Author's note: I'm still without a Beta so mistakes are all mine. I actually liked Orihime as a character, but Hueco Mundo killed her - figuratively. But seeing as I don't bash characters she's relatively safe here.
A huge thank you to the readers who've taken an interest in this, especially my two reviewers: Guest and thebluecharm. Words spurn me on!
Maybes and Maybeline
Inoue Orihime was in love with Kurosaki Ichigo. Just the mere thought of the boy had her chest feeling constricted and a fluttering in her stomach. Whenever she was around him she felt almost breathless as if she'd forgotten how to breathe all together.
Some may call it a passing infatuation, but Orihime knew deep in her heart it was love. Kurosaki-kun was her soul mate. She was certain they were destined to be together, how could they not be when all she ever thought about was him? He was in her dreams, always just within reach - before her alarm clock would go off and she'd have to wake up.
He was the one constant in her thoughts.
Living alone meant she had a lot of time to analyze her feelings for him. And often times she'd replay all the moments they'd shared that day in her head. They weren't a lot mind you, but she made due with what she had. Like how yesterday Kurosaki had had to brush his shoulder against her to pass through. How he'd returned her greeting with that slight smile, she imagined was just for her. Even now just remembering those stolen moments, her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and her head felt light headed.
These feelings were beginning to consume her and she was afraid she'd blurt them out any day now. She needed to tell him, this not knowing was driving her mad. But there was one slight cloud in her hopes and she felt guilty of the overwhelming jealousy that flooded her senses.
It wasn't Kuckiki-san's fault she was such a wonderful and strong person. Someone Kurosaki-kun trusted with his life. Someone he obviously cared greatly for.
But it was painful nevertheless.
She often found herself studying them closely together needing to see if there was anything she was missing. She'd note how they'd argue over the silliest things. And her poor heart would leap with joy. Surely people who bickered so much held no romantic feelings for each other? Her mind would say.
Then she'd catch a rare moment from the corner of her eye. Kurosaki-kun doing something sweet for Kuchiki-san. It could be opening her juice box or how sometimes he'd sit explaining some concept Kuchiki-san didn't understand in class that day, during break. It wasn't so much his helping her, but the way he'd do it. Kuchiki-san would be all blunt about it, obviously trying to hide her own confusion, but rather then be irritated Kurosaki-kun would continue to explain it in this calm manner until she grasped it.
During those moments, Orihime would smile wider; laugh harder hoping no one noticed how all her attention was focused on the two that were now lost in a world meant just for them. But still her heart would not lose hope. She'd replay how Kurosaki-kun had come to save her in Hueco Mundo. Like how in those books when the knight came for the princess. He'd come for her, hadn't he? Surely he must care.
Orihime would then hold on fiercely to that memory, reminding herself that her love rang true. And maybe one of these days she would finally overcome her own feelings of inadequacy and face her feelings head on.
She would be strong, like Kuchiki-san, and maybe Kurosaki-kun would see that and realise he loved her just as much. Maybe.
But first, Orihime had to speak to Kuchiki-san. The other girl was a dear friend after all. And if she has to choose? Orihime sighed, she hoped she didn't have to choose. She wasn't a selfish person, but love made people do all kinds of things they'd never thought they'd do.
/
He swung his wrist again to check the time. Growling he looked up and noted how Rukia had still to leave the house. She'd said she just had to pop in his father's office for a minute. Obviously the midget had no sense of time, because it was five minutes later and there was still no sign of her.
Ichigo heaved a sigh, swinging his bookbag over his shoulder. He'd just reconciled himself to the fact that he'd leave Rukia, she could walk herself to school just fine, when the petite shinigami finally ran out the house.
"You're lucky you came out when you did," Ichigo told her as she neared him, "I was just about to-" he paused, his voice trailing off as he regarded Rukia with surprise. "You look weird," he blurted and received a punch to the arm.
"Ass," Rukia muttered as she fell in step with him, her lips slightly pursed as she tried to look down at them.
He hadn't meant weird in a negative since, just that Rukia looked different. Her lips had a glossy pink sheen to them he had never seen before.
"It's lip-gloss," she elaborated once she'd given up her futile attempt to look at her lips and caught him starring.
"Lip-gloss?" Ichigo asked dumbly.
Rukia nodded, "I asked your dad for something for my lips, since they were a bit dry and he offered me this," she said, waving a small plastic tube at him.
Ichigo frowned, "Wouldn't it have been better if he gave you chapstick or lip balm?" he asked, "You look freaking ridiculous!"
This time, it was a swift kick to the shin that had him hopping on one foot and cursing under his breath.
"It tastes like strawberry bubblegum so deal with it," Rukia snapped, and then her tongue licked her upper lip.
It was probably a second, but it felt like all time stopped as he watched the glistering tip of her tongue, brush over her glossy upper lip. His throat constricted painfully and he suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Dammit you're not supposed to lick it off!" he snapped to cover for his own unease.
Rukia looked up at him, "but it tastes like strawberries," she argued stubbornly as she twisted the cap of her tube open and reapplied the lip-gloss before licking it off again. Totally oblivious of the wide eyed teenager walking besides her.
"You can't do that!" Ichigo yelled at her.
"Why on earth not?" Rukia demanded, "Is there some rule that forbids it?"
He spluttered, of course there was no rule, but there should be. The sight of her tongue licking her lips made him feel uncomfortable. His skin unbearably hot underneath his uniform. Wracking his brains, he thought of a good reason that wouldn't make him look like some pervert.
"It's just not proper, okay," he finally said exasperated, "It looks inappropriate."
Rukia glanced up at him suspiciously, "Inappropriate?" she repeated, "How can it be inappropriate when it's like licking ice-cream?" she asked innocently.
Exactly why it was inappropriate!
Rukia for all her 'understanding' of the Living world had no idea how twisted the world really was. He'd had to stop buying her ice-cream in a cone when he realised the lewd glances men would throw at her. He'd done it purely to protect Rukia from those predators. It had absolutely nothing to do with his own thoughts when he looked at her tongue sliding over the vanilla treat. No, none at all.
"It just is, you shouldn't do that in public," he said.
"So it's okay if I do it around you?" she asked him with an arch of her eyebrow.
"What?!" Ichigo exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him, "I didn't say that either!"
Rukia snorted then walked ahead of him. He glared at her head, before resuming his walk. He decided to trail two steps behind her. Just in case she was still licking her lips. Not that it bothered him that much, he was just thinking of her reputation. What would people think of her, if she was walking around licking her lips like that?
As her friend, he was simply looking out for her.
He didn't know what exactly happened in Karakura town since they returned from Hueco Mundo. But suddenly there were all these lecherous bastards hanging around. Constantly leering at Rukia like she was on display or something. And Ichigo, the good friend he was, kept trying to tell her not to draw attention to herself.
But Rukia refused to listen to him.
Take two weeks ago for example. They'd been out getting groceries for Yuzu when some dirty old man had offered to give her a lift back home. Ichigo had calmly declined the offer, but Rukia thought he was being rude. So she used that cheery and annoying voice to turn him down. But had the man listened? No. Then he just had to go and stretch it, by calling Rukia his 'little Lolita'.
Rukia thought he was calling her by some exotic flower.
Ichigo had known better.
And before Rukia could use thank the leech, he'd smashed his foot down the pervert's face. The silent treatment he endured after that incident was worth the aggression he got to release.
Striding behind the midget he began to notice how some of the schoolboys loitering around on their way to school, seemed to turn their heads in Rukia's direction. Exactly the kind of attention he'd been trying to warn her of. Now he had to be the 'bad guy' and glaring each of them down.
"Ichigo?" Rukia began as she faltered in her step.
"Hmm?"
"Why are they looking at us?" she asked him.
Ichigo rolled his eyes, "They are looking at you dumbass, I told you it was inappropriate," he muttered falling in step with her.
"Pffft," Rukia said but she did tuck her lip-gloss in her pocket.
"Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san!"
At the familiar voice, they both paused and turned. Orihime with Tatsuki close behind, came rushing to them.
"Orihime, Tatsuki," Rukia greeted with a smile as Ichigo nodded in their direction.
Orihime looked flustered as she took a hold of Rukia's hands, "Kuchiki-san, could I please have a word with you?" she asked.
"Sure, Orihime," Rukia agreed and the two walked off together, leaving Tatsuki and Ichigo behind.
"Any idea what's that about?" Ichigo asked his childhood friend.
The karate prodigy seemed to be in deep thought before shaking her head, "Probably nothing," she brushed off.
Ichigo scowled in the direction the two girls had just disappeared in. Maybe he should have taken that lip-gloss. If Rukia was walking with Inoue she'd be attracting attention to herself and it would be worse with those glossy lips.
"I swear that midget is always throwing herself into trouble," he muttered as he and Tatsuki fell into step together.
"You like her, don't you?" Tasuki asked, though it sounded like a statement.
"Who?" Ichigo asked drawn away from his thoughts
Tatsuki folded her arms over her chest, giving him an odd look, "Kuchiki," she elaborated, "You like her."
"What?!" Ichigo exclaimed quickly clamming his hand over Tasuki's mouth, before she started shouting more crazy theories. He glanced around them, making sure no one had heard, before turning back to her, "Where the hell do you get that idea from?!" he demanded.
Tatsuki slapped his hand from her mouth, "Just... you speak an awful lot about her," she remarked, that odd look again.
Ichigo gaped at her. That was obviously not true! There was plenty of stuff he talked about. Like his love for music... okay that was Chad. He always made sarcastic barbs, right? Er no that was definitely Ishida. Surely, he shared his new recipe of bean paste and oranges with her? No that was without a doubt Inoue and her suspect cooking.
"See you can't even come up with one thing that doesn't involve the name Kuchiki Rukia," Tatsuki said exasperated, "It's like you're obsessed or something."
"What?!" he yelled. Now not only did he like Rukia, but he was obsessed too? What did Tatsuki take him for anyways? "I think you hit your head hard when you slipped at practice yesterday," he sneered, shoving his hands deep in his pockets and resuming his stride.
He heard Tatsuki sigh, "Oh come on Ichigo, I had to ask," she said catching up to him, "You guys seemed to be joined at the hip."
"You know why," he gritted out. After the battle with Aizen, where his friends had seen him, there had been no more need for secrets.
"Fine, you don't like Kuchiki...happy?"
"Immensely."
Only Tatsuki's words wouldn't leave him. They kept floating in his mind all day and several times his eyes had strayed to look at Rukia. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, but he stared nevertheless. So much so, Rukia shot him a glare during their last period of the day.
"What?" she'd hissed under her breath.
"Nothing," he'd muttered before pulling his gaze away from her and staring out the window. He liked Rukia, but only as a friend. For God's sake the girl had lived in his closet and it hadn't been the slightest bit awkward! Plus she was forever abusing his person. If he liked her, wouldn't that make him a masochist?
Granted they were close, but it was purely platonic. She was like one of the guys, like Mizuiro in fact. Well if Mizuiro had a narrow waist, big violet eyes under dark long eyelashes and the most peculiar shaped lips Ichigo had ever seen.
Because Rukia's lips weren't normal.
He glanced at them from the corner of his eye, noting how more plumb the upper lip was. It made her look like she was in a perpetual pout with the lip-gloss only serving to enhance them. They curved downwards ever so slightly at the ends, which made it all the more worthwhile when she smiled-
Ichigo made a sound at the back of his throat that sounded like a yelp. He ignored the curious glances he'd attracted, making sure he had his most severe scowl on. Once he was certain no one was looking at him like he was crazy, he went back to his thoughts.
Namely, Rukia's mouth. He inwardly groaned almost slapping a hand to his face. What was wrong with him? They were in English, his favourite subject by far. Yet he couldn't concentrate on what was being said. His mind kept wondering back to the rosebud shaped mouth tormenting him.
When did he even develop this fascination with Rukia's mouth? He wondered, wracking his brains.
It definitely wasn't because of that extra sheen they had today. Nope. Or not? After all he spent so much time arguing with Rukia, constantly having to stare between her eyes and moving lips. Maybe it's something his subconscious mind had picked up?
'But it's her own fault for having that lip-gloss on'
Ichigo was just about to agree with the statement, when he paused wide eyed and glanced behind him. No one seemed to have heard that voice but him.
'Geez, I'm right here...'
Bastard! He mentally cursed his Hollow.
'Hey I'm not the one fantasying about the shinigami's mouth...'
Neither am I! Ichigo thought angrily.
'If only she knew why you refuse to buy her ice-cream on a cone...'
To protect her from lecherous bastards! Ichigo argued.
'Really...does this list include you?'
That's it. He'd had it with this commentary. He shoved the Hollow to the recess of his mind just as the bell rang. He refused to dwell on the suggestions his Hollow made. Him, a lecherous bastard? As if. Ichigo grabbed his books, shoving them in his bookbag before glancing at the shinigami.
"Oi Rukia?"
She turned to him, her expression expectant.
"Let's go," he said mentioning for them to leave.
"Can't, Inoue asked me to meet up with her after school," she said shaking her head.
Ichigo frowned. "Then we can both meet up with her," he said.
"Sorry Ichigo, she said it's private," Rukia said with a shrug.
"Fine, see you," he said as if it didn't bother him, because it didn't. Not even the least. His eyes caught Tatsuki's knowing glance and he rolled his eyes.
What was with that look anyways? Everyone knew they walked to school and back together.
/
Rukia hurried out of class, clutching her bookbag. Her face revealed nothing of the thoughts that had been plaguing her lately. How she dreamt of swimming in amber coloured orbs, drowning in their intensity...
Because that would be admitting she was thinking about things she was certainly not thinking about. So during the day she put on her best cheery persona and hoped no one noticed anything was amiss.
But as soon as she was back in her borrowed room, she'd feel deflated all over again. She'd berate herself continuously over her emotions. It is just Ichigo! She'd remind herself. Her friend. Like how Renji was her friend.
Only you aren't dreaming of losing yourself in Renji's eyes. A voice in the back of her head would say. Do you even know the colour of his eyes?
Rukia would scoff at that, of course she did. Renji's eyes were...they were...dark?
Then shame and guilt would threaten to suffocate her. How dare she develop these strange feelings for Ichgio? She was putting their easy camaraderie in jeopardy with all these unexplained and unwanted emotions. So she told herself it was a passing infatuation, maybe a nostalgic feeling because he reminded her of someone else in her past.
But then Ichigo would throw those intense eyes on her and nostalgia would get kicked out of her mind all together. Then the past and presence would blur together until all she saw were those amber pools. But Rukia was nothing if not stubborn, she would fight this and a week from now would look back at it with a laugh.
Only Ichigo wasn't making this any easy for her. Like how he'd been starring at her in class moments ago. She hadn't even been able to concentrate because she had to pretend it wasn't bothering her. Yet all she seemed to doodle on her exercise book were bunnies with deep, amber eyes. Which only infuriated her more.
She was secretly thankful that Orihime had asked to meet with her after school. The last thing she needed was Ichigo noticing her odd behaviour and developing an IQ on her. At least Orihime's cheerful babble would distract her thoughts for a bit.
Heaving a sigh, she stood by the steps awaiting said girl. It wasn't long until she heard Orihime's approaching footsteps. The poor girl was running, always so afraid to displease anyone.
"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime called out in greeting, flashing a smile as she came to a stop, bright strawberry blond hair billowing behind her.
Rukia liked to think that had she not died as a baby, grown up in the harsh streets of Rukongai and then adopted into nobility, she could have become a girl like Inoue. Sweet, caring and always seeing the best in everyone... even people who'd kidnapped her and held her against her will.
Okay... maybe she wouldn't take it that far, but she would be achingly sweet.
Of course Rukia knew that was an impossible fantasy, but she liked it any way.
"Hey Orihime, you wanted to talk to me about something?" she asked with a smile.
Orihime's face was flushed, a nervous smile on her face, as she clutched the hem of her skirt starring anywhere but at Rukia, "Kuchiki-san..." she began but seemed to lose her nerve lapsing into silence.
Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and giving her a warm smile, Rukia silently urged the teenager to go one.
Orihime seemed to sum up her courage, her face scrunching up into a stern mask that looked too cute for words on her. She reminded Rukia of small child willing its resolve.
"Do you like Kurosaki-kun?!" it came out in a loud blurt, nearly blowing Rukia back from its intensity. Orihime seemed embarrassed her cheeks matching her hair and her large grey eyes glistering under the setting sun.