Chapter 8: First step? Feels like a leap.
Present Day
Rose looked at his lieutenant with a serious expression, "You heard me Izuru. You and Hisagi have been ordered to take a vacation by the head captain no ifs, ands or buts!" Softening his eyes slightly he clapped the younger man on the shoulder, "Stop worrying so much! Rangiku and Shuuhei have it all planned out already. You'll be staying at Orihime-chan's! Hisagi has already packed what you will need and you all leave in half an hour."
Izuru stared with wide eyes at his captain. "I'm being forced to take a vacation? Hisagi packed and we're staying at Inoue-san's? Are you all crazy?!" Rose was slightly surprised at his normally calm lieutenant's outburst.
"What do you mean? Orihime-chan has offered her home to us shinigami for years, why would this time be any different?"
Shaking his head Izuru said more quietly, almost desperately, "Captain, trust me, this is a bad idea! She…she's not going to want to see me! Rangiku and Shuuhei yes, but me, no way. We haven't even spoken in ten years!" He flopped down on the couch with his head in his hands.
Rose sat down placing a comforting hand on his back, "All the more reason to go Izuru. Look, I don't know what exactly happened between the two of you ten years ago but I think I have a fair idea given how much I know you. I also know is Orihime is not an overly complicated or high maintenance woman. You may not think she wants to see you but she does! She didn't have to say a word for me to know that she was devastated, the tears pooling in her eyes told me that much."
Izuru groaned. He knew he'd hurt her but to hear his captain speak about her pain was awful. Shaking his head he raised it to meet his captain's eyes, "I let my hormones take over! I can't even fully blame the sake, at least not for myself because I barely drank, though I still had a killer headache the next morning and couldn't remember exactly what happened. I'm not blaming her at all! I let myself be selfish and in the end ruined our friendship!"
Rose snickered, "Oh Izuru, I don't think it was friendship that girl was looking for anymore. I think it was love, from you."
Izuru shook his head, "I can't be with her captain. She's human, I'm shinigami. Sure, we could have moments of happiness together for a short while but nothing permanents." He trailed his eyes to the floor sighing out, "Plus after I what I wrote to her in that letter she probably hates me anyway."
Rose grabbed his shoulder pulling his face to back to his, "What did you say Izuru?"
Izuru took in a shaky breath, "I told her I was sorry but that I couldn't be with her because I was still in love with Momo and would always love her."
Rose glared at his lieutenant, torn between shock and anger as his idiocy, "That is a complete lie! You aren't in love with Hinamori-san and you know this! And this crap that you can't be with Orihime is just that, crap. Things have changed Izuru! The head captain has made sure of that. Do not believe for one second you two couldn't at least try. But you are being a coward and trying to take the easy way out. So what if you had a one night stand and it went badly? Don't give up on something that could make you both so happy. Talk to her."
Izuru grabbed his bag that the third seated officer brought from his quarters. As he made his way past where Rose sat he heard him say lowly, "We, the visoreds, acknowledged Orihime as one of us, as part of our family. She is a good woman, Izuru, please make sure to do the right thing and fix whatever this is between you."
He nodded and walked out to find Hisagi and Rangiku waiting for him. Raising his eyebrows he inquired, "So, Inoue-san agreed to us staying with her?"
She nodded enthusiastically, "Yep it's been all clear. She is staying at a bigger apartment now. I guess she has a much better job these days."
As the three made their way through the senkaimon into the dark tunnel Izuru couldn't help but feel nervous. None of them, it seemed, had really spoken to Orihime much in the past ten years, thought he was sure Rangiku had more than anyone else. Sighing he hoped he could handle whatever it was he would see upon their arrival. Would she have a boyfriend? Maybe be married? No one had mentioned that but then again why would they to him? He'd written her off, tried to forget about her so he could move on but even after all this time his heart rate still increased at the mere thought of her.
When they finally exited it was to find themselves in a large park, a very nice modern high rise across the street. "Is this it?" he heard Hisagi asked.
Rangiku looked at the address written on a piece of scrap paper, "Yep, that's it, come on, let's go!"
In a short amount of time they'd taken the elevator to the fifth floor, Hisagi carrying his and Rangiku's bags while Izuru brought up the rear of their little group. Standing side by side with Shuuhei, Rangiku reached out and knocked on the door. As Izuru stood behind his friends he hitched his breath as the door opened. Suddenly one small step felt like a very large leap and just as when one finally jumps he knew there was no turning back now.
