Check out 'When the Peaceful Sunset's Cries Shed' Blood by BloodPokemon101 (beta'd by YukiTenVianey Team). It's an Inuyasha/Higurashi crossover.

InuHime 2015, guys. InuHime 2015.

Enjoy!

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Auburn Strands and Red Threads #21

Rukia led the boy over rooftops and past secluded streets as they ventured through the night. Her guard was up, but she didn't know what to make of this person.

By his appearance alone, she knew he was not from the Soul Society, but the attire was similar in an antique sense. His clothes were loose and baggy like theirs, but the material appeared to be made of something entirely different; she could see no practical use of his clothes other than the freedom to move around. Wearing red would surely make him stick out in any setting, so stealth was not his top priority. He did, however, seem fit for battle, if that sword at his side could be a clue to his nature, but she wondered if it was a zanpaktō, which were exclusive to Soul Reapers only.

She had never seen or heard of someone like him in the Soul Society, so who was he? What was he? How was he connected to Orihime and what happened tonight?

More importantly, was she making the right decision?

She liked to think she was a good judge of character; she sensed no malice or any form of ill-will from him. If he was hostile towards Ichigo, then that was understandable; Ichigo had the face, body language, and personality that would make anyone's initial reaction to him defensive. But protecting humans was her job...and like a few others, any attack on Orihime would be taken very personally.

Rukia came to a stop on a building, turning to the silver-haired boy. He stopped a few feet away, giving her an apprehensive stare. She looked to the side, seeing Ichigo's house.

"Listen," she said slowly, still unsure about her actions, "I don't know anything about you, so if I'm going to take you to Orihime, I'm going to need to take some precautions."

His brows creased. "Like what?"

She looked him over. "Your weapon. Until Orihime herself can confirm that you are no threat, I'll hold onto it."

"My sword?" She could tell his suspicions went up. "You expect me ta just hand it over, leavin' me defenseless?"

She smirked. "You expect me to believe that you can be considered defenseless without it? Besides, I'm already jeopardizing her life by bringing you to her. If you want me to trust you, I'm going to need some give on your part."

He couldn't just give Tetsaiga to anyone who asked for it, but what would that society want with it? That old man was the only one who knew of his background, and he hadn't shown any interest in it. Of course, that didn't mean things couldn't have changed...but why was it worth risking the threat?

Why was she worth it?

Orihime, a girl who came into his life by chance, was worth giving up the powerful weapon his father had left for him?

It was idiotic.

He didn't need this dark-haired woman to lead him to her anymore because he could smell her scent from here with striking accuracy. Even if the place was overrun with those dark-cloaked annoyances, it would be no problem to barge in there and charge through until he got to her. But the last thing he need was to cause Orihime more problems...

"Dammit," he muttered, retrieving Tetsaiga from his side and tossing it to her. "Here. But the moment I find out you guys had somethin' to do with this-"

"Likewise," she agreed, firmly holding the weapon. "And you can expect the same if you had anything to do with this."

This sword, Rukia noted, was very...peculiar.

Looks aside, the energy she felt from it was faint—almost hard to detect—but it made her feel uneasy all the same. It was...dark? Powerful? Destructive? It was extremely hard to tell, but at least she didn't have to worry about him using it.

She scrutinized him once more. "You're not hiding any other weapons, are you?"

He frowned bitterly. "And where the hell would I be able ta hide 'em?"

"Your clothes look spacious enough."

"Tck!" He thrust his arms out. "You can search me if that'll please ya!"

"Don't mind if I do." She Flash Stepped to him and began to pat him down. The boy became rigid, clearly not meaning what he had said, but she ignored him. "Hm... I guess this really serves no other purpose..." She paused, feeling something near his chest. She walked around him and dug out a tiny crystal. "What's this?"

He grumbled. "What's it look like?"

"It looks like a glass shard." She raised a brow. "What's its purpose?"

"...It looks nice, doesn't it?"

"Nice...?" As far as she could tell, it was just an ordinary shard. Unless he had some odd fascination with glass, it didn't make sense for him to carry it around. She shrugged, handing it back to him. "You're clear."

o0o0o

When they reached Ichigo's house, she instructed the boy to wait near the front door. Rukia went to Ichigo's window and jumped through, only slightly relieved the carrot top was in there.

"Back already?" he said.

"Yeah, I guess..." She walked over to the closet and pulled out her gigai.

"Did you find anything out?"

She slipped inside the pseudo-body and stood, stretching and adjusting her limbs. "Me? No, but maybe we can gather something after the body has been analyzed. It could be a case of Hollow manipulation."

"And what about that blast?"

She sighed, leaning on his desk. "You know as well as I do that Orihime must have had something to do with it, but we can't just analyze her. She doesn't work for us, and it was a case of self-defense."

"I guess..." He watched her climb on his bed and prepare to jump out the window. "What are you doing?"

"I have something to take care of." She hopped on the window sill, looking at him. "We're really going to need to talk soon, so prepare for that." She jumped down before Ichigo could question her. Walking back around, she saw the red-cloaked boy sitting by the gates, looking inside. He looked a lot like...a guard dog. "Is that...comfortable?"

The things on his head twitched curiously. "What?"

"Never mind. Come on. You're going to need to be quiet when we go inside."

The two walked to the door, and Rukia used a key to let them in. She looked around for a moment, seeing no one, and gestured for him to follow her. They glided through the living room and to the door leading to the clinic. She pulled him inside, scanned the house once more, and closed it behind them. When she turned, the boy was already near Orihime, staring down at her.

"Hey-"

"Is she going to be okay?" His voice was low; it was hard to tell how he was feeling.

"She...should be alright, but it's hard to tell right now."

"Was she...in pain?"

Rukia rubbed her arm, somehow feeling out of place. "As far as I know, she fell unconscious when she was hit on the head. If it was hard enough to knock her out, she probably didn't feel much of it."

He was silent then turned to her. His face was void of emotion, but his eyes were ablaze with too many all at once; he was lost, scared, furious, and hesitant. "I... When... I need to stay by-"

The door opened, causing Rukia to almost jump out of her gigai. Much to her relief and her horror, Isshin Kurosaki stood there with a rag and a bowl of water in his hands. He looked at them in surprise.

"Rukia-chan." He looked over at the boy. "And...?"

"This is a friend of ours," Rukia said quickly. "When Ichigo called and told us about what happened, we rushed right over. I hope that's okay."

"Oh, it's fine, it's fine!" He waved the rag light-heartedly. "Normally, I wouldn't allow visitors like this, but I feel kinda bad for her, you know?" He smiled, bittersweet. "I mean...the only true family she had I couldn't even save, so it's...nice to see that she managed to make some good friends despite it all."

Rukia smiled. "And we appreciate all that you're doing for her, sir."

He rubbed his arm across his eyes. "Oh, great! Now I've gotten myself all emotional! Here!" He shoved the rag and bowl into Rukia's hands. "I just came in here to cool her off, but I can't even see right!"

Isshin ran from the room while filling the house with undignified, rumbling sobs. Rukia looked at the items in her hands then looked back at the boy. He was staring at the door, probably stunned with the mystery that is Ichigo's father.

"You wanna do this?" she offered.

He looked at her. "Do what?"

"Cool her off. You were going to ask if you could stay with her, right?"

He frowned at the ground, clearly embarrassed. "I just...don't trust her on her own." His voice cracked near the end, but she decided not to say anything on it.

She walked to him. "Just dip this in water, wring it out, and pat her face with it. Make sure not to get her bandages too wet because we can't afford to move her too much. You think you can manage all that?"

"Uh..." He took the bowl from her. Suddenly, he didn't seem as calloused as he appeared. If anything, he was rather flustered with the idea of tending to the unconscious girl; he probably never had to do something like this. "What if I...hurt her?"

"Just avoid her wound."

"I... This isn't... I don't-"

"Well, you don't have to do this." Rukia crossed her arms, appearing naïve when she said, "But I guess you really wouldn't have a reason to stay then, huh? You've seen that she's alright, so I suppose you can be on your way."

"I got it, I got it," he mumbled, turning to the auburn girl. This, she saw, distressed him more. It almost made her want to laugh.

"Great! Stay here while I...go check on something."

Rukia exited the room and went upstairs. That boy definitely wasn't out to hurt Orihime, which only raised the bigger question of who he was and why he was here. Going by Ichigo's explanation of who he was didn't add up to what she had just witnessed, which only meant Orihime really had been up to things they had not noticed. And these things dealt with destinations that had nothing to do with the Soul Society, and there was no explanation of where any other destination could be hiding.

Before she could make it down the hall, a door opened. Ichigo took a step out when he saw her, his eyes widening, and with a speed so sudden, he snatched her from the hall and whisked her to his room, slamming the door.

"What the-?!" He stopped, lowering his voice. "What're doing walking around my house?! You can't just-"

She waved her hand. "Calm down. Your father thinks I'm here to see Orihime, so give me some credit."

He huffed, ruffling his hair. "I didn't even hear the doorbell."

She shrugged, leaning on his desk and discreetly sliding his key back on it. "You must have an awful lot on your mind then."

"Yeah, about that." He walked near his closet and picked up a sword leaned against it. "Where'd you get this?"

Rukia's mind blanked. "Right... I think we should have that talk now."

This was far beyond his range of expertise.

Caring for others?

Treating the injured?

Inuyasha was far from that type, and it only made his nerves harder to control.

He submerged the cloth in water again, squeezed out as much liquid as possible, and lightly dabbed her cheeks, dabbing even lighter near her forehead. It was hard to tell what exactly was making his heart pound. Embarrassment? Nervousness? Guilt? He had no clue...but the most pressing issue was she had been attacked by a demon.

Demon.

That alone sent dread pulsing through him because she would not be in this situation if she had not met him. Their meeting, no matter how coincidental, probably couldn't have been avoided, but he chose to keep coming around her. He chose to let her keep a shard knowing what it could mean for her. He chose, even now, to stay by her side instead of leaving. He could clearly see her transformed clip from where he stood, but he made no move to take it. He made no move to relieve her of the one thing that would surely attract more demons. He made no move to be free of her.

He supposed he never had.

But leaving her was not the only option. There was no telling why she wasn't able to defend herself tonight, even though she could defend herself. Of course, he wouldn't rely on her being able to act accordingly all the time, but he could defend her, as well. He could react to danger without hesitation, so all he had to do was be with her. They had to be...

They had to be together.

Inuyasha slowly stopped his movement, the damp rag gingerly pressed against her cheek. He looked her over—truly taking in her injuries. The skin beneath her eyes were dark and swollen. Her skin was almost yellow in appearance, and she looked...so unlike herself. Orihime was lively—her presence light and comforting. She was the one to smile—to be joyful—to ease pain, not experience it.

But...then she met him.

He introduced her to the foreign dangers of his world. He got her in trouble with the entities of her own.

Even knowing this, he couldn't find it in himself to truly leave her, even if it was better for her.

He was selfish, and he knew it. He's been told a certain emotion—as fawned over and craved as it was—could pull forth a side of people that threw caution to the wind. Suppressing a laugh, he wondered if he was admitting to himself that he-

There was a loud bang—something being thrown or slammed—coming from somewhere above him, directly followed by yelling.

He knew that voice.

Rukia grabbed Ichigo's arm, stopping him after he had flung his door open with such force that it hit the wall and rattled the house. "Ichigo, calm down."

"Calm down?" He turned to her, eyes ablaze with paralyzing fury. "I'm sorry, Rukia, what about what you just said implied that I should be calm? Exactly what in that statement told me to be calm? What-" He stopped himself, shaking out of her hold and scrambling for the right words. "What the hell possessed you to bring him into my house?!"

"I told you-"

"And I told you! He's dangerous! That means keep him the hell away from-!"

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, hushed, discreetly gesturing behind him.

He turned, finding Yuzu standing there. She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. His anger lowered, replaced by a tinge of embarrassment and absurdity.

"I, um..." his sister began. "You were...yelling, and...th-there was noise..."

Ichigo took a moment to breathe, raking a hand through his hair. He looked away, hissing as he exhaled. "Yuzu... I'm sorry you had to see that."

She looked away, pressing her lips together. This was the first time she wished she hadn't been in the company of her brother, and Ichigo could see that.

"Yuzu-"

"I told you, didn't I?" Karin walked their way with her hands balled on her hips. She stopped near her twin, raising a brow at her. "You gotta leave him alone when his friends get hurt 'cause he gets all emotional."

The brown-haired girl looked at her warily. "I... I was just..."

"Worried? Yeah, I know." She pulled Yuzu towards her, urging her to walk back to their room. When Yuzu made it back, Karin turned to Ichigo. "If you're gonna explode, you should know to find quieter ways to do it." She turned, walking down the hall. "Whatever your problem is, it's not worth worrying Yuzu or potentially waking Orihime."

Ichigo didn't say anything. To some degree, she was right, but how should he react when told an enemy is in his house—near his friend? Before he had time to let that build him up all over again, Rukia tugged on his shirt, prompting him to look at her.

"He isn't how you think he is," she said firmly.

"And how do you know how he is?"

Rukia stared for a moment, emphasizing her point. "I talked to him."

Inuyasha had stopped patting her down, seeing how her face had become cool to the touch, and waited.

He heard every word of the yelling and had managed to make out some of the conversation after it stopped. Now, he could hear footsteps descending from above, and they were coming his way, so he waited.

After all, he knew that voice. Worst of all, even though he heard it once before tonight, he now knew the name that went along with that voice.

Orihime had told him once before.

The door opened, revealing that dark-haired woman and him.

"-Ichigo."

Rukia hadn't felt intimidated by men for a very long time. In her line of work, becoming the one who intimidates was something she had perfected. However, caught between Ichigo and this other boy had her a little uneasy on her feet.

The two had their eyes locked on each other, emotions and battle instincts flaring without so much as one word being spoken or one gesture being made. She didn't look back at Ichigo, but the boy across from her suddenly looked lethal, golden eyes hardened and dark.

"You two have met," she stated, trying to break the tense air. "And I believe there has been one huge misunderstanding. Ichigo," she turned to him, gesturing to the cloaked boy, "this is a friend of Orihime's."

The carrot top looked at her, cloudy brown eyes lighting with confusion.

She turned her attention. "Friend of Orihime's," she gestured behind her, "meet Ichigo—also a friend of Orihime."

The silver-haired gave her a similar look.

Rukia looked between the two. "Whatever ill-will you both have needs to end until she wakes up, alright?" She turned to Ichigo, pointing at Inuyasha. "He's not going to hurt her." She turned to Inuyasha, pointing at Ichigo. "And he's not going to hurt her. Do you both get that? Are your brains able to grasp such a complex and improbable concept?"

Ichigo wasn't convinced.

He set his gaze on the red-cloaked boy, evaluating him. His stance was guarded, implying he could attack at any time, and he was standing in front of Orihime's bed as though to shield her from them. It was possible this boy wanted to protect her, but it was also possible he was laying claim on her. Even if his intentions were good on the last part, that didn't sit well with Ichigo either. No matter what this boy's intentions were, he couldn't have her.

"Ichigo!" Rukia snapped. "Lower your spiritual pressure unless you want to cause damage to Orihime! It'll be too much for her right now."

He realized he had been emitting his energy into the room. The boy across from him didn't flinch under his presence or show signs of discomfort. Just what was he?

"Fine." Ichigo exhaled, willing himself to calm down. "I'll call a truce for now." His gaze sharpened. "But, you over there, answer me this: Why did you fight me that day in the Soul Society?"

"I was protecting her," he said flatly.

Inuyasha wasn't pleased, but he also wasn't dissatisfied.

After confronting the guy who he knew to be Ichigo, there was a bit of a heated discussion as to what would happen next. The carrot top refused to let Inuyasha stay in the same room as Orihime, which brought the attention of the crazed brown-haired man. He eagerly insisted Inuyasha stay in the room outside of Orihime's—a place called the Living Room—but that hadn't sat well with the other boy either. Inuyasha took to occupying a space for himself outside, namely the roof.

His hands were folded behind his head as he gazed up at the night sky. The stars here weren't as bright as they were in his time, but they succeeded in calming him a bit.

Even though they hadn't been properly introduced, Inuyasha found he and that Ichigo fellow...were different. That boy was leaner than he was. He was taller than he was. He had a deeper voice than he did. His presence had a bigger impact than his.

He looked...normal.

That boy had immense power and he was different in some way, but who could tell by looking at him? He didn't stick out. He didn't have characteristics that drew attention. He was...the guy Orihime liked. He could probably protect her better than he could. Heck, who was he kidding? Of course he could because she never got attacked by a demon around that guy. She was never dragged into trouble by him.

So, what was he doing here?

The morning sun began to burn his face, prompting Inuyasha to shield his eyes. He opened them, blinking at the odd heat and cool air. Sitting up, he was reminded that he was in foreign land. He stood, stretching until it hurt, and jumped to the ground.

"Oh. You're here early."

He turned, seeing the energetic man from last night standing in the doorway of the house.

"You're that worried about her, huh?" he smiled, shaking his head like Inuyasha was a lost cause.

"Is she awake?"

"Afraid not, my boy. She might have to be transferred to a real hospital if her condition doesn't improve by this afternoon." He looked at him, gesturing for him to come inside. "You hungry?"

"Uh... No, I'm fine." Inuyasha thought he should add a form of gratitude at the end, but he would feel out of place whether or not he actually did. He decided not to.

"You know," the man said, walking to the room Orihime was in, "I don't know much about young people these days, but I'm well aware that the ones in my son's life are far from the norm."

Inuyasha followed him. His interest was piqued only because the man had conversed with him so smoothly. It was seldom that men talked to him with any form of familiarity and/or respect. It was even more puzzling that the father of his new rival was the one bestowing him with such hospitable manners.

They walked inside Orihime's room and the man searched for something. He put an object in his ears that connected to a long appendage with a round metal end. He placed it over Orihime's heart, listening.

"Heart rate seems fine," he muttered. There was a moment when he searched for something else and produced an object he wrapped around her arm. He slipped the metal end of the object in his ears into a slot and began to squeeze something in his hand that inflated the object around her arm. This went on for a moment before he let the air from it release, looking at it intensely. "Blood pressure...normal," he mumbled, taking the item off her. He put it away and looked back at him. "I don't think I caught your name."

He blinked, snapping out of his trance. "It's...Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?" The man cracked a smile. "Dog spirit?"

Inuyasha grunted. "I prefer demon."

"Tough name," the man approved, his deep laugh rumbling through the room. "My son had the pleasure of being named after a fruit, courtesy of his mother." He jabbed a thumb at himself. "You can call me Isshin Kurosaki. Mr. Kurosaki, for short. Or Isshin."

"I...don't really see us comin' in ta contact after she gets better."

"Maybe. Maybe not." He shrugged walking out the room. "But we can always hope."

Inuyasha watched him close the door behind him then realized he was left alone. Had that man just given him a chance to be near Orihime? Was that his intention when he came out this morning? Inuyasha didn't want to think about it. That man...gave off a paternal feeling.

And to him?

"Yeah, right."

He turned to Orihime. She looked...better. Her appearance didn't change—she looked worse in that aspect—but she no longer appeared to be in pain. He's seen her sleeping before, so he hoped she was at ease. She deserved to be like this all of the time because girls like her didn't get involved with danger. Girls like Kagome recklessly threw themselves in bad situations because girls like Kagome were destined for those kinds of things. Girls like Orihime had a choice, and there was no way she would choose a life that promised this without warning.

This had to be it, didn't it?

He had to end all of this here if she had any chance at living. He could do that because he cared. Because maybe he cared a great deal for her.

He sighed, turning to walk out. "Yeah, maybe I did."

He could get the shard she had later. For now, he needed to find Tetsaiga.

When he got to the doorway, he paused, feeling a strange sensation. He looked back, eyes searching until they fell on Orihime. There was something about her that was nagging at him, setting his nerves on edge, and it wasn't until he saw her eyelids were somewhat open that he realized she was staring at him. He couldn't move, a zapping nervousness keeping him from thinking too much of anything, and she continued to stare, unmoving herself.

And slowly, consuming him from head to toe, he was filled with a heart-gripping urge to have more moments like this, where silence could communicate and help things fall into place.

He walked back to her, keeping eye contact. "Orihime?"

"Welcome back," she whispered, blinking sluggishly.

Adrenaline rushed through him, waves of emotion prickling his skin at the endearing tone she used. "Welcome back?"

"From wherever you ran off to." She sighed, her eyes shutting, drifting back to unconsciousness. "I missed you."

"You... You what?"

She hummed softly, sleeping.

"Hey, wait. Orihime. Orihime." He poked her cheek, eventually pulling on it slightly. "What'd ya say just now?" She wasn't going to wake up any time soon. He crossed his arms, plopping down to sit against the bed. "Tck. Ya know what yer doin' to me, don't ya?" he muttered.

So much for leaving.

o0o0o

Inuyasha wasn't sure how long it was—maybe a few hours—before the door opened again. The old man named Isshin Kurosaki came in the room with someone trailing behind him.

"How she doin'?" the dark haired man asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "She woke up once. Wasn't for very long."

"She woke up, huh? Well, that's a good sign. By the way today's going, she'll wake up with a room full of familiar faces."

"Thank you so much for taking good care of her."

Inuyasha scrunched a brow, looking at the man dressed in green and wearing a hat.

"Noooooooo problem, Mr. Urahara. I wish I could have had her in a better state, but I'm sad to say there are limits to what I can do."

The hat man waved him off, smiling. "Nonsense. I just hope you don't mind my sticking around for a couple of hours."

"Me? Denying Orihime's uncle? How could I?"

The men went back and forth for a few minutes, occasionally laughing louder than what was needed. Finally, the one in green walked towards the bed to look at Orihime. His joyful face became solemn as he looked the girl over, eyes flashing with intense worry that even the half-demon couldn't match.

Inuyasha could have sworn he saw him before. The clothes looked familiar, but there was something about the way he moved. It was something about his very presence

It was something—something so incredibly annoying—but he couldn't-

"Well," the hat man said, turning back to the dark-haired man, light-heartedness back in his voice. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Sure. Follow me and I'll prepare some coffee."

"Sounds great!" He looked at Inuyasha, smiling briefly, before walking on. "Mr. Ears," he greeted.

Inuyasha stared after him, ears twitching. Maybe he was getting him confused with someone else.

He shouldn't be this bothered.

Rukia had left before he could fully wake up, which was probably for the best. His mood had not been pleasant last night, and Ichigo found it was even worse upon wakening. For the past hour, he sat on the edge of his bed, hunched over with his hands folded in front of his mouth, and felt the presences in his house.

His father was awake, which was fine because he was the main one to care for Orihime, but his father had betrayed him—not like he could have known any better—and brought him back into the house.

Ichigo had planned to check on Orihime when he woke up, but his presence wouldn't leave her side, and he didn't trust himself with confronting the issue. That boy irritated him more than anyone else ever had, and he didn't know why. He was willing to accept the silver-haired wanted to protect Orihime; his presence was never hostile towards her, and he didn't act as though he had anything to hide. Besides, if he really wanted to take her away or harm her, he could have done it at any time. It didn't have to be last night, and it didn't have to be that time in the Soul Society; he could have literally done it anytime. So, no, that boy probably was not an enemy, but he was still...an irritant.

He didn't belong here.

It was easy to tell by his appearance and his mannerisms that someone like him didn't just pop up out of nowhere. He came from another place—maybe something similar to the Soul Society—but he shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be in his house or near his friend or even in this part of Japan. The only reason he had links to this part of town must be through Orihime herself, and that was exactly where his only interest lied.

And then there was Kisuke...

Ichigo clenched his hands, his muscles tightening.

Since when did Orihime start attracting so much attention?