This little fic is dedicated to my love of Orihime and the Sexta Espada. My first attempt at capturing the angst that is Bleach. Clearly I do not own Bleach. It belongs to the genius Tite Kubo.
She did it in secret. She couldn't bring herself to let anyone know. It's not like they would have understood, and it's not like she was the real reason he came. No, she could see that now.
She found his crumpled body at the bottom of an impact crater. His impact, to be more precise. Her heart stuck in her throat as she descended down to the man she had grown to love. Reaching his side she dropped to her knees. Her white latex dress doing nothing to absorb the impact of her knees to the hard earth, but her body felt nothing. The pain in her gray eyes radiated only from seeing his lifeless body. Pressing her small frame against his she could sense no reiatsu.
She was running out of time, "Souten Kisshun," then her whisper became a demand, "I reject." Her resolve shone over him.
She had little time. She had to make it count. Pushing auburn hair behind her ears she willed for only one thing, for him to live. Her delicate hands hovered over him knowing exactly how she wanted him. If she could bring a stranger's arm back from ash, she could certainly start her lover's heart beating again.
"Those words were for you," it was a guilt latent admittance, "I cried out for you." Her voice was hushed but she could hear nothing other than the pounding of her heart.
Don't die. Her mind had been screaming it for what felt like an eternity, but as tears brimmed at her velvet gray eyes so did the words from her lips, "Don't die."
It took only moments for her to hear it, or rather, she reconnected to it. His spirit had returned, and his jagged breaths were back in time with her own. It was faint but there was no mistaking the feeling of wholeness returning back to her.
Pressing his calloused palm to her face she quietly rejoiced. It was bittersweet.
"Where the heck have ya been Orihime?" his eyes raked over her. Her hair was plastered by sweat to her face, and her chest was heaving as she ran towards him. His patience was wearing thin.
"Hai," she wasn't sure what Kurosaki had said, but she knew she was in trouble. When in doubt, smile.
"Hai? No Orihime. . . " he took a deep breath, wasn't she the reason he had come to Hueco Mundo? "I just didn't know where you'de gone off to. We need to get out of here before Aizen realizes what's happened."
It was then Orihime noticed the energy of her friends approaching. They were all there. They were all okay. Tears of joy began to flow as she sensed another faint energy stabilizing.
"Hey are you okay Orihime?"
Inoue's sob caught in her throat. Ichigo was reaching towards her. Still in his bankai form he appeared as the grim reaper to her. His spiked orange hair did nothing to lighten the blood splashed across his face, and the harshness of his body clad in black. With zengetsu clutched in his right hand, always clutched in his hand, he reached out his left hand to her face. Her eyes grew large as he wiped the tears from her face. She was in shock.
A smile formed at the corner of the death god's lips, "That's better. . . Inoue. There is no more need for crying."
It was true, she was no longer crying. She was stoic, confused, broken, disgusted, and overwhelmed with guilt. This was her dear friend, her 'savior', and more importantly the former object of her desires. Before she knew true desire. As her eyes widened so did her perception of her surroundings. A new version of truth was sinking in and so was she.
Eyes still wide, chest still heaving, Orihime's knees buckled. Exhaustion had overtaken her body and the heat of Las Noches had been baking her on high for hours now. Her body trembled as emotions played across her face. It was over. She was going home. No more worry, no more fear, no more tears. She could leave behind this asp's pit and start healing those she loved. A smile plastered to her face she attempted to jump up but the latex glove given to her by Aizen kept her rooted to the hard earth.
"Hai, Kurosaki-sama, I am happy." With that she extended her white clad arm to his black for help up. It was then when everyone reached them. The sun setting behind them burned their silhouette into the eyes of their friends. That is how they would remember her rescue, and that is how he would remember her abandonment. With Inoue Orihime in an intense eye lock with Ichigo as he pulled her trembling from the ground of Las Noches.