A/N: Sup guys. Just so you know this is my first Bleach fan fiction ever written, so I can't promise it will be worthy of reading. After contemplating over a few possible plots I finally came up with what you see here. It may be cliché or boring, but my mind is worn out and I couldn't think of anything better. Not to mention I'm currently working on another fiction in the process. Basically, I went with the first plot that popped into my head. In any case, I hope you enjoy it and please, please, please leave reviews if possible! I don't mean to sound desperate but you don't realize how encouraging and important your comments are to me. So, without further ado I present to you my first Ichihime romance story!
XOXOXO
'Oh, Jesus, not again…'
Ichigo Kurosaki scrambled out of bed past 3:00 in the premature morning and ambled in a hurry to Orihime's room located further down the hall. As he neared the screams and crying amplified to let him know that this nightmare was worse than the others she'd been dreaming. He wondered how much longer she would have to suffer through this hell, and prayed every day that her pain would one day vanish altogether, thus returning her to the girl he fell in love with. So far his prayers seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
Ichigo grabbed Orihime's slender shoulders as she thrashed around on the bed like a dying fish out of water and shook her almost violently; once she drifted into these nightmares it was nearly impossible to snap her out of them—some force needed to be used. For a young woman with a seemingly fragile and naïve mind, she harbored more strength than any person he ever acknowledged. That did not mean, however, that she didn't need him in her life more than ever.
"Inoue… Inoue… wake up. Come on, get up!" Ichigo implored desperately. Orihime persisted in her writhing and shrieking without a suggestion of hearing his firm voice. "Hime, wake the fuck up! HIME!" With a smack loud enough to be heard from outside, Orihime shot up to a seated position, the tears still streaming pellucid rivers down her cheeks. Frantic, her warm brown eyes darted back and forth in confusion until they finally came to settle on Ichigo.
"I… Ichi… go…?" she whispered with a wavering voice.
"I'm here Hime. I'm always here. It's alright now," Ichigo replied softly.
"Ichigo… I was so afraid… He… H-He came b-back for me, and I thought… He came back…" she trailed off in a whimper, shivering from the acute chill that ran up her spine… or the cool spring breeze flowing through the open window. Orihime didn't know which one. What she did realize was that Ichigo's face had turned a shade darker at the mention of "him" and she immediately regretted even bringing him up.
Aware that Orihime must have witnessed the darkening of his expression, Ichigo snatched her into a suffocating embrace to prevent her from drawing away and said ever-so lovingly, "I'll die before I let him touch you again. No one is stealing you from me again. NOBODY."
Orihime turned her head to gaze into Ichigo's warm, but fierce amber eyes and heard the brutal determination in his usually tranquil and apathetic voice. She clutched his lean, muscular body tightly in her arms, terrified to let go, and knew with all of her heart that Ichigo would risk death in order to protect her precious and damaged life.
The only thing Ichigo knew as he deeply embraced Orihime was that he would confront the "monster" that defiled his woman and murder him… He knew he would kill his best friend.