Because you Love me
Chapter 17: Now where do they stand?
Looking past Shunsui to check on Ikkaku, Orihime began to move forward to heal her friend but Nanao looked at her with a small smile on her face, "I'll take care of Madarame-san Orihime, don't worry."
Watching the pair Orihime smiled when she realized they cared for each other and was glad her kido teacher found someone she could relate to. Nodding she began to walk away with Shunsui but called back to Ikkaku, "Thank you Ikkaku-kun for lunch and I promise I'll pay for your shoes to be fixed."
Shunsui looked at her confused, "Why do his shoes need fixed?"
She looked away, a look of embarrassment on her face, "I threw up on them."
Despite everything he laughed, "Yes that I believe is a good reason to get them fixed."
Leading the way Shunsui walked until they'd reached the tenth but continued past it. At her look of curiosity he quipped, "You really think I'm going to have a serious conversation when Nanao and Rangiku will be back soon and probably trying to overhear us?"
Despite her annoyance with him Orihime smiled slighty, "Nanao is busy with her future boyfriend and after the display you gave do you really think Rangiku is going to try to eavesdrop?" Pausing to swallow, her stomach still queasy she asked next, "Did you really have beat Ikkaku so badly?"
Sighing he looked down into her eyes, "I had no idea it was a setup by Rangiku and Nanao. I thought he really wanted to date you." The moment the words left his mouth her face told him he'd screwed up yet again.
Her eyes flashed angry as she spat out, "What makes you think he didn't want to? I mean, now we know he likes Nanao, but that's despite the point! He could have just asked me out on his own? Or what, you think no one would want such a lowly soul reaper as me?"
Shunsui shook his head, "You know that's not what I mean."
She spun around, prepared to storm back to the tenth division to her room so she could lock herself in and never come out except for work. She'd barely made a step before she was whisked away and before she knew it was being dropped on a bed.
Looking around she saw they were back at Ugendo, on the same bed where it all started.
"What the hell Shunsui?!"
Shunsui looked smug, "I told you I need to talk to you. This is as private as it gets. Once I'm done you can kido my ass all the way back to the first if you want and then let Nanao on me, but please, let me say what I have to say."
She glared at him but agreed, "Fine, talk."
Shunsui started pacing, nervousness getting the best of him, but he started out plainly with, "I love you Orihime." Her eyes widened slightly but before she could say anything he continued quickly, "I love you so much and you are all I think about. It's more than just physical. You are on my mind, in my heart, all around me damn it. I've never met anyone like you. I want you to be mine. I hate even thinking about you being with anyone else. Hell, I'd take on the likes of Kenpachi if I thought he wanted to be with you."
Orihime snorted, "That will never happen."
Shunsui smiled at her reaction but pressed on, "I'm sorry that I've been an insensitive ass and an even bigger idiot. At first I didn't want to admit I loved you because I was too afraid you wouldn't return my feelings and I didn't think I could face that. But now…now even if you don't I needed you to know how I feel. I may not like it but if you want nothing to do with me anymore then I promise to leave you be and let you be with whoever you want without beating them to a pulp…maybe."
This last made her smile slightly but still he kept going, "I know now wherever Jushiro is, he'd be so pissed at me for putting you through this. But…I don't regret what we did. It was amazing. You are smart beautiful, loving and so many more things that to list them all would take the rest of my life. I will consider myself the luckiest man in three dimensions if you could consent to be by my side."
He stopped pacing to finally look at her head on. Moving quickly from the bed she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly sighing out, "I want to be with you too Shunsui but I was too afraid to tell you too, I'm sorry. I just…I don't have a lot of confidence in myself and thought you would get tired of me quickly because I'm so young and inexperienced. Plus, I didn't think I was strong enough to be the woman of the head captain! I mean, I don't even have a zanpakuto! And won't Central 46 be opposed to us being together and try to take me away because I broke the law or something? I mean-" but he cut her off with a big kiss.
Drawing back from her lips but keeping them close together he spoke softly but firmly, "One: Central 46 would only involve themselves if you were trying to black mail me afterwards, or if you were one of my subordinates in my division. Two: You are stronger than anyone else I know. And last but not least Shinji believed there would be a possibility of you not having a zanpakuto when you passed over because your powers are more kido that weapon based. Your powers are your zanpakuto my dear, so you worried for nothing."
Orihime blushed, laughing at her own ridiculousness, "I've been silly haven't I?"
Shunsui nodded, chuckling out, "We both have, running from each other because of our own fears. Now we have no need to run anymore."
Orihime smiled and nodded. Looking at her seriously Shunsui commanded, "Never talk about being imprisoned or killed again."
"Okay since those two things would be bad for the baby right?"
Shunsui nodded absentmindedly. "Yes bad for the baby," then stopped, his eyes widening, "Wait...baby?"
She beamed up at him, "Yes, two months along. No worries completely healthy."
Shunsui leaned down and kissed her long and deep before picking her up and spinning her around laughing out. Hugging him tightly she whispered, her forehead against his, "I am guessing you are happy about this?"
"Yes my love," he responded before placing her down and getting down one knee, "Orihime, marry me?"
Orihime gasped, "What?"
He laughed, "You heard me."
She'd whispered lightly, a teasing glint in her eye, "Why should I?"
Standing back up he gathered her in close again kissing her before whispering against her lips, "Because you love me."
THE END