…( ) ( o* T *o ) ( )…

The sound of Ichigo's phone disturbed the peaceful dreams of the two. He raised himself without to be aware of the beauty next to him.

"What the hell is your problem, Ishida?" He asked massaging his back. Even if his head hurts, he didn't have such a good sleep in a while.

"I didn't call you to chat, Kurosaki. You had better don't forget that you are working as teacher. I advise you to come at College at soon as possible and bring Inoue too." After Ishida said what he had to said he closed the call.

Ichigo remained motionless for a while hoping that he didn't screw all up again, after what he moved his eyes on the clock. It was past 1 p.m. He and Orihime needed to be at College since 5 hours ago.

"Shit! Don't tell me that…" He mutters moving his look back to his bed. He could see that someone was hiding under the sheet. He raised it just to find a blushing Orihime. In the next moment his mouth dropped open and he moved as far away from her he could. "Don't tell me that we did it!" He tried to think about what happened the previous night, but it was so hard to concentrate.

"No. We didn't. We had just slept together, nothing more."She announces moving from the bed. Her words made Ichigo even shocked.

"Nothing happened?" He asked again, taking a better look at her body. It was true that she had her clothes on and he couldn't see any trace of blood around.

"Yes." She affirms, walking closer to him. She stopped when he increased the distance between them, again.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He swore hitting a wall. She was looking at him surprised, couldn't to understand why he was so angry about. "Inoue, I'd never just sleep with a woman before." He explains after he could control his anger.

"We slept together many times when I was little so I think it doesn't matter." She tries to cheer him up, but… before he could raise her head he was in front of her.

"You are not a little girl anymore, I can't see you like that now. Under normal circumstances without a doubt I would fuck you, but… I think this only means that I start to fall in love with you." She covered her mouth to not let her surprised to be seen, but he could see right through her. "I'm sorry that I let the situation to become like this, but I promise you… I will never act like this again. I will never cross the boundary again." His words pierced her heart and even if she knew it was lame, she ran away from him and locked away in her apartment.

He started to punch again the wall, trying to calm down, but… He had known already that he'd really messed up this time. He could have made her to never talk to him ever again.

When he changed his clothes for his job and exited his home, he passed by her door. He could hear her crying and he was feeling like an idiot for that. He left without to knock, knowing that it will be better for her if she will take her day off.

…( )( T _ T )( )…

Later that night someone was ringing at Orihime's door. She knew that she should go and check who it is, but… She remained on the living room carpet and ate ice cream like she did all the day.

After 5 minutes of ringing, a smashing sound could be heard. It was so fast, that all happened in less than a second, but she could swear that her apartment door just flew on the window.

Soon Tatsuki came bringing 2 bowls of hot ramen, 1 kg of strawberry ice cream and 2 bottles of beer.

"Geez, if I'd known that you were in such a bad shape I would beat Ichigo even harder." Hearing HIS name Orihime started to react at her visitor.

"Kurosaki-kun?" The beauty asked raising herself from the floor.

"I can't believe that after crying all day for that guy, you are still interested if he's ok. Orihime, trust me, you are way too good for him." The brunette says putting the girl on a chair and inviting her to eat the food. "If you are not going to eat something I will go to find Ichigo and beat him again." The younger wasn't frightened anymore of the older threats, because she started to understand that this was her way to show to people that she cared about them.

"How did you know about this?" Orihime asks starting to eat. The warmth of the food helped her to relax a little.

"Well, this is a long story." The dark haired woman started to tell her while she was drinking her beer. "I was during P.E. classes when Oma came to me and asked me if I saw you or if I know anything about you. It's not Oma style to be troubled and you didn't to seem someone what's skipping the classes so I thought that it should have something to deal with Ichigo. I tried to search him, but he was nowhere to be found so I asked Ishida. When he told me that he didn't seen Ichigo around too, that was it. I wanted to leave and kill him, but then Ishida called him. It didn't take much till he went to the College and when I asked him about you… He had a sad look in his eyes. I didn't need more details to understand that he did something to you so I hit his stomach till he couldn't move. He didn't fight back, he was even gladly that he was punished for his sins. When he started to cough blood I stopped and I asked him why the hell he is such a big idiot, but all he could to answer to me was to come at your place and try to talk with you. He said that he will let me to beat him more if I will do that, but… I knew it wouldn't help you if I would kill him." Tatsuki finished both her story and her bear in the same time.

"This is terrible! Is he hospitalized?" The beauty asked after the story ended, she felt that in this way she will not upset the woman.

"Geez… I really don't care if he couldn't move himself for some weeks after all what he did to you, but… That idiot is really resistant. After a visit of the medical office, he could start walking again after 2 pain killers. I think he will be like new in 2 or 3 days." The brunette opened the other bottle of beer.

"I'm really glad that he will be okay and I'm really happy that you visited me. It's nice to see that there are people on what you can rely on. It makes me feel so blessed that I had the chance to meet such wonderful person as you, Tatsuki-chan." The woman starts to blush hearing her remark.

"Tsh… You have a big heart. That's the reason why Ichigo can play with you." The older tried to make Orihime to understand her position, but it only made her to show the brunette a bitter smile.

"Kurosaki-kun isn't playing with me. He's suffering as much as me. It's not his style to ask for help so he should have been worried about me. I'm feeling really bad that I ran away from him when he was trying to protect me. Hehehe… I may be a real hard headed person when it comes to situation like this, but… all I want to do now is to say that I'm sorry to him." The amber haired girl raised herself all of sudden. "Thank you very much for our conversation, now I know what to do. See you later, Tatsuki-chan." With these last words the girl took her leave.

"Geez, it seems that all my talk was in vain." Tatsuki admits with a big grin on her lips. "I'm not going to admit this to them, but they are matching pretty good."

Orihime stopped herself some seconds in front of his door. She wasn't sure if he wanted to see her again, but she was more than decided to apologize for her behavior.

When she wanted to knock she could hear some screams of pain from the other side. Her emotions dominated her, making her to push the door and be by his side. She couldn't hide her shock when she saw that his well build stomach was now black.

"Inoue…" He called her name, becoming aware of her presence in the moment when her hands reached to his first aid kit.

"This will going to hurt you a bit, but please bear it." Her movements were slow, but even like this it still hurt like hell. "Just a little more, Kurosaki-kun" It was strange, but her voice managed to calm a little his pain.

"I deserve it all, even more." He said with such sadness that it made her heart to ache.

"No, you don't." She answers finishing her job. "It was my fault since the beginning so I shouldn't get mad at all. I would never want you to get hurt." It was a short moment of silence, till she spoke again. "I'm going to make some tea."

She put the water to boil, but when she tried to get the tea… she couldn't. It was too high for her to reach it. Surprisingly, he took it for her.

"Tsh… I'm the biggest idiot alive, am I not? I caused you only sadness since we had met again. Maybe it would be better if I didn't take the train that day." He confessed watching her closely. He couldn't believe that she could be still by his side even if he did so many bad things to her.

"Even if we hadn't met in the train, we would have met at the College or at the trainings. It's not like our meeting could be avoided." She started to pour tea in the cups while she was thinking how many things had happened since she had first come back to Karakura. "I don't regret meeting you. I had always wanted to see you again and to say you that I'm sorry for my mistakes. It may be strange, but… I like to be by your side." When she raised her look at him she could see a faint tend of red in his cheeks.

"Thank you, but I'm the one who should to apologize… I should be the one what should act responsible." His words mixed with his feelings made her to smile.

"Hm… Let's make then a toast." She said giving him the other cup.

"A toast?"

"Yes… For a future in which we can both be responsible people and for understanding better each other. Cheers." The hope hidden in her eyes made him to accept her desire.

"Cheers." Even if they were not sure how their new past would affect them, they could find something in what they could believe in the future.