A/N: Hello! I really don't have anything new to say here…other than that I hope you enjoy this chapter! (What do you mean that's not new?)
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine…nor are any of the characters within that world.
Soul Mates
Chapter 17: Finding a Balance
Ichigo took several minutes kissing Orihime goodbye on Sunday afternoon.
He didn't want to leave any more than she wanted him to, but he still had to get his things back in order for the start of school the next day. So he let himself stay long enough to share lunch with her, and then they migrated to her entry way, where he promptly pulled her against him for a searing kiss.
They hadn't even bothered to pull proper clothing on until shortly before lunch, and then it had taken a good chunk out of his allotted willpower for the day to just stand by and watch as she put their sandwiches together. Though, he supposed, the meal had been worth it, as they had both been rather hungry.
Orihime moaned into his kiss, her fingers curling into his shirt as she stood on her tiptoes and slipped her tongue past his lips. If she wasn't going to get to see him before school the following day, then she was going to give him the best goodbye kiss she could manage.
Ichigo's fingers met with the skin at her waist when her shirt rose and he nearly growled into her mouth. Despite the fact that they had made love twice already that morning he found himself fighting back the urge to lift her from her feet and back her into the wall. Damn, she's tempting, he thought as his fingers massaged her skin.
Their mouths parted even as Orihime released his shirt and looped her arms loosely around his back, and Ichigo let his forehead rest against hers as he asked, "Are you sure I can't pick you up tomorrow?"
Her lips lifted in a grin and she replied, "Probably it would look bad if we were late to school on the very first day." She paused, tilted her head, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before adding, "Besides, Tatsuki already called tomorrow morning."
Ichigo fought valiantly against the smirk, his lips twitching anyway, and he rumbled, "Yeah, well, I guess she can have the morning as long as you remember that I get the night."
Orihime shifted, tightening her arms around him as she leaned in again and let her lips tease his throat. Between kisses she murmured, "Trust me, I couldn't forget if I tried."
He bit back his initial reply as his arms encircled her and held her tight against him for a moment. It wasn't until she'd pulled back and was looking up at him again that he said, "Just remember we're actually going out tomorrow night, Hime."
Her smile was bright and almost disturbingly innocent as she replied, "I wouldn't forget that; I'm looking forward to it!"
"Good," Ichigo said, before bowing his head again and capturing her lips in a proper kiss. It seemed like every time he had to walk away from her was harder than the last, though at least this time he understood why.
They reluctantly pulled apart another long minute later, and Orihime released his shirt and let her arms fall to her sides as Ichigo's hands lifted from her skin.
Knowing better than to try another goodbye before the door was even open, Ichigo stepped back and unlocked her door. He was standing with one foot on the door-shoe before he offered her another smile and said, "Have a good day, Hime, and I'll see you at school tomorrow."
She returned his smile easily, her hands clasped behind her back, and said, "You, too, Ichigo."
Their gazes held for a beat longer, and Ichigo pulled in a breath before stepping entirely out of her apartment and turning as he called, "Don't forget to lock up behind me."
Her light laughter drifted to his ears, and he threw her a wink over his shoulder for good measure before actually walking away.
As he turned into the stairwell he let his hands slip into his pockets. Their first over-night date had gone better than he had hoped it would, and he couldn't help but feel uncharacteristically light on his feet.
It was true that his body ached in a way he wasn't used to, but that feeling was already fading, and it had been beyond worth it. He'd never imagined that Orihime would be so…eager in that way. And he had certainly never considered that he himself would be willing to say a lot of the things he'd said – at least, not after only their first night.
"For the record," his hollow piped up, a strange, almost gloating quality to his voice. "I was right."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the stairs beneath his feet, though the expression didn't quite become a glare, and he asked, "Excuse me? Right about what?"
"Lots of things," the fiend replied with a smirk. "Like: you should've done that ages ago. And: oh, the sounds she makes…."
Grinding his teeth now, Ichigo pulled one hand from his pocket to ease open the door that separated him from the outside world, and replied, "Maybe I've accepted that you're not likely to hurt her, but you need to accept that you'll never actually get to touch her, either."
Whatever his hollow would have said next, however, was interrupted by the unexpected call of a friendly voice.
"Ichigo!" It was Tatsuki, and she was jogging across the street, toward Orihime's apartment building – and, therefore, toward Ichigo.
His hollow receded, seeing that their conversation was over, and Ichigo lifted one hand in a casual wave. "Hey, Tatsuki," he called. He hoped his voice was calm, and he did his best to swallow his nerves.
He knew Tatsuki would be supportive of his and Orihime's relationship, but he was far less certain of her approval in terms of their intimacy. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure she would be okay with even the knowledge that they hadn't waited until they were married, let alone that they really hadn't waited long at all. Not that he intended to tell her any of that.
Tatsuki was in front of him a moment later, letting one hand land on her hip casually as an easy half-smile curved her lips and she asked, "I thought you weren't supposed to be back until later tonight?"
Ichigo just stared at her for a beat. He had (again) forgotten that she didn't even know that he'd been in town now for a week and a half, let alone why. "Uh," he began, his hand lifting to scratch at the back of his neck, "some things…kinda interrupted my training."
She arched an eyebrow curiously, her gaze flicking for a brief moment past him, to the building, before she asked, "What kinds of things? Is Orihime alright?"
"She's fine," Ichigo assured her confidently, his arm falling back to his side. "And I'm sure she'll be happy to see you; I don't think she's expecting you before morning."
Tatsuki nodded slowly, knowing he wasn't telling her everything, and said, "That's because I thought I wouldn't get home until late." She paused, studying him carefully, and asked, "You wouldn't be lying to me about this, would you?"
Ichigo's natural scowl slipped back into place as he returned his hand to his pocket. As much as he didn't appreciate the accusation, he was well aware that she had good reason for it. So he kept his voice calm and firm as he replied, "No. You can even ask her yourself when you get up there."
Seeming to accept his words, Tatsuki released a breath and nodded to herself before asking, "Then what were you doing up there? It's a little early in the day to be checking in on her, don't you think?"
Crap, Ichigo thought as he swallowed heavily. He'd never been good at lying to Tatsuki; the woman could read him like a children's book. But how did he answer that question without incriminating himself?
The ringing of his cell phone saved him, if only for the moment, and Ichigo pulled the offending device from his back pocket as he offered Tatsuki an apologetic lip-twitch. He knew who it was without glancing at the caller ID, but Tatsuki didn't know he'd given Orihime her own ringtone, so he glanced anyway before flipping it open.
"Hey," he said casually. It took a frightening amount of effort to keep off the 'Hime,' as he'd taken to using that more than her full name.
"Is that Tatsuki with you?" Orihime asked quickly.
He arched a brow and couldn't stop himself from saying, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been spying on us."
Orihime laughed self-consciously and said, "Well, no, not exactly! I thought I felt her spiritual pressure after you left, and then yours did something funny and I thought maybe she'd caught you at my apartment building."
Grinning now, Ichigo replied, "Technically, she caught me outside. But, yeah." He noticed Tatsuki giving him a strange look, but he also knew she wouldn't interrupt his conversation, so he embraced the opportunity to procrastinate their talk.
Orihime's voice was hesitant, and quieter, as she asked, "So…did you want to tell her…you know, about us? Or did you want me to? Or should we do it together?"
He paused a moment, trying to figure out how to answer honestly without turning his answer into a moot point, and then he asked, "Which would you prefer?"
"Oh, well," Orihime began. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she didn't need to be nervous with him anymore, and replied, "Actually, if it's alright, I'd like to do it. But, I completely understand if you want to!"
"It's fine," he assured her with the faintest of chuckles. "I'll send her up to you."
"Thanks," Orihime said softly.
He knew his voice was softer than usual, and he knew Tatsuki would give him a strange look, but Ichigo decided he didn't care as he replied, "You're welcome."
They exchanged quick farewells and Ichigo pulled the phone from his ear, flipping it shut and dropping it back into his pocket as he said, "Orihime has some things she wants to talk to you about, so you'd better get up there."
Tatsuki narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms as she said, "Don't think I can't tell that something's going on. And I know you're avoiding me."
Slipping his hand back into his pocket, Ichigo replied, "If I were avoiding you we wouldn't be having this conversation. And anything else you wanna know about you'll probably hear from Orihime as soon as you get upstairs."
After a long moment, Tatsuki released a heavy breath and let her arms fall back to her sides. "Fine, I'll just talk to her about it. She's easier to talk to, anyway." She'd added that last part with a teasing smirk, but before she actually walked off she asked pointedly, "You haven't forgotten that her birthday's tomorrow, have you?"
Ichigo shook his head, his lips twitching despite himself, and said, "No, I haven't forgotten." He started to walk around her casually as he added, "But I'll let her tell you where you landed in the birthday-custody match."
It didn't take Ichigo any time at all on Monday to decide that he didn't like having to share Orihime's time and attention with other people. He had waited impatiently for her at the entrance to the campus that morning, and he had been joined by Chad, Mizuiro, and Keigo before the girls even rounded the corner. And, of course, she had broken from him to greet her other friends when she'd seen them.
Conversely, he found he thoroughly enjoyed being able to walk down the hall with her hand tucked securely in his. He had already lost count of the number of disappointed guys who had watched them walk around with crestfallen expressions, and he had to try not to smirk at the few who actually had the gall to glare at him.
And, of course, it hadn't taken him long to become irritated with a few individual reactions to the revelation that he and Orihime were officially together.
He couldn't decide which reaction had been worse: Keigo's or Chizuru's. Both had reacted loudly, wailing about having lost their chance for happiness. Chizuru had quickly turned angry and strangely competitive, even suggesting that he fight her for Orihime's affections. He suspected that she would actually have tried to claw his eyes out if Tatsuki hadn't intercepted her.
Keigo, on the other hand, had only briefly lingered on the specific relationship between Ichigo and Orihime before detouring off on a rant about how he was being left behind in the world. 'Everyone' was falling in love, apparently, and leaving him with no one to celebrate his bachelor-youthfulness with. And yet, when Mizuiro had asked, Keigo had been unable to name any other couples for his example.
By lunchtime Ichigo was ready for the school day to be done, despite the fact that he had to go to work for several hours immediately after.
And, once classes were done for the day, Ichigo met up with Orihime at the gates for a quick kiss before they parted ways. He watched her until she'd rounded the corner, a light bounce in her step and her hair swinging back and forth almost in time to the song she was humming.
She was definitely going to be the death of his 'punk' reputation.
"You're never going to believe what I found while I was at the mall yesterday with Tatsuki," Orihime called from her bedroom as she changed out of her work uniform.
Ichigo was leaning against the wall, waiting for her patiently with his hands tucked into his pants pockets. He had dressed up a little, as he felt was fitting for the occasion, and was wearing a pair of black dress pants with a recently-purchased, dark red, t-shirt. The shirt had a slightly-popped collar and two buttons at the top, which he'd left undone.
"I can't decide how I feel about that," he replied at length, after mulling her words around in his head for a moment. Her declaration could be either very good or very frightening, and this concerned him.
Orihime's laughter drifted out of the open doorway, and she called, "You can decide for yourself in a minute!"
One eyebrow arched curiously at her words. So, whatever it is, she bought it, he realized.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it any longer, because Orihime had moved into view and was stepping from her room, her arms clasped behind her back and a shy, expectant, smile on her face.
She was wearing a startlingly familiar white dress. It looked almost exactly like the one she'd been wearing in his inner world. The most notable difference was that it was pulled in at the waist by a slim, light blue belt. And he was so distracted by the familiarity of the dress that it took him a moment to notice that she'd swept her hair up a little and clipped it into place with her hairpins.
"So," she asked carefully as she fanned the skirt a little, "what do you think?"
Ichigo swallowed, taking a moment to lift his eyes back to hers. He was a bit thrown off by the physical appearance of a dress that he hadn't expected to ever see again, but at the same time, his answer was easy. She practically glowed in it, and he had always appreciated the way it seemed to emphasize her innocent beauty. So he let his lips lift in a smile and replied, "I think it's a sign."
She giggled softly and replied, "I thought so, too!" Her laughter faded, her hands releasing the loose skirt of the dress, and she asked, "But…is it okay for tonight?"
He pushed off of the wall and stepped up to her, letting his hands land lightly over her hips and holding her gaze as he said, "You look beautiful, Hime. But what matters is that you feel beautiful."
"I," Orihime began, pausing and taking a breath before a soft smile curved her lips. "I think I'm ready for dinner now."
"Good," Ichigo replied softly as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He pulled away after only a moment and added, "Let's get out of here."
Orihime plucked her purse off of the couch as she walked past it, and the couple paused in the entry only long enough to slip into their shoes before stepping from her apartment. She secured her purse over her shoulder as soon as her door was locked, and then Ichigo wrapped his hand around hers comfortably.
And they walked that way, side by side, until they reached their destination a short while later.
Orihime sucked in a breath when she realized where they were going and, even as a new level of excitement built within her, she squeezed Ichigo's hand and exclaimed, "Ichigo! You didn't have to bring me here!"
His lips lifted at the corners and he returned her squeeze with one of his own as he said, "It's your birthday, Orihime, of course I did. This is your favorite restaurant, right?"
She shifted into him and let her head land on his shoulder for a moment before she admitted, "It is. But there are cheaper places…."
"There are more expensive ones, too," Ichigo reminded her easily as they approached the entrance. "I can afford to spoil you a little on your birthday, so you'd better get used to it."
She could only smile in response to his light teasing, remaining quiet as they stepped up to the podium. He was right, of course; it really wasn't too expensive a restaurant. In fact, she decided as they moved forward to follow the host to their table, it's just fancy enough to feel special.
And she did feel special.
They were seated in a center table, where any of the other diners or restaurant staff could see them, and the only time Ichigo scowled was when he was studying his menu in an effort to decide what he wanted. His face automatically softened when he looked back up to her, and though she carried most of the conversation, she never doubted that she had his full attention.
She didn't even try to order light, knowing he knew her well enough to see right through any such attempt at sparing his wallet. And if she had contemplated forgoing dessert for any similar reasons it became a moot point, as Ichigo calmly ordered dessert as their dinner plates were taken away.
By the time they left the restaurant Orihime was pleasantly stuffed and incredibly content. Ichigo was walking beside her again, her hand in his, and she found herself wishing that they could stay just as they were.
A soft smile curved her lips and Orihime murmured, "Thank you for tonight, Ichigo. It was perfect."
Ichigo chuckled as they rounded a corner that didn't lead to her apartment and replied, "You're welcome. But it's not over yet, Hime."
"Eh?" Orihime asked as she tried to guess where he could possibly be taking her. Most of the places they could go were undoubtedly closed so late at night. "Where are we going?"
"I'm just taking you the long way home," Ichigo assured her as the buildings around them gave way to grass and the familiar sight of the not-so-distant river.
Orihime fell silent as they approached the small hillside. She hadn't even considered that Ichigo would want to go for a little walk before taking her home, but she was more than alright with it. And then they came to a stop, right at the edge of the hill overlooking the Karakura River, and she tiled her head to glance up at him.
He was smiling softly down at her and, when their eyes met, he said, "We can sit for a little while if you want, or I can take you home. It's up to you."
She returned his smile and replied, "Let's sit and watch the stars."
Ichigo inclined his head and led the way to the steps, where they could sit and not stain their clothes. He settled on a center step as Orihime lowered herself beside him, so close that their thighs were pressed together.
Orihime snuggled into the crook of his arm as his hand landed on her hip, and she angled her head enough to see the stretch of the night sky before them. The stars were twinkling happily, almost smiling back down at her, and she released a soft, satisfied sigh.
Ichigo's eyes landed on the head of auburn resting on his collar and another small smile tilted his lips. He honestly wished he didn't have to leave her alone that night, but he knew she understood. And, until that could change, they would just have to appreciate what time they could find together.
They sat in comfortable, peaceful silence for several minutes, enjoying the late-summer night.
And then Orihime found herself wondering what he would do for her birthday the next year, and her brain screeched to a halt.
Next year, she realized slowly, we'll be in college. What if…what if he goes away? She knew their relationship would be able to survive the time apart, but if he left the area for college then she would have to learn to survive the day-to-day without him. And it would be so much harder than it had been for the weeks he'd been in Soul Society.
"Hime?" Ichigo asked, gently calling her out of her thoughts when he felt her tense against him.
Orihime pulled in a deep breath, shaking herself back to the present, and opened her mouth to tell him not to worry about it. But she paused and, instead, she asked quietly, "Do you know where you want to go for college?"
Ichigo's eyebrows lifted at her seemingly-random question. But he heard the uncertainty in her voice, and his arm tightened around her as he replied, "Wherever you are."
Her smile returned for a moment, but she couldn't let herself get distracted by the sentiment in his words. "Ichigo, college is a big decision, you can't base your future education on mine."
"The hell I can't," Ichigo exclaimed pointedly. He paused to place a kiss on the crown of her head before he added, "I don't know yet exactly what classes I'll wanna take, so I don't know what my educational future holds. But I'll tell you what I do know about my future, and that's you, front and center."
Her heart did flutter at his words this time, and Orihime relaxed against him once more. "What if I can't afford to go farther than Karakura?"
"Then Karakura it is," Ichigo said easily. "I don't really have any aspirations to leave town, anyway."
"Okay," Orihime replied after a moment, accepting his words.
Ichigo's arm tightened around her reassuringly and they fell silent again.
But this time the silence was short-lived before Orihime mumbled, "Probably you should take me home now…I'm starting to feel sleepy."
His lips twitched with amusement and Ichigo replied, "Home it is, then." He stood, pulling her to her feet simultaneously, and together they turned and began the journey back to her apartment.
In no time at all they were standing before her open apartment door, and Orihime had turned to face him with a smile. "Thanks again, Ichigo," she said sincerely.
Ichigo offered her a faint smile in return and reached out, letting his knuckles brush across the smooth skin of her cheek. "Happy birthday, Orihime," he murmured.
She leaned in to his hand on reflex, one of hers lifting to cover his, and sighed softly. "I wish you could stay," she admitted quietly.
"So do I," Ichigo replied, uncurling his fingers in order to properly support the side of her head. "But I promised my old man I'd stay home on school nights."
Orihime took a deep breath and reluctantly released his hand, realizing she might have been making him feel guilty or torn when that hadn't been her intention. "I know, and it's alright," she assured him.
"That depends on your definition," Ichigo grunted as his other hand lifted and landed on her hip. "Come here."
Her squeak was caught in his kiss as his lips sealed over hers, and her hands shifted until they were curled into the fabric of his shirt. His hand had already slid into her loosely-gathered hair as he held her against him and her lips parted invitingly. If he was going to kiss her like this, when they both knew he had to leave, then she might as well make sure he missed her as much as she would be missing him.
Ichigo's grip tightened over her hip as he angled his head, deepening the kiss, and Orihime's arms curled around his shoulders. His body was already reacting to their kiss, and the way she was leaning into him told him that hers had woken up, as well. And he really hated that he couldn't stay long enough to do anything about it.
They pulled apart reluctantly after another long minute.
When his breathing was a little more controlled, Ichigo quietly declared, "I guess I still need to work on figuring out this whole 'kissing goodbye' thing."
Orihime laughed softly and said, "I'd be happy to help you practice."
He smirked at her as his arms fell back to his sides and his hands slipped into his pockets. "I'll keep that in mind."
Her smile was still full of laughter when Orihime clasped her hands together and said, "Goodnight, Ichigo."
"Goodnight," Ichigo replied with another twitch of his lips.
Their gazes held for a beat longer before Orihime released a soft sigh and turned, stepping into her apartment, and shut the door.
Ichigo didn't move until he heard the lock click into place a moment later.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Yay for a full chapter of sweet fluff! Strangely, I find these are often the harder ones to write…. But they're usually worth the extra effort! Of course, you're going to have to tell me your take on it in your review…you know, while you wait for the next part. Right? And, yes, there is a little more to come – I'm thinking three chapters? Maybe four? Give or take. LOL So come back soon!