Hi!

It's been a while. Writing this during my vacay abroad but I couldn't make you wait any longer.

Enjoy!

A few days had passed and Orihime and Ichigo were now making their way to the Kurosaki Kingdom. They had said goodbye to their friends a few hours ago, and now there was an awkward silence between them. Ichigo walking beside the horse and Orihime sitting on it.

Unohana had insisted them to go by car, but Ichigo couldn't leave his precious horse behind, so they decided to go by horse. Orihime also said that she wanted to enjoy the outside, especially since she had been stuck in a facility for over four months.

Upon their departure, Rangiku had given the other girl a big squeeze that almost left Orihime exhausted, saying that she made sure to visit once the delivery date was near and that she had to contact her by phone or write her once she arrived. Orihime being the polite girl she is couldn't refuse the hug and thanked the older woman for her kindness and guidance.

Sado made sure Ichigo had enough food for the two of them and gave Ichigo a simple nod. It was their way of communicating. Toshiro also prepared medicine for their trip, making sure they would be fine in case something happened.

Now two hours later, they were walking through the woods, the sound of crickets in the air. It wasn't that Orihime and Ichigo didn't want to talk, they just didn't know what to talk about. Like they both lost their tongue.

The situation was now different. Orihime was pregnant with his baby, Kurosaki Ichigo's baby. Something he still couldn't believe, somehow. From time to time, while they were walking, Ichigo would glance over to Orihime's stomach. As if it were fascinating him.

Orihime had noticed this of course, being very perceptive, but decided to let it slide. Just like him, she was still unsure how to deal with the situation, luckily her stomach knew how to break the ice.

"Growlll.~" Orihime's stomach made a loud noise, what made the girl turn into a deep shade of red. She was hungry. Ichigo turned around, his gaze softening. "I think it's time we took a break. Don't you agree, Inoue? Let's eat!"

Orihime, who was now obviously flustered, wanted to refuse, but her stomach let out another growl. She couldn't hide it any longer. "S-Sure…"

They stopped at the next tree and Ichigo helped Orihime get off the horse. He took out a blanket from one of the bags and laid it on the floor, so she could sit. Orihime slowly made her way to the ground, her stomach getting heavier by the day.

"Here." He handed her a bowl with rice and veggies. The aroma of the teriyaki sauce entering their nostrils. "Specially made for you. Sado wanted you to have a good meal." Two gray eyes started to twinkle as she saw the food in front of her. Almost drooling.

She quickly took a bite and groaned. "Sado-kun is the best!" She exclaimed with a full mouth. Ichigo didn't want to admit it, but he thought she was still adorable. The way she munched on her food and the childish look on her face when she was happy.

"Do you know what would make this more tasty Kurosaki-san?" Ichigo shook his head, having no clue what she was hinting at. "Wasabi with honey! Ohhh, I'm craving it." He cocked a brow and shook his head, mumbling to himself, 'we should definitely check her when she's at the house.'

"Don't you want a bite?" She shoved her spoon towards Ichigo's mouth. This caught him off guard and from the shock he leaned backwards, which caused him to fall with his back on the ground. Orihime giggled as she saw that the male in front of her was also flustered. He wasn't expecting a spoon to reach his face.

"I-I'm good!" he quickly replied, sitting up and dusting himself off. He was embarrassed, but looking at Orihime's face made him alright. It had been a while since he saw her like this. He was of course partially part of the problem. Ichigo still felt bad about his behavior at Unohana's estate. It wasn't her fault. How could he even think about her being a spy? The girl was so naive and innocent, and weirdly warmed his insides. Was he really…?

Ichigo shook his head and cleared his throat, taking out his own food in the process. He was eating a plain sandwich with lettuce, tomato and egg. "What are you eating?" Orihime asked with a full mouth, still eating her bowl. "It's just a sandwich. Want to piece?" She shook her head. "Tomato's make me sick. Morning sickness." She said, resuming to take another bite.

"Morning sickness… do you get that a lot?" Ichigo asked slowly, he still couldn't sense whether she liked to talk about these things. "Hmm, not really. It used to be really, really bad! I remember one morning around my 3rd month getting spinach on my plate with bacon. Oooh, the smell… horrible. I couldn't even be in the same room with it." She grimaced at the thought.

Ichigo chuckled, wondering what other faces she could make. "If there's anything you can't eat, tell me. I'm happy to be your black knight." Orihime looked at Ichigo, and it was the first time she noticed that he wasn't scowling. He had a normal expression on his face. It was almost as if the edges of his lips were curling… upwards. Was he smiling?

"Uh, what do you mean with black knight." She asked, not knowing how to interpret the expression on his face. "Haven't you heard of it? It's when a man takes a drink for another woman. It usually used for drinking, but I don't mind being your black knight for meals."

"I never ever drank alcohol in my life. I'm still quite young, you know…" Orihime replied, wondering how alcohol would taste like. Gosh, she never even tasted alcohol… this girl is far too innocent. Ichigo felt even more regret for not trusting her. The girl was basically harmless. "It's not my favorite thing to drink, so you're not missing out on a thing." He said before taking the last bite of his sandwich. "I think it's time to move on. Otherwise, we'll have to travel for 3 days instead of 2." The girl immediately cleared her mouth, took a last sip of water and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Yosh! Baby-chan and I are ready."

She's so cute… Once again, Ichigo's thoughts betrayed him, and he gave himself a mental slap. He helped the girl again to sit on the horse, but this time he took a seat behind her. "We'll go faster this way." he said while Orihime could feel his breath in her neck, his strong chest against her back.

They had been travelling over 6 hours with breaks here and there, and it was almost nearing dinner time. The hours flew by, according to Orihime. They chatted some more and Orihime managed to take a few naps, to Ichigo's surprise, in a very uncomfortable position. The secret to Orihime being able to sleep well was of course the warmth and strong chest of her father's baby.

Orihime just woke up from a nap and still felt drowsy. She slowly rubbed her eyes as she felt that the horse was still moving. She groaned softly and looked around slowly. The road they were on was for some reason very familiar. The trees looked like the trees in her village. Big oak trees with yellow leafs. Abruptly, she stopped looking around and gasped. "Are we nearing Haiku?"

Ichigo who was also snoozing lightly groaned at the sound and opened his eyes. "What was that?" Orihime turned around and tugged on his arm. "This seems all too familiar. Are we near Haiku?" Orihime's expression was now serious as the orange top remembered that Orihime's home place was called Haiku. "Give me a moment. I'll check it on the map." Ichigo replied in his husky, sleepy voice. From his pocket he took a small map and looked at it, his finger tracing along the lines of the routes.

They were indeed passing Haiku, something that Ichigo did not plan. Should he admit they were passing her hometown? He looked away from the map and saw Orihime getting all nervous and playing with her fingers once again. Flashbacks of their time in the garden returning to him. The way she was standing in the moonlight, tears in her eyes. She had a longing for her hometown, and he knew it. Instinctively, he just knew.

"Kurosaki-san…" She said softly, meeting his brown eyes. Oh, no… those eyes. Ichigo couldn't resist Orihime's pleading eyes that were now filled with upwelling tears. If not now, then when? You know that once she's at the palace, she can't roam freely. Mom said we need to keep her hidden.

Ichigo hated it when he had to give in, and this was just one of those times. "Yeah, we're near Haiku. Do you want to visit?" This question was harder to answer than the female had imagined. She knew that visiting would ruin the beautiful image she still had, but no matter what, she still had to pay her respects to her brother. She bit her lip, which was a sign of doubt, and eventually nodded. "Let's go."

Ichigo firmly gave the horse a kick and gently said "gallop". The horse accelerating. The wind was blowing against their faces. They were leaving the woods, the path covered with leafs changing into sand and little stones.

After a while, they arrived to a little village that was made equal to the ground. Everything was in ruins and all houses were burned. Here and there were frames visible of the houses, the insides burned to ashes. Ichigo's black horse came to an immediate stop when they arrived at the entrance of the village. All three of them shocked by what they found.

Without thinking, Orihime tried to get off the horse, trying to jump off, but Ichigo firmly took her arm and pulled her back. "Are you crazy?!" He yelled without thinking, but he immediately felt bad as once again Orihime looked at him, the shock of what they just saw plastered on her face. "Wait… I'll get you off." He said while climbing off the horse. Once he was on the ground, he helped Orihime getting off by lifting her into the air.

Ichigo carefully placed his hands on her waist, which was somehow still small and fitted exactly in his hands. He lifted her up and to his surprise she was lighter than she imagined. Was a pregnant woman allowed to be so light? Wasn't there something wrong? he thought. Unfortunately, Orihime didn't even flinch when Ichigo was lifting her off. Her mind already far away.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Orihime started running towards the village. Flashbacks coming back to her when she ran to the village the first time when she noticed something was wrong. Only this time, her cheeks were already stained with tears and her stomach was heavier, which made it hard for her to move. But just like that time, her legs felt heavier with every step she took, and she was stopped by a man who was lying on the ground. His face was unrecognizable, but she recognized his garment. His white clothes with yellow and pink flowers embroidered on it. Memories of this man came to her as she remembered the last time he stopped her from going to the village. It was the elder who told her to escape.

Orihime's eyes almost popped out of their socket from when she saw the body lying on the ground, smelly and rotten. His eyes dried and opened, staring immediately at the female. The bones of the body showing slightly. Her hands were now on her head as she fell in despair. The air in the lungs leaving her body. She was screaming. Without even noticing, she screamed. It was a loud scream filled with pain, horror and grief. Once again, her world came crashing down.

Ichigo now ran after the girl and stopped when he heard her scream. The way her body was curling towards the ground, hands on her head and knees bend. Eventually, her scream turned into loud sobs, and it broke his heart.

Without thinking, he took a big step forward and brought the girl in his arms, pushing her head against his chest. Her warm tears staining the shirt he was wearing. Her body trembling and shaking and all he could do was firmly hold her when all he could think was: This is my fault.

Orihime was too shocked to register that he was holding her, and as a madwoman, she wiped her tears and broke free from his hug by pushing his arms away and then his chest. "I have to find Onii-chan!" Ichigo wanted to stop her, but before he could utter another word, Orihime stormed off.

It was as if she were in a trance. All she could see were pictures and little moments of her and her brother. Sitting at the kitchen table, eating cookies, drinking hot cocoa. He carrying her from school when she was 10, being soaked in the rain, making a snowman in winter where their cheeks would always turn pink. The memories just couldn't stop.

Simultaneously, there were three men walking through the village. It was Grimmjow together with two of his men. Grimmjow was a blue-haired soldier hired by the Kuchiki kingdom to find Orihime. He was known as a violent man without any mercy. His behavior was often compared with that of a gangster or peasant, but Grimmjow didn't care how people saw him. The man had enough connections with the high society, thus as why he was able to do whatever he wanted.

He was in a bar when the notice came to him. A small man named Orochi walked in with loudly talked while waving his hand, holding a flyer. "Kuchiki-sama is looking for a skilled hitman who is willing to do other chores than killing." Immediately as Grimmjow heard the announcement, he beckoned one of his men to bring Orochi. The small older man sat before Grimmjow and stroked his long beard.

"Are you interested in the job?" The man asked, holding the flyer out to Grimmjow, who was now smirking. "What's the pay?" He immediately asked. "It's around 1500 shillings." The blue-haired man started laughing loudly. "What is Kuchiki looking for? An amateur? 1500 won't cut it. Who needs to be killed?"

The older man shook his head and tapped on the table. "Look at the flyer, Grimmjow." Two blue eyes scanned the flyer and saw the picture of the auburn haired girl. "This missy is what ya lookin' for? She looks familiar…" The old man then continued. "This girl is very valuable to Kuchiki-sama. I heard she is the key to his research. The pay is low because he doesn't want anyone to know. If the pay is too high, too many people will become interested. Oh, and killing is strictly forbidden."

Grimmjow enjoyed what he heard, he was so glad that he landed his fist on the table, his face coming closer to the older man's face. "I'll take the job, but tell Kuchiki I need more. I don't care what he needs her for, but I need more."

And so it was done. Grimmjow got a pay raise, and he went out to search for the girl. 3 days had passed, and she was nowhere to be found. One of his companions had offered to search in her hometown and here they were, in a burned down village looking for a needle in a haystack. When they arrived, he thought it was utterly useless until they heard a maniacal scream which sounded like it came from a mad woman. "She must be here!" One of the men said. "Ya kiddin'." He replied sternly, but he was actually happy that he listened to one of those fools. She must have been in the neighborhood.

An hour later, they were still looking for the woman who screamed, but searching for someone in the dark wasn't easy. "Let's go to the east. Ya never know what ya find there." He said loudly. "Grimmjow-san, why is this woman so important? We're killers, you know, but we have to bring her safe and sound back to the Kuchiki kingdom. Kuchiki-sama isn't usually like this." The man in the blonde hair said. "Shut ya muzzle. The customer asks and we deliver. Why should I care what Kuchiki wants." He growled because he actually agreed with this companion. He was a killer, a born killer, just like a jaguar. Making his prey weak and bow to him was his goal, but he wasn't in the position to refuse the deal.

While the men were looking around, Orihime meanwhile arrived at a small burned out house, Ichigo standing behind her. It was her old house that also was caught in the fire. Orihime couldn't stop sobbing as she wanted to enter the building. Ichigo could only watch the scene in front of him, as he was unsure what to do. He didn't want to stop her because this was something she needed to go through.

Just when he wanted to follow Orihime, he heard three voices. It sounded as if the men were in a quibble. Quickly, he jumped forward and pulled Orihime into the house. He quickly opened the door that was half burnt down and closed it slowly, making as little sound as he could. The entrance of the house was still somewhat intact, which made a perfect place of hiding, and he crouched down so that the men couldn't see them. He gently placed his right hand over her mouth, his other arm wrapped around her. "Shhh… someone is here." Orihime, who now was overwhelmed by what just happened, tried to push Ichigo's hand away. "Shh… it's just for a little while." He whispered in her air, his heartbeat increasing while doing so. She stopped struggling and was pulled back into reality by what happened. Quietly, the two were sitting behind the door of the burned house, waiting for the voices to disappear.

Instead, the three men passed by the house. "It's so sad to see this. Image this being your house." One of the males said to the other. "Do you think she's hiding here somewhere? Should we look inside?" The male with the blue hair walked towards the house to have a good look. "Ya think a missy would stay in a house like this? Don't think so. She wouldn't survive." He laughed and walked away. "We've been wastin' enough time here, y'all. Let's bounce. there's a village close by." Grimmjow said, taking one last glance before leaving.

The men had left, but Ichigo and Orihime said behind the door of the house for another good 2 hours. Both of them too frozen to move. Eventually, Ichigo's leg muscles became sore and slowly moved. "Inoue, they left." Orihime nodded and got off the ground thanks to the male, opening the door to meet the dark sky. Once again, she looked at the house and nodded. Ichigo, who was expecting her to break out in tears again, was surprised when Orihime simply walked to the back of the house and gathered some stones and a wilted flower and made it into a small grave. She placed the flower on top and placed her hands together, paying respect to her brother.

"Onii-chan…" She whispered. "Are you paying your last respects to your brother?" Ichigo asked, standing beside her. Orihime nodded as she could feel her tears come up again. "Y-Yes… it's the least I can do. I can't bury him…" She buried her face in her hands, soft sobs coming out again.

Ichigo felt a familiar pang in his heart as he watched Orihime cry one more time. He felt helpless and knew that he wasn't able to take away this pain for her but also, this was for the better. It was part of her healing process.

"Onii-chan… I'm ashamed of myself. This isn't what you would've wanted. I'm here…. But not alone. I'm here with my baby, one I didn't choose but apparently chose me." She suddenly said, her eyes focused on the pile of stones. "I'll stay strong and remember the things you have taught me. If I could reverse time, I would do so. But since I can't, I'll be strong." The pins she received from her brother was now in her hands as she stared at it. "I'll treasure my last present from you. The things you have given to me unconditionally, I will give it to my son. The love you have given me, I will pass it on, Sora-nii. Thank you for everything." She closed her eyes, her last tears streaming down her porcelain face.

Goosebumps… that's what Ichigo got from her words. Every time, her words' word stir something in him and give him goosebumps. The words she spoke were filled with sadness, but also with gratitude and wisdom. The words 'my son' ringing through his head. It was his child now too.

Without thinking, Ichigo suddenly gave a salute. "Inoue-san, we have never met but from what your sister has told me, you were an honorable man. Not a fan of royals, but despite that, I can see that you have done your best to raise your sister who is now a fine young woman. I apologize for everything she has gone through. I feel responsible for what happened, and I'll make sure I'll pay you back." Orihime now looked at Ichigo, who now had a determined look on hoe face. His brown, warm eyes filled with an emotion she could not quite identify. She didn't know why he apologized or felt responsible, but his kind words made her heart swell.

"Inoue is now under my care, so don't worry. I'll protect her and keep her and our son safe. Thank you for raising her and giving her all the love you could give. I'll try to do make her happy to the best of my abilities." Orihime bit her lip as she once again could feel her tears come up. But only this time she would blame it on the hormones rather than her feelings. It was the first time a man had ever said these things about her.

Ichigo would protect her, and she found comfort in those words. Also, he said 'our son' which warmed her heart again.

After paying their respects, they moved further and Ichigo put up a tent in the woods again. Since they were targeted they couldn't make a fire, and they decided to cuddle up inside the tent to keep warm, but things felt quite awkward, especially after the speeches both had given earlier.

Ichigo was now lying down on the ground, Orihime's back against his chest. "Are you warm enough, Inoue?" He asked, his cloak covering most of Orihime. "I'm fine Kurosaki-san." She said softly, her cheeks now slightly red from being so close to Ichigo. "I'm sorry I cried a lot and acted like a crazy person." She suddenly said, looking at the wall of the tent. "I-I didn't know what came over me." Ichigo's lips turned into a thin line, shaking his head. "It's okay, I don't mind. It's a lot to take in, and I have seen this quite a few times." He admitted. "You did… when?" Orihime asked, now curious about his experiences. "I told you that I fought a lot, right? Every time we go to a place of war, there are people who turn crazy when dealing with the aftermath. Loosing loved ones, loosing houses, loosing everything." He sighed, memories coming to him from women and children crying loudly. "This must've been hard for you too, Kurosaki-san…" Without thinking, Orihime's hand went to her back and grabbed Ichigo's hand and pulled it over her body. She placed it on her bump and slowly stroked it, which caught Ichigo off guard. But for some reason he didn't flush or felt nervous, but instead he felt calm and leaned into her touch as the bad memories floated away.

Orihime's strokes calmed him down. "You get used to it after a while. It's that I can't take away their pain. That's what is hurting me the most." He closed his eyes as she leaned in to her. "You truly are a good person, Kurosaki-san."

Oh… you should only know what I did to you…

The next morning came and Ichigo couldn't remember how he felt asleep, but one thing he did know was that he was stuck in this position until Orihime would wake up. His hand was still on her stomach and she was holding unto his arm firmly. Without him noticing, his lips curled upwards as she saw Orihime puffing her cheeks in her sleep.

She just looks like a little child. How can she be so…

Flashbacks of a crying Orihime appeared before him, and he mentally sighed, finishing the sentence he started.

Beautiful.

He kept looking at her and slowly rubbed her stomach. It was their son who she was bearing and for the first time he was ever so close that he could touch her bump. He remembered the times when his mother was pregnant with his sisters and how huge her stomach was. He would listen to the babies inside, talk to them, and also feel their kicks. That time seemed so far away, and he began to wonder where that time went.

Now focusing back on Orihime's belly, he could feel something move inside her. A soft thud feeling, could he feel against his hand? The baby was kicking. Ichigo's eyes widened as he now for the first time felt something warm in his heart. An unfamiliar feeling of overflowing protection. His lips turned once again into a smile.

I can't wait to meet you. - He thought before drifting off in a light slumber.

They both woke up several hours later, which partially awkward as they both reminded the way they fell asleep. Orihime, of course, being the person who got really shy when waking up, realizing that Ichigo's hand was still on her stomach. Mentally, she facepalmed as her cheeks burned up. The other orange head decided to act as if he were asleep and eventually as smooth as he could turn his body around, retracting his hand. After having breakfast they travelled for another 4 hours before arriving at the Kurosaki Kingdom where both were welcomed only by the immediate family and their private subjects. Not everyone could know about Orihime.

While they were away, Masaki and Isshin put a lot of thought in how they would present Orihime and their grandson to the kingdom. There was gossip going around the Kingdom that Ichigo either was keeping his romantic love life a secret because of his sexual preference, or that he simply did not have any preference because he always seemed so disinterested in both male and female. His parents knew that the kingdom was curious about their only son, and this was the perfect opportunity to shut the people up.

Right before their arrival, Masaki called her daughters into Isshin's room. "What is it, mom and dad? Did Karin get in trouble again?" Yuzu asked while entering, a sulky Karin following her. "I don't get in trouble, unlike Ichi-nii." The raven haired mumbled. "Don't say that about Onii-chan! Unlike you, he's working hard for the Kingdom." Yuzu exclaimed. It was unlike for the girls to have quarrels.

"Girls, please." Isshin interrupted, his gaze softening. "All three of you are causing us no trouble. We love you and are proud of you, understood." The girls nodded, while Karin added a sigh to her nod. "Alright. The real reason we have brought you here is because of a certain situation that will affect all our lives, and might it come as a shock to all of you."? Yuzu and Karin looked at each other and then back at their parents.

"Don't tell me you got mom knocked up, dad!" Karin started laughing while Yuzu tried to stop her sister. Isshin and Masaki started laughing as well. "That's a good one, love. But I must say you're quite close." The girls stopped giggling and laughing as their faces immediately turned serious.

"Girls, please listen closely. What your father and I are going to share is crucial."

Home at last…

The horse carrying two people arrived safely in the woods near the palace garden. Ichigo could see the large towers from a distance, and he could feel his body relax, which surprised him because he didn't notice in the first place he was tense. The girl in front of him was softly humming one of her many songs as she took in the nature. She notably had calmed down and Ichigo guessed she was feeling better, whatever better was.

Ichigo could see his parents and his sisters in the distance as the horse arrived at the garden. He quickly jumped off the horse and walked with the horse, who carried Orihime to his parents.

"I'm so glad you made it safely!" Masaki said, while Ichigo helped Orihime off the horse. The older woman made her way to the two and hugged the girl tightly. "Masaki-san…" Orihime said, returning the hug. "I hope my son wasn't much of trouble." The girl shook her head and blushed lightly. "N-No… he was very gentleman… like.

Two teenage girls approached the ladies. One girl with strawberry-blonde hair, the other with raven hair, walked up. It was Yuzu and Karin who have been briefed about the situation and now wore big smiles on their faces. "Orihime, meet my two daughters. Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki."

The auburn hair female turned her gaze to the two younger teenagers and offered them the most gentle smile. Her smile reached her eyes and she happily waved to the two, bowing down lightly. "Nice to meet you Yuzu-san, Karin-chan. My name is Inoue Orihime." A faint blush appeared on the girl's their faces, Karin nodding shyly as Yuzu went in and immediately gave her a hug. "I'm so happy to meet you too!" Orihime giggled as Yuzu gave her a hug. Both Masaki and Isshin watching their encounter with a content smile on their faces. Masaki then glanced at her son, who had a weird expression on his face.

Ichigo's gaze was soft, warm, but carried for some reason sadness. It was as if his eyes were filled with tears, butt also with happiness. Masaki couldn't quite get what her son was feeling and figured that if she didn't know what it was, he probably wouldn't either. And she was correct. The orange prince watched the situation with happiness in his heart, but he couldn't shake the memories of the previous day off his mind. Why was he so moved by this picture in front of him? Was because he felt bad for her?

I want to protect her….

He suddenly said to himself. Isshin quickly interrupted his thoughts by giving him a pad on the shoulder. "You brought her here safely. You did well, son. For now, I will let you guys rest and once you guys recovered from the trip, your mother and I shall inform you about the plan." Ichigo nodded. The plan his parents had for the two of them to bring the news that there was a new prince joining the family.

"Orihime-nee, can I call you that?" Yuzu now linked arms with Orihime while they made their way inside. "O-of course! You are welcome to call me whatever you like." Yuzu was happy and immediately started talking about what life was like in the castle. Ichigo simply followed and smiled. Yuzu really knows how to make someone warm up to her.

A few hours had passed once again, and Orihime was now sitting alone in her room. The room that she could now call her own was a room she could barely only dream off. It was spacious and filled with the most beautiful furniture. She had her own dresser, king-size bed and also, her own bathroom! It was a room fit for a princess, and Orihime wasn't sure if she was allowed to stay in a room like this. After all what happened, this only felt like a dream.

She, of course, did punch herself a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming, and every time she would give the same response. She took a long warm bath after receiving dinner and took a long nap, but it didn't take long before her nightmares returned. It was now 2 in the morning and Orihime was sitting in front of her balcony. The dream of being tied up to the table, hearing Urahara's voice, telling her to relax. Feelings of anxiety and helplessness returning. Once again it felt if all the oxygen were being pulled out of her body and she quickly opened the doors that led to the balcony, making her way outside. She stood at the railing of the balcony and started breathing heavily.

She closed her eyes and placed her hand overhear heart, trying to slowly bring back her breath.

I hate this…. please make this feeling stop. Please…

Feelings of weakness and worthlessness came over as Orihime tried to breathe. She hated this nightmare, she hated waking up like this every night. Why wouldn't the memories fade? She thought that after paying respects to her brother, the nightmares would stop.

Suddenly, warmness embraced Orihime. It was as if her night turned into a warm morning where the sun would shine. Orihime opened her eyes, only to realize she had two arms wrapped around her, a strong flat chest supporting her back as she could feel herself fall to the ground together with the surrounding arms. A deep musk wooden cent entering her nostrils, reminding her of the woods after a rainy day.

The arms were strong, and they didn't even let her go when she fell. She wondered when she would hit the ground, but instead she could feel her back press against a… body? Orihime turned around and met Ichigo's face that was now a few inches away. They were sitting, both on the ground, Ichigo's arms still wrapped around her.

"Kurosaki-san…"She muttered, giving him a confused stare.

"I promised I would protect you, didn't I?" He said quietly in the most deep husked tone he owned. "Even in the deepest nights, I will come to your rescue, I promise." He pulled her into his chest and rubbed her back. Without thinking, Ichigo placed a kiss on her forehead.

Whatever is haunting you, no matter what you've been through, I will protect you. They will need to come through me, everyone who wants to hurt you.

Orihime now came back to herself and was blushing deeply as she could feel herself being surrounded by Ichigo. His smell, his so ever kind words and now also his lips. She knew that he was just comforting her, but it definitely made her heart go faster. She could feel a weird tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach that she had never felt before. It was so unpleasantly pleasant that she wished this moment never ended.

"Let's get you back inside." Together, they walked inside and Ichigo tucked her in. "I'll be here, so don't worry about getting any more nightmares. I'll slice them away with my sword." He said, making gestures as if he was holding a sword in his hand. "I'm not a little child anymore, Kurosaki-san…" Orihime giggled, taking Ichigo's hand once again. "But I'm grateful for your words."

The soon after fell asleep, and he didn't leave her side until he was sure she was nightmare free.

Thank you for reading. this was just a chapter that I had to go through. I promise, next chapter will be more exciting. Also, I will be picking up the story as well, meaning that I will also write about other characters. But next chapter will definitely have some juiciness.

Please share your thoughts with me and leave a review!