A/N: I couldn't help myself! I had to write fanfiction for the now canon Ichihime! They are my first ship ever! So I hope you enjoy and review!

"Wah~" She yawns with her hands stretched above her head. She looks like she is trying to reach the sun which is slowly descending into a sunset. I offer a small smirk as we walk.

"Tired?" Chad asks her in his deep voice. I raise an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

"Mmm!" She affirms with a smile. "Aren't you Sado-kun?"

He gives her the classic thumbs-up, and she laughs. Mirth dances around her eyes, and it feels so good to hear her laugh. To know that there is no more evil clinging to us. I chuckle.

"Always one with the words," Ishida quips in a snarky tone.

"At least he doesn't bore his opponents to death with long speeches," I mumble. Ishida blushes and is about to respond when she breaks out in a fit of giggles. "What?" I gently question her as my lips threaten to curl up.

"It's just like the time after we saved Kuchiki-san! Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun are still bickering! Nothing's changed!" Ishida, Chad, and I look at each other, and we can't stop the smile that overtakes our faces. She is right. Nothing has changed, and it feels good to hear it out loud. After all we have been through, the arrancars, the fullbringers, the quincy war, the betrayal we thought Ishida committed, Yhwach, everything, we are still here. Still friends. Finally, safe and happy.

"Inoue-san is still as lively as ever that's for sure," Ishida remarks. I squint, not sure if it is an insult or compliment. Either way, I bristle. I open my mouth to snap at him, but he interrupts me. "Oh, this is me. I will see you at school." He turns and waves, and my mouth snaps shut. We wave back, and Inoue shouts, "Bye Ishida-kunnn!" He looks back, and he smiles. Hmm…

"I guess I should take off, too. I'm going to stop by Urahara-san's first." We say goodbye to him, and he jogs off, leaving Inoue and I alone. I peek at her, using my peripherals, and she is blushing. A lot.

Before I can say something, she hides behind her hair and hands and stutters, "I-I gue-ss I should be going. Kurosaki-k-kun's house is that way, ne?"

She points to the direction of my home, and I follow her gesture. She's right. We should part, but I don't make any move. I just stand quietly next to her. "I'll walk you home."

"Eh?! That's oh-okay, Kurosaki-kun! You must be tired, too!" She starts waving her hands in front of her like she is dismissing my offer, and she is. But I press on.

"I'm fine. Let me walk you home, Inoue." She looks like she is about to reject me again, but she seems to change her mind. She lowers her hands and looks up at me. She is flushed with a grin on her face. She just nods furiously.

I hold back a smile as we begin to quietly walk side-by-side toward her house. I glance at her, and she walks with her hands clasped behind her back, with a small skip to her step. She looks at me, and I advert my gaze. She giggles.

"It feels weird, doesn't it, Kurosaki-kun?" I look at her. "Everything is normal again."

I scoff. "I don't think we were ever 'normal,' Inoue." Not with all that we are and all that we have been through. I keep this to myself. She pouts.

"That's true! All I know for sure, though," she begins while looking ahead, "is that us being here, peacefully, and me being here with you is all the normal I could ever want."

"I-I…uh." I let out lamely. What did that mean?! Her words are the only thing that seems weird, but when I look at her, she is gently smiling. It seems like she is and her words are completely…normal.

The gurgle of her stomach makes up for my loss of words, and for that, I am grateful. "That's right. We didn't have anything to eat before they opened the Senkaimon." I look around the streets, and I see a small restaurant. "Let's stop by there and get something to eat. You probably don't have anything edible at home right now. We've been gone for a while." I start to walk forward, but a pull at my jacket sleeve halts me. I give her an inquiring glance.

"Ano, Kurosaki-kun?" Her face reddens. "I don't have any money on me."

"I invited you. It's my tre-" I cut myself off as I feel around my stomach and legs. It's my turn to flush. "I-I," I falter. "I don't have my wallet, either. I guess when Tessai dropped off my body he forgot to grab my things." I rub my neck in both frustration and embarrassment. "I can't believe I would ever admit to missing Kon. At least he would have my wallet."

"It's okay, Kurosaki-kun! I'm not that hungry," she tries to deny, but her stomach growls louder than before, revealing that she is lying. She turns her back to me and holds her stomach. I see her hand make a fist, and she brings it down to her stomach like she is punishing her stomach with comical punches. I know that I am right when I hear her whisper, "Shh! Be a good little stomach." She lowers her head and coos, "Just wait for…Kurosaki-kun." I miss what she said before, but I hear my name crystal clear. "Inoue?"

She spins around. "Huh?"

I look at her, and I pull at my hair. She is clearly starving, and I am clearly embarrassed to not have any means to feed her. I try to think of something when I remember that we are close by to a meal ticket. I hit my fist in my palm. "I have an idea. Follow me."

"Where are we going?" She asks. I throw a small smile over my shoulder as she catches up to my energized stride.

"Come on," I urge her.