The New Mrs. Kurosaki
Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Later that weekend….
Kurosaki House; 7:00 PM

Orihime took deep breaths before knocking on the door. After they woke up the next morning, both Isshin and Orihime felt surprisingly relaxed as they sat up in bed together. She didn't know why but being near him put her at a sense of ease that she hadn't felt since she'd lost Sora. Even Ichigo had never felt this peaceful in her life.

"Ichigo…" she murmured, staring up at his window. She had a feeling that her friend was avoiding her. She tried to talk to Tatsuki about it but she merely said that the whole situation was weird for Ichigo and he didn't know how to feel about his best friend dating his father. Tatsuki was…less than thrilled to learn that Orihime had slept with him but accepted the fact that Orihime had true feelings for Isshin.

The door opened up and revealed Isshin in the doorway. "Orihime," he greeted with a kind smile. Orihime stepped inside and hugged him, kissing his cheek lightly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. The work at the bakery was nice and easy today," she said.

Isshin chuckled as he led her into the house. "I bet." He leaned forward and sniffed her hair. "You smell of cinnamon."

A blush came across Orihime as she got the wrong idea. "I smell? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought I showered enough and-"

Patting her head, Isshin kissed her forehead. "It's alright. You smell wonderful."

"Where are Yuzu and Karin? And Ichigo?" she asked although that last question was more reluctant.

"I…" Isshin sighed, "I asked them to spend the night at a friend's house. I'm not sure how they'd react to this just yet," he admitted. "And Ichigo hasn't been in all day. He left a note that said he was going to be out on patrol."

"All day?" Orihime repeated. "But he's only on patrol for a few hours at a time."

Nodding, Isshin escorted her to the living room. "Yeah but I think he's not comfortable with the whole notion either so he's giving us some space. Either way, the house is ours for tonight." When he saw Orihime's immediate blush, Isshin quickly backtracked. "Don't worry, Orihime. I'm not a pervert like Kisuke or Yoruichi. For tonight, I want to enjoy a quiet evening with you."

Smiling, Orihime sat down on the couch with him; the place where, ironically, their affair began so many weeks ago. "So what are we having for dinner?"

"I've put a roast in the oven. It'll be done in about fifteen minutes. For now, why don't we just relax." He leaned back against the couch and smiled at Orihime. "It occurs to me that I don't know that much about you except for what Ichigo told me. Why don't we spend some time getting to know each other?"

Nodding, Orihime scooted closer and told him all about herself. He told her about living alone in her school life, her adventures with Ichigo and her subsequent capture by the Arrancars. When she got to that part Isshin took her hand and squeezed. "Orihime…I…I know this is hard to ask but…" he looked at her with concerned eyes, "Did they hurt you?"

"No," Orihime said. "Well, these two girls tried to beat me up but Grimmjow stopped them. They didn't hurt me at all. I've been meaning to ask but are you okay?"

Isshin blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well…Ichigo told me how you got hurt when you fought Aizen…."

Chuckling, Isshin put an arm around Orihime and pulled her close. "I'm perfectly fine, Orihime. I think you know that I'm in top form. But thank you for being so concerned." He ran a hand softly through her hair and kissed her temple. "I've met many people but very few were ever as kind and compassionate like you."

Being held in the elder man's strong arms, Orihime sighed softly and laid her head on his chest. "Thanks, Isshin. I've never met someone like you before," she said.

"Like me?"

"Yes," Orihime replied. "Gentle and warm."

The two lay on the couch and cuddled together. Isshin ran a hand through Orihime's silky hair while she sighed heavenly into his chest. 'She's so peaceful…so beautiful…' Isshin thought.

DING!

Both of them cursed the oven for its unbelievable timing. Reluctantly, Orihime got off of Isshin and let him enter the kitchen. As she waited for her friend to finish preparing the meal, her eyes came into contact with the poster of Masaki Kurosaki, Isshin's deceased wife.

Staring at her made Orihime feel guilty. 'Am I…am I taking her place?' she wondered as she stared at the photo. 'Maybe that's why Ichigo's avoiding me…because he thinks I'm trying to replace his mother….'

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she saw Isshin standing behind her. He smiled as he looked at Masaki and could guess why Orihime was so glum. "It's alright, Orihime. Masaki would understand. If the situation had been reversed, I wouldn't fault her for moving on and loving someone else."

Isshin's words soothed her. As Orihime nodded, she turned around and smiled at Isshin. "Thanks, Isshin. Now then…dinner?"

Smiling, Isshin took Orihime by the hand and led her into the dining room. Orihime almost swooned when she saw the candlelit dinner Isshin had prepared for them; it was like something out of a romantic movie.

As they both sat down, Isshin gestured to the meal. "I might not be Yuzu, but I can cook when I try hard at it," he said with a chuckle.

"It's perfect," Orihime softly said with happy eyes. She took a bite out of the roast on her plate and hummed in enjoyment from the exquisitely cooked meat. "It's delicious, Isshin!"

"Thanks. It's nice to spend the evening with you, Orihime."

The next hour became something that both Orihime and Isshin would look back on fondly. They talked about everything there was to talk about. Isshin told her about how he came to be in the Human World, although he omitted the parts about Masaki being a Quincy and all. Orihime was fascinated by him and she could understand why Isshin's children loved him so much.

Once the plates were empty and their bellies were full, the two got up and headed back to the living room. Sitting back on the couch, they laid back down and cuddled, enjoying the silence as well as each other's presence.

Laying her head on Isshin's broad chest, Orihime felt the soft sound of Isshin's heart. 'So strong…yet so gentle…' she thought poetically, 'Just like him….'

Looking up, she craned her neck and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Isshin responded by wrapping his arms around her tightly and returning the kiss with one of his own. "Isshin…may I…may I call you my boyfriend?" she asked.

"Only if I can call you my girlfriend," Isshin responded.

Smiling, Orihime kissed him again before laying her head on his shoulder. The two cuddled until they fell asleep on the couch….

Meanwhile….
Karakura Town

On a lonely rooftop sat Ichigo, who was watching the moon begin its trek through the sky. He'd been going around hunting Hollows all day and he had no interest in going home. He knew what his father would be doing tonight and it bugged him to no end.

Despite their best efforts to keep it from Ichigo, the boy had discovered the hard way that Orihime and his father were an item….

"This is so much fun!" Tatsuki giggled as she and Ichigo rode the Ferris Wheel. "I love ridding these!" Beside her sat Ichigo, who was staring out at the town with a smile on his face. Despite his scowling he really did enjoy festivals such as these. His sisters were in the car directly behind him and Uryu and Chad in the one behind them. The group had been having a good time at the festival. Although they did note Orihime's absence Tatsuki told them that she sent a text that she was busy, assuaging their worries.

Scooting closer, Tatsuki put an arm around Ichigo. "So, is this where we look out at the sunset and confess our feelings for each other?" she teased, her face near Ichigo's.

"Tatsuki!"

Laughing, Tatsuki scooted away from her best friend. She liked Ichigo but not in that way. "It's fine. I'm just teasing you. Still, this has been such a good-"

Ichigo noticed how she stopped and turned to look at Tatsuki. "What is it?" he asked when he saw her jaw dropped, her eyes staring down into the car directly in front of them. Following her line of sight, Ichigo's eyes came upon the view of his father with a certain orange-haired friend. "Dad? Orihime?!" he choked.

The fighter turned her head and observed Ichigo's reaction. She noted how he was more stunned-shock and not enraged-shock. "Are you angry?" she asked.

"Are you?"

Tatsuki shook her head. "No. I can't be mad at her. Look at them," she gestured, noting how Orihime laid her head on Ichigo's father's shoulder. "They look happy. I can't begrudge them for that. For the last few days she's been the happiest I've ever seen. If your dad makes her happy, then I'm happy for them. Now…are YOU angry?" she asked once more.

Silence filled the car for a few seconds before Ichigo replied. "I don't know."

"Do you love Orihime?" Tatsuki asked, curious as to her friend's feelings for Orihime.

"I…." Sighing, Ichigo leaned back in his seat and looked out at the sky. "I…I like Orihime. I do. And I'm not as dense as you, Uryu, Keigo and everyone else thinks I am. I know she's got feelings for me but…" Ichigo sadly shook his head. "I only like her as a friend. I just didn't know how to tell her without breaking her heart. But this," he gestured to his father and Orihime. "I don't know how to feel about this. After I lost my Mom, I told myself I'd be okay if Dad fell in love with someone else. But…I'm not sure if I can handle my Dad being with Orihime. Especially not after what me and Rukia saw."

The Ferris Wheel started moving and brought their car descending to the ground. "Relax, Ichigo," Tatsuki said. "If they're happy, then you should be happy too. Now c'mon!" she pulled Ichigo out of the car and back into the festival. "Let's forget about them and enjoy the festival."

But Ichigo could not forget about them and his mind was plagued with thoughts. He'd been avoiding Orihime at school because he didn't know what to say to her. 'What am I supposed to say? "Hi, Orihime, did you enjoy getting banged by my Dad last night?" This is confusing….'

Ichigo sighed as he sat on the rooftop, unsure of how things were going to turn out. He should be happy for them…but why wasn't he?

To be continued