Chapter 1 — Resilience to the Pain
Orihime looked up to see Aizen and Ulquiorra walk into the room.
She kept her eyes on the floor.
"Orihime, Ulquiorra is going to tend to your lesson in my place today. Be good for him." Brown eyes gazed at her submissive and broken form. "Do you understand, Orihime?"
"Yes, Lord Aizen."
Her head remained bowed, her hands folded in her lap.
"Good. Ulquiorra, teach her something… useful."
"Understood, Lord Aizen." Those eyes closed for a moment as the door was shut and locked, leaving the two together and alone. "Woman, look at me."
Orihime looked up at him, waiting for the next order. Her mind screamed, but she didn't dare move to run, in the end, it only created more pain. She shivered.
"Undress yourself."
No emotion came into the order. Ulquiorra's voice remained cold.
Orihime slowly began to unzip and pull off her dress, leaving her in nothing but a small pink bra and pantie set.
Ulquiorra stripped, leaving his clothes on the floor and pushing her down on the bed.
Why couldn't she fight back? Death would be better than this…
Sensing her reaction, he quickly put a hand to her stomach.
"Woman, do not fight me."
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Orihime gasped, jerking awake.
"Hey, Orihime… you okay?"
She looked up to find Ichigo, realizing he had settled her onto the couch. His brown eyes searched hers.
She smiled.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be alright?"
Scratching her neck, Orihime laughed tiredly.
"Orihime…"
Ichigo pulled his girlfriend into his arms and felt her stiffen, however, he didn't let go. Orihime relaxed and he felt a tear fall against his neck.
"You don't need to lie to me. What happened, Hime? What did they do to you?"
"Ichi—" Her voice stumbled, her body suddenly shaking with the sobs she'd been holding in for so long. "They...They…raped…" She shuddered "M-me."
She felt Ichigo's grip on her tighten, as if he was trying to block everything out, the memories, the pain, the humiliation.
Mentally, his hollow screamed for revenge. He and that sick bastard did have something in common then. They both loved their Hime.
"Who Hime?"
Ichigo could barely keep his voice in check. He didn't want to scare her any more than she already was.
The response was barely above a whisper.
"Aizen and Ulquiorra..." Her voice broke, and she felt her body tremble.
Ichigo picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.
"Ichigo! What are you doing?"
She cringed as he turned on the water. She didn't have a reason to be scared of Ichigo…but her body waited to be abused again.
"Don't worry, Hime. I'm not going to do anything."
He gently set her on the edge of the bathtub and found a brush to work through her long tresses, careful of pulling too hard.
"Hime, we're going to have to undress you, okay?" He began pulling her dress over her head and set her in the shower. His shirt and jeans followed. He avoided looking at her as he got in, still in his boxers.
Ichigo stood behind her and wet her hair. Normally, he would have been flustered at seeing his Orihime in only panties, but at the moment, he was yelling at himself. He hadn't protected her… His reason for living had been abused and he hadn't been there to stop it.
"Ichigo?"
Orihime's voice was soft against the sound of the water hitting the floor and walls.
"Thank you."
Ichigo looked down. "Why are you thanking me?"
"Because you didn't leave me. And now you're taking care of me." She looked at him, eyes full of innocence….and pain.
"You have no need to thank me."
He grabbed the soap and began to work it into her long hair, gently massaging it into her scalp before rinsing it out. He handed her a bar of soap and closed his eyes as she slowly washed herself. When she was done he turned the water off, and wrapped a towel around her, before wrapping one around his hips.
Orihime let him carry her to her room and set her on the bed.
Ichigo rummaged through her clothes grabbing a pair of underwear, a t-shirt, PJ bottoms and a bra. He set them down next to her, and then walked to her bathroom again to grab her first aid kit. In reality, she would have been fine without the ointment and Band-Aids, but he needed to do something with his hands— beside re-killing Ulquiorra and trying to take on Aizen.
Orihime sat limp, tired and emotionally drained.
She stared down at her hands and frowned. Why did she feel so tired? The door opened to reveal Ichigo holding a first aid kit…and a pregnancy test. Ichigo walked in slowly and gently set them on the bed kneeling in front of her. He took each leg and checked for markings on her, then her arms and the rest of her body.
"Orihime, you're going to have to check." Ichigo said quietly. He looked into her eyes, "It will be okay. I'll be here waiting."
He watched as she slowly walked with the test and her clothes into the bathroom.
Pulling the towel off, Ichigo hissed through his teeth, putting on his jeans. Why had this happened to his Orihime? She's so fragile, and innocent and….his dammit! Looking up, he saw her walk back and sit next to him. She finally had clothing back on… Her clothing.
"I have to wait." She whispered. Leaning into his body, she felt no fear towards him, only safety as he set her in his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
He could feel her relax and slowly fall asleep against his chest, innocent and childlike. Standing, Ichigo lifted her into his arms once more and tucked her into bed. The door to the bathroom was open, and curiosity drove his legs towards the room. Ichigo held his breath as he looked at the small test that sat on toilette paper on the counter, and waited to see that small pink plus sign that meant she was pregnant.
It wasn't there.
The breath escaped from his lungs and he backed out on the room to sit on the end of her bed before falling asleep against the wall.
.
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Orihime woke with a start, and panicked when she couldn't find Ichigo.
Then she looked at the end of her bed, and saw him. He was lying against the wall, his orange hair falling in his face, and long lashes brushing against the tops of his cheeks. Soft snores slipped out of his mouth and she smiled slightly at the sight.
It wasn't a dream that Ichigo had saved her. He was here. She was safe again.
Slipping out of the covers, she crawled over and curled around his body before falling asleep again.
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Orihime's Journal
Hueco Mundo -Entry One
It seems this entire time he has been trying to protect me, while I have been begging him to run? I watch him and love him, I try to protect him and only cause more trouble.
I want him to be happy and safe. I'd give him up, even if it meant I'd break twenty times over. I'd do it because I love him.
Why can I not protect him? How is it that no matter what I do, I only cause more trouble?
I came here to protect him, yet he followed. Couldn't he just leave me? It only causes more pain as I watch him keep getting hurt. But he always has to save me. I wish I could tell him how much it pains me, and how much I care… But I am a coward. No matter what I do, I can't seem to be more than a bother.
I wish he hadn't come to get me. I feel like screaming and pulling out my hair. Ichigo Kurosaki will be the death of me. One minute, it's as if I am resigned to this fate, then he comes, and I feel hope. I do not want hope.
Because I'm afraid, that hope, in the end, will break me.
A/N: Please leave a review to let me know what you think of this story. It will be darker than the others I have written, but I am more comfortable with this type of writing. Usually my style is dark and depressing, so I feel right at home here. ^_^