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Staring at her reflection in the foggy bathroom mirror, Tatsuki tried to ignore the white-knuckled grip she had on the edge of the sink. She knew this was a bad idea. She knew how Orihime felt about him.
She even knew why Orihime had never made a move. The sword of Damocles that hung over any possible relationship Ichigo could get into.
Rukia Kuchiki.
Kuchiki was nice. Tatsuki never got too close to her; she always kept people at arm's length during the two months she went to school, and the wedding would be the first time she ever used her pass that guy gave her. But she knew how infatuated Ichigo was with her. Everyone did.
Especially Orihime.
Which was why this was such an awful idea. Tatsuki knew the reason Orihime had never made the plunge was that the threat of Kuchiki was ever-present. But now she was getting married to that red-haired guy. So there wasn't the risk anymore.
And Tatsuki could tell Orihime had the same thought. Ever since she found out about the wedding, her eyes had been glued to Ichigo in a way they hadn't been for years. But she still hadn't asked him to be her date to the wedding.
That role was still free for Tatsuki to claim. Hence the emotional turmoil that had her glaring at herself in a foggy bathroom mirror. Because there was no level at which this wasn't horrible. She knew Ichigo would be a terrible date; he'd be moping the way he always does, the way Tatsuki had never figured out how to snap him out of. No matter how many times she'd tried over the years.
But she'd stake a claim. She'd be the first person to take Ichigo Kurosaki on a date. And if it was truly horrible? Well, that just guaranteed her a second one out of Ichigo's guilt. And she was willing to clip him on the ears like she used to in Karate lessons.
But as excited as she legitimately was by the idea of finally asking out Ichigo. The boy she'd had a crush on longer than she'd known what crushes were, even if it had taken her too long to realise it. She just couldn't move past Orihime. Hence the white-knuckled grip on her bathroom sink.
"She's had such a hard life; I can't take something like this from her. She'd forgive me, yeah, but she'd never actually get over it," said Tatsuki into the mirror before scowling at the reflection.
"But I'm not taking anything from her; she's refused to grab it for years. And it's Ichigo's choice anyway. There's not even a guarantee he'll say yes! I could just end up making a fool of myself, and then he asks out Orihime," argued back the reflection.
"Ishida looks at her like she hung the sun in the sky, though. If I ask out Ichigo, and he says yes, Ishida has an opportunity to do what I'm doing with Ichigo with Orihime." Staring for another moment at herself, disgust filled Tatsuki, and she hung her head and glared at the bottom of the sink.
After another moment of glaring at the bottom of the sink, Tatsuki let out a sigh. "My friendship with Orihime can handle me asking out the boy she likes." Looking back at her red-eyed reflection, Tatsuki finally let go of the sink. "And—and if I don't ask, then I'll regret it forever."
Feeling the truth in the words, Tatsuki finally knew her plan. She'd tell Orihime she was going to ask him out, make sure there was no misunderstanding or sneaking around. And then she'd ask him out. And deal with any fallout later.
Standing in Ichigo's bedroom, Tatsuki fought to keep the smile off her face as she watched Ichigo pull on his suit jacket. She knew not to expect much, but so far it was exceeding expectations. Orihime, while clearly hiding her disappointment, had been more than happy when Tatsuki told her she was asking out Ichigo. However, the sadness in her eyes had lessened when Tatsuki, very subtly, suggested that since she and Ichigo were going as each other's date, Ishida could also use a date. Orihime had sprinted out of Tatsuki's room to find Ishida at that suggestion.
Tatsuki Arisawa, matchmaker extraordinaire.
But Tatsuki's musing on how well everything was going was interrupted by noticing an expression on Ichigo's face that could almost be considered a pout from her angle. "Oi, what did we say about moping?" Tatsuki grumbled at Ichigo as she clipped him on the ear.
Wincing away from the hand, Ichigo scowled through the mirror at Tatsuki. "We said don't. And I'm not." But after a moment, the scowl shifted to a smile as he looked away and scratched the back of his head. "But jeez, I forgot how much of a hard-ass you are, Tatsuki. Hat'n'clogs could take lessons from you."
Pulling back to cross her arms over her dark blue dress, Tatsuki smirked up at Ichigo. Even in the heels she was forcing herself into, Ichigo was still taller than her. "Well, if I've learnt anything, you either need a hard-ass or your mother. And I'm not looking to be your mother."
"Tch, why did I say yes again?" Ichigo said with a scowl that lacked any actual heat. Rolling her eyes at Ichigo's tone, Tatsuki tapped him on the shoulder with her fist.
"Cause you didn't want to look like a loser showing up to your crush's wedding without a date?" Smirking up at Ichigo, Tatsuki watched as he scratched the back of his neck and tried to come up with a retort. This was fun. Tatsuki enjoyed watching Ichigo squirm, and confronting him with his blatant crush and watching him try to deny it was fun. At least that's what Tatsuki assumed was the awkward look on Ichigo's face.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Crossing his arms, Ichigo stepped back from Tatsuki. "I'm happy for Rukia and Renji. I wouldn't want to get in between them; that's a weird thing to joke about, Tatsuki." Ichigo's face twisted as he finished.
But ignoring Ichigo's expression and making a face that made it clear she didn't believe him, Tatsuki closed the distance between them again. "Get back here and let me fix your tie," Tatsuki said as she glanced back up at Ichigo, his cheeks reddening as she fidgeted with his tie. "If that's true, I expect no more moping. Kuchiki'd hate to see you suffering on her big day, I'm sure of it."
Ichigo's face fell as Tatsuki's words clearly had an impact. Cursing in her mind, Tatsuki tried to think of a way to take it back. "Look, Ichigo, it's like I said when I asked you. I know today'll be hard; I just want to make sure you have a good time—I—" But whatever it was Tatsuki was going to say was cut off by Ichigo.
"I get it, Tatsuki. You're just looking out for me, cause you're worried about me, for some reason. Thanks, even if you're being weird," said Ichigo before he grabbed tightly onto Tatsuki's bare shoulders and pulled her close, the closest thing she'd got to a hug since they were five.
But Tatsuki couldn't help but wince at his tone. Yes, she wanted to be a good friend, and that was the way Ichigo had responded to her, but the whole point of asking him to the wedding was trying to become more than just a friend to him. But taking a deep breath, Tatsuki pushed down the frustration.
If she got pissy with him, they'd both end up arguing, and no one would be having a good time. But if she managed to keep a happy face, the guilt'd be unbearable for Ichigo, and he'd be forced to have a good time. So leaning into Ichigo's shoulder, Tatsuki just breathed in the scent of sandalwood.
But far too quickly, Ichigo let go and pulled back from Tatsuki. A strained smile painted his face as he looked down at her. "Although you might have let go of me now, if we show up to the wedding with my suit crumpled, people might get the wrong idea."
Pulling back, Tatsuki sputtered out an attempt at defending herself, "You—You—Perv!" With crimson cheeks, Tatsuki clipped Ichigo on the ear before storming out of the room.
Sitting next to Ichigo, Tatsuki struggled to hide the reason for her smile. Sure, it was a nice wedding; everyone was dressed nicely, the location was pretty and so on and so forth. But the thing that Tatsuki kept having to avoid looking at was that Ichigo's hand was wrapped around hers.
Tatsuki didn't know when it happened. She didn't know how long he'd been holding her hand. All she knew was that Ichigo currently had his hand wrapped around her and seemingly had no intention of removing it. Not that Tatsuki was complaining about that.
No, siree, Tatsuki was more than willing to happily sit with Ichigo's hand wrapped around hers. She might not have been willing to admit it to his face, and was being incredibly careful not to make him take notice of the fact. But she was incredibly happy to luxuriate in Ichigo's obliviousness.
If he wanted to be as emotionally dense as a brick, she'd take advantage of it for once. She'd already risked her relationship with Orihime for this and come out fine. If Ichigo noticed and pulled away? Well, that was just another risk she was going to take.
And it wouldn't be the first time she'd messed up the relationship. At least this time—But before Tatsuki's brooding thought could even finish forming, she was distracted by Kuchiki making her way down the walkway. She was dressed beautifully, and even if she didn't agree with the thought, she could feel from the squeeze of her hand that Ichigo thought so.
But that was fine. Tatsuki had expected that sort of reaction, especially when Kuchiki emerged in her dress. "Imagine being up there," whispered Ichigo, pulling Tatsuki out of her musing and making her scowl. Of course he couldn't stop himself from wanting to be up there with Kuchiki. He even felt the need to lean in and tell her.
"God, you can be an ass," Tatsuki whispered back. A scowl ghosted her lips just long enough to be noticeable. But it was quickly replaced by a silent gasp. Because Tatsuki couldn't help the image that filled her mind.
Her standing at the altar, Ichigo opposite her, shifting back and forth between a hakama and western suit as her own garb swapped back and forth between a western dress and kimono. It was a stupid dream that she hated filling her mind as soon as it did.
But oh, how the image was captivating.
The idea of standing there and being bound to Ichigo forever… It sent a shiver through Tatsuki. But as she glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ichigo, the dream disappeared as a scowl that matched the one on Ichigo's face appeared on her own.
And with a final scathing thought of her date, Tatsuki settled in to watch the rest of the wedding.
Tatsuki didn't know what it was that happened to Ichigo, but something shifted during the ceremony. She knew there'd be… character issues after watching Kuchiki get married. But clearly, by the scowl that had adorned Ichigo's face ever since, it was even worse than she had expected. Currently, Ichigo was in the shower, and Tatsuki sat on the bed lamenting, well, everything.
Honestly, it was almost enough to make her throw in the towel. If Ichigo was still this pissed hours after the event, in the closest thing the Seireitei had to a five-star hotel, then what hope does she have for the rest of her life if she spent it with him?
Was Ichigo worth that?
But before Tatsuki could try and find the answer to that terrifying question, she saw something on the ground beneath where Ichigo's jacket was hanging. Scrunching her face, Tatsuki made her way over to the object and picked it up.
"A box?" Tatsuki murmured to herself, her fingers feeling around the seam that marked the box's middle. Applying the smallest amount of pressure possible, Tatsuki's nail slipped into the seam and popped the box open, revealing the treasure inside. "You can't be serious, Ichigo."
Stunned by the box's contents, Tatsuki could only stare in shock at the ring sitting inside it. Tatsuki could barely even rationalise what she was looking at. It just didn't make sense to her.
No matter how much Ichigo was struggling, he couldn't have thought anything could have happened? Could he?
It was absurd!
Kuchiki was getting married to Abarai; Ichigo couldn't have really believed that he could show up with a ring and she'd simply run away with him. Honestly, it pissed her off. An unfortunate situation for Ichigo to emerge from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Hey Tatsuki, the shower's free now," Ichigo said idly as he dried his hair with another towel, making him miss Tatsuki's current state.
But Tatsuki turned to face Ichigo, ignored the spectacularly distracting sight of Ichigo's shirtless, still-glistening chest, and, with a scowl that'd make Ichigo blush, pitched the box at Ichigo's forehead as hard as she could bear to.
With a loud crack, the box smashed into Ichigo's forehead. Bouncing off the flesh, leaving a bright red, pulsing mark as evidence of the contact, and landed on the ground in front of him, open.
Barely even acknowledging the impact on his forehead, Ichigo dropped to the ground to pick up the ring. His focus was entirely on it, even as Tatsuki started to talk.
"You are a pig. I knew you'd be a sappy mess watching Kuchiki get married; I mean, you've been smitten since you were fifteen," pausing momentarily, Tatsuki started pacing, "but you cannot be serious about bringing a ring? You can't honestly think that she'd abandon her fiancé to run off with you?"
Stopping her pacing, Tatsuki looked at Ichigo. A scowl was on her face as she glared at his confused expression. "Well? Are you going to say anything? Or are you just going to let me rightfully demean you for being an emotionally stunted brick!" Tatsuki didn't know exactly when it happened, but she was standing in front of Ichigo, far closer than she should have been. Even as he continued to stare, confused, at her.
"Tatsuki… What are you talking about?" speaking with a confusion that could only be genuine, Ichigo stared down at Tatsuki. Something that instantly set off her temper.
"The hell do you mean? What am I talking about?" scowled Tatsuki. "The crush you've had on Kuchiki since high school! And now you've brought a bloody engagement ring to her wedding! It's—it's sick! It's obscene! She's a married woman! She's not—" but before Tatsuki could finish the thought, she cut herself off. Opening the floor for Ichigo.
"That! Exactly that!" Ichigo exclaimed as his arms started to uncharacteristically gesticulate. "Why are you talking about me having a crush on Rukia? You've been making comments like that all day, and it doesn't make any sense! I don't have a crush on Rukia. I've never had a crush on Rukia. That'd be horrifying."
Tatsuki couldn't help the disgust that rolled through her on behalf of Kuchiki. "Horrifying? That's a horrible thing to say, Ichigo. What's horrifying about her anyway? She's a badass, her black hair's pretty cute, and she's shorter than you are, so you could scoop her up into your arms. What's disgusting about her?" glaring at a steadily more confused Ichigo, Tatsuki crossed her arms.
"Tatsuki," Ichigo started to plead, "what are you talking about? I've never had a crush on Rukia; how could I? I've been dating you for twelve years!"
"Huh?" Tatsuki stared, her mouth gaping and her arms fallen to her sides as Ichigo said the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. It was so ridiculous she wasn't even sure that her ears were working properly. Ichigo can't have said what she thought he did, could he?
But Ichigo seemed even more confused by Tatsuki's confusion than she was by his words. "What do you mean, huh? It started the last time we ever sparred; it was just after my mum died. You wanted to cheer me up, so you said that if I beat you, we'd go on a date. The thing I'd said a few times…" Ichigo's cheeks reddened. "But I'd never managed to beat you. Until that day. And then the next day we went to the park."
Tatsuki couldn't even speak. She remembered what Ichigo was talking about. She tried to poke and prod Ichigo out of the depressive spiral and into sparring with her again. Until finally he did. And to her, at the time, stunned surprise, he managed to beat her for the first time ever. But…
"We always went to the park! You never said that was a date!" exclaimed Tatsuki. Somehow, in what felt like the same instant. "And what about the years since then! We've never been on a date!" almost reflexively, Tatsuki's arm jumped up to accusingly point at the man before her.
Clearly now embarrassed, Ichigo rubbed at the back of his neck before answering in a quiet, hesitant voice, "Well, we walked home together every day. We studied together for everything; you'd come up and sit really close to me on the roof sometimes, basically leaning on me…" Ichigo trailed off as none of his explanations seemed to change Tatsuki's opinion.
And that's because there were perfectly platonic explanations for all of it!
Of course, they walked home together, they shared classes and lived in the same neighbourhood. So what if they held hands sometimes? Ichigo was a wuss who'd been asking her to hold hands since they were four. She couldn't stop just cause they hit high school.
And Ichigo was a good study buddy. They just clicked when they studied. Sure, Orihime was smart, but Ichigo could explain the stuff Tatsuki was struggling with in a way that made everything make sense. So it didn't mean anything either.
So she sort of maybe leaned on Ichigo when she went up to eat lunch with him. With the way Keigo, Mizuiru, Chad, and eventually Kuchiki crowded around him, the physical contact was the only way to get his attention, and she had wanted that.
She'd wanted Ichigo's attention for years. She'd worked hard to keep what little she had; none of what he was talking about was romantic. Tatsuki hadn't spent years holding herself back only to now try again and then be told that they'd apparently been dating for years when everything was entirely platonic.
"Alright, sure, say everything you just said was true; we still can't have been dating because you've never tried to kiss me," conceded Tatsuki, albeit with a triumphant smirk. But rather than any of the possible reactions Tatsuki expected from Ichigo, he simply stared at her with a tired look.
"Tatsuki, I tried to kiss you on the cheek once, and you almost broke my arm," said Ichigo, his tone the flattest Tatsuki had ever heard him. Idly, in the back of her mind, she tried to think of the occasion he was talking about, and she could sort of remember it. A jolt of electricity spiralled from her cheek and spread through her body until she suddenly realised Ichigo's arm was bound by her own.
"Alright, maybe something like that happened," Tatsuki again conceded. "But still, that's a decade we've apparently been dating. And you've never said anything to me that was even slightly romantic."
"I compliment your karate form all the time. I watch you practice. I say how nice your outfits look on you," Ichigo counted off on his fingers as Tatsuki slowly felt her grip on her reality steadily loosen.
"That's not romantic! That's just being friendly." Tatsuki pouted, arms crossed, and looked away from Ichigo. But again, Ichigo just frowned.
"Tatsuki, this is you we're talking about. Why would I get all mushy and loveydovey with you? I never thought you'd like that sort of thing, so I avoided it." Again, Ichigo easily explained away her critique. Could Ichigo be right? Could she have been dating him for years without ever realising it? Surely not; she can't have been pining for him while he thought they were dating?
That would be something out of a crappy manga she'd avoided all her life. Yes, Ichigo's life was like a manga, but surely hers wasn't too? That would be absurd, wouldn't it? But once more, Ichigo simply continued onwards, ignoring Tatsuki's internal struggle.
"Anyway, the ring is for you." As Tatsuki's eyes widened, Ichigo walked forward, the ring resting on his extended hand. "It's a promise ring. I'm going overseas to study for a few years. I wanted to give you this before I left."
Silently, Tatsuki let Ichigo lift her hand and place the ring on her palm. "It's not an engagement or anything, I just…" Ichigo's cheeks somehow grew even redder. "I wanted to get you something before I left. I've never got you jewellery or anything, but I wanted to get you this. Cause…" Ichigo suddenly went silent, gnawing on his lower lip.
But after several moments passed without saying anything, and Tatsuki couldn't continue waiting, "What?"
Finally, at Tatsuki's prompt, Ichigo spoke, "I want to marry you when I get back. I don't want to ask you to marry me now. I can't support myself, let alone both of us, so I just… I wanted to buy you something to say I'm coming back, to show how much I love you even when I'm thousands of kilometres away."
"Ichigo…" Tatsuki was speechless. This was just so far out of the realm of possibility for Tatsuki; she was half expecting a camera crew to jump out of a hidden corner. Sure, she had planned the result of going to Kuchiki's wedding with Ichigo to be a date or something, but this was insane. Even as Ichigo stared at her with expectations and hopes blooming in his whiskey coloured eyes.
Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore, and her eyes dropped from Ichigo's and her stare rested on the ring in her palm. If she was honest with herself, even if she hated the fact that she'd apparently missed out on years of her relationship with him, she couldn't say no. It wasn't even an option.
But that didn't mean she was happy.
"Ow! What the hell was that!" squealed Ichigo as he softly pressed his hand against his ear. But at the sight, Tatsuki smirked triumphantly.
"That's for being a boyfriend so bad that I didn't even realise we were dating." But before Ichigo could voice the complaint that was resting on his lips, Tatsuki grabbed tightly onto his shirt and pulled him down to her level.
Taking a single moment to stare into Ichigo's eyes, Tatsuki slammed her lips into Ichigo's. It was a moment Tatsuki had dreamt of for a long time.
Ichigo's lips weren't soft. They were rough and scratched against Tatsuki's in a way that she could only say she loved. The longer it went on, the closer their bodies pressed together, which was the truly amazing part of the embrace.
Tatsuki knew that Ichigo was well built from his time as a Shinigami, but the feel of his body- the toned muscle and hard lines pressed against her own body. It was like coming home in a way that she couldn't even truly explain. But Tatsuki never wanted it to end.
But eventually Tatsuki's lungs, even though she was currently a spirit, started to ache, and she had to pull back from Ichigo's touch. Pulling back and fighting the urge to pant, Tatsuki glared up at Ichigo. "And that's for never doing anything romantic, you ass."
But instead of the usual sheepish expression Ichigo wore at her chastisement, he wore a dumb smile that split his face. Scowling at how stupid he looked, Tatsuki was about to continue chastising him, but before she could, he lunged forward and lifted her into his arms. Feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, Tatsuki slipped her arms between herself and Ichigo.
"What are you doing, you brute? Put me down!" Tatsuki exclaimed, making a show of protest by lightly pushing against Ichigo's arms as he started to spin.
"Well, you just told me I wasn't affectionate enough, so this is me making up for it," Ichigo said, his delight clear on his face as he kept spinning despite Tatsuki's protests. But as they spun, Tatsuki's face broke into a smile. Even if it was stupid, it was nice being held by Ichigo.
But eventually the spinning slowed, and Ichigo gently placed her back on the ground. Albeit with his arms still wrapped around her shoulders. But as she stared into his eyes, a thought, unbidden, crossed her mind.
"So you thought we've been dating for years?" Tatsuki questioned slowly as Ichigo nodded at an equal speed. "And you still kept running off without saying a word to me?" In the same instant, Tatsuki's tone grew aggressive, and Ichigo's face turned a terrified crimson.
As Ichigo tried to pull back, Tatsuki lunged forward and grabbed him in a headlock and started grinding her knuckles into his skull. Even as Ichigo let out cries of not quite pain, Tatsuki continued, "How many times did you almost kill yourself? How many times did you sprint off into the night without even telling me you were gone for weeks? How long did you go without telling me you did die?" Tatsuki's voice hitched, and she realised there were tears flowing down her cheeks, and she had stopped grinding her knuckles into Ichigo's scalp.
"It's…" Tatsuki sniffled. "It was bad enough you never bothered telling me anyway, but you thought we were dating? Seriously?" Letting go of Ichigo, Tatsuki's legs fell out from under her, and she fell to her knees in front of him. She wanted to look up and meet his eyes, but her head was heavy. And after the rollercoaster of emotions, she couldn't manage to lift it.
That didn't stop Ichigo, however. Crouching down, Ichigo lifted Tatsuki's chin with a few fingers, his whiskey coloured eyes meeting Tatsuki's red, tear streaked own. "I know…" Ichigo's voice was quiet, making Tatsuki's ears strain to hear it, even if she didn't really want to.
"You deserved so much better. I thought that I'd be protecting you from hiding it, but I know that was wrong. Just like it was wrong for me to never tell you what I saw between us. You deserved the love I've held onto for years. Tch, you deserve the world, Tatsuki-Chan."
The combination of Ichigo's soft smile and the long-since-abandoned nickname launches Tatsuki from the ground. Leaping upwards like a human missile, Tatsuki felt the tears start up again as she wrapped her arms around Ichigo in a bone-crushing hug.
"You're an ass hole; you're spending the rest of your life making this up to me, you know that," chided Tatsuki as she smiled through the tears. Closing his eyes, Ichigo listened to the chastisement and returned the hug.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," whispered Ichigo.
And that was how the two stayed for a while. Their arms wrapped around each other the way they'd both wanted since they were kids.