title — adore
words — 523
pairing — slight!rukihime.
summary — the happiness in air around the two . . . it was tangible.


The relief and sheer joy that thuds deeply in Orihime's chest, making her heart lurch somewhere in her throat, almost knocks the girl of her sandal-ed feet. These feelings – such odd, fragile things in a blood soaked place like Hueco Mundo – bubbles and trickles over when she smiles at her.

"Ku-Kuchiki-san," Orihime struggles to say the name as the lump of emotion in her throat strangles the precious word before it can slip past her lips. Swallowing, the former damsel tries again.

"You're okay . . . ?" she sniffles, her plump bottom lip trembling.

Tears gather at the edges of her thick, sooty lashes and pools of pretty cinnamon shimmer with the unshed droplets. She feels silly for nearly crying – oh, she cries far too much, Orihime will scold herself later – but the milky skin of her cheeks dampen and Inoue reaches toward Rukia with shaky, searching fingers.

She remembers that one terrifying moment when it felt like her petite friend had slipped away into nothingness. She had felt desperately for a thread of her reiatsu, chasing, grasping for any sign of Rukia.

To see her alive . . . was . . .

With a small sob, Inoue throws herself at the noble women.

Briefly, behind them, Renji smiles and Ichigo rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck. The happiness between the two women is tangible in the air as Ishida, also nearby, shifts his glasses on his nose with soft sigh.

At the embracing girls, a small flush decorates the usually stoic face of the onyx haired noble as she, gently, returns the affectionate hug. "Ah," she breathes quietly into her soft, auburn hair, "I'm fine, Inoue."

The kidnapped princess answers with hiccup and merely holds her tighter, small hands curling into the black cloth of her clothing.

"I'm fine," Rukia says, again, in a warm whisper against the now safe, kneeling girl in her arms. "I'm alright."

Her lavender eyes crinkle with another soft, tiny smile when Orihime pulls away to look into her face with a giddy, bashful curl of her own mouth. Her pretty face is damp, sticky, and hot with her tears, but the female shinigami cups her left cheek in one calloused, delicate palm anyway. The teenager's lashes flutter against her thumb as Rukia tenderly, unusual for the usually brash women, brushes more tears away.

"I'm happy to see you too, Orihime."


a/n:

Well, that was just terrible. I'm not used to writing Bleach characters.
I wrote for RukiHime, IchiHime once, a few years back, and was chewed up and spit out of the fandom . .
I hope this is a slightly better attempt.

— mute button.