InsaneJournal

Ichigo/Orihime Fic, "Chocolates"
If you catch any mistakes (because I know there are quite a number of them), please be sure to let me know. Thanks.

Title: Chocolates
Author: haruomi
Rating: G
Series: Bleach
Character(s)/Paring(s): Ichigo/Orihime, Rukia, Tatsuki
Disclaimer: Nothing’s mine, except maybe this story.
Warnings: Fluff.

A small box was suddenly shoved in her face, making Orihime blink at it in surprise. Somewhere to the side of her, Tatsuki-chan and Kuchiki-san were snickering, but it only confused her even more than she already was. What was going on?

“Take it,” Kurosaki-kun said, grabbing her hands and closing her fingers around the package. (His touch –Orihime couldn’t help but notice- was rough and calloused, but warm.) “It’s for you.”

It was such an unexpected situation, before she could even comprehend what was happening, he pulled back and looked away from her, as if hoping that she wouldn’t notice his blush if their eyes didn’t meet.

“Thank you, Kurosaki-kun,” she said at last, smiling shyly.

He muttered something that sounded vaguely like a reply and retreated to the other side of the room, where his friends were waiting for him.

Orihime’s smile grew as she watched him go before she finally turned back to her present, studying it carefully. It was rather simple, really. It was a plain box, wrapped in plain white paper, and tied with a plain white ribbon. Anyone else might have been disappointed by its modest appearance, but –for Orihime- she didn’t think that there could ever be the right words to express just how precious it was to her.

It was, after all, the first present Kurosaki-kun had ever given her.

“So what’d he get you?” Tatsuki-chan asked, peeking over her shoulder and startling her out of her thoughts. “Huh. Ichigo really has no taste. Why does that not surprise me?”

“I knew I should have gone with him,” Kuchiki-san remarked with a sigh. “I’m sorry, Inoue. I didn’t think he would fail so miserably at giving you something nice.”

Orihime shook her head and held the box up to her nose.

It smelled like Kurosaki-kun.

“I love it anyway,” she said.

The End.

Omake:
Orihime waited until lunch, when she and Kurosaki-kun finally had some time to be alone together, before opening her present. Despite his insistence to tear off the wrappings like any normal person would, she carefully removed the paper and untied the ribbon with a patient smile. What she discovered inside were seven little chocolate candies wrapped in brightly colored foil, each one as perfectly rounded as the next.

“How cute,” she breathed in delight, holding up one up and in studying it with absolute fascination written all over her face, as if it was a treasure she had spent her entire life searching for.

“It’s nothing special. Don’t act like it’s some big thing,” Kurosaki-kun muttered, even if Orihime knew that what he really wanted to say was, “I’m glad you like it.”

It made her smile at him and she couldn’t help but ask. “So what’s the occasion?”

Kurosaki-kun scowled and looked away, blushing. “It’s a White Day gift,” he said, as if that explained everything.

It didn’t, really. Not at all, actually. “But it’s already April,” Orihime pointed out, confused.

“I know, but I haven’t had the time to make you anything until now,” he said, his fierce frown unable to hide the apologetic look in his eyes. “Sorry it’s so late, Inoue.”

Orihime didn’t mind, of course. To be perfectly honest, she was touched that he had made her anything at all. “I’m so happy,” she smiled at him, her expression sincere as always, “You’re amazing, Kurosaki-kun!”

“Yuzu taught me,” he grumbled, the blush on his face darkening, “Just hurry up and eat it already.”

“Okay!” Orihime cheerfully unwrapped a chocolate and popped it in her mouth, chewing slowly.

It tasted bitter at first. So much, in fact, there was a moment when she wondered if it was really chocolate. However, eventually the bitterness melted away, leaving a deliciously sweet aftertaste on her tongue that left a tingling sensation she could feel from the roots of her hair to the tips of her fingers.

Ah, she thought to herself in utter bliss, How wonderful.

It tastes just like Kurosaki-kun.