A/N: Ahhhhh! Here! I wasn't expecting to get this out this early, considering I had to write all of itafter posting the last one, and considering how longit became. Guess it just got a little away from me, haha, but I hope you all enjoy it. Turns out taking some time off of work truly has been good for me mentally! We are getting soooo close, and I hope I can keep this up to get us there sooner rather than later. Anyway, there's a little bit of multiple things happening at the same time again in this one. I think it's pretty obvious when it's happening, since I like to focus on more than two characters at one time, but what they are doing/discussing is more private and separate from the others. So, yeah, don't know why I had to go into it like that, but thought it needed a little comment, lol.
To answer a few of the questions for my "cut scene", yes, it basically did/could have easily happened when they were all in the entryway/right before dinner was ready, or even while they were eating. I just ended up not really wanting Rangiku to go there, so I cut it, but I still liked the explanation behind the flowers (even if I have since realized I said in previous chapters that Renji ordered silver roses for Rukia, similar to her zanpakuto… something I have to go back and fix now). And, Orihime-18, your review was perfect! Yes, if Ichigo fell in love with her at first sight, he would not say anything because he would think it was unattainable. And of course, they have to get married and have babies! LoL. Thanks so much for that!
Dinner quickly turned into a loud, boisterous affair. After Ichigo's quick instruction to eat, everyone clasped their hands together, bowed their heads, and not-so quietly exclaimed, "Itadakimasu!" That minor detail over with, it was only seconds before they literally dug in. Ichigo would be lying if he wasn't proud of himself for the pleased moans that resounded through the group once they actually took a bite of the pasta, the way many of the girls closed their eyes and smiled and the guys simply "attacked" their food. There were more than a few surprised gasps at the garlic bread, giggles and jibes at the clichéd sparkling cider, and contented comments about the contents of his salad. For the most part, the boys were gentlemen, making sure the girls got their share first, and not taking huge portions, at least at first. With the quick success of his meal, it didn't take long for several people to help themselves to more than one serving. As his eyes surveyed his friends around him, he silently admitted that he would have to remember to thank his father, again, for his recommendation.
'Only that one?' his hollow teased once Ichigo returned to his own food. He immediately choked.
"See?! I told you he'd poison us all!" Renji exclaimed, pointing at him with an accusing grin, even though his mouth was currently full of food.
"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, concern furrowing her brow as she gently touched his forearm.
Her touch and concern, as well-meaning as they both were, only reinforced his coughing fit; her touch only reminding him of the impure thoughts he'd had after his stupid father planted them in his head.
'Nice try, King, but I know better.'
Struggling not to roll his eyes, Ichigo nevertheless focused on getting air into his lungs and not the remnants of what had been in his mouth. Kami, I've got to get it together, he grumbled inwardly as he struggled outwardly to breathe.
Saved by a few rough swallows of water, Ichigo felt like hiding his face in his hands. He knew his face was on fire, could feel the heat as surely as he could feel the tickle in the back of his throat wanting him to cough more. Even though he knew his choking fit was not solely to blame for that, at least it could easily appear that way to the others. "Fuck, sorry," he muttered, stubbornly refusing to meet Orihime's eyes.
"Good. You done?" Rukia teased, the light in her eyes a contradiction to the tone she used. "The rest of us would like to eat now."
Glowering at her, Ichigo nonetheless nodded, risking a glance at Orihime out of the corner of his eye before they collectively returned to their food. Only a few moments passed in silence before Uryu poked at his pasta and asked, "So, Kurosaki, what's with the bowtie pasta?"
Ichigo immediately felt his face heat once more. It had been a suggestion from his father, since it was obviously never something he would have thought about on his own. Using traditional fettuccini noodles would have led to the increased possibility of someone getting it on their clothes, and by someone he was most concerned about Orihime. Admitting something like that out loud just felt like too much.
At his silence, Rukia's eyes narrowed as she appraised his heated face. She was beginning to see there was more to his reaction than what they had just witnessed, and even though she sympathized with him, she couldn't just let him get away that easily. Fully intending to tease him, she rolled her eyes dramatically. "I would give you credit for this, but I'm sure it wasn't you. Were you worried about our outfits?" she teased, waving her chopsticks around in the air as though to emphasize her point.
"Why would you worry about," Tatsuki started, her eyes widening once realization dawned on her. She inadvertently turned her gaze to Orihime. Of course! If anyone would have an accident of that sort, it would be Orihime… "Oh."
Orihime's brow furrowed as she looked between Tatsuki, Rukia and Ichigo; who had decided to glower at Rukia rather than continue to avoid eye contact. "I don't get it," she murmured, her lower lip making its way out into a soft pout.
"Oh, come on, Kurosaki, she's not that accident prone!" Rangiku oddly enough came to her rescue, only to be stopped by Orihime holding up a hand.
"No, no, he's right, Rangiku-chan." She beamed a smile at Ichigo, even though she just as easily could have been offended. Rangiku's defense had only cemented the realization that they were talking about her. "Kurosaki-kun was just being considerate." She bowed her head slightly when his eyes, wider than they usually were, met hers. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."
Ichigo felt in very real danger of bursting into flames, and so he simply nodded and took a hefty drink of his water. He nearly sighed with relief when the conversation moved on.
"Do you think Keigo and Mizuiro will be upset that we didn't invite them?" Chad quietly asked, his plate already nearly clean for the second time.
"Are you really upset that they aren't here?" Tatsuki questioned, for once allowing her slight dislike of the two to show.
"Ah, screw them," Ichigo muttered. "I'm sure we won't hear the end of it anyway."
The conversation shifted then, somehow centering on what they thought the two "missing party members" were up to and if they would actually see them at the dance. Ichigo grew quiet, allowing the others to carry the conversation as his mind drifted. It was easy to imagine this was just another lunch at school, and that sense of normalcy slowly erased his previous embarrassment. He forced himself to refocus on the present, not on the awkward conversation he'd had with his father, and not on what was still to come that night. He was here, with his closest friends, Orihime at his side, and there was nothing that should keep them from having a good time. That was, until Ichigo noticed Orihime was all but toying with the pasta on her plate, staring peculiarly at her food as she pushed some peas aimlessly around with her chopsticks. It made his stomach clench, the thought that she didn't like it, and he bit his tongue in an effort to keep himself from blurting out the obvious. Even though she'd defended him in his reasoning for the bowtie noodles instead of fettuccine, was it possible that she actually didn't like it? It is different from what she normally eats, he mused. There's no wasabi or red bean paste on it…
Trying to be discrete, he grabbed his half-empty cup of water and stood up from the table, turning as though he were just refilling his glass. While he turned the water on, he quickly dug through the messenger bag on the counter that had contained all of his ingredients. When his hand closed around the small round container, he suppressed a smile and pulled it out, hoping his movements were not noticed by anyone as he then made a show of filling his cup. Once he was seated, he held the small container in his hand until Rangiku engaged everyone in a little debate over whether or not the girls should walk to the dance in different shoes than they planned on wearing at the dance. Seeing his chance, he leaned over to discretely place the little container next to Orihime's plate. She eyed him curiously with a raised brow.
"I brought this just in case," he whispered.
"In case of what?" she whispered just as quietly. When he didn't answer her, and instead indicated the small container with a slight tilt of his head, she plucked the modest package up with a furrowed brow. Upon seeing its contents, she burst into a smile, scarcely able to suppress a giggle. "Kurosaki-kun," she murmured with a gentle shake of her head. "Why?"
He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, while breathing an inward sigh of relief that no one seemed to notice them. "Sorry there's no wasabi on it."
Orihime's eyes fluttered quickly from him, to the wasabi she now held, back to him, then to her plate, until realization dawned in her eyes. "Oh! Is that what you think?"
His brow furrowed in confusion as Ichigo leaned closer. "Is there something else wrong with it, then?" He tried to deny the tightening in his chest at their close proximity and the disappointment that ran cold through his veins at the thought that she actually didn't like his meal, but he couldn't.
"Of course not!" she blurted, before slapping a hand over her mouth.
"What?" Rukia inquired, turning dark eyes their way. To Ichigo's chagrin, everyone was now looking at them. His ears immediately warmed as he quickly sat further back into his own seat once more.
"I love it, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime exclaimed, not willing to back down even with all the extra eyes now on them. "I guess I was just surprised at how good it tasted without any wasabi!"
Ichigo's look of utter relief was clear on his face, as was the blush that suddenly adorned Orihime's. Tatsuki ruined the moment by commenting, "But you hate peas, Orihime." Her chopsticks indicated the small pile of discarded peas as though to emphasize her point.
The color in Orihime's cheeks suddenly flared to life even more, and Ichigo's moment of relief quickly deflated. Shit, he cursed.
Her cheeks aflame, Orihime glowered at Tatsuki with such intensity, the martial arts expert actually shrunk away from her, much to Uryu's amusement. Tatsuki successfully (albeit silently) chastised, Orihime turned her attention back to Ichigo, who immediately uttered a quick, "I'm sorry."
Without allowing herself time to think, Orihime gently smacked Ichigo in the chest and shook her head. "Why are you apologizing? Everything is delicious!"
The others watched with rapt attention as she forced him to take back the small container of wasabi before Renji leaned over into Rukia's ear. "He got her a bouquet of flowers, brought that just for her and chose the noodles for her. What do you want to bet something else happens tonight?"
Grinning devilishly, Rukia turned to her boyfriend, "Oh, you are so on!"
Across the table, Rangiku leaned forward. "Hold on, I want in on this." To her surprise, Uryu leaned forward as well, his blue eyes glinting mischievously.
Tatsuki and Chad were the next to join their foray, their small group only excluding Ichigo and Orihime. "Wait, get in on what?" Tatsuki whispered.
Ichigo scowled at the would-be conspirators, their quiet whispering drawing his attention. "Want in on what, now?"
Rukia paled a moment, freezing as though she were a rabbit caught in a hawk's gaze. Beside her, Renji was of little help, his mouth hanging open uselessly. Uryu and Chad simply looked at each other, while Tatsuki continued to look just as confused as Orihime and Ichigo did. Rangiku was the one to save them all, indicating the nearly finished food on the table with an elegant sweep of her arm. "Is everyone done eating?"
Ichigo's brows drew down suspiciously, but he couldn't deny the fact that ninety-five percent of the food he'd prepared was already gone and the bottles of sparkling cider were nearly empty. His stomach doing a nervous flip, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. How is it already almost six-thirty?! "Shit, we've got to go soon," he answered instead, feeling the back of his neck grow warm with nervous anticipation.
Nearly everyone else checked their phones for the time, except for Orihime, who had left hers on the counter. She leaned over to look at Ichigo's instead. Her quiet gasp was quite the present to his ears, pulling a crooked smile from his lips when he risked looking at her.
Still wearing a watch rather than depend on his phone, Uryu was the first to stand. "I'll help with the dishes. We don't have much time."
Rangiku was the next to get to her feet, eying the other three girls purposefully as she set to work gathering up some of the dishes littering the table. "Perfect. I'll help you."
Uryu looked at her like she had just sprouted another head, his own cocked slightly to the side in confusion before he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Shrugging, he picked up the practically empty bottles of cider and moved to set them on the counter, making room for her to help in the process.
It was obvious what Rangiku was doing, the realization dawning on Orihime just a moment later. She was leaned toward Ichigo, but suddenly jolted upright, her heart stuttering in her chest as heat slowly spread up her chest and to her neck. The chocolates…
Ichigo had just opened his mouth to ask Orihime if she was all right, her sudden tension radiating off of her in waves, when Rukia stole his attention. "Right," she started, pushing herself back from the table with a purpose. "While they tend to the dishes, why don't you guys wait for us in the living room?" She met each of their eyes in turn, not missing the wide set to Orihime's, nor the way her chest rose and fell quickly with her nearly panicked breaths. "We have something for you."
A small sound of despair escaped Orihime's throat as she slowly forced herself to her feet, suddenly unable to meet Ichigo's eyes. She was distantly aware of Tatsuki making her own way out from the other side of the table, Chad standing first so he could move the other chairs out of her way. Renji stood with a furrowed brow but moved to the living room without question. Ichigo's eyes were following her, she could feel his gaze with a physical heat, but she couldn't look at him. He's going to think I'm crazy, she inwardly panicked. I knew I shouldn't have made those other ones… but if I don't give them to him, then there won't hardly be any!
Sensing Orihime's anxiety, Rukia grabbed her hand and smiled, squeezing her hand gently for support. "We'll be right back!" she called, scarcely granting the guys a glance as she pulled Orihime down the hallway, quickly followed by Tatsuki.
"Why do I always get nervous when she says shit like that?" Renji quietly admitted, running his hand through his ponytail nervously.
"Should we be?" Chad asked, leaning forward with his knees braced on his thighs. Renji and he had taken seats on the couch, while Ichigo remained standing, shifting his weight side-to-side as he forced himself to not do anything, other than strain his ears in an attempt to hear what the girls were up to. He was only met by hushed whispers, the sound of some items shifting or being moved back in Orihime's room, and an excited (or perhaps nervous) squeal that was clearly stifled.
They returned a moment later, each girl holding something behind their back and looking rather nervous with anticipation, with the exception of Rukia. Orihime's head was slightly tilted down as she avoided making eye contact, her lower lip pulled anxiously between her teeth. Tatsuki also had her eyes lowered, her shoulders bunched up closer to her ears than they normally were. Rukia was excited, her cheeks pleasantly stained pink as she kept her eyes up and on her destination – Renji.
"It wouldn't be Valentine's Day without a little chocolate, now would it?" Rukia finally announced, the first one to pull her small heart-shaped box out from behind her back. Rangiku had taken the time to find suitable boxes for them, all of which were in the shape of a heart, much to Tatsuki's chagrin.
Renji stood up and took the proffered box of chocolates with light dancing in his red eyes. He smiled down at Rukia, one of the truest smiles the others had ever seen on him, before pulling her into a hug. "Thanks, Babe." He then wasted no time in ripping the lid off and popping a chocolate into his mouth. "Hey, these are pretty good!"
Smiling as her cheeks darkened, Rukia feigned annoyance at Renji's lack of manners and smacked him in the chest. "Don't talk with your mouth full!"
Following Rukia's lead, Tatsuki nervously held her box out to Chad, her eyes refusing to meet his as he extended his hand out for the box. His hand was nearly as big as the package, but his quietly rumbled, "Thank you," was no less sincere. Swallowing nervously, Tatsuki brushed an imaginary hair back from her face, her chest warming at the gentle smile seen on Chad's lips. She watched with rapt attention as he carefully removed the lid, scrutinizing the chocolates. He did not know what to expect – he'd never been given chocolates before. "Can I eat one, now?" he asked not a second later, lowering his head slightly so that Tatsuki would have to look up and meet his gaze.
"O-of course!" The way her voice almost squeaked made Tatsuki jump, but she quickly cleared her throat in an attempt to hide it. Chad's pleased hum as the chocolate melted in his mouth made her grin, her dark eyes shining with relief and happiness when he quickly reached in and offered her one as well.
Once the other two had offered their gifts, Orihime knew there was no going back. She wasn't really listening to what was happening with the others, Chad's voice too quiet for her to catch anyway, while Renji's excited exclamations were hard to ignore. She was too nervous to focus on much other than what was directly in front of her, and what she held almost painfully tight in her hands behind her back. Is this how nervous he felt before giving me flowers, she silently questioned, her mind grasping onto anything as a distraction. Her breaths were coming short and fast, and she suddenly wished her hair was down so that she could hide behind it. Nonetheless, she could see Ichigo's feet, pointed towards her, waiting patiently – he'd stopped his nervous shifting side-to-side. He was not saying or doing anything to rush her, just simply waiting. That simple act made her smile shyly as she finally raised her eyes to meet his. The warm chocolate gaze that met hers melted her; his brows slightly raised with curiosity as he patiently waited.
She had no idea he'd also stopped paying any and all attention to the other people in the room. His attention was solely on her: the way her collarbones were more obvious with her hands behind her back, the way she shifted nervously on her bare feet and her gown brushed gently over the tops of them, offering him a few quick glances at her toes, the way he could still make out the delicate flush to her left cheek – the one not being hidden by her hair. Although he tried not to, he also could not help but notice the rapid pacing of her breaths, and the way she consequently strained against the top of her dress.
"W-we m-made these the o-other night," Orihime murmured, refusing to hesitate any longer and pulling the box out from behind her back. Rangiku had picked out different colors for each of them; Orihime's a bright and vibrant red velvet, whereas Tatsuki's was a deep navy and Rukia's a bright silver. The knowledge that red was the color of passion was not lost on her, and her cheeks burned even brighter as Ichigo gently reached out to take the box from her.
Their fingers didn't touch this time, Orihime was too quick to anxiously pull hers back, but the connection between them was there nonetheless, her eyes searching Ichigo's as he had to swallow before muttering a gruff, "Thank you."
Even though the others had already opened theirs up and had a piece, Ichigo hesitated, his heart thundering in his ears as his fingers traced over the soft velvet. She made me chocolates, he breathed inwardly, his heart pleasantly warm and light in his chest. She made me chocolates… The tradition and the symbolism behind it were not lost on him. It was something his own mother had ingrained upon him when he was young, insisting he do something nice for his sisters on Valentine's Day and telling him about the meaning behind giving such a gift on Valentine's Day. Subsequently, he had never gotten any chocolates before, not in all the years since his mother died, and he never followed through with giving his sisters anything, much to his own chagrin.
'Yeah, yeah, enough already. So, are you gonna eat any of them or not?!'
Scarcely suppressing a cringe, Ichigo glanced up at Orihime once more before carefully pulling off the lid at her gentle nod in the affirmative. What he saw made him gasp, missing Orihime's own quiet suck in of a breath that she subsequently held. He was completely blind-sided by the array of designs before him, but most of all the detail. There were a few simple round or squared chocolates; more than a few hearts, some of which had a second heart printed into them; but what truly shocked him were the shapes that he never would have expected – his hollow mask and Zangetsu, both in Shikai and Bankai. "Inoue," he breathed once he was able to remember how to do so once again. "How did you," he began, not even able to finish as his eyes sought out hers.
Her cheeks felt hot enough to rival the color of Renji's hair, but Orihime forced herself to meet Ichigo's eyes. She'd let out her held breath at Ichigo's quiet words, but her heart still hammered away relentlessly at her ribs and her lungs seemed incapable of taking in enough air. "R-R-Rangiku h-helped, so they won't taste bad," she muttered, brushing a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.
Ichigo's eyes searched hers, and Orihime saw them soften as he took a small step closer. "That's not what I'm talking about."
Her mind blank, Orihime's mouth fell open before her gaze fell to the box Ichigo still held in his hands. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a slight tremble there. However, as soon as she thought she noticed it, it was gone. "These are amazing," he finally continued when she said nothing, his right hand coming up to trace the box next to a rendering of Zangetsu. "I-I don't know what to say," he stumbled, before adding, "Thank you."
He likes them, he likes them, he likes them! She all but squealed out of relief in her mind, clasping her hands happily at her chest, and her smile blinding when she finally raised her gaze to meet his once more. His eyes were dark, swirling in their depths, but there was a light there that she rarely saw, even if she was starting to see it more and more of late. He was smiling too; not a smirk, and not one of his crooked half-smiles, but a true smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes and made her heart skip a beat. She wanted to make him smile more often. "You're welcome, Kurosaki-kun!"
Almost reluctant to destroy her masterpieces, Ichigo looked at the treats in his hand before looking back up at her. "S-should I eat one, then?" he asked, his voice quiet and rough. "I'd hate to destroy your hard work."
Giggling, Orihime smacked his arm. "That's what you're supposed to do, silly!" she cheered, reaching in the box and grabbing one of the simple round chocolates without thinking. "Here!" She froze when she realized she was holding it up for him, as though she meant to feed him, her eyes growing wide as her mouth fell open in a surprised, 'O'.
Similarly shocked, Ichigo gaped at her, his eyes moving from the chocolate piece in her hand to her, then back again. There was a part of him, a not-so-small part that wanted to just roll with it and let her feed him, but the saner part held such desires back in check.
Retracting her hand, Orihime carefully changed her hand position so she could drop the chocolate into his hand instead. "I-I mean," she stuttered, wanting to melt into a puddle in the floor as she shuffled her feet.
Just pretend that didn't happen, he chanted inwardly, just pretend that didn't happen. When he took the proffered chocolate from her, he couldn't help but notice how warm it felt, how it had only slightly started to melt from her body heat, and a shiver ran through him. That shiver was only made worse when he witnessed Orihime quietly stick her thumb into her mouth, sucking off the small amount of chocolate that had melted on her from the time she held it. Fuuuuuck, he breathed, his eyes momentarily unable to move away from her lips as he could all too keenly imagine his own lips against hers instead. It was all too tempting to throw the chocolates aside and grab her.
His hollow cackled at his sudden predicament, the type of cackle that would have had him grasping at his white middle. 'That escalated quickly!'
Eyes narrowing at his hollow's embarrassingly accurate assessment, Ichigo sighed inwardly as he looked down at the chocolate about to begin melting in his own hand. If this is how it's going to be and we haven't even gotten to the dance yet, I think I'm going to lose my damn mind tonight.
'Should have let her feed you, King.' Ichigo could practically feel the conspiratorial nudge his hollow would have given him if he could.
Ignoring his hollow, Ichigo quickly popped the chocolate into his mouth, his eyes immediately widening with surprise as it pleasantly started to melt. Indeed, there was nothing 'sketchy' about the chocolates. In fact, he would say they rivaled store bought chocolate any day, but that didn't mean he wanted to eat the ones Orihime had clearly worked so hard to create. Once he finished the chocolate, hurrying through some of it since Orihime was still standing in front of him, awkwardly watching him eat with a worried expression, he smiled. "These are really good, Inoue." He paused, waiting for her eyes to meet his once more and the line in her brow to disappear as she relaxed. "Thank you."
The air felt electrified between them, Orihime's heart pounding so loudly in her ears, she could hear little else, could focus on nothing other than the man in front of her. She felt warm, inexplicably so, and if the color rising on his neck and ears signified anything, Ichigo was clearly feeling the same. "Happy Valentine's Day," she murmured, lowering her gaze so that her eyelashes rested on her cheeks.
The urge to kiss her was once again almost too strong to ignore, but Ichigo staunchly refused to give in. He could not and would not do that in front of all their friends. There was just no way. Regardless, he suddenly wanted to touch her in any way possible, so he took another step forward, plucked out one of the heart-shaped chocolates and dropped it into her palm, the tips of his fingers lingering against her smooth skin. "Happy Valentine's Day," he returned, his voice low and gruff as he whispered into her ear.
His breath against her ear caused goosebumps to erupt on Orihime's skin and a pleasant shiver to run down her spine. She took a small side-step closer, so that their arms touched, before she popped the chocolate into her mouth in a weak attempt to hide the heat she felt rushing to her face and racing out through her arteries. She'd always found his voice low and alluring, sexy even; but it was a whole other beast entirely when he murmured into her ear so that no one else could hear. Aaaaand, he gave me a heart! A heart! Did he mean to do that? Was it on purpose or just an accident? Does that mean anything? Could it mean what I think it means, what I want it to mean?! Her mind tried to run off on its own again.
Rangiku's voice brought all of them back to the present as she clapped her hands together with a satisfied, "Right!" Six pairs of eyes jumped in her direction and she was more than pleased to see how closely Ichigo and Orihime were to each other, their faces nearly matching shades of pink. The healthy flush to Tatsuki's cheeks was nothing to laugh at either, and she quickly found a genuine smile crossing her lips. "Are we ready?"
Ever the detail-oriented one, Uryu stood over her shoulder and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I think we need to exchange the boutonnieres and corsages first."
"Oh! Right!" Rangiku turned back to the six in the living room once more. "Ready?"
The pairs in the living room reluctantly separated, the guys possessively holding onto their chocolates until forced to set them down on the kitchen table and retrieve their jackets. The girls had left their boutonnieres in the fridge, so while Rukia went to get her gloves, Rangiku made her way there and handed them out. The guys had kept theirs in their coats, but Ichigo's was in the bag he'd used to cart over the food, so he had to follow the girls into the kitchen. He did his best to ignore them as he pulled the clear plastic container from the bag, noticing Orihime's phone was still next to it on the counter. It was as she was headed back to the living room with the others that he reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently tugging her to a stop. He had an idea.
"So, what do we do with these, again?" Renji asked, holding Rukia's corsage in one hand while he eyed the boutonniere in hers with obvious distrust. She had slipped on her black gloves, the lacy material coming halfway up her upper arms. How is she going to be able to wear those all night, Renji couldn't help but wonder, but he also had to admit that they completed her ensemble nicely.
"Come on, Renji. You really think I'm going to accidentally stab you with the damn pin?" Rukia teased, cocking one hip out to the side and placing her fist on it in order to demonstrate her "anger".
Raising one red eyebrow, Renji smirked. "I've seen you handle a sword. I'm more afraid that you'll do it on purpose," he taunted, earning a shocked smack from Rukia.
"Are you really going to be like this all night?" she huffed, pulling the boutonniere from the box before dropping it unceremoniously on the couch. She had been pleasantly surprised when she'd first seen the arrangement. It couldn't have been easy to find a flower matching the shade of her dress, so Renji had gone with a small silver rose, the same color as her zanpakuto.
Renji watched her as she worked, standing on her very tiptoes to reach his jacket. He knew better than to offer to help her at this point, so he simply watched and smiled. "If you let me."
Rukia attempted to glower at him, only it came across more affectionately than she meant it to as she successfully managed to pin the boutonniere on the right way. "Careful what you wish for, Renji," she playfully cautioned, before dutifully extending her left hand, waiting patiently for him to slip the matching corsage onto her wrist, over the gauzy material of her glove, before holding up her phone. "Okay, now. Picture time!"
Renji rolled his eyes and groaned in response, but a small threat about how her brother would react if they didn't come back with at least one picture quickly made him more agreeable.
A few feet away, Tatsuki was having a harder time getting the pin to work properly in Chad's jacket. She had seen pictures of what the end result was supposed to be, but no matter what she did, the yellow rose kept falling at an odd angle. At first, she had been surprised by his choice of color, but then she recalled the way he'd looked at her dress when they had attempted to color-coordinate. The yellow flower perfectly matched the beaded stamens on her gown. I'm lucky he paid close enough attention to notice all the colors, she thought, her mouth twisting with her mounting annoyance.
From above her, Chad watched silently. Like Rukia, Tatsuki was considerably shorter than him, just not to the same extent. She stood up tall, but not on her tiptoes to reach him, and he found himself fascinated with the way even her dexterous fingers could not get the pin to work. "Arisawa," he quietly interjected when she huffed in irritation. When she didn't stop, he gently placed one large hand over hers. "Let me try."
There was no question, nor demand in his words, so Tatsuki slowly slid her hand out from under his, her heart lurching at the prolonged contact. She hadn't fully admitted it to Orihime, but she did have feelings for the quiet giant. Even when she was most irritated with the lack of involvement she had in whatever was going on with the rest of them at the time, she had found herself unable to truly be upset with Chad. He was quiet and reserved, speaking only when he had something to truly contribute; but he had also always been kind and considerate, protective of Orihime and even herself well before he had any reason to. So, she found herself watching his evolution right alongside Ichigo's, Orihime's and Uryu's; not truly understanding the why, but also understanding that none of them would be doing it if they didn't have a good reason. The more she learned, the more she found her heart reaching out to the guy, and the more she wanted to learn about him. She was cautiously beginning to hope he might feel the same way about her.
While Tatsuki mused inwardly, Chad asked for another pin for his boutonniere. To account for his larger stature, the clerk at the flower shop had somehow known to opt for a larger rose. The one pin simply had not been enough for it. Once Rangiku placed another pin in his hand, he immediately offered it to Tatsuki. "This should help."
Smiling, Tatsuki took the offered pin and this time, successfully managed to arrange it within the boutonniere. Satisfied, she took a step back and felt her heart squeeze at the gentle smile on Chad's lips. When he said nothing, and instead gently removed her corsage from its plastic confines, she bit her lower lip and extended her left arm. He was all-too-easily able to slip it on over her hand to rest at her wrist. "Thank you," she breathed; indicating both his help with the boutonniere and her corsage. "You matched the color perfectly."
Chad pressed his lips together into a thin line, his already dark cheeks darkening just enough that Tatsuki missed it. "Your dress was a little difficult to match," he admitted with a shrug.
Tatsuki giggled, gently pressing a hand to his chest regardless, and was once more amazed at the solid steel beneath her fingertips. "Just take the compliment, Sado," she admonished.
He chuckled at her reaction, the sound deep and rich to Tatsuki's ears. "I'm not very good with compliments," he quietly admitted, which only earned him another chuckle from the martial arts expert.
A moment of silence passed between them before Tatsuki nervously poked her index fingers against each other. "I have a request, Sado, if you don't mind."
"Hmm?" he hummed, Tatsuki's quiet question drawing his attention away from the others around them. He'd noticed Ichigo and Orihime were not in the living room.
"My-my mom was really hoping to get a picture of us tonight," she blurted quietly, before holding up her phone with a cringe. "Would you mind?"
Rather than answer with words, Chad slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her snug against his side before offering her a small smile. "Of course."
Nearer to Orihime's table in the living room, Rangiku and Uryu quietly exchanged their boutonniere and corsage. Rangiku was able to expertly pin the boutonniere to Uryu's jacket, after which he slipped the corsage onto her wrist. She had shown him both dresses at the mall and had not indicated which she was going to wear, so he had struggled some (at least initially) with what color to choose. He'd gone with his gut, and opted for a pale periwinkle blue. Almost white, it had just the tiniest hint of color, and one of the dresses was that color, so he figured if she did not wear that one, at least it would still match her eyes (although he would never admit that thought process aloud to anyone). Now, he found himself avidly hoping she would change, and not wear the blue dress. Otherwise, he felt certain he would be entering the dance alone.
Sensing his disquiet as he slipped the corsage onto her wrist, Rangiku frowned. "Come on, Ishida. What's with the long face?"
Her corsage safe on her wrist, Uryu raised an eyebrow and purposefully looked Rangiku up and down. "You know, I still don't think they are going to let us in with you dressed like that. This is a high school dance, Lieutenant."
Her brows drawing down into a frown that also looked suspiciously like a pout, Rangiku poked Uryu in the chest. "Seriously? You make it sound like you're afraid of going to the dance alone."
His glasses flashing, Uryu suppressed the urge to shove her hand away from him. "You asked me, you may remember," he retorted. She pulled her hand back before he added, "What would the captain think if he found out you weren't allowed in? Isn't he working tonight so the rest of you don't have to?"
Rangiku's frown deepened and she played with her necklace a moment before answering. "Well, he didn't say it like that, but yes. He said he would handle any pages that came through."
"And if you can't go to the dance," he began, watching the gears turn in the lieutenant's mind.
"I can always change!" she argued.
Uryu again pressed his glasses up his nose. He knew he had her right where he wanted her. "And who is going to walk you back so you can? I'm not leaving once I get there."
"I don't need an escort, Ishida," she snapped.
"But if Hitsugaya sees you, do you really think he'll let you get off without going back to work instead?"
She was caught and she knew it. Rather than admit it, Rangiku pulled her corsage off with a huff before handing it back to him. "Fine," she snapped, then stomped off to change in Orihime's room.
Orihime paused at the sensation of Ichigo's firm, but gentle grip on her wrist. She turned to him with a furrowed brow, searching for an explanation until he gently pulled her closer, so the others couldn't see them from where they were in the living room. Oh my gosh! She squealed inwardly, her hand holding his boutonniere flying up towards her heart. Is he, she wouldn't even let herself finish the thought.
Now that he had her attention, Ichigo's mind went blank. He didn't know what to say now that they were secluded from the others, hidden from their view by the wall. She was looking up at him so expectantly, and he knew what he wanted to do, but suddenly any and all words failed him. Damn it! He ground his teeth before reaching for her other hand – her left hand. "Here," he muttered, feeling the heat rising up his neck and to his ears once more.
There was no hesitation in her movements. Orihime quickly shifted the boutonniere to her other hand so he could command her left. His skin against hers felt rough, calloused from all his time spent training and fighting, but he was warm and gentle. He moved almost as though he were afraid she would break, fall apart if he touched her wrong. She found it incredibly endearing as he slipped the corsage over her hand and onto her wrist, his thumbs gently tracing over the lace around her wrist, as though he were smoothing it into place. The small rose matched the blue of her dress; slightly lighter than her pins. He held onto her hand a moment after that, his eyes lowered to the flower now adorning her wrist, as he struggled with the sudden urge to kiss the back of her hand. He bit his tongue and forced himself to release her instead.
Once he freed her hand, Ichigo avoided her gaze. Orihime's heart was in her throat at the tender way he had held onto her hand a moment longer than was necessary, every nerve buzzing with anticipation, acutely attuned into everything he was doing. When he continued to avoid looking at her, Orihime shuffled to the side to set down the package holding his boutonniere. He followed her movements this time, his eyes on her hands as she carefully removed the flowered ensemble as though she were afraid she would drop it – which wasn't that unreasonable of a fear in her case. When she removed the pin and stepped closer to him, she smiled up at him nervously.
"I promise not to poke you, Kurosaki-kun."
He couldn't help the smile that broke across his lips then, the tension he'd felt across his shoulders at his near blunder suddenly releasing. This was Orihime. Orihime. He didn't need to be afraid of what he did or said around her, because it was her. Then again, he also did need to be careful because it was her. Licking his suddenly dry lips, he nodded before responding with, "I trust you, Inoue."
Her smile widened at his faith in her, and Orihime set to work, her tongue peeking out from the side of her mouth as she tried her best to focus and pin the boutonniere on correctly. The blue went perfectly with the dark gray of his vest and the black of his tuxedo jacket, and before she knew what she was doing, she was speaking. "You picked a beautiful color, Kurosaki-kun."
Ichigo was watching her as she worked; his eyes not on her hands and where she could so easily cause him harm, but on her. On the way her tongue stuck out because she was focused, the way her brows furrowed for the same reason, the way her cheeks were pleasantly flushed, and he was now struggling to understand why. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and for her to compliment a simple flower, a color no less, struck him as a huge injustice. "It's not as beautiful as you are, Inoue," he blurted, immediately snapping his lips shut the moment he realized he'd said the words out loud. FUCK!
'Ha ha ha! Nice one, King! Smooth!'
Orihime's eyes snapped up to his, her breath stilling in her throat at his quiet compliment. He looked just as startled as she felt, as though he hadn't meant to say anything out loud, but she couldn't stop the surge of happiness that rolled over her like a wave. Her ears immediately warmed, her heart rampaging against the confines of her ribs, but she wasn't paying attention anymore and a sharp pain suddenly erupted in her finger. "Ouch!" she whisper-shouted.
Jumping at her quiet outcry, Ichigo looked down to see Orihime pull her hand back, a small droplet of blood oozing from the center of her index finger. "Shit! You okay?" he asked, all thoughts of his own embarrassment pushed to the side at the sight of her blood.
Promptly sticking her finger into her mouth, Orihime looked up with wide eyes and nodded. "Sorry," she mumbled around her finger with a helpless shrug. Popping her finger from her mouth, she inspected it to see if it was still bleeding before making sure his boutonniere was secure. "At least I didn't prick you with it!"
Ichigo shook his head, pulling his thoughts away from her finger in her mouth again. He'd almost done the same thing; taking her hand and putting her finger in his mouth, but thankfully his wits had returned before he could do anything. "Still," he muttered, not wanting to admit that he was relieved at the sudden distraction from his own stupid blabbering.
Their flowers were exchanged, but Orihime was reluctant to step away from him. He was practically leaning back against the counter, as far from sight of the others as they could be, while she stood before him, mere inches between them. The pleasant scent of their dinner still permeated the kitchen, only now she felt full for a completely different reason. Ichigo had called her beautiful, not once, but twice. He was clearly embarrassed by it, so she was not going to comment on it, but the fact that he'd said it sent her flying way past cloud nine. He was touching her, finding ways or reasons to do so when it wasn't necessary, and she found herself doing the exact same. Perhaps it's good I asked him to the dance, she admitted. She was not so sure their friendship, their relationship would have evolved as it had if she didn't.
"Hey, um, Inoue." Ichigo's quiet voice roused her from her musings.
"Yes?"
His eyes were dark swirls of chocolate when he looked down at her, the line that was so often present between his brows still present as he pressed his lips together into a thin line. Next thing she knew, he was holding his phone up, a sheepish expression on his face as his cheeks visibly darkened. "So, I'm sure my sisters would like another one." He indicated the small blossom on her wrist before adding, "You know, since we're fully dressed now."
'Fully dressed, huh? When were you undressed, King? Oh, right. Only in your dreams!' His hollow never missed the chance to call out his blunders, but despite the increase in heat to his ears, Ichigo refused to acknowledge him.
Orihime's smile was nearly blinding when she grinned up at him, her eyes almost shut as she nodded her head. "Of course!"
There was no hesitation this time, no uncertainty, as Ichigo wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Their eyes met, silently acknowledging the nonexistent space between them, Ichigo ever conscious of the increase in Orihime's breathing to match his own, as her left hand came up to rest against his chest. Without realizing it, his gaze dropped to her lips and he sucked in a breath. Was now the right time? Should he do it now? No one else was around, or at least could see. They were so close as it was, it would only take the slightest shift and he could finally taste the lips that had been taunting him all night…
The temptation was almost too strong to ignore, and before Ichigo knew it, he had leaned toward her a little bit before he could pull himself back. Fuck, no. No, no, no, no, no! He mentally berated himself, missing the flash in Orihime's eyes when he'd moved closer to her, then the disappointment that shone in their gray depths when he pulled back. Before she could focus on it, however, Ichigo cleared his throat and unlocked his phone, quickly opening the camera app without releasing his hold on her in the slightest. Orihime took the chance to shuffle that much closer, her entire body pressed into his side. Her heart was drowning out everything else in her ears, and her nerves continued to buzz anxiously as she tried to piece together what just happened. Did he just? Did he almost? What was that?! Her mind was racing, but not unpleasantly. She still found herself surprised when he suddenly exclaimed, "There," and held his phone up.
Having been lost in her own thoughts, Orihime raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, Ichigo responding with a helpless shrug. "I obviously do this a lot," he deadpanned, smiling crookedly at her when she smiled and shook her head.
"Clearly," she teased back.
Unbeknownst to both of them, Ichigo's finger slipped and hit the camera shutter while their eyes remained locked on the other's, silently capturing the heated gaze passing between them – his did not make a sound like Orihime's did. When he felt like he was being swallowed by her gaze once more, like gravity was pulling his head towards hers, Ichigo gave her a gentle squeeze and pulled his gaze away as though it took a physical effort. "You ready?
Straightening her posture, Orihime still kept herself pressed into his side, her left hand remaining on his chest so his sisters could see her corsage. He was tall enough the boutonniere was not in any danger of hitting her in the face, and she smiled at the camera, allowing the smile she wanted to show Ichigo to shine through; a smile that showed of her love, her excitement, and her happiness. Heat ran through her like a pleasant wave when his seemed to reflect the same and he pressed the button.
Silence settled between them, a comfortable silence as Ichigo lowered his phone and opened the picture they just took. He wasn't one for pictures, wasn't typically the kind of guy that liked his picture taken or took much stock in them, period; but this was a picture he wanted to save, to keep as his phone background if all went well (and sadly hoard to himself if it didn't). Thankfully, he didn't have to say anything as Orihime slightly jumped at his side and squeezed him gently. "I love it! Send it to me!"
"Orihime! Kurosaki! What are you two doing in there?!" Rangiku's surprisingly loud call shocked both of them back into the present, the two physically jumping before separating, as though they were not allowed to be seen in each other's arms like they were.
"Coming!" Orihime answered, pulling away from Ichigo reluctantly. Ichigo felt the loss of Orihime's warmth at his side like a slow setting hypothermia, completely unaware that she suddenly felt both light enough to float away, and too heavy to move. All she wanted to do was stay by his side all night. Was that too much to ask?! Feeling like she would give Rangiku a piece of her mind later, Orihime grabbed her phone just as it binged at her, an indication that Ichigo just sent her the picture. When she looked back over her shoulder at him, he was smiling innocently before dropping his phone into his pocket.
When the two rounded the corner into the living room, their brows lowered into matching expressions of confusion. Not only had Rangiku changed, but the others were lined up as though they were about to take a group photo. The guys were in the back, the girls in front of them, with the exception of Uryu and Rangiku. Rangiku fluttered around in front of them, her newly adorned pink dress swirling around her knees like the dress of a salsa dancer. Most of her back was exposed, but when she pulled her hair out of her face, Orihime caught sight of the halter-style straps secured around her neck and immediately recognized it as her "backup" dress from the mall. She smiled easily when Rangiku turned to look at them, both relieved the lieutenant had changed, and curious as to who had gotten her to do so. The pale pink top was tight, form-fitting, but was still considerably more modest than her other dress, allowing for just a moderate amount of cleavage that she still managed to obviously strain against. The skirt was loose and flowy, swaying with her every move, and Orihime could almost picture the strawberry blonde dancing and swirling the skirt around her expertly. "Rangiku-chan! You look amazing!"
Rangiku scarcely spared her a smile. "Thank you, now get over here."
They followed obediently, but Ichigo still asked, "What are we doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? Group picture!" Rangiku exclaimed with a happy little jump that was almost too similar to a reaction they would all expect from Orihime. Her excitement reigned in, she quickly narrowed her eyes at the two before pointing to the space in between Rukia and Renji, and Chad and Tatsuki – putting them right in the center. "There," she demanded.
The others quickly made space for them, Renji cocking a humorous eyebrow at Ichigo while Rukia winked at Orihime, causing the auburn-haired healer to smile ruefully as she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. I'm going to be a permanent tomato, she thought idly as they shuffled into place. Then all coherent thought left her when Rangiku instructed Ichigo to put his hands on her hips, which the others had already done.
Hearing her command, Ichigo swallowed, thankful Orihime couldn't see his face, and hoping the others weren't looking at him. He knew he was going to have to touch her hips at some point during the night. Isn't that how they were supposed to dance, anyway? Besides, he had already done so at least once, his hand falling to her hip rather than her waist on more than one occasion. That didn't make his nerves any less severe, especially when he looked down and noticed just how much skin she was exposing on her back. Hell, the straps that zig-zagged across her back did absolutely nothing to cover her, and in fact only made it that much more difficult to resist touching her! Grinding his teeth together, Ichigo sucked in a breath and bit the proverbial bullet, reaching forward and grabbing her hips with much more confidence than he felt.
Fire erupted in Orihime the moment Ichigo's warm hands grasped her hips. She had felt his hesitation, felt the warm ghost of his breath down her back as he clearly looked down. It brought goosebumps to her skin and caused her heart to plummet into her stomach before it took wild flight at his touch. Rangiku paid them no mind, her eyes narrowing as she looked at them a moment before snapping her fingers and turning to the flowers the girls had placed on the table. When Rangiku pressed their respective vases into their hands, Orihime found herself leaning back slightly, depending on Ichigo to keep her grounded as her mind ran. Not for the first time, she imagined holding a bouquet across from Ichigo, her gown white and long, with Tatsuki and Rukia slightly behind her as she gazed across the small space towards him. He looked much as he did now, only his eyes shone with unrestrained love and he grinned when she looked up at him. As though she remembered from her previous daydream, she felt a weight on her left ring finger, and gently raised it up to look at it. Ichigo's almost imperceptible tightening of his grip on her hips pulled her back into the present, and suddenly she realized the boys were shifting after Rangiku gave them orders to step closer.
Ichigo was close enough to feel the heat off Orihime's body against his chest. They were close enough she had to be able to feel him breathing, and possibly even the wild racing of his heart against her back. His hands felt hot, despite how easily they fit on her rounded hips and he could only hope she didn't notice as he felt her take a tiny shuffle back. The strawberry scent of her shampoo wafted up to him and he had to resist the urge to bury his nose in it, to draw a sense of calm from her soothing scent in order to still the angst rushing through his entire being.
"Do I really have to be in here?" Uryu uncharacteristically whined, rolling his head back on his shoulders in an ill-fated attempt to hide his discomfort.
Satisfied with the positioning of the others, Rangiku moved to stand on the opposite side of the group from her date in order to balance them out. "Of course!" she cheerily commanded. "Now hurry up and smile. We only have a few more seconds!"
There was some quick shuffling amongst them, Ichigo's hands once more shifting on Orihime's hips such that she wanted to sigh pleasantly. Despite her nerves, it felt oddly natural to have him hold her in such a way, and that thought pleasantly warmed her heart until she felt the organ might actually melt within her chest. She was scarcely aware of the nervous look on Tatsuki's face, nor the sweat drop alongside Chad's. Rukia was the most excited, next to Rangiku, while Renji appeared to simply be following orders so he wouldn't get smacked. Suddenly a flash went off, while none of them were ready, and Rangiku took a step forward to reign them all in. "Come on, guys!"
A few more seconds passed, everyone finally still with smiles plastered on their faces. The flash went off a few more times before Rangiku collected their flowers and exclaimed, "Okay! Fun picture!"
Orihime had scarcely processed the words before Ichigo shifted behind her. His arm traveled down the backs of her legs before hooking at her knees and she shrieked when she suddenly found herself in the air, Ichigo holding her like a bride in his arms. For the first time, she noticed his hand on her shoulder was surprisingly warm. "Kurosaki-kun!" she cried, breaking into a smile nonetheless as her arms automatically came up to wrap around his neck.
"What?" he asked, completely deadpanned as he shrugged his shoulders. This only made Orihime giggle more. He smiled easily at her, the smile he saved only for her, as though he forgot the others were even there – she simply easily drowned out the rest of the world when he was with her. He used the feigned ignorance as a means to keep from resting his forehead against hers, to keep from turning the moment more intimate, despite what his heart desired. It was almost as though she were developing her own personal gravity at an alarming rate – a gravity that he was helpless against, just as he was helpless against Earth's gravity when not in Shinigami form.
Beside them, Tatsuki froze, having absolutely no idea what to do. When she looked at Chad, he similarly shrugged before his face lit up with an idea. "Jump on my back," he quietly commanded.
"What?"
"Jump on my back," he repeated, dropping into a crouch so she wouldn't have to jump as high – not that it really mattered for her.
Licking her lips, Tatsuki decided to go for it. The night was all about new beginnings, or at least it was in her mind. She crouched just a little bit herself before launching up onto Chad's back, her arms easily looping around his shoulders as he caught her thighs behind him. The slit in her gown up the right leg allowed her to spread her legs around his hips, but also meant he grabbed her bare thigh, and that her skin was completely exposed on that side. She had only a moment to worry about it before she heard Orihime laughing at her side and couldn't help but smile at the carefree expressions on both her and Ichigo's faces. It made her heart pleasantly warm inside.
On the opposite side of Ichigo and Orihime, Rukia and Renji wasted no time. He grabbed her by the waist, turning to the side so he could lift her into the air while she balanced herself with her hands on his shoulders. Her face immediately started turning red, but none of them noticed that Rangiku had been taking pictures the entire time, from the moment she collected their flowers. She caught Orihime's surprise as Ichigo suddenly lifted her into the air, and the priceless moment of their matching grins when she wrapped her arms around his neck. She captured Tatsuki's skeptical eyebrow raise at Chad's suggestion, and Rukia's beaming smile as Renji lifted her into the air. That done, she quickly set the timer once more, grabbed Uryu's hand, and joined the others, Uryu reluctantly following with a furrowed brow.
"Okay, guys! Ready!" she called as she spun around.
"What," Uryu started, just before Rangiku turned him to face the camera and planted a kiss on his cheek, lifting one of her heels playfully up into the air. The near burst image setting caught his surprised expression, as well as the deep blush to his cheeks when she released him.
"Okay!" Rangiku exclaimed with a happy sigh. Uryu was rubbing the cheek she had kissed, Renji was just lowering Rukia, and Tatsuki was slipping off Chad's back, but Ichigo was still holding onto Orihime, his fingers drumming restlessly against her shoulder. That is, until he noticed Rangiku's cocked eyebrow, and the way she purposefully looked them both up and down. He swiftly lowered her feet back to the ground at that. "Ready?" she asked once they were all returned to some semblance of normalcy.
"We just have to grab our shoes," Rukia answered. They had come to the decision at dinner that they would wear boots to the dance (no one felt like getting frostbite) and would change into their dance shoes once they got there. The guys had simply shrugged in agreement – that wasn't a problem they had.
It was as the girls disappeared down the hallway that apprehension settled in Ichigo's gut like a heavy stone. Shit's getting real, he admitted to himself as he checked the time on his phone and swallowed dryly. For once, his hollow simply hummed in agreement, choosing not to haggle him any more than he already had.
For those of you that left your thoughts and reviews last time, thank you, thank you, thank you! I often take forever to get back to you, but I promise I will be doing so tomorrow. I wanted to get this out ASAP. Thanks for sticking with me on this monster of a chapter, and I hope it was worth it. As always, I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. They all belong to Tite Kubo, who needs to write more romance in his stories, but if he did, what would we have to do? ;)
