#IchihimeWeek2016

As we all know, Bleach is quickly coming to an end with an estimate of around 20 chapters left, and if you've kept up with it, you know it has gotten incredibly terrifying for the entire fandom.

And as this might be the last Tanabata with the manga in progress, I decided to participate for the first (and most likely last) time in Ichihime Week.

Now, for those of you who haven't heard of Ichihime Week, I'll explain (so please pardon my INCREDIBLY long authors note)

As the name suggests this is a week dedicated to Ichihime, generally with certain themes(though they are not mandatory).

Themes for Ichihime Week:

Day 1: "Acknowledgement" (This could be of each other's strengths, of each other's feelings, etc)

Day 2: "Growth" (This could be their individual growth, how they grow because of each other, or how their relationship has grown, etc)

Day 3: "We show the strength of our love through our actions." (You don't have to use this exact quote or anything like that, it was just difficult to convey the concept of "showing love through actions or unexpected words".)

Day 4: "Light/Darkness" (This could be in relation to events they endure together, imagery/symbolism in the manga, etc)

Day 5: "Kissing"

Day 6: "Sword and Shield"

Day 7: "Tanabata" (Anything inspired by the Tanabata Legend, whether it be a very literal interpretation of the story, or a looser inspiration by celestial imagery or long distance, etc; the choice is yours!)

I will be participating, so PLEASE follow along the exciting event that is Ichihime Week, and don't forget to show your support for Ichihime, and the entire fandom as Bleach comes to a close!

Now, without further adieu, today's theme!

7/1/16: Acknowledgement

Orihime Inoue was in a state of pure despair.

The reason for her despair? Nearly every girl in Karakura High.

It was long after the winter war, and things had finally settled down. And with the exception of a Hollow here and there, there was nothing to truly distract them from their normal lives as High School students. Or more accurately, soon to be High School Graduates.

Soon, they would head out into the world and contribute to society, build their own lives.

However, that was a different story all together.

She let out a tiny sigh, cupping her cheek in her palm as she watched birds flutter about happily outside the classroom window. Her eyes were half lidded, lips pouted just slightly. To anyone else she looked thoughtful, perhaps even dreamy. To her close friends? She was obviously sulking.

The reason for her sulking sat not a desk away, surrounded by a hoard of females desperately trying to obtain something Orihime had only dreamed of getting.

His second button.

It was something that had followed the girls since their middle school years, and only grew to make them more aggressive as they moved onward to High School. The second Ochi-sensei had announced a break, the poor male had been nearly assaulted by the majority of female students in the class. Even Orihime who sat practically right next to him had no chance to warn the Substitute Shinigami before she lost sight of him due to a pack of skirts blocking her gaze.

Getting the second button, the button closest to the heart, from the guy you admired - or loved, in her case - was something every girl thought about. Something they strove for, and dreamed of since elementary school when the tale first began.

If you could get their second button, your love was meant to be.

"Kurosaki-san, I'd really like your button..." A feminine voice cooed, and Orihime slouched ever so slightly in her seat. Her heart felt tight at the possibility he might actually do it. To see him pop off his button and hand it to another girl?

She'd cry for weeks.

"Ne, Kurosaki-saaaan I'd love it if you could-" She blocked the voices out before she could hear any more, but already she was sinking down inch by inch in her seat. Her slender hands played with a long strand of auburn hair that hung over her chest. It had grown several inches since their first year of High School, her bangs very nearly a distant memory as they reached past her cheeks. After all the fighting, her body had toned itself. Her legs seemed longer, her waist tiny, and by relation her breasts larger and more rounded. Although she didn't know it, she was nearly every mans dream.

But she only wanted one man.

And in her mind, surely he would prefer the more slender, dark haired girls. The girls who weren't so-

"Orihime!" A friendly voice called, and she looked upward with an automatic smile to greet her best friend with. She noticed a small frown on Tatsuki's face, but it was replaced with a happy smile as she placed her hands on the young woman's desk.

"Konnichiwa, Tatsuki-chan." The healer chirped, doing her best to shove the somewhat depressing thought from her mind. The karate champ took a seat on her desk, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned back on her palms.

"So, its the last day of High School... any special plans?" She asked, a wicked smirk appearing on her lips as she watched the auburn beauty grow pink.

"A-Ano... well..."

"Does it have something to do with... you-know-who?" Tatsuki probed, a wide grin now on her face as she watched her friend grow a deeper shade of red. Only an idiot would have missed the flickering gaze she sent toward the orange haired Shinigami, who was currently gazing at the group of girls surrounding him with a furrowed brow and a signature scowl. The sight sending only a few of them away, but also sending most of them into a frenzy of squeals about what a "bad boy" he was.

Tatsuki's voice rose, just loud enough to draw the attention of said boy. If he was going to be blind to the faithful adoration of the kindhearted princess, he might as well be tortured for it. It wasn't hard to see how he felt about the girl, though even he himself seemed oblivious to it. And if Orihime was going to get the happy ending Tatsuki firmly believed she deserved, that would have to change.

Matchmaker Tatsuki to the rescue.

"It'll be fine Hime... just go ahead and ask today. You've been talking about it for months." she ruffled the girls hair, peeking sideways just long enough to catch the sight of Ichigo glancing over toward them over the shoulder of a girl who was trying - and failing - to get his attention.

To Orihime's surprise, at the sound of Tatsuki's somewhat loud reassurances Ichigo leaned over to the side, cutting through the mass of female bodies surrounding his desk. His hand braced itself on the edge of her desk as though he could lose his balance. Which seemed almost impossible for someone who spent his nights jumping from roof to roof.

Now his eyes were locked on the flustered auburn haired girl. His gaze was curious, and dare she say it protective at the karate champions words. The girls around him huffed, obviously upset with being dismissed so easy. They shot her scathing glares, which were returned ten fold by Tatsuki. They scurried off quickly, with the rare few who had the courage to stick their noses up and huff before strutting back to their own seats.

Close. Close. Close.

His hand was an inch away from her arm, and she found herself staring at it blankly. Rough hands, used for wielding a sword. Hands that were used to protect. The callous' were there, evidence of his hard work. But she imagined they'd be incredibly soft on her own skin...

"Inoue?"

She jolted out of her thoughts, blushing at the direction they had quickly started to head.

"Hai!"

She caught Tatsuki's amused gaze and turned a deep shade of red, slumping back in her seat in an attempt to hide behind a curtain of hair.

"Orihime here wants to ask for a second button-"

Orihime's eyes shot up to her friend, gaze turning pleading and somewhat mortified. Surely Tatsuki wouldn't-

"-from her crush." The girl finished, casting Orihime a teasing wink. And her embarrassment grew by leaps and bounds. Her hands came up to cover her cheeks, and she didn't dare to peek over at the substitute Shinigami.

"Eh? You like someone, Inoue?" He asked, sounding honestly surprised. And dare she hope, jealous. Though she could easily mistake it for protectiveness. He was just as protective as Tatsuki was, and the thought often warmed her heart.

It was Tatsuki who answered him, her voice casual with a light teasing tone to it.

"Oh yeah. She's liked him since she came to Karakura High. He's a total moron if you ask me though."

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked, turning his gaze to the girl in question as she hid behind her hands and hair. He could still see the rosy tint to her cheeks despite her attempts, and his gaze grew even more curious. And if she wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of something in his eyes bordering on jealousy.

Poor guy probably didn't even know it.

"T-Tatsuki-chan... please don't..." She whined softly, peeking up at her friend through her fingers. There was only pure embarrassment, and a slight fear that Ichigo would realize he was her crush. Although the likelihood was sadly low.

Tatsuki seemed to see this, and sent her a somewhat softer smile but continued none the less. Her mouth opened, prepared to give the grand slam-

"Oi! Get back in your seats!" Ochi-sensei strode into the room, unknowingly saving Orihime from a grand-slam Tatsuki had slowly been warming up to. With a reluctant sigh, the girl stood and gave the healer a squeeze on the shoulder. Ichigo leaned back in his seat, sporting an odd expression she couldn't quite place.

x-x-x

"Kurosaki-senpai!"

"Ah! Kurosaki-senpai!"

"Ku-ro-sa-ki... sen-pai!"

If one more person said his name like that he was going to snap. The girls in school had been going insane for the whole day, asking him non stop about the button on his shirt.

Why the hell do they want this thing so bad? Not that stupid middle school crap right? His fingers plucked at the button in question. He was tempted to just pluck it off and throw it off the roof. He couldn't see the allure of it that the opposite sex seemed to see. Vaguely he could remember girls cradling little buttons in their hands during middle school, seemingly elated that they had one. Any that didn't seemed bitter or downright upset.

He was starting to think he would be better of staying on the roof half an hour after school. At least then he would be less likely to run into anyone else. It was frustrating to think that his last day of school would be spent hiding out on the roof.

His fingers ran through his hair, brushing the wild locks back with a mental note to get his hair cut. It now came well to his jaw in his usual orange locks, just as it had by the end of the Winter War.

He glanced down to the front of the school, noticing that in his daze the final bell had already gone off. With a heavy sigh, he began to weigh his options. He could go down and brave the group of girls already circling the courtyard in search of him, or he could wait until they got tired and left.

There was no way he would get through to the gate before shouting at some poor girl.

The substitute groaned, resting his head on the railing to mentally curse his misfortune.

The door to the roof opened behind him, and his shoulders stiffened in preparation for more squealing-

"Oh? Kurosaki-kun?"

-and immediately relaxed as Orihime's gentle voice and warm reiatsu washed over him. His shoulders almost visibly slumped with relief.

"Hey, Inoue." He greeted, turning his head and nodding for her to join him near the rail. Not a moment later her delicate hands were holding onto the metal, curling around it as she brought her feet onto the lowest bar and peered over the edge.

The sight made him somewhat nervous, knowing how klutzy she could be.

"Are you alright, Kurosaki-kun?" She asked, voice filled with the warm concern that was purely Orihime.

He cast her a sideways glance, biting the side of his tongue as he caught sight of her long auburn hair as it seemed to nearly float in the breeze. Her eyes, an ever sweet stormy grey gazed at him with concern and the flicker of warmth that was somehow different when she looked at him.

Her gaze became more concerned as the seconds passed, and he hurried to come up with an excuse close enough to the truth to sneak by with. Her daydreams were as strange as her eating habits, but she was one of the most perceptive people he had ever met. Particularly when it came to the well-being of others.

"It's just hard to believe High School is almost over." And it was the truth. The four years had gone by so quickly it felt more like a blur than a life experience. Though the majority of it was overshadowed since he had first gained his powers.

Her gaze turned soft, eyes drifting back down to a group of students passing by below. Her lips quirked up just slightly at the corners, a vast different from her normal beaming smile. Such a melancholy expression on her face almost unnerved him, but her next words made him pause.

"I'm glad..."

Such a tiny murmur, he almost didn't catch it.

"Glad?" He repeated, thinking of all the things they had been through. All the things that he had put his friends through. Things he had put her through. Her brother coming back as a Hollow, leaving to the Soul Society to save Rukia, her kidnapping and his Hollowfication, the Winter War, and there after being forced to watch him daze through life for a year. Forcing her to protect herself, and grow when he knew he should have been there to protect her.

And yet, watching her lips lift into a smile that made his chest feel oddly tight. And these things suddenly seemed minimal to what she was about to say.

"I'm glad... I got to meet, and get to know so many wonderful people because of you, Kurosaki-kun..." she began, propping her elbow up on the rail and cupping her cheek lightly in her palm.

"Sado-kun, Ishida-kun, Rukia-chan, Renji-kun, Rangiku-san, Toshiro-kun... Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san... I've made such amazing friends." She giggled as though viewing a memory, clearly a happy one. Yet he found himself protesting.

"You could have lived normally, Inoue!" He protested automatically, wincing outwardly as the memory of seeing her between her own brothers hollowfied teeth flashed before his eyes."If I hadn't-"

Her hand came over his own, and he found himself locked in her gaze. Utterly captured in the warmth, and tenderness he hadn't seen since his mother had died. And then she said something he hadn't expected, no matter how he should have.

"I'm happy I met you, Kurosaki-kun."

Her eyes squinted just slightly as her smile grew, nearly overpowering the sun with its warmth and brilliance. Her cheeks, most likely flushed from the wind or her own words, had turned a pretty pink. She looked-

beautiful.

The thought floored the tight invisible band constricting his chest seemed to loosen ever so slightly. His face heated considerably, and for a small moment he had to struggle not to gape openly at her and his own sudden realization.

It was abrupt. Crazy even.

But she was beautiful. Inside, and out.

Her words had been laced with pure, unveiled truth. She fully believed and felt this way, so much so that she could openly admit it to him.

Yes, he had known for a while his own feelings regarding her. Though he hadn't known when exactly they started. He had always been protective of the Healer, insisting she stay back from battle. And eventually he realized it escalated to where he didn't want her going anywhere near battle unless he was there as well.

Although this blatantly failed when he all but ignored her after his powers vanished. He had left her, Chad and Ishida to pick up the Hollow watch. Of course she had to fight. And it was in the midst of gaining his fullbring powers that he realized just how much he actually cared for her. Rather than what he had labeled a crush, it seemed to be just somewhat stronger than that. Though he wasn't sure if he could quite call it love yet.

Yet.

Now, he had been sticking to her side as much as he could. At least when Tatsuki wasn't around to find it suspicious. He had a feeling she would gladly kick his ass to high heaven if she found out he was feeling any particular way toward Orihime.

Earlier, she had brought up Orihime's possible affections for a fellow classmate. And something had gnawed at his stomach at the idea. The image of her accepting a button from a faceless stranger, her eyes lighting up and the smile on her face growing with her blush ran through his mind. And unbidden, the same image came again. Only this time, he was the stranger. And her smile was directed towards him.

The girl in question seemed to slowly be turning a brilliant shade of red.

"K-Kurosaki-kun? Oh dear, I said something stupid again." Her hands rose up to her cheeks, her expression turning into that of embarrassment. "I-I didn't mean to say something weird! I'm sor-"

She didn't manage to get another word out as the door to the roof opened, cutting her off.

x-x-x

Oh she did it again! She made a fool of herself, and in front of him!

She had gotten weird again, and had said so many embarrassing things already. She wanted to sprint home now, crawl under her covers with her comfort foot - a bowl of cookie dough covered in syrup and mochi - and pray the little blue men took that part of his memory.

"Its not."

Her head snapped up, and her heart nearly stopped beating.

This was a face she hadn't seen before.

His eyes, though normally a hard chocolate, seemed to melt as he looked at her. Warming her cheeks even further as his lips lifted into a soft smile that took her breath away.

"Thank's, Inoue..."

Her hands waved in the air wildly.

"Oh you don't have to thank me! I'm only being honest!"

"Yeah..." He was still looking at her like that. In a way that made her heart flutter and her knees go weak.

Then he seemed to pause, his gaze flickering with something she couldn't identify before the familiar glint of determination flickered through his eyes. That stubborn set to his jaw was back. The same set he got every time he charged into battle.

She watched, her breath catching in her chest as Ichigo rose his hand up to his jacket, swiftly snapping off the second button off of his school jacket. He rolled the item between his fingers for a moment before speaking again.

"I... know you probably want to get one from the guy you like, but maybe you'll accept mine for now." His words, though confident, were also strangely awkward. As though he were afraid she'd deny him.

The blue men had invaded her brain. That must have been it. There was no way he would be offering what she thought he was. Surely he knew that the button meant. He had sisters after all. So the blue men must have snuck into her brain when she was daydreaming again. Clearly they had. They must be sawing at the little pieces in her skull now, working away the little nerves with their saws and-

His hand took her own, and she bit back a surprised squeak as the round object slid into her palm.

His button was in her hand! His second button!

Why? Why was it in her hand?

"Ah.. Inoue? A hand waved in front of her face and she jumped back to attention, turning a wide gaze back toward her crush, who stood looking almost as nervous as she felt.

"Y-Yes?" She stammered, her hand reflexively tightening its hold on the button as though afraid he might take it back. And truthfully, she really was afraid he would.

His hand rose to the back of his neck, gaze pulling away from hers. The nervous habit of his coming back as he seemed to struggle to figure out just what to say.

"Sorry... I uh..." He hesitated, seeming to choose his words carefully before starting again. "Guess it's awkward, huh?"

"No!" She protested immediately, clutching her closed fist holding the button up to her chest. "N-Not at all! But..."

His hand dropped from his neck, and he frowned. So quickly, she continued.

"But you're supposed to give it to a girl you-"

"Yeah." He cut her off, the red tinge to his cheeks growing stronger. The two of them were both red enough to give the color a new meaning.

He couldn't possibly mean...

Yet he didn't for a second look away.

x-x-x

He figured she'd deny the button and tell him she was waiting for her prince charming to show up with his special button made of gold.

He didn't expect her to smile, and nod enthusiastically while clutching the button to her chest like a lifeline. Tears leaked from her eyes, but he knew they were the happy kind.

"T-Thank you Kurosaki-kun."

No, he most certainly didn't expect to realize he was in love.

You know, I think I really struggle writing from a female perspective. Pardon the OCness, and don't forget to review!

Aurona X