­­­Title: Devoted Caretaker
Author: Celeste
Universe: Bleach
Theme/Topic: Valentine's exchange
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing/s: lightly TatsukixOrihime
Warnings/Spoilers: None that I can think of.
Word Count: 902
Time: Weeks of thinking, about an hour of writing, about the same editing.
Summary: Tatsuki and Orihime on Valentine's.
Dedication: For mixture.
A/N: Oh the silly WAFF. I hope it makes sense. --;; Special thanks to sophiap and jenkat for helping me with the beta work.
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish constantly.
Distribution: Just lemme know.

Every year, Arisawa Tatsuki looks forward to Valentine's Day not because of things like chocolate or the attention of boys, but because Orihime is always excited about it and the other girl's happiness just seems to make things warmer in the world, richer and sweeter and definitely, definitely less dull.

This year it's mint-chocolate truffle-filled deep-fried onigiri and chocolate covered yakisoba-pan éclairs, and even sour-faced Kurosaki can't help but offer Inoue helpless acceptance when she brings him his, excitedly wishing him a good holiday and lots of chocolate and hoping that he likes what she's made this year.

She goes about distributing her goods to the rest of the class with that same enthusiasm and no one can quite say no, despite the fact that they might not under normal circumstances eat chocolate-covered yakisoba pan.

Everyone in the class gets one, each wrapped in shiny colored foil and with a red ribbon tied on top. Inoue always makes extras too, in case she's inadvertently forgotten someone in her excitement.

Tatsuki on the other hand, only prepares chocolate on Valentine's for a few special people.

She doesn't consider herself the type who has very much talent when it comes to things that have to do with the kitchen—her mother is always railing at her for turning out to be such a tomboy—so she only puts forth the extra effort for people she feels close to.

A small box for Ichigo, because he likes chocolate a lot.

Some for Keigo and Mizuiro, one for Chad too.

A couple for her fellow Karate Club members.

And one for Orihime.

Admittedly she always saves the best ones of the batch for the other girl.

And while a lot of the time Tatsuki has some difficulty eating her gift from Orihime, the sentiment behind the presents they exchange on this holiday is all she really needs anyway.

Because somewhere along the line, somewhere in the middle of growing up together and being best friends, Tatsuki's come to realize that the other girl might just be her most important person.

It had been a little bit strange at first, going from wanting nothing more than to protect a friend to thinking that she wanted to be the only one who had the right to protect that friend.

But that's what growing up constitutes for most people, she supposes. It's what's happened to her, anyway. Change.

Except, it doesn't feel like Orihime's changed very much at all.

Still sweet, still lovely, still wonderfully unique.

Still kind to everyone.

It makes Tatsuki mad sometimes, that Orihime can so easily be like that.

It's probably selfish to want preferential treatment, especially since Tatsuki knows that Orihime isn't the type of person to love by degrees so much as completely.

Everyone Inoue Orihime feels friendship for also has her undying love, her complete devotion.

And despite how it makes her feel sometimes, it's also one of the things Tatsuki thinks she likes most about Orihime, even if, every now and again, she wishes that she was more special than anyone else to the other girl. Even if it makes her feel a little bit jealous sometimes, when Orihime smiles at sensei or Ichigo or Rukia in the exact same way she smiles at Tatsuki.

But it's just how Orihime is.

Tatsuki comforts herself with the fact that no matter what, no matter how brilliantly Inoue smiles at them, at least none of those people can take the title of Orihime's protector from her.

So she watches the other girl from the corner of her eye as she passes out her gifts, wordlessly warning the snobbier girls from the home economics club with her expression when it looks like they want to say something rude about Orihime's Valentine's treat.

On Tatsuki's look, their jaws snap shut and they offer Inoue a smile, thanking her for thinking of them today before scurrying off.

It's okay if Orihime wants to smile at everyone in the exact same way. It's even okay if she chooses to love and care for everyone she knows that way too.

Because despite all of that non-preferential treatment, Tatsuki is the only one who can claim the title of Orihime's protector.

And for now, she thinks that's all she really needs.

"Ne, Tatsuki-chan!"

She turns around at the sound of her name and favors Orihime with a small, crooked smile. "Yeah?"

"Ta da!" Orihime smiles and whips out a shiny wrapped package from behind her back. "Happy Valentine's Day, Tatsuki-chan!"

"Thanks, 'hime," the other girl responds, taking the package of goodies.

"I know you like yakisoba so I packed your éclair with extra chocolate covered noodles!" the other girl exclaims happily, clasping her hands together and looking elated at her accomplishment.

Tatsuki chuckles. Add special weird-food recipient to that title. "Sometimes you're strange, 'hime," she starts, "…but that's okay."

Orihime beams at Tatsuki then, sweet and enthusiastic. The same as ever, really.

Tatsuki decides that it's not so bad, to at least have the special title of Orihime's protector.

Though she's a little bit dubious about having the honor of being Inoue's most-intrepid food taster too.

Either way, they're definitely titles no one can take away from her, no matter how sweetly Orihime smiles at everyone else.

And for now, that knowledge and the foil-wrapped package of chocolate covered yakisoba-pan éclairs in her hands is all Tatsuki really needs.

END