Ugggghhh, why am I such a slacker. Xx

School is eating my soul, though honestly 7 months is a ridiculous amount of time. XD hahaha…

Yeah. No excuses.

Pink Chocolate

The five of them sat on the edge of the river overlooking the sun that was setting behind buildings in the distance.

They were finally home.

The time spent in Soul Society seemed to go by so quickly and at the same time, it felt like it had been ages since she saw a scene like this here on Earth.

There was silence among the group. Even though there were a thousand thoughts running through all of their minds, it was just so hard to speak after all that. It had been maybe two hours and it had been the same thing. Nobody wanted to go. But she knew they had to.

Chad was the first to stand up.

"I'll be going," he said.

"See you in school, then," Ishida replied.

"See you, Sado-kun!" Orihime chimed.

He nodded to them both and then turned to Ichigo who had an arm around Rukia. His face was intense. Orihime couldn't help but watch him. She knew well Ichigo wasn't good with feelings outside of forceful once, and she knew well that he probably had so much he wanted to say to Sado. But it was hard. He had been through a lot, and she could feel that he needed some time to let it all sink in.

"Thank you," was all he managed to get out. Chad put a firm yet gentle hand on his shoulder before taking leave.

She turned her focus to Rukia who was gazing out absently over the water. She hadn't spoken a word since they had managed to rescue her. It was somewhat of a unanimous vote that she should return to Earth with them, not that Ichigo would've let her stay if the so called "superiors" had felt otherwise . But everything that was going on in Soul Society was stressful, and she could relax and recuperate better there with her friends. Not that she didn't care about the people there, but there was a different sort of healing power to be had among humans.

And of course, there was Ichigo.

Orihime's mind focused on the both of them. They were still and silent, and even though very few words had been exchanged, his arm around her, and her leaning on him was just enough say what needed to be said. She couldn't help but feel sad for the pair. The major war had been fought, and it had been won, but the fight wasn't over. They had a long struggle awaiting them, a struggle she knew she couldn't help them battle. From then on, she could only be cheering from the sidelines, hoping for the best, and wishing them luck. That was all she could do now.

And it only brought more sadness.

Ichigo finally stood and helped Rukia onto her feet. He thought a moment before turning around and facing his other two friends.

"I guess we better head out, too," he said. "I'm really tired."

"That makes two of us," Ishida agreed. He breathed in deeply. "How are you going to get Rukia into your house?"

"I'll stuff her in my pocket," he replied. "She's small enough." Ishida let out a soft chuckle and Orihime beamed.

"Hey, I'm not THAT short." It was a little odd to hear her speak, especially in that soft, meager voice. Still, she had a slight smile and it was good to see that she'd be ok.

Orihime looked up and nodded her head.

"I guess this is goodbye for now, huh?" she said. Ichigo stared back deeply. She tried her best to not let it get to her, but she could feel the intensity flowing out of him. Without a word he stepped over and kneeled, embracing her deeply. She blinked a few times.

"Thank you…so much, Inoue" he whispered to her. She had to fight back tears in order to keep smiling.

"Don't be silly, Kurosaki-kun." He let her go finding it hard to look her in the eye again. He turned towards Ishida.

"You too, punk. I hope you got what you wanted," he smirked. Ishida just adjusted his glasses and continued to watch the sun fall beyond the horizon.

"And then some," he answered. Ichigo tilted his head confused, but decided not to pursue it any further.

A few more moments lingered before he walked off, Rukia at his side. Orihime watched them disappear into the newly fallen darkness. She looked up to the sky, the fiery oranges and reds had finally surrendered to the cool blues and deep purples. There just was a hint of warmth where the sun left its trail and a few scattered stars had begun to peek through.

She breathed in the air deeply. It was different than in Soul Society. Not as pure, but welcoming and familiar.

"Does it hurt?" She was startled by his voice as it broke through the blanketed quiet of evening. His question rang in her mind a few times. She hadn't really questioned anything.

She had heard plenty of times that when you truly care about someone, your own feelings often flew out the window and everything you do is for that other person.

There was no way she could deny that much. She could tell from an early point that his quest to save Rukia was something much deeper in Ichigo's heart than he let on. Perhaps more than he even realized himself. His heart was fragile and fickle, a little unstable. He really was a sensitive person. It was written in his eyes, they tended to betray a lot about him. These were the small sparks that she always picked up on.

And all the while, she followed behind him, always supporting and willing to jump in whenever he needed. It didn't matter that all this was for someone else. It meant something to him, and so it meant something to her as well.

Being able to help him, and seeing him grow stronger and stronger for what he believed in, it was like a sort of calming ointment to her heart.

She knew what she had done, and she knew he was aware and was truly thankful for her being there.

Everything was worth it.

Did it hurt?

Probably. But that didn't matter.

"Kurosaki-kun… he's happy. Even if he still has to fight to protect her, he's happy that he can do that," she said. "And I'm happy that I was able to be a part of that, even if just a little bit. If that makes any sense…"

Ishida sat quietly and took in her words.

"It makes perfect sense."

He could relate more than she may have known. Standing on the sidelines, watching, waiting, hoping. Protecting secretly if one had to.

If it made her happy, than he was alright with it.

Ishida stood up and stretched. Hard to believe what had gone down between them all. An experience that would probably never be matched by anything.

But it's hard to measure the kind of power different situations bring.

He offered his hand to help her up.

"Shall we go, then? You don't live too far, right?"

She took it and raised up from the ground.

"Right. So I'll see you around." He shook his head.

"I'm walking you home."

Orihime started waving her arms frantically.

"No, no! You have to go home and rest, I'll be fine, it's been a long time and a lot happened and you really should get some sleep and…"

"What kind of guy lets a girl walk home alone at night? I wasn't raised that way. So let's go." He had already started off down the road.

Orihime stood there for a moment. Her eyes were soft and thoughtful, as they sometimes were when she was taking in the world around her, even the little details. She smiled again, for the countless time since they had returned.

Yet it was the first genuinely happy smile she had the entire time. She laughed softly.

"Ishida-kun, that's the wrong way. I'm staying over there!" She ran over and grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the opposite road.

She had forgotten she was staying a local inn, but she didn't really care then. It was a at least ten minutes to walk, and she might as well enjoy the last few summer nights she had.

If time could stand still, for him, it has right then. Everything seemed to slow down finally after what seemed like non-stop action for who knows how long. Maybe it was moments like these that made everything so strangely imperfect yet wonderful.

He sent out a silent thank you. He wasn't sure to what or who it was directed, but it wasn't important.

He was happy then, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

And that was all he needed.

Closing Credits

A/N: Ack… wow. I'm SO sorry that took so long to get out. I had it written and everything a million years ago but I never uploaded it. spaz Also because this was written like April, this story is now AU for manga readers. / I hope that doesn't take away from it…

Bah.

Next one … started a Yoruichi/Urahara one, and since this seems kinda cannon now, I'll have fun with it. It's a flashback one shot, though.

Review Corner

SwT-LiL-AnGeL: Yeah, I agree that the Gin/Matsu pairing has like… a weird charm to it. And Hitsu/Hina is so flufftastically cute. They're my favorite pairing. XD OTP! As far as a longer story… I definitely wanna try doing something a little longer. I have a few ideas, though I'm not so good with romance. XD Extended fluff melts my brain. Thanks for reading!

SxStrngSamurai13: Ah, thank you! A few of my friends that beta'd the story thought the "losing power" thing was too depressing. Xx But her situation is depressing as it is, so I dunno. Had to balance out the fluff factor I guess, though deep down I'm secretly hoping she comes back full force and lays a smackdown on Aizen. ;; Thank you muchly.

ice illuser, Outsane, Baka'sAngel, animEvivvErz, Kawaii Yoshi: Thanks for the reviews and reading, and sorry for the wait! I'll try to update more often now. bows