I don't own Bleach.
Wrongly Reasoned Feelings
"Hai, thank you for your patronage! Please come again!"
Michiru chirped as another costumer left the small shop, only to sigh a moment later.
"Ah, ah… I should've brought a book along with me…" She pondered from her seat next to the cash register.
"And once I get home I also have homework to do… aah…"
She sighed again, looking the store over in an attempt to find something of interest.
'I hope Chizuru and Ryou hurry over… they could at least buy a soda-pop or something and sit with me for the rest of the shift…'
Her memories wondering to that morning, she rested her elbows on the register and her face in her hands and seemed thoughtful.
'Now that I think about it, Kurosaki-kun seemed pretty scared… I don't think I've ever seen him like that… so pale and distressed…'
"…is carrying Kurosaki's illegitimate child!"
Chizuru's voice ran victoriously in her ears and she shook her head, also trying to shake that blush that rose to her cheeks.
"The, there's no way that could happen… ne!" She asked, only to discover a familiar looking mess or orange hair wondering around the small store she worked at. Quickly covering her mouth, she wondered if he had heard her. She had little time to wonder though as another costumer came and demanded the girl gave her her bill. Nodding quickly, Michiru passed the few products by the barcode and accepted the money, all along sneaking glances towards the part of the store where she last spotted the familiar sight.
"That… couldn't have been him… could it?"
"Been who?"
The girl half screamed in terror at the voice but was soon silenced as hand was pressed to her mouth. Ichigo sighed as he glanced around quickly, his frown making any onlookers turn back to their business. Satisfied at least from that, her removed his hand from Michiru's mouth and sighed.
"Give me a break, will you? You make it sound like I'm a stalker who came after you or something."
Blushing, the girl bowed her head in an apology.
"I, I'm sorry, it's just… Kurosaki-kun caught me with my mind wondering…"
"About 'him'?"
He asked with half interest, making the girl's face flush as she looked away, a moment before she was finally able to look at him again.
"I was just… wondering… if the orange hair I saw really was Kurosaki-kun."
"Well, you don't see too many people walking around with hair like mine."
"Guess so… heh, heh…"
"But aside from that, Ogawa?"
"Ha, hai?"
She blinked at the slight curiosity in his voice.
"…what're you doing here?"
"Ah, a part time job…"
She cowered under his glare.
"I can see that, I was asking why all of a sudden a part time job."
"Ah, that is, I mean…"
She lowered her gaze, twiddling with her thumbs.
"Okaa-chan… got really sick last week."
His brows instantly shot up and the frown pulled back a bit, leaving room for shocked concern. Seeing that, the girl caught herself gawking and shook her hands in front of her, blushing and stuttering.
"Ah, it, it's nothing, really, just… she's been working hard lately and the stress and all, probably just a flu, really, but…"
She calmed somewhat as his gaze became less intense and she settled for avoiding eye contact at all costs.
"… but I still didn't want to bother my parents. The doctor's bills and the medicine… we're insured and it's not that much, but I… still didn't want to be a burden to them…"
She knew not why she was telling him all of this, but guessed fear and a baseless feeling of intimidation were two major causes.
He was about to comment when, feeling sheepish, her grim expression broke into a smile.
"So I got this part time job for a while, since the owner's daughter who usually runs the register started going to night classes. Just a month's salary covers quite a while of allowance for me, so I'll be ok once I get my paycheck."
"I see… that's good."
The unusual softness in his voice forced the girl to look at him, and she couldn't believe her eyes. Not only was Ichigo's expression an unusual mask of worry which was obviously directed at her, but his brows were not in their usual frown, making Michiru reach her own conclusion about Kurosaki Ichigo's facial features.
'People who say Kurosaki-kun's face is scary sure have a point… but they're wrong. So is Orihime… it's not funny, either. Like that… if he's not frowning… Kurosaki-kun really… really is… quite…'
"Ogawa?"
She was snapped back to reality to find Ichigo looking intently at her, and her face felt so hot she thought her cheeks would explode when, shyly, he placed a hand to her forehead, comparing her temperature with her own.
"you sure are a bit on the hot side… your face is all red, too… better look out for yourself, if you'd get sick, I'm sure the financial help would be the last thing your parents would think about."
Her eyes clouded over as she couldn't even doubt her ears. The entire situation was so unrealistic, she allowed herself a single thought –
'Kurosaki-kun's hand is so warm…'
"Kora! Stop flirting over there!"
A man yelled at them as he stood in line for the register with his future-purchase in hand.
Removing his hand from Michiru's forehead, Ichigo turned to look at the man, the frown now back with a vengeance to accommodate a glare.
"What, you're standing there for maybe a minute. Don't you have any patience at all?"
Her disappointment over the frown's return surprised Michiru herself and so she hurried to check the items Ichigo wished to buy… only to have stream come out of her ears as her mind reached meltdown. The blood was pumping through her face so violently she half wondered if she was going to have a nosebleed.
Noticing the girl froze, then her blush, then the blush's reason, a similar color rose to Ichigo's face all the way to his ears. In the basket he brought rested a pack of pads as well as three different types of tampon boxes.
"Tha, that is, that…"
"Ku, Kurosaki-kun ha, has sisters, doesn't he?"
"A, ah…"
Wordlessly she summed it up and handed him the bag, accepting his money.
"It must be nice…" She began, offering him his change. "… having such a considerate older brother." She finished with a smile and with a shy nod he accepted both money and compliment. Their hands brushed in the process and sent another heat wave to Michiru's face.
"Well then… I'll be off."
"Thank you for your patronage, please come again…" She said softly, touching the spot their hands met. He was already with a foot out the door when she stood up hastily.
"Kurosaki-kun!"
He stopped and turned back, a curious look on his face.
She cursed how her tongue suddenly failed her.
"I, um, that is, um…"
Her fists clenched as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I, I'm finishing in about an hour… and I know this great place nearby… so, I, that is, I mean…"
Stream came out of her ears again as she trailed off. A rather mournful look crossed his face before he looked at her again – again – not frowning.
"An hour, right?"
She thought she caught half a smile as he left, and she remained standing there, staring at him, even when the other costumers began complaining.