The Winds of Change
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters, as much as I would like to.
Quick Summary: Rukia comes back from Soul Society to find that feelings and things have changed in the time that she was at Soul Society.
A/N: I love the relationship between Rukia and Ichigo and Renji and I thought it would be interesting to see how Orihime's appearance throws a wrench into their dynamics. I know it is a little clichéd but put up with me. I'm not too sure whether to continue this so I'll see the response to this chapter first. Tweaked some paragraphs here and there and made some minor grammar adjustments. Keep the R n R coming.
Warning: There are some light spoilers here and there for the post-Soul Society arc.
1.
The New Arrivals
He told her he would be waiting and Rukia believed him.
That had been the reason why she had decided to stay in Soul Society because more than anything else, she knew that Ichigo, brazen, loud-mouthed, rude and irritating that he may be, kept his promises fiercely and with a stubborn determination. So that day as they stood in the fields of golden wheat, buttery sunlight slanting onto their faces, and they made a pact, she knew that she could let Ichigo go back without her.
She knew that he would keep his window open at night, come winter or rain, for her to step through when she came come back. She knew that he would keep the closet bed cosy for her, changing the sheets so that when she came back, they would be fresh and clean and ready for her to sleep in. And she knew that he would stock the refrigerators with those strange packet drinks they called 'grape juice' so that when she returned and was thirsty, he could help her stick the straw inside the packet.
So she had made up her mind as the portal was readied for them to return to the mortal world. And she had waved goodbye bravely, holding back the sadness and loss deep inside her. Because she knew that soon, they would meet each other again and then it would be so much sweeter.
So when Soul Society sent her and Renji back to the mortal world to prepare for the battle against Aizen Sousuke's army of Arrancars, she had been excited and delighted at the prospect of seeing and fighting alongside Ichigo again. As Renji opened up the portal to the human world with his zanpaktou, her mouth was dry and her heart beat faster. Then a swirling hole opened up underneath Zabimaru and they stepped back into the human world.
It was nighttime when they arrived in the mortal world and a chilly breeze was blowing, scattering piles of dry leaves across asphalt roads that gleamed under the clean, white light of the crescent moon. The signboard of the Karakura Clinic was lit only by the dim sodium streetlights. A familiar feeling slipped under her skin and she smiled.
Beside her, Renji was scowling and making sarcastic remarks about the rundown state of the clinic. Rukia tilted her head upwards and saw that the light was still on in Ichigo's bedroom. A smile tugged gently at the corner of her lips.
"Renji, come on, we'll go in through the window."
The redhead stared at her as if she was insane but she ignored his look, "Come on, and be quick before your ruckus wakes up somebody in the neighbourhood."
Together, they leapt high into the night sky then landed gently on the window ledge of the second floor. Rukia edged forward and stepped through the window lightly, Renji following closely behind her.
Her arrival through the window caused a wind to blow into the room and she saw the familiar back of Ichigo stiffen slightly. Then he turned slowly and a look of utter disbelief scud across his face as he took in the new arrivals.
"R… Renji?"
"Yo, how you've been, snot-nosed little brat?"
Then his eyes bulged, "Rukia?" It came out as a whisper.
She grinned and folded her arms across her chest, "Long time no see, Ichigo."
The disbelief on his face melted away slowly as he stood up, shocked. Then another expression filtered into his eyes, a mixture of belated happiness and… guilt. Like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as if… he had been caught doing something wrong.
Rukia's heart went cold and she felt the wind slap her face harder as Ichigo started stammering.
"I… didn't… expect…"
Movement in the room distracted her and Rukia finally realised that Ichigo hadn't been alone in his room.
Inoue Orihime sat cross-legged at the edge of Ichigo's bed, clad in a loose t-shirt that was several sizes too big for her frame. The too-wide shirt hung slightly open to give a tantalising view of her ample assets and the shirttails covered her only up to her knees.
Rukia's mouth went dry and she found she could not speak. It was as if the words were stuck deep down inside her throat and she did not have the strength to pull them out.
"Kuchiki-san! You came back!" Orihime chorused happily, oblivious to the distress of the other girl.
At last, she managed to stutter a reply, "Indeed… I did, Inoue-san. What are you doing... here?"
The pretty girl beamed and turned to look at a red-faced Ichigo. "I'm cohabitating with Kurosaki-kun now! I was thrown out of my house!" she chorused joyfully.
Renji blanched, eyes nearly popping as Orihime's vigorous and overly dramatic actions gave the room's audience a full-on eyeful of her abundant cleavage.
"So… you are sleeping in his sisters' room?" Rukia asked hopefully, trying to keep her voice even and calm.
Orihime shook her head violently and Rukia caught a whiff of the vanilla shampoo that she had left behind before she was brought back to Soul Society. "There was no room for me in Karin and Yuzu's room," she pouted slightly, "so Kurosaki offered to put me up in his bed!"
A shell-shocked silence descended in the room as Orihime smiled, not comprehending the full impact of her words.
"He… he… did, did he?" Rukia stammered.
"Indeed! And he kindly lent me this shirt because my clothes all got torn up when we trying to play football with Karin today."
Football? Rukia wondered briefly what that was and whether it involved such a strenuous amount of activity that Inoue's clothes could be shredded so badly. An image of Ichigo and Inoue playing football, ripping at each other's clothes popped into her head and she had to pinch herself to regain control of her emotions.
A bitter taste rose in Rukia's mouth and she turned to look at Ichigo who had not spoken a word. His face was crimson and he looked at a loss.
"It… it isn't like that!" he shouted when he saw Rukia stare at him. "We couldn't let Orihime wander the streets at night! She's just a girl and Chizuru insisted that I put her up!"
Orihime nodded energetically at that, "Kurosaki-kun was really kind to lend me his bed even though his body was aching from the gym lessons at school and I had to give him a massage to relieve his pain."
At that, Rukia decided she had enough.
"Is that so?" she arched an eyebrow at Ichigo then turned back to smile stiffly at Orihime, "Then I'm so sorry to have disturbed your much-needed rest. Since it is evident that Kurosaki-san is so exhausted from his exertions at school, I think we'll find accommodation some place else and come back to visit another time. Hope we didn't disturb you two."
Without looking at Ichigo, Rukia took Renji's arm, "Let's go."
Renji took one look at her distressed face and nodded. Then they both leapt out of the window and disappeared into the velvety darkness.
"Wait… Rukia!" Ichigo yelled as he rushed to the window. But it was too late, the two Shinigami were gone, leaving only the icy chill that seeped in quickly, replacing the warmth that had been there earlier.