.chapter title. For You
.disclaimer. I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.
---
The auburn-haired healer lay on her bed, her eyes glazed over and her cheeks glowing a healthy pink. She had actually slept fine, but her mind kept replaying the scene from the previous night in her mind.
"You can share your pain with me, Inoue…"
The swarm of those alien butterflies fluttered in her stomach uncontrollably again, she noted, but she was okay with them. She even called them cute.
'Kurosaki-kun's so kind…' Orihime thought, giving the ceiling a half-hearted stare, while slowly bringing her small hands up to her flaming face. 'Though…' Her subtle smile curved into a small frown.
"I hope he didn't say that out of pity…" the teen mumbled quietly before clearly realizing what she had said. Her eyes grew wide and brows furrowed. 'Why would I think such a thing? Kurosaki-kun's a good person! He's being nice because we're friends.' She bit her bottom lip lightly. 'I think.'
Orihime stayed still for a few more moments before taking in a sharp breath and promptly sitting up. 'Okay, time to get up!' She sat up quickly, inciting some dizziness from the sudden movement, but otherwise continued to sport a grin. No one could see it, but the healer still couldn't help but smile at his kind words. She stepped over to the mirror to evaluate her appearance.
'I wonder if Kurosaki-kun's awake…' Orihime thought, her gaze now hovering to the clock. It was still early, she figured he'd still be sleeping. She entangled her fingers through her hair swiftly, to detangle some of her more 'scary' knots, before heading out of her room and into the kitchen. She was humming again, as she walked along with a slightly bounce to her step. For sure, she was in a good mood.
"And if it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart, the only dream that mattered had come true," she quietly repeated her personal mantra again, taking note of the different feelings while saying it, comparing it now from yesterday. "In this life I loved… you…"
"Morning Inoue."
Quickly, her face grew incredibly hot as she inwardly worried whether he had heard her or not. Wait, why was he up in the first place? And why didn't she just decide to change into her normal clothes?? Now she was only in a tank top and pajama bottoms, with unruly hair, in front of her friend, no less. It didn't help that she was in love with the guy either.
"Uh… Everything okay?" Ichigo spoke again, bringing her out of her inner freak out. She nodded shakily, looking around the room for at least a sweatshirt or sorts.
Nothing.
She frowned lightly and took a seat at the table, a soft sigh escaping her.
"What, didn't get enough sleep last night?" The orangette inquired, a small smirk on his face. Was he trying to smile… Er, smirk for her? Or was he just being silly? Oh, how she wished she could read his mind or something…
"I slept fine," Orihime shook her head as she spoke. "… I think I had a really good dream too."
"Did you?"
"Mhm…"
"About what?"
She paused as she tried to remember what it was that she dreamed about. "Something with… Wasabi butterflies… Flying purple socks… And… Oh! Ku-" He cocked an eyebrow at her sudden stop. She felt her face heat up more. "Oh, never mind, it's not important!" The healer rose from her seat and proceeded to go to the counter, where the remaining donuts from yesterday had sat. She took a leftover out and started munching on it.
"Sounds like it sort of was important. What about Ku?" He asked her, starting to sit down in the chair. Was it just her, or did he sound amused?
"Ku… Ku… Cougars," she replied hesitantly, only coming up with an excuse at the last minute.
"Cougars."
"Yes, Kurosaki-kun. Cougars."
"Oh… Sounds cool." Ichigo responded awkwardly. 'Wow, that was a dumb move.' Was it really cool for her to dream about butterflies, purple socks and cougars? He rested his chin in his palm, his face heating up slightly, as he thought she was going to say, 'Kurosaki'. Boy, was he off.
Why did he feel so disappointed?
He broke from his weird thoughts as she stuck a donut in front of his face, a bright smile on her face. "You want another one?" The shinigami curled his lips up ever so slightly as he took her from her hand. Between the exchange, his fingertips brushed over hers, sending an odd shock through his hand. She only smiled and laughed lightly.
"Thanks, Inoue," he spoke quietly, his fingers still pleasantly numb. '… Pleasant? What the hell is wrong with me??' She smiled wider.
She retook her seat, sitting across from him. Her arms were lightly crossed on the table, and her cheeks glowed a dark pink.
"Er, are you feeling okay? You look like you have a fever or something." Ichigo inquired, noting her suddenly bright face. She quickly brought her hands up to her face, covering it up as if embarrassed.
"Oh, no, I'm feeling fine," she retorted, hoping her reply wouldn't worry him further. 'I'm great in fact… All thanks to you.'
"If you say so…" he finished, seriously questioning the awkward warmth in his chest. 'Prolly ate too fast… Yeah, it's heartburn.'
The two sat in silence again, and Orihime seemed to constantly fidget in her seat, as if uncomfortable. He raised his eyebrows at her constant movement. She took note of his staring, and stopped, her face growing hotter.
"S-So… What did you want to do today?" the healer asked, hoping to distract him from her fidgeting.
"It's up to you, Inoue." Ichigo kneaded the back of his neck roughly, now glancing at the wall off to the side.
"Oh… Right…" she sighed lightly, wondering what there was to do before her time was up. "I wonder if… No, never mind…"
"No, what were you going to say?"
Orihime placed a small, somewhat sad smile on her lips. "I guess… It would be nice if I could Tatsuki-chan one more time. I'd want to tell her everything, and then apologize…"
"Inoue, you have nothing to apologize for," he tried to reassure her, because really, she had no legitimate reason.
"I haven't told her the truth. Withholding information is the same as lying, right?"
"I guess…" Ichigo crossed his arms now, as he spoke. He had an uncomfortable feeling that wasn't sitting well with him. And then there was that stupid 'heartburn' he had too. It only seemed to get worse whenever he looked at her. 'I could…' he silently brooded over a slowly forming idea.
"But Tatsuki-chan is in school right now, and I technically can't see anyone, so it's fine!" Orihime waved her hands frantically, putting on a happier expression for him. "Though… If you could tell her for me, when you see her in a few days, I'd be really happy…" He frowned, the awkward feeling growing.
"Inoue…"
"Oh! What am I saying? You don't need to do anything you don't want to do, Kurosaki-kun," the healer laughed lightly, trying to break out of her rambling. "Sorry I even said anything." His scowl grew deeper. 'Inoue…'
"You know, I'm going to go shower up and stuff," Orihime spoke clumsily, her hands fidgeting as she talked. "Goodness knows I'm a mess right now." She laughed, hoping he wouldn't catch onto her restlessness.
'You look fine to me…' Ichigo swallowed thickly as he forced himself to keep his opinion to himself. He nodded slowly, and she left quickly. The orangette sighed heavily and placed his head in his arms. What the hell was wrong with him?? He kept thinking about their accidental touches, and his frequent thoughts about her. It was driving him crazy!
A loud knock brought him out of his thoughts and Ichigo stood up alarmed. Who would want to be at her house at this time of day? He went to the door cautiously, and opened the door to find them. He groaned in frustration. "Oh... It's you."
"That's not a nice way to greet us, Ichigo!" The strawberry-blonde shinigami exclaimed, now wearing a fake pout. "And we came all this way to see Orihime-chan!"
"You weren't even that far away!"
"Calm yourself, Kurosaki."
"Shut it. I don't want to hear anything from you." Ichigo hissed at the young male, shoving his hands into his pocket. It was amazing how quickly they could rise his blood pressure. Rangiku invited herself in and strolled right into the flat.
"So where's Orihime-chan anyway?" She purred, crossing her arms under her heavy chest. Ichigo kneaded the back of his neck again; his eyes now focused on the floor.
"Uh, shower…" He mumbled awkwardly. Wait, why did he have to tell her where his friend was?
"You're so flustered! Did you try to sneak a peek?"
"… Excuse me??" Ichigo's jaw dropped while talking. "Why the hell would I try to s-sneak a peek at Inoue?!" This woman was insane!
"So she doesn't have a good enough figure to impress you?" Rangiku inquired, doing the pouty thing again. "Aw, she'll be so sad to hear that."
"Shut up!! That's not the reason at all!"
"So you like her figure?"
"Damn you! You know what? I'm not even going to answer that, because you're annoying. You're just trying to get me pissed off," Ichigo swore sharply at the woman, grinding his teeth together in annoyance.
"Did it work?" She purred, now invading his personal space by poking him in the side. He swatted her hand away.
"What do you think?" He asked, still irritated. Ichigo brought his hand up to his face, and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Look… I need to go out for a bit. Can you watch over Inoue?"
"Kurosaki…" Toshiro warned the substitute. "You know you're not allowed to leave her side."
"Damn it, I know. But this is important." Ichigo sighed heavily, crossing his arms as well. A moment of silence swept past the three, and questionable glances were exchanged between the busty blonde and her captain. Ichigo clenched his jaw before barely mumbling a "Please…"
"… Fine… But you're to be back within an hour, understood?" Toshiro responded, looking up warningly to the orange-haired teen.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it Toshiro." Ichigo paused. "Thanks."
"It's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki!"
---
Pulling her clothes out of her drawers, Orihime drew in a sharp breath, hoping her heart would calm down. Why had she asked so much of him? He didn't need to do a darn thing for her, yet she still requested so much. Her face flushed as she quickly remembered the small touch between her and him, as she exchanged the sugary treat. Sure, she acted like she didn't notice, but her heart definitely had a say about it.
The healer swiftly left her room and approached the bathroom door, closing it quickly behind her. Why couldn't she calm down? It was as if her vital organ in her chest was yelling at her, trying to tell her something important. What it was, she had no clue.
She placed her clothes on the counter before turning on the shower full blast. She watched the drops hit the bottom of the off-white basin beneath her. Orihime was in semi-awe as the water reminded her of her lovely rain.
Soon her clothes were shed and she stood under the spout of water droplets, letting every inch of the liquid soak her body. The hot water felt wonderful on her back and on her hair, but her knees felt weak again, and she knew only one person was able to ever do that.
"Kurosaki-kun…" she mouthed inaudibly to herself, while standing in the square box. Her cheeks grew hotter with each passing thought of him, and her heart began to ache with longing and want. Oh, how she wanted to see him… How she wanted to stay here in Karakura forever, not leaving to go to the Royal Realm, or any where else. As long as she was here, everything would be all right. As long as she could see him, she'd be okay.
Orihime deftly shut the water off; her glazed eyes merely focused on the wall close to her. She lightly rested her forehead on the cool surface before shuddering and exhaling shakily.
She didn't want to go… She really didn't. And she didn't know if it was her tears, or leftover water from her prior shower, that smoothly rolled down her face, and into the drain below.
It was definitely her tears, as she choked back a sob, biting her bottom lip hard. Her breathing was ragged, as she tried to hold back those salty drops. 'Oh, Kurosaki-kun, I don't want to go away…' She shivered again, her thoughts distraught.
Orihime morosely stepped out of the shower, and dried herself off with a towel before redressing herself with new clothes. Her hands lingered on the hem of her shirt, as thoughts of her Kurosaki-kun swept by in her mind. She couldn't help but sadly smile from all the memories, and her heart only grew heavier with every remembrance. 'Oh no, I think I'm falling for him even more…' She kept her lips curled in that sad expression.
The healer drew in a deep breath before taking the hairbrush, plowing through all the knots. It was shortly after that she had finished, and was ready to leave, to go back out to where he was. Her heart fluttered again at the thought of him, and her grip on the doorknob grew tighter. 'Just smile for him. He enjoys seeing you smile.'
Orihime swung the door open, and she began her search for the orange-haired friend.
"Kurosaki-kun, I'm done!" The healer placed a smile on her face, her voice jubilant towards the boy.
Only the boy wasn't there. At least, not the one she was looking for. Instead, there was a familiar busty strawberry-blonde, and a white-haired boy sitting in the chairs her and Kurosaki-kun were in earlier.
"Ah, Orihime-chan! Hello!" Rangiku exclaimed, swiftly getting up from her spot to hug the smaller girl. "It's nice to see you again!"
"Ah, it's nice to see you again too Rangiku-san, Toshiro-kun, but… Where's Kurosaki-kun?" She squeaked, as the grip from the elder woman was tight.
"He went out." Rangiku said flat out.
"Out…? Did he say why?" Orihime inquired, feeling somewhat hurt that he left. No, he could go anywhere he wanted… The healer knew he wouldn't want to be hanging around with her so much. The vice-captain looked over to her superior, her expression serious. Toshiro nodded.
"He said he needed to do something important. He didn't specify what it was, but it apparently must be more important than watching the lovely Orihime-chan." Rangiku explained, clearly not meaning to sound so harsh. "Seriously! Leaving a beautiful girl to accomplish some stupid chore! He's such a jerk." Orihime shook her head, the tears stinging her eyes again.
"Ah, no, Kurosaki-kun isn't a jerk, Rangiku-san… Whatever he had to do must be really important, and watching over me really isn't, so…" Orihime waved her hands frantically as she spoke. "It's no big deal."
"But Orihime-chan, you're tearing up again." Rangiku's tone softened as she poked the healer lightly on the cheek. "Whatever you're thinking of, don't. Ichigo's not the type of person to leave because he's getting tired of being around one place for so long."
"But-"
"No buts. You know Ichigo cares for his friends. Sure, this chore or whatever is important, but he's not doing it to get away from you. Okay?"
Orihime nodded, wiping her stinging tears away with her yellow sleeve. "O-Okay…" Suddenly, the door knocked once more, quickly prompting a smile from Rangiku.
"She's finally here!"
"Who's finally here?" The auburn beauty asked, following the vice-captain to the door. Rangiku opened the heavy door open and revealed a small, black-haired woman. "Wah, Kuchiki-san!"
"Hey Inoue! It's good to see you," Rukia smiled to the young girl, waving to her. "How have you been?"
"Oh, I guess I've been okay… Yourself?" Orihime smiled, feeling somewhat relieved of another close friend being here. She clasped her hands together tightly, and shifted her weight onto her heels.
"I've been fine as well. Now, Matsumoto-fuku taichou, you called me here for that, correct?"
"Huh? What's that?"
Rangiku sighed, taking Orihime's hands in her own. "Orihime-chan… We've received information on what's going to happen after tomorrow." The healer's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "We need to talk." She only nodded lightly, and went to her living room, sitting softly on her couch.
"Um…" She started. "P-Please just be honest with me… No beating around the bush." Rukia looked over to the suddenly sad teen, feeling quite guilty about what they had been informed of.
"Of course," Rangiku's expression grew soft, sitting down beside her. "Hitsugaya-taichou, do you want to explain, or should I?" she asked her white-haired superior who was currently entering the room.
"You can, Matsumoto."
"Okay… Orihime-chan, as you know, there are two choices as to what Soul Society and the Soul King want to do with the Royal Key. Either extract it from you, or you'll go to the Royal Realm, and perform your duties there," Rangiku started, placing a hand on Orihime's shoulder in comfort.
"Both of which have, um… certain consequences," Orihime murmured, almost silently. She clasped her hands together tightly, and her eyes were focused on her fingers in front of her.
"Yes… Now while the decision has yet to be made, it is already agreed for you to come to Soul Society for twenty-four hours beforehand, to make sure none of the Key's spirit particles weren't damaged and whatnot," Rangiku finished, placing her hand on the healer's small back.
"So… After tomorrow, I'll be in Soul Society just for a little while, regardless of what the decision is?"
"Correct." Rukia spoke in. "Inoue, what the final decision will be will determine how everything will play out after you've gotten to Soul Society. If you're to go to the Royal Realm, they'll set up the Golden Gate to transfer you over. If you're to have it taken out of you, you'll just stay in Soul Society when they do it."
"Um, e-excuse me for interrupting, but what's the Golden Gate?" Orihime cut in nervously, her once stilled hands now fidgeting.
"It's the Royal Realm's version of the senkaimon, only, it's for the Soul King's use only," Rukia explained, suddenly taking out a picture of a gate out of no where. "Don't feel bad about interrupting, Inoue. It's a lot of information, and you're going to ask questions." Orihime nodded.
"Okay… I, um… Think I get it, but…" Orihime's voice wavered as she spoke. Rangiku squeezed her friend's shoulder in concern, noticing her sudden nervousness. "Um, do you know when I'll be going then?"
"Tomorrow night. Hitsugaya-taichou and I will pick you up around midnight." Orihime tensed up, her realization of the actual time finally setting in.
"T-Tomorrow night… I see…" She choked out, inwardly scolding those naughty tears from reappearing again. "O-Oh, I'm sorry, I-I don't mean to be crying…" The healer quickly apologized, wiping the liquid drops away from her face. Rukia got to her feet and was soon in front of her friend.
"Inoue… You can cry… It's a tough thing to go through." The small girl wiped her tears away for her, a gentle expression on her face. "It's perfectly okay…" Orihime's bottom lip quivered, and it was as if everything broke. Tears started rolling down her face, making wet trails as they traveled. Rangiku gave her friend a tight squeeze on the shoulder, as Rukia watched the girl cry with a heavy heart, and Toshiro left the room, without saying a word.
---
He was a bit late, he knew it… But he didn't think it'd take so long to go get that. He exhaled slowly, a puff of white appearing in the air. His large hand grasped the small doorknob, and within moments, he was back in the warm apartment of Inoue's.
"Hello?" Ichigo asked out loud, finding the silence to be suspicious. "Anyone here?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, avoiding the small box nestled inside the fabric of his pants. His cheeks grew hot as he began his search for the small girl he called his friend. "Inoue?"
Eventually, he found her, although, his heart dropped significantly when he did. He discovered her resting her head on Rangiku's lap, appearing to be sleeping. Rangiku looked up to the substitute, a heavy expression nestled on her face, while Inoue curled into the fetal position. Rukia was also next to the girl, sitting on the floor. Her actually being here surprised him. They both looked to him with concerned expressions, however, they said nothing.
"What's going on…?" He asked quietly, his eyebrows arching in concern. "Is she okay?" A silence remained for a few moments, only glances being exchanged.
"Inoue will be fine…" Rukia commented in the same lowered tone, her small reaching out to the healer's hand, giving it a light pat. "She's just tired." Toshiro soon entered the room.
"Matsumoto, Kuchiki, we should probably go," he spoke defiantly, crossing his lean arms. "Since Kurosaki's back, we have no further reason to stay here." The two shinigami nodded, and looked back to Orihime for one last moment, before quietly and slowly getting up. Rangiku stood before the girl sprawled on the couch for a moment, before stroking her hair just once.
"Take care, Orihime-chan. We'll see you tomorrow."
And with that, the three left, leaving Ichigo standing in the barely empty living room, with a sleeping Inoue on the couch. He looked over to her, wondering what had really happened while he was gone. Ichigo sighed, and took a seat on the floor near the piece of furniture, his focus entirely on the frail girl in front of him.
"Geez, she's going to get a cold…" He mumbled to himself, propping his chin in the palm of his hand. His eyes hovered over her frame, almost taking in every inch. Once his focus was on her face, he noticed something off. Upon further inspection, it looked like… Dried tears? He swallowed hard as he felt his heart jerk at the thought of her crying again. 'Damn…'
It was as if he no longer in control of his own body, when he brought his hand up to her face, his thumb trailing along the dried lines. She had cried again, definitely… Why did it seem to hurt so much to see her tears? She was a sensitive person, yes, but you'd think after a while he would have been used to seeing her crying, somewhat. But he didn't. Everytime she shed a tear was another heavy feeling for him.
"Sorry, Inoue…" was all the substitute could mutter, his entire hand encasing her small cheek. She didn't deserve any of this pain. Such a compassionate girl like her didn't deserve to have anything bad happen to her.
"Kuro…" She mumbled. 'Shit… Is she really awake??' He thought quickly while retracting his hand back. She soon stilled again, her chest rising and falling lightly with her accompanied breathing. She looked like she was still sleeping, but Ichigo couldn't help but hold his breath. He put his head back into his palm, releasing the held breath. He continued to watch her as she napped, finding it oddly fascinating.
It was only soon that stupid 'heartburn' returned again, when he saw a fresh tear, just simply roll down her rose-brushed cheek. He resisted the urge to wake her up from whatever bad dream or nightmare she was having. His mind quickly crossed the thought that sleeping and dreaming was the only place she didn't have to experience so much pain that was here in reality.
"Inoue…" He breathed out, now brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face, lightly tucking it behind her ear. He licked his suddenly dry lips; still feeling awkwardly mesmerized by her sleep.
"I don't…" she muttered in her sleep again, causing Ichigo's eyebrows to tense. He was concerned, but she was only sleeping. Her bottom lip trembled once more as a few more salty drops fell down her face. "Please don't take me away…" Ichigo only watched in sadness, still forcing himself not to shake her awake. She subconsciously curled her body closer, breathing in sharply.
'Dammit…' He could do nothing. They were friends, and he wanted to save her from all this pain and sadness, but he couldn't do a damn thing. His opposite hand clutched the fabric of his pants, wondering if he was feeling her pain too.
"Not away from him…" Was the last thing Orihime whispered before finally quieting again. Her previously scrunched eyebrows relaxed, and the new wet trails from the tears were beginning to dry. Ichigo's lips curled up into a sad smile, though she'd never know of the expression he gave her.
"Sorry Inoue… Some friend I am. I can't even protect you…" Ichigo apologized, his mind wondering who this guy was. "I'm sorry…" He drew in a sharp breath, and repositioned his sitting posture.
Surely he could watch over her like this, just for a few moments more. Goodness knows there weren't many of those left.
---
Her body felt heavy as her eyelids started to flutter open slowly. A half-hearted stare was given from the healer, merely gazing at the wall.
'Oh right… I fell asleep.' Orihime's thoughts muddled together as she forced her tired body up, into a sitting position on the puffy couch. Her eyelids continually wanted to close at the imaginary weights resting there. 'Probably from crying so much.' She concluded, bringing her hands up to rub at her eyes.
"Oh, you're awake?" A deep voice asked softly, causing her to pull her eyes away to see who it was. She originally thought it was someone else, since she'd never heard such a gentle tone before, but much to her surprise, it was Kurosaki-kun.
"Ah… Yes." She mumbled in response, her voice somewhat scratchy from sleeping. "Sorry…" Her nervous gray eyes looked up to brown ones.
"No, it's fine. You must've needed it," Ichigo replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. Orihime looked at him in disbelief. She knew he was kind. Oh, he was so kind… But this felt absolutely wonderful. A warm feeling in her chest swelled almost immediately. "Though now that you're awake, come on. We're going out."
"Again?"
"Yes, again…" He chuckled lightly, disappearing into the hallway to retrieve their coats. He soon returned, handing the fluffy coat to the bright-haired girl. "Though it's going to be a different place this time." She nodded, taking it from his hands, and promptly slipping it on.
"Thank you…" She mumbled, still nervous. She folded her hands into various knots, wondering if she was dreaming again. All this was just too good to be true. He smirked casually at her, nodding, his eyes saying, 'you're welcome'.
They were soon outside, and Orihime surprised herself by actually remembering to lock the door. She even got a smile of approval from Ichigo, causing her heart to beat faster. She, in return, gave him a shaky smile.
Yup… Definitely dreaming, she concluded.
"So… Where are we going?" Orihime inquired, trying to pry the information out of the substitute shinigami. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and exhaled before speaking, a cloud of white temporarily forming.
"Secret." Ichigo replied, now looking up at the quickly darkening sky. "You'll recognize it though, when we get there." She only nodded, somewhat disappointed she hadn't been able to find out. She wouldn't ask further though, as she knew it was rude.
"Oh… Okay…" She spoke quietly, rubbing her hands together for warmth as she looked at her surroundings. "How long was I sleeping? I didn't get the chance to check the clock before we left."
Ichigo took a hand out to rub the back of his neck. "A few hours, I think? When I got back, you were already sleeping. Then Matsumoto-san, Toshiro, and Rukia all left." Orihime's lips formed into a small 'O' as she listened. She soon began blowing her warm breath on her hands, hoping it would further warm up her slowly freezing digits. 'Wow, it's cold…'
"Cold hands?" He asked. She nodded, and shoved them into her coat pockets with a smile.
"Yes, I'm fine though. It's my fault for forgetting to grab my mittens before we left," Orihime laughed lightly, feeling her cheeks heat up. Was it from the cold? Or was it from him being so gentle? Maybe it was both…
"It's not a laughing matter," his tone was firmer, as he spoke. "Here, take mine." Ichigo offered his gloves, taking them off his own hands and placing them in front of her. The healer felt her face grow even hotter.
"Ah, but Kurosaki-kun! It's really cold, and you need the gloves so your fingers freeze and fall off!"
"I'd rather have my fingers, er, freeze and fall off, than yours." He shoved the gloves closer. "Take them." She looked up to him, seeing his brown eyes swell with emotions, and his orange hair she loved so much, fall over his eyes. 'Be still my heart…' She mentally commanded the erratically beating organ in her chest. She humbly took them from his hands, and lightly placed them over her own.
"Thank you… Kurosaki-kun." He nodded, and resumed walking again, leaving her standing there for a moment. She continued to look at the overly large gloves on her small hands. Without thinking, she brought up the fluffy coverings to her face and inhaled deeply. Maybe she thought it would smell like Kurosaki-kun, and maybe she'd thought she'd like it.
And she was right. They held the musky, and masculine scent of him, with what seemed to be a light smell of some kind of cologne. If it weren't for him waiting for her, she would've stood outside in the cold all night, taking in his scent.
She resumed walking, to catch up to him. She almost tripped on the way, as her knees were growing awfully weak. Eventually she was by his side again, and she flashed him a bright smile. He couldn't help but give her a small grin in return.
It wasn't long before they got to the 'secret' place Ichigo had talked of, and when she found out, she only looked at him, her heart acting like it was ready to burst.
"Kurosaki-kun…" She whispered. He smiled bigger, and began to approach the door of the building.
"Come on, Inoue. Tatsuki's waiting for you."
Orihime nodded fervently, truly feeling happy. She ran up to the door, and rung the doorbell of the Arisawa residence. Tatsuki soon opened the door.
"Orihime!!" Tatsuki spoke, enveloping her friend into a tight hug. "I know you haven't been gone long, but I've missed you so much…" Orihime returned the hug, and looked to Ichigo, who was over to her side. She gave him the most sincere smile he'd ever seen, and tears of happiness stung at her eyes. Truly, she was grateful.
"I'm sorry Tatsuki-chan… Stuff kind of happened." Orihime patted her friend on the back. "Don't worry though, I'll tell you all about it." Tatsuki nodded, and quickly allowed her friends into her house, though the martial artist stopped her female friend at the door.
"Hey… Aren't those Ichigo's gloves?" She whispered, a sly grin on her face. Orihime's face flushed and she nodded. Tatsuki grinned as she nudged her in the side, causing her to become more embarrassed.
"Ah! Orihime-chan! I haven't seen you for so long, how are you?" Tatsuki's mother suddenly rushed in, greeting her two new guests.
"Hello Arisawa-san! I'm doing great! How are you?" Orihime responded enthusiastically, clasping her hands together before bowing to her in greeting.
"Oh, I'm good as well," She chuckled before looking over to the man standing awfully close to the healer. "Ah, and it's Kurosaki-kun too!" Orihime nodded nervously, her fingers twitching embarassedly under his large gloves. The mother remained silent for a moment before growing a huge grin.
"Oh my, Orihime-chan! You're finally going out with the guy you've been crushing on since your freshman year! Oh, I know! We should celebrate! Tatsuki, go get out the special cake we've been saving in the freezer!" Orihime's eyes grew wide as Tatsuki snickered. She knew they weren't going out, but it was plenty amusing to play along.
"Yes mom, of course!"
"Arisawa-san!! W-W-We aren't!!! W-Wah, Y-Y-Y-You made a cake??" Orihime exclaimed, very flustered. She was so embarrassed, she didn't know if she wanted to look over the young boy to see his expression.
"Of course we did! Kurosaki-kun, we're so surprised! We never knew you had it in you!"
"Had what in me?" Ichigo asked, brought out of his thinking and into the current conversation. "Sorry, I was kinda in deep thought." Orihime breathed a heavy sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness…'
"A-A-Arisawa-san, there's nothing. And… there will never be anything." She explained, very knowing of the hard gaze she was receiving from Ichigo. "So please ask Tatsuki-chan to put away that silly cake." Tatsuki's mother frowned lightly.
"I see Orihime-chan, that's too bad. I'll go tell her to put it away, and you two can take off your coats and such here, okay?" Orihime nodded, and the two bright-haired teens were suddenly left alone once more.
"Sorry for not paying attention there. I ended up getting caught up in thinking about something else." Ichigo apologized, sliding off his coat and hanging it on the rack. Orihime shook her head almost violently.
"Oh no, don't worry Kurosaki-kun. You didn't miss anything important! Just silly chatter between girls." She explained, still flushed, slipping off her shoes, making sure she would wait to take off the gloves last. She definitely wanted to keep them on as long as possible.
"What was that last part about there being nothing though?" He inquired, taking her coat from her and hanging it up as well. Orihime's heart was beating erratically, and she found it quite hard to breathe. Should she say something? … There was no harm in telling him, she decided. At least, tell him in a roundabout way of sorts. She swallowed hard before speaking.
"T-T-There's just this person I like… And… he doesn't seem to notice my feelings, is all," Orihime regretfully slipped off the gloves, giving them back to him. "Thank you for the gloves." He nodded before furrowing his brows at her. Why was this awkward feeling of envy rousing in his chest?
"No problem… But he seriously doesn't notice it? Sounds like this guy is stupidly oblivious." Orihime held back the temptation to laugh at the irony, as Ichigo talked. She nodded, giving him a goofy, yet somewhat sad grin.
"I guess. He's really nice to me and all, but I've accepted there'll never be anything more between us," she replied, turning her back to him. What the healer was most afraid of was the type of expression she had on her face. Ichigo could, at times, read his friends like a book, and she did not want now to be one of those moments.
"Are you… planning on telling him? You know…" Ichigo too found it harder to breathe. He tugged at his abruptly tight collar. "Before you go?" Orihime only turned her head around to face him, and gave him a rueful smile.
"Nope."
"Why not?" Orihime resisted the urge to smile any wider, but she secretly loved the sudden concern he had for her.
"It'd be too painful for both of us," She replied to him one last time, before returning back around. "Thanks again for the gloves, Kurosaki-kun." And Orihime left Ichigo alone, holding the gloves still containing her warmth, only wanting to understand her odd reasoning.
---
"Ahh, that was delicious, Arisawa-san!" Orihime complimented, taking the napkin to lightly dab at her face. Tatsuki's mother smiled.
"Oh, it's no problem, Orihime-chan, we're so glad to have you here with us tonight," the elder woman spoke. "I'm sorry my husband couldn't be here though. He had to work late tonight…" Orihime waved her hands in reassurance.
"Oh no, it's quite alright. If you could just tell him I said hello, however…"
"Of course!" The mother looked towards the clock. "You two should probably get back soon, it's getting quite late." Orihime nodded, standing up and began her assistance of collecting the dirty plates.
"You don't mind that I help you clean up first though… Do you?" Orihime inquired, her voice in a small tone.
"Not at all! Tatsuki, Kurosaki-kun, you two can wait in the living room until we're done." The other two teens nodded before promptly leaving the healer and Tatsuki's mother in the kitchen.
Tatsuki sighed heavily before plopping down onto her couch. "I'm still having trouble taking it in…" She confessed to her bright-haired friend. Orihime had explained everything to Tatsuki prior to dinner, and it left the martial artist with a heavy heart. And when she meant everything, she meant everything. How she was the key, that she was leaving, the whole sha bang.
"That makes two of us." Ichigo replied dully, taking a seat next to her.
"Despite the fact you've been with her for the last few days?"
He only nodded. Silence sat between the two, and Ichigo couldn't figure out if it was awkward, or comfortable.
"You know what pisses me off?" She inquired, her voice wavering. Ichigo looked to Tatsuki, raising an eyebrow. "You're just letting her go like this. You seem perfectly okay with her leaving forever, or you know, possibly dying."
"No, I'm not."
"You sure as hell aren't acting like it," she spoke sharply, causing Ichigo to remain silent.
"I can't just go and rescue her every time she gets taken away…" Ichigo spoke tonelessly, his heart jerking at every word. Was it her words that it was hurting at? Or his own? … It was probably both.
"Do you know how stupid you're sounding?? You're making it sound like you've never really known Orihime! You sound like all she is, is that key!" Tatsuki drew in a tense breath before finishing. "It's like she's not important to you at all…"
"Dammit, Tatsuki, she's important to me, but-" Tatsuki cut off Ichigo's response.
"But apparently not important enough to get you off your ass and save," Tatsuki silenced him momentarily.
The worst part about her words? They weren't being yelled, and they weren't being sobbed out. But they were being said as if she had just been betrayed. Like Ichigo took a verbal knife and cut her himself. She was truly hurt. "Stupid Ichigo…" He looked away now. He made her cry… What was with him and making girls cry lately?
"You went to against that stupid Soul Society to rescue her. Now she's being taken away, against her own will again, and you're just sitting idly by." Tatsuki sat up, boring a hard stare at him. "Ichigo…" she moved his shoulder to make him look at her directly. "Give me one reason how it's different now, than it was before?"
"It's… I…" Ichigo looked at her dark eyes, emotions of anger and pain swirling around. He couldn't think of an answer.
"I didn't think so… There's no difference," Tatsuki scoffed before pulling her knees up to her chin, holding them close to her chest.
"Tatsuki, it's different. Don't ask how… It just is," He finally managed to choke a few words out. She looked at him questionably.
"How?"
"Er, well… I don't want to make this hard for her to go… If she wants to go, I'm not going to do anything that will sway her decision."
"Ichigo…"
He tensed up before returning his gaze to the carpeted floor, his sock digging a small hole into the strands.
"That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard." Ichigo snapped his head back up to her, his brows furrowed at her ugly word choices. "Did Orihime ever say once that she wanted to go?" Ichigo's heart dropped, remembering the tiny girl's sleeping words earlier.
"Please don't take me away… Not away from him…"
Ichigo bit his tongue, trying to think of the best way to reply to the dangerous girl sitting next to me. "Not directly…"
"But she did." He only nodded shakily. Tatsuki brought her hand up to her face, to cover her eyes, and she began to laugh hysterically. "You know the best thing about all this?" Ichigo only raised his eyebrows, his stomach knotting up with guilt.
"You're no different that those Soul Society bastards." He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. "Ichigo… Just step back… You don't realize what you're doing. You're siding with Soul Society. And if you're siding with them, you're okay with her leaving forever, and you're okay with her dying." Tatsuki unexpectedly stood up, her hurt gaze now replaced with a fierce one.
"And someone that's okay with the death of my best friend, is no friend of mine."
Her final words drove the last stake into his heart, causing everything to wretch with guilt. '… I'm so fucking horrible…' Orihime soon came back into the room, her exuberant expression soon replaced with a confused one.
"Orihime, go get your coat, and then I'll see you out, okay?" Tatsuki smiled for her best friend, pointing to the hallway. The auburn beauty nodded in understanding, and quickly retreated back to elsewhere.
'Fuck… She's right…' Despite sounding mean, and trying to make him feel as bad as hell, she did have a point… And it suddenly gave him a lot to think about.
Ichigo stood silently, his long orange locks covering his eyes. Tatsuki folded her arms, shifting all her weight to one leg.
"Fix that stupid wiring in your brain, idiot… And quick... Before you realize what you want is already gone."
---
You gotta love Tatsuki... *hearts* Always there to swiftly kick Ichigo's behind into doing what's right. D: Er, well... She's making him think, which is a good thing... But he doesn't do it often, does he? I guess that means we have to hope his brain doesn't explode. On a different note, I have winter break starting this Saturday(yay!) for two weeks, so hopefully I can write this next chapter... D: (I'll definitely be working on Heartbeat, with it's short chapters and happy go lucky angst of it all... And maybe another new story. I has so many ideas, but I hear it's tough to write so many at once... We'll see!!) Thanks for all your reviews and reading! XD I very much appreciate it.