#ichirukimonth2019

[clumsychappy]

ICHIRUKI MONTH 2019 ↳Day 9: movie(s)

[ichirukianon]

IchiRuki Month 2019 // Day 01 // Competition

Just in time

[tasteofshapes]

Nothing changes. Even after a decade, even after they get married to different people, even after the kids come along. No matter who they’re with, or where they are, Ichigo still looks around for Rukia first. Orihime knows the routine by now. Ichigo’s eyes light up once they land on Rukia, and then, comforted with the knowledge that she’s there, he then checks for the kids – theirs and Rukia’s, and that bothers Orihime more than she will ever let on – and then finally, finally, he turns to Orihime. He always has a smile ready for her when he turns to his wife, but it’s the same smile that he pastes on when they have guests, polite and empty. Orihime knows Ichigo well enough by now to also know that he has a special smile reserved for Rukia that doesn’t appear when he’s with anyone else.

“I’m going to get us more drinks. You want anything else?” Ichigo asks, but he’s not looking at Orihime. His gaze is fixed at the far corner of the room, where Rukia is chatting away happily with Renji, Toshiro and Rangiku. Their friends and a small handful of Soul Society captains and lieutenants are crammed into their living room for Kazui’s birthday party, and the place is noisy, bright, and cheerful as the late afternoon begins to fade into the evening.

Orihime’s cup is full. Still, she says, “sure, just water please.”

She touches Ichigo’s arm to try and get him to look at her, but he just flashes her another quick smile before he disappears into the crowd, heading in the direction of the kitchen. She closes her eyes briefly. It’s the same thing every time Rukia comes around – Ichigo forgets that she exists. She knows that he doesn’t do it on purpose, that he can’t help himself. Rukia draws him in like a moth to a flame.

Orihime stands by the window and makes small talk with Uryu, who floats around whenever Ichigo leaves her stranded like this, and she’s grateful for the small acts of kindness that Uryu always shows her. There is no resentment between them, and not for the first time Orihime finds herself wishing that she fell in love with a different person.

After half an hour, Ichigo still isn’t back with their drinks, and Uryu has moved on to catch up with Chad. Orihime casually checks the room, hating herself even as she does it. He’s holed up in a corner with Rukia, both of them sitting on a sofa arm, their bodies angled towards each other and forming an exclusive circle of two. She watches him and sees how relaxed he is, how naturally he takes Rukia’s empty glass out of her hand and gives her his full one, as automatic as if he had been doing it all his life. Ichigo’s not even looking at Rukia as he swaps out their cups; his gaze is distant and sweeps over the crowd, but no one can miss the way his face is bright and open as he says something that makes her laugh and punch his arm.

Orihime looks away. Her throat is tight, and there’s a hard stone of jealousy rolling around in the pit of her gut. She looks around for Kazui, and finds him waving a plastic sword around with Ichika in a mock fight, while Renji and Toshiro watch on and give them tips. The sight of her son calms her, and she reminds herself that no matter what, she is the mother to Ichigo’s child.

Someone’s mobile starts beeping, and then another. There’s a dismayed exclamation, and then Toshiro’s calling out for Rangiku, while Renji bends and sweeps Ichika up into his arms. They all have their phones flipped open and a serious look on their faces as Ichigo and Rukia join them. Orihime works her way over just in time to catch the last bit of their hurried discussion – “okay, so you deal with them and we’ll go ahead first. See you back in Soul Society,” Renji says, and Ichika leans forward from the protective circle of Renji’s arms to give her mother a quick kiss on her cheek and a wave goodbye to Kazui, who is clutching Ichigo’s hand and watching the proceedings with wide eyes.

“See you soon,” Rukia promises, and then the group heads out the door, leaving Rukia behind to frown down at her phone and mutter something under her breath.

“What’s going on?” Orihime asks, bending down to pick up Kazui. He winds his arms around her neck and buries his hot little face into her shoulder, trying to hide from the world and the sudden solemnity that has descended upon the proceedings.

“Some kind of emergency in Soul Society. We’re not exactly sure what, only that they’ve all been urgently recalled,” Ichigo says distractedly. He’s watching Rukia, his eyes filled with worry, and her mobile goes off again, beeping insistently.

“Now there’s ten of them. Ichigo, I have to – ”

“Yeah, yeah. Go.”

Rukia looks at Orihime then, grimacing in apology. “Sorry to run, Orihime; we haven’t even gotten a chance to catch up! It was a lovely party though. Happy birthday, little one.” The last bit is directed towards her son, who pops his head up to flash Rukia his gap-toothed smile.

“Thank you,” he says, shy and sweet. Rukia breaks into a smile and strokes him fondly on his fat baby cheeks, and then she’s gone too.

Orihime lets out a breath that she hadn’t even known she had been holding, suddenly glad that all the Shinigamis have left and that she’ll get to have Ichigo to herself again. But his face is scrunched up into a familiar frown that she knows all too well, and wordlessly, he turns and heads for the stairs.

Orihime quickly sets Kazui down and tells him to go find and play with his uncle Uryu, then hurriedly follows in Ichigo’s wake. She enters their bedroom just as he leaves his human body behind and emerges in his Shinigami uniform.

“What are you doing?” Her voice comes out shriller than she expected, but she can’t believe that it’s Kazui’s birthday and he’s already running off to play Shinigami barely five minutes after Rukia leaves.

“Going to give Rukia a hand. Ten against one ain’t fair.” He doesn’t look up from where he’s arranging his body on their bed to look as if he’s taking a nap.

“Don’t go.”

“Huh?” His head snaps up, and Ichigo looks at her properly for the first time all day. “What do you mean, don’t go? Rukia needs my help, there’s ten Hollows out there with probably more to come, and she’s alo– ”

“She’s fine,” Orihime interrupts, sounding firmer than she feels. “Rukia is a captain, Rukia has bankai, and Rukia will be fine. Don’t go, please. Stay here, with us.” With me, is what she desperately wants to say, but he doesn’t hear her unspoken plea. He has never understood her, even after all these years.

Ichigo’s eyes narrow. “I don’t understand. You’re asking me to leave one of my best friends in danger?”

“No! I’m asking you to stay. Stay and protect us, your family.” She hates saying that, because she swore to herself that she would never use Kazui as an excuse to chain him to her, and yet here they are.

Ichigo begins to shake his head and instinctively, she knows that this is the moment. Right here, right now, they are teetering on the edge of something that they will never be able to back away from.

“Uryu and Chad are here to protect you guys. Look, I know we have our issues, but you’re asking me to put whatever this is – ” he waves a hand vaguely around in her direction, “ – over Rukia’s safety. You’re asking me to leave her to die. And I can’t do that.”

Orihime swallows at the hard look on his face. It’s the first time she’s ever seen that look directed at her. “So... so if you go to her, don’t expect to come home to me.”

Ichigo’s jaw actually drops at her ultimatum, and he takes a step back, looking stunned. Orihime takes no pleasure in the fact that she’s able to goad an emotion out of her seemingly emotionless husband after all. She closes her eyes and breathes, waiting for him to say the words that she knows will bring him back to her –

“I’m sorry, Inoue,” he says, and there is a tone of finality in his voice.

Her eyes fly open. He hesitates for a brief moment, looking at her, and her heart lodges itself in her throat. He won’t, he’ll stay – and then he turns. Two quick strides bring him over to the open window.

He leaps out into the night.

And just like that, he’s gone.

-

Day 16: if you go to her don’t expect to come home to me |  Other Days

[aeris1001]

Ichiruki Month 2019 Day17-The Last Time by Aeris1001

(Omg what’s this...) .Yay Day 17!!!XD

[kory-art]

//IchiRuki Month 2019//

[ichirukianon]

IchiRuki Month 2019 // Day 02 // Storytelling

Reminder that Ichigo likes Shakespeare, I guess.

[clumsychappy]

But darling, just kiss me slow Your heart is all I own And in your eyes you're holding mine

-perfect-

[clumsychappy]

ichiruki in real life?

“Try coming after me..... and I, I will never forgive you ICHIGO!”   

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