A/N: Hello again! I know you're all eager to read what's coming, so I'll keep this brief: I thought long and hard about how I wanted this concept to be (including who would explain it), and while I'm happy with it, I can only hope that you will be, too. I did want it to still ring true to Bleach, after all, or this would've been so much easier! LOL Oh, and also, in case anyone was worried: no, we're not done yet!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Bleach.

Soul Mates

Chapter 13: The Most Powerful Force II

Everyone, even Yoruichi, turned their full attention to Urahara as he prepared to explain his discovery. A discovery that somehow tied in to the true concept of the ultimate romantic ideal: soul mates.

Clearing his throat, Urahara began, "Every soul has its 'other half' – its 'soul mate,' if you will. In essence, each true soul is split in half at the moment of its creation, and then each half is born into the world as an individual. These halves are always born – and therefore always die – within a close proximity of each other. And by 'close proximity,' I don't mean geographically. I mean chronologically."

Smiling slightly, he added, "In fact, it is often the case that these halves are not born geographically-close. This is my theory on why people move around so much. But, I digress!"

He bowed his head, hiding his face for a moment beneath the shadow of his hat, before continuing. "You see, as soon as the half-soul reaches maturity (you might call this 'adolescence'), it begins seeking out its other half. Think of this as trying to become whole. Of course, there's no spiritual GPS that says 'turn left here,' and so the individual frequently makes mistakes. After all, you don't always know when something's wrong before it's too late, but you do always know when it's right."

Urahara paused again, just for a beat, as he made a point of holding Ichigo's gaze to say, "Once the two halves have been reunited, that connection becomes unbreakable. They will quite literally be drawn to each other in one's moment of need."

Looking away, Urahara shrugged, hands up, and added, "There are, of course, exceptions of halves who outlive the other for whatever reason. No one really knows what becomes of them – or their bond – after that." His hands fell back to his lap and he said, "But, the point is, the bond between the halves is – and I don't use this word lightly, mind you – magical. They're drawn together like magnets, and it's been argued that there is no force in existence that can truly separate them."

After a brief pause, Urahara wrapped up his tale by saying, "Most never find their true other half. The ones who do, however, know a sense of peace and happiness that the rest can only dream of."

Silence settled over the group as they took in his words.

After a long minute Ichigo looked up from the table and, ignoring his audience as well as the flush on his cheeks, he asked, "And you think this has something to do with how Orihime ended up in my inner world?"

Urahara inclined his head. "Like I said," he explained, "they're drawn to each other in ways we can only imagine. And you did say that the two of you were both feeling particularly lonely the night before, didn't you?"

Ichigo nodded carefully. Urahara's theory made as much sense as anything else he'd expected to hear. And he was immensely glad the other man had given him the opportunity to talk to Orihime before diving into talk of soul mates.

"Do you think…that's possible?" Orihime asked hesitantly. 'Soul mates' seemed like a much heavier commitment than their still-fresh confessions. But she'd be lying if she said that she didn't kind of hope Urahara was right.

"At this point," Ichigo replied, "I think just about anything's possible."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo asked, "Okay, I get that, then. But how does that help us get her back?"

Urahara smiled, his fan coming up to cover the lower half of his face, and declared, "I'm glad you asked! Based on everything I've learned about this situation, I'd say the solution is fairly straightforward. She was pulled into your inner world as a result of your mutually-powerful desire for each other's company. So, the way I see it, she can return to her own body if you share a mutual desire for it."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Ichigo exclaimed, fists clenching over the table. "We already want her to be able to get back to herself! But she's still in me!"

Waving his fan at the orange-haired teen, Urahara said, "I didn't say it was simple. You can't just both want it, you must both crave it. Crave it in the same way that you previously yearned for company. And, additionally, you must crave it on the same level – to the same extent – as the other. Your desires must match completely. And, when you're properly aligned, the rest should happen on its own."

Ichigo released a heavy breath. That was much easier said than done.

"Also," Urahara added, "I recommend attempting this solution at night, when you're trying to sleep. And perhaps it wouldn't hurt if, tonight, you set up your bed beside Orihime's body. The physical nearness could only help, after all."

Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, Ichigo grumbled, "And what are we supposed to do until then? It's only mid-afternoon."

"Ah, well, that's up to you," Urahara declared casually. "A few more hours won't change anything! And, if my theory's correct, Orihime can and will survive just fine within you so long as you survive."

Piping up with a smirk, Renji said, "I can think of something for you to do to pass the time."

Ignoring where he suspected the red-head was going, Ichigo pushed to his feet and said, "Yeah, so can I. I'm gonna go get Orihime a change of clothes for tomorrow."

"Eh? Y-you don't need to do that!" Orihime exclaimed, clearly caught off-guard by his declaration.

"I don't mind," Ichigo argued easily as he strapped Zangetsu into place. "And you sure as hell aren't walking through town in that nightgown." He paused, something obviously occurring to him, and added, "But, if you'd be more comfortable, I could just ask Rukia to do it."

Orihime hesitated, briefly tempted to take him up on his offer. In the end, however, she supposed she didn't need to make such a big deal of the subject, and so she said, "No, that's alright. You can do it if you're comfortable with it."

Already standing at the door to the conference room, Ichigo paused and called, "I'll be back later." And then he stepped from the room.

"Ichigo," Orihime called that night as Ichigo was setting up his bed beside her body. His own body was still resting in the room he'd borrowed the night before, and he'd deposited her change of clothes against the wall on her other side.

Ichigo paused for a beat and asked, "Yeah?"

"Um, well, I was thinking," she began hesitantly, her fingers fiddling in her lap as she watched him resume making his bed. "Maybe it would help if we…motivated ourselves somehow?"

Nodding to himself, Ichigo replied, "That's a good idea. Did you have something specific in mind?"

"Eh, well…what if we agreed not to, um, kiss…until I'm me again?" Orihime suggested awkwardly. Her face was bright pink once more, and she couldn't take a lot of solace in the fact that he couldn't see her, because she knew that Hollow was watching her with a smirk.

Again, Ichigo paused. He had to swallow before he could even find the words to respond, despite that he actually liked her suggestion. It was still awkward to talk about. "Okay," he said lamely. Rolling his eyes at himself, he added, "That brings up a good point, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked, thrown enough by his words that her embarrassment was forgotten.

"Well it'll be kinda hard to go on a real date if you're still living inside me, right?" Ichigo pointed out.

"Right!" Orihime exclaimed quickly. "So our motivation can be that we can't really start the relationship we want until I'm back to myself!"

Grinning now, Ichigo set Zangetsu on the floor on his other side before stretching out onto his back, hands behind his head, as he replied, "Exactly. So, don't take this the wrong way, but as much as I've liked having you with me non-stop, it's time you got your butt back in your own body. I don't want people thinking I have an imaginary girlfriend."

Orihime giggled, the sound echoing through him and helping to relax him. "That would definitely kill your reputation at school."

Chuckling now, Ichigo said, "Tch, you're gonna kill my reputation. But it'll be worth it."

Her laughter faded into a soft smile, and Orihime took a deep breath before saying, "Then hopefully the next time we talk it'll be more face-to-face."

"Hopefully," Ichigo agreed. "And, in the meantime, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ichigo," Orihime replied quietly before pulling herself away from his consciousness.

For this to work properly, after all, they needed to be able to think privately.

Ichigo stared at the ceiling for several minutes, trying to articulate his feelings into thoughts. Damn, this was so much easier when I wasn't trying to do it on purpose, he reflected with a frown. Still, he'd expected as much, so he took a deep breath and rolled onto his side, facing Orihime's unoccupied body.

His eyes skimmed her form (which was mostly covered by the blanket he'd insisted she be given), and his lips twitched into a faint smile.

She looked like she was just sleeping peacefully. And she looked so beautiful; but, then again, he always thought she looked beautiful.

And then it hit him.

She loved him.

Orihime Inoue loved him.

Him.

He had to swallow heavily at that, despite how stupid he felt for only then feeling overwhelmed at something he'd known now for several hours. But he'd been so busy thinking about what Urahara had said, and figuring out how to get her back to herself, that he hadn't given himself time to think about the content – and the meaning – of their conversation.

In one fell swoop every fear he had ever had – at least pertaining to her – had been shoved aside.

He could actually have her in his life the way he wanted to. He could be with her, make a life with her, love her, and she would be alright.

His enemies would surely still come after her. But that much he had known would always be true; it seemed his enemies always managed to figure out just what she meant to him. What mattered was that he'd been wrong about the enemy within him.

That didn't mean he wouldn't have to worry about his hollow coming after him, but that wasn't a surprise. He and his hollow would always be at odds, always be vying for dominance, because Ichigo had been at odds with himself for years before he'd developed an inner hollow. And if his hollow really was a reflection of his darker, or at least more primal, self, then that was how things would always be.

But that also meant that Orihime had been right. Because protecting her – caring for her – would always be at the top of his priority list.

And with that fear out of the way, there was only thing keeping him from having what he wanted most.

His eyes focused again, settling on her pale face. If he could just get her back to herself he could have everything he'd never thought he'd get. He could have the woman he wanted – the life he wanted – without needing to spend every night worrying about how much longer he had.

Ichigo scoffed aloud at himself. Well, that's not entirely true. I'll always have that worry, just not for the reason I thought.

But he was confident that he could protect her from his enemies. If he ever encountered someone more powerful than Aizen, then he would just fight harder – train harder. He knew he could beat them. He could defeat anyone with the proper motivation. And protecting Orihime – keeping that smile on her face – was the best motivation he would ever know.

And having Orihime would be the best reward.

Whether she would be fighting alongside him, or standing back and waiting for him with that reassured smile on her face, it would be enough.

And to know that he could pull her into his arms now when the fight was done, instead of having to settle for losing himself in her eyes, was the icing on the cake.

So long as I have Orihime, he realized, I'll always have someone to come back to. Somewhere warm and safe to rest and recover.

In a way, he had known as much since the moment she'd been taken to Hueco Mundo. But after everything he'd learned today, he knew without a doubt that one thing – beyond all others – was true.

Her heart, her arms, her laughter, her smile – he could survive eternity with nothing else.

Orihime Inoue was his home.

But, right now, his home was in disrepair. And that just wouldn't do.

Orihime took a deep breath as her connection to Ichigo faded and the window before her darkened back to its usual shade of blue. She knew she needed to sit and think, and push away the world around her, but there was something else that she had to do first. So she lifted easily to her feet and turned around, facing her currently-quiet companions with a smile.

"If this works," she began, looking between them, "then this will be the last time we really get to talk. So, I wanted to say thank you."

The hollow raised an eyebrow at her declaration but remained silent.

Zangetsu showed no reaction at all as he watched her.

"Thank you for keeping me company, and putting up with my mood-swings," Orihime specified. "And…I'm really glad I got to meet you both." She paused, wringing her hands together in front of herself, and added, "I mean, I know this isn't technically 'goodbye,' but in a way it sort of qualifies. And I couldn't leave without at least acknowledging how grateful I really am."

Zangetsu inclined his head at her words and said, "You've no need to thank us, Orihime. But you are welcome."

Orihime moved toward the ancient spirit confidently and wrapped her arms around his torso. She wasn't surprised when he stiffened beneath her, but she kept her head on his shoulder for a long moment before she pulled back and smiled again. "You'll watch over Ichigo from this end, right?"

Recovering from his slight shock at her behavior, Zangetsu nodded again. "Always," he assured her.

Her smile brightened, but before she could say more or turn her attention to the other being that had kept her company, the hollow cleared his throat pointedly.

Orihime laughed softly and turned, moving toward him even as she said, "I hadn't forgotten about you, silly."

He was watching her carefully, clearly not sure what she was going to do. His arms were hanging at his sides, hands unclenched, and his posture was casual.

She had intended to give him a hug, as she had Zangetsu, but she changed her mind as she approached him. So, instead, she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned up to press a light kiss to his cheek.

She was smiling again when she stepped back, her hands clasping together in front of her, and she said, "Thank you, Hollow. In a weird way, I think if it weren't for our interaction here, Ichigo would never have let me near him. I owe you everything."

The hollow looked away awkwardly and crossed his arms, grunting, "Tch."

Orihime giggled softly and said, "Anyway, I couldn't will myself away without letting you both know how much I've appreciated you. So take care." She ended with a respectful bow, aimed at them both.

Then she straightened, offered them a smile, and turned back to her preferred spot. When she'd reached it, she knelt down, shifting easily until she was lying, curled up on her side.

She took a deep breath and let her eyes close.

I really feel like I've accomplished so much these past few days, she reflected. And it was true. When she'd arrived in Ichigo's inner world she'd been convinced that he would never see her as more than a close friend, and she'd been equally convinced that she was too weak – in every way – to ever compare with any of her friends and comrades.

Now she knew she'd been wrong on all accounts.

She wasn't weak; Ichigo had shown her that.

He had gone out of his way – even changing up his usual fighting style – to prove to her that she could hold her own in a fight. But, more than that, he had shown her that there was more than one way to be strong. She still didn't believe that she was as good a fighter as Ichigo (not by a long-shot), but she knew now that she didn't have to be.

Her lips curved up in a smile when she reflected on his reaction to learning what she really thought of herself. She could never have predicted it. But that was a good thing, because if she had predicted his reaction she would have had a counter-argument ready and waiting.

A part of her still couldn't believe everything that had happened.

As much as her heart warmed and fluttered when she thought about how quickly and powerfully Ichigo had fought to change her self-perception, the feeling didn't compare at all to what had happened only earlier that day. Because, earlier that day, her dreams had come true.

He loved her.

Ichigo Kurosaki loved her.

And, sure, his confession hadn't come out the way she would have wanted. But, considering that she had never anticipated she would ever hear those words at all, who was she to complain about the details? In fact, in a way, she was pretty sure she preferred the reality. It felt more real, more honest, than any romance-novel-confession that she might have dreamed up over the years.

It was so like Ichigo to silently punish and torture himself for the sake of someone he loved. That was one of the qualities that she admired most about him. Although, conversely, it was also one of the qualities she wished she could change just a little – she wished she could get him to lean on someone from time to time. And, maybe now I can, she realized with a faint smile.

Of course, she added silently, that won't really start until I'm me again. And that was the truth of it.

Her whole life was waiting for her – the life she'd never dared hope for – and all she had to do was wake up in her own body. Everything after that would fall into place. But that final step was tricky. She hadn't deliberately willed herself into Ichigo's world – she wouldn't have even if she had known it was possible – so she wasn't entirely sure how to will herself back into herself.

Her lips pursed in frustration. This is harder than I thought it would be!

She took a deep breath, relaxed her muscles, and focused.

She wanted to be her again. She wanted to be able to sleep, and eat, and work, and hang out with her friends.

But, most of all, she wanted to start her life with Ichigo.

My life with Ichigo, she repeated to herself slowly.

She remembered the train of thought that had sent her into a crying fit the other day, when Hollow had actually called Ichigo to come check on her. She had been so afraid of having to watch him make a life with another woman. She'd been convinced that she'd have to sit back and pretend to be purely happy as he fell in love, got married, settled down, and had a family all his own with someone else.

And now, she realized, that had been a completely unnecessary fear.

She would get the chance to watch him be in love, and hopefully even settle down and build his own life, but not from the perspective of a third party. She would get to watch all of that from the perspective of the woman in his arms.

And, when it came down to it, there was nothing she wanted more.

So please, she pleaded with herself silently, let me wake up next to Ichigo.

Ichigo blinked his eyes slowly open when he realized that the brightness on his face was actually the morning sunlight. He hadn't even been aware of having fallen asleep, but obviously he had. Even so, it was a long minute before any real thoughts crept into his mind. It had been a long time since he'd felt so relaxed.

He took a deep breath, shifting and stretching before he rolled over, toward Orihime. And then he studied her, noting that she still looked like she was sound asleep.

For a moment he panicked, fearing that she hadn't managed to return to herself. But then he realized that he was staring straight at her face, instead of her profile.

Orihime had rolled over, onto her side, during the night. Now her arms were lifted, tucked beneath her head for extra support. And she was smiling faintly in her sleep.

She made it, he realized, immediately relaxing once more.

"Yeah, she did," his hollow said with an obvious eye-roll. "Now you better make it worth the effort, King."

"You know what? Shut up," Ichigo returned half-heartedly.

Orihime moaned softly, shifting, and a single strand of hair fell to her nose.

Ichigo carefully reached out and brushed the hair back, letting his fingertips dance across her skin.

He would have been content to remain as he was, simply laying there beside her, until she woke up on her own terms. But it wasn't to be, as, only a couple of seconds later, a soft tapping at the door drew his attention.

Ichigo frowned, pulling his hand away from her exposed forearm (where it had landed), and reluctantly pushed to his feet.

"What?" he asked quietly as he slid the door open enough to reveal the patient face of Kisuke Urahara.

The shopkeeper smiled, his eyes flicking past Ichigo for a moment before asking, "I take it you were successful?"

Scowl reflexively darkening, Ichigo replied, "Obviously. Now what do you want?"

"Well," Urahara began, voice still quiet, "I thought you might want to know that it could be several hours before she wakes up."

Eyes narrowing, Ichigo demanded, "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," Urahara said, undeterred by Ichigo's tone. "She hasn't actually gotten any sleep in a few days, and her soul isn't quite as used to jumping around as yours, so she's probably quite tired."

Ichigo paused, listening to the older man's words. His argument made sense.

Without waiting for a response, Urahara added, "With that in mind, I thought you might be interested in a little breakfast. I'm sure you want to stay close, but I doubt you need to worry about missing anything for the next few minutes."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo hesitated and glanced over his shoulder, toward the sleeping healer.

Urahara was right; she would probably be asleep for a while still. And if anyone understood taking a few minutes for breakfast, it was Orihime.

"Yeah, alright," Ichigo mumbled. He turned and moved back into the room long enough to pull Zangetsu up from the floor, securing him over his back before turning again toward the door.

He would leave long enough for a little breakfast, say good morning to whoever was there, and when he was done he would return to Orihime's side and wait for her to wake up. He could be a patient man when he needed to be; waiting a few hours for her to get the rest she needed wouldn't be a problem at all.

But he wholly intended to be there, beside her, when she woke up.

To Be Continued…

A/N: I have to say, I really like this chapter! And I feel like I accomplished something now! LOL But, anyway, what did you think? I really want to know your thoughts on what I did here, because just because I'm happy with it doesn't mean everyone else is, you know? Plus, you might as well review while you wait for the next chapter, right? Exactly!