That Day by the Pool
They were all at the pool. It was their last day before leaving the Soul society, and Rukia insisted that they go swim in a gigantic pool her and Renji found in Rukongai. They got swim stuff from one of the squads, and they all went down. Uryu thought it was pointless. He wasn't going to swim so he didn't bother changing. He was only there because Orihime had forced him to go. So he went.
"The water looks pretty doesn't it Ishida-kun?"
"I guess," Uryu replied stoically. He didn't really care one way or another.
"It does," said Chad, walking in front of them. "I can see why Rukia wanted us to come here."
"I don't see why I had to come" Renji grumbled. "Rukia's the one who found it, why should I have to help her find it again."
'At least you have a reason to be here' thought Uryu. 'I hate swimming, and I'm probably just going to be bored the whole time'
"Its good Kenpachi isn't here with us." Ichigo remarked. "He'd probably challenge me to a race or some shit like that."
"As if," Rukia replied "He's not that desperate." They all laughed. Uryu watched Orihime. She looked so pure and beautiful in her swimsuit. He quickly looked away to prevent himself from blushing. 'Like I have a chance with her. She's in love with Kurosaki'
They got down to the water. Rukia, Chad, and Orihime jumped right in, Ichigo and Renji following more sedately. Uryu sat rigidly on the side, watching them.
Orihime jumped in. The water was nice and cool, great in the heat of the Soul Society. She was sad to be leaving, but wanted to enjoy this last day. She treaded water and looked around. Uryu was still sitting on the side. 'I guess he doesn't like swimming' she thought to herself. 'Oh well…' Orihime saw Ichigo looking her way. 'Now's my chance to impress Kurosaki-kun,' Orihime thought. She pulled herself up out of the pool and went to the side.
She was unaware that Uryu suddenly started watching her again.
Orihime checked to see that Ichigo was still looking in her direction. He was.
"Hey Inoue-san what are you doing?" called Rukia from across the pool.
"Just watch!" Orihime yelled back. She jumped into a pool with a graceful dive, going into the water with barely a splash.
On the side Uryu watched her jump. She looked so beautiful as she did it, so radiant. He wanted to hold that image forever.
Orihime hit the water and was suddenly propelled downward at an alarmingly fast rate. She tried to pull out of it but couldn't. She hit the bottom with first her arms then her head, and everything went black.
Uryu watched her go down through the water. He watched, waiting for her to come back up. A minute passed, but there was no sign of her surfacing.
"Inoue-san!" Ichigo called from across the pool. "Inoue-san!" Both realized that something was wrong.
'Shit' Uryu thought. Ichigo was swimming over, but he was across the pool, and wouldn't be there for a few minutes. 'Shit' he thought again, and started running towards the pool. Dropping his glasses on the side, where he could find them again, Uryu plunged into the pool. He could see her outline, lying motionless on the pool bottom. He swam to her body and grabbed her arm. Throwing it over his shoulder, he started dragging her up to the surface.
They broke water, and Uryu gasped for air. He pulled Orihime to the edge of the pool. Suddenly Ichigo, and Chad were there, and with their help, Uryu got himself and Orihime back on land. He grabbed his glasses as Rukia and Renji ran over.
"Oh god, Inoue-san!" Uryu gasped. Rukia instinctively grabbed Renji and whispered, "Is she alright?"
"She isn't breathing" was Ichigo's reply. Uryu swore, and started pumping her chest. "Chad, tip her head to the side so the water will come out of it." Chad did so, and after a few moments, Orihime coughed up a lot of water, and started coughing. Uryu relaxed.
"She's going to be okay." Ichigo said.
Orihime blinked her eyes slowly, seeing a form above her. "Ichi, Ichi" she gasped aloud. She closed her eyes. "Ichigo?" She opened them, and Uryu was sitting over her, eyes filled with worry, then relief, and then a flash of incredible sadness. Orihime sat up, breathing hard.
"I-I hit my head on the pool…what happened?" She looked around. She was on the side of the pool, and went Uryu backed up, she saw everyone standing around her, Renji asking Ichigo hurriedly if he should get the 4th squad.
"Inoue-san," said Rukia worriedly. "Are you all right?"
"Yes I'm fine. What happened?"
"Ishida saved you" Ichigo said, a look of amazment on his face. "He went in after you, and got you from the bottom. Then we dragged you on shore."
"It took awhile to get you conscious," Said Chad.
Orihime looked around her. Uryu was soaked, and still in his clothes. He wasn't looking at her.
"Thank you Ishida-kun. That's another time you've saved my life. Are you alri-?"
"I'm fine," Uryu said quietly. "It was nothing." 'Saving you has no meaning if the first thing you're going to say is that bastard's name' he added to himself.
The next day they prepared to go back to the human world. Orihime was lost in thought, thinking about the day before. Uryu hadn't talked to her at all since he'd pulled her out of the water. Orihime was incredibly sad about this and had no idea why. She suddenly regretted that Ichigo's name was the first out of her mouth. Then she remembered the look of remorse that had flashed across Uryu's face after she had said that. She wondered why she was thinking about that of all things. Then she remembered that Ichigo hadn't been the one to save, her and that Uryu had looked much more relieved than he was when she opened her eyes. 'I wonder." She thought, 'I if really do love Ichigo. Even if I do I know he doesn't love me at all.' She kept remembering Uryu's face when she opened her eyes for some reason. Orihime just couldn't get Uryu out of her head. She remembered the times he had saved her, remembered him protecting her all this time, remembered him being the one sitting over her when she was regaining consciousness, remembered the first words out of her mouth.
'I'm so stupid. Why did I say Kurosaki-kun's name? Why?' Orihime thought bitterly. 'I may as well go face him now….'
Uryu sat up with some difficultly. Now he remembered why he hated swimming. He was always sore afterwards, no matter how long he had been wet for. The soreness added to the pain he was already feeling in his heart about Orihime. Hearing her say "Ichi" had caused him to hope, for he thought for one second she had been saying "Ishi" as in Ishida. He should have known this would happen. How could he have been so stupid? 'She's in love with Kurosaki, and she always has been. Why did I think she would be thinking of me?' Because you've saved her so many times. A voice inside him said. You've spent the past few weeks together, alone, and were so close. 'Yes,' he replied to himself, 'but that wouldn't have happened if not for Kurosaki. She talked about him enough. Why would I have thought she might the same about me, as I feel for her?' He felt himself give no reply. He smiled bitterly to himself, knowing it was a losing battle. Uryu started getting ready for going back to the human world.
'May as well train a bit before we go,' he thought, starting to draw a bow, without thinking, and then remembered he had lost all his Quincy powers. "First Inoue, and now I remember about my powers. That sure helps my mood a lot." He said aloud. "Oh, who am I kidding, I didn't lose Inoue. I just remembered how far away from me she already was."
Uryu sighed, and sank back onto his bed.
Just then a knock came at his door. 'Probably some Shinigami here to tell me it's time to leave.' Uryu went to answer it and there was Orihime.
Orihime hurried along the hall to Uryu's room. Ukitake had told her to tell him they were leaving in an hour, and so she was grateful for an excuse to talk to him. She stopped in front of his door and couldn't bring herself to knock. 'He probably hates me' she thought to herself. 'All this time I didn't see how much he cared, and then when I realize I feel the same, I screw everything up. He hates me, I know he does.' Orihime suddenly realized that if he didn't hate her, she should knock, and if he did, then she still needed to give him Ukitake's message. What was frightening her, she realized, was that she might not hate her. Orihime drew herself up tall, and knocked on Uryu's door.
He opened it. There was shock in his face as he realized it was her, and before he could get back to his usual emotionless state there were flashes of confusion, and…. was it…. relief?
Orihime smiled, and asked "Can I come in?" as normally as she could, suppressing the impulse to cry and beg forgiveness.
"Of course" said Uryu, opening the door more, and sitting down. Orihime sat opposite him, staring at him silently. After a few moments of silence, Uryu asked, "Are you all right? What did you need?" There was concern in his voice, but Orihime could also tell there was bitterness in the edges.
"No, I'm fine. Thanks to you" Orihime added, trying to get through to him how grateful she was.
Uryu smiled halfheartedly and said, "That's good. Why are you here then?"
Orihime tensed. This was a question she'd been dreading.
"Captain…. captain…"
"What is it?" Uryu said, genuinely concerned. "Did something happen?"
Orihime shook her head. "CaptainUkitaketoldmetotellyouweleaveinanhour" she gasped, talking fast. Uryu tilted his head to the side.
"What? I'm sorry, but that was hard to understand."
"Captain Ukitake…told me…. to tell you…we leave in an hour," Orihime said slowly, with a bit of difficulty.
"Oh." Uryu said, emotionless. "Right. Thank you for telling me Inoue-san."
Orihime suddenly stood up. It was getting to be too much. "Well okay then, bye Uryu," she said without thinking. Uryu's eyes widened at the sound of his first name. "What?" he breathed. Orihime realized what she'd said. 'Oh no…I've been wanting to call him that all morning and it just slipped out. Crap.' Orihime turned, and said quickly, "I need to go now, see you later," and started hurrying, almost sprinting, for the door.
Uryu stood up quickly. "Wait, wait, Inoue-san! Wait! Orihime."
Orihime turned around hopefully. Uryu walked over to her and pulled her back onto the bench. "About yesterday…" Orihime started then noticed the tortured look on his face.
"Yes, about yesterday," began Uryu. Suddenly something inside him just snapped.
"Why did you say that name? He didn't do anything. Nothing. Why do your thoughts always go to him in any matter? Why, Inoue-san why?" Uryu started choking out before he could stop himself. "Why Kurosaki?"
Uryu turned red, and wouldn't look at Orihime. He had tried to forget about it, but it had just slipped out. He kept Ichigo's name being said by Orihime. 'Why did she have to pick Him over me?' he kept thinking to himself.
Orihime watched Uryu sit. She was stunned by his momentary loss of composure. She had no idea she had hurt him so much. Orihime felt incredible shame at what she had done, and happiness at his reaction. Uryu didn't hate her, he didn't. He had loved her, all this time. And Orihime had been oblivious. She dropped to the floor in shock.
"Forgive Me…" she whispered. Uryu looked up, and noticed the tears streaming down her face mirrored the ones on his.
"I'm sorry Uryu, I didn't realize until yesterday how important you were to me, and then I screwed everything up. I'm sorry. Forgive me, please."
Uryu took her hand and held her. "It's okay Orihime, I was never angry at you. Never at you."
Orihime clung to him, and felt his lips meeting hers. Happiness replaced the sadness in both of their eyes, and they kissed for a long time. Finally they separated, and sat next to each other, hands touching slightly. Orihime stood up slowly and said, "I need to get ready. We leave in an hour."
"Yes, I had forgotten." Uryu said, coming back to reality. "See you later… Orihime"
"See you… Uryu."