#ishihime fanfiction

[teamatsumu]

bleach masterlist

last updated -> 27-08-2023

characters i write for -> here

requests are closed

ICHIRUKI:

⦿ JUICE BOX ➡ set in fb arc, angst, swearing

⦿ PANDORA’S BOX ➡ post canon, angst, swearing

ISHIHIME:

⦿ TEMPTATION ➡ post canon, smut, swearing, tw: adultery, slight angst

⦿ SINCERELY YOURS ➡ post canon, smut, swearing, tw: adultery, slight angst

ALL:

⦿ SEIREITEI HR DEPARTMENT CHRONICLES ➡ swearing, crack, bad humor, canon typical violence, sometimes suggestive

prequel

part 1

[hibiscusangel15]

Summary: Food has a funny way of bringing people together. Especially with Inoue Orihime at the helm. For Day 1 of Ishihime Week 2023!

Rating: General

Category: F/M

Additional Tags: Secret Crush, Cooking Lessons, Fluff

[tomatoestrash]

GUYS THE NEW CHAPTER ISN'T EVEN OUT YET AND EVERYONE ALREADY GOT TOXIC AGAIN

[cryaboutir]

I really decided to start writing an UlquiIchi fanfic in 2020....

Here’s the link for anyone interested btw: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26019175/chapters/63266488

[des-does-art]

A Beginning

“A Beginning” by Turtleninjaof-theday

Summary: Ichigo stands on a balcony and thinks of all of his friends’ successes before they visit him. An alternative ending to the very last chapter of “Bleach.”

    Overlooking the cities that floated in the sky, Ichigo slipped his hands into his pockets. The golden band on his wedding finger pressed against the skin of his leg as he slowly walked toward the railing of his palace balcony. From his spot, he could see the Royal Guard making their rounds and checking in with one another. Ichigo sighed and touched at his orange hair, softer than after the use of human shampoos. He hadn’t aged since the downfall of the Quincy’s uprising, but there was a wisdom of thirteen years cradled in the brown of his eyes. It was winter now, and winter meant that his friends could come back to visit him.

    Of course, his friends’ visit didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of their successes. Closing his eyes, Ichigo saw Chad, tall and much more muscular than before. The giant man was actually in Mexico this time, and he was speaking his fluent Spanish and serving his home community at a volunteer center. Chad was wearing an apron over his normal clothes, and a hairnet covered his long dark hair. He ladled soup into bowls for people, who were thanking him and returning to talk with him about various topics. Ichigo could see the inspiration that sparkled in everyone’s eyes as they gazed upon his friend; it was heartwarming. Sometimes, Chad would play his guitar and sing on the weekends, often being joined by other musicians and singers. The brown-haired man was able to fulfill the need to serve and protect, not harm, by creating the very charity he worked in, Heart to Heart.

    So you’re holding up really well, Ichigo, Chad had said. The last time he’d been in the Royal Palace, Chad had barely started Heart to Heart.

    Well, Ichigo had replied, I’m holding everything up actually.He chuckled along with Chad at his joke. You started a charity, Chad. That’s great!

    Thanks, his friend had said, a smile on his face. I’m doing something that I like… and I’d like to think that my abuelo would be proud of me. I hope he can see it all. I hope he can see that I’ve returned to my roots and put up an altar for him during the Day of the Dead. I hope he can see that I don’t use my fists anymore.

    Ichigo smiled. I don’t doubt it, he’d said and had closed his eyes to search out the other spirit realm, where his sights were usually forbidden. Then he’d caught sight of him, an elderly man as tall as Chad, staring back at him. I can see him, your abuelo in the other spirit realm.

    You can see him!

    I think he sees me… Wait. He says he sees you, Chad. He says he’s proud.Ichigo had opened his eyes to see Chad silently weeping. They had embraced. To him, Chad was at his best.

    Uryu, on the other hand, was doing something much more glamorous. Ichigo saw him wearing a fancy suit and sitting at his desk in an office building in the capital of Japan. As a CEO, Uryu was signing papers and reading over plans for his company, Soul Threads. His office was covered in posters and filled with books and binders. At the moment Uryu signed a check to donate to Heart to Heart, his father walked in. At this, Ichigo smiled, knowing that Uryu and his father were speaking with better relations than before. Following her father-in-law, Inoue walked right in with the baby carrier in hand. She was on maternity leave at the moment; her fellow veterinarians were happy for her. Uryu got his happy beginning, outside of medicine, and he had Inoue with him.

    Briefly recalling the end of the war, Ichigo had seen Inoue walking toward him and blushing, despite the many injuries she’d retained against the Quincy army. He had known that she’d watched as he and Rukia both had battled Ywach, and he’d known that Inoue wanted to help them so much. At the end of it all, Inoue had confessed her feelings to him and had taken his hand in hers.

    Inoue, Ichigo had said, I understand your feelings. You’ve had them for a while.

    The young lady had smiled and had held onto Ichigo’s hand even tighter. Does that mean, she started.

    Ichigo had shaken his head and had looked Inoue in the eyes. I’m sorry, he’d apologized. I value your friendship, and I always will. I can’t return what you want from me because I don’t feel the way you do.

    Kurosaki…

    You deserve to live happily back in Karakura, Ichigo had explained. Go to Uryu. Care for him and for yourself.

    Doing her best not break down, Inoue had replied, I will always love you, so I will go back...for you…

    Shaking his head again, Ichigo had said, Don’t do this for me. Do this for you. Live happily with someone who returns your feelings.

    Before she’d left, Ichigo had wondered if Inoue would break down at that moment, but she hadn’t. Instead, Inoue had released his hand after running her thumb over his wedding finger, had turned from him, and had walked toward Uryu, who had held her as she’d rested her head on his shoulder. Ichigo and Uryu had made eye contact at that time, and it had been clear that Uryu had appeared conflicted. Later, Ichigo had assured Uryu that he had no intention of returning home and had no intention of loving Inoue, especially when his heart had never been hers.

    Then, an image of Rukia came to Ichigo. She was wearing her new robe as a captain of the thirteenth squad, and her hair was much longer. Her fair skin glowed in the sunlight as she walked even steps toward her office. He watched her attend to paperwork and give orders to various soul reapers. Ichigo chuckled when he saw the crushing soul reaper gawking at Rukia before leaving with a blush on his face, saluting with a Good-bye, Captain Kurosaki!A smile graced Rukia’s face as she shook her head. Touching at her wedding band, Rukia gazed a picture on her desk.

    You’re really doing it, Rukia had said. You’re staying here. Does your father know yet?

    I’ve sent a letter with Chad, Ichigo had answered. He smiled as he had gazed down at Rukia’s own smiling face. A welcoming flush of heat had filled his chest and had tinted his cheeks a pink color. Ichigo had been holding in what he had thought would never come to fruition.

    Giggling, Rukia had teased, Are you blushing, Ichigo? I guess you’re just happy to see me.

    We’ve been fighting together the entire time, Ichigo had pointed out. He had touched at her hand, feeling his chest had tightened when Rukia had held his hand completely. You’re bankai…it was beautiful…Rukia…

    You fool, Rukia had said, her smile never wavering. That’s not what you want to say.

    I’ll be the Soul King soon, Ichigo had said. Before that or anything else happens, I want to thank you. Rukia had rasied a brow at this. Without you, I wouldn’t be here, not like this. I’d be different, I think, and I wouldn’t have liked that person as much.Feeling Rukia pulling away her hand, Ichigo had held on tighter, meeting Rukia’s glossed eyes. Saying all that, I have something else to tell you.

    Ichigo.

    I was never that good with directly saying what I really wanted, Ichigo had expressed, but, Rukia, I love you!

    He’d compare the bloom of their relationship to a rose, but Ichigo had known Rukia had never been like any other person he’d met. With such a thought, he’d compared the beginning of their relationship to the fan of a carnation, a comparatively beautiful and equally complex array of petals, each a memory woven in to the same truth.

    With the thought of his father and sisters, Ichigo looked to them, seeing that they were all going about their lives. Yuzu was still cooking and writing her own cookbook; moreover, she was succeeding in school, placing number one in exams. Karin was training to become a professional soccer player, so she was at school and on the field most of the time. Their father was sitting across from their mother’s poster. Ever since he’d regained access to his powers, his aging had stopped, and he’d make frequent visits to the Soul Society, catching up with old friends and helping rebuild the name of the House of Shiba, which gained even more favor after Ichigo’s ascent to Soul King.

    In the thirteen years that he’d been in the palace, his family had visited him twice a year, making sure to bring their joys and treats along. Ichigo had been grateful, and Rukia had been excited every single time they made their visit. Like his friends, his family would come this winter.

    “Ichigo!” came Nel’s voice.

    Ichigo turned just in time to be smothered in a hug. “Hi, Nel,” he said through her arms.

    “We came back from our rounds of the palace!”

    “One day,” came Grimmjow’s voice, “you’re going to smother him too much, and he’ll die.”

    “You exaggerate,” whined Nel as she let Ichigo go, allowing him to regain his footing and take in a deep breath of air. Nel wore her usual attire, fluff and a body suit, but she also had a special robe to wear, showing that she was defending Ichigo at all times. The insignia on her robe showed that she was not a soul reaper and meant for defense against Quincy attacks. Along with her clothing change, Nel’s skull had been altered over the years as she grew stronger in training with Nimaiya, who had challenged her until she had bled. Her horns were longer and sharper, and the skull’s fracture had completely closed up. Her sword had become two, like her horns.

    Like Nel, Grimmjow wore his usual black suit and belts; however, there was a robe that billowed off of his shoulders like a cape, bearing the same insignia as Nel. The jawbone on his cheek had only changed in that the teeth were much sharper and that the corners were pointed out, much like Nel’s horns. Because he had trained with Kirinji, Grimmjow had grown as a warrior in both strength and understanding of one’s own limits. Unfortunately, Grimmjow’s limits still hadn’t been where Kirinji had wanted them, so they had trained much longer compared to Nel and Nimaiya. His sword remained as one, but the length of the sword increased, making Grimmjow a much fiercer opponent.

    At the end of the war, both Nel and Grimmjow had been unsure of their place in rebuilding everything. Seeing that the Quincy had been vulnerable to Arrancar attacks, Ichigo had suggested they remain with him as his body guards in the case that Ywach would come back. Because he was Soul King, no one had objected. Thus, both had remained with Ichigo, who had learned how to keep everything in balance with the help of the Royal Guard.

    “Quit acting like a child,” grouched Grimmjow as he crossed his arms.

    “I don’t act like a child!”

    “Yes, you do!”

    “Am not!” protested Nel.

    “Are to!”

    “Am not!”

    “Are to!”

    Placing himself between the two, Ichigo pushed the Espada apart. “You two have to stop this,” he said. “The days pass quickly here, so we’ll have visitors soon. I don’t want any accidents like last time.” He’d been referencing the enormous fight that Nel and Grimmjow had gotten into, requiring Ichigo and Chad to pull them apart.

    Suddenly, Ichigo felt it. He used flash step to get to the balcony’s edge in order to see the Royal Guard escorting all of his friends up the steps toward his palace. “They’re here!” he said with a smile. Rukia was nowhere in the group, making Ichigo frown.

    “Looking for me?” came Rukia’s voice.

    When Ichigo turned around, he saw Rukia standing there with her arms crossed. Grimmjow and Nel were standing aside to let her through. “Rukia!”

    They embraced. With her there, Ichigo felt peace overcome him. “I’ve missed you,” he said.

    “I’ve missed you, too,” replied Rukia. She broke their embrace and pressed Ichigo’s hand to her belly. “We have something to announce today.”

    Ichigo gaped and then smiled. “You’re pregnant!”

    “Two months,” announced Rukia. “I see that I was able to successfully keep it a surprise.” They held onto each other as Nel embraced them both with congratulations. Grimmjow had to pry Nel away, providing the perfect picture for the entire group of friends to come to.

    There it was. Not a happily ever after; Ichigo would never call it that. Rather, it was a beginning.

[darisu-chan]

Thanks for that one post calling out the fact that I////H has been bullying us since the ending and are trying to flip the narrative, don't forget, them raising death and strawberry website caused the creator to close it down, ruining a safe space for us.

And the fact they bullied us off of the bleach subreddit, which you can still find post of them doing so.

Has some did get bullied when they did nothing wrong? Yeah, but a good chunk of those who picked at us never got bullied and we're just being asses because they're canon. Funny how this is the same fanbase who tried to say we're a vocal minority of the shipping fanbase, and now the new narrative is that we're not and were the fanbases huge bullies? Pick a problem and stick with it

Yep

I've been seeing this a lot and... that NEVER happened.

If you look at polls way back then, I//H was at the BOTTOM

GrimmIchi, IshiIchi, UraIchi, IchiIchi (Ichigo x Hollow Ichigo), ByaIchi, RenIchi, and whatever the name is for Aizen x Ichigo were all more popular than I//H. As for Orihee ships, UlquiHime was always #1, followed by IshiHime. The fact is they were never popular in the grand scheme of things and were quite disliked. The problem is most people who liked Bleach back when it was popular, eventually left the fandom altogether, so they cannot provide their point of view about the situation, but they would consider it laughable.

In fact, let's just look at ao3 and ff.net and look at the amount of fanfics that feature I//H vs any other ship. And you'll notice they're not at the top. If I remember correctly, GrimmIchi had the most fics in ao3.

But suddenly because they're canon, none of that happened, they were always #1, IRs were bullies, they were saints, and always meant to happen. Because accepting they were basically at the bottom of ships would mean that their canon pairing was not only unpopular but also not well-written. So badly written, a lot of people either didn't see it coming or compare to other underdevelop ships in other shounen manga. Or the saying that it's only canon because of Orihee's big boobs (this is something that people said back in 2016 comparing the situation to N/aruto when it ended with him marrying H/inata.)

I'd let it slide as their only win (because, really, they have like 1 chapter and that's it), but I can't ever forget their bullying and death threats, particularly when I know for a fact it drove some people suicidal and they did some shitty things like wishing other people's babies would die, were extremely racist to some folks, stole fanfiction, harrassed IR artists to make them draw them I//H fanart, and their blatant misogyny (saying men prefer submissive women with big breasts over women with other personalities and body types), etc. Like, they legit made me cry one day when I wasn't doing so well mentally.

They don't deserve their position as victims when 9 times out of 10, a lot of them were bullies. Let's also not forget that IRs weren't their only victims. They also harrassed people that shipped mlm pairings featuring Ichigo, particularly GrimmIchi. That will never be okay, whatever your feelings towards the ships involved.

[noschoolformrpool]

Ok—I have to say something in regards to Kubo’s latest drawing of Ichigo and Kazui and the ship wars being renewed...

Both Ichiruki and Ichihime fans need to calm there shit. Rukia’s not there? Oh boohoo. Orihime’s not there? Oh boo-fucking-hoo. Why aren’t we talking about the fact there’s a six-feet-apart rule and Ichigo’s wearing Kazui like a fucking hat?! 🙄

Look—I’m still more of an Ichiruki fan if I had to pick one but how are you guys still so butthurt? Get over it. It happened, we still have fanfiction; sure it still sucks but Kubo’s not gonna go back and rewrite the ending.

And those Ichihime fans that still feel like they need to validate their ship—you’re fucking annoying. The fact that you still feel threatened and insecure about your ship that ended CANON need to stfu, for real.

All of the bullying between both groups is so unreal. I’ve never seen anything like this in any other fandom and it’s just embarrassing. You all made Bleach so infamous and un-fun to be a fan of—you are not superior over someone else for liking one pairing over another, you are not the voice of Kubo. If you’re so pissed off, go express it through fanfiction. Write the story how you would have done it but don’t continue to put someone down for something you have NO control over.

Oh—and if you guys want to drag Ulquihime or Ishihime or Renruki into this, politely go fuck yourselves.

And don’t bother mentioning to me how you think I shouldn’t tag this under certain things—you are not the Tumblr police. I want you all to just sit back and reflect on how ridiculous you are behaving. Grow up.

[saranel]

"It takes courage to sacrifice one's personal happiness to ensure everyone else's safety. But it also takes courage to know when it's time to fight back, to reject the reality you're presented with and fight for a better world."

As Yhwach clings to the last few shreds of his existence, Kurosaki Ichigo makes a choice to end the cycle of fear once and for all (Fix-it fic, post-canon, canon compliant until 684).

[kodoku-no-maria]

“All I Ask”an IshiHime fic

For a disclaime - if anything, blame @mizulily​ for putting  that AU in my head, so I just had to get it out of my system. WHo would want Hime in their system? Ok-ok. This story is inspired by Adele’s song of the same name. Also, please be prepared for Angst. But if you know me, that shouldn’t be a surprise. If you don’t know me. Hi, I’m Maria and I’m an angsty person. *voices in my head  “Hi, Maria”*. 

Let’s get on rolling, shall we?

“All I Ask” - aka my first IshiHime fanf, aka IsH memory loss AH AU

- Uryuu! WAIT! - she called out to him which made him turn around - URYUU!!!!!!!!

That wasn’t his bed. It smelled fresh, but somehow felt very cold. That wasn’t his bed for sure. His bed smelled like....His bed? What was it like....

Suddenly he opened his eyes and rose up on the bed. Where was he?

- Ahg - his head started pounding like there was a little person inside it and they wanted to remodel the scull from inside out. Instinctively he put his hands on his head. He tried as hard as he could to remember what had happened and how he ended up in that bed....in that place. Nothing in his mind made sense. 

He was so deep in his inner chaos that he didn’t hear how the door opened. A silver-headed man in a white coat walked in

- You’re awake - the man’s voice broke Him out of his thoughtless prison and He looked at the sourse of the voice - You’re being careless again, Uryuu. What if that hadn’t happened as close to my clinic as it did? You would be dead now.

- Excuse me...but who are you?

- Memory loss, ha? - the man replied unamuzed - Troublesome as always. I’m Ishida Ryuuken, this is my hospital. You’re - the man gestured to the patient - a lot of headache. You’re my son, Ishida Uryuu, you’re 27, you live on X street and your career choice was - Ryuuken paused for a second as if to recollect himself - sewing...

- I don’t remember any of this...How do I know you’re really my father? - Ishida asked with suspicion

- You sew for a living and you’re in a private patient’s room - his father answered without even looking at him, instead he looked through the documents he had brought with him - Your vitals look normal. It’s only the memory loss. It will pass. Here are painkillers for the headache - Ishida looked at him suprised - I am a doctor, Uryuu. I will be going now. I have REAL patients waiting for me.

- Yes...thank you - Ishida looked at his father searching for some clues, feelings. Trying to recognize a father in that cold man. Nothing

- By the way, there is someone who’s been waiting for you to wake up. She brought you here. She’s the one you should thank - Ryuuken said just before leaving the room. Ishida heard voices right behind the door. His father’s and another one. That was probably the person that had saved him. It was so nice of them to stay and wait...so kind. In a minute voices disappeared and Ishida anxiously waited for the door to open

A few minutes had passed before it opened and like a vision, slowly, his saviour apeared in the room. Ishida couldn’t tell if the pills were at fault or his head injury, but he could swear he saw an angel and she was glowing. The girl looked exhausted, her eyes were red and puffy, she was fidgetting by the door, not moving an inch, eyes on the floor.

- ...Thank you

- Ah? - she finally looked at him

- I was told you saved me - Ishida smiled at the girl gently, masking his studying eyes that roamed her small frame in search of answers. Nothing 

- That was... I didn’t... - she tried to find the words to talk to him, but seemed too lost

- I am sorry...for causing you to worry... - he adjusted himself on the bed and made a gesture asking her to sit on the chair beside the bed - Please, sit down. You must be tired

- Thank you - she hurriedly sat down. Her eyes were constantly moving, trying not to look at Ishida and he realized that the proximity was making her nervous. She was so innocent. That made him smile. He couldn’t explain it, but the feeling of her beside him seemed familiar. 

- Excuse me...I do not remember. Do we know each other? 

Suddenly she raised her head, looked him straight in the eyes. She looked like a completely different person. Her eyes....they were sad and worried, and determined. 

- So you really don’t remember anything... - she said softly, with a sigh. For a moment there it sounded to him like a sigh of relief, but he immediately dismissed the thought. Then she jumped in her sit and started rambling- I didn’t mean it like I don’t believe Ishida-sensei. I do. I just thought maybe that wasn’t as serious as he described it. No-no, that came out wrong too...I’m not saying that your father is a liar! No! I mean..yes! I hoped that it wasn’t...true..Hehehe we do know each other - she ended, laughing nervously

- We do? I’m sorry...Can I ask your name? 

- Orihime...- She stopped and looked at him. Ishida could see her mind working on an answer. It took a minute before she replied, but to Ishida it seemed like eternity

- Inoue Orihime

- That is a very beautiful name, Inoue-san. Is it alright if I call you Inoue-san? Or does it feel weird?

- No - she smiled brightly at him - it feels just right.

They sat in silence for a while. Ishida found himself liking it - it felt very comforting. But hee wasn’t one to live in oblivion. He wanted answers. If his own head wouldn’t give them to him, he will ask the girl sitting beside him.

- You said, we know each other? Can you please tell me more about it? - he stopped for a momemt feeling a lump forming in his throat. He really wanted to ask her. She was so kind to him. That had to be a reason for that, right? The way she blushed, the wat she was worried about him. But then again she could be just a naturally caring person. Beautiful and sweet. Like honey. Like the color of her hair...Bracing himself with all the hope in the world, he asked her - If you don’t mind me asking, what is the relationship between us, Inoue-san?

He knew he hit the nail. One question and her face turned into a whole kaleidoscope of emotions. Surprise. Worry. Embarassment. Guilt. Pain.

- I’m sorry. That was an inappropriate question

- No-no - she smiled, reassuringly - It’s just that Ishida-sensei has told me specifically not to...tell you anything, so not ot confuse you - Orihime said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. That movement alone sent an electric shockwave down his spine. 

- He did it probably to just mess with me. 

- Oh...then...You can say we are friends and collegues, Ury...Ishida-kun

His heart sank. Of course that’s what they were. Nothing less and nothing more. They worked together. He looked at his blurry reflection in the window. A spitting image of his father. Who was he even? He didn’t know. He couldn’t remember. He must be just as uptight and distant as his father was. Closed off and..

- Cold... - the word escaped his lips, while he still was very deep in thought. Orihime heard him and istantly looked at the slightly open window and then at Ishida. Without hesitation she jumped from her sit and crawled on top on the bed, which separated her from the window. One second Uryuu was looking at the wall and the other there was something covered in danom right in front of his face. He blushed when he realized that was Orihime’s plump behind. That, on top og being in such a proximity to his face, was wiggling in an attempt to balance on the bed while trying to close the window

- I-Inoue-sssan... 

- Got it! - the girl exclaimed victoriously and threw her hands in the air. That couldn’t go without consequences. The moment she did that, she lost her balance and fell - ouch - she whined. Then realized she didn’t hit the floor. Something was firmly keeping her in place. On the bed. She looked down and saw two arms holding her by the stomache aria. She could feel heat radiating from it. She took a deep breath to calm herself. But it was in vain. All her emotions that she had been keeping down burst out and she started crying.

- Inoue-san? - Ishida asked in panic - What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere? - he tried to let her go, but  she put her own palm on top of his hand. Her soft touch sending shivers to the parts of his body that shouldn’t be mentioned by a gentleman

- You’re so warm - Orihime managed to say through crying - You’re so warm, Ishida-kun - she kept saying again and again. Through tears that were streaming down her face - I was *hic* so scared *hic* You were so cold *hic* lying on that road and...and *hic* I thought...I thought *hic*- she then finally turned around to face him - I’m so glad, you’re so warm - and she put her arms round him in embrace

She couldn’t know. But she knew. It was a very snowy day. Cold and white. But inside he was burning. Her touch on his skin felt like torture. Like a melody stuck in the head that you cannot recall. So familiar yet so unknown. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to remember himself. And remember her. But it didn’t matter to him, when she was so close. He accidentally breathed in her smell. This is it, he thought, this is how HIS bed smelled like. But the thought was so momentary that he couldn’t have had for long enough to make anything out of it.

Her slowly easing sobbing was what mattered. Her little fragile frame in his arms was what mattered. It didn’t matter if he never remembered anything, right?

....Right?

end of chapter 1

[zenzenzence]

1 2 3 36 9 10 28!!

:D thank you May!!!

1. What was the first fandom where you developed a ship?

Probably either the original Pokemon anime (pokeshipping) or Sailor Moon (UsaMamo)

2. What pairing was your first or original OTP/ship?

My first OTP was either NaruHina or RobStar. I remember in elementary school i would stay up late at night talking to myself as I imagined scenarios of these ships getting together, and I eventually discovered fanfiction thanks to NaruHina google searches uwu

3. What ship are you currently obsessed with and why?

MitsuTaki eternally bc they are so beautiful and poetic and heartbreaking and healing and I love kimi no na wa so much! They have such a beautiful love story and they get a happy ending and I’m a sucker for body swap, long distance, time travel, and soulmate aus so they are just *chef’s kiss* ;;w;;

Also kyoru!!! They are such beautiful characters and i love them so so so so much and I’m so excited for fruits basket season 2!!!!!

9. What drew you to your favorite ship?

One of my favorite ships is NaruHina, and what drew me to it when I discovered Naruto in elementary school was that Hinata was a sweet, shy dark-haired girl with cool eyes who wanted to be brave and Naruto was her light in the dark, and she was for him too. ;;3;;

10. Which ship do you most want to become canon?

This is hard because most of my ships are either already canon, or canon has already been decided...

for series that are still ongoing, I’ll go with: TwiliYoru, IzuOcha, TodoMomo, Rayllum, Stonegrot 

for series that are complete, I’ll go with: IchiRuki, IshiHime, Cloti, Zerith, Zutara, Pidgance

28. What fanfic troupe do you wish would go away?

Honestly A//B//O. There’s only been like one fic with that trope that I’ve ever enjoyed. it’s not my cup of tea.

36. Smut or fluff?

In recent years, I usually prefer fluff, unless the smut comes with a fic that is long af after a lot of tension and payoff and is done well

send me a shipping and fandom ask

[teamatsumu]

Temptation

Summary:  After all, he has never been able to say no to her.

Pairing: Ishida Uryuu x Inoue Orihime

Word Count: 3,775

Warnings: Angst, Smut, Adultery, Post canon, swearing., you have been warned!

A/N: This is a murky piece lmao. Problematic content, so don’t come for me. It’s fiction!

The nurse’s foot was tap, tap, tapping on the marble floor, the noise ringing in the quiet of the room. Uryuu was sure it was unintentional, but it didn’t help his concentration at all. He didn't want to reprimand her, though. He wasn't sure he had the energy to. He blinked and pursed his lips, focusing on the file in front of him.

“Everything looks fine to me,” he looked up at the nurse, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Uryuu couldn’t blame her. If he remembered correctly, she was on hour 14 of an 18 hour shift. “And she wants to leave?”

The nurse nodded. “Her attendants are in the waiting room. She already has her bags packed.”

Uryuu hummed and closed the file, holding it up for the nurse to take it from him. “Then discharge her. Write her a follow up for two days from now. Make sure a resident signs off on that. Then she’s good to go.”

The nurse nodded politely before leaving the office, the door shutting softly behind her. Uryuu sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking his glasses off to rub his eyes. It provided little relief to his burning eyelids. He stretched his legs beneath his desk, hoping to abate the building tension in them. Again, it did almost nothing to improve his situation. He knew what he really needed was a good night's sleep.

He wasn't sure he was going to get it, though.

It's not like Uryuu had a lot going on at the hospital. He was a consultant now, not a resident. He could afford to step away and have his juniors run the show for a bit. After years and years of hard work, he was finally at a point in his life where he didn't have to struggle just to keep up with his career. At 30, he was finally qualified enough to take a breather.

Life wasn't that kind to him though. It never had been. Why would it start now? One problem always replaced the next, and this new problem came in the form of wide, brown eyes and a soft little smile.

Dammit. He was thinking of her again. He looked at the clock hanging on the far wall and mentally cursed at himself. Ten minutes. That's how long she had stayed out of his mind. He should be proud. It was a record. But he had wanted to stay strong for longer.

He wondered what she was doing right now. Midday meant Kazui was at school and Ichigo was at work. And she didn't work at the bakery on Wednesdays. So she'd be home. Alone.

Shut the fuck up.

The voice in his head was cruel and sharp, but it was what he needed. He couldn't afford to think of her. Couldn't afford to imagine her home at her lonesome, knowing he could head over right now and be uninterrupted for a few hours, at least. He knew where these thoughts led. Sooner or later, her voice would ring in his ears if he let these images run free in his head. Quiet little whimpers, biting at her rosy lips to keep the noises at bay, looking at him with those big eyes loaded with unshed tears as the pleasure kept building and building…

Fuck.

Uryuu nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft knock on his door sounded in the quiet of the room. He bit the inside of his cheek, scowling at himself for his blasphemous thoughts. He needed to get a grip. He straightened in his chair and put his glasses back on.

"Come in."

And in poked a head of burnt orange hair, the very subject of his crude fantasies just a minute ago.

No.

"Ishida-kun," her voice made his heart squeeze. "Can I come in?"

Of course you can. Have I ever refused you?

"Inoue-san, of course. Please." He stood up in courtesy, watching her open the door just enough to slip in and shut it behind her. Uryuu froze in place.

She was wearing the same skirt as last time.

It had to be intentional. Inoue-san was dense sometimes but she wasn't an idiot. She knew what she was doing. To him. But he had to believe she didn't have a clue, because she was humming and pulling a chair back to sit on, right across his desk.

Shakily, Uryuu sat down as well.

"Are you okay? Did you want something? You usually text before you show up." Or when you want me to come over. When your husband isn't enough for you. When you need me to make your pain better.

She shook her head, giving him a big smile and placing her hands neatly on her lap. "I was just out running some errands. I thought I'd drop by."

Liar. Uryuu knew instantly. There were no errands. It was just him.

He nodded anyway, letting the corners of his lips curl up. "Well, I'm glad you did. You know you're always welcome."

Her eyes held gratitude, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. It made Uryuu stiffen slightly. Had she been nervous? Had she been scared he would turn her away? His hold on the arms of his chair tightened. Did she really believe he would ever do that? Did she think that at any point, he would reject her?

She was all he had.

No. No. He had promised himself. No more. He couldn't do this to her. He couldn't do this to Ichigo. The few times it happened was already one time too many. Surely, he would not be reduced to this again. This was immoral. It was reprehensible. To have an affair, right under her husband and child's nose-

Her smile had wavered, lessened, her eyes boring straight into his. Her hands were no longer still, fingers wringing together in nervousness. The room was silent, the only noise coming from the ticking of the wall clock. The air felt charged. Heavy.

It was like the very walls were holding their breath.

"Why are you really here, Orihime?" His voice was low, as if he was afraid to disrupt the stillness of the space around him.

"You know why." Her voice was a mere whisper, her eyebrows creasing.

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"Because-" He grit his teeth. How could she ask him that? "Because you're married."

She looked down at her hands, her hair falling gently over her face. "That didn't stop you last time."

Uryuu screwed his eyes shut, teeth clenched so hard it made his jaw ache.

"Or the time before that."

He stood up slowly. Every muscle in his body protested the action. He wasn't even tired, yet he felt like he was weighed down by lead. She had stopped talking instantly, but she kept her gaze on her hands, twisting and pulling at her fingers to calm her nerves. He could read her so easily. She was an open book to him.

He walked around the desk until he stood before her, leaning down and placing his hands on the arms of her chair. At this proximity, the scent of her shampoo invaded his nose, making his eyelids flutter. She seemed to dig her chin further into her chest as he drew nearer.

"Look at me."

She didn't. She kept her stare steadily on her lap. Uryuu sighed, defeated. He knew exactly what he was going to do. Every molecule in his body screamed for him to do it. She was here, still and pliant on a chair in his office, offering herself to him, right within his reach. At the end of the day, he was just a man. Weak willed in front of this woman. A slave to his desires.

There was nothing he desired more than her.

He leaned his head down and nudged his forehead gently with hers. He felt her intake of breath as her head lifted up just marginally. Tilting his face, he slotted his lips with hers.

It was intense and hard from the very start. There was no room for soft, passionate love when their time together was already so limited and riddled with guilt and sin. As much as Uryuu would like to go slow, he couldn’t. One look at her was enough to drive him insane. Here she sat, before him, ready for the taking. In a couple of hours from now, she would be home again. With the man she shared a last name with. A last name he would never acknowledge. To him, she was still Inoue-san.

There was no going slow. Uryuu was desperate.

His hand came up to cup the side of her head, pushing his lips harder against hers, eliciting the first little whimper from her throat. His tongue invaded her mouth immediately, feeling her own tentative movements. It nearly made him chuckle. She came to him, practically begging with unsaid words for him to fuck her. And yet, now she was the one being hesitant.

It just wouldn’t do.

He gripped both her arms tightly and hauled her up until she was on her feet, arms winding around her waist tightly and pulling her body flush against his. He knew she liked that, and he was validated by the sigh that escaped her lips. He swallowed the sound hungrily, feeling his core stir as every part of her body pressed and pulled along with his. Her hands had fisted the white lab coat he adorned, and it made him realize they were wearing too many clothes.

His heart ached again. They didn’t have time.

Their lips broke free for air, and Uryuu immediately descended to the soft, unmarked expanse of her neck. She was pliant and warm, the smell of morning dew and fresh, flowery detergent. Her hands, gentle as always, carded through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp and sending a violent shiver down his spine. He nibbled at the skin just under her ear, knowing she could hide it with her hair. Her sounds became louder.

He was already undoing the buttons on her shirt, eager to feel more skin. He could feel himself hard and throbbing in anticipation, grinding into her hips for some form of relief. Once her shirt was pushed down her shoulders, he abandoned the kisses on her neck to lean back and look at her, and he wasn’t disappointed.

Her skin had flushed a beautiful rosy pink from her cheeks down to her neck. Her lips were swollen and red, her neck carrying a slight sheen from his treatment earlier. He cupped her breasts, hearing her keen at the contact, eyes fluttering shut. Fuck.

He pulled down the cups of her bra immediately, mouth descending on his right nipple to suck it into his mouth. The reaction was instant, back arching as she gasped, head thrown back. It lit a fire inside Uryuu that he hadn’t felt in a long time. This moment right here. This was the reason he still allowed himself to sin. It was shameful, yes. It was heinous. But when he had her trapped in his arms, tasting her flesh and hearing her pretty little sounds flood his ears, he couldn’t blame himself at all. She was the worst temptation. And he would always give in.

“Ishida-kun…” It was breathy and desperate. Uryuu could feel her fidget and rub her thighs together, begging for relief. He would give it to her. He would make sure she never craved anyone but him ever again.

It was times like these that Uryuu barely recognized himself.

His mouth left her nipple with a soft pop, straightening his back and peering down at the wanton expression on her face.

“What do you want, Orihime?” The same question. This time, with an entirely different undertone.

“You. All of you.” Her nails dug into his waist. She was staring at his lips. Uryuu couldn’t help his little smirk.

He turned her around and pushed between her shoulder blades until her front pressed into his office desk, her ass in the air. He didn’t leave her wanting for his touch however, leaning over to put his weight on her until she sighed. His lips brushed the shell of her ear.

“You dirty girl,” he whispered, hand running under her skirt and skimming up her thigh until he reached the apex. God, she was soaked. And it was all because of him. This time, he huffed out a small laugh. “Walking all the way here and giving yourself to me like this. Do you want me that badly?”

She pushed against his fingers, trying to make him rub her where she needed it the most. “Yes.” Her voice was small, and it sounded almost ashamed. But Uryuu knew better. She wasn’t ashamed. She was desperate. His cock twitched.

He slid his hand up further until he felt the waistband of her panties, tugging them down the swell of her ass and off her thighs. They hit the floor around her feet with a soft plop. The next second, his fingertips were brushing at her burning center, not wasting a second before he pushed two fingers into her down to the knuckles.

She gasped and moaned loudly. Uryuu brought his left hand up to her mouth, to clamp it shut, nudging his nose against her cheek.

“Do you want to get caught?” He asked. She shook her head slightly, hips twitching and walls clenching around him. He curled his fingers, watching her eyes roll up into her head. Tears coated her eyelids, not yet falling, but no worries. He’d have her crying in the next ten minutes or so.

Her quiet whimpers were drowned out by the sound of the filthy squelch Uryuu’s fingers made as he moved them in and out of her, spreading them apart to open her up. Not that he needed to do much. He’d fucked her just last week. She would’ve been fine even without the prep. But he couldn’t stop right then. He was too engrossed in watching her face, the tiny shifts in muscle at every movement he made. He could feel the palm of his hand get wet where it held her mouth shut. He pressed his crotch hard against her ass. She looked….. divine.

How ironic, considering what they were doing.

She gasped when his fingers left her abruptly, mouth free from his grip so she could take big, heaving breaths. The sound of his belt clinking and zipper pulling down had her stilling in anticipation. Uryuu lifted up her skirt, sighing at the sight. He ran a gentle finger up her skin, feeling the shiver that ran down her back. He lined himself up to her before leaning down, elbows resting on either side of her head. Her cheek was pressed to the desk, eyes looking up at him. Her expression was relaxed. She knew she was about to get what she wanted.

She gave him the tiniest smile when their eyes met. Uryuu pushed forward.

The relief was instant for both of them, moaning in unison. Uryuu felt his face scrunch up at the tight grip around him. Warm and hot and twitching. He didn’t stop until he had sunk all the way in, letting out a long, shuddering breath.

“How are you already this tight?” His voice sounded strangled. He heard her giggle and blinked his eyes open, watching the rose flush of her cheeks. Her hair was a mess, sprawled over the desk around her head like a halo. It made him smile too, bending his head forward to brush his lips against her temple. She sighed in contentment.

"Feeling better?" He joked, making her laugh more openly now. His tongue darted out to lick at her bottom lip. She hummed.

"Much."

He pulled out slowly before surging forward again, his skin meeting hers with a wet slap. Her smile disappeared.

"Uryuu…" God. Not his name. Not like this, unhindered, cracked and yearning. Uryuu groaned and started moving in earnest, unable to hold himself back any longer. He leaned his chest against her back and grabbed a tight hold on her hips, thrusting harder into her.

Uryuu’s head was swimming. He could no longer think straight.

Her voice gained a higher pitch, back arching at an angle that made him hit deeper into her. She clenched around him just right, making his rhythm stutter. He growled like a man possessed, hips smacking harshly between her thighs at a pace she simply couldn't keep up with. Her hands scrambled for purchase over the desk, gripping at the edges above her head for stability. Each deep thrust of his cock punched a mewl from her throat that she desperately tried to keep quiet, her cunt clenching down on him in a way that made him dizzyingly close to cumming.

No. Not yet. Not so soon. She'll go away if you do. She'll leave.

His thoughts were broken and muddled as they screamed at him. He wanted to listen to them so badly, but the delicious rub of her walls made it almost impossible to. In his hazy state, he realized she was stiffening up even more, tears streaking down her cheeks and hips jerking with every slam of his cock deep inside her. He felt a sick satisfaction wash over him.

"You gonna cum for me?” He growled in her ear, fist in her hair dragging her head around to look at him again. Nose to nose, eyes boring straight into hers, he saw her and all the need that overflowed within her, felt it in the way he split her open. His eyes were hooded and his sweating forehead pressed into hers to keep her eyes on him. "You love this don't you? Taking me like this and then going home, still sore from the feeling of my cock. I bet you think of me when he looks at you. I bet you wish it was me you were going home to."

He couldn’t believe the words leaving his mouth.

She almost sobbed as her hips twisted without rhythm, but it didn't matter. The plow of Uryuu's hips kept hers pinned to the desk, kept her from losing his pace, and that’s just how both of them liked it. “A-Ah, U-uryuu, y-yes--”

Uryuu's hand reached under her legs, finding her clit to rub harsh circles into. She mewled, forehead banging into the desk hard before every muscle in her body seized up.

"Cum," Uryuu could barely recognize his voice. "I can fucking feel it, baby. Cum, for me, c’mon, cum--" He tugged her head back, nerves firing across her scalp and making her eyes roll. The slick sound of her pussy was growing louder and wetter. He continued to fuck into her even when she clenched so tight it felt like he couldn’t possibly thrust back inside, feeling her ride her high. His pace didn't falter and his fingers didn't halt, dragging out her orgasm until she was mumbling incoherently into the wood of the desk, crying and trying to move away from his insistent fingers.

Uryuu shuddered against her and grunted. He pressed deep into her body and stopped, panting harshly. He rasped out a groan, long and low, against her sweating neck , hips stuttering, fingers massaging hard at her ass and thigh as he swirled his hips into the tight squeeze of her insides. Hot jets of his cum filled her, squelching louder now with each of his shaky thrusts. With every flex of his cock he panted, moaning at the end of each one while he pinned her down with all the weight of him and twitched his hips forward as deep as he could get, knowing she would have bruises due to the unforgiving edges of the desk.

Both of them stayed that way for what felt like hours, panting and writhing as the desk under them groaned harshly. He wedged an arm under her head, feeling her sweaty face press into the give of his muscle.

"Are you okay?" His voice was raspy.

She hummed and didn't say much more, nodding slightly and shifting her hips. He cursed softly into her shoulder blade, finally pulling out of her with a wet squelch that made his ears burn. He straightened up, feeling his back protest the action. Her skirt was pushed all the way up to her waist and he watched, mesmerized, as his cum dripped down the inside of her thighs.

"Ishida-kun," His gaze snapped up to hers, eyeing the deep red color on the apples of her cheeks. She was pouting a little, clearly embarrassed. "Don't- don't look."

Uryuu couldn't help the little laugh that escaped him, leaning down again to pepper small kisses all over her hot face, wrapping both his arms around her waist until her body felt like it was one with him.

"You are so cute, Inoue-san." He inhaled her wonderful, after-sex smell as he pulled her up straight. "I wish I could-"

He stopped.

The air in the room shifted immediately, and Uryuu knew he had just burst the little bubble they had created. He regretted it with every fiber of his being, because she was already going rigid again, arms twisting in his hold a bit. He knew what this meant. He knew what would happen now.

Somehow, despite doing this many times now, the ache didn’t seem to numb at all. In fact, it got worse.

He helped her clean up and dress herself, not meeting her eyes as he did the same. His mind was clearing again, as it always did after every such encounter. Now would come the regret and the longing, and the harsh internal lecture about how this was the last time, and that he would never do it again.

It was all delusion, of course. He knew that. As she gave him one last sweet kiss and told him she'd see him soon, he knew there was no way that this was the last time. They would see each other again in a few days, when either he cracked or she did, either here, at her own house, or the quaint little apartment Uryuu lived in, and they'd play the same game all over again. He would let himself be consumed by her. She would let him taint her body. He would fall asleep alone and exhausted. She would go home to her family and pretend she hadn’t seen him since high school. Rinse and repeat.

After all, he had never been able to say no to her.

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Let me know what you think! Requests are open.

[hibiscusangel15]

Impact

Summary: How silly it was. Something this small and simple twisting inside him as he watched her train into the early hours of the morning. How her endless positivity and her smile pushed him further, made him endure more than he ever thought he could before.

Her impact on his resolve pierced deep into his soul and would not let go.

Or, a look into Ishida Uryū's evolving feelings for Inoue Orihime over the years. Originally a piece for the Bleach Rare Pair 'zine. For Day 1 of Ishihime Week 2022!

Rating: Teen and Up

Category: F/M (Ishihime)

Additional Tags: First Crush, One-Sided Attraction, Canon-Typical Violence, Confessions

Also available on AO3 and FFN!

Their first meeting was uneventful.

Class introductions always went by in a flurry of names and faces that Ishida Uryū didn’t care to know nor remember. Inoue Orihime was one of so many interchangeable dozens. The only name he paid any attention to at all was one Kurosaki Ichigo, some orange-haired punk who radiated way too much reiatsu for him not to notice.

It was so distracting, in fact, that Ishida decided to eat his lunch as far away from Kurosaki as he could possibly get. It was a wonder all the local Hollows didn’t attack the idiot on the spot.

Their second meeting was nothing special, either.

His peaceful spot was not so for long. A crowd of girls gathered right behind the tree trunk he had been sitting at, none the wiser to his presence. Ishida peeked around the base, sorely unamused.

A girl with bright auburn hair met his eyes. “Ishida-kun, right?” she asked after swallowing her food. “Do you want to eat lunch with us?”

He was surprised she remembered his name, and suddenly felt ashamed at his callous refusal to know hers at all. All the girls in her group went silent, their stares needling into his skin.

He turned away. “No, thank you. I’m done eating already.”

As he walked back to class, one of the girls called him a snob. This he brushed off as a mild annoyance. Inoue Orihime’s fervent defense of his character, however, was not so easily forgotten.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Mahana-chan! We were the ones who intruded on his hideaway first!”

“I guess,” her friends conceded and left it at that.

Their third meeting completely threw him off-guard. When he first joined the school’s Handicrafts Club, he thought it would be a quiet space where like-minded individuals could sew and appreciate fine fashion. Preferably clothes that accentuated a good cape.

Unfortunately, the other club members were just as insufferable as the rest of his classmates. It was a bit of a disappointment. Still, Ishida wasn’t interested in any other clubs, and it was rather easy to keep to himself. His fellow students left him well enough alone. Time to start working on that handkerchief again, he supposed.

“You’re in this club, too, Ishida-kun?” a familiar voice called out a few seconds later.

He nearly pricked his finger. It was that girl again, smiling at him like he was an old friend. It made him feel even worse for never remembering her name.

Ishida shoved his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, what is your name again?”

Her cheeks puffed out in a tiny pout. “Aw, come on, Ishida-kun. I’m Inoue Orihime! Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise, I suppose.”

He assumed she’d write him off as too cold to bother with. Of course, he’d been wrong about her before.

“Ishida Uryū.” She enunciated each syllable of his name. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a really cool name?”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“You have the kanji for rain and dragon in your name! That’s so cool! I wish I had your name!”

Inoue seemed so earnest that all he did was stare. He had never given his name much thought before. The rare times he did, it always tied back to his Quincy heritage and the Ishida legacy. Having someone admire his first name too was...nice.

“Oh, uh, thank you, Inoue-san.”

“Of course! I look forward to being in the Handicrafts Club with you, Ishida-kun! Let’s make lots of cool clothes together!”

“Um, sure.”

From then on, Inoue would occasionally mutter his name under her breath, reveling in the roll of the ryu over her tongue.

He got to know her bit by bit as she continued to attend the Handicrafts Club. Apparently, she had learned to sew out of necessity rather than any genuine interest at first. Then she discovered the simple joys of fixing up thrift store clothes to suit her tastes. The small flowers and flourishes she added made these formerly shabby shirts and skirts look professionally tailored.

Inoue seemed way more impressed with his own clothing designs. “I love all the cute crosses you put on them!” she had said to him once. “Are you planning to create your own line one day, Ishida-kun?”

Ishida frowned. “Cute crosses?”

“Yeah! Like the one on your bracelet!”

The Quincy cross had spilled from his sleeve to rest on the desk. He immediately tucked it away again. “I never knew I added them so often.”

“It’s nice! I think it’d be a good trademark if you want to make your own clothing line!”

“This was a gift from my grandfather, not some trendy symbol I’d plaster on casualwear. I don’t ever leave home without it.”

Her smile collapsed into a curious frown. Inoue was a lot more perceptive than most people gave her credit for. He’d seen how she tried to deter the pushy boys who only joined the club to gawk at her. She could decipher the various moods in a room and adjust her attitude accordingly.

And now she saw through him, too. She understood how heavy it was to carry his grandfather’s memory with him everywhere, dangling from his wrist.

He had no idea how he knew this. Maybe it was in the slight tilt to her head or the weary slump of her shoulders. Maybe it was the slow way her smile returned, like they shared a secret no one else understood.

Her bright hair fell in shiny waves over her face when she slipped her flower clips off. “My older brother gave me these a long time ago. I actually got in a fight with him about them that day because I thought they were childish. Now I only take them off when I shower or sleep.”

Inoue clutched the clips tight, pulling them close to her heart. “It’s so silly, isn’t it? How can something so small and simple stay with you like this?”

Ishida shifted in his seat and the Quincy cross slipped from his sleeve once more. “It’s not silly,” he said and carefully removed the cross from his wrist to show her. “If it means a lot to you, then it’s never as small and simple as it may look. If you ascribe a deeper meaning to it, then that in itself makes it meaningful.”

Much to his surprise, Inoue giggled. He tensed, immediately defensive, but she merely said, “That’s very insightful, Ishida-kun! I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Her pleased smile nestled itself in his mind for the next few days. Perhaps it made up for his initially cold behavior towards her. Perhaps not. Either way, just being able to chat with Inoue Orihime every now and again made coming to the Handicrafts Club more worthwhile.

As the semester progressed, she and a few others in their class developed spiritual powers of their own. A dense reiatsu sparked inside those hairpins Inoue loved so much just days after he had invited Kurosaki to that Hollow-killing contest. At first, he thought it might have to do with the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia, but apparently, Kurosaki’s blazing reiatsu was to blame. Some small part of Ishida liked to think that maybe he might have been a part of that, too.

Of course, it was a foolish notion. His reiatsu wasn’t nearly as powerful as Kurosaki’s. He had lost the battle that day.

And then he lost yet again to that braggart of a Shinigami with tattoos and red hair. A wash of shame and rage overcame him at the consequent defeats. He couldn’t stand it, not to two Shinigami in a row. Not to a real Shinigami officer who mocked him for his weakness.

It wasn’t until Inoue, Sado, and a talking cat came to convince him to be a part of their rescue team that he even considered coming along to the Soul Society. If it would redeem him—redeem his grandfather—it would all be worth it.

Of course, such things never went according to plan. Once he and Inoue separated from the rest of the group, his goal became less about revenge and more about protecting her. She healed the tiny wounds he got from their scuffles with the far weaker Shinigami. Unseated officers were a breeze to avoid or fight if necessary. Apparently, Arisawa-san had taught her karate, so she was more than capable of handling herself in that regard.

If only those were all the enemies they had to face. Inoue was far too kind to participate in any harsher battles. She would not kill anyone, not even the most despicable Shinigami. Not even if it would save her life.

So he’d save her from that grief. He’d save her from the burden of blood on her hands. At the cost of his own life, he would throw everything away to make sure she was safe.

Spending a few days together facing constant peril did that to a man, he supposed.

How silly it was. Something this small and simple twisting inside him as he watched her train into the early hours of the morning. How her endless positivity and her smile pushed him further, made him endure more than he ever thought he could before.

Her impact on his resolve pierced deep into his soul and would not let go.

And then it was all over. The Shinigami captain who ripped apart his grandfather stood before him, mocking him. All Ishida could do was make sure Inoue stayed far, far away from his rage. She should never have to see him like this. She should never have to shed tears for him should he fail.

But he won. Bleeding, poisoned, in pain, yes, but he  won. It should’ve meant so much more. He still wanted to kill that captain who got away in the end.

He didn’t have the strength to take on anyone else. Not with his own power fading away. Without Kurosaki or Sado or even Yoruichi, he was useless. Without Inoue, he had even less.

His powers, his pride as a Quincy, his resolve—

Another captain stood before the white tower where Kuchiki Rukia was being held. He released his zanpakuto before Ishida’s eyes. And then, nothing.

Ishida woke up in a prison cell with Shiba Ganju and Sado what felt like moments later. His wounds had been tended to, but not by Inoue. She was still somewhere out there. He had to find her.

But of course, she found him first. She always found him first. Enlisting the help of an insane Shinigami captain and his subordinates, no less. Inoue-san truly was amazing.

All the Shinigami captain and his men seemed to care about was fighting. It didn’t matter who, in the end. If it meant their captain could even taste battle against Kurosaki once more, he’d help them out no matter what.

They soon branched off when other Shinigami captains showed up and proclaimed the crazed Shinigami captain to be a traitor. They were all on the run yet again, but heading towards the fighting rather than away from it this time.

They pushed through the dense clash of reiatsu up the hill to where Kurosaki fought. Kurosaki had grown a lot stronger since the last time they saw him. The pink-haired lieutenant that clung to the mad captain’s shoulder met them at the top of the hill with a chipper smile. Apparently, Kuchiki-san had already escaped and Kurosaki was only fighting to ensure that no one would dare to go after her again.

Inoue did not want to move away no matter how harsh the waves of reiatsu became. She wrapped her arms around herself, planted her feet firmly on the ground, and waited.

It was dangerous to stay here. Other captains or officers could come by at any time to help the person Kurosaki was fighting, she had to know that.

No, he realized. She did know. She stayed because she wanted to see him win without worrying about any of his friends getting hurt in the process.

She couldn’t interfere no matter how much she wanted to.

One of the Shinigami that had followed them around asked why they all fought so hard for some girl they barely knew. It was true that Kuchiki Rukia had not been in the World of the Living long. Even so, she had left a mark on them all. Even so, the Soul Society had wrongfully attacked and imprisoned her for a crime she had no choice but to commit to save both her and Kurosaki.

Ishida nearly said all this. Until Inoue-san spoke of Kuchiki-san changing Kurosaki’s world, and about how they had all come to Soul Society to rescue her for his sake.

It took him aback, at first. He’d given his all to rescue Kuchiki, as had Inoue. And yet, all this time, she had only come to protect Kurosaki, if nothing else.

He didn’t take Inoue to be that selfish. But looking at her now, he understood completely.

Ishida had mistakenly believed that he had started to grow closer to her. Because they had come to rely on one another. Because they protected one another. And maybe that had stirred something in his heart, something real and damning and lovely all at once.

He understood what she was like because he was selfish, too. He wanted to be useful to her, wanted to stay by her side no matter how painful it might be.

The longing on her face for another man was just too much, and so, he looked away.

The week-long victory spent in Soul Society after Kurosaki won was irritating to endure, to say the least. Ishida did not care to partake in the festivities, especially with the other Shinigami who tried to act like they were his friends. As if they were not the cause of the massacre of his people. As if they didn’t allow a mad scientist to dissect his grandfather.

Inoue-san still found him despite everything. He welcomed her idle talk, even smiled more because of it. She at least made this endless partying bearable.

He would not let himself hope for more than friendship. Not with the way her eyes would search for Kurosaki or trail after him when he left.

When they returned to the World of the Living, he threw himself in his father’s intense training at the mere mention of it. It put her from his mind for a time. Forced him to focus on the only other thing that mattered in his life.

He came out wounded and worse for wear, but his powers were restored stronger than ever. Even with his newfound resolve to distance himself from her, Ishida still hoped for her to be the first person he’d tell about this.

The moment he stepped out of that enclosed training space, however, something was immediately off. He couldn’t sense her reiatsu anywhere. Inoue-san had vanished.

He did not even get a proper thank you out to his father before he tore away to Urahara’s store. If anyone would know her whereabouts, it’d be the exiled Shinigami.

He’d been such a fool. All this time training and thinking he needed nothing else. All of the unspoken words he never spilled and for what?

The damage the Arrancar army had caused Karakura paled in comparison to them taking her prisoner. He wanted to rend the entire world of Hollows to dust. It didn’t matter if it would upset the balance of the worlds. It didn’t matter if taking out a few Arrancar would help the Shinigami.

When he arrived, Urahara and Sado could only provide him with speculation as to why Aizen took her. The lack of any real reason for her disappearance infuriated him to the core. In his rage, Ishida threw a nearby candy display to the floor. The various jars cracked to pieces, scattering the sweets everywhere.

Urahara-san didn’t deserve this, he knew. He knew he needed to save this for whoever actually took her away from here. But it was so frustrating to finally come back from doing something for his own sake and to find that it had cost him everything else in return.

“Geez, I was gonna build a way to get to Hueco Mundo anyway! You don’t need to be so mean, Ishida-san,” Urahara whined as he got to work on creating an artificial Garganta with Yoruichi.

Sado had never seen the cool facade of his shift like that. “Ishida, you can be kind of scary sometimes,” he muttered when they got down to the underground training area.

At this, Ishida scowled. “I want to rescue her as soon as I can. Inoue-san is not built for this war. She’s too kind. She’s….”

He averted his gaze to hide the rush of heat spreading across his face. Even if Sado saw it, he wouldn’t say anything. In fact, Ishida could certainly count on it.

Kurosaki arrived not long after his own arrival, and by then, he’d composed himself enough to act like nothing was wrong. Like his heart wasn’t burning to rush into Hueco Mundo alone. Like he wouldn’t just up and leap through the Garganta if it had already been prepared.

Hueco Mundo was not like anything he expected. A lone desert with a permanent moon encompassing the land. Aizen’s palace sat far in the distance, more massive and confusing to map than even the Soul Society.

Still, he would not give up. No matter how many Arrancar, Privaron Espada, or other Espada stood in his way, he’d fight to rescue her. Kurosaki had beat the odds and done so for Kuchiki Rukia. Who was to say that he could not do the same for Inoue-san?

Unfortunately, Szayel Apporo Granz proved to be more of a challenge than he anticipated. Even as he tried desperately to outwit him and escape his palace alongside Abarai Renji, the tunnels always led right back to where he started.

This Espada was only the eighth strongest, so why was he having such a hard time defeating him? He could still sense Kurosaki fighting another Espada, one much stronger than the one he was facing. How had he fallen so behind?

Ishida grit his teeth through his pain and exhaustion. All the power he gained, all the Quincy techniques he had learned…. It wasn’t enough. The Octava Espada merely stood there snapping his and Abarai’s organs and tendons one by one with a chilling glee.

To be saved by the very Shinigami who experimented on his grandfather and countless other Quincies was perhaps the most unbearable shame of all. To have to beg for his help was even more so. His pride as a Quincy had been shattered so thoroughly, and still, he begged to be healed.

He could put it all behind him if it meant she would finally, finally be safe.

Inoue-san had been held captive long enough. She had been threatened and beaten by the Arrancar, and he would not stand for it any longer. He’d fight to get her out of here. At the very least fight to make sure she would never be hurt by these monsters again.

That Arrancar, Yammy, was not all that difficult to defeat. The real trouble was his pesky jealousy. He wanted her to be alright. He wanted to take her away from this spot back to the Shinigami where he knew she’d be safe.

But that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to ensure that Kurosaki would save the day once again. And really, who was he to deny her? A friend, but nothing more. He’d protect her with his very life without anyone ever telling him to, and still she only had eyes for Kurosaki.

Because he was selfish, he wanted to give her everything. Because she was selfish, she would take everything he had to offer.

Ishida Uryū was such a fool. The real monsters did not await them below. They laid in wait on the roof of Las Noches.

The warped black reiatsu suffocated the both of them. Inoue-san clutched onto his arm as he pushed forth anyway.

He should have listened to everything screaming at him to run. He should have turned back.

Instead, they arrived in time to watch Kurosaki die.

The time after that was a blur. Ishida tried his best to stay calm, to stay rational. Inoue-san would be able to heal Kurosaki. She was strong enough. She could do this. Even when the Arrancar ripped off his arm, even as he bled out, he would fight for all his friends’ sakes.

That thing awoke in a matter of minutes.

Inoue-san had not healed him. She barely had enough concentration to shield both him and Kurosaki at the same time. She was unraveling and because of that, Kurosaki’s Hollow woke up to incite a massacre.

Its reiatsu nearly threw her from the rooftop. If not for his quick thinking, she would’ve fallen to the sands below.

It flew at the Arrancar, moving too fast for them to follow.

This was not a battle. It was not for honor or to protect anyone.

It was revenge, pure and simple. A Hollow formed from the soul’s deepest desires and instincts. Kurosaki Ichigo’s deepest self was more terrifying than anyone had ever imagined.

It completely decimated the Espada to nothing more than a half-husk of a creature and tossed him aside like trash. It was only when it summoned its sword back to it that Ishida dared to intervene.

Surely somewhere inside him, Kurosaki had to know that mutilating an enemy’s body was wrong. His heart could not be completely lost yet.

Faster than he could blink, the Hollow turned its sword to him instead. It pierced through his stomach and sent him flying back.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

Inoue-san cried out to Kurosaki, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. The furious Cero turned its awful power on him.

When the fallen Espada launched at Kurosaki once more, Ishida had no idea if he was relieved or horrified. The sheer power of these two was not something he could comprehend.

And just like that, it was over. Kurosaki was himself again. The Espada did not have the strength to regenerate another time.

Inoue-san did not look upon their enemy with disgust or rage or even fear. No, she pitied him.

Even after everything he’d done, she could not fear her captor. She tried to reach out to him, but he crumbled to ash before her eyes and was gone.

Slowly but surely, Inoue-san’s powers restored his arm. Her eyes did not stray to Kurosaki even once. His back was turned to them, continuing to stare at the point where that Espada had stood. This was not a victory for him. His Hollow, his instincts, were two things he never hoped to utilize in honorable battles.

He only began to stir once Inoue-san offered to heal him, too. “You okay, Ishida?” Kurosaki asked, his voice much softer than usual.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about me.”

Kurosaki tightened his grip on his sword. The treacherous sword that stabbed him.

“Inoue,” he began, slow and reluctant.

She tensed, as if still unsure if Kurosaki was truly back to normal or not.

“Thank you for healing him.”

She blinked. “O-Of course.”

Kurosaki walked to the edge of the hole in the roof. More immense reiatsu spilled out of it. Another difficult enemy to take care of, no doubt.

“Rukia’s in trouble. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize properly later, but for now, I gotta go.”

And with that, he leapt down without another thought to either of them.

Ishida pushed himself to his feet. “Inoue-san, let me help you down again.”

He sucked in a breath when she began to wander off on her own. “Inoue-san?”

She continued to meander away. “Can’t be…. It’s my fault.”

“Inoue-san!” He stepped in front of her and was stunned by the placid blankness of her expression.

“Ishida…kun….” Her eyes passed over the rubble all around her, unseeing. “What happened, Ishida-kun? What…just happened?”

Ah. It was easy to idealize your crush into someone they weren’t. The extreme brutality of Kurosaki’s true nature was not something she could grasp. Perhaps it was not something she ever truly understood.

“Kurosaki defeated that Espada,” he explained and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “His principles may have been compromised, but in the end, he won that fight by his might and power alone.”

“But that wasn’t Kurosaki-kun! It was his Hollow!” Her eyes were empty, panicked. “He would never treat us that way! Not if he was in control.”

Ishida could not look at her. The desperate justification of Kurosaki’s monstrous form was nothing more than a solace to her own shattered images of him.

“It was him.” His hand slid away from her. “That Hollow is a part of his soul the same way his Shinigami powers are. To separate the two would be foolish.”

Inoue-san had been completely shaken by this. What was wrong with him? He had never spoken to her this way. He never wished to hurt her, and yet, that was exactly what he was doing.

All of a sudden, she grabbed the lapel of his jacket and shook him in her disbelief. “No! I won’t believe it! I can’t! That monster was not the Kurosaki-kun I know!”

Ishida scowled. “It’s the truth, Inoue-san. If you can’t accept it, then….”

“Then what?” Her hands fell away. “Then you’re saying that I don’t really know Kurosaki-kun at all?”

His heart had never felt so heavy as it did at that moment. He’d been kicked, cut, beaten down so many times. Now he had to betray her kindness to give her everything she needed.

His silence was damning enough. Slowly, she let go of his collar and hung her head.

“I know.”

The words came so quietly at first that he wasn’t sure she said anything at all.

“I know I’m only fooling myself,” Inoue whispered. “All this time, I’ve said over and over how much Kurosaki-kun cares for Kuchiki-san. She’s made such a huge impact on his life while I…. While I….”

Inoue finally met his eyes and he was shocked to find her smiling even through her tears. “He doesn’t see me, Ishida-kun. I want to be reflected in his eyes so badly, but I can’t find myself there at all. And it hurts to be so selfish and to want something from him that he can never give me. I came here to try and protect you all, and yet, I’m the one who was protected again. I couldn’t fight. I’m just someone who’s in the way.”

Ishida’s gaze softened. “You weren’t in the way, Inoue-san. You did your best.”

“No, I didn’t! Ishida-kun, I….” She sniffled. “I should’ve tried harder. I should have tried to find and destroy the Hogyoku. I should have believed in my friends more.”

Her shoulders trembled with the burden of all her unspoken grief. “I should have protected you, Ishida-kun. Just like back in Soul Society. But I couldn’t. I  couldn’t.”

Ishida was never all that good at saying the right things. Comforting others, forming friendships, none of that had ever come easy to him before. He always just said what was on his mind, however harsh it was.

“No,” he said. “But our enemies were far stronger than before. They were all captain-class and above. At our current level, I don’t think either of us would have been able to defeat any of the Espada on our own. We were simply…outmatched.”

It was the kindest way he could put it. They weren’t strong enough. He had rushed headlong into Hueco Mundo without any extra training and paid dearly as result of his brash actions. The sheer brutality of this world overwhelmed her. Their enemies had not underestimated them this time.

They had foolishly waltzed into a warzone to the tune of their downfall.

“Ishida-kun….”

Ishida forced a smile. “Inoue-san, I think it’s okay to be selfish sometimes. Kurosaki is alive. We just need to trust this time that he’ll be okay after this is all over.”

Inoue gawked at him. “You’re...not fighting anymore?”

“Unless any Hollows or Espada come to take you away again, I’ll stay by your side.” Ishida blew out a slow breath. “I came to Hueco Mundo to make sure you were safe. I couldn’t bear the thought of them hurting you, Inoue-san.”

There it was. A confession in its own right, without all the usual words.

It was enough. The intention was there. His heart exposed.

“Thank you for coming to rescue me, Ishida-kun. I appreciate it. But I’m sorry. I...I hope you understand that I can’t…. Well….”

And so it went. The inevitable rejection. His heavy heart gently returned in his hands.

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m just glad you’re okay, Inoue-san.”

He meant it. He’d long made his peace with this matter. The impact she’d left on his life was enough.

“Oh, um, here.” He drew a cloth out of his pockets. “To dry your tears.”

“Eh? You brought a handkerchief with you to Hueco Mundo?” she asked.

Ishida rubbed the back of his neck. “Er, no. That’s my glasses cleaning cloth. It’s the only thing I have on me. Sorry.”

Much to his surprise, Inoue began to laugh. “You embroidered the Quincy cross on this, too, I see.”

“Oh, yes, I did.”

Her smile was like the sun parting the clouds. “I’ll try not to sully it then. Thank you, Ishida-kun.”

Kurosaki had gone to protect Karakura Town by the time they made it back down again. Kuchiki-san, Sado, and Abarai rushed to make sure they were okay, asking what on earth happened up there, asking if they were alright.

Inoue exchanged an unsure look with Ishida. Where to begin?

As soon as she tried to find the words, one of the lieutenants rushed up to them and asked for Inoue’s assistance in healing the other captains. She met his eyes once more and he nodded. “I’ll tell them. Go on, Inoue-san.”

So she went. He watched her leave over his shoulder for a few seconds longer before turning back to his friends. It would not be a pleasant story, but they deserved to know the truth.

This was a war, after all. It would do no good for him to gloss over its horrors.

Captain Kurotsuchi soon opened another Garganta to connect the worlds together and they all rushed to Kurosaki’s side. His hair was much longer for some reason, but that was the least of their concerns with Aizen now gone.

Inoue turned to look at him and smiled. He was okay, just like they thought he’d be.

Kurosaki was not so for long. As soon as he stood up  to greet them, he immediately collapsed and began to scream. His reiatsu fluctuated wildly around him, like an errant pulse that threatened to blow them all away.

Just as suddenly as it had come, this pulse vanished and he was silent.

They all rushed to his side in an instant.

Inoue tried to reject the loss of his powers, but he still would not wake. Urahara and Kurotsuchi both tried to come up with something to reverse the effects as well, but neither of them could quite do so without endangering him in some way.

Ishida understood, perhaps about as much as Kuchiki-san, how awful it was to have your powers fade so quickly. They discussed what might be done once Kurosaki woke up, but it never amounted to anything more than hushed visits to the clinic every now and again.

A month later, Kurosaki finally opened his eyes. It should’ve been a joyous occasion. Instead, they all watched as Kurosaki said his final goodbyes to Kuchiki-san and lost everything he’d worked so hard to gain.

Inoue tugged at his shirt sleeve. Ishida patted her hand but shook his head. There was nothing they could do now.

Kurosaki soon turned away from them all. “Sorry, but could you guys leave me alone for a bit? I need to think.”

They all hesitated for a moment before Inoue piped up, “Okay then. See you later, Kurosaki-kun.”

“…Yeah.”

Ishida, Sado, and Inoue all exchanged worried glances but left without another word.

They all stopped at a nearby park, trying to pick up the pieces of what was left.

Sado offered to buy them juice before they could really process what Kurosaki’s loss of powers really meant for them and Karakura Town from now on.

Inoue accepted, and soon, it was just the two of them waiting on a park bench.

“Ishida-kun, this is all my fault,” she said. “If I’d never gone to Hueco Mundo, none of this would have happened.”

He shook his head. “It’s not. Kurosaki would have used Mugetsu against Aizen regardless.”

“I said I didn’t want him to fight anymore. I didn’t want him to get hurt.” Inoue put her head in her hands. “But now he’s sad. All Kurosaki-kun wanted to do was fight, and now he can’t anymore. Why did I wish for that? How could I wish for something like that to happen?”

His hand hovered in the air between them, uncertain, until he placed a careful hand on her shoulder. “It’s only natural that we want to protect our friends from harm. So that’s what we’ll do. We’ll protect Kurosaki and Karakura Town this time.”

She slowly rose to meet his eyes.

“We’ll train even harder than before,” he assured her. “So we become strong enough to where Kurosaki won’t have to protect us anymore.”

Inoue’s bottom lip trembled, but she wiped at the tears pricking the corners of her eyes and nodded. “Yes! We’ll become stronger! You, me, and Chad together!”

Ishida smiled. “Together.”

Sado came back with their juice not long after. He paused, looking between their smiles. “Hm? Did I miss something?”

Inoue laughed and the three of them set to work planning out possible patrol routes and training regimens. Their training was rough, with Inoue-san being surprisingly unrelenting in how far she pushed them both.

Still, he appreciated her tenacity. Even more so when she and Arisawa-san were able to convince the karate team to let them borrow their practice room for the day when they were done.

 Karate did prove to be a valuable skill, but Ishida had been thrown by her more times than he cared to admit. After one particularly rough lesson, Inoue had to bandage and heal the bruises along his knuckles.

“You’re very good at this, Inoue-san,” he sighed. “I don’t know how you do it.”

A small smile tugged at her mouth. “You’ll be able to get it down soon, Ishida-kun! Just pace yourself.”

“I want to be able to catch up to Kurosaki. If I take my time now, I’ll fall behind even further.” His gaze softened when she scooted next to him and handed him a water bottle.

“You know, I like how hard you work to protect your friends, Ishida-kun.” She rested her head on his shoulder, and he couldn’t help his face from flushing. “I really like that side of you.”

Ishida furrowed his eyebrows. “Inoue-san?”

She giggled, turning to look up at him. His breath caught in his throat. “I don’t know if you realize, Ishida-kun, but you’ve taken up Kurosaki-kun’s mantle nicely. You’re also a great leader! You know how to delegate Chad and I’s skills so that we get the most out of our powers. Our training’s going super well because of you!”

At this, his shoulders grew more lax. “Ah, I see. Well, I suppose our classmates did vote for me as Student Council President for a reason.”

“You’re also very blunt. You tell people how it is. I appreciate how often you set me straight when I make a mistake! In fact, I also like that side of you, Ishida-kun.”

Now he was confused. Where was she going with this?

“You’ve made such a huge impact on my life. I don’t think I could’ve gone through Soul Society or Hueco Mundo or even just this training without you!” Her smile grew shier and she twiddled her fingers together. “Ah, maybe I said too much. I don’t know.”

Ishida blinked. “Well, for what it’s worth, Inoue-san, you have had a large influence on my life as well. I don’t think I’d have made the friends I have now without you or Kurosaki.”

Suddenly, she slapped her hands to her face and shook her head. “Oh! Ishida-kun, you’re making this so hard!”

“H-Huh? Inoue-san, was it something I said? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Inoue flailed her arms. “No, no, it’s me! I’m just being dumb!”

“Eh? You’re not dumb! Please don’t talk about yourself that way, Inoue-san!”

Inoue’s face became a startling pink as she blurted, “I like you, Ishida-kun! Will you go out with me?”

At first, all Ishida did was stare.

“Huh?”

Inoue slapped her hands to her face. “Wah, never mind! I mean, unless you want to, or I…. Never mind!”

Before she could get up, he grabbed her hand in his. “Inoue-san, wait!”

The tangible fear in her eyes knocked the wind from him. Even after all she said, even after his own confession back in Hueco Mundo, she still feared that he might refuse her.

“I’ll go out with you,” he said, more of a wheeze than words. “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

She blinked in disbelief. “You will?”

“Of course.” Her earnestness eased the burden in his soul. “If you still want to, that is.”

She puffed her cheeks out. “Ishida-kun! Don’t tease me.”

His laugh echoed all around the training room. Soon enough, her own began to ring alongside it.

Ishida was so glad to have met her. He was glad that he knew how much of an impact they’d left on the other.

Inoue intertwined her hand with his, and he’d never been so glad to have let her into his life.

[coolman229]

I've never read or even watched Bleach, but you've got me shipping Ishihime so hard! Last night I was even looking for fanfiction with that pairing.

BRUH they’re great. They got the shaft in canon but they’re an amazing ship

[teamatsumu]

Sincerely Yours

Summary: Orihime crafted her coping mechanism a long time ago.

Pairing: Ishida Uryuu x Inoue Orihime

Word Count: 1,719

Warnings: Smut, Angst, Adultery, Post canon, be warned!

A/N: Another one with the same theme lmfao do I have a problem? I don’t know you tell me (or not)

Monday

It was the steady drip drip drip of the faucet that woke her up.

Funny. Something so barely noticeable rousing her from sleep. Most days, Kazui could fidget right next to her and she would sleep through it until he actually cried. Thankfully he had started sleeping through the nights by now, which helped a lot.

This faucet was getting louder, though. Or maybe Orihime was too alert now. She couldn’t manage to sink back into her dreams again.

Sighing and struggling to pull herself upright, she prayed Kazui wouldn’t wake up as she untangled his tiny limbs from around her. He only snored a bit before calming down. Orihime felt and heard her shoulders pop. She arched her back and leaned her head back, closing her eyes briefly. The drip drip drip continued.

It didn’t take long to locate the problem area. And no wonder she heard it so clearly. It was the adjacent bathroom. Orihime pursed her lips as she stared at it, contemplating temporary solutions so she could go back to sleep. She’d call a plumber in the morning. She tightened the taps and stepped back to look again. Silence.

A small twinge of victory in her chest, she padded back to Kazui’s tiny bed, squeezing herself next to him carefully. Sleep came quickly afterward.

…………….

The scraping sound of the spoon on the pan rang louder than the sizzling on the neighboring stove. Somewhere behind her, a kids’ show theme song played on the television. Orihime turned around, hot pan in hand, and slid the egg right off it into the plate sitting before Ichigo on the table. He mumbled a quiet thanks, not looking up from whatever news article he was scrolling through on his phone. Orihime returned to the stove, getting ready for the next batch.

There was a steady buzz in her head, very muted but nevertheless there, making it impossible to muster any thoughts at all. She preferred it this way. The many noises around her, the smells, the music on the TV, the fork scraping as Ichigo dug into his breakfast. Too many sounds. Just enough to make sure she couldn’t think.

The rest of the day was more or less the same. First day of the week meant deep cleaning. Kazui was old enough to be left in front of the TV without supervision, leaving Orihime to fall into a perfectly crafted routine of chores that didn’t need a lot of thinking. Constant noise, constant work. It helped keep her distracted. The buzz and fog in her head felt great. Muffled everything and made it impossible to do anything but concentrate on the task ahead.

Wednesday

It was an hour after noon when she finally had the time to actually step out of the house. Kazui sat in his stroller, too busy looking around his new surroundings to notice what Orihime had instantly seen. A small bag cinched at the top and tied in a blue ribbon, sitting on the front steps. Her mind stilled. She knew who sent this.

The tag was a small white square that said two words in familiar, loopy handwriting.

Sincerely yours.

She took off the tag and stuffed it in her pocket. The bag went in her already overflowing purse. No need to open it right now. She worried her lip between her teeth. The buzzing had subsided slightly.

Had he come and dropped this off himself? Had someone seen? She was sure the nosy lady down the corner would have noticed him. He didn’t exactly look like he lived there. His shoes were too clean, his clothes had not a single wrinkle. He was above them.

He was above her.

Her and her distressed long skirt, her overly baggy sweater vest and white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. And her same brown shoes that she had reserved for trips out of the house because they were a relatively new pair. She knew her hair had lost its shine years ago. She was well aware of the little circles under her eyes that someone would notice only if they really looked. Definitely not Ichigo.

But he did. He noticed immediately.

“You haven’t been taking care of yourself, Inoue-san.”

His first words in 5 years. The use of her maiden name, long forgotten among her peers. He remembered, though. He refused to call her anything else. She had laughed off his statement by going on a rant about being pregnant and the bakery and the work at home and oh, she was aging too, I can’t always stay young, Ishida-kun-

She knew deep inside though, she was a corpse when she ran into him.

When she got home later, she opened the package after everyone had settled into bed, sitting on the floor cross legged next to Kazui’s bed. The window was open and the lights were off. A blanket of silver enveloped the room. The bag made no noise as the ribbon fell open. A neatly folded brassiere laid there, a red rose on top.

Orihime’s face was on fire.

Another note was folded into the garment. The same loopy handwriting.

You forgot this on your way out. xx

She buried her face in her hands, throat tightening as she tried not to make a noise.

Friday

“You didn’t have to send it to me,” Orihime sighed, closing her eyes. ‘You could’ve waited two more days. We had plans.”

Uryuu hummed, the vibration sending little chills down her spine. His lips didn’t part with her skin, neither did his hands with her hips. They slid a little farther down, caressing her bare thighs. Simultaneously, his lips moved up, tracing the skin just below her ear. Orihime’s breath caught when his tongue ran up her heated skin.

“Ishida-kun,” She tried to focus. “What if someone had seen you?”

“What makes you think I personally delivered it?” His hips slotted between her legs, making her lean back more. “Maybe I sent someone to deliver it?”

Orihime bit back a smile. “Would you really entrust such a lewd package to someone else?”

That made him stop and lean back, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Okay, you got me. I wouldn’t.”

That got a breathy laugh out of her, head tilted back as Uryuu resumed his ministrations. Careful lips mapping every nerve ending, wily fingertips moving back up, this time tracing the inside of her thighs.

Orihime felt that night, like she had every Friday, when the tattered clothes and wrinkled garments left her body, how he breathed his soul into her hollow heart and brought her back to life.

When was the last time every fiber of her body awakened this way?

……………….

Uryuu had lost much of his uptight personality over the years. He was more relaxed around her now. Softer, almost. Maybe that had to do with the fact that their relationship had far crossed all boundaries, but nevertheless, Orihime welcomed his warm demeanor.

As they lay next to each other covered by a measly white sheet, Orihime ranted about every small detail of her week. There was no sound except her talking, the delicate beat of his heart just below her ear, and the occasional rustling of sheets when either one of them shifted. No pots and pans, no sizzling liquid, no kids’ show, no washing machine beeps or vacuum cleaner hums. It was her only, and the man pressed against her, trained fingertips running across her scalp, relaxing her further.

Uryuu was a wonderful listener. He hummed at all the right places, chimed in with his opinion whenever she prompted it, and made sure to drop in a few compliments along the way. She watched him as he talked, weighing in on the leaking faucet and why she should double-check taps before bed.

How was he the exact opposite of the man she married? Ichigo and Uryuu were so fundamentally different in how they treated her. Where Uryuu could pinpoint so acutely what she was feeling, Ichigo wouldn’t bat an eye if she had a crisis right in front of him.

The opposite of love really was indifference.

“Inoue-san?”

Orihime blinked.

“I lost you for a minute there.” Uryuu smiled. “Are you okay?”

Orihime shook her head. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Uryuu tightened his embrace on her. “Leaking faucets isn’t a very interesting topic.”

A little laughter, more shifting, and then she was resting on his hips, looking down at him. Her hair fell over her shoulder and on his chest, framing the sides of his face.

The air stilled. He stiffened. She smirked.

Her body moved, only slightly. Uryuu inhaled sharply. Heat gathered in her center, crawling over her skin as she moved again, more earnestly. Her hands supported her, pressed to the pillow on either side of his head.

“Orihime.” He breathed, eyes closing and grip tightening on her sides. When he finally slid into her, they both sighed, Uryuu’s more strangled and yearning. His pale skin had flushed pink. As she moved, his skin gathered a thin sheen, head tilted back, bearing his neck.

Something almost primal overcame Orihime as she leaned down and sank her teeth into his skin. Uryuu jerked and cried out, ramming into her so deliciously it made her eyes roll up. She sucked until she was sure she had left a mark, pulling away to see a nice, dark blotch on his creamy skin.

Her head was empty again. But there was no buzzing. There was only a blissful build, steady and impending, rising and teetering until she felt limbless, until Uryuu pulled her down to lay on him as he picked up the pace, her hands pinned to her sides, until all she could do was lay there and take what he gave, until she was screaming and cumming and crying. Until her head was so fogged that nothing mattered.

When she was walking home that night, still hazy and concerningly befogged, her skin still tingling, she had no concerns about returning to her mundane, depressing routine. She would go to sleep, wake up tomorrow and pass the next 6 days in this wonderful buzz. Then she would return into his arms, and let him ignite her once again.

It wasn’t an ideal set up, but it was enough to keep her going.

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Let me know what you think! Taglist is open.

[saranel]

"It takes courage to sacrifice one's personal happiness to ensure everyone else's safety. But it also takes courage to know when it's time to fight back, to reject the reality you're presented with and fight for a better world."

As Yhwach clings to the last few shreds of his existence, Kurosaki Ichigo makes a choice to end the cycle of fear once and for all (Fix-it fic, post-canon, canon compliant until 684).

[darisu-chan]

They Deserved Better (Ships Edition)

To continue my previous post, this is what I wanted to happen with three ships. Of course, this is just my opinion and wistful thinking. You don’t have to agree.

1. HitsuHina

I’m still salty the most unlikely ships became canon, but not HitsuHina. Not because Hinamori had to fall in love with him or anything, but it made sense. Hitsugaya was always there for her, and at one point she might have loved him romantically. Anyway, what I wanted was more interactions between. Talking about everything that’s happened to them, healing their relationship, Hitsugaya helping Hinamori heal from Aizen’s betrayal, Hitsugaya telling Hinamori about being zombified, about his training, and more. I’ve always felt like their relationship was one of the most important ones, and I wish we could have seen more.

I picture Hitsugaya and Hinamori drinking tea every Friday afternoon, telling each other about how their day went, Hinamori sharing a funny story about Shinji, Hitsugaya complaining good naturately anout Rangiku’s lazyness. Just domestic fluff.

2. IshiHime

I know a lot of people dislike this ship, and almost seem to put Ishida as second best, but hear me out. Orihime’s love for Ichigo was one-sided, if it weren’t for the last chapter, there’d be no indication that Ichigo loved her whatsoever. I think Kubo missed a chance to teach a lesson here. Your first love a lot of times is unrequited, and I talk from experience. Now, not being with Ichigo could’ve made Orihime grow. We know she’s a housewife, who didn’t get a chance to study. Now, although taking care of your home and family is a good thing and I support it, I feel like someone like Orihime who had a lot of dreams of being many different things, and with her intelligence, it was just a waste not having her study anything. I feel that Orihime could’ve gone to college and make a life for herself, getting over Ichigo eventually, just living her life. I feel that she’d have stayed close friends with Ishida, and not let him separate from the group. They have a lot of things in common, so I can picture them sewing together, watching movies together, even studying together. Orihime would have totally supported Ishida’s dream of being a fashion desginer. Hell, any dream he had. Likewise, I think Ishida would have motivated Orihime to keep studying. They would have become the best of pals, supporting each other, and being there for each other. I feel that Orihime could have helped Ishida ease his problems with his father. Ishida could have listened to Orihime’s own problems. He has always worried about her, so in my mind it’s totally likely he would’ve comforted her with no judgement. Then, down the line, they could have fallen in love. And I’m not saying two years after the end, maybe five or more. In fact, at the end we could have seen the beginning of their relationship, a fulfilling and nurturing relationship. Ishida wouldn’t have been ignored, and he would’ve appeared with his friends, and Orihime wouldn’t just be the MC’s wife.

3. IchiRuki

Bleach starts and ends with Ichigo and Rukia. Even if you don’t ship them, you can’t deny that fact. Their bond is the strongest one in Bleach. Their interactions are unlike anything we have ever seen in Shounen. After many panels of them together, and after their heartfelt goodbyes, and Rukia’s return each time, it just made sense they would have ended up together. I didn’t even want a wedding and kids in the manga, I wanted there to be a subtle nod towards them always being together. Ichigo’s journey should’ve ended with them achieving his goals: having power to protect others. He should’ve stayed as a Shinigami. That’s what makes the most sense. This path would’ve taken him to Rukia, who has always been his partner. Ichigo could have even started working at her squad, after all Rukia was his first teacher. I think Rukia deserved to be Captain. Her powers grew a lot during the course of the manga. Ichigo, although powerful, is still young and has a lot to learn, but he could’ve been a lieutenant, and join Renji, Hisagi and Ikkaku in being lieutenants with bankai. Ichigo would totally be invested in making the SS a better place, and in helping change the dynamics between SS and HM. Instead of going to college, he could’ve just gone to the Shinigami Academy and learn the knowledge he was missing. At the end, Kubo could’ve shown us Ichigo’s life in SS, being a lieutenant and being very happy about it, hinting that there might be something going on with him and Rukia. There’s no need to rush for them to get married and have children, but that would be the expected outcome anyway, giving it some years, maybe decades, maybe not. I just wanted them to be together, nurturing each other. I know what Kubo wanted to do with those parallels, but he did it all wrong. So, instead, the final chapter should’ve ended with Rukia and Ichigo having a conversation, or visiting the Human World, and Rukia appearing in Ichigo’s bedroom like on the first chapter, but this time both knowing each other. 

Anyway, these were my hopes and expectations which were destroyed by a shitty ending. At least there’s always fanfiction and fanart to fill the gap.