking for songs for the other couples! Feel free to chime in with some ideas and maybe they'll get featured!
As always, I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. They all belong to Tite Kubo. I can only dream.