** From Orihime's perspective ***

I spent several minutes in Ishida's arms,the minutes spent away from Ichigo seemed to last an eternity. My tears were falling and they eventually landed on his shirt. I feel so fragile at the moment, like a simple word, a mere breeze is able to hurt me.

His arms isappeared from me and it made me lose my balance for few seconds. I looked up and his blue eyes I met mine. It seemed that I hurt Ishida too. I am so clumsy, probably the little blue man now sis sitting in a corner and he's laughing at me. Good job, Orihime. In this rhytm all what you will do is to make all your friends hate you.

I sighed trying to exhale air that and with it my worries, but it was just a naive thought. My worries will not disappear if I will not do something. I feel a hard object glued to my abdomen, which made me to return back to reality. The mysterious object was actually a phone, and by the shape and color I realized that it's Ichigo.

I took the little device in my hand, feeling bad that I made Ichigo to drop it. My fingers have touched Ishida's fingers Ishida few seconds, after which he withdrew himself almost instantly. Between us was established a morbid silence, I rose my gaze again upon his eyes to understand the meaning of his gesture, but the light was so strong that it was simply impossible.

Ishida turned his head so I can not look at him in his eyes, then he rose himself. His movements were much slower than usual and more uncalculated. Something's unusual. I open my mouth in an attempt to ask him if it's fine, but my words just get stuck inside my throat when I heard him talking.

"You'd better hurry if you want to catch him up." His voice was less powerful than usual and a little shaky indicating that it was incredibly hard to utter the words what he had just said. I blinked rapidly analyzing the meaning of his words. He was right, if I will stay and just cry I will fix anything. Ichigo will eventually disappear from me as he did the last summer and I will look at him unable to do anything. But I will not allow that to happen, because I will change myself. I will fight even more for his love.

When I got up and got ready to head toward the direction of Ichigo I realized that Ishida was not next to me. Our little talk did not seem to have ever existed, yet I muttered a thank you in the air that was besides me, then I ran after Ichigo.

It seemed that he was not so far. He was in a nerby small park. He was leaning on a fence and he was smoking a cigarette while he was looking somewhat lost at some children playing with a couple. His gaze seemed sad like deeply regret seemed to bother him.

I could not just to sit and to watch him suffer. I decided to go to him and to try to cheer him up. His expression turned into one of amazed when he heard me calling his name.

His eyes seem to me examine my every feature, so I'm unable to say anything and I just handed him the phone. It seems that the redness of my cheeks and my smile have attracted attention. A glow illuminated his eyes and then the regret covered again his face.

I hardly restrain my reflex to embrace him and to soothe all his pain. Our little talk now seemed like it was long time ago, that I could hardly remember it. Everything I'm seeing in front of me was Ichigo the boy which I love.

Our fingers are meeting a few moments when he recoverd his device. My heart began to beat faster feeling his touch on my skin. That gesture was really short, natural, nobody around us probably did notice anything.

After his heat had left my palm he thanked me palm he moved himself away from me trying to retire himself. The sound of his steps echoed strongly in my mind. I felt somehow that he needs me or at least he needs something to make him smile. His name resounded on my lips before I could figure out what I should tell him.

When he heard my voice he turned me to face me with the same frown expression as usual. I giggled. His expression could scare the most people, but not me. In time I was able to understand the meaning behind his frown.

Then I realized that I did not need to think of what to tell him because the words simply came out of my mouth without thinking. It is true that it was more a whisper, but I really wanted to say him that.

I did not wait to hear an answer from him, I only smiled again then I headed to my apartment. Maybe I do not know yet much about him, perhaps I'm not able to assuage his worries, but I'll wait. I'll wait as long as is necessary for him to open himself front of me and to allow me to be by his side.

*** From Ichigo's perspective ***

When I got home I instantly regretted my decision. The old man simply had nothing to do and he welcomed me again with one of his ''special'' shots. I was too pensive in that moment that I slammed him to the wall too hard causing him to scream of pain and Yuzu was immediately next to him with a medical kit to treat his wounds.

Yes, nothing unusual. I entered in the dining room, and Karin was already there on the sofa listening to music. She stared few seconds at me and she seemed to realize that I'm not feeling good, so she decided to leave me alone and to continue what she was doing.

I must admit that sometimes I think that I and Karin are the only normal person in this house. I sticked my hands behind my neck and then I moved my gaze on the poster in front of me.

Although 8-9 years have passed since the death of my mother my old man apparently like to keep my mother's image closer to him. It seems pretty fishy, but at this time that there is something reassuring to look at the poster.

My mother was the first person what I loved from the depths of my soul, but I failed to protect her. After her death I decided to close my soul and to minimize my feelings.

Over time I began to feel more than I wanted. I began to feel increasingly more for my family, my friends and eventually for her. Inoue is somewhat similar to my mother, she's gentle, innocencent, with a great soul, she's somewhat physically resembled with my mom which made me even more aware of her fragility.

I swore I will protect her, which it seems to be impossible as long as she's around me. There seems that I'm a magnet for troubles. Huh ... In spite of that I can not stop myself to not love her, it seems so natural.

At least this summer I often thought that if I will train myself and I will become increasingly more powerful I were unable to protect her from any threat and that we could be together, although it is impossible.

I gave up at my attempt to try to determine what am I going to do with my feelings because it's useless. I cannot even share them, I cannot even delete them. Life is much easier when the only thing you have to do is to eliminate the threats what they're endangering the existence of the world.

"You should do something about her." Karin's voice made me to realize that I am not alone and that I probably looked at the poster more than I should.

"What are you talking about ?"

"Oh ... Ichigo ... You can be so dense sometimes. I'm talking about Orihime, baka. You should simply go to her and tell her how you feel. It will not help you with anything if I you're going to stay here and to stare at the poster of our mother. '' Her words surprised me somewhat, but they also made me to realize that I became readable. What the hell ... The love is so stupid ...

"Karin ... shut up ... you do not know what you're talking." I said making to myself a mental note to find a solution for this problem until I become even more evident.

"No, Ichigo. You're the one who don't know what he's talking. You just stay here like an idiot and you do nothing. Orihime loves you. You love her. What the hell are you waiting for? Do you want a rock to hit you in your head to figure what do you feel about her? "

"It's too complicated for you to understand." I said before I realized that in my statement I stated that I love Inoue. Shit. I'll need to borrow Urahara's wiper of memory later.

"It's not complicated. You do everything to make the situation be complicated. You had better hurry up. If I were her I would not wait any longer for an idiot like you."

"What the hell" but Karin put her headphones before she could hear my answer grinning satisfied. It seems that she was feeling pleased that she made me to feel even worse than I felt. My family can be more difficult than an army of Espada.

I decided to take refuge in my room before other strange things will happen.