Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I am making no money from this. Tite Kubo owns all, I'm just playing with them for a while. I also do not own any of the quotes I use at the start of each chapter. They were all found on the internet or in books, and if they have an author I say who it is.

Author's Notes: Sorry if this chapter seem to clash with the rest of the story, I'm trying my hand at getting some comedy in again. Then the next chapter will be the *"amazing mix of fluff and romance with bits of comedy and a side of hot guy" that I write normally, and then after that prepare yourselves for angst. Major angst. You have been warned. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and thanks to everyone for being patient with me as I've not been able to keep up the pace I had when I first started writing this story. (I think I had a part out every three or four days!) My work has gotten busier, my friends have more problems they want me to solve, and I have become addicted to Bleach yaoi fanfic. (I ran out of new stories with all the het couples I like.) I tried to get this out yesterday for the anniversary of Masaki's death, but it didn't quite work. Anyways, please enjoy this part, and please take the time to review.

*My friend OpheliaImmortal, who said this phrase describes almost every one-shot I've written in the Bleachverse. I couldn't really disagree, as it does indeed describe 4 of the 5 one-shots I've written, and the one it doesn't fit with is actually more of a prequel to a larger story that is still in progress. J


Until the Last Breath

By Lady Callista

Chapter 6: Interruptions

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Interruptions can be viewed as sources of irritation or opportunities for service, as moments lost or experience gained, as time wasted or horizons widened. They can annoy us or enrich us, get under our skin or give us a shot in the arm. Monopolize our minutes or spice our schedules, depending on our attitude toward them."

~William Arthur Ward

OoOoOoOoOoO

A few days had passed since Ichigo and Orihime returned from Soul Society after visiting Karin for the first time. They had not gone back yet, wanting to let her settle in without their rather disruptive presence, although they did receive a jigoku-cho from her every day, and send one in return.

"How's Yuzu-chan doing?" Orihime asked quietly one night as they sat in her living room, sharing a dinner of sukiyaki and talking about random things.

"She's okay." Ichigo said gruffly, chuckling as she picked up a red-bean paste mochi from a small plate beside her and munched on it happily. He had managed to get her to not put the red-bean paste in the sukiyaki, as she apparently did when she was alone, but she couldn't imagine having a meal without it being present somehow. He had solved the problem by running out to buy mochi, using the time he was gone to try and let the words running though his head form into sentences.

Every spare moment of the past days, not that there had been many of them, he had been trying to figure out how to propose to her. Because his dad and Ran-chan and Renji and everyone else who had been teasing them about it for months were right. What the hell was he waiting for? Sure, they were young, but they had already dealt with so much together. There really was no reason to wait, and he was fairly certain of what her answer would be. That still didn't make it any easier for him to find the right words.

"Really?"

"Well, she's constantly asking questions about everything now. Shinigami and Soul Society. Hollows and reiatsu. She can see stuff now, instead of just sense it. I think she always could, but she had just blocked it somehow because she couldn't deal with it."

"That makes sense." Orihime said softly, cocking her head as her boyfriend fiddled with one of the Chappy chopstick rests Rukia had given her for her birthday the year before. He picked it up, flipped it over, tossed it from hand to hand, seeming unaware that he was doing it. He only ever fiddled with things when something was on his mind. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" He looked up, momentarily bobbling the rest, and quickly setting it down when he saw her eyes on it. "Oh, uh, yeah, things are just weird, you know? And the funeral this afternoon was almost surreal. Everyone expects us to be sad; but to us, it's not even like she's really dead. More like she just moved away."

Orihime nodded in understanding. "And it's not like she moved to some strange place either. We know lots of people there, and we know Toshiro loves her, and we know Rukia and Renji and everyone will look out for her."

"Exactly." Although Ichigo did worry a bit about the kind of things she would learn from people like Renji. "So I'm not really sad, but it's still weird to walk into the house and not have her be there."

Orihime glanced towards her brother's shrine. "I know exactly what you mean. Tatsuki-chan and I had plans to take the girls to the zoo this weekend. It'll be weird to stop at your house and only pick up Yuzu."

"And then I keep thinking how we're going away to college this fall, and it'll only be dad and Yuzu in the house, and…"

"I know." Orihime's eyes showed a mix of both sadness and anticipation. "It's so weird to think we're going to Tokyo. It'll be weird, just the two of us in that huge city where we don't know anyone. Tatsuki was so upset she didn't get in, it'll be so weird without her. Although we are already planning on going there next month so I can start looking at apartments. Apparently she has some family down there, so she wants to go with me and show me around, because she's worried about me getting lost, or living in bad place, or…"

"Hime, about that." Ichigo cut her off as she began to babble. She didn't do it nearly as much as she used to, and he still found it cute, but often times it was better to cut her off before she got too worked up. And she had just given him an opening. If he could get the words out. If he had the courage to ask. He would start off by saying he loved her, which she obviously knew but he couldn't imagine proposing without actually saying it, and then he would ask her about…

"Ichigo?" She asked softly as he cut her off, but then only stared into space, thoughts flashing across his face too fast for her to even guess at what he was thinking.

Ichigo stood, and scooted around the table until he sat beside her. "Well, Orihime, I was thinking…. Um….. Orihime, I love you, and…."

The doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" Orihime bounced up and ran for the door as Ichigo put his head into his hands and let out a quiet moan.

He had finally been about to ask, finally worked up the courage, although the fact that he had stuttered twice and hadn't even finished a full sentence was probably bad, but now the moment was ruined. He would have to start over when she got back, and…

"Orihime-neesan, thank god you're home." A young sounding female voice he didn't recognize made Ichigo turn to face the door, where a girl who was maybe 14 stood, wringing her hands. "Nii-chan's going to be home in a few hours, and it's his birthday, and I wanted to bake him a cake, but we're out of sugar, and I don't understand part of the recipe where it wants me to… Oh, you've got company, I'm so sorry, I…."

Ichigo sighed, rising and crossing to the door even as Orihime spoke quickly.

"It's okay, Tamari-chan." Orihime said as she reached out of ruffle the girl's hair, then turned back to Ichigo and smiled at him. "This is my boyfriend, Kurosaki Ichigo. Ichigo, this is my friend Tanaka Tamari."

Orihime smiled as they both bowed and the girl gave a formal greeting before saying in a slightly breathy voice, "I've heard so much about you, Kurosaki-san."

Orihime blushed as Ichigo gave her a look, and spoke quickly, "Uh, Tamari-chan, why don't you go back downstairs? I'll just grab my sugar and be down in a minute, okay."

The girl blushed, nodded, bowed, and left.

Orihime spoke softly as she closed the door behind her. "Her brother is only a few years older than her. They moved in about a month ago, after their parents died. I've kinda been helping them out, they remind me so much of me and Sora-nii"

Ichigo's eyes widened, and compassion showed in them as he said gruffly, "Go help your friend. I'll find us a movie or something to watch when you get back, okay?"

Orihime nodded before grabbing the sugar from the kitchen, and hugged him as she moved back to the front door. "Thank you."

Ichigo kissed her gently, his hand cupping her cheek tenderly as he replied, "She's lucky to have someone like you looking out for her."

Orihime blushed, and gave him a beaming smile as she left.

Ichigo turned back into the living room, his gaze suddenly drawn to Sora's shrine. He crossed the room and knelt before it, just staring for several minutes as he thought about something before speaking softly, "I wonder sometimes how different Orihime would be if you hadn't died. Some days I think that if you were still around she would be completely different, other times I think she would have turned out exactly the same. Although I don't know if we would be together, cause you probably would have tried to keep your little sister as far away from someone like me as possible." Ichigo chuckled at that, then fell silent again, wondering how the hell he was going to propose to Orihime when he couldn't even get the words he wanted to say out when he was speaking to a shrine.

"I can't exactly ask your permission, but I can tell you that I love her, and that I'll take care of her, and protect her, for… well, I guess the cliché for as long as we live doesn't really work, so I'll just say forever."

"That's if you ever grow the balls to ask her."

"Shut up!"

OoO A few days later OoO

"Hime, I love you so much, and…."

"Orihime-chan!" Rangiku squealed as she flew in the window. "You'll be one of my attendants for my wedding, won't you? Cause it's in like a month, and we need to get you a new kimono, and…."

Ichigo let out a grunt of frustration, tilted his head back to rest against the couch, and closed his eyes in resignation.

OoO About a week later OoO

"…I know we've only been together for a few years, but…"

Ichigo cursed as a Hollow popped out of the sky right above the park bench they were sitting on, and his body flopped into Orihime's waiting arms as he flew into the sky to vent some of his frustration.

OoO A few days later OoO

"…We've been through so much, and I…"

"Orihime-nee!" Yuzu squealed as the front door slammed with a bang and she charged into the room. "Jinta-kun just asked me out on a date!"

This time Ichigo's curse was for more than being interrupted.

OoO A few days later OoO

"That was such an amazing dinner, Ichigo. How did you find this restaurant?"

"Uryu found it actually. Uh, Orihime, I've been trying to talk to you for a few weeks now, well, and…"

The fire alarm went off and the sprinklers came on.

Orihime jumped to her feet along with the rest of the patrons as a cloud of smoke came billowing out from behind the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

Ichigo slumped down in his seat for a second as he mumbled, "I saved the damn world, you would think I could get one little break."

OoO About a week later OoO

Ichigo cuddled with Orihime on his living room couch, barely paying attention to the game show she had put on the TV. It seemed like every week there was a new show that gave people another way to make idiots out of themselves while thousands of people watched and laughed.

The sounds of Yuzu and his father making dinner drifted out of the kitchen, and the occasional roll of thunder could be heard over the rain pounding into the roof.

It wasn't the most romantic setting he could think of, but he had been there and done that and it hadn't worked. A Hollow had interrupted a romantic night in the park. A freak fire had interrupted a dinner at a romantic restaurant. Rangiku, Tatsuki, and Uryu had each interrupted a different quiet night alone at Orihime's apartment. His sister had interrupted a quiet night in this very room.

He had refined his speech now due to far too many attempts to get the entire thing out, then decided it just wasn't worth it. All he had to do was say five words. Just five little words. Orihime, will you marry me?

"Orihime, will you…"

"ORIHIME-CHAN!" Rukia came hurtling down the stairs, and Ichigo closed his eyes and almost gave up. Maybe fate was just enjoying screwing with him.

"Rukia-chan!" Orihime's head whipped up, cracking her forehead against Ichigo's chin. She leapt to her feet, stumbling as she did so and rubbing her head, everything focused on the franticness rolling off the other girl in waves. "The wedding in only two days away! What's wrong?"

"She doesn't have anything borrowed!"

Ichigo wondered what the hell she was talking about as he rubbed his neck, which was a little stiff from the mild whiplash his girlfriend had just given him. At least it was mild compared to some of the other times. His eyes snapped to Orihime as she gasped.

"But I thought you said that Ise-chan was going to loan her that one choker necklace…"

Rukia shook her head emphatically. "Even with that elaborate kimono, she refuses to not wear that ring-on-a-chain necklace she always wears. During the last fitting she even pulled it out of the collar, and I think she plans on wearing it that way. One of the maids almost fainted."

Orihime almost giggled at the thought, but remembered what she knew about the necklace. "It, it means a lot to her. I can't really say much, but it's special, and I can understand why she won't take it off, even for her wedding. Maybe especially for her wedding." Orihime said the last so softly that neither of the other two even heard her.

"That still leaves us with a problem. Her kimono is new, the obi is a very old Kuchiki one, her flowers are blue, but she has nothing borrowed!" Rukia ranted, not noticing that both Isshin and Yuzu's heads were sticking around the corner into the kitchen watching her.

"You don't have anything?" Orihime asked in surprise. "Or Momo-chan? Or Yuruichi-nee? Or…"

"Well, none of us wear earrings or rings, and she already has hair ornaments because they were made to match the kimono, and…"

"Let's go check on wedding websites." Orihime interrupted, pulling Rukia behind her as she raced up to Ichigo's room and his computer. "I'm sure we'll be able to find a good idea for something…"

Ichigo's eyes were spinning as he watched them race out of the room without even acknowledging his presence. He heard a soft chuckle behind him and spun to face his father, who patted Yuzu on the head before asking her if she could finish making dinner on her own.

Yuzu nodded and slipped back into the kitchen as Isshin walked into the room and looked at his son with a smile on his face. "Planning a wedding, whether it is your own or someone else's, is one of the most important things a girl ever does. Everything has to be perfect, because it has to fit the dream. The dream that, for at least that one day, nothing is more important than the two of you and your love for each other. Wait here for a minute."

Ichigo watched as his father went up the stairs, his entire head spinning now. He wasn't sure if he liked the more serious Isshin that emerged more and more often as of late. His father was easier to deal with when he was trying to pummel him into the ground than when he was being insightful. Plus it was just fucking bizarre to see the man who had worn an expression that belonged in a chibi-anime for as long as Ichigo could remember suddenly being serious and mature.

Isshin returned a moment later carrying a black silk bag, and sat down beside his son. He pulled out one of the only two items in the bag, an oblong oak box, polished to a gleam. He snapped open the clasp, and pulled a fan out, flipping it open for his son to see.

Ichigo stared at the hand-pained fan, which depicted a grove of sakura trees in bloom, and koi alive-looking enough that they seemed to swim through the small pond in the foreground.

"I've never seen that before…" Ichigo said after a moment.

"Ran-chan gave it to me on the ten-year anniversary of the day I became a taicho. Became her taicho." Isshin said softly as he put the fan back in the box. "Have Rukia tell her I would be honored if she would carry it."

Ichigo took the box carefully when his father held it out.

"It's the only thing I took with me from Seireitei, because she wasn't just my fukutaicho, she was one of my best friends. There was never anything romantic between us, " Isshin chuckled as he saw of a look of curiosity come into his son's face, "But I hated knowing how much she would be hurt by my leaving. I don't know if she noticed I took the fan with me or not, but make sure she knows I want it back!"

Ichigo chucked a bit, then drew his breath in sharply as his father pulled a second item out of the bag.

It was a black velvet box, one he had only seen once in his life. But he remembered the item within as if he had seen it yesterday, when in fact he had only seen it every day during the first nine years of his life, and had not seen it since. "Otou-san…"

"When I put it in this box, I told the three of you I didn't think I was going to pass it on to any of you. I couldn't imagine seeing it on anyone but her. But I think she would want you to have it. She would love Orihime, and she would be so proud of both of you."

"Otou-san." Ichigo couldn't think of what to say.

"I have to help Yuzu finish dinner now." Isshin said quietly as he rose. "Don't wait too long. It could have been Orihime instead of Karin. Don't waste time; it's too precious. Especially for people like us."

Ichigo stared after his dad for a long time after he had gone back to the kitchen, then with shaking fingers opened the box his father had placed into his clutched hand.

And for the first time in 9 years, he smiled as he saw light reflecting off his mother's diamond engagement ring.

TBC…..


AN2: They probably don't do the old, new, borrowed, and blue thing in Japan, but I figured why not? I didn't really feel like researching marriage customs in Japan, so I just used Western ones. Hope that doesn't bother anyone too much, cause the wedding in the next chapter will be much the same way, although I do know about the sake cups thing. Again, please review. I'm hoping to have the next part out in about a week, but we'll see.