The bell rang and all the students poured out of their classrooms. Ichigo waited for Maya this time to leave class. They walked together down the hall and into the front where Rukia was standing. She smiled to both to them, saying something to Maya. Maya laughed and nodded her head to Rukia. Somehow Rukia already knew about Maya…so there was no need for introductions. Although Ichigo was a tad bit upset that Rukia had already knew almost everything about Maya and that she couldn’t have informed him…even if it was just a little information.
“I’m home…”
Ichigo slid off his shoes and dropped his bag onto the floor. He walked further into the kitchen, seeing his little sister, Karein, sitting at the table fiddling around with something and his other little sister, Yuzu, preparing dinner for the family. She looked at him and smiled brightly.
“ Welcome home Ichigo!”
“Welcome back…”
Ichigo smiled and greeted them as well. As he was about to ask them about their day, a chill went down Ichigo’s spine, causing him to step to the side before he father went crashing down to the floor. Ichigo sighed looking down at his father as he landed face first into the hardwood floor.
“ That was fantastic Ichigo my son! You’ve learned well! I’m so proud of you-“
Ichigo stepped on the back of his father’s head with his foot. He sighed heavily, a little bit annoyed, but not at all surprised that his father would try yet another sneak attack on him. He had done this every day that it pretty much turned into a daily routine. He sighed once again and stepped on his father to go into the living room. The doorbell rang just then, Yuzu turned her head away from the pot of rice to go answer the door. She opened the door and smiled widely and somewhat shyly. Closing it a little bit, Yuzu called Ichigo to the door.
“ Ichigo! You have a guest at the door!”
Ichigo had barely sat down when she had called him. He sighed again, somehow he had assumed that it was probably Keigo coming by to harass him again about Maya. He thought about it…almost frowning as if he was mentally preparing himself. He arrived at the door, looking at Yuzu who was still smiling widely as she walked back to the kitchen. He sighed once again and opened the door.
“ Hello Ichigo”
“ Whoa!”
Ichigo nearly fell back when he opened the door to find that it was Maya. He lightly grabbed his chest, startled a bit that she was there. He stood up straight and blinked a few times, pulling himself together once more.
“ Um…Maya…what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
Maya looked up at Ichigo some, then looked back down as if she was offended by his sudden question of her presence. Ichigo’s neck hairs stood on end as he saw this. Maybe she just wanted to come see him…ok…that would be awkward…or maybe she’s scared or something and he was making it seem like he didn’t want her around…
“ Um…I mean…uh…it’s nice to see you again Maya! Really it is! I don’t mind you coming over to my house…you can come anytime you’d like! Not that I’m saying we’ll do something….I mean-“
“ Ichigo…can I please borrow some food?”
Ichigo shut himself up and once again regained himself. He looked at her oddly though. Food? She came all this way for food?
“ You see…when I got home…I guess the power went out or something…because everything in my refrigerator went bad…and I didn’t have anything in an instant package to eat. And by now the stores are all closed…but even so I wouldn’t be able to get there because I still don’t know my way around…and I’m hungry…oh this is pathetic! I’m at your front at night….I feel like such a…
“ Hold that thought”
Ichigo turned around. For some reason he didn’t seem to mind that she was here. Actually for some other reason…he was glad.
“ Hey Yuzu! Put out another plate would ya?! We got another guest!”
“ Ok!”
Ichigo chuckled a bit before turning back around. Maya looked up at him, blinking for a moment. He smiled again and put his hand on top of her head. Maya blushed softly at him, which made Ichigo even happier..
“ Are…are you sure?”
“ Of course I’m sure. It’s the least I could do…for that awesome lunch you made…”
“ Thank you Ichigo…”
“ No problem. It’s no big-”
“ ICHIGO MY SON!! WE HAVE NOT FINISHED OUR SPARRING!!”
Ichigo’s face met the ground suddenly. Maya shriek and jumped back some as Ichigo’s father victoriously stood on him with one foot of his back and the other proudly on his head. He laughed in his pride, a great loud laugh.
“ You see my son…even though you knocked me down…I still can get back up…even for a man my age! You can’t start slacking on me now Ichigo my-”
Ichigo’s dad stopped laughing when he noticed Maya. He blinked and cocked his head to the side some, looking at her oddly. Maya stood there, wide eyed some as they both stared at each other quietly. She dare not make the first move in speaking. After a moment of silence Ichigo’s father smirked and rubbed his chin some, chuckling softly in a charming way.
“ Well…to who do we owe the pleasure?”
Maya then bowed her head to him. She had a soft and stunning appearance as his father could see. Poor Ichigo, still laying face planted into the hardwood floor, not really able to get up or hear what was going on.
“ My name is Maya Hikura…It’s nice to meet you…”
“ Mr. Kuosaki… and likewise…”
He took her hand and kissed it lightly, being as charming as ever with her. Maya blushed softly and shyly looking away from him as he did so. Not even noticing that Ichigo was still struggling to get up. Ichigo’s dad smiled looking at her then at Ichigo. He snapped his fingers for a moment and smiled widely and stupid like.
“ Hey! You go to Ichigo’s school don’t you?!”
“ Um…yes I do…”
“ Hey! You wouldn’t happen to be the lucky lady in his life now would you?!”
“ W-What do you mean?”
“ I mean…you’re Ichigo’s girlfriend aren’t you?!”
Ichigo’s ears caught this last part and he immediately shot up from the ground, knocking his father over before he kicked as far away as he could. Ichigo was breathing heavily. How dare his father ask her something like that! Ichigo’s face as covered in a dark crimson red as he stood there, pissed off and all. He thought for a moment, then turned around to explain things to Maya, but noticed that she too had a crimson red hue covering her face. She looked down shyly some, almost in shock by his father’s words. There wasn’t anything that Ichigo could say really…so he shoved his hands in his pocket and turned his head slightly.
“ Um…look. Sorry about that…”
“ Oh…i-it’s alright”
Still standing there in the awkward silence…the two didn’t even exchange glances at one another. They just stood there before a slight chill hit the air and Maya made a gesture. Ichigo looked to her, seeing this from the corner of his eye. He slightly smirked as he led her into his house.
“ Well…welcome to the Kuosaki house hold…”
Maya smiled as soon as she entered the warm house. She let her eyes wander all over the place as she walked further inside. She closed her eyes, smelling something that nearly made her mouth water.
“ That smells good…”
“ Yeah…It’s just Yuzu in the kitchen cooking…”
Maya smiled, walking towards the kitchen and seeing a little girl stirring something in a pot on the stove. She smiled some at her, seeing her cooking for her family. It was rather cute…and reminded her a lot of what she had to do after her parents had died.
“ She’s adorable…”
Ichigo smiled some at Maya’s comment. He looked at Yuzu and smiled, in a way agreeing with her. He loved her…Karein as well and wanted everything for them. He sighed softly thinking back to when they were all younger…Yuzu paused and looked back at her brother and Maya. She smiled kindly setting the lid back on the pot before walking up to greet Maya.
“ Hello! Are you one of Ichigo’s friends?”
“ Yes I am. You must be Yuzu…”
“ Mmhmm! And you must be Maya! We’ve heard a lot about you these last few days!”
Maya paused and stood up. Blinking for a moment she looked at Ichigo and smiled a little in a soft and shy kind of way. Ichigo just looked at Maya some, blushing softly as he adverted his eyes to the side as she turned back to Yuzu who was smiling brightly.
“ Really? Like what…if I may ask…”
“ Oh that there was some new girl in his class…a new cute girl if I may add…”
“ Um Yuzu…I think you’re pots about to over flow!”
Yuzu turned around quickly to check her pot. Maya felt a small tug at her wrist and was then pulled away quickly. She looked to Ichigo, who was taking her away from the kitchen. She blinked at him and just watched the flustered look on his face as he brought her to the living room.
“ That’s my sister Karein over there…on the couch…”
Karein looked up, hearing her name. She smirked at Maya as she waved to her. Maya waving back smiled as well…still thinking back to what Yuzu had told her. She was sure that she didn’t mean to repeat what Ichigo had told her, but in a way she was sort of glad that she did.
Dinner wasn’t quite ready yet, so the two spent some of the time just walking around the house. Ichigo didn’t mind that she asked a lot of questions about the house…or the fact that they were running a clinic. He could tell that Maya was pretty interested in what he had to say about his family’s work…it made him feel a little proud. As they continued to walk about Maya paused. She stopped then looking at a giant picture of a woman hanging on their wall. Ichigo looked back at her, wondering why she had stopped. When he saw what she was looking at, he became quiet. Maya’s eyes were soft and gentle at that moment. She didn’t say anything as Ichigo walked up to her and stood by her side.
“ Is…Is this your mother?”
“ Yeah…that’s her…”
There again was another wave of silence. Ichigo couldn’t help but constantly looked down at Maya. He was afraid that she was going to start crying all over again…and he didn’t want her to cry anymore.
“ She’s…she’s beautiful Ichigo…”
Ichigo felt his heart beat when she said this. He looked at her, then back to his mother. He stared at her in silence. In a way that made him happier than anything…He could tell that she meant that from her heart…that made it even more special. He smiled as he shifted his eyes from his mother and back to Maya. He was surprised to see that she was quietly praying for his mother. Ichigo just watched her…stunned by her sincerity. He couldn’t help but study her lips as she prayed…not really able to catch what she had said before…but the last few words she mouthed were clearer to him than anything else…
“I’ll watch over him…You have nothing to worry about…”
His eyes widened some. His heart was racing now. Had she really said that to his mother? Had she really told her not to worry about him? A strange joy overwhelmed him from inside, but he dared not make it noticeable. He saw that Maya was finishing her prayer, with a happy smile. He looked away from her as she opened her eyes. Both of them were standing there for a moment in silence. Ichigo smiled some as he looked at his mother’s picture.
“ Thanks…you didn’t have to do that…”
Maya looked to him. Her cheeks became red suddenly as she looked to the ground. Ichigo smiled some, stuffing his hands into his pockets, trying not to laugh at her sudden embarrassment. He walked to her other side as he started off to the dinning room.
“ It means a lot to me…it really does…”
“ You’re…You’re welcome…”
“ Come on…I think dinners ready…”
The night had been filled with laughter and enjoyment. Maya had sat across from Ichigo and next Yuzu. Ichigo would begin to eat his dinner as Yuzu began to shyly ask Maya a few more questions about herself. Maya in return would smile and tell her anything she wanted to know. Ichigo couldn’t help but watch the two as they talked, Karein noticed this and lightly jabbed Ichigo in the arm and smirk at him, giving him a “ You’ve got a thing for her” look, in which he would frown and go back to eating. There were a few times he nearly choked when his father began to say the most random things ask questions such as “ Was it love at first sight?” or “ It’s not everyday Ichigo brings home a beautiful young girl from school…”. Maya didn’t mind, but she would blush and sink her head down and Ichigo would be at her defense in a heartbeat. It almost never seemed to end.
“ Ichigo…your family is so wonderful!”
“ Yeah…I suppose…”
Ichigo rubbed the back of his head and smiled some. He sighed thinking to what his father said to Maya before they had left. He asked her: “ Please do make sure he’s careful with his hands…he can be very rough when it comes to it…”. Ichigo could have killed his dad for what he said, embarrassing both him and Maya, but all he did was hit him one good time before dragging Maya off. Looking up into the night, Ichigo found himself suddenly lost in the stars. Maya looked over at Ichigo, though not in concern. She smiled as she watched him quietly looking up into the sky at the stars. She found herself lost in that quiet moment…in some thought, then she smiled and looked up at Ichigo once more.
“ Ichigo…”
“Yeah?”
Maya grabbed Ichigo’s hand and looked up at him, smiling. Ichigo looked at her, confused a little bit, but smiled back at her some. He didn’t mind that she had suddenly grabbed his hand, but he did wonder what she was up to so suddenly.
“ Come with me for a moment…”
Without question, Ichigo followed Maya, letting go of her hand. It felt weird holding someone else’s hand at that moment, but he wondered why he didn’t react when she first grabbed hold of his hand. As he followed her he noticed that Maya really seemed to know where she was going, which was strange. She then stopped near a rail, Ichigo finally catching up to her and looking out at the scene. You could see the whole entire city from up there.
“ Wow…”
Maya smiled as he gazed at the sight some. She closed her eyes and her strange, yet elegant flute appeared in her hands. She gently put it near her lips and began to play a soft, sweet melody…Ichigo paused in thought, now listening to Maya as she played her flute. It was soothing in a way that almost drove him crazy…but in a way…he enjoyed listening to her play…
The two were finally back on the walk towards Maya’s house. It was quiet between them for a moment, before they reached Maya’s doorsteps to her house. She paused for a moment once more, smiling at him softly and shyly.
“ Thank you Ichigo…for tonight…”
“ Hey…there’s no need for thanks…It was nice to have you over anyway. I mean Yuzu and Karein enjoyed you being there…and even my father, for some strange and unknown reason, thinks you’re great…and…I liked having you over. We don’t usually have company over.”
Maya seemed to smile some, but then her smile slowly faded as her head sunk down some and her eyes shadowed. Ichigo looked at her for a moment, wondering if he had said something wrong once again. Then it hit him…she was thinking about her own family, how they use to spend time together, eating and laughing. Ichigo’s eyes softened and reached out his hand to comfort her. Maya blushed, feeling a gentle hand on her cheek as she looked up at Ichigo once again. His eyes were filled with concern, even though he didn’t say anything to her. She blushed softly, staying quiet and very still. Ichigo came closer to her, still silent all the way through. They just stared at each other.
Maya could feel her heart pounding loudly…she blinked and looked away from him for a moment. Ichigo, realizing what he was doing, quickly removed his hand from her cheek and looked the other way, away from her. They didn’t look at each other, in fear that the other might see the deep crimson hue on each other’s faces. Maya stood backed up against the door then. She just couldn’t bring herself to look at him at the moment…
“ Well then…Ichigo…I guess…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow…”
“ Um…yeah…”
Maya turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. She brought herself to look up at Ichigo one last time only to realize that he had already stared walking off. She watched him silently as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and hurried off back home into the night. Maya sighed some, going inside and leaning against her door, holding her chest as her heart flutters.
