Love Confession

"GOOD MOOOORNING ICHIGO-"

Crash!

"ARE YOU TO KILL YOUR OWN SON, OLD MAN?!" A hollored voice could be heard throughout the neighborhood. That voice belongs to the certain orange haired male with an annoyed look on his face. He glares at his father who looks comically bawling his eyes out. It became disgusting to look at when he had a black eye and bruised on his cheek.

He cried, "I'm so proud of you Ichigo! Your daddy would no longer worry about you!"

Bang!

Crash!

"AHHHHH! YOU'RE SO MEAN TO ME ICHIGO!"

"Go bother something else, old man!" He sighs in frustration after he throws his own father out of his window. He wasn't bothered if his father had broken his bones, he could live with that.

"Good morning Ichi-nii!" Yuzu pops out her head from his door. Ichigo greeted his little sister back with a yawn, "morning Yuzu."

"Hurry Ichi-nii! You're gonna be late for school!" Yuzu has a pout on her face when Ichigo scrambles on his feet as he tries to wear his clothes while Ichigo mumbles curse words of "why did I wake up late", "what happened to the alarm" and "damn this".

"Yuzu! I'm going now!"

Yuzu was alarmed by that voice from downstairs. "Wait, Karin! I'm going with you!"

"Hurry up if you don't leave behind!" Karin shouted as the sound of the door opened. Yuzu hurriedly came down the stairs and grabbed her school bag, "Karin!"

"My daughters are going to leave their father!" Isshin cried again, he was about to hug his twins when Karin punched his face.

"SHUT UP OLD MAN! YUZU AND I WERE ALREADY IN JUNIOR LEVEL!"

"K-Karin, you're hurting otou-san." Yuzu's worried tone could be heard as Ichigo, now in his white shirt with his college I.D., black slacks and new black shoulder bag on his shoulders. Ichigo runs outside the house in haste while passing Isshin, Yuzu and Karin as he screams "I'm going off!" that leaves the three people dumbfounded.

"Shit! I'm going to be late!"

—

I hold a cup, taste your beauty, the mouth with lip marks

—

As the orange haired male runs at his full speed that not normal people could do that (well he's not normal anyway), he somehow buys a coffee from a vending machine in the middle of his run and it wasn't even spilled when he reached his destination.

"Hello, Kurosaki-kun!" A bubbly female voice calls his surname as he reaches inside the gate.

"Yo, Inoue." He greeted back to the burnt orange hair who was waving at him.

'She looks much more pleasing to look than the last time I saw her,' a thought came into his mind when he saw her beauty. He knows that Orihime didn't change her hairstyle since that time he lost his shinigami powers nor she didn't put on her make-up. He can tell but- Why did he do that?! He must be a creep if she knows about it.

"Kurosaki," Uryu fixed his glasses while his eyes were closed. "Are you treating this college as high school?"

"Shut up." Ichigo snapped and took a sip of his coffee.

"Kurosaki-kun! Uryu-kun! We have to get inside our classes!"

—

Flower shop rose, whose name is wrong

—

Ichigo is watching his little sister, Karin, who is playing soccer with her peers at the playground. Karin is asking Ichigo to watch her play after he is finished with his classes. He only arrived when the game had started.

"Kurosaki-kun?" A same, familiar voice that has been haunted in his sleep or even his imagination.

"Inoue?" He looks at the brunt orange hair female and his eyes widen along with his heart has been gushed by a warm feeling.

"Are you here for Karin?" She firstly asked him when she saw the orange haired male at the distance. She noticed that Ichigo didn't answer her when the latter was staring at her. "Kurosaki-kun? Is there something on my face?" Her face turns appalled. "Is there chocolate on my face?!" She yelps as she wipes her face from non-existent chocolate. She blabbers about that she was baking a chocolate cake in her cooking class, when something happens to her cake causing it to fly everywhere including her cheeks and she was apologizing to her teacher who is helping her clean the mess.

Ichigo snapped out of his dazed when Orihime was screaming. "It's not Inoue! I was thinking something, that's all!"

He sighs mentally. 'Thank goodness, she didn't know the reason why I was staring at her. Why did I stare like an idiot anyway? Idiot!'

Orihime hums in relief, "then why are you staring at me earlier?"

"N-Nothing!" He squeaks as he looks away, the top of his ears are tinted red.

'Hm? His ears were… red. What is he thinking about?'

—

You say you are a little difficult to follow, you want me to retire

—

Ichigo and Orihime were bumping into each other in front of the grocery store. They sheepishly smile at each other and simultaneously apologize, which they start to giggle.

"What are you doing here, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yuzu is asking me to buy the ingredients for the dinner tonight." He replies to her as he grabs the milk carton from the display and places it in the basket he carries. He noticed that Orihime is carrying the basket that is full of different products she was going to buy.

His hand is reaching to grab the handle of the basket out from her grasp. Orihime was surprised when the male was carrying her basket. "K-Kurosaki-kun! T-There's no need to carry my stuff! I can carry them myself!" She tries to argue with him as she is attempting to grab her basket back.

"It's fine, Inoue." He argues back as he firmly grips the handle so that she wouldn't try to break free. Orihime knows that this man is incredibly strong. By his hand, he defeated the strong opponents, survived the hell in a matter of life and death and saved her when she was captured at Hueco Mundo. She only relented and dropped her hands as she helplessly watched Ichigo carrying the baskets with ease.

"Kurosaki-kun," she whined. "I don't want to burden you." She pouts as she follows him.

By then, her cheeks redden when people are looking and whispering at them as they passed by. She sheepishly glanced at the orange haired male who has a poker face. She could only sigh, she was embarrassed at this situation.

'Damn it! Why is my hands reacting on their own like it has its own brain?!' Ichigo was screaming inside his mind when the people were looking at them. 'Why did I help her anyway?'

As he questions that, he remembers that Orihime has a difficulty to carry the heavy basket on her own.

'Screw it! I can't let a lady carry the basket on her own.'

'Kurosaki-kun is so sweet.'

—

You don't need to choose the most expensive gift

—

By the time they finish shopping, they are already at the outside of the grocery store with Ichigo carrying the bags. Orihime helplessly follows him with her sheepish look.

Both of them didn't talk as they walked silently. Both of them have their own thoughts as they walk side by side.

'After all these years,' Orihime glanced at the side of his face. 'He didn't change at all. Kurosaki-kun is still Kurosaki-kun.'

'Why am I still carrying her bag?' Another confusion washed over him, he was oblivious by the female's glance at him as he was deep in his own thoughts. 'Should I escort her back? It seems reasonable…'

His eyes wandered as he pondered for the whole time before his eyes landed on the flowers that were newly planted at the Karakura's local park.

'She looks good with the flowers,' an image came into his mind. He saw himself pick up the chosen flower and rested on Orihime's ear. He was surprised that he really did it and the same warm feeling gushed over his heart again.

"Kurosaki-kun…" She audibly said as she saw the male placing the flower to her ear. Her abashed cheeks were painted with pink from the proximity between her and the male.

—

Create a romantic date, not afraid to mess up everything

—

"Inoue?" He approached Orihime who was chatting with her classmates. He had a sheepish look on his face when he noticed that it was a bad time to ask her but he can't turn back right now because Orihime is looking his way.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Uh," he started as his hand reached the back of his neck. "After school…"

"What about it?" Orihime blinks her eyes as she questions.

"Do you have time for a d-date-," shutters the word of the "date". "I mean, hangout! Yeah! Hangout! Just the two of us…"

As he said that, her classmates were grinning as they could guess what Ichigo was trying to ask her about. They started to nudge Orihime's shoulder as if they were forcing her to say yes to him. Ichigo was not oblivious of what they were thinking about but sadly…

"What are you pushing me about?" She looks at her classmates who have grinning smiles. "Kurosaki-kun and I were going out together like we did at high school! Right, Kurosaki-kun?"

'Damn, is she thinking about when we walk and talk together after school?'

"Y-Yeah." He could only reply to her oblivious nature.

—

Dear, don't be willful

—

On their first "date", he is giving her flowers.

"Why are you giving me flowers, Kurosaki-kun?" She had a confusion on her face as she accepted the flowers. "Is it Valentine's Day? But it's August… Eh, you never gave me flowers before. Except that time!"

'Why is she so dense…' He sighs mentally. 'It's clearly obvious that I like her but she looks so cute.'

"I just feel like it."

"Oh~" She had a realization on her face after she heard his reply. "I see!"

'Really?! Did she really believe that?! How did she get a high score when we were in high school?'

When Ichigo is asking Orihime for the second "date", he gives her a box of homemade cookies that is made from himself and a little help from his little sister, Yuzu. He still hasn't gotten over what happened even though he is now at the meeting place.

Flashback…

"Ichigo is finally a man!" Isshin howls in happiness and he cries in the second when he stands in front of Masaki's huge portrait. Isshin bawls his eyes out. "MASAKI! OUR ELDEST CHILD IS GOING TO BE MARRIED! WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE HIS LITTLE SISTERS WHEN I'M GONE!"

"SHUT UP OLD MAN!" Ichigo had a half-annoyed and half-embarrassed expression on his face as he kicked his father. "AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M GOING TO BE MARRIED?! I'M GOING TO ASK ORIHIME TO BE MY GIRLFRIEN- oops!"

Karin has a smug look on her face. "Oh~ Are you going to be serious to her, huh?"

"Ichi-nii is calling her by her first name!" Yuzu giggles as she is mixing the dough for making the cookies. "Ichi-nii, are you going for the date? Is that why you want to make cookies?"

"Y-Yeah," he had an embarrassed look on his face. It didn't help when his little sisters were smirking at him but it didn't last long when Isshin cut in.

"MY SON, ICHIGO! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU OF HOW TO ASK HER TO BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND LIKE WHAT I DID YOUR MOT- OOF!"

Punch!

"LIKE I WANT TO LEARN FROM YOU OLD MAN!" Ichigo has a furious expression on his face as he punches his father who was laying on the ground. Isshin has a bruised face and he was mumbling of how violent his son is, he thinks that he's a big boy now and is calling his deceased wife's name.

"Ichi-nii, you have to mix the dough."

"Oh right!" He grabbed the bowl that is filled with cookie dough and mixed it with the spatula.

"Arigatou, Kurosaki-kun!" She chirps as she receives the box of homemade chocolates. "Did you buy this Kurosaki-kun?"

"No, I… I made it." He scratches his chin as he averted his eyes away from her.

Orihime blinks her eyes in surprise, "you made this?!" She makes an "o" shaped on her mouth, clearly that she was shocked about this. She opens the box and takes a bite of the cookie, Ichigo asks her if the taste is good.

"It's delicious, Kurosaki-kun! But…"

"But what Inoue?"

"Why are you giving me these cookies? Is it my birthday today? But my birthday is next month…"

"Eh, uh, it's an advance birthday gift!"

"Really? Kurosaki-kun is so sweet! Maybe Kurosaki-kun can give me another cookie on my birthday if I'm not being annoying…"

"I-It's fine! I can make another cookie for y-you! Yeah!"

—

Your eyes are saying I do

—

Today the weather is heavy and it rains hard at the Karakura Town. It was a sudden change of weather but most of the people had already brought their own umbrella and rushed to their respective homes after the long day of activity.

Except for the certain two people.

Orihime forgot to bring her umbrella and she was stuck standing under the building with Ichigo who never brings his umbrella even Yuzu was reminding him to bring the umbrella with him. Ichigo could choose to run back to his home, he wouldn't mind the rain drenching his clothes. But he cannot leave Orihime alone in this building.

So he decided to stay with her.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah?" He didn't look at him as he was gazing at the rain. He could feel her eyes boring into him.

"I don't understand…" She started but she toned down as she was confused of what she was going to say.

"You don't understand what?" He looks away from the rain to focus his attention to her.

"Kurosaki-kun, I don't understand why you are giving me flowers and cookies. My classmates are suggesting that I should accept you but I don't know what they are trying to say. They said that you are serious about this. What are they trying to say, Kurosaki-kun?" She questions him with her confusion on her face. Clearly that she was oblivious about his intention to her.

Ichigo was taken back that Orihime confronted about this.

'Ichi-nii, you still haven't asked her?' He could see Karin's face appear in his mind. 'Geez, Ichi-nii! Hurry up or else her "yes" will answer to someone else!'

"You… You still didn't get what I wanted to say?"

"Huh?"

"The flowers, cookies, the hangout." Ichigo counted them as he said of why he did that, the things he did to her, the way he carried the heavy things when she struggled to carry them, when he was protective of her and he even agreed to eat one of her strange meals when she gives him puppy eyes. But he didn't say the three words of "I love you" or "I like you".

By the way Ichigo explains to her, it seems that she is getting confused by minute to minute as he keeps going on. "Kurosaki-kun, what are you trying to say? Aren't you happy the way I act before? I could change-"

Ichigo sighs, "that's not what I mean Orihime."

"You… You call me by my first name." Orihime was surprised when Ichigo called her by her first name. A warm feeling gushed into her heart when she heard Ichigo call her name intimately.

"Huh? Oh," Ichigo noticed it.

She makes a face as if she realized something but as she asks him her cheeks were reddened, "are you upset that I didn't call you… First name?"

"That's not it, Orihime." He shakes his head.

"Then what is it?"

"This."

He closed their distance between them with his arms wrapping around her body and pulling her close to his chest. Orihime holds her breath from the proximity, especially her long time crush that she had been fantasizing for ever since in their highschool years. She could see clearly his brown eyes, the strong-willed, stubbornness and his cool image that she always perceived.

She noticed that Ichigo was hesitating as she could read his eyes that were slightly wavering. "K-Kurosaki-kun, what are you doing?"

'Should I do it?' Ichigo thought.

None of them were moving nor talking for a long time, both of them didn't disturb in fear that the moment that they had would be broken. They could feel and hear each other's breath, it was so close and audibly they could hear that they circulate and breathe the air at the same time, perfectly sync.

It feels natural when Ichigo dipped his neck to her awaiting and bewitching lips. It seems that her world stops, her eyes widen when her lips are touched by his own. She stood for a while before she responded to his kiss. She could feel her arms move to hold him tightly like he's the only person in the universe.

It feels like eternity at the moment but they have parted their lips. As they did, their lips have a lingering feeling, like a ghost touch. It seems surreal because they could still feel each other's lips even though they didn't kiss for the second time. Both of them have the blistering pink blush on their cheeks, they're both shy after what they did or mostly to Ichigo.

He was the one who initiated the kiss.

"So…" He started.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Both blurted out the same question, they realized that they asked the same thing and they laughed from the situation. It seems that the tension has been ease as the rain stops falling and the sunlight broke through the dark skies to lighten up the area, just like the two people's feelings have.

They smile and nod at one another with their flushed cheeks. Ichigo offers his hand to Orihime as his other hand reaches at the back of his neck, clearly that he is still abashed about this. Orihime giggled from his expression but she accepted his hand anyway.

Walking side by side, with their hands holding together like it was the most natural thing in this world. With Orihime leaning her body at his sides, Ichigo flushed from his girlfriend's close contract but it feels so right. Like she belongs to him and him to her.

"Ichigo." Orihime said his name as she rolled her tongue.

"Yeah?"

"How is it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ichigo had a confusion on his face, he doesn't know what she is implying about.

"I call your first name, Ichigo! How is it?"

"Oh… It's nice..." He scratches his chin as he looks away.

"Really? How about you call my name?"

"What? Why should I call you by your name?"

"Just say my name. Call me Orihime." She presses and she doesn't stop as she stares at him with her puppy eyes.

'Cute!' That's what he first thought when he saw her eyes, he hesitated for a while before he relented. "...alright… Orihime…"

"Eh~ Ichigo is so cute!" She giggles when she gets the reaction she wanted, Ichigo is having fifty shades of red!

"Shut up…" He mumbles before he looks away with his cheeks that are now brightly red that could rival Renji's red pineapple hair.

'If she's not Orihime… I don't know if I should punch her or shout at her.' He sighs from his thought but he smiles anyway.

At this moment, Orihime was his universe just like Ichigo was her universe.

—

Love you