The Story Of The Beautiful Princess Orihime And The Dashing Pirate Ichigo
Title: The Story Of The Beautiful Princess Orihime And The Dashing Pirate Ichigo
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ichigo/Orihime
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set not quite as far into the time skip as the current arc, about six months earlier.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: He knew just how to chase the bad dreams away.
Authors Notes: I gave the pairing Ichigo/Orihime and the prompt “ninjas and zombies and robots, oh my!” to amorphic and we decided we'd each answer it. I should be doing my study guide for my women in US history class, but...this was just more fun.
---
She awoke with a start, her heart pounding and her pulse racing. It was another bad dream. At least she thought it was a dream. Whatever it was, she didn't like it. And she knew what she had to do. She crawled out of her bed, slipping on her slippers and then pulling on her robe, before she made her way out to the living room.
She glanced down at his sleeping form. He wouldn't sleep in the same bed with her, even though she'd asked and she'd promised she wouldn't ever do anything, she just wanted him close. But he'd made a dent in her couch by sleeping on it every night for the last month, ever since the first nightmare had caused her to sleepwalk into class. It had taken him the entire day to get the story out of her, but when she stammered it out he told her he was camping out in her living room and that was that.
His father was ecstatic. She had been there when he told him that he was going to stay at her place until she was okay. His father had hugged her and had then been punched in the head by his son and told to quit groping her. That memory made her giggle a little as she looked at him. His father had gotten up, declared that his son was now a man, and gave his blessing and said that whatever happened happened. She had blushed a little at the implication, but she knew Kurosaki-kun wouldn't take advantage of her like that. He just wanted to make it so she could sleep better.
It had been a year since Hueco Mundo, since Aizen's defeat, and everything had kind of gone back to normal. Kind of, in the fact that Ichigo was powerless and they were...dating. She was dating her beloved Kurosaki-kun. It had only been for a couple of months (65 days total, and yes, she really was counting), but it was nice. It was perfect, actually. It was everything she had wanted and more.
She had thought the dreams would fade with time, fade with the happiness that filled her waking hours, but they didn't. And in the last month or so, they had gotten worse. Now she didn't just dream of reaching for a body that was dissolving into ash. Now she dreamed that there was fire causing the ash, and she was burning. She dreamed of her friends disintegrating. She dreamed that the beatings continued until she was on the verge of death. She dreamed of many things, none of them pleasant. Maybe this was her subconscious trying to kill the happiness that was bubbling up inside her when she was awake.
She knelt down next to the couch and brushed his hair out of his face before she moved her hand to his shoulder. “Kurosaki-kun?” she said, shaking him slightly. He groaned but didn't wake up, and she shook him harder. “Ichigo,” she said a little more forcefully. She was still getting used to calling him by his first name when they were alone. She watched as his eyelids fluttered slightly and his eyes opened, and she smiled at the slightly confused look he had on his face. “I'm sorry I'm waking you up, but...”
“Another bad dream?” he murmured, yawning slightly and propping himself up on his elbows.
She nodded. “Hai.”
He sat up more and swung his feet over the side, placing them on the cold carpet before moving over and patting the warm space next to him. She got on the couch, pulled her feet up and tucked them under her, and he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She shut her eyes as he placed a kiss in her hair. “Want a story?”
“Yes, please,” she said, shifting slightly so she was leaning into his warmth more.
“Once there was a princess named Orihime,” he said, letting a small yawn escape. “She was very beautiful, and everyone loved her. Everyone except the evil troll, who commanded a legion of ninja zombies. The evil troll wanted her as his mate, but she refused, having fallen in love with the dashing pirate Ichigo.”
“I like dashing pirates,” she said, lifting her head up and giving him a brilliant smile.
He grinned back. “He wanted to keep her safe, so he put her on his ship and they sailed all the way to America, to the US. And he took her to Florida where there was a space shuttle. He was going to send her to a castle in space where the evil troll couldn't get to her--”
“What did the castle look like?”
He paused. “It was made of pink marble that was warm to the touch, and it had a hundred rooms, and fluffy beds. And even though it was in space there was a garden and it had jasmine and honeysuckle and roses and gardenias.”
“Oh, I like that castle,” she said, settling close again.
“The evil troll got her, however, by tunneling under the oceans and all the way under the United States until he popped up in the sand and grabbed her. She fought and Ichigo fought, but he sent his hordes of ninja zombies after him. Finally, Ichigo grabbed her one more time and got her away, and they got back on his boat and went to the wizard Ishida, who was smart, and who liked proving how smart he was by making things.”
“Like dresses?”
“No, more like humungous mecha that could be shrunk down so you could carry an entire army in a bucket, and then you made them big and they'd crush the enemy.”
“And the wizard gave them to Ichigo and Orihime, right?”
Ichigo nodded. “He also sent along his assistant Chad and the wizard in training Tatsuki. Actually, Tatsuki was friends with Orihime and threatened Ishida with bodily harm if he didn't let her go.”
She giggled. “That sounds like the Tatsuki I know.”
He chuckled slightly. “Anyway, all of them went to the evil troll fortress in the middle of the Antarctic. It was a huge snow castle, but made of ice. It had a hundred doors and a thousand hallways, but the evil troll was stupid and waited in the middle of the fortress. So they set down the robots and Tatsuki and Chad used the power they had and made them huge, and the robots stomped all over the fortress.”
“Did the evil troll escape?” she asked, lifting her head up, her expression curious.
“Yeah, he did,” he replied.
“Oh no!” she said, pulling away. “But then the evil troll will get her and take her underground and make her kiss him!” she said. “Ichigo, you won't let that happen, right?”
He moved his arm from around her shoulders and cupped her face in his hands. “Let me finish,” he said before leaning in and kissing her forehead.
“Okay,” she said, and they settled back into a more comfortable position.
“So, the evil troll escaped, but Orihime was waiting for him inside the biggest mecha of all. She had it lift up its leg, and she brought it down on the evil troll and squashed him dead.”
She pulled away again, clapping this time. “So the princess killed the evil troll?”
He nodded. “And Ichigo the pirate took all the ninja zombies and kept them to send after anyone who ever threatened the princess ever again. And they lived happily ever after in the castle in space.”
She smiled at him. “I liked that story a lot, Kurosaki-kun.”
“I'm glad,” he said before yawning again.
“I'm sorry I woke you up,” she said, suddenly feeling guilty.
“Hey, it's okay,” he said.
“Are you sure you don't want to go to sleep in my bed and get a good night's sleep?” He opened his mouth to protest before she added. “I'll sleep out here, if you want.”
He looked at her and shook his head. “I can protect you better if I'm out here.” She smiled at him, then leaned forward and kissed him softly. He snaked a hand around to tangle his fingers in her hair and keep her close for a moment before regretfully pulling away. “And then I'm not tempted to take it an further than that,” he added quietly, leaning his forehead against hers.
“Kurosaki-kun?” she said quietly, her eyes shut.
“Yeah?”
“I love you,” she whispered.
There was the briefest of pauses before she felt him tilt her chin up. She opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her. “I love you too, Orihime.”
She grinned, and then sat up. “Stretch out.”
“Why?” he asked, confused.
“If you won't go to sleep in my room than I'll just have to join you out here,” she said matter of factly, accenting it with a nod.
He looked at her for a moment, then sighed, a grin on his face. “Okay, you can sleep out here next to me.”
“Good,” she said, standing up so he could lay down again.
He pushed himself against the cushions and patted the space next to him. She laid down next to him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Do you want another story?” he asked quietly, bringing his blankets over them.
“Is it too much trouble?” she asked, suddenly sleepy again.
“Not for you,” he said. “Once there was a bunny named Ishida who wanted a magic carrot from an evil wizard in a kingdom far far away...”
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ichigo/Orihime
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set not quite as far into the time skip as the current arc, about six months earlier.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: He knew just how to chase the bad dreams away.
Authors Notes: I gave the pairing Ichigo/Orihime and the prompt “ninjas and zombies and robots, oh my!” to amorphic and we decided we'd each answer it. I should be doing my study guide for my women in US history class, but...this was just more fun.
---
She awoke with a start, her heart pounding and her pulse racing. It was another bad dream. At least she thought it was a dream. Whatever it was, she didn't like it. And she knew what she had to do. She crawled out of her bed, slipping on her slippers and then pulling on her robe, before she made her way out to the living room.
She glanced down at his sleeping form. He wouldn't sleep in the same bed with her, even though she'd asked and she'd promised she wouldn't ever do anything, she just wanted him close. But he'd made a dent in her couch by sleeping on it every night for the last month, ever since the first nightmare had caused her to sleepwalk into class. It had taken him the entire day to get the story out of her, but when she stammered it out he told her he was camping out in her living room and that was that.
His father was ecstatic. She had been there when he told him that he was going to stay at her place until she was okay. His father had hugged her and had then been punched in the head by his son and told to quit groping her. That memory made her giggle a little as she looked at him. His father had gotten up, declared that his son was now a man, and gave his blessing and said that whatever happened happened. She had blushed a little at the implication, but she knew Kurosaki-kun wouldn't take advantage of her like that. He just wanted to make it so she could sleep better.
It had been a year since Hueco Mundo, since Aizen's defeat, and everything had kind of gone back to normal. Kind of, in the fact that Ichigo was powerless and they were...dating. She was dating her beloved Kurosaki-kun. It had only been for a couple of months (65 days total, and yes, she really was counting), but it was nice. It was perfect, actually. It was everything she had wanted and more.
She had thought the dreams would fade with time, fade with the happiness that filled her waking hours, but they didn't. And in the last month or so, they had gotten worse. Now she didn't just dream of reaching for a body that was dissolving into ash. Now she dreamed that there was fire causing the ash, and she was burning. She dreamed of her friends disintegrating. She dreamed that the beatings continued until she was on the verge of death. She dreamed of many things, none of them pleasant. Maybe this was her subconscious trying to kill the happiness that was bubbling up inside her when she was awake.
She knelt down next to the couch and brushed his hair out of his face before she moved her hand to his shoulder. “Kurosaki-kun?” she said, shaking him slightly. He groaned but didn't wake up, and she shook him harder. “Ichigo,” she said a little more forcefully. She was still getting used to calling him by his first name when they were alone. She watched as his eyelids fluttered slightly and his eyes opened, and she smiled at the slightly confused look he had on his face. “I'm sorry I'm waking you up, but...”
“Another bad dream?” he murmured, yawning slightly and propping himself up on his elbows.
She nodded. “Hai.”
He sat up more and swung his feet over the side, placing them on the cold carpet before moving over and patting the warm space next to him. She got on the couch, pulled her feet up and tucked them under her, and he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She shut her eyes as he placed a kiss in her hair. “Want a story?”
“Yes, please,” she said, shifting slightly so she was leaning into his warmth more.
“Once there was a princess named Orihime,” he said, letting a small yawn escape. “She was very beautiful, and everyone loved her. Everyone except the evil troll, who commanded a legion of ninja zombies. The evil troll wanted her as his mate, but she refused, having fallen in love with the dashing pirate Ichigo.”
“I like dashing pirates,” she said, lifting her head up and giving him a brilliant smile.
He grinned back. “He wanted to keep her safe, so he put her on his ship and they sailed all the way to America, to the US. And he took her to Florida where there was a space shuttle. He was going to send her to a castle in space where the evil troll couldn't get to her--”
“What did the castle look like?”
He paused. “It was made of pink marble that was warm to the touch, and it had a hundred rooms, and fluffy beds. And even though it was in space there was a garden and it had jasmine and honeysuckle and roses and gardenias.”
“Oh, I like that castle,” she said, settling close again.
“The evil troll got her, however, by tunneling under the oceans and all the way under the United States until he popped up in the sand and grabbed her. She fought and Ichigo fought, but he sent his hordes of ninja zombies after him. Finally, Ichigo grabbed her one more time and got her away, and they got back on his boat and went to the wizard Ishida, who was smart, and who liked proving how smart he was by making things.”
“Like dresses?”
“No, more like humungous mecha that could be shrunk down so you could carry an entire army in a bucket, and then you made them big and they'd crush the enemy.”
“And the wizard gave them to Ichigo and Orihime, right?”
Ichigo nodded. “He also sent along his assistant Chad and the wizard in training Tatsuki. Actually, Tatsuki was friends with Orihime and threatened Ishida with bodily harm if he didn't let her go.”
She giggled. “That sounds like the Tatsuki I know.”
He chuckled slightly. “Anyway, all of them went to the evil troll fortress in the middle of the Antarctic. It was a huge snow castle, but made of ice. It had a hundred doors and a thousand hallways, but the evil troll was stupid and waited in the middle of the fortress. So they set down the robots and Tatsuki and Chad used the power they had and made them huge, and the robots stomped all over the fortress.”
“Did the evil troll escape?” she asked, lifting her head up, her expression curious.
“Yeah, he did,” he replied.
“Oh no!” she said, pulling away. “But then the evil troll will get her and take her underground and make her kiss him!” she said. “Ichigo, you won't let that happen, right?”
He moved his arm from around her shoulders and cupped her face in his hands. “Let me finish,” he said before leaning in and kissing her forehead.
“Okay,” she said, and they settled back into a more comfortable position.
“So, the evil troll escaped, but Orihime was waiting for him inside the biggest mecha of all. She had it lift up its leg, and she brought it down on the evil troll and squashed him dead.”
She pulled away again, clapping this time. “So the princess killed the evil troll?”
He nodded. “And Ichigo the pirate took all the ninja zombies and kept them to send after anyone who ever threatened the princess ever again. And they lived happily ever after in the castle in space.”
She smiled at him. “I liked that story a lot, Kurosaki-kun.”
“I'm glad,” he said before yawning again.
“I'm sorry I woke you up,” she said, suddenly feeling guilty.
“Hey, it's okay,” he said.
“Are you sure you don't want to go to sleep in my bed and get a good night's sleep?” He opened his mouth to protest before she added. “I'll sleep out here, if you want.”
He looked at her and shook his head. “I can protect you better if I'm out here.” She smiled at him, then leaned forward and kissed him softly. He snaked a hand around to tangle his fingers in her hair and keep her close for a moment before regretfully pulling away. “And then I'm not tempted to take it an further than that,” he added quietly, leaning his forehead against hers.
“Kurosaki-kun?” she said quietly, her eyes shut.
“Yeah?”
“I love you,” she whispered.
There was the briefest of pauses before she felt him tilt her chin up. She opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her. “I love you too, Orihime.”
She grinned, and then sat up. “Stretch out.”
“Why?” he asked, confused.
“If you won't go to sleep in my room than I'll just have to join you out here,” she said matter of factly, accenting it with a nod.
He looked at her for a moment, then sighed, a grin on his face. “Okay, you can sleep out here next to me.”
“Good,” she said, standing up so he could lay down again.
He pushed himself against the cushions and patted the space next to him. She laid down next to him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Do you want another story?” he asked quietly, bringing his blankets over them.
“Is it too much trouble?” she asked, suddenly sleepy again.
“Not for you,” he said. “Once there was a bunny named Ishida who wanted a magic carrot from an evil wizard in a kingdom far far away...”