His Princess, Her Savior

by Phoenix710

Ichigo tells Orihime the truth of his feelings for her after he saves her from a gang of thugs, and she is overjoyed. As their relationship grows, so does Chizuru's jealousy. She tries to break them up, but Rukia and Tatsuki have other ideas. Rated T.

His Princess, Her Savior

Story by: Phoenix710

Summary: Two months after the defeat of Aizen and the completion of his training under Yoruichi and Kisuke to regain his Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo Kurosaki plans to invite his friend Orihime Inoue to his home for dinner, and from there, he plans to ask her if she wants to become his girlfriend. As Ichigo heads home from school with Rukia, Chad, and Tatsuki, they catch a group of thugs in the act of attempting to rape Orihime. After beating the pulp out of the goons, Ichigo and Rukia take Orihime home so she can clean up, and Ichigo vows to make certain Orihime never comes to harm again, by standing at her side forever.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. All characters, and the Bleach anime series, are property of Tite Kubo. This story is an Ichigo/Orihime pairing, so if you don't like them together as a couple, don't read it. Otherwise, enjoy. Also, this story is a bit AU, as Rukia will be living as an adopted member of Ichigo's family, due to disgust with Byakuya's cold, aloof attitude.

Chapter One: Orihime's Knight In Black Robes

As the school bell rang to finally signal the end of the day at Karakura High School, the students all made their way outside, eager to start their weekends. One student in particular, Ichigo Kurosaki, reflected for a few minutes on how much his life had changed in the past couple years…he'd met Rukia Kuchiki…now Rukia Kurosaki, as she'd decided to renounce her stepbrother Byakuya's family name, due to his cold, uncaring treatment of her…especially when she'd heard about how Byakuya had vowed to kill her when Ichigo had come to save her, and when Byakuya had attempted to convince Ichigo to kill her when she'd been possessed by a pair of Hollows. The short, dark-haired Soul Reaper now shared the room with his twin sisters Yuzu and Karin, since she'd been adopted by Ichigo's family just after the possession incident, and she was much happier living as Ichigo's adopted sister than she had ever been with Byakuya. Rukia had trained him to use his Soul Reaper powers after she'd transferred them to him on the night they'd met, and as time had passed, Ichigo had undergone additional training from Yoruichi Shihoin , the former captain of the 2nd Squad of the Gotei 13, now led by her protégé, SoiFon. He'd also been aided by Kisuke Urahara, the goofy and somewhat perverted ex-captain of the 12th Squad. He had saved Orihime from the clutches of the traitorous ex-captain Sosuke Aizen, and finally succeeded in bringing the villain down, at the cost of losing his powers. Yoruichi, Kisuke, Rukia, and his father had re-trained him in turn, until finally, his powers had returned. Now, he shifted his thoughts to Orihime. He'd met her back when she was just a young girl, when her older brother Sora had died at the clinic his family ran due to injuries from a horrible car accident. He'd comforted her as best he could, and as time passed on, he had begun to feel an undeniable attraction towards her…he knew it now…he loved her, and he said to himself, 'Tonight, I'm gonna ask Orihime to come and have dinner with us…I want to ask her to be my girlfriend…and I swear, I will always be there for her, no matter what.'

He heard footsteps beside him as he walked toward the gate leading to the sidewalk, and when he looked, on his left were Rukia and Tatsuki, and to his right was Chad. He looked around for Orihime, but he wasn't able to spot her anywhere. Turning to Tatsuki, he asked, "Tatsuki, did Orihime say anything to you about leaving early? I wanted to ask her something…rather important."

The raven-haired female martial-arts expert turned to face her friend, and she said, "She had a doctor's appointment and had to leave early, Ichigo. Why don't you try calling her cell phone?"

Ichigo nodded and dialed Orihime's number, but all he heard was her voicemail. It said "Hi, Orihime here. Sorry I can't talk to you now, but leave me your name and I'll get back to you. Bye!"

Ichigo waited for the beep, and he said, "Orihime, it's Ichigo. I wanted to ask you if you'd like to have dinner over at my house tonight, and then I'd like to talk with you about something important. Call me when you get a chance. Bye."

Rukia looked up at Ichigo with mischief in her eyes, and she said, "So Ichigo…have you bought a ring yet?"

Ichigo gave Rukia a playful shove, and he replied, "I will…when Renji buys you one. Quit teasing me, okay?"

The short, black-haired Shinigami replied, "Why? It's so much fun. Anyway…I'm happy for you. Orihime deserves a great guy like you, and you deserve her. Although…I am getting a rather unpleasant feeling, as if something bad's about to happen."

Rukia's feelings were soon justified when the group heard a loud scream that both Ichigo and Tatsuki recognized immediately…Orihime. The two of them took off running, with Chad and Rukia not far behind. Ichigo thought to himself, 'When I get my hands on whoever made her scream, they're dead. Nobody hurts the girl I love, not as long as I live and breathe.'

Tatsuki had similar thoughts running through her mind too…Orihime was her best friend, and she personally vowed to kill whoever was trying to harm her.

Nearby, in an alley…

Orihime gritted her teeth in pain as the leader of the four goons that had surrounded her belted her across the left cheek, knocking her to her knees. Tears glistened in her brown eyes, and two of the thugs produced knives from the waistbands of their jeans. The leader said, "You got a real nice body there, little girl. How 'bout you show us some more of it. I'd really like to see your upper body."

Orihime kicked the first goon that moved in on her between the legs, and then the second one jumped on her and pinned her down. He said, "That wasn't too smart, honey…now we're gonna have to teach ya a lesson."

The thug was about to start slicing her shirt off when she suddenly heard the proud voice of the one she loved most, Ichigo, as he shouted, "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

Smirking with his blade drawn, the goon pushed Orihime against the wall of the alley, while one of his buddies covered her. He said, "So, Prince Charming to the rescue, huh? Hate to say it buddy…but we found her first. Don't worry, my pals and I won't hurt her. After all, there's no fun in harming such a perfect body like hers."

Ichigo said, "GET YOUR SICK MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER BEFORE I GRIND YOU INTO IT! NOBODY TOUCHES THE GIRL I LOVE…UNLESS THEY WANT A FREE TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL!"

The dumb punk rushed Ichigo, only to have the orange-haired young man dodge left, before coming back around and planting a solid left hook to his jaw. The blow nearly knocked the punk out, but he charged again, only to have Ichigo flatten him with a spinning roundhouse kick to the left side of the head. Once the idiot was down, Ichigo went over to check on Orihime. He helped her up, and she said, "Ichigo…thank you so much. They…tried to…tear off my clothes and rape me. You're always there for me, Ichigo. I don't know how I could ever thank you enough."

Ichigo smiled as he took the young copper-haired female's right hand in his. He said, "You already have, Orihime. Just being with me and standing at my side through everything I've been through…my fights with Grimjoww, Ulqiuorra, and Aizen, not to mention healing me after I was injured by Yammy, just being by my side gave me the strength I needed to fight on. Would you like to come to my house for dinner tonight? You can have a bath and get cleaned up, and I'll ask Yuzu to wash your clothes real quick."

Orihime smiled, and she said, "I'd love to, Ichigo. Thanks again for saving me…I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

Ichigo smiled at her and hugged her gently. He thought to himself, 'I don't know what I'd do without her either…I need to tell her now just how I feel for her.'

Looking down at the beautiful girl he loved, Ichigo said, "Orihime…I know I couldn't ever live with myself if anything ever happened to you. I should have told you this a long time ago…I love you."

Orihime's eyes went wide, and she threw her arms around Ichigo's waist. She said, "Ichigo…I love you too, with all my heart. I wanted to tell you before I left for Hueco Mundo…I almost kissed you, but you were asleep and healing…so I didn't want to take advantage of you. I want our first kiss to be special."

Ichigo pulled Orihime close, and before long, their lips met. Sparks danced under their closed eyelids for almost three minutes, before Ichigo and Orihime remembered that there were still three other thugs. When they turned around, they saw Rukia, Chad, and Tatsuki each taking on one of them. Ichigo said, "I think they can handle themselves. How about we sit and watch?"

Orihime sat down in Ichigo's lap, and the two of them took in the brawl between their friends and the hapless punks.

One goon rushed at Rukia with his bare hands, thinking that the short, dark-haired girl in front of him would be an easy target…big mistake. He threw a punch, which she easily dodged by flash-stepping. She dodged four more, before smiling and saying, "Hope you're not actually trying to hit me. I'm getting bored here."

The goon said, "Real funny, aren't ya? Let's see how funny you are when I send you back home to mommy, ya little pint-sized brat!"

Rukia's eyes narrowed, and she said, "WHAT…DID…YOU…CALL…ME?"

The thug replied, "I said you're a BRAT! What, are ya hard of hearing?"

Rukia smiled, and she said, "No…but you're an idiot…and you're about to find out why it's a bad idea to call me a brat! BAKUDO NUMBER ONE…SAI!"

Rukia made a slashing motion in the air, and the thug instantly wound up on his knees, with his arms locked behind his back. He screamed, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU LITTLE WITCH?"

Looking down at the squirming thug, Rukia said, "Who, me? Nothing really…just gave you an introduction to Yoga. Besides…it'll save the police the trouble of handcuffing you when they get here."

In the meantime, Tatsuki caught the third idiot's fist as he swung at her, and she brought her left knee around with devastating force, cracking four of the goon's ribs and knocking the wind out of him. She said, "Nobody puts their hands on my best friend…or they answer to me, scumbag. I hope your health plan is up to date…BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING HOME IN A BOX, YOU LOUSY BASTARD!"

Not wasting any more time, Tatsuki hammered three vicious punches into the goon's face, followed by a spinning roundhouse that sent him flying into a pile of trash cans. She said, "Hah…right where you belong, with the rest of the garbage. That should teach you to keep your hands off of my best friend."

The last idiot swung at Chad, but his fist was stopped by Chad's outstretched hand, and no matter how he tried, the idiot wasn't able to make Chad budge an inch. Chad said, "I don't like it when people try to hurt my friends…especially not Orihime. I think you need a lesson in manners…and you need to tell her you're sorry."

The goon replied, "You gonna make me, you overgrown freak?"

Chad lightly punched the goon's stomach, and he went flying into a brick wall, cracking it. Chad picked him up, and he was about to ask him again, when Rukia said, "Chad…let me. I've got a way of getting people to do what I want."

Chad handed the idiot over to his Soul Reaper friend, and she said, "Now…let's go have a little talk, shall we?"

Once she'd gotten the idiot off to the side, Rukia shouted, "YOU'RE GONNA GO OVER THERE AND APOLOGIZE TO ORIHIME AND SWEAR TO NEVER TRY AND HURT HER AGAIN, OR I'M GOING TO PERSONALLY KNOCK YOUR HEAD SO FAR DOWN BETWEEN YOUR SHOULDERS THAT YOU'LL NEED TO STICK YOUR SHOELACES UP YOUR REAR END TO FLOSS YOUR TEETH, AND THEN I'LL SQUASH YOU FLATTER THAN A PANCAKE!"

The goon said, "Yeah…as if I need to be afraid of you, ya little pipsqueak…AAGGHH!"

Rukia grabbed the idiot's throat in a vise-like grip, and she said, "Still think I'm playing…I could break your neck before you can blink. I may not look it, but I'm pretty strong for my size. Just be glad you're not dealing with a couple of my friends…Yachiru or SoiFon. You'd already be dead. Now…are you gonna apologize, or shall we go round two?"

The punk made his way over to where Ichigo and Orihime were sitting, and with a little persuasion from Rukia in the form of a kick in the back of the left knee, he knelt before them and he said, "Please forgive me…I know what I did was wrong and I promise I'll never try to hurt you again…I'm sorry!"

Ichigo said, "You better not try anything else with my girlfriend, you stupid punk…or I'll personally make sure you end up buried in a sandwich bag! NOW GET OUTTA HERE!"

The punk immediately turned tail and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, while Chad called for the police to come and arrest the other three. Tatsuki walked over to Orihime, and she said, "Are you alright, Orihime?"

Smiling at her raven-haired friend, Orihime replied, "Yeah, Tatsuki…a little scared, but thanks to you, Rukia, Chad, and Ichigo…I'm not hurt a bit…compared to what would've happened if you hadn't come."

Tatsuki said, "Orihime, you've been my best friend for years, and if ANYONE tries to hurt you, I'll personally bury them."

Rukia added, "That goes double here, Orihime…you've become like a sister to me, and by the way…congrats on your new relationship with Ichigo. You both deserve each other, after all you've been through."

Orihime blushed, and she hugged Rukia. She said, "Thanks, Rukia…having all of you as friends means so much to me."

Chad answered, "You've always been here for us, Orihime…we'll always be around if you need us."

Ichigo said, "Well, I think we should get home…I need to be there soon before I miss dinner, or Dad won't let me hear the end of it. Besides…Orihime needs to get cleaned up, and I have an announcement to make. You coming, Rukia?"

Smiling, the short raven-haired Soul Reaper replied, "Right behind ya, Ichigo. If Dad did say anything to you, he'd have to talk to me as well...I'm your sister now too, and Orihime's my friend, so nothing's gonna stop me from being there for either one of you. So long, Tatsuki. Good night, Chad."

The group of friends finished saying their good-byes, and then Ichigo headed for home, with Orihime holding his hand and Rukia walking along beside him.

Kurosaki Household…

Yuzu was just finishing setting the last of the plates on the table for dinner, when the phone rang. She picked up, and said, "Hello, Kurosaki residence. Yuzu speaking."

On the other end, she heard her older brother say "Yuzu, it's Ichigo. Sorry I'm late, but there was a bit of trouble on our way home. Rukia, Chad, Tatsuki and I had to stop a bunch of punks from hurting Orihime. She's fine, just needs to clean up a bit, and her dress is a bit torn. Could you set an extra plate at the table…and make sure to keep Kon off of her? We'll be home in about five minutes."

Yuzu hung up the phone and went to get an extra plate, napkin, and chopsticks. As she turned to head back to the table, she met her twin sister Karin, who said, "What's up, Yuzu?"

Looking over at her sister, Yuzu replied, "Ichigo called…he's bringing Orihime home. A bunch of punks tried to hurt her, but Ichigo and Rukia stopped them along with Tatsuki and Chad. He also said to keep Kon off of her."

Karin smiled, and she said, "I can handle that last part. Kon, you'll be a good boy and stay off of Orihime…won't you?"

The lion ModSoul replied, "Of course I will…when have I ever…", he trailed off as he noticed Karin holding a frying pan. He said, "Uh, I'll go tell dad that Ichigo's on his way."

Just then, Isshin walked in, and Yuzu brought him up to speed about Ichigo's reason for not being home yet. Isshin said, "Well, in that case…I can excuse him. After all, I can't very well yell at him for saving such a lovely girl like Orihime."

Minutes later, Ichigo opened the door and held it open for Orihime, who was soon followed by Rukia, and then by Ichigo. Kon forgot about his promise not to jump on Orihime…which he quickly regretted as Rukia plucked him out of midair. She flashed a graveyard smile at him, and she said, "Would you like me to airmail you to Tatsuki's house, or maybe give you to Yoruichi?"

Kon squirmed in her grasp, and he said, "N-neither…please, Rukia, I just got excited, that's all. I'm happy that she's okay and all."

Rukia said, "Kon, she was almost raped, and she's still a bit scared. DO NOT jump on her again, OR I'LL DO WORSE THAN GIVE YOU TO TATSUKI…I'LL TAKE YOU UP TO SOUL SOCIETY AND GIVE YOU TO SOIFON AS A GIFT!"

With that said, she let Kon go free, and Karin said, "Kon…I think you need a bath. Let's go."

Kon attempted to run, but Rukia stuck her foot out and tripped him, and she said, "Oops…sorry Kon…my foot slipped."

Karin shared a mischievous grin with her adopted sister, and then she grabbed Kon and headed for the laundry room, and tossed him into the washer.

Meanwhile, Isshin said, "Welcome to our home, Orihime…sorry for the little drama there, but I hope you're not hurt. You're more than welcome to have dinner with us, and then you can use the bathroom to clean up while Yuzu mends your dress."

Orihime said, "Thank you, Mr. Kurosaki. I can honestly say that if Ichigo hadn't saved me today, along with Rukia, Chad, and Tatsuki, I'd be lying in some alley somewhere, probably still being used as a plaything for those punks."

Ichigo said, "Orihime, I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. I told you right when I saved you, I'll be here for you always, because I love you."

Yuzu smiled and blushed happily, while Karin just smirked, along with Rukia. In the meantime, Isshin grabbed his son and said, "MY BOY…CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE FINALLY FOUND A GIRL OF YOUR OWN…I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

Yuzu said, "She's really pretty, Ichigo…you and her make a nice couple."

Karin simply walked up and high-fived her brother, before hugging Orihime, while Rukia playfully gave him a light punch in the arm…not enough to cause any pain, however. She said, "Congrats, Ichigo…she's a keeper."

Ichigo said, "Dad, Yuzu, Karin, and Rukia…" he trailed off as he saw Kon stagger into the kitchen, looking as if he'd just finished spinning around on a merry-go-round for three hours. Kon said, "Did I m-miss anything…", while holding onto the nearest wall to try and steady himself.

Ichigo said, "Now that we're all here…I'd like to ask a very special question. Orihime, will you…be my girlfriend?"

Tears welled up in Orihime's eyes as she hugged Ichigo tightly, before kissing him solidly on the lips. When they broke apart, she said, "Oh yes…Ichigo, I love you so much, and I've been dreaming of this ever since you rescued me from Aizen's clutches. To be honest…I never thought this could happen until a little while ago."

Rukia looked over at her friend as she sat down at her place in between Yuzu and Karin, and she said, "What do ya mean, Orihime?"

Orihime sat down next to Ichigo, and she said, "Well…to be honest, I was afraid that he liked you more than me, Rukia. You used to spend so much time together with him while you were training him that…I thought you and him were…you know…I guess I was a bit jealous."

Rukia put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, and she said, "Orihime…there's nothing to worry about…Ichigo and I were never more than friends. I was his trainer, and his friend, but nothing beyond that. Besides, I love Renji…I have for a long time now. Ichigo's always been yours."

Orihime hugged Rukia again, and she said, "Thanks, Rukia…and I'm sorry for being jealous of you."

Rukia smiled, and then Ichigo passed the bowl of rice to Orihime, starting off dinner. Kon tried to snag a spring roll when he thought nobody was looking, but Rukia swatted his hand with her chopsticks. She said, "Kon…one more time and you're getting gift-wrapped and sent to Tatsuki, courtesy of my foot."

Kon quickly made himself scarce, after he was allowed to have his turn to serve himself. Rukia, in the meantime, turned her attention back to her family. She said, "Ichigo, what are we gonna do tomorrow?"

Ichigo swallowed a piece of teriyaki chicken, and he said, "I was thinking of going down to visit Kisuke and Yoruichi to let them know of my new relationship with Orihime, then maybe meeting up with you so we could let our friends up in Soul Society in on the news. After that, I was gonna ask Orihime if she'd like to go on a date with me to the movies."

Orihime said, "Oh Ichigo…I'd love that! Call me tomorrow and let me know what time to be ready."

Hugging his beautiful girlfriend, Ichigo said, "I promise I will. By the way…I hope dinner's alright. I promise I'll take you out to dinner sometime, just you and I."

Orihime replied, "Ichigo, it's delicious. Who cooked this?"

Yuzu replied, "I did, Orihime. Ever since our mom died, I do the cooking and housecleaning. Karin and Ichigo alternate between grocery shopping and whatever else needs to be done, and Rukia…well, she does whatever else she can do."

Once dinner was finished, and the dishes were cleared off, Yuzu brought in some chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream for dessert, and Ichigo said, "I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner with us tonight, Orihime. You really look pretty in this light."

Orihime blushed, and she said, "Thank you Ichigo…and you're really handsome yourself."

After dessert, Orihime walked up to the bathroom, and hung her dress outside, which Yuzu immediately took it downstairs and set to work on mending the torn fabric, after finding the matching colored thread. She had it mended in time to hang it back on the door just as Orihime turned off the shower. She said, "Orihime, your dress is all fixed. I've got it hanging on the door for you."

Orihime said, "Thanks so much, Yuzu. I'll be right down as soon as I dry my hair and get dressed."

Yuzu headed back downstairs, and Ichigo said, "Thanks a bunch, Yuzu. She's really important to me, and I'm glad you could get her dress fixed. I'd hate to see her upset if she ended up losing it."

Yuzu smiled, and she said, "Not to worry, Ichigo…I'm really good with sewing, so that little rip was nothing. I've fixed up worse than that. Orihime's just finishing drying her hair, and after she's dressed, she'll be right down."

After another ten minutes, Orihime came downstairs, and she said, "Mr. Kurosaki, thank you so much for the lovely dinner and for your hospitality. I really hope I didn't eat too much…it's just that Yuzu's such a wonderful cook."

Isshin smiled, and he said, "Not to worry, dear. In fact, I think Yuzu takes that as a compliment. You're welcome to have dinner with us anytime you want to…after all, you're dating my son now, and in my book, that makes you part of the family already."

Ichigo said, "Thanks, Dad. I'm gonna walk Orihime home now, then I'll be back. Rukia, leave a light on for me, will ya?"

Rukia smiled, and she said, "I will. Goodnight, Orihime."

Orihime hugged her friend, and she said, "Goodnight, Rukia. See you tomorrow. Thanks for fixing my dress, Yuzu, and thank you all for dinner."

Accepting her boyfriend's hand, Orihime headed out the door, and they began the trek towards her home. Along the way, they stopped briefly to look up at the stars. Orihime said, "Ichigo, the stars are so pretty…like diamonds glittering in the sky."

Smiling, Ichigo said, "Pick a star, Orihime…any one, the prettiest one that strikes your eye."

Not knowing what her boyfriend meant, she looked around until she found a bright, shining blue-white star to the east. She pointed and said, "That one, right there!"

Ichigo said, "From now on, Orihime, that's our star…whenever you're sad, or in need of hope, just concentrate on that star and think of me, and I'll be there for you. I love you, Orihime Inoue."

Orihime pulled Ichigo close, and she said, "Ichigo…I love you too."

The two kissed long and deep, finally breaking apart to come up for air. After another five minutes, they reached Orihime's house, and Ichigo shared another kiss with the girl he loved. When they pulled apart, Ichigo said, "Goodnight, Orihime. I'll see you tomorrow."

Orihime blew him one final kiss before she saw her orange-haired boyfriend turn and head for home. She said, "Goodnight, Ichigo…thank you for everything."

Orihime locked her door, brushed her teeth, then she changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, pleasant dreams filling her mind as she thought of her newfound love.

When Ichigo returned home, Rukia said, "Well, Ichigo…took the scenic route, did we?"

Ichigo gave Rukia a playful shove, and he said, "You never get tired of teasing me, do you?"

Smiling playfully, Rukia replied, "No…besides, I'm happy for you and her. Congrats, Ichigo. I'll see you in the morning."

Ichigo went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, changed into his pajamas, before finally climbing into bed for the night. Tomorrow, he planned to pull some money from his bank account to buy Orihime a promise ring, with which he'd surprise her on their date. Tomorrow would be a very special day indeed.

Next Chapter: Ichigo and Orihime make their relationship known to the rest of their friends, including Yoruichi, Kisuke, Rangiku, and Renji. In the meantime, Chizuru catches wind of it and plans to break them apart. Rukia, Uryu, Chad, and Tatsuki won't have any of it, and they make sure to keep Chizuru at bay while Ichigo and Orihime enjoy their time together. Be here for Chapter Two: In The Name Of Love