"I thought he slashed me but then I realized that I've not only been slashed but also shot. Funny because I did not realize it until later. It didn't hurt that much, I think, but then I lost consciousness for few days..."

It was not the first time he told the story to his friends but this was the first time he told them face to face. He didn't really like to talk about it but since Rukia and Renji seemed to be really interested in the situation he had been in, he decided to tell them about it once again. Though it was not what they actually want to hear from the young yakuza leader.

Renji, Rukia and Ichigo were meeting in a pub owned by Kurosaki family. The situation had been so complicated so Ichigo couldn't get back home yet at the moment but they needed to meet so they arranged a meeting in the pub. Renji had ordered some of his men to make sure that nobody had followed them. They couldn't be careless now since it seemed like the police had started sniffing around.

"You know, that was not what we want to hear," Rukia sounded bored after Ichigo finished his story, "don't get me wrong. We do feel relieved that you're okay and don't worry about the guy who shot you, we've make sure he would never forget his mistake for shooting our leader. But what we really want to hear is about that girl. You know, that goddess who saved your sorry ass and let you stay with her in her place even though she doesn't really know you. I know how bad you are with woman, so please tell me why this one is special."

The orange haired guy frowned, he tried not to blush. He didn't want to talk about her but he knew both of his friends wouldn't stop bothering him about this until he tell them the details. Sure there were many things to talk about the beautiful girl but he didn't know how to start it. Plus, it was embarrassing.

Renji watched how Ichigo's ears turned red and tried not to laugh because he knew if he laughed now, Ichigo wouldn't now talk about the girl. He really wanted to know about this mysterious girl. Like what Rukia said, Ichigo was never a ladies man. How he behaved around the girls were laughable, he would be stiff, rude, and cold. That was because he was shy. Ichigo had never had a girlfriend, not one that Renji or Rukia aware of, that's why, he wanted to know what kind of woman was this one who had managed to steal Ichigo's heart.

Of course, Ichigo had never said anything about his feeling toward Orihime but Rukia and Renji had known Ichigo for so long that they could read him like a book. He was in love. Maybe he didn't want to admit it but it was easy to see it.

"What do you want to know? She is normal," if he thought he sounded natural then he must have forgotten how red was his ears were at the moment he started to talk about Orihime, "she is really kind. She took care of my wound, provided me with food, let me stay in her house. She is nice." Ichigo coughed to cover his nervousness, "I told her I would go out seeing you guys, he didn't ask me where would I meet you but she told me to be careful and to come back home as soon as possible. It seemed like she still worried about..."

"Doesn't it sound like what husband and wife do?"

Ichigo scowled, "what?"

"I mean," Rukia smirked, "you two live together and he told you to "come back home" ... That sounds like what a wife told her husband."

Renji added with a silly grin on his face, "so, did you do it?"

Ichigo face turned redder than Renji's hair, "do what?!"

"C'mon Ichigo, you lived with a woman, slept in her room, don't tell me nothing had happened between you two."

Ichigo shook his head quickly, "I can't believe you. I am not an animal! Even if we slept in the same bed, I would not..."

"In the same bed?" Now there was a glint in Rukia's eyes, "Did you do something while she was asleep?"

"I WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING!"

Renji put a disappointed face, "so she is ugly?"

Rukia could almost see some smoke above the orange haired guy, "Sh-she, she is definitely not ugly!"

Seeing his reaction, both of his friends exchanged some knowing look. Ichigo cursed as he looked away. Prayed that his friends would stop asking him about Orihime. He didn't really understand what does he feel for the girl and he didn't really want to acknowledge this feeling. First of all, he didn't really know her. Whether she already had a boyfriend or not.

Suddenly some weird feeling filled his stomach. Of course she had a boyfriend. A beautiful girl like her! It would be weird if she didn't have any boyfriend...

"So," Ichigo cleared his throat, tried to forget the earlier though about Orihime and her mysterious boyfriend, "you said there was an Okami coming to see me, what did he want?"

"I am sorry we couldn't meet more often lately," the young cop sighed as he loosened his tie, his girlfriend were busy preparing some dinner in the kitchen while he took the remote and turned the TV on, "though it is summer vacation, I couldn't take you anywhere like what I promised you. I feel so bad..."

Orihime smiled, she was cutting some vegetables for the curry, "don't worry about it. It isn't your fault. I am happy because at least you called me almost everyday though you are really busy."

The black haired man frowned, his eyes were on the TV but he didn't really focus on it, "it is not enough, I want to see you everyday."

This time the beautiful girl laughed, she didn't turned around to look at the guy but she could imagine how his sulking face was, "you're busy, I would be patient waiting for you, that's why you could focus on your job. Don't worry about me..." Besides, she had something or rather someone she had to take care of in her house right now. It would be complicated if Uryuu came to her house and met Ichigo... Not that she wanted to hide it forever, she just didn't think it was a good idea to let them see each other.

Besides, it wasn't like she had been cheating on him.

Orihime bit her lower lip. She stopped chopping the onion for a moment. Suddenly she remembered that Ichigo was not in her house right now. He told her that he needed to take care of something and would come back late tonight. She didn't ask about it but somehow she worried about him. He told her that he had felt much better but he had been shot for God sake, he should have stayed in bed and rested. How if those people from before were after him? She knew the young man could protect himself but she couldn't help but feel worried about him.

Orihime startled when she felt a pair of thin but strong arms encircled her slim waist and pulled her closer to warm body. She let out a sigh and smiled. She leaned back to him and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling as he burried his nose in her auburn hair.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"Nothing," he answered, inhaled her scent, "I just... I miss you."

Orihime chuckled, "I miss you too."

Uryuu opened his eyes slowly. There were so many things he wanted to say but suddenly he realized that it would be better if she didn't know. He hated to hide stuff from her but he didn't want to make her worried. He loved her so much that he didn't want that beautiful smile disappeared from her beautiful face.

"What's wrong?" Orihime opened her eyes too. She turned around and tilted her face to look at his face, she frowned, there must have been something he had been hiding from her, "Uryuu... You hide something from me, don't you?"

The fair skinned guy smiled. He rested his forehead on hers, "Why? You worried about me?"He sounded playful but it still didn't make her feel better. He had known him for so long that she knew there had been something he hid from her, "it would be a surprise..."

Orihime's eyes narrowed, "surprise?"

Uryuu chuckled, "I am working on a case right now, so we couldn't go n date like before, but I have been saving and after I am done with this case, I am going to ask for some day-offs and we would go on trip..." he kissed her nose gently, "it supposed to be a surprise, but... How does Italy sound?"

Orihime gasped, "Italy? Are you serious?!"

He nodded, "we hadn't had any chance to go on a trip, had we? That's why, please be patient..." Uryuu smiled gently as he closed the space between them.

Until everything is over.

Ichigo couldn't remember how he got back to Orihime's house. Renji had made sure that nobody had followed him but he didn't really remember how he got there. Afterall, there had been many things in his head at the moment.

Rukia had told him about what the cop wanted from them. It was related to what had happened ten years ago. The raven haired girl seemed not to know about the case but from the look in Renji's eyes, Ichigo knew, the red head remembered about what had happened that day clearly. Ichigo would have never forget that day. Ten years ago... Now that he thought about it, it must have been the beginning of everything. Ichigo was just a little boy at that time, everything was blur for him but he still remember about that day though vaguely. He couldn't ask Renji about the detail because Rukia was there. He knew Renji wouldn't want to talk about it in front of the girl.

He would find a time to meet Renji and talked about it alone. He still couldn't remember some of what had happened that day. He needed Renji to remind him.

"I am back."

Ichigo took off his shoes as he entered the house. He could smell some curry from the kitchen. Suddenly he felt hungry.

"Welcome home..." Orihime called from the kitchen, "I bring you some curry in case you're hungry..."

Ichigo smirked.

Right now, he didn't want to complicate himself of what had happened ten years ago. He just wanted to treasure this moment. He walked to the kitchen with a goofy grin on his handsome feature.

As he entered the kitchen, the auburn haired woman smiled at him, making butterflies in his stomach dancing crazily, "Are you hungry?"

Ichigo returned the smile, something he didn't normally do.

"I am really hungry!"

.

.

Author's note:

I know Orihime seemed like playing with both men's heart or standing in two boats at the same time but let me remind you that Orihime really loves Uryuu and as for Ichigo, she hadn't felt anything for him, or maybe she hadn't realized it... I am an IchiHime shipper, no need to worry, you can check all of my story, I just need to make the plot interesting.