Chapter 2: Crawled In and Never Left

Give me the chance to tonight

I'll prove to you what's in my eyes

(It's My Turn to Fly - The Urge - Titan AE soundtrack 2000)

Ichigo considered himself a reasonable man, but his patience was growing thin with his roommate.

"C'mon, man! You had a solid chance with Hime last night!" Renji pleaded with him. "Why are you so obtuse?"

"That's an awfully big word for you." Ichigo rolled his eyes at his friend. "Ever think of taking your own advice with Rukia?"

Renji let out a long-suffering sigh. "You're both hopeless, and therefore perfect for each other."

"I'm perfectly happy with how things are with Hime. I don't want to chance it."

Renji pulled out a box of pretzel sticks from the cupboard. He fixed a concerned look on his face, and the seriousness unnerved Ichigo.

"Look. I'm not gonna force you. Even if I think you're absolutely nuts not to. I will, however, point out that you're an idiot for not telling her how you feel." Renji pulled out a piece of pretzel and pointed it at Ichigo to emphasize his thought. "You're gonna lose her one day if you continue to be ridiculous."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as his scowl persisted. "You think I am not aware of that?"

Renji placed the stick between his teeth and grinned toothily. "Yup!"

A sleepy noise came from behind the two men just as Ichigo opened his mouth to snap at his friend.

"Mm morning guys," Orihime yawned as she stepped into the kitchen. "Any coffee? It's too early."

"Sorry Hime. Were we too loud?" Ichigo asked, his previous scowl morphing to something more kind.

"No," she murmured. Her voice was still thick with sleep. She stumbled a little, bumping into Ichigo. "Oh, hi wall. You smell nice." Orihime leaned into his chest and snuggled him.

There was a strangled sound from Renji as he watched the young woman wrap her arms loosely around Ichigo's waist. Instinctively, Ichigo wrapped his arms around her to steady her.

"Renji," Ichigo said softly as to not disturb Orihime. "Please brew some coffee for her."

"Jeez if I had known that Hime could instantly dissolve your sour mood with an embrace, I'd handcuff you both together." Renji grumbled and shook his head, walking over to the coffeemaker on the counter.

Ichigo hummed a distracted acknowledgement as he idly stroked Orihime's long auburn hair. She snuggled into his broad chest further. "Thanks. I'll move her back to her room." He was already moving towards the living room as he heard Renji's snarky reply.

"Oh take your time. I'm merely here to serve."

Ichigo sighed heavily as he stepped out from Orihime's room and shut the door behind him quietly. He turned to walk down the short hallway, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw his two friends standing a few feet away with evil grins on their faces. Squaring his shoulders and fixing a glare at Renji and Rukia, he taunted "Don't you both have something better to do? Like, absolutely anything?"

Rukia's grin sharpened further. "Nah, we're more interested in heckling you."

Ichigo grumbled, raking his fingers through his unruly hair. "Yeah yeah. You're both insufferable."

He flicked Rukia's forehead and smacked Renji's upper back swiftly as he moved to leave.

Rukia's retort was loud as she declared, "And YOU are the annoying brother I never asked for and yet somehow got!"

Renji's muttering was barely noticeable under the small woman's rage. "C'mon, Rukia. Let's leave him be."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, stepping around the ornery woman and made his way to the kitchen. Of course, Renji was right. It annoyed him to no end that he hadn't spoken with Orihime about how he felt towards her. Hell, if he were being honest, he knew that he was in love with her at first sight.

She had stumbled into his dad's clinic, buckling under the weight of her brother's prone body. This girl, only 12 at the time, carried her six foot and change older brother from the scene of the car accident all the way there. She was battered and bruised from the wreckage too. It broke him to his very soul when he had to tell her that his father was unable to save Orihime's brother. The ambulance Isshin had called to rush him to the trauma ward of the hospital had simply not gotten there in enough time.

He did his best to console Orihime, who collapsed in a heap on the clinic floor. Her clothes were soiled with dirt and caked in her brother's blood.

Yuzu had entered the room, and with a kind and understanding voice, ushered the broken girl to the bathroom to wash up. Orihime stayed at his house for several days, mostly walking around with mechanical movements, much like a zombie or a robot, just going through the motions of a semblance of normalcy. At night she'd cry herself to sleep. Ichigo stayed by her side when she was awake and would help her to bed when she could barely stay up right.

Slowly, but surely, Orihime processed the loss of her brother. Ichigo stuck to her like glue, promising her and to himself that he would always be there to protect her. Orihime professed her gratitude to him soon after she moved back to her apartment, telling him that she was eternally grateful for everything he had done. As time went on, they became inseparable. They went to the same middle school and then high school, which introduced them to new friends that they quickly established into a tight-knit group.

Orihime had grown up beautifully. Her smile, warm and bright, had the ability to render him speechless and lightheaded. He felt invincible and vulnerable all at once. Far too many times, their friends would catch him when he was slack-jawed and mindless, teasing him mercilessly when Orihime wasn't looking.

He began calling her 'Hime' their senior year. He hadn't meant to, but it just slipped out. She had been followed by a group of boys who often flocked around her, taken by her beauty and her curvaceous body. One of them had ventured to put a hand on her shoulder without permission and Ichigo had snapped. Any restraint he had frayed instantly and before he understood what was happening, he had slammed the cretin against the wall and threatened him.

"You don't touch women without consent, especially Hime." He growled at the other guy, clenching the offending limb.

Orihime had called his name softly, telling Ichigo to let the man go, and he had simultaneously dropped him and her request. Ichigo made it a point to be by her side every chance he had. To protect her, love her from a distance if need be. It was enough, at that time.

But once Ichigo, Orihime and their friends entered university, the strain to keep a tight seal over his feelings became increasingly more difficult. His best friend flourished in academics and her social life expanded to include other people outside of their small group. With that also came obstacles, and Ichigo had to fend off more than a few of Orihime's admirers.

Ichigo gripped the handle of the carafe of coffee angrily at the memory. The steam and scent of the hot brew brought him back to the present. He sighed after loosening his grip and poured two cups, adding cream and sugar to Orihime's.

Soft footfalls behind him reached his ears, along with a quiet yawn. A grin spread on his lips as Orihime came into view.

Orihime blinked away the remnants of sleep from her eyes, smiling brightly at Ichigo when he offered her the cup he'd gotten for her.

Taking a big sip, she sighed happily. "Thanks, Ichigo. You always know how to make my coffee just how I like it."

Ichigo smiled gently at her, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Well, after knowing you for ten years, I'd like to think I know you well enough to get your preferences right."

Orihime giggled and gazed up at him from behind the mug pressed to her lips. "You do, and I'm grateful for that. Lord knows why Rukia insists on adding extra sugar and Tatsuki puts in too little cream. You are a hero among men, good sir."

Ichigo's smile widened at Orihime's playfulness. "I try my best, milady."

"Where are Rukia and Renji?" Orihime asked as she looked around the kitchen.

"Don't know. Don't care. Hopefully somewhere off annoying someone else more deserving." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Orihime snorted bemusedly, shaking her head in disbelief as he tried to sound convincingly bored and grumpy. She raised her hand to place it on his right cheek in a fond manner.

"What am I going to do with you?" Her question came out more flirtatious than she intended.

Ichigo's eyes widened at her sweet gesture and instantly leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and reveling in it. He had never realized how touch starved he truly was until Orihime would step into his personal space with her warm smile and kind gaze. It was as if that one thing, a fleeting brush of her fingers, or a soothing embrace had the ability to heal his wounded heart or eradicate any scar left on his soul.

Losing his mother at such a young age had made him a hardened and angry child. He blamed himself for her death, believing that if he had done something, spent more time with her, taken care of her and his sisters more, that she may very well have recovered from cancer. But his father had explained to him many times that the disease was caught too late, and the malignancy had metastasized from her cervix to her uterus and ovaries very quickly. Ichigo was still struggling with the loss of his mother two years later, when Orihime stumbled into their clinic with her brother.

He'd figured that no matter how miserable and heart wrenching it was, he had found purpose in consoling Orihime. It gave him unbelievable strength to bond with her over the loss. Helping her ultimately helped him as well in the end. The desire to be with her only grew. It had crawled in and never left. He'd become greedy for it, overthrown by his desperation to be close to the light that was Orihime.

She continued to lightly graze his cheekbone with soft brushes against him, her warm fingers causing pleasant tingles on his skin.

Orihime cupped the side of his face as she watched in awe how he was drawn to her touch, feeling the soft smile that pulled at his lips. When he raised his hand to place it over hers, she felt herself being pulled by an invisible force, almost magnetic. He had always been like that, and she adored being the one that he let in entirely. She stroked his cheek and began to pull her palm away until he held fast to her. His eyes fluttered open, and the look he had in them made the breath catch in her throat.

"Ichi-" she murmured breathlessly.

The raw emotion that flashed in his dark amber gaze made her spine tingle, her heart stutter and her cheeks warm. He had the ability to render her tongue-tied with the flicker of something deep and foreign to her. Ichigo pulled her into his arms, finally allowing her hand to move, and she found herself slipping it to the back of his neck and burying her fingers into his soft hair. He wrapped his arms about her, pulling her to his lean, muscular body and sighed happily as Orihime sifted her fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp comfortingly.

Orihime pressed her ear over his heart, as he towered over her five-foot one frame. The thumping, strong sound of it beating quieted her mind immediately. He slid his hands up and down her back, and she felt herself melt into it.

"I… I just need this, Hime." Ichigo's whisper filtered into her ear as he pressed his lips to her temple, sending a shiver through her body. Though quiet, she heard the fervency in his tone. She nodded against him, continuing her movements through his hair. She felt him shudder in their embrace and the breathless 'thank you' that he uttered.

"Were you thinking about something?" Orihime whispered back, her eyebrows drawing inwards as the possibility fluttered through her mind.

Ichigo nodded, letting out a stuttering sigh. "Yeah. Don't worry about it. I'm better now."

She hummed thoughtfully at his response, resigning herself to his simple answer. She wouldn't push him further.

Finally, Ichigo pulled back from her to look her in the eyes. His gaze was still intense, as it flickered with what she could only identify as resolve and something far much more akin to what she assumed she wore as an expression often in his presence. It made her heart skip a beat and her mind to race at the possibilities.

"Hime," he murmured. The way he said her name was like an urgent plea. It caused her stomach to swoop down like she was on an out-of-control rollercoaster. She waited on bated breath as he gathered his thoughts.

Ichigo's mind was restless. His need to put into words how he felt about her, loved her, desired her rushed through and permeated the recesses of his brain. He should've been used to the intensity of it by now, but he most certainly wasn't. The way she watched him gave him strength to form the words, stilling the overbearing thoughts warring to leave his mouth.

"I want to kiss you," he whispered. His simple response was anything but, knowing deep down that this could make or break their friendship. The smile she gave him nearly shut down his brain entirely.

"What took you so long?" Orihime breathed before Ichigo's mouth was on hers, his lips holding nothing back as kissed her with all the desperation and hunger of a man starved. The radiating joy splashed over the burning desire thundering through his veins.

Orihime parted her lips as she let out a sound that would've embarrassed her outside of this situation. Instead, she felt exhilarated to an immeasurable degree. Her body quaked at the reverence and pure heat he poured into it. It was as if the dam of years of keeping everything bottled up in fear of losing each other burst and flooded them all at once.

She clenched her fingers in his hair as he delved his tongue into her mouth. Orihime felt her body fight between melting and being drawn taught, like a string on a bow. Ichigo's hands slid down to her hips, flexing and gripping at her flannel pajama pants and flesh. She angled her head when he held her firmly, seeking out his tongue with her own.

Ichigo was quickly lost in the taste of her skin, the sounds she made and the feel of her. His nerve endings felt like they had caught fire. It was a sensory overload in everything Orihime. If he did not think he was greedy before, he certainly was now.

Orihime swore she was weightless. She felt like she just might float away if he didn't hold fast to her. The tug she gave to Ichigo's hair had him groaning and he lifted her like she was a feather. She quickly wrapped her legs around his hips as he hoisted her up and gathered her long hair into his hand, slinging the other arm around her waist securely. She gasped for air, pulling back from his lips and they both watched each other with swollen lips.

"Sorry," Ichigo chuckled.

Orihime tried to regulate her breathing as she looked at him confusedly. "Sorry for what?"

"For taking so long," he grinned unabashedly. His eyes were still filled with a heat that made her body feel electrified, but they also crinkled at the edges in mirth.

Ichigo's smile was infectious, and she couldn't help but mirror it, feeling the gravitational pull back to his lips.

That was until two gasps came from behind them, making Ichigo whirl around with her still in his arms. He swore quietly under his breath when he was faced with a surprised Chad and an even more floored Tatsuki.

Orihime squeaked as he slowly set her down, obviously shocked to see them.

"So," Tatsuki started after her wits had returned to her. "I'm guessing that you both finally came to your senses?"

Chad's smile was slow and kind, nodding knowingly to Ichigo. "Tats… let's leave them alone." He placed a large hand on his fiery girlfriend's shoulder, having a clear idea what she would do next.

Tatsuki started forward anyway with a sharp toothed grin on her face. She was held in place, however, by Chad's firm but calm hand.

"You!" She pointed a finger at Ichigo in a way that made him gulp, "if I find out that you were a jerk in any way to Orihime, I will make you rue the day you were put on this earth. Do I make myself clear?"

Ichigo muttered something that caused Tatsuki's gaze to darken menacingly. He rolled his eyes at her said "I would never intentionally hurt her. I'm in love with Hime."

With that promise, the irate woman calmed, and she smiled warmly at the new couple. "Well, congrats. Rukia and Renji were placing bets if the two of you would ever have the balls to be honest with each other. I guess Renji lost."

Chad sighed and shook his head. He gave Orihime and Ichigo a small smile. "I'm glad you both came to your senses. Sure took you long enough."

Ichigo groaned, dropping his forehead to Orihime's shoulder and his words were muffled as he asked, "is everyone going to keep saying that?"

"Yup!" Tatsuki replied, popping the 'P' for extra gloating.

"Wait- why would Renji have lost the bet? He's been trying to get me to confess to Ichigo for years!" Orihime looked taken-aback by Tatsuki's statement.

Chad shook his head and explained "It was more that he thought it would take longer than what Rukia claimed. I'm sure he had good intentions."

Orihime seemed to accept that answer, relaxing back on Ichigo. She brushed her fingers through Ichigo's hair again, placing a soft kiss to his temple when let out a frustrated sound.

"Great. Those two will be even more annoying when they get back."

And as if on cue, the infamous twosome wandered into the kitchen. Rukia looked at the way Orihime and Ichigo were situated, and a shark-like grin formed her lips quickly.

"Well, well! What do we have here," she tilted her head to playfully examine the two.

"Seems to me we stumbled into a little heated moment, eh Rukia?" Renji smiled smugly.

Rukia fully turned to Renji with her palm outstretched. "Pay up! You owe me twenty-five bucks!"

Renji's face screwed up into a scowl. "Now hold on a minute, Rukia!" He quickly turned to his other friends. "Don't take that the wrong way! I was rooting for you both. I just didn't see it happening anytime soon!"

Orihime's eyes were wide at Renji's admission but softened automatically in relief. She smiled kindly at the man. "We know. Frankly, I'm surprised too."

Renji's shoulders relaxed and then stiffened again when Rukia cleared her throat. Grumbling, the tall redhead pulled out his wallet and took money out of it, placing it in Rukia's outstretched palm.

"A pleasure doing business with you, sir." Rukia smiled at Renji as she counted the bills in satisfaction.

"Okay, well," Ichigo started with a deep groan and evil eye at his friends, "Now that we're all here at the most momentous occasion for you lot, how about you all scram?"

Tatsuki clucked her tongue at her grumpy friend. "Getting rid of your dearest friends after we came together to congratulate you for finally pulling your head out of your ass?"

Feeling the tightness in Ichigo's shoulders being a sure sign of him losing his patience swiftly, Orihime rushed to defuse the pending argument. "Well thank you all for being supportive. It's greatly appreciated. If you all don't mind, I'd like to be able to speak with Ichigo, alone."

Ichigo's shoulders sagged in relief after the group took Orihime's words seriously and began to disburse. Once they were alone, Orihime smiled tenderly at him.

"So, what's this about you being in love with me?" Her cheekiness made him grin crookedly.

"Oh, you heard that? Hmm, guess I should've made that clearer." He hulled her against him again and started placing rounds of kisses on her neck.

Orihime's giggles were bright, making his heart flutter and his chest swell with happiness.

And as he brought his lips up to kiss her sweetly, he thought that it was well worth the wait.