Stairwell up to the 2nd floor - Late Morning

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

Little did Ichigo know that he wouldn't be the only one hauling around luggage up the stairs that day. He hadn't really been paying much attention to dates since he'd been in Japan (not that he would have paid attention if he hadn't been there). So up the stairs he went, only to the 2nd floor but it felt higher when your head was pounding. Headaches apparently didn't so much like travelling through portals. He supposed he should just be grateful he managed to get the last-minute spot that opened up there.

He wasn't very good at feeling grateful right now.

[[Open as a stairwell is open.]]

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[intraspective]

Between classes and stalking Arthur in-between classes, Ino hadn't done a whole lot of, you know, moving yet which'd be why she was heading up the stairs with a small bag over her shoulder--Ino travelled light--and blinked up at the person on the stairs above her.

"Ichigo?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

Why did he startle? It was a silly thing to startle at and yet... It was almost like she'd caught him doing... something. Maybe it were the bandages.

"Hey, Ino," he said, stopping so she could catch up with him.

[intraspective]

It didn't take long for her to get up the stairs to him, her frown growing as she took in the bandages and the startle. "What happened to you?" Ino asked, tugging on his sleeve. "You look awful."

She had other things to say, like 'yay you're back' and 'you loser, you suck at calling' but that was the most important one.

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," he said dryly. "I missed you too." Maybe it was said to shut her up, but it wasn't a lie either and he quickly leaned down to kiss her.

[intraspective]

The stairs weren't the best place to make out, really, but a kiss was just fine mmmm, and she was alright with that for sure.

"Missed you," she said, smiling slightly. "But geez, you're so not distracting me." Though maybe a bit...

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Sure I am," he argued, his free hand coming up to tug her hair.

[intraspective]

"For long," she amended, because that deserved another kiss. "Not for long, and you'd better know it."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Maybe I've forgotten," he suggested, hiking his bag up higher on his shoulder.

[intraspective]

"You're just fishing for kisses," she said, making a face at him and dancing up one stair. "Poorly, I might add."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"I never pretended to be good at it," he said easily and she was still distracted, that was what counted.

[intraspective]

"Are you saying I'm easy then?" she asked, giving him a once over that belied her light words. "Because, if you are, I might have to kick you down the stairs."

[Fleeing for lunch! Back in an hour!]

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He snorted and moved up the steps. "You're anything but easy," he said.

[intraspective]

"Good boy," she teased, "come on, let's get you up the stairs. Broken boy, geez, I hope you pounded them."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"It's not that bad," he defended as he headed further up the stairs.

[intraspective]

"I hope you pounded them," she repeated, frowning at him. "You're hurt, that's bad enough, at least you're not dying."

Geez.

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"I had help," he shrugged a shoulder. More like they saved his ass.

[intraspective]

"You needed help?" Ino gave him a look, trying to steal one of his bags from him to carry up.

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He eyed her, he was perfectly fine to carry these himself. They were almost on the second floor anyway. "I always have help," he said, which wasn't really an answer either. "You're not the only one who fights in a team." But in the end it was his duty and he put them at risk while he should have kept them safe.

[intraspective]

"You don't strike me as being good at teamwork," she said dryly, tugging at the bag to make her point. "Just saying."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He pointedly let her get the bag and made a face at her. "If it wasn't for Rukia, I wouldn't even know what being a shinigami means," he explained. "When she got taken, Chad and the others went with me to save her." He just needed to do the final thing on his own.

[intraspective]

Victory! She shouldered the bag easily. "A rescue party," Ino drawled, "how'd that turn out?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

The were right at the second floor anyway, so she didn't have to haul it much further. "We won. Sort of. Rukia was saved, but the guy who was behind it managed to escape."

[intraspective]

"You're emo-ing on the floor," she said, looping her arm through his. "Clearly you need me around more. How'd he get away?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Am not!" he protested. "He was stronger. Not even the Shinigami captains could stop him."

[intraspective]

"You are," she assured him. "And your emo is pink."

Because distracting him was totally a useful plan.

"And the Shinigami captains are badass?"