[Ichigo Kurosaki] Paladin [One Shot]

It was a well-known fact that Yasutora Sado was attracted to cute things. It had gotten him in trouble before, when a Hollow was manipulating a boy named Shibata, whose soul was trapped in a yellow cockatiel. He chased after Kon after seeing the stuffed animal outside and running down the street, away from a group of girls that wanted to sell him out. However, the one thing that was recently added to his list that caused you great misfortune was something big — you.

The thing was, you didn’t hate Chad. No way, he was a good guy. He was quiet, strong, gentle, and definitely loving. He cared for his friends and would do anything to protect them. The problem was you. Yes, you. You had no romantic feelings for him. Why? Because you were in love with someone else. It wasn’t as if you were to blame, you couldn’t control who you liked.

So when you started to get suspicions of Chad’s small crush on you, you felt like a complete and utter bitch. He was amazing and was blessed with good looks, but alas, your heart did not reach out to his. To make matters even worse, you were in love with a boy who was a good friend of Chad’s, someone who already had a girl after him.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

Yeah, that orange-haired ghost-seeing “delinquent” was the one you set your sights on. Ever since you were a kid you had feelings for him. When your mother and his mother would spend time together at home, the two would watch you play. You had grown up living close to him until you had to move away. You came back when high school started and that was when Chad set his sights on you.

Not only was the whole ‘unrequited love triangle’ thing tough, but you didn’t even think you were that cute to begin with. It was hard to picture Chad, the guy who was enamored with small animals and stuffed toys, to be head-over-heels for you. You two only talked sometimes, he didn’t even say much. Was it just looks he liked, did your personality pitch in to the cuteness, or...? Bah, too much thinking.

While letting all of this run through your mind one day after school, you heard someone calling your name. You turned slowly and caught sight of the tall, lanky figure and your face turned pink. Ichigo stopped next to you, his scowling face easing up when he spotted you stopping.

“Hey! (L/n)-san, good to see you. I thought I might walk you home and chat a bit.”

Your face brightened up. “Thank you, Ichigo-kun. And you can call me (Y/n)-chan, you know. I think we’ve been friends long enough for that.”

“Uh...okay. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Chad.”

“Chad?” You blinked once and turned your gaze away, your heart sinking. Oh no. Cue friend intervention.

“Yeah. See, the thing is, the guy may look pretty intimidating and all, but he’s just a big softie. Err, well, kinda. Anyway, he told me he has a thing for you. I think you two should go out, maybe give him a chance. We’ve been under a lot of stress lately and he really likes you.”

You fought the urge to sigh. God, this was awkward. Not only were you walking with Ichigo and you didn’t have the guts to tell him how you felt, but the poor bastard was trying to set you up with his best friend. Now how did that make you look? You dropped your chin down to your chest and Ichigo stared at you in uncertainty.

“H-hey! I didn’t mean to make you sad. You think I like setting my friends up? Chad didn’t even ask me to do it, I just get tired of seeing him staring at you and not being able to say anything. Love isn’t my kind of thing anyway...” He scratched the back of his neck and stared ahead. “We’ve been friends for a long time so I was hoping you’d do me this favor. Just go out with him on at least one date, see how you feel. After that, if you still feel nothin’, then let the guy off easy, okay?”

You smiled and lingered at your doorstep, your spirits at an all-time low. “Well if you’re asking I can’t say no. I’ll go out with him...for you. Let’s say tomorrow at four-ish, okay?” You turned heel and headed inside the house, leaving a staring Ichigo behind.

The next day was a Sunday, which meant no school. Ichigo had decided to let his good friend know that he had a date today. He found Chad standing outside a pet store looking in at the new litter of puppies, and he laughed a little while watching his friend, Rukia at his side.

“Yo, Chad!” He called out. The towering figure worked his body so that he was facing Ichigo. “Finally, I’ve been lookin’ for you. So I talked to (L/n)-san...I mean, (Y/n)-chan yesterday and she agreed to go out with you. But the date is today at four o’ clock, so...” He glanced up at his comrade’s face, surprised to see his eyes glazed over in slight panic. “Err...Chad?”

Before Ichigo could say anything else, Chad had started running. To where? Probably home, to get ready. Ichigo watched his friend go with a chuckle, and leaned against the wall. Well, all’s well that ends well...right?

“Ichigo...did (Y/n)-chan actually say why she would go out with Chad?” Rukia asked, crossing her arms.

He stared down at her. “Huh? No, she just made a face when I mentioned it yesterday. But she agreed to go out with him...oh yeah! For me, or something.”

Rukia’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “Ichigo, you’re...an idiot.”

“Hey! What the hell’s that supposed to mean?!”

The petite shinigami only turned her head to the direction Chad ran off to. “Why don’t you follow them on their date and see for yourself? Maybe then you’ll understand.”

Ichigo glared at her. “Trying to be all cool about it,” he muttered. “Well let’s see what you’re being so mysterious about. Come on, we’re gonna tail ‘em.” He stormed off after Chad, curious as to what Rukia could possibly have been talking about.

At four o’ clock sharp, you opened your door to find a nervous Chad standing behind it. He had some flowers for you — junipers, to be exact. You smiled and accepted them, thanking him and inviting him inside for a bit while you put them in a vase. Chad lingered by the door and was deathly quiet, almost as if he was frightened by this situation.

“What the hell were you talking about before? Nothing’s happening,” Ichigo complained, sitting on top of your roof.

Rukia leaned over him and peered downward at the doorstep. “Shush! Just tail them and don’t say anything, you’ll figure out what I mean. Now be quiet, you do know that both of them can see us, right?”

With every minute that passed Ichigo was growing more and more impatient. Hell, he had never been eager to sit and wait in the first place, so by tailing the two of you around on your date, he hadn’t had any fun. The two of you went to see a movie and afterward stopped by a random restaurant to get dinner. Nothing exciting was happening, no drama or any indication that there was some sort of surprise waiting for him. Rukia kept telling him to watch and wait, but he was sick and tired of it!

It wasn’t until Chad dodged into the bathroom and you were waiting outside that Ichigo could survey your face without the silly façade. He saw your happy features fall and the tears start to swell at the corner of your eyes. You raised your arm to wipe them away, but only more came to take their place. Ichigo’s face was filled with surprise. You had seemed like you were having such a good time with Chad, why the sudden change?

“I’m such...an idiot,” you whispered to yourself, the cool night air settling on your damp cheeks. “I don’t want to hurt Chad, he’s such a great guy. But I don’t love him...dammit...” You sniffled and walked around, while Ichigo ducked behind the dumpster he and Rukia were behind. “It was only for you...you’re the only one I would do anything for...”

A spine-tingling roar went off not too far from where you were standing. Ichigo and Rukia looked over and realized that the muffled “Hollow! Hollow!” noise had been going on while they were entranced by you. Ichigo gritted his teeth and jumped from his hiding spot, changing in his shinigami form. His eyes widened when his eyes lifted up several stories high to see you in the clutches of a rather large Hollow.

“OW! Let go of me!” you shouted, pounding on the beast’s tongue, which was wrapped around your torso. It thrashed and chuckled in reply, eliciting a sharp scream from you. You struggled against your saliva-covered bonds but it was no use. The Hollow had you right where it wanted you.

Ichigo swore and charged for the Hollow with his zanpakuto. He dove into the air and brought the sword down, cutting the beast’s tongue clear off. Blood sprayed from the Hollow while Ichigo caught you in his powerful arms. He held you curled up in one while he wielded Zangetsu with the other. This time, he dodged the Hollow’s attack and cut right down the middle of its mask. You shuddered in fright and buried yourself in Ichigo’s chest, not wanting to see any more bloodshed.

Rukia stood on the sidelines. She rushed over and checked you for any minor wounds when Ichigo set you down. You looked up at your savior in silent awe. He scratched his cheek.

“Ichigo-kun, thank you,” you murmured warmly. You rubbed his cheek to get rid of the blood that had spattered on his face. Ichigo turned his head and closed his eyes, claiming it was nothing. The three of you heard the doors to the theatre open and Chad stood in the doorway.

“You sure picked a hell of a time to use the bathroom,” Ichigo laughed. “I had to take care of (Y/n)-chan for ya.”

Chad only looked down. He was obviously distraught, but why? He walked toward you and you felt your heart thrum with every step he took. When he was close enough, he bent down from his staggering height and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, dark hands brushing away the wisps of hair. You stared after him when he mumbled a thank you to Ichigo and started walking away.

“What the-? Hey Chad, where’re you goin’?” Ichigo called. He uncrossed his arms and was going to chase after his friend but Rukia stopped him.

“I’ll talk to him, you stay here with (Y/n)-chan.” She shot you a smile and sprinted off. The wind died down and Ichigo’s eyes fell down to yours. You almost looked away but decided that you would at least try...try! You had to do this, rejection or not.

Your voice caught Ichigo’s attention and snapped him from his thoughts. “Um...Ichigo-kun? Why...why did you save me?”

He certainly seemed perplexed by the question. “Huh? I think the better question is, why wouldn’t I save you? We’re friends, and it’s what I do. It comes with the outfit, I guess.” He gestured to his getup and you shook your head.

“That’s not what I meant. What I mean to say is, well...if I’m with Sado-kun, then why would you bother saving me?”

Ichigo rubbed his nose, still unsure of what you were trying to say. “Look, Chad and I made a promise to each other. We promised to look out for each other. Whatever I needed to protect, he would guard with his life, and vice versa. If he wants to guard you with his life, then I’ll do the same.”

“So...if Sado-kun didn’t want to, you would never...” You looked away, unable to finish the sentence. Your eyes squeezed shut and you ran in the opposite direction the other two went in. Ichigo’s eyes widened and he stretched out his hand to you, mouth ajar.

“Hey! (Y/n)-chan, wait!”

Rukia stepped next to him and watched you leave. She turned to glare at Ichigo and he scowled at her. Before he could say anything, she jumped up and hit him across the back of the head. He growled in protest but she ignored him. “Fool! What is wrong with you? (Y/n)-chan just tried to confess her love to you and you stand here talking about how you would only care for her if your best friend did. Ichigo...you’re never going to get anywhere with women if you keep acting like that.”

He glared at her. “Oh, and I bet you’re just so great with---wait, what? (Y/n)-chan...loves me?” His face was filled to the brim with confusion.

“Yes. She just tried to tell you but you went on a spiel about the promise you made. To me, it sounded as if you were telling her you wouldn’t want to protect her unless he did first.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Ichigo protested.

“Well you should try and fix this. I’ll be wary of Hollows and come and find you if anything comes up. In the meantime, go find her.”

She put her small hands on his back and shoved him forward to his body, which was lying behind the dumpster they used before. In her hand was a small light green ball otherwise known as Kon. (Ichigo used the mod-soul when the Hollow arrived.)

While on the run to your house, Ichigo’s mind was going about ten times as quick as he was. All of the memories and thoughts he had of you clouded his brain. Why hadn’t he noticed it before? You were always there for him, the cute girl with glossy (hair color) locks, the (eye color) orbs, and the small, shy smile you showed only to him. Even when you moved he found himself thinking about you, but once you showed back up it was as if his life was moving too fast and was evolving so rapidly he couldn’t sit down and actually wonder about the feelings he had for you.

He stopped in front of your door and tried to peer inside the windows, but they were all covered with the curtains. Well, at least the lights were...wait. The lights were off. Ichigo craned his neck to try to see any movement in the house, but there was none. You weren’t home yet? Maybe he had passed you when he was going at breakneck speed to catch up to you.

“What are you doing here, Kurosaki?” your cold voice reached him from the end of your driveway. Ichigo’s nerves got the better of him and he was dead silent. The way the moon rained on your face and the subtle pout that rested on your lips...he shook himself out of his thoughts when you brushed past him to get to the front door.

“Don’t be that way,” he finally told you. His voice came out sterner than he had intended, and he immediately regretted it.

You brushed his hand off your arm and glared hard at him. Still cute, Ichigo realized. “Don’t tell me what to do, you jerk! I...I try my hardest to tell you how I’ve felt all these years and you blow me off! Why don’t you just leave me alone, if I’m someone who isn’t even worth protecting without a stupid promise, then please don’t bother yourself with me anymore.”

You tried maneuver your way around his form to storm inside, but he had stopped you by grabbing your shoulders.

“(F/n)-chan...please...listen to me.” Ichigo caught sight of your tear-filled eyes and he frowned deeply. His hand reached up to wipe the few trickles that ran down your cheeks. “Don’t cry. It’s not worth it once you hear what I have to say.”

“Oh really? Then what?” You crossed your arms in order to look more ferocious, but Ichigo wasn’t fazed by this at all. In fact, the way you tucked your arms and jutted your chin out and tried to make your gaze smoky...well, he certainly could see why Chad was so engrossed in you before.

“Listen to me. I didn’t mean what I said back there. Well, actually I did, but not in the way you took it. What I mean to say is...it wouldn’t take Chad liking you for me to want to protect you. I protect everyone.” Seeing your face fall, he let out an irritated sigh. “Not like that either. What I really mean is...” He stared down at you. “I would protect you with my life, even if Chad never liked you. I’d make sure nothing ever happened to you, ‘cuz...”

Your face softened, the dim light from your porch casting an angelic glow across your features. “It’s okay, Ichigo. You don’t have to say it. I understand.” You lifted your lips to his and pecked him on the lips, the kiss chaste and meaningful. Ichigo’s eyes widened while yours fluttered shut, up until the kiss was over. When you pulled away, you hopped up the few stairs to your front door. A giggle left your lips and you leaned your back against the wood. “Um, see you tomorrow at school?”

Too dazed to answer, Ichigo merely stood there like an idiot. You shot him one last smile and shut the door, leaving a very confused temporary shinigami lingering outside your house. Rukia came walking up the sidewalk with a satisfied smirk.

“What did I tell you?” she called smugly. “Now come on, your father is going to be upset when he finds out how late you’ve been out without coming home.” She checked her watch. “Dinner is already over, by the way.”

Ichigo’s stomach growled in reply. She laughed and started down the street to the clinic, Ichigo following her. He put his hands on the back of his head as they walked, and looked down at Rukia. “...nah.”

“Hmm?”

“I was just thinking about Chad. I feel kinda bad for stealing his girl, but we can always find someone else for him. I think he gave me the okay when he left at the theaters.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you were looking at me.”

“Heh...I was wondering if maybe Chad would like you, but...you’re not as cute as (F/n)-chan so I don’t think it would work out."

Cue a pulsing vein, a hard punch and a groan.