Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Daydreams Come True ❯ Orihime 2 ( Chapter 19 )

Tite Kubo owns Bleach. I just borrowed the characters.

 

 

Orihime 2

 

Shock, fear, and excitement coursed through her body as she regained consciousness and gradually recovered her memory. They had made it through the shield above Seireitei and it was possible she was with Ichigo; alone with Ichigo. She had not been alone with Ichigo since that one night when she thought all her daydreams were becoming reality, but that had not been Ichigo. That was the commencement of her daydreams becoming shattered fragments that she kept trying to repair, even as she recognised the futility of her hopes. While she liked and admired Rukia she felt jealous; the love that Ichigo obviously felt for the dark haired girl meant that she had little chance of gaining his affection.

 

Her head was buzzing and ears were ringing, making concentration difficult and affecting her hearing and sight. Trying to focus, she saw someone close to her saying her name. It had to be him, the one on which her whole existence was centred. Smiling as brightly as she could, she gabbled some nonsense, using his treasured name and got to her feet. Her ankle gave way, hurt a little from the impact of landing, and she began to fall, almost too quickly to prevent her plummet to the ground, but a pair of arms surrounded her, holding her tight.

 

“I should not give into temptation, but I cannot resist. I hope I do not regret my actions,” she heard him mutter while seeking her lips with his.

 

She closed her eyes and quickly offered her mouth, eager to kiss Ichigo, properly, for the first time. His tongue slipped between her lips and she responded, her skin thrilling to his touch and her tongue touching his. His lips were soft and warm as they pressed against her mouth, and he tasted of peppermint, not a flavour she normally associated with Ichigo. The buzzing in her head amplified and she became increasingly dizzy, the delight threatening to overwhelm her. She was attracted to the thought of opening her eyes to see the adored face so close to her own, but instead, wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Ichigo loved her, not Rukia; it had all been a silly mix-up. They would rescue Rukia together, working in loving partnership and then return home to their new life. This time she would not suffer any foolish misunderstanding.

 

It was a foolish misunderstanding, her misunderstanding, and she quickly realised how stupid she had been. The lips felt nice, but somehow wrong, the scent was wrong, yet she remembered feeling these lips on hers once before. Quickly drawing her mouth from the one she was kissing, she recognised the person who was holding her so lovingly in his arms.

 

“Oh, no. I've kissed Uryu. I know I've kissed him before, but this time I enjoyed it and let him tongue kiss me.” Orihime felt dreadful. She didn't want to upset her friend, especially now as she would have to rely on him until they could catch up with Ichigo.

 

“I understand, Orihime, you thought I was Ichigo and I took advantage of you once more. Please forgive my improper advances, but when you tumbled into my arms; my normal reserve was shaken by your proximity.” Uryu smiled at her, a quick smile that was speedily replaced by his normal impassive expression.

 

“I'm sorry Uryu. I really am sorry. I was a little confused, I think I bumped my head,” she explained, feeling suddenly shy even though he seemed to understand that is was a mistake. Her face flushed and tears threatened to form in her eyes. Would she ever kiss Ichigo?

 

“You are injured and it is feasible you did hit your head. I endeavoured to treat your worst injuries,” Uryu said his hands warm on her back.

 

Orihime noticed his hands and become conscious that she was still in his arms and her arms were still around his shoulders. Before she could do anything, Uryu again lowered his head and kissed her sweetly and she responded instinctively. This time she did not draw back but kissed him in return, touching his tongue with her own, allowing him to hold her close. With her eyes closed she refused to consider what she was doing, she declined to think about it. Kissing Uryu was exciting. Even though she loved Ichigo, it was a relief to be kissed by someone who loved her and was not afraid to express his feelings. She felt his chest firm against her and realised that while he was not Ichigo, Uryu had his own strength. She could feel the muscles in his shoulders as her arms tightened around his neck.

 

When the kiss finished, Uryu asked, “You were aware that I was kissing you that time, not Ichigo?”

 

Orihime dropped her eyes and nodded very faintly, not keen to admit that she had kissed him willingly, but unwilling to lie. If she was honest, she had liked it, even though she felt that she was betraying Ichigo. How could she betray him when he was in love with Rukia and unlikely to return her affection? Why did her mind travel along these strange paths?

 

“While I would prefer to continue this interaction, I believe we should attempt to unite with our comrades and locate the place where Rukia is being held. Orihime, you have made me hope that one day you may return my affection.” Uryu spoke gently, but firmly and Orihime felt her heart give a painful little thump.

 

Unknowingly she had gradually begun to like Uryu. It was a very feeble emotion and did not compare to the absolute devotion and admiration she held for Ichigo, but she liked him and had almost welcomed the opportunity to kiss him again. What was wrong with her? Couldn't she keep her heart whole for Ichigo? It had seemed so simple; to love Ichigo and bear the wish that one day they would finally be together. Reality had an unfortunate habit of heaving the truth into her face. Darn it; why did facts have to be so real?

 

“If we remain here, the Shinigami will need to expend little effort to find us. I will not allow anyone to insult or injure you, but we should travel as rapidly as we can.” Uryu was looking around the corner of the place they had landed, checking if anyone was within visible range.

 

He led the way and she followed obediently, not wishing to prolong the earlier conversation. If she didn't think about it, then possibly it would all go away. It was not likely, but anything was possible, wasn't it? Before Rukia came to the human world she would have denied the existence of Soul Society, but it was a reality without her belief. What she had thought impossible was possible, so maybe all the confusing feelings and thoughts would disappear. She touched her fingers to her lips briefly, remembering how Uryu's mouth felt on hers and shocked at her response to the memory, gulped slightly. This type of distraction was dangerous. They were in enemy territory, trying to avoid detection and seeking out their friends. It was important to be cautious and very alert to notice any possible threats.

 

They moved quietly through the streets, gaining distance from the place they had landed. Uryu used his ability to sense the reiatsu of anyone near by and they managed to avoid a number of quiet shinigami who appeared to be searching for them. The loud groups were easier to hear, but more difficult to avoid and there were usually over half a dozen, some of them looking around, keenly trying to spot any unusual activity or face.

 

“Can gratitude be a basis for love? Is that why I love Ichigo, because he was kind to me the night my brother died? No, that's silly. I love Ichigo because, because… I love Ichigo because he's Ichigo?” While trying to remain alert, Orihime was cursed with a disorderly mind that insisted on asking the difficult questions. “I love his face; I love his voice, the smell of him and the feel of him. I love him because he's brave and strong and caring and I'm grateful to him for saving me and giving my brother peace. Ichigo is the reason I developed these powers, at least I think that's what Mr Yoruichi said, but he wasn't very clear. But that means I'm even more grateful to him.”

 

Orihime sighed and waited with Uryu for another loud group to pass by. Glancing at Uryu she found her thoughts straying to him and, of course, Ichigo. “I know I feel grateful to Uryu for so many things. On that awful day when I thought everything was going to be so wonderful, he saved me from the car that almost ran over me. He was kind, well sort of kind when I found out about Ichigo and Rukia. He tried to protect me from Kon, volunteering to wear my perfume and remain near the door so that Kon wouldn't touch me again. He even worked out it was Kon so that I didn't blame Ichigo for the mistake, not that I would have blamed Ichigo, but it would have confused me and made me sad. Now I feel grateful to him for taking care of me while we're here. I'm almost grateful to him for kissing and loving me. His abilities in sensing other people are so helpful; otherwise we could have got into real problems by now. I like him, but I don't love him. He said he'd wait for me to fall in love with him, but will I? Can I love two people at the same time? One thing I know is I don't want to stop loving Ichigo, but if he doesn't love me in return, would it be stupid to repress love for another? Is it even possible to control emotions that strong? If I could choose to love Uryu and like Ichigo would I do so? I'm familiar with how it is to love Ichigo. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have that love as a constant emotion.”

 

Her thoughts were interrupted, as suddenly Uryu grabbed her by her arm and encouraged her to hide, placing a finger on his lips to indicate she should remain silent. Within moments she felt the strong reiatsu of someone passing by complaining loudly about being lost. A quick glance revealed a very tall, scarred man with a unique hairstyle and a pink haired companion. After they moved on she felt a sign of relief pass her lips and she stood up to scan the horizon.

 

Seeing a tower in the distance she indicated it to Uryu only to find his arms around her once more. For a second she expected another kiss until she noticed his intent gaze focused on a large Shinigami who was bringing his sword down on the area where she was previously standing. How had Uryu become that fast? She did not struggle in his arms, accepting he had saved her again and was protecting her as he had promised.

 

What was with these guys? Ichigo was so keen to protect his family, his friends and his love. Uryu protecting her, disregarding his own safety to save her from an attack she hadn't even noticed. Chad prepared to fight to protect others, but he would not defend himself. He hardly knew Rukia but he had willingly trained to gain more skill and overlooked any argument that he should not accompany them on this mission. Was nobility a kind of disease that was spreading through her school? And then she smiled gently as she remembered her need to protect Tatsuki from the Hollow's attack and her absolute dedication to help Rukia, not only for Ichigo's sake, but because Rukia was her friend. If nobility was a disease, it was possible she had caught the virus. The urge to protect was strong within her, although she knew she did not have the fighting abilities possessed by the others. She still smarted slightly from Mr Yoruichi's earlier anger and the blow to the eye, but admitted that perhaps she had deserved it. It must be hard to be a talking cat in charge of a rescue mission. She wouldn't enjoy the responsibility.

 

She blinked hard as she remembered that she should be paying attention to what was happening in front of her, rather than indulging in these rambling thoughts. Uryu had released her from his grasp and she almost regretted being freed from the comfort of his arms when she noticed the Shinigami was counting. Why the heck was he counting? Was it some ritual that was necessary or was he proving that he had numeracy skills? It was hard to keep intent on the events when her mind was still fuzzy from her fall.

 

The beads around his neck made her wonder if he was a Buddhist but would there be belief in the Buddha in heaven? Was this heaven? What exactly was Soul Society? The souls of the departed went to Soul Society, but it did not resemble anything she had ever been told about heaven. In some respects it was worse than the human world. The pain in her head made her consider summoning her healing powers to allow her to stop these pointless thoughts, it must be concussion that was making her think this way, but the big Shinigami had stopped counting and was trying to attack her. This time she had been watching and dodged the blow while preparing her attack.

 

As attacks went, hers was a success if you count miserable failure as success, which some self help books promote as being the way to positive thinking. `Think of every defeat as an opportunity, a learning experience.' In this environment a defeat could mean death and how would that help? Orihime didn't try to put a positive spin on the result of her attack. It was a fiasco with a capital F. Tsubaki was angry with her, the big Shinigami mocked her and she felt embarrassed that Uryu had seen her feeble assault.

 

The big guy was preparing to attack her again and just when she decided that these were her final moments with the blade descended toward her head, she thought of Ichigo and wondered if he would be saddened if she died. Would he mourn for her, or just shrug his shoulders and keep trying to protect the people who were important to him? A tear dripped down her cheek and she contemplated how short had been her time on Earth.

 

The descent of the blade ceased and she saw drops of blood fall to the ground as she spun to one side. Why didn't she feel the pain? Was she already dead? It was then she saw Uryu, his pride in being a Quincy evident in his stance and the way he was holding his bow. He had prevented the attack, he had saved her again. She stared at him, not noticing her mouth was open as she gazed at the friend she thought she knew. He had changed so much in such a short time and was no longer a known quantity; he had become almost alarming and fascinating. A flicker of admiration wavered in her chest as she watched him address their opponent and her esteem grew stronger. Uryu was so much more than she had ever realised; but he was not Ichigo and that was her sticking point.

 

Where was Ichigo? She could sense he was alive and probably fighting. Darn, she was distracted again and hadn't been listening to the exchange of insults. Then the Shinigami announced his name as Jirobo and her mind briefly flitted to the possibility he was related to Jidanbo. He was as large and looked a little similar, but he wasn't as nice. In fact he was mean, trying to attack her from behind. It was worse than mean, it was sneaky and Jidanbo was not sneaky; he might be big but he was honourable.

 

Her heart thudded when Jirobo released his weapon and she again anticipated a speedy death only to watch in amazement as all the spinning blades were destroyed by Uryu. Her admiration increased again as he defeated their opponent, but refused to kill him. That was something Ichigo would do.

 

For a nanosecond she thought of thanking Uryu with a kiss, but that idea was speedily forgotten. Instead she thanked Uryu, the respect clear in her voice. When he had fought she had watched the way he moved, sometimes almost gasping at his poise and reflexes.

 

Realising that it would be stupid to stay where they had defeated an enemy and where anyone may have noticed the sounds of battle, they retreated to the quietest place they could find and hid talking quietly. Orihime used the opportunity to summon her healing powers to heal any wounds. She sat bathed in the golden light as they talked; feeling the headache she had been trying to overlook until now, fade.

“Uryu, we need to change clothes. I think we should dress like the Shinigami,” Orihime suggested and she saw his face fall. “I know you want to show everyone that you are a Quincy, but it makes us stand out. People notice that we're dressed differently.”

 

Uryu thought for a moment, “Orihime, I've considered your suggestion. You are correct. Currently it is obvious to any one who encounters us that we are Ryoka because of our apparel. It makes it easier for our enemies to distinguish that we do not belong here. But how do we obtain the uniforms?”

 

It was a relief that he was taking her suggestion seriously. It would be better if they could blend in and move freely rather than skulking through the streets, fearful of encountering anyone. She felt a strange sensation between her shoulder blades as if someone was observing them, but when she turned around she only saw the blank white wall of a building. Maybe it was the after affects of the healing, she didn't know.

 

“That's the problem. I haven't seen any shops that sell them or any hung out to dry on washing lines. Would our money even buy things here, I wonder,” she allowed that idea to play though her mind. Would they need money? What if they got hungry, how would they eat? “I think we'll need to borrow them. I mean borrow, not steal,” she added quickly noticing the shocked look on his face.

 

“I think I understand. We need to find two Shinigami who are approximately our size. It may be difficult to locate one who will have a shirt large enough to cover your…” Uryu stopped as his eyes strayed to her breasts, outlined by her tight shirt. His mouth remained open as his eyes refocused on the opposite wall. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

 

She did not recall him looking at her chest quite so fixedly before now, but then she might not have noticed. Keigo always stared when he thought she wasn't watching, as did a few other male students and one female student in the class, but she had never seen Uryu or Chad look at her that way. It was possible he had looked at her breasts when Ichigo was near, because she didn't really pay attention to other people when he was there. Feeling colour touch her face, Orihime decided to tough it out. “Are you referring to my breasts, Uryu? The uniforms look pretty roomy. Look, here come two Shinigami now.” She waited until they had passed and then quickly used some moves Tatsuki had showed her, to knock them out. It was a matter of minutes before they were in a deserted building. It had been a little embarrassing to remove the uniforms from the unconscious people, but she made Uryu strip the man while she tried to remove the clothes from the woman.

 

“Please don't worry, we only want to borrow the uniforms. We don't want to hurt you,” she tried to reassure the female Shinigami who was now alert. From the look of fear in her eyes, she did not believe Orihime's words.

 

Once they had changed and Uryu had recovered from his embarrassment at almost seeing her in her bra, she wondered if he had he really been embarrassed, or was it something else? He'd looked at her chest before, when they were talking. Was he scared of what he might see, or that she would be angry? When he emerged from his changing room he still seemed slightly red and flustered. Poor Uryu. She really shouldn't tease him, even if she hadn't meant to. Seeing his flushed face touched her. He was trying so hard to respect her wishes, well, most of the time and he looked different in the uniform. Older, more solid than he looked in the tight fitting Quincy outfit.

 

Orihime realised she was now wearing the same type of uniform as her beloved Ichigo and this thought thrilled her. One more thing that they had in common, at least for a short time. There was no mirror to see if it suited her, but she twisted her hair up, off her neck as she hadn't seen any female Shinigami who let their hair fall easily over their shoulders. She had to fit in.

 

Noticing a look of concern on his face she asked, “What's wrong, Uryu? Is there something troubling you?”

 

For a second he faded from her vision and she found he was embracing her once more. “This is probably going to be dangerous; Orihime and we will both need to be brave. May I have a kiss for luck?”

 

She nodded, just once. Did he even believe in luck? She thought he only believed in the pride of the Quincy's. It was very probable that this was an excuse, but she wanted the excuse also. This time he pushed his hands through her hastily arranged hair and softly touched her mouth with his. Instinctively she felt her lips open and he began kissing her with fervour. Closing her eyes tightly she kissed him back, wanting this comfort before the uncertain entry into the world of the Shinigami. While she was kissing him she didn't have to think about the problems they might encounter, the threats they would have to face. She wouldn't think about Ichigo and that he might already be saving Rukia, while they were stuck in the backstreets, so far from the Senzaikyu. Blocking out all thoughts, she gave into the feeling and permitted her physical senses to overcome her common sense. When they returned to the human world, she would probably never kiss Uryu again, but until then, while they were together helping each other, protecting each other, she welcomed his kisses, for the sweetness of his love was not to be denied.

 

“Orihime, why are you letting me kiss you? Why are you kissing me in return? You know I'm not Ichigo, you have healed your concussion and yet you still allow me this intimacy.” Uryu was looking at her with a soft expression in his eyes.

 

She bit her lip. He would ask her that question when she'd hoped the kisses would prevent the questions. “It was only a kiss for luck,” she stuttered, unwilling to answer.

 

“I don't believe in luck,” he said, justifying her earlier suspicion. “We make our own luck.”

 

“Then you made your own luck by asking for and receiving a kiss. I like you Uryu, you've been kind to me and protected me,” she replied, feeling a niggle of guilt at the topic of conversation.

 

“I see. You're trying to explain the kiss was in gratitude for my protection. If we had more time I'm persuaded I could convince you it is more than gratitude, especially as you have just admitted that you like me. One more, just one more kiss,” he said, capturing her mouth with his as he pulled her tightly against him, his hands holding her by the waist.

 

She did not object; why would she object to something she enjoyed? Now she enjoyed kissing Uryu? Reluctantly Orihime pulled away, wanting to continue, but scared of the future and scared of her new understanding.

 

Together, they stepped out of their sanctuary to try to fit in and find their way through the maze of the Seireitei.

 

Author's Note:

 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review.

 

The next featured character? Wait and see.

 

MS