Every Journey Always Brings Me Back To You (2/?)
Title: Every Journey Always Brings Me Back To You
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ishida-centric with mentions of past Ichigo/Orihime and current Ishida & OFC friendship (Tatsuki will flit in and out of this fic, but she's not in this part). 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 on, but when it came to her, he’d still do anything for her, even while he’s an ocean away.
Authors Notes: I went back and did a tiny edit to part 1 about Leigh’s “unrequited love” since I decided it would be more interesting if she was a lesbian. Part of the reason I picked San Diego is it’s my home county. I spend a lot of time in Hillcrest, so the description of Fourth/Fifth Avenue is accurate (if anyone’s wondering, I kind of have Leigh working at The Buffalo Exchange, not the place across the street). Also, forgot to explain in part 1 that rainy season in So Cal is generally January to April, so some days it’s pouring down rain (like yesterday) and other days it’s hot enough to go sunbathe at the beach (even if the water’s freezing cold). This is set in February, right before Valentine’s Day. This will be important later in the story.
---
He had not expected the sight he saw when she got off the plane. Orihime had lost weight, enough of it to the point where she looked unhealthy. She had darks circle under her eyes, and it seemed as though she hadn’t paid much attention to her skin, because it wasn’t as flawless as usual. But she had appeared to put some conscious effort in her outfit, and he would admit the smile she had on her face seemed genuine and not forced. He was not a touching-type person by nature, but when she got close enough he pulled her into a hug, She was stiff at first, but relaxed as she hugged him back.
When she pulled away she saw her looking around. “I wanted it to be sunny,” she said in English, glancing back to the windows at the terminal, where a light rain fell steadily outside.
“It’s supposed to rain today and be sunny for the rest of the week,” he replied in kind, picking up her carry-on. “You have more luggage?”
“Hai, a suitcase,” she said, lapsing back into Japanese.
He grinned at her, and she grinned back. “It’s okay to speak Japanese around Leigh. She’s fluent,” he said in Japanese. “She’s Japanese-American, and both her parents are Japanese. They’re from Naruki City, actually. I met them when they came to visit.” He did not add that it was the first time he had really missed home since he had gotten there; she didn’t need to know that.
“Leigh is an unusual name for her,” she replied as they made their way to the luggage claim.
“Her parents wanted American names for their children,” he replied. “Her older sister is named Christina, her younger sister Rachel and Rachel’s twin is named Michael. Their last name is Shinoda.”
“How would she like to be called?” she asked.
“Leigh is fine. She’s not very formal around people, though she might be around you.”
“What does she call you?”
“Uryu,” he said. “She insisted we use first names, to get me used to the American mode of address. Only when we’re teasing each other do we use honorifics. Sarcastically, I might add.”
“Ah,” she said, and he thought she seemed a little sad.
“If you want,” he said hesitantly, “you may call me Uryu as well.”
“I kind of liked Ishida-kun, but…okay,” she said. “Uryu,” she said, getting the feel of it. “If you want to you can call me Orihime. We’re close enough.”
“All right, Orihime,” he said with a grin, and she smiled at that. “It will take some getting used to, I think. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes,” she said. “You’re the only one who will call me Orihime.”
“Really?” he said surprised. “I thought Arisawa did too.”
She shook her head. “She calls me Hime-chan when it’s just the two of us, and Inoue-chan around others.”
“Then I’m honored,” he said. “Have you eaten recently?”
She shook her head. “The food on the plane did not taste very good, so I ate very little of it.”
“Would you like something familiar, or exotic?”
“Exotic,” she said with a smile. “I’m willing to try new things while I’m here, be a new person.”
“There are these things called burritos,” he said, lapsing into English. “They have fillings wrapped in a flour tortilla. You would probably like the carne asada one, with cheese and salsa fresca. Maybe with guacamole on the side.”
“What language are those words?” she asked in English, confused. “Bur-rito, a-sa-da, fres-ca, gua-ca-mo-le?”
“Spanish,” he replied. “We’re very close to Mexico, so most places have things in English and Spanish. Those are all Mexican food items.”
“Oh, I see,” she said with a nod, going back to Japanese. “And it’s good?”
“Very good,” he said with a nod. “I don’t each much of that type of food, but when I’m very hungry I get one. They’re big.”
“How big?” she asked. He held out his hands about nine inches apart, and then made a circle about the size of a soda can. And her eyes went wide. “Wow, that is big. I can’t possibly eat all that.”
“Then we can get rolled tacos,” he said in English. “Taquitos are what they’re really called, but everywhere you can buy them from says rolled tacos.”
“Okay,” she said in English. “Rolled tacos.”
“With cheese and guacamole,” he added with a grin.
She smiled and chuckled. “You’ll have to order for me,” she said in Japanese. “I don’t think I can say that last word well enough.”
It was nice to hear her laugh. “I can do that.”
--
After they picked up her suitcase they got outside. He opened up his umbrella, handed it to Orihime and put an arm around her shoulders so they could both be under it and he could carry her luggage. It was what Leigh called a golf umbrella, and it was much larger than the ones he usually used. He was grateful for it today. Leigh was waiting in her car near the airport. It was cheaper than calling a taxi, even though he had wanted to tell Orihime more about his friend first.
Leigh was waiting by the car under an umbrella, about to smoke a cigarette. “I was hoping you’d be longer,” she said in Japanese with a mock pout, before opening up her trunk. Ishida frowned at her. “What? I get one a day. I’m still trying to quit.”
“And next week you get none,” he replied in kind. He put Orihime’s suitcase and carry-on in the trunk. “Leigh, this is Orihime Inoue. Orihime, this is Leigh Shinoda.”
Leigh set her umbrella over the open trunk and, heedless of the rain, bowed deeply to Orihime at the waist. “It’s nice to meet you, Inoue-san.”
Orihime smiled, then when Leigh straightened and got her umbrella she bowed. “It’s nice to meet you too, Shinoda-san.” She straightened back up, and looked over at Ishida before turning back to Leigh. “He had told me about you in letters but not very much.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a laugh. “Until my parents met him he was my big secret.”
“How?” Orihime asked.
“My parents would have immediately tried to get us to start dating immediately. And then they met him, and fell in love with him, and I had to tell them my other big secret: I’m a lesbian.”
“Honsho-san would adore you,” Orihime said with a smile. “You’re like me, but with dark hair.”
“You mean I have a small waist and big chest? Personally I hate it, but if the girls like it and it gets me dates, I’ll hold off on the reduction.” She laughed, gesturing to the car. “Let’s get in! I’m sure you’re hungry. It’s a long trip.” They shut the trunk and got in the car, stashing the wet umbrellas in the back with Orihime. “So! Where to?”
“The Mexican food restaurant near Horton Plaza,” Ishida replied.
“Do we have to park in downtown?” Leigh asked, this time with a serious pout.
“Then do you want to travel to Hillcrest and park at your work? There’s the place on Fourth Avenue that you like,” he said.
“Cabais Mex-Deli it is!” Leigh said in English, getting out of her parking spot and getting on her way to the airport. “I work at a used clothing store, one of those ‘buy, trade and sell’ places where people can buy vintage clothing,” she explained to Orihime in Japanese. “This place is one street over and makes really good food. Actually, most Mexican restaurants in Southern California make good Mexican food, seeing as they’re usually staffed by Mexicans.”
“Is there other kind of food there, too?” Orihime asked.
“A lot, yeah,” Leigh said with a nod. “Indian, vegan, a pastry shop…and that’s just stuff on the block where I work. And, of course, there’s a Subway and a Starbucks nearby, too. Actually, all up and down Fifth Avenue there’s restaurants.”
“She commutes to Hillcrest from El Cajon, which is where we live,” Ishida said. “It’s about a twenty minute drive to get back, so as soon as we’re done eating we can get back quickly and get you settled.”
“I didn’t bring much cool weather clothing,” she replied. “Just a jacket and a sweatshirt.”
“Do you feel like going shopping right now?” Leigh asked. “If you don’t mind good condition vintage clothing, I get a discount at work. But there are other clothing stores, too, a little further up the block and behind my store, that sell new clothes.”
“I’ve never owned vintage clothes before,” Orihime said.
“I have some stuff stashed that I was going to get for me, but I think it will fit you. Some skirts, long sleeved tops and a few pairs of jeans, plus a hooded sweatshirt that’s fur lined. Whatever you like, you can get. I’ll even pay for it.”
“You kind of have to, or else you won’t get your discount,” Ishida said with an amused grin.
“But I meant she won’t have to pay me back,” Leigh said, sticking her tongue out at him briefly. He chuckled, and then she looked at Orihime in the rearview mirror. “Does that sound okay?”
“It sounds fine,” she said with a smile. “It will be a new experience.”
“Then let’s do it!” Leigh said with a grin.
--
After they ate and Orihime picked out quite a bit of clothing, causing Ishida to joke she’d have to get another suitcase before she left, they made it back to Leigh’s apartment. It was on the second floor of a three story building, and it had a balcony overlooking a small park. Orihime stood on the balcony and looked out while Ishida and Leigh waited inside.
“She seems okay,” Leigh said quietly, checking the pork she was going to use for tankatsu for dinner that night.
“She’s very good at hiding things,” he replied. “She wasn’t that thin when I left.”
“I can fatten her up. My mother taught me to make great Japanese food, you know that. And if she’s set on trying new things, there’s all that Mexican and Indian and Thai and fried chicken from KFC.”
“It’ll be a start,” he said.
“You go talk to her. I’ll be here in the kitchen,” he said, getting behind him and shoving him towards the balcony. “Go.”
He cast an amused grin at her and then opened the sliding glass door to go outside. “If it wasn’t raining I’d take you down to the park,” he said, coming to her side.
“It won’t rain the whole two weeks,” she said without looking at him. “I want to thank you, Ishida-kun.” She paused. “I mean, Uryu.”
“If you want to call me Ishida-kun you can. I didn’t realize Leigh was going to be more formal around you.”
Orihime gave a sigh of relief and turned to him with a warm smile on her face. “She’s really nice. I’m glad you have good friends here.”
“Just her. I spend most of my time studying or hunting. She helps me with both.”
“She can see…them?”
“There aren’t Hollows here, but there are other things,” he said. “She can see them, and she keeps an ear out for places that are haunted. Not the touristy places, where people go for scares, but the other places.”
“So you’re kind of like Don Kanonji now!” she said with a laugh.
“You will never catch me using his catchphrases, though,” he said with a grin.
“You smile a lot more here,” she said thoughtfully. “You didn’t smile as much in school.”
“I guess I fit in more here,” he said with a slight shrug.
“Oh,” she said, turning to look back at the park.
“It doesn’t mean I don’t miss my old friends. Even…him,” he added, speaking the word carefully.
“I miss him too. But…not as much these last few days. I guess it’s because I had something to look forward to.” He was surprised when she turned and kissed his cheek softly. “Thank you again for inviting me. I plan on being a new woman when I go home.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, and by great force of will he only felt himself grow vaguely warm.
“Who knows?” Maybe I’ll love California so much I’ll decide to move here, too,” she said brightly, still looking at him.
He grinned back at her. “Maybe,” he said, but deep inside he was hoping that the maybe would become a definitely. Inwardly, he realized just how hard these two weeks were going to be, because now that he had her here, he really didn’t want to let her go. This, he thought to himself, could be a big problem.
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ishida-centric with mentions of past Ichigo/Orihime and current Ishida & OFC friendship (Tatsuki will flit in and out of this fic, but she's not in this part). 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 on, but when it came to her, he’d still do anything for her, even while he’s an ocean away.
Authors Notes: I went back and did a tiny edit to part 1 about Leigh’s “unrequited love” since I decided it would be more interesting if she was a lesbian. Part of the reason I picked San Diego is it’s my home county. I spend a lot of time in Hillcrest, so the description of Fourth/Fifth Avenue is accurate (if anyone’s wondering, I kind of have Leigh working at The Buffalo Exchange, not the place across the street). Also, forgot to explain in part 1 that rainy season in So Cal is generally January to April, so some days it’s pouring down rain (like yesterday) and other days it’s hot enough to go sunbathe at the beach (even if the water’s freezing cold). This is set in February, right before Valentine’s Day. This will be important later in the story.
---
He had not expected the sight he saw when she got off the plane. Orihime had lost weight, enough of it to the point where she looked unhealthy. She had darks circle under her eyes, and it seemed as though she hadn’t paid much attention to her skin, because it wasn’t as flawless as usual. But she had appeared to put some conscious effort in her outfit, and he would admit the smile she had on her face seemed genuine and not forced. He was not a touching-type person by nature, but when she got close enough he pulled her into a hug, She was stiff at first, but relaxed as she hugged him back.
When she pulled away she saw her looking around. “I wanted it to be sunny,” she said in English, glancing back to the windows at the terminal, where a light rain fell steadily outside.
“It’s supposed to rain today and be sunny for the rest of the week,” he replied in kind, picking up her carry-on. “You have more luggage?”
“Hai, a suitcase,” she said, lapsing back into Japanese.
He grinned at her, and she grinned back. “It’s okay to speak Japanese around Leigh. She’s fluent,” he said in Japanese. “She’s Japanese-American, and both her parents are Japanese. They’re from Naruki City, actually. I met them when they came to visit.” He did not add that it was the first time he had really missed home since he had gotten there; she didn’t need to know that.
“Leigh is an unusual name for her,” she replied as they made their way to the luggage claim.
“Her parents wanted American names for their children,” he replied. “Her older sister is named Christina, her younger sister Rachel and Rachel’s twin is named Michael. Their last name is Shinoda.”
“How would she like to be called?” she asked.
“Leigh is fine. She’s not very formal around people, though she might be around you.”
“What does she call you?”
“Uryu,” he said. “She insisted we use first names, to get me used to the American mode of address. Only when we’re teasing each other do we use honorifics. Sarcastically, I might add.”
“Ah,” she said, and he thought she seemed a little sad.
“If you want,” he said hesitantly, “you may call me Uryu as well.”
“I kind of liked Ishida-kun, but…okay,” she said. “Uryu,” she said, getting the feel of it. “If you want to you can call me Orihime. We’re close enough.”
“All right, Orihime,” he said with a grin, and she smiled at that. “It will take some getting used to, I think. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes,” she said. “You’re the only one who will call me Orihime.”
“Really?” he said surprised. “I thought Arisawa did too.”
She shook her head. “She calls me Hime-chan when it’s just the two of us, and Inoue-chan around others.”
“Then I’m honored,” he said. “Have you eaten recently?”
She shook her head. “The food on the plane did not taste very good, so I ate very little of it.”
“Would you like something familiar, or exotic?”
“Exotic,” she said with a smile. “I’m willing to try new things while I’m here, be a new person.”
“There are these things called burritos,” he said, lapsing into English. “They have fillings wrapped in a flour tortilla. You would probably like the carne asada one, with cheese and salsa fresca. Maybe with guacamole on the side.”
“What language are those words?” she asked in English, confused. “Bur-rito, a-sa-da, fres-ca, gua-ca-mo-le?”
“Spanish,” he replied. “We’re very close to Mexico, so most places have things in English and Spanish. Those are all Mexican food items.”
“Oh, I see,” she said with a nod, going back to Japanese. “And it’s good?”
“Very good,” he said with a nod. “I don’t each much of that type of food, but when I’m very hungry I get one. They’re big.”
“How big?” she asked. He held out his hands about nine inches apart, and then made a circle about the size of a soda can. And her eyes went wide. “Wow, that is big. I can’t possibly eat all that.”
“Then we can get rolled tacos,” he said in English. “Taquitos are what they’re really called, but everywhere you can buy them from says rolled tacos.”
“Okay,” she said in English. “Rolled tacos.”
“With cheese and guacamole,” he added with a grin.
She smiled and chuckled. “You’ll have to order for me,” she said in Japanese. “I don’t think I can say that last word well enough.”
It was nice to hear her laugh. “I can do that.”
--
After they picked up her suitcase they got outside. He opened up his umbrella, handed it to Orihime and put an arm around her shoulders so they could both be under it and he could carry her luggage. It was what Leigh called a golf umbrella, and it was much larger than the ones he usually used. He was grateful for it today. Leigh was waiting in her car near the airport. It was cheaper than calling a taxi, even though he had wanted to tell Orihime more about his friend first.
Leigh was waiting by the car under an umbrella, about to smoke a cigarette. “I was hoping you’d be longer,” she said in Japanese with a mock pout, before opening up her trunk. Ishida frowned at her. “What? I get one a day. I’m still trying to quit.”
“And next week you get none,” he replied in kind. He put Orihime’s suitcase and carry-on in the trunk. “Leigh, this is Orihime Inoue. Orihime, this is Leigh Shinoda.”
Leigh set her umbrella over the open trunk and, heedless of the rain, bowed deeply to Orihime at the waist. “It’s nice to meet you, Inoue-san.”
Orihime smiled, then when Leigh straightened and got her umbrella she bowed. “It’s nice to meet you too, Shinoda-san.” She straightened back up, and looked over at Ishida before turning back to Leigh. “He had told me about you in letters but not very much.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a laugh. “Until my parents met him he was my big secret.”
“How?” Orihime asked.
“My parents would have immediately tried to get us to start dating immediately. And then they met him, and fell in love with him, and I had to tell them my other big secret: I’m a lesbian.”
“Honsho-san would adore you,” Orihime said with a smile. “You’re like me, but with dark hair.”
“You mean I have a small waist and big chest? Personally I hate it, but if the girls like it and it gets me dates, I’ll hold off on the reduction.” She laughed, gesturing to the car. “Let’s get in! I’m sure you’re hungry. It’s a long trip.” They shut the trunk and got in the car, stashing the wet umbrellas in the back with Orihime. “So! Where to?”
“The Mexican food restaurant near Horton Plaza,” Ishida replied.
“Do we have to park in downtown?” Leigh asked, this time with a serious pout.
“Then do you want to travel to Hillcrest and park at your work? There’s the place on Fourth Avenue that you like,” he said.
“Cabais Mex-Deli it is!” Leigh said in English, getting out of her parking spot and getting on her way to the airport. “I work at a used clothing store, one of those ‘buy, trade and sell’ places where people can buy vintage clothing,” she explained to Orihime in Japanese. “This place is one street over and makes really good food. Actually, most Mexican restaurants in Southern California make good Mexican food, seeing as they’re usually staffed by Mexicans.”
“Is there other kind of food there, too?” Orihime asked.
“A lot, yeah,” Leigh said with a nod. “Indian, vegan, a pastry shop…and that’s just stuff on the block where I work. And, of course, there’s a Subway and a Starbucks nearby, too. Actually, all up and down Fifth Avenue there’s restaurants.”
“She commutes to Hillcrest from El Cajon, which is where we live,” Ishida said. “It’s about a twenty minute drive to get back, so as soon as we’re done eating we can get back quickly and get you settled.”
“I didn’t bring much cool weather clothing,” she replied. “Just a jacket and a sweatshirt.”
“Do you feel like going shopping right now?” Leigh asked. “If you don’t mind good condition vintage clothing, I get a discount at work. But there are other clothing stores, too, a little further up the block and behind my store, that sell new clothes.”
“I’ve never owned vintage clothes before,” Orihime said.
“I have some stuff stashed that I was going to get for me, but I think it will fit you. Some skirts, long sleeved tops and a few pairs of jeans, plus a hooded sweatshirt that’s fur lined. Whatever you like, you can get. I’ll even pay for it.”
“You kind of have to, or else you won’t get your discount,” Ishida said with an amused grin.
“But I meant she won’t have to pay me back,” Leigh said, sticking her tongue out at him briefly. He chuckled, and then she looked at Orihime in the rearview mirror. “Does that sound okay?”
“It sounds fine,” she said with a smile. “It will be a new experience.”
“Then let’s do it!” Leigh said with a grin.
--
After they ate and Orihime picked out quite a bit of clothing, causing Ishida to joke she’d have to get another suitcase before she left, they made it back to Leigh’s apartment. It was on the second floor of a three story building, and it had a balcony overlooking a small park. Orihime stood on the balcony and looked out while Ishida and Leigh waited inside.
“She seems okay,” Leigh said quietly, checking the pork she was going to use for tankatsu for dinner that night.
“She’s very good at hiding things,” he replied. “She wasn’t that thin when I left.”
“I can fatten her up. My mother taught me to make great Japanese food, you know that. And if she’s set on trying new things, there’s all that Mexican and Indian and Thai and fried chicken from KFC.”
“It’ll be a start,” he said.
“You go talk to her. I’ll be here in the kitchen,” he said, getting behind him and shoving him towards the balcony. “Go.”
He cast an amused grin at her and then opened the sliding glass door to go outside. “If it wasn’t raining I’d take you down to the park,” he said, coming to her side.
“It won’t rain the whole two weeks,” she said without looking at him. “I want to thank you, Ishida-kun.” She paused. “I mean, Uryu.”
“If you want to call me Ishida-kun you can. I didn’t realize Leigh was going to be more formal around you.”
Orihime gave a sigh of relief and turned to him with a warm smile on her face. “She’s really nice. I’m glad you have good friends here.”
“Just her. I spend most of my time studying or hunting. She helps me with both.”
“She can see…them?”
“There aren’t Hollows here, but there are other things,” he said. “She can see them, and she keeps an ear out for places that are haunted. Not the touristy places, where people go for scares, but the other places.”
“So you’re kind of like Don Kanonji now!” she said with a laugh.
“You will never catch me using his catchphrases, though,” he said with a grin.
“You smile a lot more here,” she said thoughtfully. “You didn’t smile as much in school.”
“I guess I fit in more here,” he said with a slight shrug.
“Oh,” she said, turning to look back at the park.
“It doesn’t mean I don’t miss my old friends. Even…him,” he added, speaking the word carefully.
“I miss him too. But…not as much these last few days. I guess it’s because I had something to look forward to.” He was surprised when she turned and kissed his cheek softly. “Thank you again for inviting me. I plan on being a new woman when I go home.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, and by great force of will he only felt himself grow vaguely warm.
“Who knows?” Maybe I’ll love California so much I’ll decide to move here, too,” she said brightly, still looking at him.
He grinned back at her. “Maybe,” he said, but deep inside he was hoping that the maybe would become a definitely. Inwardly, he realized just how hard these two weeks were going to be, because now that he had her here, he really didn’t want to let her go. This, he thought to himself, could be a big problem.