I'm back with another chapter. As always, these awesome characters are owned by Tite Kubo.
Have fun!
It was night and Ichigo was wandering through the corridors of the Unohana estate. What he heard from Unohana did not stop him from getting nightmares, still blaming himself for the things happened. Villages destroyed, families torn apart, men killed, women kidnapped and all because of a toxic relationship. In cold-blooded sweat, Ichigo made his way to the garden. Unohana loved flowers and had a lovely garden with all sorts of flowers. Roses, dandelions, sunflowers and many more. It was a safe place for Ichigo, it reminded him of his childhood days with him mother.
It was 3 am at night and Ichigo finally managed to get to the garden after what seemed like an eternity. He gasped for air as he could feel the cold wind blow against his body, the sweat dripping on his face. He regulated his breath, but he didn't notice that a petite frame had turned around, two pair of gray eyes fixated on the sight in front it.
Orihime also couldn't sleep and decided to wander around the castle. Before drifting asleep, Rangiku had given her a change of clothes and gave her a small map of the estate. "Please feel free to roam around in case you can't sleep." Rangiku said with a wink before leaving the young parent to be behind. Orihime studies the drawn map and noticed that there was a garden on the map. She loved flowers and gardens, reminding her of her village, where there were many flower fields.
She found herself in the garden suddenly and was distracted by what seemed like a tall madman entering. The male that had saved her suddenly appeared before her, but not in a normal state, it seemed. He breathed loudly, sweat all over his body and his eyes even more intense than before. She was taken aback by his sudden appearance, but couldn't help to notice his strong build and handsome featured face.
When he finally caught his breath, Ichigo noticed that someone was staring at him. An auburn haired female was sitting in front of him on a bench, her body turned around to face him. The moonlight gently graced her beautiful and very pale face, her plump pink lips slightly parted and a hint of shock and both worry in her eyes. She was wearing a light blue night dress that seemed to fit her perfectly. Ichigo breathed with an open mouth, but a bystander might think he was in awe by her appearance.
For some reason, both of them couldn't manage to say a word, until Ichigo decided to turn around to leave. "Y-You don't have to leave. P-Please, feel free to stay and enjoy the flowers with me." Normally, Ichigo would've ignored requests like these coming from unknown women, but he wasn't really looking forward to going back to his room. He was bummed that someone was already occupying his spot, but right now after a nightmare it didn't seem too bad to share it, for once.
Ichigo stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around, seeing Orihme's eyes turn from shock and worried into warm and gentle, a smile appeared on her lips. He turned his whole body and decided to make his way to the bench where she was seated, Orihime making some room for him to join her. There the two were seated, in complete silence. Ichigo found it awkward to look at her, so instead of making eye contact, he looked up and faced the sky, his mind completely blank. His signature scowl on his face.
He must have a lot on his mind… he looks so intense. Orihime thought by herself, her eyes shifting from the male to the flowers beside her.
"A-ano… I'm glad to see you here. I wanted to thank you for saving my life. Due to the circumstances, I felt like I did not properly thank you. So, thank you once again." Orihime said softly, her sweet and high-pitched voice dancing through the air, making its way into Ichigo's ears. She slightly bowed down with her upper body, showing respect to the male beside her.
Ichigo looked at her in the corner of his eyes and simply nodded. She looked so graceful when bowing down. He grumbled, "no need to thank me, alright. Are you doing better? You seemed perplexed and shocked by the whole situation." He now looked at her fully, meeting her eyes that seemed to break contact after a second meeting his.
"Y-Yes… I'm sorry you had to see that. It's been quite a hard time for me, but sitting here in the garden makes me feel a lot better. Rangiku-san is so kind for letting me know about this place." A faint smile appeared on her lips as she was fidgeting with her fingers, her knuckles white from pressing her fingers against each other. Ichigo noticed this, and it looked as if her fingers were in a fight. Indicating that she probably wasn't okay like she was saying.
"Yeah, Rankgiku is like that." Ichigo mumbled, taking his chin in his hands as he moved down, his elbows resting on his knees. "This might be a bit personal, but where are you from? I'm just wondering, so I can help you go back… If it's too hard to answer, please don't feel obligated to answer." He quickly added, still looking down.
Orihime bit her lip as there was quite a silence between the two. The female suddenly stood up, holding out her two hands and turned them into fists, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Ichigo suddenly felt a space between him. Oh. no! It was too soon to ask her.
Orihime bit her lip as she was still standing in front of the bench, her hands in fist, up to the heavens as if she were asking courage to reply to Ichigo's question. Suddenly, her lips parted, eyes opening as she looked up to the sky and said "A place far from here, a place where the starts look like they are in reach, but so far away. A place with warm smiles, people with warm hearts. The place where my brother would wait for me with, eager to share the activities of his day with me. The place where my friends would always find a way to cheer me up, where the little children would tug at my skirt, pleading me to share another story. A place that I call home."
Ichigo looked up while hearing the female speak. The moonlight was like a spotlight upon her, making her shine all bright according to the male. It looked as if she were preparing a speech. "Haiko." She suddenly said, turning to Ichigo with tears welling in her eyes. "It's called Haiko. Once a small village at the south-east side of the Unohana jurisdiction." She softly said, her hands coming down and clasping together in front of her chest as she started right into Ichigo's eyes. It was if he witnesses a play, but he knew that the tears reflected in her eyes were real, and it showed both her hurt and love for her village.
While watching her, he suddenly felt an uneasy feeling in his heart. It was as if her teary eyes made his heart sink. Orihime broke once again their eye contact and closed her eyes, wiping her tears. "Haiko, the village of safety. Used to be a home of the rich and powerful, hence the word Haiko. It has a rich history." Ichigo added, his voice low and soft. "I truly am sorry for what happened. T-This… it shouldn't have happened…"
There was guilt in his heart. He knew it was his fault, he knew he was the reason this woman was in hurt. The terror she had experienced, and here she was, thanking him for saving her life. He swallowed as she suddenly broke his thought. "I'm glad there is someone who knows about my village." She sat down next to Ichigo, her eyes now cleared up from her tears. "Please don't apologize. Those who should apologize are those who killed all the men of my village. Those who have blood on their hands and are responsible for the screams of forever scarred woman." There was a hint of anger in her voice, and it surprised Ichigo that her tone changed from sad to somewhat firm.
The orange top couldn't do anything than just to stare at the woman in front of him. His scowl hiding his surprise. Suddenly, Orihime perked up and turned to Ichigo, bowing her head. "This is so rude of me, but I haven't even asked for your name. M-May I know your name? I couldn't quite catch it back in the infirmary…." She mumbled. Ichigo chuckled inwardly as she for some reason reminded her of Yuzu.
"It's Kurosaki Ichigo." He said rather calm, his eyes looking at her expression for something familiar. Orihime's eyes widened as she turned around to meet the eyes of the male that saved her. Her cheeks turning red as she immediately covered her face. She's sitting beside the one and only KUROSAKI ICHIGO?!
The whole Kurosaki family was very popular in the south-east villages, and all women in her village would swoon over Kurosaki Ichigo. There was even a Kurosaki Ichigo fan club in her village. All the girls would collect pictures, signatures, or anything else from the Kurosaki family. Tatsuki made it her daily job to make fun of all the groupies, encouraging and swooning over Kurosaki Ichigo. Of course Orihime wasn't part of it, both her brother and Tatsuki-chan wouldn't allow Orihime to indulge her time in something so useless. But she couldn't help to notice his handsomeness in pictures and wonder what such a man like him would do daily. But from what she heard, he wasn't a gentleman. He was rather rude to women who would try to sneak into his private belongings or matters. But wasn't that normal? He would be rough, brutal, and insensitive. She remembered once again the words of her brother, "Orihime, you are a beautiful gem. But people like us don't belong with royalty. Royalty will fail to see your true beauty. They only marry for personal gain. That is why, I beg you not to waste your time on daydreaming about this prick. He's not worth your time. There's so much more in the world, waiting to be discovered by you. Focus on that, okay?"
But who would've thought? That the man who saved her life of all people was the next king of the Kurosaki kingdom. He was nothing like what Tatsuki or her brother said. He was thoughtful, even more handsome in real life and quite nice. Orihime was still in shock as she tried to gather her thoughts. She must've looked like a complete fool in front of him. Ichigo, on the other hand, was mentally rolling his eyes. She must be one of them… he thought. He was used to women fawning over him, over how handsome and strong he was. Looking from her reaction, it wouldn't surprise him if she did the same.
Orihime quickly fixed her composure and cleared her throat, her head bowing down. "M-My apologies. I f-failed to see that it is you… Kurosaki-sama. I am quite unsure what to do now. I have never met royalty in my life, but I'm overjoyed you saved my life. I'm forever in your debt, Kurosaki-sama." She said respectfully, her gaze still not meeting his.
"T-The blue men must've invaded my head again." She said sheepishly, causing Ichigo to arch his brow in interest, waving his hand in front of his face. "No need to be so formal. I was just doing my job, and I'm just relieved you and your fetus are doing alright."
Orihime smiled and looked down at her stomach, her left hand now rubbing her stomach, nodding as if she remembered something. "One day, I'll tell baby-chan about you saving him! It should be a very nice story. How Kurosaki-sama saved us and how he's actually nicer than what Tatsuki-chan and Onii-chan claimed."
The prince couldn't believe his ears as another chuckle escaped his mouth. So people were actually badmouthing him. It wasn't a surprise, but still hearing it from someone outside his inner circle was quite refreshing. "So according to your friends and family, I'm a jerk. It's not very nice of them saying that without knowing me." Ichigo now folded his arms, eyes looking straight at Orihime, which made her blush faintly.
The atmosphere had suddenly changed from sad to a more relaxing one. The ice wall between them was broken, and the two were more relaxed than before. "W-well… in my defense, or I should say Tatsuki-chan's and Onii-chan's defense… what is the chance of us meeting royalty? We kind of have to make our opinions based on the stories and newspapers we receive." Orihime returned the look, feeling a bit uneasy under Ichigo's stare.
He turned his head and scoffed. "And yet here you are, sitting here with royalty." Orihime giggled. "Who would've thought! I apologize Kurosaki-sama. You're right, it's not nice to be opinionated about someone without having met that someone or heard the stories of both sides. You're actually really thoughtful!" She exclaimed, Ichigo deadpanning as he heard her say that she thought he was actually thoughtful. He shook his head and laughed. "Thanks, I guess. Did you think I would be like a barbarian?"
"Well…" Orihime placed her finger on her lip, tilting her head as she looked at Ichigo. "You don't look like one right now, but in some pictures I guess you do. Once I saw a picture of you in after a battle. It looked pretty wild. Your fan club couldn't stop talking about that picture, saying you looked an intense but hot warrior, with chocolate abs, and how they wanted you to save them like a damsel in distress. But Tatsuki-chan said you reminded her of the vikings she saw in one of the books in the library. Eating your enemies alive like a real barbarian." Orihime giggled while the orange top was giving off an awkward aura. Seemed like her friend really wasn't that fond of him.
"But Inoue-san…" Ichigo suddenly said in a low husky voice which made Orihime sit up straight, an unfamiliar sensation erupting in her stomach. "What did you think of that picture? You keep telling what your friend think of me, but you didn't tell me your thoughts. Were you part of my 'f-fanclub'?" The humble prince found it hard to pronounce the word fan club because deep down it made him cringe really bad. A very light blush appearing on his cheeks as he said the f-word. It was so light that it was not noticeable.
"My thoughts?" A deep shade of pink appeared on Orihime's cheeks as she started to wiggle in her seat. "A-anoo… Kurosaki-sama always wears this deep scowl." She turned around and mimicked him. "It makes me think of an old man. There was a man in my village who was just like that. Always scowling because he was annoyed with all the new shops and houses that were built in the village. Yeah, you remind me of him." The male beside her looked at her with slightly widened eyes and couldn't help to grin at her scowl. "So you think I look like an old man. I've never been compared to one, this is a first. Instead of a big scary barbarian, I'm like a grump grandpa."
"There's a first thing for everything, Kurosaki-sama. Oh, no! If I offended you, please forgive me. I don't know what I was saying, you're a prince after all." The girl lightly slapped her lips with her right hand, bowing down once again. Ichigo chuckled and stopped her from slapping her lips again. Grasping her wrist and gently pulling them down to her lap. "Please don't do that. No need to slap your lips. If I must be honest, I like hearing you talk like that. It's different from the usual talk I hear."
Orihime's cheeks were now burning because she noticed that Ichigo had grabbed her wrist and had stopped her from slapping her lips. She could feel her heartbeat raising as she watched Ichigo's mouth move, his jaw sharper than the knife her brother once bought to make fresh sashimi. The touch of his hand and firm grip lingering on her wrist, which she was now holding. Watching him mention the women fawning over him.
"One time I was staying in an inn near Tokona village and to my surprise there were women under my bed hiding. When I left the bathroom with only a towel, I suddenly got jumped on. It truly was a shocking experience and since them, I don't really like… strangers." He sighed, leaning back on the bench as he stretched out his hand. "I don't know even why I'm sharing this."
Suddenly, Orihime realized that her thoughts were not appropriate and quickly tried to calm herself down, while feeling sad for the male beside her. "The weight of a royalty is so different compared to that of a commoner. That of course doesn't justify their behavior. It must have not been easy. I can't imagine violating your personal space like that." Orihime said, turning to Ichigo, her eyes now directly meeting his. "I hereby pledge to never display such behavior, Kurosaki-sama. My brother has taught me good manners. You can rest assured in my presence." She now held up her hand, as if she was actually making a pledge. This caused Ichigo to grin once again, trying not to laugh at the girl in front of him. 'She's a weird one.' He thought by himself.
Morning came and Orihime was lying on her bed, rubbing her eyes as she woke up from her sweet but short slumber. Her mind immediately drifted back to the moment she had with Kurosaki Ichigo in the garden. He was gentler and more understanding than she would've thought. The way he was sharing about the women hiding in his bed, the way he grinned at her words and how gentle not to forget the way he grabbed her wrist. When she met him yesterday in the infirmary, he looked rough and cold, but seeing him in the garden made her heart warm, and without noticing brought a smile on her face.
"Orihime-chan, where does that smile comes from? Did you have a good night sleep?" Rangiku came into the room, placing a new dress on the vanity table in the room. Orihime nodded as she stretched her arms. "Y-Yes! The bed is really nice and soft. Furthermore, I got to see the garden last night and it was so beautiful. The roses and lilies are blooming so beautifully. Thank you so much, Rangiku-san, for the map." Rangiku waved her hand as she looked satisfied at the girl. "I was glad I could help. You know, you should join us for breakfast! The baby must be so hungry, and have to eat well for the little one to grow."
"I brought you a new dress. Take a nice bath and make sure to be ready in 30. I'll come to pick you up, so we can eat together, okay?" Orihime nodded and got out of the bed. 30 minutes was far too little for her now her belly was growing. She needed to hurry!
Simultaneously, Ichigo was rubbing eyes as his other hand leaned on the sink. He looked a hot mess and honestly, he just wanted a few more extra hours of shut-eye. But Sado woke him for breakfast, and Ichigo had no other choice since he is Sado's guest. Ichigo looked at himself in the mirror and for some odd reason he gave himself a smile. 'Do I look handsome when I smile?' He asked himself. His mother always told him to smile more, since she missed his smile. He soon shook his head soon after. 'No need to waste time on such trivial thoughts, I need to get ready for breakfast!' He jumped under the shower, and yet once again his thoughts drifted off. He thought back to the girl who reminded him of a scared deer, but after a while turned into a warm koala. The weird things she was saying, the sweetness in her voice and the strong energy she was emitting. It was weird, it wasn't like him to think about a woman he literally found in the middle of nowhere.
An hour later, Ichigo was finding himself sitting at the dinner table, right in front of the girl he found near the roadside a day ago. She was now wearing a peach-colored dress with poofy sleeves. The dress was so suitable, but he could see her collarbones and for some reason Ichigo could find his eyes being attached to the girl and her beautiful smile. Each time when he tried to shift his eyes to Sado, Toshiro, Rangiku, Hisagi or Kumamura, he caught himself looking back at Inoue. But the orange top knew very well that he couldn't manage to let Rangiku get any whiff of his stares. Otherwise, he wouldn't hear the end of it. But it wasn't like he liked Inoue, but why does his eyes keep going back to her?
He once again tried to focus on the food in front of him, but was soon distracted by a mouth stuffing girl, bouncing on her chair as she was eating bread with honey and peanut butter and wasabi. "Hmmm, this is so good! Do you want to taste some, Sado-san?" Orihime passed her plate to Sado who kept looking at the woman in awe. "U-Uh… thank you for the offer, but I'll pass." he said with his deep voice. Orihime took the plate back and nodded politely before continuing her meal. "Ichigo, is she the woman you found on the main road that connects all the kingdoms?" Sado whispered, eyeing the woman who was sitting across them. "Y-Yeah, she is." Ichigo once again eyes her and couldn't help to be amused by the girl in front of him. "She seems a bit odd…" Sado said, moving back to his normal posture and giving Orihime an awkward smile.
At the end of the table, Unohana was watching the interaction between the three. She suddenly cleared her throat. "Miss Inoue… it seems you are doing well." The girl cleared her throat and nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "Y-Yes. Thank you Unohana-san for your hospitality. I also want to thank everyone here for taking care of me." Toshiro just quietly sipped his tea as Rangiku gave the girl an encouraging smile. Hisagi minded his own business, and Sado looked down at his food. "You're most certainly welcome, however it is Kurosaki-san that you should thank. If it weren't for him, who know where you would be." Orihime smiled and looked at Ichigo. She could feel her cheeks become hot but since there were many people present, she tried to mask her blush by thinking about the accident she was in. She still couldn't quite make up what happened in the car.
"Unohana-san, I just did what I would do for any other stranger. Protecting people is what I was born to do." Ichigo said, seeing a frown appearing on Orihime's face. "Inoue-san?" Unohana's voice brought the girl back from her thoughts, her smiling appearing once again. "Y-Yes Unohana-san?"
"Since Kurosaki-san brought you here, I would like to suggest that he also brings you back to a safe place. If you would like, he could bring you to your village?" In the past 18 hours, it didn't even occur to Orihime that she was a free person, and now suddenly there was someone who asked her if she wanted to go back to her village? Orihime was puzzled by Unohana's request, and it was noticeable as she started stumbling over her words, her fidgeting fingers returning, what did not go unnoticed by the protector across the table.
"Unohana-san, I think she needs some time to think about where to go next." Ichigo interrupted, looking at the girl. "She just went through a traumatic experience. Can't she just stay here until she knows what to do next?" The small silver haired boy who kept quiet all this time joined into the conversation. "I agree with Kurosaki-san. She suffered a lot. Even though there are no physical injuries on her, she is mentally injured and just recovering from an accident. As a doctor, I cannot permit her to go back anywhere while being pregnant as well."
"Very well." Unohana said, wiping her mouth gently with a cloth. "Inoue-san. You are free to stay as long as you need to. If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know." Orihime, who still looked puzzled, seems to finally catch on. She stood up and bowed down respectfully to Unohana. "Thank you once again. I truly appreciate your kindness towards me and my child, Unohana-san."
It didn't take long for the word spread that Ulquiorra and Orihime never reached the Kuchiki estate at Ocean village. Everywhere in the Kuchiki kingdom, alarms went off as their precious test subject and bearer of their perfect warrior went missing.
"Kuchiki-sama, we are truly sorry, but we cannot find Inoue Orihime anywhere in the kingdom. We searched everywhere." One of the members of the stealth force reported back to Byakuya, who's eyes were now shooting lasers of pure ice. "Then search elsewhere. If she isn't in our kingdom, she must be in another. Make sure to find her, stat." Byakuya said firm, not even raising his voice. The firmness in his voice was already enough to make one fear him.
Meanwhile, deep at night somewhere in the deep woods of the Kurosaki Kingdom an older male was entering a small hut, hiding his horse behind the hut before entering. The hut wasn't well lit, as the furniture in the house could barely be seen. "It's been a while, Kurosaki-san." The voice said, revealing a tall woman with a bandana on her head. "Kūkaku, indeed it's been a long while." Isshin Kurosaki was the older man entering the hut, almost unnoticeable in his commoner clothing. "Here's the report." Isshin took the folder from Kūkaku, scanning through the files as his eyes widened. "I-Is this true?" Pictures of the woman in their cells were slipping through Isshin's hands. "Yes. Also, I think you need to see this." The older Kurosaki took the envelope from the woman and opened it slowly. He could feel his knees become week upon seeing the paper inside. He sat down quickly and started lifelessly at the ground. "T-THEY DID WHAT?!" Isshin wanted to rip the paper in two, but a female hand stopped him. "Read on, it isn't over yet."
"THERE'S MORE?!" Isshin wasn't the type to get angry, but today he was angry beyond anything else. As told, he turned the page and met the picture of a beautiful young maiden. He kept on reading.
Chosen test subject: Inoue Orihime | 17 years of age, soon to be 18 years old. | All family members deceased, a perfect subject for now and future experiments | Side note: 4 months pregnant from today.
Isshin clasped his hand in front of his mouth as he could feel tears well up in his eyes. Suddenly, the male, his shoulders started to shock as tears were falling from his eyes. "That poor girl, my poor son… these bastards." Isshin became quiet for a while. "My son is becoming a father without even knowing. They STOLE his… I can't ever forgive them. I cannot do that. Even Rukia and Renji…" He clenched his hand together once more as he thought back at the times Ichigo was happy, meeting with his friends in secret. He came to a halt. "I should tell him, probably, should I?" The female sitting on the other side of the room arched a brow and suddenly came closer, sighing. "I don't know, Isshin. Word is out that the girl escaped and is nowhere to be found. If you tell Ichigo now, it might drive him crazy. You know how he is. He probably would march right into the Kuchiki household and demand answers. Wouldn't it be better to wait until she is found?" Isshin sighed as he wiped his tears. He could feel his father's heart break. This was not the way he imagined becoming a grandfather, let alone his son becoming a parent. He was already blaming himself for what happened with Unohana and with this news, he didn't know how his son would react. Especially once he finds out, he is betrayed by the one he loved most. "You're right. I should at least tell Unohana, shouldn't I?" Isshin asked, looking at Kūkaku.
"Do what you think is right. I am not a royal, so I can't give royal advice. But if Kuchiki knows you know, then I'm done for." Isshin nodded. "It'll be fine. I will only tell Unohaha, since Ichigo is staying with them."
A week has passed by since, and Ichigo was now sparring with Hisagi in the courtyard of the estate. Swords slashes could be heard all the way from the inside the building as the two kept going at it for hours and hours. Rangiku was now standing on the balcony together with Orihime overlooking the courtyard. It's been a week since Orihime and Ichigo spend their time together in the garden, but ever since that night, their interaction had been little to none.
Orihime rested her head upon her hand, her elbow resting on the edge of the balcony, as she was looking at Ichigo fighting Hisagi. The sweat drops visible on his handsome face, together with tension as he was focussing on the fight. Dodging Hisagi's attacks, trying not to be hit by one of his chains. His hands holding his Zanpakutō tightly and swing it around, trying to touch Hisagi in any way possible. Her eyes travelled down to his strong toned arms that visibly showed his hard muscles. His orange hair screaming attention as it was the only bright thing on the courtyard.
Her thoughts traveled back to the night in the garden, and she must admit that she was quite disappointed that the orange male and herself did not have any more time together. It wasn't like he ignored her, since he would greet her politely every morning at the breakfast and dinner table, but for some reason she felt that the spark they had during that night had faded. Or maybe, it was just a one-sided thing? She sighed softly as she looked down at her stomach, rubbing it slowly.
"Are you okay, Orihime-chan?" Rangiku asked, approaching the woman. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine." "Glad to hear that." Rangiku looked back at Orihime's stomach. "I've been meaning to ask you about your baby, if that's okay with you?" The busy older woman asked, trying not to give Orihime a worried look. "You are quite young, did you become pregnant by choice?" There weren't many young women pregnant at an early age in the Unohana Kingdom. Orihime took her lips between her teeth and softly bit her lips, her hand still on her stomach, as she returned her look to the two males fighting. "I-I… I can't say that I wanted this to happen." Rangiku started to look worried and decided to no longer hide her expression. "But what happened?"
Orihime turned to Rangiku and gave her a reassuring smile. "I honestly do not feel quite ready to talk about it. But I can say is that I do not regret carrying my child. Whatever one may say, even though I did not become pregnant by choice, I am ready to give this being all the love it deserves. I am all he has left, and I don't want him to feel alone."
"You're not also not alone, Orihime." The strawberry blonde hugged the girl and stroked her hair. "There are people here who care for you. The past week, you have brought me a lot of joy. That is why I want to be there for you and your baby. Once you decided where to go, let me know. I will come visit you." She smiled as Orihime looked up to her.
"What about your marriage, Rangiku-san? The others were talking about it." The women sighed. "It's a long story. But my fiancé decided to postpone the wedding."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Rangiku released Orihime from her embrace and was now leaning against the balcony. "There's nothing to be sorry about. Gin and I… kind of need a break. We've been through a lot, and we just went through with this because of circumstances. I'm quite relieved that he decided to give me a bit more time." Rangiku looked relieved, but a hint of worry could still be spotted. Orihime decided not to ask and pry in her private matters. The girl's eyes travelled back to the two guys who were fighting, Rangiku now cheering them on.
"You know, I think Ichigo is quite fond of you." She suddenly said. "W-What do you mean?" Orihime said, moving her gaze once again to the woman beside her. "He always greets you during breakfast and dinner, also he seems to be quite kind when you're around. Usually with people he doesn't really know, he's gruff, and he can come off like a real jerk."
"W-Well… maybe it's because he saved me. He said protecting people is his job." Orihime said shyly, her cheeks turning pink. "Could be. But I don't know… he seems to warm up to you easily. Or maybe it's because he's been single for a while and misses a female companion?" Rangiku put on her mischievous smile. Just when Orihime wanted to ask about Ichigo's relationship, one of the housemaids came to the balcony.
A cute small girl around the age of 11 in a black dress approached them. "Rangiku-san, could you please look over the dinner Unohana is hosting soon? Hitsugaya-sama said to ask you since he's busy with another task." She asked, bowing down. "Of course! Well Orihime, enjoy the boys fighting. But don't stay too long, it's a bit chilly and I don't want you to catch a cold, okay?" She gave her a wink before walking off with the maid.
That night, Orihime once again woke up bathing in sweat, having the same nightmare over and over again. The nightmare of seeing her brother lying dead somewhere, remembering the feeling of being thrown in her cell. Screams of women heard all through the night, howls of fear and anxiety. Shadows coming closer and closer to her cell, hoping every time she wouldn't be next. It has been now the 4th day in a row that she experienced the same amount of anxiety over and over again. Coming to the Unohana estate definitely was a blessing in disguise, as she was notably doing better, and somewhere she hoped it had healed her trauma, but that was just wishful thinking. Drowsy and sore from her sleep, Orihime went down to the garden. It was for some reason the only place she could feel at peace. It was if the smell of the flowers were some sort of drug that would lighten the effect of her stress and fear. The colors of the flowers reminding her of a far away childhood memory she could not quite place.
Once again, she was seated on the black bench in the middle of the garden. The night cold sky blowing against her snow-white skin. The night-gown she was wearing, was a bit on the light side, which could not protect her from the cold wind. Shivers went down her spine as she looked at the sky.
I miss you, Onii-chan. I try to be okay. I try to be strong for baby-chan, but on evenings like these, the mind wants to slip and go to the place where you are. I would rather not be alone… if you were here, definitely you would tell me what to do. Onii-chan… where do I belong now?
Tears trailed down her cheeks as she filled her lungs with air from the night. The cold wind paralyzing her as she tried to block out any of her thoughts. Abruptly, she was pulled back into reality as a deep voice interrupted her moment of sadness.
"You're here again?" It was Ichigo who was now standing beside the bench, his usual scowl on his face. Quickly, Orihime wiped her cheeks as she chuckled. "Yes! I couldn't sleep very well, so I decided to visit this place again. What about you, Kurosaki-sama?" "Hmm, yeah same. Do you mind if I take a seat?" Orihime nodded and Ichigo decided to sit next beside her, scanning Orihme's face.
She looked a lot more tired than the days before, and honestly, he felt bad for not being more attentive to her. Especially since their interesting yet fun night in the garden together. Knowing what she had been through. She looked happy at the dinner table, but each day he could see in her face that she had a bad sleep, and right now, she even looked quite haggard.
"What's the reasons for your absence of slumber?" Ichigo asked, now turning his attention fully to the girl beside him. Orihime could feel his stare on her face and for some reason felt as if she had been caught red-handed. His stare was intense, his face in a scowl, and an aura was overflowing from him that said something like 'don't you dare lie to me.'
She sighed and folded her hands together. "I keep getting nightmares about my time in the place before I came here. Before you found me, I was a prisoner. Being kept in a small, cold white cell. There were moments that it was hard to separate the days and times of the day of each other because each day was the same. Waiting until you were chosen for one of many experiments. It wasn't until I became pregnant that they upgraded me to another room." Ichigo scowl deepened as he heard about her being held a prisoner. "The rain sounds were my escape of the reality I was facing there, but unfortunately the screams keep haunting me in my sleep. It's uncomfortable."
"Were you brought there after they raided your village?" Ichigo asked, still listening attentively to Orihime as he observed her body language. She nodded. "Yes. It was a special facility where all the women of my village and neighboring villages were brought." A certain letter immediately came to Ichigo's mind as he heard the word 'facility'. Wasn't this the same place mentioned in his father's report? His hand now turned into a fist as he remembered the details of the memo "Kuchiki…" He muttered softly under his breath as he could feel his body tense up.
"Kurosaki-sama?" The girl witnessed the change of demeanor of the male beside her, reminding her of the first time she met him in the infirmary. "Sorry Inoue-san. I can't help to feel angry at the thought of being so insane and evil, of bringing women together just to use them for experiments. That's just sick."
"I couldn't agree more. Currently, I'm here safe and sound, but there are many more women still suffering. It makes me feel guilty when I think about them, still being held captive. And here I am, sitting in a beautiful garden. Instead of helping them, they're left behind."
"Don't feel guilty. You couldn't do anything about it. In situations like these, it's okay to be selfish, to think of yourself and the safety of your child." His eyes resting on her stomach.
After a moment, Ichigo finally turned his head away from Orihime, sitting upright in the chair as he slowly scooted closer. "You know, if you have a hard time sleeping now, I'll allow you to use my shoulder for once."
Orihime turned beet red as she waved her hands in front of her face. "Oh no, I couldn't accept, Kurosaki-sama. You're already so kind to me. Please…" Ichigo looked at her and sighed. "Please just accept. You look exhausted, and my shoulder is quite soft." She looked at his shoulder. It looked quite comfortable to sleep on a shoulder. It would remind her of her brother. "I-I…" She wanted to refuse once more, but meeting his scowl won her over. "Okay. Only this once."
She slowly moved closer and laid her head down on Ichigo's shoulder. It was if her head was made for Ichigo's shoulder, as her face was the right size to comfortably lay on his shoulder. She could feel him scoot closer and move to a more comfortable position. The warmth his body emitted was exact the right amount to awaken the blue men to pour sand in her eyes, and within minutes Orihime had fallen asleep. Her small hand now wrapped around Ichigo's arm for support. Her lips slightly parted as he could feel the weight of her body pressing against his.
It didn't take him long, or the smell of her auburn hair brought him to another dimension. The smell of strawberry cake, which was probably the scent of her shampoo, was gently infiltrating his nostrils. He leaned his head against hers as he could feel his own slumber returning to him. Forgetting even the reason he couldn't sleep in the first place.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the garden, Unohana was watching the two orange tops as she was holding a picture of Orihime-chan and the letter received from Kurosaki Isshin in her hands. A big smile was on her lips.
"Fate has a strange way to work itself out."
Finally, finally we have some IchiiHime moments! Gosh, how I wanted to write more romantic stuff, but I have to be patient, just like you guys. In the next few chapters I will try to focus as much as possible on Ichigo and Orihime and the development of their relationship. It will be a blast, so please look forward to :)
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and follow!