Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Skyward

The voice, the smell, the touch.

The look.

From the first time I saw it, I knew.

I would never forget.

Chapter 2 – Green Eyes

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Yep, that was my voice.

Well, what you would do if you saw someone completely strange in the middle of a freaking nowhere with green eyes that seemed to be colored in Photoshop?

Maybe screaming was not the best solution, but still… what any other girl with 16 years old would do, huh?

The strange thing was that after the scream he (yes, definitely male) just shook his head away but kept staring at me like I was insane or something.

Me? The one that was insane here? Right.

I finally got distant from him and got up. He was knelled besides me, so he got up at the same time I did. I finally had the chance to look at him. He was dressed in a strange white cloth, and tough he seemed strong he wasn't much taller than me. And his face… was white and pale. In contrast to his white skin, his hair was all black and went until his neck. And his gorgeous and photoshop-ed eyes… right bellow them there were green tattoos that looked like… tears?

"Who are you?" He asked… and I became all mellow. It's was strong and imposing, that even made me blush a bit. It touched me, somehow.

Still… there was something sad on it. This sad thing made his voice, which once sounded strong and deep seems… empty.

But, heck, who he thinks he is?

"What? Who am I? WHO ARE YOU?" way to go, Orihime. Shout with strangers.

"Well, you are the strange in this place, so I guess I should be the one to ask first." He said with the empty voice again.

"What? I'm the strange here? I'm here during weeks and I've never seen you. Well, I haven't seen anyone…"

"Weeks." He asked while curved his black eyebrow. "Weird…" He said with a mysterious tone this time. "It doesn't matter, I'm in years here."

I finally opened a smile, happy to see a person who would understand my situation. Was this person dreaming every night too?

I couldn't help to think that must have been sad.

"Do you know how to get out of it? I'm locked in here every night during weeks, I can't stand it anymore. You're the first person that I meet, so…"

"Get out?" He laughed slightly not about the situation, but of me, precisely. "I live here."

Oh, god.

"Do you… live here?" asked while my eyes started to get watered. Where the hell was I?

"Yes, and I've never seen you before. We are not used to receive any guests, well, in this place, at least." Oh, god. 'We'? There is more than just him?

"Y-yes…" My lips trembled and my head was starting to get heavier. And I was scared.

"Who are you?" He asked again in a strong tone.

"I'm… I… am…" My voice started to get weak. I didn't know what to do. Should I trust him?

I couldn't think anything, my feet started to sink in the ground and I knew what was going to happen. I sighed relieved, because I knew that in the moment that I was closing my eyes and falling in the numbness…

I was ready to wake up.

It looked like I was sinking in a deep ocean and I finally got the chance to swim in direction of the surface. In one moment everything was all despair and pain, and my lungs were hot with the need of oxygen… until I was out of it. Until the moment I breathed.

I was sweat, breathing strongly and I could hear the beats of my arrhythmic heart. I closed to my eyes and smiled with myself. I was out of that place.

The relief was there. Tough, for the first time, there was curiosity about the strange man, but it was better to not think about it for now. After all, I had all the day until I was locked in that place at night again… I should be happy for it.

I got up and went to the shower so I could get ready for school. Nothing unusual here… it was a normal and happy day.

I started singing in the shower like always, while trying exactly to not think too much, because I know this "normal and happy day" was a bit strange for its start. I finished my bath while humming my new song and went to my room to put the school uniform.

I made my delicious breakfast with eggs, chocolate and a bit of ice cream. It was simply delicious.

As I said… the day just couldn't get more normal and happier than this.

I went to class and after I talked to Tatsuki-chan, was hugged by Chizuru-chan and greeted by all my classmates, I went to my seat and I started humming my song.

"So, Orihime, the dream was better this night? You don't look so tired, you know." Tatsuki asked interrupting my song to talk about that stupid thing. But as this as a happy day, I smiled to her, instead.

"Oh, it was the same thing. But I'm getting used to it, it isn't so bad." I smiled slightly. "It's okay, you don't need to worry about it."

"If that's what you think." She said while shrugged her shoulders.

I know I was talking about Tatsuki-chan and that I could tell everything to her but I still wasn't sure about what happened… with so many doubts I didn't want to make her to be worried about me. I already bothered her too much with my silly problems.

"Ichigo!" I heard all of sudden that feminine and strong voice that made me smile slightly, tough I couldn't help being sad either. "Why didn't you wait for me to go to school?" She asked and I could hear the angry tone in her voice tough I couldn't see her face.

"Because you would make me late as alwa…" Then she passed by him and accidentally stepped on his foot following her way to her table. "OW, RUKIA!"

I could her Keigo and Mizuiro laughing, and sharing comments like "Why you didn't wait for the wife, Ichigo?" or "Ih, the boss is mad at you", things that after time I learned to get used.

It was too obvious to ignore it for long time.

I heard the laughs and the uncomfortable "hem" after it. Kuchiki-san would blush a little and would ignore them, as always. Kurosaki-kun would look away and try to deny, but… not in a very convincing way.

I watched Kurosaki-kun turning back to his seat and sitting in the direction of Kuchiki-san's table. He said something that made her make a grimace but a few moments they were looking at each other with intensity.

Like always.

I took my eyes away from them. Strangely, it seemed that I was interfering in something really intimate. Or it was because, somehow, seeing it always made me sad, it always made me ugly.

"They sure look cute, don't they?"

"What? Ichigo and that Kuchiki girl are discussing again? They never get tired of it?"

"I went to the mall and there were Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san. I think they were with his sister or something…"

"He bought her a chappy? He looks a cute boyfriend!"

"It is not like they are together, Orihime. But I think they like each other… everyone sees it."

It's true I still have a crush on Kurosaki-kun, no matter how hard I say to myself that he's not interested in anyone else than Kuchiki-san.

And if I only could hate her for it…on the contrary, she is kind, pretty and strong. She's everything he needs and more.

I turned my head down to the desk while letting my hair on my arms. I felt bad for being jealous, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"Good morning, everyone!" I listened Yoruichi-sensei, our math teacher, saying while entering in the class.

I focused my attention on Yoruichi-sensei, trying to forget the later subject. I thought, while held the pen in my hands that I actually liked her, tough I didn't like math that much. I sighed, knowing that I should forget my love problems and focus more on school and studying.

And suddenly he came into my mind; his white skin, black hair and green eyes and tears. The empty look.

The dream seemed to be taking more time in my mind that I'd realized.

And I wondered why he looked so sad.

Then I realized that I was acting a little weird this night.

#1: I wasn't afraid of sleep. #2: I actually wanted to sleep. All of that would be okay if there wasn't the number #3: it was 7 p.m.

I was just a little curious, about what was happening, nothing unusual. I just wanted to know who that guy was.

That and the thing that I couldn't take him of my mind… yes, I was starting to get annoyed by it. Tough the guilt was from the green eyed dude, not mine.

I snorted while I got up from the sofa and turned off the TV. Guess what? All the programs were ridiculous. There was nothing entertaining there, they just made me get sleepier.

The thing was that I've already made my homework, studied, cleaned my house, taken a great bath and made a wonderful supper.

And I knew that probably there were more things to do, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I couldn't get him out of my head.

"Oh, who cares?" I said what I was thinking loudly and I finally decided to go to bed, seeking for the first time, to dream. Hoping that I would finally have some answers… about the place I was, of course. I didn't care about him at all.

After closing my eyes, I thought that I really should stop lying to myself.

The place where I woke up was quite and comfortable, it didn't look like the ground made of sand that I woke up every single night. And, God, it smelled good. I could keep my head in that pillow forever.

Wait, a pillow? WHAT?

I got my head up and looked to the place I was. It seemed to be a room. It was all dark but I could see that I was in a huge bed covered by black blankets.

My eyes seemed that were going to jump from my face. I started to hyperventilate while I wondered what had happened last 'night'. I didn't remember anything.

I pulled the blankets away from my body and I happily stated that I was wearing the same clothes I did before.

It was so good to be here but I knew I should leave this place… wherever it was. I was alone in a strange place with what seemed like a real maniac. And I was in his hands, he was able do everything he wanted with me.

It didn't take more than these thoughts for the door to be opened revealing the strange guy with green eyes. I looked at him, trying to not look scared, but I still shrunk against the wall pulling the blanket as if it was going to cover me from him.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said with a monotonous tone. I didn't know why, but in that moment I trusted him. Like I knew deep inside that he wasn't going to do anything to damage me. I just trusted in what I saw in that deep green eyes.

Craziness, huh?

"Where am I? Why you brought me here?" I asked all of sudden, but not without saying the most important one "Who are you?"

"I think I should start with the questions, after all, you are the strange here."

"Me? The strange?" I was starting to get mad. "You, someone that I've never seen in my life before yesterday, brought me here, this place that I don't even know if exists and for this bedroom… and I am the strange?"

I saw him sighing. Then he pulled a chair, sat and looked to me right in the eyes. I stayed a little dizzy with his strong look, so I decided to break the connection. I straightened myself in the bed to get more comfortable and I put my hands in my lap, while waiting for him to start talking.

"You're in Hueco Mundo and this place is Las Noches. You are at this right moment in my room." I realized that in the same moment that he had purposely missed one of my questions. "Now, who are you? And what you are doing here?"

Well, he had given me some information, so I supposed that I should do the same.

"My name is Orihime Inoue and well… this is my dream."

"Your dream?" I think I just heard a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes, I come to this place every single night. It started a couple weeks ago and after that I dream about being here. That's all I know. Until you came up I was just trying to get to closer to that huge palace…"

"You are at the palace. You were close to it, that's how I could see you."

"Oh, right." I looked kind of dumb in that moment. "It's strange that it seemed pretty distant from my point of view."

"That's the intention." He said in an obvious tone that made me look even more stupid. Suddenly he got up and walked in the direction of the door again.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I think your answers satisfied my questions so I don't see any reason for me being here."

"But… you are going to leave me here? Alone?" I asked and his eyes seemed to show curiosity again.

"What do you want from me?"

"Er… I don't know, but I don't want to be here! I want to go home." I said in a plaintive, and at the same time, silly tone. He must think that I thought he was my baby sitter or something.

But he was the one who brought me here, anyway.

"I don't know what I can do to help you with it. I live here, I've already said it."

"But… you said there were other people living with you! Maybe they can help me… to get home, to finally stop dreaming…"

"I don't think they can help you. I don't know why you are still here, but that's not my responsibility. I brought you here because I was curious. Now that everything is answered I don't need you here anymore." Then he turned to the door again.

"WHAT?" I screamed distraughtly, almost jumping off the bed, making him stop walking again. "You are just going to kick me out? Just like that?"

"As I said, I don't see any reason for you to be here." He said it again, still with his back facing me.

"But… I need your help." My eyes started to get wet and my lips trembled. God, I was pathetic. "Please."

I didn't know why I had the hope that such an emotionless rock like he would be shaken by my request, but still…

That was what I was thinking until I heard his voice.

"Come with me, woman."

A/N:

WHAAAA, I FINISHED IT! THE SECOND CHAPTER IS READY!

And as I promised this chapter is already bigger! It counts with seven pages in Word 2007! It's not too much, but I'm satisfied with the number already. *-* (it will get bigger :3)

But well, I know it has been a long time since I posted it, but I didn't receive any reviews tough I talked to many people who said that enjoyed the story from dA. Could you review pleaseeeee?

Oh, and like this one, I'm planning on putting on little "poem" in the start of every chapter. The first chapter was a bit longer, but next one will be short as this one, just sharing theme and talking about it with few words. ;)

And I wanted to give special thanks to Sarah17GE who reviewed my fic and was interested her in the point of making drawings of it! She's a great artist and I'm really thankful to her. I would love if you passed on her account on dA!

I can say the same about a great friend of mine also from dA, BlackBaccaraRequiem. She also liked the fanfic to which I'm grateful for the kind words until today. :3

BTW, I'm on my vacations now so I hope that I'll be able to write more! :D

I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, the next will be ready ASAP!

- defy.