Okay, this is a tad later than I wanted, but I accidentally got so caught up in trying to write and get over the wall I hit with Chapter 22 that I sort of forgot I had to post Chapter 21. *sweatdrop* Yeah, sorry guys. Major fail on my part. Still, it's only been about two weeks so it's not TOO bad.
Right. Anyway, loads of thanks to sakuhime27, p17oyDONju9n, SilentRaider52, AbaraiArekushisu, ANIME-HIME69, AnimeAngel01, TheSnowLady, Lady Nazo, Racholasj, Somerlia, songsparrw1, Dragunity Gemini, Lydia, bleachbabe03, nypsy, Aline, ombre nocturne, SleeplessxB3auty, war90, uzamaki898, himelove22, and Cinniminni for all of your reviews. Extra thanks to le etoile and CrystalDawn for beta-reading this and making it prettier.
There's a good amount of fluff in the first portion of this chapter to possibly cause tooth decay, giddiness, and in some special cases, people have been known to fart rainbows. You've been warned.
Chapter 21
Tangible progress, part 2
This was no dream. Ichigo could already tell as he looked around him with the prevailing sense that this was nothing his mind had cooked up. Parts of his experience seemed dream-like. His vision was hazy, and seeing Orihime standing in her pajamas in the middle of a field was certainly something he'd only experience in a dream. Yet he only caught flickers of images and words, like he was watching through a malfunctioning camera with a few loose wires.
His Hollow's voice slithered out, and Ichigo felt his blood run cold when he saw his inner demon wrap its arms around Orihime. Ichigo wanted to holler and shout at his Hollow, but he couldn't. He was like a ghost, a specter, unable to move or talk, only watch.
He heard parts of the conversation, enough to alarm him. His frustration increased as he struggled to move but couldn't. A part of him wondered if he was really there at all, or if he was only spectator through his Hollow's presence in whatever place they were.
Suddenly, he heard his Hollow snarl and six figures swarm about Orihime. Ichigo could have sworn he heard the voice of one of Orihime's Rikka before the scene around him disappeared and he woke with a start in his bedroom.
Inoue. His reiatsu flared as he shot out of bed, panic temporarily getting the best of him. Is she okay? He felt for her reiatsu, and wasn't surprised to find it fluctuating. She was awake, and it only confirmed his fears that the scene he had just witnessed really wasn't a dream.
Although it was almost 1 AM, Ichigo wanted – no, he needed to see her and make sure she was okay. He reached for his shinigami badge. Then he thought, If my Hollow is up to something, going into my shinigami form might be dangerous. He retracted his hand and clenched it at his side. It would make getting out of the house more difficult, since he would have to sneak out without the aid of his shinigami abilities.
He threw on his coat and shoes, not bothering to change out of his sweats and T-shirt before he silently crept out of his room. He listened for any sounds coming from the bedrooms, but all he could hear was soft snoring. With a deep inhale, he proceeded to silently step down the hallway, ever alert for any strange noises or sounds. He climbed down the stairs, making sure to step over the squeaky one. He glanced over his shoulder before tiptoeing across the house to the side door, since the front door had an alarm attached to it.
As quietly as he could, Ichigo eased open the side door just enough for his body to fit through. Once outside and he knew the coast was clear, he slid the door shut and it locked behind him. It wouldn't be until later that he realized he forgot to grab his house key, but at the time he was more concerned with getting to Orihime's house without being spotted.
If he was in his shinigami form, Ichigo could have easily gone up on the rooftops and leaped his way to Orihime's house. As such, he was forced to resort to using the streets. He briskly rubbed his hands up and down his arms, trying to stay warm as he sprinted through the streets. As an afterthought, he put up his hood; his hair was unmistakable and he didn't want anyone recognizing him if he somehow happened to pass them by at this hour or they spotted him from their window. He could only imagine the phone call his father might get: "Hello, Dr. Isshin. How are you today? By the way, what was your son doing running around at 1 AM?"
I'd never hear the end of it, Ichigo thought.
Normally walking to Orihime's house took about twenty minutes, but since he was in a full out sprint, Ichigo made it there in about half the time. Despite the excellent shape he was in, Ichigo was panting heavily when he finally made it to Orihime's apartment complex. He ran to the back, knowing the front door wasn't an option, lest he wake Hitsugaya and earn the little captain's wrath.
Now he had one final hurdle: getting through Orihime's window. Her bedroom window was the best choice, but it was two stories up. Looking around, Ichigo tried finding something that would help him climb to her window. A ladder would be best, except if someone happened to see it perched against the wall and decided to call the police.
His only other option was one of the trees behind the complex. One of the tree's branches extended towards Orihime's window. It would be a bit of a leap, but Ichigo was already resigned to his choice as he started climbing up the tree. I must be out of my mind, he thought as he made his way through the branches. It was a dangerous leap, and in his human form he risked breaking a leg or worse if he missed the window.
Yet it had long been established that he would do anything for Orihime. In the grand scheme of things, leaping out of a tree was a minor task. That's what he kept telling himself, anyway. Balanced precariously on the tree branch, Ichigo inched along, refusing to look down and keeping his eyes trained on her window. When he felt he could move no further, Ichigo carefully positioned his legs under him, and with a shaky breath, he hoped for the best before he sprang.
He kept his arms out, and the moment his fingers brushed against concrete he dug in, ignoring the pain as his skin scraped against the rough surface. He slid down, but he managed to grab the windowsill and prevent himself from plummeting to the ground.
As he tried to get a foothold against the wall, he heard the window open. "Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime whispered.
He tried and failed to plant his feet on the wall. He let out a strangled "Help" as he started slipping.
Her arms shot out and grabbed him by the collar. With their combined effort, they managed to get Ichigo inside. He winced as his knees slammed against the carpet, but he was more relieved to be inside. He brushed off his hands as Orihime quickly shut the window and pulled the curtain close.
"Are you okay?" he asked the moment she turned towards him.
"I'm fine." She helped him to his feet. "Why are you here?"
"I…" He licked his lips that were chapped from the cold. The sensation suddenly triggered an image, one of his Hollow running its tongue up Orihime's neck. Ichigo's expression darkened as he reached out and traced his fingers where it had licked her.
Orihime's eyes widened as she took a step back. "You… you saw that?"
He nodded, biting back his anger.
"I'm so sorry," she said as she stumbled back. "I didn't mean for him to – I didn't want-"
Realizing that she thought his anger was directed at her, Ichigo's eyes softened as he pulled her towards him. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you." He held her in his arms, nuzzling her hair as he tried to reassure her. "It wasn't your fault." He clenched his jaw as he held her tighter. "That bastard had no right to touch you."
Orihime pressed her forehead against his chest. "It was so strange. It almost felt just like you, like you were holding me, yet it wasn't you and it sent chills down my spine."
"Aside from coloring, we both look exactly the same. I guess we'd feel the same, too."
"Except he was colder. You're much warmer than him." She ran her hand up his arm. "Although right now you're even colder than he was. Let me get you a blanket."
He nodded and let her go. As she pulled out a blanket from her closet, Ichigo shed his coat and let it rest on the floor. He also pulled off his sneakers and set them to the side. When he felt a warm blanket being placed around his shoulders, he smiled and took it. "Thanks, Inoue."
"If you saw that," she began, unconsciously tilting her head to the side where Shirosaki had licked her, "then did you see everything else?"
"Sort of. I heard what my Hollow said about taking over." He wasn't entirely surprised, but he was extremely bent on making sure his Hollow didn't succeed. He had stopped him once, and he could do it again. How, he wasn't sure, but he'd find a way. "I'm not sure what it's getting at, but I won't let it get away with anything."
In her eyes were flickers of doubt, worry and fear. He couldn't blame her. With no way of knowing what was going on, Ichigo had no means in which with combat his Hollow. "It'll be okay," he said to her as he pulled her close.
"I just got you back," she whispered as she buried her face in his neck. "I don't want to lose you again."
"Well, according to my inner prick, that won't happen. I have no idea what it meant by that." He tried to sound a little teasing, hoping it would cheer her up.
She craned her head back. "Promise me you'll be careful."
"Of course," he murmured, wondering just what she expected him to be careful about. He was always cautious with his Hollow. "I wouldn't put myself in jeopardy just so…" He trailed off as she frowned at him, her eyes as incredulous as he felt on the inside. They both knew that was a lie. Trying to rectify his sentence, he hastily added, "Well, okay, but not unnecessarily."
Orihime smiled, even though it seemed a little sad to Ichigo. "Putting yourself in danger is something you're very good at, unfortunately."
"If I might argue my case, danger seems to have a way of coming to me."
"You don't always have to face it and keep yourself in danger."
"I'm not gonna run away like some kind of pansy."
"Well, it's your non-pansy butt that always gets hurt!"
Though the topic of their debate was rather serious, both of them were joking (somewhat) as Ichigo muttered under his breath and Orihime giggled. "You're the one who always heals my non-pansy ass."
"Someone has to," she said. "And I don't like seeing you hurt."
"I know." For this Ichigo would always be both grateful and guilty. "I'm going to try not putting myself in so much danger from now on, but if it comes down between you or me being in danger, I'm gonna make sure it's me. I'll protect you no-"
Orihime suddenly looked away, and to Ichigo's surprise, there was some anger in her voice as she said, "Why is it always me? Why does everyone have to protect me?"
Their conversation had taken a turn for the serious; the joking had only been a flimsy façade that kept hidden the larger issue at hand. Knowing he was walking on eggshells, Ichigo said, "Inoue, no one wants you to get hurt. And I know I don't want anyone else to get hurt, either. They feel the same. We all want to protect each other."
"But I'm not allowed to protect anyone!" Swallowing back tears, Orihime fought to keep her voice from shaking as she continued, "You, Rukia-chan, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and even Abarai-kun. Tatsuki-chan, too. You all insist on protecting me, and I'm so grateful for it, but I can't seem to be able to protect anyone! No one lets me. Everyone wants me to stand back! And it – it's always 'Don't hurt Inoue, Kurosaki!' or 'You better not ever hurt Orihime again!' Isn't anyone worried that I might hurt you? I could break your heart!"
Her shoulders were shaking. "I want to protect you, too. I want to take a hit now and then. I know I can't fight well, but…"
How long has she been keeping this pent up? Whether tonight's events had shaken her up, or something inside had finally snapped, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder as Orihime forced herself to take deep breaths to stay calm. "I guess it's not fair," he murmured quietly. "None of it is. I can't speak for everyone else here, but I know I do in some ways because I hold you to a higher standard." He ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "You're a good person, better and kinder than anyone I know. You're worth protecting."
"And you're not?"
He smiled ruefully. "That's not up to me. But I had someone die for me once," he said, surprising both of them by mentioning his mother, "and I won't see it happen again. You're the best thing I've had since Mom. I'm not gonna let anyone take that away from me again." Not when he had the power and strength to prevent another tragedy. His mother's death had been a hard enough of a blow; he doubted he could handle Orihime's death.
The anger inside of her seemed to fade as she rested her head against his chest. "And you're the best thing I've had since Onii-chan. I guess that's why we're both so bent on keeping each other safe."
"I guess we're a little more alike than I thought," Ichigo said. He shook his head, amazed at how this night was turning out so far. They had gone from talking about his Hollow to their resolve to protect, stemming from the death of a beloved family member. It certainly wasn't turning out like he expected. He decided to drop the debate, for now, since it seemed like neither of them were willing to back down. "We should tell Shinji what happened in the morning. About my Hollow, I mean."
"Yeah," Orihime agreed. "He'll want to know, especially since it confirms what Nel-san said." Without warning, she suddenly yawned, blushing as she excused herself.
"It's late," Ichigo said. "Maybe I better let you get to bed."
Orihime's shoulders slightly sagged. "Ah, I guess."
Ichigo scratched his head, and sheepishly said, "Or, uh, I could stay until you fall asleep, if it makes you feel better." He secretly hoped she would agree.
Her smile brightened and she nodded, to Ichigo's relief. "Yeah. Come on." She crawled back into bed, snuggling under the covers before she pulled some back and patted the spot next to her.
He chuckled as he got in next to her and helped her pull the sheet over them. Though it was a little cramped sharing a standard-sized bed, neither of them minded as Orihime snuggled up next to Ichigo, and he draped an arm over her.
They laid there in silence for some time. Ichigo was struggling with something that was on his mind, and Orihime must have sensed it, for she stayed awake, waiting for him to speak. When he seemed unable to decide, she gave his arm a light squeeze and said, "Kurosaki-kun, what is it?"
Rukia had told Ichigo the extent of Orihime's feelings, but that knowledge wasn't making this any easier. To be honest, ever since Rukia had told him, he had been uncomfortable with hiding the extent of his feelings. He felt like he was lying to Orihime, and she deserved to know. "About what I said before, about why I protect you… I didn't tell you the other reason."
"What is it?"
He had to say it before his resolve crumbled. Determined not to look at her, because it would only make him more nervous, he said in a low voice, "Because I love you." It was only after he blurted the words, feeling the weight of his secret lift off of him that he was able to look at her.
Her mouth was slightly open in shock as she stared at him. Her grip on his arm tightened, to the point where Ichigo was wincing. His grimace broke her out of her state of shock, and she released his arm. As the surprise faded after long minutes of silence, a warm smile broke out over her features. "Really?"
He nodded. His mouth was too dry to say anything.
"I never thought I'd hear you say that," she whispered as she scooted up until their gazes were level with each other. "I love you too, Kurosaki-kun. Very much."
Even though he already knew, it still didn't stop the giddiness that bloomed in his chest. "And I never thought I'd hear you say that. Certainly never thought I'd earn it." He linked his hand with hers and suddenly added, "It's Ichigo."
Orihime blinked, her confusion apparent in the way her eyes widened and she tilted her head. "Eh?"
"I think we're a little past referring to each other in the formal."
A blush bloomed on her cheeks. "I guess we are. Okay then, um, Ichigo-kun."
"Very good, Orihime," he said with a teasing grin.
As she giggled, he grinned wider as he turned over until he was on top of her, propped up on his arms so he wasn't squishing. "I think Keigo's right. I really am a whipped bastard."
"No. You're just a sap."
Orihime could hardly contain her laughter as his expression became deadpan. She covered her hands over her mouth as she turned red from the suppressed laughter, and it only became worse as Ichigo dryly added, "Really? And who's responsible for that?"
"N – Not me," she said between her fingers. "Sappiness is something you're born with."
She squeaked and giggled as he nipped at her neck. "Liar," he said in her ear.
"I am not. I'm a fibber, remember?"
"Right." He smirked as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. His smirk turned into a content smile as her fingers ran through his hair. "But you know," he began thoughtfully, "being a sap or a whipped bastard or whatever you want to call it, I don't mind."
"You don't grieve for your manly days?" Orihime said, recalling Keigo's words. Even as she said them, she couldn't help but giggle.
Ichigo laughed with her. "God he's such a moron sometimes. Well, if those were my manly days, then I don't miss them all that much. I'm happier without them."
With that, a comfortable silence fell between them again. Ichigo tried staying awake until Orihime fell asleep, but her continued ministrations in his hair were too soothing, and shortly after she fell asleep, he followed suit.
Ichigo woke suddenly just before 6 AM. He groaned in protest at the early hour, and buried his face into Orihime's shoulder. "Mmph."
She opened her eyes and glanced at her alarm clock. "Kuro – Ichigo-kun, it's morning."
"Shit." He lifted himself up, blinking his eyes to clear his mind of the fog that settled in from sleep. As his mind and vision cleared, he looked down at Orihime. For a moment, he mused that he wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning. He could very much become used to it. Then he pushed the thought from his mind; it was far too early in their relationship to be thinking about anything like that. Last night was just an exception. "I better get going."
Orihime nodded, and followed Ichigo after he got up from the bed. She stretched out her arms as he grabbed his coat and shoes. As he put his coat on, she peered out into the hall, checking to see if Hitsugaya or the others were awake. She beckoned to him, and together they crept through the apartment, making sure not to disturb the shinigami as they made their way to the door.
Ichigo slipped on his shoes before opening the front door as quietly as he could. He winced as the cold air hit him. "I'll see you later," he said to her. "Get some sleep."
"You too."
With a small smile he bent down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. It was short but sweet, and he felt his stomach flutter as they parted. Another quick kiss on her forehead, and he was out, running as fast as his tired body would let him.
His return trip took longer than the first one, with his body begging to return to bed and to sleep. Fighting the chill, Ichigo did his best to stay warm until he got to his house. Instinctively, he reached into his pocket for the house key when he got to the side door. It wasn't until he dug through all of his pockets did he realize that he had left the key in his rush last night.
Shit, he cursed mentally as he began trying to open windows. All of the kitchen and clinic windows were locked, and Ichigo feared the worst until he tried one of the living room windows and to his surprise, found that it opened. He winced when it squeaked. His glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was watching before he climbed through the window. Once he was inside, he quietly shut it behind him. For a brief moment, he felt that the coast was clear and he had been successful. A part of him was thrilled at the idea that he had snuck out and gotten away with it. He almost felt like a normal teenager.
But fate was not feeling kind that morning. As Ichigo turned, he suddenly found that he was not alone downstairs. His eyes widened as his gaze met his father's, who was sitting in the kitchen drinking tea. Oh fuck.
"I can't wait to hear this one explained," Isshin said with a smile as he set his cup down.
"Uh…" Ichigo hadn't made it a habit to sneak out of the house, or really do much of anything he had to lie to his dad about (except for shinigami-related things, but that was much different). Therefore, he didn't have a handy lie. "I was just – I was out with my friends and we uh, fell asleep…" At least not a good lie.
Isshin wasn't buying it, and Ichigo couldn't blame him. He stiffened as his dad got up, shaking his head as he walked over to his son. In the meantime, Ichigo's mind was racing to think of something to recover from his earlier fumble. "Look-"
To his surprise, Isshin suddenly bent towards him and sniffed. Ichigo frowned and said, "I wasn't drinking or smoking."
"No," Isshin agreed, "but I do detect a rather light fragrance."
Ichigo sniffed his arm, and realized in horror that some of Orihime's perfume had rubbed off on him. The situation was rapidly getting worse. "I-"
"My, I can't help but wonder just what exactly you were doing last night." Isshin raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Nothing… bad, I hope?"
Ichigo caught onto his father's "suggestion" and snapped, "I did not do anything like that."
"Do anything like what?" Isshin asked innocently.
"Sleep with a girl," Ichigo said between gritted teeth.
"I didn't say you did," Isshin said with a chuckle.
"I know what you were insinuating." His frown hardened as he continued, "We didn't do anything last night."
"I just said you had a light fragrance. That could have come from a number of things. But thank you for letting me know that." He laughed quietly as Ichigo's mouth dropped. "Why were you with a girl last night, if you claim you weren't being a randy young man?" Isshin grinned, obviously amused by this.
Shit. His father had lured him into a trap. Ichigo couldn't believe he had fallen for it, but he blamed being caught off guard and the early hour in which this was taking place. His head reeled at the thought of having to come clean with Isshin about Orihime, but Ichigo realized that he had no choice. Either he told (some) of the truth about what happened last night, or he left his father thinking he had violated some girl in the middle of the night.
Obviously he couldn't tell him the real reason for going to Orihime's house in the middle of the night, so instead he began with, "I snuck out to her house last night to see her. We didn't do anything, we just talked for awhile and we both ended up falling asleep."
"Together?" Isshin asked with a raised brow.
Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets, morosely resigned to his fate. "We didn't do anything," he repeated, glowering at the far wall.
Though Ichigo hadn't said it outright, it was all that Isshin needed to hear. "You have yourself a girlfriend?" he asked, his grin widening.
Ichigo groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. He refused to answer, but he knew that there was no avoiding it no matter what he did. The truth was out.
He had heard his father scream and shriek before, but nothing before this morning matched the clamor he made as he ran screaming to Masaki's poster. "MASAKI! OH MASAKI, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? OUR SON IS A MAN! DADDY IS SO HAPPY!"
"Oh my God." Ichigo covered his face with his hands, wishing for this to be over.
Isshin's antics continued as he began to run about the house, screaming with unbridled joy that his son had finally gotten himself a girlfriend. "I WAS SO AFRAID YOU'D NEVER GET YOURSELF A GIRL!"
"Just shut up!" Ichigo snapped, but his words fell on happily deaf ears.
"A girl! A GIRL! Now I no longer have to fear you're asexual! What a kind girl, to date you!" Isshin stuck his tongue out at Ichigo. "You're always so grouchy!"
"Oi!" Ichigo protested. "Orihime is not dating me out of pity, you jackass!"
Isshin's mouth dropped. "Hold on. You're dating Inoue Orihime?"
"Y – Yeah. What of it?" he said cautiously, wondering where Isshin was going with his question.
To his horror, Isshin's giddiness only increased at the news. "YOU'RE DATING A BEAUTY OF HER CALIBER? MASAKIIIIIII!" Isshin ran back to his wife's poster, sprawling himself over her visage as he wept in joy. "I'M SO PROUD OF OUR BOY! THE CHARM AND MANLINESS OF THE KUROSAKI MEN HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN TO HIM AFTER ALL!"
Ichigo heard hurried footsteps coming from upstairs. He glanced towards the stairs and found Rukia climbing down the stairs with a lamp in hand. Karin and Yuzu were behind her, their eyes wide in confusion. "What the hell is going on?" Rukia demanded. "We thought uncle was being attacked or something by all the screaming we heard."
"Rukia-chan! Karin, Yuzu! Wonderful news!" Isshin beamed as he turned around and said, "Ichigo is dating a girl! He's been hiding it from us!"
Rukia started to laugh as Karin and Yuzu turned to their brother in disbelief. "Really, onii-chan?" Yuzu said.
"Yes," Ichigo muttered, hunching his shoulders.
"Huh." Karin grinned as she crossed her arms and relaxed, now that she knew no one was being murdered in their home. "About time. Who is she?"
"Inoue Orihime," Rukia answered when Ichigo seemed resolute not to say.
Yuzu gasped as Karin's mouth dropped. "Way to go, Ichi-nii," the latter said.
"This is so mortifying," Ichigo said as he covered his eyes with his hand.
"If you had just told them to begin with, you might have prevented this," Rukia said with a triumphant smirk.
"I was trying to prevent that," Ichigo said, pointing to his father.
"Hmph." Isshin scoffed at his son before he pranced into the kitchen. "I am happy for you, Ichigo, but this does not overlook the fact that you snuck out of the house without my permission."
Ichigo grimaced; he had hoped his father would forget about it during his ecstatic fit. "Dad, look, I'll do anything. Please, just don't ground me." If he was grounded, not only would he not be able to see Orihime after school, but he also wouldn't be able to go to training, and Shinji would be beyond pissed off.
"Well…" Isshin said, his tone dramatically thoughtful. "I suppose there is one condition I can think of that would allow me to overlook your punishment."
"What is it?" Ichigo asked, betraying in his tone the hope he felt.
His father turned and grinned. "Orihime-chan must come over to dinner next Friday night, if she can make it."
"What?"
"You heard me," Isshin said as Ichigo gaped. "I want to meet her. So do your sisters, I imagine."
"But-"
"Please, onii-chan?" Yuzu and Karin walked up to him, the first with wide, pleading eyes and the second with a hopeful grin. "We would really like to meet her," Yuzu added.
"Oh come on, Ichigo," Rukia said from the stairwell. "It won't be that bad. Besides, if she's that important to you then she should meet your family. You know she'd love it."
Since it was the only way out of getting punished, and since he couldn't say no to his sisters, Ichigo sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll ask her."
Isshin and Yuzu cheered as Karin and Rukia grinned. "Start planning for dinner next week, Yuzu!" Isshin cried as he ran about the kitchen. "We must make an excellent feast for Orihime-chan!"
"Will do, sir!" Yuzu said with a salute before racing off to grab a pen and paper. "I'll start making a list. Onii-chan, please ask her what her favorite dish is!"
"All right," he muttered as he started to make his way to the stairs.
Rukia raised an eyebrow at him as he climbed up the stairs. "Want to tell me why you were at Orihime's last night?"
Ichigo glanced at his family before saying in a low voice, "In my room."
She nodded in understanding. They both checked to make sure the others weren't looking before quietly walking back up the stairs. Rukia glanced over her shoulder repeatedly and listened in case Isshin or one of the twins decided to come looking for them. It wasn't until they were in Ichigo's room and he closed the door that Rukia felt safe to ask, "What happened?"
Ichigo peeled off his coat, tossing it on his desk chair before explaining to Rukia what had happened, from the "dream" to the part where they decided to tell Shinji what had happened.
When he was finished, Rukia's expression was serious as she cupped her chin. "What could this all mean?"
"I don't know. It's one thing for my Hollow to come after me. I'm used to it and I can handle it. But what pisses me off the most is that it's going after Orihime."
"It's using her, from what I can tell." Rukia didn't seem any happier than Ichigo about it. "However, at least it seems that it won't hurt her. That's thanks to you."
"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.
"It cares about her because you care about her, if I'm making sense of this right. In the end, that might be the only thing that can stop it."
Ichigo couldn't help but feel Rukia might have been right. He spun the words in his head all morning and even when he went over to Orihime's house.
"Get real, King. She ain't gonna stop me."
Quietly, oh so very quietly, Ichigo mentally noted that he detected hesitance in Shirosaki's voice. It wasn't often his Hollow showed any sign of weakness. If Rukia was right, then that left the matter of how Orihime could stop his Hollow. For now, Ichigo had no ideas, but it gave him hope.
He pushed his worries to the side when Orihime opened the door for him. Her smile brightened, and he couldn't help but smile in return.
"Hello, Ichigo-kun." She stepped to the side to let him in.
He kicked off his shoes as she closed the door, and when they turned and met, he bent down and kissed her, catching his poor girlfriend off guard. She squeaked, and he paused for a moment to chuckle and bring her closer. When she finally relaxed, he said, "Hello to you, too."
"One of these days I'll get used to it, really." Orihime blushed as she gently clutched the front of his shirt.
"Maybe if I do it enough you will."
"That's just an excuse."
"Yeah," he admitted as he placed a kiss on her neck. "Is that a complaint?"
As he began leaving kisses up her neck, nipping lightly here and there, she sighed contentedly and said, "Nope."
Ichigo's eyes strayed upwards, realizing that they were alone in the usually noisy apartment. "Where are Toshiro and the others?"
"They went to Soul Society." Something in Orihime's tone made Ichigo stand back to get a good look at her face. There he saw some concern in the way she frowned.
"Did something happen?"
"I don't know, honestly. Hitsugaya-taichou hurried out of here after he got a call from them, and Rangiku-san and Hinamori-san followed."
"Weird." Ichigo shook his head. "Well, if something bad happened we'd have been told. Maybe it was some kind of meeting they had to go to."
"Yeah, maybe. That sounds about right." She paused, toying with his collar before adding, "Should we call Shinji-kun?"
"Yeah, let's get it over with." He let her go get the phone while he sat down on the couch, stretching out his legs. He let himself sink a little into the couch, and let out a deep exhale.
Orihime sat next to him, handing him the phone. Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he dialed Shinji's cell phone. They both exchanged glances before Ichigo hit the call button.
They waited in silence as the phone rang on the other end. Ichigo was starting to get fidgety after the third ring when Shinji finally answered, "Orihime-chan?"
"Not quite," Ichigo said dryly.
"Eh, Ichigo? The hell are ya doin', calling from Orihime-chan's phone?"
"Because I'm at her house, dumbass." Ichigo rolled his eyes before continuing, "I need to talk to you about something."
"About what?"
"Something happened last night." Ichigo's grip on the phone tightened as he remembered the previous night's incident. He still couldn't get the image of his Hollow holding Orihime out of his head; it made him want to punch something, or better yet, rip his Hollow to shreds.
There was a definitive pause on the other end. Ichigo could only imagine the look of dread Shinji was wearing. He couldn't blame him in the least if he did. "I'm not gonna like this, am I?"
"Not really."
Shinji let loose a string of expletives before saying, "Hang on. I'll get the others."
Ichigo waited as Shinji went to gather everyone. In the meantime, he held the phone away from his mouth and said, "He's getting the others."
"Okay." Orihime leaned her head on his shoulder, and smiled when he placed his cheek on top of her head. "I feel bad, since it'll make them worry."
"Well, they'd be angrier if we didn't tell them." Ichigo sighed. "The sooner we tell them, the earlier we can figure this out."
"Yo, Ichigo. You there?"
He brought the phone back to his mouth. "Yeah." Ichigo lifted his head up in attention.
"Okay, I'm gonna put you on speaker so everyone can hear." There was another brief pause, and then Shinji spoke again, his voice farther away and quieter now that the phone was on speaker. "Here we go. Okay, what the hell happened?"
For the second time, Ichigo recounted what happened. Orihime brought up a couple points, which Ichigo quickly added to his explanation. With her help, he detailed the events of last night, though he left out what had happened during the latter part of the night.
"I really hate yer Hollow," Shinji said after Ichigo finished. "Really fuckin' hate it. I can't believe it touched Orihime-chan like that."
"I'm as pissed off as you are," Ichigo said, unconsciously squeezing Orihime's shoulder. "I'll handle that part later," he added, planning on having a word with his Hollow at some point in the near future. "What should we do about the other part?"
There were low murmurs in the background. Ichigo listened, trying to pick up on what the Vizards were saying. He heard "Hollow" and "plan of action" tossed around, but judging by the rising voices and occasional shouts, they weren't coming to an agreement.
"Hey, Ichigo," Riza suddenly said. "Can we call you back later? We need some time to talk it over."
"Yeah, sure. We'll be here."
"Good." And with that she hung up.
Ichigo sighed in aggravation as he tossed the phone to the side. "They need time to talk about it," he explained to Orihime. "From what I could tell, they couldn't settle on any course of action."
"It's tricky," Orihime said. "We don't know what to do either, and it's probably better if we think this through instead of rushing into anything."
"You're right, but it's just frustrating is all. I don't like sitting around."
Instead of saying anything, Orihime just reached over and gave his leg a reassuring squeeze. Understanding what she was trying to convey, Ichigo smiled wearily. "I know. I'll be patient. Besides," he said with a shrug, "it's one irritation out of the way."
"There's another irritation?"
"Yeah. This one is my fault." He was dreading this, but he knew he had no choice. "I got caught sneaking back in this morning."
Orihime gasped. "Oh no! Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"
He placed a long finger against her lips to silence her. "It's Ichigo, remember?" He smirked when she blushed; in her dismay she had forgotten about the drop of formalities. "And it's not your fault. I forgot my house key when I left."
"Are you in trouble?" she asked quietly.
"No. I would have been, but…" Ichigo scowled heavily at the memory, remembering how his father had tricked him into revealing what he had been up to and who he had been with. "The one time my dad decides to be sly…"
"Eh?"
"My dad tricked me into telling him about you."
Orihime's mouth formed a little "o". Ichigo wasn't sure if she was just surprised or mortified. If she knew what his family was like, he mused wryly, she would be the latter.
"And of course," Ichigo continued, his scowl deepening, "he made a huge commotion about it and woke Karin, Yuzu and Rukia. So my sisters know, too. Now my family wants to meet you."
"Really?" For a moment, Orihime's smile brightened. However, as Ichigo ran a hand over his face, her smile fell. "You don't want them to meet me."
"Orihime." Ichigo parted his fingers to train one eye on her. "I don't want them to meet you for your sake. My family is crazy. But…" He sighed softly at her hopeful expression. "if you really want to meet them, then you're invited to dinner next Friday night."
Orihime clapped her hands together excitedly. "Ah! Then I'd be happy to come!"
Before Ichigo could comment further, the door burst open. Both teenagers turned to find Hinamori standing in the threshold, panting heavily. "Hinamori-san?" Orihime said in surprise.
"S – Sorry about this." Momo fought to catch her breath as she straightened and said, "I've been back and forth between Urahara's shop and Soul Society twice now, and then I ran over here, so I'm a little out of breath."
"What's going on?" Ichigo asked.
"We've been back and forth between the worlds in order to communicate with Neliel and Grimmjow. The captains talked about their offer and decided to take them up on it." Momo stood erect and said in a stronger voice, "We're going to attack Hueco Mundo. Well, to be more correct, we're going to launch an attack on Las Noches."
"Seriously?" Ichigo said as Orihime gasped.
"We're tired of playing the waiting game with Ichimaru and Tousen. The captains decided to go to them and drag them out of Hueco Mundo. Urahara-san went to Hueco Mundo and negotiated with Neliel and Grimmjow. They're going to get us inside. In return, we're going to try and spare as many Arrancar as we can and let the ones who aren't helping Tousen and Ichimaru go."
"It's about time we did something," Ichigo said. He turned to Orihime and smiled apologetically. "Looks like we're going to have to change plans."
"Kyouraku-taichou and Unohana-taichou want everyone stationed in town to help with the attack, including you guys, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun and the Vizards." Momo scratched her head. "Urahara-san is going to talk to Hirako about it and see if they're willing to help, but we need all the people we can get."
"When are we attacking?" Orihime asked.
"Tonight." Momo's eyes softened in understanding at the shock on their faces. "I know. It's pretty hasty, but the captains want to move as fast as possible. We're going to set up a line here so Kyouraku-taichou can brief all of us at once." She smiled apologetically at Orihime. "Do you mind us setting up that line we had back during the War again?"
"Not at all."
"Thank you." Momo bowed to her before straightening and adding, "I'm going to go bring it in and start setting up."
"I'll help you," Ichigo said as he got to his feet.
"And I'll call some of the others and let them know what's going on. What time is the briefing at?" Orihime asked as she reached for the phone.
"Eighteen-hundred hours," Momo answered. "Not much time, I know. That's why I ran here," she added with a laugh.
Ichigo's mouth was set into a determined line as he walked over to help Momo carry the screen inside that would allow them to contact Soul Society. His worries about his Hollow had to be pushed aside; they would be invading in a matter of hours and finally dealing with Ichimaru and Tousen once and for all, and the last thing he needed was to go into this with a distracted mind. A part of him was grateful for the attack, though, as it would feel like he helped accomplish something and resolve an issue instead of creating one.
Resolutions seemed so scarce anymore. Arresting those two bastards and putting an end to whatever plan they were undertaking would be a welcome change of pace, for him and for everyone else.
A/N: Time to solve the Ichimaru and Tousen problem once and for all. Next chapter: another Las Noches invasion, minus the rescue aspect. Stay tuned!