I SWEAR, I'M SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME WRITING THESE CHAPTERS. BUT I LOVE IT. SO THIS CHAPTER IS A LITTLE HAPPIER. ;) ICHIGO AND ORIHIME DESERVE AT LEAST A SMALL AMOUNT OF HAPPINESS. RIGHT? WELL PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW. IT REALLY IS MY MOTIVATION. IF I DON'T GET AT LEAST 10 REVIEWS, I WILL NOT WRITE FOR 3 WEEKS (JK)! LOVE BLEACHEE!

Chapter 13: Embraced Desperation

Orihime finished throwing away the broken mirror, and now sat alone in her bedroom. She curled up into a ball, nothing on her mind.

She could see the moon from her window as it stared down at her accusingly.

Then a frantic knock at the door scared her. Orihime lifted her head, thoughts racing through her mind.

She slowly got out the bed, her toes touching the cold floor. Slowly, Orihime tip toed to the front door, where she hesistantly waited.

Orihime leaned against the door, scared to open.

"... w-who is it?" Orihime whispered.

"Open the door, Orihime... please. I'm freezing my ass out here." Ichigo said on the other side.

Orihime's eyes widened in surprise. He was the last person she expected to find on the other side of the door. Her small hands threw the door open, and she threw herself onto him.

Tears of joy and longing fell down her face as she embraced him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried into his neck.

"I-I missed you... I need you..." She cried.

Ichigo didn't know what to do. One hand wrapped around her waist while the other caressed her long flowing hair.

He gave her a light kiss on the cheek, and whispered back into her ear.

"I need you, too. But why are you crying...? Did something happen to you, Orihime?" Ichigo asked, concerned.

Orihime seperated herself from him. Her grey eyes looked up into his brown eyes, but she couldn't look into them for long. Something inside of her made her ashamed to look into those eyes of his.

She dropped her head low. Ichigo cupped her face, bringing her to look back at him.

"Why are there tears in your eyes, Orihime? I told you that I would protect you. From myself and from everybody else who wants to hurt you. I'm here, my hime. Tell me what's wrong." Ichigo gently said to her.

"You'll protect me from anyone?" Orihime asked him.

Ichigo looked at her puzzled. They both stood there, staring at each other.

"Yes..." He finally responded.

"Even from... myself." Orihime told him.

Ichigo knew where she was going with this. It was her hollow. Ichigo still didn't know it for himself, but he knew the suspicions about her.

He breathed heavily and clenched his jaw.

"Let's go inside, Orihime. I need to talk to you about something..." Ichigo suddenly said all serious. He grabbed her hand and led her inside her apartment.

Orihime let go of his hand to close the door. Ichigo stood in the middle of the room and a heavy feeling fell on him.

'This is where it all started... damn hollows make me sick...' Ichigo said, clenching his fists.

"Ichigo...?" Orihime said, breaking his train of thought.

The orange haired boy looked a her with intensity.

"Orihime. I need to know, do you have... a h... a hollow?" He asked. Orihime knew this would happen.

She began to tremble as she fell to the ground, crying. Ichigo just stared at her in shock. He ran up to her, holding her up.

"Orihime! Answer me... please! I need to know..." Ichigo pleaded. Sweat formed on his forehead. This was all too much...

What would ichigo do I she did? Could he accept her?

Ichigo was so disgusted with himself. He was such a hypocrite in his own eyes. She accepted him after what he did to her... after all the pain he caused her. And her having a hollow might even be his fault.

And here he was, deciding whether to accept her.

"Fuck!" Ichigo cursed out loud.

Orihime looked up at him shocked. Ichigo looked down at her.

"Ichigo... it's true. I... I have hollow inside of me. I-I don't know what to do..." Orihime whispered to him.

He fell to his knees. How could it be possible?

She bit her lips, she couldn't even say it. But he made her... Orihime looked into his pleading eyes.

Then the unexpected happened. Ichigo began to laugh.

Orihime watched in confusion as his face turned red, tears on the edge of his eyes. He held onto his stomach, unable to breathe.

'Why is he laughing...?' Orihime asked herself.

"I... I'm sorry... Orihime. It's just that I... finally realized how... fucked up we are." Ichigo said, pausing in between words to chuckle. Orihime face expressed the pain as she took in the fact that he was laughing in hopelessness.

She sat on the ground, silent with a wet face from tears. Ichigo finally stopped laughing and used his pinkie to wipe his eyes.

"'Orihime... this really is something. You... you have a hollow. Whoa... I-I don't know what to say..." Ichigo said with a surprised tone. Letting out his final bursts of laughter escape.

Orihime looked down at the ground. Her nails dug into the ground. Even though he laughed, he was angry and frustrated. And scared...

"You don't have to say anything, Ichigo. I... it's terrible. Doing things you don't want to do, then being the one held responsible. I don't know how to stop it from happening."

"Stop what from happening...?" Ichigo asked. He kneeled down in front of the beautiful girl, and took her hand in his.

He used his free hand to lift her chin, making her look at him. "What did you do, Orihime?" He asked her.

"I-I... hurt Tatsuki..." Orihime cried. A knot formed in Ichigo's throat.

"Do you mean... like you hurt her mentally?" Ichigo's voice cracked. Orihime simply shook her head softly.

Ichigo had to sit down. This was too much.

Orihime followed his movements as he fell to the ground and held his head in his hands. His orange wild hair brushed up against his fists. Orihime could see the veins in his forehead slightly; he was probably frustrated.

"Ichigo... I-" Orihime tried to reach for him. But he flinched away. He heart was breaking.

"Just tell me what happened, Orihime. Please..." Ichigo whispered angrily.

An awkward silence filled the darkened room, making Orihime hesistate. "I... uh, I..." Orihime stumbled.

"Just tell me. It's ok... I can handle it." Ichigo told her, trying to make her comfortable.

"I don't really remember. All I know is that one second, Tatsuki was in front of me, and then I blacked out. The next, I was next to her body... and she was bleeding... and m-my hands... they were r-red..." Orihime squeaked. She buried her face into her hands in shame and regret.

Ichigo looked at her in distress. He crawled over to her and held her in his arms. He'd never been the one to hold girls, but this was his princess. She needed him.

"Shh... shh... it's ok. Don't cry anymore. Please... I'm tired of seeing you cry. You're too pretty for that." Ichigo told her, his hands caressing her head.

"It's not ok, Ichigo. I murdered my best friend!" Orihime cried.

"No. You didn't kill anybody. It was your hollow. I refuse to let you take the blame for something you didn't do. I'm not perfect, Orihime. I've hurt you. In so many ways that I don't know how you don't hate me." Ichigo confessed to her.

"You always say you're unhappy. But you don't realize that you bring happiness to others lives. You make me happy, Orihime. I know what it's like to do something you have no control over, and watch someone you love suffer. I know, baby... but it's not your fault." He finished saying.

"Ichigo..." Orihime looked up into his eyes and her stared intensly back into hers.

"I had to tell myself this over and over to keep myself from going insane after what happened to you. But you were the one who told me in the first place. Even though I was the evil doing you wrong, you still fought to keep me good. It's because of you that I'm still me." Ichigo told her.

'Not for long...' A disturbingly evil voice reminded him.

Ichigo's blood ran cold. He'd forgotten about the real reason why he was still here; because he was letting him.

Orihime's hands rested on Ichigo's chest and she could hear his heart beating.

"Ichigo... do you... love me?" Orihime whispered. Right after regaining conciousness, her hollow told her something she didn't know whether or not she should pay attention to. The kiss... that Rukia and Ichigo shared. It slowly started to eat her, but she knew only that one question would put her at ease.

Her sudden question threw him off guard. "W-what?" He asked.

"Do you love me?" She asked with more confidence.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't be here if I didn't." He told her hesitantly. His mind burned with the images of the day before. Rukia...

Ichigo couldn't deny that he wanted her. But he wants Orihime more.

"Then that's good enough for me." Orihime sighed. She could tell he wasn't lying. He loved her... and she loved him. Nobody else was in the bond they shared.

Orihime rested along his body, listening to the heart that belonged to her. Ichigo held her head, and softly caressed her cheek.

And the truth was, Ichigo didn't want to let her go either. He would do everything in his power to keep her. Even if he had to fight the world...

Later...

Ichigo and Orihime laid next to each other on the couch. His body wrapped hers in a comforting snuggle.

Orihime could've stayed like that with him forever, but life never went the way she wanted.

"Are you still crying?" Ichigo asked her. His hands ran up and down her arms, trying to keep her calm.

"N-no... I'm fine. Ichigo, are you ok?"

"Well... I wouldn't exactly say I'm ok. But a little better now that I'm with you. Orihime, regardless of what happens, I'll be here." He told her jokingly.

His thumb brushed against her face, pushing away a few strands of her beautiful hair. Ichigo couldn't help but stare at the lips he hadn't kissed in a while.

Ichigo looked into her eyes, asking for permission. Orihime gave a slight smirk and reached up, letting their lips touch.

His parted, letting hers rest and move in rhythm with his. They pressed together, a flame of love and desire bursting between them.

His strong arms pushed her small body into his, bringing them ever so close. As their lips parted, a gentle breeze of warmth bewtween them extinguished the flame between them, letting them relax.

Orihime smiled, holding him close. She kissed him along his jawline, making him plant small delicate kisses along her forehead, making her giggle.

It was her first laugh in a long time...

"Actually that reminds me, Ichigo. Do you remember the time we went to the beach a long time ago...?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Well, I actually made you a present. Stay here." She whispered. Orihime jumped off the seat.

The minute she left his arms, Ichigo felt an empty space inside of him.

Ichigo waited for her to return. He could hear shuffling from inside her bedroom, and the patter of her small feet against the wood flooring.

Ichigo breathed slowly.

'Maybe things will get better...' Ichigo said to himself. A small ray of hope shone through the dark clouds of misery...

Orihime came back, holding the beloved present behind her back.

"Close your eyes..." Orihime told him. Ichigo closed them, with a slight chuckle.

...

"Open." Orihime whispered. He slowly opened his chocolate brown eyes.

Dangling in front of Ichigo's eyes was a small chain, with a heart shaped sea shell hanging at the bottom. It glistened even though there was barely any light in the room.

"Wow, Orihime... that's amazing. Did you make-"

Ichigo stopped when he saw blood fall on the ground.

His eyes followed the trail of blood to in between Orihime's legs.

Dark red blood stained her white shorts, dripping down to the floor.

Orihime didn't even notice until she followed Ichigo's gaze.

One hand reached down and touched the blood between her legs.

Slowly, Orihime brought her trembling bloody fingers to her face to stare at the blood. Her breathing became more shallow as she feared what was happening to her.

"Orihime... what's that?" Ichigo asked, his eyebrows furrowed together in suspense.

"I... I don't-" Orihime tried to say.

Then things took a turn for the worse.

Orihime fell down, screaming in sheer pain. She clutched her stomach on her knees. The sea shell pendant fell to the ground, breaking in two.

Ichigo grabbed her arms, and tried to pick her up.

"Orihime! Orihime! What's wrong...!" He screamed.

Then, Orihime pushed him away and ran to the bathroom. Ichigo followed after her but she closed the door and locked it.

She didn't want him to see her like this.

Inside his head, Ichigo could hear hystercal laughter erupting.

'What the fuck's so funny? And why did you let me be with her so long? I thought you wanted to be with her...' Ichigo cursed at his hollow.

'I thought I'd let her smile before I rip her life to shreds in the end... see? I'm not such a bad guy. But time's wasting away, Ichigo... make your time with her last.'

Ichigo stared at the closed door and began to pound furiously on it, trying to get Orihime to open the door.

"Orihime! Open the door, please!" He screamed.

"N-no...!" Orihime cried weakfully from the other side.

'Tick tock, King. Tick tock...'

Ichigo heard his hollow's threat. The same threat he was given before something terrible happened.

OOH SCARY! WELL ANYWAYS, I THINK EVERYONE WHO READS THIS STORY KNOWS WHY SHE'S BLEEDING. BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THE CHAPTER. I LOVE HOW I ADD SOMETHING SO HAPPY AND THEN COMPLETELY RUIN IT AGAIN. LOL I HAVE ISSUES. NEXT CHAPTER= BOWCHIKAWOW! REVIEW PLEASE.

So to clarify: Orihime is visted by Ichigo. She runs up to him, crying. Ichigo wonders why she's so upset. Ichigo askes about her hollow. She says it was true and that she hurt Tatsuki. They talk about their relationship. Ichigo thinks about her, so he says he won't leave her even though he's been told to. Orihime's stomach begins to hurt, and she almost falls, worrying Ichigo.