The Lovers

When Ichigo Kurosaki stopped outside the address Orihime had scribbled down for him, his first thought was Wow, they sure take this seriously.

It was a little house on the very outskirts of Karakura, neon brightly lit signs in the windows screaming Psychic over and over and over. He wasn't sure what exactly he was doing here, but before he could think it over too much he was stepping up onto the tiny porch. There was a white swing swaying in the wind, just the slightest bit creaky, and he was reaching up to knock when he saw a sign on the door yelling at him Appointments Only!

He huffed and puffed. Why hadn't Orihime told him? Matter of fact, why had Orihime even told him about this place? They'd been talking about what they were going to do after school, and she'd brought up you. She'd been coming to you to get her cards read the past two months, and she was completely smitten. He was so angry at the idea that Orihime was letting herself fall for a sham like that, while she was ripping a page out of his notebook to doodle your address down.

"They're the real deal, I promise!!" she had boisted, complete with hopping up and down and clapping her hands together, and Ichigo had scoffed while still snatching the paper back from her.

The real deal! Ichigo was scowling at your front door, pink and green lights casting his skin a rainbow, staring down at the wooden plaque nailed to your door. He was about to turn away, angry at himself for even showing up and feeding into this, when the door swung open and there you stood.

You stared up at him; from your ears ouija planchettes swayed, and he was hit again with both Wow, you take this seriously and Are you kidding me!

You both stood there in silence for a good thirty seconds, Ichigo staring you down while you simply stared up, your eyes unblinking and omniscient. You had a Starbucks cup in your hands, the liquid inside icy blood, and Ichigo wanted to smack it out of your hands.

Suddenly you smiled, cocking your head, planchettes smacking your neck. "I've been waiting for you," you said, and Ichigo wanted to scream.

"No, you haven't," he immediately shot back, though you seemed unaffected by the bravado in his voice, stepping aside and making a grand gesture into the house with the hand that didn't hold your tea. It was complete with a little mock bow, your lips puckered up to him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, right?"

So you knew his name! He didn't care. You looked so sure of yourself, like you thought this would impress him, and he only narrowed his eyes at you. Orihime told you, he bargained. You'd been to the clinic before, he bartered. You'd seen him on the streets, he haggled.

"Your crystal ball tell you that?" he spat, but he still found himself stepping into the little house's foyer.

"Did you want it to?" you responded, blinking up to him. The door shut behind him, and he was suddenly locked inside with both of you standing on the welcome mat.

"Take your shoes off," you told him.

He took his shoes off.

"Do you want your cards read? Or would you prefer to look into my crystal ball?" You were looking up to him, your lips quirked just the slightest bit upwards, and Ichigo's right eye twitched at the idea that you were laughing at him.

"How much does this crap cost? I'm not spending money on a fake," he told you, and you hummed in thought around your straw.

"How about sushi after?" you suggested, and again his eye twinged.

You really thought he was going to fall for this crap! You had another thing coming.

"Conveyor belt only," he still heard himself say. You stuck your tongue out, a raspberry puffing out your cheeks.