Delayed Departure

Bleach; Ichihime

Word Count: 3231

Warnings: minor cursing

Disclaimer: all characters herein are the property of Kubo Tite

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What if ...they only needed to practice a little honest communication?

~o0o~

It was almost time.

Only a few minutes more and the gate to the Soul Society would be complete. Under the muted glow of a nearby streetlight, Orihime stood off to the side of the preparations, unneeded, but still waiting for the coming event. Her fingers twisted around each other before she caught herself and clenched them in the fabric of her skirt. Sighing, she glanced over her shoulder at the house where she knew Ichigo was saying a private goodbye to his family.

"Are you doing all right?"

She turned in surprise to see Chad step out of the shadows beside her, his face drawn with concern under his shaggy mop of hair. She simply nodded, her lips lifting into what should have been a reassuring smile –instead of what she was certain was a pained grimace.

"You're not going to say anything to him, are you?"

Blinking, she shifted uneasily as Uryuu came to stand beside Chad. Jinta shouted in surprise from somewhere behind her, and Orihime turned away with a sense of relief, escaping from Uryuu's unnerving look of both pity and concern. She watched as Tessia dangled Jinta several feet above the ground for picking on Ururu yet again and thought on how to answer her friend.

"I've already told Kurosaki-kun goodbye." She said after a moment, keeping her back to them. What else could she say? The Soul Society offered Ichigo a ranked position, one he accepted without hesitation. Even though her heart was in her throat, she was helpless to stop him from leaving. This was what he wanted after all.

"You won't tell the fool you're in love with him before he leaves?" Uryuu demanded and Chad grunted in wordless agreement.

Orihime dropped her chin to her chest and hid her expression behind a thick fall of hair. She should have expected her friends to realize her feelings for the substitute shinigami. It wasn't as if she tried hard to hide them, she just hadn't expected them to bring them up.

"Inoue-san?" Uryuu urged.

Orihime shook her head from side to side in response to his earlier question. It was time she let go. She drew in a deep breath, steadying herself both literally and figuratively as a blast of wind rushed against her back. "This is his choice and I support his decision. No matter where he is, as long as Kurosaki-kun is happy, then I'm …" she swallowed thickly as sudden tears clogged her throat.

"If I'm happy, then you're what?"

Her heart tripped dangerously in her chest at the sound of Ichigo's quiet voice coming from behind her. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't even sense him approach. Steady. Now was not the time to fall apart. "If you're happy, then I'm happy too." She said -only to ruin her brave declaration when her voice broke on the last word.

In the next moment, his hand was on top of her head, tugging her to his chest. The scratchy weave of his shihakusho was rough under her cheek, but that didn't stop her from burying her face in the fabric as she attempted to hold back tears.

The tip of her nose rubbed against his chest, and she breathed in the cologne permeating his clothing. His scent always reminded her of the tang of metal and something spicy. It was comforting, familiar. This might be the last time she'd see him in this lifetime; she wanted to capture the memory and lock it up tight, while he was still here with her.

"Are you ready, Ichigo? Kisuke says it's time."

At Rukia's call, Orihime pulled back in embarrassment, cheeks burning. Ichigo's hand slid along the back of her head to her shoulder before it dropped to his side. He glanced behind him to the now opened gate before looking back at her. He rubbed the back of his neck as a pained look passed over his face. "Inoue, I-"

Not wanting their goodbye to be uncomfortable, she held out her hand and stopped what would likely be an apology. Instead, she forced her lips to lift in a smile, his smile, just as she planned. "This is what you wanted to do, right? So don't make a face like that, be happy." Orihime ordered him with scolding wag of her finger.

Ichigo stared at her, his uncertainty obvious, as Rukia moved to stand beside him. He blew out a haggard breath and nodded in agreement before glancing to Chad and Uryuu. Their goodbyes said, his gaze returned to hers for a charged moment. She held her breath as his eyes searched hers. For what, she didn't know.

After only a few seconds, Ichigo's lips curved upward and he smiled widely. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as he turned to leave. He gave her a murmured "goodbye" from over his shoulder, denying her a last look at his true expression, before he stepped toward the light of the gate.

This was it; he was leaving.

Her stomach lurched and twisted. She couldn't watch anymore. Orihime ducked her head and slipped away without a word. She counted her steps, putting one foot in front of the other. However, it wasn't long before her steps quickened, she lost count, and then, she started to run.

…

He sensed the moment Orihime left and his steps slowed. Ichigo couldn't stop his head from turning; he wanted to see her one last time.

Be happy.

Her words continued to echo in his head. How could he be happy when … His fingers grew lax in sudden realization and his bag slipped from his hand to land on the ground with a thump. His body followed his head's lead and turned away from the glowing white gate.

"Ichigo?" There was tinge of curiosity in Rukia's voice as she called his name, but he ignored his concerned friend. Instead, he fully focused his attention on following that warm thread of reiatsu as it moved further and further away.

Just be happy.

He could feel his resolve strengthening. This was the decision he should have made –the right decision for him. It didn't matter if she reciprocated his feelings; he just wanted to be close to her. The Soul Society would have to find someone else to fill the post.

Chad grinned and gave him a thumbs-up while Uryuu crossed his arms over his chest and muttered, "Took you long enough." He nodded at them both and then, toes digging into the pavement, he took off like a shot.

Rukia watched him leave, a secret smile played over her lips. Grabbing Ichigo's bag from the ground, she tossed it to Chad with the instructions to put it back in the idiot's room. Satisfied with the outcome, Rukia turned and entered the gate alone. She won this bet; Renji now owed her a forfeit.

…

Yuzu wadded a used Kleenex into her fist and peered down at the darkened street from her brother's bedroom window. "What's Ichi-nii doing now?" She asked her twin with a sniff.

"I'm not certain." Karin answered slowly, her brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of the scene outside. "But he just dropped his duffel …and now he's moving away from the gate."

"He did what?" Isshin jumped up from his seat at Ichigo's desk before rushing to join his daughters at the window.

They'd been over this many times in the last several weeks. Ichigo had been adamant that this was the right thing to do, saying the Soul Society needed him more than anyone in the human world seemed to.

Suddenly, Yuzu shrieked and pointed a shaky finger down at the street. "Orihime-chan is flying!"

All three of them leaned out the open window and stared where, to Yuzu's eyes, the redheaded healer seemed to bounce and soar through the night sky.

Karin slapped her palm against the window's ledge and laughed under her breath about finally being impressed. Seeing Yuzu's worried look, she described to her twin that Orihime wasn't actually flying; their brother had Orihime in his arms and was now flash stepping from the top of one streetlight to the next before they disappeared from their sight.

Isshin fell back with a laugh and sprawled across Ichigo's bed in relief. Well, it seemed as if he finally made up his mind. Although, the idiot did cut it a little too close for comfort. He shoved his son's soulless shell of body from the bed and laughed again as it landed awkwardly on the floor. He knew Ichigo would yell at him –and probably thrash him too, for treating his body so rough, but to his way of thinking, it was well worth it.

His daughters dropped on the bed beside him, their relief evident in the way their bodies sagged against his. Isshin hugged them close. His family was staying together. He predicted nothing but smiles and laughter in their future, especially with the certain addition of a lovely redheaded healer.

…

Ichigo finally came to a stop on top of a light post far from the prying eyes of their friends and his family. Slowly lowering Orihime from his arms, he stabilized the platform of reiatsu under his feet while he searched his mind for what to do now that he had her alone.

Hell, he could barely remember scooping her up in his arms as she raced down the street. He reacted on instinct without giving his situation any conscious thought -at least not until after he already lifted her slender body high against his chest and was miles away from anyone.

Think ...think. He thought of so many things he wanted to tell her while lying in his bed at night. However, during the bright light of day, his mind blanked or he chickened out. But now, Ichigo straightened and drew in a deep breath; there was something he needed to say.

"If you're happy, then I'm happy too." He broke the silence by repeating her words, his eyes serious. "But I can't be happy if you're sad."

"I-I'm not sad, Kurosaki-kun." She stammered before glancing over her shoulder to the distant ground. "I am kind of scared though."

Ichigo arched a brow at her unusual fear of heights. "Why? You're safe; I won't let you fall."

"I know, b-but …"

Not about to let her change the subject, he pressed. "Are you saying that me leaving doesn't make you sad?"

"Of course it makes me sad, I'm going to miss you." She paused to lick her lips, her eyes shifting off to the side, "That's only normal though, right? You're my friend."

"Yeah, it's normal. I guess." Ichigo loosened an arm from around her waist to rub the back of head, kneading the tension building at the base of his skull. Orihime squealed at the loss of support and she grabbed a fistful of his shihakusho. He mumbled a quick apology and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body. "I –I just hoped that …"

She shivered in his arms before slowly tilting her face up to look at him. "What did you hope for, Kurosaki-kun?"

"That maybe you …" He groaned under his breath and squeezed his eyes shut before continuing. "Dammit, I sound so arrogant saying this, but I was hoping that I meant something to you –something more than just a friend." Ichigo cracked an eye open to gauge her reaction and grimaced at her silence. "Stupid of me, huh?"

Orihime blinked, "Do …do you like me, as more than a friend?"

"I …" Ichigo hesitated before glancing around at their position. What had he been thinking, stopping on top of a utility pole? That was dangerous. "You know, this isn't the best place to talk, I'll just-"

A slim finger poked him in the center of his chest, stopping him before he could carry them to a different spot. "No, here is fine." Orihime said in a firm tone, one he hadn't heard before.

He narrowed his eyes. "You weren't saying that earlier."

She lifted a shoulder in a negligible shrug. "And you're trying to change the subject. Answer me, please."

His stomach twisted queerly when she looked up at him from under lowered brows. So many emotions swirled in their brown depths; emotions he couldn't hope to identify –or more likely, emotions he wouldn't allow himself to hope he identified correctly.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Damn. What was up with the look she was giving him? It wasn't often he saw Orihime Inoue pleading for something that wasn't food. Ichigo blew out a breath, knowing full well he couldn't lie to her. "Yeah, I like you."

A quick intake of breath and her fingers clenched tighter into the fabric of his shihakusho, "As more than a friend?"

He silently groaned. Orihime wanted the whole confession. Well, there was no turning back now.

"Yes, I like you as more than a friend." Ichigo said, all the while hoping he didn't just ruin their friendship.

Silence stretched out between them. He felt her heart beat rapidly in time with his.

"Then," she looked down at her hands entangled in his clothing before releasing him to smooth out the rumpled fabric with a restless motion. "Then, why did you want to leave?"

He sighed at the way she worded her question. It wasn't that he wanted to leave ...it was just- "There was no reason for me to stay. You're strong; you don't need me to protect you anymore." Orihime lifted her wide gaze to meet his. Ichigo shored up his resolve and soldiered on. "Plus, the kindness and concern you show to all of your friends was becoming a painful reminder that I wasn't special in your eyes, I was just one of the crowd."

"No," Orihime breathed out and pressed even closer. "How could you think that?"

"Well why wouldn't I?" Ichigo reared back to stare down at her. "You never gave me a reason to think otherwise."

"I-I …I didn't?"

"No, you didn't." She gazed up at him in the most unflattering way, mouth hanging open, silent. He squirmed internally with a growing sense of unease and prompted, "Inoue?"

His voice snapped her out of a daze. "Tatsuki and Rukia were right." She stated with a tone of surprise.

He arched a brow at her nonsensical comment. "What?"

"You are clueless."

"Hey now." he scowled, taking offense to her mumbled remark. "I'm not stupid."

"Yes, you are." Orihime's soft smile took the sting out of her harsh words, and he could only stand there, breath seized in his chest, when she reached up to trace the down-turned corner of his mouth with her fingertip. "I've been in love with you since our first year of high school."

"What?" His eyes widened. He couldn't have heard her right. There was no way she could be in love with him –and especially not for that long. "That can't be true, I would have noticed."

"Clueless, remember?"

Ichigo opened and closed his moth in quick succession before managing to say. "I'm not that dense, Inoue. Y-you …you just didn't convey your feelings as well as you think."

She stared up at him in disbelief. "Sado-kun and Uryuu-kun were both able to interpret my feelings for you correctly -all without me having to tell them." She stated hotly before her bottom lip curled down in an affected pout.

"Chad knew?" The hand at her waist firmed, his long fingers pressing into her skin. Ichigo's eyes shifted, not focusing on any one thing, as his mind raced. "But he knows how I feel about you. He should have told me you felt the same."

"Maybe he didn't think it was his place to interfere." Orihime said in a soothing tone.

"Yeah, maybe ...wait-" his eyes snapped back to hers. Oh hell no. Chad and Uryuu were one thing, but … "You said something about Tatsuki and Rukia. They don't know too, do they?"

"Umm ...yeah, they know."

Cursing under his breath, Ichigo closed his eyes as if pained. Orihime shifted in his arms before hesitantly calling his name, her anxiety was evident in the tone of her voice. He hated to worry her, but dammit, he was already dreading the jokes at his expense. Tatsuki's teasing would be all in good fun, but not without an underlying threat of bodily harm. That was understandable; Orihime was her best friend, after all. However, that didn't even begin to compare to …

"If Rukia knows, then so does Renji." Heaven help him.

"And Rangiku-san."

Ichigo tensed at Orihime's whispered admission. "Matsumoto?" Damn, divine help might not be enough. "You're not serious, are you?"

Orihime cringed and gazed up at him warily. "I'm sorry, but she's known about my feelings for a long time now."

He blew out a breath and shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm not mad." It couldn't be helped. People were going to harass him for being blind –and a coward too. He had no one to blame but himself though. He didn't even consider that Orihime might have feelings for him too. That being said though …"I'm not going to lie and say I'm not irritated that everyone seemed to know who you liked, with the exception of me –the person who should have been told first, but-"

She gasped and pressed her hands flat against his chest. "I know, I should have told you …well, I did try to several years ago, but …"

"Hey, we're even; I didn't say anything to you either." His words quieted her rushed confession and her worry. They were both equally at fault. It was as simple as that.

Orihime's lips curved into a soft smile as she gazed up at him. For the first time, Ichigo saw the love she had for him shining clearly in her expressive eyes –and he felt humbled. "It's a good thing I'm not going to the Soul Society after all."

"Y-you're not, but why?"

He tilted his head to the side and felt his mouth relax into what he was certain a sappy besotted smile. "You should know why."

"Because of me? But-"

"But nothing." He interrupted her, his tone firm. "I already decided before I chased after you." Ichigo paused for a second to let his words sink into her head and erase her doubts. He arched a brow, giving her a teasing look. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me."

She lifted up on tiptoe to stare him in the eye, her gaze earnest, "No, never that. I just don't want you to feel that you have to-"

"My mind's made up." Ichigo reached up and caught a flyaway lock of her hair between his fingers. Holding her gaze, he carefully tucked her hair behind her ear and then brushed his knuckles against her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, Inoue."

Orihime sank back on her heels, blushing. "Oh, okay." She said, ducking her head to hide her flushed cheeks from his gaze. She fidgeted within his arms for a moment before she quieted and murmured against his chest, "That's good."

As he pulled her closer and rested his chin on the top of her head, Ichigo had to agree. Yeah, this was good -very good.

~o0o~

A/N: Just a little something I started last February and finally decided to finish –almost a year and a half later in an attempt to get back into writing. I hope you enjoyed it.

As always, thanks for reading. ~Rairakku