Title: Coffee
Rating: G
Warnings: AU (future-fic,) very WAFF, and probably quite OOC
Pairing: IchiHime
Summary: Times change. Ichigo doesn't like change.

They hadn't seen each other in a long while.

He couldn't find any reason why they lost touch, why Orihime went so far away for school when Ichigo remained here in town. Almost everyone from high school stayed here; it was just that kind of place. It bothered him that she left, although he had no right to his annoyance, really.

It wasn't like he noticed her until she moved away.

Months into his first year, Ichigo noticed how quiet his life had become, but it took another year for him to figure out why. Orihime had always been there, all through the worst of their adolescence, a comfortable constant that he took for granted. If he was so dense that it took a year and a half to figure out he missed her, Ichigo reasoned, then maybe it wasn't a big deal if Orihime hung around or not.

At least, that was what he told himself.

The shop's bell jangled tunelessly as the door opened, letting inside both a cold draft and a customer. Looking from the magazine he hadn't been reading, Ichigo started at the gently smiling face, so much slimmer and prettier than he remembered it to be two years ago.

"Kurosaki-kun, how are you?" Orihime asked, bright as always, her cheeks glowing from the winter wind. Still, something was off in her smile. Something Ichigo didn't feel right about, and he didn't know why.

What were the odds that the subject of his thoughts would come in today, right when he had been thinking about her? Granted, he had been thinking about her a lot since he ran into Tatsuki last week. She hadn't mentioned Orihime's well-being, as if it was a subject too sore to talk about around Ichigo, and he couldn't find the right moment to ask. Still, it made old memories of their friend surface.

"Inoue? What are you doing in town?" he asked, immediately realizing how blunt and stupid he sounded.

"I came home for the break. Tatsuki-chan's having a big opening day celebration for her new dojo this weekend and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Ah, yeah, she mentioned that when I saw her the other day."

Quiet settled between the two in the empty shop. Avoiding his gaze, Orihime examined the menu above Ichigo's head with the utmost solemnity before announcing that she would like a coffee. As he moved to fill her order, Ichigo noticed out of the corner of his eye that Orihime had pulled a cigarette from her purse, lighting it up in an almost self-conscious fashion. Ichigo frowned; he never would have figured her to ever be a smoker and he didn't like it. Not because he was against smoking although he was, but because it was her.

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun," she murmured, again not looking him in the eye. "It's a bad habit I picked up in school. If you'd like, I can put it out."

"No," he sighed, "it's no problem. The boss smokes like a fiend so I'm used to it."

"Sit with me while I drink this?" she asked, taking the full cup and saucer from him. "There's no one else to serve right now and you seem bored. Besides, I want to know what Kurosaki-kun's been up to while I've been away!"

A full smile, the kind she used to wear all the time, tried to make it across her face, but instead it looked hollow. A shadow of it's former glory. That's what bothered him about it; she seemed sadder, different. He nodded and grunted anyways, circling around the counter to sit at an empty table by the window. They took turns staring at each other when the other's attention was drawn outside.

"Why did you leave," Ichigo surprised himself, asking such a straight-forward question.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you go to college so far away? I thought you liked it here; all your friends are here."

I'm here.

"Oh, I really liked the program at my school. It's very exciting! And I'm not so far away that I can't come for visits to see everyone."

"But you never visited me."

Ichigo couldn't believe it. Five minutes into the conversation and he was already making a complete fool of himself.

"You seemed so busy," she answered lightly, as if it didn't really bother her. "I didn't want to be a bother. Tatsuki-chan and Sado-kun always talked about you whenever I asked, though. Sometimes when I didn't, too."

They fell into silence again, uncomfortable and thick.

"Why didn't you try harder to keep Kuchiki-san by your side?"

"Why would I do that?" Ichigo scoffed, his tone rough to hide his shock at her abruptness.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't my place to ask. Ah, it looks like the snow is letting up. I'd best be going."

"Inoue..."

She stood, crushing her cigarette down in the ash try, and settled her bag more comfortably on her shoulder. She bowed and tried to smile again, turning to leave. Ichigo knew he needed to stop her from walking out; if she left now, he probably wouldn't see her again. He could just tell.

"Rukia never promised to be with me all the time. You did, I heard. I didn't think you were the kind of girl to break your promises."

Rude, and harsh, but it got her to stop.

"It's hard to keep them when the person you made them for doesn't care. You're a kind man, Kurosaki-kun, but sometimes you can be so cruel."

The door snapped shut behind her, the bells discordant in Ichigo's ears; they were mocking him and he hated being teased so meanly. Pushing himself up and away from the table, he ran outside.

"Come with me to Tatsuki's opening on Friday," he huffed, his breath a cloud that stung his eyes. The chill bit into his cheeks, his hands, any bit of bare flesh, as he waited for her reply. They stood like that, further apart than they had ever been, with only five feet between them. At last, Orihime nodded, looking him in the eyes for the first time since the sudden reunion began.

"I promise," she answered.

And Orihime smiled.

-fin-