…
…
Ishida let out a deep sigh.
He could not believe he was here. He supposed Kami-sama was out to punish him. That sounded reasonable, due to everyone he'd murdered, but he certainly hoped it wasn't time for this now. He was raised just by his grandfather and not much else. He was trained to be a warrior, fight in battles, save people, but after watching his mother leave, never meeting his father, and allowing his grandfather to slip away before his eyes, he never really gave much thought in the hero place. And so he traveled, he left memories behind, and he found another way to continue on with his life.
Ishida Uryu was a very rational man, always gave people the option of their fate, always was patient when it came to tracking prey, and due to this, he had become an honorable warrior.
When he'd met Kurosaki Ichigo, everything had gone downhill. He despised his disgusting attitude, his cocky grin, his dark aura and personality, and especially that mop of abnormal orange hair. Honestly, he had no idea how the imbecile had survived all this time, with all the enemies he'd made and the number of times he refused to abide by the rules or laws. For some odd reason, they'd been on each other as soon as their eyes met and Ishida had yanked out his bow while Kurosaki decided to place his blade an inch from his face. True, Ichigo was very good with agility and his speed, but Uryu was definitely superior in his own skills. The fire between them could never be squashed, though Ishida had long forgotten why and how they even began to loathe each other. And now, with Kurosaki in the next room, he wished to slit his throat, cut off his limbs, maybe if get in a punch or two.
But, dammit, what about Orihime-san?
Still, he could not believe she was with him. It just didn't make sense with her being such an angelic figure – so very new in Uryu's world. Her bright smiles that were untainted by this God forsaken world or her delicate disposition that anyone wished to protect from one glance at the shining redhead. And he had wondered, ever since he'd seen her with Kurosaki, just what was there that made her stay? That made her follow him and him her? After meeting her, Ishida could already find himself fiercely protective of the small redhead. He knew she was very naïve yet quick on her feet. She was kindhearted, sparing his life when Ichigo was ready to end it, and stuck up for the orange-haired when he was also about to meet his demise. He did not understand their relationship. Hell, he didn't understand her.
How could she stand to be around that damn mutt? He was dreadful company, he was sure. Yet when he asked her on the way back to Yoruichi-san's home, she'd smiled softly and replied,
"Kurosaki-san makes me a better person, even if he doesn't realize it."
Another thing he could not comprehend. Was she serious? She couldn't possibly be, could she? But she had to. After all, she'd followed Kurosaki all the way out to the middle of the woods to save this supposed Shiba Clan family member. Senna was the entire reason he was there, and he hoped he never ran into the woman, because there would be hell to pay.
His eyes narrowed.
When he'd asked about Senna, Orihime had been quiet. Her smile vanished and he watched as she withered beneath the name. She wasn't going to answer such a question. Yoruichi, sensing this also, told Uryu who she was, why he was there, and the reason she was so important to Kurosaki.
Love? Heh. As if that idiot could ever comprehend such a thing. And as he'd glanced over at Orihime-san, he watched as her lids became heavy and her shoulders hunched inwards, as though to cover herself from physical jabs. And he could see it in her eyes whenever this subject was mentioned.
Orihime-san was hurt.
And why did it have to be over that revolting yakuza bastard Kurosaki? She was so much better than him, could go far places, marry someone that would cherish her. And this just made him want to dissect Kurosaki even more. Because he knew, if anything happened between the two, Orihime-san would be hurt again – Kurosaki would use her, break her into a thousand pieces, and she would hurt herself even more.
Uryu's eyes flickered up from his book and onto the arrows leaning against the wall, just a couple feet away from him. He could kill Kurosaki, but what will that do? Just upset Orihime even more, and possibly himself if he got blood on his clothes. Clothing was expensive, you know.
Sighing heavily, he returned his attention to the pages in front of him. He was being irrational, he knew that. And all over a woman, too. He'd learned his lesson long ago. He was at knowledge that she was protective of this girl, very much so, and she was alluring, but that did not give him a reason to butt into her affairs with other people. If he did that, he would be no better than Kurosaki or perhaps a whining brat. Besides, he wasn't any better either. He'd had his own affairs with women, though, unlike Kurosaki, he did not leave them rotting in their own despair. He found himself letting them go, allowing them to either follow or continue with their lives. They always chose the latter, finding his life too complicated and gory for their hearts and/or stomach to take. That was fine, because he was not changing any time soon, and that included dealing with Orihime-san. Working out his feelings wouldn't be very enjoyable, but it would get his mind off of certain matters.
He was loyal to Orihime-san, he realized. He did not wish to leave her side, he protected her, and wished to see her happy, whether it be with some fine gent or that bastard. He also softened around her, wishing to see a smile so that it would take off the unbearable weight on his shoulders. He wasn't completely heartless when it came to her. It was odd, he'd never felt like this before, never wanted to protect someone so passionately before.
Again, he huffed irritably and nudged his glasses up his narrow nose. Frustratingly, he realized his thoughts were going in circles and nonsense. Clearly, it wasn't the time for all this.
And then he heard the dark, heated call of, "Orihime!"
Uryu's head shot up, and his hand was on the hilt of his thin sword almost automatically. He listened keenly, the book still within one hand, and his glasses flashing sharply on his face. There was the sound of clumsy, rushed feet and Ishida watched in complete shock as a flash of orange-red hair flew past him and vanished out of the door.
He was up the next second, rather confused over the turn of events. Quickly, he hurried towards the open door and watched as Orihime ran down the steps, stumbled past the small chickens, and past the river bank. She was continuing much farther than that, past the shrubs and then into the beginnings of the forest.
"Orihime-san!" He shouted after her.
Without warning, Yoruichi was suddenly up and her foot struck upwards high and right into the center of Uryu's chest. Ishida fell to the ground with a shout of surprise. Hoisting himself up on his elbows, he barked at her,
"What exactly was that for?"
She regarded him lazily with her golden orbs, "My bad. Right now, I'm not in the mood for your dramatics."
He sputtered, growing frustrated rather quickly with her, "D-Dramatics? Yoruichi-san—"
Her foot planted again. This time in his face.
Yoruichi yawned, "I don't get it. I would've thought she'd at least say goodbye to him…" She mumbled to herself, glancing towards where Orihime ran off to, "Poor, little Princess…"
Ishida grasped onto her slim, bare calf with both hands and shoved her naked foot from his face. Rising to a sitting position, he tried to keep his anger under wraps, "What the he—"
"You're becoming rather annoying," she admonished, as though she were shocked by this new detail. Ishida met to snap back at her, only for Yoruichi to hum underneath her breath, "You might be one of those types…" She began to untie the slash around her hips.
"What are you talking about…" Ishida's inquiry slowly trailed off as he was suddenly staring at that.
The purple-haired woman smirked coyly at his expression, continuing to hold up the front of her skirt, giving him a full view of the naked, inappropriate skin underneath. "Like what you see, young man?"
Ishida broke from his daze and was quick to skid backward. "W-W-What the—"
She cocked her head to the side, "What's wrong? Are you a virgin? You're rather flustered. Much more than I originally thought you'd be."
Quickly, he placed a hand in front of him, thoroughly blocking off his unblinking view of her womanhood. "For God's sake, would you c-cover yourself?!" He tried to ignore the way her stumbled over his words and the hot blush in his cheeks, "It is not appropriate for a young lady to present herself in such a manner—"
"My, my. You sure are noble for an assassin. Or is it just a murderer? You're not paid for jobs, right, Uryu-chan?" She teased lightly, keeping her grip tight on her skirt. The breeze felt good on her nether regions.
He snapped right back at her, "Yoruichi-san, I am not in the mood for your games! Orihime-san is—"
Yoruichi released her hold on her skirt, allowing it to fall onto her slender legs again. "None of your business, Uryu-chan. You should just stay here and daydream about me."
His cheeks felt like they were on fire, "I'll do no such thing!"
She rolled her yellow eyes, but then averted her attention to the open door just a few feet away.
Moron. You might've just screwed up your last chance.
…
…
Get away.
Where?
Just go.
How?
Run faster!
Why?
Her lungs were beginning to burn and her legs felt like they would give at any moment. Yet she did not stop running, her long hair whipping around her, and gasping for air. Why was it that her body wished to turn around and find the person who made her feel this way? Dark, smoldering brown eyes that stared at you behind orange locks, long, strong body that was morphed by war and dark past, menacing scowls and a lewd tongue.
Orihime shrieked when the ground left her feet and she was suddenly on the ground. Carefully, she sat up, trying to regain her bearings. When she blinked a few times, she was rather surprised to see droplets hit the ground, her lap, and her hands.
"I…I'm crying…" She murmured, watching as the droplets became fatter and wetter. Her cheeks felt wet and the cool breeze felt like a slap across the face. The pace of the tears increased and soon she could hear the sound of her own sobbing. It was keen, loud, and terrifying. She had never thought of herself as an upset person – she was always bright, staying optimistic, offering a smile to people who seemed down. But as she listened to herself weep, she heard the pain, the agony of someone who refused to let it go. And it hurt, a lot, more than she would like to admit.
The kiss had been more than she expected. Instead of leaving her elated and glowing, she could feel herself breaking down from the emotional chaos. Her world spun, turning in a different direction than before. She hadn't wanted any ties to anyone outside of the Kingdom, she wanted to keep herself neutral, but she could not help but be pulled into the wave of Ichigo. Her heart, it hurt, her head, it rung.
O-Onii-chan…w-what do I do?
Why wasn't he answering her? Why wasn't he helping her in this desperate time of need? Why wasn't he there like he'd claimed he would be? What was she supposed to do? Return home? Go to the palace and marry Ulquiorra-sama until all was well and she forgot about Kurosaki-san and all the others? She knew that was the impossible. As if she'd be able to forget him, turn away from him, leave him behind.
Impossible.
She tried to still the tears, push them back to where they belonged – a locked closet in the back of her head. But they continued, pooling heavily in her eyes and falling from her eyes. Quickly, she wiped her small hands roughly against her cheeks, her eyelids, and waited for the sound of her own whimpering to calm.
Carefully, she licked her lips and tried to ignore the residue taste of pure Ichigo. Her eyes stung again. Was she crying because it would be hard to leave him or perhaps because she was disgusted with herself? She allowed her guard to fall, if only for a second, and succumbed to the kiss faster than someone could blink their eye. He had been hungry, rough, but she'd matched his pleasure head-on and had been just as desperate for contact as he was. Now her stomach was in knots, and her legs felt weak, her hands shaking in front of her eyes.
She should leave. Leave this all behind, forget about the journey, forget about her promise, forget about Ichigo.
Her heart throbbed at the thought.
Leaving would be painful. It would hurt her, destroy her. She hadn't realized it before, she'd never given the feelings inside of her much thought. But now, as she tried to work through her mind, she found all the moments Ichigo and her had shared together – all the lingering stares, all the small smiles, all the brushing touches, and all the tiny moments that made her heart race. She was foolish, so stupid to allow herself to fall farther and farther away from her goal. She'd become sidetracked, allowed herself to give up and take what was in front of her.
Now she could see it was too late to catch herself. She was already falling.
The tears pooled again and fell.
As she glanced up and saw the sun begin to set and the orange sink over her, she took in a deep, shuddering breath.
"P-Please, Onii-chan, give me strength…"
As she prayed to Kami-sama, her brother, whoever was listening, she did not sense the skinny man standing a few feet away, slit-eyes staring at her coyly, and his hands curled limply.
…
…
Nonchalantly, Yoruichi pushed back a heavy bang from her face. Placing her hands on the door, she slid it open and stared into the room.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Silence.
She crooked a brow, crossing her arms over her chest as she fixed her gaze on the orange-haired across the room.
She'd known Ichigo since he was a teenager, just twelve, and watched him grow into a man. He was stubborn, hot-headed, and could be a little thick sometimes when it came to emotions, but he was a good kid and, luckily, she was smart enough to see that in him. Urahara had always called him special, whether it was when he was arrested for murdering someone or if he just came by for a visit. He'd always thought of Ichigo as a special person, both in his heart and as his own person.
She was almost a mother to him, possibly a sister, and she typically knew how to read his face. But at the moment, as she stared at him, she couldn't see a trace of the lewd, scowling, vulgar Ichigo she knew.
He was sitting. The window in front of him was wide open, the breeze moving his orange spikes over his forehead. His strong back was to her and his hands were between his thighs, posture slouched and brooding. Silently, she stepped closer towards him, took one step down and gazed at his face.
"Ichigo," she said softly. He did not remove his eyes from the window and did not move to acknowledge her. "It's not your fault." For some odd reason, she did not know who exactly she was talking about – whether it be Masaki, his family, or Orihime, she knew somehow knew all three would make him even more upset.
She watched quietly as he tensed. His frown was darker than usual and she could see his jaw moving, his teeth grinding together. His eyes tightened, narrowed dangerously, an obvious warning. She thought he would explode, yell at her, curse at her, fling insults even, but he did not say anything and she tightened her arms around her, crossing them even tighter. Intently, he kept his gaze on the orange sky outside, watching as it sank even deeper into the earth, stars visible.
She stepped closer, "Honestly, Ichigo, you don't think this is better?"
He did not reply.
"After all, now she can return home and you can get back to what you do best," she said truthfully. Slowly, she swayed her way even closer to him. "And maybe this way, you can get over this senseless fascination to Princess and go back to home base."
"Shut. Up." He hissed venomously, his eyes flashing.
Yoruichi crooked a brow again, smirking smugly at his reaction, "Why? With her gone, it's so much easier, Ichigo. After all, you'll see all the guys again, get paid, and maybe even see Senna—"
If she'd blinked, she would've missed it. And not a lot of things could catch her off guard. When Zangestu was at her throat, the sleek tip pressing into the flesh of her neck, she gasped sharply, but did not move back as Ichigo's eyes met hers, burning a fierce amber and glowering up at her.
No words were spoken for a moment before Yoruichi let out a, "Ch," and pushed the blade away from her with a brush of her hand. "You caught me off guard. That's a new one."
"Shut the fuck up before I slice your tongue out."
She rolled her golden eyes, "That girl is gone, boke. Get over it."
He was up before she knew it. She watched as he sheathed the sword he'd been bestowed from Urahara. His wounds were still fresh and blood was beginning to seep through the bandages again. She watched as he grabbed up his top and pushed his arms through it.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"To find her," he grunted, but she could hear the pain underneath his neutral tone.
There was a whirl of purple, dark skin, and orange cloth, before he was suddenly on his back. Pain erupted from his chest and stomach, causing him to gasp and clench his teeth. Placing her foot on his burning chest, she stared down at Ichigo with an apathetic gaze.
"Don't be such an idiot. You'll just worsen your condition and make her hesitate," a strange look flashed onto her face before she smothered it. "She doesn't belong out here."
There it was again. People telling him bullshit about Kitten. He was growing tired of it. "The fuck do you know, Yoruichi?! Get off me!"
"Stop being so whiny and let me redo your bandages," she demanded, keeping her foot on his chest.
He nearly snapped at her, "Are you hiding somethin' from me?" His eyes narrowed again, "Does Kitten know?"
She waved a hand at him dismissively, but couldn't keep down the flashing in her eyes, "Don't be stupid. And stop calling her that. She's not some play thing."
"Dammit, let me go!"
"And what exactly are you going to do, Ichigo?"
"I'm gonna find her and drag her back here and make her fuckin' look me in the eye! She can't just fuckin' leave like that!"
"You mean you'll find, bring her back, and force her to stay. You know she won't be able to fight you, bastard."
"If you don't get off me in the next five seconds, I'll cut your leg off."
"I~diot." But she lifted her foot. He scowled at her, preparing to sit up with great difficulty, only for her foot to plow back down with enough strength to smash a hole through the ground. Ichigo gasped as the jab knocked him into the ground and agony spurted through his veins. He shuddered, choking on a fresh batch of blood, and more of it seeped from his stomach.
"Y…Y-You bitch…" He spat between his tight teeth. His muscles were jumping, his hands practically itching to wrap around her slender throat and wring the life from her. He had to get to Orihime, he had to fuckin' fix whatever was happening between them.
He could still feel her against him, her lips parting under his eagerly, and her hair flowing through his fingers like silken water. His body was practically itching to touch her again.
Fuck.
But she had run. She had fled from him as fast as she could, her bright eyes glazed, and her face a lovely shade of dark pink. He felt like everything was getting out of hand when he'd kissed her. As though an unstoppable force came between them and shoved the two together. He could not stop his body and it didn't seem she could either. But this was wrong, all fuckin' wrong. He wasn't supposed to feel this way, he wasn't supposed to watch her so keenly, he wasn't supposed to touch her.
He spat out a vicious curse between gritted teeth.
"Stop trying so hard," Yoruichi's voice was softer than usual. "It'll only hurt more."
Ichigo opened his eyes and glowered up at her, "Shut…Shut up…!"
She pressed her foot down harder and his jaw felt like it would snap from the strain he was putting on it. "It's better this way, ya know? After all, you haven't fully gotten over Senna-chan, right?" Her golden eyes twinkled suggestively, coyly down at him and he found himself even angrier.
"You…!"
"Just calm down, dammit," she pressed her foot down a bit more and then lifted it, placing it on the floor again, "Lemme finish your wounds and get a couple of medicines from the other room to ease the pain, alright?"
He did not answer as she placed her hands on her hips and turned the other way. Sliding the door open, she sighed again before turning back towards him.
"Ichigo,"
No response.
She bit her tongue until she tasted the metallic taste of blood. Swallowing, she uttered, "For once, don't be a damn idiot," she slammed the door after her and Ichigo did not react at the sound.
Ichigo's dark brown eyes flashed dangerously and stared up at the ceiling blankly.
You better come back.
His eyes narrowed, glaring.
Or I'll come after you.
…
…
Yoruichi blinked and glanced over her shoulder, continuing to hold up the bucket full of cloths, medicines, several herbs, and a new set of clothes. She raised a brow when she saw Ishida stand, bringing the thin basket of arrows onto his shoulder and bow.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the purple-haired woman.
Ishida didn't turn, but replied, "I'm going after her. She's been gone for far too long."
Yoruichi's brow climbed higher, vanishing under a strand of violet hair, "Pardon? Can't you and Ichigo take a hint? She's gone, Ishida-chan."
"I doubt that," The young man snorted vaguely, "Orihime-san wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. I will be back momentarily." He opened the main entrance and slid it closed behind him.
The moon, outside, broke through the thick clouds and shined down on the earth.
…
…
Crack.
Orihime's eyes snapped open.
More or less, she'd been weaseling in and out of consciousness. Every time, it would be the same pictures flashing behind her eyelids. From Sora-nii's death, his head on a pillow to Ichigo yanking her closer, his mouth crushing hers. Her soul felt like it was being pulled in two separate directions and her heart shook powerfully, violently.
It's cold…and dark.
She sat up from the thin tree and her legs formed under her in a W-shape. To anyone else, she appeared too small, too delicate to be in such a place. An unfortunate princess that stumbled into the horror in the woods.
I'm so stupid.
Her lids lowered over her wide, honey eyes.
I ran like a coward.
She shuddered as she thought of Ichigo, his furious eyes and passionate kiss. she was a coward, truly. She'd run when things got rough and refused to turn back. But she was afraid of what waited for her back at Yoruichi's home. She could still return to the Palace, go in the opposite direction, and leave this all behind.
But…
Licking her lips nervously, she tried to ignore the way the air chilled her skin through the thin clothes and her head felt heavy, while her body seemed light.
"I-I'm…I'm scared…"her voice was small, fragile, as though it would break. She was afraid of her feelings, afraid of what Ichigo's passion would bring her, afraid she wouldn't be able to fulfill the promise like she said she would.
Crack.
Orihime gasped sharply, breaking from her musings.
She had almost forgotten what had woken her up. Whirling her head around, her hair flying around her small shoulders, her gaze glued onto the two, thick trees just a few feet away. She nearly choked on air when she saw something white move into the glow of the light.
"Well, well, well, if it ain't Inoue Orihime-chan…"
Her eyes widened and widened.
"Fancy meetin' ya here,"
She tried to swallow, but found it nearly impossible.
"I-Ichimaru…san…"
…
…
To be honest, you guys, I'm not gonna lie, for the first time, I was being genuinely lazy. Usually, I would get over it in a couple of hours and finish a chapter in no time, but I ruined everything by lying back and actually trying to think everything through in this story. I wasted so much time that it makes me angry. I wasn't really looking to make this chapter a cliffhanger, but I definitely wanted a few more secrets to be revealed before the giant climax and I didn't want to hold off the scenes any longer when you guys ask for it so much.
I hope I didn't disappoint. I agreed with most of you: Ichigo should've gotten up, chased her, and attacked her with his sexiness right on spot, but sadly, from how I set it up, it couldn't happen and I pouted through, like, one-thousand words before I got over it. Don't worry, Ishida is not "like" with Orihime, he's much more of a protective older brother and I can't wait to get Tatsuki in the mix and Rukia and Renji and Sado so that it will be the whole group that we all know and love. Luckily, I've got other things to spare.
No one thinks Yoruichi is OOC, right? Just making sure. Like the canon, I think of her as the blunt person, but also caring. Most of the things she tries to smother with caring, it just comes out wrong and seems a little more blunt than comforting. LOL! Or that's what I think.
And also, expect Ichihimeness and action. We all love that, don't we~?
Again, sorry for the lateness. I'm not usually so bad at it. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review, it makes my day~!
-Star