hali: transmit, sink, radio
ichigo ♥ orihime
TRANSMIT
It’s the moments like this when he is awake and she is dreaming, when he says the words he never told her when she’s awake.
I love you.
He feels her heart skip a beat, she stops mumbling about nuclear robots and breast-shaped missiles. She lay still, lips parted, breathing even.
Somehow, he believes she hears him every time he says those words, piercing through her red bean paste, nuclear reactors, spaceships and rocket launchers dreams. The whispered words, he knows, sound like a bell, an echo inside her little universe.
And like many nights before, she cuddles closer and grips him tighter to her. And his heart skips a beat, tap dances and quiets.
SINK
Her vision is a blur; it is like she is looking through a glass. What she sees are wavering or flickering images.
She sinks deeper, but her eyes remain open. She likes this feeling; to sink, to disappear, to forget, to heal, to let go and -
“INOUE!”
She blinks; water irritates her eyes and rushes inside her nose. Big hands grab at her bare shoulders; she is being lifted up to a sitting position and next thing she knows, she is coughing, she is catching her breath and she… she is alive again.
“What the… What the hell are you trying to do?!”
Blinking and shivering, goosebumps rising in her naked skin, she focuses her confused gaze and meets Kurosaki Ichigo’s glaring visage.
She blinks a couple of times, unsure of what she is seeing. Lips quiver as she opens her mouth to stutter, “K-K-Kurosa…ki-k-kun?”
This must be some lucid dream. However, the increasing tightness of the grip on her bare shoulders helps her realize that this visage is real.
“I said,” He pauses to breathe, his amber eyes darkening, “What the hell are you trying to do? Are you trying to drown yourself? What the hell have you been thinking?!”
“I… I’m…”
“What? Answer me, damn it!”
“I’m naked.”
Ichigo looks bemused, his expression is blank. Vividly flushing, she heaves a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m naked,” she repeats and hopes her words are clear despite her loudly, chattering teeth. “I think you should turn around…?”
His eyes quickly dart down and instantly, color floods his face. “R-right,” he releases her shoulders and quickly spins around to face the white walls of the bathroom. “Sorry,” he grunts, kneading the back of his neck. Orihime smiles at his stiff posture; she marvels at the sight of his towering height and powerful presence that fill the square bathroom, making the place smaller. Slowly and carefully, she gets out of the tub, dries herself and wears a fluffy, but old bathrobe.
“Um,” her hair is still wet and curls in thick locks around her face and shoulders. “You can turn around now.”
“Are… you decent?” Ichigo grunts.
“Yes. It’s okay, Kurosaki-kun.”
He exhales audibly and looks at her over his shoulder cautiously. A look of relief crosses his face when he sees her covered in white robe. He turns and faces her fully, looking stern yet again.
“So,” he begins, clearly agitated. “Are you trying to drown yourself?” His voice sounds harder and harsher.
She looks away. “No.”
“Look at me when you answer.”
Orihime suppresses a sigh; it is difficult to look at Ichigo in the eye. But she does what he demands and looks into his eyes. “No.”
He scowls as if to say I don’t believe you, clearly trying to intimidate her with his scowl and height advantage. “Then what the hell are you doing down there? You’re not supposed to stay underwater when taking a bath, right?”
“I…” She clears her throat and tries to maintain eye contact but it is difficult. Does Ichigo know that he can send her heart into a seizure just by looking at her like that? Prolonged eye contact with Ichigo is stressful to her heart for it races like an F4 racing car. In short, it is very very fast.
Ichigo’s scowl is darkening; Orihime realizes she needs to reply.
“I fell asleep.” She chirps promptly.
His jaw falls slightly. Orihime smiles a little at his expression.
“What the hell.” He deadpans. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Orihime’s lower lip curls. “I’m not.”
“You are! Who the hell falls asleep in a bath tub?!”
“Me, that’s who,” she pipes in, almond-colored eyes wide and defensive.
Ichigo grunts and scratches his hair. “This is weird.”
“Yes it is.” She agrees. “We’re having a conversation inside my bathroom.” She turns her face away, staring at the wall at her right. Ichigo stares at her underneath his lashes, eyes half-lidded.
“Right,” Surprising her, he grabs her arm and pulls her out of the bathroom. They stopped in front of her room, both of them standing before it. Their figures cast a shadow over the wood.
“Well?” prods Ichigo. Orihime looks up at him; his expression is shadowed by his messy bangs. “What are you waiting for? We’re going to be late.”
She lowers her long lashes and fiddles with the knot in front of her robe. Ichigo watches the slow descent of a bead of water from a coiled lock of wet auburn hair.
“I’m not feeling well.”
“Getting a cold?”
She bites her lip. He snorts.
“Serves you right,” and then, he sighs. “How long did you stay in that bath tub, anyway? Alright, go change into something…” He coughs and she looks up to examine his face. He has turned away his face from her. “Just put on something. I’ll wait in the living room.” With that, he turns to go.
“Kurosaki-kun… You should go.” He arches a brow at that and Orihime hastens to elaborate. “I mean, you’re going to be late for class!”
“I’m already late.” Ichigo answers with a shrug.
“Oh. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. I think,” he pauses, his expression is unreadable. “I’ll stay here.”
Her eyes widen. “S-Stay here…? But why?”
“To watch over you,” he says nonchalantly, not looking at her directly.
Orihime reddens. Kurosaki-kun… Here… With her… Alone?! Multiple scenarios run inside her mind. She mentally slaps herself when she remembers Tatsuki’s advice. “You don’t have-”
“Don’t argue. And you’re red. I think you’re telling the truth. You’re getting a fever.”
“I don’t-”
“I’ll stay here for a while.” He looks at her. The hallway is dim, only the right half of his face is visible to her. The way he looks at her silences her but at the same time, it makes her heart beat faster. There is a silence, so quiet, so strange that it feels like the world has faded around them.
Orihime blinks.
“I’m going to stay and look after you.”
The silence shatters.
“Who knows what you’re gonna do next.”
“I’m not suicidal.” She says quickly, almost sharply.
“I know. You’re strong.” He keeps looking at her with the same look in his eyes. It is uncomfortable but at the same time, she feels safe.
“…?!”
“But I’ll still look after you. Not just for today,” he frowns. He opens his mouth to say something but shakes his head and says instead, “So… put on something, will you?”
Orihime reddens when she remembers she is completely naked under the robe. Her toes curl and her whole body flushes.
“Okay…” Again, there is that silence and that look. Orihime averts her gaze, puts a hand on the knob, rotates it and is about to push it open when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Orihime stops but keeps her face forward. For some reason, despite the robe she is wearing, she can still feel the warmth, almost scorching, of his palm on her bare skin.
“Don’t be scared.”
She bites her lower lip. Is she that easy to read?
“I’ll look after you, OK?” His grip tightens, the warmth engulfs her body. “I won’t let it happen again.”
Her eyes widen when she feels his hot breath on her ear.
“I won’t let you go.”
RADIO
But I’m in so deep
She likes listening to the radio. It breaks the silence. It fills the emptiness. It makes waiting a little bearable.
You know that I’m such a fool for you~
Sometimes she sings along with the radio. Sometimes she just watches it play, curled up on the couch, wearing one of his white button-down long sleeved shirts.
You got me wrapped around your finger, ah, ha~
Do you have to let it linger
Do you have to
Do you have to let it ~
The music abruptly breaks off. She smiles and her smile widens as she feels a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her shoulders from behind, pulling her against a warm body. A warm breath ghosts behind her ear.
“Orihime.”
This voice sounds so much better than the radio.
“I’m home.”
She closes her eyes and puts a hand atop of a large, stronger hand resting on one of her shoulders.
“Welcome home, Ichigo.”
disclaimer: BLEACH, Ichigo and Orihime belongs to KUBO TITE
for hali challenge @ enraku_world
TRANSMIT
It’s the moments like this when he is awake and she is dreaming, when he says the words he never told her when she’s awake.
I love you.
He feels her heart skip a beat, she stops mumbling about nuclear robots and breast-shaped missiles. She lay still, lips parted, breathing even.
Somehow, he believes she hears him every time he says those words, piercing through her red bean paste, nuclear reactors, spaceships and rocket launchers dreams. The whispered words, he knows, sound like a bell, an echo inside her little universe.
And like many nights before, she cuddles closer and grips him tighter to her. And his heart skips a beat, tap dances and quiets.
SINK
Her vision is a blur; it is like she is looking through a glass. What she sees are wavering or flickering images.
She sinks deeper, but her eyes remain open. She likes this feeling; to sink, to disappear, to forget, to heal, to let go and -
“INOUE!”
She blinks; water irritates her eyes and rushes inside her nose. Big hands grab at her bare shoulders; she is being lifted up to a sitting position and next thing she knows, she is coughing, she is catching her breath and she… she is alive again.
“What the… What the hell are you trying to do?!”
Blinking and shivering, goosebumps rising in her naked skin, she focuses her confused gaze and meets Kurosaki Ichigo’s glaring visage.
She blinks a couple of times, unsure of what she is seeing. Lips quiver as she opens her mouth to stutter, “K-K-Kurosa…ki-k-kun?”
This must be some lucid dream. However, the increasing tightness of the grip on her bare shoulders helps her realize that this visage is real.
“I said,” He pauses to breathe, his amber eyes darkening, “What the hell are you trying to do? Are you trying to drown yourself? What the hell have you been thinking?!”
“I… I’m…”
“What? Answer me, damn it!”
“I’m naked.”
Ichigo looks bemused, his expression is blank. Vividly flushing, she heaves a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m naked,” she repeats and hopes her words are clear despite her loudly, chattering teeth. “I think you should turn around…?”
His eyes quickly dart down and instantly, color floods his face. “R-right,” he releases her shoulders and quickly spins around to face the white walls of the bathroom. “Sorry,” he grunts, kneading the back of his neck. Orihime smiles at his stiff posture; she marvels at the sight of his towering height and powerful presence that fill the square bathroom, making the place smaller. Slowly and carefully, she gets out of the tub, dries herself and wears a fluffy, but old bathrobe.
“Um,” her hair is still wet and curls in thick locks around her face and shoulders. “You can turn around now.”
“Are… you decent?” Ichigo grunts.
“Yes. It’s okay, Kurosaki-kun.”
He exhales audibly and looks at her over his shoulder cautiously. A look of relief crosses his face when he sees her covered in white robe. He turns and faces her fully, looking stern yet again.
“So,” he begins, clearly agitated. “Are you trying to drown yourself?” His voice sounds harder and harsher.
She looks away. “No.”
“Look at me when you answer.”
Orihime suppresses a sigh; it is difficult to look at Ichigo in the eye. But she does what he demands and looks into his eyes. “No.”
He scowls as if to say I don’t believe you, clearly trying to intimidate her with his scowl and height advantage. “Then what the hell are you doing down there? You’re not supposed to stay underwater when taking a bath, right?”
“I…” She clears her throat and tries to maintain eye contact but it is difficult. Does Ichigo know that he can send her heart into a seizure just by looking at her like that? Prolonged eye contact with Ichigo is stressful to her heart for it races like an F4 racing car. In short, it is very very fast.
Ichigo’s scowl is darkening; Orihime realizes she needs to reply.
“I fell asleep.” She chirps promptly.
His jaw falls slightly. Orihime smiles a little at his expression.
“What the hell.” He deadpans. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Orihime’s lower lip curls. “I’m not.”
“You are! Who the hell falls asleep in a bath tub?!”
“Me, that’s who,” she pipes in, almond-colored eyes wide and defensive.
Ichigo grunts and scratches his hair. “This is weird.”
“Yes it is.” She agrees. “We’re having a conversation inside my bathroom.” She turns her face away, staring at the wall at her right. Ichigo stares at her underneath his lashes, eyes half-lidded.
“Right,” Surprising her, he grabs her arm and pulls her out of the bathroom. They stopped in front of her room, both of them standing before it. Their figures cast a shadow over the wood.
“Well?” prods Ichigo. Orihime looks up at him; his expression is shadowed by his messy bangs. “What are you waiting for? We’re going to be late.”
She lowers her long lashes and fiddles with the knot in front of her robe. Ichigo watches the slow descent of a bead of water from a coiled lock of wet auburn hair.
“I’m not feeling well.”
“Getting a cold?”
She bites her lip. He snorts.
“Serves you right,” and then, he sighs. “How long did you stay in that bath tub, anyway? Alright, go change into something…” He coughs and she looks up to examine his face. He has turned away his face from her. “Just put on something. I’ll wait in the living room.” With that, he turns to go.
“Kurosaki-kun… You should go.” He arches a brow at that and Orihime hastens to elaborate. “I mean, you’re going to be late for class!”
“I’m already late.” Ichigo answers with a shrug.
“Oh. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. I think,” he pauses, his expression is unreadable. “I’ll stay here.”
Her eyes widen. “S-Stay here…? But why?”
“To watch over you,” he says nonchalantly, not looking at her directly.
Orihime reddens. Kurosaki-kun… Here… With her… Alone?! Multiple scenarios run inside her mind. She mentally slaps herself when she remembers Tatsuki’s advice. “You don’t have-”
“Don’t argue. And you’re red. I think you’re telling the truth. You’re getting a fever.”
“I don’t-”
“I’ll stay here for a while.” He looks at her. The hallway is dim, only the right half of his face is visible to her. The way he looks at her silences her but at the same time, it makes her heart beat faster. There is a silence, so quiet, so strange that it feels like the world has faded around them.
Orihime blinks.
“I’m going to stay and look after you.”
The silence shatters.
“Who knows what you’re gonna do next.”
“I’m not suicidal.” She says quickly, almost sharply.
“I know. You’re strong.” He keeps looking at her with the same look in his eyes. It is uncomfortable but at the same time, she feels safe.
“…?!”
“But I’ll still look after you. Not just for today,” he frowns. He opens his mouth to say something but shakes his head and says instead, “So… put on something, will you?”
Orihime reddens when she remembers she is completely naked under the robe. Her toes curl and her whole body flushes.
“Okay…” Again, there is that silence and that look. Orihime averts her gaze, puts a hand on the knob, rotates it and is about to push it open when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Orihime stops but keeps her face forward. For some reason, despite the robe she is wearing, she can still feel the warmth, almost scorching, of his palm on her bare skin.
“Don’t be scared.”
She bites her lower lip. Is she that easy to read?
“I’ll look after you, OK?” His grip tightens, the warmth engulfs her body. “I won’t let it happen again.”
Her eyes widen when she feels his hot breath on her ear.
“I won’t let you go.”
RADIO
But I’m in so deep
She likes listening to the radio. It breaks the silence. It fills the emptiness. It makes waiting a little bearable.
You know that I’m such a fool for you~
Sometimes she sings along with the radio. Sometimes she just watches it play, curled up on the couch, wearing one of his white button-down long sleeved shirts.
You got me wrapped around your finger, ah, ha~
Do you have to let it linger
Do you have to
Do you have to let it ~
The music abruptly breaks off. She smiles and her smile widens as she feels a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her shoulders from behind, pulling her against a warm body. A warm breath ghosts behind her ear.
“Orihime.”
This voice sounds so much better than the radio.
“I’m home.”
She closes her eyes and puts a hand atop of a large, stronger hand resting on one of her shoulders.
“Welcome home, Ichigo.”
disclaimer: BLEACH, Ichigo and Orihime belongs to KUBO TITE
for hali challenge @ enraku_world