Become A Ghost

Become A Ghost, Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The next day, Orihime woke after noon and felt pretty good, all things considered. Rukia and Byakuya had already long departed for their respective divisions, and Orihime was alone, if by 'alone' one meant in a huge mansion with a dozen distant Kuchiki relatives in their own private wings, and several dozen servants.

She flagged down one of those servants and asked for instructions on how to procure some lunch (having missed breakfast by hours), even suggesting she'd make it herself. The servant's expression of horror, and fervent protests that she would bring lunch to Orihime, was such that Orihime quickly backed down and simply asked for directions to the room where she was supposed to eat the lunch. It seemed an awful lot of fuss just for a little rice and an omelette.

Once in the dining room, she parted the shoji screens to open the space to the outdoors and sat down to lunch. The chopsticks hadn't quite made it to her mouth when a small pinkish blur skidded to a stop beside her.

"Yachiru-chan?"

"Hi, Jiggles!" Yachiro exclaimed. "Shorty told Scribbles who told Pachinko-head who told me that you died and were staying here." Orihime interpreted that to mean "Rukia told Renji who told Ikkaku..."

"Ah, yes!" Orihime replied. "I'm sorry, I was going to come see you soon. I'm happy you came to visit me here!"

"Oh, I didn't come to see you," Yachiru said cheerfully. "I wanted to ride my scooter in the hallways." She pointed to the object dumped on its side, one handlebar blithely digging up the exquisitely tended sod of the garden. "And maybe see Byakushi, if he's here."

"I'm surprised Byakuya-sama lets you do that." She knew Byakuya would permit no such thing.

"He doesn't," said Yachiru, still cheerfully. "That's why I do it when he's away." She put a finger to her chin and looked to the ceiling, considering. "Though sometimes he comes home early and finds me here. That's when he throws candy out the window so I can jump up and chase it!"

Orihime bit her lip, struggling not to laugh. Poor Byakuya. Then she noticed that Yachiru was eyeing her in an almost-unfriendly manner and sobered.

"Jiggles, I just thought of something," Yachiru said with a frown, concentrating hard. "Are you living here because you're gonna marry Byakushi? Cuz I'm gonna tell you right now, he's mine."

Orihime's eyes flew wide. "Er. No. I'm staying here because I'm friends with Rukia-chan, and it's only for a little while. Once I figure out what I'm doing with my future, I'll probably move out."

Yachiru scrutinized her for a moment longer, and then her expression lightened into its one of usual mischief. "Okay, then! Hey, you want to ride my scooter with me?"

"I wish I could! But I'm having lunch right now." Orihime thought it actually sounded a little fun, though.

"Tch," was Yachiru's reply, sounding very much like Kenpachi himself when he was irritated. "I guess you're not going to let me ride my scooter in the hallways, either?"

"I'm sorry, no." Orihime aimed for the right balance of regret and authority and seemed to have gotten it right, because Yachiru just heaved a woebegone sigh.

"No one lets me have fun," she complained.

"No one ever?" Orihime teased, tickling her until she giggled. "I think it's just the opposite. I think Byakuya-sama is the only one who doesn't let you have fun."

Yachiru looked at her like she was crazy. "He gives me candy and meat buns all the time, before I even have to ask. He doesn't talk much, just like Ken-chan, which is good cuz it annoys me when men yap a lot. Yun-yun sometimes talks so much I wanna cry. Yun-yun sometimes talks so much he makes Ken-chanwant to cry, though if you tell anyone that I'll have to beat you up. But Bya-kun doesn't talk too much, plus he gives me candy, plus he's pretty. He's perfect."