Disclaimer: All characters belong to the almighty and all powerful Kubo Tite. Story is mine. No stealypoo! *death glare*


"AH!" She stares in shock as he offers his hand in a gentleman's gesture to the fallen girl with a not so gentlemanly look on his face. Before she can think, who-knows-what comes spilling out of her mouth as she runs away backwards arms flailing in all sorts of directions at a now very perplexed young man.

"Argh!" She banged her fists on her head. He probably believes she's scared of him now, perhaps she is a little; but more than that there's something else that makes her act even more ditzy than usual when she's around him. She cannot put her finger on what it is about that boy that gives her such foreign feelings. Sigh. Speaking of feelings, her stomach feels like grocery shopping! What to get? Leeks, bean paste, wasabi, rice…maybe experiment with some new spices…

SQUEEL.

"Owee…"

"Inoue!"

Huh? That sounds like Ichigo. "Hey! Ichigo!"

And a girl's voice? Ichigo is with a girl…what…that…why does my chest hurt? What? Why are my eyes suddenly watering? Have to get up…I'm fine…Put on your happy face Orihime…Can't make him worry...

She suddenly bounds off of the pavement, grabbing her groceries, and proclaiming that she has never felt so fine in all her life…wow, Ichigo's friend is so pretty…a real dark beauty…erk, what is wrong with my chest? The car did not even scrape me…maybe Tatsuki was right about easing up on wasabi powder…it did feel like something grabbed my leg pulling me from the car's path…Ichigo? No, he was too far away…little blue men? Nooo...they're too small, right?


Sigh

"Geez Orihime! Could you give me a more depressing sigh? What's with you…nevermind…I don't even have to ask…it's him again isn't it?"

The grey eyed beauty blinked several times as her friend broke her from her reverie. "Oh! I'm so sorry Tatsuki! I was just…just…reliving some old memories." She smiled brightly at her friend and then turned back to stare at the sunset. How much time had passed since that innocent and blissfully ignorant day?

When her worst problem was trying new recipes without offending her friends' more delicate stomachs.

When her now excruciatingly painful and stubbornly undying love was a mere curious chest pain.

No! She violently shook her head to herself unaware of her best friend's piercing stare. I can't think this way! Back then I didn't know all the wonderful people I know now like Ishida and Sado and Renji and…and…Rukia…

Slap! Stop it! Baka…Rukia is your best friend as well. And she loves Renji…but Ichigo…he…he probably still…

"Orihime?"

"Eek!" Orihime practically jumps into the river. She had once again forgotten her friend in her thoughts.

"Orihime! Are you all right? Maybe you should talk to me instead of slapping yourself."

"Oh! Ahahahaha…that was just…just…a new endurance trick…ah…you know, for the athletic festival coming up at school I need to be in tip top shape and I'm just concentrating to get focused and make sure I make my class proud. What are you going to do Tatsuki? I really want to do the food eating contest. Do you suppose they'll let me bring my own bean paste to add to the contest food? I could eat a horse if it was covered in bean paste! Or an elephant! Or a blue whale! Or…or…what's bigger than a blue whale? Tatsuki?"

Tatsuki just sat and stared at her auburn haired friend with deep concern. She knew her friend's heart was twice the size of a blue whale and had always known that when she fell in love it would be a massive and profound love. Tatsuki just never imagined it would be with her punk friend, Ichigo. Nor did she imagine it would not be returned. Somehow, she didn't quite believe Orihime's insistence that Ichigo was in love with the transfer student. For one, Ichigo treated Rukia about the same as he treated her…and he was definitely not in love with her. And when Rukia suddenly transferred out she didn't notice any change in his demeanor, if anything he was more relaxed. Ever since Orihime had returned from her elusive and sudden "vacation," she seemed to carry this heavy burden that she could not shake no matter how hard she tried…I have to do something…I have to help her...but how?

Tatsuki's gone quiet…is she sleeping…I have to wake her up in time for her practice…I have to forget him…why oh why can I not forget him…I need to find someone else, yeah, someone to replace…"Oh!"…ah, my heart feels like it's going to shatter into a million pieces…am I not even free to love someone else…I don't even want to love someone else…but this unrequited love…it's like my heart is constantly on the brink of breaking…breaking would be a relief…but it never does…it has a million and one cracks, but it refuses to break no matter how bad the pain…

She shuts her eyes against the pain and tries to steer her thoughts down a less agonizing path…I know, what should I fix for dinner…I'll invent a new recipe…


"Mmm…eh?" Orihime slowly opens her sleepy eyes to a dark, star-lit ceiling. I fell asleep?! Oh no! Tatsuki had practice tonight, she didn't stay out of fear of waking me up did she…she turns her head to look at where Tatsuki had lain only to be met with an empty patch of flattened grass…oh I see, then I'm alone. Rats. I need to get home fast.

Growl. Eeps and my stomach agrees with me! I wonder what time…

Chuckle

"EH?!" For the second time that day she almost met her fate with the river below.

"Such a small stomach and it growls louder than a hollow!"

Orihime whips her head to her other side to be met with a smirking, orange haired prince sprawled out on the grass next to her with his hands casually behind his head and staring up at her. No way! Thank God that it's dark out so he can't see me blushing brighter than a strawberry…oh he's laying right next to me…eek! And he heard my stomach! How embarrassing! But he did say my stomach was small…oh my gosh, how much hotter can my face get?! Stop it Orihime! Act casual. He's your friend! Who saved your life! Several times…just like a real prince…Argh! No! Friend friend friend! Okay…casual…

"K-k-k-k-k-kurosaki-kun?! W-w-w-what are you….um…h-h-hi?!" Oh great job Hime, real cool. This isn't at all weird.

Orihime's adjusted eyes make out a frown replacing the smirk on her prince's face. "How come you're stuttering so badly? Are you cold? Are you shivering? I'm sorry I didn't have more than my jacket for a blanket…"

She looks down and realizes his jacket is covering her…I guess my face can get hotter…at this point her heart isn't just beating fast, it's skipping beats to keep up with how fast her heart is pounding out of her chest. Warmth? My arms…she looks up…huh? When'd he get over here and why is he grasping my arms? Oh no…my brain is going into overload.

"Inoue? Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't even think about how cold it could get next to the river at night. Inoue?"

Concern…the concern in his voice is…sigh...is exactly what he would have for any of his friends, Orihime. Get a hold of yourself…"Kurosaki-kun. I'm fine, really! And thank you for the jacket." She holds it out for him. "I don't feel cold at all, I was just startled. Thank you, but what are you doing here?"

Ichigo reluctantly releases her arms and takes his jacket, still frowning in concern. "I was passing by when I saw you and Tatsuki. She said she had to go to practice but didn't want to wake you because you haven't been getting much sleep lately. So I offered to stay till you woke up. What's this about not sleeping? Is everything okay? How come you're not sleeping?"

He offered to stay till I…she shook herself…friends…"Oh thank you so much, Kurosaki-kun! But you should have just woken me up. Really I'm fine. I really should be getting home now. What time is it?" Hopefully he drops the insomnia questions…I can't lie to him, but I can't tell him the reason I'm not sleeping is him.

Ichigo's frown deepens as he reaches into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone. "It's a little after midnight."

"EEK! No way! Oh my gosh Ichigo I am so sorry! You really should have woken me up. Were you really out here all that time?!"

"Don't worry about it, I caught a few z's myself. But don't think you'll slip by my question that easily. Why aren't you sleeping? Is it because of Hueco Mundo? You never talk about what happened there. I know I'm probably not the person you really want to talk to about that stuff, but I really care about you Inoue and I don't want to see you silently suffering all by yourself. I'm here if you need to talk."

His hand is on mine. When did it get there?

"U-um. Thank you Kurosaki-kun but really I…I…" Shit! No tears. Stop that! Don't give in to his kindness. Damnit! Thank God it's dark…hopefully he won't see these stupid tears that fell out. His hand is on mine and he said he cared about me…too much…too much…

"Inoue."

"…I'm fine!" Orihime punches her fist into the air. "Just too much wasabi and bean paste probably. Eheheheheh…Well we should probably get going…"

Not dark enough. He saw the tears. He couldn't help but reach out and try to catch them with his fingers. But that only seemed to make the tears come faster. He'd had a hole blown into his chest by an espada, but it wasn't even in the same league as the pain that the sight of his beautiful girl's crying face struggling to smile. His? Where did that come from? She's not yours…baka…

Who knew calloused fingers could feel so heavenly? Why won't my tears stop?

They aren't slowing down. What do I do? My mind's gone blank...I have to fix this. "Orihime." He went with grabbing and embracing her. Her body is trembling…her body…shit…what did I just call her?

My first name. His fingers on my cheeks are heavenly, so what's higher than heaven. His voice saying my first name. What's higher than heaven? I can't think of anything. All I can think of are his fingers. What could be better than this? …Oh, this is. His arms around me is…is…his arms are around me.

He felt her arms against his sides and then her hands grasping the back of his shirt. I have to stop her tears…she's too precious to me. When she was kidnapped I thought I would go mad. It was as if I was dead to everything else until she was safe. Nothing else mattered. I went against soul society; I would go against the world if I had to. But…she's just a friend…I did the same for Rukia and I would do the same for any of my friends…no, something was different…if she…if something…without Orihime my life is over…wait…what am I saying…it sounds like I…he felt her hands grasp his shirt even tighter…Orihime…

I knew he smelled good but…this close…it's as if I'm surrounded and filled by his scent…his chest feels so broad…so strong…so safe…his arms…I wish I could be held in them like this for eternity…I wouldn't need anything else…can I hold him tighter? Why can I not seem to get close enough to him?

He felt her body pressing closer to his. Seeing is nothing compared to feeling. Everything about her is perfect. I want to pull her closer. Why can I not seem to get close enough to her?

I shouldn't. Orihime you really need to pull away from him. His heart isn't yours. Pull away before you do something stupid…pull away before you say something stupid…Come on Orihime…pull away and tell him thank you, you feel better, you should be getting home, yadda yadda yadda…

He feels her pull away…was it this cold out here before? So empty…why is she pulling away…

"I love you." Gasp! Orihime's hand clamps over her mouth…what? Please tell me I didn't just say that! What happened to the "I feel better, yadda, yadda, yadda" stuff?! Oh man my face is on fire…I have to get out of here…run…

"I love you too" I…that…did I just say…but it…it felt like the most natural thing to say. It is as if this feeling had been residing inside of me just waiting for the opportunity to bubble over. Who knew? I felt so shocked when she told me she loved me…she loves me…she loves me…but it felt so natural to say it back to her. I really love her. I, Kurosaki Ichigo love Inoue Orihime. And she loves me…Orihime loves me. "Hahahahaha!"

She's too stunned to function. Did he say he loves her? Laughing? Wha…

Ichigo grabs her up in princess fashion and swings her around laughing at the crazy, unexpected joy he suddenly feels. Anybody that saw him would be convinced he had suddenly been possessed by a lovesick idiotic spirit. This couldn't really be the constantly scowling Kurosaki Ichigo giddily twirling around in the grass!

Am I still breathing? Maybe I'm dreaming and I'll soon wake up on the hillside next to Tatsuki…Ichigo…. "Ichigo…"

He stops. He looks at his princess…wait she's frowning…

"Ichigo…what did you just say?"

Realization hits. I've only just found out that I'm madly and irrevocably in love with her, but could she have already known she loved me? She…her sleepless nights…could they…he sobers…"I love you, Orihime. I've only in the past few moments come to realize it. And I've never been in love before, but these feelings are so overpowering and all-consuming that I can't be mistaken."

"C-can you say it again?"

"I love you, Orihime."

The tears began their traitorous descent once again. Ichigo gently sets her on her feet. Her tears again…he takes her face in his hands and leans down to kiss away the tears…so many tears…he desperately tries to kiss them away…her hands are gripping the front of his shirt…

He follows a tear's path down her cheek to her softly waiting lips and presses his lips against them. He tastes the salt on her lips. I want to take away all her sorrow. He gently licks her upper lip, then her bottom…her mouth opens ever so slightly and he deepens the kiss.

Arms encircle each other's bodies in complete bliss.

Ichigo kisses so sweetly…

Her mouth tastes like strawberries…

Their tongues dance as they explore each other's mouths for the first time. The gentleness and curiousness is fading into passion.

Orihime can't get enough of his taste…what is this taste? Whatever it is I'm already addicted to it. She feels his hands move slowly up and down her back, his hot hands setting fire to the nerves on her back. She squirms to get closer to him, molding her body to his…can't get close enough…

He feels her breasts firm against his chest; her hips against his hips, her hands have moved up and are stroking his hair. His every cell is aware of her and her every move. He feels the blood surge to his nether region. Shit. He feels her body squirm against his, her tongue passionately rubbing against his …oh God she's sucking on my tongue. Where did she learn this? It feels incredible…His mind inadvertently wanders to where else those soft lips could make good work…

She feels him hardening against her and is amazed at her body as it begins grinding against him. She hears him let out a low growl and smiles in satisfaction until he grips her shoulders and struggles to gently push her back. She gazes at him in confusion.

"Orihime, we shouldn't go any further. If we do…I…I won't be able to hold back." She can feel his gaze piercing her in the darkness. She hears his heavy breathing, very similar to hers. She doesn't want to stop. She's waited too long. Why put off the inevitable any longer? I don't want anymore heartache.

"Do you have protection?"

Her blurted question startles him, "A-ah, well, y-yes…y-you see my dad always makes m-"

"Then I don't want to stop. I've waited so long already. U-unless you want to wait."

He could hardly believe the words that were coming out of this woman…oh how he loved her. He slammed her body into his and smashed her lips in a passionate kiss. "No more waiting," he mumbled into her lips. His hands were around her waist and then moved tentatively up to caress the most beautiful breasts in Karakura Town. His breasts.

"Mmmm" He smiled into their kiss and mumbled, "Your voice is so sexy." He felt her embarrassment and simply kissed her deeper and he felt all shyness leave him as her voice unwittingly lured him into massaging her harder. "Ah…mmm…" He smiled again. She's trying to hold her voice back but to no avail. His hands traveled back down to her waist and moved under her shirt…

For a second rational thought invades, "Ah! Wait, Kurosaki-kun, shouldn't we move to someplace else. Someone will see us out here!"

"It's so late; no one will be out here. I want to make love to you right here, under the stars," he gently kissed her astonished mouth, "And my name's Ichigo" he rasped, recapturing her lips and continuing his ascent to her white lace covered mountains. "Ah!" His hands lightly caressed her breasts before completely removing her shirt. He gazed at her perfect body glowing in the moonlight. He blessed the gods that it was a full moon. "Beautiful," he breathed. Her heart leaped, as if it hadn't leaped enough already in the past eternal minutes. Her beloved called her beautiful. But her beloved also had too many clothes on…

She placed her hands on his chest and snaked them down to his waist. Grasping the hem of his shirt she pulled it off and over his head, throwing it aside. She gazed in awe at the battle toned body before her. "Amazing," she managed to hoarse out. Now it was Ichigo's turn to blush. He grabbed her by the waist pulling her into a passionate kiss. He moved away from her mouth and down her jaw line then making her a necklace of kisses with an occasional bruised jewel to mark her as his...His…

They sunk down onto his jacket and he gently pushed on her stomach to lay her on her back while cradling her head. His arm snaked round her back and snapped open her bra with a flick of his fingers. Orihime groaned in relief of freeing her already swelling breasts that yearned for more of Ichigo's touch. He yanked off the inhibiting cloth and again gazed in amazement at the beautiful girl below him. He grasped one breast in his hand and began to massage it, taking his finger and running it over the already perked nipple. "Ah…mmm….Ichigo…" He felt himself practically bursting the seams of his pants as he leaned down and kissed her heart. He kissed a trail to her nipple and then took it in his mouth as his hand massaged the other breast.

Is this really happening? Ichigo is fondling and kissing my breasts, I've never felt anything like this before. Her fingers grabbed at his back and his hair, urging him to keep going. Not one to leave a job unfinished, Ichigo left the right breast and kissed a trail to the left nipple and repeating the sensual play. Her moans alone could send him into ecstasy.

He continued with his trail of kisses, this time moving south across her firm stomach stopping before the waistband of her pants. Growling, he all but ripped off her pants and gaped at her womanhood hidden beneath white lacy panties. He resisted the urge to tear them off with his teeth and instead began kissing her just above her kneecap, not stopping till just before her sex and then repeated with the other leg. She groaned and squirmed in frustration, "Please…Ichigo…don't tease…" He smiled and grasped the white lace with his hand and ripped them off her causing her to gasp in shock and pleasure. He leaned down and kissed the tuft of hair getting a whiff of her smell and moving down so he could taste…

"AH!" His lips are on her...his tongue snaked out to taste her. He flicked his tongue all around her, exploring, learning; then he found her button and began to suck on it. "OH! Aaaaah! Don't stop!!" Apparently he had discovered quite a button and he continued to suck as he got his fingers involved sticking one into her opening and causing a groan to escape her lips he began to thrust in and out as sucked on her nub. She's so wet…he slipped another finger in there…unbelievably tight…will I fit? "Ah! Ah!" He could hear her breathing turn into panting and the moans and gasps more frequent. "AH! Ichigo!" She moaned his name and stifled screams as he sent her over the edge. He slipped his fingers out and quickly lapped up her sap that flowed out. God she tasted amazing. He slid up and kissed her gently on her quivering and swollen lips. Her eyes looked hazy and overwhelmed with pleasure in the dim light. She soon turned a hungry gaze back to Ichigo and places her hand on his chest, pressing him down.

"Now you."

Ichigo got lost in the pleasure of her kisses across his chest and stomach. He let out low growls as she flicked her tongue at his nipples. Metal clinked as she hurriedly unbuckled and undid his pants whipping them off with amazing speed to see the tent he had made in his boxers. She slowly lifted them off and gazed at him…so big…she suddenly had the urge to kiss it, and then she licked it, tasting Ichigo for the first time. She heard him release a loud groan in response and grinned. She took him into her mouth and pumped as much of him as she could, grasping the rest with her hand and circling and pumping him firmly. "Ergh. Orihime!" Ichigo let out his own deep moans of pleasure as he said her name over and over again, tangling his fingers in her silky hair. He felt her drink as much of him as she could and lick up the rest as he stroked her head.

"O-Orihime, you are incredible." She beamed in response, happy that she could give him as much pleasure as he gave her.

Their lips met again and Ichigo flipped Orihime onto her back and began kissing her all over her now slick body. Orihime felt herself getting wet again just at the mere brushes of his lips on her skin. It didn't take much for Ichigo either. Looking at her lust-filled face and naked body after she'd sucked him dry was enough to harden him rock solid in almost an instant.

She felt him get rougher and she returned the passion. They had given each other immense pleasure but they needed more. They needed to get closer…

Ichigo fondled and sucked her breasts until she was almost at an orgasm again then he stopped and looked into her eyes with a questioning look. She nodded. This was what they had been waiting for. This is what they needed.

Ichigo quickly slipped on the condom and then teased her opening. She groaned and lifted her hips in response. He took a deep breath and slowly entered her. She gasped and he could see the pain on her face.

"Orihime," Christ, he hated hurting her…

"I'm…I'm fine Ichigo. Keep going," She gasped. He obeyed and thrust a little further. "Dee-deeper Ichigo." He more than willingly obeyed. It was all he could do not to thrust all the way to her womb. He gently, slowly moved back and forth until she moaned, "Aaaah, Ichigo, faster!" The thrusts became a rapid rhythm as he obeyed her passionate cries. He felt a deep heat building up rapidly.

The pain was shocking, but it soon gave way to intense pleasure. This wasn't just getting closer, this was becoming one. He was deep within her and she surrounded him. "Ah! I-Ichigo…I love you!"

"I love you!"

Sweet words said as he felt her tighten even more around him. He couldn't hold back much longer. "Orihime!"

"Don't stop!"

He groaned as he went faster trying to hold back. "Ah! Orihime, I'm cumming"

"Mmm! Ah! Me too Ichigo! Aaaaahhh!! ICHIGO!!"

He growled into her shoulder as he let go and then lay panting into the crook of her neck. She lay panting and stroking his hair as his head lay on her shoulder.

"Th-that was…mind-blowing."

"Mmm…yeah"

They lay there in the moonlight holding and caressing each other and basking in the warm glow of love and pleasure. Sleep tried to overtake them but they had to get back before the city began to stir. They hurriedly dressed and began the walk home, hand in hand.

Something suddenly occurred to Ichigo and he chuckled.

Orihime looked at him curiously.

"Um, Orihime?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go out with me?"

"Ah….hahahaha. Hmm, why I don't know…this is so sudden, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo let out a low laugh that turned into a growl as her let go of her hand and pulled her close to his side and murmured into her hair, "Ichigo. My name's Ichigo."

Orihime giggled and reached up to lovingly kiss her prince, "I love you so much, Ichigo."

He kissed back and sighed, "Ditto, Orihime."

"Oh and by the way, you owe me a new pair of panties."

Ichigo blushed at the realization. Shit. She's not wearing any panties right now… "Sorry, Orihime. Looks like this'll be another sleepless night for you."

"Eh?"

The End


Ah there it is, my first fanfic written on a sudden whim in the wee hours of the morning after reading a bunch of fanfics. Yes, my first fanfic *fidgets nervously* so I would love your reviews...constructive criticism please :D

Of course this is about my favorite couple, Ichihime; but I don't quite get how it turned so smutty *cherry red face* Apparently I'm a pervert? Le sigh...ah well. I really hope you enjoyed it. Will I write more? I don't know...guess it depends on whether you like it. I look forward to your thoughts!