Sorry I haven't updated any of my stories in AGES, but maybe I will get to finishing them some day. I had a dream last night and it prompted me to write this before I forgot the details.

Warning: Some sexual references and explicit language. It's pretty much clean otherwise.

Disclaimer: Not my characters, but my story.

Note: Orihime and Ichigo have known each other since high school and they go to the same college. They're close friends. Orihime is a bit OOC, but she's like half-awake the entire time so her character is less shy...enjoy!

Late

"Inoue."

"Orihime?"

"Hime!"

"Oi, are you even listening to me?" Ichigo hastily took hold of the dainty wrist in front of him and tugged gently so that its owner would be facing him.

"Hnn?" Orihime noticed that she was no longer gazing at a concrete sidewalk, but rather a broad expanse of white fabric. Her gaze traveled up his chest until she found herself looking at her orange-haired friend with his trademark scowl blatantly donning his lower face.

Her eyes slightly widened in surprise as she remembered that she had been walking next to him for the past 5 minutes. "I…uhh," light pink tinted her cheeks when she realized that he had been staring at her for a while.

The corners of his lips tugged downwards as his scowl transformed into a frown. His eyes softened as he noticed how flustered his companion was. "I was asking you how your day went."

She quickly bowed her head in apology, "Sorry, Kurosaki-kun! I've been distracted lately."

"I thought I told you that you could talk to me whenever something was bothering you," he voice tinged with a hint of disappointment. He released his grip on her as took a step forward and she followed along beside him this time.

"I know, but it's not that! I just… I was late again to class today," she finally admitted.

Relief washed over him with her confession. In the back of his mind, he had feared that the reason why she had been so distant was because of some perverted punk chasing after her heart. "Hmm, isn't that the second time this month?" he asked.

She nodded, "He said that if I was late one more time, then I would be put in detention on bathroom duty." She mentally shuddered. The privies at their university were far from spotless, especially with the recent layoff of one of the janitors.

His anger flared, "WHAT?! Which class is that asshole in? I'm going to teach him a lesson!" He pulled up his sleeves and balled his fists to demonstrate his intentions.

Orihime giggled at his antics. "Kurosaki-kun, don't hurt him!" she exclaimed, worried for her professor's unlikely, yet possible untimely death.

"But he threatened you!" he retorted.

She reached into her purse and pulled out her key card when they reached her apartment building as he stood seething next to her. She then placed a comforting hand on his elbow. "It's really my fault this time. I forgot to set my alarm," she admitted sheepishly.

"Fine, fine. But I'm going to make sure that you get to class on-time tomorrow, even if I have to haul you out of bed and dress you myself!" He didn't look back as he continued to walk back towards school and to his evening class.

"Thank you Kurosaki-kun!" she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled after him.

"Inoue."

"Orihime?"

"Hime!"

"Hnnn," she groaned, reaching out to the extra pillow beside her to cover her head. The blaring of her alarm clock droned out until she finally disarmed it.

"You're going to be late again," a masculine voice stated as a-matter-of-factly.

"Five more minutes," she grumbled bled, clearly half conscious. She half-opened her left eye to see a tuft of bright orange hair before falling back to sleep.

"Inoue. You're going to get a detention."

"Okay," she negotiated, "just give me a few more seconds."

Suddenly, an idea popped up in his head. He knew she was easily embarrassed. And as evil as it was, he planned to use this against her. Should I? Or is this sinking too low? Nah, she won't be too offended… or will she?

Oh fuck it. "Inoue, your panties are showing," he whispered into her ear.

"Mmh?" she moaned. "I'm not wearing any…" her words droned out as she slipped back into her dream world.

He mentally cursed at himself. His first plan had backfired and he had even stooped down to Keigo's level all for naught. She was lucky that he was such a great friend, because he always made sure that he would achieve his goal at all costs.

He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced around the room for ideas. His eyes landed on a book cover featuring a laughing baby. Mischievously, he grinned and pulled down her blanket so that her upper half was exposed. His hands found her underarms easily, and he began to tickle her as if his life depended on it.

She jerked away and giggled incessantly. Her body flailed in random directions, "K-Kurosaki-kun! S-Stop I-It!"

"Not until you get up." He blushed when he felt her breasts graze his knuckles, but he would not abandon his promise so easily.

"You can't make me," she crossed her arms and glared at him. Goodness, she was such a stubborn girl.

"I can and I will," he declared.

"No you can't and you won't!"she turned away from him, exasperated.

One of his eyebrows rose and he smirk sinisterly. "Are you so sure about that?" he questioned, amused. She had offered him a challenge and Ichigo Kurosaki lived for challenges.

It was time for his last resort.

In one smooth motion, he swooped down and picked up the defiant girl bridal style. She didn't bother to struggle against him, because she knew she would be easily overpowered. Still, she chose to keep her mouth shut to convey her annoyance.

He took her across the room and held her firmly, but not too tightly in case if she decided to jump out of his arms. Kicking her bathroom door open, he strode past her sink and deposited Orhime's lithe body into her bathtub.

"Sorry Hime, but this is for your own good."

Orihime blinked rapidly in confusion when the water pelted her face. "W-What's going on? Why is it raining inside my apartment? Why is the rain so warm?"

"Inoue, you're going to be late," he reminded her. He tried to look anywhere but at her skimpy pajamas clinging to her curves like a second layer of skin. The material was now almost transparent and he silently let out a string of curses as any inappropriate thoughts of Orihime surfaced in his mind.

"Kurosaki-kun, why are you dry when I'm so wet? I thought you liked the rain." She tilted her head to the side as if silently asking him for an explanation.

Damn those big, innocent eyes. He looked away as if finding the pansies on her wallpaper interesting. Pansies, he thought. Shit, I'm turning into one.

"Hurry up and take a shower, I put your clothes on the counter," he got up abruptly and walked away from a still dazed Orihime.

"Kurosaki-kun, where are you going?"

He glanced back at her, his complexion rosier than usual. "Outside. Call me if you need anything," his reply was curt and a bit harsh, but he needed to get away from her as soon as possible. Fucking hormones.

His back made contact with her door as he slid down against it. He shouldn't be looking at his friend like that, especially when she trusted him so much. What the hell is happening to me? He rubbed his temples in frustration and let out a heavy sigh.

"Kurosaki-kun?" her voice was muffled through the wall.

"Yeah?" What could she be needing now?

"You forgot to get me panties," she said softly.

He wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. "What? Why would you need pansies?" He wanted to slap himself when he figured out what she had originally said. He yelled again, before she had to embarrass herself even more, "okay! I'll be right back."

He stalked to her dresser and pulled a random drawer, grabbing the first thing his fingers came in contact with. Hurriedly, he twisted the doorknob and stuck his hand inside the steamy room. "Here."

He counted eight impossibly lengthy seconds before he felt her soft skin rub against his palm and pull the tiny garment out of his grasp. "Thank you," she whispered.

He hastily pulled his arm out and shut the door. Oh the things he did for his friends.

She found him sitting on her couch when she finished her morning routine. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and she was honestly surprised when she found herself nodding in approval at Ichigo's remarkable taste in clothing. Her knee-length navy skirt complimented the gold buttons on her cream blouse rather marvelously.

"You ready?" he inquired.

"Hai!" she chirped.

He smiled softly, "Let's get you to class then, before you're tardy again." He handed her a brown paper bag, "I got you breakfast. Sorry, they didn't sell any wasabi croissants so I bought you a blueberry muffin instead."

She accepted the package happily and skipped out her front door, "thank you, Kurosaki-kun! You're my favorite person, did you know that?"

He was caught off guard by her sudden declaration, but he just nodded silently when he saw her beaming smile. What did I do to deserve such a beautiful girl in my life? He then remembered his eventful morning. Oh yeah, a shitload of things.

"Kurosaki-kun, how did you get into my building? You can't enter without the card key!"

"You think I don't know that?" he acted hurt that she would doubt him.

"I'm sorry! It's just that whenever I forget my card at home, it's so much work to get in," she frowned, remembering her last unfortunate episode when she had to spend the night at Tatsuki's place, because they refused to let her in.

"Pfft, I just happen to know that the receptionist is a big fan of powder doughnuts," he admitted proudly.

"Oh, you are such a charmer, Kurosaki-kun," she giggled, as he rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever."

She would definitely throw a fit if she found out that he had additionally threatened the woman behind the desk that he would reveal her affair with one of the security guards to the manager. Meh, she doesn't have to know the other half of the story.

Orihime covered her mouth as she let out a yawn after they entered the campus.

"Geez, what the hell were you doing up so late last night?" he scowled.

She never seemed to mind his profanity. "I was studying for my midterms and then these little blue men appeared… they wanted to take over planet Earth… I couldn't stop… and you came and saved me," she smiled and clasped her hands together in front of her.

"Uh huh," he agreed nonchalantly. She was such a strange girl at times. "And then what happened?"

He waited for a reply. He didn't get one.

"Inoue."

"Orihime?"

"Hi—"

"Kurosaki-kun," she interrupted him all of a sudden.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't know you were the lacey type."

He stopped in his tracks and choked on air. She didn't seem to notice.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Hmmm?" He didn't trust himself to speak coherently.

"I'm going to be late."

He groaned aloud.

Inoue Orihime was going to be the death of him.

I didn't get the chance to edit this, but I will in the next few days when I get the time. Please review/favorite! A minute of your time and a few words can really make someone else's day ^^

Thank you for reading!