Let There Be Drabbles

AN: I can't sleep. So there. :] Orihime is slightly OOC, but she's going through interpersonal drama, so it's warranted.

The apartment's heater sent out warm air every few minutes, and the sheets on her bed were nice and clean, but Orihime wouldn't have been able to sleep for a million bucks.

Tatsuki was staying over again. Her feet wondered, and she tended to hog the bed. Orihime had never cared for sleeping bags. They were friends, and her bed was big enough to share. She was comfortable physically, but everything felt wrong.

Her brain just didn't feel like turning off. Deciding that she needed fresh air, she slipped on some sandals and headed outside.

The other day at the bakery she had dropped a pastry, and as silly as it sounded that had been the start of her insomnia. She had had a bit too much fun making it, decorating and frosting until it was prettier than half the stuff the store sold. And as she went to put it in the display it fell and crumbled like she knew it would.

Kurosaki didn't love her. That she already knew.

But she had been shocked to notice that she didn't love him. He was a pastry that she had made. She had spent a great deal of time on him, but in her hands he would crumple.

She must be pretty tired to be entertaining such lame metaphors. But it was true. His hollow mask, the parts of him that liked fighting and revenge, she tossed those away when she thought of him. All his good qualities, as many as there were, became her obsessions. And she knew he needed to get his powers back. He needed Rukia in his life to be happy. Orihime was dense at times, but she wasn't blind. He wasn't hers. And she couldn't be his.

Ichigo was not a pasty to mold and decorate and frost. He wasn't some fancy dream, not some combination of all the qualities she needed in a man. And she had forced him into that role. And that wasn't fair.

Not to anyone.

"What are you doing?"

"Ehhh! You startled me!"

"It's early morning. Why are you outside?" Ishida scolded. He looked as surprised as she felt.

They must look like guilty children sneaking a midnight snack. Orihime looked around and was surprised by how far she was from home. Thinking while walking had gotten her pretty far.

It was two A.M and she was 6 blocks from her house in sandals and pajamas. Was she even wearing a bra? Oh, yes. Thank goodness.

"I was out getting Hollow. Why are you outside?" Ishida to her surprise, sounded more than a little annoyed.

Maybe it was because she was exhausted or because she felt emotional at that moment and didn't feel like being sweet. Everyone thought she was sweet all the time, and she was about 99% of the time. This was, in her opinion, a 1% moment. Being tired and introspective really messed with people, and she had had a dose of both.

"I really don't see how my being out is any of your concern, Ishida Kun. I've been thinking and admittedly I got far, but I can defend myself if I need too. I know I'm a women, and that being alone is dangerous at night, but Tatsuki had told me how to look out for myself and I'm not a clueless as I look. So maybe just let this one slide okay?"

"Fair enough."

"Huh?" Honestly, she was flabbergasted. Everyone, Tatsuki and Ichigo especially, tried to protect her all the time. Here she was walking aroung half asleep in the dark, being a pretty girl, and Ishida agreed with her that it wasn't the end of the world? That if she thought she could take careof herself, then he rested assured? That, was very flattering.

"Fair enough. I was worried about you, you showed me that I had nothing to worry about, and that's that." Ishida gave her a half smile, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Had his eyes always been that blue?

"Have a nice morning. Inoue. And go home soon. I worry about you, as careful as I know you are being."

Blinking and slightly stunned, she returned, Tatsuki still sleeping and none the wiser about her little adventure. Orihime felt lighter than she had even half an hour ago.

And that's how her bout of insomnia ended, with relief to have sorted her feelings about Ichigo, and the faintest glimmer of excited hope.