Undone... (A closed Ichihime story)

Lil' summary (On Orhime's side)

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Her return

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It was the first day of college, and Kurosaki Ichigo was gonna be late if he kept on sleeping. His father entered his room and tried to kick him, but before his kick landed, he grabbed his leg and threw him out the window. He then stretched, realized the time, and quickly got ready. He got a piece of toast and went outside.

He was just gonna call Tatsuki when he saw her running towards his house. "Hey Tatsuki! You're late!"

She arrived next to him, and whacked him over the head. "I just saw Orihime with the guys. What are you gonna wait for to talk to her?"

He sighed. He felt very strongly for her. But she had left. He had tried to get in touch with her at the beginning, but it seemed she didn't feel the same. It had seemed she did, once. Now he wasn't sure.

He turned towards Tatsuki, then began walking towards college. "I don't know... Is she going to college too?"

Tatsuki fell into step besides him. "Yeah, she is. She's with Chad and Ishida. What are you gonna do when you see her?"

Kurosaki looked down, thoughtful. "I don't know. I'll let whatever happens happen."

Walking in silence, they arrived at college, and walked towards their classroom. They took the first class together, so they both went inside the classroom, and sat.

Art class with Uryuu

Orihime walked towards the building with Uryuu in relative awkward silence, till she broke the silence. “How’ve you and Iaka been?” She asked looking towards him with a smile. “She moved away to go to school… We still talk but we’re not dating.” He answered pushing his glasses up his nose as he often did when he felt a little awkward. She glanced to him with a small giggle as they’d walked into their class, taking a seat at a table in the back of the room Uryuu sat besides her noticing the butterflies on her torso. Is that real? He asked seeming to stare too long at her blushing as he looked up to her face.

She giggled nodding, “Yea Sazuka got it for me for my birthday, he knew a guy so it was cheap. Plus it kind of hides the scar…” She mumbled the last part remembering her brother before Ichigo helped him pass on. Shaking the memory from her mind she smiled looking at the easel in front of her. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the drawing type.” She giggled, he shrugged, ya need something in art even though it has nothing to do with the major.” He sighed with a shrug.

“Inoue… Why didn’t you keep in touch with Ichigo?” He asked looking towards the ginger haired girl who seemed to stiffen at the mention of the name. Biting her lip she let out a breath. “I couldn’t…” She muttered. “It was weird between us with how I felt towards him. I know it confused him. He liked Rukia… But I just couldn’t talk to him knowing he didn’t like me the way he liked me... Plus, I still feel bad for all the trouble and pain I put him through.” She answered solemnly.

“Are you going to talk to him now? He felt hurt that you talked to everyone but him.” He told her making her look away feeling bad. “I didn’t know.” She told him. “I guess we’ll see how things work out. If I see him, if he wants to talk to me; I’m… not gonna run away.” She said trying to sound sure of herself.

Class went by in relative quiet. Ichigo and Tatsuki had been friends for many years, so Tatsuki didn't need to ask to know that Ichigo's thought were still on Orihime. She could see in the set of his shoulders and the vacant expression in his eyes that he was seeing her, not the classroom or it's occupants.

Similarly, she didn't have to say that she was concerned about the whole thing. She knew, being friends to both Ichigo and Orihime, how they both felt. They just had to get past the akwardness of her departure, and realize that it doesn't affect how they both feel for each other.

But Tatsuki also knew that the only way that would happen was by itself. Neither would look for the other. So she just waited, offering her support as best she could.

The class was dismissed, and they both got up for the next one. Ichigo's eyes ran through all the students outside, as if looking for someone. And at that moment Tatsuki realized that, even though Ichigo wasn't sure of how to deal with his feelings for Orihime, he wanted to. His gaze looked for her as surely as he breathed.

Class drags on

Orihime sat quietly beside Uryuu as the class had began, the teacher an older woman told them the kinds of projects they’d be doing and handed out a syllabus, and a list of supplies, and went through the basics on what they’d be doing it wasn’t anything special. Orihime doodled on her notebook finding her mind stuck on Ichigo. Shaking her head she heard the teacher letting them out. Getting to her feet she looked towards Uryuu who decided to wait for her.

“Thanks Uryuu.” She smiled pulling her bag over her shoulder walking beside him as they’d left the room walking down the hallway. “Later we should all go to the library and get our books and supplies together.” She said with a nod crossing her arms in front of her as she walked.

“It seems like I’ve been gone forever. Everyone’s changed so much.” She said softly. “A lot of things have.” She nodded again, “What’s your next class?” She asked looking up towards the black haired boy as he pushed his glasses up. “Geometry.” He replied; she nodded absently. “Well I’ve got… English.” She told him after fishing her own schedule from her bag. “I hope Tatsuki or Chad have that class, or someone I know.” She sighed with a slight pout as they walked outside, not paying attention to where she was going she’d walked into someone, Uryuu just stood beside her watching the scene.

“I’m so sorry,” She said with an apologetic bow. Looking up she saw a tall red head and Tatsuki in front of her. “Kurosaki… I…“ She muttered not sure what to say. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” Seh apologized quickly wanting to run but not wanting to seem like a jerk. From what Uryuu said she'd hurt him and she really didn't mean to. "I'm sorry..." She repeated this time for the pain she'd caused him but he wouldn't know that looking away from him.

He had seen her, coming out of a classroom with Uryuu. He froze where he was, marveling at how much she had changed, she had grown out of her physical akwardness into a very graceful and supple body, to gauge by how she moved. Her hair was beautiful, and the butterflies on her skin were a wonderful touch, doing much to take the eyes away from the scar that was the only fault on her beauty.

Yet, as he stood there, transfixed, she walked closer. Yet he was so entranced by her, by the existence of her, by the vision she represented in his life, that it was as much a surprise for him as it was for her when she bumped into him, snapping him out of his reverie.

She seemed stunned, like he had been. She apologized, but the bump was irrelevant. "It's ok, Orihime. You bumping into things is something pretty expected." He smiled, his joke born of desperation and discomfort. He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know how to cut through the silence.

Onto the next class... hello Kurosaki

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He looked at her, and somehow wondered why hadn't he seen her like this before. Sure, she was clumsy, distracted, and sometimes a bit slow on the uptake, but her heart was wonderfully pure, she was caring, beautiful, and very honest. How had he missed it?

"Hi, Orihime. I've been ok, nothing special..." He felt dumbstruck, having difficulty with his sentences. Her eyes met his, and he looked in her eyes as if for the first time. "Umm, yeah, class. I have Poetry next... what about you?"

An awkward moment, an annoying fanboy

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Restarting

After the arrancar’s Orihime felt responsible for a lot of ichigo’s pain and trouble. She tried to pretend like nothing had happened, but she couldn’t it had been leaked her feelings for him. Though it was no secret to everyone else Ichigo was a little dense in that respect. He was surprised and didn’t know how to respond. He liked her, she was his friend but he didn’t know if he could say he loved her. She felt rejected on top of everything else she’d felt and Karakura town and found Sazuka one of her brother’s old friends; and lived with him while she finished high school. She kept in contact with a few of her friends but not Ichigo; she didn’t know what to say to him. But Uryuu kept her up to date on him. Letting her know things like when he had a girlfriend, when he was single when he’d done something stupid in school or with one of the few hollows that passed through.

A little over 2 long years she was away, but now that she’s out of high school she’s decided to come back, with some insistence from her friends.

That’s when the fun begins she’s going to the local college moving back into her old apartment. And eventually meets Ichigo again…