Chapter 3
Ichigo woke up slowly, letting the sleep fall away like leaves in Autumn. Shapes and colors indescribable shrank into the shifting blackness of his eyelids before he opened them. It was strange being in this realm of dreams, where he was awake enough to know he was dreaming but too asleep to fully awaken. It was here that he felt at home. In this place between light and darkness. Here, he was at one with himself. Then the world broke with a loud and obnoxious shout,
"GOOD MORNING! ICHIGO!" His Dad's wild cry was Ichigo's least favorite sound to wake to.
Without even opening his eyes, Ichigo swung one hand up to catch his Father's descending elbow drop. He opened one eye just enough to glare at his Dad as a certain vein on his forehead began to painfully twitch.
"Aha! You have gotten stronger once again my son," Isshin Kurosaki grinned down at his son while continuously adding pressure to his elbow, hoping to overpower his son and slam him in the face.
"Shut up, bastard."
Ichigo did not have the patience to deal with his Father's antics this early in the morning. Rising up into a crouching position, Ichigo shoved his Father's elbow straight up and slammed Isshin's face into the ceiling of his room. Isshin's landing had his usual grace as he landed flat on his face, again.
"Hey!" A voice rose up from below them. "Can we not have loud disturbances this early in the morning?"
The voice belonged to Karin, who was shouting from her seat at the table as she waited Yuzu to finish cooking breakfast.
Yuzu spoke out from the kitchen, "Karin, you should just let them fight, it's how they bond."
Karin leaned back in her chair, one hand reaching up into the air to make a fist as she spoke, "Well their bonding is giving me a damn headache!"
She turned toward the stairs as the sound of footsteps steadily made its way down to them. Ichigo stepped into the room, covering his mouth with one hand as he yawned and with the other he dragged his Father's unconscious carcass into the room. Without even a seconds hesitation, Ichigo tossed his Dad right onto the couch and sat down at the table as calmly as if he had just replaced a cushion. This barely earned a glance from Karin, who was actually happy that their father was unconscious and not causing trouble, but this earned a modest complaint from Yuzu,
"Ichigo! Did you knock out Dad again?" She set a plate of food down on the table, hoping that the wafting smell of the food would wake him from his sleep.
"He started it. It's not my fault he can't take a hit." Ichigo truly felt as if in the normal realm of things this logic was undeniable.
Yuzu shook her head, clearly settling the issue, so Ichigo went along helping her set the table and bringing out food. Karin looked up from the paperback novel she had been reading lately to glance out the window to check the weather. It had been the right conditions for snow for the past week, but the skies held steadfast over head, apparently planning to hold out until the clouds burst. Ichigo looked at the paper while he ate, glancing over page after page of stories of things that had been happening. Everything seemed to be speeding toward the holidays as people everywhere were getting excited for that special time of year. Ichigo wasn't exactly giddy...but then again he wasn't exactly anxious. He felt that things would turn out exactly the way they were supposed to, but he hoped that he wouldn't have to take on Hollows during the Solstice, being that it would really ruin the festive mood.
Ichigo thoughts then turned to his and Rukia's conversation from last night and realized she hadn't come down.
"Is Rukia still asleep upstairs?" He questioned to Karin and Yuzu.
"Nope, she wasn't there when I woke up, I'm guessing that she went to Hat'n'Clogs place." Said Karin, who had been making almost weekly trips to the place, apparently she and Yuzu got special treatment every time they went over there.
Ichigo wondered why she didn't come back that night and worried that something may have happened. A groan interrupted his thoughts.
"Urghh...Ichigo! How could you be so cruel to your own father!" Isshin's cry could probably been heard next door.
"Quit whining!" Said Karin coldly. "Just eat your breakfast and get ready to take me and Yuzu out later."
"Oh, that's right." Isshin said quickly as he began to shovel food quickly into his mouth.
Yuzu laughed as she sat down at the table with her family.
Orihime hummed to herself as she tidied up her apartment. She had started to put up some seasonal decorations but kept getting distracted by one thing or another. First it was a call from Tatsuki about the over-break reading assignment, then it was her laundry being done, and then it was her special ice cream beef stew being ready. She set her small table and began to eat when she was hit by a sudden loneliness. Looking down at her food she wondered what it must be like to have close family around this time of year. She remembered her brother and how he always got her the perfect gifts whenever these kinds of holidays came around. Kurosaki-kun must be having a good time with his sisters and his Father. Her thoughts lately seemed to always end up on Kurosaki-kun. About the gift sitting on her desk, all wrapped and tied with a bow. About how Kurosaki-kun had been feeling so much better recently with getting his powers back. She even thought about what he would look like if he kept growing his hair out. Not as long as his Hollow form but as long as when he got back from the Dangai.
Orihime remembered how happy she was to see him after that incident and how scared she was when he fell to the ground. They all were scared of course, but she always felt like it was different for her.
She wondered what it would be like to have breakfast with Kurosaki-kun. Seeing him trying her food and chat with her with the sun rose. Then again, why would he be eating breakfast with her?
Blood rose quickly to Orihime's cheeks as she pictured him...staying the night. Putting one hand to the side of her face she got lost in her contemplations of his broad shoulders and chiseled abs, before becoming entranced in her fantasy of him.
Her fantasies always started off the same way, with her opening the door to see him waiting there for her. He would be wearing his stylish street clothes. A blood red jacket over a black dress shirt with dark blue jeans. The top buttons of his shirt would be undone to let show a peek of his bare flawlessness and to let her gift dangle over his down to his chest. He would lean forward against the frame of the door, towering over her and blotting out the night sky. His light brown eyes would lock onto hers, giving her that intense look that made what had been empty air flash with diamonds, as stars were set ablaze in the depths of his gaze. Those eyes set electric chills up and down her back, causing her body to have a reverse effect as a fierce heat would rise up beneath her skin as her heart quickened. His perfect lips would part and his words would wash over her like rain,
"I have come for you, Inoue. Will you let me in?"
One of his long arms would rest against the door frame, bending at the elbow so that his face hovered just above hers. She wouldn't be able to speak then,
"I always hoped you would, Kurosaki-kun..."
Her voice would tremble with her lips as she spoke. His strong hand would come up to stop their shaking. His slender fingers would press gently against her lips before tracing down from her lips to her chin and down her neck to her collarbone. His fingertips left trails of destruction in their wake as her molecules imploded with heavenly sensation. His touch left track marks of longing and desire that ached so much it was unbearable, but still her eyes did not move from his, trapped under his spell. He broke the gaze to lean down to her neck. Ichigo's face would descend towards her neck as his brushing fingertips made their way up her neck to rest cupping the side of her face. He would turn her face away, exposing her neck even more, as he whispered softly onto her skin,
"Speak my name."
His cold breath on her hot skin was like the sweetest torture. Her voice now noticeably shook as she spoke,
"K-K-Kurosaki-kun?"
His laugh was light and teasing as his body pressed firmly up against hers. Her clenched hands, like the rest of her, were now trapped between Ichigo's hard frame and the door's, not that she would ever need escape.
His hand brushed her hair back behind her ear as he whispered into it,
"Not that one, Orihime. Say my name."
"Ichigo." The name slipped from her lips in the softest of breaths. It was like she had whispered the most sacred of words or the most intimate of secrets.
She looked down, embarrassed and unable to meet his eyes. His hand came away from her hair to lift her chin up so that her eyes were once again locked firmly onto his gaze.
"Inoue..." His being would come into sharp existence as the rest world faded to nothing. As his lips would descend ever closer to hers, she pictured closing her eyes as her whole body trembled in anticipation...
She suddenly realized how dangerous her fantasies were becoming as they threatened to keep her forever. Shaking her head to rid herself of her daydream, she came back to her lonely state that now seemed sharper then it had before her imaginings.
"It would be nice to have some company though..." She said to no one in particular.
There was a loud knock at her door.
Orihime shot straight up and walked over, wondering to herself who could be at the door. Upon opening she was instantly smothered by two massive and familiar shapes. Orihime's cry was muffled by the ample bosom and the loud laughter of her friend.
"Orihime-chan! I've missed you!" Matsumoto, as always, knew how to make a scene. Behind her stood Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rukia, both wearing the usual disgruntled look that came from dealing with Matsumoto.
Finally breaking away from the suffocating hug, Orihime gasped for breath and spoke, "Rangiku-san! Its great to see you and Captain Hitsugaya."
She addressed Rukia with a puzzled look, "Kuchiki-san, what is going on?"
Rukia explained quickly, "Some Shinigami captains and lieutenants came into town last night and I have been making sure they all have places to stay, we have been up all night making sure everyone has a base of operations for a while."
Matsumoto spoke up now, "Since we had such a good time the last time we stayed here, we were wondering if maybe we could stay again for a bit."
Orihime gave them both a bright smile, "Of course you two can stay with me. It's not a problem at all, in fact I would love the company."
"We appreciate it, Inoue," said Rukia with a relieved smile.
Rangiku made herself at home while Hitsugaya went out to 'check' on something. Orihime wouldn't hear of Rukia leaving until she had some tea after the long night she must have had.
"-And while I set up, maybe you can explain the situation to me."
Rangiku and Rukia glanced at each other sharing a silent understanding for a moment before Rukia answered, "Sounds good."
Orihime knew that she had already earned their trust but she understood that they might have a need for absolute secrecy. Once the tea was ready, she sat down at the table and gave each of them cups of the soothing hot beverage. They drank in silence for a moment before moving onto the subject of why they were being stationed.
"You know what tonight is, right Orihime?" Rangiku
"Oh, you mean the Solstice?" Orihime's reply was cheerful as she thought of the annual festival.
Rukia nodded before she answered, "Well, during this time there is a dramatic increase of spiritual energy and though it usually dissipates into nothing-"
"-It has been known to bring forth a great mass of hollows into the human world and even, on occasion, the Soul Society." Matsumoto finished for her.
Orihime paused a moment. Thinking a moment before speaking, "So that is why there are Captains and Lieutenants here in Kakura town?"
Rangiku and Rukia nodded affirmatively. The conversation turned to the Captains who had come into town and how everyone had decided to meet up at the festival.
A light laugh escaped from Orihime's lips as she thought upon the night's events, "It sounds like the festival is going to be a lot of fun."
Rukia laughed along with her friends as she stood, "I know what you mean. Anyways, I am going to go back to the Kurosaki Clinic to get some rest and get ready for tonight.
Orihime saw her off, "See you later, Kuchiki-san!"
Rukia leapt from the railing of the second floor and turned mid-air to yell back, "See you later, Inoue!"
As Orihime was about to close the door, arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her into a tight hug once more,
"Orihime, I really need your help," said Matsumoto with a sly smile.
"What's the problem Rangiku-san?" Asked Orihime with earnest concern.
"I have nothing to wear!" Matsumoto's dramatic cry promised a few hours of catching up while shopping for clothes to wear for the festival.
Orihime smiled, feeling her loneliness fade away like shadows with the rising of the sun.