Okay, the moment we've been waiting for..right? *looks at horns on head* I don't know..you're going to have to read to find out. Enjoy!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Bleach. If I did, well..yeah. LOL
The next day..
Ichigo sat in his chair, hands tapping across the cool wood of his desk, eyes focused on nothing else but the opening of the door. As soon as he saw those beautiful gray eyes, he would confess everything. And he meant everything. His heart pounded in his ears, he started to sweat, as he thought about the night before:
Laying in bed, he tried to relax, tried to sleep, tried to dream the hours away before he could see her once more, but realized it didn't matter. Everytime he blinked, he saw her face. Everytime he thought of her bell-like voice, the way she gently laughed, the way she said his last name, the way she said his first name, it set his heart to 1000 mph. Even when she made those God-awful foods, her enthusiasm with it was just too adorable. Things he never really noticed before had now taken a place in his mind and heart that could never be replaced or erased. Her very being warmed him from head to toe. And he thought,
Is this love?
Is that what this was? His heart threatening to beat out his chest at the very thought of her? His constant ache to be with her when she was out of his sight, but never out of his mind and heart? His appreciating the little things about her, her quirks, her laughs, her giggles, her smiles, her tears..just about everything about this woman did something for him, physically as well as mentally. He would die for her without question, but realized that it went so much deeper than that. His feelings for her went beyond friendship, she was more than his nakama. She was truly, the love of his life.
So could he honestly say, knowing everything that had transpired, that he was completely, utterly, in love with her?
He didn't even need to think that question aloud. His mind, heart, soul and spirit were attuned when he uttered one word.
"Yes."
Ichigo snapped out of his memory when he noticed that everyone was in the classroom, except Orihime. Looking around, he saw Tatsuki, taking out her books out of her knapsack when she saw him staring at her.
Feigning an annoyed expression, she asked, "What?"
"Where's Orihime?"
"Oh..well.." Tatsuki lowered her eyes, not sure whether or not to tell him.
"What?" Ichigo pressed, not in the mood for cryptic speeches.
"She's not coming for the rest of the week. She said she doesn't want you to make a mistake..I don't know."
At those words, his fingers scraped against the wood, leaving permanent scrapes under his fingernails. Damn it.. He stood up, his chair pushed back behind him. All heads in the room whipped in his direction.
"What are you doing, Ichigo?" Ishida Uryuu asked, light glinting off his glasses.
Ichigo said nothing, only grinned at him as he raced out of the classroom.
"Wait, Ichi--oh never mind. He'll be back.." Ms. Ochi said in his wake. Ichigo didn't hear her. He didn't hear the whispers that flowed around the room. Only one thing took priority in his mind.
Orihime..
She stood outside her door, arms clutched around herself. She couldn't face Ichigo, she refused to hear those words she undoubtedly knew that he would say to her. She would rather keep her fantasies of Ichigo returning her love than have the cold, harsh reality of knowing he didn't. How could he be so cruel? How could he persist to try to say those words that would break her heart over and over again?
Unless..he was actually going to say that he--Orihime shook her head, knocking the thought away. She wouldn't let her stupid wanting get in the way of logic. And logic was this: She loved him, he liked her. It was fated to be that way, she was destined to love him from afar until the day she ceased to exist, and that was perfectly okay with her. At least, that's what she kept telling herself..
Closing her eyes, she felt sobs wrack her body as she began to cry silently. She was grateful that she had the rest of the week off, maybe it'll make Ichigo forget about what happened, he'll go back to being her friend, and things could be the way they were.
A tear streaked down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Ichigo." she whispered.
"I thought my name was Kurosaki-kun." Orihime lifted her head up to see the brown-eyed, spiky haired love of her life, standing at the bottom of the steps. Her heart swelled with so much love at that moment, she thought it might burst.
"Kurosaki..Ichigo.." Orihime stopped herself. No more would she call him by that, it was her name for him, but in order to put her love for him to rest, she would have to get rid of it. "I thought you were at school."
"Something else is much more important than school can ever be, Hime." Ichigo said, taking a step up. Orihime tensed, the words that would put a shield around her, as well as her heart, on the tip of her tongue. Ichigo stopped, sensing it.
"Hime, please just listen to me." Ichigo's eyes were pleading now, and it broke her heart, but she knew if she let him continue, her heart would be shattered.
"Ichigo. Please, we talked about this. It's okay--"
"No it's not okay," Ichigo said. "You have the wrong idea. The truth is--" Orihime shook her head fervently. I won't hear it, I can't hear it.
"Seten Kesshun, I rej--"
"I love you, Orihime!!" Ichigo shouted.
Orihime froze. The world seemed to stop, even the birds seemed to grow quiet. The words she had always longed to hear reverberated in her head. He loves me. He loves me..
"W-what did you say?" Orihime asked when she finally found her voice.
"I said, I love you, Orihime. I do." Ichigo said, happy that he finally got the words out. "I'm in love with you. That's what I've been trying to tell you all along." Ichigo walked up the remaining steps, hoping to have her in his arms.
But what he didn't expect was to find a hand on his chest, stopping him.
"Liar." Orihime whispered, her head down. If Ichigo wasn't so transfixed on her voice, he might have missed what she said.
"W-what--"
"You can't possibly be in love with me." Orihime slowly raised her head, her face wet with tears. Ichigo was stunned.
"I love you, Ichigo. I love you so much, but I won't have you lying to my face telling me that you're in love with me, when there's no way in Sereitei that you could. What could you possibly love about me? Is it my moon-shaped eyes? Is it the crazy food that I cook? Is it the fact that I can't protect you the way you do for me? How could you be so cruel to me? Why are you lying to me? Why?" She brought her tiny fists down on Ichigo's chest, shaking and crumbling into a heartbroken mess. Ichigo stood silent, absorbing the scene in front of him.
Slowly, he took Orihime's small wrists in his hands, causing her to lift her head, her gray eyes slightly red.
"You want to know what I love about you? You want to know why I love you? I spent all night thinking about it." Orihime gave a small gasp, but said nothing.
"I cannot stop thinking about you, Orihime. I blink and I see your face each and everytime. I love the way you laugh. I love the way your heart is so big and so compassionate for others, even those who don't deserve it. I love the way you're so adorable and enthusiastic about the so-called crazy food you cook. I love the way I can get lost in your moon-shaped eyes, I love the color of them. I love the way you try to protect me, no matter how many times it may seem bleak, you never gave up on me. I love you, Orihime Inoue. Please don't give up on me now. And I swear on my soul, I will never give up on us."
Orihime still could say nothing, just digest the overflow of loving words that were just said to her. Her lip quivering, she buried her head in his chest, crying. Ichigo released her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, saying nothing as she cried and cried.
He loves me. Orihime repeated those three words in her mind over and over again. She lowered her wrists from under her and wrapped her arms around him, relishing the feel of his warmth surrounding her. She felt safe, she felt complete, and she felt loved. And what a feeling it was. Ichigo buried his head in the crook of her neck, causing her to shudder.
"So i guess you believe me now?" Ichigo whispered in her ear. Orihime nodded. She raised her head, making Ichigo raise his and they looked into each other's eyes.
"I love you, too. Ichi--" She was caught by surprise by a sudden heavenly brush to her lips. She froze, eyeing Ichigo's mischivious grin. "You were saying?"
Orihime flushed, then grinned. "Kurosaki-kun..I love you too."
"Better." Ichigo wrapped his arms around Orihime's waist, took her arms and put them around his neck, and kissed her with all the love in his heart. Orihime returned it with equal ferocity, thanking her lucky stars that she finally had the man she loved.
They were oblivious to being watched by a certian starry-eyed shinigami.
"Praise Chappy!! If Ichigo had let her go this time, I would've locked them in prison until they got it right. Aren't they adorable, Renji!?" Rukia couldn't stop grinning.
"Yech. I guess." Renji rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, remember when we finally got together?"
"Of course, but you don't see me getting teary-eyed at it."
Rukia pouted at Renji. "You're such a baka."
"You love this baka though."
"I'm reconsidering it at the moment." Renji wide-eyed at that sentence and turned to see Rukia giving him yet another one of those Unohana-taichou looks.
"Just kidding, sweetie." He sweatdropped profusely.
"You better be."
A/N: Aren't my babies adorable!!! LOL Update coming soon, and once again, thanks so much for faveing and reviewing my story. I really do appreciate it!! :)