Orihime felt a cold dread running up her spine as Ichigo's battered and bloody body was brought to her for healing. The gaping wound in his abdomen made her suddenly sick. Unable to keep the bile down, she turned away, wretching what little had come up.

Rukia stared at her with wide eyes, with a look she couldn't decipher. The rest of them – Uryuu, Renji, and Chad included, were battered but waited patiently for their comrade to be healed. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she held her palms out toward Ichigo and closed her eyes. "Santenkesshun, I reject!"

Her barrette split into three parts, and the yellow barrier was over Ichigo's body, glowing warmly. Rukia placed a trembling hand on Renji's shoulder, barely stifling the whimper that had risen from within her. The red head placed a gentle hand over hers. "He'll be fine, Rukia. It's Ichigo, he's too stubborn to stay down like this."

She nodded stiffly, staring down at her feet. There was a small commotion outside, and Captain Unohana burst into the room, her soft eyes slowly drifting over its occupants. Nodding to Hanataro, she decidedly left Ichigo to Orihime's strange power, and began tending to the others. After getting basic first aid administered to the others, she ushered them out of the room to be tended elsewhere, leaving Orihime to her devices. Rukia stared hard at the busty girl, a dark look spreading over her features. "Don't you dare let him die."

She whimpered at the coldness coming from the young Kuchiki. What happened to them? She looked down at Ichigo, and gritted her teeth. His wounds weren't healing well. Her Santenkesshun wasn't working. "Why? Why won't you heal?! Dammit Ichigo, please, heal!"

She tried to exert more of her reiatsu to see if it would have an effect, but instead she was met with a sudden rush of black reiatsu. She shrieked and leapt back, the demonic aura enshrouding Ichigo. Orihime sat pressed against the wall, eyes closed, trembling as it dissipated. The silence was deafening. She opened her eyes only to be met with black and yellow ones staring back into hers.

Unconsciously she shrank back away from him, earning her an eerie growl from him. She slowly looked down, and noticed his wound was gone. Without thinking, she reached out and traced his untouched abs lightly with her fingers. He hissed softly, his black eyes half-lidded as he looked down at her. She flinched as he reached down and tilted her face up to look at him. She slammed her eyes shut and winced. She hated it when he looked like that. She hated when he had his mask on. She hated when he looked at her with those black eyes. When his eyes were like that…she no longer felt her Ichigo would protect her. Rather, she felt he'd turn on her.

Deep down, she knew he wouldn't. But the feeling of dread that over took her wouldn't leave her to ignorance. It couldn't change the fact she was terrified. Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt him crush his lips to hers, kissing her roughly. She gasped, opening shocked grey eyes to stare back into black ones as his tongue lashed hers. Orihime immediately shut her eyes again, not wanting to look into that swirling blackness.

Ichigo pulled away from her, his hands gripped firmly onto her shoulders. She gave an involuntary shudder as his seemingly disembodied voice whispered harshly to her, pleading. "Look at me Orihime. Why won't you look at me?!"

He shook her as gently as he could in his altered state, his hollow bating his own fury at her reaction to him. "Am I that disgusting to look at?"

Her eyes flew open in shock. Tears spilled down her cheeks as he looked away from her, hurt. She tried to shake her head no, but she was frozen in place. The warmth of his hands suddenly left her shoulders. She looked up to see him slowly make his way to the door, sliding it open. Orihime threw herself at his back, clutching him to her desperately. "No…no you're not. Please don't go! Ichigo…I…I…"

She buried her face into his back, trying to calm herself. "Ichigo…I love you."

He slowly turned his head to look at her. "Say it when you look at me."

Ichigo turned to face her, angling her face to his with his hands gently. "Look at me and say it."

She steadied herself as his eyes went black once more, his hollow wanting to earnestly hear her as well. He grit his teeth as she hesitated.

Orihime slowly let her eyes travel to his chin, his nose…then to his eyes. His yellow iris' glinted momentarily and she forgot herself to her fear, suddenly closing her eyes on instinct. He let his hands drop to his side. "So be it."

He stalked towards the door again, the pain in his chest the worst he'd ever experienced. She stared at his retreating back, at a loss for words to fix what she had done. "I..chi…go…p-please…I'm…I'm sorry…"

He paused. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry to have made you look at a monster and tell it you love it."

"Ichigo!" She cried angrily at him. "I DO love you!"

He rounded on her in an instant. "Yeah, you love me so much you can't even fucking look at me Orihime! You complained to Rukia how you think I don't even really see you, but the reality is you can't look past the mask to see me!"

"Ich-"

He pressed his hand over her mouth to silence her. "You can't change it, Orihime. You're afraid even when you don't have to be. I won't hold it against you. I'll fight for you, I'll die for you, but I won't ever love you."

His face darkened at the tears pouring down her face. He kissed her forehead lightly. "You'll have to love me enough for the both of us, if you can. But things won't change."

With that said, Ichigo removed himself from the room, from her, leaving her with nothing but his words.

Okay, so not one of my more gracious stories, but it is what it is. Not everything can end happily, and sometimes it's better off that way. Anyways, forgive me if you hate it, kindly review it if you feel so inclined, and thank you very much for at least reading it.

Goodnight dears,

Panamis.