I do not own any of the character portrayed in here except of Yuka Kurosawa. If I did, Orihime and Uryu would already be married.
I apologise for any OOC-ness of the characters. Rated T just in case.
A/N: Hello there! I've had an idea for this fic for some time now and I must admit that I couldn't sleep properly last night because I kept thinking about it. That's why I spent my whole day writing this. I have to say, it was fun! I apologise for any OOC-ness that may occur during this fanfiction as well as a little bit of a storyline twist. I'd appreciate if you let me know your thoughts on this! Feel free to correct me if you spot any grammar/vocabulary mistakes. :)
Dedicated to Aly, a dear friend of mine who greatly supported me while writing this fic. Thank you for everything.
"What?!" a voice echoed throughout the large hall of the almost empty Ishida residence. "How can you decide something like that on your own, Father?!"
"I'm sorry, Uryu, but this is for your own good," a middle-aged man with white hair and a pair of glasses said, "She's a nice girl. I'm sure you'll like her."
"But, Father!" Uryu spread out his hands in protest, "That's not something you can decide!"
"I said I'm doing this for you!" the older man shouted, his voice trailing off. "Please, for this once, do as I say."
And the silence filled the room.
Ryuken Ishida was an admirable man everyone would love as a son, husband or father. He was the owner of the Karakura Hospital and the head of the Ishida family which only he and his only son, Uryu Ishida, were part of. That's right – Ryuken Ishida was a widower. He had lost his wife, Kanae Ishida, in a terrible accident and ever since then he'd been taking care and raising his son all by himself. It's not like it was hard for him. Uryu Ishida was a magnificent child who never let his father down before. He was a great student and a brilliant archer. There was not a single thing Ryuken could be ashamed of his son. However, as Uryu grew, he started changing. He stopped calling his father "Daddy" and switched to cold, formal "Father". He still kept scoring first on the exams. He still kept being a brilliant archer. Nevertheless, Ryuken felt like he has lost a connection with his one and only son he loved dearly.
"Ishida-kun!" the orange-haired, princess-like girl skipped down the corridors of Karakura High School, her hair fluttering in the soft breeze of that February morning.
"Oh, Inoue-san. Hello." the said person replied, "How are you today?"
"Oh, I'm fine!" she assured him, "Though, there is something I would like to say…"
"What is it, Inoue-san?" Uryu asked, adjusting his glasses which refracted the sun rays, turning white for a brief moment, thus making it difficult for his interlocutor to see his eyes. When the clouds covered the burning sun after a few seconds, Uryu caught a sight of Orihime. She was still gloriously standing in front of him, her head down and hair fluttering in the wind. As her hand rose to remove the lock of ginger hair from her face, she lifted her head, their eyes meeting. Both of them blushed furiously.
Ever since Uryu met Orihime three years ago, he had been madly in love with a girl he thought he could never be with, Inoue-san. Orihime was not an ordinary girl, people would say. She tended to zone out with her mouth open and lose track of what she was thinking of dreaming about. She had a hyperactive imagination and got carried away thinking of unlikely scenarios. Even so, Uryu couldn't help but fall for her at first sight. Destructive robots she tended to talk about a lot seemed like the most beautiful flowers in the entire world to him. Her horrible, inedible cooking seemed like the most enjoyable meal to him. He loved everything about her – her eyes, her mouth, her hair, her body. Every single thing. Uryu himself would most of the time agree that she was not an ordinary girl indeed.
As they stood in the corridor, the students started entering the classrooms and preparing for classes. Soon, only a few more students were still walking down the corridors and chatting. Between Uryu and Orihime – silence.
"So, Inoue-san..?" Uryu asked with a little bit of worry in his tone. "Are you al-"
"Um, Ishida-kun!" she interrupted. "Well, you see, the thing is… Do you mind lending me your sewing set? I kind of lost mine and I have something I need to stitch!"
Uryu smiled.
"Of course, Inoue-san. You made it look like it was something more serious." he patted her head and she closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Come on, I'll give it to you in the classroom."
She sighed.
"Alright!"
And as they were entering the classroom, the bell rang and the classes started.
As Uryu walked up the stairs of the Ishida household, many things flew through his mind – his father, the mysterious girl, Orihime. He knew what he had to do. He knew that he had disappointed his father a lot since he entered high school. He knew he had to be a worthy son. He wanted to make his father proud of him again. And that hurt him greatly. He entered his room. His room, with its painted walls and brown parked floor, its simple, yet stylish rug, its furnishings, didn't look a single bit like the rest of the household. His room was a place where he could be his real self. He was free of school there. Free of his father's disappointed look and free of his feelings of responsibility. His room was his sanctuary from the outside; its four walls serving as the walls of his castle. His fortress against haste and hurry, school and drama, as well as the responsibilities of the son of Ryuken Ishida, which haunted his sleep. His room was a place of peace for him, separated from hustle and bustle of the outside world. Uryu threw himself on his large, cosy bed on the very end of his room, right under the red curtains which covered the big window, thus not letting the sunlight in. He undid his necktie and at the exact same moment, fell asleep.
"So, have you given it any thought, Uryu?" Ryuken asked sipping the coffee Uryu just made.
"Could you give me a little bit more time, Father?" Uryu replied, feeling dizzy. "Uh, I think this is something I should properly think about."
"Of course." The white-haired man said and sat up, "That's your life, after all."
Uryu raised his head and watched Ryuken carefully as he was leaving the room, holding his breath.
"Just remember, you were a great kid once." The father said coldly and left the room. Uryu sighed.
I guess I'll really have to do it, huh, he thought to himself and continued sipping coffee in the absolute silence. It's my duty.
The next morning while having a breakfast and not making any sound other than creaking of the silverware and sipping of the coffee, Uryu decided to break the deafening silence.
"Father," he started, "I have something I would like to say to you."
Ryuken stopped eating and looked up at his son. The absolute silence filled the room.
"Yes?"
"I'll do it."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll do it." Uryu repeated, "Because if you think it's the best for me, I'll do it."
"You're what?!" all together, the group of students shouted.
"It's like I told you, idiots. I'm getting married." Uryu said, annoyance being written all over his face.
"B-But, Ishida! H-How come?! You've never had a girlfriend!" Ichigo stuttered, "Is it, perhaps a…"
"… a boyfriend?" Rukia finished his sentence, clearly amused by the whole situation.
"That might be the case." Sado nonchalantly added.
"Now that I think about it, you've always seemed a little bit non-straight-ish, Ishida!" Renji patted Uryu's shoulder, "It's alright, we wo-"
"Idiots!" Uryu snapped, "I'm being totally serious here!"
"I-Ishida…" Rukia muttered, noticing the pain in Uryu's eyes.
"W-Wow, Ishida, so, this really is happening, huh? To think someone like you would get married before me! Wow!" Ichigo started laughing and Renji joined him.
"Congradulations, Ishida." Sado said.
"Thank you, Sado-kun."
"Yeah, congrats, Ishida!" Ichigo and Renji joined.
"I'm really happy for you, Ishida." Rukia smiled at him and he smiled back at her.
"Alright then! Let's go and celebrate, right, Ishida?!" Ichigo jumped and in two little steps hugged Uryu.
"Guys, eh, thank you so much but, um, I can't."
"Eh?"
"I have to go somewhere." And with that, Uryu left his friends dumbfounded.
It began as a whispering in the air. The day had been beautiful and the sky was like a dome of plasma-blue. The clouds had looked like airy anvils drifting under the gleaming disc of sun. The beautiful cocktail-blue shade was beginning to darken into gravel-grey. Large pillows of cloud were forming, blotting out the old-gold colour of the sun. Uryu got the first splatter of rain when he was halfway across the school yard. Despite the rain, he decided to continue and find a person he wanted to see the most, his precious Inoue-san. Droplets of moisture began to drip from the leaves. They were sprinkling onto the grass like a gardener's hose. Then, the rainfall became more intense. Uryu was now running, trying to get to his destination before he gets wetter than he already is. A wall of rain moved over the oak and the drops were drumming against the canopy. So much rain was falling that the sound blurred into one long, whirring noise. It reminded Uryu of the rotor blades on a helicopter. With that thought, he finally spotted his destination – an old oak with someone under it. That someone was no one but Orihime Inoue herself.
"Oh my God, Ishida-kun!" she almost cried out, "Why didn't you take a shelter first? At least until it stops raining?"
Panting heavily from all the running he just did, with his hands on his knees, he rose up and looked her directly in the eyes.
"Inoue-san."
"Y-Yes?" she stuttered, "Is everything alright, Ishida-kun? You seem troubled over something. Can I he-"
"Inoue-san," he started again. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it, Ishida-kun?" she smiled ever so brightly.
"Inoue-san, I… I'm getting married soon." and with that, the wind started howling. Orihime couldn't believe her ears. What did she just hear? Was it her imagination? She might be dreaming.
"Eh, Ishida-kun… What did you say, again?" she creeped out a faint smile.
"I said, I'm getting married soon," his voice trailed off, "And, er, I thought you should know about that."
"B-But, ho-" she tried to ask but was interrupted by a body of a soon-to-be-married Uryu, joining with hers in a tight hug. Uryu felt like his whole world was falling apart at that exact same moment. He couldn't do anything but hug her and wish that he never lets go of her. Not wanting her to see through his real feelings, he gathered courage to say the words that he was sure would hurt both of them. Hurt a lot:
"After all, we've been friends for three years now."
Saying that they had been friends hurt her.
Saying that they had been friends hurt him.
"So, remember what I told you? She's Yuka Kurosawa, a daughter of one big man in the world of medicine. She's delicate, so be nice and polite to her, alright?" Ryuken summed everything he was talking about the previous forty-five minutes up in one sentence for Uryu not to forget. This was a big day for both of them – Uryu would meet his soon-to-be wife and Ryuken would meet his soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Uryu was nervous, of course he was, and millions of things flew through his mind. Ryuken was, on the other hand, calm and seemed like he didn't have a single worry on his mind.
"So, Father, when is the wedding going to take place?" Uryu asked, wanting to break free from his nervousness.
"I suppose that would be as soon as you graduate. The sooner, the better, they say."
"Wait, that's in less than a month, right?!"
"I believe you're quite accurate."
As Uryu and Ryuken entered a living room where they were supposed to meet with Uryu's fiancée, they saw nothing unordinary. Just a cozy little room with two sofas that lay against two of the four walls. The third wall had a TV and VCR case with many pictures and certificates put on display. Uryu could see that her father was a very successful man indeed. The fourth wall had a computer table with a little desk on the side. In the middle of the room lied an oval rug with swirly patterns and on top of that lied a small coffee table. This room had everything that any other living room would have in it, but for Uryu, it was special. In this room he would meet his future wife and in this room, he hoped he would create new, happy memories with her. Because, the future is the gift the past gives us.
„Sorry for waiting!" a female voice rang throughout the living room, „Welcome!"
Ryuken and Uryu both turned their heads and spotted a young, yet mature, petite girl with long, curly brown hair, with her bangs uplled back in a clip, big, brown eyes and a delicate look on her face. She was wearing a white flower patterned dress and a pair of sandals.
One could think that she really was some sort of a princess, Ryuken thought to himself, „Don't worry about it, Kurosawa-san."
„Please, don't call me so formally, Ishida-san," she said in a quiet, yet beautiful way with a bright smile on her face, „after all, we're going to be a real family soon, right?"
Orihime didn't leave her room for days. She was too broken by the fact that the one she loved for real was getting married to someone other than her. When she thought about it, it was not the first time – Ichigo also found somebody else than her. But, nevertheless, that was not the same. The one she loved for real was no other than Uryu Ishida, the friend whom she had known for whole 3 years. It was too painful. She couldn't concentrane on anything but the fact that he was getting married. She cut her fingers while trying to cook, she stumbled and fell. She was empty. At the end, she decided to go to her room and avoid all the misfortunes that could find her.
Uryu couldn't sleep well the few previous days. All he could think about was the day he talked with Orihime under the oak tree. The day she cried. The day he cried.
"After all, we've been friends for three years now." That being said, Orihime hugged Uryu strongly, not wanting to let go of him. She cried on his shoulder and didn't want the moment to end. He was too precious to her. He was the man she loved.
"Inoue-san?" Uryu whispered, "Are you okay?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Inoue-san?" Uryu got worried. He let go of her and looked her in the eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Hehe, nothing's wrong, silly!" she smiled broadly covering her eyes with her hands to mask her tears, "It's just… Wow! You're getting married!"
Uryu was looking at her dumbfounded.
"I mean, that's great! Like, wow! Amazing! I'm really happy for you! You finally found someone you love and you're willing to marry, Ishida-kun!"
Uryu kept quiet. Her words hurt. Her words hurt a lot.
"Congratulations, Ishida-kun!"
"T-Thank you, Inoue-san." Uryu muttered, his voice trailing off.
The sun came out again, casting slanted beams of light across the school yard. Steam rose slowly from the grass. It rose up eerily and drifted mist-like towards the molten-gold sun.
"Well then, if that's all, I'll have to hurry up and pick up my bag from the classroom, I don't want anyone to steal it!" she said waving a goodbye to Uryu and leaving him under the oak tree, all alone. While leaving, even though her back was turned to him, he could see little raindrops falling from her face, which were, obviously, not coming from the sky.
"So, Uryu-kun, tell me more about yourself," Yuka started, "hm, let's see, your hobbies, maybe?"
"Hobbies? Let's see…" Uryu decided to reply, smiling, "That would probably be sewing!"
"Wow, really? Uryu-kun knows how to sew! That's amazing!"
"Well, yes. I like sewing. I was a part of the sewing club in high school, you know?" he started enthusiastically, "There was this girl, Inoue-san, with me as well! She was pretty cool and she really gave her best in sewing but somehow she would always do something wrong. Like, one day, she-"
"Uryu-kun," Yuka interrupted him, "I'm not really interested in that Inoue-san you're talking about. Could you tell me something more about yourself?"
Uryu felt uncomfortable. Did he talk too much about Orihime?
"Right, my apologies, Yuka-san. Oh, we were talking about hobbies, weren't we? What about yours?"
"Oh, mine?" she laughed a little, "I like cooking!"
"Cooking!" Uryu repeated, "That's quite amazing, Yuka-san."
"Hehe, thank you, Uryu-kun." Yuka blushed, "I like making homemade mackerel miso stew the most."
"Really? That's my favourite, Yuka-san!" Uryu's face lit up, "I remember when Inoue-san once tried to make me one… She's pretty bad at cooking, too. At the end I had to make it for the both of us."
"You're pretty close to Inoue-san, Uryu-kun?"
"N-Not really. We haven't talked ever since you and I got engaged."
"I see. Oh well, let's talk more!"
A month had passed and Uryu and Orihime didn't hear from each other. Orihime kept being locked up in her room and Uryu kept going on dates with Yuka. Neither of them was happy.
"Yuka-san, shall we go to that restaurant over there?" Uryu asked.
"It seems nice."
"Trust me, it's great. I've been there with Inoue-san once when everyone else called our group hanging out off. Even though it was just the two of us, we had such a great ti-"
"Uryu-kun," Yuka interrupted him again.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Yuka-san, it seems like I drifted off again…"
"Uryu-kun, do you love that woman?"
Silence.
"Excuse me?" Uryu was surprised. He didn't expect that to happen in a million years.
"I asked, do you love her? Inoue-san?" Yuka repeated calmly.
"Haha, it's not like that, Yuka-san." Uryu assured her, "it might be true that I liked her a little bit while we were still high schoolers, but I'm different now. I'm totally over her. Don't worry."
"It doesn't seem that way." She countered.
"What doesn't seem what way? I don't understand what you're trying to say, Yuka-san."
"Sometimes people try to forget someone by meeting other people. It seems like that's your situation right now, Uryu-kun."
"You've got it wrong, Yuka-chan."
"No, I don't."
"How can you be so sure? What makes you think that?" Uryu raised his tone.
"Should I start at how much you mention her? In every single sentence of yours there has to be an "Inoue-san"! Everything we talk about has to do something with "Inoue-san"!" Yuka raised her tone as well, "Uryu-kun, I really like you!"
Uryu was taken aback by this sudden confession.
"Yes, I like you. I know you're not doing this out of your free will. I know that your father wants to get close to mine by marrying me into your family. I know it all!"
Uryu kept quiet because he didn't know how to answer. Everything she said was true. Not a single lie.
"Just like I know I like you, I know you don't like me. And I know you like Inoue-san." Two shining crystals fell down Yuka's red cheeks. "It's fine, Uryu-kun, I can't force you to love me."
Uryu kept silent.
"So, because I love you, I tell you to go."
Uryu's jaw dropped.
"It's alright. I'll work things out with our fathers. I'm sure there's some other way for them to work together," she continued, more tears falling down her face to her neck, "I'll tell them it's not your fault. After all, I'm the one who's breaking up here."
Silence.
"I told you, didn't I? Go."
"Please." Yuka whimpered.
Uryu didn't know what to do. After all, he really did love Orihime. He had always loved her. And Yuka, it was too cruel to leave her like that, she was such a nice person. Uryu kept silent - he was confused over his emotions, Yuka's emotions, Orihime's emotions, his father's emotions. Everything became such a burden to him. He couldn't take it anymore. He came closer to Yuka and wrapped his arms around her.
"Thank you, Yuka-san," he whispered to her ear, "I'm sure you'll find somebody better than me."
And with that, he kissed her cheek and left, running.
Yuka was left behind him, whimpering and sniffing. She never thought she would do something like this for the sake of love. She had never liked a guy so much in her life as she did then. All she could do was watch Uryu's silhouette fade into the darkness of that cold, April night.
"Rukia, do you really think it's a good idea?" Renji whispered as they sneaked around Orihime's apartment.
"Of course it is! She didn't give us a call for more than a month!" Rukia said, "I mean, everything could happen to a girl like her."
"True that." Ichigo agreed with an annoyed expression on.
"See?" Rukia felt victorious.
"By the way, Rukia, why the hell are we all dressed up as Chappy?!" Ichigo snapped at her and gave her a light pinch on the cheek.
"Ouch, watch your hands!" she countered, "it's because Chappy is adorable, alright?!"
"It seems like Inoue likes Chappy too." Sado added from behind.
"Right…" Ichigo and Renji said in union.
Uryu was running out of breath. He had been running without stopping for over fifteen minutes then and it had worn him out. He couldn't run anymore, it was too much. He was tired and just wanted this nightmare of his to end. He just wanted to be with Orihime. Uryu stopped and put his hands on his knees, panting. The wet, desolate streets of the city rested in silence as the starry black sky wept over it. The water in the portholes shimmered by the glow of the bright, yellow street lamps. The small, green trees on the roadside swayed as the strong breeze hit them.
"So, because I love you, I tell you to go."
Those few words kept ringing inside of Uryu's head. That's right, he didn't have to keep on running because of him, but because of her too. He stood up. I'm coming, Inoue-san, and with the thought of a beautiful orange-haired, princess-like girl on his mind, he continued running into the night faster than he ever did.
"Alright, so, remember what I told you?" Rukia said out loud, "Don't make her feel uncomfortable when we get in, you're already disgusting in those costumes."
"And who's the one who made us wear them in the first place, huh?" Ichigo snapped. He had never liked Rukia's ideas and this one was not one of his favourite ones.
"Shut up, Ichigo." Rukia brushed him off.
"Kuchiki, wait," Sado said pointing at the entrance of Orihime's apartment.
"What is it, Sado?" Rukia questioned and her eyes wandered to the place Sado was pointing at.
"What-"
"Ishida?!" Ichigo interrupted.
Uryu was finally there.
He didn't know what to say or what to do. How could he properly explain everything to her? Uryu didn't know. He was panting heavily, his hands on his knees, and couldn't breathe normally. So many things passed through his mind. What if she wasn't there? What if she didn't want to see him? What if she moved out? He looked up at the sky. The night sky he saw wasn't black as ink as he always saw it. It was indigo with lots of little shining dots. They were like the sparks of fireworks but not as noisy as explodig ones. They were silent. Are they sleeping? Uryu thought.
Orihime opened her eyes. She felt uneasy the whole night. What is this feeling? She questioned herself. The princess looked out of the window. The sky was indigo and the stars were glittering like diamonds. Her eyes sparkled. Brother, can you see? She questioned her long-deceased brother in her mind, The sky is just like that night when we gazed at the stars together. She stared at those little diamonds, stretched out her hand and tried to catch them. When she spread her palm, she found nothing on it. She frowned, and her cheeks bulged roundly. It looks like tonight miracles can happen, brother, she smiled.
Uryu finally gathered enough courage to ring her doorbell. Ring.
The unusual sound of the door made orihime feel even more anxious. Who could be at this hour? She ran to her door and put a hand on the doorknob. Creek.
"Hello," the person spoke between two pants, "Inoue-san."
"What is that bastard doing there?!" Ichigo shouted from behind a tree. Rukia hit him.
"Shut up, Ichigo! He's clearly there to talk to Inoue!", she said.
"It's so late at night, Rukia," Renji spoke now, "you can never know when a genius will turn into a wild beast."
Rukia was annoyed now.
"Shut up both of you!" that being said, both Ichigo and Renji received a punch in the face and a Chappy bandage afterwards.
"I-Ishida-kun?" Orihime was confused. What was Uryu Ishida, a soon-to-be-married friend of hers whom she had deeply loved doing in front of her door, panting heavily like he had just ran a marathon? "Is everything okay, Ishida-kun?"
"Inoue-san," he started, catching his breath, "Inoue-san, I-"
"Oh my God, you fought with your father again? Or you can't find your keys? Or-"
"Inoue-san," he said sternly, gazing at her big grey eyes.
"Ishida-kun…" She couldn't but say his name.
"I… Towards Inoue-san…" he continued, "I've always loved you."
Silence.
Ichigo wanted to shout again but was prevented by Rukia's hand on his mouth. Renji and Sado's jaws dropped.
Orihime was, on the other hand, even more surprised than others were. She stood there, in front of the man she loved and listened to the confession of his love for her. Her eyes were wide open. It seemed like the clouds had gotten a sudden fascination to the moon and wrapped themselves around it. The moon's faint glow passed through them, colouring them white from grey. The cool monsoon air carried a sweet moist scent like a candy shop kept inside a refrigerator. Little shining crystals formed in the corners of her eyes.
"W-What did you say, Ishida-kun?" she asked, it was too unbelieveable to be true.
"What I'm saying is," Uryu repeated, finally breathing normally again, "I love you."
Liquid remain of dreams unfulfilled ran down her cheek and she released a long held sigh.
"Ishida-kun…" she said his name and came down the stairs to the place where he was. When she was close enough to touch him, he took her in his arms and covered his body with this, startling her.
"My feelings for you are real, Inoue-san." he whispered in her ear and let go of her. When she looked into his eyes once again, his expression was intense. For a moment, Orihime thought maybe he was drunk or sleep-talking, but before she could ponder it further, he yanked her to him and covered her mouth with his in a passionate kiss. She responded immediately, surprising herself. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips softer than she could have imagined. He tasted tentatively with his tongue, and Orihime opened her mouth with a low moan. Suddenly, Uryu pushed away as if he'd been burned. He let go of Orihime and started pacing back and forth with his hands on his lips.
"I'm sorry, Inoue-san," he said in a strangled voice. "That wasn't right."
"It's okay," Orihime said, looking at the ground. She was afraid of seeming too eager or disappointed. In fact, she wasn't quite sure how to react, to the kiss or to Uryu's sudden show of regret.
"That wasn't right," he said again. "Please forgive me, I don't know what was on my mind a moment ago."
"Ishida-kun," she started. He looked her in the eyes. They were full of tears, he was almost certain he hurt her.
"Ino-"
"It's fine." she reassured him. "As long as it's Ishida-kun, it's fine." That took Uryu aback. Was he imagining stuff again? What did she just say? It was fine?
"… because, I like Ishida-kun as well."
Orihime Inoue had always been afraid of the dark. Be it her imagination or not, she always thought there was something scary in it. The noises in her room intensified her fright. They would send her mind through a route of confusion and madness. The noises frightened her and reminded her that she was not alone to fend for herself. Without the voices of familiar people, her fear seemed to only worsen. The spinning of the wild ceiling fan generated a whopping notices that only reminded her of the date that might occur shortly. Swoop, swoop, swoop, it went as it approached her bed even closer. The crickets she heard confirmed her solitude with the murderous objects in the dark. She felt like she was doomed to a terrible death…
The pattening of the rain, which was now deaf to ears, was interrupted time by time during the night. Once a car passed by. Stray dogs began barking, while the deafening music from the car echoed around the street. The car soon disappeared and the dogs stopped barking satisfied that they had scared the car away. Orihime Inoue and Uryu Ishida were standing in front of Orihime's apartment quietly. Neither of them dared to say anything else. A taxi came down the road and parked. A bunch of young kids came out laughing emphatically. The taxi drove away but the children stood at the corner of the lane, yet laughing vigorously. A man screeched out from his window and cursed at the noisy children who went mute immediately. A few lights flickered open through the windows and nosy neighbors looked out to inquire. Aunties made sure they had memorized enough points to gossip over tomorrow. Finally the furious man went back and the children departed for home. The streets of the city now rested again in lifeless silence except the gentle pattering of the raindrops.
"You what?" Uryu uttered.
"I said that I like you, Ishida-kun," Orihime said quietly, playing with her own lock of hair, "a lot."
Uryu couldn't take it anymore. He clasped his hands around her into a big, tight hug. It was like they had never been apart really, as they embraced with such intensity. Their arms clasped around each other and pressed their chests together, as warm tears flowed down their cheeks. Neither wanted to let go, and so they didn't. She wiped away his tears with her hand removing his glasses, now blurred, and said to him, "I love you so much, Ishida-kun.". And still longer they hugged until time faded away.
Orihime wasn't afraid of the dark anymore.
Because, where there is love, there is never darkness. - Guillaume Musso, "Parce que je t'aime"