Industrial Lighting, pt. 2 (Bleach, Ichigo/Orihime, #5)
Title: Industrial Lighting, pt. 2
Author: k_puff
Pairing: Ichigo/Orihime
Fandom: Bleach
Theme: #5, "Hey, you know..."
Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Bleach.
Notes: This is sort of a sequel to another 30_kisses I did, which can be found in the community's Memories if you feel so inclined. Also, the beginning has some Renji/Rukia in it. That wasn't planned, but when I started writing it just sort of...happened. ^_^;; So, two pairings for the fic of one! ^^
Ichigo was jolted from his thoughts when the subway slowed down with a piercing screech. He stepped off and hustled away, adopting the usual walking position: head down, hands in pockets, shoulders forward. Ichigo had a distinct advantage in this because of his rather pointy shoulders and elbows, a side effect of being unusually scrawny for his age.
His feet led him to his workplace on the seedier side of Amity Park. The small coffee shop used to be surrounded by thriving foliage and bright flowers. Over time, however, the plants had died away to leave the area depressingly bare. This would have slowed down business considerably, except that the nearby university happened to install a bus stop nearby just before the last winter stormed through. After that fortunate windfall, the coffee shop was just able to stay out of the hole.
Ichigo blew through the door, accompanied by a small jingling sound. He threw his jacket and cassette player behind the counter and donned his apron in one smooth, practiced motion. "Hey, Renji."
His only other workmate just grunted back at him, barely turning around from a cappuccino he was frothing. Ichigo glanced at him, then to a small table by the window. It was empty right now, but he knew that it would be occupied soon, and when she got there, her coffee would already be waiting for her.
"Why do you do that? Maybe today will be the day she doesn’t show."
"She’ll come," said Renji. "She does every morning."
"Then just let her order!" Ichigo shot back, but Renji pointedly ignored him as he walked around the counter to set the drink down on the table, taking great care not to disturb the fern he had just created on the foam.
"Let it lie, alright Kurosaki?" Renji asked as he turned back around to the counter.
Ichigo would have responded with the clever retort already forming in his mind, but just then the door jingled with the beginning of their morning rush. The next twenty minutes were busy with familiar faces and familiar orders. Renji took some time to chat with a few of his favorite customers, but Ichigo toeing the fine line between friendly conversation and keeping aloof. He wasn’t a big chatter. Every day he told himself that it was time to quit, and move on to another job. Every day he did this right when he walked through the door in the morning. Every day he was simply too lazy to turn back around and walk away.
He knew that she’d arrived when he heard the door jingle, followed by Renji quieting down considerably. Ichigo looked up simply out of habit. It was her, all right: she had black hair down to a little bit past her chin (with a single renegade lock left hanging in her face), a stack of books bundled in her arm, a red scarf, and the saddest eyes that Ichigo had ever seen. Ichigo’s gaze shifted to the side to watch Renji, who was simply standing there, watching her with a strange look on his face. This was the only part of Ichigo’s day when he ever saw this look come across his decisive, stubborn friend. Only ever when that girl walked into their shop and sat, all by herself at her table. Her expression didn’t even change when Renji started having her drink ready for her and waiting when she got there. Ichigo got the jeeblies when he thought about it for too long; that girl felt dangerous, somehow.
The days always followed the same pattern: the morning rush that lasted from 6 to 8, the midmorning rush just before 11, the midday rush from 4 to 6, and finally the late-night rush (of students preparing for all-nighters) at 8 until they closed at 9. It was right before the midmorning rush that the new girl came in.
Ichigo recognized her immediately; it was hard to mistake that rack. It was the same girl he had seen on the subway that morning, and sure enough her black-haired friend was right behind her. The redhead took a deep breath of coffee-scented air and swept her eyes around the shop curiously. Ichigo tried to look away in a disinterested manner, but she caught his gaze before he could even shift his weight. Her grin widened until it almost split her face in half, and she grabbed her friend’s arm excitedly. "Tasuki! Tasuki, look! It’s that guy from the subway this morning!" She skipped over to where Ichigo was standing behind the counter, extending a hand happily. "We were never properly introduced, were we? My name’s Orihime."
Ichigo eyed her hand warily. Why was this girl in a coffee shop, seeing as how she already seemed to have enough energy to power a small village? Should he actually acknowledge that he knew her?
However, his hand was already dropping the rag he had been using to clean off the counters, moving forward to shake her hand before quickly letting go. "Hey," he mumbled noncommittedly before walking back behind the counter. "What can I get you?"
Her smile faltered a little, but picked right back up to speed as she ordered drinks for her and her friend, who simply rolled her eyes at the redhead’s behavior and continued to search for a seat.
Ichigo couldn’t help it; he was curious. This girl must be from somewhere really out of the way. What would bring a girl like her into this kind of coffee shop, in this kind of city? "Hey, um...Miss?" He would have felt awkward using her name. "What brings you both to Amity?" he asked lamely as he made their drinks: Renji would usually have done it, but he was on his break somewhere.
She turned toward him in her seat. "We’re both students at AU. Tasuki’s been attending for a semester already," she said as she gestured behind her, "but I just transferred here." Ichigo nodded, his eyes on his work. It figured that she was a transfer, since nobody who spent more than a week in this city went around giving their name out to people they didn’t know. Didn’t this girl have any common sense?
He set her order on the pick-up counter and retrieved his rag from where he had left it. "So, what are you studying?" he asked, having nothing better to do than to talk with a strange girl as he cleaned.
She was only too happy to oblige as she blew on her hot drink, lips pursed as though she were about to kiss it. "Well, I’m majoring in Health Studies with a minor in Child Care." She looked very proud of herself. "I want to be a Pediatrician someday."
"Medicine?" Ichigo gave a low whistle. "That’s a tough field. You sure you got it in you?" he said as he quirked an eyebrow in her direction.
Her eyebrows furrowed in an indignant manner. "Of course I do! I want to help people!" Slowly, her gaze dropped to the bottom of her cardboard cup. "And it seems to me like kids need the most help of all..."
Ichigo’s rag paused in its circular motion across the countertops. "Hey, you know..."
"Orihime!" Tasuki looked up from the book she had been reading and jumped out of her seat. "Why didn’t you tell me the bus had arrived? Augh!" She didn’t even stop for an answer. "Come on! We’re going to miss it!"
"Ah! I’m sorry, Tasuki!" Orihime gathered her books in a whirlwhind of hair. "Bye, stranger!" she hollered over her shoulder as Tasuki dragged her out the door towards the bus. The two of them almost knocked over Renji, coming back to work after his break.
"Jesus Christ!" he muttered once safely behind the counter. "Who was that in such a hurry?"
Ichigo jumped slightly, rag still motionless on the countertop. "Nobody," he said, picking back up to speed again. "Just some chick, a transfer student. Won’t last a week." Renji snorted, tying on his apron just as the first group of the midmorning rush came in.
Orihime, huh? Hmm...
Author: k_puff
Pairing: Ichigo/Orihime
Fandom: Bleach
Theme: #5, "Hey, you know..."
Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Bleach.
Notes: This is sort of a sequel to another 30_kisses I did, which can be found in the community's Memories if you feel so inclined. Also, the beginning has some Renji/Rukia in it. That wasn't planned, but when I started writing it just sort of...happened. ^_^;; So, two pairings for the fic of one! ^^
Ichigo was jolted from his thoughts when the subway slowed down with a piercing screech. He stepped off and hustled away, adopting the usual walking position: head down, hands in pockets, shoulders forward. Ichigo had a distinct advantage in this because of his rather pointy shoulders and elbows, a side effect of being unusually scrawny for his age.
His feet led him to his workplace on the seedier side of Amity Park. The small coffee shop used to be surrounded by thriving foliage and bright flowers. Over time, however, the plants had died away to leave the area depressingly bare. This would have slowed down business considerably, except that the nearby university happened to install a bus stop nearby just before the last winter stormed through. After that fortunate windfall, the coffee shop was just able to stay out of the hole.
Ichigo blew through the door, accompanied by a small jingling sound. He threw his jacket and cassette player behind the counter and donned his apron in one smooth, practiced motion. "Hey, Renji."
His only other workmate just grunted back at him, barely turning around from a cappuccino he was frothing. Ichigo glanced at him, then to a small table by the window. It was empty right now, but he knew that it would be occupied soon, and when she got there, her coffee would already be waiting for her.
"Why do you do that? Maybe today will be the day she doesn’t show."
"She’ll come," said Renji. "She does every morning."
"Then just let her order!" Ichigo shot back, but Renji pointedly ignored him as he walked around the counter to set the drink down on the table, taking great care not to disturb the fern he had just created on the foam.
"Let it lie, alright Kurosaki?" Renji asked as he turned back around to the counter.
Ichigo would have responded with the clever retort already forming in his mind, but just then the door jingled with the beginning of their morning rush. The next twenty minutes were busy with familiar faces and familiar orders. Renji took some time to chat with a few of his favorite customers, but Ichigo toeing the fine line between friendly conversation and keeping aloof. He wasn’t a big chatter. Every day he told himself that it was time to quit, and move on to another job. Every day he did this right when he walked through the door in the morning. Every day he was simply too lazy to turn back around and walk away.
He knew that she’d arrived when he heard the door jingle, followed by Renji quieting down considerably. Ichigo looked up simply out of habit. It was her, all right: she had black hair down to a little bit past her chin (with a single renegade lock left hanging in her face), a stack of books bundled in her arm, a red scarf, and the saddest eyes that Ichigo had ever seen. Ichigo’s gaze shifted to the side to watch Renji, who was simply standing there, watching her with a strange look on his face. This was the only part of Ichigo’s day when he ever saw this look come across his decisive, stubborn friend. Only ever when that girl walked into their shop and sat, all by herself at her table. Her expression didn’t even change when Renji started having her drink ready for her and waiting when she got there. Ichigo got the jeeblies when he thought about it for too long; that girl felt dangerous, somehow.
The days always followed the same pattern: the morning rush that lasted from 6 to 8, the midmorning rush just before 11, the midday rush from 4 to 6, and finally the late-night rush (of students preparing for all-nighters) at 8 until they closed at 9. It was right before the midmorning rush that the new girl came in.
Ichigo recognized her immediately; it was hard to mistake that rack. It was the same girl he had seen on the subway that morning, and sure enough her black-haired friend was right behind her. The redhead took a deep breath of coffee-scented air and swept her eyes around the shop curiously. Ichigo tried to look away in a disinterested manner, but she caught his gaze before he could even shift his weight. Her grin widened until it almost split her face in half, and she grabbed her friend’s arm excitedly. "Tasuki! Tasuki, look! It’s that guy from the subway this morning!" She skipped over to where Ichigo was standing behind the counter, extending a hand happily. "We were never properly introduced, were we? My name’s Orihime."
Ichigo eyed her hand warily. Why was this girl in a coffee shop, seeing as how she already seemed to have enough energy to power a small village? Should he actually acknowledge that he knew her?
However, his hand was already dropping the rag he had been using to clean off the counters, moving forward to shake her hand before quickly letting go. "Hey," he mumbled noncommittedly before walking back behind the counter. "What can I get you?"
Her smile faltered a little, but picked right back up to speed as she ordered drinks for her and her friend, who simply rolled her eyes at the redhead’s behavior and continued to search for a seat.
Ichigo couldn’t help it; he was curious. This girl must be from somewhere really out of the way. What would bring a girl like her into this kind of coffee shop, in this kind of city? "Hey, um...Miss?" He would have felt awkward using her name. "What brings you both to Amity?" he asked lamely as he made their drinks: Renji would usually have done it, but he was on his break somewhere.
She turned toward him in her seat. "We’re both students at AU. Tasuki’s been attending for a semester already," she said as she gestured behind her, "but I just transferred here." Ichigo nodded, his eyes on his work. It figured that she was a transfer, since nobody who spent more than a week in this city went around giving their name out to people they didn’t know. Didn’t this girl have any common sense?
He set her order on the pick-up counter and retrieved his rag from where he had left it. "So, what are you studying?" he asked, having nothing better to do than to talk with a strange girl as he cleaned.
She was only too happy to oblige as she blew on her hot drink, lips pursed as though she were about to kiss it. "Well, I’m majoring in Health Studies with a minor in Child Care." She looked very proud of herself. "I want to be a Pediatrician someday."
"Medicine?" Ichigo gave a low whistle. "That’s a tough field. You sure you got it in you?" he said as he quirked an eyebrow in her direction.
Her eyebrows furrowed in an indignant manner. "Of course I do! I want to help people!" Slowly, her gaze dropped to the bottom of her cardboard cup. "And it seems to me like kids need the most help of all..."
Ichigo’s rag paused in its circular motion across the countertops. "Hey, you know..."
"Orihime!" Tasuki looked up from the book she had been reading and jumped out of her seat. "Why didn’t you tell me the bus had arrived? Augh!" She didn’t even stop for an answer. "Come on! We’re going to miss it!"
"Ah! I’m sorry, Tasuki!" Orihime gathered her books in a whirlwhind of hair. "Bye, stranger!" she hollered over her shoulder as Tasuki dragged her out the door towards the bus. The two of them almost knocked over Renji, coming back to work after his break.
"Jesus Christ!" he muttered once safely behind the counter. "Who was that in such a hurry?"
Ichigo jumped slightly, rag still motionless on the countertop. "Nobody," he said, picking back up to speed again. "Just some chick, a transfer student. Won’t last a week." Renji snorted, tying on his apron just as the first group of the midmorning rush came in.
Orihime, huh? Hmm...