AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'm super grateful! (like seriously I'll name my children after you) So here we go! the next chapter!
Disclaimer:...Bleach isn't mine. (no shit sherlock)
Chapter 15
Ichigo's POV
"Are you going to let me go now?" she says in an amused tone.
"Will you stay for dinner?" I ask her returning her smile. She bites her lip pretending to be thinking hard, she finally sighs and throws her hands up in defeat.
"Well fine since you begged me" she tries and fails to keep the smile off her face.
She seems fine now, and for a second I doubt I had even seen the loneliness in her eyes. But I still hold her in my arms and pat her head for a second longer.
I can't help laughing and I lift her off her feet and spin her around. She giggles as she holds onto my shoulders. I'm about to drop her back but she wraps her legs around my waist and kisses my forehead, cue the heart pounding excitement that rushes through me. My heart literally stops when she looks down at me; she touches my cheek so softly. Her gaze is brimming with love and all that is directed at me. She kisses me briefly and slowly slides down till her feet are on the ground.
"Come on, let's go help with dinner" she holds my hand and pulls me through the door.
I don't usually help with dinner, actually I never do but that's because Yuzu carefully watches anyone who enters the kitchen, it's an unspoken rule that the kitchen is her turf.
But everything seems to have flipped because of Orihime's presence. My dad was cleaning up, I was setting the table. Yuzu and Orihime were getting the food ready. I wondered if I should mention to my family that Orihime's taste buds are not of this planet but Yuzu seems to be in charge so I don't worry too much.
"What do I do with these?" I ask my dad, holding up a weird circular thing.
"Those are cup coasters" My dad says smirking.
"And we use them for?..." I ask him.
"Well… they're just a thing we use… for, you know holding cups! Just set the table son!" My dad yells in frustration.
"I just think it's a bit unnecessary" I shrug but put the cup-mat thingies anyways.
We don't even have dinner on the dining table; I didn't even know we had a matching set of plates. I comply because my dad seems adamant about making this dinner perfect. I look over at Orihime and she's enjoying herself with Yuzu, Karin is smiling too. It's a picture perfect moment I'll probably never forget.
"Wish I had a camera right now" My dad says beside me. I was just thinking the same thing so I nod in agreement.
"Did… you just agree with me?" my dad gasps in mock horror.
"Shut up" I tell him smiling.
"Dinner is ready" Karin said walking past me and grabbing a seat. A minute after Inoue came in carrying in the food. It looked edible but I wasn't really looking at that. She was grinning widely at me, her eyes were lit up. She was still wearing the flowery apron that hugged her figure and made me dizzy.
"We made pasta!"she said still grinning. I smiled at her and pulled out a chair for her. She thanked me and sat down with an adorable blush painting her cheeks. Just as I was about to sit down beside her my dad pulls it away and sits on it.
I count to three in my head, to stop myself from pushing him off the chair.
"That's my seat" I tell him calmly.
"Is it?" he asks blinking innocently.
"Yes" I say almost hissing.
"is it really?" he says with that annoying smile on his face widening.
I had just decided to push him off the chair but Karin coughed in annoyance.
"Just sit here Ichi-nii" she pats the seat next to her. I'm the only one left standing so I just grumble incoherent curses at the annoying old geezer and make my way to the seat beside Karin. At least I'm directly in front of her I think to myself.
Yuzu was overjoyed, she explained in detail how the food was made. Inoue piped up occasionally with an excited smile.
"I made the sauce!" she says
"It's delicious" I say actually surprised it didn't have any of Orihime's usual ingredients.
"It would have been amazing with honey mustard though" Orihime says sighing. Yuzu gives her a look and shakes her head sympathetically as if Orihime had said something absolutely crazy. I chuckled quietly and watched the scene unfolding at the table. Orihime politely asked Karin questions about school, Karin participated in the conversation which was unusual for her. No one noticed the time fly past and by the time we were clearing the dishes, it was almost dark.
"It's getting dark" Karin said turning to Orihime.
"Will you sleep over?" Yuzu asked excitedly
"Maybe some other time" Orihime smiled at Yuzu.
"I'll walk you home" I said. Orihime hugged Yuzu and Karin as she said goodbye.
"You'll come again right?" Yuzu asked hopefully.
"Of course!" Orihime gently patted Yuzu's hair and started walking towards the door but my dad pulled her in for a bone crushing hug. I wasn't surprised to see tears in his eyes.
"Thank you so much for having me. Good night Kurosaki-san" she says when he lets go of her.
"I told me to call me Isshin" he says laughing. I pull her away through the door before my dad says something more embarrassing.
"Definitely never call him that" I whisper to her. She giggles and looks at me.
"Why not?"
"He'll do something crazy like sneak into your apartment and braid your hair while you're asleep" he shudders dramatically and I nudge his side as I laugh.
When we had walked for a while she turned to me with a huge grin on her face.
"That was so much fun!" she said beaming. "Is dinner always like that at your house?" she asks
"Well No, usually we give my dad plastic plates" she laughs and circles her arm around my waist, and I place my arm over her shoulders.
"I'm glad you had fun" I tell her.
We walk in silence which is unusual for Orihime but I guess she's just tired. It's a bit chilly tonight so I have an excuse to rub up and down her arms. The cool wind makes her shiver and she nuzzles closer to me.
"Cold?" I ask her. I didn't bring a jacket either but I'm wearing long sleeves so I don't feel the chill in the air.
"Yeah a little" she says
"We're almost there" I say pointing at her house in the distance.
"I'd rather be cold for a bit longer" she says quietly as we reach her apartment. She didn't mean for me to hear that last part but I do and I feel worry rise up in me.
"Will you be okay?" I ask her stroking her cheeks. I'm relieved she doesn't look sad but I can't help feeling worried. She smiles and kisses my hand.
"I'll be fine"
"Good then, I'll just-"
"Do you want to come up?" she asks me and my throat dries up. My head goes through a thousand thoughts a second, thoughts that are making me blush. Somehow in my temporary retarded state I manage to nod. She smiles and holds my hand, leading me up the stairs into her apartment. She's absolutely beautiful, I'm watching her closely. Her every move, the way she bends forward to unlock the door, her inviting smile as she holds the door open for me. She says something but I didn't hear because I was concentrating on her moving lips.
"What?" I ask her after a second.
"I said, would you like some tea?" she says taking off her shoes and entering the living room. That's when I realize I've been standing with my back pressed to the back of the door like a terrified mouse.
'Get your shit together, you're embarrassing me' my hollow hisses in my mind.
"Tea? Yeah uhmm sure please" I say taking off my shoes and moving away from the door. She goes into the kitchen and I stand there awkwardly. A few seconds after she pops her head back in and smiles.
"Well sit down" she says pointing at the cushiony little couch to my left. I sit down and wait for her to come back with the tea. I breathe out and shake off the stupid perverted thoughts that keep creeping into my mind. I'm definitely over thinking this shit, it's not like anything is going to happen.
'You are such a pussy'
'Oh shut up' I groan
'I'm just saying, if you chicken out I'll take over in a second'
'Nothing's going to happen! So just fuck off!'
'Little pussy' my hollow taunts me, before I can describe the different ways I'll kill him Orihime comes in carrying two mugs of tea.
"Sorry I don't have any cookies to go with it, I ate them all" she says offering me a cup. I smile and take a sip from the mug. The sweetness overwhelms my taste buds and I scrunch up my face.
"I wasn't sure how much sugar so I just put six spoons" she says
"Six?!" I stare at her incredulously "How many did you put in yours?"
"Seven" she shrugs and takes a gulp from her own cup.
"That's definitely bad for you" I tell her sternly, I sound like a nagging old man.
"But seven is a lucky number" she pouts. I'm about to keep nagging her but she changes the subject quickly.
"Do you have to go back home soon?" she asks me.
"Not for a while I guess" I'm certain my dad is camping outside the house waiting for me to come home but I don't mind ignoring him for a while.
"So you can stay longer?" she smiles at me.
"Yeah of course, what do you want to do?" I say. The perverted corner of my mind has quieted down, thankfully.
"Let's watch a movie" she says looking at me with puppy dog eyes, as if I could ever say no to her.
"Sounds good"
"YES!" she jumps up and crawls to the TV to set up the DVD player.
"You can pick out the movie, they're in the first drawer in my room" she tells me. I walk down the short hallway to her room. Her room is filled with her scent; there is a feminine feel to every single thing here. Without getting too distracted I open the drawer she had directed me to.
There were DVDs and I pulled out a bunch of them, a small red book caught my eye and I dropped the DVDs and picked up the book cautiously as if it would bite me.
I recognize it immediately. It's my book I think for a second, no wait it's not mine exactly but... It's almost exactly the same. Why would Orihime need this? I had needed mine to pluck up the courage to ask her out. But I can't think of a single reason why Orihime would need this book.
"Did you decide which one you want-" Orihime says entering the room. I try to hide the book but the surprised look on her face tells me she saw me snooping. She squeals and quickly reaches forward and snatches the book from my hands. She hides it behind her back and walks backwards till she's standing in the far corner of the room.
I slowly come closer to reach her, she's blushing so much.
"I-it's not what you think Ichigo! This is just a uhmm…" she stammers pushing herself further into the corner.
"Who's it for?" I ask her. She pauses and frowns at me, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean who were you in the friend-zone with?" It's a very stupid question and I'm afraid I might have offended her by asking.
"Are you seriously asking that?" she rolls her eyes. "Take a guess" She scoffs and I know the answer.
I can't help laughing; this situation is so bizarre. We both bought the same book. She thought she was in the friend-zone with me? I laugh because I can't believe it, just how long were we wasting time? I must have been an absolute idiot to not have known how she felt. Orihime frowns and crosses her arms in annoyance. I stop laughing immediately.
"Wait I'm not laughing at you" I say reaching forward and holding her shoulders. She pokes my chest hard.
"Then what were you laughing at?" her face is red with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry for laughing but I wasn't laughing at you. I promise" I slowly come closer warily and hold her hands. She's not meeting my eyes.
"That book? I have the same one" I tell her.
"What?" she looks at me.
"I mean I have a book called 'Escape planet friend-zone' by Dr. Yamanaka" it's my turn to blush now.
"What a load of bull. I bet he's not even a real doctor" I say coughing and scratching the back of my neck
"Are you just saying that?" she narrows her eyes in suspicion.
"No, I really bought it and I followed each step" It's embarrassing to admit but I tell her anyway.
Orihime blinks and takes a step closer. "But why?"
"Because I thought there's no way I'd ever be with you"
"I thought the same thing too" she said quietly. Her stormy gray eyes are shining with an intensity that leaves me speechless.
There was silence for a moment and although neither of us said anything, this moment was perfect. I feel so much at once I'm overwhelmed for a second. In the next second our lips met softly and easily. She sighed and that was the only invitation I needed to slip my tongue past her soft pink lips. It took effort to stay calm in a situation like this. We were kissing a few inches from her bed, hell it took everything not to rip off her clothes. I place my hands on her shoulders and without breaking the kiss I pin her against the door, the further I am from the bed the better.
My hands slide down to her curvy hips and I squeeze them gently. I break off the heated kiss and when she whimpers in protest I couldn't stop myself from smirking; I press my lips to her cheek instead.
"Aren't we still watching that movie?" I ask her breathlessly, taking a step back.
Orihime smiles and pecks me on the lips, she reopens the drawer I was rifling through and pulls out a DVD.
"Come on let's go" she takes my hand and pulls me back into the living room.
'What the actual fuck was that?!' my hollow yells so loud I almost get a headache.
'I'm not going to rush her into something she's not ready for!' I mentally yell back.
'If you'd slipped a finger into her panties you'd see she was very ready'
'Say that again and I'll rip off your arms and beat you with them' I tell him seriously.
"Ichigo? What's wrong?" Orihime asks me looking at me curiously.
"What? Nothing, Let's just watch the movie" I shrug and sit down beside her on the couch.
"What are we watching?" I ask her placing my arm over her shoulder.
"Godzilla! Mwahaha!" she puts the DVD in despite my complaints so we watch the movie.
She's memorized the dialogue (even Godzilla's roaring). I'm certain she's watched it at least five times. She falls asleep halfway through though. I don't move till the end of the movie because I love the way she feels against me, her arms on my waist, and her head on my chest. Being wrapped up in her warmth gives me a peaceful feeling.
When I glance at the wall clock I see it's already eleven, a bit reluctantly I carry Orihime in my arms to her bed. She doesn't wake up until I'm covering her in her blankets.
"Are you leaving?" she asks her voice laced with sleep.
"Yeah I'll see you tomorrow" I tell her kissing her forehead. She smiles and closes her eyes again seemingly asleep.
"I'll miss you" she says in a whisper.
"You can dream of me while I'm gone, because I sure as hell will be dreaming of you" I reply even though I know she can't hear me anymore.
Orihime's POV
I wake up with a bright smile on my face. Yesterday was perfect just like everyday has been since Ichigo told me he loves me. The memories of yesterday flood into my mind and I smile to myself. It felt amazing to think that Ichigo had felt like I did even before he'd asked me out. Maybe the book was all nonsense after all but it still kind of brought Ichigo and I together indirectly.
I feel motivated and inspired somehow so I use up all the pent up energy I have to finish up all my chores. I clean every corner of my apartment, I fold my clothes and by the time it's noon every single chore is done.
My stomach grumbles and I go into the kitchen to make something to eat. I open the fridge and notice that I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while. There's barely anything to eat. I sigh and shower and get dressed to walk to the grocery store. If I don't go today I'll have to start eating the furniture as food.
Narry's grocery store is my usual convenience store even though it's not the closest to my apartment because it's the only store I know that has an infinite supply of wasabi flavored ice cream. In the store I fill up a cart with everything I need. From cereal to toothpicks I don't forget a single thing.
"Free sample?" the store worker asks offering me a tray with some green sauce. Well I am not one to say no to free food so I nod and pick up the plastic spoon on the tray.
"Yes please" I smile and scoop some with the plastic spoon. Just as I'm about to taste it someone knocks it off my hand.
"That's going to get you sick" Tatsuki says materializing beside me.
"Tatsuki-chan! That's not very nice" I turn to apologize to the store worker but he's glaring at Tatsuki. He walks away mumbling what sounds like 'snobby bitch'. Tatsuki watches him leave before she turns her attention to me.
"Grocery shopping? Me too" She smiles.
"Where's your stuff?" I ask she doesn't look like she's grocery shopping, she looks like she's here to buy a pack of gum.
"Where is it? Ah! There it is!" she looks down the aisle and Andou appears pushing a cart loaded with food and veggies. There is a little uneasiness rising up in my stomach but I try to hide it. More than anything I don't want things to be awkward between us but it might be selfish and unrealistic for me to ask him to just be my friend again.
"I can't find the friggin ketchup!" Andou-kun says reading from a list. He hasn't noticed me yet and I hold my breath for his reaction. He scans the shelves as he comes closer.
"Do we really need Ketchup anyways?" Tatsuki says.
As he turns he finally sees me. My whole body relaxes in relief when he smiles. I was probably over thinking the whole thing.
"Orihime-chan!" he waves at me and I return his smile.
"You're shopping too?"
"Yeah I couldn't keep living on cereal" Andou laughs and it makes me laugh too. Tatsuki who is silently watching turns to look at Andou. She gives him a look and he shakes his head. She raises her eyebrows and then he shakes his head. She nods and then he sighs. It looks like they're having a conversation with they're minds. I don't interrupt because it is fascinating to watch.
"Uhmm Orihime-chan, can I talk to you later?" Andou says. Tatsuki coughs
"I mean now. Can I talk to you now? If it's not bothering you? We could hunt for the ketchup while we talk"
I look at Tatsuki and she gives me an encouraging nod.
"Sure" I say turning my cart to walk beside him. After we make it down the aisle he stops and turns to face me.
"I just wanted to uhmm apologize" he says scratching his neck awkwardly.
"For what?"
"Well I was a bit of an idiot, an inconsiderate and selfish idiot and I'm sorry for that." He meets my surprise with a steely determined gaze.
"N-no! Don't feel bad about it! If anyone should apologize it should be me-"
"No really Orihime. You don't have anything to apologize for. I shouldn't have tried to push my feelings on you… repeatedly. I didn't think about how you felt at all. Also the stalking was kind of creepy."
"What stalking?"
"I wouldn't have been a very good stalker if you knew about it" he waves it off like it's nothing and continues what he was saying.
"What I really want to say, is can we like put this behind us?"
I must be smiling widely because he smiles at me too and we both stand in the middle of a supermarket grinning at each other. Tatsuki walks up to us and looks between us.
"You guys are so weird" she says probably referring to the grinning contest Andou-kun and
I had going on.
"I found the ketchup, so we're done" Tatsuki says dropping it into the cart Andou is pushing.
"What else do you need?" Andou asks
"Uhmm… just some cheese and bean paste" I tell him
"Why do you need bean paste?" Andou asks and Tatsuki rolls her eyes.
"Don't ask" she groaned to herself.
"It's a necessity that goes with everything" I say emphasizing my words with hand gestures.
"Everything?"
"Everything"
"Everything?"
"Everything"
"Ever-"
"YES! EVERYTHING! LET'S GO!" Tatsuki says snapping her fingers at us. Andou laughs and we get the stuff I need. After paying and leaving the store Tatsuki suggests we meet up later today.
"We could go to the street fair"
"There's a street fair?!" I ask getting excited already.
"Yeah, you could call Ichigo to come along" Tatsuki says, she then turns to Andou, "invite Hinami to come along too"
Andou snaps his head to look at her and frowns. "Maybe she has something important to do on a Sunday afternoon"
"Maybe. You should still ask."
"Why don't you ask her?" he says raising his voice but his face betrayed him with a pink blush on his cheeks.
"I would but you're pretty close aren't you?" Tatsuki said in a sing- song voice meant to annoy whosoever heard it.
"How am I close to her? She's your classmate" he says pointing at Tatsuki.
"But you're the one that stayed over at her house till eleven at night" Tatsuki said smugly smiling impishly. Andou stopped walking and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"It's not what you're thinking! We just watched The Lord of the Rings! Then we watched part two and time flew and-stop staring at me like that!" Andou yelled pointing at Tatsuki and me because we were both staring at him and snickering.
Andou ran ahead of us in the direction of Tatsuki's house. The sound of Tatsuki's laughter followed him although she didn't move from her spot.
"What an idiot" she said
"What time is the fair?" I ask her after we'd both stopped laughing.
"It starts at five but things get lively at seven. Make sure Ichigo comes okay?" Tatsuki says before she follows Andou to her house. I walk back to my apartment feeling lighthearted and giddy.
I stare at my phone for a long while. I've practiced the conversation I'll have with Ichigo on the phone when I invite him to come to the street fair. My reflection isn't very good target practice though. I keep worrying that I might be bothering him, it's a Sunday maybe he has plans or he might just want to relax today. I know I should still call though but I keep chickening out.
Pick up the phone, I command my hand but as expected I remain frozen.
"It's just a phone call!" I tell myself. I pick up the phone triumphantly and dial Ichigo's number before my courage fades. Holding my breath I wait for him to answer but he doesn't pick up. Perfect. I sigh and collapse on my bed. The street fair suddenly feels tedious since Ichigo might not be going.
I jerk up when I feel Ichigo's reiatsu close by. By the time I get up he's already knocking lightly on the door of the balcony. I open the door and I'm greeted by Ichigo dressed in his Shinigami outfit. He looks mouthwatering hot like this. The black shihakusho dips and shows enough of his well toned chest to make me blush.
"Hey" he says smiling casually
I'm flustered and trying to gather my thoughts while trying to appear normal. He's here in my room, in shinigami form. That thought just heats me up for some reason.
"HI!" I say too loud, I clear my throat and open the door wider so that he can come in.
"Come in. Sit down." I say averting my gaze from his beautiful body. He comes in but instead of walking past me he stands in front of me and kisses my cheek.
"I was just passing by and I just thought I'd drop in" he says shrugging and sitting down on my bed.
"Oh really?"
"No, that's a lie. I totally came here on purpose, I was circling your apartment for 15 minutes before I finally knocked." he smiles and I laugh.
"I was just about to call you" I say not mentioning I had already called. He pats the bed and I sit down beside him. He drapes his arm over my shoulder and pulls me closer. My breath becomes unstable when the side of my cheek brushes his exposed chest; I swallow and try to calm down. Ichigo is looking down at me to finish what I was saying but I can't remember.
"Why did you call?" he says coming closer.
I bite my lip and my eyes sweep down his lips to his chest. I don't answer him but I raise my hand cautiously and touch the side of his neck slowly lowering my fingertips lower till they dip underneath the V-line of his Shinigami outfit. It's very easy for my hand to part the black material and feel his chest.
He opens his mouth to say something but I place my finger over his lips. I smile at him and kiss his lips, the kiss setting us off like a match lighting a fire. He kisses me back with just as much hunger. His tongue slides into my open mouth sweeping every inch of my mouth and sending sparks all over my body. I'm instantly consumed by so much passion and all I can think about is more.
I break away from his lips for a second only so that I can straddle his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. Ichigo kisses me again without hesitation, he sucks on my bottom lip and I moan into his mouth. My hands slide down to explore his perfectly fit chest again. Ichigo pulls his lips from mine and kisses my neck, his arms wrap around my waist pulling me even closer. He slides his hand up the back of my shirt and I can barely focus as his other hands moves to my butt.
Ichigo suddenly freezes, he takes his hands off me and he moves his body away from me. I look at him silently asking what's wrong. Ichigo shakes his head and clears his throat.
"Sorry. I uhmm should have asked you before I-" he pauses and looks away from me.
"I don't mind!" I interrupt him quickly. Moving closer to him and gently brushing my fingers through his hair.
"So… you don't mind me touching you this way?" he asks, his lips spreading into a grin.
"I-I want you to touch me" I say, my face reddening as he looks at me with a heated gaze. He closes the distance between our bodies and I catch my breath. Suddenly all I can feel is Ichigo. His hands explore my entire back and a finger slides beneath my bra strap teasing me but not taking it off. I can't hold back either, my hands push his shihakusho off his shoulders.
"This is okay with you?" he asks as his hand touches my thighs underneath my skirt.
"Yes" I say kissing his lips again.
The feel of his skin under my hands, his hard back muscles, it's not enough. I press my entire body to his wanting to feel more of his heat. I can barely focus as his hands grip my thigh, kneading the flesh as his long fingers climb higher till his fingers brush against my underwear.
I gasp as a finger dips under the edge of the elastic, trailing into the slickness between my legs. Every cell in my body is buzzing with excitement and I can't get enough of him.
"Fuck, I have to ask. Is this okay?" he rasps barely sounding like himself. He slips his finger inside me slowly, I moan loudly.
"So that's a yes then?" he says kissing my neck. His other hand splays on my back, holding me closer so that my chest is pressed to his.
His finger started moving in and out of me and I tighten my grip on his shoulders, moaning in his ear. He increases the pace of his finger, flicking and circling my insides. I rock my hips against his finger, I feel a tension curling deep in my core and I stammer at a loss for any words.
"I-ichigoo" I say his name and it sounds more like a plea, for what I don't even know. He responds by slipping another finger through my soaking slit. I drag my nails across the skin of his shoulder and hold him tighter because I feel like I'm about to fall apart.
"God Hime you're so perfect" He groans and quickens his pace, his thumb rubs against my nub and I feel fireworks explode deep inside me but Ichigo keeps going his fingers setting up a rhythm that sends me even higher, he rubs my nub harder.
"Ichigo, please!" I can't take anymore and I feel my insides clench around his fingers, the intense pleasure I feel in that moment knocks the breath out of me. My entire being feels out of control as everything, all the love and lust I feel for him pours out of me till I'm left panting and trying to come back to myself.
"I love you so much" he cooes into my neck, trailing feather kisses on my neck as he holds me tightly. He lays me gently on the bed and just holds me. We both try to slow our rapid breathing, he strokes my face and I smile at him. I feel absolutely exhausted and my eyes feel heavy.
He wraps his arms around me and I soak up his warmth letting him pull me into a peaceful sleep.
AN: Sorry if this isn't long. the next one will be. I promise!
Till next time!
