Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Flowers on the precipice ❯ Trouble a-brewing ( Chapter 4 )

A/n: Wow! There were a lot of comments on Chapter 3. Thanks a bunch guys. I love the fact that you're all enjoying the story so much. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks also for taking the time to review and letting me know that you are reading and enjoying it.

To answer some of the questions: Yes, Ichigo is still going to be a shinigami. All the characters will have the same abilities they do in the manga…it just may not `arrive' in the same way…lol. Look forward to it though. I promise it will be interesting…

Now on to chapter 4

 

Chapter 4: Troubles a-brewing

 

Kurosaki Ichigo, ka? Kurosaki-kun…

She sighed. She should really have asked for his name last night and thanked him properly. It had been the right thing to do as Tatsuki had pointed out at lunch. Just a few more minutes would not have mattered since she had arrived home with a few minutes to spare before laugh hour came on anyway.

She sighed again and stared unseeingly at the words on the page in front of her, the teacher's voice fading into the background. She really didn't want him to think she was ungrateful by running away like that and Ryo-chan did say her running away could make it seem like she was…but she wasn't. She was indeed grateful- a gazillion, fillion times grateful- but she had to concede her behavior had not exactly shown that.

How could she fix this?

A slight breeze from the open window unhitched a tendril of hair into her face and as she raised her hand to tuck behind her ears again, something on the page caught her eyes.

“That's it!” she exclaimed aloud, only to clap her hand over her mouth when all eyes suddenly turned to her.

“What is it?” Fujiwara-sensei asked pointedly, his eyes narrowed at her over the rim of his glasses.

“Eh…nothing,” she replied quickly, dropping her hand to her lap, “nothing at all. Gomen…”

“Well since you like daydreaming so much in my class, Inoue Orihime, the next problem is yours.”

Orihime looked up at the un-worked question on the board and could have cried in relief when she saw that it was one of the problems she had been looking over this weekend. She got up and hurried to the board, nearly tripping, much to the class's amusement, in her haste.

Returning to her seat, problem solved, she determined not to zone out again for the rest of the class. Fujiwara-sensei was not nice when people didn't give him a hundred percent of their attention and she didn't want another lecture about the benefits of paying attention…

The class ended and people started rushing off to get home or to club activities. She wasn't really a member of any club except the handicraft club that met on Wednesdays but like most days, she was staying back today to cheer Tatsuki on during practice. She might even join in to get some exercise before she went home.

As she stuffed the last of her books into the book bag, she glanced out the window. Below her, the bright orange head of Kurosaki-kun popped out, walking along side Kuchiki-san. Her attention focused on the two.

Kuchiki-san seemed to be saying something to Kurosaki-kun that he didn't want to hear as he had a more screwed up face than usual and was vehemently shaking his head. Her lips quirked up at their own volition at his expression. Kurosaki-kun really did have the best expressions...

“Ready?” Tatuski asked coming over to her.

Her attention refocused inside as she hurriedly zipped up the bag and put it over her shoulder.

“Hai.”

“Good, then let's go. Those guys will slack off as long as I'm not there and I plan to make them go home crying today.”

On second thought, she backtracked at that, I may just cheer today. Tatsuki-chan had that light in her eye that usually meant trouble for the judo team.

Before she left, her eyes drifted outside again. They weren't there anymore. She gave a little sigh and started after Tatsuki-chan. It would have been nice to see what other expression Kurosaki-kun would have showed…

At that moment, said face was scowling harder than usual.

“I don't get it,” Ichigo was saying, “Those…tests that you guys did, you sent them to that Soul Society place?”

“Yeah,” Rukia answered, “It was too unbelievable what Urahara was saying so I sent it to my Taichou. He's really knowledgeable and…”

“Look,” Ichigo cut in, “I didn't mind with all the tests and stuff since you kept going on about how I was blocking your senses…but I really don't want too much people prying into my life.”

“I understand,” Rukia conceded, “but I'm not just doing this for my benefit. You have a huge amount of spiritual pressure, Ichigo, and your inability to restrain your spiritual power is troublesome. It's just leaking out, thick and dense and affecting every single spirit around you. I hate to say it, Ichigo, but I'm more than a little worried that hollows will start to come after you and that your family and even your friends could get caught up in it. That's why I sent off the information. I need to know exactly what we are dealing with you and what we can do about it.”

He accepted her explanation in silence, absorbing her words carefully. There was nothing he could say. He couldn't feel his own spiritual pressure so he had no idea what it felt like, how much it was or how to turn it down…but he didn't want to cause problems for anyone.

“So what do we do now?” he asked as they crossed the street to the clinic.

“All we can do for now is wait,” the girl replied.

Wait…he didn't really like the sound of that, he thought as they entered the clinic.

Unbeknownst to them, blue eyes watched the two from the building across the street.

“Kurosaki Ichigo…as dense as they come.”

Those blue eyes recommenced their watch the next day as well, watching the orange-haired boy as he came into the school, the dark-haired girl at his side. A frown marred his forehead watching them and as they entered the building, he turned away and headed from the roof.

After he had gone in, the raven-haired girl doubled back and stared up at the very spot he had been in only moments before.

“Hey, we're going to be late if you don't stop backtracking,” Ichigo's annoyed voice stated.

The girl ignored him, mumbling to herself, “I could have sworn it felt like someone was watching us.”

After another moment, she shook her head and went back inside.

When they got into class, she had that feeling again but by the time she tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, it was gone. A feeling of apprehension washed over her. She was getting a bad vibe from all of this…She eyed the orange-haired boy, wondering if he was feeling it too. He was too busy talking to Sado-kun. The two had hit it off after some confrontation with another third year it seemed and they had become fast friends. Sado had even become a permanent fixture at lunch now.

Seeing she wasn't going to get any help from him, she took her attention away and settled to get the necessary books out for class.

“Ohayo Ku…Rukia-chan!”

She raised her head at the chirpy voice, blinking slightly at the bright smile before smiling herself and returning the greeting.

“Ohayo Orihime.”

“Sup,” Tatsuki greeted from behind Orihime.

“Ohayo, Tatsuki-chan,” Rukia returned, reminding herself to use the girl's first rather than last name as she had requested.

“Ohayo Kurosaki-kun!”

Ichigo turned from his conversation with Sado at the greeting, noting the bright smile that went with the happy greeting.

“Ohayo, Inoue.”

“Ohayo, Sado-kun!”

“Ohayo.”

Was she always the cheery? The question popped in his head as she moved off to continue her enthusiastic greetings. His eyes lingered, unknown to him, on her.

“She's nice,” Rukia whispered leaning slightly closer to him.

“Yeah, unlike some people,” he returned stressing the some, his forehead furrowing into a deeper frown.

Rukia stuck her tongue out at him.

“Real mature comeback, Kuchiki,” he retorted, rolling his eyes before settling in as the bell rang.

Orihime watched the exchange ruefully, fingering a prettily wrapped box under her desk. It was her thank you gift for Kurosaki-kun.

She had really meant to give it to him first thing this morning but seeing him with Kuchiki…no, Rukia-chan (sometimes she kept forgetting that the girl had asked her to call her Rukia instead of her family name- last time she did, the girl had flicked her forehead and she had endeavored to remember it next time) and Sado-kun, she had just lost her nerve.

She sighed. She really was such a big coward. It was only a thank you gift…why then did she feel so unexplainably nervous?

“All right settle down class.”

The teacher's voice brought her from her reverie and she let go of the box to open her text. Later, she decided, I'll give it to him later.

Later turned out to be even harder than this morning, however. She didn't just have Rukia and Sado to deal with but Michiru, Ryo and Tatsuki as well at the lunch break. As a result, the box was still within her possession even as the lunch break ended. Unable to work up the nerve, she could only watch as he stood and started to hurry off along with the others to the next class.

“You coming or daydreaming?” Tatsuki enquired from beside her.

“Coming,” she answered pushing the gift box further into her bag before closing it and rising, “Let's go.”

The next class was Chemistry. Kurosaki-kun was also in this chemistry class but she didn't get an opportunity there either. There were too many people present and she was sure that if she made an attempt to give it to him there, it would cause a misunderstanding.

She was beginning to feel like a total coward though when school was nearly done for the day and the gift was still in her possession. Though she had seen Kurosaki-kun so many times today, she still hadn't been able to give it to him. The gods must have liked her though as she got her best opportunity yet after the bell rang.

She was going off to her after school club activities in the handicraft club room when he suddenly rounded the corner, by himself. This was her chance.

“Ku-ku…”

The words stuck in her throat, coming out in a tiny whisper she doubted that he even heard.

“Inoue? What are you still doing here?”

She almost started at the question.

“Heh-eh,” she gave a nervous laugh, “I have club activities today.”

“Club activities?”

“Yeah,” she answered, “I'm a member of the handicraft club. Is Kurosaki-kun a member of any clubs?”

He scratched the back of his head, looking at the wall next to her head.

“Iie…I can't do club activities.”

“Eh? Really?”

“I have to go home and help my Dad out at the clinic,” he explained.

“Oh…”

“Well, I'll see you tomorrow then,” he began settling his bag over his shoulder more comfortably, “Take care.”

“Um…wait, Kurosaki-kun,” she spoke up as he was getting ready to move away, “um…here.”

Ichigo stared at the gaily colored box suddenly thrust out at him and then at the bowed head in confusion.

“A gift? For me?”

The girl nodded.

“It's to thank you for the other night…please accept it.”

Orihime closed her eyes. He wasn't going to take it…She just felt it.

Her eyes shot open as the box was lifted from her outstretched hands.

“Thanks, Inoue.”

A small smile hovered at his lips.

“It wasn't necessary but thanks anyway.”

“No, no,” she disagreed adamantly, shaking her head so hard she got a bit dizzy, “It was. Kurosaki-kun didn't have to intervene but he did and if it wasn't for Kurosaki-kun the aliens would have sucked out their brain fluids, made off in the space ship and then I would have been put in a psychiatric ward because no one believed me.”

Huh?

“I guess, I'm just trying to say thank you,” she finished lamely, not looking at him but rather at the ground.

“Alright then,” he conceded, “I'll accept it.”

She shot him a grateful smile and he felt a rush of warmth run through him at the grateful expression.

“I'll be going then. Ja.”

“Aa. See you tomorrow,” he returned, watching her rush off before staring thoughtfully at the package in his hand.

Inoue Orihime…she was a strange girl…

He started to walk again, his eyes still on the package in his hand. He'd taken no more than two steps when he bumped into something and, surprised, the box fell from his hand.

“Sumanen,” he began bending to pick up the box, hoping dearly that it wasn't something to break, “I wasn't paying attention.”

“Are you ever?”

The tone and the question caused him to straighten up quickly. Icy blue eyes stared back at him.

“Stay away from her,” the dark-haired boy warned him now, “You are nothing but trouble, the last thing Inoue-san needs.”

Before he could utter a reply the boy had pushed up his glasses, walked past him and was gone.

His face changed to a deep scowl. What the hell was his problem? Why was he warning him to stay away from Inoue? What was he to her? Why did he even feel the need to do that?

The questions bombarded him and the more he thought about it, the more it annoyed him. He hadn't done anything to that boy, or Inoue. He didn't even know this guy and he sure as hell didn't know him, so who was he to judge him as trouble? And what did he know about Inoue? He had made it sound like he knew her quite well and was close to her…yet he'd never even seen him around before.

The annoyance grew. That guy seemed to have a problem with him- what he didn't know. He'd never met him so he couldn't have done anything to him… so what was his problem?

It was no surprise then he was in a bad mood when he arrived home. Not even his father attacking him as soon as he entered could take his mind off that boy and what he had said. That probably made his retaliation to his father harsher than before, kicking him straight into the kitchen table without stopping to comment.

He barely responded to Karin and Yuzu's greetings, stopping on his way up to his room only to pass on Rukia's message that she would be home later. He totally ignored his father's exaggerated crying to Yuzu about how hard he had hit him and took the stairs two at a time, slamming the door behind him resoundingly.

“What's the matter with Onii-chan?” Yuzu asked, eyes towards the upstairs at the slamming of the door.

“Who knows?” Karin returned.

“Hey…why aren't you girls worried over Daddy too?” Isshin called alone in the background, “Look, Daddy's bleeding.”

“You're a doctor,” Karin responded dryly, not batting a lash at his attempt for attention, “Go take care of it yourself.”

Upstairs, Ichigo, not even bothering to take off his uniform, slumped into bed, headphones blaring hard rock music into his ear.

Truly he couldn't quite explain why this was pissing him off so much. People always said things like that or thought it at least because of his hair and his penchant for getting into fights. Still, what that guy had said…maybe it was the way he said it…or the way he looked as he said it- those cold eyes, so quick to judge him, how they looked at him as if they knew everything about him just by appearances when he didn't…whatever it was, it was just rubbing him the wrong way. That guy was rubbing him the wrong way.

He turned to his side as if to turn away from his thoughts. But they wouldn't let him be free.

All his life people had thought so many things about him, said so many things about him…even the kids at school. They'd call him names, weirdo- so many things when he was younger because he couldn't understand…couldn't make the difference out between the living people and the dead ones. He'd ended up talking to people others couldn't see and it had gotten so bad that at one point his school had asked his mother to seek psychiatric help for him.

He clearly remembered his mother's gentle smile as she ruffled his hair, looked back at the teacher and principal with eyes that would have made his father proud and said, “My son is special. It's a shame that you people cannot appreciate that. Because he is different from the rest of children you think it makes him strange, label him weird…what kind of teachers are you!? Well it doesn't matter. From today onwards, Ichi will not be attending school here.”

She had taken him and left, the teachers spluttering, unable to form coherent replies to the words of whom they had perceived to be a sweet young woman and he had never gone back. She had hugged him tight when they got outside and despite her smile, he could see the unshed tears in her eyes.

“Don't ever, ever let anyone make you think less of yourself, “she had told him, “You are different, Ichigo…but different for a reason. Never forget that.”

He had never forgotten. Not even when they had called him a murderer…

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He must have fallen asleep. The room was dark when he opened his eyes and there was only silence. The player must have stopped some time ago. He reached up to pull the earphones from his ear. In the dim light from the moon through his window, he glimpsed the gaily wrapped package on the table at the end of the bed. The glittery paper bounced back the light, making it seem all too cheerful for the otherwise dismal room.

His thank-you gift.

He hadn't even gotten to open it and see what it was. He sat up and reached for it, settling it on his lap. The paper wasn't hard to remove and within a few minutes, he was staring at…he turned it over…and found himself smiling a little.

Inoue Orihime. She really was a strange girl.

He started to put it back in the box. The light flicked on suddenly causing him to blink and pause in the middle of recovering it with the paper.

A petite shadow fell over him.

“So, care to tell me what happened today?”

He stared up in surprise before looking back down, the realization hitting him then that he wasn't as pissed off about it like he had been before.

“It's nothing,” he returned now.

Rukia gave him a skeptical look but let him be. When she had come up, he was already sleeping and little by little the pressure had been stabilizing itself until she felt there was no need to wake him up.

“Ok,” she accepted, “Let's go down for dinner. Yuzu and Karin's been waiting for you.”

“For me? They're big enough to eat dinner by themselves now,” Ichigo returned getting up nonetheless, “Oyaji's there too.”

“Ojisan just returned from seeing a patient,” Rukia informed him.

“I see,” he returned, “Well, let's go. I'm feeling hungry anyway.”

He grabbed a change of clothes.

“I'm gonna take a shower first…won't be long.”

Rukia watched him go. She was of two minds. The pressure she had felt today was different from before…him yet not him. She wondered if she should say something.

“You okay?”

She snapped out of her thoughts at the concerned question from the door.

“I'm fine,” she returned.

“Good,” he stated before starting to walk away again, “then get out of my room, pervert, and stop standing there. I know you want to see my naked, young body…”

“Why you…”

She stopped at the soft chuckle.

He wasn't acting any different than usual. Maybe I won't tell him, she thought now. Maybe later…