Every Journey Always Brings Me Back To You (1/?)
Title: Every Journey Always Brings Me Back To You
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ishida-centric with mentions of Ichigo/Orihime, Tatsuki and Ishida & OFC friendship. Eventual Ishida/Orihime.
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set after the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc but before the new one that just started.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: He had moved away, but when it came to her, he’d still do anything for her, even while he’s an ocean away.
Authors Notes: The idea was kind of inspired by the fic Cyclical, an IchiHime fic written by nemutai (if you like IchiHime, I recommend it, as it seems to be the start of a very interesting series). I did this a little differently, in that Ishida has actually moved on in his life and moved to California to attend school, just to avoid Orihime being with Ichigo. I'm not quite sure where I want to go with this, but...we'll see.
ETA: For those brought here by bleach_watch you can view all the parts by clicking this link.
---
He had watched, and waited, since long before Kurosaki got his powers. Since the start of high school, maybe a little earlier. But after a few years he'd stopped hoping. Kurosaki got the girl. Or rather, the girl who wanted Kurosaki got him. He knew that Orihime had loved him. Knew it when they went to Soul Society, when he went to Hueco Mundo to rescue her, knew it even when she was brainwashed by Tsukishima’s blade. He knew it, and he didn’t stop hoping that maybe she would realize that Kurosaki was not all she imagined him to be.
He wasn’t saying this to disparage Kurosaki. They weren’t friends, more like allies who fought for the same cause but had different agendas, and he wouldn’t badmouth an ally…much. There was still sarcasm spewed in his direction, but it lost the heat that their first few encounters had had. But he knew from observation that she wouldn’t be happy with him, because he would put being a hero before everything else. She had to have realized it when he worked so hard to get his powers back, but she hadn’t.
It was just after that that they started dating, and that was the point where he lost hope. As graduation neared, he realized it was more painful to be around them. Ichigo wasn’t a naturally good boyfriend; he was almost sad he had been right in that regard. But Orihime was blissfully happy, and he wouldn’t begrudge her her happiness. It wasn’t right. So he started looking to move away, far away. He even applied overseas. When the acceptance letters started rolling in from places where he would only be accessible by mail or by phone, he even got encouragement from Orihime. He found that made him even more depressed.
He accepted the scholarship offered to him by San Diego State University. For once his father showed actual signs that he was proud of his son, and that alone should have made up for the disappointment that Orihime was even more excited, but it didn’t. She talked about it like it was a grand adventure when he knew, deep down, that it was a desperate escape. And he played along because it was Orihime, and if it made her happy then he’d do it. She was there when he boarded his plane. She even gave him a kiss on the check, the most intimate thing she had done. She made him promise to write, and call, and he said he would depending on his course load. And then he was off, and she was an ocean and land masses away, and he had a new life.
He did spend time with other students; his English wasn’t flawless, but his father had sought out the best tutoring in that long ago and it seemed to have paid off. The American terminology confused him at times, and the Spanish he saw everywhere was worse, but there was always someone around willing to translate. He made a few friends, though they didn’t replace the set he had left behind. And he even went out on a few dates, though not much came of them. After all, there was so much he couldn’t talk about.
And he found that even this far away there were still ghosts and monsters to fight. Not Hollows, but a Quincy arrow worked the same on them. He knew he was making a difference when a girl came up to him and thanked him profusely for getting rid of the monster that had stalked her since she arrived to town two weeks before. Her name was Leigh, and she was completely different in most ways from Orihime: outgoing where Orihime would be shy, loud where Orihime would be quiet, perceptive where Orihime would be a bit clueless.
There was no romance between them, but a deep friendship formed. She became the type of friend he’d always wished to have. And she understood unrequited love; she had come to San Diego from New York because her best friend had gotten married right out of high school to “the love of her life,” who she knew for a fact was not the very nice young man he appeared to be. At least Kurosaki had no malicious intent with Orihime; he might be a bit clueless, and he might put protecting Karakura Town ahead of Orihime, but he would never intentionally hurt her.
Other than a letter every few weeks and a phone call here and there, he heard little from Orihime the more time he spent abroad. But it didn’t concern him too much; in her letters she talked about university and their old friends who had also stayed. He supposed Arisawa may have finally told her that he didn’t want to hear about Kurosaki in her letters, and he was rarely mentioned. He just assumed they were happy, or as happy as they could be living there.
When the letters stopped after a month, then two, his phone calls went unanswered, and his old friends were evasive, then he began to worry. He finally called Arisawa and threatened to come back to Japan to get the truth: Ichigo had been badly hurt and decided to go to Soul Society to get better. While there he had been offered a position in the Gotei 13, training the shinigami who were sent to Karakura Town. It had been with much debate, and many tears on Orihime’s end, that he accepted. Orihime was horrendously depressed.
He had never expected Kurosaki to make that decision. As much as he was the hero of the story he must have realized how deep Orihime’s feeling were towards him. He hashed it out with Leigh as best he could, and she provided him with an insight he hadn’t thought of: Kurosaki couldn’t be everything to everyone. He couldn’t protect Karakura Town on his own and be the boyfriend Orihime deserved, and the son that his father deserved, and the brother that his sisters deserved and still have a life. Yes, it was hurtful, but he had put everyone in Karakura Town above those who cared for just him. That was what a hero would do. Still, she did agree with him that it was a selfish, and in her words “rather dickish,” move.
It was Leigh who made the suggestion he get Orihime to California for a bit. She lived in an apartment since she was very much against having a random stranger for a roommate, and she had a couch that could be slept on for a while. He himself knew it was pretty comfortable, from nights he’d passed out after hunting, not wanting to bother his roommate by coming in at three in the morning. He told Arisawa when he would call, and that Orihime better be in the same room and be handed the phone. He was nervous as he called her, but after a moment Orihime got on the phone.
“Yes?” she asked quietly, her voice forlorn.
“I’m sending you a ticket to come see me. I know you have a passport and it’s ready because you and Arisawa were supposed to go to America for your next break.” There was a gasp; apparently he wasn’t supposed to know. “Please, get on the plane and come visit.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, and he just vaguely detected something different in her voice: hope.
“I’m sure. Can you get two weeks off of work in the next week?”
“I quit my job,” she said.
Sadly, this didn’t surprise him. “Please tell me you didn’t quit school.”
“She was thinking about it, but I wouldn’t let her,” Arisawa said from nearby her; apparently he was on speakerphone. “We have a break coming up in four days. The university is doing renovations. It’ll last three weeks.”
“Then spend two weeks in California with me,” he pleaded.
“But where would I stay?” she asked, her voice curious and a little more lively. “I don’t have much money to spend at a hotel.”
“My friend Leigh has a couch you can sleep on. It’s in a nice apartment.”
“Oh,” she said, and he couldn’t tell what emotion her voice held now. “Are you really sure you want me to come visit?”
“Yes, I am really sure,” he said.
“Then I’ll come visit,” she said. “Maybe it’ll be good, right?”
“I’ll make it good,” he replied confidently. “I’ll do the ticket online and it will be waiting for you at the terminal in five days.”
“I’ll make sure she gets on the place,” Arisawa said.
“It’s chilly here, so bring some things for warmth. And bring some things for warm weather, too. It keeps changing daily.”
“I thought it was always warm in California,” Arisawa said.
“It’s not. They say it’s rainy season right now. It’s almost over through, or so I’m told.” He paused. “I’ll make sure things go well, Orihime. I promise.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll see you soon, then.”
“Okay. Bye, Inoue-kun, Arisawa.” He hung up and looked at Leigh, who had been waiting. “I think it went well. She’s coming.”
“Excellent!” she said with a smile. “I think this is a good idea, Uryu.”
“I hope you’re right,” he said.
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ishida-centric with mentions of Ichigo/Orihime, Tatsuki and Ishida & OFC friendship. Eventual Ishida/Orihime.
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set after the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc but before the new one that just started.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: He had moved away, but when it came to her, he’d still do anything for her, even while he’s an ocean away.
Authors Notes: The idea was kind of inspired by the fic Cyclical, an IchiHime fic written by nemutai (if you like IchiHime, I recommend it, as it seems to be the start of a very interesting series). I did this a little differently, in that Ishida has actually moved on in his life and moved to California to attend school, just to avoid Orihime being with Ichigo. I'm not quite sure where I want to go with this, but...we'll see.
ETA: For those brought here by bleach_watch you can view all the parts by clicking this link.
---
He had watched, and waited, since long before Kurosaki got his powers. Since the start of high school, maybe a little earlier. But after a few years he'd stopped hoping. Kurosaki got the girl. Or rather, the girl who wanted Kurosaki got him. He knew that Orihime had loved him. Knew it when they went to Soul Society, when he went to Hueco Mundo to rescue her, knew it even when she was brainwashed by Tsukishima’s blade. He knew it, and he didn’t stop hoping that maybe she would realize that Kurosaki was not all she imagined him to be.
He wasn’t saying this to disparage Kurosaki. They weren’t friends, more like allies who fought for the same cause but had different agendas, and he wouldn’t badmouth an ally…much. There was still sarcasm spewed in his direction, but it lost the heat that their first few encounters had had. But he knew from observation that she wouldn’t be happy with him, because he would put being a hero before everything else. She had to have realized it when he worked so hard to get his powers back, but she hadn’t.
It was just after that that they started dating, and that was the point where he lost hope. As graduation neared, he realized it was more painful to be around them. Ichigo wasn’t a naturally good boyfriend; he was almost sad he had been right in that regard. But Orihime was blissfully happy, and he wouldn’t begrudge her her happiness. It wasn’t right. So he started looking to move away, far away. He even applied overseas. When the acceptance letters started rolling in from places where he would only be accessible by mail or by phone, he even got encouragement from Orihime. He found that made him even more depressed.
He accepted the scholarship offered to him by San Diego State University. For once his father showed actual signs that he was proud of his son, and that alone should have made up for the disappointment that Orihime was even more excited, but it didn’t. She talked about it like it was a grand adventure when he knew, deep down, that it was a desperate escape. And he played along because it was Orihime, and if it made her happy then he’d do it. She was there when he boarded his plane. She even gave him a kiss on the check, the most intimate thing she had done. She made him promise to write, and call, and he said he would depending on his course load. And then he was off, and she was an ocean and land masses away, and he had a new life.
He did spend time with other students; his English wasn’t flawless, but his father had sought out the best tutoring in that long ago and it seemed to have paid off. The American terminology confused him at times, and the Spanish he saw everywhere was worse, but there was always someone around willing to translate. He made a few friends, though they didn’t replace the set he had left behind. And he even went out on a few dates, though not much came of them. After all, there was so much he couldn’t talk about.
And he found that even this far away there were still ghosts and monsters to fight. Not Hollows, but a Quincy arrow worked the same on them. He knew he was making a difference when a girl came up to him and thanked him profusely for getting rid of the monster that had stalked her since she arrived to town two weeks before. Her name was Leigh, and she was completely different in most ways from Orihime: outgoing where Orihime would be shy, loud where Orihime would be quiet, perceptive where Orihime would be a bit clueless.
There was no romance between them, but a deep friendship formed. She became the type of friend he’d always wished to have. And she understood unrequited love; she had come to San Diego from New York because her best friend had gotten married right out of high school to “the love of her life,” who she knew for a fact was not the very nice young man he appeared to be. At least Kurosaki had no malicious intent with Orihime; he might be a bit clueless, and he might put protecting Karakura Town ahead of Orihime, but he would never intentionally hurt her.
Other than a letter every few weeks and a phone call here and there, he heard little from Orihime the more time he spent abroad. But it didn’t concern him too much; in her letters she talked about university and their old friends who had also stayed. He supposed Arisawa may have finally told her that he didn’t want to hear about Kurosaki in her letters, and he was rarely mentioned. He just assumed they were happy, or as happy as they could be living there.
When the letters stopped after a month, then two, his phone calls went unanswered, and his old friends were evasive, then he began to worry. He finally called Arisawa and threatened to come back to Japan to get the truth: Ichigo had been badly hurt and decided to go to Soul Society to get better. While there he had been offered a position in the Gotei 13, training the shinigami who were sent to Karakura Town. It had been with much debate, and many tears on Orihime’s end, that he accepted. Orihime was horrendously depressed.
He had never expected Kurosaki to make that decision. As much as he was the hero of the story he must have realized how deep Orihime’s feeling were towards him. He hashed it out with Leigh as best he could, and she provided him with an insight he hadn’t thought of: Kurosaki couldn’t be everything to everyone. He couldn’t protect Karakura Town on his own and be the boyfriend Orihime deserved, and the son that his father deserved, and the brother that his sisters deserved and still have a life. Yes, it was hurtful, but he had put everyone in Karakura Town above those who cared for just him. That was what a hero would do. Still, she did agree with him that it was a selfish, and in her words “rather dickish,” move.
It was Leigh who made the suggestion he get Orihime to California for a bit. She lived in an apartment since she was very much against having a random stranger for a roommate, and she had a couch that could be slept on for a while. He himself knew it was pretty comfortable, from nights he’d passed out after hunting, not wanting to bother his roommate by coming in at three in the morning. He told Arisawa when he would call, and that Orihime better be in the same room and be handed the phone. He was nervous as he called her, but after a moment Orihime got on the phone.
“Yes?” she asked quietly, her voice forlorn.
“I’m sending you a ticket to come see me. I know you have a passport and it’s ready because you and Arisawa were supposed to go to America for your next break.” There was a gasp; apparently he wasn’t supposed to know. “Please, get on the plane and come visit.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, and he just vaguely detected something different in her voice: hope.
“I’m sure. Can you get two weeks off of work in the next week?”
“I quit my job,” she said.
Sadly, this didn’t surprise him. “Please tell me you didn’t quit school.”
“She was thinking about it, but I wouldn’t let her,” Arisawa said from nearby her; apparently he was on speakerphone. “We have a break coming up in four days. The university is doing renovations. It’ll last three weeks.”
“Then spend two weeks in California with me,” he pleaded.
“But where would I stay?” she asked, her voice curious and a little more lively. “I don’t have much money to spend at a hotel.”
“My friend Leigh has a couch you can sleep on. It’s in a nice apartment.”
“Oh,” she said, and he couldn’t tell what emotion her voice held now. “Are you really sure you want me to come visit?”
“Yes, I am really sure,” he said.
“Then I’ll come visit,” she said. “Maybe it’ll be good, right?”
“I’ll make it good,” he replied confidently. “I’ll do the ticket online and it will be waiting for you at the terminal in five days.”
“I’ll make sure she gets on the place,” Arisawa said.
“It’s chilly here, so bring some things for warmth. And bring some things for warm weather, too. It keeps changing daily.”
“I thought it was always warm in California,” Arisawa said.
“It’s not. They say it’s rainy season right now. It’s almost over through, or so I’m told.” He paused. “I’ll make sure things go well, Orihime. I promise.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll see you soon, then.”
“Okay. Bye, Inoue-kun, Arisawa.” He hung up and looked at Leigh, who had been waiting. “I think it went well. She’s coming.”
“Excellent!” she said with a smile. “I think this is a good idea, Uryu.”
“I hope you’re right,” he said.