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She thought things would be different once they’re in a relationship. She thought she’ll get used to this happiness bursting through her every time she sees him and this love that seems to swallow her whole, because they’re adults now and they have been dating for months. But that didn’t happened, more so, her love keeps growing every day without fail to the point she thinks her heart will explode and the whole world would see just how much Kurosaki Ichigo she has in her heart. Because she was so in love with him.
She thinks back to all the times she couldn’t touch him freely and kiss his lips and her chest hurts. Orihime has gotten so used to acting upon her love that she can’t remember how she stopped herself from holding him every time all those years. But she remembers how much she wanted to. Orihime remembers just how much she wanted to hold him in her arms everytime she saw him struggling with the life threatening problems he dealt with on the daily. Just how much she wanted to be able to help him in any way, to build a place within her where he could stop by and rest. Because he seems to never get a break. He always had dangerous enemies to fight and people to protect.
So she tries to do it now.
This time, it’s late in the evening when Orihime started thinking about their past. Ichigo insisted in making them dinner in her small apartment, so she was left staying on a chair watching his back, swimming in the happiness only he could bring.
Orihime watched his muscles move underneath his black t-shirt and bites her lip. She remembers him as his 15 year old self. A tall, slim and serious kid who would frown at every one and every time like his life depended on it. She used to love it since it amused her, even if others didn’t share her opinion.
She liked him, he was her crush even then. But after she started getting to know him and found out how he became that frowny, upset kid, she found her feelings growing.
Everytime she reminds herself of the poor teenager that had the weight of the world on his shoulders, the hardships, battles and trainings he had to endure, her very soul breaks. So she embraces him.
She wraps her arms around his torso and buries her head in the space between his shoulders without saying a word. Loving the way she could hear his heart beating with her ear on his back.
He’s always taken aback and always in the middle of doing something, so he blushes and freaks out a little (in a totally masculine way as he likes to put it), but never moves away from her.
And this time it was no different as he almost drops the wooden spoon he was holding. He lets a little breath out, putting his hand over his heart. He learned to be very relaxed in her presence, leaving his warrior senses at the door and that made him very easily surprised around her. He relaxes again in her embrace and turns off the oven.
“Hime…” it was supposed to be a question, but it came out as a whispered reassurance
It brings peace and a lot of happiness for them both, hugging like their very soul embraces each other. He calms down after a while and unties her hands just enough for him to intertwine their fingers and squeezes her hands in a silent reassurance. Because he can read his lover like no other.
So they stay like that until their feet hurt and the strong grip she has on him loosens, then he turns around slowly and looks at her with a look that makes her weak in the knees and she falls in love all over again.
Ichigo kisses her slowly, deeply, putting all the feelings he has into it.
They’re breathless and flustered at the end of it, because this is still new to them, but they both know they’re right where they belong. And they slowly heal each other.
Because Kurosaki Ichigo was made for Orihime Inoue.
And Orihime Inoue was made for Kurosaki Ichigo.