See Right Through Me
Just Another Bleach Story
Part Three
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.
Sorry for taking so long to update this.
*Orihime*
Healing
"Ulquiorra-san," Orihime shook Ulquiorra, whom was asleep on her couch, "we are going to be late for school!"
Ulquiorra shot up quickly from the couch colliding with Orihime. She should have known that he would be a light sleeper but she still didn't prepare herself for the impact. So now she was lying on her back, one eyes was closed, Ulquiorra was lying over her, and her hands were firmly placed on his chest. The position made a blush spring to her cheeks. He was the one who put her in bed last night, and the realization of that made her blush more.
"We are going to be late," she repeated more quietly this time.
"I apologize, woman." Ulquiorra sat back on his haunches looking at her with his emerald eyes, the emerald eyes she had missed so much. "Shall we go?"
She nodded looking down at the floor as she sat up. She felt bad. She had fallen asleep before she could give him any clothes to sleep in, so he had slept in his school uniform. She would make sure that she washed his uniform when they got home from school.
She stood up quickly grabbing her school bag she had sat beside of the couch so she could shake Ulquiorra awake.
"Well lets go," she smiled at him as she spoke, walking to the front door. He followed her obediently out the door and on to the sidewalk to the school.
She walked quietly with her bag in front of her. She avoided eye contact with him, not really sure what to say. She still couldn't believe he was alive and with her again. Still she loved Ichigo though, loved him so much it hurt. She knew things were going to be interesting at school between Ichigo and Ulquiorra, knowing that they were going to do something she sighed.
She glanced over at Ulquiorra walking beside of her. His hands were stuffed into his pockets like they usually were, and his eyes were focused ahead of him. She looked like he used to, it comforted her some knowing it was the old him. He glanced her way and she blushed looking away from him quickly.
Oh, my goodness. I was caught! She shouted in her mind. He caught me looking at him.
"Have you been eating well?" he asked her suddenly. "You look too thin."
"Of course I have been," she said nervously looking away from him. "I eat all the time."
"You are too thin," he repeated.
"Uh, do you have a bento today?" she asked trying to change the subject.
"No," he looked over at her catching her eyes.
"Good, I made you one." Orihime smiled, holding up the box.
"Thank you," he took it, nodding once.
"ORIHIME, WAIT!" Tatsuki came running up the sidewalk dragging Uryuu behind by his arm.
"Tatsuki," Orihime smiled at her best friend then at her boyfriend. "Wanna walk with us to school?"
*Tatsuki*
Once they were on school grounds Tatsuki looked around until she found the certain orange haired boy. A smiled crept across her features then she took off after Ichigo running though crowds of people. She grabbed him by his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks. He turned on her ready to throw a punch at whoever it was, but let fist drop when he realized who it was.
"What do you want?" he asked shoving his hand into his pants pocket.
"It is about Orihime and that new guy," she said letting go of his sleeve.
"What about them?" he asked his eyes narrowing slightly.
"He is staying with her," she said.
"I know," he sighed looking passed her, his eyes falling on Orihime smiling happily at Ulquiorra. Tatsuki saw the anger flash across Ichigo's face, and before she knew it Ichigo was taking off toward Orihime.
"Ichigo, what are you doing?" she shouted after him but he didn't answer her.
*Ichigo*
That damn, Ulquiorra. He would not stand back and let him take her from him. He made up his mind last night after he had that dream that he was going to tell her about everything, his hollow, his feelings, everything. He would not let anything take Orihime away from him not when he fought so hard to get her back from Hueco Mundo safely.
Ulquiorra's attention snapped directly from Orihime as when he noticed him walking towards Orihime. The look of disgust passed across Ulquiorra's face before it turned to the look of pure hatred. That pissed Ichigo off even more than what he was.
"Schiffer!" he called as he made it closer and closer toward them.
"What do you want, trash?" he replied coldly, his words dripping with venom.
"You better duck," Ichigo's fist flew smashing into Ulquiorra's nose knocking his head back.
"Ulquiorra-san, are you okay!" Orihime cried.
Ulquiorra merely drew his hand out of his pocket smashing it right into Ichigo's mouth. Blood dripped from the raven's nose, which he rubbed the back of his hand across. Ichigo brought his hand up touching his lip; he could taste the iron of his blood in his mouth.
"Kurosaki-kun, you are bleeding!" Orihime took his hand away from his mouth looking at his split lip. "You two need to stop the fighting. You aren't enemies anymore."
"You are wrong, woman, we are enemies just in a different way and always will be." Ulquiorra wiped the blood from his upper lip where his nose dripped.
"No, you just refuse to get along," Orihime gripped the hand of Ichigo's tighter and pulled him away toward the back of the school. Ichigo noticed the crowd that had formed for the first time then.
"Where are you taking me, Orihime?" he asked voice soft.
"Back here so I can heal your lip," she looked back at him with a cheerful smile.
"What about Schiffer?" he asked, couldn't help it.
"I will heal his wounds when we get home." Orihime said as she stopped and turned toward him. "Now let's see..."
Ichigo parted his lips so she could get a better look at his split bottom lip. He couldn't help but envy the raven for being able to stay with her, take care of her. Of course Rangiku and Toshiro were there so he knew Ulquiorra and her were fine alone.
He looked down at her, noticing the light blush on her cheeks as she concentrated on his wound. Her mouth was slightly parted as if she was trying to demonstrate to a little kid what to do. A smile formed on his face only tearing his lip open further, but he didn't care about his lip anymore, right now was when he should tell Orihime, tell her everything.
"Inoue," he began nervously, "I have to talk to you."
"Do it while I am healing this," she said not looking up at him only at his lip.
Ichigo saw the orange light as she began to heal his lip, "I have been avoiding you for a reason. I have done it because my Inner Hollow has been trying to get out and it wants to kill you."
"Kurosaki-kun...I could have helped you." Orihime said, her hands falling to her sides. "I want to help you."
"You can't help me with this, Orihime." Ichigo said quietly, looking down at her frail form. He had hurt her so much and he could see it. "I am sorry I put you through so much pain."
"I got used to it after a while, but it is fine now, right?" she asked looking up at him, her eyes weary. "You aren't going to ignore me anymore?"
"I don't plan on it." Ichigo smiled at her. "Rangiku and Toshiro are staying with you, right?"
"Yes, why?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"No reason," he shrugged walking away leaving her staring after him. He just couldn't tell her that he loved her, at least not yet.
*Orihime*
She looked over at Ichigo's desk; he was leaning on his hand his pen in hand and staring at the teacher in sheer boredom. It made her smile to see him like he was before the winter war, the war that had changed her so much. She watched his brown eyes slide to look over at her desk and caught her staring just like Ulquiorra had that morning. A blush flamed her cheeks and she quickly looked back out of the window.
Good going stupid, she told herself as she stared out of the window. You just had to look. You always have to look.
"Well, that is it for the day. I will see you guys tomorrow." The teacher said as she closed the book she was teaching from. Everybody stood, bowed, and filed out of the classroom in groups, or one by one. Orihime remained sitting waiting for Ichigo to leave first.
A hand was placed on her desk; her eyes slowly looked over at it. It was so pale it was almost white and immediately her stomach flipped. She looked up meeting the emerald eyes she knew was there. She forced a smile looking over at Ichigo's desk, he was already gone and that didn't surprise her.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, reaching for her bag at the same time she did. Their hands touched and she pulled back her hand quickly as she blushed.
"Yes," she whispered, standing up and letting him carry her bag when he grabbed it before she could. "Did you learn anything today?" she asked as they walked out of the classroom.
He shook his head, looking down as they walked down the stairs. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, her bag hanging on his arm. She studied him from behind, watching the muscle in his arm flex and relax from the shifting weight of her bag, but her eyes slowly shifted down to his rear. A blush sprung up on her cheeks when she realized what she was doing.
What are you doing, Orihime? She scolded herself mentally. You will get caught again.
She knew she wouldn't get caught after all he didn't have eyes in the back of his head like some people she thought did, like that old lady that lived close to her. She could know what someone was doing a yard away behind her.
Just keep looking at his back, Orihime she told herself walking behind him quietly.
She wondered if Rangiku and Toshiro were there today as they walked down the sidewalk toward her apartment. Ulquiorra kept his eyes forward and hands in his pockets not bothering to ask her why she was talking to herself. It made her happy having him with her again, but it also made her happy that Ichigo was once again speaking to her. She smiled to herself looking down at the cracks in the sidewalk that they were walking down. Ulquiorra turned and she didn't notice so she was still smiling cheekily.
"What is it that you are smiling at, woman?" he asked her as he watched her, coming to a dead stop.
She smacked into him with a thud and fell backwards onto her butt, "Uff, why did you stop for?" She rubbed her butt as she sat on the ground looking up at with a blush on her pale cheeks.
"If you were paying attention to me you wouldn't have ran into me in the first place." He said with a slight sigh in his voice. "I wanted to know what you were smiling about."
"Oh, you could have just asked." Orihime smiled standing up.
"I did!" he said exasperated.
"You did?" she asked tilting her head to the side.
"Ye-never mind. Let's go before it gets too late." He said as he turned back around resuming walking.
Orihime followed behind him until they reached her small apartment. Rangiku came rushing out of it holding a huge bag in her arms.
"Oo, Orihime you will never believe what I bought you!" Rangiku practically sang running up to her. "Who are you?" her eyes narrowed on Ulquiorra.
"He is a friend, Rangiku-san." Orihime said, forcing a smile.
"I am Ulquiorra Schiffer," he said stepping around her and walking inside of the apartment.
"Well, he puts a damper on moods, huh?" Rangiku said watching him toss Orihime's bag onto the couch and going to the bathroom.
"Not at all," Orihime said with a smile walking inside of the apartment.
*Ichigo*
Ichigo lay back in his bed staring up at his ceiling once again. He couldn't tell her what he felt after all, but he felt better telling her about his Inner Hollow. He sighed, Ulquiorra was still a problem. He closed his eyes leaving the troubles of his day behind him. It didn't take long for the dreams to find him.
"Ichigo-kun!" he heard his name being shouted from downstairs. He got up from his desk pushing paperwork aside. He rushed downstairs tying his tie as he went taking two steps at a time. Orihime stood gripping the back of a chair with her knees drawn in and she stood in a puddle.
"I-Ichigo..." her face was flushed as her gray orbs locked with his.
He sprang into action forgetting about everything but her and the soon to be baby. He ran over to her helping her into the chair she gripped before he ran back upstairs to grab the overnight bag from the closet. The baby had been due the week before and they wondered if a C-section would be needed, but now that Orihime's water broke Ichigo knew that was now out of the question.
"Come on Hime-chan I need to get you to the car." Ichigo crooned helping her out of the chair, flinching from the small whimper he heard from Orihime. "I know...how bad are the contractions?"
"Really bad...please just get me to the hospital..." Orihime gasped gripping the shirt at her stomach.
"I thought you wanted to go to my dad's clinic." Ichigo said helping her into their car.
"J-just please take me somewhere," she gasped trying the breathing exercises Ichigo had practiced with her. "It hurts, Ichigo-kun."
"I know," he said softly running to the other side and hopping in. "I will get you to the hospital," he promised putting the car in drive going to the closest hospital.
Ichigo paced the hospital hallway, one hand in his hair. Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin sat in the chair outside of the room with Ichigo while Orihime gave birth to Ichigo's son or daughter. He couldn't show how much fear he felt after he paced two hour non-stop. He looked over at his family, eyes heavy from the lack of sleep. Yuzu's head was in Karin's lap as she snored lightly Karin was doing the same with her head leaned against a drink machine.
Isshin walked up beside of Ichigo putting a hand on his shoulder, he sighed. Ichigo looked up at his father shaking his head. "She is fine, Ichigo. You know better than I do that Orihime is strong."
"It has been almost twenty-four hours since I have last seen her." Ichigo said weakly, voice weary. "How much longer do I have to wait until I can see her and hold my baby?"
"You have grown up too much," Isshin joked punching his son in the shoulder.
"How is she?" Rukia asked as she rushed down the hall with Renji on her heels.
"I don't know the doctor hasn't come out yet." Ichigo said looking over at his friends.
"Kurosaki, Kurosaki Ichigo?" a nurse asked Renji when she came out of the room.
"There is no way I could even come close to looking like that orange haired bastard." Renji laughed pointing to Ichigo.
"I am sorry," she apologized.
"Is she okay?" Ichigo gripped the shoulders of the nurse, eyes wild.
"Her and your daughter is just fine," she smiled from behind her mouth and nose mask. "She is tired so try not to overwhelm her."
Ichigo could have almost kissed the nurse before he rushed into the room sliding the door open. Orihime lay on the hospital sheets pale but looking fully alive with their daughter in her arms. He was afraid for just one instant that she would have black hair and look like Ulquiorra but when he walked up to them and seen the orange hair he knew that she was his. He smiled placing a hand on top of her small head.
He looked at Orihime her face covered in tears and a smile. He smiled back at her tears in his own eyes as he took their baby into his own arms for the first time. He smiled down at his little girl into his arms the tears rolling down his cheeks. He actually had a daughter and he could not believe it. Her soft rosy lids opened and her light gray orbs locked with his and her lips seem to curl into a small smile.
"What will we name her, Ichigo-kun?" Orihime asked, leaning forward in the bed.
"What do you think about Kohana?" he asked more to the baby then Orihime herself.
"Kohana sounds lovely," Orihime said with a smile on her face. "Kohana it is."
"Isn't she lovely," the Inner Hollow rasped. "A perfect little flower, is she not?"
Ichigo's eyes blanked as he went to hand Orihime Kohana. Orihime knew instantly what was happening when his jaw clenched as she took the baby. She let him do what he had to as he sat in a chair far away from her.
Why did it have to happen when he was holding his daughter for the first time? Why did it have to happen at all? He clenched his head in his hands gritting his teeth against the annoying but terrifying voice inside his head. The tears dried up and he clenched his eyes tightly shut. He wouldn't let the hollow have its way anymore.
"Oh, but you will because you have something more precious than Orihime now. You will want to do anything you can to protect that little flower."
"More then you know," he spoke to his Inner Hollow.
Ichigo sat up in his bed abruptly just like every time and sighed as he rubbed his face. It was just a dream and nothing more.
*Rukia*
Rukia sat in a small cafe sitting across from Renji as she sipped some tea. Renji looked at her in a soft way like the way he had that night in the water long ago when they were kids. It sent things fluttering in her stomach and she couldn't help but to focus on the liquid in her cup as she blushed. What she really wanted to do here was talk to Renji about Ichigo but Renji had other thing planned. She hardened her face waiting until she knew all traces of the blush were gone then looked back up at him.
"We need to hook Ichigo and Orihime up!" she declared in a big rush, the seriousness she thought she had was gone.
Renji's eyes widened and he had to fight to keep from spraying Rukia with the tea in his mouth. "I have to ask...WHY?"
"Have you seen them lately?" she asked, her eyes falling back to the cup in her hands. "Orihime looks as if she would turn into dust if you touched her and Ichigo, well, Ichigo looks hollow and angry."
Renji sighed leaning back against the booth crossing his arms, "He was always angry looking." His eyes found Rukia and he sighed defeated. He had no defense against her. "What do you want me to do?"
She smirked knowing he would come around, "I want you to tell Ichigo we need him for something important." She leaned forward crossing her arms on the table as she sat her tea aside.
"I am listening," he smiled at her leaning forward and touching his lips to hers.
*Orihime*
Orihime stood in the front of a mirror fixing the simple dress that went sown to her knees in a stunning flow of light green. Rukia had come by and invited her to have dinner with her and Renji at a fancy diner. She really didn't want to go and leave Ulquiorra alone even though she knew Rangiku was going to be there. For some reason that really did make her feel better she knew what Rangiku was like. She caught a glimpse of Ulquiorra in the mirror and flushed looking down guiltily.
He walked into the room with her his eyes looking over her quickly before he focused on her reflection in the mirror. "Where are you going, woman?"
"Rukia invited me to dinner," she said quietly as she continued to look down. She knew he walked to the front of her and she flinched when she felt his hand on her chin. She also felt when he dropped it stuffing his hands back in his pockets.
"Then enjoy yourself," he turned and walked away from her, hands in pockets and eyes closed.
She sighed and continued to get ready for the dinner she was invited to.
*Ichigo*
Ichigo sat leaned back into the chair he was sitting in, looking out of the window. He didn't know why Renji had brought him here but it couldn't be good knowing it was him and Rukia was behind it. He picked up a piece of bread tapping it on the table in sheer boredom. Who they were waiting for he didn't know but he couldn't wait much longer or he would die from the boredom.
"Quit that, Ichigo!" Rukia growled snatching the bread from him. "Just wait a little longer, please."
"I don't even see why I am here!" he snapped back at her not noticing when Orihime came in the door, blushing when she seen Ichigo.
"That is why you are here!" Rukia snapped underneath her breath, snapping her head in Orihime's direction. "You are here for her...and yourself."
Ichigo's breath seemed to catch as he stared at Orihime, cursing underneath her breath as he stood up walking over to Orihime. He knew exactly why he was there the moment he laid his eyes on Orihime in the soft green dress and her hair curled around her pale face, gray orbs shining with life that had been gone for so long. He could feel his hollow stir within him and his jaw clenched. It was just the beginning.
Well, that it for now. Again, I would like to say I am sorry for taking so long to update. I have been very busy. I am glad you all are patient. I will try to make the next chapter better and update sooner. Just be patient with me, my wonderful readers.
kandi~chan ;)