- THE CONNECTION -
CHAPTER 21
It was still dark outside, big fumes of smoke coming from the back of the car that was running warm. Orihime sat inside the car accompanied by her one and only friend, Ulquiorra Cifer.
The young mother had requested for Ulquiorra to be her guide instead of Momo. She felt more save with Ulquiorra and Tatsuki, even though she was grateful for Momo's care taking the last few months.
The two of them were dressed casually, now driving through the barren land of the former Inoue kingdom. "Are you sure you want to take this route?" Ulquiorra asked, his hands on the steering wheel.
"I must. I'm quite desperate, you know." Orihime said half with a smile, looking at her friend. "You, desperate? I always saw you as the never-ending optimist."
"I still am, but times have changed. I'm a mother now, did you forget? I have to do everything in my power to keep him save." He shifted his eyes and in the darkness saw a determined look on the face of his friend. One he had never seen before.
"A child getting a child. How amusing." Orihime glared at him, pouting as Uliquiorra internally chuckled. "Since you're so big now, I won't doubt your decisions. Of course I have my opinions, but I won't stop you."
"Why are you telling me this?" It wasn't like Ulquiorra to talk this much. It seems she is not the only one who changed. "Aren't you the one to always question my decisions and bluntly share your thoughts?"
"Because, I believe in you princess Inoue. Back when we were kids you were just a female. A whiny little child that would always go against me, but now you're a princess and a future queen. This is my way of saying that I'll trust you with whatever you choose." His eyes remained on the road, but he could feel the eyes of the female upon him.
"Thanks… you don't know what that means to me, Ulqui-kun." She started sniffling at his words, which made him annoyed. "Woman, no need to spill your tears on my empty words." He said, but inside he was warming up. The bond he shared with this lady right here was deeper than anyone could imagine.
No, he did not fancy her or love her romantically, but ever since they became friends he promised he would be loyal to her.
"Ulqui-kun, do you think it would be better to just leave it all behind and move to the countryside? You, me, Kamari and Tatsuki. What do you think?"
Finally peace.
That was what came to his mind, but he immediately shook away the thought. "Only the four of us? What about your husband? You're not planning on leaving the fool as he is?"
"Kurosaki-kun? Who are you kidding…" Orihime sighed, turning to the side of the window. "Let's forget it. I have set my mind to visit this person. We can't run away."
Ulquiorra chuckled. Orihime wasn't a coward, she always fought for justice and honesty and in this complicated situation she was spreading her chances. Understandable and quite an unpredictable move from her end.
"Ulquiorra, since when have you known?" He made a slight noise that indicated that he did not understand her question. "About my background… you just called me princess Inoue." Her long-time friend nodded, focusing on the road in front of him. "I've known for a long, long time. But it's something you shouldn't bother yourself with, woman."
"Does Tatsuki know?" Orihime felt a bit nervous, not wanting the relationship between and her best friend to change. "She doesn't. I kept it deliberately from her seeing she has enough on her own plate." Orihime nodded, clasping her hands in front of her chest. Delighted by the answer of Ulquiorra who had always been a master at being secretive. "That was a wise thing to do. I'm happy Tatsuki is by my side again. I can't leave her alone now that I know about her addiction. I can't believe someone is so evil to do things like that! Do you know who it is?"
"Gin. Ichimaru Gin. He's one of Lord Aizen's confidantes." That name rang a bell in Orihime's ears, suddenly a loud gasp leaving her lips as she immediately hid her mouth by covering it with both her hands, her eyes looking for Uliquiorra's. "A-Are you sure it's him? That name… that's Rangiku-san's fiancé."
Ulquiorra didn't seem to notice her whisper and focused his attention back on the road that was getting more and more uninteresting as they kept driving. "Why is he doing these horrible things?" "Money, fame, power, but mainly because of Lord Aizen's desire. You know his father was a famous scientist, right?" The female nodded, listening with her full attention. "Aizen-sama is a very smart man and promised to uphold his father's research, but since he's occupied with other things, he asked his henchman Gin to oversee the research. Not with much luck though…"
"Why not with much luck?" Orihime asked, intrigued by the story. "Gin is smart, but not a genius like Aizen-sama. The self-healing serum has been in development for over ten years and they barely had any breakthroughs. It's a waste of time and resources."
"Hmm, that's why they took Tatsuki's family. He must've been desperate for subjects." Ulquiorra nodded, looking with his usual uninteresting eyes at the female. "It's best if you never meet him. He can mess people up just like Aizen-sama." Orihime nodded, understanding the danger that Gin posed. So, that's Rangiku's man… She must not be aware of this.
It was hard for the female to believe that such a cruel man held the heart of a such a beautiful, warm and valuable woman. Feelings of sadness for her friend Rangiku overcame her. "No need to pout woman. The world is a cruel place, you can't take everything to heart."
Orihime nodded, understanding the harsh reality of the world. She took a deep breath, feeling a sense of determination filling her. Whatever the outcome, she was ready to face it head-on.
As they continued driving, the sun started to rise and they arrived at their destination. Orihime took a deep breath before getting out of the car, her friend following closely behind. They stopped at a little cottage that was near a huge lake, located near the high mountains of the Kuchiki kingdom. It was very quiet and serene, a place that was entirely different from all the other places Orihime had seen in her whole life.
The cottage was surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees that were starting to bloom. The lake was calm and reflected the mountains perfectly. It was a peaceful place that seemed to be untouched by the chaos of the world. Orihime looked around, taking in the beauty of the place, before she took a deep breath and walked towards the door of the cottage, a male with a huge black robe and white hairpins waiting for her outside.
"Kuchiki-sama." Orihime said in a soft voice, bowing in front of the male who now turned around to face her. "Inoue-sama, you made it safely with your… companion I see." Byakuya's eyes lingered for a moment on Ulquiorra's form before meeting Orihime's beaming face.
Byakuya led them inside the cottage and offered them tea. Orihime was nervous, but her friend's presence gave her some comfort. "I believe you had a good trip?" The female nodded, having trouble stopping smiling. The reason for her smile was the atmosphere and the location where they were at. If only Kamari was here with her to enjoy this wonderful place.
"You truly have a beautiful place, Kuchiki-sama. I'm quite jealous." She chuckled, looking around the rather huge cottage that was almost like equivalent to a luxurious house. "It's all yours if you like? It's hard not to notice the stars shooting out of your eyes." The girl laughed, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "I thought I was good at hiding my feelings."
Byakuya cleared his throat. "Inoue-sama, as much as I would like to talk about the beauty of my estate, I believe you came here for a more pressing matter." Orihime nodded, taking a deep breath. "Y-Yes, you're correct. I'm here because I want to take you up on your offer."
"My offer?" He looked rather curious, in the corner of his eye, he saw Ulquiorra whispering something in her ear before continuing. "My son has been found and returned to me."
"Congratulations, Inoue-sama. You must be over the moon." Orihime's smile faltered a bit, thinking back at the day she was reunited with her son. "I am, I truly am happy but…"
The man shifted in his seat, trying to figure out what the reason was for the female's hesitation. "To be frank with you, Aizen Sosuke was the one who helped me search for my son and thanks to him, I finally was able to hold my son, but in return, I made a promise to him. One I'm not so sure if I can keep, concerning the circumstances."
"And you're here looking for a way out?" Byakuya was surprised by Orihime's request for help. They didn't even establish a friendship or anything of that sort, it was just a short connection but she was willing to ask him for help? Was she a fool? He couldn't quite read her intention, which made him nervous.
"Yes." Finally, her gray orbs met his lighter blue ones, both of them having a harsh look in their eyes. "What about your husband, Kurosaki? You know I don't do business with either a Kurosaki or an Aizen." He emphasized the names of the two males, feeling some sort of annoyance coming up. Maybe he had overestimated this woman in front of him.
"I am aware, but I'm here to make a deal. Your sister, Kuchiki Rukia is currently being held captive by Aizen-sama for the kidnapping of my son." Byakuya's eyes slightly widened at the mention of Rukia's name. A Kuchiki was in the hands of an Aizen? This couldn't be good news. His eyes immediately showed concern, which Orihime had picked up. "She's doing fine. I made sure they fed her properly." At her words, he relaxed a bit and went back to his harsh composure.
"But I'm not sure how long she will be fine. I have a feeling Aizen will use your sister to plot a revenge plan against the Kuchiki family. Even though he wants my help because of our history together, I do not believe I hold that much influence. He is very set on revenge that I… I'm scared that if I don't comply with his requests he might hurt my son."
"What do you propose then?" Byakuya's full attention was on the woman. He could read the concern on her face at for some reason it tugged on his heart. Seeing her distressed, it didn't sit well with him. "Well…" She closed her eyes, her teeth sinking into her lip as she bit it, almost making it bleed.
"When I leave the Kurosaki kingdom and things become too dangerous, I want to take refuge in your kingdom. Or, I want my son to take refuge in your kingdom. But I need you to promise to not hurt him or use him for any schemes against the Kurosaki kingdom. If you c-can promise me that… I'll do anything in my power to bring Rukia back to you."
Byakuya sat back in his chair, contemplating Orihime's request. It was a risky move, but he couldn't deny the desperation in her voice. He knew he couldn't fully trust her, but he also couldn't ignore the possibility of having a Kuchiki family member in danger, despite her grave sin. Finally, after a long thought, he spoke, his voice low and measured.
"Inoue-sama, I understand the scope of the situation and that you are quite in a bind. However, I can assure you that the safety of your son and the return of my sister are of utmost importance to me. I will do what I can to help, but understand that there will be conditions and terms that must be met."
Orihime nodded, seeming to understand the gravity of the situation. "Of course, Byakuya-sama. I trust you, but I know that we do not only live from mutual trust. What is it that you want from me?" She faced him once again, Byakuya gazing at the redness of her lips. Suddenly, he walked to the female and knelt in front of her, something that was extremely out of his character. He brushed his thumb over the bitten part of her lip and sighed. "Make sure you stay safe. I still have a debt to pay."
The female and her companion in the room were both taken aback by the ruler's sudden action of affection. All Orihime could do was blush and warm up to his touch. She took his hand in her own and smiled. "I promise I will be safe. If not, I will come running to this place. Who doesn't want to live in such a serene and secluded place?" She looked around, the smile returning to her face.
Byakuya chuckled and bowed, indicating the end of their meeting. "We will keep in touch. Please do not make any hasty decisions." Orihime nodded and then did something out of her character. She tiptoed her way to the man and whispered in his ear "Is there anything you want to relay to Rukia or Renji?" Byakuya shuddered at the touch of her breath against his ears, a rare occurrence as he never allowed him to feel anything when he was with a woman. Was he… growing interested in this female?
"Here." He reached into his pocked to give Orihime a gold coin with a logo of the emblem of the house. "Give this to Renji. He will know what this means." Orihime took the coin and hid it away in her dress.
With that, Orihime and Ulquiorra left the cottage, heading back to the car. "Thank you Kuchiki-sama. Stay safe as well." She offered him a genuine smile before stepping in the car. They drove off, leaving Byakuya to his thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much larger conflict.
It was dark in Ichigo's heart. The sun had left with haste and now it was dark and desolate. It was raining and he was now shivering inside his mind. All he could do was cry and cry, but in reality he was just laying in the bed beside a sleeping Kamari.
Starrk had brought his son to their room and had requested them to stay inside today. Orihime went on a trip but promised to come back and escort Ichigo and Kamari home. Starrk's choice of words made him worry, wasn't Orihime staying with them?
And now Renji even told him to keep his distance from his wife. Everything didn't make sense anymore, not that it mattered. His sun had already left.
"Ichigo." A firm voice said, standing beside the bed. "You need to eat something." He groaned softly, trying not to wake the little guy. "I told you, I'm not hungry."
"What does it matter? You haven't eaten anything in the past day and you're acting all messed up. How can you be a dad for Kamari if you're like this?" Renji's words stung and it made Ichigo growl. "I'm just not in desire of food."
"Tch… eat something or your wife will get mad at me!" Renji said with a raised voice, growing tired of Ichigo's sulking. They still needed to to construct a plan to get Rukia out of this place. "What do you mean by that? Orihime rightfully doesn't mind me anymore."
"You're such a drama queen sometimes." Renji sighed, bringing the tray of food to the male. "Your wife asked me to take good care of you despite the jerk behavior you showed her." Ichigo now glared at his friend, taking the tray from him. "And who's the blame?" He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. I'm the blame, I made the decision."
"I wonder why she asked you for a favor? I can look after myself perfectly fine." He mumbled while eating. However, he felt touched for hearing that his wife, despite their fallout, showed a bit of empathy for him. "She just said she needed some time. You can give the woman that, can you?"
Ichigo kept munching on the bread, his gaze now on Kamari. "I owe her that. I owe her a lot more, but until she's ready to face me again, it's the least I can do." A warm gaze in his eyes as he reminisced about the time Kamari was born. "Then stop whining like a child and eat your food. When the kid's awake you need to have enough power to feed and entertain it."
"Renji, how many times should I tell you? He's a he, not an it." The guy shrugged. "Make sure you enjoy your dinner. I'm gonna bust Rukia out of here tonight. See ya." And with that, he left the room.
Hours later, Ichigo returned with Kamari to Orihime's room that was still empty as she had not yet returned from her trip. The entire evening the boy had been playing and running around, keeping his father occupied. It was around midnight and the boy finally fell asleep again. Ichigo left his little look alike on the bed and walked to the couch, the exact spot where he and Orihime spoke for the last time two days ago. As soon as he sat down, he stood up again and looked into the cabinets for something to drink. He only found water and decided to take a sip, walking back to the couch where he once again broke down.
If he couldn't break down in front of Renji and his own son, then he would have to do it when no one was looking. Instead of sitting on the couch, he was sitting on the ground, legs pulled up to his chest as he was hugging himself. Tears streamed down as he was groaning, just soft enough to not awake his son.
Remorse, that was the main emotion clouding his thoughts. Guilt for being a disloyal husband, remorse for hurting his wife in ways that were unexplainable. If he could just explain… explain the real reason for his decisions. He couldn't bare to lose anyone close to him, again. But his greed for protection made him loose the most important things in his life, the ability to trust someone else on their word.
When Renji and Rukia came back into his life, why did he give in so easily to their demands? Was it because he trusted them with Kamari? Was he lonely? Or was it because deep inside he hasn't moved on from that time when he would sneak out to live another life? The life and freedom that came with it. No responsibility, no consequences when he failed, no eye that could judge him for the things he did.
But Ichigo was faced with the reality when he was the reason for destruction in the country. How his personal relationships had damaged alliances, trust, but most of all the peace. It broke him. After meeting Orihime and discovering she was bearing his child, more than happiness, he felt obligation. He needed to man up, keep his family safe from outsiders who were the cause for this mess he didn't even ask for.
He didn't ask for a wife, not a child, nor a kingdom, or to be born as a royal. Ichigo just wanted to live happily with the people he loved. The people he wanted to protect out of love rather than obligation, since he always felt he failed immensely when it came to that. Does that mean that he married Orihime out of duty? No, despite feeling obligated to protect her, he couldn't deny the feelings that were pouring out when he was with her. He wanted to cherish her, keep her hidden from the entire world because he knew how precious she was. But in his selfishness, he made another unforgivable mistake and now… what was he supposed to do?
He was hitting his head against the back of the couch, moaning Orihime's name while sobs came from his lips. "Hime… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Hime… I'm so sorry."
It was then that he looked up and saw a face in front of him. "Hime… is that you?" He pulled the face closer, his hand touching its cheek. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." He kept repeating while pulling her into a deep kiss.
Orihime had come home and told Ulquiorra that she didn't need an escort to the room and that she would be fine. From Momo she had heard that Ichigo brought Kamari bed and that there were no casualties. The female was relieved and made her way to her room. There were many things she had to think about. Despite having a deal with Kuchiki Byakuya, she needed to be cautious for her new business partner and in-laws. Luckily, she did a lot of thinking during her trip back and talked things over with Ulquiorra. It really was a help having a good friend around.
But even though she had all her plans set in stone, nothing could prepare her for the sight she was to behold. Orihime opened the door and was immediately met with sounds of a crying Kurosaki Ichigo. She rushed to the back of the couch and saw a curled up man, sobbing while apologizing as if he were saying a mantra.
"Ichigo!" Orihime knelt down before him, the display in front of her wrenching her heart. The way he gave her a glass stare, the tears that stained his perfectly hard face and killer jaw, the redness that formed around his eyes. It made her upset, angry, but most of all, she felt guilt. Not because of what happened in the past, but the plans she made to move towards her future.
Without thinking, she extended her hands and wiped his tears. He did the same and immediately she was pulled into a kiss. Orihime didn't resist the kiss, but instead immersed herself in her feelings.
Humans sometimes do unexplainable things. Actions that feel good but they might regret in the future. Whatever one might think, it didn't matter to the two individuals in the room. The kiss that started with mutual feelings ended in a war between their tongues and soft moans emerging from the deep pleasure they felt within. Orihime pressed herself against her husband, feeling his tender lips against her own. It was a slow but pleasurable pace and all Ichigo could think was: this must be a dream.
Slowly Orihime pulled away, meeting Ichigo's sad yet warm dark chocolate brown eyes. They were both winded as they just stared at each other, their eyes saying it all. Orihime placed her hand on Ichigo's chest and pulled on his shirt, making sure he would lean forward so she could access his lips. Both parties were in their own feelings, a mixture of love, anger, lust and guilt. Without thinking, Ichigo pulled Orihime into his arms and carried her to the couch, but instead of putting her down, he sat on the couch, still holding her in his arms as their lips were still dancing together.
It was Ichigo's way of saying that Orihime had the lead in this session. The female soon pushed him down on the couch, gazing at her husband. "Ichigo…" She whispered before kissing his neck, unbuttoning his shirt in the process. "Ichi…" The little kisses she left on him made Ichigo feel extremely sad for some reason. He closed his eyes as he could feel another tear escape his eyes. He didn't mind being vulnerable in front of his wife, it wouldn't matter either way. Orihime managed to open his shirt and kissed his chest until she suddenly burst out in tears. Ichigo shot up and took her in his arms. He didn't say anything, instead he kissed her forehead, rubbing her back as his wife made her way back to his lips.
Going back and forth, they stayed like that for a while until Orihime pulled away, whispering. "I haven't washed up… let me wash up first." Her husband, being silent, simply nodded, watching Orihime leave towards the bathroom. But he soon after followed her and pressed her back against him, his hand undressing her slowly while kissing her neck.
"Ichi…" she moaned again, leaning her head back as she could feel her body hunger for his touch. His kisses increased and eventually turned into hickeys as he was nibbling on her neck. While the tub was filling up, Orihime bit her lip as she could feel Ichigo's lips working their way to her shoulders, his hands going from her hips to her breasts, stroking and softly pulling her nipples. Soft moans came out as she could feel her body turn up in temperature.
"T-The bath is ready…" She managed to say with a raspy voice. He immediately stopped, his panting could be felt against her neck. She went into the bath and pulled Ichigo with her, leaving him entirely wet. "You should take off your clothes, or you'll get sick." Once again he said nothing, but did as he was told. Orihime blushing while watching her husband revealing his naked body. The tension in the air was different. Different from all the other times they made love.
Ichigo positioned himself in a way that he was now behind Orihime. He took one of the sponges and gently lathered her body in soap, rubbing it gently with the sponge. It was the first time that Ichigo took his time in bathing his wife, making sure she was clean. From time to time, he would rub his thumb over her delicate features, as if he was making sure nobody had touched her. Orihime did the same for her husband.
"Hime… I'm sorry." He rested his head on her shoulder as he could feel her wet body pressing against his own. "Forgive me…" His voice cracked once again, but soon Orihime kissed his cheek. "Ichigo…" They simply couldn't speak, both afraid of what words or excuses would come out. Instead, the female pushed herself unto her husband, kissing him while feeling him inside of her. She rocked her hips against him while feeling hugging him tightly.
It was now four in the morning and the orange couple was now naked on the couch in each other's arms. It had been well over a year since the two had been active in such a love making session. However, they were finally able to express their unexplainable feelings in a way they couldn't before. It was Ichigo that finally started speaking.
"Orihime, allow me to make everything up to you." The female touched his cheek and smiled warmly, feeling the sincerity of her husband. "Mmhm, you can, but only if you promise not to keep secrets from me ever again."
"I promise." He said before hiding his face in her neck, inhaling the sweet scent he never knew he was so addicted to.
"To think they were fighting a few days ago." She chuckled, but then her happiness turned into sadness as she saw how Ichigo carefully attending to Orihime's needs, his words coming back to her. "I love her, Rukia."
Outside the window, a pair of violet eyes witnessed the entire scene unfold. It was Kuchiki Rukia who managed to get away from her prison cell, thanks to Abarai Renji. While Renji was looking for a way out, Rukia got sidetracked and noticed there was a glass window near one of the hedges. To her surprise, she saw her ex lover making love to his wife.
She found herself crying as it did more to her than she thought. Just when she wanted to leave, she bumped into a strong chest covered in white. Two cold green eyes staring down at her. "A prisoner? Never heard of human decency and privacy?" Rukia wanted to run away but was immediately stopped, her mouth covered by Ulquiorra's slender hands.
"You're lucky you ran into me. You don't want to know what would happen if it was Lord Aizen instead." The female struggled, but in vain as the male was too strong for her. He brought her back to her cell and placed an extra seal on her door so she could not escape a second time. "I need you to stay put for a while."
"No, let me out!" She screamed. "I need to get back to Renji!" Ulquiorra snickered, walking away from the prison.
Hours later after breakfast, Orihime went to Ichigo and Renji's room. She stood before a closed door and sighed a few times before knocking. A half naked Renji opened the door, causing Orihime to cover her eyes and blush. "A-Abarai-san, where are your manners?" he cocked a brow and apologized. "I'll be right back." Moments later he reopened the door, revealing himself fully clothed. "Looking for your husband?" She shook her head. "Can I come in?" Renji felt uncomfortable but decided to let the female in.
"Spill the beans miss Inoue." He was afraid that if Ichigo would come in, Renji wouldn't leave without a scratch. "First of all, thank you for taking care of Kurosaki-kun. I'm glad he has such a trustworthy friend by his side."
"It's nothing. He would do the same for me." Renji answered, watching the female smile. "I'm glad to hear that. Well… I came here because I have a formal request."
"Request? For me? What is it?"
"I want you to accompany Kamari, Kurosaki-kun and me back to the Kurosaki kingdom."
"What about Rukia?"
"W-We should leave her behind… for now."
"For now? Tch, are you taking out your anger now on her?"
"That's not it."
"What is it then? If you're mad, then take it out on me. Take me as a prisoner in her stead!"
"T-That's not possible. Aizen-sama said already that he won't let her go…"
"Then we'll break her out. Easy as that."
"Abarai-san… I didn't want to go this far but."
Orihime pulled out the gold coin from her pocket, holding it out in front of the male. His eyes widened upon seeing the coin, as he immediately bowed down, his head facing the ground. "Y-You… have Kuchiki-sama's coin of command. He only gives that to his closest confidantes. How did you manage to…?"
Renji was interrupted by the female who was now kneeling as well to meet his eyes, speaking in a whisper. "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama are acquaintances and we made a deal. I can't go into detail, but to make sure everything goes smoothly Rukia will be released eventually. Just… just not immediately."
Things were getting weirder and weirder. How did this woman obtain Kuchiki-sama's trust in such a situation? How could Kuchiki-sama…
The male scanned the female's entire form and mentally nodded to himself. Of course, Kuchiki-sama is still a man even though he hasn't shown any interest in any female.
He hung his head, inhaling deeply as he was trying to make it all make sense. "So Kuchiki willingly is leaving his sister in the hands of Aizen?! What is he thinking?! Why would he then send me to Kurosaki's home? I'm better off going back."
"You can't. The entire kingdom is still looking for you and the heiress. If you come back with empty hands they will demand a public death sentence. You need to be in my sight so I can assure your safety." Renji sighed and sulked. He hated to admit it but she was right.
He couldn't return just like nothing happened. There were many eyes and people waiting for both his and Rukia's execution. Both of them committed a grave sin by turning their back on the house.
"I suppose you're right. But as soon as I get you guys home I'll be in the lead of the plan to rescue Rukia." Orihime's eyes softened upon seeing Renji all worked up. She heard little about Renji's relationship with Ichigo and Rukia, but she could tell the male in front of her cared deeply about the woman.
She slightly touched his arm, meeting his eyes. "It's a deal then?" He blushed and pushed her arm lightly away. "I-I guess…"
The female started laughing, her cheeks turning pink from the heat that rose to her cheeks during her little burst of laughter.
"What's so funny…?" Renji adverted his eyes to the ground, returning to a standing position.
"Don't you have a husband to tend to?" Orihime shook her head, flashes of their last night coming to her mind. "N-No…! Uhm, I'm done here. Thank you for your time!" The female immediately stood up and left.
The warrior from the Kuchiki kingdom now in turn chuckled. "He must've gotten some. Lucky bastard."
The day came finally here that the Kurosaki Family and co would leave the Aizen estate, and even though he would never admit it, Aizen was content with how things played out.
The male was now standing in front of a huge room in his study, watching the little family prepare themselves for their departure. A moment before, he had spoken one last time with Orihime.
"6 months, that's all I can give you."
"But Aizen-sama, isn't there another way? I mean, we can play this entirely strategically in a way that the Kurosaki kingdom won't know what will hit them. Me divorcing Kurosaki-kun might be too obvious." The female tried, looking rather uneasy.
"Do you have any dirt on them?"
"N-No…"
"In that case, princess Orihime. You have 6 months to find something valuable that can bring both kingdom to their knees, or you will divorce Kurosaki Ichigo." Either way, you will be removed from that useless fool.
Orihime didn't have many options and decided to agree. "If you say so. In turn, you're not touching Kuchiki Rukia, right?"
A dark chuckle emerged from Aizen. "Of course. I won't hurt her as long as you don't want me to. Please keep in mind, we're in this together gorgeous."
"Good. Then I trust you with all preparations."
"What made you change your mind? You seemed too hesitant before."
Many things had happened that Orihime would need an entire afternoon to explain herself. "Life. Next time when we'll meet I'll elaborate more on it."
She bowed and bid her now partner in crime farewell.
You only have six months, Inoue Orihime. Then, you're all mine.
After a long journey of one and a half day, Kurosaki Kamari, Ichigo, Orihime returned home in company of Renji and Tatsuki.
They were welcomed by the entire family, to their surprise they found a little boy sleeping in the arms of Orihime.
Masaki, Isshin, Yuzu and Karin were overjoyed but mainly surprised that Orihime returned with their grandchild and nephew. A crying Isshin approached the female first.
"Is that really my grandson? He's home! Gosh, he's so big already! Can I hold him?" Orihime nodded and passed her little sleeping angel to his grandfather. From his expression, she could see that he was truly relieved and knew nothing of Ichigo's schemes. Masaki cried as well, together with her daughters, a relief falling off their shoulders.
"You both must be so relieved. I can't believe this. Our family is complete. Thank you, God!" Masaki bowed down to the ground. Orihime immediately walked to her mother-in-law to help her up, tears forming in her own eyes.
"Orihime, all your suffering hasn't been for nothing. Our little prince is back." She hugged the girl tightly, Orihime feeling both happy and sad, since there was more to the story she needed to tell eventually.
"It's a bit too late for a feast, but tomorrow I'm gathering the maids and cooks so we can hold a party for my grandson that miraculously has returned!" Isshin proclaimed, all the maids present giggling and cheering for the happy occasion.
Later that night, Orihime was leaning on the railing of the balcony, the cold wind blowing against her cheeks. She couldn't feel the cold as her mind was filled with thoughts and memories of her trip. It was Ichigo who pulled her back to reality, his arms around her giving her comfort.
"I've meaning to ask, how was your trip?" Ichigo rested his head on top of Orihime's, watching the sun go down.
"It was good. I got to clear my mind and thought a lot about the future."
"Our future you mean?" He asked, the curiosity could be heard in his voice.
"Just the future in general. The future of this country, Kamari's future and…"
She gently turned around, her back pressed against the railing of the balcony. "that of the Inoue family."
A/N: Some of you must be really angry with me right now, but honestly some scenes were planned way in advance. I had to incorporate them. Otherwise, I did all my planning for nothing ,.
Anyways, and the story goes on. From here I will try to pick up the pace a bit to speed up the story progress. We're about 14 chapters away from the ending. So, there are still plenty of chapters to look forward to. Also, I kinda have a thing for Byakuya and Orihime being together. Not that it will change the pairing, but they're both such beautiful characters. Hehe let me know what you think!
Thank you for reading and until next chapter!