Characters: Orihime, Ryuuken, Ishida
Summary: An unanswerable question.
Pairings: IshiHime
Warnings/Spoilers: No spoilers
Timeline: Post-manga
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Usually she picks up the smell the cigarette smoke before she sees him but not this time, only hearing hard footsteps against linoleum floor before he greets her coolly, looking as much a fixture of the hospital as the equipment or the bleached sheets or the strong, smell of antiseptics that far from its intended purpose reminds Orihime only of death.
"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" The sudden voice makes her jump and she spins around, hands immediately twiddling with her skirt. Ryuuken casts a look at her that's somewhere between bemused and hostile and all over congealed with ice.
Orihime casts a brief look into the hospital room she stands outside of and remembers, vividly, the way Uryuu and his father react to each other. Gently, she pulls the door shut, so the occupant won't wake up and hear Ryuuken talking.
Then, she turns back to the newcomer, and sucks in a deep breath that doesn't stop her heart from pounding.
He has a direct, unblinking stare.
Ishida Ryuuken was a handsome man in his youth, and in a way he still is but his coldness now subsumes and encompasses all other traits and it's impossible to notice anything but that. None of Uryuu's friends can recall having ever had a pleasant encounter with him and Orihime doubts this will be any different.
He makes her feel like a hunted animal.
"I don't suppose I have to ask how he got hurt this time, either." He lets out an exasperated sigh, eyes flicking momentarily to the windows stained black with night and framed with frost. "Fool," Ryuuken mutters, more to himself than to Orihime, eyes narrowing and voice sounding more tired than coldly angry.
Orihime winces when he makes a move as to go into the darkened room, face set and grimly angry. She quickly moves in between Ryuuken and the door.
"Inoue-san, move."
"I…" She hesitates, not sure what to say "…I don't think you should go in there," Orihime half-whispers.
His cold stare sears her. "And why not?" Ryuuken's voice is dangerously soft and quiet.
Orihime forces herself to meet his gaze. "…I don't think Ishida-kun would be too happy to see you."
Ryuuken shakes his head and sighs. He's barely audible as he speaks. "And he loves you. What makes you think you hurt him any less than I do?"
Orihime stares, open-mouthed and silent, unable to answer.
She makes no protest when he pushes her aside and opens the door.