Yay IchiRuki! Boo, this one is also kind of a bummer. Let me know what you all think :)
Thanks for Listening
Dear Diary,
I lied to Ichigo today. I didn't want to, but I also couldn't stand to hurt him anymore. I feel so guilty.
I was just trying to run some errands...
Orihime Inoue left the grocery store that afternoon with a bright smile on her face. She took the long way home, walking along the river and eagerly planning what treats she would bake to give Ichigo at lunch tomorrow.
Of course, Yuzu always made him a real lunch, but he only picked at his food now. No one ever said anything about it, how he was quiet all the time, and how depressed he seemed, even around his friends.
But, Orihime had a plan to change that. Just like it was yesterday, she remembered back in elementary school how Sora would pack her extra baked treats for after lunch and she would share them with Ichigo.
It had been months since Ichigo lost his powers, and Orihime just knew that one of these days she would offer him a sweet dessert after lunch, and he would take it, and taste it, and his face would light up with a smile just like it used to in elementary school.
She smiled, looking out over the river, lost in her fantasy. Until, "Ichigo?"
The orange-haired teen turned around to look at the girl addressing him.
"Ha-Have you been here long? It's going to be dark soon, you know," Orihime tried to keep smiling, tried to hide her concern.
Why was he sitting all by himself at the edge of the river, staring into space like that? I didn't know what to do... So I offered to walk him home.
"Don't worry about it," he shrugged, standing up and brushing the grass off his jeans. "Do you need help with those?"
"Oh, no! That's all right! I can manage." Orihime blushed and tried to hide the bags from view. She didn't want him to see the contents and figure out her surprise.
"Ok. See you around," he nodded and began walking the opposite direction.
"Right," she said, her eyes following after his muscular figure. "See you tomorrow!"
Once the groceries had become heavier than her desire to watch Ichigo walk away, Orihime turned around and resumed her walk home. The sun had already begun to set, just as she had predicted.
Becoming preoccupied again with her cooking plans, the redhead was caught off guard when a large roar echoed through the park.
Orihime felt the lightness dissipate from her chest, and her jaw set grimly.
I truly pity the souls that turn into hollows, as they should be pitied. No one ever wants to be consumed by loneliness like that. I regret it now, but I just remember feeling so frustrated that a hollow would appear when all I wanted to do was go home and start baking.
The creature crawled onto the path, yards in front of her. Orihime set her grocery bags down off to the side and put her hands to her pins.
Before she could say anything though, the hollow jumped, something Orihime had not been expecting from a creature with that longer body-type.
It came down with a loud crash on the exact spot where she had been standing. The hollow jumped again, and she began sprinting in an attempt to get out of range.
"Orihime!"
The redhead whirled around, mid-stride, to see a familiar figure running towards her.
"Ichigo..." The word fell from her mouth in surprise and horror. "Ichigo, get out off here! I can take care of it."
The hollow landed just behind her, knocking her forward. Orihime fell to her knees and rolled over to face the monster. But, Ichigo was already leaping over her, thinking the hollow had been too much for her to take by herself.
"No, wait!" She exclaimed.
Ichigo punched in front of himself blindly, but made contact with its torso. The hollow made a groaning sound as it collected itself for another attack.
"Just tell me where it is," he said, his eyes more alive than she had seen in months.
I felt so sad... But it wasn't safe. I couldn't let him get hurt.
And that's when she showed up.
"I reject!" Orihime cried, pulling Ichigo down under the shield as the monster leaped towards them again. "This it too dangerous, Ichigo," she tried to reason. "I can handle it, really."
"I can help," he insisted. "You've already been hit twice."
The hollow fell back from the force of Orihime's shield, leaving a large imprint in the ground where it slid. Ichigo ran towards the large dip in the earth and Orihime readied her attack to get there before he did. The monster was on its feet again, crouched to spring.
"Ichigo!"
The familiar voice rang clear through her mind and Orihime froze. Just long enough for the hollow to lunge at Ichigo and knock him on his back.
Rukia's feet hit the ground half a second later and she launched a kido spell, sending the monster flying and allowing Ichigo to shakily stand upright again.
The petite soul reaper made eye contact with Orihime. "Don't say anything," she instructed calmly. "Just get him out of here."
I was so surprised. I hadn't seen Rukia since that day either, but I didn't understand why she didn't want Ichigo to know what was really going on.
I hated lying to him.
Orihime nodded and ran to Ichigo. "I've got a plan. I'll lead you."
The orange-haired teen grabbed her arm. "Got it."
Ignoring the battle behind them, Orihime steeled her heart and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction.
"Look out!" Rukia called, and the redhead skidded to a halt.
"I reject!" The shield expanded over them just in time and she winced at the impact. While the hollow took a moment to recover from the fall, Orihime reached out to grab Ichigo's hand again.
But he had already gone.
"Wait! Come back!" Orihime called after him.
Rukia was there in an instant, slicing her sword into the top of the monster's head mid-air. The hollow went limp and came crashing down.
"Ichigo!" The soul reaper cried when she realized what she had done.
Like a scene in slow-motion, Orihime watched in horror as Ichigo ran blindly under the hollow, just as it hit the ground.
It was my worst nightmare. I thought for sure that it wasn't real, that Rukia had somehow saved him at the last minute...
When she screamed though, I realized. I had never ever heard anyone scream like that before.
That sound broke my heart.
"Can you save him?" Rukia asked, eyes pleading. "He'll be ok, right?"
Orihime knelt down beside the pair. She put a hand to Ichigo's head, cradled so tenderly in Rukia's lap.
"I think so," she said as she began the healing process. "Nothing's too badly damaged. He should regain consciousness soon and make a full recovery."
"I knew he wouldn't give up that easily," the soul reaper said quietly, a small, watery smile forming on her face.
Orihime forced herself to look away and focus on the task in front of her.
I felt so awful, I can't even describe it. I guess I had always known there was something between them, but just hearing the pain and desperation in her cry, and seeing her face...
I understood then, why she didn't want Ichigo to know she had been there. I can't believe I had never realized it before.
Some time later, Ichigo's eyes finally opened and Orihime breathed a sigh of relief. She looked over to see Rukia's reaction, but the petite soul reaper was nowhere to be found.
"I guess I screwed up, huh?" He asked quietly, more a statement than a question.
"Of course not!" Orihime shook her head furiously. "We wouldn't have been able to defeat that hollow if you hadn't distracted him. I'm just sorry you got so hurt."
"You don't have to lie to me." Ichigo looked up at her with dull eyes. "How did you kill it after all?"
"I-uh..."
I couldn't tell him, Diary. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew it would hurt him... And I don't think I could have beared to say it out loud. I knew it was lying, but I thought I was doing the right thing.
It wouldn't have done any good to tell him that Rukia Kuchiki was in love with him.
The next day, Orihime Inoue arrived at school, attended classes, and ate lunch just like any other normal day.
And just like any other normal day, Ichigo only picked at his lunch and Orihime didn't offer him any baked goods for dessert.
I just don't understand why I still feel so wrong.
She bit the end of her pen and sighed.
Thanks for listening, Diary. Good night.