Summary: All he wanted to do was love her, but he was nothing but a mere hunter. He leaves one day promising that when he comes back he would be a man worthy of her hand. However, the road of love is plagued by misfortune.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: I actually started this a year ago for another anime, but I'm not into that anymore, so I changed their names, changed some stuff, and added the rest. I don't remember the original plot I had in mind for this so I made up a new one. I hope you guys like it ;)

Inevitable

Come a little closer.

Her long legs brushed against the green grass as she took a few steps toward the bushes, completely unaware of the man behind them.

Seeing his victim stop once more, he inwardly groaned, but remained still.

She took another step forward, but it wasn't near enough.

Another step.

Still not close enough.

His breath hitched as she walked into range. Without sparing another second, he launched an arrow straight into her throat.

The deer staggered back and tried to run, but it only managed a few feet before it fell.

Ichigo kneeled down before his prey and began stroking her back in a smooth, rhythmic motion.

"Easy now, girl. Stay calm. It'll be over soon."

The deer's breathing slowed, no longer straining to get up. Resigned to her fate, she allowed his soothing voice and touch to lull her to eternal rest.

After he was sure the deer had passed, he lifted the body onto his shoulders and started on his way home.

Another day, another decent catch, he thought as he whistled along the path out of the forest. There was no actual cleared path he followed, just the familiar pattern of trees and bushes.

Soon, he was on the dirt road leading to the village.

It was busy this time of day when the sun was at its highest peak. The marketplace was abundant with shouts of fresh bread and fish and other necessities. Mostly all the colors that could be seen were various browns, whites, and other dull colors. Jewelry and clothing stands, the only exception, always looked out of place to him. This was a poor village, after all.

"Good day, Ichigo," the local fisherman greeted.

Upon seeing his friend, Ichigo smirked. "So you want to see what I killed today, eh Keigo?"

The brunette male rolled his eyes. "I've been doing great. Thanks for asking," he said sarcastically. His brown eyes scanned the deer Ichigo was carrying. "Whoa, Ichigo! You managed to get that?"

He shrugged, which proved to be somewhat difficult with the weight on his shoulders. "Don't act so surprised, though, it's only enough for two meals. I have to head back after for new meat before dark. I need to have some sort of breakfast tomorrow."

"Why not buy some fish?" Keigo chuckled as he held out a bucket full of them.

Ichigo's nose wrinkled. "I can't spare anymore money to give."

The fisherman's smile faltered. "How is Sado?"

Ichigo started walking again, Keigo trailing him. "The doctor said there was nothing he could do. He's got a serious illness. The doctor said the only cure was this special herb that only grew in Seireitei."

Keigo's eyes looked as if it were ready to pop out of his head. "Seireitei? But that's all the way across the ocean! You sure there aren't any here?"

Ichigo sighed as they reached his home. It wasn't much, just a little house he and Chad- a nickname Ichigo gave to Sado - built when they were teenagers. The house was a little ways away from the rest of the village. It was next to the huge ocean.

"If there was, I would have been trying to find it by now."

The feelings within Ichigo hurt. Knowing that he was unable to help his best friend put a weight on his shoulders heavier than any animal he could bring home. The mere thought of losing him to Death's cold hands left a big whole in his heart. Chad wasn't just any ordinary friend. He was the only family he has left.

Keigo sensed the grief within his friend. He knew them since they were little boys. It put a smile on his face whenever they came over to his house. After living with his crazy sister, it was a refresher for him having some male company.

"Here."

Confused, Ichigo turned around to find him placing his bucket of fish on the ground. "Keigo?"

"You guys need it more than I do. Food, I mean."

Ichigo's amber eyes widened. "But, Keigo. I can't pay for this..." His face firmed with conviction as he straightened up. "I can't take them."

But he was already walking away leaving his bucket of fish behind. "Don't be so honorable, Ichigo!" he called without looking back. "Just take it!"

Ichigo looked indecisively at the fish. It would be enough for both him and Chad to last another day. He decided to keep it, but his pride was still swelling.

"I'll pay you back! With some meat, if not money!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Ichigo's smirked at his friend's retreating figure. "He's still the same old idiot." He smiled down at the bucket of fish. Thanks, Keigo.

Ichigo turned onto Chad's room. There was only a mattress, a chest, and a few other objects scattered across the floor. The window was shielded with a gray, dirty curtain hanging on a few nails.

"Hey buddy," he whispered. "I brought home some food."

He kneeled next to his sleeping form watching his face. It was ironic to see his friend in such a state. The tall, well-built, dark-skinned man looked like he would live for a hundred years.

The back of his hand pressed against Chad's cheek. Warm. Too warm to be healthy.

He turned the wet rag he had placed on his forehead in the morning. "Even Keigo gave us his morning's catch of fish. The fool. Never stops trying to help us." He gave a nervous laugh.

Chad looked tranquil when he slept. None of the vomiting and winces of pain he had to go through when he was awake. Just peaceful sleep.

His serenity scared Ichigo. There was no telling how long he will live. The doctor gave a rough estimate of a few weeks.

Less than a month until he was alone again.

His hand grabbed hold of the seashell, the stone, and the ring that hung around his neck by a string. There was no way he was going to lose someone he cared about. Not again.

"I-Ichigo?"

He looked down to see Chad's eyes, barely opened, looking at him.

"Yes? How are you feeling?"

A violent cough erupted from the gentle giant, answering his question.

"Hold on, okay? I'll get your food."

As he turned the doorknob, Chad, in a hoarse, strained voice, called out, "Ichigo!"

"What is it?" he asked, taking a glance behind him.

"How long?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I haven't started cooking yet, so may-"

"No!" he yelled, causing Ichigo to flinch. Chad never raised his voice. "How long?"

It took a moment for him to realize what he meant. When he did, he hung his head low. "Less than a month."

Silence engulfed the room. Ichigo, not wanting to look at his friend, took it as his chance to leave.

The deer was done and so was the fish. Ichigo cut out a slab of deer meat and a whole fish on a chipped plate. He poured some water into a mug from a canteen. The water level only reached half the volume of its container.

"Guess I need to get more water."

Suddenly, a loud knock came from the door followed by a frantic voice. "Help! You gotta help me! My friend..."

Ichigo flung the door open to find a red-headed man holding a small girl covered in blood.

"Please! Save her!" pleaded the man.

Ichigo didn't hear him, his eyes fixated on the girl. A memory flooded his mind and almost made him sick. The moment that changed his life and plunged him into poverty, the moment where his family left him forever. They were unwanted memories coming back to haunt him.

He didn't want to see so much blood ever again and seeing this girl covered in so much of it brought pain to his heart. It was obvious the man cared for her a lot. There was no way Ichigo was going to let him feel the pain he felt.

"Come inside. Hurry! She's lost too much blood already."

The man bowed his head and hurried inside.

Ichigo pulled off his dirty white shirt and began ripping it into long strips. "Take off her shirt and clean her wounds."

"Wh-what?" The man blushed and looked down at his injured friend. He shouldn't be thinking such thoughts at a time like this, but if he did that, then her...he would see her...

Ichigo lightly pushed him aside with his body. "Fine. I'll do it."

"W-wait!"

Ichigo pulled off her shirt as the man looked away out of respect. He discarded her chemise and corset allowing her small breasts to bounce freely.

As Ichigo began cleaning her wounds, the man examined his own body. There were bruises in various parts of his body, but other than that, he was fine.

He wanted to see how bad his friend's wounds were, but, at the same time, he didn't want to see her in her broken state. Not to mention the fact that her torso was bare. He had to clench his jaw at the thought of the orange-haired man looking at her.

Ichigo noticed his change of mood. "Oi. I took off her shirt, but I'm not a creep. She's injured, remember?"

Heat flooded the man's face. "I-I know!"

Ichigo chuckled. "She'll be okay," he said as he wiped his hand on a rag. "She lost a lot of blood, and she's badly bruised, but she'll be okay."

The man sighed and looked at his friend. A shirt, not clean but not dirtied by blood, hung from her shoulders. It was big on her, but it'll have to do.

"Thank you. I'm Renji, by the way."

"Ichigo. So how did this happen?"

He had found a tiny metal shard as he cleaned her wound. It wasn't in too deep so he was able to take it out with ease.

"Three big guys tried to kidnap her. We didn't know who they were, but they seemed to know us."

Ichigo listened as he started to prepare two other plates with fish and deer meat. He was happy he decided to cook more than two fish.

"I could've had them, but they used Rukia- my friend - as a human shield."

Ichigo clenched his fist at this.

"They knew I wouldn't hurt her and they taunted me for it. Rukia was angered by this and elbowed the guy who was holding her."

Ichigo's eyes widened at this. The girl was a tiny thing and thin, too.

"I know. It's surprising considering her appearance," Renji said as if he read his mind. "But she's tough. She fought back like a man. It didn't surprise me, but they were. We started fighting back but..." Renji swallowed. "One of them pulled out a knife and stabbed her."

He laid her head on his lap and began to stroke her short, raven hair. When he spoke again, his voice was a whisper. "What was worse is when he pulled the knife out. There was so much blood. I was angry. I fought without thinking. It was like something came over me. I found the strength to fight and harm them bad enough to make them flee, then I ran."

"And came to me," Ichigo finished.

"Yeah. Thanks again. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't find help." Renji began stroking her bruised cheek in a loving manner.

Ichigo looked at the two and his eyelids drooped as another memory entered his mind.

Shaking his head, he took a plate of fish and headed toward Chad's room. "There's food on the table. Help yourself."

Chad turned his head as the door opened. "How's the girl?" he asked with a blank tone.

Ichigo closed the door behind him and went to sit next to his friend. "You heard, huh? She's fine, don't worry about it. Just focus on eating. Sorry, there's no water. I used the rest on the girl's wounds."

He helped Chad to sit up and set the plate on his lap. It was quiet as they ate. The only sound that was heard was the sound of teeth grinding meat.

"Hearing you guys out there reminded me of-"

"Yeah," Ichigo cut him off, his eyes downcast in sadness. "I know."

Renji looked over at Rukia who was still unconscious. He had lifted her up and placed her in a comfortable position on one of the wooden chairs.

Wondering when she would wake up, Renji started slicing her meat into bite-sized pieces. The gesture wasn't much out of courtesy, but out of boredom. Merely a distraction.

He didn't want to look at her in the state she was in. Renji blamed himself for every cut and bruise she had. His job was to protect her. Regardless of that, he promised to protect her from all dangers because they were friends. And he failed.

"Hey," Ichigo greeted as he carried two plates to a bin full of dirty dishes. "Was the food any good?"

Renji shrugged. "It was good. Thank you."

"Stop thanking me. It was nothing."

Renji shook his head. "You saved my friend's life. That wasn't nothing. How can I repay you?" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a couple of gold coins. "Is this enough?"

Ichigo looked over intending to decline the offer until his eyes fell upon the two gold discs. Having never seen gold in a long time, he began to think of all the things he could do with those to coins. It would be enough to buy food for a whole year!

He took a quick glance at Chad's door. Or a trip to Seireitei and back.

His gaze returned to the man, tempted to reach out and take the gold from his hand. Ichigo knew better, though. There were more important matters than money.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

A small smile graced Renji's lips. "I guess you can say that. Why you ask?"

"I've lived here most of my life and I have never seen gold."

Renji wasn't surprised. The little wooden house he lived in would have been considered a shack back where he was from. There were lots of holes in the wall and the windows were dirty and a bit cracked. He wondered why he didn't take the gold at first sight.

His gaze wandered to Rukia wondering if she would be okay living this lifestyle.

"We...don't really live anywhere anymore."

Ichigo's eyes softened at this. He knew the feeling of losing one's home.

Not wanting to pry into his business, he changed the subject. "Have you ever been to Seireitei, by any chance?"

Renji's eyes betrayed them as they widened. Quickly realizing his mistake, he let them droop in a relaxed state. "Yes..."

Ichigo's eyes glimmered with hope. Maybe he knew about the herb and where to get it. If he acquired it in time, Chad would be able to live.

"Do you know anything about a reiju herb?"

Renji rolled his head from side to side trying to think of where he had heard it. "I think so. It grows where we used to live, I think."

Ichigo's eyes brightened as he slammed his palms down on the table. Renji jumped in his seat.

"I need that herb! Forget the gold. Can you get me that herb?"

Renji stared wide-eyed at the desperate man. There was no way he or Rukia can go back to Seireitei. They promised each other to never go back no matter what.

"I'm sorry. We can't go back."

Ichigo's smile slowly fell. He cursed himself for starting to hope again. Now he felt the pain of being useless all over again. He cursed Renji even more for not wanting to help him.

"And why the hell not?" he said through grit teeth.

Renji furrowed his tattooed eyebrows as his anger started to build up at his tone. "That is none of your concern."

Ichigo slammed his fist on the table, the plates and utensils on it clanked against each other at the force. He pointed a finger at Chad's door and yelled, "My friend is dying and the only one who can cure him refuses to help."

When Renji said nothing, Ichigo stormed into his room.

Renji looked over at Rukia happy that she didn't witness that. He was still mad about getting yelled at, but he couldn't blame Ichigo.

All the while, he thought Ichigo lived alone. This house was small with barely anything in it.

His gaze went over to Rukia, again. Her wounds weren't fatal, but he felt the same pain when he was running through the forest carrying her. He didn't know how bad her wounds were at the time, but he clung to a bit of hope that she will survive.

Ichigo was another story. Whatever his friend was going through had made him give up all hope. He felt bad for giving him a small ray of hope then crushing it immediately after.

Ichigo stood by his opened window watching the sunset with a scowl in his face. He was thinking as he looked at how the sun made the ocean sparkle.

If Renji refused to go, then he could accept the payment and go to Seireitei himself. It sounded easy but he couldn't leave Chad alone with strangers. He couldn't leave him with Keigo, either, since he had to go out and fish everyday. There was no way in hell he was going to leave Chad with his crazy sister.

There was a knock on the door followed by a voice. "May I come in?"

He said nothing as he waited for the sun to disappear. He stood firm as a rock even when the door creaked open.

"Hey I'd like to say sorry for what happened back there. I...I didn't know," Renji said as he shut the door behind him.

Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

Renji shrugged. "Let's just forget about it then. Listen, I might not be able to help, but I know someone who might."

Ichigo raised a brow as he listened to what he had to say.

She woke up in a dark place illuminated by an unknown light source. When Rukia tried to rub her eyes, she flinched from the pain coming from her shoulder. Confused, she moved her shirt aside and saw that it was already bandaged. Her shirt was different, too.

Panic filled her as she realized she wasn't in the forest anymore. She jumped from the chair and looked around at her surroundings. Her eyes widened as she found herself in a small wooden room. It looked like a dining room from the looks of the dishes.

Rukia's eyes widened at the sight of a dead, skinned animal. Flies were buzzing around it, picking at the meat. Disgusting.

Her ears perked at the sound of voices. One of them sounded like Renji, but the other one was unfamiliar.

"Stop! Let me go!"

Was that Renji? He sounded like he was in trouble.

"You're not going anywhere!" the other voice roared. "Stay there! I'll be right back."

Rukia gasped as she quickly looked for some sort of weapon. Her hands found a pan then she poised herself beside the door.

When the figure stepped out, she swung the pan at his body. It was dark so she couldn't see where she hit him. The man screamed in pain as he fell to the floor.

Rukia was about to swing again, even though it stung her shoulder, when someone stopped her. "Rukia, no!"

"Why?" she said loudly. "He was hurting you!"

Renji held her by the waist as she squirmed, still wanting to hurt the man on the floor. "No he wasn't! He helped us! He's the one who saved you!"

Rukia looked at Renji for a second then at the figure below. "Really?"

"Yeah!" the man screamed.

"Oh I am so sorry!" Rukia dropped the pan and knelt beside the man. He was squeezing his nose and was gritted his teeth in pain. "Are you alright?"

"I think my nose is broken," he said, looking up at her for the first time.

A pair of big, violet eyes stared down at him in concern.

A/N: Some of next chapter ended up in this chapter. Oh well. More for you guys, I suppose ^-^

Hopefully I can get an update in before school starts.

Anyway, review! Reviews are my fuel since I lose interest real quick.