Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Flowers on the precipice ❯ A strange Encounter ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: Just to answer a few questions…this is an AU fic but will contain spoilers for several Bleach chapters. I will give these chapters as the story goes along but be warned, they may not be in the original context.

I just want to also thank everyone for reading and hope you're enjoying the fic. Thanks to those who have reviewed and to those who haven't, please just send me a line to know how you think it's going so far, on the writing and characterization and such- doesn't have to be long, a one liner will do. I really appreciate all the feedback I can get as it really helps to make the chapters better.

Anywhoo…On to Ichi meets Hime!!!!!!!

 

Chapter 3: A strange encounter

It was strange. This was the beginning of his second week at school and that desk was still empty. He wondered what it meant. No one said anything about it and even acted like it wasn't there but it bugged him. Why was it empty? If it didn't belong to anyone, why didn't they remove it?

“What are you staring at?” Rukia asked from next to him.

He frowned a little. He hadn't noticed her taking her seat, incidentally enough, which had turned out to be the one next to him.

“Isn't it strange?” he said then, “That desk. It's been empty since the first day but no one has moved it and every one just acts as if it isn't there.”

“Then just ignore it too.”

He glared at her.

“Ichigo, are you going to stop by the judo club later?”

He turned to see Tatsuki on his left.

“Um,” he began.

“Hey, Arisawa-san,” Rukia interrupted in that sweetly innocent tone she adopted while at school, “I was just wondering, why is that desk still empty? It's been empty since I came. Is the person ill?”

Ichigo shot her a grateful look. Sometimes she could be quite nice. She'd just saved him right there.

“Oh,” Tatsuki returned staring at the desk, “That's Orihime's seat.”

“Orihime?” Rukia questioned.

“Hai,” a strawberry blonde answered dreamily, “The goddess of love herself, Inoue Orihime. Ah…I get so hot just thinking about her nice, soft bre….”

She didn't get to finish as the next instant, she was face first in her desk, her head held there by a fuming Tatsuki.

“I'm not going to keep saying it, you crazed lesbian slut. Leave Orihime out of your impure and insanely kinky fantasies…and keep your lecherous hands away from her.”

Ichigo and Rukia watched the exchange with comical expressions, unsure of what to make out of it.

Tatsuki released the girl and she lifted her head, bloodied nose and all, with a smile.

“As quick as always Arisawa,” she praised, her voice slightly nasal from the injury, “but even that won't keep me away from Hime. How can I stay away when she gives me such wonderful orga…?”

Blam! Her head slammed into the desk again.

Ichigo was sure this time she had either broken her nose or lost consciousness.

“Are you sure she's alright?” he asked when Tatsuki let go and the girl didn't stir.

“Trust me, she's fine,” Tatsuki returned, “That girl has a tough head. It would take a lot more to kill her. I've tried.”

He sweat dropped, staring from Tatsuki to the girl lying in a small pool of blood running from her nose.

“Ah yes, you were asking about Orihime. That's her desk. She's not sick…well not really. She's been absent for two weeks and will probably return on Wednesday. She fell down the stairs and had a mild concussion. Don't be alarmed- happens most of the time. That girl is as accident prone as they come. It's the usual so people don't really think anything of it or her absence. They just figure its one thing or the other.”

“Accident prone?” Ichigo echoed, visions of a completely clumsy girl walking into everything and falling over every minute flashing in his head.

“You'll understand when you meet her,” Tatsuki replied by way of explaining. “By the way,” she added as the bell sounded, “Kuchiki-san, can you please call me by my first name? I hate when people call me Arisawa-san. I feel like they're calling my mother. Tatsuki, Tatsuki-chan or just Arisawa is fine.”

“Oh,” Rukia returned happily, “I'd like that. Then please, call me Rukia.”

Tatsuki nodded and smiled before hurrying off to her seat.

“Seems like you're becoming rather popular,” Ichigo commented.

Ever since she'd started the boys had gone crazy over her and the girls had fawned over her petite size, small frame and prettiness like a porcelain doll. Added to that, she'd totally convinced them with that sickeningly sweet act of hers, that she was the nicest person around, very gentle and kind- but he knew she was anything but. He had some bruises from her many hits to his head to prove it.

Rukia glared at him.

“Don't hate me because no one likes a stupid, frowning faced idiot.”

He bit back his retort as the teacher took her stand at the front of the class. He would reply to that later.

Or maybe not, he thought later watching his family, her included go crazy over the stupid `Buah hah ha' show with the even crazier, fashion retarded idiot Don Kanonji later that evening.

“I'm going to the store,” he declared after ten minutes of watching them.

“Huh? You're going out this late to the store?” his father took enough time away from the show to inquire, “Why?...wait. Could it be some late evening romantic interlude…?”

“Is that all you think about?” Ichigo queried.

“Why not?” his father returned, “I am a man…I can't say the same for you- my only male child that has never brought home a girl and is probably still a vir…”

“Shut up and leave me alone,” Ichigo cut in, his cheeks red with embarrassment. “Not everybody thinks about that stuff all the time like you do.”

“He didn't challenge the virgin part,” Karin commented to Yuzu, having started to actively pay attention to the conversation.

The blush became even darker at that.

“What I am or am not is of no concern to any of you,” he retorted before stating more calmly, “I'm going,…and don't talk about me behind my back.”

He hadn't even stepped out the door when he heard his father loudly exclaim, “Can you believe it Rukia-chan? That boy is already eighteen and has never brought home a girl. Do you think I should take him to a doctor? He could be ga…I can't even say it. It's too awful. What should I do Rukia-chan? Kaa-san…Kaa-san, my nightmare…It's going to be a reality.”

Ichigo sighed. His father would never change. Hopefully Rukia wouldn't be drawn into his antics.

“Oh, don't worry Oji-san,” he heard her say just then, “He's not gay…at least that's what those books under his mattress say.”

A hole should just open and swallow him up, he thought then before- What the hell was she doing under his mattress anyway? Hadn't he told her not to go in his room?

“Ah, is that so?” Isshin asked, his tone much too enthusiastic for his liking, “Big chests…little chests…what is he into?”

“Oi. Oi,” he shouted coming back into the room, “Do you hear yourselves? What are you guys doing in front of Karin and Yuzu?”

“Ah…it doesn't bother us, Onii-chan,” Yuzu replied then, “Besides, I've known about Onii-chan's magazines since we moved here. I saw them when I was cleaning the room.”

“Wh-what?” he spluttered, “And didn't I tell you to leave my room?”

“Well I would,” Yuzu returned willfully, “If Onii-chan would actually clean up properly once in a while.”

“It's true,” Karin added, “If you wanted to keep your things private, you should clean up more. Then she won't have an excuse to come in there. By the way, haven't you ever heard of a lock?”

He vowed then to clean up as soon as he was back and to pick up a lock on his trip to the store.

“I don't know why I bother,” he responded then and left.

As he walked on the road, he thought to himself that his night couldn't really get much worse.

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“Oyasumi nasai, Tenka-san.”

The grey haired old man smiled, showing off the wide space where his upper front teeth used to be, his face wrinkling heavily.

“Oyasumi, Hime-chan,” he returned happily, “Thanks for your help today, though you didn't have to come in since you should still be recuperating.”

“Oh, I'm all good,” the girl replied.

“Well that's good,” Tenka-san returned, “I guess I'll see you next week again.”

“Hai,” she responded with a bright smile, “I'll be back for sure next week. Onii-chan's birthday is coming up and I want to get him a big bouquet this time.”

“Is it now?” Tenka-san asked, “Well then, when it comes tell me. I'll have something for you to give him as well.”

“Arigatou, Tenka-san…demo…um…you don't have to do that…”

“Heh heh, I want to,” the old man returned, “I want to give him something for having such a helpful and cute little sister.”

She blushed a little.

“Anyway, you should hurry,” the old man continued glancing outside, “It's gotten late.”

“Ah,” she exclaimed following his gaze, “It's gotten so dark. Ja ne, Tenka-san.”

With that she grabbed her bags, gave the old man a bow and hurried out the store. The old man watched her until she had safely crossed the street before turning his gaze back inside. It was late so he should also be getting ready to close up.

“Ah, Orihime-chan left already?”

He turned at his wife's voice.

“It was getting late,” he replied in answer.

“And you let her? Ah mou, foolish husband! You should have called her a taxi. It's dangerous for a girl like Orihime-chan, especially as late as it is, to be out on her own. And she's been such a big help, helping out with Akira as well.”

“I think she'll be okay,” the old man returned.

“She'd better be, you miser,” his wife returned, “Kami help you if there is a scratch on that child.”

The old man stared out the window at that but she was already out of sight. She'll be alright, he told himself. She only lives fifteen minutes away...

At that moment said girl was humming happily to herself, swinging the bags she had to and fro in melody with her song.

“Hm, I wonder what I should eat tonight,” she said to herself, suddenly breaking from her humming. “Last night's peanut butter, pickles and sweet bean paste sandwiches were delicious but I think I should try something else tonight. I wonder, what's at home? I can't use this as its lunch for school. Hm, what shall I make?”

She put a finger to her lips, in thought, the motion of the bags on pause as she continued onward. Well, from memory, she recalled that there was just a little bread left, some bean paste, fruit and jelly- `Ah,' she thought in sudden panic, `I nearly forgot I have to restock.' With a slight laugh at her near forgetfulness, she detoured and hurried to the nearest convenience store.

Ten minutes later, she re-emerged, two bags heavier but happier. There had been a sale on ripe bananas and honey and with the bread she had at home, it would be perfect. Now she couldn't wait to get home and eat. So wrapped up was she in anticipation of her food, she didn't notice the five guys hanging out outside the store until it was too late.

“Oi, missy. Why don't you come hang with us for a bit?”

She started, suddenly surprised to find a face only a few inches away from her. Instinctively, she started to back away only to run into a hard, warm body behind her.

“Where are you going, pretty lady?” the voice behind her asked, “It's not polite to walk away when someone's talking to you and I think Sajimi-san just asked you a question.”

“Gomen,” she returned, her voice calm though her heart was beating like a wild thing in her chest, “I can't.”

“Haha,” Sajimi laughed coming closer, “Little lady, I think you've misunderstood. It's not really a question- You are coming with us.”

“But…I don't want to go.”

“She doesn't get it, Sajimi,” another voice spoke up.

“Just take her then,” Sajimi returned, “She'll understand soon enough. She looks like she'll be fun too. See that rack?”

Orihime felt her blood chill. She'd seen these things on TV. The girl gets kidnapped, the kidnappers take her to a dark place, then something eats them, and the space ship lands and ….

Her thoughts broke as a rough hand grabbed hers and started pulling her. One of the bags fell after a few feet as she struggled, spilling the collection of manga she'd just borrowed to read.

“Ch-chotto matte,” she cried, wringing her hands to get them free, “My manga…”

“Keh, who cares about your stupid manga?” the second guy returned.

“You do,” a voice interrupted, “which is why you will pick them up and return them.”

“Who the hell are you?”

Orihime's eyes widened as a youth with bright orange hair stepped out into the light. For a moment she felt like she was hallucinating. It was him. It was the guy with the funny face. Everyday since last Friday she had seen him- on his way to school as she hurried in the mornings down to Tenka-san's, and on the week-end when she passed the park, he had been hanging out with two younger girls. She almost laughed at the familiar scowl, now deepened on his face. He always did have the funniest expressions.

For his part, Ichigo couldn't hide his annoyance. There were few things that he hated with a passion in life and this was one of them. He would never understand or forgive men who couldn't take no for an answer. The girl was lucky he was coming out of that store at that time or she would have been in deep trouble.

In the low light she now stood in, it was hard to see her face but he had no doubt that she must be scared as hell. His scowl tightened as a picture of Yuzu flashed in his mind. It was she who he worried such things would happen to since Karin was not the type people would mess with and he felt his frown deepen.

He really disliked scum like these guys- especially the type that would even try something like this with his sister- and he had no doubt these guys fit that category by their actions just now.

“It doesn't matter,” he returned in reply now, “What matters is that a bunch of lowlife punks like you were intending to harass someone who clearly wasn't into you.”

“Teme, keep out of this and you'll live. Just walk on like you didn't see anything and we'll let you go unharmed.”

“Like I could do that,” Ichigo returned. “Instead of talking like that, it would be better if you guys got out of here before something happens.”

“Aren't you underestimating us, bastard?” Sajimi growled menacingly, “You just suddenly appear and want us to get out of here? What do you take us for? Do you wanna die or something ya young punk?”

The youth scratched the back of his head in a manner indicating boredom before fixing his eyes on them again.

“It's you who doesn't understand,” he stated.

“Why you…,” one of them started as he ran out, pulling out a knife and heading for him.

“Ah, watch out,” Orihime cried.

She needn't have bothered. The youth sidestepped him easily, slamming the side of his hand hard into the back of the guy's skull as he passed him and sending him reeling to the ground.

“T-Toshi-kun! Teme, now you've gone and done it,” the second one began as he stepped forward. He started wrapping the metal chain he'd been playing with around his knuckles. “Bastard, how dare you hit my brother?” he screamed as he headed for the youth. “I'll definitely ki…”

He ran into the youth's foot and sank to the ground, the chain forgotten as he grabbed his bleeding nose.

“Wh-wha…?” Orihime heard the one of the other guys mumbling, “This is bad. That guy is really dangerous. If we try to attack him, we'll be killed for sure.”

“Hm,” the other one agreed quietly.

“Shut the fuck up, you fucking cowards,” Sajimi shouted at them, “He's just a young punk with no guts. What the hell are you afraid of? He's no…”

Ichigo stared as the guy's eyes suddenly turned up in his head and he sank to the ground, revealing the young female from before, who now had her head down replacing a rolling pin in one of her bags. He felt his mouth open a little at that. Why was she carrying a rolling pin? And just what had she done to that big guy?

“Are you hurt?” she cried, finishing her task and starting towards him, the other two forgotten.

“H-hey, come back,” one of remaining two called and grabbed at her arm.

In a smooth karate move, the girl stopped and, using his own weight as momentum, flipped him unto his back with a heavy thud, knocking the wind out of him, before continuing, like nothing had happened, towards him.

“Yukio! Dammit,” the other one said before running off.

“Gomen,” she apologized on reaching him, “Are you hurt?”

He closed his mouth with a small snap. Who was this girl? She'd just flipped over a guy that easily was twice her weight and quite a bit taller like it was nothing!

A finger snapped in front of his face and he blinked, finding himself looking down into clear brown eyes and a concerned face.

“Eto…um…are you alright?” she asked again, before adding, “I hope you are. I would feel so bad if you got injured because of me. I wasn't paying attention you see and that's what caused all this mess. My friend always tells me I should be more careful and not zone out when I'm on the road like this but…”

She paused suddenly, putting down her bags and straightening back up before reaching up and running her hands down his arms, from his shoulders down, lifting up his wrists to examine his fingers.

Her actions were unexpected and shocked him so much he wasn't able to say a word…that is until he felt her small hands flatten against his chest and slide down. Did she realize what she was doing!?

“Wh-what are you doing?” he spluttered, jumping away from her.

She stared at him innocently.

“You didn't answer so I thought you were in shock and was just checking for injuries,” she returned before her face got worried and concerned, “Did I hurt you?”

“Eh?…Iie,” he returned, “It's…It's just that you were suddenly touching me…”

He broke of as realization seemed to dawn on her of just what she had been doing and she blushed fiercely, the color running all the way to her hair.

“A…um…um…I…I…”