Sorry this took so long to get out. I had to force my brain to work. It didn't help that I kept getting distracted by pictures of Ichigo.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Orihime was sitting on the couch when Ichigo joined her. There was no evidence that she had cried, and he took that as a good sign. "I'll give you a tour after I put this in the room." Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared down the hall. She heard a thud as the trunk hit the floor, then the sound of his footsteps. She jumped to her feet when he entered.
"This is the living room. But I guess you knew that already."
Glancing around, she noted the sparse furniture. The couch, which was big enough for three people, had dark green upholstery, and a coffee table stood before it. A bookcase took up one corner, and a desk another. The walls were a plain white, and the floor was wood. Simple curtains hung on the windows.
"The dining room is in here." Ichigo walked through a door to the right. She followed, and found, much to her dislike, the same white walls and wood floors. An oak table was in the middle, surrounded by four chairs. "Everything is so bland. How can he stand it?" She wrinkled her nose, then her gaze shot over to him to see if he had noticed. He hadn't. She relaxed.
"You can get to the kitchen through there, but I figure you'll want more time to learn where things are so you can look later. The bedroom is this way." He turned and led her back through the living room and down the hallway. He pushed open a door directly in front of them. "Here."
The woman slipped past him. A dresser stood against the left wall, and across from it was a bed covered with a white blanket. A basin sat on a small stool by the bed. And again, there were the same color walls and wood flooring. A sigh escaped her lips.
"We have an indoor bathroom, too." He indicated another door in the hall. "Uh, I have to get back to my office so I'll be there. You can see it through that window." He backed up and escaped through the door.
Orihime watched him leave, then sank onto the bed. She laughed, delighted at how soft it was. "Now if only there were more color." She thought aloud. "Oh, well. It's still a home. It's got a roof and walls and floors." Her stomach growled. "I wonder what he has to eat." Wandering into the kitchen, she opened the fridge. It was empty, except for some milk and...she wasn't sure what the other things were. "Well, there's only one thing left to do." She shut the fridge, a determined look on her face. "I have to ask him for money to go shopping." She retraced her steps back to the living room and opened the door. She nearly shrieked when she came face to face with someone she had never seen before.
Ichigo leaned his elbows on his desk, and rested his chin on his fists. Staring blankly out the window, he asked himself for the hundredth time, what had possessed his father to pull a stunt like this. Isshin should have known that Ichigo wasn't looking for a wife. Truth be told, he hadn't planned on marrying at all. He was happy being a bachelor, not having to answer to anyone or worrying about how to provide for his wife and kids. He froze.
Wait a minute.
He nearly flew out of his chair, uttering a curse word. He only owned one bed. He felt like like ripping his hair out. He breathed deeply to calm himself down. There was a way around this. He just had to stay calm. It would do no good if he lost his temper again.
The door opened and a Mexican man walked in. Ichigo tilted his head back. "Hey, Chad." He greeted his friend. "I hope your day is going better than mine."
Chad raised an eyebrow and sat down. "Why?"
"I'm married."
The giant said nothing for a good thirty seconds, as if waiting for the punch line. "...Oh."
"'Oh'? Is that all you can say?! 'Oh'?"
"...What else is there to say? Congratulations?"
"I don't think 'congratulations are in order here since my father was the culprit behind it." Ichigo spoke vehemently. "He placed an ad for a mail-order bride under my name! What was he thinking?!"
Chad watched as Ichigo stood and restlessly pace the room. The doctor ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
"Honestly, Chad. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want a wife. I have no idea how to treat her. She's a stranger to me, and frankly, I could care less if she leaves. This is going to change everything. I was content with my life, but my father just had to poke his nose in my business. Now, my life is ruined and he's to blame."
Chad nodded sympathetically. He didn't really remember what it was like to have a father. His parents had died when he was eleven. Even then, his father hadn't been home much, and his mother had been too busy with her social life to care about him.
"Thanks, Chad, for just listening. That's one reason I value your friendship so much."
"Don't be so mad at him, Ichigo." Chad finally spoke up. "Sure, he overstepped his boundaries, but maybe he had an ulterior motive for it."
"Yeah, it's called 'annoy my son to death.'"
Chad shook his head. There was no reasoning with Ichigo when he was irritated like this. He sighed. "I have to go." He stood.
"Okay, see you. Oh, you want to come for dinner?"
"...Not tonight. You need to talk to your wife."
Ichigo groaned. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to be by myself with her."
A slow grin spread across the big man's face, and he paused, hand on the doorknob. "Why? Afraid you won't be able to control yourself?" He couldn't resist saying.
Ichigo glared at him. "Very funny. Now get outta here before I punch you."
"I'd like to see you try."
Ichigo grabbed the thing closest to him -his hat- and threw it. Chad exited quickly, laughing as he pulled the door shut behind him, and the hat collided with the door.
"Some friend he is. Can't even trust him to be serious." Ichigo muttered, only half kidding. Chad normally didn't crack jokes. Ever since they had met nine years ago when they were thirteen, they had been practically inseparable, always fishing or riding together. He resumed his post by the window, brow furrowed slightly. Perhaps he should talk to Orihime. After all, she had been tricked, as well. Yeah, that's what he would do. Talk to her, get to know her a little bit better that way they weren't total strangers. It might make things less awkward between them.
Sighing again, he pivoted towards the door. He would make conversation, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it.
Orihime stared at the two new faces in front of her, her fingers curling around the knob. "H-hello."
"Hello. You must be Orihime, our new sister-in-law." A girl with light brown hair beamed. She was wearing a pale yellow dress with intricate white flowers stitched on the skirt.
"Sister-in-law?" She echoed faintly. There had been no mention of siblings in Ichigo's -no, his father's letters.
"Yes, my name is Yuzu, and this is my twin sister Karin."
"Sister?" She began to feel like a parrot as her eyes traveled over the other figure. She would never have guessed that it was a girl, since she was wearing pants and a shirt that had obviously belonged to a boy. Her black hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and a hat was pulled over her eyes. Orihime vaguely wondered if maybe the clothes had been Ichigo's.
Yuzu giggled. "I told you she wouldn't realize you were a girl, Karin."
"Shut up, Yuzu." Her twin scowled.
Orihime couldn't help but laugh. Karin's attitude reminded her of Ichigo's, moody and easy to annoy. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing, but you act like-"
"My brother." Karin finished. "I get it all the time."
"Oh, where are my manners? Would you like to come in?" The redhead asked.
"Actually, we came here on a mission." Yuzu held out a basket. "Karin and I go shopping for Ichigo every week. Otherwise, he would starve."
Orihime sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I was just going to ask for money to go shopping. I'm glad I don't have to now." She shivered.
"Are you cold?" Yuzu asked, concern lacing her voice.
"Nah, she's probably just witnessed our beloved brother's temper and is scared stiff of him now." Karin's eyebrows shot up when Orihime looked away. "I got it right?"
"Ah, please don't tell him about that. I'm afraid we didn't get off to a very good start." She focused on her feet.
"Don't let his attitude get you down, Orihime." Yuzu said gently. "He can be rough around the edges, but inside he's really nice."
"Deep, deep inside." Karin snorted.
"Karin!" Yuzu protested, puffing her cheeks out.
"It's true. Anyway, let's get this stuff put away so I can go fishing."
Orihime blinked as Karin brushed past her. "Uh..."
"Oh, please forgive her. She's like this all the time. Dad says it's about time she starts acting like a lady, but I don't think she ever will. I'm not sure what he will do if she refuses." She sadly shook her head.
"Oh. Well, we should go help Karin." Orihime smiled.
"Yes. I still can't believe that Ichigo is married. I never thought he would settle down. He's a free spirit, always doing something. Before he became a doctor, he would disappear for hours and no one would know where he was. But now, he has responsibilities to fulfill. It wouldn't look very good for him if someone died because he was nowhere to be found."
Orihime smiled to herself as Yuzu kept chattering. She could see now why Ichigo had stated his dislike for people who talked too much. By the time they got to the kitchen, Karin had most of her basket's contents emptied into the fridge.
"Wow. You worked fast." Orihime commented.
"Yeah. I want to get in as much fishing as I can today."
Yuzu wrinkled her nose. "I don't see how you can stand to fish. The slimy bait and the fish? Ugh."
"You are such a girl, Yuzu."
"Yeah, and so are you. And you better not forget it. Dad's really upset with you."
"I know, I know. You don't have to keep saying it!" Karin gritted her teeth.
"Then why don't you just act ladylike? Dad will leave you alone then."
"Because I don't want to, Yuzu. Why can't I be who I want to be?"
Orihime's gray eyes widened as she looked from Karin to Yuzu and back again. She really hated it when people bickered. Biting her lip, she tried to decide if she should break up this argument or just let it continue.
"Whoa, what's going on here?"
All three girls spun towards the direction of the voice. Ichigo stood framed in the doorway, a frown on his face. "She just met you two and you're already fighting in front of her. Stop it."
"Well, if Karin would only listen to Dad then-"
"I don't want to hear anymore." Karin abruptly turned. "You can finish with the food." Head bowed, she began to leave.
Ichigo touched her arm as she went by, then looked at Yuzu. "You know, you don't have to keep pestering her about that. I personally don't see what's wrong with it."
"Oh, Ichigo." His sister sighed.
"Yuzu, leave the rest of this for us. You go on home and apologize to Karin."
"If you say so..." She smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Orihime."
"Same to you."
"I'll talk to you later, Ichigo." Yuzu stood on tip-toe and pressed a kiss to his cheek. In return, he ruffled her hair, earning a cry of protest. He rolled his eyes as she rushed off. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. They don't always fight like that."
"How old are they?" She caught her lower lip in her teeth. The question had spilled out before she could stop it.
He squinted his eyes in thought. "Uh...seventeen."
"So they're five years younger than you are. That is, if you are twenty-two." She peered at him through lowered lashes.
"Yeah. The ad said that."
"I...wasn't sure what all of that was true." She admitted.
"Well..." He leaned against the counter. "I am twenty-two and a doctor. That's all that was in the ad."
"Oh, no. There was more. 'I love children, and would not mind having a large family.' That was something else." Orihime nodded to punctuate her words.
Ichigo's mind blanked. "Uh..."
"You read in my reply that I love children, too." A slight tint of pink rose in her cheeks.
He nearly choked on his saliva. He hadn't thought about whether or not she wanted kids. "Well, too bad if she does."
She gasped, suddenly aware of what she had said. "Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't- I mean-" She clamped a hand over her mouth. "I'll just stop talking now..." She mumbled. She switched her attention back to the groceries in the basket.
Ichigo studied her, slightly amused. So she was scared of him. That was to be expected since he had unleashed his temper on her. Well, some of it anyway. He had just been so frustrated with all that had transpired earlier that he just snapped. He opened his mouth to apologize, but shut it. He didn't owe her anything. She was the one who appeared and wrecked his life.
"Ichigo?"
"Huh? Were you saying something?"
"I was just asking you what you wanted for dinner." She nibbled on her lip. He noticed that it seemed to be a nervous habit.
"You should stop doing that."
"Doing what?" She questioned, confused.
"Biting your lip. You've been doing it all day, haven't you?"
"Yes, I suppose so. How did you know?"
"It's swollen. You should-" He broke off. He didn't care about her. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.
"Um, dinner?"
"Right. Whatever you want to make is fine."
"I want to know what you like." Orihime brushed a stray piece of hair from her face.
A frantic voice calling his name saved him from having to answer. Orihime watched, fascinated, as he transformed into a businesslike professional. He bounded out of the house before she could speak a word. She trailed along behind him, curious about the problem. But when she stepped outside, she wished she hadn't.
A man lay crumpled in a wagon bed, his stomach soaked in blood. He was barely conscious, mumbling incoherent things. A closer look revealed him to be Renji Abarai. She gasped, horrified.
"What happened?" Ichigo asked briskly.
"A bull gored him. We wrapped something around him and got him here as fast as we could." A man with blond hair stepped forward. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Too soon to tell. I need to get him to my office. Izuru, Ikkaku, help me carry him there. Izuru, you take his legs. Ikkaku." He spoke next to a bald man. "You take his middle. I'll get his head." He swung up onto the wagon. "On the count of three. Ready? One. Two. Three." The men maneuvered him carefully off the wagon and began the trek to the office. Ichigo kicked the door in since he couldn't get a hand free. They laid him on the nearest bed, and Izuru and Ikkaku stepped back to let Ichigo work.
His surroundings faded into the background. Right now, this man needed his attention the most. It was a race against time to save him. Renji had lost a lot of blood. Ichigo had seen men stronger than Renji die from blood loss in no time at all. He just hoped that his experience could save him.
Orihime felt her knees weaken. She slumped against the house for support. Her head spun, and nausea threatened to take over. Squeezing her eyes shut, she fought against the bile rising in her throat. Why did she ever think that she would make it as a doctor's wife? She had always been squeamish at the sight of blood. Her body shook, and she wiped sweat from her forehead. She just needed to lie down for a bit. She slowly rose to a standing position, bracing herself. She took two steps into the house and discovered the floor rushing up to meet her.
The world went black.
For the first time in an hour, Ichigo allowed himself the luxury of taking a breath. For now, Renji was alive, but it would be touch and go for the next few days. He had to keep an eye out for infection. He traipsed to the basin of water nearby and plunged his hands into it. He lathered soap on his hands to wash the blood off. Grabbing a towel, he dried them off and went over to the door. Stepping outside, he found Izuru Kira and Ikkaku Madarame waiting for him.
"How is he?" Ikkaku asked.
"Stable, for now. But that could change at any moment. He'll have to be on constant surveillance. So much for getting some sleep tonight." He grumbled.
"Not that you would have gotten sleep tonight, anyway." Ikkaku grinned.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Renji said that you got yourself hitched."
"That was my father's doing. The meddlesome man decided I needed a wife."
"That was her by the house, though, right?" Izuru asked.
"Yeah, that was her."
Izuru glanced back at the house. "I hope she's all right. She seemed kind of pale when she saw Renji."
Ichigo's head jerked up. "What?" He groaned. "Terrific...Keep an eye on Renji and get me if anything changes." He jogged to the house. "What kind of woman would accept a proposal from a doctor if she couldn't stomach the sight of blood?" He thought crossly. He slowed to a stop upon seeing Orihime sprawled on the threshold of the house. He blew out a breath. Stooping down, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed, then took off her shoes to make her more confortable.
This new wife was definitely a problem. And unlike other problems he had run into before, she wasn't going anywhere.