Down

by Star Slightly To The Right

When their eyes met, something changed and shifted. The world, it seemed, was in their hands. AU

6. world

…

…

The clouds rolled over the school and students hurried to file into their respective classrooms, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the inner turmoil blooming within the city.

As Tatsuki twirled her pencil in her nimble fingers, she was quick to throw a glance over her shoulder.

He's acting weird.

Her eyes narrowed.

Weirder than usual.

Licking her lips, she returned her attention to the board as Ochi-sensei continued on with the lesson, writing this and that.

Ichigo, though, was in his own world.

Yesterday had been a force to be reckoned with. Not only did he learn much more than he'd originally hoped for, but his world was turned upside down. His family wasn't actual family, his mother was murdered and he'd been followed for almost his entire life. He leaned on his desk heavily, slouched, and stared out the window, watching as the clouds moved and formed and his jaw clenched ever so slightly. Now was definitely not the time to daydream, but he watched as those clouds formed into large silver eyes that gleamed and shined with a large smile. Somehow, a smile of his own hitched at his lips. He guessed it wasn't all bad. He could still imagine her small hand in his, tiny bones under fragile, ivory skin and flushed cheeks under a big gaze of ashen-gray. He could already detect the feeling in his chest – he missed her already. Someway, she made all of this easier to control, easier to mull over, but that seemed as though that was the kind of person she was.

Returning his attention back to the window, he listened to the drone of class. A scowl was brought to his lips as he thought of Orihime all alone in that giant place, beaming and running around, small and bright. He did not like to think of her there with all those strange people and guns and machines and especially getaboshi, but he did not protest as they kicked him out.

—Blood under his shoes—

Ichigo's eyes tightened.

The memories still came in flashes, but they were there and they were real and full and left him with a sickening feeling in his chest. His mother had been murdered – another topic he would have to discuss with everyone at the S.S. If that was true, then why did his father also believe that his mother had died in a terrible accident? As Kisuke had said, his father had also been a part of everything, and even though he did not like think of his exuberant, hyper, maniac of a father lying to him, he knew that all of this was at least a portion of the truth. But that also meant his Old Man had secrets of his own and a lot to explain. Ichigo – sooner or later – would get his answers. Another thing that tore him up was how she died. He'd been there to watch her death, had watched the blood seep underneath her body, and somehow kidnapped by some "Ichimaru" character and taken to "Aizen", whoever the hell these people were.

Great. More questions for me to ask.

There was a light breeze and Ichigo blinked from his thoughts, for the window was not open and there was no fan installed in the classroom. He nearly fell out of his seat when something splatted against the glass of the window and leaked.

'Ichigo, please commeth immediately to S.S.'

The red liquid trickled down, thick and dark as it evaporated as quickly as it had come. Others students had been distracted at the sound, but were confused when nothing was to be seen. Ichigo jerked from his seat, standing, and shouted,

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?! IS HE CRAZY?" Skillfully, Ichigo ducked in time for a piece of chalk to sail over his head. He turned towards the teacher, multiple veins throbbing in his face, "Hey!"

"Stop making so much noise, Kurosaki," She groused, sneering her upper lip at him.

His eyebrow twitched violently, "But—"

"SIT DOWN!"

Instantly, he listened to her demonic voice, plopping back down in his seat. Tatsuki crooked a brow at his strange behavior, but did not voice her concerns as she also glanced towards the window. Nothing seemed to be different, but she could've sworn she saw a black feline slowly make its way across the school yard.

She rolled her eyes.

Gah. Weird shit every day.

…

…

"So what was that in class, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked curiously.

Ichigo glanced up from his uneaten sandwich situated in his hands, "The hell? You heard about that already?"

Keigo threw a lazy arm over Ichigo's shoulders, "Everyone already knows how crazy and weird you are, Ichigo. Mind tellin' us what's going on in your tangerine head?" He was practically arching against Ichigo now, begging for the latest gossip.

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched again as he tried to stop himself from crushing his lunch, "Fuck. It's nothin'. Just my imagination, I guess." He bit into the bread and chewed, completely ignoring the taste of mayonnaise, even though Yuzu knew he hated it on his sandwich. He glanced towards the edge of the roof, the railings, and narrowed his eyes.

Keigo followed his gaze, but found nothing, "Boo boo~ You never tell me anything, Ichigo!" He complained unhappily, wailing, in fact.

Ichigo's fist rose and Keigo was on the ground the next second, blue rivers of tears running down his face. Mizuiro glanced up from his phone curiously. A red tic became known on Ichigo's orange head, "Dammit. It ain't important!"

Tatsuki was busy unwrapping her own bento. As she peered into it, she couldn't help but smile softly. Her young sister had truly tried – the hamburger was made into perfection, the veggies were seasoned, and the wieners were cut into little octopuses. Breaking apart her chopsticks, she dug in, "I honestly don't listen to Ichigo and his weird ways anymore. It's so old."

Ichigo's fist slammed against the table this time, "My life ain't damn entertainment, Tatsuki."

She waved a hand dismissively, "Whatever."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. The getaboshi was crazy if he thought he was going to ditch school to go to that crazy place. His eyes darted back to the old tree in the school yard and he swore he saw a flash of white disappear behind the wood before it was gone. Ichigo blinked and scowled again, down at his sandwich this time.

Maybe people were still following him. Damn. He really didn't need this today. Really, Ichigo just wanted to continue on with his day, with his life, but he knew that was as close to impossible as him acing the Geometry test later. Eyebrows merging frustratingly, he stuffed his half-eaten lunch back into the bag and dug out his juice box, easily sticking the straw through it.

Today, he just wanted to be Kurosaki Ichigo.

…

…

"Oh! Ichigo! See ya!" Keigo waved a hand over his head.

Ichigo glanced over his shoulder and raised his own palm casually, "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

A fist hit his arm and Tatsuki frowned, flexing her hand, "What the hell have you been doing? Lifting trucks?"

Ichigo shrugged, turning towards her. No need to attract any more attention to himself. "What you hit me for?"

She crooked up her brows, "It's Friday, idiot. No school tomorrow."

Ichigo wracked his brain, frowning deeply now, "Ya sure? I could've sworn…"

"Ichigo," her voice made him glance back at her. There was a flicker of concern in her dark eyes as her eyebrows swept higher up her forehead, "Are you sure you're alright? You seem much more distracted than usual."

Ichigo's nose scrunched up. Of course Tatsuki would notice a difference. She had always been like that. Turning his face away, he scoffed dryly, "Tch. I'm fine."

She grimaced along with him, "Whatever, stupid. Just don't come crying to me when people start to suggest therapy."

A vein throbbed in his temple, "They won't, dammit!"

She waved him off again, "Yeah, yeah." Sprinting a few feet ahead of him, she whirled back around to wave, "See you later!" She turned the corner, gone the next second before Ichigo could even bother replying.

He tossed his bag over his shoulder lazily. As he began to walk, he went to the store, somehow picking two chocolate bars. This reminded him weirdly of Orihime. He could feel that fluttering in his chest – so very weird and confusing – but he ignored it and paid, continuing his way home. It was sundown by time he made it and when he reached the door, he was slightly surprised to see a white piece of paper against the wood.

He spotted a couple of chibi faces, along with his name in giant kanji.

Ichigo, I've decided to take the girls out for dinner for their first week in junior high. Unfortunately for you, your presence was not needed and thus we left you behind. Please finish the minimal chores

-Laundry

-Dinner for yourself

With lots and lots of love-power,

Isshin-chi!

A crudely drawn picture of his fuzzy face was on the bottom and Ichigo clenched his jaw, eyebrow twitching uncontrollably. "Those damned idiots!" He thrust the door open, balling the paper in his hand. He was a part of the family, too. Slipping off his old converse, he continued down the hallway.

Hiss!

Ichigo jolted in surprise and his gaze darted around before falling onto the black cat on the ground, his foot on its dark tail. It hissed viciously up at him, golden eyes narrowed dangerously as he rushed to lift his foot.

"T-The hell?" He groused, "What're you fuckin' doing here?"

"Language, boy," the cat said in its deep tone. Ichigo's scowl deepened, damn talking cat, "You should respect your elders."

"You're a cat," Ichigo said flatly.

"And you're a teenager with orange hair, but you do not see me trampling over your pride."

The vein in Ichigo's temple was truly going to explode. Stalking past the cat, he continued down the hall, "So what, are you here to take me to…" His stomps paused in the living room, much more open than the tight space of the entrance, but that wasn't what made him stop.

Pale, soft skin.

Orihime.

She sat on the low table in front of the couch, feet tucked underneath her comfortably. Ichigo's mouth fell open as his bag dropped from his limp hand and hit the ground with a low thud. Somehow, the sound did not register in his mind as he realized much more skin was visible than what was acceptable.

Slowly, a waterfall of auburn hair fell down the slender back. Her slim arms came around, clasping on the bra. He was in complete shock as she took a loose, pale pink spaghetti-strapped shirt and brought it over her bright head, positioning it correctly over her body, hiding her supple skin from his view.

Hiss!

Ichigo broke from his staring when he felt claws on his left leg. He glanced down, nearly toppling over in shock as the black cat attacked his school pants, hissing and revealing its fangs. Shouting his indignation, Ichigo shook his leg until the cat released him, landing lithely on its feet, glaring at him with his golden orbs.

"What a pervert," it commented, turning its face away, "Watching Orihime-sama dress like that…"

Ichigo sputtered, unable to form a complete train of thought. The flashes of the pale skin and elegant shape of her body spurted through his mind. He tried to fight down the pink in his cheeks, averting his gaze awkwardly, but somehow, his eyes landed back onto the redhead.

She jerked, as though surprised, and hesitantly turned around, the strap on her right shoulder sliding down to her shoulder. Ichigo swallowed, his mouth dry. She was just as stunning as she was yesterday. Large silver eyes, thin shoulders, delicate collarbone, smooth skin, and long, thick red-gold hair that slightly pooled around her on the table. Suddenly, a radiant smile lit up her face.

"Kurosaki-kun~!"

Ichigo nearly jumped in surprise as she lurched from on top of the table clumsily. He pitched forward, prepared to catch her, but she caught herself and the next second, her thin arms wrapped around his neck. Ichigo started in surprise as her soft scent surrounded him, lavender. He found himself breathing in deeply as she clung to him tightly. She was short – a few inches underneath his chin – and her curves pressed into him. Her legs were bare besides the small skirt that revealed her thighs and calves and she was barefoot. Ichigo grunted softly, and stooped down at bit.

Orihime squeaked as Ichigo scooped her up easily. She peered up at him and Ichigo glanced away, pink in his cheeks, and carried her bridal style back towards the table. He could've placed her on the couch, but she seemed to like the table much better as she settled onto it comfortably with a wide smile.

"You shouldn't walk around barefoot," he said sternly and her smile widened in response.

"Hai~!" she gave an exuberant salute to him, appearing irresistibly adorable. Ichigo glanced away again – somewhere safer. The wall was good.

"What're you doing here?" He asked and daringly locked eyes with her again.

She blinked. "I wanted to see Kurosaki-kun. You said we could be together again."

Ichigo's scowl melted away.

"I followed her," the cat said from beside him, causing his attention to waver, "She isn't supposed to leave S.S. grounds without permission."

Giggling shyly, Orihime shifted, her skirt pushing up a bit more to reveal even more skin, "I know, but they never, ever, ever, ever let me leave and Kurosaki-kun was gone for a very long time!" She seemed upset about this.

"You should be able to leave that da—" He cut himself off from his harsh language and scowled again, "That stupid place." Orihime blinked at the word while the cat rolled its yellow eyes, "Come here whenever you want."

Her eyes grew on her face, impossibly big and glowing now, "R-Really?" She beamed up at him, "That makes me very happy, Kurosaki-kun."

"When Yoruichi-sama and Urahara-san find you, Orihime-sama, you probably won't be able to leave your room for days. It's dangerous for you to leave the grounds." The cat reprimanded her.

Orihime inched closer to Ichigo. "B-But—"

"No buts. We need to head back, now," he turned around, fully prepared to leave the home with the redhead girl. Ichigo sneered.

Like hell that was happening.

"She's not goin' anywhere," Ichigo drawled frankly. The cat glanced at Ichigo over its tiny shoulder, "She can stay here as long as she wants."

Yellow eyes sparkling cleverly, the cat said, "And who are you to make that decision, Kurosaki Ichigo? You do not know the regulations and—"

"Screw the regulations." Ichigo replied lazily, "Orihime ain't some prisoner. Stop treating her like one."

The cat's eyes narrowed. Orihime gripped Ichigo's dark blue shirt with both hands, "Neko-san…" She murmured softly, "I want to stay here with Kurosaki-kun."

He sighed in response, "Orihime-sama—"

"Then it's settled," Ichigo concluded before the feline could argue. "Until she wants to go back, she's staying here with me."

"Oh! Really?" Orihime smiled brightly again, "Now we can eat all the candy we want and watch scary movies!"

Ichigo smiled softly, watching as she gushed on and on while the cat appeared disturbed.

"Orihime-sama, you know you are not allowed to—"

Quickly, Ichigo threw a glare over his shoulder, only for the feline to retaliate with a sharp hiss, the fur bristling upwards, "We'll do whatever you want."

Ichigo could've sworn 'Neko-san' was smirking now, "And what of your family?"

Ichigo nearly face-palmed. How in the hell was he supposed to explain a beautiful, radiant redhead to his family? No telling how his father would react. Either freak out or remember the girl. Ichigo still had to find out what the hell was going on.

"Fa…mily?" Orihime repeated slowly, tilting her head, "Family? Kurosaki-kun, Kurosaki-kun, you have a family?" She tugged on his shirt, causing his attention to revert back to her, "Can I meet them? Can I? Neko-san, do you want to meet Kurosaki-kun's family, too? I'm sure they would want to watch the movies too and eat candy and choose dresses for weddings of the little blue men~!"

Neko-san sweat-dropped, "Orihime-sama, please—"

"Oi," Ichigo's attention, again, went somewhere else. Off to the right of the table, he could see a basket of freshly washed clothes and towels. Some were folded against the far wall while others were still bundled up. Orihime followed his gaze and then beamed. "Did you do that?"

"Un! You were gone for such a long time that I had to find something to do." She mulled this over, placing a finger against her chin, "Your father's room is awfully dirty. There were clothes everywhere." Digging into the bin, she pulled out a pair of Isshin's briefs, "Like these…" She stared at them, "I can't remember what they're called…"

Sputtering in shock, Ichigo was quick to yank the underwear from her dainty hands and then dropping them as though it burned, "What the fu—Don't touch that kind of stuff, Orihime!"

She blinked, "Eh?"

Roughly pushing a hand through his messy hair, he sighed heavily, "Damn," he ignored Neko-san's glare, "How am I gonna hide you?" He peered down at her as she began to fold once more, the strap falling further down her upper arm. She bathed in the orange sunlight from the wide windows, so very lovely. Ichigo watched as she peeked upwards and her eyes landed on the full-blown poster of Kurosaki Masaki.

Orihime blinked once again. "…"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, "You know her?"

She hesitantly glanced over her shoulder at him and offered a soft look, "…She seems familiar, but…" She gazed back towards the photo, "I'm not very sure."

For once, the cat was silent. Ichigo merely crossed his arms over his chest. When she paused, confused on how to fold a long-sleeved sweater, he reached towards her.

"Here, lemme…" He bent down, taking the shirt from her as he got comfortable on the floor. folding the shirt properly, he watched as she smiled at him, thankful, and then continued onto the next set of clothing. For some reason, a sense of warmth filled his chest.

This, this was something he could see. She was stunning and in his home, alone with him, folding clothes, smiling, and as random as it was, he could imagine a future, somehow, someway, that would smooth over the pain of his blank memories.

…

…

There was laughter.

Ichigo's head shot up and Orihime blinked with innocent curiosity before her face suddenly brightened. She clumsily climbed off the table, surprising Ichigo, and hurried towards the hallway, "Family! Family~!"

"Oh, fu—" Quickly, he grabbed the back of her shirt. She gasped in surprise as the front door's lock was twisted. Growing frantic, he snatched up the cat – who was fast asleep on his couch – and it instantly flailed, making loud, enraged noises, and then sunk its claws into Ichigo's arm. Ichigo hissed, but did not let go. Instead, he allowed Neko-san to cling to him as Orihime righted herself. She squealed when Ichigo stooped over, wrapping his free arm around her waist, and threw Orihime over his shoulder. Her tiny hands dug into his back as she wiggled.

"Wait, Kurosaki-kun, what're you—"

The door opened and footsteps rang through the home. Ichigo jerked upward and took a dive towards the staircase. Karin was the first to round the corner and perked when she saw Ichigo hurrying up the stairs, "Ichi-nii…" She trailed off when she spotted the wave of long, auburn hair vanishing with him. "Eh?" There was a thud and the slam of Ichigo's door.

"Karin-chan, where's Onii-chan? Onii-chan! Did you eat?" She called up towards the steps. There was no reply, but a couple of curses and bumps from above. Curiously, the twin glanced over her shoulder, "Oh. He did the laundry."

Karin crooked a brow, "That's weird."

Isshin back-flipped into the home, shouting joyously, "WHERE IS MY SON?!"

"Why in the hell are you so loud?!" Karin shot back, lifting her foot in time so that it landed directly in the Old Goat's face.

…

…

Carefully, Ichigo placed Orihime in the middle of his room. She righted herself on her feet, peering up at him with large silver eyes, "Kurosaki-kun, why did you—"

"Shh!" He hushed her. He towered over her thoroughly. He waited until the ruckus downstairs quieted down before he glanced back down at her. Orihime blinked before flashing him a brilliant smile. Quickly, he flicked on the lights as she looked around his room with her wide gaze.

"This room…" she whispered, her lips parted in surprise, awe. She suddenly jolted, as though coming to a conclusion. Ichigo raised a brow, "smells like Kurosaki-kun!"

Heaving a sigh, Ichigo's face softened. She was adorable in her quirky ways. It was strange, almost, to have her here in his room. There was an air about her that Ichigo wished to learn more about, something that made his heart beat faster. A part of him knew she wouldn't be here forever – Urahara would come and those damn psychos would be angry. He sighed softly – like it mattered to him. As long as she was safe, as long as she was there, he didn't think anything would be wrong in his already fucked-up world. Between the lies and the erased memories, Ichigo could actually find something – or someone – to hold onto, keep him grounded with bright smiles and brighter eyes. It made him strangely lighter that she was here, that she ran to him. But he guessed he was used to strange.

Long, red-gold hair fell down her back as she continued to glance around, gaze lingering on the bed, his old pair of junior high school shoes, old assignments, and finally onto the bookcase. She seemed to staring at that longer than the other distractions.

"Wanna look?" He asked.

She gasped sharply, whirling around to face him, "R-Really?" He watched with clear bemusement as she reached for his books, most of Shakespeare and manga and comic books, along with other textbooks and novels he hadn't touched in years. She seemed fascinated with all of them, quickly grabbing a large book from the shelf and many others. Before he knew it, her arms were full and she was quick to spread them out on the floor, staring at the stack in almost wonderment.

She likes to read, he thought with clear surprise.

He guessed he could see that. After all, Kisuke had said something about her always yearning to learn something new, whether it was from this era or in the early B.C. He watched as she picked up her first book, a comic book, shounen at that – complete horror and guts and blood and action at every turn of the page. He didn't say anything as she pried it open and began to read. Of course, he had no idea if she'd the rest of the series, because he was sure he only had a few, but she seemed enraptured with it almost instantly. Ichigo took a seat in his desk chair, swirling it around so he was facing her.

As much as he wanted to ask her questions, ask her what she was, how she came to be, what was wrong with him, his family, his mother, everything, he held himself back and watched her delicate, small hands flip through another page.

"Orihime,"

She did not respond to her name.

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Orihime."

She turned another page.

"Hime."

She jerked and turned to see him watching her with his amber eyes. A strange, pink hue covered her cheeks before she smiled brightly, prettily, "Y-Yes?"

The tips of his ears started to burn as he stared at her a second too long. Quickly, he dug into his school bag and yanked out one bar of chocolate, "Here," he tossed it to her and turned his chair so she couldn't see the heat splaying across his cheeks.

He did not see it, but he could feel her brighten up, "Thank you!"

His face burned even more, "Yeah." When he unloaded his back, trying to focus on his studies, he could literally feel her – every swish of her hair, every flip of the book, and the large eyes. The cat was beside her side, one paw on her thigh, and licking at the other one, but not before cutting glares at Ichigo. He wondered if he should be so aware of her presence, but simply answered the question on his own. Why shouldn't he with her overwhelming presence? It was impossible not to notice her in a room.

Beginning his studies, he worked on the Math first and then resumed on his way to English. It was getting easier as the weeks passed.

"Oh no~!"

Ichigo jumped, eyes growing wide, "The hell?!" He turned in his chair and watched as Orihime's eyes grew on her pretty face, "Orihi—"

"He killed Kyoko and now the world will slowly plunder downwards! That evil miko tried to tell you, but you did not listen and now the little blue men with the red bean paste fairies are going to come and take your body away~ and I tried to help, tried to grab the giant laser in time, but nothing works for poor Kyoko-tan!" She gibbered on, a fist pumping into the air excitedly. Ichigo crooked up his brows.

"Um, Orihime?"

She blinked and her eyes focused onto him. She blinded him with a dazzling smile, "Yes, Kurosaki-kun?"

Instead of answering, he huffed, the usual scowl coming across his face. "Are you sure it's alright? It might give you nightmares."

She blinked again, "No, no, no! I'm fine! Honest!"

His scowl deepened, but he did not protest, "Yeah…" Turning back in his seat, he resumed on his work. Carefully, he filled in the lines and when it came to the harder words, he was sure to translate it through his dictionary and notes.

"Kurosaki-kun,"

Ichigo glanced over his shoulder almost automatically.

"Huh?"

Ichigo watched as a soft look passed over her face again. It was gentle, just a subtle change of her eyes, but still there. It was vaguely sad, but spoke volumes to him. His scowl deepened and his hands balled, clenching the pencil tight in one hand.

"I'm…" she started softly, "I'm really happy to see you again."

His eyes narrowed, the amber gaze intensified with his thick lashes, "Good."

"It seems that," her eyes softened again, "you have gotten too far for me to reach."

He grimaced. That statement bothered him more than he would've liked. And the look she was giving him made his heart thud wetly and loudly against his chest. The manga was limp in her hands now, her attention drawn towards him, towards his gaze. As he peered at her, she smiled brightly.

—"I made her for one reason and one reason only."—

He opened his mouth to argue with her weird statement—I'm right here. You don't have to reach—but the next second he heard the loud stomping of feet and the lack of silence in the house.

"Shit!"

Orihime blinked curiously.

"ICHIIIIIIIGOOOOOOOOO~!"

Quickly, Ichigo stood in his chair as the door sprang open and a large figured launched into the room. Ichigo wasted no time, hurtling from the chair and delivered a swift, brutal roundhouse to his father's jaw. The older Kurosaki grunted in pain as Ichigo moved again and landed another jab, this time in the kidney. Isshin flew from the room and crashed into the opposite wall in the hallway, creating a clear indention of his body. He groaned and Ichigo managed to yell, "STAY OUT!" before he slammed the door. Too bad he didn't have a lock on the damn thing.

Underneath the overpowering anger and frustration, he remembered Orihime.

Damn.

He turned around, almost reluctantly, "Hey, sorry about th—"

He blinked.

The cat rolled its yellow eyes.

Orihime lied on his wooden floor, her hands tucked under her face, and her hair swept around her back, shoulders, and pooling around her on the floor like a waterfall of auburn. She appeared small, smaller than usual, her slim shoulders, slender body, and the heavy mane cascaded around her. It made something in his stomach light up, fierce and alive. She looked like a fallen angel, so lovely and fragile that he could not stand it.

His eyes narrowed, heavy lashes over a fiery, amber gaze.

"It seems that you've gotten too far for me to reach."

Why did that bother him so much? With his hand, right now, he could reach out and touch her – her hair, cheeks, anything. Instead, he crunched in hands in tight fists.

Silently, the cat watched him.

I'm right here.

He slowly picked up a red-orange lock of hair.

Orihime.

…

…

Casually, familiarly, she kicked the door behind her.

"Sorry, guys," she called, running a hand through her dark, spikes, "I was practicing at the dojo. I didn't notice how late it was."

Silence.

The black-haired grimaced shortly, but shook her head. The air was thick was something, something she could not place her finger on, but she ignored it, throwing down her heavy bag and allowing the warmth of the heater to comfort her.

"I'm starving," she said more to herself as she walked towards the kitchen, down the long hallway. Pushing the door out of the way to reveal the kitchen, she breathed in deeply, and was slightly surprised to not see or smell any food. Her frown deepened, "Mom?"

There was no reply.

Licking her lips nervously, Tatsuki opened the fridge and pulled out a soda can, finger prepared to snap it open as she walked around the wall and towards the living room.

She paused.

Her heart came to a stop.

"T…Takara…?"

The can dropped, dark bubbles fizzing on the ground.

Her younger sister in question squealed against the bonds holding her to the wall. Her sundress had been torn, her dark hair a mess, and her brown eyes held complete, absolute terror that chilled Tatsuki down to her bones. Ignoring the multiple guards in her home, Tatsuki lunged for her struggling sister, only for the butt of a gun to ram into her stomach.

Saliva surged from her mouth and her eyes bugged. Somehow, her legs gave out, and she sunk to the ground, to her knees.

"Ah, ah~" A voice teased and long, thin finger lifted her chin, forcing her to stare in the slit sapphire orbs. "Don't pass out on us, sweetheart."

"W…Who…?" She managed to whisper, spit through her clenched teeth.

Gin's smile widened even further, if that was possible, "I have'a job fer ya, Arisawa Tatsuki."

She did not reply and she watched in complete horror as a gun was aimed towards Takara's head, right at the temple.

Anything, her mind thought vehemently. Anything at all!

Gin's eyes twinkled, as though he could read minds, "It's regardin' Kurosaki Hichigo. I need a li'l favor."

…

…

"DID YOU THINK YOU COULD KEEP ME OUT?!"

Ichigo's eyes shot open.

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGOOOOOOO~!"

Fuck.

There was the sharp sound of the door bursting open, slamming against the wall, and Ichigo was up the next second. Quickly, he tackled his father and they flew, together from the room. Yuzu squealed as she came from her room, her brother and father wrestling on the ground. Karin casually side-stepped as they barreled down the steps and curses flew from Ichigo's mouth.

"I'm gonna murder you, Old Man!" He roared and his fist landed in Isshin's face. The elder was quick to retaliate with his own attack, sliding his leg underneath Ichigo's feet, stumbling the orange-haired. Isshin's arms slid around Ichigo's throat and arm, fully putting him in a sleep-hold. Ichigo growled like a wild animal and managed to throw his father off and the man landed a few feet away, head bursting through the wall by the dining table.

Ichigo shook an irate fist at him, "What the hell is your problem, bastard?!"

Isshin yanked his head from the wall, glaring right back at his son, dry wall and paint stuck in his hair, "I'm preparing you for the outside world, Ichigo! Always be on your feet, destroy anyone in your path, and meet the woman of your DREAMS!"

The twenty-third best scorer in his entire grade glowered at his father, "I'm gonna murder you one of these days!"

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu reprimanded sharply as she climbed down the stairs, prepared to make breakfast for her boisterous family.

"Such harsh words to your own father!" Isshin complained. Suddenly, his expression changed severely. Eyes catching fire with righteous indignation, the oldest Kurosaki shook his fist right back at his son, hollering, "For saying such words in my lovely home, you deserve PUNISHMENT!" He declared in a harsh, deep tone, "I WILL NOT ALLOW SUCH ACTS TO GO UNPUNISHED!"

Ichigo felt numerous veins throb, "BRING IT ON!" Before Isshin could even think of attacking, Ichigo's fist struck forward and imprinted into his face. Isshin flew back and Yuzu cried out as he landed right back in the wall where Ichigo proclaimed he belonged.

Before anyone could protest, Ichigo was back upstairs, in his room, and slammed the door shut.

Yuzu sniffled, "Onii-chan is so mean…"

"So loud in the morning," Karin grumbled dryly as the Old Goat continued to whimper and whine.

…

…

"Ooooh~ Kurosaki-kun, Kurosaki-kun, look, look!"

Hands tucked deep in pockets, Ichigo glanced over towards what she was pointing at. It was another building, but much taller than the others. Subtly, he glanced down at her. Her cheeks and tiny nose were flushed from the cool weather, but she was smiling. It had been hard to maneuver around this morning, but he hadn't mind. First, there was the problem of finding her something to wear. Her skirt did not offer any form of warmth, but he'd draped his second, heavy coat over her and she didn't seem to mind. His gloves were a little too big for her hands and the earmuffs on her head made her appear smaller, but again, she was fine with it all.

His body was still tense from sleeping on the floor the night before and giving her the bed, but he did not care. As long as she was comfortable and fine, then all was well. He knew at some point, as Neko-san had said, that he would have to bring her back to S.S. and wait for another time to speak with her again, but he tried not to think too hard about it. The cat had vanished somewhere, some place, but Ichigo hadn't paid much attention to it. It hadn't been hard either to sneak the two past his family, for Yuzu had been in the kitchen with his father and Karin was watching television.

As Ichigo and Orihime walked further in town, Ichigo began to feel the familiar warmth he felt when she was around. She played with the buttons on his jacket, got distracted easily, and moved too much for him to keep up, but he could not remember a time when he'd been this happy. Discreetly, he peered at her from beneath his lashes, and watched as her mouth parted, her eyes growing brighter as she looked upwards.

He prepared for the familiar words.

"Ah! Kurosaki-kun, look!"

He did.

She was pointing her little finger up towards the sky, so he followed her line of sight and was slightly surprised to see the first snowflake fall to the ground below. She was excited about it, her mouth falling open and her eyes becoming even larger as her cheeks burned red.

"What?" He snorted vaguely, a smirk tugging on his lips, "You've never seen snow before?"

She looked over at him and mulled it over, "Un! Once."

He crooked a brow, "Once?"

Again, that soft look flashed across her face before she smothered it. "Yes," she murmured, her breath coming out in a little cloud of smoke, "Just once."

Ichigo felt his heartbeat speed up as he watched her, "You don't leave that place, do you?"

"I don't very well remember the last time I did," she said and then tilted her head to the side, "Is that bad?"

His eyes narrowed. He did not want to say yes, but he didn't like the way they kept her cooped up in there, with all those strange people too. She was special, so he could see why they hid her, but what about the rules of that place, about the "villians", and the tubes that had some point put her inside. Vaguely, he wondered how she could stand it – being so different, so lost, and searching for bit by bit.

When a finger poked the crumbled space between his eyebrows, he blinked, breaking from his thoughts. Orihime dropped her hand back to her side, frowning curiously, "Kurosaki-kun?"

"Gah. I'm fine." When she continued to peer up at him, he tried to force a small smile, "You wanted to go see if the comic store had the next edition, right?"

Orihime's face brightened, revealing the sun, "Un!"

His smile became a little less forced, "Then let's—"

"Ichigo,"

Said teenager turned at the familiar voice. His face lifted slightly, a corner of his mouth hitching up.

The dojo champion stood just a foot away, a dark brown coat on her slim form, and a red scarf around her neck. Ichigo raised a hand, "Tatsuki. Yo."

The girl nodded vaguely before her dark eyes switched over to Orihime, who was shying backwards. Ichigo felt her small hands grip the sleeve of his jacket, tugging on it gently, "Kurosaki-kun…"

His eyes softened, "Don't worry. She's a friend, Orihime."

Tatsuki's eyes tightened a fraction at the name, but she held it together.

Gently taking Orihime's arm, he pulled her forward, and in front of him, "Tatsuki, this is Orihime." The bright-haired girl smiled at her before bowing respectively.

"Hello, Tatsuki-san," Orihime rose and Tatsuki merely stared down at her. Before either could stop her, Orihime launched forward, and threw her arms around Tatsuki. Ichigo blinked in surprise and Tatsuki practically toppled over. Righting herself, she stared down at the redhead in bewilderment.

"Looks like she likes you," Ichigo said.

Orihime beamed, the flush deepening in her cheeks, "Un. I…It's nice to meet someone new."

Ichigo averted his gaze up to Tatsuki. His eyes narrowed. She had a strange look on her face. She was staring down at Orihime with an unreadable expression, her eyes flat from emotion, and her lips in a firm line. A strange sensation rolled up Ichigo's spine, but he quickly smothered it.

"Where are you going?" He asked, hoping to fill the silence.

Tatsuki glanced up at him and then away, "I'm…not sure. What about you?" Orihime detangled herself from the senior, glancing between the two curiously.

"Comic book store. I'll explain a couple things on the way," Ichigo assumed she was curious about Orihime and he could understand that. As they walked, he guessed he could come up with a good lie. He kept a tight grip on Orihime's wrist as they treaded to the train station. It was a quick walk, and Tatsuki seemed to be in a hurry. When they boarded the train, Orihime glanced around in awe, obviously unfamiliar with the change of scenery.

Ichigo found her a seat next to the exit, and was quick to tell her to stay seated. She would wander away if he didn't stick close. There was a handful of people around them, surprisingly thick and warm in the train. As it began to move, Ichigo turned towards Tatsuki, prepared to tell her his rehearsed line, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Tatsuki-san?" Orihime cocked her head to the side at him, tugging at his sleeve. He shrugged in reply. It seemed as though his heart was content with her by his side.

"She must've gotten lost in the crowd," Swiftly, he pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open as the train zoomed down the rails. As he found Tatsuki's number in the long list, he was surprised when the train suddenly jerked to a stop. It slowed quickly and Ichigo grabbed onto Orihime's hand to keep her balanced. He was sure this wasn't a stop and even the people in the second train station seemed confused, glancing at their watches as the train paused in front of them.

And then Orihime gasped, "Kurosaki-kun…!"

Ichigo did not need to know the problem. He could already see it. One moment, it was only three people outside the train, and then, suddenly, there was a long line of soldiers. Ichigo could identify the uniforms as the others from a few nights ago, the people who'd attacked him and Orihime.

Orihime cowered, her eyes growing wide. Ichigo's body was faster than his mind. He shoved her and she squeaked as she landed on the ground, clear of the view of the windows. People were already moving around, confused and interested.

"…going on…"

"…a drill…"

"…the army…"

"…gonna be late…"

"Kurosaki-kun!"

The doors slid open in front of him and Ichigo took a quick step back, grinding his teeth together as the wind blew fiercely into the cell. He could've ran, pushed past people, grab up Orihime, and hurry out, but before he could even find the right mind to do it, a hand pressed flat against his back and shoved him forward with surprising strength.

He gasped, stumbling from the train.

"Kurosaki-kun!" He could not see her, but Orihime was becoming frantic.

He managed to whirl around as he caught himself and stared into the hard eyes of his longtime friend, Arisawa Tatsuki, who still held her palm out, the palm that had pushed him to his fate.

The next second happened so fast, if he'd blinked, he would've missed it. The doors slid shut and there was an announcement over the speakers that Ichigo couldn't hear. Her mouth moved, mouthing two words.

And then the train started again.

His brain, somehow, processed the words, "I'm sorry."

He managed to get a glance at Orihime – she was up again, and her hands pressed against the glass, her expression much more than he could handle.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

The cold breeze knocked into him and his brain frantically grasped at the straws, trying to decipher what the hell just happened.

"Ara, ara~" the voice was somehow familiar, playful and hard at the same time. Ichigo glanced over his shoulder and froze when he saw the silver hair, the slits of eyes, and the wide smile of a snake. "Ya sure have grown, Hichigo, my boy."

"…!" Ichigo did not move, but his heart was thudding away.

"Try not ta fight us, Hichigo-kun," the man continued teasingly, "I don't want'cha ta get hurt."

On cue, the guns clicked and aimed onto him, tiny dots on his forehead, temple, heart, stomach, both arms, and legs.

Gin lazily regarded Ichigo with a meaningful gaze, "Yer comin' wit us."

From afar, the black feline narrowed its golden eyes into slits.

"This is going to be a problem,"

…

…

Hope you liked it. I was trying to finish this before I began on Hidden Screams again, which should be finish in the next couple of days. Somehow, I wish I could've changed a couple things about this chapter, but there was nothing I could gather up into my brain to make into a clear story. I'm still trying to remind myself not to reveal everything, keep the attraction obvious between Ichihime, and try to give enough action.

Next chapter will be epic, though. I can assure you that. Anyway, I should probably start on my other stories. Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to me, which is on Thursday, November 1st. Scorpios forever~!"

I wanted to know what you think. Please review. It makes my stomach tumble around.