Bittersweet Symphonies
- A collection of my IchiHime short shories, drabbles and all else.
Author's note: This is a collection of drabbles and shorter stories that I will make in homage to the entire IchiHime fandom. There's just not enough of them.
Please do take note that this is not a serialized story, therefore, each chapter should be viewed differently, as a separate entity rather than the continuity from the previous chapter. Thank you!
Please do leave a review if you feel like it. I'm gonna allow request and challenges if you do have any. For example, if in your review, you have a certain idea that you wanna challenge me into trying, please do so. Those challenges, will be posted as the next chapter..A treat to all IchiHime fans.
By the way, this is kind of a spur of the moments ideas, so you may expect multiple updates in a week.
Lastly, please do not flaming the pairing of my choice, Ok?
Lets head on to the first chapter!
Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home
Dedicated to:demonbloodfeeder – Thanks for inspiring me, and telling me that IchiHime fics are alarmingly scarce!
Spoilers?: Not unless you've read until the 300th chapter
Ichigo fell back.
Blood, sweat and tears. With the exception of tears, he had shed a considerable amount of those to bring down the ones who threatened to harm his precious family and friends.
He felt a surge of pain rushing through his chest, and then blood was forcing their way out of his mouth. Instinctively, his hand managed to cup his mouth to reduce his blood loss, but he can no longer deny the excruciating pain that he has been forcibly numbing since his opponents sword managed to draw blood from his abdomen.
Finally he was forced to stand down. Kneeling on one knee, with all his weight supported by his knee on the ground, and also by clutching his sword that remained still in front of him, steadily on the ground, preventing him from falling in the entirety.
'So Kurosaki Ichigo,' Aizen Sousuke's taunting voice rang through the air. 'You had managed to amuse me yet again.'
Ichigo could not utter a word. Hands on his chest, he gathered his strength to look at Aizen Sousuke.
'I think I knew why Grimmjow loves fighting with you, Kurosaki Ichigo. That look you gave every time is just fascinating,' Aizen Sousuke said with a plain grin.
Ichigo couldn't muster his strength to stand anymore. As much as he wanted to stand and deal another blow towards the man that will destroy his world, all he can do now is to stare at him.
Move, move, move! Shit, I can't lose here!
'I assume that you can't move anymore,' Aizen continued. 'Too bad.'
'Perhaps there is a person here who can cheer you up.'
Ichigo saw that images began to form like a screen behind Aizen. He had a sickening feeling that he doesn't want to see it, but he can't help but saw-
'I-I-Inoue…' Ichigo's insides began to boil.
In the screen was Inoue, tied up as Ulquiorra held his sword to her neck.
'Your efforts had proved futile against me, Kurosaki Ichigo.' Aizen said.
Ichigo could see Inoue crying, calling out to him.
'You, bastard! Let her go!' Ichigo tried to stand up, but his worn out body kept falling back down as a natural resistance. Shit!
Aizen merely smirked at his struggle.
'I said they were all futile, Kurosaki Ichigo. You took her back when she was first captured in to Hueco Mundo. Soul Society thought that without Inoue Orihime, I will have the awakening of Hougyoku in delay. They had made a mistake, and so you see, I'm more than fit into destroying Soul Society.'
Shit! Get up! I must not fail here!
Ichigo felt another surge of blood emitting from his inner wounds out of his body via his mouth, and this time, he cannot move his hands from the sword that is stabilize him, gravitating him on the ground, causing his blood to ooze out from his mouth to the ground. His chest is in excruciating pain, and his vision began to blur.
'I-I don't believe you,' he panted. 'Your Zanpakutou's a trickster. That was an illusion, Inoue was safe. I knew it. I made sure she is.'
'You are very stubborn, shall I let you hear her voice?'
With that, Inoue's voice rang through the air.
'Kurosaki-kun, I'm sorry,' she sobbed, 'I was told that you are dead..'
A fit of rage now filled Ichigo instead of the agony that his bodily damages that was inflicted upon him. He mustered his wills into taking hold of his sword, and rushed to attack Aizen again.
'You!!! What did you say to her?'
Aizen's sword now blocking Ichigo's black Zangetsu, he said, 'What does that matter, Kurosaki Ichigo?'
'Instead of taking her back to the real world, you should have killed her. By taking her back, you wasted a lot of energy, and revealed us the current strength of Soul Society. But, our strength being revealed to Soul Society does not matter, as long as I have the Hougyoku. To kill her will be a better way.'
Ichigo clutched his sword tighter, so much tighter that bloods from his palm began to drip from his the hilt of his black sword.
'What do you know about her, and about being friends? You think we are all like you? Killing without regret? Don't joke with me!'
'If you had that kind of killing intent, you may be able to kill me,' Aizen pushed Ichigo's sword back, leaving him once again, down to the ground.
Ichigo lied flat on his stomach, hands still not letting go of his sword.
Get up! My fight cannot end here. Inoue will be killed.
'What does that woman meant to you, Kurosaki Ichigo?'
Ichigo wiped blood from his mouth, and got up on his knees. 'Why do you care?'
Aizen smirked widen, and he said, 'Then it doesn't matter if I kill her? For your information, her Shun Shun Rikka had already been destroyed by Ulquiorra.'
Ichigo's face contorted with fury.
'What's with that face of yours? Is Inoue Orihime worth that much to you?'
'Kurosaki-kun, please leave Hueco Mundo after I heal you, without me.' Ichigo heard her said when she was healing him, as Kenpachi fights Nnoitra.
Ichigo looked at her from inside her healing shield. 'What are you talking about? We're all here to save you.'
'Not only me. There's Ishida, Chad, Renji, Rukia, and Nell with her brothers. We are all here for you,' Ichigo softened his facial expression, as usual when he looks at her.
Her tears began to stream down her flushed cheeks.
'I know, Kurosaki-kun. I understand that everybody came here for me.'
Ichigo, feeling better gradually, said, 'Thanks, Inoue, for healing me twice. Let's go home after this.'
'But, there's something I need to do here,' she wept, 'I can't go home yet.'
'I can see it,' Ichigo is trying his very best to convince her, 'You were taken here by Ulquiorra. You are not a traitor. You do not like it here. We'll go back together. I promise you, just like how I promised to protect you.'
Ichigo yelled at Aizen, 'Yes, she does! What are you going to do with it?'
'You know, Kurosaki Ichigo,' the cold-blooded voice drawled, 'There is a way to let you two be alive. If the two of you wanted each other to alive so much, let me offer you an option.'
'Join my ranks, Kurosaki Ichigo. Be an army of the greatest, for the ones who will be conquering the world.'
'Join you?' Ichigo glared at him intensely.
'Yes. Hand in hand, let us rule the world.'
Ichigo found his strength. 'Join you? Don't make me laugh!'
'Getsuga Tenshou!'
'So it will began soon,' Ichigo said to her in a training break, 'The winter war.'
'You've gotten very strong, Kurosaki-kun. Do your best!' They were sitting in a rock that was conveniently perched on the surface of Urahara's training ground.
'Inoue,' Ichigo found his words stuck in his throat. 'I, er, have something to say to you.'
Rukia, who was nearby, called out to Renji. 'Hey, Renji, let's go and help Urahara-san with his cleaning.'
'Huh? Why do I have to? It should be Jinta's turn today!' the redhead retaliated.
Rukia gave Renji's leg a small kick. 'I'm helping out today, let's go!'
Renji gave Ichigo a glance and nodded knowingly to Rukia, 'Fine.'
Ichigo waited until the two of them left within a considerable distance before saying anything else to her.
'Actually, I was kind of hoping that you will stay with Unohana-san to help out with healing, Inoue.'
Her look was a mixture of pain and understanding, even if she was facing down on the grounds. 'I had thought so. I knew that I will get in the way of the battles.'
Then she looked up on him, 'But, Kurosaki-kun, I understand! I will stay and heal everybody who gets hurt!' forcing a smile so obviously made to console herself that Ichigo saw right it.
'Look, Inoue. Please do not get me wrong. I had never wanted to say that you are weak. That will be a very wrong thing to say, because you had saved my life so many times before. But..'
Ichigo founds his throats constricting, and his brains numb. He struggled to find the word that will express his feelings right – it is just that he doesn't really know what exactly is he feeling.
'I guess I do not want your life on the line again, I think.'
She smiled more sincerely this time. 'You think? Kurosaki-kun, there's no need to worry about me! You know, if I gets sick I can just heal myself, and we won't get attacked because Unohana-san is very strong…'
Ichigo cut her. 'I need to make sure that you are safe, Inoue.' He did not know what made him said that. Perhaps he is just afraid that she will be targeted again by Aizen. Somehow, Ichigo knew that he doesn't want to lose her, again.
'You have to be safe, because I promised to protect you. I'm not a jackass that forgets it. Besides, I think Aizen still wants to target you.'
Ichigo found himself sweating more than ever, and he knew that it probably wasn't caused by the harsh training. She offered him a tissue.
'Kurosaki-kun, you look weird when you are sweating!'
His Getsuga Tenshou did nothing to Aizen.
'You most potent attack, I shall say,' Aizen drawls on. 'Fires off a concentrated mass of reiatsu that emits by your spiritual body. I would say that it is a very unique attack, Kurosaki Ichigo.'
Ichigo panted. No matter what he does, it doesn't seem to harm him. Shit! I have to defeat him!
'I had been interested with you for quite some time. I know I can still unveil your true abilities. What does it take to have you take out that incredible mask again?'
Damn him! I need my mask back! I have to defeat him!
'Ulquiorra, that woman has no more use to us. Dispose her.'
NOOOOO!
Whites of Ichigo's mask began to envelop his face again.
'I won't let you do that!' He focused his energies and swings his sword upfront.
He found her out of Urahara Shoten, sobbing.
'Inoue, what is wrong?'
She looked back at him, visibly shocked. 'Kurosaki-kun! What are you doing…'
'I heard a voice, I just followed it. I don't know why I did..' Ichigo wasn't prepared for this. He was lying, because he actually knew that it was she who was crying. He didn't know why, but he had wanted to seek her out to find the reasons for her tears.
'It's nothing, really. I'm just being very stupid.' She wiped off her tears. 'You better rest well for the battles, Kurosaki-kun.'
'You can tell me, Inoue. You don't need to keep everything inside.' He had a feeling it was because him asking her to stay out of battlefield.
'Is it because of me?' he asked, looking right into her eyes. It was then he realized what a delicate creature she is. Her eyes were gentle, and yet they shone like diamonds, luminescent as the moonlit sky. The cold breeze blew and softly fanned her hair in the midst of the wind, and Ichigo can't help but admire her beauty.
'How could you have? Please do not worry, it was just a nightmare,' she replied. 'I just felt like I need a little fresh air.'
'Really?' Ichigo was still skeptical, because her crystal-like tears had never stopped their flow. His eyes bore into hers, the strength in the intensity of his eyes, at last dissolved the plain resolve in her eyes.
'I need to cry, I think,' she finally admitted. 'I'm useless, aren't I?' She put her hands to hug herself under her chest, and bent slightly. She held herself so tightly, as if its only purpose was to only prevent herself from falling.
'I saw you dying in my dreams, Kurosaki-kun. I can't help you in anything, even in my dreams. You were just lying there, all bloodied up, but when I reached for you, you went further away…' Her tears dropping to the ground.
'I'm very afraid. Very, very afraid to see you dying, Kurosaki-kun. If you ever die, it will be my fault, all my fault. I wanted to help you, to protect you…But I always fail to do so. I'm a useless child, I'm…'
She stopped because Ichigo walked forward towards her, and pulled her into facing his shoulder.
'It is just a nightmare, do not worry,' he assured her. 'If you really want to cry, you can cry on my shoulders. 'You don't have to always cry alone. We are all here for you.'
'Don't worry about me, Inoue. I will defeat them,' Ichigo continued.
He could only hear muffled sounds of her tears after that, and felt her palms grabbing tight to his shirt. He didn't know how long they stayed there, at that position, but he knew that he was comforting her, and was strangely comforted in return. He didn't not feel a slightest the anxiety and nervousness that he had been feeling as of late that the battles are drawing near, here and now when she was within his arms.
The wind breathed a little harder and much colder, and he felt her shivering of the cold. More of instinct than anything, he wrapped his arms around her. Strangely feeling warm after that, he tightened his hold around her, as hers to him. He had never been in such close contact with her, other than carrying her on his shoulder after his clash with Grimmjow in Hueco Mundo. But now that his head is not focused on the fight, he can fully appreciate the soothing feeling that he is experiencing.
He realized that everything about her, being so close to him, eases him. The scent of her hair, the temperature of her body, and her moist tears against his chest – he never knew such breathtakingly appeasing security. That was when he knew that he does no want to let her go again. He already had almost lost her to Aizen when she was kidnapped to Hueco Mundo, and he is taking no chances.
'It's getting cold,' he said to her. 'Do you want to get inside?'
'No,' her voice clearly less choked and less strangled. 'I feel warm. Thank you. What about you?'
'I'm also warm,' Ichigo answered honestly.
Without another word spoken, they stood there, none wanting to move any inch away, until she broke the silence.
'Say, Kurosaki-kun,' she said.
'Yes?' his voice softer than he intended.
'Please remember to come back safely.'
Ichigo took a deep breath, inhaling the calming scent of her hair, and said to her, 'It's a promise.'
That did it. He forced Aizen to stand down after his mask reappears.
'You are good, Kurosaki Ichigo.'
'Stop the crap!' Ichigo yelled at him. 'Fight me, and let Inoue go!'
'So you really cared for her,' he still managed to sound normal, despite the damages that he took.
'Ulquiorra.'
Apparently, that was his command to have the Espada move.
Ichigo watched in horror as the Espada plunged his sword through her chest, with a shocked expression worn on her face.
'NOOOOO!' Ichigo's scream pierced the sky.
Ichigo jumped in rude awakening.
His body was sweating, and he was panting. So that was a dream, huh?
Nevertheless, to him, it was so real, as if he was reliving the memory of battling Aizen a few years ago – perhaps it was really reliving the memory, after all, it was just like how he had fought him.
He felt that it was strange that he should be reminded of the fight, after so long – after he defeated him.
The rapid speed of his breathing slowly declined, and he took a glance at the person sleeping beside him – his wife Orihime.
'Kurosaki-kun,' she mumbled in her sleep, 'Pooh is already out-dated, and Pikachu is cuter….' Ichigo grinned at nothing in particular, thinking that she has not gotten over her habit of calling him Kurosaki-kun, even though he had insisted her to call him Ichigo.
She was saved by Unohana, in time so that she did not suffer from blood loss, which could have been fatal to her. Ichigo still remembered the relief he felt when she called his name again, after that exhaustive series of battles. Nothing else in this world could compare to the elation of telling her that he had come back safely, and that he had yet fulfilled another promise to her.
Ichigo looked at the clock, and found himself looking at four zeroes that were blinking back at him. He cannot believe that he had only been asleep for about two hours.
He lied back on his bed, and moved slowly towards his wife. She was sleeping on her right, and her face was facing his. He snuck a hand under her neck to reach her back, and another to her slim waist, then pulled her close to him. He closes their foreheads together, and kissed hers lightly.
There was nothing more blissful that a marriage life offers than the certainty of comfort in times like this when he was scared by a nightmare.
'I love you, Orihime.' He whispered. She moaned slightly, apparently not aware of his actions.
Until morning calls, Ichigo slept hugging his wife.
This, for him, is home, sweet home.
That is it for the first story. Remember to drop me review (I know you want to …) or if you have any challenge for me.
Let me know if you like it and want me to continue, ok? Thanks for reading!
By the way, those who had been following my other fic, Blaze of Wrath, please be patient, updates are very soon!