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Unable to help herself, Orihime's eyes began watering again, and soon she found herself crying. The thoughts of the night began to get to her again.
Seeing her tears, Ichigo only moved a little closer to her, and pulled her the rest of the way to him. She only rested her head on his chest, and he just wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay Orihime. It'll be okay."
The next day around noon
The swish sound of the ceiling fan circling was the only sound that hit Orihime's ear drums. It usually soothed her enough to go to sleep, but for some reason even its soothing swish didn't lull her to sleep like usual. The familiar twinge of back pain starting in her lower back made her release a deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. Turning from her left side to her right side, she rested her head back on the pillow before she finally opened her eyes.
She laid there staring at the bedroom wall for only a couple minutes before her back continued its ache to let her know that she wasn't going to be comfortable laying that way either. Sighing, she rolled over so she was laying on her back, before pulling herself a little bit to prop herself up on her pillows. Letting her head fall back against the pillows, she closed her eyes, and attempted to try and submit herself back into the dreamless sleep she had that night.
Why am I still awake? She thought to herself impatiently after another few minutes of laying there. I'm comfortable finally, and I feel like I haven't slept in forever. Why is it so hard to just go to sleep? I-
The sound of the bedroom door opening interrupted Orihime's thoughts. Already knowing exactly who it was, she didn't bother opening her eyes, or even giving any sign that she was awake. The sound of footsteps across the carpeted floor were heard, before she felt the pressure on the bed change near her left hip. Then she felt his hand rest on her arm, and she finally let her eyes flutter open. Her eyes met his brown ones.
"It's past noon," Ichigo told her, his voice soft and gentle. His thumb brushing her arm lightly in a comforting gesture, as he wasn't exactly sure how she was feeling at the moment. He told himself when he got up a couple hours earlier that he would let her sleep as long as she wanted. He knew she needed it. But even so, that didn't stop him from coming into the room every thirty minutes or so just to check on her.
Orihime knew this too. She had been awake the past hour, and just remained in bed. Attempting to get more sleep. She pretended to be asleep the past two times he had come into check on her, and she had a feeling he knew she had been awake both times. But surprising enough to her he didn't say a thing either time. This was the first time he had actually come over and talked to her.
"It's actually almost one," Ichigo added after a moment of silence when she hadn't said anything back.
Closing her eyes, Orihime yawned for a moment, before finally moving. Pulling the covers off her as she moved to get up.
"Wait," Ichigo told her, his hand going back to her arm to stop her. "You don't have to get up. I was just coming in to check on you. I know you're tired."
Orihime only rested her feet flat on the floor, before she looked to him. "I'm always tired," was all she said, before standing up from the bed. Using the corner of the desk near the bed to help herself up. Then she started towards the bedroom door to go walk to the bathroom. Not saying anything more.
When she finished in the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom, she noticed Ichigo was gone. Pausing on her way to their closet, she felt a few kicks from her abdomen. One getting her in the ribs, and she only sucked in a sharp breath. Rubbing the area a little before she continued on the closet. Grabbing her light purple robe from the hook on the door of the closet, she slipped it on, before tying it.
It was one of those special maternity robes that she bought when she went out with Tatsuki last week. Tatsuki insisted she buy it after having gone the whole shopping trip without buying anything. Tatsuki's logic for buying it was that she would absolutely need it as she got bigger later on in her pregnancy. It was a real nice robe too. It was made to be adjusted for the bigger her baby bump got, and with it being so soft she bought it. And right now, I'm feeling like it was a good choice.
Leaving the bedroom, she started towards the stairs. Letting one of her hands leave her belly so she could grab the railing as she began going down the stairs. She could already pick up on the voices of Yuzu and Karin before she even got to the bottom. Yuzu telling Karin they would be running behind if they didn't hurry up and go, and Karin replying back that she couldn't leave while she was in the middle of eating.
However the second Orihime got to the bottom of the steps the conversation stopped. Orihime's eyes had gone to see Karin sitting at the table a spoonful of cereal inches from her mouth. Yuzu standing near Karin's chair looking as if she was ready to start rushing Karin again. Ichigo had just walked out of the kitchen and his eyes were on her. The sound of the front door opening, made her look over to see Isshin walking inside. The newspaper in his hands.
"Geez it's cold out there," Isshin commented, moving towards the kitchen table to set the paper down, and grab his coffee mug from the table. "Morning Orihime. Thought you were going to sleep the whole day away." His voice showed he was overly trying to act like nothing happened so he wouldn't upset her.
When Orihime didn't respond, Yuzu only offered a smile in Orihime's direction. Even though the orange haired girl had her head turned away, and eyes on the window in the living room. "You're so quiet this morning Orihime. Are you alright?"
Silence again. "Orihime?" Karin questioned, noticing the girl was still not responding. "Hey Orihime?"
Finally Orihime snapped out of her thoughts. Shaking her head a few times, before she looked over to the others. "Oh, I'm fine. Just tired. You two have fun today alright?" Offering a smile in the two younger girls direction, before she began to walk in the direction of the couch.
Yuzu and Karin just stared in Orihime's direction. Karin only raised an eyebrow at Orihime's response, and Yuzu held a much more obvious look of concern on her face. Isshin had noticed this, and he only looked to both the girls. "You two better get a move on."
Karin's eyes left Orihime to look at her dad, before going to Yuzu. Seeing Yuzu's hesitation, she only moved to get up. Grabbing her bowl of cereal and handing it to Yuzu. "Since you're already ready to go, you can put that up for me. I've got to go grab my soccer ball and my bag." Then she walked around her sister, before going in the direction of the stairs.
Yuzu sighed and walked to the kitchen to put her sister's bowl in the sink. When she came back out of the kitchen, Karin was bounding down the stairs her soccer ball in hand, and her bag in the other. Yuzu's eyes went to her father. "We'll be back in a few hours. I'm going to the art studio, and Karin's got-"
"Soccer practice," Isshin interrupted his daughter, offering her a smile. "I know. My memory isn't the best, but I always know where you two are going."
"Not all the time old man," was Karin's response, as she started towards the front door. "Come on Yuzu." Both the girls glanced at Orihime before leaving, and as soon as they shut the front door it got rather quiet in the house. Even more so than it already had been all morning.
A few moments of silence had past before Ichigo finally turned and went back into the kitchen. Only to appear again after a minute, a glass in one hand, a pack of pop-tarts in the other. He approached the couch where she was sitting he held it out for her. "Orange juice and red velvet pop-tarts." When she didn't move to take the pop-tarts or orange juice, he looked at the expression on her face. Her eyes were focused on the window and she looked as if she was spaced out again.
Moving to place the orange juice and pop-tarts on the coffee table, Ichigo looked back at Orihime. Finally noticing her move, her eyes went to the coffee table. Her legs had been curled up on the couch, and her hands remained resting on her baby bump. "Dad and I are going to go pick up your car from the park," he told her after a moment. "Do you remember where you put the keys?"
"On our desk upstairs," was Orihime's response, her eyes not leaving the coffee table as she said this. Her hands rubbed her belly as she felt her thoughts about everything catch up to her again.
Ichigo saw this and sighed. Turning he moved and jogged upstairs. After grabbing the keys, he came back downstairs to find his dad was already by the door. Holding the keys to his own car. They had planned on driving his dad's car to the park, where Ichigo would get out and drive Orihime's car back to the house. Ichigo's eyes moved back to Orihime as he got closer to the door. "You going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine," Orihime replied back almost as soon as he finished talking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll be just fine." Saying it again, more or less to reassure herself rather than Ichigo. She waited until she heard the door open and close before she finally opened her eyes. Feeling hungry, she reached forward towards the pop-tarts and opened the package. Taking a bite into one of the pop-tarts before setting it back on the table.
Almost as soon as she heard the sound of Isshin and Ichigo leaving in his dad's car, a swift knock on the door was heard. She stopped chewing the pop-tart in her mouth as her whole body froze. Her eyes on the door. She felt herself jump slightly when she heard another knock a moment later. Standing up, she walked towards the door. One hand on her belly, the other reached for the door knob. Unlocking the door, she turned the knob, and opened it.
"I was wondering if you were planning on just sitting on the couch and ignore me."
Orihime just released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Turning away from the door, she started back towards the couch. "Just come in. You're going to let all the cold air inside Toshiro."
The white haired shinigami captain stepped inside the house, and closed the door behind him. Moving to sit on the couch closest to the window, his usual spot. It was silent as he sat down; his eyes had gone to Orihime once before going to look out the window. Not bothering to push her to talk.
Having sat down herself, Orihime lifted her legs back on the couch to curl them up, before reaching for her pop-tarts again. This time she barely nibbled at them as her eyes had found themselves staring at the back of Toshiro's head. He's here to watch me of course. I kind of guessed that my protection was going to be more enforced than usual. Her eyes went down to her baby bump then, where her free hand rested on top of it. Not that I'm going to complain about that anymore.
Toshiro moved from looking out the window after a few more minutes of silence. As soon as he did move Orihime's eyes left him, and went to just looking at the pop-tart she was eating. He had turned and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. Clicking the power button, he started to flip through channels. Settling on the movie channel they had been watching the last time he was over. It was a different movie. This one was supposed to be a comedy.
"I don't see this man ending up in a good position," Toshiro commented after the movie had been playing for a good ten minutes. He had been referring to the main character of the movie. "He's clearly going to screw up his relationship because of that bartender. She's practically seducing him into cheating. She'll probably end up stealing his money or something."
"You don't have to try to cheer me up," Orihime said, finally breaking her silence. She had finished her pop-tarts and put the wrapper on the table so she could pick up her orange juice. Sipping at it her eyes went to Toshiro. Only to find his eyes were on her. She just sighed. "I'm fine. I mean why would the fact that I was nearly kidnapped last night by people that are working for the person that wants to take my baby away from me bother me? Why would the fact that they want to make me watch as they kill Ichigo, and then watch as they kill my baby bother me? Why-"
"Orihime," Toshiro interrupted her, turning the volume down on the TV, before he turned back to look at her. "Stop."
Hearing him say that made Orihime sigh, as she rested the bottom of her cup on her leg. Her fingers tapping away at the side of the glass. "I'm just dealing with this in my own way," she told him finally. "Hearing everything that I heard last night is something that no one understands. Sure they can worry and try to understand but they won't be able to. Not the way I do." It was quiet for a moment as she let her head fall back against the couch cushions. "I was there. I was the one they were threatening. I was the only one that was there as those arrancars said what they said. I was the only one who had to watch their looks of amusement at the fact that what they were saying was upsetting me. I-" she broke off then, the hand clenching her cup was starting to ache.
"That's understandable," Toshiro said after a moment. He noticed the look of surprise at his words appear on her face, and he only continued on. "You are right. You were the only one there. And no matter how much you explain to everyone else what had happened there, no matter how much you tell everyone what had been said there, it's not going to come even close to how it felt being there."
"You believe that," Orihime whispered.
"I do. I believe that you have every right to be entitled to deal with this your own way. You're frightened and confused about it all. That baby inside of you is everything to you. Just as Ichigo is. You were threatened by the fact that those arrancars were threatening them. No one else will understand the way you felt when all this happened. No one else will understand the way you feel now."
It was quiet after Toshiro stopped talking, Orihime let her eyes watch him for a moment longer, before she moved and set her cup on the table. Sliding that hand back on her belly, she sighed as she closed her eyes. A small smile edging on her face. "I swear you must have the power to read minds or something."
This made Toshiro smirk. "It's not so much as reading minds as it is just knowing the other person well enough to know what they are thinking." That left them in silence for a moment, his eyes had moved back to looking out the window.
The only sound in the room was the low sound of voices and sound effects coming from the movie that played on the TV. Orihime had been listening to them for a few moments, before deciding to get up. As she did she felt Toshiro's eyes go to her. "I think I'm going to go take a shower," she told him, leaning over a bit to pick up the remote from the coffee table. She walked over and set it on the arm of the couch nearest to him. "Feel free to watch the movie if you get bored."
Toshiro remained silent as he watched her pick up her cup and wrapper from the pop-tart. He continued watching her as she came back from the kitchen until she went upstairs. His hand going to the remote, he turned the volume back up.
Thirty minutes had gone by before the sound of a car pulling up outside the house. Followed shortly with the sound of another car. Toshiro reached to the remote and turned the TV off. Looking out the window just in time to see Isshin and Ichigo walking to the house from the cars. He moved to stand up as they got to the door.
"Where's Orihime?" Was the first thing that came out of Ichigo's mouth as he and his father walked inside.
"Taking a shower," Toshiro replied, moving towards the door as they walked farther into the living room.
"Did she talk to you?" Ichigo asked, before Toshiro could leave.
Toshiro hesitated by the door, his hand on the handle. Contemplating not saying anything, he sighed as he opened the door again. "She says she wants to handle this her own way. And that she believes she is the only one who could understand what happened. Because she is the only one who was there. Or at least no one will be able to understand like she does."
"Oh…" Ichigo trailed off, unsure of what to say to that.
"Look Ichigo," Toshiro said, turning his head to look Ichigo. "She didn't have to say much, but I could tell what she is thinking. She's not so much upset at the fact that the arrancars were there in front of her. She was feeling threatened by what they were saying to her. It was threatening her loved ones and that's why she is upset as she is."
Then he was gone, leaving Ichigo staring into the doorway out into the front yard. Walking forward, he pushed the door closed, before moving to the kitchen table. He put Orihime's keys on the table before taking a seat. Resting his elbows on the table, before slapping his hands to his forehead. Sighing heavily as he let his head rest on his hands.
"Son," Isshin's voice was heard from across the table, he had sat down across from his son. "I want to know more about what happened yesterday."
"I explained that when Orihime and I got home dad-"
"No," Isshin interrupted his son, crossing his arms, before he rested his elbows on the table. "I'm talking about before her being targeted at the park. What happened the whole first half of the day?"
This made Ichigo lift his head up from his hands. He watched his dad for a moment, before letting his hands fall to rest on the table. Sighing, he started from that morning. When he arrived to school and what happened there. All the way until she left the house after their argument after he got home from school. The whole time he didn't leave one detail out. He just told his dad everything that happened.
"I screwed up big time," he said, after he finished relaying yesterday's events.
"Yes you did," Isshin agreed.
Ichigo's eyes widened at his dad, before narrowing. "Aren't you supposed to tell me that I didn't screw everything up? Then tell me how I'm supposed to fix everything."
"I'm not one to lie Ichigo," Isshin told him. "From what you are telling me, you did screw up. But, you sit here and tell me that you want me to lie and say you didn't do anything bad, and tell you how to fix your problems. I can't do that." Then he his serious look lightened up as he smiled at his son. "What I can do is tell you that you've screwed up plenty of times over your life. As your father you've always expected me to give you the answer."
"Dad, I don't get where you are going-"
"But, now," Isshin continued, ignoring his son's interruption. He moved to stand up from his chair then. "You are at a point in your life that you are about to be the father. You are about to be responsible for giving advice to your daughter if she ever finds herself in a tough situation. I believe that only you will know what you need to do. What to say."
"I tried that yesterday," Ichigo told his dad slightly frustrated. "And that clearly didn't work out."
"No," Isshin shook his head at his son. "You had talked to her at the wrong time. She was angry and upset Ichigo. You had hurt her. Her feelings are fragile even more so because of her being pregnant. You had spent the whole day thinking all about what you had said to her. All you could think about was getting her to forgive you when really you weren't focusing on what the real issue is."
"And what exactly would that be?" Ichigo asked his dad.
Isshin only crossed his arms over his chest. "You already know the answer to that son."
It was quiet for a moment, before Ichigo finally stood up from the table. "I'm going to go talk to Orihime," he said, before turning to walk towards the stairs. Hearing the water being turned off from the shower.
"Ichigo?"
Just as Ichigo turned in his dads direction, he suddenly felt his dads foot make contact with his shoulder. This caused him to stumble backwards. Grabbing his shoulder he looked to his dad. "What was that for?! You already gave me a lecture!"
Isshin only straightened his shirt as it had got ruffled when he kicked his son, his expression was calm. "The lecture I gave you was for making Orihime mad and worried when that's clearly the last thing she needs," he says, before he turned towards the kitchen. "The kick was for making me worry."
Then Isshin walked into the kitchen. Ichigo only stood frozen to the spot, his hand still at his shoulder as he grumbled lowly. Turning back to the stairs, he started up them to head towards his and Orihime's room. When he walked inside his eyes immediately went to Orihime. She had changed into pajama pants and a tank top, and was just now climbing into bed. She had paused when she heard him walk in, and her eyes flew towards the door to meet his.
They stared at each other for a moment, before Ichigo finally closed the door behind himself. He moved across the room, and stopped a couple feet from their bed. Her eyes remained on his, and he just sighed as the silence had continued. "I know that you're tired," he started, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "But, I'd really appreciate if you'd let me talk to you for a moment."
Orihime's eyes only flickered away from Ichigo's, as she moved over a little on the bed to leave just enough room for him to sit down. Leaning back against the pillows, she rested her hands on her belly, and her eyes went back to him. She watched him move to sit down on the bed, before his eyes finally went back to hers.
"I want to talk to you," Ichigo started, as he adjusted himself so he could face her more. "But, I also want you to talk to me." He noticed her raise an eyebrow at him. "I have my own things that I want to say to you, and I know that you have your own things to say to me as well."
Finally Orihime nodded her head. "Alright."
"I want to start with dinner the night before last night," Ichigo told her, before he sighed. "That kid that Karin invited over, I don't have anything against him as a person. Except for the fact that Karin likes him. I know that I was rude and I wasn't accepting of him." He crossed his arms then, being sure to be careful of his bandaged arm. "I only acted the way I did because I don't like the fact that Karin is interested in boys now. I'm not going to apologize for the way I feel, because it's my instinct. I want to protect my little sisters, and the fact that Karin is interested in guys just didn't settle with me."
When Ichigo stopped talking, Orihime nodded her head once. "I understand," she told him, noticing his surprised look at her words. "My older brother was the same way for me. If I so much as talked to a boy, my brother would question me like there is no tomorrow." Rubbing her lower belly as she felt a few kicks, she sighed before continuing. "I may disagree with how you handled the dinner, and you leaving. But Karin is your sister. Karin and Yuzu are your sisters, and it's your right as their brother to be protective of them."
"But?…" Ichigo asked her, seeing the look of hesitation on her face.
Orihime shook her head. "No buts," she said, before stopping rubbing her belly. "Although I would have at least appreciated a text or something to let me know that you were alright." She felt movement inside of her that made her stop. It took a moment before her baby settled again, before she continued. "As for yesterday morning, I'm still slightly angry about that. I believe most of the anger that came from that was from what happened with Karin that morning, and because I was just so worried about where you were. Then that led to the reaction of what you said to me by my locker."
"Orihime," Ichigo started, reaching forward and taking one of her hands in his. He waited until her eyes met his again. "I never have thought of you as making a mistake that would ruin your life. You being pregnant and still going to school. Still going out and living your life. That is one of the most admirable things that you have done. It takes courage and a lot of strength to go through what you are going through." He paused to move his other hand to clasp her hand in-between both of his hands. "I never want you to feel like I think any different. I was only thinking of Karin at the time. Wording it as a mistake was wrong of me-"
"I apologize for interrupting you," Orihime started as she stopped him from speaking. "But, I understand that now Ichigo. What you said was purely just you thinking of your sisters. I have to admit that I view it the same way." She moved the hand that was in-between his hands to just holding one of his hands again. "I don't want Karin or Yuzu to ever have to deal with the stuff I'm having to go through at such a young age. Not that I'm complaining or anything like that. But, it's just not something I want them to go through."
Nodding his head, Ichigo thought of another question that had been bugging him. "Where did you go after you left school?"
"Ah," Orihime started, a smile edging her face. "Well I had pulled into a parking lot at some food place, when Toshiro showed up." She chuckled lightly before explaining that Toshiro had taken her to a tea house and then back home to watch a movie. "And then after Isshin came home, Toshiro left. Then Isshin had to leave just as you came home…"
It got quiet after that. Orihime's eyes left Ichigo's then to look up at the ceiling as she sighed. Ichigo cleared his throat before speaking. "As for the uh… argument we had."
"Ichigo I want to go ahead and say right now that I'm sorry for that," Orihime told him before he could say more. Her eyes went back to him. "I know that you wanted to talk everything out, but I was just still so angry about everything that I just wouldn't listen. And I apologize if I hurt your feelings by saying what I said and by leaving."
Surprisingly Ichigo just laughed after she stopped speaking. When he managed to stop laughing he smiled at her. "I was just about to apologize to you for all of that," he told her, smiling at her still confused look. "I sort of knew you were mad still, but I kept pursuing us talking about it. I should have just realized that it wasn't the right time for us to have that conversation."
"After I did leave, I went over to Mai's house. Akira, Tatsuki, and Rukia were over there. I just felt like I needed a distraction so we worked on some school stuff and studied for that Biology test that's on Monday. Then we ended up watching a movie," Orihime paused at this, before swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Then?" Ichigo questioned.
"After the movie was over I started driving home, before I stopped at the park. I had only walked for a little while before I started feeling uncomfortable. I texted Toshiro then," Orihime said, placing both hands back on her belly. "He had told me before he left when your dad got home that if I need something I could text or call. I was still angry with you so I just texted him." She stopped again before she looked down at the blanket on their bed. "Apparently the arrancars had hid their spiritual pressure, so if I hadn't texted him then they wouldn't have got there in time…"
Ichigo understood why she didn't continue on. He moved a little closer before offering her a hug. Which she accepted, and he just held her to him. Resting his chin on top of her head, he sighed and closed his eyes. I don't want her to be mad at me again. This feels too nice. He thought as they sat there for a while in each others arms. He felt a slight kick from where her round belly rested against his own abdomen.
She pulled back at that as her eyes met his. A smile on her face. "You felt that?"
Nodding his head, Ichigo let one of his hands rest on the area of her baby bump that he had felt the kick from. "Yes I sure did." He felt movement underneath his hand that made him smile. Looking at Orihime when he heard her yawn, he leaned forward and kissed her. "You should get some rest."
"That sounds good to me right now," Orihime told him, before moving to slip further underneath the blanket, and she turned to laying on her left side so she was still facing him. "Forgive and forget?"
"Forgive and forget," Ichigo repeated, before he brushed his hand lightly across her cheek. He moved to stand up. "Sleep well."
A couple hours later
Ichigo had been in the kitchen when he heard his sisters come home. Yuzu had talked to her dad who was in the living room, telling him she was going to go upstairs to change before they could go to the grocery store. He hadn't heard anything from Karin until he heard footsteps at the kitchen's entrance. He turned his head to find his sister staring at him.
"Look I'm sorry Karin," Ichigo finally spoke after a moment of silence. He turned to face his sister then. "I want you to know that I have nothing against that Ryuu guy. I only acted the way I did because I just was looking out for you." He then sighed at her raised eyebrow. "I can't help it okay? You're my little sister, and the fact that your interested in guys just got under my skin a little. I want you to be happy and I just want to know that your safe."
It got real quiet after Ichigo finished speaking. Suddenly Karin had dropped her soccer ball to the floor, and had slid her foot behind her. Then the next thing Ichigo knew he was bending over and holding a hand to his knee cap. "Karin, why did you kick your soccer ball at me?" He asked his sister, feeling the pain coming from his knee with how much force she had behind her kick.
Karin kicked the soccer ball back up in her hands, before propping it on her hip. "This conversation is getting way too sappy for my liking," she told her brother, before going to the refrigerator. Grabbing a gatorade, before turning around and walking back towards the kitchen entrance. However before she could leave she paused. Turning her head to look back at her brother she sighed. "Thanks Ichigo."
Ichigo looked up then to see Karin had left, and he was alone. This is what I get for trying to be nice and apologizing to her. He grunted as he stood up straight then. I guess it still needed to be said though. Karin's not one for that kind of thing anyways.
"Ichigo?"
This time it was Yuzu at the kitchen entrance. She had been standing there watching him hold his knee for a moment, before he had straightened up. Ichigo didn't get a chance to say anything to her, because suddenly she was across the kitchen and had her arms wrapped around his midsection.
"I was worried after you didn't come home the night before, then last night you didn't come home until after I went to bed. I'm just happy you're okay," Yuzu told him.
"Thanks Yuzu…" Ichigo trailed off, scratching his head with one hand, and the other rested on his sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry I made you worry."
Upstairs around fifteen minutes later
After speaking to Yuzu in the kitchen, Ichigo went upstairs and took a shower. Getting out he walked into his and Orihime's room, trying to be as quiet as he could as he opened and closed their bedroom door. He was in only his shorts, and he had to search through one of the drawers in their desk for some bandage for his arm.
Even with Ichigo being fairly quiet Orihime's eyes fluttered open when he moved to sit in the desk chair to re-bandage his arm. "I'll do that for you," she told Ichigo, moving to push herself up.
"You're awake," Ichigo said, letting her take the roll of bandage from him. "I didn't wake you did I?"
"No, I woke up by myself," Orihime replied, moving to place her feet flat on the ground before motioning for him to let her see his arm. When she started wrapping his arm, she spoke again. "The arrancars did this?"
"Yeah," Ichigo replied after slight hesitation. When she had finished wrapping his arm, he grunted a little at the headache he had.
"What is it?" Orihime asked him, notice the look in his eyes of short pain.
"Just my head-"
"Oh my goodness Ichigo," Orihime interrupted him, standing up as she brought her hand to the bruise that was on his temple. She hadn't really noticed it until then. She noticed him flinch when she rested her hand on his head. "They did this?"
"Just one arrancars did," Ichigo replied before flinching again when he felt her hand brush against it. "The arrancars only cut my arm up and hit my head. That's it."
Frowning Orihime started towards their bedroom door. "Wait here," she said, before leaving. Only to return a few minutes later, an ice pack in hand that she was currently wrapping with a small towel. "Here," she handed it to him. "It's still looks swollen."
Ichigo accepted the ice pack and lightly pressed it to his forehead. Hissing lightly at the pain, before the coolness seemed to kick in a little bit of numbness. He watched her move to sit back down on the bed, and he could see her eyes widening again as she looked at him.
"You're knee," Orihime said, seeing a bruise there as well. "You said all the arrancars did was cut your arm and hit your head."
Ichigo chuckled at this, and he smiled at her. "Well that injury is kind of from you," seeing her look of surprise made him laugh again. "Remember at dinner when you kicked me?"
It took her a moment, but finally Orihime's mouth dropped open. "I'm so sorry."
"No need to apologize," Ichigo told her, laughing lightly at her. "It isn't all that bad. Karin just so happened to kick her soccer ball in the same exact spot a little while ago. That's why it looks so bad."
Orihime's hands went from his knee to his shoulder where another newer bruise was. "I know I didn't cause this one. What happened?"
This made Ichigo rub the back of his hand as he chuckled. "Well my dad kind of kicked me," he said, noticing the look of surprise on her face. "He had lectured me about making you upset and worried. Then he kicked me for making him worry. I'm surprised you don't look like you agree with him." He added the last part when she frowned.
"Ichigo," Orihime said, letting on of her hands rest on the side of his face. "No matter how angry I would ever be at you, I would never wish you to be in any pain."
Smiling at this, Ichigo stood up. Moving to the bed, he got on it, and moved around her to the side closest to the wall. He slipped under the covers and laid down, smirking at her raised eyebrow. "What? Can't a guy sleep in his own bed? Or would you prefer I wait until you're done sleeping in it?"
"Oh please," Orihime said, leaning over she kissed him. When they broke the kiss, she slipped under the covers beside him. Resting her head on his chest, she sighed and closed her eyes. "I like you being right beside me."
A/N: Enjoyed writing this chapter! Finally some good things happening! I loved writing the scene when Ichigo and Orihime finally talk things out, and I loved writing the ending scene. What was your favorite scene out of this chapter?
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