"Where did you run off to last night?" Ichigo looked up from his breakfast at Karin's curious face. "You left in your body, so you weren't killing a hollow." Ichigo opened his mouth, then closed it, frowning. Karin stared him down relentlessly until he caved with a sigh "I was helping out a friend." He shoved another forkful of egg in his mouth, hoping she'd drop it. She didn't.
"Helping a friend? At one in the morning?" she snorted "With what?" Yuzu looked up from making her lunch, now interested in the conversation. "Drop it, Karin." Ichigo warned "Before the old man hears-" "You were out at one in the morning?!" Ichigo's dad exclaimed gleefully "Oh my teenage son is finally becoming a man!" he slapped Ichigo on the back, making him roll his eyes. "Sorry" Karin mouthed, the grin on her face contradicting her apology. "OH MASAKI, HE'S GROWN UP RIGHT AFTER ALL!" Ichigo groaned as his dad wailed at the poster of his mom.
The teasing continued until the girls shut the door behind them, Isshin immediately dropping his routine and facing his son. The change was so fast it made Ichigo's head spin, and he almost missed the man asking "Everything alright?" He nodded "It's…nothing." Isshin frowned "You know you can ask me for help, right? No judgment." Ichigo snorted "Unless Yuzu and Karin are here." His dad grinned sheepishly "Well, that's different… Anyway, tell me what's going on."
He sat in the seat across the table. "She's having nightmares" Ichigo muttered, and Isshin's eyebrows shot up "Orihime?" Ichigo nodded, and Isshin swore "Damn Urahara anyway. He should have protected her when he realized she was a target." Ichigo swallowed the lump in his throat "I should have protected her." He rested his head in his hands "Ichigo, you can't blame yourself-…"
"It's me" Ichigo interrupted "She dreams about me dying, dad." Isshin's eyes softened. "Then you're the best one to help her. You're doing the right thing." He paused, and then added "If she needs something to help her sleep, I can write her a prescription." He reached into his pocket and handed Ichigo his business card. "Thanks" Ichigo said, tucking it into his uniform. "I'll let her know." "Now" His father said, playful gleam back in his eye "What is this I hear from Keigo about a beach house." Ichigo groaned and let his head thud onto the table.
"You're late, Kurosaki!" The teacher barked as he walked in, but she smiled a little as she said it. "Sorry" he mumbled, sitting at his desk. He wasn't sure why she was in a good mood, but wasn't about to protest either. He felt Orihime's eyes on him and he turned to her, only to have her blush and look away. He frowned in confusion as he pulled out his books. She hadn't done that in a while. These days she usually smiled at him, he nodded at her, and they went back to their own devices. He thought she used to do it because she was shy, but maybe that wasn't the case? Unless she was embarrassed about last night…he frowned harder. There was nothing to be embarrassed about.
After class, Tatsuki cornered him in the hall "What's going on?" she asked dangerously, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously, making her grit her teeth. "In class you looked like someone pissed in your cornflakes. Even more so than usual." She looked away "If something is happening again, I need to know." "Nothing's happening" He assured her, and she shot him a dubious look.
He sighed "Its Orihime." Her eyes widened. She hadn't expected that, at all. "What about her?" she prodded, now interested for an entirely different reason. Ichigo frowned again "She just…I don't know. She acted different this morning." "Different? Orihime is always different." Tatsuki snorted and Ichigo rolled his eyes "I mean she usually smiles at me when I walk in but today she wouldn't look at me." Tatsuki's jaw dropped. Ichigo didn't notice these things. What was happening to her life?
"Do you know why?" he asked, brow furrowed in thought. She laughed "You have to figure that one out yourself." She turned to leave but Ichigo said "Wait!" his intense eyes met hers "Do you think she's okay?" "She's fine" Tatsuki laughed again, then amended "except the…war…stuff. But this has nothing to do with that, I swear. She's fine." Ichigo looked guilty "Tatsuki, about the war…" Her eyes softened "It's fine, Ichigo. You brought her back safely. That's all I really wanted. I won't say I'm sorry for hitting you, though." Ichigo grinned "Wouldn't expect you to."
Ichigo jogged after Orihime, who turned as she heard his footsteps. "Something wrong?" she asked, concerned. "Nah, I just talked to my dad this morning. My sister heard me leave last night and dad wanted to know where I went." Ichigo explained "So I told him, and he wanted to offer his help." Orihime's eyes widened as she took the card he held out. "He said if you need something to help you sleep he can write you a prescription."
She stared at the card, tearing up a little. "I hope you don't mind me telling him." Ichigo said nervously, watching her. She shook her head "No, not at all. I just…tell him thank you for me." She looked up at him "It means a lot." "I will" Ichigo assured her, smiling softly. "Can I walk you home?" "It's not even dark" she protested and he scoffed "So what? Don't like my company?" he teased, and she shook her head frantically "No! Of course I do, I just-…" "Then you won't mind if I walk with you." He said firmly, and she sighed with a smile, conceding.
They walked in silence for a few minutes before a car swerved towards them to avoid a cat. Ichigo grabbed Orihime's arm and quickly pulled her out of harm's way, the owner of the car slamming on the brakes and skidding to a stop where Orihime had been standing seconds before. She blinked, eyes wide as the man stumbled out of the car, a horrified look on his face. "I'm so sorry miss! Are you hurt?!"
She quickly gave herself a once over before replying cheerfully "No, no harm done! I'm okay, thank you for asking though!" Ichigo fumed beside her, glaring at the idiot who had almost killed his friend. "You're sure?" The man said uncertainly, sparing the intimidating teen next to her a nervous glance. "Yep! I'm great!" Orihime assured him, and Ichigo relaxed a little. The man was clearly apologetic, and she wasn't hurt. "Again, I'm so sorry." The man said once more before getting back into his car and driving off.
"Thank you" Orihime breathed, looking up at Ichigo. The last bit of tension fell away from his face and he shrugged "No problem. I think I might have to walk you home every day now, though." Orihime blushed "I promise that's not an everyday experience." He snorted "Orihime that's the second time someone has pulled you out of the path of a moving vehicle. That's twice too many." She smiled wistfully at the mention of her brother, looking up at the sky as they kept walking.