Title: Tell Your Children the Truth
Gift for: sophiap at the Bleach ExchangeCommunity on LiveJournal
Request:Fallout after chapter 186 revelations
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Various
Word Count: 1,280
Spoilers: Up through manga chapter 210
Disclaimer Disclaimer: BLEACH © 2001 by TITE KUBO/SHUEISHA Inc. and assorted corporations who bought various rights to it.
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"…That's why I said that you're an idiot."
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Chapter 1: Of Distances and Robots
"Oi, Ishida…" Ichigo started to say, only to trail off in hesitation. His gaze slid down off to the side, the hand holding his book bag over one shoulder clenching down on the handle. "…There's something..."
Without responding, the other teenager grabbed his belongings, got up fluidly, and made his way out of the emptying classroom. He did not look back once.
"Hey, come back, you bastard!"
The cool distance Ishida radiated kept Ichigo from following, leaving him standing next to the abandoned desk. However, any traces of awkwardness disappeared from the lanky youth, the snub making him fume.
"Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun," their ginger-haired classmate murmured, worry evident in her voice.
Almost a week had passed since the various battles with the six Allankar. Injuries healed and bandages came off, but concern for everyone haunted Orihime. Instances like these added to it.
On that day, when Rukia had returned, Chad had interrupted the healing process so that he could help fight, and it looked as if the three shinigami of captain and vice captain level would lose; Orihime could only wait for news. So she had sighed with great relief when she confirmed that her soft-spoken friend had not compromised the healing of his arm while learning that all but one of the Allankar had been defeated. The one that Kurosaki-kun fought had retreated after a long clash, allowing the temporary shinigami to get his injuries tended to.
Betting on the fact that there should be a temporary lull in attacks, five of the dispatched shinigami went back to report in. Rukia was volunteered to stay in case of emergency. Having cleared the first wave of what must be a bigger front, things should have looked up.
However, something else must have happened, something that had nothing to do with external wounds. She glanced quickly between the orange-haired teen and the brown-haired giant. Otherwise, there would not be this stilling of the normal rapport between those two.
Not only did she worry about Chad and Ichigo, but no one had been with their standoffish teammate during the hectic fighting, even though at that time he had no ability to protect himself.
That did not seem the case now.
Quickly grabbing her things together, she smiled brightly as she passed him. "Kurosaki-kun, I'll go see if I can talk to him!"
"Ah, Orihime!" Shaken out of her stupor (she had taken to staring out the window lately), Tatsuki could only watch as her friend ran out into the hallway.
Since there was no sign of him in the hallway, Orihime visited the Handicrafts Club room, even though he had abstained from activities for a full week. When the members shrugged and told her that he had not shown up, she made her own apologies and left. Next, she scouted out the locker area where all students kept their school and street shoes. Not seeing him there either, she quickly changed footwear and made her way to the front gate. Luckily, as she stepped from school grounds onto the main street, Orihime spotted her target's figure disappearing around the far corner. Clutching her bag tightly, she raced after him.
Past the school area and past the small shopping district the two went. One strode firmly along, posture straight. His uninvited companion though, hid behind telephone posts and store sidewalk signs behind him. This went on until he stopped in the middle of the block, next to the only telephone pole there. Not even turning around to face her, he simply said, "Inoue-san."
She froze behind the cover of her school bag, which she had crouched behind since no other places were available.
"Inoue-san, did you have something to discuss with me?" He pushed his glasses up with one free hand, turning slowly around.
"Ah ha ha ha!" She nervously laughed, springing upright with her bag still held in front of her like a shield. She then crouched down and then popped up again, down and up again. It was like watching a jack-in-the-box. "This is a new exercise I found! It's very effective for body conditioning! I want to be in shape for my future robot self!"
As she jumped up and down, all the while getting closer to where he stood, she elaborated about the special destructive laser beam eyes, the 20,000 Celsius degree breath, and the top speed of 380 kilometers per hours of her robot body. Ishida blinked.
When she popped up in front of him and tilted her head to one side as if considering what he would be like as a robot, he involuntarily took a step back.
"Ishida-kun, though one part of you seems better now, another part of you isn't."
He frowned. She could be remarkably perceptive at times as she had displayed in the past.
"Did you want to talk to me?" Sparkling eyes earnestly searched his own, a small hopeful smile embracing him. "About becoming a future robot?"
And like she did before, he froze. That is, until a small sound, almost like an abortive laugh, escaped his pursed lips. Shivers wracked his body and he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to hold back. But he recalled her hopping down the street like a rabbit, only to ask him if he wanted to become a robot with 20,000 Celsius degree breath. Ishida lost his composure and laughed out loud.
Orihime smiled, laughing along with him. "I'm so glad! It would be so much more fun being with friends in the future too! I'm so happy that I became friends with you, Sado-kun, Kurosaki-kun, and Kuchiki-san! Don't you think so too, Ishida-kun?"
Trying to settle himself down, he tucked his bag under one arm and took his glasses off to polish them. A chuckle still escaped him every now and then though. However, he chose his words carefully. "Inoue-san, I think that we accomplished the reason why we agreed to help each other during that time. Though we learned many things, that reason is no longer valid. There's nothing more between us anymore other than being classmates."
She fell into step beside him when he started on his way again, not at all rebuffed. "Classmates can be friends too."
He kept walking.
"Many classmates become friends. Some like to do sports, like Tatsuki-chan! The members of the go-home club are very popular too I've heard. Or there's Kaneda-sensei's bonsai and Saitou-sensei's orchid that have become friends over summer!"
He shot a look at her. She was serious.
"Then there are the members of the Power Up Club." She paused, waiting for his response before continuing. Even though he had never heard of such a club, he made a sound to indicate that he was listening. To do so otherwise would be rude.
Encouraged, Orihime walked along, a bounce in her step. "Now those members are truly friends! They worked hard all summer. Though some powered up more than others, we…err, they still fou…err…worked together! Even when they were separated from each other, they worked together. And after the summer, they should still work together, right? Because they had become friends!"
Ishida coughed lightly. "There are four members in this club, I take it?"
"Don't you think there should be four members in this club, Ishida-kun?" Her quiet voice warmed the cool evening air.
He wanted to respond to that voice, to her. Instead he stated, "Quincy's and shinigami can't be friends."
She stopped, right before the crosswalk. "Ishida-kun, what's happened? Why can't we go back to how we were?"
Somberly, he resolutely kept going, the blinking green walk signal keeping pace. "I've regained myself, and all things come with a price. Good evening, Inoue-san."
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A/N: The title of this fic comes straight from the brilliant mind of Kubo Tite himself. (He used it for Bleach manga chapter 186 hahaha.) It just... this fic, so that's why I chose it. I'm not lazy, really. (REALLY!)
Constructive comments and reviews are welcomed. :)