Adjustments: Part 1

Running footsteps on the stairs, then a teary voice says, "You don't care!" right before the sound of a slamming door signals the end of an unexpected drama.

Throwing his arms over his head, Ichigo stalked toward the front hall, put on his winter outer clothes and prepared to storm out of the door. Pausing for a moment, Ichigo mulled over whether to deliver one final blow before he made his exit or just let the slamming door speak for him. Then he remembered the slight stinging on his cheek and turned to bellow up the stairs, "You're right! I don't care!" before he stepped out and banged the door behind him.

Walking away from the house, Ichigo barely registered that he should probably pay more attention to where he's going since the possibility of slipping on ice would do absolutely nothing to improve his foul mood. Fortunately for him, no one was out and walking around anywhere near him, since spending the night in prison for unnecessary violence would definitely deepen Ichigo's scowl and make it stormier than it had been for years.

After a time, Ichigo began to allow the frigid temperature to seep through his broiling skin in order to bring his body and mind into a more agreeable state. His pace slowed and his eyes registered a bench nearby that was not covered with wet, white powder and lowered his tall frame onto the bench. Eventually, with only the very faint sound of his own slowed breathing breaking the tentative silence surrounding him, Ichigo allowed his thoughts to trace back to less than an hour ago…when it all began.

Actually, after spending several minutes racking his brain trying to piece together the broken memories, Ichigo gave a frustrated grunt when he realized that he had absolutely no idea how they had even started fighting or even what the fight had really been about. He and Orihime had had their disagreements way back when they were dating, and even in the first year of their marriage they had bickered over little things but had always been able to work things out quickly. Now going on three years after the wedding, for the past month or so the number of disagreements had escalated over stupid and petty things. His memories of his mother and father together were nothing like this. They had been happy and loving towards one another and had never argued as far as he could tell. Ichigo knew love had to last through good times and bad, but he had caught himself a few times wondering if it would have been better never to marry at all. As soon as that thought rose, Ichigo would squelch the idea immediately, but the fact that he had even considered such a thing scared him.

Rubbing a hand across his face, Ichigo thought to himself that he never should have let things escalate to this point of stress in his marriage and especially in his job at the hospital. The two were influencing the other so much that he couldn't sit in peace anymore. Either he was on edge at the hospital because he had just argued again with Orihime and he couldn't stand being caught in the middle of all the drama at work, or he would go home worn out from dealing with his coworkers and became unreasonably irritable at little things because he had no other outlet. This was not a recipe for a healthy marriage and he knew it. There were times that he had almost told Orihime about all that was going on at work, but then he thought it would be better not to burden her with all his complaints. He really didn't want to bring the problems of work back home with him, but it seemed he was doing just that.

While there had been plenty of fights and arguments in the Kurosaki residence, Ichigo couldn't remember a time when he had ever felt so uncomfortable and unsettled. He knew Orihime felt the same way since he had caught some of the glances that she directed his way every so often. He knew that she still loved him and he still desperately needed her, but they had to figure out some way of working this out. The sooner the better.

Running a hand through his hair, Ichigo decided that he would let Orihime in on everything that had been happening at work. If nothing else, he knew that Orihime would listen attentively and sympathetically and that was just what he needed right now, Ichigo thought to himself.

With a grunt of determination, Ichigo rose and began making his way back towards his home, new purpose in his stride. They could make this work. They could get through anything together. Nobody's perfect, especially himself, and they would find a way to make their relationship and marriage stronger despite the struggles they were having right now. They had been divided before, but hopefully they could reunite and move forward after this.

Ichigo was so completely engrossed in his thoughts of reconciliation that he didn't notice the wheeled vehicle swiftly approaching him from behind, swerving back and forth across the road, until it was too late…