The Recluse
I do not own Bleach or any of its characters...
He never thought of himself as a recluse. He was a successful, bestselling author, always working from home and ordering everything that he required online. He was able to get by in his life by having everything brought and put directly into his hand or right to his front door. It was a wonderful existence not having to deal with people. People were disappointing to Ulquiorra. They disturbed him. Their dependency on others, their failures to achieve success because of their laziness, their complaints about how unfair this world was to them, when in reality, they failed to take responsibility for their actions. Ulquiorra was convinced that they were all just trash. Yes, trash. All of them. He wrote for his own amusement, he created worlds that he at times preferred to live in. He would write anything to escape the excess ignorance of the world.
His Victorian styled house was on a cul-de-sac away from everyone in a small town. His and another house were the only two located comfortably within the dead end. He was happy being desolate. He hardly heard or even saw his neighbor, who just happened to be an astronaut. Now why didn't he think of that? Travelling to the moon, to outer space? Having no one around but the stars and constellations. Due to his demanding job, his neighbor was hardly ever home, so Ulquiorra never had to worry about having anyone bothering him.
This morning was like any usual morning in his two story house. Ulquiorra woke up promptly at six am, showered, fixed his oatmeal, ate, and then headed to his study upstairs. He was sitting in his usual chair, editing some of the content he had written while drinking his hot tea with honey. The knock on the door that came at nine am made him pause. He didn't remember ordering anything and his regular grocery delivery did not arrive until tomorrow afternoon. He waited for a moment until he heard the rapping again. Just when he was feeling particularly engrossed with the editing of his novel, he now felt that the disruption was going to make him lose his momentum. Annoyed, he stood up and headed downstairs. He paused again before hearing the last taps on the door. Hesitantly, he slowly opened the door to find his neighbor, Szayel Aporro Granz, with pink glasses and a gleaming bright grin, enough to blind someone standing next to him. "I am so sorry to bother you Mr. Shiffer, how are you this beautiful and gorgeous morning?" Ulquiorra only looked at him with an unreadable expression. Both men stood frozen staring at each other for what seemed like minutes. Realizing that there was not going to be a response to his question, Szayel immediately got to the point. "Mr. Shiffer, I really hate to bother you, but you see I am going to be leaving for quite some time, because as you know, I am an astronaut." Ulquiorra's face remained expressionless.
"I wanted to let you know that I am going to be renting the top part of my house. I had it renovated some time ago and made it into an apartment, as you know, but I never really had the time to get someone in there. I would just feel so much better if there is someone in that house while I am gone." Szayel turned to look at his enormous and expensive looking house, holding his hand to his chest he gazed almost longingly. He turned back to Ulquiorra who had yet to say a word. "Well then, the reason I came over is because I need a favor from you. I have met the tenant that will be moving in, but I forgot to give her the key. If you can believe this, but we were chatting away like old friends that I didn't realize that she had left without it until it was too late." Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow.
"Anyway, I got called in for an emergency at work and I have to go and I don't want to leave the key lying around anywhere, so I am afraid I must impose on you this ONE time. Consider this your neighborly deed for the year…neighbor." Szayel raised his arm and slowly opened his hand to reveal a set of pink and white keys being held on a heart shaped key chain. "Would you mind handing these keys to her?" Szayel was not sure what to think of Ulquiorra's blank face. He really needed to leave and if the asshole neighbor of his would just take the damn keys they both wouldn't be standing here like idiots. It was obvious that his neighbor didn't appreciate him being so damn frigging jolly so early in the morning. Why didn't the alarm go off at the right hour? Why did he stub his toe while heading to the bathroom that morning? Why didn't he just take the research job opening like he had intended? Why did he have to be so curious? He just had to go and see space for himself. Holding his breath Szayel thought to himself…Just take the frigging keys already! Ulquiorra sighed.
Szayel started to slowly close his hand when Ulquiorra reached up and quickly grabbed the odd colored keys, surprising the tall, pink haired man. Finally, you jerk! Szayel thought. "I will call her and let her know you have them and she can come and pick them up later on today." Szayel paused again, hoping that the wax statue in front of him would melt with the sun's rays. "Thank you kind neighbor and I shall not forget your kindness." With that, Szayel quickly turned and left Ulquiorra standing alone. "Asshole," Szayel mumbled under his breath as he walked away.
Ulquiorra stood and watched his arrogant neighbor walk away. He really wasn't sure as to why he took the keys. He was ready to tell him that it was none of his business and that he shouldn't become girlfriends with every girl he saw, and just how many fag hags did he have to have anyway? Wasn't there a limit? But that morning, Ulquiorra had woken up perfectly content with his life, knowing that everything was as he wanted, right down to the last detail. Toothpaste lid on? Check. Boil water for his oatmeal and tea for exactly five minutes? Check. No wire hangers? Check. Using his favorite editing mechanical pencil? Check. Since Ulquiorra was obviously in a good mood today, he decided that maybe doing the neighborly act once in a while wouldn't be so bad; once a year sounded perfectly alright with him. Putting the keys in his jeans pocket, he stepped back and closed his door. Ulquiorra paused and took the keys out of his pocket again. Glancing down at them, he was pretty much convinced that the colors and keychain were not likely chosen by this new tenant. As he was heading for the stairs, he stopped and looked out toward Szayel's house, he realized that his study faced his neighbor's residence and yet he had never noticed the side door that led to the apartment or flat that Szayel had mentioned. Somewhat surprised at the fact that he could have missed something like that, he turned to see the stranger that had lived next to him close to five years, packing the last of his luggage in his corvette. Flamboyant and a showoff, Ulquiorra noted.
Heading back upstairs, he quickly became annoyed again at the fact that he had wasted twenty minutes that he could have put to good use on his novel. Now that his morning and basically entire day was ruined, he quickly changed into his Adidas sweat pants, sneakers and a loose fitting t-shirt and headed for a run on the trail outside his house.
When Ulquiorra had seen the Victorian styled home and noticed that the back of his house had several acres containing a lush green forest that had an already made hiking trail; he knew he had found the place where he could be at peace. He would be able to run to his heart's content. For Ulquiorra, running was the next best thing to sex. Once he reached his runner's high, he could let his mind be free and that is when his best plot twists and ideas came from. Running and sex, pretty much very close together in satisfaction. But being a so called private person had its drawbacks. Whenever he needed to satisfy himself, he often called on Harribel instead of pleasuring himself. He couldn't very well pick up random strangers and the very idea sickened him and almost disgusted him. He preferred women that were suited to his taste; his women had to be independent, self-assured, and emotionally strong and living their own lives without having to cling to him. Man, how he despised over-emotional women. The clinginess factor was a complete turn off to him; he didn't understand how people could let themselves be controlled by emotions so easily. Harribel was different; she was discreet and didn't make a big deal about them at all. She was a very famous attorney; a hard ass that fought hard for women's rights. Harribel picked up women who were down on their luck or had been used and abused then showed them how to be strong again. All the women eventually became independent themselves, an act that almost impressed Ulquiorra…almost.
Harribel had a whole office filled with women that worked for her, but mostly the three most annoying of them all fighting and arguing about whom was doing what for their boss. What were their names? Mila Rose, Appaci and Sung-Sun or something or other, but they all kept quiet about their discreet and secret affairs. The press was always looking for something to dig up on Harribel and the fact that they had to be so quiet about it had intrigued him even more. The thought of giving her a call later to make one of their usual appointments could make his day head in a much better direction.
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Orihime was going crazy looking for those keys. She wasn't sure if her new landlord had given them to her or not, she just couldn't remember due to her lack of sleep. These days had been so tiring for her. She had just graduated from college with a degree in social work and was trying to figure out a way to eventually get her Master's degree and then solely focus on working mainly with children. That was the plan, at least.
If it had not been for her friend Tatsuki, she would not have known about her uncle, who was also a social worker who was retiring. Which meant that he was leaving a post open in a small town she had never heard of. Oddly enough, after she sent in her resume and had been interviewed twice, she got the job. Orihime was ecstatic. She would be working with kids of all ages, families who needed help with their already troubled lives. Orihime felt so much for these people and she wanted to guide them in the right direction. Packing all her things had been strenuous because she would begin work on the following Monday and today was Thursday. It was going to be a long weekend; even longer if she didn't find those keys.
Orihime's cell phone rang and she quickly picked it up after zigzagging her way through the labyrinth of boxes. "Hello?"
"Hey there, you!" Szayel's voice echoed through the bad interception.
"Mr. Granz, is that you?"
"Yes. Listen dear; I forgot to give you the keys to the apartment…." Much to Orihime's relief, she wasn't going crazy after all.
"I can barely hear you Mr. Granz, the line has a lot of static!" Orihime moved around the box filled apartment trying to see if she could get a better signal.
"Please call me, -el. I am close to a tunnel in the mountains and I might lose -all but I wanted to let you know that my neighbor has the keys to your apartme-so he - them to you-so you just- get in, okay?" The red haired girl was trying her hardest to press the phone as close to her ear as possible to understand what this man was saying to her. "I am sorry, Mr. Granz, did you say to go into your neighbor's house because they have the keys?"
"Call me Szay-"
The call dropped. Much to Orihime's dismay, she wasn't very convinced as to what she thought she had heard. Apparently his neighbor had the keys. She wasn't too comfortable with the idea of someone handling the keys to her apartment other than her or her landlord but if her landlord trusted them, then it must be okay.
She hurried and put the rest of the boxes in the Uhaul truck that she had rented and finally stood at the front door of her tiny apartment. So many memories she had made here. She remembered her brother taking care of her here, her friend Tatsuki visiting most evenings and all the laughter they had shared, her nervous evenings with Ichigo whenever she had invited him to watch a movie or for dinner. Sadly, that had not amounted to anything after Rukia had moved into town. Yet, she was turning over a new leaf, she was ready to begin a new life and she was going to do it with her head held high and a positive attitude.
She was driving into the town named Littleton and was in awe at how beautiful the little quaint town was kept. Flowers everywhere, people walking along the shops as they window shopped. Some held ice cream cones which made Orihime make a mental note to treat herself after all her packing was done. She drove past the town square where she could see the mosaic made water fountain in full display as it sprayed its water toward the air, creating little rainbows. It made her smile. This little town made her smile. It brought to her an old comfort that she had not felt in a long time. She drove on until she saw the road that would take her to her new apartment.
She had been incredibly lucky finding this place or Szayel finding her. She had been looking at the apartment ads in the newspaper while sitting on one of the café tables outside of the town's little café when she heard someone clear their throat next to her. She had looked up and was surprised to see a very tall, thin man with bright pink hair, pink glasses and a very bright gleaming smile standing next to her. She was almost blinded. He had noticed her looking at the want ads and he had inquired if she was looking for an apartment.
She was leery at first, then as she noticed other people waving to him and stopping him to say hello, she soon felt comfortable. He eventually told her of his profession and that coincidentally he was in dire need of a person that he could rent his newly renovated apartment to. She had expressed to him that she was going to be the new social worker at the Littleton government office and that she was looking for something cheap and readily available. Orihime was amazed at how easy it was to talk to him, she was unsure if it was his gleaming crest smile or the fact that she could easily relate to him, just like one of her girlfriends. She had haggled on the prize of the apartment after she had seen it; she had convinced Mr. Granz that since she was starting out in her career, she wouldn't be able to afford anything too expensive. Szayel was in a hurry to rent, so he had finally given in.
Orihime turned and drove down the brick road that led to her new street. She made sure to slow down so she wouldn't shift anything packed inside the truck. The brick road was a nice touch but it was going to be hell on her car if she ever drove fast on it. She made the right turn and drove up slowly up to the house and parked the truck onto the cement driveway. She was excited that she would have her own garage door as well. She felt very lucky indeed. Stopping the truck, she let out a sigh and prepared herself for the long day ahead of her. But first, she needed to get her keys.
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Orihime rang the doorbell again. She was pretty sure she understood that Mr. Granz had said that they had the keys. She was sure of it. But Orihime had already been knocking close to five minutes and she was getting a little worried. Maybe I do have to go in, she thought. The thought of barging into someone's house made her really uncomfortable but that was what Mr. Granz had said, to just walk right in. Maybe the people couldn't hear her or maybe they had difficulty walking or maybe something happened to them? Her mind started to spinoff hundreds of terrible scenarios and when her mind finally landed on alien kidnapping, Orihime decided to investigate.
She looked around the front porch and peeked inside through the window. The place looked masculine yet clean and simply decorated, but she didn't see any movement. Heading toward the door again, she gained a little bit of courage and turned the knob but it failed to turn. The door was locked. With a sigh, Orihime glanced back toward the window and decided to try a back door. Of course! The back door! I am so silly; they are probably sitting out back and can't hear me. With this newfound confidence, she turned the corner of the house and reached the tall wooden gate. Reaching her hand up to try the lock, it snapped open, which quickly brought a smile to her face. She slowly opened the door and poked her head in. The back revealed a pool and a very pretty garden; she saw another gate that probably led to the forest behind the house. No one was there, so she slowly entered, glancing back one last time to make sure that no one had come out to respond to her incessant knocking. She closed the gate behind her and headed toward the French doors. Taking a deep breath, she knocked again and waited. No response. If she was not in desperate need to get the keys to her house she would never be doing something like this. She placed her hand on the knob and turned.
The door slid open without a sound. Orihime bit her bottom lip before calling out, "Hello? This is your new neighbor. I am here to pick up my keys?" Placing one foot in front of the other, she took in her surroundings and was amazed at how clean everything looked. Everything had its place, she could never manage to be that clean, but she wasn't a slob either. She had walked into a very large kitchen with maple colored cabinets lining the walls, stainless steel appliances and a large island that contained the stove and grilling area. Everything looked quite expensive. Making sure she didn't touch anything, Orihime carefully walked straight through the kitchen into the foyer of the house. To the right of her was what looked like the living room and further down was another open room that she pretty sure thought it was a library of something. To the left she could see a big window where she could her new place. The place she had yet to really explore all on her own. She turned to look at the wide winding stairs. Where is everyone? She thought nervously. "Hello? Is anyone here?"
Orihime reluctantly put her hand on the rail and slowly began to ascend. The closer she got up the stairs the louder her heart palpitated. "Hello, I am here to pick up my keys?" she called out as she reached close to the last step. Orihime was not sure what had caused the next series of events, but she was incredibly embarrassed nonetheless. As she placed her foot on the last step, the other foot accelerated and the bottom of her sandal caught hold of the rug in front of her, causing her to begin the inevitable fall to the ground. Orihime yelped as she fell on the wooden floor. "Ah! Damn it, this stupid rug! What kind of idiot puts a rug right in front of the steps anyway?"
"The kind that watches where they are going," a voice called out. Orihime froze. Her hair covered her face which blocked her sight to the individual standing in the hallway. She slowly rose and pushed her hair out of her face and glanced at the half naked man standing in front of her in a white fluffy towel that covered his nether region. Later, she would try to analyze how her face had looked, how much time had passed staring at the half naked man and also wondered if maybe she had drooled. Out of nervous instinct, Orihime giggled as she slowly stood up, massaging her wrist.
"Do you generally make it a habit breaking into other people's homes?" Ulquiorra asked, surprisingly un-phased by the stranger before him.
"Wha-? No, err, I knocked. Really, I did! And for a very long time, too!" she blurted. The fact that he had not moved and was standing there in his lack of apparel made her quite nervous and flustered. She tried not to glance at his well-defined chest and arms. The hard six pack that still held droplets of water from his shower. The towel that was hung low at his waist, covering his…Orihime quickly glanced up, with a heavy breath. "Uh, Szayel said that I could come in to get my key?" she added shyly, feeling the goose bumps creating a wave of her electricity on her arms.
"Szayel told you to just walk into my house and get your keys?" a suspicious look began to take shape on his face. He eyed her, trying to figure out if she was really that silly to think that it was okay to waltz into another person's home as if it was not a big deal. And possibly ruin his furniture in the process. He had to admit, she was a good looking woman; reddish brown hair, big brown eyes, a heavy chest covered by a white t-shirt that had an angel's wings design on it, short jean shorts that covered her well rounded bottom and round hips. Her legs looked smooth and she was wearing, the likely culprit of her fall…flip-flops. He immediately snapped back into attention at the sound of the woman's voice.
"Listen, I am really sorry but I didn't mean to barge in like this, I honestly thought that someone might answer the door when I knocked. I have all my stuff in a Uhal and I need to return it by 2 pm. So, please understand why I was a bit irrational and did enter your house without permission. It really is a big misunderstanding, truly it is." The social worker in Orihime began to take control. If she could just give her honest explanation, apologize, get her keys and move on…that would be great. She also needed to get away from him quickly in his present state. Ulquiorra looked her over once more, then turned around and walked away from her and into a bedroom. Orihime was not sure whether to wait or to follow but before she could take a step forward, the reason for her heated cheeks returned…this time, with a shirt on.
"Here, forget this happened," he softly stated while looking at her wrist, "How's your wrist? Is it hurt? I can call a cab so they can take you to the hospital, you can just tell them to send me the bill." If ever at all, Ulquiorra ever showed concern on his face, this would be the time closest to it. He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed; the last thing he wanted was a lawsuit in his hands. Even if she had intruded on his property, no one was safe from such parasites nowadays.
"No, no…I am fine, thank you! Again, I am really sorry!" Orihime grabbed the keys as fast as she could from Ulquiorra's outstretched hand. She slowly walked backward and stopped to look down at the rug again to make sure she didn't trip on it this time. "I am really sorry to inconvenience you, but thank you so much for holding my towel-ah! Err, I-I-I mean my keys!" She could feel her face turning a crimson red and she noticed an amused expression on her new neighbor's face. Without a second thought, Orihime began to quickly descend down the stairs and head toward the front door. She was pretty sure she would begin to hyper-ventilate right about now since she was now having trouble opening the door. Should she go out the back door? She didn't have time to think twice, she spun and quickly ran through the foyer, the kitchen and then out the French doors. As if being chased, Orihime ran toward the gate and opened the door in a flash. Finally, her freedom…she ran until she reached the truck and rested her arm on it and took a deep breath. Holy crap! What a nightmare! She thought to herself as she started to take control of her breathing. She took one glance at the place she had just run away from and hoped to never set foot in his place again.
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Ulquiorra smirked through the whole ordeal. He had leaned over the stair rail to get a better view of his incredibly entertaining new neighbor. Once she realized that she wouldn't be able to open the door, he could see the panic in her eyes as she turned and ran for his kitchen. He walked over to the window in his study and could now see her running toward the truck she had rented. His day had suddenly gotten very interesting. He had rapidly forgotten about being upset at the fact that he had been rudely interrupted and his house had been basically been broken into. At least he no longer had to be held liable for other people's responsibilities. Hand the keys to his new neighbor? Check. Szayel had not better ask him for another favor anytime soon, he wouldn't even allow him to say a word because he would gladly shut the door on his face.
Looking at the clock, he headed back to his bedroom to get dressed; he didn't want to miss his pending appointment with Tia. It had been a while since they had been together and he had certainly needed the release. Oddly enough after this quirky incident he felt more relaxed. Ulquiorra respected Tia's time, so missing this appointment after she had gone out of her way to re-arrange her schedule to see him was out of the question. He finished getting ready and headed out the door. A quick glance out the window and he could see his neighbor carrying small boxes up the stairs. Several men were out there, one with a funky looking orange shag for hair, a very tall and dark looking man, and a lean man with glasses. It appeared that they were helping with all the heavy furniture, while his neighbor and two other dark haired girls were only handling the small stuff. Ulquiorra had wondered if she was going to need help moving her possessions into the apartment, but he had quickly brushed that thought away as quickly as it came. But he felt a sense of relief that she would not be moving her things without any help. Not that he cared he had thought to himself, he just did not want to be bothered with any of it. He finished putting on his black blazer, headed to the garage and got into his black BMW.
Forty minutes later, Ulquiorra reached the secluded café in another small town. He looked around to see if Tia had already arrived but to no avail. Opening the door, he decided to meet her inside, at their usual table located in the very back. It was a dark setting; one could classify it as romantic. Creating the mood had been his choice in order for the evening to end how he wanted it. He needed her at her most passionate, because he could be very greedy. Their relationship was very cordial, not much to talk about when it came to them. Their discussions were mostly of politics and their careers, which usually took up a lot of their time when they spoke. They would have a couple of drinks and sometimes order something light to eat. They would then head to the hotel across the street, to the room that Ulquiorra usually already had reserved. They would last for several hours and Ulquiorra would shower and leave the room while Tia was sleeping. It was better that way. They both had other priorities. There was no need to ruin a good thing.
Ten minutes had passed and there was still no sign of her. Ulquiorra couldn't tolerate people being late, especially when they were late to meet him. At that moment, his cell phone rang and he saw that it was Tia's office. "Yes?" Ulquiorra answered.
"The least you can do is say hello!" the voice at the other end of the receiver yelled, which made Ulquiorra sigh and glance at the ceiling. He swore that that girl really disliked him, which wasn't much of a surprise since most people didn't. "Where's Tia, Emily?" he asked.
"She called me to tell you that she was called away to an emergency meeting concerning her new case. She is not going to make it to your little book club today, unfortunately for you." Ulquiorra refrained from rolling his eyes.
"Thanks." Was his response and hung up. Ulquiorra was not bothered that he was going to continue his light lunch alone.
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"Thank you so much for helping, Kurosaki." Orihime said. Ichigo slid down the door to the back of the moving truck. "Hey, no problem Inoue, we're glad that we could help you out!" responded her orange haired friend.
"I know we are all sweaty but I am starving! Why don't we head to that fast food place that we saw coming into town?" suggested Rukia. Orihime turned to look at her friend Rukia, who was coming down the stairs with an empty box. She had short black hair that was cut into a bob; she was slim and very pretty. Her beautiful violet eyes reflected an inner strength and confidence that Orihime wished she could have. No wonder Ichigo had fallen so easily for her.
"I think that's a great idea, Rukia! I am starving myself. I could definitely eat a couple of burgers…" Ichigo responded. "How about it guys?"
Sado closed the door of his SUV, headed over to the growing group and nodded toward Ichigo. His quiet demeanor never concerned any of his friends. Yet others that didn't know him very well, could easily be intimidated by his tall and well-muscled body. "That sounds fine, it would be better for me anyhow since I am flying to Mexico tonight." Having a keen sense for business, Sado had become a very successful antiques furniture dealer who regularly travelled around the world to purchase carefully selected items for his boutiques.
Ichigo turned to look at him surprised, "Are you going to miss the game this Sunday? Don't forget that we are playing against those guys from Rukongai. They keep talking trash about our skills, man! I think it's time to show them who owns that soccer field."
Sado looked at his friend with a serious look, "Don't worry, I'll be there."
Tatsuki was heading down the stairs with Ishida following close behind. "I don't know why you Neanderthals get so fiercely competitive with Rukongai, Ichigo! You guys press each other buttons all the time; it's like watching 5 year olds fight!" Orihime giggled at her friend's comment.
"Hey! I hope you know that you are just as competitive as the rest of us Neanderthals!" responded Ichigo, annoyed. "Besides, I want to kick their ass once and for all!" He crossed his tanned muscular arms across his chest and leaned back against the truck casually.
"Now, now kids. Let's play nice." interrupted Ishida in all seriousness. "There's no need to argue about a silly game. Getting back on topic here, I wish I could join you for lunch but I have to head on over to my father's company. There is going to be a company picnic and I am in charge of the arts and crafts booth. "
"How'd you get stuck with the arts and crafts booth?" asked Rukia, as she tilted her head in wonder.
"I didn't get stuck with it. I chose it." answered Ishida, as he pushed his glasses up on the ridge of his nose. He looked quite happy and proud of his decision.
All dumbfounded eyes landed on Ishida. "Arts and crafts, huh?" asked Tatsuki unimpressed.
"Uh, we better get going you guys, I have to return the truck soon and I don't want to get overcharged if I am late!" said Orihime quickly. She truly admired Ishida for who he was, so what if he liked to sow and enjoyed arts and crafts? They all had quirky habits or hobbies and it bothered her that Ishida was always viewed as having the weirdest ones.
Even though they had briefly dated in high school they both eventually agreed that they made better friends than lovers. Yet he held a special place in her heart as he had always been there for her. She had always felt a little guilty because she knew that he had always suspected that she had feelings for Kurosaki Ichigo. After her and Ishida had agreed to break up, she finally had gotten the courage to invite Ichigo to dinner at her house. The following week, Rukia had transferred to their school. Ichigo was asked to escort her around and from that point on, they became inseparable. She sighed and shook the memory away and got into the moving truck. She waited for everyone to drive away then she and Tatsuki eventually followed.
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Orihime plopped on the couch with much relief. She was done moving all her things and everyone had gone home except for Tatsuki. Her shoulders hurt and her feet were throbbing. "You know, I can't stress this enough Orihime but this is a really nice place, and for the amount of rent you are paying? I just might ask Mr. Pink Lady himself if he has an extra room available." Orihime giggled. Yes, she felt very lucky, indeed. Tatsuki sat down next to her and handed her a cup of instant ramen. "Ah, quick comfort food," Orihime exclaimed. They both sat in silence enjoying their hot soup, listening to the musical sound of the crickets outside.
"They are trying to attract female crickets. "Orihime said as a matter of fact.
"What's that? Who's trying to attract hot and sexy females, Hime?" Tatsuki asked with an amused tone in her voice. She was used to her friend's random comments and wild imagination.
"The hunky male crickets, of course! They rub the top part of their wing to the bottom part of the other wing and it creates their cricket sound to attract the females. Just imagine a bunch of horny Jiminy crickets running along trying to get laid." She responded with an exhausted laugh.
"Thank you for running Jiminy Cricket's wholesome image for me!" laughed Tatsuki. "That's exactly what I needed right now. I feel less and less like a kid every time you and I talk. And to think, I used to be so pure and virginal."
"Oh honey, you being pure and virginal? Riiighht! I am the one that has been corrupted by you, my dear friend! You should thank me now because I think I saved you from your fall from grace." Orihime continued in melodramatic bouts and tried not to choke on her soup whilst giggling. They giggled until their tummies hurt.
Once they had calmed down, Orihime's face suddenly turned serious. "Thank you for staying the night, Tatsu. I really appreciate it." She put the cup down on the floor and leaned back and put her head on her friend's shoulder. She had a bit of nostalgia sitting next to her friend. Even more so when she realized that her longtime friend would no longer be right next door.
As if reading her mind, her friend said, "Oh, it won't be so bad, Hime! I'll still come and bug you a whole lot! Besides, I wanted to give you the good news. I waited to tell you until you were settled but I am really excited and I can't hold it in anymore." Orihime lifted her head and they both moved and faced each other.
"What's going on, Tatsu? You do seem excited, tell me!" she grabbed her friend's hand into her own.
"Well, you know how Renji is totally obsessed with tattoos, right? So, he applied for a loan in order to start his own tattoo parlor. Well, needless to say…HE GOT APPROVED!" Orihime squealed in excitement and hugged her friend tightly. "Oh, I am so happy for you guys! Where are guys going to put the place?"
"Do you remember that spot that was being leased right next to the dojo where I work at? Well, right there! We went to see about the price and we haggled a bit and they didn't come down as much as we had hoped but, enough so that we would be able to move in and get the extra equipment and other things," explained Tatsuki. Orihime felt really happy for her friend that she started tearing up. "Oh, no don't do that, you are supposed to be happy for me! Be happy? See, like this." Tatsuki grabbed Orihime's cheeks and pulled up to make a contorted smile which made her friend giggle.
"I can't help it Tatsu, I am genuinely happy for you and sometimes I get a bit emotional, I know! I mean, you guys have been searching for quite some time. Both you and Renji have been working really hard. It was about time that something great happened, you know? I mean, ever since-"her voice trailed off.
"I know. You don't have to say it," replied the dark-haired girl gloomily, "…the accident changed all of our lives, there's no need to go there, okay?" Both girls stayed quiet for some time, each wanting to abandon the confines of their own memory but unable to do so. Orihime tapped her foot nervously which made her friend take notice.
"Orihime? Have you been taking your pills?" her friend asked curiously.
"Huh? Oh, uh, not really. I've been really busy lately with packing and making sure I am getting prepared for my first day at work that I haven't really thought about it. But I am okay, no problems." Orihime tried to sound convincing.
"So, no migraines?" she looked at her friend suspiciously, "Orihime, those pills are supposed to help suppress your headaches."
"I said it was okay. Tatsu I know you worry, but trust me…I am fine." Orihime smiled at her and Tatsuki didn't press the issue further, not this time. She had always taken care of her friend and yes, she was worried. Yet, Orihime had matured throughout the years and she felt herself less and less needed. In a way it kind of hurt her feelings still. She had been so used to fighting Orihime's battles that it had become like second nature to just take care of her. But after the accident that had left her in a coma for six months, everything changed. Orihime had stayed with her almost every day to make sure she was taken care of and when Tatsuki had learned how to walk again, her dear friend had been there for support. It seemed as if the tables had turned at times.
Orihime noticed the change in her friend and immediately reached out to her. "Hey, you know that if anything happens, you are the first one I will call on, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, we should set up your bedroom so we can get some sleep, I am tired." She said which was then quickly followed by a yawn. She stood, stretched and pulled her red haired friend up as well.
"Ugh, I don't wanna!" whined Orihime and lazily followed her friend toward her bedroom. At times like this she wished she had magical powers to just poof her stuff to where it needed to go. She was hoping that with her friend's motivation she will get a lot of it done before her weekend came to an end.
XXXX
Tatsuki woke with a start to the sound of something falling. She groggily glanced over to where Orihime was supposed to be sleeping and found that the space was empty. The sound of another falling item made her jump. She pulled the sheets away from her and headed toward the bedroom door, "Orihime? Are you alright?" There was only silence. "Orihime?" she searched for the light switch and didn't find it. Shit! Where the hell is it? She continued to feel for the switch with no luck. "Orihime! Answer me!" she raised her voice a bit more. The darkness prevented her from seeing clearly and not knowing where the boxes had been placed around the house, she had to rely on her outstretched arms to guide her. She paused when she heard someone giggle. Okay, that was fucking creepy!
"Orihime, answer me, NOW! You know I don't like to play stupid hiding games like this! It's really starting to piss me off!" Tatsuki wasn't lying. She had never been a fan of hiding games, many of her hide and seek games usually ended with her beating someone up. The only thing they managed to do was frustrate her to no end. And she was feeling incredibly frustrated right about now. She came upon a box and felt her way around it. A flash suddenly made her yelp and she covered her eyes in order to reduce the pain that had just pierced them.
"Really, Tatsuki, I just turned the light on. There is no need to freak." Orihime giggled. Tatsuki tried to adjust her eyes to the light but the pain from the sudden brightness still lingered. "Ah! What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you say anything when I called?" Orihime only looked at her with a faraway look but didn't respond. Tatsuki's sight was clearing and her eyes were finally adjusting to her surroundings, yet the sight of Orihime made her want to throw up. "Oh my god, Orihime! You are bleeding!" She quickly ran to her motionless friend and frantically began searching for a wound. Her mind railing, she only focused on Orihime's shirt and her friend's hair covered in blood.
"Fuck! Fuck! Oh my god! Oh my GOD! Orihime! What is wrong with you! Look at me, what did you do?" Orihime only looked at her desperate friend with a glazed look in her eye. "Where's my phone? I need to call 911!" Tatsuki looked around frantically around for her phone but she didn't want to step away from her friend. Why is this happening, what the fuck is happening?
"Sandwich."
Tatsuki's heavy breathing was the only sound to be heard in the room. She slowly turned to Orihime unsure if she had heard correctly. "W-what?" she focused her eyes on her friend's face.
"I want a sandwich. Do you want one, too?" Orihime whispered. Tatsuki only stared at her; she didn't know whether to slap her or throw her head back and laugh hysterically. Her eyes trailed down to the red substance on her friend's shirt. She lifted her finger, dabbed it on the red matter and pressed it on her tongue. Ketchup.
Orihime was sleep walking again.
XXXXXX
Okay, so I couldn't get this story out of my mind. I have re-written it several times and it just won't go away! I hope you guys like it, seriously. Otherwise I will be writing just like Ulquiorra...for myself and you can all suck it. hehehe
I do want to point out that some of the things happening here are from life experience, except the walking into someone's house w/out the being invited part and finding a gorgeous nekkid man in a towel. hehehe
Also, this story has tiny details from my life, like I live on a brick road which is very pretty and a bitch on my car and other things that I dare not say yet...
Well, until next time! Mua! *kiss flutters at you*