By Any Other Name

by Laurie Bunter

IchiRuki vignettes. Renji, Urahara, Inoue, Kon, Chad, Ukitake and Byakuya lend their POVs on the couple. Topics include MayDecember relationships, reincarnation, the erotics of looking, unspoken desires, how we name our lovers, innuendos, time, pride etc

2. By Any Other Name

2. By Any Other Name

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Kurosaki-kun.

It's his surname, with some formality. There is so much distance encompassed within those polysyllables. It's more than a mouthful.

Perhaps on a subconscious level Orihime knew that she doesn't deserve to call him by any other name. Not like Rukia, who screams his name at the top of her lungs – in good times and bad – with the same sharp, ringing intimacy: Ichigo.

Rukia's always called him that.

Kurosaki-kun does the same: Rukia.

The intonation may change but the inflections of concern for the other – it is heard by all within earshot. There is no doubt that they are special to each other in ways that other people cannot comprehend.

"I will defeat you, and Ulquiorra, and Aizen! Then I will take Rukia, Chad, Ishida, Renji, and Inoue back with me!" he swore to Grimmjow as they battled and drew blood in the bowels of Hueco Mundo.

Even here, Orihime thought sadly, so far from the living world -- he still calls me Inoue.

She never felt more alone.