Fic: Outside Interference
Fic: Outside Interference.
Rating: PG
Fandom: Bleach - Ichigo/Orihime
A/N: A part of this untitled IchiHime arc that I seem to have gotten caught up in.
Continuation of:
Prompt: 13. Heads or Tails.
*
Two months after her not-so-secret-secret is revealed to the subject within the not-so-secret-secret, Orihime decides to flip a coin.
“It’s very cunning, really.” She tells Tatsuki, “Leave it to the fates, the big guy - or girl, sorry -“ She crosses herself at this point, rather like a Catholic schoolgirl, and Tatsuki isn’t quite sure why. “ - in the sky.”
Orihime, quite clearly, thinks this is a brilliant idea.
Personally, Tatsuki thinks it’s pretty dumb, unfortunately, as per the nature of their relationship, she loves Orihime far too much to say anything quite so negative.
“Heads,” Orihime starts, “if it comes up heads, I’ll ask Ichigo out at school tomorrow.” She’s smiling as she says this, and as hard as Tatsuki fights, she can’t quite keep the grin off her own face either. Orihime is stood on her very tip-toes, coin-burdened hand clenched and thrust into the air.
Orihime does this a lot.
Neither of them are little girls anymore, but Orihime still likes to play superheroes, noble knights - much like many women always keep their favourite barbies or soft toys.
“Tails,” Orihime continues, and maybe she’s sobered a little, lost that drunken, hazy happiness that has always so defined her, “Tails I won’t.”
Funny how three words can bring so much unhappiness, how they can bring a world that Tatsuki really doesn’t like crashing into existence. Funny how Ichigo and his stupidity (Tatsuki loves him really) can burst Orihime’s battered-nearly-broken-anyway bubble.
Whatever higher forces there are, Tatsuki thinks, must have a really good sense of humour.
“Here we go.” Orihime starts, and Tatsuki almost says she isn’t ready, almost grabs Orihime’s arm and tells her that this coin knows shit-all, only, she doesn’t have to. The coin is still there, wedged in Orihime’s slender fingers. “Here we go.” She says again.
The coin is shaking, just, it’s not the coin, it’s Orihime. Orihime who is standing there, shoulders slumped, fingers quivering, eyes watering, huge, maybe slipping smile on her face.
If Tatsuki didn’t know Orihime, she wouldn’t know to strain her ears.
Wouldn’t know that if all else is quiet, she’ll be able to hear Orihime’s tiny, breathy murmurs. “Please, Onichan, please…”
And then the coin’s in the air.
It’s on the ground, and it isn’t heads and Tatsuki’s foot is firmly on it before anyone is the wiser.
This worked when they were small, but Orihime isn’t dumb.
Never was.
The smile’s still there, that big, stupid, not-real smile, but the tears aren’t repressed, dripdripdrip as one after the other, fat tears splatter on the wooden floorboards. It’s a racetrack now, zoom, they’re chasing each other these tears, prize is a new home on the floor and a very hurting old home. A very hurting Orihime.
“Outside interference.” Tatsuki claims, raising a fist in the air.
Doe eyes are glancing at her now, but the tears are still there, still thick and queued. “No.” Orihime says. She never hides her feelings, when she’s happy, the world knows, when she’s sad she doesn’t advertise it, but she never wipes away the liquid heartache.
“Didn’t you feel that wind?” Tatsuki says, licks a finger, sticks it in the air, “not natural, y’know? Someone turned the air con on.”
Orihime’s staring now, so raw and hurt that Tatsuki’s burning, and somehow fights the urge to beat the shit out of the coin. After all, it won’t do a whole lot of good, and Orihime will just pout and complain that the coin has feelings too.
“We agreed on letting fate decide.” Orihime says, and she’s as certain as ever, despite the big eyes and quivering hands.
“Fate isn’t decided by some fat, little man pushing buttons in a closet.” Tatsuki states, running one hand through her hair, grabbing the other girl’s hand with the other.
“Tatsuki-chan…”
“Fate,” She says, “fates you and it’s Ichigo and that’s it.”
And really, what else could either of them say?
Rating: PG
Fandom: Bleach - Ichigo/Orihime
A/N: A part of this untitled IchiHime arc that I seem to have gotten caught up in.
Continuation of:
Prompt: 13. Heads or Tails.
*
Two months after her not-so-secret-secret is revealed to the subject within the not-so-secret-secret, Orihime decides to flip a coin.
“It’s very cunning, really.” She tells Tatsuki, “Leave it to the fates, the big guy - or girl, sorry -“ She crosses herself at this point, rather like a Catholic schoolgirl, and Tatsuki isn’t quite sure why. “ - in the sky.”
Orihime, quite clearly, thinks this is a brilliant idea.
Personally, Tatsuki thinks it’s pretty dumb, unfortunately, as per the nature of their relationship, she loves Orihime far too much to say anything quite so negative.
“Heads,” Orihime starts, “if it comes up heads, I’ll ask Ichigo out at school tomorrow.” She’s smiling as she says this, and as hard as Tatsuki fights, she can’t quite keep the grin off her own face either. Orihime is stood on her very tip-toes, coin-burdened hand clenched and thrust into the air.
Orihime does this a lot.
Neither of them are little girls anymore, but Orihime still likes to play superheroes, noble knights - much like many women always keep their favourite barbies or soft toys.
“Tails,” Orihime continues, and maybe she’s sobered a little, lost that drunken, hazy happiness that has always so defined her, “Tails I won’t.”
Funny how three words can bring so much unhappiness, how they can bring a world that Tatsuki really doesn’t like crashing into existence. Funny how Ichigo and his stupidity (Tatsuki loves him really) can burst Orihime’s battered-nearly-broken-anyway bubble.
Whatever higher forces there are, Tatsuki thinks, must have a really good sense of humour.
“Here we go.” Orihime starts, and Tatsuki almost says she isn’t ready, almost grabs Orihime’s arm and tells her that this coin knows shit-all, only, she doesn’t have to. The coin is still there, wedged in Orihime’s slender fingers. “Here we go.” She says again.
The coin is shaking, just, it’s not the coin, it’s Orihime. Orihime who is standing there, shoulders slumped, fingers quivering, eyes watering, huge, maybe slipping smile on her face.
If Tatsuki didn’t know Orihime, she wouldn’t know to strain her ears.
Wouldn’t know that if all else is quiet, she’ll be able to hear Orihime’s tiny, breathy murmurs. “Please, Onichan, please…”
And then the coin’s in the air.
It’s on the ground, and it isn’t heads and Tatsuki’s foot is firmly on it before anyone is the wiser.
This worked when they were small, but Orihime isn’t dumb.
Never was.
The smile’s still there, that big, stupid, not-real smile, but the tears aren’t repressed, dripdripdrip as one after the other, fat tears splatter on the wooden floorboards. It’s a racetrack now, zoom, they’re chasing each other these tears, prize is a new home on the floor and a very hurting old home. A very hurting Orihime.
“Outside interference.” Tatsuki claims, raising a fist in the air.
Doe eyes are glancing at her now, but the tears are still there, still thick and queued. “No.” Orihime says. She never hides her feelings, when she’s happy, the world knows, when she’s sad she doesn’t advertise it, but she never wipes away the liquid heartache.
“Didn’t you feel that wind?” Tatsuki says, licks a finger, sticks it in the air, “not natural, y’know? Someone turned the air con on.”
Orihime’s staring now, so raw and hurt that Tatsuki’s burning, and somehow fights the urge to beat the shit out of the coin. After all, it won’t do a whole lot of good, and Orihime will just pout and complain that the coin has feelings too.
“We agreed on letting fate decide.” Orihime says, and she’s as certain as ever, despite the big eyes and quivering hands.
“Fate isn’t decided by some fat, little man pushing buttons in a closet.” Tatsuki states, running one hand through her hair, grabbing the other girl’s hand with the other.
“Tatsuki-chan…”
“Fate,” She says, “fates you and it’s Ichigo and that’s it.”
And really, what else could either of them say?