Alright, let me just say this first: I have not given up on Name of the Game. I'm just a little stuck on how I wish to proceed with it, as I will be introducing a new character as was promised in the contest. Kitsu-chan, I'm shouting out that I am working on the next couple of chapters and that I am working on your character. I have not forgotten and I think you'll love it. This one-shot is just to get the juices flowing again and pull out some more ideas...as well as to keep me from going completely brain-dead. I'll being to college soon and that is also playing a huge factor in my late updates. So please be patient.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.........well, there goes the vomit.....hope you're happy.
A/N: As I said this is just to get some more ideas on my main story. If you don't like it, fine. If you do, kindly leave a review. I'm not begging, but I would enjoy the feed-back from all who read this and my other stories. Just a thought. Please enjoy and don't forget to review. Thanks!! ^^
A/N: Also, Ichigo might seem a bit out of it, but let me explain. It has been about five to seven years since the war and I would like to think that he gained quite a bit of insight during the years he had to re-adjust to his life without immediate danger. So if he seems a little off...well..you're just going to have to deal with it. ^^'
My heart faintly staggered as my eyes landed on the laughing and grinning couple four tables across from me. A lump formed in my throat as I felt tears begin to sting my eyes. Blinking rapidly helped a bit, but I knew that it would be no use. The tears would only wait for the moment to spill down my cheeks. My lips trembled and I quickly stood up. My hands shook slightly from the force I was using to keep my emotions in check until I could get to a place where I could unleash them and be alone.
"How could he take her to our spot? How could he move on so quickly?" Thoughts blurred through my head as I gathered my notebook and latte and quickly headed for the door. Tears began to rush forward with vengeance as the chilled wind hit my face with full-force. My sight became blurry for a bit and I blinked my eyes in rapid succession until I was able to see where I was headed.
I can't really say what happened in the next following moments during my pathetic attempts to clear my vision, but I can say this. My collision into the broad chest brought me to the last person I ever thought I would see.
I pitched backward, my drink and then encased notebook fell to the sidewalk, and my body gradually got closer to the ground to join my possessions. I felt a hand snatch my outreached wrist and jerk me forward to both stop me from hitting the ground and keep their balance. I smashed into the same broad chest and felt the breath knocked out of me for a brief moment. We clutched onto each-other, neither saying a word and our heaving breaths forming a cloud between us. My face was buried in the thick scarf around their neck and my arms were clutching the back of the thick winter coat they had chosen to adorn. Their own arms went around my back, hands snagged into the loops of my jeans. I could slightly feel the soft material of their gloves against the small patch of exposed skin of my back. Eternity passed and our breaths finally returned to normal, the adrenaline slowing and we both stepped back a bit, not fully exiting the warm embrace of the other's arms. My eyes slowly made their way to the person's face and a startled gasp came from my opened mouth.
Burning ochre eyes widened in their own surprise and the scowl that had had hold of the lightly tanned face softened. One of the firm arms that still encased me moved and the hand brushed away the lock of dark hair that had escaped from the bun I had successfully managed to put up that morning. My eyes drifted up more and saw that a bit of their hair had come out of the hat they wore. My own widening and a smile blooming on my face, our eyes met and another surprised laugh escaped me. I knew of only one person that could still look roguishly handsome with that scowl and possess shocking orange hair.
"Kurosaki…..Kurosaki, Ichigo?!" I laughed out, warmth spreading through me as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Confusion flitted over his face before recognition came to him, a small smile coming to his own lips. He returned my hug, lifting me from the ground briefly and tightening his hold on me. I squealed and kicked my legs, pressing my face further into his coat covered shoulder. He set me down and stepped back a bit. He had grown so much since I last saw him.
"Wow……almost seven years have passed since I last saw him." I thought fondly, taking in his physic. His face seemed more matured than his actual age and he had grown to a good solid six feet and three inches of pure muscle. His shoulders had broadened as had his chest, if his fitted coat showed anything. His hands were much bigger than my own and his legs were toned, the dark denim jeans doing them justice. I came back to his eyes and my smile grew more. His grin still looked like he was up to no good and I could see that he too had sized me up and taken note of the changes I had undergone.
I was no longer the skinny, average foreign exchange classmate he had met all those years ago. I had filled out as well, growing to a nice five feet and seven inches. I had let my hair grow to elbow length instead of my safe, preferred shoulder length that he had become familiar with. I had gained a healthy amount of weight due to my growth spurt. Not skinny, but not overly heavy either. My chest was well enough, I wouldn't complain, and my hips had filled out as well. My eyes had darkened to a deep chocolate and my face was overall nice. My skin was still as light as it was when we met the first time. Darker than his skin tone, but not by much.
His laugh brought me out of my musing and I looked up at him, a flashing annoyance of his extra height advantage flaring through me for a moment before excitement came back. The feral grin was back and his arms came back around me, hugging me tightly to him, before releasing me.
"Never thought I would come across you again, Nina." He said, his eyes softening as he spoke. I smiled again and softly punched him in the arm, knowing it would do nothing at all with all the padding he had on, plus my own thick soft gloves.
"Teach you for assuming I would just up and leave, Kurosaki." I sniggered, eyes shining up at him. He laughed again and nodded, then went silent. This caused me to become slightly concerned, for I had only seen this side of him a handful of times and each one of them had not been good times. I stepped forward and used one of my hands to cup his chin and tilt his head to look at me. His eyes made contact and I smiled at him. His eyes widened and he shifted moving past me and out of my sight. I gasped and quickly looked around, watching him bend and grab something off the ground before a truck sprayed mushy water on whatever he had in his arms. He looked sheepishly at me and turned so I could see what he had. My slightly soaking case that held my notebook looked so small compared to him and I walked to where he was. I held my hands out and he transferred the case to me. I unzipped the case and checked that there was no damage to the expensive piece of technology. I sighed gratefully after seeing none and thanked him. He shrugged commenting that it was partially his fault that it had fallen where it had.
I chuckled, shouldering the case and looked forlornly at the wasted liquid of happiness draining into the slush on the ground. I sighed and mock-scowled at the man beside me. I huffed and pointed at my loss. "You made me spill my latte, you happy?" I grinned, watching the mirage of emotions play on his face. First there was confusion, then when he followed my finger towards the mess he frowned, then grinned. "So I have. I suppose I should make it up, shouldn't I?" He murmured softly, turning and looking me in the eye. I laughed and shook my head, patting his bicep. "I was only kidding, Kurosaki. It's no big deal." I brushed off the remaining slush that had formed on my case, and looked up again. A flash of brown took me by surprise and I stilled, letting his hand brush the obscuring lock of dark hair behind my ear. His hand lingered for a bit and then withdrew. I watched this with an observing stare, staring at his limp hand now in his pocket and then back to his face.
An emotion I had never seen before on his face flashed before his trademark scowl came back. I filed this incident in the back of my mind for further reviewing later and continued to look at him. A few minutes of overbearing silence followed before one of us decided to speak.
"Look, Kurosaki, I..."
"Ichigo."
I frowned, trying to make sense of what he had said. He waited a moment before repeating and then clarifying.
"You keep calling me by my last name. I would think we were beyond that by now. I call you by your first name so you should do the same courtesy." He mumbled, glancing to his left and then coming back to my face to see my reaction.
My eyebrows had reached new heights during his explanation, brief as it was. I turned over his words and tentatively made a decision. Tongue darting out to wet my suddenly dry lips, I spoke slowly.
"If that is what you would have me call you….then I suppose I could grace you with your first name as well…Ichigo." My eyes did not miss the look that had flashed on his face when I spoke his given name nor the way his eyes had followed my tongue. A stirring feeling started to titter in my stomach and I pushed it aside, momentarily startled by this unexpected turn of events.
He grinned and nodded. I blinked and was about to say something when a disruption and my name being called out pulled my attention from the confusing male in front of me. My stomach dropped and my heart thudded painfully in my chest as a couple made their way towards us. I couldn't stop the whimper that passed from my lips at the sight and I took a step back. Getting ready to run from them, I tensed when I felt an arm wrap around my waist and I was turned back into a warm chest.
I looked up at narrowing eyes and mine widened, pleading with him to not make this any worse than it already was. He only turned me around to press me more into him, so that my back was flushed against his chest and his arms crossed over my chest. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, "You have some major explaining to do after this is over. Play along with me." I nodded, gulping as the couple came to stop in front of us. I blinked and let my gaze settle on the female. Rich thick red hair was pulled back by a band and cold blue eyes settled on me, causing me to shift further into Ichigo's front. Her body was one any would kill for with legs that went for miles and a very well endowed chest. The black jeans that she wore and the tight jacket she had on showed these assets very well. Her arm was linked with the male, the bane of my existence and the reason my heart writhed and died yet again over and over.
Dark hair and piercing green eyes met my chocolate ones and I knew that my unending pain was there for the entire world to see. A smirk formed on his lips and I felt Ichigo's arms tighten around me. That smirk went into a frown as he surveyed the scene before him. His body shifted, taking his linked arm from the red head's and slipping it around her own waist. She smirked and stepped more into his embrace, quickly giving him a peck on the cheek. My heart momentarily stopped, before working in overtime to keep me from fainting from the nerve wrecking pain I was silently enduring. Tears again threatened to spill and I was moments from wrenching myself from Ichigo's arms before I felt his warm soothing breath wafting across my neck. I glanced to my left to see Ichigo bury his face into my hair, nuzzling me briefly before lifting up and tightening his arms further in a show of possession. My head felt light at this engulfing feeling and I clutched onto his arms.
"Love, don't be silent. Introduce me to your friends." The evident disgust of the last word caused me to giggle a bit and I gave Ichigo a grateful smile before looking to them. Gulping silently, I braced myself and kept my voice steady.
"This is Makoto, Kano and Michiko, Nariko. I've known them for a while." I surprised myself with how strong and carefree my voice sounded and the grunt brief flex from him told me of how good a job I had done, despite how my body trembled with the effort it took to not run.
"Makoto-kun…Michiko-san…It's been a pleasure to finally meet you, but Nina and I must be going." Ichigo's deep voice broke my thoughts and I shivered. I felt myself being tugged and I looked up at him. The look of annoyance intensified on his face and I glanced to the couple to see blatantly why. Michiko was looking Ichigo up and down as if he was the next course of her meal. I frowned and buried my face into Ichigo's chest. He clutched me to him and I felt him chuckle. I peeked through the gap in his coat and grinned. Makoto was looking at Michiko with anger and then looking at us with displeasure. I tugged at Ichigo's sleeve and tilted my head away from them, tears beginning to leak.
He saw how distressed I was and I firmly believed that was the only thing keeping him from smashing Makoto's face into the sidewalk with his fist. Keeping me to his side, he stiffly nodded and turned walking us away.
We made the relatively short journey to my apartment, but I couldn't tell you what happened between the time we left the stunned and slightly irked couple and the arrival to my living space. All I remember is walking down the sidewalk in a daze, Ichigo picking me up to carry me up the flight of stairs when I mumbled my floor number, he then taking us to my assigned door and my giving him the key to open said door, and then finally Ichigo settling me on the couch while he went off in search of clean towels. I vaguely heard the opening and closing of doors before a sound of triumph came from him. His footsteps came near and suddenly his face was in my murky vision. He placed a large towel over my head, the other around his neck, and gently rubbed my damp hair. Looking in my face and his scowl deepening on his face when he surveyed my current state, he let out an aggravated sigh, standing up and scratching the back of his head.
Lifting my hand slowly, I loosely clutched his sleeve and gently tugged it. My head was kept down and my eyes downcast, my energy completely spent from the turmoil I had faced head on. He grunted and turned to me, waiting for me to say something or nothing at all. Moments passed and still I said nothing, merely keeping his sleeve in my limp grasp. Another aggravated sigh and suddenly I was pulled up onto my feet. I blanked out for a moment and I felt my scarf, gloves, and jacket being removed from my person. I felt strangely lethargic as this was being done by the person that had entered my life when I needed someone the most, when I needed to be protected not just from the reason I felt numb inside, but from my self as well. I smiled at a sudden thought.
"Ichigo…means number one guardian….my own protector…." My smile increased, and then faded. Tears filled my vision and the world was underwater. Sobs racked my body as the pain surged forward, the numbness creeping up my spine and spreading into my chest. I felt Ichigo sit beside me and place his hand on my shoulder. Relief that I wasn't alone battled with the sorrow and grief that tumbled in my soul over and again. My melt-down lasted for what seemed like ages, but was only in reality about ten minutes. In all that time Ichigo said not one thing and he never moved except to breathe. When my breathing settled and I wiped the remaining tears from my face, I stared at the window across from us, reminiscing on the past. Taking in a shuddering sigh, I told him everything from beginning to end.
How I had met Makoto at that same café, at that same table. How we would walk to the near-by park and talk about nothing and everything. Of the times when we sat next to each other at our homes and basked in the other's presence. Of the days that followed introducing him to the girl who I considered one of my best friends.
I described the chilling feeling I got when I saw them laugh and touch each other a little too long or whisper to each other a little too closely. I whispered to him the encroaching dread I felt the day everything shattered around me and my worst fear came to light.
I sobbed out the image I saw as I watched silently the scene in front of me when I arrived home an hour early to spend time with him, only to see my friend and fiancé in the bed I bought for him, touching each other, kissing and doing the unimaginable. I told of the chocking scream that begged to be released; to be allowed to put an end to what was happening in front of me.
Throughout the whole story, Ichigo never said a word, merely keeping his hand on my shoulder and gripping it. When everything was said and the room became silent, I stiffly turned to Ichigo and smiled sadly. His face was unreadable and his lips thinned. His eyes betrayed nothing of the emotions welling inside of him and his grip on my shoulder loosened.
"Do you think I am stupid for seeing all the signs and not doing anything about it? I knew what was probably going on between those two and I did nothing to stop it. I didn't want to believe that my best friend and lover would do such a thing. I never confronted them and I never told anyone what happened. When I gathered my things after purchasing my apartment in secret, I never thought of why he didn't comment on any of my missing things or asked where I was going on the day I left him. I did nothing. I couldn't do anything about what was happening. Do you know a week after we parted and I saw them together, I finally asked why he did it, why he did all those things to me. You wanna know what he said? He said it was because I wouldn't give into his advances sexually," My laughter bubbled up and spilled out of my mouth, resounding throughout the apartment. "I told him at the start that I was not ready nor would I be anytime soon. One year Ichigo…One year of my life I will never get back…one year of wasting my love in an unfaithful relationship." The tears glistened on my cheeks and I made no attempt to remove them.
"One year of my life and time and money and soul….and what happens…I get screwed." I whispered, a void settling in my chest. I placed my hands on my face and sobbed again. I felt Ichigo tentatively place his hand on my back, rub slowly and then gently grasp my nearest wrist and pull my hand away. I turned from him, not use to letting him see this side of me. I was always the strong one, besides Rukia and Tatsuki, and not once had I ever let anyone see me at my weakest.
Ichigo coaxed me into his lap and pressed my head into his chest, curling over me, and placed his head atop of mine. I heard his deep breath before he talked.
"I don't believe that you are stupid for not doing anything about it. Yes, it was ignorant of you to think that everything would disappear or not seem as it did, but I think I can understand why you thought it. You should have confronted them, which I most vehemently agree on, but at this moment I'm glad you didn't."
I pressed away from him, shock making me dizzy at his words and stared him hard in the eyes. I opened my mouth to lash at him and then tell him to leave, but I didn't have the chance. His hand covered my mouth and his eyes pleaded with me to hear him out. Going over things, I nodded, giving him permission to speak. He uncovered my mouth after deeming me calm and continued.
"When I told you of my secret double life as a soul reaper, I fully expected you to call me crazy and leave, but you didn't. You let me tell you everything from the meeting with Rukia to going off to soul society to my fight with Bounts and the Arrancars. Not once did you tell me to stop and never did you tell me off for wasting your time. You actually listened to every word I said and even offered you feed-back and help. You offered me your shoulder if things got too rough or too hard to handle and if I was ever at my breaking point, I knew that I could come over to your house and let everything out. Nina…you have no idea how much that meant to me. It's thanks to you that I was able to complete my studies and not fall too far behind. You gave the teachers excuses for all of us when we didn't show up for school for weeks on end. When my hollow started becoming too much, you helped me to calm down and search for solutions. When I wasn't getting enough sleep because of all the hollows, you forced me to take naps throughout the day. I owe a lot to you Nina. Even though you were new and were probably overwhelmed, you pushed that all aside to help me and my friends. Now here's a chance to start repaying you for everything you did for us….and me." At this point, new tears were gliding down my cheeks as he said all this. I never knew that my listening to him and my actions towards his friends and he affected him this much…to this magnitude. He shifted me, since he had removed his own winter clothing, and positioned me so that I was mostly facing him. His eyes burned into my own and I suddenly felt exposed to him. I glanced away from his face and felt mine heat up. I gasped when I felt my hair being released and flow down my back. I shivered when I felt his fingers go through the thickness of my hair, twirling locks around his hands and then letting them fall. He sighed and I returned my gaze to him. He was leaning back some against the sofa, his sapphire shirt blending in nicely with the tan coloring of it. I cocked my head to the side and made a sound in the back of my throat to gain his attention. His eyes snapped back into focus and he smiled sadly.
"I liked your hair when it was shorter." Those simply words made me flush more and I slapped his arm, muttering some choice words under my breath. He chuckled and continued to play with my dark thick locks. Suddenly sitting up, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. The sudden action startled me and I yelped and jerked back, causing us to lose our precarious balance on the sofa, and thud onto the carpeted floor. I silently sent a thank you to whatever deity made me choose carpet instead of hardwood and looked down at the angrily muttering man underneath me. I rolled over and sat beside him, grabbing one of his outstretched arms and tugging it onto my lap. I rolled the sleeve up to the crease of his elbow and traced a vein with the tip of my right pointer finger. My legs were crossed Indian style and he scooted closer to me so that his right side muscles weren't stretching so much. The silence that engulfed us was soothing and the only sound that we heard was our breathing, the ticking of the clock in the kitchen and the outside world. I continued my tracing and asked, "Do you think something that is so broken can ever be fixed again, Ichigo?"
He opened one of his closed eyes and looked over at me, trying to get the jest of my words. He opened both eyes and took his arm from my grasp, tilting towards me and slightly sat up, leaning on his elbow. He brushed my hair out of the way and made me look at him, my chocolate orbs widening.
"I said it seven years ago…and I'll say it again," He spoke quietly, yet his tone was one of firm standing. "I will always fix what has been broken…even if it doesn't want to be." His eyes captured mine and I smiled, leaning over to him. He leaned back and when I was lying beside him, tucked my head into the crook of his neck and put my right arm over his chest. My back was cushioned against his right arm and my hand splayed over his thudding heart. Our fingers entwined and my eyes closed, a smile adorning both our lips.
"Ichigo….thank you…and…" He cut me off by moving his right hand to my waist and squeezing firmly. He shifted and started to hum softly. My eyes drifted close as the rumble of his chest soothed my frazzled nerves and sighing, I snuggled more into his warmth.
"Go to sleep Nina…and in the morning…I'll fix you." He murmured sleepily, cradling me to him and reaching up for the blanket I always kept on the couch. He laid it over us and breathed deeply. Clutching his shirt, I yawned and pressed into his side more, muttering against the flesh of his neck. His arms flexed and he pressed his lips to my forehead, murmuring something to me, but I couldn't hear it.
Darkness had already caught me and the fixing had begun. I don't know exactly how this all happened, but I was glad. Though I had a sneaky suspicion my aunt was in on it when she called a bit later asking how my afternoon went. I hung up on her as soon as she drew another breath and chucked it from me, snuggling back to my personal warmer and falling back to sleep with his sleepy chuckle humming against me.
The last thing I remember before completely blacking out was my palm connecting with his chest and he muttering about his fascination with volatile women. My palm connected again and everything went dark.
I'm quite happy with how this turned out. Soft, yet not too sappy. If you enjoyed it, please review and tell me your thoughts. If you didn't like it, review and tell me why. The point...just freaking review. They makes my world go round and round. Constructive criticism is encouraged and flames make me laugh. So go ahead...push the button...you know you want to!!