Chapter Text
It wasn’t until he didn’t see her that he realized he’d been specifically seeking her out in the first place, and he had to wonder how often he had done it to begin with. His eyes had searched the crowds of students making their way out of school, frowning when he didn’t immediately find her with her usual group of friends. He found himself slowing, craning his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of her vibrant hair. He turned full circle, a quiet panic starting at his gut.
“Looking for Orihime?” Tatsuki suddenly appeared before him, arms folded.
“Y—uh, no, why would I be? I see her every day in class, why would I be looking for her now, I don't—I’m gonna go—”
“She has a job now,” Tatsuki called out as he tried to casually stride away. The corner of her lips curved upward when he spun around too quickly. “Her shift starts right after school, so.”
“That’s great!” he exclaimed, and then hastily tried to reel in his outburst by clearing his throat. “That’s really good, I’m happy for her.”
“Do you wanna know where?”
“I do, yes.”
.x.
He tried very hard not to draw attention to himself, but the bell above the door chimed all too loudly and it made him flinch.
It was a quaint shop, a couple of tables set up off to the side and a simple counter with a display window the only things occupying any space. The walls had been painted a sunny yellow and there was a tall wooden rack behind the counter lined with fresh bread. There was one other customer there, an elderly lady with graying hair, and she looked to be finishing up her business.
On the other side of the counter, Orihime was boxing up what looked to be a small cake.
He nearly backed out of the bakery, content now that he had seen her, but her eyes flickered up at the last second and froze him in his place. They brightened, color surfacing on her cheeks, and an elated smile lifted the edges of her lips. It soothed his nerves just a little.
He stepped aside politely as the elderly woman shuffled out, rubbing the back of his head as he approached the counter.
“Kurosaki-kun!” she greeted, smile widening. “What a coincidence!”
It wasn’t. But he was suddenly doubting himself for some reason. Was it weird for him to have gone out of his way like this just to see her? He didn’t particularly have anywhere to be, but his house was across town and there was no way he could simply brush this off with a, “I was just passing by” or, “I was in the neighborhood.”
“Are you a regular? I just started working here today.”
“Ah—no, I’m not really… I don’t really come here.” He never has. Not once in his life.
“Oh?” She blinked. “Are you here to buy some bread? Or maybe cupcakes? I made a good batch earlier and I saved a few for myself, but if you’d like to take some home for your sisters, I’d be happy to give up a few.”
That in itself would have been a good excuse. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary at all if he’d decided to bring home some treats for his baby sisters. But as it were, he hadn’t a penny on him. Regardless, he patted his pockets as if money had magically appeared inside of them.
“I don’t have any…” he trailed off, catching the furrowing of her brow.
“You could have them for free. I didn’t put them up on display, so they’re not really for sale.” When he refused a second time, a perplexed look crossed her face. “Then…why are you here?”
Too many seconds passed in silence, and just when he was about to come up with a different excuse, she clapped her hands over her mouth.
“N – Not that I don’t want you here, of course! It’s actually really nice to see you, I’m glad you came at all, but I didn’t want to assume that you were just here to—”
“I wanted to see you,” he got out, avoiding her eyes. “Tatsuki told me you were working here and I just wanted to…stop by, I guess.”
When he finally worked up the nerve to look at her again, an absolutely touched expression had taken up her face and it made his heart jump. “That’s so thoughtful of you,” she breathed, holding a hand over her chest.
“I… Not really,” he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at his feet. “I didn’t bring you any food or anything.” Which he was starting to regret intensely, now that he knew how positive her response was.
“That’s okay!” she reassured. “I don’t get my break for another hour, so I’ll just—”
“Wanna—” he blurted before he could think it through, and realized he would have to finish his thought for the sake of courtesy. “Wanna…have a bite…together?”
Again, her cheeks colored prettily, but an unmistakably pleased smile touched her lips. “I… I’d love to.”
“Alright,” he said, turning on his heel to hide the burning on his face. “I’ll, uh…see you later.”
“Thanks for dropping by,” she called after him.
“Any time,” he said at the entrance, staring at the bell above the door. “What did you wanna get, by the way?”
“Oh, anything’s fine! I’m not very picky.”
He recalled the last time he had seen one of her home cooked meals. “We’ll figure it out later, then.”
He stepped out, waved over his shoulder, and quickly made his way back to the other side of town, heart pounding every step of the way.
.x.