Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Shoutout to tipipkd for pulling a Rukia and yanking me by the collar to get my shit together, I really appreciate it! :)

When Ichigo arrived at P.I the next day, he was in a slightly better mood. He had wrangled the guards into showing a screening of 'Godzilla,' combed his hair, and braced himself to get dumped on the off-chance that Orihime wanted to, well, dump him. He was prepared. He was ready.

He saw her figure even before he arrived, bent over one of the shelves in the store closet.

What he wasn't ready for was the near lifeless look in her eyes when she locked gazes with him, only to abruptly turn away and pretend she was looking at the floor.

"Thanks," he said curtly to the guard, heading straight to where she was. He hoped the confidence in his footsteps belied his sinking stomach as he approached her.

"Hey," he greeted, immediately cringing at his forced, cheerful tone. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Orihime smiled, though the brightness of it didn't carry through to her eyes. "I was just a little busy, Kurosaki-san. Sorry for worrying you."

Kurosaki-san?

"I see," he said, scratching the back of his neck. Now that he was actually in front of her, he had no idea what to say. The air between them seemed stale, hostile.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd really appreciate it if you could get started on the floors, Kurosaki-san," she said formally, then gestured towards the wards. "I have to take care of Kyoraku-san's discharge, so I'll be over in the infirmary if you need me!"

She stepped out of the way and headed to the wards without waiting for him to respond. He narrowed his eyes after her, but stayed rooted to his spot.

He decided to get started on his cleaning dutifully so he could finish early and confront her. If it was a 'goodbye' she was giving him, he wanted to hear it straight from her. Let it lance through his heart and punish him in ways he deserved. Let it hurt.

So he cleaned and he cleaned and he kept his grip firm on the broom handle until the floors were polished.

When the guard who had come to pick Shunsui up retreated, taking Shunsui with him, Ichigo dunked his broom in the bucket and bent around the corner. Orihime seemed to be peering into her files rather pensively.

He settled his hand on the crook of her elbow, gently pulling her aside.

"If it made you uncomfortable," he began, then amended, "if I made you uncomfortable or you changed your mind about us, you could have just told me, Inoue. I would've understood."

Orihime's eyes widened for a split second, then faltered. She worried her lip, clearly hesitating to say whatever was on her mind. Ichigo squeezed her elbow lightly, hoping that would encourage her to come clean.

"I found the vent," she admitted quietly, fidgeting with her fingers. "Well, Hirako-san found it actually, but it doesn't matter because it was open, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. The vent? Then his brain clicked in realization. Right. The vent. He felt a sudden sluggish jolt of realization; amidst the panic of reaching her on the night of the storm, there was the slight possibility he might have forgotten to close it.

He clenched his fist at the mention of 'Hirako-san', though. Knowing Shinji had been behind this only slightly stressed him out. When he realized what had been discovered, what was at stake, he felt his chest tighten.

"I know I said I would stay out of your business, whatever business that might be," Orihime began, voice trembling slightly as she looked up at him. "And I won't be mad, Kurosaki-san, I promise, but I have to know the truth. Were you," she choked slightly, the rest of her words falling to a whisper. "Were you using me to escape?"

Ichigo's stomach turned, a range of mercurial emotions skirting across his face – none of them long enough to decipher.

"Is that what you think?" he asked quietly, stepping into her space. "Is that really what you think of me, Orihime?"

I love you, he thought, but didn't say. It was too convenient and he didn't want her to think he was saying it just so she would forgive him; but God did it hurt. All those afternoons of talking and laughing together, the soft press of her skin on his, all those lonely nights spent thinking about her and the bliss of just being in her presence to the point he was sure he had imagined her – reduced to this. This moment of temporary insanity and heartbreak that was otherwise unthinkable when he was with her.

Worst of all, he knew now that whatever explanation he had, it would just sound like an excuse. Like telling your grade school teacher you were looking the other way when the others stole candy during recess. He was just as in it now, as Ishida and Chad were. And he'd been made.

But God, did it hurt.

.

Orihime felt herself flinch at the hurt and aghast look on his face, plainly written across his tight brows and his deepening frown. He looked shell-shocked, like he was blocking a hit. She wished she could tell him she wasn't faring any better either, her hands trembling.

"I don't know what to think," she whimpered quietly, feeling her hand go slack where he was holding it. "I just want to know the truth."

She watched as he closed his eyes, as he let her hand go. When they reopened, they were dark with regret.

Ichigo sighed. "I am breaking out," he confessed, feeling the last of his inhibitions drift past him, "and it's right through your office–"

Despite her crawling suspicions, she felt her heart constrict nonetheless. The band-aid that was supposed to have been ripped off had all but shredded her.

"– But I want you to know: I've never lied to you once since the day I met you," he said, eyes hardened. "And if you'll still have me, I never will. I know this is hard to take in, Orihime, but you can trust that."

Orihime felt it lodge right up to her throat, how badly she wanted to believe him. Yet, her eyes burned at the betrayal of it all. At the hurt.

"Look, I'm going to tell the guard I'm done for the day. Give you your space," he said grimly, stepping back. "Ball's in your court. Let me know where we stand when I come in next."

He withdrew hesitantly, like he was waiting for her to stop him, to take it all back. When she didn't, he rapped on the door, waited for it to swing open, and then left.

As Orihime watched his retreating figure, she couldn't help but feel a terrible sense of déjà vu.

x.x

Inmates from all wings parted in the middle as a speedy line of orange broke through the ranks. Behind the vague blur were two, more comprehensive figures, darting after him in a desperate attempt to cull his rage.

Hirako Shinji was eating an apple by the benches. His satisfaction, however, was short-lived, when a force with the intensity of a hurricane yanked him harshly by the collar and dragged him over to the chain-link fence. His back slammed into the mesh as two strong hands gripped his collar.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked, with an oily grin.

"What do you want?" Kurosaki Ichigo growled, through gritted teeth.

"Well, inner peace, nirvana, a hundred million yen, a puppy…" Shinji began listing off, only for Ichigo to drag him back and slam him again. His face crumpled in pain. "Ow! What's your problem, Ichigo? It's not like you and Doctor Hime-chan were gonna get serious any time soon. I was doing you a f–" Ichigo punched him in the face, sending him slumping against the grass.

"Ichigo!" Chad exclaimed in warning, while he and Ishida hung back.

"Oi! Kurosaki! Hirako!" he suddenly heard Renji yelling from somewhere beyond the fence. "Break it up or I'm gonna have to come over there myself, asshats!"

Ichigo raised his hands up in surrender, his temporary bloodlust quenched. His eyes were still fixed on Shinji, however.

"It's just play-fighting, Abarai-san!" Shinji trilled, with the slight jerk of his head, but when he turned back to Ichigo, his eyes were serious. "I know what you're up to and I want in."

"Stand up," Ichigo demanded, wiping his mouth.

"No, you're gonna hit me again!" Shinji wailed, cowering dramatically behind his hands.

"Stand up." Ichigo clutched his collar and forced him to his feet. "You're not coming with us, Shinji," he said quietly, acutely aware of other inmates watching them curiously. "If I was sure about it before, I'm dead set on it now."

Behind him, Chad and Ishida nodded in agreement.

"I don't think you understand," Shinji said, shoving Ichigo's hands off him. "You don't have a choice, Ichigo. Either it's the four of us, or it's none of us because I'm tired of waiting and if I don't hear any plans soon, I'm gonna start singing to the guards. Literally."

"Absolutely not," Ichigo said firmly, crossing his arms.

"Not unless you can bring something to the table," Ishida added carefully, ignoring the glare Ichigo sent in his direction.

Shinji's grin widened. "You didn't think I'd come to play without a buy-in, did you?" he asked in mock bewilderment, clutching his neck tenderly.

"What are you offering?" Ishida asked, shooting a furtive glance at their surroundings.

Ichigo's shoulders tightened. "Ishida –"

"What are you offering, Hirako-san?" Ishida repeated, levelling his gaze with Shinji's.

Shinji looped one arm around Ishida's shoulder, the other curled around Chad's bicep. He made it seem like a friendly gesture, but dragged both their feet at an angle where they could regard the parking lot.

"You boys like cars?" Shinji asked, mimicking the tone of an exaggerated salesman. "Because I can get us one, night of the escape."

"You can get us a car," Chad repeated sceptically, raising an eyebrow. "Cars get caught."

Shinji wagged a finger, shaking his head. "Regular ol' cars get caught, sure," he said, just as a giant, blue van began pulling in. "My car will take you straight to heaven, no pit stops, 100% guaranteed."

Suddenly, the large text painted on the front of the van came into view. 'Seireitei Morgue Services' it read, in big, bold letters. A slightly built, lean man leaped out. His ashy hair and piercings twinkle in the pale morning light. As if he could sense being spotted, he turned over his shoulder.

Shinji winked at him. The man scoffed and shook his head, before going back to unloading the van.

Chad, Ishida and even Ichigo's begrudging eyes widened.

"So," Shinji grinned, looking over his shoulder at Ichigo. "Is there room for one more on this trip, then?"

x.x

"Don't look at me like that, Kurosaki," Ishida said icily, back in their cell. "Not after you practically revealed our entire game plan to the doctor, who, take a wild guess, works here and could easily pick up the phone to warn the warden." He glared at Ichigo. "I was simply making amends, fixing messes that could have potentially cost us."

"I didn't tell her either of your names," Ichigo murmured, staring at his hands, not wanting to tell either of them how his already razored heart would have torn to shreds if he had to lie to her. "You can still go if I get –"

"Ichigo," Chad heaved a sigh, sounding disappointed.

"Instead of going off at me, why don't you go off on Shinji, huh?" Ichigo demanded, shaking his fist at Ishida. "Why the fuck does he know? If your plan was so good, why didn't we have a fricking exit strategy?"

"We did," Ishida replied, infuriatingly calm. "I just liked his better. Besides, we had to parlay or the entire plan would be up in flames once Hirako-san got talking to the guards. I assessed the situation and took precautionary measures."

"I hate you," Ichigo said, with only half the intended heat. He sank into his bed and ran his hand over his face.

"Ichigo, we're sorry," Chad said, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Ichigo shook his head. "There's no need for that," he said, sounding defeated. "I just…"

"You just thought, if Hirako-san had not gotten involved, you would still be on good terms with Dr. Inoue and all would be okay in your ill-fated relationship," Ishida finished for him, pushing his glasses back up with a superior look on his face. "How long are you going to keep up the charade, Kurosaki? If she tells the guards, we're done for. If we get out of here, the police are going to interrogate her. If we don't, she'll have to watch you die or get locked up in solitary. If you two get caught, she'll lose her job and her reputation. Dead ends everywhere! Is that what you want?"

A straight sliver of ice jammed it's way to his heart, not because what Ishida said was wrong, but because it wasn't. But rage and pain had a way of superseding logic and there was only so much heartache he could take in a day before his patience gave out.

"Don't talk down to me like you didn't just invite a thieving felon into our escape plan," Ichigo hissed. "Did you even ask Chad before you made that call, or did you just decide for yourself that you know what's best for everyone like you always do?"

Ishida's face turned white. It was a surprise he didn't smack Ichigo across the face right then, choosing to clench his fists instead. Between the two of them, Chad stood as a barricade, face creased in worry as he tried to decide which one of the two he was going to comfort first.

"Don't you dare presume to understand a single one of my intentions, Kurosaki," Ishida spat, shooting Ichigo a scathing look.

"Wouldn't dream of it, four-eyes," Ichigo bit back venomously. "I'm the last person who would even want to understand a guy as cocky, thickheaded and selfish as you are!"

This time, Ishida did punch him.

Square in the face.

.

Oopsies! Can anyone take a guess at who the morgue man is? ;)