Not Your Warrior (Lie To Me) [Ichigo K. x Reader]

[Name] didn’t know what was going on. Everything had gone according to plan. Ichigo had won out over Aizen, keeping their greatest foe from completely obliterating everything that existed. Everyone around her was full of happiness and laughter, smiles grazing all of their faces with their wondrous presence. Yet why was [Name] feeling so.. wrong inside? She felt sick, as if she were short of breath and would never be able to catch it once more. Her face was not graced with a smile, no merriness shined out through her [color] eyes. She seemed almost lifeless as Ichigo made his way through everyone towards the Senkaimon that everyone was gathered around.

As if sensing her distress, like it was a tangible presence, Ichigo turned to look towards her, his brown eyes quickly canvassing over the expression so blatantly plastered over her face. Apparently, whatever he found there seemed to displease him greatly as a frown crossed his face, his beautiful lips turning down at the edges. No one else seemed to notice as he approached her.

‘Head high, eyes dry [Name]’ she told herself, something drilled into her from years of being pummeled into the dirt by the others around her.

But she wasn’t sure if she could follow that motto today. Today, everything ended. What would there be to hold her head high for anymore? She was a lowly Soul Reaper, not even a high seated member. So no one paid her mind nine times out of ten.

Would Ichigo be able to walk away from this unscathed? Would it even bother him in the least or would he continue his life from where he had left off, before Soul Reapers, Hollows and everything else entered into his life? Before she had entered into his life.

“[Name]..”

“I suppose that this is goodbye then, Ichigo,” [Name] stated, unable to keep her voice completely formal, a hint of sadness leaking in as she spoke.

Ichigo seemed to hear it and he canted his head sideways, studying her closer. Slowly, the life in his own eyes dimmed to reveal his own sadness as he reached to place a hand under her chin.

“I’m not your warrior, [Name]. You’re more than capable of… saving yourself,” he stated, trying to find the right words.

More than capable of getting through this? Of finding someone else to replace him? Surely there was someone here that she loved, someone that could fill the gaping void that Ichigo was about to leave in her life.

[Name] shook her head, shutting her [color] eyes to force the tears back down before they had a chance to spill out over her face, running down her cheeks like cars in a race. She didn’t want Ichigo to see her like that. Didn’t want all of these other people around her to see her that way. Her pride wouldn’t allow it and her ego couldn’t afford to take the hit.

“I’m sure that we will never see one another again.. I don’t see it happening,” she mumbled, opening her eyes once more to look up at him, at the way his face contorted with emotion, sadness and fatigue.

“Just.. lie to me, Ichigo. Tell me it didn’t mean anything, that you never really loved me like I loved you,” she whispered softly.

Ichigo visibly flinched before pulling away from her, a sad smile crossing his face, the ghost of sadness never leaving his eyes.

“I can’t.”

Maybe that was what made this so hard. She knew that Ichigo loved her, but she could not follow where he was going. She could not be with him after this day and she did not see how they would ever see one another again.

The door to the Senkaimon shut behind him, leaving [Name] standing there silently.

‘Head high, eyes dry,’ she repeated numbly to herself.

Never would she see him again and never would she love again.