Shinigami ~OC x BleachVarious!

Goodbyes, Again. Ch.11

I was walking with Ichigo to lunch when Keigo came out of nowhere.
"Straw--berry!!! Let's eat lunch together!!"
Ichigo dodged his attack and nods. "Sure. But I'm asking someone to join us today."
"Who?!" Keigo shreaks.
"Uryū." Ichigo calls out. "Eat lunch with us."
I laugh and Keigo leaches to my arm. "Ishida?! But... Why?! He'll suck the joy out of it!! It's the bandages, isn't it?! He looks funny, Huh?!"
Mizuiro blinks and sweat-dropps. "...Calm down..."
"No thanks!" Ishida shouts.
"Just like that?!" Keigo flinches.
"C'mon. Don't be a jerk. Keigo's buying."
"What?!" Keigo shreaks.
"..." Ishida fixes his glasses. "Okay."
Tears stream down Keigo's face and I pat his hair, soothingly.
"Free loader!" He mumbles. I break free and wave goodbye to them.
"I'm going to eat lunch by my self today! Sorry, boys!"
"Noooo!!!! Himi!! Don't leave!! You're the only joy I have left!!!" Keigo shouts after me. I just blow him a kiss and keep walking.

I find a good spot in a tree and lean against the bark. Renji and I used to fall asleep in trees together at the academy... I fade into thought and don't notice Rukia join me.
"Hey, Himiko." I grin at her and scoot over a bit for her.
"What up, short stuff?" She narrows her eyes at me.
"You're only a few inches taller than me..." I laugh and shrug.
"That's all it takes... I'm glad you came. I need to talk to you bout something." She nods and turns to face me.
"I am going back home tonight. I got a message saying that I've spent too long and head home right away... You're welcome to come with me, Rukia. Maybe they won't be as harsh if you turn yourself in..."
She shakes her head. "No, Himiko. They will still punish me. There is no way to avoid it."
I smile sadly and shrug. "It was worth a shot... There going to come for you, like before... But worse. They may even send a captain..."
She nods and goes to talk but is cut off by voices down below.

"Hey! They're up there! In the tree!"
I look down and see Orihime and her friends. "Hey! Himiko! Rukia! Wanna eat lunch with us?"
I climb down the tree and sit with them. "Sure. What up?"
Rukia joins me and sits uncomfortably.
"So.... Which one of you is with Ichigo?" Rukia spits out her juice and I laugh.
"W-What?!" Rukia studders.
"Seriously, what going on between you guys?"
Rukia wipes the juice of her face and shrugs. "We're just friends." I nod and grin at the girls.
"Yep. He's my partner."
They shreak and I get tackled with questions.
"What?! You're an item?!"
"How long?!"
"I knew it!"
Orihime looks at me confused and I wink at the girls. "...Partners in crime that is!"
Orihime giggles and I get an apple thrown at me. "Geez, Himiko. That was a mean one..."
"Don't play me like that!" I grin at the girls and sigh a little.
Orihime looks at me confused and I mouth to her. "I'll tell you after school..."
She nods and returns to the conversation.

After school, Orihime grabs my arm and looks me in the eyes. "What wrong, Himi-chan?"
I pull her in for a hug and sigh.
"I'm going home, Orihime."
She giggles and claps. "So am I! Let's go together!"
I frown and shake my head. "No... I'm going back to my home. Where I'm from."
The smile slips from her face and she pulls me in for another hug.
"Oh... I'll miss you, Himiko. It'll be lonely without you..."
I smile at her and pull away.
"I'll miss you too, Hime-chan! Don't make me cry! I got a couple more goodbyes to get through!"
She nods and waves me goodbye.
"Next time you're here, stop in and say hi!" She calls out.
I laugh and wave."I promise! See you later!"

I run down the street and find Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chad, all together. Dang, three birds with one stone!
"Hey! Guys! Wait up for a second!" They turn around and Keigo instantly clings to me.
"Hey! What's up, Himi? Why the long face?"
Mizuiro nods and smiles at me. "Yeah... Is something wrong?"
Chad looks me in the eyes and nods. "Himiko... Is going home."
I let out a small laugh and grin at him sadly.
"...You know me the best, huh, Chad?"
Keigo stares in shock and then starts crying, actual tears.
"W-Wait! Y-You can't be s-serious!... Can you?"
Mizuiro sighs and wraps his arms around me. "I'll miss you, Master. To bad you couldn't teach me everything you know..."
I laugh, tears streaming down my face.
"Sorry, young Padawan... That would take a lifetime..."
Keigo lets go of me and wipes his eyes. "...I'll m-miss you m-more... I can't believe I'm losing my Brigadier General!"
I ruffle his hair and salute him. "My sincerest apologies, Sir!"

I turn to face Chad. Chad opens his arms and I collapse against him. His arms close around me, gently and I sigh.
"You give the best hugs, Chad. I'll miss them."
Chad nods and tilts my chin to look at me. His hand was bigger than my face, but he held it so gently. He wiped my tears and smiles softly.
"We'll meet again, Himiko. Don't cry."
I laugh and pull away from him. "Wow... This is way harder than originally planned..." He shrugs and I hug everyone again.
"I miss you guys already!" They laugh and wave goodbye to me.
"Bye, Himiko!"
"Bye, Brigadier General Himiko!"
"Bye."
I sprint away, waving manaicly. "Bye, Guys!!"

I slow to a stop a the Kurosaki Clinic and knock on the door. Isshin jumps off the roof and lands on top of me.
"Yes! You've been bested, Himiko!"
I groan and trip him, flipping him on his back.
"...Ow... I'll call that a draw..."
I grin and climb back to my feet.
"Is Ichigo home?" Isshin nods and rubs his sore butt.
"Yeah... Check his room..."
I nod, opening the doors and stepping inside.

"Hey, Yuzu."
She looks up from her coloring page and grins at me.
"Hey! Himiko! Look what I drew you!" She runs into my arms and hands me her drawing. It had an orange haired man with a large grin, holding hands with a red haired female. I blush and smile at her.
"Is that me?" I ask, tracing the person. She nods and giggles.
"Yep... Ichigo always smiles when you're here. Keep it, Himiko! Put it in your fridge at home!"
I nod and carefully put it in my bag. "Thanks, lil one." She nods and heads back to the table.

When I walk down Ichigo's hallway, I start to get anxious. I knock on his door softly, doing our secret code.
"You can come in, Himi!" He calls out.
I peek my head in and see him working on his homework. I smirk and shoot him a wink.
"I didn't know you actually did stuff like that! How studious of you!"
He glares at me and I jump into his bed, spreading my limbs out and taking up the entire thing. We sit in silence until Ichigo clears his throat.
"What's up, Himi? You haven't said anything... Are you okay?"
I stare at the ceiling and shake my head, being honest.
Ichigo quickly kneels next to me and feels my forehead.
"Are you feeling okay? Is that what's wrong? Maybe you're hungry..." I turn on my side and face away from him, facing the wall.
"...You remember what I told you..."
Ichigo freezes and I feel him narrow his eyes.
"I told you that I won't always be here... That things don't last forever..."
Ichigo gently pushes me over on the bed and lays next to me. I can feel his gaze on the back of my head.
"You're going back to the soul society."
It was the way he said it... Emotionless. Blank. Broken. Hollow.
I started to cry. He placed his hand on my back and rests him head on my spine.
"It's okay. It's not like I'll never see you again."
I shake my head and break down even more.
"N-No... I'll know I'll never see you again... it's just... I've been practicing saying goodbye and I-I still can't bring myself to say it to you..."
Ichigo doesn't reply at first, but after a while he says one word.
"Why?"
"Because, when I say that to you... It will be the last thing I say to you. Goodbye is a sad word. It's lonely. Bleak. It is a word used in all sorts of ways. During every day things, like going to work or leaving for school. Or at funerals and hospitals, saying goodbye for the last time..."
I turn around to face him and he meets my teary gaze. "...I don't want our last words to be goodbye..."
Ichigo wipes my tears and smiles softly.
"Than don't. Don't say Goodbye. Say, I'll see you... Cause you will. I'll see you every where, Himiko. You'll always be with me. And I'll always be with you... Grab the box in my top drawer." I frown and fumble for the drawer, pulling out a small box.
"Open it."
I open it and pull out a small golden chain with a hilt dangling from it. I glance at him, confused. He pulls out a matching necklace, already around his neck.
"See? You have the hilt and I have the blade. Wear it and I'll always be with you, Himi. You're the hilt of my blade. Don't forget that."
I nod, wiping my eyes. I climb off the bed and smile at him, puting the necklace on.
"I'll see you, then..." Ichigo nods and grins.
"See you."
I open his window and spot a hell butterfly. The portal opens and I wave at Ichigo one last time before stepping through.