Honestly, I just got bored one day and typed this up. IchiHime needs more love. This is the only chapter I have typed, so let me know if it's good enough to continue so I know to type up more. I have a general idea of where this will go, so I know what to plan. Let me know in a review okay?
Disclaimer: *Yawwwnnn* I don't own this okay. Obviously.
o0 Trapped Within These Clear Walls 0o
o0 Chapter One: It's There 0o
Written By: o0Virgo0o
She couldn't get past that invisible wall.
They couldn't see it, but it was there.
Of course she knew this, but they didn't.
As all of the Captains walked into the big, black rip, she clutched her hand closer to her chest.
"Oh dear…" she mumbled, her hazel eyes lowering to the ground. Everyone was leaving, but she couldn't.
She didn't exactly know if whatever Aizen gave her worked or not, but she just had a hunch that it did. What would she do when they found out she couldn't exactly leave the one place everyone was so desperate to get out of? She had school to return to! Friends! Her red bean paste! She couldn't just stay there!
"Oi, Inoue!" Her head snapped up at the call of her name. There stood Ichigo in all his orange-haired glory. His upper body was deliciously bare, despite it being a little battered from the recent fights. His hakama were tattered to the max, but surprisingly still clung to his hips. His forehead was drenched with sweat, and his hand kept a tight grip on his sword. Orihime blushed furiously as she briefly thought that he looked better half naked.
The auburn slapped her hot cheeks and shook her head. Oh what was she thinking?! She shouldn't be having these thoughts! What would her brother say if he heard what she was thinking? He'd probably shake his head and look at her with disgust at her lewd behavior.
"Inoue?" The voice was closer and Orihime opened her eyes to see the man that started her semi-dirty mind. Ichigo was practically touching chests with her whether he realized it or not. Squeaking loudly, Orihime stepped back, putting as much distance between them as possible.
"A-Ah, Kurosaki-kun! You startled me!" she stuttered, looking at the sand beneath her.
"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving. Come on."
Orihime's heart practically broke at the knowledge that she couldn't go with them. She could feel tears pricking the back of her eyes at the fact. "Y-Yeah… Why don't you guys go ahead of me and I'll catch up?" She smiled, but it was strained, hurt, shaky. It made her cheeks hurt.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes at that smile. It was the smile that she used when trying to reassure someone on something she herself wasn't even sure of. It was the smile she used when she was hurt but didn't want anyone to know it. It was the smile she used when she didn't want to worry everyone.
He hated that smile with a burning passion.
"Inoue-"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be in the back of the group like always! I mean, not that I'm never in the front of the group, well, I am when we're running away. But when we're charging into battle of something like that, I'm usually in the back because I'm not that strong and my shield isn't either but-"
"I think it's better for you to go first. I'll be damned if I see someone take you from my sight again." She saw the anger burning in his eyes as she remembered Stark's action. That look made her heart both hurt and beat faster, though she didn't know why.
"Kurosaki-kun-"
"Let's go. Everyone's waiting," he said, grabbing her wrist firmly but gently as he lead her towards the Garganta.
The Garganta…
"A-Ah, Kurosaki-kun I don't think…"
It was getting closer.
"Kurosaki-kun, please..."
He wasn't listening and it was getting closer.
"I-I can't-"
He was passing through it and she stopped. Not because she wanted to, but because she couldn't go any further.
She had walked into an invisible wall.
Her face was pressed up against a transparent barrier and Orihime felt her cheeks heat up as she pushed herself away. Her palm rested on the wall as she raised her eyes to the stunned onlookers.
Rukia and Renji had agape mouths. Ishida's eyes widened. Chad's face was stoic, but she saw the surprise flicker on his face. And Ichigo…
Oh Ichigo.
Poor boy was just confused.
"Inoue…?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I-I can't…" She took a shaky breath. "I can't leave."
There. She said it.
She watched him as he opened and closed his mouth multiple times before he shut it completely. Apparently he couldn't find any words to describe his confusion and Orihime bit her lip.
"What do you mean, you can't leave?" Rukia asked, stepping outside of the Garganta to grab hold of Orihime's shoulders. "We came all this way to save you, so why can't you leave?"
Orihime could see the smaller woman's pupils shaking as she stared at her. They were filled with confusion, hurt, and a tinge of fear.
"Kuchiki-san-"
Rukia spun on her heel, Orihime's wrist in tow as she started towards the Garganta once more. Tears blurred the auburn's vision as she watched the raven-haired's desperate expression. She passed through easily, but the healer found herself pressed against the invisible wall again. Rukia tried pulling harder, making Orihime whimper.
"It won't work Kuchiki-san!" Orihime squeaked, pushing herself away from the Garganta and out of Rukia's grip. She stumbled on her feet, before falling on her behind, her hair swirling around then falling over her shoulders and face, covering her expression.
Her shoulders shook and she sniffled. Everyone stood quietly as they watched the one person they came to protect break down in loud sobs. It broke each heart every time they saw he shoulders jerk. It broke each heart every time her cry pieced the still air.
"I-I'm sorry!" she cried, wiping her eyes. The tears wouldn't stop though. They continued to roll down her creamy, flushed cheeks. Orihime desperately willed them to stop, to no avail.
How embarrassing! She was crying like a baby in front of the strongest people. She really was weak, wasn't she? Just like Loly-san had told her time and time again.
She was weak.
A warm firm hand set itself on her shoulder and Orihime looked at it. A tanned hand lead to a tanned arm, to a strong bicep. A neck with thick, muscular veins presenting themselves, to a face she adored. The face she loved in a different way she loved her brother's.
Kurosaki-kun.
"Don't worry Inoue."
More tears filled her eyes.
"We'll get you out of here. It won't be long."
She couldn't see past them.
"I promise."
They overflowed.
Orihime nodded her head, the clear rivulets still coursing down her cheeks. Ichigo nodded his head towards Orihime once more, giving her shoulder a firm squeeze, and stepping back.
Never before had she had a problem with keeping her hands to herself. From when she was young to now, she always kept her wandering fingers from touching anything she wasn't supposed to. But when Kurosaki started walking away from her, she couldn't stop herself.
She didn't know when she had gotten up.
She didn't know how fast she ran.
She didn't register his tense form, but she did register his smell. She registered his hard back. She registered that wall of a chest. She registered everything that was wholly him. Her arms tightened around his torso as she buried her face in his back.
"Inoue-"
"Thank you."
She meant it.
It took her a while to muster up the courage to let go of him, to release him from her death grip of a hug. When she did, she kept her face down to hide the embarrassed look and pressed a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart.
Everyone watched as she looked up at them with a bright smile and teary eyes.
"Do hurry back please."
And everyone nodded, stepping into the Garganta with hardened faces. Ichigo looked back as the gap was closing to see Orihime's smiling face.
The rip closed.
There was something about leaving Inoue alone in that place that made his gut clench. It fucking sucked since everyone went there to save her. It fucking sucked since everyone endured countless injuries to find her. It fucking sucked because he promised to get her out of there safely.
Only to just leave her behind.
Leaving her behind to sit alone in a deserted area. Leaving her behind with countless Arrancar not involved in the war. Leaving her behind to fend for herself without much to survive off of.
This was like the beginning to some fucked up adventure movie.
He pictured Orihime wandering aimlessly around that place, Hollows roaring around her. He heard her scream as they lunged. He listened to the sound of her shield cracking under the force of their attacks.
He watched her blood spill.
Ichigo ground his teeth as his stomach clenched at the image. Her lifeless body bleeding out on the sand. Her eyes wide open and empty. Her long, thick auburn mane fanning out around her and covered in blood. Kurosaki-kun… The word spilling softly from her plump lips just before her head lolled to the side.
Dead…
Dead.
Dead!
"Ichigo," Rukia gasped, her steps faltering. His reiatsu blasted and pressed down on their forms, causing Rukia to pant heavily and the others to grit their teeth.
"Control your damn reiatsu, dumbass!" Renji shouted, wrapping an arm around the petite Shinigami's shoulders, as if he could protect her from the suffocating energy.
Ichigo snapped back to reality, his body jerking, his forehead breaking out into a cold sweat. With rapid pants, the substitute Shinigami put a fist on his racing heart, beating against his chest as if that would calm it down. With controlled thoughts, he allowed his reiatsu to ease back into his system. "Sorry," he grumbled.
His comrades just looked at him, stared at his tense form as he wiped the sweat from his chin. No one moved. No one said anything for fear of setting him off.
It was tense.
To just sit there and wait and think and hope that everything would be fine.
And it would be.
Because they would make it happen.
My first IchiHime story. I don't see it lasting all that long to be honest. Maybe 5-6 chapters. Let me know what you think and if I should continue this in a review! Arigato!