Light up
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The pitter patter of raindrops drowned out any other sound in the dreary park. Her limp hair slid through his trembling fingers as he cradled her head on his lap. Her body lay, sprawled and bleeding on the pathway as he tried to control his haggard breathing and choked sobs. "…Ul…qiorra…kun, s-s…sor-ry" Her lips parted uselessly as she turned unseeing, hazel eyes toward his hunched form.
"…do-don't…cry" Her shaking hands lifted to slowly trace his wet cheeks.
His hand grabbed hers as he shook his head uselessly, silently breaking apart. She didn't have to do that, she didn't have to push herself in front of him, arms spread out protectively as she spoke out against the trash holding him at gun point. Her flaming red hair obscured his vision as the gun fired, nailing her straight in the chest. The vermin who shot her watched with scared, hopeless eyes as she fell, and fell and fell.
Lips parted in a shocked gasp and eyes widened in fear. His arms reached to catch her before she hit the ground but it was pointless. She wasn't going to make it, the circular wound was far too close to her heart. He wished with all his being, that it were his heart instead.
"…Don't leave me onna…please don't" He gritted out, his face contorted in pain.
"..s-s…sor-ry" she tried to smile but the blood flowing from her blue tinted lips spilled over and dribbled down her chin.
The sound of police sirens sounded far in the distance but it didn't matter. She couldn't be saved, not in such a terrible condition. So he held her as close as he could, blood coating his previously white shirt, and stroked her hair. Broken whispers of apologies and sweet nothings fell from his lips as he cried, and cried and cried.
"…pr-promise me…some…thi-thing…" she chocked out and he briefly stopped stroking her cold hair to turn her damp face towards his. He watched as the rain lightened, smaller drops caressed her face as she opened thick lashes to try and catch a glimpse of him.
"…don't be-b sad…ulqu-qui…be hap-py…li-live for me…I wi-will always-s alw-ways love you…" her last word dragged out in a small whisper and just like that, her eyes seemed to dull down, the vibrance of her kind soul drifted away, towards the heavens.
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The rain stopped, but his tears never did, sometimes it feels like the tears from that day have been burned onto his skin.
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He kneels down in front of her grave every Sunday from then on, with an assortment of daisies, red bean paste jars and the same incense she used to burn for her brother. He tells her stories of his week, about their rowdy, orange-haired neighbor she seemed so fond of, about the busty shop teller down the road with her white haired box boy, about the silent Mexican at the garage, about the bespectacled tailor across the road from them and he whispers that he will live for her everyday. He reluctantly leaves when the incense burns out, kisses her grave and mutters that his heart only has enough space to love one onna in this lifetime.
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He cries every Sunday too, as soon as he enters the now empty apartment, until he falls into a fitful sleep.
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One day, he meets a child. She says her name is Orihime.
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He meets her at the train station and watches as she is about to jump in front of the train. His hand grabs her collar swiftly before she can move and she turns towards him with red-rimmed eyes and a heart broken sob. She is no older than ten. She splutters out that she didn't see where she was going but he is no idiot, he knows it wasn't an accident.
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It is a most curious friendship they develop. He picks her up from school on most weekdays when he finds out that she lives down the road from him. She is cute, with light brown shoulder length hair and sparkling green eyes a shade dimmer than his own. He doesn't understand why she would want to hurt herself.
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He starts taking her out for ice cream on Sundays after he tells her about his own Orihime. She cries when he tells her about the beautiful red head. At sunset, she explains her own story. About how she lives in an abusive household and how children at her school bully her because her mother works as a stripper. She is very mature for her age and he feels empathy towards her situation. When she starts crying and asking if it would be so bad to not exist anymore, he sighs and places a hand on her head.
"Live on. Live for those who can not and live for those who can." He meets her teary eyes silently and she sniffles as she nods her head. "She must have been very special to you, Ulquiorra-chan."
"She still is and will always be. I will live on because I hold her heart with me." He pointed to his chest.
"Next to yours?" she tilted her head.
"In place of mine. Mine died with her."
"Ulquiorra-chan…I don't want to go back home."
He regarded her with mint green eyes and for a brief moment, the face of his own Orihime blinked back at him.
"Then you will not."
He had never seen the gloomy girl smile so widely before.
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It took a few months of adoption papers, social worker meetings and a significant dip in his bank account before Orihime Sayaka officially became Orihime Schiffer. He winced as he thought of another woman he would prefer to call that but her shining green eyes softened his heart a little. If she saw him now, she would be so ridiculously proud of him.
"This is your new home little onna. So if-" He stopped as he felt her thin arms wrap around him, tears dripped past her closed lids.
"Thank you, thank you so much Ulquiorra-chan, you're the nicest, most kindest, most prettiest person I've ever met." She hiccupped.
He frowned at the last part but knelt down nonetheless to be on eye level with her. "I am relieved to know that I am portraying her accurately." His lips quirked up in a tiny smile. "But in return for this favour…"
She nodded her head before he could finish. "Anything!"
"Live on. Be happy. Your eyes seem to light up when you are."
She nodded again with blurry vision. "I love you Ulquiorra-chan."
"As do I little onna."
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Okay some serious angst here but it was inspired by the song 'Run'-Snow patrol . Don't forget to review! :P
xoxo~
I.V