I'm on fire. Slight warning for language ahead.
Ichigo stepped out of the senkaimon, dropping the few feet to the grass below him. They had landed in a training field meant for shinigami officers, an open clearing that was surrounded by five foot stone walls to minimize both noise and debris from floating out into Seireitei. He took a deep breath of the spiritually-charged air, almost feeling completely at ease if not for the faint throbbing in his head. He chalked it up to the fact that this was the first time his soul had been separated from his body in nearly 30 years, paying no mind to it.
"Abarai-san~," Urahara called, the red head tensing skeptically, "Would you fetch Orihime for us?" Urahara's gray eyes were practically dancing as Renji gave a deep groan.
"But that's like halfway across the city-!" He cut himself off with a string of muffled swears as Rukia slapped his chest with the back of her hand, giving him a stern look even as he rubbed the stinging spot.
"Quit whining and just go, you baby." She snapped, even though her eyes were warm. Renji walked away with a quiet tsk, taking care to flick her earlobe smartly as he passed.
"Now I have to warn you, Kurosaki-san, your reiatsu has had 30 years to build up." Urahara watched him carefully, "And though I designed the kido to try and drain any excess without venting it to the outside world to harm your children, it may be… intense." Ichigo nodded, expecting as much.
"Shall we?" Urahara asked, gazing out from behind the brim of his hat at Ichigo.
"Let's do it." Ichigo took a deep breath again as Urahara raised his palm, quietly reciting the reverse kido incantation to undo the seal on his powers. Immediately after the shopkeeper finished his speech, Ichigo almost fell to his knees as an overwhelming force of energy surged through him, the throbbing of his headache intensifying to an almost unbearable degree. He stumbled slightly when his hollow slammed up against the surface of his mind with a force he hadn't thought possible, screeching incoherently and scratching at the barriers.
"Ichigo!" Rukia called as she was buffeted by the waves of his spiritual pressure, holding up an arm to try and brace herself. Her eyes were wide as she watched him grab either side of his head, his features twisting into a pained grimace.
"Ah! I thought something like this might be possible." Urahara spoke so quietly that Rukia barely heard him- but she had.
"What?!" She snapped, rounding on the shopkeeper, "Then why didn't we take more precaut-"
"Watch it!" Urahara chirped as he snatched her sleeve and yanked Rukia into him just as Ichigo lashed out wildly, an arc of spiritual energy colliding with where she had just been standing.
'KING!' His hollow roared in Ichigo's mind, his voice more fragmented than usual, 'YOU'RE GOING TO BE A DEAD MAN WHEN I'M DONE!' Ichigo grit his teeth even as he could feel his jaw moving in the phantom motion of the words his hollow spoke, that's how close he was to breaking free.
"Kurosaki-san, you might want to get that under control before officers arrive~!" Urahara cupped a hand by his mouth, even as he kept a cautionary hand fisted in the back of Rukia's shihakusho, ready to move at a moment's notice. Ichigo's eyes snapped to him, burning in rage that wasn't his though his mouth was twisted into a concentrated scowl as he fought back.
"Oi! What th'fuck is goin' on? I felt that shockwave from my fucking office." Urahara smiled gleefully as Shinji appeared in a flit of shunpo, landing slightly behind Rukia to the right of where they were standing, "Is that… Ichigo?" He questioned, squinting as a particularly strong wave of reiatsu washed over them.
"Hirako-taicho!" Rukia called as he unsheathed his zanpakuto, letting the blade rest calmly at his side. Ichigo's eyes widened just as his hollow shoved him to the side with a massive effort, using his distraction at Shinji's arrival to throw Ichigo out of control.
"Finally." Ichigo's body was suddenly still, the reiatsu that had been lashing out calming to a lazy swirl around his feet, still venting excess, "I never thought that bastard would let go-" The hollow cut himself off, countering Shinji's sword strike with a sudden, exuberant grin that stretched unnaturally wide, "-and I get some action!" Shinji threw off Zangetsu, retaliating with a sharp jab meant for Ichigo's ribs.
"Don't ya have a cage to get back to?" Shinji arched a brow as the hollow made a sweeping strike, meant to slash his across the chest. It shrieked in response to Shinji's comment, fighting with a new savagery.
"Shinji-kun!" A breathless female voice called out, the hollow freezing mid-swing. Orihime rushed onto the field, cheeks flushed from running as Renji trailed just a few steps behind her. Shinji followed through with his strike, ignoring Orihime as he connected a few inches above Zangetsu's handle, sending the blade flying out of Ichigo's hand with a sweeping arc.
"Tch," The hollow scoffed, looking down at his now empty hand. "Figures the queen would show so early." Orihime stopped a mere yard away from Ichigo even as Shinji casually held his blade poised, ready to stab into Ichigo's chest at the slightest movement. She bent over to rest her hands on her knees, breathing heavy from running for so long. Her long ponytail fell over her shoulder, the strands nearly dragging in the dirt. Shinji tensed, his eyes narrowing at the hollow in warning. She was close enough for it to reach out and grab her neck, but instead the hollow merely eyed her, unnaturally still.
"Hollow-san," Orihime straightened after a moment, her eyes roving over Ichigo's pale face and black and yellow eyes, "I know it's been a long time, but could you please go back?"
"Oh please," The hollow sneered, putting his hands on the back of his head as he leaned back to look at the sky, "30 years spent in total and complete darkness, unable to even see and I get less than ten minutes out? Don't be ridiculous." He glanced down sharply as Orihime jabbed a finger into his chest, her eyes determined.
"Orihime-!" Rukia startled, alarmed at how reckless she was being. This was Ichigo's hollow for god's sake, they had all seen how ruthless it could be.
"And what's with this '-san' business?" The hollow narrowed his eyes even further, annoyed, as he uncoiled his arms to rest by his side, "-Is that a sword?" His eyes zeroed in on the zanpakuto at Orihime's waist, tucked into the red sash of her academy shihakusho. She dropped her hand in surprise, glancing down at the weapon. Shinji raised his own sword further in warning, earning a glower from the hollow.
"Uh, yes, it is, but-" Orihime suddenly cut herself off. She had forgotten how obstinate Ichigo's hollow was, but from the few times she had interacted with it, there were two things she knew about him. He loved to fight, and secondly... he refused to hurt her. The incident on the dome in Hueco Mundo was the most obvious that she remembered, but there were also times, after she and Ichigo had begun living together, that the hollow had slipped his leash. Once when Ichigo was very ill with a fever, and a handful of times when he had been sleeping. The hollow had always come out sneering and angry, scanning for something to destroy, but as soon as its eyes would land on her, he would scoff and resign to hunkering down wherever he was, petulantly. She could remember just staring at him in fear, scared that Ichigo was in trouble, eventually dragging an annoyed, mumbled 'relax, queen' out of him. He had always been of scant words to her, preferring to sulk in silence and simply observe- but she could still vividly recall the single conversation she had ever gotten:
'I'm not going to hurt you, you know.' The hollow eyed her skeptically from where he was gloomily sitting with his back to the wall, Orihime frozen in the doorway wearing just a thin, short nightgown.
'Where's Ichigo?' Her voice had quivered, alarmed, scared that the hollow had done something unforgivable. Instead, the hollow just tapped his temple, an unsettling sneer spreading across his face.
'Sleeping.' Was all he contributed, once again eyeing her figure. Orihime squeaked and snatched a throw blanket resting within reach, draping it over her shoulders and covering herself, 'Please, it's nothing I haven't seen before.' The hollow waved his hand casually, glancing off to the side. Orihime tentatively stepped into the room further, settling on the edge of the bed.
'Why are you here?' She asked cautiously, nearly jumping when the hollow's eyes snapped back to her. They were a hard, brilliant yellow, completely different from Ichigo's own brown eyes despite only being a few shades off. It was the first time she had ever ventured to speak more to him besides asking after Ichigo's well-being.
'You have no idea how boring it is in there. And the king doesn't give two shits.' The hollow spat, shifting his position irritably, 'And the old bastard is about as talkative as a god damn wall.' Orihime had been enthralled, leaning forward with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. Ichigo never talked about his inner world, and to hear that the two beings inside of his head had such distinct personalities was fascinating to her, 'He never uses my powers anymore either, not since that war.' The hollow continued to rant, curiously eyeing Orihime as she hesitantly settled down in front of him.
'U-um, if you want, you could talk to me..?' She had offered, biting her lip. The hollow stared at her in shock for a good two minutes before, ever so slowly, his lips curled upward before he started laughing, wheezing really, as he shook his head. Orihime had cast her eyes down, figuring that he thought she was too far below him to even entertain the idea.
'As enticing as that is, I like the little bit of freedom I get. King wouldn't like that very much.' He was still sniggering in his broken, unsettling tone even as Orihime's face turned a bright, cherry red, 'If I were to 'corrupt' the one he loves I don't think I would ever see the light of day again.' He cocked his face to the side before abruptly he was in Orihime's face, pressing his lips on hers. It was over before she could even react as he pulled back, giving her a cocky salute before fading away as Ichigo's eyes shifted back to their usual brown, his body slumping over. The hollow's kiss had been stiff and chaste, his lips tense- the complete opposite from Ichigo's usual soft kisses. Orihime slapped her thin hands to her face that burned even more red now. She peeked through her fingers at Ichigo, his chest rising and falling peacefully as he slumbered.
'Ichigo loves me?!' She had thought to herself, shaking her head furiously.
"Fight me." Orihime met the hollow's eyes, her lips curving up in a smile, "And if I win, you have to go back." Shinji's gaze shot to hers, while Urahara lifted an arm to prevent Rukia from rushing to her side.
"And if I win?" The hollow asked skeptically as Orihime laid a finger on her chin thoughtfully.
"Well, you still go back-" The hollow scoffed here, "But! A date?" Orihime kicked the toe of her sandal into the dirt as the hollow looked at her incredulously, Shinji likewise sputtering.
"Orihime-chan!" He snapped in surprise, dropping his sword a fraction.
"Deal." The hollow licked his bottom lip as he grinned, "I really don't care about a date but it'll piss King off." He gave a vicious chuckle as he thrust out his arm, Zangetsu flying into his grasp from where it lay in the dirt behind him. Without any warning he lazily jabbed the blade towards Orihime, Shinji snatching her arm and flickering away with Shunpo.
"What th'hell are you thinking, Orihime?" Shinji snapped at her as he held his blade ready towards the hollow, an arm holding Orihime slightly behind him. The hollow just shouldered Zangetsu however, watching them with a gleeful grin.
"I'll be fine, Shinji-kun! He won't hurt me." Orihime piped up as she stepped out from behind his back, settling into a ready stance, "Please let me do this?" She questioned, Shinji dithering in place skeptically. After all, Ichigo's power was well known to all of them, and Orihime had lost her Rikka when she died. She only had the shinigami academy training to fall back on.
"Quit stalling!" The hollow leapt into action, Orihime's hands coming up into the triangle she used to use with her Rikka.
"Bakudo No. 73- Tozansho!" The kido took effect just as the hollow was coming down from his leap, encasing him in an inverted triangle of blue energy. It shrieked when its connecting sword strike merely bounced off the barrier, the energy holding strong.
"Orihime! When did you- How did you-" Rukia floundered, her eyes wide. Kido like that was definitely not taught in the academy. And without the incantation, too?
"Ohho?" Urahara quietly lifted the brim of his hat, his eyes shining. This was turning out so much better than he could ever have imagined.
"Eheh, well um, Hachi-san comes to visit with me sometimes and he likes to help me train." Orihime rubbed the back of her head, her smile practically beaming, "He says I'm pretty talented and that the academy… doesn't do a good job.." She trailed off when she noticed Shinji's expression. His mouth was slightly hanging open, lopsided as he looked down at her in surprise.
"Hachi... says that you're talented?" He snapped his mouth closed, eyebrows disappearing up under his bangs.
"Oh! Well, yeah, I guess." Orihime scratched at her cheek, slightly nervous at their attention, "It's really similar to my old powers!" Her head snapped back when the hollow let off a getsuga inside the barrier, the black energy filling the pyramid for several seconds before it shattered. The hollow clumsily tumbled out in a cloud of dissipating reiatsu and landed on the ground roughly, stabbing Zangetsu into the ground to use as leverage to rise to his feet. The getsuga had charred a good amount of his shoulders, and small cuts littered his body from the blast.
"I meant a swordfight, Queen." He growled, actually glaring at her as he leaned on his sword. Orihime frowned while her eyebrows shot up in apprehensive surprise. She truly had never been on the receiving end of any of Ichigo's glares- and it was scary. She bit her lip as he shifted to stand more upright, yanking Zangetsu out of the ground even as droplets of blood fell to the dirt.
"Um, I'm actually pretty bad at zanjutsu though, Hollow-san-" She squeaked when he fell on her in a flurry of black robes and his sword flashing, the blade burying itself deeply into the grass as she rolled onto her back and sprang away, "I didn't mean to offend you!" She continued, darting away just as she saw his muscles bunch in a certain way, accurately predicting his follow-up strike. She had watched Ichigo in countless battles, and really, his hollow fought the same if a bit more reckless.
"Bakudo No. 8- Seki!" Orihime sputtered out just in time as his sword came flying in towards her right side, the small orb of light appearing just at her fingertips as she thrust them in his path. Zangetsu cleanly sliced the orb in two, the sword thrown back before it could hit her in the mini explosion and dragging the hollow off balance, "Bakudo No. 61- Rikujokoro!" The six rods of light pierced the hollow's midsection, awkwardly holding him in his mid-fall position.
"Tch, this isn't even worth it." The hollow snapped as both Renji and Shinji appeared in a sweep of shunpo, both of their blades poised at the hollow's neck, "Let me know when you want to fight for real, damn it." He locked gazes with Orihime's, giving no warning as he abruptly withdrew, hard yellow fading back down to the warm brown she knew so well.
"Ichigo!" Shinji roughly slapped him across the face, hauling him up by the collar of his shihakusho just as soon as Orihime deactivated her bakudo, "I will literally kill you if that ever happens again, you fucker."
"What- Did I hurt you?" Ichigo frowned, anxiety sparking in his eyes briefly.
"No, you asshole." Shinji dropped him to the ground roughly, dusting his hands together, "Orihime-chan made sure of that."
"'Hime?" Ichigo's eyes shot to her, alarmed she had been present. Quickly his gaze swept over her form, taking in her barely ruffled academy uniform and her slightly embarrassed smile. He relaxed slightly when he could see no obvious wounds.
"Hi." She smiled wider at him as Ichigo's eyes flitted between her, Rukia, Urahara, and Renji.
"What happened?" He frowned, warily sitting up. One of his hands shot to his shoulder at the deep throb that presented itself, staring at the blood that covered his hand when he pulled it away.
"Your dumb ass can't control yourself, that's what happened!" Rukia snapped, her eyes spitting, "You're lucky Orihime was here to talk your hollow down, or who knows what would've happened!"
"Talk?" Ichigo's eyes shot to his wife, who was rubbing the back of her head, chuckling nervously, "You talked to him?"
"Eheh, um, kind of…" She hedged, coming forward enough to kneel by Ichigo's side.
"You mean, he actually formed sentences and had a conversation?" He was still incredulous even as Orihime began healing his wounds with kido. The sense of nostalgia with making his head spin- Him, bloody and sitting on the ground, her, patiently healing his wounds.
"Yes, Ichi-kun. He's just as smart and capable as you, you know." Orihime huffed, peeling back the collar of his shihakusho with familiar hands to get at his burnt shoulder better, "Just because you two only shout like barbarians at each other doesn't mean that's how he is with everyone." Shinji abruptly cackled, cutting off any reply Ichigo was going to make, even though he was still looking dumbstruck.
"Spot on, Orihime-chan! I'll leave you to it." Shinji clapped her on the shoulder, still chuckling as he sheathed Sakanade and left the training field.
"Well, what did he say!" Ichigo insisted, watching Orihime frown delicately at him.
"Not much, really." Orihime sighed when his gaze was still boring holes into her, unaccepting of her vague answer, "He was angry for being sealed away, and said something about being in the dark for thirty years. I offered to fight him, he accepted, that's that."
"You-" Ichigo paused minutely, "WHAT." He raised his voice, brows drawn as he glanced at the others, "You let her fight my hollow?!"
"Kurosaki-san, she did fine." Urahara flapped his hand in front of his face casually, "Obviously you're the only one with wounds here."
"...Sorry." Orihime smiled sheepishly at him, moving her hands to the cuts on his forearm.
"So… you won?" Ichigo blinked at her, more than confused, "Wait, how did you get him to leave so easily?"
"Um, well… I made a bet with him."
"A bet?" Ichigo flatly questioned, a coil of apprehension curling in his gut.
"Yes, a bet. If I won, he had to leave, and if he won, he had to leave… and I would go on a date with him." Her face flared a light pink when Ichigo choked, sputtering incoherent noises.
"A date?!" He finally got out, his hollow lurking just under the surface and radiating smug waves of gleeful malice. Ichigo ruthlessly squashed him down, pushing him as far away from his conscious as he possibly could, "All of you let her do this?!" He glared at the others, his annoyance spiking further when Urahara's grin just spread wider, while Rukia and Renji looked away, unwilling to agree or disagree.
"I don't know why you're so upset Ichi-kun, he's a part of you!" Orihime fixed her stare on him, lips pursing into a pout, "I'd still be going on a date with you, just a different side." Ichigo shook his head, grabbing her wrist and interrupting her healing, "Let go, kido takes much longer than my Rikka used to." She frowned at him when his grip tightened, though still gentle.
"Orihime, my hollow is dangerous. You can't just go around making bets like that!"
"Well, he's never hurt me and you're in control now, so stop complaining." Orihime snatched her hand back, thoroughly annoyed with him even though her tone stayed soft. She reapplied her healing kido to the last patch of scrapes on his elbow, "Besides, it ended in a draw, so you don't even have to worry about it."
"...Fine." Ichigo's gaze softened as he let out a massive sigh.
"Well, I'll be going now if the happy couple is all settled~" Urahara stepped one foot back into the senkaimon, waving cheerfully. Ichigo raised a half-hearted hand back, his expression grumpy. He had a hunch that the shopkeeper had expected his hollow to make an appearance, which irked him to no end.
"Ichigo." Rukia spoke up, crossing her arms, "I'll have to report this to the Soutaicho, you know. He's going to ask."
"Whatever." Ichigo grumbled as Orihime withdrew her hands, rolling his shoulders. He felt better, but it just wasn't the same kind of patch-job that her Rikka used to do, "Yama-jii still owes me, anyway."
"You should probably stay with Orihime tonight, I'm sure you'll be arranged other accommodations in the morning. I have to go write up the report of this." Rukia continued, reaching out to prod Renji's back. He grumbled at her but took the hint, the two of them walking away.
"So, academy student, huh?" Ichigo arched a brow at Orihime, startled when she lunged forward to envelope him in a hug.
"I missed you so much." She finally withdrew, pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. Ichigo smiled faintly at her, reaching to tuck her bangs behind one of her small ears.
"I missed you too." He gave her hand one last squeeze, using his knee as leverage to stand up. Orihime popped to her feet as well, tugging gently on his elbow.
"Come on, I have to show you around! I've met so many new people!" She chattered brightly, loosening her grip when he began moving beside her but keeping her hand hooked in the bend of his elbow. Ichigo smiled faintly at the top of her head, allowing her to lead him through the streets of Seireitei toward the academy. He gathered many curious glances as Orihime went on about her lessons and Hachi's training, the two of them arriving on the academy grounds after a ten minute walk. The door to her rooms was in the middle of a long corridor, other students' quarters surrounding them. She produced a key from an inner pocket of her shihakusho, flicking on the lights as she opened the door. A small living room lay before them that was open to an equally small kitchen, while a traditional sliding door led to her bedroom.
"This is home!" Orihime smiled at him as Ichigo took Zangetsu off his back, carefully leaning it against the wall near the door.
"It's awfully small." Ichigo commented as he casually explored, pausing every so often to inspect small trinkets she had picked up from the markets out in Rukongai.
"But cozy." Orihime pointed out as she trailed after him, "Oh! Would like some tea? Are you hungry at all? I'm such a bad wife…" She trailed off, pouting, drawing a light chuckle from Ichigo.
"I'm fine, 'Hime." He warmly said, settled on her couch. Orihime popped down next to him, grabbing a pillow to hug in her lap.
"So… How did it happen?" She asked softly after a few beats of silence, watching Ichigo freeze for a moment.
"I finally agreed to Rukia's pestering." He settled for, assuming that the small woman had told Orihime all about his condition. He guessed right when Orihime bit her lip and nodded, catching the small flicker of sadness cross her eyes. He reached out and thumbed her chin, giving her a bright smile, "But that just means that I get to be with you, finally."
"Yes!" She smacked her fist into her palm, "I'm sure one of the squads will sweep you right up!" Ichigo frowned at that. He honestly hadn't put much thought into what he would actually do when he got to Soul Society.
"Maybe." He acquiesced, silently turning over his options in his head. Like hell if he would ever join Zaraki's squad, he would be fighting for his life the whole time. Or the fourth. Or the first, Yama-jii would send him flying off the handle more than what was healthy. The second was out too, he refused to assassinate souls in the dark of the night and wasn't very stealthy. Byakuya would drive him batty as well, and the twelfth? No way in hell. Ichigo sighed as he dragged a hand through his hair, feeling like his options were already so few, "How much longer until you graduate?" He peered at Orihime. She brightened, holding up three fingers.
"Three months! Onabara-sensei says that as long as I improve my zanjutsu, I'm good to go!" Ichigo's gaze drifted down to her zanpakuto she had leaned against the coffee table, reaching out a hand to grab the blade. He suddenly stopped just inches away, lifting his eyes to Orihime.
"May I?" He awkwardly asked, knowing if someone were to just grab Zangetsu like that, he would punch their teeth in. Unless it was Orihime, of course.
"Of course!" Orihime waved a hand, unbothered.
"So, Zanjutsu, huh?" He questioned as he tilted her sword every which way, pulling the blade out of the sheath. It was thin, only half the length of Zangetsu, and exceptionally light in his hands.
"Yeah, I'm better at kido." Orihime rubbed her arm as Ichigo glanced back up at her.
"I could help you, you know." He quirked a brow when she brightened considerably, "I used to take a few kendo classes when I was little, too." He felt compelled to add. Picturing Orihime fighting, headlong and brash like he did, was a little comical.
"That would be amazing, Ichi-kun!" She beamed at him, leaning forward to steal a kiss.
"Have you learned its name yet?" He asked as he sheathed her sword, gently placing it back where he had picked it up. Orihime frowned at his question, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
"No, I only managed to get into my inner world once, and something kicked me right back out." She pouted even as Ichigo chuckled.
"If it makes you feel any better, Zangetsu tried to kill me the first time I ever met him." Ichigo paused, "And then my hollow did much the same. ...In fact, I don't think there has been a time where I have met with them and had them not try to hand my ass to me." He crossed his arms, unsurprised when Orihime burst into laughter.
"Well maybe if you were nicer to them, they wouldn't treat you so badly!" Her eyes twinkled as she added, "You receive what you give, Ichi-kun."
"Right." Ichigo snorted, "Because if I went and offered my hand for my hollow to shake, I'm pretty sure he would happily just chop it off." He watched Orihime sober up from her laughter, still smiling in amusement.
"Well, Hollow-san has a lot of pent up feelings to express."
"Hollow-san?" Ichigo's eyes widened, looking at her in disbelief, "You named it?"
"What else am I supposed to call him?" Orihime pointed out, almost laughing again when Ichigo shook his head.
"I don't even want to know."
AN: Can I just say that I absolutely love writing Shinji?
Please review! They make me feel all fuzzy. :-)