A young girl, of elementary school age, leaned forward to peer down at the babbling brook. Her tiny hands grasped the railing of the bridge, which was just barely taller than she was.
Sprites… Her mind whispered the name of the creature from the tales her elder brother so often told her before bedtime. The stories of how Sprites gathered at the most beautiful places, causing their own gentle mischief in the form of rustling leaves as they played. They were the beings that made bunnies sneeze by tickling their noses, and dogs jump with abrupt excitement by dancing over their heads. According to her brother, only animals and giggling newborns would be able to spot them. But he had whispered to her after that sometimes when a child was extra good and kind, they would show themselves. And he so very often told her she was a good, kind girl.
The toes of her Mary-Janes inched closer to the edge, as she tried to spot something only her young mind would see. She did not know what they would look like. They could be short and fat little creatures the size of her thumb, or pretty insect-like things as skinny as twigs. She only knew that maybe if she looked just a little closer, she would be able to spot them in the water-
"Orihime! Don't lean over the edge like that!"
A hand took hold of her shoulder, guiding her gently but firmly away from the edge of the bridge.
Orihime looked up, wide-eyed at her brother. He was so tall in comparison, she had to crane her head back and back just to make eye contact. And as always, those familiar and gentle eyes of his were smiling down at her with all the familial love in the world. His hand moved to gently take her own, squeezing once as he smiled down at her.
"Let's keep going. We want to see the Great Shrine before noon, don't we?" He smiled, and she nodded eagerly. A smile lit her face as he led her down the bridge, and toward one of the many smaller shrines on the way up to the Great Mountain Shrine of Karakura.
During the autumn season, it was common to make the journey to the top of the shrine. Be it for tradition, or the beautiful changing of colors to the thousands of trees continuously left untouched by humans. And forever protected and preserved for many years to come.
The forest around them was only just starting to shed its foliage. The leaves turning from green to various shades of orange before they even hit the ground. And although the air was not warm, there was a chill in the breeze that had the young girl tightening her coat around her shoulders.
"Orihime… When we reach the top of the mountain, there's a story I want to tell you…"
And it wasn't long after that they became separated.
.
.
Somehow, perhaps due to her naturally curious nature, Orihime had wandered away from her brother and become helplessly lost. While the mountain itself wasn't nearly as large as the famous mountain of Mt. Fuji, it certainly felt so to a young child like her. The trees overhead loomed
A flash of blue.
It landed on the back of her hand, just the size and width of her palm. A leaf colored the most beautiful blue she had ever seen. Surely, it had to be a part of some sort of flower. She picked it up, twirling the stem between her fingers as she gazed up and about trying to spot the source.
Over there… A flash of the same sort of blue between the trees.
Eager, she pushed her way through the bushes, excited to see the curiosity. And when she was finally able to spot it, the breath was stolen from her tiny lungs.
A large and grand tree; certainly, an old one. From its very trunk to the tips of its leaves, it was the most magnificent cobalt blue. Its branches spread out, like delicate web work that brushed only inches away from the surrounding trees that now looked so bland in comparison. Each branch held thousands of blue leaves, each more beautiful than the last. The pretty blue leaves fell inconsistently, somehow reminding her of blue snow from a fairy tale.
Her lips parted in awe as she rushed towards it, pressing her tiny palms to the surface as if to prove that it truly stood before her. Even the trunk was blue, and her childish mind new there was no way that could be possible. Yet there it was! It was sturdy, and the bark was rough. But for good measure she gave it a few good smacks, watching wide-eyed for any sort of reaction, and certainly not expecting the reaction she got.
"Oi, that hurts."
She yelped, stumbling backward and away from the tree before falling onto her rear. Her tiny feet scrambled underneath her as she quickly stood back up to her feet, turning only to come face to face with… well, a very grumpy face.
He was tall, like her brother – perhaps even taller – and his hair was even more vibrant than her own. His brows were set, furrowed as he scowled down at her. If not for the warm brown color of his eyes, she would have felt nervous. But something in her told her that with eyes as gentle as those, no matter how impressive his scowl was, he could not be a bad person. They were not mean eyes.
"S-Sorry.
He scowled at her a moment longer before shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets as he peered down at her.
"What are you doing out here?" He asked – demanded more like.
Orihime twiddled her fingers together, the toe of her Mary-Jane's digging into the soft forest floor.
"I… got lost. On the way up to the mountain." She confessed softly, her gaze drifting down to the blue leaves at her feet in shame.
"Tch… fine." He strode past her.
"E-eh?" Her head snapped up, watching wide-eyed as he stopped and glanced over his shoulder with the same scowl.
"You're going to the shrine, yeah? Come on." He continued walking, not waiting for her to catch up.
Ever trusting, she followed him without hesitation.
.
.
It did not take them long to reach the top of the mountain, and maybe because he appeared to know the area so well. Their walk filled with silence, and her soft panting breaths as she hurried to keep up with his long stride. Up and up the mountain they climbed, him never slowing or breaking a sweat. There were times where she was certain he waited for her, but she did not thank him as she normally would have and instead pushed on. Something gave the impression that he was too shy of a person to accept her thanks.
When she began to see the large shrine through the trees, she broke into a run that caught her up to the mysterious stranger.
To her confusion, he stopped walking before they broke the tree line.
"Here." He glanced down at her before turning on his heels.
"A-Ah! Scowl-san! Wait!" She called after him, waving her arms in the air wildly. He whirled around, looking half baffled and half irritated.
"What?"
"Are you a Sprite, Scowl-san?"
"A what? Wait a minute-"
"Can I come visit your tree? It's such a pretty tree!" She beamed, ignoring his open-jawed outrage at being called a Sprite. When he recovered from his first shock, he scoffed.
"No," Her face fell. "You'll get lost, and I'll have to bring you right back here. I don't have time to keep saving little children, you know."
"Oh… well, I won't get lost!" She beamed again. "I'll come again, and with cookies! Promise!"
He stared at her with an unfathomable expression before glancing back the way they had come. Then he sighed, shoulders slumping.
"Stupid." He strode back over, reaching out and plucking something from her hair. Her auburn hair fell forward, curling around her rounded cheeks. It was her red ribbon; which Sora had taken great care in tying into a bow at the back of her head early that morning. He waved it in front of her face.
"I'm taking this. So, if you are actually stupid enough to get lost, here again, I'll find you. But don't you dare come back just to get lost, you hear me?"
"Ok! I'll be sure to come back soon Scowl-sprite-san!" She chirped, saluting him joyfully.
"Scowl-sprite- hey wait a minute!"
But she was already running for the tree line, waving a tiny hand over her shoulder. And when she broke the tree line, she was at once captured in the warm and comforting arms of her brother.
"Orihime!" He gasped, lifting her up into his arms with ease and hugging her as tightly as he dared. "Thank goodness, I was worried I'd lost you!"
When he pulled back to look at her she gave him a watery smile despite the guilt in her heart. She did not want to worry him so much and now realized just how badly her absence had disturbed him. She glanced over her shoulder at the tree line, hoping that she could call the stranger that had helped her over to assure her brother that she had been perfectly safe, but he was already gone.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to worry you." She opted to assure him herself, patting his cheek with her hand.
Sora Inoue sighed, smiling gently, and nodded in clear relief and forgiveness.
"Don't ever wander off like that again Orihime… Promise me." He waited for her to nod before hugging her close again. He took a breath, still seeming to be calming his heart before speaking again.
"Alright… now let's go pay our respects."
Not releasing her from his arms, he carried her over to the large shrine. It was perfectly kept, although certainly very old. The stone steps that led up to the shrine from the walkway were short, and her brother passed over them two at a time before coming to crouch down by the offering box and rest Orihime on his knee. The box was just short enough that Orihime could see over the top, and marvel at the grainy texture of the wood.
"Did you still want to hear the story I wanted to tell you Orihime?" He asked, waiting for her eager nod.
"This shrine is very special, Orihime." He began, his hands pressed together, and eyes closed in prayer. "Can you guess why?"
She shook her head, auburn hair dancing across her shoulders with the quick movement.
"It's a story I'm not particularly proud of, you know." He admitted softly, settling on his heels with the young girl still in his arms. "When you were announced by our mother… I panicked."
"You don't remember, but mother and father were not very kind." He said, his voice still soft. Orihime listened, wide-eyed and attentive. "And I was afraid for you. I was leaving soon, and I was afraid of how you would live with them. I was afraid I would not be able to take you, and what the repercussions would be if I did. So… I came here."
"This is the place I came to terms with the fact that I would be a brother. Your brother." His lips twisted into a smile. "I was… nervous… until a good friend of mine spoke to me about it."
He reached forward, softly running a hand through the offering box.
"I came to pray for you – or perhaps, to hide my guilt. And well…" His lips turned into a humored smile. "a friend… they followed me."
"He knew what was going on. He was a bit of a thug… always getting into fights. But he was good. The very first time we met, he helped me. Saved me. And he saved you as well…"
Orihime's eyes widened in awe and curiosity as her brother spoke, her hands grasping his coat.
"H-he saved me too?" She could, in fact, remember small parts of her parents. The parts filled with pain, and above all the time Sora tore her from her mother's arms and ran. That was the last time she saw the screaming, violent woman. The happiest memory of them all.
Sora nodded. "Yes… I am ashamed but, I was considering leaving you. I was young and scared. And I think he knew that, and he followed me up here after I received the news."
Suddenly Sora chuckled, resting his chin on top of his sister's head.
"He hit me. Pretty hard too, before I even knew he had followed me. I thought I was being attacked for a moment. And the first thing he did was call your big brother Sora an idiot…"
Her jaw dropped as if the idea was completely unfathomable to her. And Sora grinned.
"Then, he said to me something I've never forgotten. He said to me, "Big brothers... you know why they're born first? To protect the little ones that come after them!" and hit me again, I think to make sure it really sank in. And it did. This brute of a young man was wiser than I could ever be. And you know, he even helped me take you. He got us out of there, and made sure we never had to go back… And I could never thank him enough."
They were quiet after that. Orihime taking in the story, and letting it play out in her head. She had two brave knights, not just her older brother.
Sora's hand moved to the top of her head, smoothing her shoulder-length auburn curls away from her face with a sigh.
"You've lost your ribbon again, I see." He scolded gently, moving the young girl's thoughts away from her past. And it worked wonderfully, as her eyes lit up.
"Oh! No, I gave it to the nice Scowling Sprite by the pretty blue tree."
Sora Inoue chuckled softly and shook his head at his sister's antics before rising back up to his feet, shifting her in his arms and turning to head back down the mountain trail.
"Silly girl… Come on now, let's go home."
When she glanced back at the shrine, just over Sora's shoulder, she saw a familiar orange haired man standing by the gate. Hands in his pockets and head bowed forward.
When she blinked, he was gone.
.
.
The next day, she returned. This time without her brother.
It was after school, and she knew she would have a few hours before Sora would get home. And although she felt bad for breaking her promise to her brother, her curiosity and drive to meet the strange man of the blue tree was stronger than her guilt.
This time, she was laden with a tiny backpack filled with school supplies, and a lunch box filled with chocolate chip cookies. Still dressed in her best school attire, and the thickest jacket she owned to combat the cold, she made her way up the mountain trail from the bus stop at the base of the mountain. When she reached the familiar bridge from the day before, she began to call out.
"Scowl-Sprite-san! Scowl-Sprite-san!" Her hands cupped over her mouth, as though to make her voice louder. She walked into the forest, calling this name over and over again while looking for the beautiful blue tree from the day before. And she kept walking, even as her tiny legs grew tired and her voice grew fainter.
When the sun began to set, and there was still no sign of him, she began to grow worried. Sora, who worked very late hours, wasn't likely to be home until it was very dark. And he would be worried if she wasn't there. She had already worried him once yesterday, which she thought was far too much for one lifetime already.
So, with slumped shoulders, she turned around. Only to realize she was, once again, completely lost.
Her mouth opened, forming a tiny O of shock as she gazed around wide-eyed. She was sure she had not strayed too far from the path.
"You're a damn idiot."
She whirled around, her shock turning to joy at the sight of the scowling orange-haired young man from before.
"Scowl-Sprite-san!"
His scowl became fiercer, his arms folding over his chest.
"That's not my name – and I'm not a Sprite!"
"Oh! I'm sorry Scowl-san!"
He tossed his hands up in the air, before pinching the bridge of his nose. On his right wrist, her little ribbon poked out from the sleeve of his shirt.
"Why the hell are you back out here? Don't you know how late it is?" He asked with a sigh.
"I said I would be! And I brought cookies!" She beamed, bringing her bag around to her front and digging through it to pull out her lunch box and offer it to him proudly.
"Chocolate chip! Everyone likes chocolate chip!"
He stared at her.
She continued to offer the box to him, still beaming.
"It's not safe here." He ignored the outstretched box. "Go home."
"Ah, but you took my ribbon, so you could find me right?" She asked, lowing her hands to look adorably puzzled. "So, I could visit?"
"Ye- wait, no! I took it because I know that stupid brother of yours will keep bringing you here!"
"Eh? Sora-nii? Do you know him."
"You need to go. It's not safe here." He ignored her question.
She fidgeted, looking down at her bright yellow boots sheepishly. She jumped at the loud sound of his palm making solid contact with his face.
"You really got lost again…"
"Ehe…"
"Fine." He walked past her, a gust of wind kicking several blue leaves up in his wake. "Follow me."
And for what certainly wouldn't be the last time, she did just that.
.
.
.
And every day after that, she went to him. Bearing a different gift each time, sometimes food or a handmade card. And every day just the same as before, she became lost and he led her back to the bottom of the mountain. On the fifth day, he finally accepted a tiny card she had made in class. And she was overjoyed. On the 8th day, he finally ate one of the sugar cookies she brought. And she was ecstatic.
And on the 15th day, he finally told her he wouldn't be staying much longer.
"I'm… different," he explained, avoiding her tear-filled eyes. "I can't stay long. I'm only able to take form during the autumn… when the snow comes, I'll go back to sleep."
She had cried, of course, loudly declaring that she would make sure to come the first day of autumn the next year. And he had called her stupid but told her that he would hold her to that promise.
The next day, the snow came. And she marked her calendar.
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.
For years after, she would cast longing glances toward the mountain. She would spend her time in her classes, watching the windows as the spring and summer colors passed. And every year, on the first day of autumn, she woke up with joy in her heart.
.
.
.
She learned a lot the first autumn visiting him. First, that he refused to tell her his name and probably never would.
"Why?" She asked, confused by his refusal. She had told him her name, and Sora had taught her it was only right to exchange names. That was what people did, right?
"Because."
"But why?"
"Just because. Stop asking." He snapped.
"Eh, but that's not fair Scowl-san!"
The second thing she learned just as autumn was coming to an end, and it was by far her favorite thing. And she learned it by accidentally hitting the blue tree with a stick, whilst trying to show the way someone on T.V twirled a baton. She had at once dropped the stick, as if it had bitten her, and hurried to him the second he let out a sound of pain.
"OW! What the fu-, oi! Watch it!"
"E-eh? You can feel that?!" She had asked, horrified and wide-eyed.
"Yes, I felt that!" He snapped irritably, rubbing his hip.
"I-I'm so sorry Scowl-san! B-but… how?" Her concern and curiosity melded together once more. He had made it obvious he was more of a spirit than a Sprite over the past few weeks.
He hesitated this time before speaking.
"I… live in the tree. Possess it, I guess. Everything the tree feels, I feel." He explained slowly as if trying to convey something difficult.
"Oh… So… you feel everything that happens to the tree?" She asked, eyes wide with wonder as she stared up at him.
"That's what I just said." He scowled at the sudden twinkle in her eyes.
"This?" She pressed her palm against the bark, watching him. And he nodded, folding his arms across his chest as he looked less than pleased by her questioning.
"Wow…" Her eyes gazed up at the tree in wonder. Then, a flash of playfulness crossed her face.
"Ne, Scowl-san~" She sang.
"H-hey, what are you- ACK! Don't fucking tickle me!"
The third thing she learned, was that he could eat despite his situation. But he was also quite the picky eater.
"Scowl-san, Scowl-san!"
"I-idiot! Don't run so fast, you'll trip!" He came around the tree, trailing his palm over the bark as if inspecting it. Which was, in fact, what he was doing. He had told her once that while he wasn't in a physical form, the tree could be damaged, and he wouldn't know. And for every branch that was knocked loose during the summer or winter, his strength weakened. He could fix it during the autumn season, but otherwise, he was powerless.
"Hehe, sorry!" She beamed, slowing her stride down as she approached the familiar tree. She was older now, ten years old and even more of a chatterbox according to him. In one hand she carried a plastic bag from the convenience store at the bottom of the mountain. It wasn't the first time she had brought him something to eat, and it wouldn't be the last.
"Look! I bought strawberry milk this time! Enough for both of us!"
He scowled, folding his arms, and looked away.
"Eat it on your own."
"E-Eeh? But that's no fun!"
"Tough."
.
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Two autumns later, she learned that he was not the only being inhabiting a tree in the forest.
It came when they were sitting, and she was enjoying what he claimed to be food poisoning on a bun. He would never come to understand her love for wasabi on everything, but he tolerated it well. Of course, it didn't stop him from loudly declaring his disgust for her tastes every now and then. And just as he was about to do so when she spread bean-paste on a chocolate doughnut, he froze.
A serious look took his face, different from his normal scowl with its intensity.
"Hide." He commanded, standing on his feet abruptly.
"E-eh?" She looked up at him, confused.
"Hide." He commanded again, and his tone left no room for questioning. She scrambled up to her feet, nodding quickly and awkwardly ducking behind the blue tree, which she had only just been leaning against. Then she heard it. The rustle of dead leaves, and the snap of twigs. Then she heard a long inhale as if someone was sampling the scent of pastries at a shop, followed by a voice that was smooth as silk. It made a chill run down her spine.
"I smell a human child…"
"There are no humans here. You've gone senile old man." The orange haired man snapped irritably. "Now when are you going to leave."
"Hn… I hope you are not hiding something delicious from me, Ich-"
"Leave. This is where I take root."
There was an indignant sniff.
"Very well…"
There was another rustle, another snap of a dead twig, and then silence. She did not move.
"You can come out now."
She hesitated only a moment, before peeking around the trunk of the tree. He stood, a hand in his pocket and another ruffling the hair at the back of his neck. A sign she learned showed that he was bothered by something.
"Who was that?" She asked, feeling strangely timid as she watched his tense back.
"Another spirit of the forest… Next time you come through, don't stop anywhere. Just come straight here, alright?" He looked back at her, his eyes piercing and intense. He wasn't just asking her, he was making her swear to it. And she nodded, feeling uneasy.
"OK. Promise."
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The worst day of her life, came when she was fourteen.
After the crash, after the hospital, and after they announced him, and the blood had been washed from her skin. She ran.
She ran to him.
It had been so late at night, so dark, she was surprised she found him. Surprised she found his beautiful blue tree. But it was there, almost glowing in the dark forest, like a beacon of hope and safety. She staggered through the bushes, ignoring the pain of the branches whipping and dragging at her exposed skin like tiny claws.
He was surprised to see her at first, and it showed on his face as he stood from his spot slouched against the base of his tree. His brown eyes widened and then hardened at the sight of her distressed face.
She paused half a heartbeat at the sight of him, her breath catching in her throat, then had immediately thrown herself at the base of the blue tree, holding on to the trunk as if it was a lifeline and sobbing her heart out. Because it was as close as she could get to hold him. The bark of the tree was warm, even though it shouldn't have been, and dug softly into the skin of her cheek. Solid and reassuring.
For half an hour he tried to wring an answer from her. Asking, and pleading for her to tell him what was wrong and why she was out so late, why she was there. Saying that he could only help if she told him. Swearing that if someone had hurt her he would hurt them.
Every now and then she felt the soft breeze that was his only form of touch ruffle her hair and pull it from her face as he tried to deduce what was wrong. And steadily, blue leaves began to gather under her, protecting her from the cold and damp ground at the base of the tree.
After nearly an hour of sobbing, and crying without explanation, she finally told him.
"It's… it's S-Sora-nii…"
When she finally looked up, he appeared shell-shocked. His eyes were wide, his body frozen. He was closer than she had expected, but that barely registered in her despair. His eyes turned sorrowful as he watched tears stream down her distraught face.
"Orihime… I'm so, so sorry…" He placed his palm beside her shoulder, bowing forward to rest his forehead on the trunk above her head. The chill of the wind no longer bothered her, as a warm heat radiated from him. He shouldn't have been warm, shouldn't have generated any heat being as he was, but she was grateful nonetheless. Her arms tightened around her legs, and she rested her head against the bark of the tree, against him, and closed her eyes. Her heart continued to twist with turmoil, a hollow feeling twisting her gut.
"I'm so, sorry Orihime…"
They stayed like that the rest of the night.
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More autumns came to pass, and then, before either of them knew it, she turned eighteen.
"I-Inoue-san…" He was tall, with dark hair like her brother, and his hand had taken her own quite abruptly. "W-Would you-"
Like an avenging angel, Tatsuki Arisawa one of her few loyal friends sent a spinning kick to the back of his knee.
"Back off!"
"T-Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime gasped as he ran (limped) off. Tatsuki scoffed, rotating her foot and ankle.
"Orihime, you need to be mindful! All he wants to do is put his hands on you, ya know. A sleazebag if I ever saw one!" She picked up her fallen school bag, oblivious to the odd expression that had come over her friend's face.
"You're going to have it bad, ya know. You need to watch out and make sure you only let the guy you like touch you. Otherwise, you'll be sad."
Orihime watched her friend stalk off, muttering something under her breath. But her mind was elsewhere.
For the first time, she began to wonder. What would his hands feel like on her own? What would his arms feel like, wrapped around her shoulders?
Her cheeks flared a bright red.
That was the first of many times she began to think about him in such a way.
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.
"Ne, Scowl-san…" She began, her voice more confident than she felt.
They sat at the base of his tree, comfortable on a pile of blue leaves that were far softer than they should have been. She knew that was his doing. She sat with her legs crossed, leaning back on her hands as she looked up at the sky through the blue branches. Her new High School uniform was in place, immaculate even as she sat on the ground. Beside her, a few feet away, he sat with his legs crossed and his elbows on his knees. His chin cupped in one hand, the other lazily stirring the air between his feet making the leaves dance in slow circles.
"Hm?"
"Why don't you ever touch me?" She had difficulty hiding her blush and hoped the pinkness of her cheeks would be blamed on the chilly air.
Beside her, he choked.
"W-What?!"
"Touch me? I've seen you touch the trees… or the leaves, and you seem solid enough to leave footprints too."
He looked away, cheeks red. His scowl was set in place once more.
"I can't even if I wanted to – which I don't – I can't touch people."
She gazed at him, wide-eyed.
"You can't?"
He shook his head. And for not the first time since she had known him, he looked angry. But this time he was not just scowling, which she knew to be his default expression, he was actually angry. And she could tell it was entirely directed at himself. And she was reminded of the night she had come to him, crying and distraught over her brother's death. And the look in his eyes as he crouched over her, a hand outstretched but never coming close enough to touch…
"No… I cannot touch anyone. Not anymore."
She let the matter drop, ignoring the ache in her heart.
.
.
And then, one day, he shocked her.
"Your hair… it's gotten longer, you know."
She blinked, turning to look at him with large eyes before a pink dusted her cheeks when she found him staring at her unflinchingly. They sat up in one of his lowest branches, watching the sunset before he would send her off home with a scowling farewell. But he was breaking the script, and she was surprised.
"E-Eh?"
"Your hair. It's longer… you're not a kid anymore." He looked away, off toward the setting sun.
And looking at him, she was struck with a realization. In all the years she had known him, he had changed so very little. And she had changed so rapidly, in such a short amount of time. The fact seemed to make him… sad.
Attempting to lighten the subject, she pulled her hair back. Mimicking the tiny half-up-do that he had first seen her in. She knew that the red ribbon from her childhood was still tied to his wrist, though he tried to hide it with the sleeve of his shirt. It was the only thing he wore apart from his usual set of cobalt blue long-sleeved shirt and pants ensemble. He didn't even wear shoes. When she asked, he had simply shrugged saying that was the way it was for him.
"You first saw me when it was short though! It was reaaally cute, huh. Sora-nii thought my hair was very pretty and spent a lot of time trying to get it to stay in one place!" She smiled fondly in memory of her older brother.
"I want to touch it." It was abrupt, and it was clear from the redness of his cheeks that he hadn't entirely meant to say it out loud. But his expression was serious. Her cheeks turned red as well.
"C-Can you? I thought you couldn't touch people…"
"Yeah…" He continued looking away.
Then, without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around him – rather, his tree self – and squeezed in the fiercest hug she could manage.
"W-What are you doing?" He sounded flabbergasted, and she didn't dare look up as she hugged tighter. If she did, he would surely see just how red her cheeks had become.
"Hugging you."
"O-oh…"
They stayed that way until sundown.
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.
"Scowl-san!" She stood at the base of his tree, hands cupped over her mouth. It was the start of another autumn, the warmer weather. And he was nowhere to be seen.
"Scowl-san!" She called again, gazing around with a lost expression. He had never not been at his tree before. Not unless he was with her. It was so very-
"Aha… I see a human woman."
She whirled around, coming face to face with a tall man with cold eyes and limp brown hair. The bags under his eyes were dark, tired. And his form seemed brittle, hunched over, even though he hardly looked over thirty.
"If I consume you, I'll live another sixty years…" He sounded almost thoughtful at the idea. When his eyes locked with hers, she froze. And he began to walk closer, reaching a hand toward her. His face took on a frightening, dark appearance. His grin thoroughly inhuman.
"Would you mind dying for me?"
"Like fucking hell, she will!"
Then the man was gone, tackled into the dirt by the orange haired man she did know. Her special Scowl-san.
"Give her to me!" A clawed hand reached toward her, and she jumped back to avoid the suddenly long limb as it swiped at her legs. Her eyes were wide with horror.
"I'm not giving you Orihime!"
"Give her to me!" It was wild, a plea of a being that was clearly insane.
"Never!"
"Why? You have so much life left, I'm not done here! You don't need her!" Claws that resembled deep oak scraped down the orange haired man's arm, and she flinched. She watched with sick fascination and horror as blue blood dripped to the forest floor from the wound. The same color of cobalt blue as his leaves.
They rolled, throwing punches and tangling limbs. But it was clear to even Orihime, who was inexperienced with violence, that her Scowl-san had the upper hand. Within moments, he had wrapped his arms around the brown-haired man's throat.
"She's mine!" He spat, and Orihime refused to acknowledge the part of her heart that fluttered in her chest at his words. "And I'll protect her until I die, you slimy fuck!"
Then suddenly, before their eyes, the brown-haired man began to fade. His struggles growing weaker and his eyes growing wider with terror at his own fate. He was slowly fading into thin air, even as his arms stretched toward her, a wild expression of hunger on his face. And then, just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone. Nothing left to remain.
And for a moment, all they could do was stare at each other. Him, seated on the ground with now empty arms, and her clutching her bag to her chest as if her life depended on it.
She burst into tears a moment later, dropping to her knees in front of him and restraining herself to not throw herself into his arms. Because he wouldn't be able to hold her or touch her in any way even if he wanted to. And the thought made her cry harder.
He tried to comfort her, flustered, assuming she was crying out of fear over what she had just seen. He assured her repeatedly that he would protect her, but it only made her cry harder. Not because of fear, but because of a sudden realization that warmed her heart and shattered it at the same time.
She was completely, and helplessly in love with a man she could never have.
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There were nights after that, where she dreamed.
She dreamed that she would open the classroom door, and he would be there. Instead of in the plain blue long-sleeve shirt and pants he had been in since the day he met her, he would be in the Karakura High School uniform. He wouldn't wear it properly, of course, she couldn't ever imagine him doing that. He would wear a graphic T-Shirt under the sweater, an obscure band or logo he liked.
She would say a cheerful good morning to him and sit beside him. And they would talk throughout the day of meaningless things. The weather, school subjects, fellow friends, and what they'd have for lunch. He would often tease her about her appetite, but indulge her anyway when she wanted him to try something.
And just like in reality, they were always reluctant to part ways for the day.
She had a lot of dreams, really. And maybe one day, when she had enough courage, she would tell him.
Her dreams were something she kept to herself. Something she held close to her heart because she feared that if she told him he would feel shame or anger for being who he was. And she did not want that. She loved him, just for being him.
And like she kept her dreams a secret, she kept the fact that she would visit him even throughout the other seasons a secret as well. And maybe he knew, perhaps he didn't. But it was after her first autumn of realizing how deeply in love with him that she was, that she would end her visits by pressing her forehead to the dark blue bark of his tree and whisper three words she wouldn't dare say if she could look him in the face.
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She spent a lot of time, just waiting for him.
It had been a scorching summer, and thankfully it was coming to an end. She sat outside with Tatsuki, in the shade of a tree that wasn't him. A part of her lamented the fact but was comforted knowing that soon they would be sitting together under his shade once more.
"Ahh! It's too damn hot!" Tatsuki complained loudly, fanning herself with her hand as Orihime laughed at her plight despite quietly agreeing. It was hot, even though autumn would be approaching soon. And she hoped that it did not keep Scowl-san sleeping longer than normal this year. It would mean their time together would be even shorter. He always did seem lazier when it was warm.
Two boys from their class, Chad Yasutora, and Uryuu Ishida walked up.
"Can we join you?" Uryuu asked, and Tatsuki shrugged. He took a seat beside her, Chad soon following suit.
"Ah, actually I'm going to get some water." Orihime lifted her hair away from her neck, fanning herself. "I'm a little dehydrated."
Tatsuki waved her off as she stood with a promise to return quickly.
And as she passed the open window of a classroom, she heard it. The low buzz of a radio.
"The flames have spread, and are working their way up to the Karakura Mountain Shrine, we ask that all civilians stay away from the-"
She took off running.
Still clad in her gym uniform, she ran. She ran straight out of the school gates, ignoring the shouts of a patrolling Teacher, and down the busy sidewalk. In the distance, she could see the smoke. And her heart seized with pure terror. She ran faster, pushing herself to the point of pain. And when the firetrucks came into view, battling flames at the base of the mountain trail, she ignored the shouts of the firemen and sprinted through the blockade.
She ignored the rise in temperature as she ran. She ignored the burning trees and their tall, tall flames, and the running wildlife. Her clothes and hair became singed, and she ignored that too. The searing heat biting at her skin. She ignored it all.
All she could picture was his scowling face.
She followed the path that she had known almost her whole life, even when the fire had overtaken it she followed it despite the pain.
And then she saw him.
It was not autumn, but he stood beside his burning tree, a pained look on his face as he watched his leaves fall down to the forest floor in burning clusters. With horror, she saw that the fire had already begun to make its way up the blue trunk, burning it black.
Without her calling to him, he turned. And a play of expressions crossed his face. Shock, confusion, worry, and something that made her heart flutter. Then determination. He strode forward, his strides long and purposeful. And she rushed to meet him, already scrambling to find a way to put out the fire. To save him.
But instead of him stopping just before her, he continued, gathering her into his arms. His solid, very real arms. And he was hot. It was like hugging fire, but she didn't pull away. Instead, her arms moved to hold him, her hands desperately clutching the shirt on his back that she only now saw was slowly burning away in the same way his leaves were, only without the appearance of flames.
"Finally…" She could barely hear him over the crackle and roar of the hot flames around them, but she did.
His fingers dove into her hair, tangling into the auburn strands and tightening near the point of pain as he buried his face in the top of her head. She could not stop giddy the fluttering of her heart, despite the heartbreaking situation.
"Orihime… you shouldn't have come." But he did not sound angry. Not in the slightest.
And then, she was off her feet, lifted into his strong arms. She tucked her head into his neck, clinging tighter as they began to move. And she knew what he wanted to say despite him not saying it.
"I'll protect you."
She felt them move. She felt him running, and running. She felt how he radiated more and more heat, and she wanted to scream at him that they needed to go back. To try and save him somehow, but she could not open her mouth. Could not speak the words.
And then they stopped, and she was set back down on her feet once more. But he didn't release her. When she finally looked up at him, her heart broke.
His clothes were smoking, his shirt had completely burned away. His skin looked angry with burn marks, but he didn't seem to care. He was looking at her with an expression she had never seen but wanted to see always.
His large hands cupped her cheeks, his skin so terribly hot it made her tears flow even more fiercely. She had not known she was crying until he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. Her hands moved from his back, raising to grasp his wrists. As if to keep him there with all her strength. And to shock, he did something he had never done before.
He smiled. And it was warm, bright, and truly happy.
"Orihime Inoue…" His forehead touched her own, and she raised herself to her toes to meet him halfway. His warm, chocolate brown eyes pierced hers with an intensity that took her breath away. His lips were only an inch apart from her own. But she could see small flames licking his skin, slowly burning him away.
"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, and I love you so fucking much."
As his lips touched hers, he faded away.
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Inspired by the short Oneshot Manga, Koi No Ki Konoha
I tried my best to make this flow smoothly, but really, I struggled with this a lot.
Review and feed my soul!
