I thought for a minute that this wouldn't be an AU. But it is. Hooray! I hope you enjoy it!

Ichigo Kurosaki had never been the most tactful person. So when Orihime Inoue started following him around for no apparent reason, he saw no reason not to flat-out tell her to stop it.

It was only when she ran away in tears did he realize that his approach probably wasn't the best. So, he decided to make it up to her.

Needless to say, Orihime was quite surprised when random bouquets of roses and boxes of chocolate appeared at her apartment. It went on for days before she finally caught him.

"Did you tell me to stop following you so you could start giving me presents?" Orihime asked, confused. Ichigo stood there for a few minutes, eyes wide, still holding the heart-shaped box of chocolates he had been planning to leave on her doorstep.

"N-no. I just-" Ichigo stopped talking, looking down at the ground, a blush darkening his cheeks. Damnit. She'd caught him.

"Wanna come in? I just made a cake!" Orihime said, smiling and grabbing his hand, pulling him inside before he could protest.

Ichigo hadn't fully understood just how many roses he'd gotten her before he saw the inside of her apartment. It seemed that on every available surface there was a glass vase stuffed with roses. Where had she gotten that many vases?

Orihime moved several roses to the floor so they could sit at the table. Ichigo set the box of chocolates on the table, wrinkling his nose when he smelled what he supposed was the cake.

It didn't really look like a cake. At all.

"How about we just have these?" Ichigo said, opening the box of chocolates. Orihime shrugged.

"Okay!"

Their relationship grew. Ichigo would frequently find himself browsing for things he could get her, whether it be something as simple as flour or as expensive as a diamond necklace.

Not that he actually got her the necklace, of course. He just looked at it and thought about buying it for her.

It was three months into their little relationship before she kissed him. He was so shocked that he he didn't move from the floor beside her bed for a full hour while Orihime freaked out.

Seven months later, Orihime grew distant, and as a result, Ichigo got deeper into the gang of freaks who called themselves Shinigami. Orihime worried about him.

For a few months, Ichigo had been coming home to Orihime's apartment instead of to his real home. He'd been coming home later and later each night. Orihime waited up for him each time.

It was one of those nights that night. Orihime sat at the kitchen table, void of roses for once. She rubbed her eyes, glancing at the clock. Three in the morning. That was the latest he'd been out by far. He generally tried to make it back by midnight.

Just then, someone knocked at the door. Orihime jumped up and ran to the door. Standing outside of it was a tall, red-headed man, holding up the body of Ichigo. Orihime gasped and reached for the blood-soaked man.

The red-head nodded once to her and left, shutting the door.

Orihime got to work at once, and a few hours later, Ichigo was cleaned up. "Ichigo, Ichigo, what happened?" she asked as soon as he began to stir. He opened his eyes a crack.

"O-Ori-Orihime?" he asked. She nodded, eyes wide. He didn't answer her, and instead turned on his side, staring out the window. She sighed. It was silent until he asked her one question. "Orihime, do you love me?"

Orihime swallowed. "I thought... I thought I did," she said quietly, looking down at the floor. "But... now with your... thing you do... I don't hate you. I want... I want to save you."

"Save me?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes. I want to save you before it's too late," Orihime said, nodding once. Ichigo sighed.

"I think I might love you."

It was awkward for the next few days. Ichigo finished healing and went back to the Shinigami, despite Orihime's protests. She was back to waiting for him, hoping that he wouldn't come home as bloody and injured as he had before.

It was only after she was kidnapped by the leader of the Hueco Mundo gang did he think about quitting. So he did.

They never saw each other again, but they never stopped thinking about each other. Orihime turned down many potential suitors, preferring to stay alone. Ichigo did get married to one of the Shinigami, but they were never truly happy.

Only when Ichigo looked at a picture of his orange-haired savior was he ever happy.