Work Text:
Orihime’s Emergency
Normal P.O.V.
The soft sounds of a woman crying in the living room of a quaint little three-bedroom home could be heard. The cries came from housewife, Orihime Kurosaki. Thoughts of inadequacy plagued her mind as she sat in an almost emptied house. After all, what wife would not be distraught finding her husband left his family as they slept?
The first sign of life came to the house when a fiery dark-haired, angry woman busted through the front door and startled her best friend.
“Where is he?! Ichigo Kurosaki! Come out you, fucking coward!” Tatsuki Arisawa screamed as she looked around the empty space.
“Oh, Tatsuki! I’m so glad you’re here! I didn’t know who to call, or what to do! I can’t believe he’s gone!” Orihime cried as she jumped into her friend’s arms.
“There, there, Hime. It’ll be ok. We’ll find him. You’ll be a widow, but we’ll find him.” Tatsuki sighed as she run her fingers through long, silky orange locks. “Here, you need to settle down. Why don’t you rest on the couch while I make some tea.”
All Orihime could do was nod as her best friend took care of her. While the housewife dried her tears and blew her nose, Tatsuki made tea. Once the tea was made, she brought two cups over to the couch, handed one to her friend, and sat down next to her.
“Now, why don’t you tell me what happened. Did the two of you get into a fight?” Orihime shook her head. “Did he at least tell you why he was leaving?” Orihime shook her head again. “He didn’t cheat on you, did he?” Tatsuki’s anger flared when her friend cried again. “That bastard! I can’t believe he would cheat on someone like you. You’re a wonderful housewife and he found pleasure from some floozy?! Why I oughtta~” Tatsuki was distracted by her rage that she forgot to comfort her distraught friend. “I’m sorry, Hime. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that. Come on. Tell me what happened.”
Orihime sniffled a few more times before starting her story. “I’m not sure where it went wrong. We never really fought, and everything was going so well today. He didn’t have to work at the clinic today or fight any Hollows, so we decided to have a family day out. We ate breakfast together and took Kazui to the park and played there before coming home. Kazui was tired, so I put him down for a nap. After that, Ichigo and I sat on the couch and watched a movie. I guess I must have fallen asleep, but when I woke up, Ichigo was gone! I searched the house and even tried searching for his spiritual pressure but there was nothing! Oh Tatsuki, what could have happened?! Why did he abandon our family?!” She cried again.
Tatsuki quietly sat as she held her friend close. Her brain cells ran a mile a minute as she processed the story her best friend told her. To Tatsuki Arisawa, Ichigo was a strong, brave, and honorable man. Sure, she may have accused him of leaving his family for a floozy, but that was in the past and she clearly wasn’t thinking clearly. However, it does not seem that she was the only one.
Tatsuki lightly chuckled as she soothed her emotional friend. “Hime, it’s ok. Now, dry your tears, and let’s logically talk this through, ok?” Orihime nodded as she wiped her tears away and listened to her best friend. “Now, let’s look at what we know about your idiot husband. Sure, he may be a lot of things, but dishonorable to the point of abandoning his family is not one of them. And, from how your story sounds, don’t you think you overacted a little bit?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you said that he spent the whole day with you and Kazui, but left while you were sleeping, right? Did you think that he might have gone to the grocery store? Or maybe got called away to fight a Hollow, or go the Soul Society?”
“I guess that could be a possibility. But, if that were true, he would have left a note, or message or something! You’re right. I may have overacted in thinking that he left Kazui and me for another life. But I can feel something is off. No, I know something had to have happened to my husband! Oh gods, Tatsuki! What if he got injured by a Hollow and was severely injured?! What if no one is there to heal him?! What if his arm got torn off and he was ripped to shreds?!”
“Orihime, you and I both know that Ichigo is one of the strongest people we know. I highly doubt he struggled against a few Hollows.”
“But what if it wasn’t Hollows, he fought?”
“I’m not following. What else could he have fought, or be doing besides that?” Tatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Well. I have a few theories about that. First, what if in the middle of a battle, he was thrown out of the sky and is trapped under a building screaming for help! Or he could have been trapped in Hueco Mundo and dying in the desert?! Or, he could have been trapped in another world where he’s drowning underwater, eaten by a shark, sea lion, killer whale, or anything like that?! What if he drowned in a nearby ocean?! He could have been eaten by an animal at the zoo! What if he was walking home and he ran over by a car?! You know how dangerous they can be! Oh gods, what if he was on his way home and got buried under cement. And, because he’s in his Shinigami form, no one knows that he’s there and his hand could be sticking out like this!” She screamed as she made a zombie face and hand gesture.
Tatsuki’s face twisted into a mixture of amusement and confusion. “Not trynna discourage your ideas, but I don’t think any of those are a possibility, Hime.”
“Ok then, what do you think happened to him?” She whimpered with her bottom lip poked out, and huge eyes stared up at the dark-haired woman.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure it was nothing that dramatic. And besides, if he was off fighting somewhere, wouldn’t you sense a spike in his spiritual pressure?”
“I guess you’re right. I just wish I knew where he was.” Orihime sighed as she gripped her long skirt.
“I know. Why don’t was wait a while for him to come back. And, if he isn’t back in an hour, then I’ll help you look.” Tatsuki smiled as she patted her friend’s head. “By the way, where is Kazui? I’m surprised I haven’t heard him yet, especially with you screaming like that.”
“He should be in his room sleeping. I better go check on him.” The orange-haired housewife said as she stood up.
“Alright, but make sure not to tell him anything about Ichigo~”
“Mommy.” A calm voice called out, causing the two women to face the stairs.
“Kazui, you’re awake?” Orihime gasped as she got up to greet her son.
“I’m still sleepy, momma.” He yawned before looking around. “Why is Aunt Tatsuki here? Where’s daddy?”
Orihime looked over her shoulder at her friend. The dark-haired woman motioned for her to not say anything, but it was too late. The sad look in her son’s eyes was too much for the housewife and mother to handle. “Well, Kazui, your father he… he… he…”
Suddenly Orihime started to cry. Picking up on his sensitive mother’s emotions, Kazui cried too. Seeing the display in front of her, Tatsuki face palmed herself and groaned. “Why am I here again?”
Suddenly, the front door opened and surprised everyone. Orihime and Tatsuki immediately jumped into action. Orihime pushed her son behind her while Tatsuki took a fighting stance. Both women were prepared to take on any foe that dared entered their home.
“Hime, Kazui! I’m home!” Ichigo called out from the front door.
“Ichigo! Daddy!” Both members of the Kurosaki family cheered as they raced to hug their husband and father with tears in their eyes.
“Whoa, whoa. What’s wrong? What’s going on?” He asked as he tried to hold the grocery bags and hug his family.
“We thought you were dead! Why did you leave for so long?!” Orihime cried into her husband’s chest.
“Daddy! You can never leave us again!”
“What are you guys talking about? Tatsuki? What are you doing here? What the hell is going on?”
“You’ve missed a lot.” Tatsuki laughed as she walked toward them with her arms crossed. “These two thought you up and left them. See Hime, I told you he probably just went to the grocery store.” She said before hitting him over the head.
“Ouch. What the hell was that for?” He growled.
“That was for making them worried. If you were just going to the store, you could have left a note, idiot. You know how sensitive they are.” She scolded with her hands on her hips.
“But I did leave a note. Hime, I left it for you on the table.” He explained as he put the groceries in the kitchen.
Curious, Tatsuki looked for the note and found that it fell to the floor. She quickly looked the note over and facepalmed. “Oh, for fucks sake. Hime!”
“Oops. I’m sorry for making you worried, Tatsuki and Kazui. You know I can get sometimes.” Orihime nervously laughed as she scratched the back of her head. “Come on, Kazui. Let’s help daddy bring in the rest of the groceries.”
The younger orange-haired nodded and smiled before following his mother to the family car. The two friends watched as they left the house before speaking.
“Ichigo, you are a saint.” Tatsuki smiled with her arms crossed.
“I wouldn’t say that. I have my flaws and worries too.” He smiled with his hands in his pockets.
“Be it as it may, I don’t know how you put up with both of them and remain so calm.”
Ichigo shrugged and said, “I chalk it up to the power of love, and the Little Blue Men who take over for me when I need a break.”
Both laughed at his joke as the dark-haired woman punched him in the shoulder. And with that, all was well in the Kurosaki home once again.
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The End