Summary: She always thought she had a chance, because she was an optimistic person, because she thought if she loved him enough, that he would love her back. Perhaps Inoue Orihime was too optimistic.
Warning: Anything Hueco Mundo wise in this is made up, so there aren't any spoilers, unless you aren't caught up with recent anime.
I don't own Bleach, but I can control the emotions of the characters in this.
On First Name Basis
It was raining outside, how typical, but Inoue Orihime never minded.
She liked the rain for some odd reason, because to her, rain brought about a strange peace, even though she knew people suffered when it rained.
But Inoue wasn't the type to think negatively; at least she tried not to show others her constant worry.
Walking down the sidewalk with her head up a little higher for the oddest of reasons, Inoue squeezed the handle of her pink umbrella. Her smile slowly dropped to a frown, a dark frown.
Two Years Ago
Standing in Hueco
Mundo, with Ichigo on one side, and Aizen Sousuke on the other, had
been a complete and utter nightmare.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, you have two choices." Aizen paused, his eyes full of lies, full of betrayal, never seemed to ease Inoue. "Let Inoue Orihime stay in Hueco Mundo, or you take her place." Aizen finished. Her eyes widened. She could never ask Ichigo to do something like that. Why did Aizen want him? Inoue still didn't know why Aizen wanted her. How were she and Ichigo tied into what Aizen desired?
There was a long pause. Inoue slowly turned to look at all of them. Ishida's face was almost impossible to read, but Inoue knew when the Quincy was troubled with something, as he should have been at the moment. Everyone else looked the same.
Even Rukia.
Finally, Inoue averted her eyes to Ichigo. He seemed to be in deep, deep thought. Before he could even answer, she swung around to stare at Aizen, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She wanted to give her answer before Ichigo did, because she knew Ichigo liked to always be the hero.
"I'll stay." Inoue said with as much confidence as she could manage to build up. It was scary how actually easy the words slipped out, like it meant nothing to her. Like staying in Hueco Mundo, like Ichigo and Rukia and everyone risking their lives to save her had been for nothing.
But it all had.
Inoue froze when she felt a hand grip her shoulder. She turned around slowly, only to see Ichigo standing close to her. If it had been a normal situation, Inoue would have surely blushed from the contact.
"No Inoue, I'll stay." Ichigo said in a soft voice. Her eyes widened for the second time, but the tears were even thicker than before. She could hear the gasps from behind her, and the snickers in front of her.
"Ichigo." Inoue heard Rukia whisper loudly enough for her to hear. She couldn't help but look at the petite woman, and thoroughly regretted it. Inoue had never seen Rukia cry and she was quite sure it was the closest she would ever see Rukia get to spilling a few tears.
She couldn't stand it.
"If that is the final decision, then come with me Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen said quickly. Inoue lifted her head high, and looked up at Aizen.
Something all of the sudden boosted her confidence. Maybe it was knowing that what Aizen really wanted all along was Ichigo, and that Inoue had been a part of the plan, or maybe it was that Inoue didn't want Ichigo to suffer the torment of being a prisoner like she had.
Either way, Inoue did what she was best at doing in the most horrible situations.
She smiled.
It was all she had.
Ichigo started walking towards Aizen slowly, his head dropped down low. Inoue couldn't bare to watch it. She knew that he was doing to protect her, to save her.
Mimicking him from before, Inoue grasped onto his sleeve tightly. Ichigo stopped where he was, his body tensing.
"No Kurosaki-kun, I'm staying."
Ichigo didn't turn around, but he didn't relax either.
"Inoue, I think this is what is best." Ichigo replied emotionlessly. Inoue shook her head.
"No Kurosaki-kun, it isn't. I know what I need to do right now, and it is to stay." Inoue said back. It didn't matter that so many people, evil and wonderful alike, were surrounding her.
All that mattered was that Ichigo, the guy that had rescued her countless of times, even if he didn't know it, was directly in front of her.
"Everything will work out, I know it." Inoue said with a smile, even if Ichigo didn't see it. She really didn't know if things would really work out, but she knew and felt that she needed to stay, even if she didn't want to.
Ichigo had his friends and family to protect, and for once, Inoue wanted to try too.
"Inoue." Ichigo whispered. Inoue stepped in front of Aizen again.
"I will be the one to stay Aizen-sama. Kurosaki-kun and his nakama should be allowed to leave." Inoue muttered. She still held onto Ichigo's sleeve. She couldn't bring herself to let go.
Aizen didn't say anything for a while, but finally spoke, covering his face with a delicate smile that could match the cruelty of Ichimaru Gin.
"Then it's decided. Inoue Orihime will stay in Hueco Mundo as a subordinate." Aizen said. Aizen pointed to Ulquiorra and Halibel.
"Walk them to the outer gates, and make sure they leave. Inoue, I will allow you to say goodbye to them. Be sure to bring Inoue back." Aizen commanded. Ulquiorra and Halibel bowed respectively and moved next to Inoue.
"This way." Ulquiorra demanded.
They reached the gates in no time, giving Inoue absolutely no time think on how to say goodbye. She didn't want to say goodbye. She wanted to go with them.
But she had to protect them.
She had to protect Ichigo.
Chad, Ishida, Renji, Rukia, and Ichigo all turned to face Inoue, who was standing in front of Ulquiorra and Halibel.
"Inoue, I —" Ichigo stopped speaking, and dropped his gaze. Inoue didn't know what came over her, but she grabbed his hand. He seemed surprised, but he didn't let go.
"It's alright Kurosaki-kun, I've decided on what I need to do, and I know everything will be ok. That's what I've always believed in, and it's because of you." Inoue said with a smile. She refused to cry.
Inoue looked at all the others, and kept her gaze on Rukia for a moment longer, because Rukia was crying.
Was it really for her, Inoue?
She couldn't hold onto the tears any longer.
"You don't have to do this." Ichigo whispered to her. Inoue looked up into his eyes to see an emotion Ichigo had never truly shown her.
Compassion.
She had no idea what overcame her, but suddenly, Inoue was wrapping her arms around his neck, and bringing her lips to his. It wasn't a long or deep or passionate kiss, just something she'd been holding off for a long time, and something she couldn't do when she'd said goodbye to him before.
Pulling away from him was hard, not because she wanted to continue kissing him, but because of his reaction. To her luck, she received the shocked expression on his face.
So he had been oblivious, but Ichigo seemed to be oblivious sometimes, just like her. It only gave her more hope.
Inoue said her goodbyes to everyone once again, gave Ichigo one last smile, and walked away. She could feel so many stares on her as she passed, and wondered if they'd go through Hueco Mundo all over again to save her.
She should have been feeling upset, sad, horrified, depressed, or even embarrassed, but she didn't.
Inoue Orihime felt brave, like she'd done something right. Maybe things would turn out for the best. Maybe she was a hero, and maybe, just maybe, Ichigo would want her, the way she wanted him to want her.
It was so dumb of her to be thinking about his feelings for her at the time, but she couldn't help it.
She loved Kurosaki Ichigo.
Present
Inoue reached her lonely apartment, and began to ponder over what she thought about every day.
"I'm too positive for my own good." Inoue mumbled to herself. She even laughed bitterly.
Inoue remembered how Urahara Kisuke had not wanted her to fight in the war against Aizen, because he said she didn't have the quality to fight, but then found out that it was to keep her away from Aizen, because he'd wanted to kidnap her.
Urahara had been right though.
Inoue wasn't equipped for battle, because her heart was too soft.
Several months after saying goodbye to Ichigo and everyone, the war came and went. Ichigo, along with Hitsugaya Toshirou and Yamamoto Shigekuni, defeated Aizen once and for all. Inoue destroyed the hougyouku, and nearly lost her life in the process. None of her close friends died, though Ichigo and Rukia came close.
She'd felt hope in Ichigo again when he screamed out her name, even when he was injured, but it all shattered moments later.
When he saw Rukia, it all changed, and quickly.
Rukia was cut pretty badly, and bleeding everywhere. Ichigo's eyes were glued to her, and when she closed her eyes, Ichigo thought she had died, and held her close to him. Inoue swore she saw tears fall down his cheeks, but she wasn't sure, and she didn't want to really know. Inoue had never seen him hold anyone so closely, and felt jealousy, even with all the commotion around her.
After the war, almost everyone changed.
Almost.
Ichigo stayed almost exactly the same, except for some reason or the other, he'd started finally realizing his own personal feelings for others, better yet, Kuchiki Rukia.
Inoue knew that that moment several months before the war, when she had bravely kissed him, was nothing to Kurosaki Ichigo.
She could never hate or dislike Rukia, because Rukia was one of her best friends. Rukia had cried for her, over Ichigo even. Or maybe it was that Rukia had suspected Ichigo to make the decision to stay and didn't feel the need in getting upset.
She always thought she had a chance, because she was an optimistic person, because she thought if she loved him enough, that he would love her back. Perhaps Inoue Orihime was too optimistic.
Yes, she was too kind. Inoue didn't fight further for Ichigo, because she knew that Ichigo loved Rukia, even if Ichigo didn't see the whole picture. There were times that Inoue knew Rukia loved him too, because of the soft looks she gave him, and only him. When he had held her in his arms at the battle against Aizen, and Ichigo thought she was dead,
Rukia opened her eyes.
"Ichi-go." Rukia had whispered out desperately. They stared intensely at each other, and Inoue knew that she would just have to move on.
Inoue smiled bitterly again. "Ichigo, I hope you're happy." Inoue said to herself.
She would probably never be on a first name basis with Ichigo, but that didn't mean she couldn't say his name, right?
A/N: If this totally sucks, I really don't care. This has been eating at me for a while. I've had the flashback scene in my head for ever. Hopefully this didn't confuse anyone, and if it did, I'll explain it to you ok??? Just review. I didn't edit this, because it's late and I wanted to post it.
GOOD NIGHT! REVIEW!