A/N: Ok, so as I am a master procrastinator and also very curious to where this story is going, I have written another chapter.
This story has just reached 50 followers and I am amazed by that, thank you guys!
The fluff is thickening for this chapter. I hope you will enjoy. As always, please review and tell me what you think!
.
.
.
Chapter 10 – flying
.
.
.
It was 5:52 p.m. Orihime was sitting on her couch with her eyes closed, trying to sense Kurosaki-kun's spiritual pressure and feeling like a stalker all-the-while. He was coming closer, but still some distance away. She opened her eyes and glanced at her right leg that was bouncing restlessly. She was nervous.
Tatsuki had left a little while ago and Orihime had since alternated between pacing and sitting down, only to jump up again, seconds later.
.
"You look great, Orihime," Tatsuki said and gave her an awkward hug. "Go get him."
Orihime was moved. Her best friend's support meant a lot to her. "Thank you, Tatsuki-chan. I'll text you how it went later!" The Karate-champ grinned. "You better!" She turned to leave but paused in her step.
"You know Hime," she started without looking at the redhead. "Ichigo is my childhood friend and he is annoying as hell… But of all the guys you could have chosen I still think he is a really good choice. He's different with you. And you're different with him. I think you're good for each other. You have my b-" Her words turned into a squeak as Orihime had wrapped her arms around her and buried her in a bear hug. She cleared her throat. Trying to recover, she added:
"But just so you know, I reserve the right to retract my blessing and kick his ass if he does anything sketchy!"
Orihime smiled.
"I didn't expect anything less from my best friend."
.
Unable to stay seated, Orihime jumped up again and walked over to her mirror. She liked the outfit that they had picked. It had been tough to come up with something warm and at the same time pretty. She regarded herself carefully. The light grey turtleneck knit dress didn't show any skin, but it was still somewhat revealing as it hugged her upper body tightly, accentuating her hourglass figure. From the waist down, the dress flowed loosely in an A-line, ending shortly above her knees. With it, she was wearing simple black tights and her knee-high black boots.
Turning her attention to her face, she realized that she had a permanent blush on her cheeks and pressed her cool hands against them. Not one for heavy make-up, she had added only some mascara and bit of lip gloss, but she was satisfied with the result. She looked a little more grown-up and her eyes were highlighted by the mascara and the color of her dress. She nodded at her image.
Now she only needed Kurosaki-kun to like it as well. Maybe, if she played this right, he would rest his hand on the small of her back, fingertips curling around her tiny waist. He would swirl her around and pull her towards him, placing both hands on her hips and then-
A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought and she yelped quietly as she felt his reiatsu outside of her door. He had been fast! Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was now 5:56 p.m. He was definitely prompt.
Throwing one last look at her reflection (her blush had intensified thanks to her thought process), she twirled and rushed to the door.
"Good evening, Kurosaki-kun!"
"Hey, Inoue."
.
.
.
Orihime's eyes widened as she took in her date's appearance. He was in his soul reaper form, looking down at her with an awkward smile.
"Heee, Kurosaki-kun, where is your body?" She asked in confusion, as her eyes traveled across his shihakusho. Her gaze got stuck below his collarbones where his shinigami garb always showed more skin than his regular clothes. She had a weakness for that part of his body. His pectorales muscles were just too sculpted for her to ignore. And there was no harm in covertly appreciating what all the hard training had given him. Her inner voice hummed appreciatively at the sight, as she unconsciously wet her lip with her tongue.
"Uhm…," Kurosaki-kun's voice sounded perplexed, effectively snapping her out of her daze. "I left it at home. I told my family I was going to bed early." He rubbed his neck and looked away. She felt herself flush. Once again, she had shamelessly checked him out and he had noticed. Great start, Orihime! An angry voice inside of her scolded her.
"And besides, I needed to be in my spiritual form for what I have planned," he explained and gave her a crooked grin.
Distracted from her slip-up, Orihime felt her face light up. "Uuh, what is it that you have planned?"
His grin widened at her excitement. He shook his head. "I'm not saying, it's a surprise!"
He looked her up and down. "So, uhm, are you ready to go? Is that what you're wearing? I mean, not that you shouldn't, I mean- Is that warm enough? You know, because of the - Uhm, I mean- you look great," He ended weakly and Orihime squealed inwardly at his awkwardness. How delightful she found it when her strong, silent protector unexpectedly fell out of his role. Was he blushing? His eyes were fixed on her mid-section, his face scrunched up as if he was trying to comprehend something before he finally looked away.
.
.
.
Ichigo felt himself flush. How the hell was her waist so tiny? That should not even be possible for a woman that was so blessed in … other areas of her body. She had a very healthy appetite, too, he knew that. But in this dress, he suddenly found it unfathomable that she could be so petite and so curvy at the same time. It clung to her in all the right places. He didn't know what he had expected her to wear when he told her to dress warm on their date, but it had not been this. Tearing his eyes away from her figure, he realized he had been staring and his face heated even more.
"They're thermal tights," she said, answering his poorly phrased question. He returned his gaze to her face. She locked eyes with him and suddenly time seemed to slow down. Ichigo felt his heartbeat in his throat while trying to comprehend what she had just said. But the light blush on her cheeks and her wide glossy eyes were somehow occupying too much of his brain capacity to process her words.
"They're really warm," she continued slowly, eyes still fixed on his. Ichigo found himself unable to look away.
Snap out of it damnit! She's talking to you and you're just staring at her! It's time to function like a normal person!
He shook his head lightly, breaking the spell, and finally her words reached his brain. "I see. That's good then. Uhm, where is your coat?"
.
Orihime panicked inwardly. What was that? She had been so transfixed on him, she'd felt like she was bound by a bakudo. They had just stared at each other! Somehow, there was this tension between them from the second she'd opened the door. That was no good, right? She needed to get a grip. Her plan was to dazzle him and seduce him, not scare him off by staring at him!
She considered trying that seductive half-smile that she had seen Rangiku use in the past, but she was afraid that she was going to look like she was having a stroke, so she opted for her regular smile instead. "Right, I'll get it right away."
She hurried off to fetch her coat. When she returned, she was relieved to see that Kurosaki-kun seemed visibly more relaxed.
"Here, let me help you with that," he offered gently and took her warmest piece of clothing from her. Orihime forgot how to breathe for a moment as he helped her into her coat. He was so close! And so chivalrous! She could feel his breath on the nape of her neck. It made her stomach squirm in a strangely good way.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun," she breathed, trying not to sound as excited as she was.
His face warped into one of his rare smiles. "You're welcome, Inoue."
Putting on her scarf, gloves and hat, she frowned at his shihakusho. "Aren't you going to be cold?"
He gave her a smirk that made her heart flutter. "Nah, I got you for that. Hop on."
And just like that, the composure that she had just regained was gone. Her mouth hung opened as heat gathered in her cheeks. Had he just…?
She saw his chest move with a chuckle.
"I'm kidding!" He stated with unconcealed amusement. Then he shrugged. "I don't get cold when I'm in this form. I don't know. Maybe it's all that reiatsu keeping me warm. But I was serious about needing to carry you, because we have a little ways to go and if we walked, we wouldn't reach there by tomorrow."
He gestured her closer with his head. Orihime was still too dumbfounded to reply, but complied, stepping towards him timidly. He grabbed Zangetsu by the hilt and removed it from his back as he turned around and crouched down slightly.
"Can you jump on my back?"
She moved in autopilot. All the control she had planned on having on this date had slipped through her fingers. Right now, it was definitely him dazzling her and not the other way around. And he was doing a fine job at that. She was jittery at the thought of him carrying her to a place far away. But then again, this was completely in line with her plan of touching him a lot. Her heart was beating forcefully in her chest as she grabbed his shoulders and jumped on his back, curling her legs around his waist.
He looped his free hand around her leg, the other still holding Zangetsu. "Ready?" He asked quietly. "Nh," she answered.
"Ok, hold on tight, I'll have to be fast now so people don't see you floating around in the air."
And with that, he stepped out of the door, locked it behind him and flashstepped away.
.
The feeling was exhilarating as usual. Orihime couldn't help but squeak silently at the sudden acceleration. She fastened her hold on him, squeezing tightly and closed her eyes. This was bliss. The air was crisp and cold, but she barely realized it.
"You ok?" She heard him by her ear. She just nodded against his shoulder.
He tightened his hold on her leg and then turned his head towards her. "Hey, you don't usually mind when I go into Bankai, right? Like, you don't faint or anything?"
Surprised at the inquiry, Orihime shook her head. Where was he going with this? She looked at him curiously. A smile was playing with his lips (a look that she found very appealing). She felt sudden surge in his spiritual pressure when he just warped into his Bankai state. She shuddered pleasurably at the feeling. Ironically, while other people usually trembled at its force, she always found it somewhat intimate to be enveloped in his energy like that.
"Ok would you mind holding Zangetsu so I can carry you with both of my hands? I figure he's easier for you to hold in Bankai than in Shikai. Plus, this way, we'll be even faster."
For the second time this evening, the redheaded healer was completely flabbergasted. He trusted her with Zangetsu? And just so that he could hold her more securely? It made her feel so special, her heart was doing somersaults.
"Of course Kurosaki-kun," she whispered excitedly. He pushed his Zanpakuto into her right hand and took hold of her other leg that she had been squeezing into his side so far. The motion suddenly made her acutely aware of how close they were. She was pressed flush against his back, her arms looped around his neck, legs curled tightly around his waist. If she focused, she could feel the movement of his muscles through her winter clothes. She sighed contentedly and held on tightly.
.
Ichigo forced himself not to revel too much in the feeling of her thighs against his hand. He was determined to be a perfect gentleman tonight. But then again, he didn't have to tell her that he liked holding her thighs, so there was no harm in enjoying it a little bit, was there? Just like the feeling of her boobs pressed against his back. Next to his ear, Inoue suddenly made a small, satisfied noise. It sounded a lot like some of the noises she made in his dreams, causing heat to rush to his stomach.
Well, I'm fucked. He thought dryly. This was shaping out to be an exercise in self-control. And he felt like he was already losing.
Trying to clear his mind of her proximity and her scent and her body, he spoke.
"Ok, hold on tight, now we can go really fast!"
She complied and he accelerated easily, not even maxing out his Bankai speed. They weren't in that much of a hurry anyways.
Inoue giggled at the new velocity, and he refused to find that adorable. Damn.
Purposefully focusing on where he was going to distract himself, he realized that they were almost there. The weather was certainly looking favorably on their date, because even though it was ice cold, there were no clouds to be seen in the dark sky, no rain to be expected. They had long left the center of Karakura town behind them and were now in the outskirts of town, flicking past industrial buildings and factories. Ichigo slowed his pace. He didn't want to miss the gateway.
.
.
.
Orihime had closed her eyes and was trying to carve all these feelings into her memory. The speed, the feeling of him in her arms, the feeling of Zangetsu in her hand, the smell of his hair and just the general proximity. Once more, she congratulated herself on having the courage to go through with this plan. She would feed off this memory. No one could take it away from her, this time that she spent with on a date with Kurosaki-kun. (Ok, maybe Tsukushima-san could, but she would rather not think about him at the moment.) She marveled at her crush's warmth. She could feel it through her coat. She didn't quite understand how he could be so warm in only a shihakusho. And technically he was a spirit anyways, so how did that work? Maybe she would ask Urahara-san about it at some point.
A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.
"We're here, Inoue."
.
Reluctantly, Orihime opened her eyes and let herself slide off his back. She felt a slight pang of disappointment at the increasing distance between them. But the evening was still long. She would make sure to get close to him again. Reassuring herself, she looked around. Her surroundings confused her. This was not what she had expected. As far as she could make out in the dark, they were just standing amidst some undergrowth and scrubs, and some scattered trees.
She turned her face to her protector, confusion written in her face. If this had been any other man, bringing her to this deserted, forlorn place in the dark, she would have been worried. But this was Kurosaki-kun and there was not a flicker of doubt in her heart that she was safe with him.
Said man chuckled again. He'd done it a couple of times this evening and she liked the sound. It made her heart bounce.
"You should see your face," he spoke teasingly. "We're not quite there, but we'll walk from here, come on." He held out her hand for her to take. Her heart surged at the sight. It seems your plotting was unnecessary. There is no need to find excuses to touch him when he just offers it so freely. Somehow, he's calling all the shots here. She laid her smaller hand in his and he led the way, gently tugging her behind him as they made their way through the shrubbery.
But then again, all you wanted was for him to take initiative. So it's probably okay to lean back and enjoy this for now. She nodded happily to herself and lifted her eyes to the back of the man she loved. They were walking uphill. Her foot got caught on something and she stumbled, only to be stabilized by his hand holding hers. He turned to her. "Are you ok?" She smiled at him affirmatively and he continued to walk.
It was then that she noticed they were walking on rails. They were most likely abandoned, as they were overgrown with bushes and even trees in some places, but what had caused her to stumble were definitely railroad ties. She furrowed her forehead. The suspense was killing her. Why were they walking on tracks? What were Kurosaki-kun's plans?
She was interrupted in her thoughts as he suddenly tugged on her hand and pulled her next to him. She had been so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't realized that they had reached the top of the hill. She lifted her eyes to see that the scenery had opened up, revealing an abundance of lights in the distance. The tracks went onto a viaduct here, giving them a perfect view of Karakura by night. Her breath got caught in her throat. It was so beautiful.
.
.
.
Ichigo was nervous and impatient to finally see Inoue's reaction to his impromptu date idea. He hadn't spared a thought to what he was doing when he had offered her his hand and just dragged her behind him. When he became aware of it, it was already to late to let go without making it awkward. He scolded himself for being so forward. But then again, she had taken his hand without any hesitation, and he did like the feeling of her hand in his. Plus, it was dark and there were a lot of things to trip over so he felt better knowing he could prevent his clumsy date from falling.
As if she'd heard his thoughts, she lost her balance behind him and he steadied her. Instinctively checking if she was ok, he felt himself blush. He turned and continued to lead her up the tracks. Maybe he was walking to fast, too? She was shorter than him after all. He cursed himself for being so inconsiderate and slowed down his pace. They had almost reached the top of the hill now.
Halting in front of the viaduct, he gently tugged her beside him. His heart beat painfully in his throat as he observed her face to gauge her reaction to this place. It had been a risky idea. He was sure that not many women would appreciate being dragged through a deserted place like this after nightfall for a date. But Inoue wasn't many women. His heart fluttered as her eyes lit up.
"It's so beautiful!" She exclaimed in childlike wonder. And he knew that it was cliché as hell, but he couldn't take his eyes off her as he agreed with her.
.
.
.
A/N: I was torn between making this date one reeeeeally long chapter or several shorter ones and in the end, I decided on the latter. Ichigo has quite the date planned out, I tell you.
.
Unrelated to the story, but maybe interesting to some: I got this idea of the railroad date from a "platonic" tinder date I had a couple of years ago when I was traveling. The guy and I realized while we were texting beforehand that we would get along great – as friends. So we agreed to meet – as friends. (Consensual decision, I swear!)
He took me to this place with abandoned tracks overlooking the city and we just sat there and talked. It was really cool. (Don't worry this is not a spoiler for the story. 😉) We returned to the city before nightfall and had dinner at an amazing vegan restaurant. Best platonic date I ever had, no question. I left the city a couple of days later, but I remember it fondly.
Also unrelated, but I'm just curious, so humor me: What was the most creative date you have been on?
.
Ok, enough with the random afterthoughts, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review to tell me what you think. 😊