Fic - Left Behind But Not Forgotten 10/? IshiHime; RyuukenTatsuki Rated PG13
Title: Left Behind But Not Forgotten
Author: StarbearerTM
Paring: IshidaHime, RyuukenTatsuki,
Rating: PG 13
Genre: Romance, action adventure
Spoilers: Lost Substitute Arc
Word count: 3080
Summary: With Ichigo unavailable, Ishida and Orihime pick up the slack. But their patrolling doesn't go unnoticed by two shinigami patrolling Karakura Town.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does. The characters aren't mine and I make no money writing this story.
A/N: Dedicated to CMC42 who has encouraged me with her lovely banner and support in this story.
From behind an orange shield, Orihime called to the blurred figure in white materializing just mere feet from her. Blue energy interwove into the spider web shaped bow he aimed forwards. Several wholes peeked out from behind their savior’s long light blue skirt that fluttered backwards.
“Uryuu kun, how many more?” she shouted, unable to stop herself from admiring the sleek tight material clinging tightly to her boyfriend's attractive body. She still tingled from thinking about making love to him.
“Not enough to even faze me,” he answered. A few silver tubes hung from the belt across his waist. He still sported the same outfit he'd worn in Hueco Mundo, neatly repaired and stitched.
As the hollows poked their heads out of the multiple holes opening up in a piece of sky Ishida peppered them with a rain of arrows. None seemed to miss their targets. Orihime glimpsed his silhouette backlit by the field of glowing blue sparks hitting home. With just a slight swivel of the wrist, he could alter the path to hit any stragglers.
“It won’t be long before the shinigami come. Just hang on and stay behind me,” Orihime tried to reassure her charges. Her tight fitting white top had ruffles around the base of it, matching the skirt of the outfit Ishida had made for her. Since they had woken up in the middle of the night in his apartment it was one of the few things he had clean and ready for her to wear and she loved it.
Only when she sensed no more disharmonic reiatsus did Orihime dare lowering her shield. The three fairies retreated to their homes at the sides of her head. Ishida’s white cloak fluttered in the back breeze of residual atmospheric disruption as he turned around. Only his glasses glowed for a final moment in the light of the nearby street lamp flickering down on them.
“I hope Kurosaki appreciates what we’re doing for him,” mumbled Ishida grimly.
“We should go see him,” she murmured back before bending down to look at the three wholes. Laces from the back of the inbuilt corset zigzagged up in light blue. The front of the outfit nestled her breasts perfectly in the white and gold material.
Only one of them had enough nerve to speak up. “Miss, I just wanna go see my parents.”
“I know,” Orihime said sweetly. “But you’ve your two friends and you were all very brave standing together.”
“Brave,” murmured the smallest. “Was scared.”
“You called for help Ezri kun and we came,” Ishida said simply, managing to crack a smile on his normally saturnine countenance. “You did what had to be done?”
“Ezri kun, Maya chan, Ami chan,” Orihime said addressing each of the children. “You listened to us so well and stayed together. Even though you were scared you did what you had to.”
“I want my mommy,” whimpered Maya clinging to the other girl’s hand. Orihime rested a hand on the glowing shoulder of the dark haired girl wiping its tears. As someone who could still see spirits, she could interact with them in the same manner. They were always so thin and delicate compared to the solid forms of the Shinigami they knew so well, or the hollows.
“Stay with them, Orihime san,” Ishida murmured holding up his wrist. Again reishi interlaced into Ginrei Kojaku, primed with an arrow that he formed on its gleaming string.
Ishida blurred out only to reappear nearly a block away. Three arrows pierced the hollow just forming in the middle of the street. Multiple shadows formed at the same time their spiderlike hollow owners did. She could count at least six. Orihime frowned wondering why all of a sudden she saw so many hollows and so few shinigami.
Relief filled her sensing the familiar reiatsu of two friends they had fought through thick and thin with. The white ribbon curled around Rukia’s hand in a wide semicircle. Time slowed for just a few instances from the gathering of her reishi.
“First dance, white moon,” chanted a voice not far behind them. Orihime summoned her shield a second time to shield the wholes from the blast of frigid air pulsing just to their left. Beneath two nearby hollows radiated a white disk opalescent like the face of the moon. A split second later, a pillar of ice encased its quarry leaving only the tips of waving arms visible.
“Howl Zabimaru!” uttered her partner, snapping his hand back. Segmented plates connected by metallic threads zigzagged freight train style around to hit the remaining three hollows. Badge gleaming on his arm the vice captain of squad six shunpoed among his quarry slashing each in succession.
“This is Rukia, my friend. She’s going to take care of you now,” Orihime told the three children quietly. Each of them turned an unsure face to her, slightly reassured by her calming presence.
Renji swiveled his head around to see a blue arrow hiss into his last target allowing him to finish it off. He smirked at the proud figure striding regally towards him dispelling its bow. “Oi, Ishida!”
“Things must be rather slow in Soul Society to send you down here, Abarai san,” Ishida cracked back.
“Nice to see you too, Quincy,” Renji said with a grin, flicking Zabimaru into its sealed state. He clicked it back into place.
“What took you two so blasted long?” Ishida answered. “Not that we aren’t grateful for the help.”
“Gotta thank ya two fer pickin’ up the slack. Seems like the hollows are tryin’ t’ reform themselves since Aizen’s gone, just like R and D predicted,” Renji announced, leading Ishida back to where Rukia performed Konso on each of the three wholes.
“Abarai kun, hi!” Orihime said cheerfully waving to him.
“Inoue san, you keeping this guy in line?” Renji joked to her.
“She is, and we’re fine,” said Ishida as he rested an arm around Orihime’s shoulders. Rukia and Renji exchanged a meaningful glance.
“I’m very happy for you two,” Rukia said sincerely, bowing to both of them. “I’m sorry we took so long. There were several instances of this locally.”
“Is it because of Kurosaki’s disappearance they’re fanning out to all other humans with appreciable spirit pressure?” asked Ishida. Renji nodded.
“They’ve still not assigned a permanent shinigami here. We’ve all been covering as best we are able,” Rukia said.
“I finally managed t’ get time off t’ get down here an’ check on you all,” Renji explained, walking alongside the other three striding back to Ishida’s apartment.
“Thank you for your concern. And for your assistance,” Ishida said to Renji.
Inclining his head Renji said, “No problem. Hopefully things will calm down in the next few weeks and there won’t be so many hollows.”
“We are not 100 percent certain of that, but that is what current predictions say according to Soul Society’s estimates,” Rukia chimed in.
“You were close to the hospital,” Ishida commented. “That’s rather unusual that so many hollows congregated there.”
“One of your friends must have been there,” Rukia said. “I had assumed you were there if I didn’t know better, Ishida san.”
“It’s a long story,” Orihime said quietly.
“You and the old man arguin’ again?” Renji asked Ishida, who nodded slowly.
Glancing in the direction of his building Ishida pushed up his glasses. “I’d prefer not to recount it, but if you insist upon knowing you can stop for some tea?”
Renji’s stomach grumbled loudly. Rukia and Orihime exchanged knowing glances. Thumping Renji’s arm Rukia said, “That would be lovely, thank you.”
***
Across town, Tatsuki caught the silver tube pitched to her by her partner. She reluctantly gripped the thing and activated the long thin stream of ripping particles that vibrated like a chainsaw. Holding it between two hands, she swung it in arcs to cleave the legs of the hollow she ran underneath.
A single shot crashed into it reducing it to reishi just above her head. Several more shots took out the others that moved to gather around the panting figure. Tatsuki spun and slashed the Scheele Schneider through one final hollow stupid enough to poke its head out from a hole behind her. She somersaulted out of the way just in time for Ryuuken’s arrow to explode inside the rift and seal it. In her hands, the blade dissipated into its sealed state.
“This is nuts!” Tatsuki griped, reaching for the hand Ryuuken extended to her. “This is the third time tonight?”
Effortlessly he pulled her up to stand at his side and shook his head. For a second his arm wrapped around her tightly giving her a reassuring squeeze. She leaned into his warmth and slapped the tube back into his hand. He commented, “Not bad but you still require a bit of touch up on your technique.”
“I prefer just hitting them, thank you very much,” Tatsuki huffed. “You can keep your darn light saber.”
Ryuuken pocketed the Scheele Schneider and bent down to look at the cuts and scratches on her arm. He clicked his tongue in disapproval but Tatsuki promptly ignored him. Instead, she sat down in the passenger seat of his car and shook her weary head. Opening the small first aid kit Ryuuken pulled out a few swabs. She hissed as always at the contact of the astringent on her small scrapes.
“It seems the Shinigami have finally deigned to do their jobs,” Ryuuken’s low voice rumbled in disapproval. Ever since the conversation at the hospital, he had been like this. Tatsuki wondered if the night was going to end anytime soon.
Tatsuki let his acerbic comment slide for now, keeping as still as she could for him to apply plasters to the appropriate places. Still crouching next to her he snapped the lid of his kit shut and put it back in its spot under her front seat, nudging her bare thigh in the process. Tatsuki caught his wrist and looked up at him with a smirk. Ryuuken returned the grin and bent down to rest his hands on her knees rubbing them sensually. Then his head dipped into the car so he could deposit a soft kiss on her forehead and both of her cheeks. Tatsuki kissed him back imprisoning him in place by seizing his tie. He reached around her and hugged her with one arm while reaching for his raincoat with the other arm.
Before he pulled her up into his arms and nudged the car door shut Ryuuken draped his coat over her shoulders. He scolded, “If you’d allowed me to loan you this in the first place we could have gone home by now.”
“I know but…” she mumbled. Tatsuki suddenly pressed her cheek into the front of his suit jacket and shivered. Musculature hidden by the business suit still pressed tightly to her and she sighed with relief against him. Granted fighting was something that came easily to her but for some reason she needed the physical reassurance. Ryuuken bent down and tipped her chin up scrutinizing her face for just a moment. No judgment just concern and desire were present.
“Understandable, Tatsuki,” he murmured angling his head to the side.
She closed her eyes in anticipation of a slow soft kiss. He reached around her with the remote and locked the doors, curling his arm around her. Through their merged lips, she sighed savoring the warm body heat radiating towards he through his clothes. Around her shoulders, he curled his arm. She felt him stiffen and spotted two figures standing high on a building glancing down at them.
One of them had spiky red hair pulled back into a pineapple shaped topknot, and he pushed his shiny glasses down onto his face. Next to him, the petite dark haired figure about half his height narrowed her sapphire blue eyes. Ryuuken’s kiss deepened though she stared around his face noticing the two shinigami who looked like classmates.
“How long were they there?” Tatsuki whispered.
“I ignore them,” Ryuuken whispered back into her ear. “Let’s walk the rest of the way.”
After the couple departed Renji and Rukia exchanged a glance and blinked at one another for a good minute. Pushing up his reishi scope function glasses Renji commented, “I remember Urahara san had said she’d trained with those others in that team, but we just confirmed the rumors. She’s still fightin’ hollows like Chad n’ Inoue n’ Ishida…”
“Indeed,” murmured Rukia. They knew they would get a verbal haranguing for not dispatching the hollows themselves if her brother found out, but they had only just seen the hollows only to see them vanish again.
Renji sighed. “I suppose it’s the other Ishida who’s been…”
“Goes without saying doesn’t it,” Rukia mumbled rubbing her chin. “Arisawa san’s spirit energy has been increasing though she has been controlling it, but we still have to keep an eye on the level of Quincy activity.”
“An’ Ishida was worried enough t’ have us check on the girl. I guess I know just what he was so worried about eh?” Renji chuckled. “That old sly dog.”
“Give it a rest Renji,” Rukia sighed as she punched him on the arm. “We’d better get back to patrol before the locals keep putting us out of a job!”
***
Tatsuki crawled out of a deep sleep feeling like a bear shaking off hibernation. She heard the noises from a phone conversation. She slept on her side feeling the rise and fall of something under her but then realized it was just the bed shifting. A shape walked out of the en suite bathroom and continued talking in a low tone. She smelled a cigarette thankfully far off but guessed what it was from.
Perhaps she should thank the fact her parents were still away on a month cruise during this time. Far from the lunacy they had all had to face the better. Just how she would explain where she had been spending the bulk of her time she had to speak to Ryuuken about. The smell of clean soap reached her as she turned over and sat him fumbling with the ends of a tie nearby her. His conversation hovered between hospital business and something else but she peered at the digital clocking knowing she had to get moving. As she hauled herself out of bed Ryuuken moved over and bent down to kiss her on the cheek in mid conversation.
He passed her a few towels while still on the phone then turned to indicate the bathroom was free. Tatsuki said nothing but hurried off to get a shower as quickly as she could while he finished dressing.
Minutes later, she wandered out toweling her hair off and almost bumped into the door. She dug through the closet and found one of her school uniforms hanging up that he had sent to the cleaners a day or so before. Muscles ached and screamed in protest depending on how Tatsuki moved but she managed to get into her clothes.
Rushing out into the rest of the apartment, she found him sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee and munching on a piece of toast or two. A bowl of plain steamed rice sat to his left that he had partly finished. She moved off to hunt something for herself and mumbled, “Is that ALL you're going to eat again?”
“Carbohydrates suffice. Besides you didn't complain about the donuts yesterday,” Ryuuken countered a twinkle in his eye despite the stern expression on his face.
“Yeah yeah. You're going to eat something nutritious if I have to force it on you,” she said good naturedly hunting for eggs and a frying pan.
Ryuuken lifted an eyebrow but did not protest as she quickly cracked the shells and grabbed a pair of large chopsticks she found in a drawer. Watching her he said, “I planned on regaining the nutrition from the lunch I prepared.”
Tatsuki glanced over to the side noticing two cloth wrapped bundles sitting there. She frowned and asked, “Who made these box lunches?”
Sipping his coffee Ryuuken simply replied, “Do you see any other occupants of this apartment?”
In minutes, she folded an omelet on one plate and sliced it up to set it in front of him and her. Tatsuki quickly doused hers in hot sauce to his surprise and started eating it. Still she considered the bento sitting ready on the counter stacked neatly.
“It seems fine without embellishment,” Ryuuken said shaking some salt and pepper on it.
“I like some spice. Gives it kick,” she said handing him the bottle.
“No thank you,” Ryuuken answered as he continued to eat his with a relatively satisfied look on his face.
Today he had chosen a dark blue suit with white shirt and pale blue vest. A black tie completed the outfit but no strange print on it except the slight hexagonal design on it. Small snowflake like stars were subtly woven into the print however representing his Quincy pentacle no doubt. She did not miss the small blue crosses on his cufflinks. What person still wore cufflinks? Except a person obsessed with details as he was.
On the other hand, a gold tie bar to boot even though nobody would see it buttoned under a vest and suit jacket. Ryuuken often wore vests with his suits just because. Finishing off her rice, she saw him pick up his coffee and set the empty mug in the sink. She knocked back her last bit and put the plates in the dishwasher that he opened.
“Guess it's time to go,” she murmured glancing at the wall clock in the white and blue kitchen with glossy black tile floors.
“Best not to forget your lunch,” Ryuuken answered, nodding towards the bundles.
Tatsuki shrugged rising from the table. She touched the cloth bundles feeling something hard inside. A quick peek through the knot in the top confirmed wooden containers instead of plastic. She frowned and muttered, “I haven’t seen containers like this since…”
“Plastic significantly detracts from the flavor of food I’ve found,” Ryuuken commented, finishing his coffee.
“So you say,” she mumbled handing one over to him.
“Thank you for the omelet,” Ryuuken said quietly walking out of the kitchen.
“Welcome,” she mumbled hunting around for where she put her school bag. Right next to his briefcase, she realized when he reached down next to her to pick it up. They both slipped on their shoes before exiting the door.
He reached around her to close and lock it then took her hand in his. Tatsuki shyly felt her fingers sweating a bit in Ryuuken's hand, wondering why she of all days was nervous. It was not as they had not done this before. In only ten minutes, they reached the parking spot he had left his car and climbed inside. It took only another ten minutes to get to Karakura high. She kept both legs pressed together sitting on that soft leather seat that conformed to her thighs like soft butter.
Just a block from school, he pulled up to let her out. She bent over to hug him but felt his soft kiss on her lips lingering a bit longer. “Have a good day,” she murmured separating from him.