Oh, it's been far too long since I updated my stories. I miss having free time. Please stick with me, I am not giving up on my stories! Just hard pressed to find time to write.

For those who commented, I will be getting around to answering them! I just fell off the face of the planet for a little while, swamped with school and coaching. Rest assured I am reading all of those comments, see all of the favorites and alerts, and appreciate them very, very much!

Enough from me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot, just borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment. Architects for Humanity is a real organization, but this is a fictional representation of their work and may be inaccurate. If you know of the organization, please do not hold me accountable for mistakes, as I am going off of my own experiences with volunteer work.

Chapter 5

Orihime was certain that she asleep.

She wasn't sure when she had drifted off. Maybe she had fallen asleep at work. Tatsuki was probably already at the restaurant waiting for her to arrive, but she had shut her eyes for just a moment after a hard day arranging the gallery's new show and had let sleep take her in its warm embrace. It was the only explanation to how this man was standing in front of her right now.

And he was standing in front of her, in all of his glory. She had nearly swallowed her tongue when she caught sight of that bright orange hair, the same color that used to appear in her nightmares, only then it was wet and drug under a current of muddy brown water.

But this wasn't one of those nightmares. She had pinched herself on the arm, hard, before the man had turned to look at her, effectively killing all of her motor and speech skills. Had she said his name, or had that been only said in her head? She didn't know, but she did know it was him.

Ichigo was here, looking back at her with shock, which she sure perfectly mirrored her own. She had watched this man be swept away in the water two years ago, not resurfacing again no matter how long she had searched. She had been sure that he had died, too afraid to look at the list names of those victims who had been discovered to confirm the man's death but not able to think of any other possible outcome. She had pushed all memories of the tragic day to the farthest corner of her mind, adopting a set schedule as her way of coping. It was how she had dealt with it. It was how she had gotten through the pain and the nightmares. But like a ghost of her past Ichigo was in front of her and speaking to her, shattering her rituals and proving that her life was still unpredictable, no matter how meticulously she planned it all out.

For the most part, he still looked the same. His hair was a little longer, his body more defined, but it was the same man she had met then. The same sun-kissed skin, sprinkled with a dusting of freckles that one only noticed upon closer inspection. The same bright orange hue of his hair, brighter than hers but still close in color. And the same deep brown eyes that glowed with his every emotion, flakes of gold within the brown displaying his curiosity and surprise as he watched her closely.

It took her a moment to realize he had greeted her, only regaining her ability to speak after he had repeated it.

"Orihime? Is that really you?"

She laughed aloud, surprising herself with the reaction but unable to contain it as it bubbled up from her chest. Ichigo's eyebrows rose, but a wide smile spread on his face at the sound, and she couldn't hold back any longer. In seconds she had stepped forward, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, bag forgotten as it fell to the floor by their feet. If he was opposed to the gesture, he didn't show it. Instead, he pulled her closer, returning the embrace just as tightly.

Her fingers dug into the soft material of his tee shirt, as if using the cotton to ground herself to her reality. She could feel his chest rising and falling with every breath, could feel the warmth of his skin, his heart beating out a strong and steady rhythm. Everything about him screamed life, and she drank the experience in greedily.

When she had gotten her fill – or at least when she assumed it had been long enough without being a creep – and with more effort than she thought she possessed, she pulled back to put a safe distance between them once more. She should have felt awkward. After all, she barely knew this man, and she had nearly tackled him in a hug. But it wasn't strange or uncomfortable. In fact, it felt like the most natural thing in the world, aided by the fact that he returned the gesture. That didn't keep the blush from staining her cheeks, however, and she ducked her head to hide it.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," she said softly, though the smile was still present on her features.

"No, it's okay," he assured her, shaking his head at her apology. He was smiling widely at her, his eyes shining with surprise and happiness as his own blush dusted his features, not as prominent but still visible. "I don't mind."

Though she had pulled back, he had kept her within reach, his hands holding her shoulders gently. He could probably hear her heart beating, as it had threatened to drown out all other noise with how it was roaring in her ears.

Ichigo's smile faltered, and his brow pulled together as he looked at her. "Orihime?" he asked, his voice slow, cautious even, as his eyes raced along the contours of her face. Orihime didn't understand at first, but soon realized that she had begun to cry. Blinking rapidly, she cleared her eyes of the tears and forced a smile.

"I'm okay," she assured him, wiping at her cheeks hurriedly and chiding herself for being such a baby, "I'm just overwhelmed. The last time I saw you…" She trailed off, unsure of what could be said about the matter. How do you go about explaining the emotion you feel from seeing someone you believed was dead? It's been years since she last saw this man, and she had thought it would be the last time based on the circumstances and events that occurred that day at the bridge. But she had been wrong and he was alive.

Ichigo was alive.

The man caught on to what she meant, sparing her from elaborating. "I know," he replied softly, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes had taken on a faraway look, and she knew he was remembering. She had to fight the frown that wanted to mar her face. She didn't want to put him back there, back in the water. The pain and death that surrounded the event would be too much, and she was determined to keep him in the present with her for as long as she could.

She raised her hand to grip lightly at his wrist, where he still held her shoulder. The gently touch snapped him out of his thoughts, and a small smile graced his lips as he met her gaze.

She smiled back before realizing she was staring like an idiot. Embarrassed by her lack of conversation skills – those picked a grand moment to flee from her brain – she looked down, catching sight of her bag. Her things had spilled out on impact, scattering the concrete floor around where they stood, and she dropped into a squat to pick up the contents of her purse. It gave her something to do besides gape like a fish at the man in front of her.

Ichigo, ever the gentleman, leaned down to help, and Orihime was struck by the familiarity of the situation. Déjà vu rocked her emotions, and she had to grip her things a little tighter with the light-headed feeling that accompanied it.

Her thoughts were broken by her keys being presented just under her nose. She glanced up, meeting Ichigo's gaze as he spoke, his hand holding her keys. "You live here?"

"Yeah, just down the hall," she said, pointing in the general direction as she took her keys from his hand, her fingers brushing his as she did so. Even his hand was warm. It baffled her slightly. With everything that had happened, her mind had begun to associate all thoughts of Ichigo with colder temperatures, as well as any other thought concerning the disaster. But his skin was like a flame, nearly burning her in its intensity. "You live here now? I thought you lived in a different city?" she questioned, looking to the door he had just been locking and giving herself a moment to compose herself.

"I'm volunteering with Architects for Humanity," he explained, standing up and extending his hand to aid her to her feet as well. She took it without question, the warmth radiating from where their skin made contact once more, and tried to keep her facial expressions neutral. "I'll be living here while I help out around the area."

She nodded her head, smiling at the answer. Ichigo would be the one who volunteered to help. It fit him perfectly, always ready to pitch in when he could.

It struck her then, as she was thinking of how well the charity work meshed with his personality, that she really knew nothing of this man. She knew his name, had a fair gage of his character, but she knew nothing of his family or friends. She didn't know his favorite color or food, the school he had gone to, his career goals, nothing.

She opened her mouth, ready to ask further questions, when a low rumbling sound was heard. Ichigo looked down, his ears tipped with red as he blushed, one hand reaching up to grip his stomach in an attempt to hush the organ's protests.

"Would you like to get some dinner?" she asked impulsively, her brain screaming at her words though she kept a smile firmly on her lips. "A friend and I were going to go get some food at a restaurant close by, and it'd be nice to talk and catch up."

"I don't want to impose," Ichigo started, only to be interrupted by his stomach once more. His hunger had decided his answer was not appropriate, apparently. He groaned softly, covering his face with one of his hands and causing Orihime to laugh lightly.

"I invited you, so you aren't imposing," she reminded him as she rearranged her bag onto her shoulder, and she sent him a bright smile. With a sigh accompanying a smile of his own, he consented.

"Alright. Let's go meet your friend."

X

Tatsuki chewed her noodles in silence, narrowed eyes flicking back and forth between her best friend sitting next to her and the man she had brought with her to the restaurant, who currently sat across from her. The two people who shared her table had seemed to forgotten she was here, enthralled in their own conversation. Ichigo, she said his name was. If not for the different last names, she would have almost guessed them to be related based on hair color alone, but Orihime had introduced him as a friend, not a family member. They were sure chummy enough.

Ichigo. What kind of stupid name is that?

Both of the orangettes were happily slurping their noodles, chatting about this Ichigo's meeting tomorrow with Architects for Humanity. She'd seen plenty of signs plastered around the city since the tsunami, knew that it was a good cause. She had listened as Orihime explained that she had first met this guy during the earthquake and tsunami, that he had helped her get to safety before being swept away in the currents while attempting to help another man get to their makeshift shelter on the bridge. And now, miraculously, he was here, living on the same floor of their apartment complex.

Uh huh. Ichigo sounded like the perfect gentleman, a knight in shining armor.

Tatsuki didn't like it.

Not that she didn't appreciate his help in the disaster. Orihime had been a wreck, to the point where the dark-haired girl had sought out professional help with her, unsure of how to pick up the pieces after what had occurred. Both of them had been struck hard by the event, but Orihime had nearly been lost. But she was alive, and participating as a functioning member of society, which was more than she could have said two years ago.

And just when everything is getting back to normal, here comes Ichigo. She watched as he stole glances at the girl, smiling widely as she animatedly talked about her work at the gallery. Orihime had just mentioned a coworker leaving the company, the older lady who used to terrorize the poor girl when she was first starting as an intern, and the boy's brown eyes lit up with recognition.

"So Dragon Lady retired, huh?" he asked. Dragon Lady? Where had that come from?

Orihime wasn't affected by that same unfamiliarity, however, and giggled loudly at the nickname, nodding her head enthusiastically. "Yeah, she left six months ago. There are no more coworkers for you to slay."

Tatsuki didn't catch the reference, and that realization made her cringed as the others laughed. They already had inside jokes. How sickening.

She knew Ichigo was probably a good guy. He had all of the right things to say, the right answers, and besides that unruly hair (at least Orihime's hair was neat, unlike that mop top Ichigo called a hairstyle) he seemed like a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. But so had the last couple of boys that walked into Orihime's life.

The girl sitting next to her hadn't said anything about her interest in Ichigo. Hell, this was the first she had every really heard of him period. Orihime never spoke of that day two years ago, plastering on a smile and keeping close to her safety zone that was a well-built schedule. But even if Orihime had never mentioned him, she didn't have to. Her attraction to the man was written all over her face, whether she realized it or not. If the matching smile was any indication, Ichigo was just as attracted to her.

Attraction made people stupid. Tatsuki could remember those feelings. She had been a teenager, after all, and experienced the highs and lows of having a crush on one of the cute boys at the dojo. She had acted like an idiot, fawning over the boy's every word. And Orihime, bless her, was naïve to a fault. A crush for that girl was detrimental to her reasoning skills, and Tatsuki had to protect her.

She cleared her throat. "So, Strawberry," she began, only for the man to cut her off.

"That's not my name," he said, a small frown on his face to accompany the look of annoyance. So Mr. Perfect did have emotion outside of happy. Judging by the expression, that wasn't the first time he had been called that, probably expected it now, even if it still affected him. The look reminded her of a rebellious teenager, and she could picture this man in high school. Probably got into a lot of fights, perhaps even trained somewhere to better defend himself. That hair was natural by the looks of it, and she could only imagine how much trouble he got into because of it. She wondered if she could take him. If he was trained, maybe he'd agree to a fight to settle her curiosity.

"Whatever," Tatsuki said with a wave of her hand, stirring the noodles with her chopstick. "Can I ask you something, Ichigo?" This time she pronounced his name with emphasis, earning a small snort from the man.

"Sure. Fire away," the boy said, picking up his glass to sip the cool water it held. Oh, if only he knew where she was going with this. He might have thought a little more about his answer.

Tatsuki leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands in front of her, food forgotten for a moment. "What are your intentions with Orihime?"

The small sound of Ichigo nearly choking on his water was more satisfying than she anticipated. But the gurgling sound made her chuckle. He hadn't been expecting that, but she gave him credit. The last guy she sprung that on had nearly died on a piece of chicken, but Ichigo was recovering quickly. He took a moment to cough and clear his throat, setting the glass down before speaking as clearly as possible. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me, pretty boy."

Orihime gasped lightly, a hand covering her mouth as she blushed. "Tatsuki," she chided, looking at the dark-haired girl with wide eyes. "Ichigo is a friend."

"So were the other boys, and look what happened there," Tatsuki pointed out, ignoring the look of shock that passed Ichigo's features. "I'm just getting the interrogation out of the way now before he has a chance to make up a perfect story later."

"I'm still here," Ichigo said with an incredulous tone, crossing his arms over his chest. Tatsuki looked at him, raising one eyebrow to signal him to continue. He rolled his eyes, not intimidated in the slightest. Yep. He was definitely a fighter in his youth. "And I'm not some seducer preying on innocent girls, if that what you think."

"Only a seducer would say that," Tatsuki said with narrowed eyes, and Ichigo groaned in frustration, rubbing his temples before leaning forward.

"I moved here for volunteer work and ran into Orihime, who I haven't seen in years. I had no idea she lived there when I moved in, and we just kind of bumped into one another. She invited me along to catch up, but if you want me to leave, I will," Ichigo said, keeping his gaze locked with the dark-haired girl. Orihime shifted in her seat, uncomfortable from the exchange and looking torn, but Tatsuki paid her no mind at the moment. She could see the muscle in Ichigo's jaw clenching and unclenching, his shoulders set as he met her stare without flinching. Though his words were spoken with politeness – probably instilled by an overbearing father, if she had to guess – his body language screamed he would not back down easily. He'd respect Tatsuki and her friendship with Orihime and leave if she really had a problem with him, but he wouldn't be happy about it.

Determination. A very good sign.

With a sigh, Tatsuki smiled. "You're the first person to stand up to me," she admitted. "I like you. You pass."

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest, anticipating he would be thrown out by the strong willed girl, but promptly shut it once his brain registered her words. "Do you always grill the guys that try to be friends with Orihime?" he asked as he resumed eating, smirking when Orihime nearly face-palmed in embarrassment.

"Only the ones I think stand a chance," Tatsuki replied, laughing when Ichigo nearly choked on a noodle. Orihime whined in despair at the answer, only making the dark-haired girl cackle more.

Really, these two were way too easy to tease.

X

Ichigo had to resist the urge to fidget under the gaze of the man seated behind the desk. He didn't know what to expect when he had come into this office but it was certainly was not the eccentric man that sat across from him.

The scruffy blonde had greeted him with a sing-song voice, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk as he rummaged around the file cabinet, plucking an envelope from the rows and rows of paper work that had Ichigo's name scrawled across the tab. Though his voice was light, he had a mysterious air about him. It probably had something to do with the brimmed hat that covered the top portion of his face, though the green and white stripes made it more playful. But when he had settled in the comfy chair and fixed his gaze on the orange-haired man, the smile somehow gained an edge, losing the happy-go-lucky demeanor. Ichigo didn't know how to take it, but he figured nervous twitches were not going to help his image, hence the reluctance to fidget.

And here he thought this was going to be an easy meeting.

"They told you I was in charge of job assignment, I assume?" Kisuke asked, flipping a pen in between his fingers with skill that was only earned from practice.

"Yes, sir."

"Any particular job in mind?" Kisuke pressed, tilting his head back slightly to fully look at Ichigo.

"I'll be happy with anything," Ichigo began, chewing the inside of his lip as he thought a little more, "But I was kind of hoping for something with construction."

"Construction?" the blonde parroted, and the younger man nodded. "As a recent architect grad, I figured you would go more for of the planning jobs," Kisuke commented, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Well, I was actually hoping to get some experience in the physical making of the houses. I've done a lot with the planning, but not so much the other side of it." Manual labor wasn't something he got to do often. As an architect, he was usually more involved in the designing and planning part of house building, not the actual labor. The prospect of getting his hands dirty excited him, quite frankly. He knew this man held that decision in his hands, though, so he would take whatever he could get.

The man nodded once again, jotting down something on a piece of paper. Ichigo mentally patted himself on the back for not craning his neck to try and read the man's chicken-scratch handwriting. He thought he saw the man smile at his restraint, but it could have just been a play of the light. Ichigo felt that this man was good at reading others, though, and suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"So, Ichigo," the man started, folding his hands together in front of him. "Why aren't you getting a real job?"

"Sir?" Ichigo squeaked out, unsure of whether or not this man had meant to ask him such a blunt question.

"Please, call me Kisuke," the blonde said with another smile. "Sir makes me feel old. And forgive the random question. But I just noticed the timing you've decided to join this organization. You're fresh out of college, got your whole life in front of you, and I am just curious as to why you would come here to Sendai, so far from Karakura Town."

Ichigo's eyebrows rose in surprise, his mind going blank as he tried to answer. He threw out the first answer he could think of. "I wanted to help."

Too broad of an answer, if the flash in Kisuke's eyes was any indication. "Yes, most people want to help when they join charity organizations." Ichigo winced at the small dig, wishing more than anything that he could sink into the floor. Right now he felt like a kid called to the principal's office. Kisuke didn't give him time to dwell on that thought, however, as he elaborated on his question. "But why here? Why Sendai?"

Ichigo suddenly felt like his collared shirt was too constricting, and had to sit on his hands not to fiddle with the collar. He hadn't been anticipating to go into his past, but this man didn't seem ready to let him leave without an answer. Could he deny his service if he didn't answer? He was in charge of job assignment, but what if he didn't see him fit for any work? Would they send him home?

He couldn't have that. With a deep breath, he explained, figuring the truth, while difficult, was the best answer. "I was here during the disaster," he began, seeing Kisuke's smile fall at the words. "I had been visiting while on break from school, and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had tried to help out then, but I…" Ichigo cleared his throat when the feeling of water around him threatened to overwhelm his senses, and he had to push the thoughts away quickly. He hadn't felt the chill of that sensation in a long time, and it nearly stole him breath. He didn't miss the concern in Kisuke's eyes.

The blonde went to speak, but Ichigo just smiled, shaking his head. He wasn't finished answering. "I guess I grew attached to the area, and when I got the pamphlet in the mail, I just felt…" he trailed off, not really sure of how to word his answer without sounding like a completely idiot.

"Felt like it was a sign?" Kisuke responded, his smile softer, more sincere. "Like you needed to come back to help out?"

"Yes," Ichigo said with a small nod.

Kisuke returned the gesture, quickly signing the paper work in front of him. "Forgive me if I come off as too forward," he started, glancing up to meet the orange-headed man's gaze before looking back down at the file. "Here at Architects for Humanity we are happy to have any help we can get, but sometimes people only come for college credit or deductions on their taxes. It is refreshing to hear someone with an emotional attachment to the city. It was the reason I asked to be assigned here, after all." Ichigo was curious as to what attachment Kisuke had to Sendai, but he figured if he was lucky enough to hear that story, it would be on the blonde's terms, and it wouldn't be today.

With a large grin in place, Kisuke closed the folder, but not before removing a packet of paper stapled together. "This is your work assignment. You will be reporting to Byakuya Kuchiki in the sixth zone, by the shore. Now, he can be a stick in the mud, and a real hard ass, but he is one of the best zone captains we have. Don't let the stone exterior fool you. He can be rather compassionate when he wants to be."

Ichigo nodded, flipping through the papers as he took the information in. He would take a drill sergeant if that was what they assigned him, so long as he got to help.

Kisuke continued, gesturing to the papers as he spoke. "You'll be starting out with some foundation work. There are a lot of houses that need their structures reinforced. You'll be working mainly with three houses for the time being, but Kuchiki may move you around a little if he thinks he can use you in a different area of construction. He does that from time to time, and usually has a good eye for where people will be most useful."

Construction. So he would get his wish. He could feel the smile on his face, and he looked up to see the man watching him closely. He coughed, slightly embarrassed by his giddiness, but Kisuke only smiled and turned to put the folder away as spoke. "Your first day is tomorrow, and you'll be expected to be there at nine in the morning. Word of advice: with Kuchiki, you better be there early."

"I will. Thank you," Ichigo said with a bright smile, standing when Kisuke waved to the door with a flick of his hand in dismissal.

"Oh and Ichigo?" the blonde called just as Ichigo passed the threshold, causing the man to stop and look back over his shoulder. "You do know we send those pamphlets to everyone, right?"

The twinkle in his eye told Ichigo he was only teasing, and he laughed despite himself. "You sound like my dad," he commented, giving the man a small smirk. "He said the exact same thing."

"Smart man," Kisuke said with a chuckle. "But all kidding aside, I am happy to have you aboard. I think you will do good work here, and we certainly need more like you." The smile was still there, still teasing, but the words were sincere. Ichigo only smiled, nodding his thanks before continuing out of the office and heading back to his apartment.

It was only ten thirty, so he had some time to relax before Orihime and Tatsuki showed up at his door. Despite the interrogation last night at dinner, the dark-haired girl had deemed him suitable company, and they had planned to meet for lunch. Tatsuki was tough, but Ichigo decided she was pretty cool, and he looked forward to getting to know Orihime better.

He couldn't wait to hear their reactions to his assignment.

I figured I'd be nice and not end on a cliffhanger this time, as further apology for the delay. Plus, it is a pretty long update, so hooray for getting bit by the writing bug! Please forgive me for the mistakes, as I was editing rather quickly. I should just bite the bullet and get a beta reader...

Hope you enjoyed this one. Until next time.

Much love,

Meg