Work Text:
Today is the happiest day of Orihime Inoue's life.
She's getting married to Kurosaki-kun, the only thing she's ever wanted since the day she met him. So how come all she could feel is a sinking feeling in her stomach like she's doing something wrong?
"Orihime, are you okay?" Tatsuki-chan asks worriedly. Orihime smiles sweetly at her, and waves her off.
"I'm alright! I'm just feeling a bit nervous, that's all."
"What are you even worried about? Ichigo is head over heels for you."
"Are you sure? What about..." Orihime trails off, laughing to cover up the implications of what she just said.
Ever since the day Rukia Kuchiki showed up as a transfer student at Karakura High, she had been jealous of her. The whole school thought they were dating, and for good reason. They were always running off together alone, talking amongst themselves instead of eating lunch with the others. Orihime later found out that they were just working together to kill Hollows, but she knew Kurosaki-kun like the back of her hand. When he thought no one was looking, he would watch Kuchiki-san. He acted like her protector, shielding her from Keigo's advances and scowling at anyone who even looked at her. Orihime wasn't surprised at all when he told her he was going to Soul Society and fighting everyone there just to save her. She knew he wouldn't listen to her when she said it was too dangerous, so she resolved to do anything to help him save her. She knew Kurosaki-kun would throw away everything just for her, and she knew Kuchiki-san would do the same.
"Are you really worrying about rumors from high school?" Tatsuki laughs.
Tatsuki Arisawa has been best friends with Orihime since middle school, and she could pretty much read her mind. But you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that Orihime was talking about Rukia. In all honesty, Tatsuki thought Orihime was way too good for Ichigo. She's known him since they were little, and he's always been an idiot. He was too thick headed to notice Orihime's feelings for years, and now the bastard gets to marry her? Tatsuki's almost jealous...
"Don't you think Kurosaki-kun's happier with her?" Orihime says quietly.
Tatsuki stays quiet. She thinks about how Ichigo stopped smiling after his mother died, how he started smiling again after Rukia came into his life. Tatsuki knew how helpless he felt after he couldn't protect his mom. She also knew that Rukia gave him the power to protect, a reason to live again. Tatsuki didn't know Rukia very well. But she did know that Ichigo cared deeply for her.
"If Ichigo was in love with her, wouldn't he be with her by now? He's marrying you, Orihime. He chose you."
"You're right, I shouldn't doubt Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime says brightly.
Orihime makes her way out of the bathroom to the beach where everyone is gathered. She wanted a beach wedding because to her, Kurosaki-kun was the sun. He lit up her world, and made her so much happier. Plus, she wanted her guests to have fun and swim before the formal ceremony at sunset. Orihime watches everyone swimming or playing in the sand. From the Gotei 13 to their high school friends, Ichigo has no problems befriending everyone. She's happy they could all come today.
"Good morning, Orihime. You look beautiful!" Isshin greets her, followed by Karin and Yuzu.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-san." she smiles sweetly.
"Please, call me Isshin. After all, you'll be my fourth daughter after today!" he says excitedly.
"Fourth..?" Orihime trails off, confused. Then she realizes who this "third daughter" is referring to.
"Isshin, your idiot son got pinched by a crab." Rukia yells out.
"Rukia-chan, are you suggesting that I give Ichigo medical assistance?" he teases.
"Of course not, I'm letting you know so you can remind me to send you pictures later." she retorts. Isshin laughs loudly, and looks guiltily back at Orihime.
Isshin always thought that if Ichigo was going to marry anyone, it would be Rukia. Just like how Masaki saved him all those years ago, Rukia saved Ichigo. Isshin played dumb, but he knew Rukia was living in Ichigo's closet all those months. He knew that when Ichigo went to "summer camp", he was going to save Rukia. He even told Ichigo to bring home a cute girl. Rukia became like a third daughter to him, especially when she was helping him and Urahara gather everyone's reiatsu. But he knew precisely why Ichigo never pursued anything with Rukia, and it broke his heart.
"I hope we can get closer, Orihime-chan." Isshin says gently, patting her shoulder, leaving her alone with Yuzu and Karin.
"Ignore him. He's even dumber than Ichi-nii." Karin rolls her eyes, and Orihime laughs.
"I don't blame him for being closer with Kuchiki-san. She's amazing." Orihime sighs.
"You're way better than Rukia. She's not even that pretty." Karin scoffs.
Karin did not like Rukia. Ever since she came into Ichigo's life, he's been in danger. He's always running off risking his life for strangers, all because of her and her morals. Karin wasn't dumb. She knew Ichigo wasn't taking leftovers upstairs because he wanted to "study". She didn't even get why he cared about her so much. Rukia's short and annoying, not to mention Orihime's ten times prettier than her. Rukia Kuchiki was not impressive to Karin.
"Rukia, stop putting fucking sand in my hair!" Ichigo yells, chasing her around.
"It looks so much better." Rukia snorts, and he pushes her into the water. They end up having a water fight, laughing loudly with each other.
"Hm." Orihime watches, biting her lip.
"Don't worry, he loves you." Karin smiles. She learned from growing up with Yuzu that sometimes people just need a little white lie to make them feel better. Because no matter how much she disliked Rukia, she knew Ichigo needed her in his life.
"Karin, you need to be nicer to Rukia-chan. She's like our older sister!" Yuzu says brightly.
Yuzu didn't know much about Shinigamis or Soul Society, but she liked having Rukia around. She would always help her cook and do dishes, and never failed to compliment her curry.
"Yeah, yeah." Karin nods. Karin did have to give Rukia some credit, she was the only person who never tried to bother her when she was busy. And she wasn't too bad to be around.
"I think I'll go get some food.” Orihime excuses herself.
Whenever Orihime is stressed, she eats a shit ton of food. Ichigo wasn't a fan of the foods she liked, but he gave in to her pleas to let her choose the appetizers for their wedding. Sadly, no one seemed to be eating the wasabi fruit tarts except for Rangiku.
"Orihime-chan, these are delicious!" she exclaims.
"Thank you for appreciating the food, Rangiku-san." she says gratefully.
"Of course, but I feel like that's not the only thing you're stressing about right now." Rangiku says empathetically.
"Don't worry, I won't cry in your naked arms again." Orihime snorts.
"What I said then still stands true. There's no doubt that Ichigo needs Kuchiki, but he needs you too." she hugs Orihime tightly. Rangiku was never really close to Rukia, but she knew Ichigo had some weird bond with her. Rangiku was a very busty women, she was used to using her sex appeal to get what she wants from men. She tried seducing Ichigo into letting her stay over at his house for a mission, and while he couldn't stop himself from looking, he refused to let her stay. Rukia, on the other hand, stayed in his room like it was her rightful place. Like she belonged there.
"I remember thinking in our final battle that I was glad I could finally fight alongside Kurosaki-kun. But Kuchiki-san has been by his side since the beginning. But never mind that, they're just friends, so I have no reason to be jealous." Orihime says brightly.
Rangiku thinks about the way that Ichigo's first stop at Soul Society is the Kuchiki Manor, no matter how many times Byakuya kicks him out. She thinks about how he subconsciously stands near her wherever they go, like her personal bodyguard. She thinks about how her cleavage is always on display, but Ichigo's eyes are only trained on Rukia. And Rangiku decides for once in her life that she needs to shut up, because at the end of the day, Ichigo Kurosaki is marrying Orihime Inoue, and she does not want to be responsible for destroying that.
"Yeah, they're obviously just friends." Rangiku says firmly, smiling wide at Orihime.
"Rukia, for God's sake, put a damn shirt on!" Ichigo yells, wrapping his towel around her.
"I'm wearing a bikini under the dress I took off. I would've kept it on if somebody didn't splash water all over me."
"You're showing too much skin."
"I don't even have anything to show."
"You still look-I mean-you're..." he stammers nervously, scratching his neck.
"Pervert, stop looking at me like that!"
"I'm not fucking looking there, you're just so goddamn short I always have to look down."
"I'm telling nii-sama you insulted me."
"So what? I whooped his ass at Soul Society to save you anyways."
"I specifically asked you NOT to save me, you just didn't listen."
"So you wanna have this argument again?!"
"What a filthy boy." Byakuya mutters next to her, also watching the famed duo.
"Are you enjoying the wedding so far, Captain Kuchiki?" Orihime asks politely.
"It's wonderful. I only wish you accepted my offer to pay for everything. The Kuchiki clan isn't short on funds."
"We could never accept that much money, but thank you for offering!"
"The money is the least I could do for Kurosaki. I am indebted to him for life." he says solemnly.
"Indebted..?"
"He saved Rukia. There is nothing more important to me." Byakuya did not approve of Ichigo Kurosaki at all. He was loud, rude, and did not care about any of the rules Soul Society put into place. He was the exact opposite of the perfect noble he thought Rukia deserved. But the fact of the matter is that Ichigo makes Rukia happy, so Byakuya tries to tolerate the boy.
"You almost sound like you want him to marry Rukia instead." Orihime jokes.
"Of course not. He's not worthy of her." When he first saw Ichigo, he thought Rukia was in love with him. She threw away her life just to stay by his side a little longer and let him live. After he left Soul Society, Rukia was different. She seemed stronger, and opened up to him more. When Ichigo lost his powers, Rukia even abandoned all her Lieutenant duties to focus on helping him get them back. Byakuya was ready to stop Ichigo from marrying Orihime, but for some unknown reason, Rukia was fine with it. She even told her she was happy that they finally got together. Byakuya didn't question her further, because he knew better than anyone the sacrifices you have to make for the people you truly love.
"I'm sorry I called you flat and short. I didn't mean it, even though it's true." Ichigo smirks at Rukia.
"You bastard."
"Even though you're ugly, at least Kon loves you!"
"You think I'm ugly?" Rukia says sadly, facing away from him.
"Rukia, I was joking. You're-"
"Ha! You actually thought I was offended? Sorry, I only listen to judgements from people who are actually attractive."
"Oh, I'm glad you're not sad--wait! Are you saying I'm ugly? Come back here, you midget!"
"My, my, Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san are lively, aren't they?" Urahara comments. He thought Rukia and Ichigo would be dating by now. Ichigo went all emo when Rukia was taken away to Soul Society, and kept crying about wanting to save her. Rukia did the exact same thing when Ichigo lost his powers, and kept watching him in her Shinigami form so he wouldn't see her. In his opinion, Rukia and Ichigo should save everyone from their obvious sexual tension and just fuck, but maybe Ichigo wants someone with big boobs.
"Stop teasing her." Yoruichi chastises Urahara.
"I'm merely observing the situation."
"It's okay, Yoruichi-san. I know Urahara-san is just messing around!"
Yoruichi knows Ichigo is the biggest virgin alive, so she has no idea how he scored a girl like Orihime. The only girl he ever even payed attention to was Rukia. Before they met, Yoruichi would observe Ichigo and Rukia in her cat form to report back to Urahara. They would spend every hour together, even outside of Shinigami duties. Ichigo would force Rukia to go to the grocery with him to get ingredients for Yuzu, and Rukia would force him to buy stuffed animals at the Chappy store. Hell, they even went to the arcade and played until they beat the high scores on every single game. You could just write it off as them being "besties", but besties don't hold hands at the ice-skating rink. Besties don't walk as close as humanly possible to each other for no reason. And besties certainly don't almost kiss on at least five separate occasions. Yoruichi has been alive for many years, and she knows it's not her place to say it, but this marriage is going to be a disaster.
"I can't wait to see your wedding dress!" Yoruichi changes the subject.
"Oh, it's nothing special."
"Even if you wore a trash bag, you would still look beautiful." she compliments.
"Thank you, Yoruichi-san."
Orihime knows she's pretty. Obviously, she's humble about it, but boys have been chasing her since she got boobs. So logically, she shouldn't be threatened by Rukia at all. Her legs are longer, she has a nice bust, and she has long, pretty hair. Rukia can't even compete with her.
Except...
"Rukia, I'm fucking terrified." Ichigo whispers.
Unintentionally, Orihime followed the pair to the empty patio where they seemed to be having a serious conversation. Also unintentionally, Orihime found a perfect spot to sit down within hearing distance of them.
"Shouldn't you be happy? It's your wedding day, idiot." Rukia flicks his forehead, and he winces in pain.
"Obviously, I'm happy. I'm just scared to fuck everything up so bad that Inoue leaves me."
"Then don't fuck things up."
"Gee, thanks for the great advice."
"Well, you don't need advice from me."
"If I didn't need your advice, why the fuck would I be asking you-"
"Let me finish, dumbass. You don't need any advice because you're the best man anyone could ask for. You're fiercely loyal, and you care deeply for everyone close to you. I know that in my heart, and Orihime does too. She's way too good for you, but you won't fuck things up. I know who you are in my heart." she finishes quietly.
"You talk too much." Ichigo grins.
"Wow. I say all this shit to make you feel better and-"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Rukia."
"Stop hugging me, you smell bad."
"You smell worse." Ichigo retorts, and Rukia punches him in the face. Orihime's heard enough. It confirms what she already knows:
Rukia Kuchiki is the only one who can make Ichigo Kurosaki be Ichigo Kurosaki. No matter how depressed and hopeless he feels, Rukia will pull him out of the depths of the ocean so he can breathe again.
"I bet five bucks Kurosaki will run off the altar and make out with Kuchiki." Jinta whispers to Ururu.
"Inoue-san the bride is right next to us, Jinta." Ururu says quietly.
"Shit, hi Inoue-san!" he says brightly.
"It's okay, I know you guys are just joking." Orihime smiles at them.
"Yeah...joking." Jinta trails off. He didn't know much about adult shit, and he didn't really care, but Rukia would always be with Ichigo every time they came to the Urahara Shop. Before he knew them well, he would just refer to them as the girl shinigami and her orange-haired boyfriend.
"I don't like that Rukia! She always clings to Ichigo." Ririn's voice echoes from Ururu's bag.
"Look who's talking. You came here in stuffed animal form so you could have an excuse to hug Ichigo without Orihime getting mad." Jinta scoffs.
"I'm not-I just-"
"Hi, Ririn, glad you could make it!" Orihime says sweetly.
"Hi." Ririn embarrassedly says. If you ask her, Orihime was never a threat in the battle for Ichigo. He never really paid attention to her advances, and didn't even notice how obsessed Orihime was with him. Rukia, on the other hand, took away all of Ichigo's attention. How the hell does a midget like her have such high sex appeal?
"Stop bothering Inoue-san, Ririn." Ishida closes Ururu's bag shut, smiling apologetically at Orihime.
"We've been friends for years, Uryuu. You can call me Orihime, you know?" she jokes.
"I'm afraid that's a bit too intimate for me."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean." he looks intently at her, the way he always has. Because ever since the day he's met her, he's been irrevocably in love. Ishida wishes Kurosaki knew how lucky he is to have Orihime. To him, she was a beautiful enigma that he could spend the rest of his life trying to figure out. She was the kindest soul he's met, and Ichigo doesn't deserve even half of her. Ishida could fucking kill him, because he knows Kurosaki doesn't love or appreciate her enough. He knows the one Ichigo really loves is Rukia.
"You'll find an amazing girl one day, and you'll wonder why you even bothered liking a ditz like me." Orihime jokes.
"You are the amazing girl." And he's being completely serious. Kuchiki is pretty enough, he guesses, but she doesn't hold a candle to Orihime. Ishida doesn't understand Kurosaki's obsession with Kuchiki. He's always putting her first before anything. He was even willing to delay saving Orihime just to keep her safe. And Kuchiki was just as obsessed with him too. Ishida wishes he could just whisk Orihime away and be happy with her forever. But he knows, God he knows, that she will never love him in that way.
"Ishida-kun, you are one of my best friends. And I'm really happy that you've always been there for me. But I have Kurosaki-kun now."
"I know. I don't deserve you."
"If you asked me earlier, I would've said yes." she whispers, tears springing up in her eyes. Oh, her eyes. They tell him everything he needs to know. She loved him too. But the key word here is 'loved'.
"So there's really no chance now, huh?" Ishida laughs dryly.
"I love Kurosaki-kun. I always have." Orihime says firmly.
"But what about-"
"Ishida. In case you forgot, I'm getting married today. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go greet more guests."
"Orihime-" Ishida reaches out for her, but she's already gone.
"Inoue-san, you look gorgeous. Ichigo will definitely pass out when you're wearing your wedding dress later." Chad greets her with a friendly smile.
"Or maybe he'll tell me I'm showing too much skin again." she snorts.
"He's just protective like that. True to his name."
"He's only supposed to protect one thing, but he ended up protecting the whole world."
"Well, it's all thanks to Kuch-uh..." Chad trails off. Chad has been friends with Ichigo since middle school, and they were really similar when it comes down to it. They both kept to themselves, not really opening up to new people. While Chad still tried to keep a pleasant face in front of others, Ichigo showed a permanent scowl. If you actually tried to talk to him, you would find out he's actually one of the most caring people you'll ever meet. But most were too scared to try to talk to the angry bright-haired boy. But Kuchiki made him start smiling again. Chad and Ichigo don't talk much, but they silently understand each other, eating and just enjoying each other's company. He can read Ichigo's face like an open book. As much as Chad likes Orihime, there was something different in the gazes Ichigo gives Rukia.
"Ichigo, you know I'm a fuku-taichou, right?" Rukia squints at him, transforming into a Shinigami.
"I'm well aware, I just haven't killed any Hollows in a while, and it'd be fun. For old time's sake." he presses the battle pass to his chest, standing quickly by her side.
"I can handle them myself, idiot. Go enjoy your wedding."
"I can't risk you getting hurt again." Ichigo says this quietly, but Orihime still hears.
"The ceremony's starting soon, just let me go already." Rukia argues, and he grabs her arm tightly.
"I said no." Ichigo stares at her with a gaze that's only reserved for Rukia Kuchiki.
"Go help Orihime with the guests." she stubbornly says.
"Ino-Orihime! I'm just going to kill some Hollows real quick. You'll be okay by yourself, right?" Ichigo looks at her expectedly, and she realizes it's the first time he's given her any attention ever since Rukia arrived. And it hurts. It hurts that he says 'Rukia' so easily, like her name is what his mouth was made for, but he struggles to even call her 'Orihime'. It hurts that no matter how long she dates Ichigo, Rukia will always be the number one person in his life. It hurts that the person who's always been her first choice, never even tried to put her as his. It will always be Rukia.
"Of course! Have fun." Orihime says sweetly, because that's what Orihime is supposed to be. She's supposed to be the kind, understanding wife who would never hurt a fly. And she's fucking tired of it.
"Thanks. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." He gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, and runs off to follow Rukia.
Orihime knows Ichigo loves her. He tells her everyday. He showers her in kisses and adoration, always buying her flowers when she's in a bad mood. He writes her cheesy love poems on sticky notes, putting them on the fridge while she cooks dinner. He does everything a girl could ever ask for. That's what Orihime gets. She gets the perfect prince Ichigo. The knight in shining armor that dotes on her every want and need.
But that's not who Ichigo Kurosaki is.
The only one who gets the real Ichigo is Rukia. She gets his grumpy moods and bad days. He tells her he hates her at least ten times a day, constantly calling her annoying. She doesn't get hugs or kisses, she gets longing gazes, accidental touches, and no personal space. She gets lighthearted punches and kicks from him, that everyone knows is just an excuse for him to touch her. Rukia is the only one that he shows his real poems to. The ones that speak of true love ending in tragedy, stemming from his idolization of Shakespeare. She gets all of him: the good, the bad, and everything in between.
"It's hard. To love them when they love each other." Renji appears next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He knows better than anyone how Orihime feels. He's spent his whole life loving Rukia. From the moment he met her in Rukongai, he fell hard. She was one of those girls you can't help but fall for. She was bold and strong, but still had this air of gentleness that pulled you in. But Renji knew that he wasn't good enough for her. He knew he wasn't good enough for her when they were kids, and he had nothing to offer. He knew he wasn't good enough when she got adopted by the Kuchiki clan, officially becoming a noble. And he certainly isn't good enough for her now, compared to the savior of the world: Ichigo Kurosaki. But Rukia finally gave him a chance, and he wasn't going to fuck it up. Because as jealous as he was of Ichigo, Ichigo was the reason Rukia even started talking to him again, and he owes him one.
"Are we always going to be the second choice for the rest of our lives? Isn't there anything we can do?" Orihime angrily whispers.
"We could let them go." Renji offers, and she's taken aback. She's never even considered giving up, but maybe they would all be happier-
"But even if we let them go, they won't ever admit that they love each other. They're both prideful people. Besides, with Yhwach-"
"I get it. Besides, we both know we can't let them go." she cooly says.
"I was just joking."
"Maybe we're just being crazy. Maybe they really are just like brother and sister." Orihime cheerfully says.
"Yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Abarai-kun, you're not being helpful at all."
"Fine. If it helps, Ichigo would never cheat on you. He loves you, and he'll make a great husband."
"But is he in love with me?"
"Isn't it basically the same thing?"
"No, no it's not."
"All things aside, you're the one marrying him today, Not Rukia, but you. That's gotta count for something."
Renji's right. Ichigo will be her husband. Orihime wins.
"Also, with Rukia and I being Lieutenants, we don't have that much time to visit the human world anyway. You have nothing to worry about. Even if they are secretly in love with each other, he's human and she's a shinigami. It won't work."
"But Ichigo's parents...never mind. Thank you, Abarai-kun." Orihime gratefully smiles, and he goes back to inhaling the food on his plate.
"Orihime-chan! Get your fine ass over here, it's time to put your wedding dress on." Rangiku yells, and Orihime follows her inside the beach-house. They go inside one of the rooms, and Ishida is putting the finishing touches on her wedding dress.
"Thank you, Ishida-kun. It looks beautiful." she places her hand on his shoulder, and he tenses up.
"Of course. I made it for you, after all." Ishida leaves the room, and Orihime gets changed. She looks in the mirror, and she's a perfect bride.
"You look stunning!" Rangiku compliments, fixing her hair.
"Thank you." Orihime walks out of the room, and Ishida is dumbfounded.
"You look...I..." he trails off, settling for kissing her on the hand. Just a friendly gesture.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Orihime giggles, then she suddenly remembers, "Shit. I think I left my phone in one of the bathooms."
"I can get it for you." Ishida offers.
"No, it's okay. I have time." Orihime purposefully walks towards the bathroom, but she realizes she's right outside of the room Ichigo's changing in. She knows it's bad luck to have the groom see the wedding dress before the wedding, so she stays outside the door. She's not spying, per say, she's merely curious on what he's talking about with his groomsmen. But to her surprise, or maybe it shouldn't be a surprise, she hears Rukia's voice instead. She gazes at them through the window, and they're too caught up in each other to notice her.
"Do you not know how to tie a damn tie? It's all crooked, idiot." Rukia adjusts his collar, and he's smirking at her.
"I'm surprised you can reach my neck, midget."
"If you don't shut up, I'll snap your neck."
They stay quiet for a while, all the words they could say stuck in their throats.
"Tell me not to marry her." he says quietly.
"Ichigo, what are you talking about-"
"Say the word, and I'll run away with you. Fuck everything. If there's even a chance of us, I'lll-"
"You'll what? You'll call off the whole wedding in front of everyone we know because you think you're in love with me?"
"Rukia..."
"Calm down, you dumbass. You're just so scared of fucking things up with Orihime later on, that you want to destroy everything with this idiotic 'confession' of yours."
"Is that what you think this is?" his voice cracks, a betrayal of the calm demeanor he was trying to show.
"Obviously. There's no way you would be in love with me. We're nakama. People just like to make up rumors for their own entertainment, but that's never bothered you before, so why are you bothered now?"
"I'm bothered because they're all fucking right! I'm bothered because every night I have nightmares of you dying out there where I can't protect you. I'm bothered because Inoue's the best girlfriend I could ever wish for, but you're the only one I ever think about. Rukia, I lo-"
"Don't say it. Don't even think of finishing that sentence. You're just stressed out because you hate socializing, and your sword-fighting skills were dogshit when we fought the Hollows today."
"Hey, cut me some slack. I haven't-"
"Ichigo, focus on what I'm trying to fucking say."
"Oh yeah, sorry."
"Even if you were in love with me, I could never say yes." Rukia says quietly, her eyes betraying her words.
"You can't? Or you won't?"
"I am a Shinigami, and you're just a human. I have my hands full with my Lieutenant duties, especially since Captain Ukitake's gone. You have a life here. Your friends, your family, your wife. You have to finish medical school, and have perfect babies with Orihime. That's just how things should be, Ichigo. So stop forcing whatever this is."
"Damnit, Rukia. None of that shit matters to me. I'll quit everything. I'll force Shunsui to give me a position in the Gotei 13. I mean they have to, the amount of times I saved Soul Society-"
"I said no. Now, we're going to fix your awful hair, get you ready, and you're going to walk out there, happy to see your beautiful bride."
"But Rukia-"
"No buts. We are nakama, nothing more, and certainly not less. I'm just screwing your head on straight like I always do.
"Thanks." he grins, ruffling her hair as she glares at him. He doesn't say 'I love you', and he doesn't have to.
Orihime erases their whole exchange from her memory, and gets ready to walk down the aisle. She sees Ichigo grinning at the altar, and she smiles back at him.
"Are you nervous?" Tatsuki asks her, squeezing her hand.
"No." And for the first time this whole day, she's not lying. She's not nervous, scared, or anything in between. She knows why they're getting married.
She knows Yhwach's words have been engraved in Ichigo's mind.
For I shall find the future…
That one moment in time where each of you feel the greatest amount of joy and happiness…
And it is there, I shall slaughter you.
If Ichigo was truly happy with her, wouldn't Yhwach appear right here and right now? Why isn’t Ichigo’s happiest moment getting married?
“Do you take Ichigo Kurosaki as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.” This is everything Orihime has ever wanted. Why isn’t she happy?
“Do you take Orihime Inoue as your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I-” A bolt of lightning interrupts him, causing him to jump. Orihime looks up, and the blue skies that were just there today, are covered in stormy clouds. It starts to rain lightly. The guests are fine, they have a huge tent covering everyone. But Orihime insisted on having the altar in the sun. She wanted to feel the warm rays as they said their vows to each other. But now, it’s raining. She closes her eyes in anticipation of the tiny droplets, but they never come. Instead, they are shielded by an umbrella, with a huge bunny on the top.
“Aren’t you glad we went to the Chappy store after we killed the Hollow, now?” Rukia lightheartedly says, slapping Ichigo on the arm.
“Doesn’t change the fact that the rabbit’s ugly as fuck.” he retorts, and they both glare at each other. Orihime feels like a third wheel at her own wedding.
“Thank you, Rukia-chan!” she says brightly.
“Of course.” Rukia smiles at Orihime.
Orihime may be the one standing in the rain with Ichigo, but Rukia is the only one who can stop the rain completely.