Tying the Knot: Part 1

It started out as any other ordinary day. Orihime got up, stretched, bounced out of bed, started getting ready for the day and went about putting together a decent breakfast before it hit her. She was getting married in less than 6 hours.

Glancing down at her hand, she smiled and caressed the ring fitted to her finger that had been painstakingly chosen and even given by her long-loved fiancé. Sometimes it still gave her pause when Orihime considered that despite all that had happened to them over the years and all the crazy situations she had sometimes put him into, Ichigo wanted her to be his wife. In high school, before Ichigo had really started to notice her as anything other than a friend and somewhat of a comrade-in-arms (loosely used term of course, due to the fact that most of her time had been spent healing rather than hacking which was just as important if not more so), Orihime had sometimes daydreamed about dating Ichigo, getting married and spending the rest of their life together, but today that dream would become reality.

When they had finally graduated high school, Orihime had decided that while she could still love Ichigo as a friend, she would have to stop obsessing over him since it didn't seem that he would ever return her feelings. She had made a resolution to always be there for Ichigo as a friend whenever he needed her, just like she would do for any of her other friends. However, the rest of her friends had other plans since they all had known from the beginning how Orihime felt about Ichigo and they Ichigo discover that Orihime could be more than just a good friend. One thing led to another and now today Orihime would become Ichigo's bride.

Orihime was snapped out of her reverie by a firm knock on her door and a voice calling, "Orihime! You'd better be up by now! We need to get going!"

Jogging to the door, Orihime opened it with a glowing face and said, "Good morning, Tatsuki! Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Tatsuki sighed, "You're the only one I know that would call weather like this beautiful. Have you even looked outside?"

Looking over Tatsuki's shoulder, Orihime saw gray clouds covering the sky with darker ones a little farther in the distance before she responded, "Maybe it'll clear up later and even if it doesn't, we'll be inside and the flowers and plants will love a fresh drink of water."

Tatsuki stepped inside and gave Orihime a light bump on her shoulder, "Leave it to you to see the bright side on a dark and stormy night."

"But it's not nighttime, it's daytime."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject, "You need to finish getting dressed, otherwise I can't help you get ready."

Orihime looked at herself and realized that she was wearing her pajama bottoms, a peach colored shirt, mismatched socks and only one hairpin in her hair.

"I've heard brides can be jittery on the day of their wedding, but this…" Tatsuki gestured to Orihime's strange attire, "…this is just ridiculous even for you."

Orihime grinned and twirled in a circle, "You don't think I could start a new fashion trend?"

Tatsuki rubbed her forehead, "As strange and scary as it is, you actually could manage to do it."

Putting her hands in her hips Tatsuki ordered, "Enough fooling around. We've got things to get done and not nearly enough time to finish if you lollygag around here any longer."

Orihime saluted and started marching towards her bedroom when she heard Tatsuki call out, "Watch out!"

Before she had time to react, Orihime stepped on a magazine that had been tossed on the floor, slipped and was about to knock her head against the doorway when Tatsuki grabbed the back of Orihime's shirt and right arm and pulled her out of harm's way.

"Would you be more careful? How many times do I have to tell you not to leave stuff all over the floor?"

Orihime replied feebly, "Lots?"

"More times than I'd like to count!"

Tatsuki helped Orihime to her feet before she grumbled, "I almost feel sorry for Ichigo if he's going to have to spend most of your first year together keeping you from breaking half the furniture in the house, not to mention cracking open your own skull from all the slips and near falls you seem to have."

Orihime wrung her hands sheepishly, "You and Ichigo really do a lot for me. I wish I could do half as much for you as you do for me."

Tatsuki looked at Orihime for a long while before she wrapped her arms around her closest friend, "The best thing you can do for us is to never stop seeing the silver lining in any situation. And also, never change your laugh or smile."

Orihime put her arms around her best friend and said, "Thank you for everything, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki pulled away and said brusquely, "We need to get going. Just don't rush and injure yourself, otherwise Ichigo will never forgive me."