Love Lies Bleeding

Bleach; Ichihime short

Word Count: 465

Warning: T+; character death

Disclaimer: all characters herein belong to Kubo Tite.

What if ...Ichigo was living a nightmare?

~o0o~

You're running until your lungs feel like they will burst. The long hallway stretches its arms out wide, confusing you as to what direction to take. There, you can sense her. A turn to the left and you're running once more.

You smell it long before you see it. But once you've seen it, it can't be unseen. It is branded on your retinas. Burned into your brain. Imprinted on your very soul.

The sickly sweet scent.

The darkly ominous spreading stain.

And a silky flag of red hair swings in the breeze as Orihime slides off the sword impaled through her chest.

You're mouth opens in a wordless bellow as she falls, seemingly in slow motion.

Crumbling.

Tumbling.

Crashing.

And your inner world follows suit.

Crumbling.

Tumbling.

Crashing.

Until nothing is left inside you but rubble.

Your yells continue unabated, strident, fearful, pained as you surge forward, catching her slight frame before it touches the stained ground. Blocking the severity of her wound from your mind, you whisper soothing reassurance. They're a waste of breath, nothing but worthless phrases. Something to keep reality at bay.

You hold her tight, clenching stiff brittle fingers in the white fabric at her waist, afraid, terrified to let go. She gazes up at you through pain-filled eyes as tears stream over pale porcelain cheeks to mix with the blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Her lips move and you strain to hear, wanting, needing, craving, the sweet sound of her voice. But you are denied those precious final words as she breathes her last.

Murmurs of disbelief change to bargaining and pleading before a harsh demanding curse slips out under your breath. This can't be real. You repeat in your mind. But the truth is staring you straight in the face through a pair of blank unseeing eyes.

It can't be real.

But it is.

And you failed.

An agonized scream is ripped from your throat as you crush her cooling body to your chest, cradling her, as if Orihime was the wounded animal and not yourself.

Dead.

Her vibrant hair spills over your hand, your arm, your thigh and touches the filthy floor.

She's dead.

Squeezing your eyes shut tight, hoping wishing, dreaming that this isn't how she meets her end with so much left unsaid.

Orihime's dead.

Your lips brush against her waxen cheek as tears begin to fall.

And you open your eyes to see her through the darkness as her fingers gently brush against your damp cheek. Grabbing her warm hand in one of yours, you press a heated kiss to the center of her palm as your heartbeat slows. You are safe in your bed with Orihime beside you, alive and well, as she helps you battle your nightmares once again.

~o0o~

A/N: Just posting something super quick for 11/11/11 before I have to dart out the door. It's not what I intended; I actually planned to write porn ...but ended up with tragedy. Go figure.

Thanks for reading. ~Rairakku