Theme: Rain - Prompt: "A kiss in the rain" from fly
He knew that whenever the 'this day can't get any worse' thought passed through his head, life would always have a way to screw him over even worse than before. Not only did he find out he just failed a recent exam and he practically fell down a flight of stairs he stepped right out the doors to find it was raining outside, and hard. And he didn't have an umbrella.
Ichigo knew he would jinx himself by saying it, but today really could not get any worse.
A head of familiar auburn caught his eye. Turning his neck ever so slightly, he saw Orihime stepping out the doors just the same. The only thing different was that she looked excited about the rain and had an umbrella, whereas he was cranky, knowing very well he was going to get wet on the way home.
Orihime glanced over his way, making Ichigo jump and avert his gaze. The last thing he wanted to be caught doing was staring at her. If Tatsuki was around, she'd probably label it 'ogling' instead. A small heat rose to his cheeks as he could feel her walking towards him. The gentle reiatsu he felt almost all the time was only more prominent the closer she moved.
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime chirped, waving her hand shyly. At her greeting, Ichigo couldn't just ignore her, so he forced himself to look at her again and raise a hand in response.
After Tatsuki's little slip-up last week, it was hard to think around Orihime. He and his martial artist friend were at the arcade last week, playing games and chatting, when she accidentally let it slip that Orihime had feelings for him. Of course Tatsuki was mortified that she let her secret out, but that mortification soon melted into anger, and she threatened to hurt Ichigo if he broke Orihime's heart.
How could he break her heart if he didn't even know how he felt about her? They were friends, that was for sure, and somehow their relationship felt different than a normal friendship, but he didn't know if that was exactly called infatuation.
Regardless, Ichigo had grown very self-conscious around the kind healer. Too much thinking had him 'freaking out' quite a bit lately.
"Don't you just love the rain, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime's smile was wide as a small blush dusted her cheeks. For some reason, Ichigo froze at her uttering the word 'love'. He knew he couldn't stay silent forever though, and shook his head gruffly.
"Uh, not really..." He replied, bringing his risen hand from before to rub the muscles in his neck. He couldn't help but recall his mother's death when the rain poured, so the weather left a bitter taste in his mouth. Ichigo could see Orihime's smile waver ever so slightly at his flipped response, and he suddenly felt he needed to take it back somehow, or at least say something in addition. "But, I guess it's okay to watch from indoors?" He added, not even knowing himself if he liked rain more while watching it from the inside out. "You don't get soaked that way."
The healer's expression lit up again, which gave him some relief. "That's true! I do like the noise it makes as it hits the window! And sometimes when it's thundering a bit, it shakes the house!"
Ichigo nodded solemnly to himself as he glanced back at the rain in front of them. On the inside, his heart dropped again at the idea of having to run all the way to his house, knowing very well he'd get soaked no matter how quickly he got home.
"Ah, did you forget your umbrella, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime's sweet voice inquired. Ichigo quickly felt embarrassed for not bringing it, but he could only nod again.
"Yeah. Forecast yesterday said it'd be 70 and sunny, so I didn't think I'd need it," he explained. "Why did you bring yours, Inoue?"
"Oh, just a feeling I got," she grinned, moving to pop open the umbrella of hers. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her response. While it proved to be right just once, he still was a bit odd about those intuitions of hers. She was about to take a step off the concrete before she stopped and glanced back at Ichigo. "Aren't you coming, Kurosaki-kun?" Ichigo was never aware Orihime was willing to share her umbrella with him. He merely pointed at her covering, then at himself with raised brows before she nodded excitedly.
Ichigo stepped beneath the umbrella, joining her. He could feel that heat rising to his cheeks again. Or maybe it was her body heat that was radiating onto his skin that made him feel warm all of a sudden. They were standing pretty close.
Coughing to himself, feeling awkward, he and Orihime started on their way home.
Most of the walk had been pretty silent for the most part, which made Ichigo wonder whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. The silence ended up leaving him in his thoughts, which led him to over think things entirely. Should he initiate conversation? What if Orihime didn't want to talk, which was why she was quiet in the first place? Or maybe she had news that left the usually bubbly healer in a quiet state?
Anything and everything that passed his mind left him with a rapidly beating heart, nervous as it was. It was only when Orihime hummed to herself in content that he snapped from his stupor.
"This is nice," she commented.
What's nice? The rain or walking with me? He wondered, over thinking things again. T-There's no way it could be me, dumbass! Inoue may have feelings for me, but that doesn't mean she thinks about m-
"What do you think?" Her continuation broke him from his thoughts yet again.
"H-Huh? Oh, yeah, it is..." He replied. Inwardly, he told himself that was the stupidest response he'd ever given her.
Ichigo continued to take steps forward, scowl prominently on his face. It was only when he felt drops of rain hitting his head that he realized he'd walked from under the umbrella while Orihime still stood back a few paces. She wore a nervous-looking expression, yet at the same time, determined.
"Inoue?"
"I-I... I'm sorry I've been quiet while we were walking, Kurosaki-kun!" She suddenly exclaimed, her cheeks growing a noticeable red. "I've had a lot on my mind..." Ichigo merely shrugged and took steps back towards her, to get under the umbrella.
"Its okay, Inoue. I've been lost in my thoughts too." A little too lost. "What were you thinking about?" In the pit of his stomach, he felt he'd somehow regret asking her about it, but he let it slip anyways. Orihime looked at him shyly, her big gray eyes just about making Ichigo's face turn bright red.
"D-Do you really want to know?" She asked quietly. Ichigo definitely felt the tension about them both change, and he swallowed thickly as the possibilities of what she was thinking about flood into his mind. He nodded anyway, slow and slightly unsure.
That was when Orihime dropped both her book bag and umbrella to the ground, leaving them unattended as she raised to her toes and planted her hands on his broad shoulders for support. Everything after that seemed to be going in slow motion for Ichigo, because he could see her leisurely, yet confidently pressing a kiss to his frozen lips. He remained that way, letting himself go through an inner freak out before finding himself drop his school bag as well and grabbing a hold of her waist to pull her closer. His eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her back, holding her small, curvy form to his hard, angled one.
A week ago, Ichigo couldn't determine for the life of him whether he thought of Orihime as more of a friend; not even ten minutes ago, he still didn't have an idea. However, he noticed this small, simple kiss in the rain was more than simple. It spoke words to her, and it clarified things for him.
I may love Inoue Orihime.
.
.
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