Disc: I don't own BLEACH and LONG VACATION

Note: this fanfic is inspired from a J-Dorama, Long Vacation starred by Kimura Takuya of SMAP. Enjoy!

Thought/Past

Present.

.

-Love Story-

11.

There were five persons in the not-so-big living room of Ichigo's apartment. Four Kurosakis and one Inoue sat around the low table in the living room. The table was full of food courtesy of one of the Kurosaki twins. None of them had touched the food. They had just finished talking—more like Ichigo finished explaining while the rest of them listened to his story—and now, the oldest son of the family waited for the reaction. Note, he had been prepared for the worst.

The oldest Kurosaki sighed. Oddly, it sounded like he was sobbing. Ichigo scowled at his father who looked at the young woman who sat next to him with teary eyes. He slapped his forehead mentally. His father would do or say something that would embarrass him, he could sense that.

"Oh, poor Orihime-chan…" Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the way his father called the girl. He had the nerve to call the young lady he had just met that night by her given name. That sounded rude, but hey, this was his father, what could he expect from a father who often slipped some condoms into his son's wallet?

Orihime smiled shyly. She looked at Ichigo from the corner of her eyes, he knew she didn't know how to react toward the old man's antics.

"So, you don't have any money left in the bank and you don't have any job, because of that stupid fiancé of yours?" Now the dark haired man sobbed, he bit his handkerchief and started sobbing, making his children slap themselves mentally for having a father like him, "You have no choice but to live with Ichigo?"

Orihime nodded, still a little shy about the situation. "You could say so, ah, but I've found a job today!" she added cheerfully, "Someone I knew said I could work in his bakery. So, now I can save money to pay Kurosaki-kun…"

"I've told you it's not a big deal!" Ichigo was frowning.

The cheerful woman smiled, "I know… But I cannot just become a freeloader here, Kurosaki-kun. You've help me a lot by letting me stay here!"

"So, Inoue-san," it was one of the twins, the black haired one, "are you sure it's okay to live with Nii-chan?"

"Oi Karin!" Ichigo warned his sister.

Karin looked at her brother while crossing her arms, "What I mean is, though my brother is stupid," she ignored the warning look sent by her dearest brother, "he's still a man. You know, he might attack you. After all, you're so beautiful and defenseless."

Both Ichigo and Orihime blushed. Both of them had the same memory playing in their mind at that moment and both of them tried to shove the memory away from their brain. That was not the right time to remember what had happened between them that night.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun isn't like that," Orihime giggled nervously. "Besides, I am not defenseless. My friend used to teach me karate. I am a black belt now."

Four pairs of Kurosaki eyes looked at her in disbelief. She had no image of a girl who mastered karate. They didn't expect her to be a black belt, especially Ichigo. This was the first time he had heard about this from her.

"That's cool!" Yuzu clasped her hands together, it seemed like she couldn't take her eyes from Orihime since the beginning. Ichigo could tell that Yuzu liked Orihime. She had always wanted a big sister and apparently Orihime had the perfect big sister image in her mind. "You are so cool, Inoue-sama!"

Karin and Ichigo choked at the way their sister called Orihime. It was official now—Yuzu Kurosaki had become Orihime's fan.

"So, you haven't heard anything from your fiancé at all?" Ichigo's father, however, decided that that was the right moment to bring up the topic. Ichigo, however disagreed. He glared at the old man. Why would he bring it up? Didn't he know that he might hurt Orihime's feelings?

Ichigo was relieved though when Orihime smiled gently and shook her head.

"He had a girlfriend and I hope, wherever he is now, he's happy with her."

"How noble…" Yuzu praised Orihime with teary eyes, "You're strong, Inoue-sama!"

"Stop talking about that!" Ichigo decided that he had to cut anything his stupid father was about to say. He didn't need his father to say anything embarrassing or stupid to Orihime. "Now you know each other and the reason why Inoue stays with me. Let's stop talking. I am so hungry, let's eat!"

Karin agreed with her brother this time, "Yeah, I'm starving!"

"Okay, Itadakimaaaaasu!"

"Inoue-sama, let me fill your bowl with rice!"

"Yuuuuzuuu how about father?"

"You can do it yourself, old man!"

"Kariiiin, why are you so cold?"

"You're too loud, old man."

"Kurosaki-san, let me fill your bowl."

"Orihime-chan… My daughter!"

"She's not! Geeezz, Dad!"

When they had finished their dinner, the girls were doing the dishes in the kitchen while the men sat on the couch, watching some re-run baseball tournament on television. They were not really watching it though.

"She's a nice girl."

Ichigo kind of knew where this was going but he managed to answer his father with a low, "Hnn."

"She's really pretty too."

Ichigo grunted again. He half hoped that his father would just get to the point because he actually knew what he wanted to say.

The doctor looked at the kitchen and smiled at the sight of three girls doing the dishes. "Seeing her standing there with Yuzu and Karin reminds me of your mother. Don't you think she kind of looks like her?"

Ichigo groaned this time. "She's too young for you Dad."

"Stupid!" Isshin laughed, "Not for me, for you!"

Ichigo scowled, he knew it. His father just couldn't accept the fact that he didn't have any interest toward girls. No, it wasn't like that though, he was not gay. To say it better, he wasn't interested with any kind of relationship.

"You heard her, she had a fiancé."

Isshin imitated his scowl, "In the past tense, right?"

Ichigo sighed. He knew once his father had started this topic, it would be difficult to run away from it. "Maybe she still has some feelings for him."

"So what? You can try!"

"Dad, stop it."

"Why, you don't like her?"

Ichigo didn't answer that. He just shook his head. His father was about to open his mouth to say something else when his twin angels came back from the kitchen. He turned and smiled at the girls.

"You finished?"

Karin shook her head, "Nope, but Inoue-san asked us to leave the rest to her."

Yuzu sat on the empty space beside her brother. Ichigo looked at the younger girl and smiled back at the girl when she smiled at him.

"Inoue-sama is really nice."

Ichigo nodded, "She is."

"I like her!"

Ichigo smiled.

Ichigo realized that there was no space left for Karin to sit on the couch. He stood up and pointed at the now empty space to the tomboy girl, "You can sit there Karin."

"Thanks."

Ichigo didn't say anything as he walked to the kitchen, where the older girl was doing the dishes. The tomboy girl walked around the couch to sit between her father and Yuzu, where her brother had been sitting. She frowned when she saw her brother, who was in the kitchen now, was offering some help to the girl. She couldn't hear them but she could see that Orihime refused him but he insisted and she gave up.

The other two Kurosakis were actually also watching them. They watched as Ichigo now started to help Orihime to wash the plates.

"They look like newlyweds." Karin commented.

"They do! They do!" Yuzu responded eagerly.

"You're right." Isshin grinned ear to ear while watching his son and his future daughter-in-law interacting in the kitchen. "I have a good feeling about this."

"Aaaah, the food was so delicious! Yuzu-chan is a great cook!"

Once the uninvited guests had left the house, Ichigo and Orihime sat on the couch in the living room. Ichigo had the usual scowl on his face but somehow he looked relaxed.

"Yes, Yuzu does most of the housework since my mother passed away."

Orihime smiled sweetly, "She will be an amazing wife."

Ichigo frowned at the thought of his sisters getting married. They were too young to get married. True, they wouldn't stay young forever, but still, he wasn't ready to see any of them getting married.

"Your family's awesome," Orihime said sincerely.

"Thanks," he muttered. He didn't know why, but he was glad that she didn't think that his family was weird.

"Karin-chan reminded me of you." Orihime giggled, "She's a female version of you."

Ichigo smiled, "Many people would agree with you."

She smiled again, "And your father is funny."

"And weird."

Orihime laughed, she didn't deny that thought. "He's an awesome Dad."

Ichigo snorted, "Really? That's new to me."

Orihime grinned, "He's funny."

"I agree with that one." Ichigo rested his back and stiffened a little when he felt her shoulder brushed his.

He looked at her, pretending to be a tough guy, though his heart was pounding madly as she hugged her knees and rested her head on his shoulder. He wondered if she realized what she was doing. Maybe not, because if she did then she would be as embarrassed as he was. He felt nervous and a little uncomfortable by the situation, but he didn't say anything.

Okay, he needed to calm down. He meant, down!

They stayed like that for few minutes. Nobody said anything and it was kind of awkward for Ichigo, though Orihime didn't seem to be bothered by the silence and situation. Ichigo, however, didn't like the silence because by chance, she might hear his pounding heart.

"I think my family likes you," Ichigo counted to ten in his head.

"Really!" Finally she moved away a little from him. She smiled beautifully and strangely, though he was glad he didn't have to suffer a heart attack from her leaning on him, he kind of missed her warmth. "I'm so happy."

Ichigo smirked, of course his family would like her, who wouldn't?

"By the way," Orihime glanced at the digital clock on the table nearby, "I think I should go to sleep early today. I don't want to be late on my first day working."

Ichigo nodded. As much as he still wanted to talk to her, or rather to listen to her, he was actually kind of sleepy too. After exchanging good nights both orange heads headed to their rooms.

'Dear Orihime,

I know you need money right now, but are you sure you're going to work there? I mean, Aizen-sensei is fine, though he gave me that kind of weird feeling back then in high school but I know he's nice to you. I mean, Ulquiorra Schiffer.

Won't it be awkward?

Plus, you know, you might fall for him again.

Just in case, you're not ready for love Hime.

First you need to learn how to judge someone before you fall for them. I don't blame you, though it would be nice if you learned to be careful. And that man you're living with… Rukia said he's hot (though she also said that he wasn't friendly). I hope you're not falling for him.

Don't do anything stupid.

Ps. Change your email address already!

Ps.S. I will be going back to Japan next month, yay?

Tatsuki.