lastcomfort | [IC] Inbox @ deerington

[ Is she always a little excited when Ichigo texts her? Yes. And maybe just a little more today because it is her birthday, but there's been so much going on...especially with Zangetsu's disappearance, she isn't really bothered he hasn't remembered. She almost forgot herself! Time is just flying by so quickly. ]

I'm off at 3 today! Did you want me to bring back something?

[ She usually does--experiments or leftovers since she just can't be stopped, apparently. And she does have something she's planning that she hopes will help him feel a little better about the loss of his partner. ]

[3, huh... that gives him a little bit of time. Maybe not quite enough, though.

But hey, he can just. Take a leaf right out of her Tanabata book and keep her outta the house, she's given him the perfect response for doing that.]

actually yeah, i've got a hell of a craving for some chocolate ice cream. i'll make it up to you somehow

[Gah he feels bad, making her. Get him shit on her birthday. Shit he doesn't really need but hey, it'll get eaten? He couldn't think of anything else! It's all for the plan!!]]

[ It isn't often that Ichigo right out asks her for a treat, so is she motivated to deliver? ABSOLUTELY. ]

I can do that! Do you want plain chocolate or something like "Moose Tracks"?

Have you had Moose Tracks? They don't have actual moose in them.

No, I can't say that I have. If it doesn't have moose in it (not that I was over here thinking DAMN, moose sounds good in my ice cream??), what're the moose tracks then?

[No, he tries really hard not to ask her for things considering she's. Carrying his ass even still?

Welp, while shooting the shit via text, he's gonna get to work!!!]

It's chocolate ice cream with swirls of CHOCOLATE FUDGE and usually chocolate chips or peanut butter cups!

It's soooooo good.

♡ฅ(ᐤˊ꒳ฅˋᐤ♪)

Oh. Shit.

That sounds amazing. I'm wondering how I've gone all this time NOT having tried it??

Sold. Grab me some of that if they have it.

Thanks, Inoue.

I think it's an American thing. They seem to like their desserts VERY sweet! But we should take the opportunity to try as many of their snacks as possible while we're here!

I will do my best, Kurosaki-kun! (★´ω｀★)ゞ

....fair enough. you should find the next craziest one you can and we can taste test it with the moose tracks, then? Cuz we're way behind on this mission, if we're taking it on.

Lemme know when you've got the goods and you're on your way back. I have no doubt that you'll succeed =]

[...because, putting her on a hunt for crazy ice cream might buy even more time?]

Ohhh, Kurosaki-kun is feeling adventurous today? ೭੧(❛▿❛✿)੭೨

Then I will make sure to find something VERY surprising!

[ This is a challenge she is going to take VERY seriously and he knows it. Good thinking. She's going to be agonizing in the frozen food aisle for a while. ]

I'll let you know!

[ Which means a few hours later, he gets a text... ]

Okay, I am leaving work. And I have a good feeling about this ice cream quest! My bones say that there's something special waiting in the freezers.

(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

what can I say, I'm finally feeling like myself again, which means its time to add some variety to my life.

[Later: This timing is perfect, actually, he only has some finishing touches around the apartment, and needs to wrap her presents. He's uh. Pretty pleased with himself and how this all worked out?]

the only hang up I can see happening is how outdated everything is here. But I've got a good feeling too. You're gonna find the world's best/worst ice cream idea. The potential for disgust is worth it.

Edited 2020-09-10 22:55 (UTC)

I hope so. The bar is so high right now!!

[ But...it turns out her search really isn't that long. Because she finds the perfect thing pretty quickly. ]

My bones were right, Kurosaki-kun!

＼＼\(۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶//／／

I hope you're ready because there's no turning back now!!

that sounds foreboding. Man of my word though, we're doing this. No matter how bad it might be.

I'll be here. No rush.

[Ahhh shit okay okay. He is putting down the fluid, so that he can finish wrapping this shit! A couple of the gifts are gonna look all neat, the other... very hasty, botched wrap job. Whoops.]

Oh I think it's going to be AMAZING!

[ Which means that most people should be terrified. (But it's probably not going to be as bad as he thinks.)

It takes her only about ten minutes or so to walk back to the apartment and she's got a bounce in her step. Getting to introduce some new and fun flavors to Ichigo is always something to be excited about and, really, the fact that she still gets to come home to someone--especially him--warms her heart. She knows she shouldn't lean too far into it, but she can't help it.

It's nice! It's nice that especially in a place like this, she isn't alone.

It's that excitement that resonates in her voice as she unlocks and opens the front door, swinging her bag of ice cream. ]

I'm home~!

Your taste buds have evolved from a normal persons though and are on a completely different level than mine. But like I said, I'm in no matter what.

[ALRIGHT, presents are wrapped. Apartment is decorated, brightly colored balloons taped to the ceiling, the walls... everywhere. There are a few streamers too, for good measure, though Ichigo is kiiinda wondering if he went a little overboard. But hey, he's... trying to make it a good birthday, and fill in for Zangetsu, too. And all of their other friends back home, specifically Tatsuki. When Orihime actually walks in, she'll find him sitting at the table waiting for her. There is a plate of freshly made Manjū in the center of it, and one of them has a blue birthday candle sticking out of it.

Ichigo leans forward, elbow on the table and chin resting in his hand as he offers her a crooked grin. Absolute 'gotcha' look. HE IS PLEASED WITH HIMSELF, OKAY.]

Ah... welcome home. Happy Birthday, Inoue.

Edited (motherfucker) 2020-09-11 18:06 (UTC)

[ The first thing she notices is that the apartment is decidedly more colorful than she left it that morning. Orihime blinks, pausing in the doorway with the door still held open with one hand and the ice cream bag now hanging limply in the other. ]

Eh?

[ There are...balloons! And streamers! It looks like Party City has thrown up over the room and she absolutely loves it. The excess and chaos of it all is definitely more her aesthetic than his and her heart is racing in her chest already by the time her gaze falls on Ichigo sitting at the kitchen table looking a lot like the cat who has gotten the cream.

Those sparkles appearing around him are totally real, too. As is the rosy filter that seems to take over the world and she feels like she could collapse right on the spot when he welcomes her home with that voice and wishes her happy birthday. She doesn't even notice the manju, he has her sole attention.

And Orihime feels her face double in temperature and deepen in color--there's absolutely no way she can handle this without a little embarrassment. ]

K-K-Kurosaki-ku-n-n--

[ She covers her face and shakes her head. ]

Am I really seeing this!?

[Oh man. That reaction.

It's got his grin curling up even more, and boy does he look satisfied. Normally, he would feel like a complete asshole for making her blush and stammer like that, but this time? It means that his mission is absolutely accomplished... and she's only just walked in the door. There's still so much more to come.

He does kinda wonder if he should ease into it more slowly, though, if she's already looking like she could pass out from overheating over there. Not knowing the context of her question at all, Ichigo answers, moving to get up and clear the distance in between them. He reaches down to hook a finger into the handle of the bag she looks like she's about to drop, gently taking it from her.]

Yup, you're really seeing this. C'mon, Manjū is better fresh.

[Ichigo takes the bag of ice cream over to the counter and peeks inside, because he is insanely curious to know what the hell that second flavor he's committed himself to eating is. It's an absent thing, as he goes on.

No idea of the actual meltdown she is probably having inside. Whoops. Once he's done glimpsing-and noting the joy or hell he's gonna be in, he's moving to return to the table. Looking at her expectantly as he picks up the lighter he's got next to the plate.]

Sorry to make you buy crap on your birthday, I was trying to finish up here and it bought me time.

[ Oh gosh oh gosh she can hear him getting up and moving over--she's always been acutely attuned to his reiatsu even before she realized what meant--and she can just feel his presence in and of itself coming closer to hers. She. Can't. Take this!

Tatsuki had always taken it upon herself to make sure that Orihime never spent a birthday alone, even on the ones that Orihime preferred to spend a little more quietly. And while she never expected this of Ichigo or anyone else, really, that not only he remembered it was her birthday but that he went above and beyond any call of duty just leaves her floored. And wholly touched.

Because Kurosaki Ichigo isn't the type of person for silly gestures like balloons and streamers. His actions always speak for themselves in their own quiet sincerity and she's perfectly content with that. But this? This is absolutely him putting for the effort to do something not just for her but to the silly and over-the-top way she does like to do things sometimes. It's...

It's absolutely the best birthday present she could have asked for.

She's already a mess.

She's only barely peaking through the gaps in her fingers when he takes the ice cream away, which is good because if that shit fell on the floor she'd just have one more thing to freak out about. (And luckily for Ichigo, the mystery flavor isn't too outlandish.)

Orihime still needs a moment to try and calm herself down. He goes back into the kitchen and she has to look away and give herself a peptalk:

Don't make an idiot of yourself! Kurosaki-kun went out of his way to do something nice for you! Just standing by the door stammering would be really rude!!

A large huff out of her nose and Orihime pinches her forearm hard. ]

Ouch!

[ Okay. Okay she's not dreaming.

Back to reality. She's got this!

She pins around and stands ramrod straight, puffing her chest out with a new bout of courage. Orihime carefully slips her shoes off before crossing the short distance over to the table. And quickly gets to waving off any apologies at his slight deception. ]

N-No! There's nothing to apologize for. It's something I would have done regardless, and--

[ Wait a second. Orihime blinks and leans into the plate. ]

Kurosaki-kun, did...You did! Y-you made homemade manju...

[First and foremost, Ichigo is secretly making a face when his back is turned to her, because holy shit does this ice cream sound like it's gonna be terrible. Bacon is great. Vanilla is... okay, obviously he prefers chocolate, but it's a good fall back. Together though? In a cold, creamy treat? It sounds terrible. Downright terribly. That being said... sometimes things that shouldn't pair well together do, even Ichigo can't deny that shit.

...Orihime is probably gonna love it.

At the table though, Ichigo is back to being all grins, because damn right, he made that for her, and he's. Kinda excited and proud of himself for doing it. It's not that he didn't cook before, he's fully capable, but usually Yuzu takes the reigns on that front and so he's just not. Super experienced with it. Most of his experience in making anything is coming from being here. So far, Orihime hasn't complained about his cooking (not that she would), and he hasn't hated anything he's made. This would be a bad place to start on botching anything though, so Ichigo put extra effort into this particular dish...]

Sure did. Anko and all. I know it's not a cake or whatever, but asking you what you'd want would kinda... give it away, and I know you like red bean paste, so... [Okay, maybe he looks a tiny bit nervous, now that she's here and is gonna eat the damn things.] Your unconventional birthday cake? Here's to hoping I didn't screw it up. [Ichigo flicks the lighter and moves to light the candle. Then he watches her, that full-of-himself grin dropping down into more of a smile.]

Make your wish.

[ How can she possibly process all of this? She hadn't anticipated...but should she have? Ichigo may not always be forthright in his feelings towards his friends, but he always makes them known when and where it counts. With Ichigo actions always speak louder than unsaid words and this, this--

This just makes her heart burst. There are absolutely tears starting to well up in her eyes, but they are happy tears. To his concerns, she shakes her head furiously. ]

No! No, not at all, it's--it's perfect, Kurosaki-kun.

[ The tears are threatening to fall, but she's wiping the corners of her eyes with a big smile that only grows when he lights the candle. ]

Ah...this is the hardest part! There are so many things I could wish for...

[ She gives it a good, long thought. But once she's decided, she sucks in a deep breath and easily blows out the singular candle. ]

[It seems like a weird thing, to be happy that someone is crying, but... well. The tears he's seen Orihime cry here in Deerington have all been because of some heart wrenching thing, so knowing that it's because he's made her that happy is just... satisfying. It makes his heart feel like it's swelling a little, with pride and happiness too. Because he did that. He's the reason she's smiling that way and wiping at her eyes.

Like he finally got something right. It's been... a long time since he felt that way, and god damn if it doesn't feel great. It's got Ichigo's normally hardened, grumpy face completely line free as he watches her blow the candle out. Lips still curled up into a true smile.]

Hopefully you've got better luck with wishes here, cause every time I make one, the opposite happens. [He reaches out to take one of the manju, but just holds it there, giving her a pointed look as if to say 'you first'.] I'll go get your presents in a second. And I hope you weren't planning on staying home, cause we're gonna go do something. I was thinking arcade or skating rink, but it should be your pick. It's your day, after all.

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