Yay new chapter guys! Sorry for the wait. Enjoy!
I wanted to say to all of you guys who reviewed, who can't or haven't responded to I really want to say your reviews and support are very appreciated and I thank you very sincerely for taking interest in my story. I wish I could respond to you guys individually to give my thanks... and possibly answer some of your questions. I really appreciate all of you guys who take the time to read this story and I hope you guy's enjoy it!
!-!-!
I found the phrase to every thought
I ever had, but one;
And that defies me, - as a hand
Did try to chalk the sun
To races nurtured in the dark; -
How would your own begin?
Can blaze be done in cochineal,
Or noon in mazarin?
It was only a small little lie. Just one feathery white fictitious tale. No one would know; had to know- just a secret between friends.
!-!-!
Up or down? She wondered pulling her hair into her hands for the hundredth time that morning. Watching her reflection in the mirror the busty red head sighed; if she couldn't even decide such a baseless action of styling her hair then how could she ever hope to make adult decisions in the future. Would she always be indecisive, unassertive unchanging- slapping her cheeks the girl let red tendrils fan the front of her face. No need to put yourself down Orihime! Think happy thoughts! The girl commanded herself.
Adjusting more carefully to the front of the mirror she pinned the hair once more on the top of her crown. "Up it is." With deft hands she pinned thin tan bobby pins through her hair, studying the precision of such random pinning through her reflection. Nibbling at the bobby pins steadied between her teeth she pulled the other half of her hair upwards in attempt to fasten the long hair just as neatly as the other side. Adjusting the piece just so, she reached for one of the pins nested between her trembling lips.
Why was she even doing this; frustration was eating at her. Defeated she dropped the red bundle. Hair fell down trailing into nooks around her ear and shoulders; free from the squeezing shaky fingers. Orihime swept one hand through her sore scalp as the other massaged her frumpled forehead. Why did simple decisions have to be so difficult? It was easy to choose up or down, this or that, but in the end neither would make her happy.
Maybe it would be better if she just gave up for a moment and gave her mind some time to rest. Or so she thought.
Leaving Ulquiorra some hours before had aroused such a giddiness inside of her that by the time she tucked herself deep within her sheets she couldn't even contrive the will to sleep. For many hours of the night she paced her room lost within whimsical fantasy. Images and daring dreams of dragons and knights, warm summer mornings and the occasional talking roly-poly kept the teen stranded somewhere in the clouds.
But after hours upon hours of sweet thoughts her mind turned; drowning into muddles of goopy gray. Life was filled with infinite choices- so many that by not making a choice was a choice within itself, and yet for some reason her world- Orihime Inoue's lay only a choice; this or that- she wasn't privy to this and that; or nothing at all.
Half-empty or half-full? She hated the question. How simplistic to sum up the life of man. What would she then choose? Did she have to choose at all? Could it be possible to retain her dreams and still have the companionship of her friends? It seemed an impossible call.
Crawling into the one singular chair of her tiny nook the distraught little red head sat crisscross applesauce, burying her head into the safety of warm fingers.
She didn't want to look anymore, the papers scattered so neatly on her dining table; once a testament of all her hard work now seemed so abysmal and frightening. She would be leaving in a few months' time, full sale to France. Her apartment would be merely a dream, her friends a forgotten past. Would she miss them?
At one time she had spoken with no reservation- her friends were her heart. Each one of their sorrows; each lone achievement was for all to bear. So why then did it seem that they were so disconnected?
She had enough of half-empty questions to last her a lifetime.
Ding-dong...
Startled Orihime gestured a peak towards the door in such a way it seemed as if she could look right through it. Who could it be? Glancing at the ceramic brightly painted clock above her head she awed at the time. It couldn't possibly be- he had after all said, not today, but the day after-
"Orihime!"
Tatsuki? How unusual for the busy woman to visit her, more especially at five in the morning. Unraveling her legs the bundle of nerves approached the door; oddly hesitant to face her friend in such a dower mood. Regardless she fumbled the three latches; one for decoration and two for safety as the building tenant often liked to remind her.
Outside in the quiet of the early morning stood a small though petite figure decked in what Orihime could only assume was running gear much too heavy for summer. She seemed lost in a thought her head turned in such a becoming manner. "Tatsuki. Come in!"
Turning the smaller of the two women finally noted her attendant. "Sorry Orihime, I was distracted." The spiky haired woman summed up. Carving her fist into the loose front pockets of her large jacket she surveyed the apartment complex one more time. "It's so quiet. It stunned me for a little while."
"Well...that's understandable. You do you usually come in the afternoon. It's a bit more... rowdy around then," Surmised Orihime.
"Yeah rowdy wasn't the exact word I was thinking of." Claimed the brunette stepping through the doorway. She shuffled for a moment contemplating weather to take her shoes off. Deciding against, skeptic eyes turned towards her sleepy target. "I don't understand why you don't just move in with me; your lease is expiring soon isn't it?" Tatsuki questioned. Studying the room she huffed, "I really worry about you Orihime I'd feel a lot better if you were near."
Molding a hand on her friends jacket sleeve Orihime encouraged a smile, "Tatsuki this place is perfectly safe. I know from the outside in it's not that pretty but it has character a-and that's all that matters." Conviction died from her frame as passionate brown glared down upon her, "It's my home," Orihime voice lingered in the barest of a whisper.
"A home isn't a place Orihime! A home is with your friends," huffed the older teen fumbling her fingers through her hair. "This might as well be a trashcan on wheels."
"…" Silver eyes cast down, fingers threading together as knees battled awkwardly into a submissive stance. Looking down a frown donned her face while tremors shook her body.
"Don't give me that look, you know it's true!" Grumbled the irate teen.
Pursing her lips the beauty quivered, "But I'm not looking at you." Whimpered the childish red head. Cheeks blossoming out redness tinting her face as she pouted.
Something about her words caused an insistent lurch to bubble upon Tatsuki's heart. Crawling calloused fingers through her hair she scowled breathing roughly out of her nose. "Yeah…you seem to be doing that a lot lately." Scowling the tinier of the two pressed her hand on the apex of her sleeve holding back her frustration.
Stunned and unable to speak the red head breathed a few times turning away in fear of betraying an expression. "Tatsuki... wha- what's wrong?" Soothed Orihime disregarding the girls fit. Fingers firmly resting on her closest friends shoulder head tucked beside the girl's neck.
Reaching deep inside of her heart Orihime submitted. Even if her mind cautioned her to distance her heart, her very soul stubbornly reached out to tether around Tatsuki.
"This isn't like you. We use to tell each other everything."
"That's the problem!" Pulling her shoulders back the short frumpy athlete stalked towards the kitchen sinking into the only available chair in the room. "We use to tell each other everything!" Kicking her feet onto the table she growled. The clinging of the poor cringing table legs trying to hold the weight of one overly strong frustrated girl.
Oproaching her dearest of companions Orihime's heart felt oddly vulnerable. She thought with such distance and time between them the pain of watching one of her friends would be lifted- gone, vanquished. No longer a substance of connection between their hearts to make them vulnerable but how laughably wrong she was. It burned. Their kinship, Tatsuki's pain, the walls that sat between them all twisted and prodded upon one poor grey eyed soul.
Fresh burning empathy spread from the chasm of the younger teen's chest. How much it hurt to see such a beloved friend in so much pain. "Tatsuki... I'm here." Whispering like a mother to its babe, "You can tell me everything." Peach fingers danced onto to sultry, shaking, blotchy skin coaxing her companion to words.
Shuffling to the other side of the table Orihime sat resolutely and yet consoling ready to bare the weight of the athlete's admission.
The long black sleeves of her jacket framed trembling brown eyes riddled with heaviness.
Vindictive brown battled with sympathetic grey, coaxing agitation out of the grumpy tomboy.
"He didn't tell me anything."
She wanted to speak acknowledge the depth of the words her best friend spoke, but felt it better to allow the woman to collect her thoughts out loud. "I'm so angry. How could he do that to me?" bracing her head against the table Tastuki sucked on her teeth. "How stupid could I have been? I thought- we... I thought- I don't know what I thought but it wasn't this!"
Fingers soft and dainty weaved into the judo fighter's calloused hands, "What did Ishida-kun do?" Breaking the disquiet Orihime gathered her resolve and approached the heavy burden of the storm. Stretching her fingers she hummed dumbly under her breath giving enough time for the older teen to rant her poison laced emotions.
Pathetic coffee eyes rolled towards her petulant under the safety of a taut powerful set of arms. "What makes you think it's Uryuu?" A silent pause passed between the two a spark of familiarity within the action. "It's that obvious, huh?" She lamented embarrassment settling bitter on her quirking when the more unique of the two friends gave a definite vocal in affirmative.
Daring something between a cry and laughter Tatsuki shook her head. Standing Orihime scooted her chair back visibly cringing as the chair scuttled loudly.
Strolling into the kitchen Orihime pushed through cupboards. Voice sing-songy as she dug through bundles of packaged tea leaves. "Is there something you want to drink?" Poking her head out of the darkness she questioned, "I don't have coffee, sorry!" Stated the teen after searching for the third time for her emergency coffee supply.
"Coffee? Orihime that's the devil's pot. That stuff will kill you!" Half-joked the still dejected girl thrumming her fingers on the old chipped dining table.
A velum of red peaked beyond the little wall of kitchen. Pointer finger pressed into her chin.
"I thought you drink coffee?" Tatsuki scoffed something between indifference and unbelievability.
"I gave that stuff up months ago, Hime. Shit had me off my rocker. I'm kind of glad- but I will take some green tea." Stepping down she pulled the tea leaves from the canister, warming the kettle upon the stove.
Little flits of giggles escaped Orihime. "Is my Tatsuki all cultured now? Ishida-kun must really be rubbing off of you." Teased the woman settling the tea to boil on the stove.
At times she had envied the capabilities of modern tea makers but now she found an enjoyment in the simplicity of boiling teabags under the steam of her old iron kettle. After all the inconvenience of allowing the pot to brew held nothing to the sensual scent that wafted from the boiling. "So what's the problem?"
The red head could hear the nibbling over take the finger drumming. Nail biting was trait Tastuki still hadn't left behind.
A quiet engulfed the tiny apartment. Orihime fearing the girl may never respond. A sudden shutter from the whistling tea kettle seemed to break Tatsuki trance.
"He... He's leaving for London." Bitterness sharp and engulfing fleshed from the girls tongue.
Stilled a chill blew over her, sweat forming onto her clamming fingers. Gulping down the fear…guilt? Burning against her like salt splashed into a wound. Orihime slumped hoping against all hopes for the inevitable.
"He's leaving in two months." Her fingers running blankly on the stack of manila files on the table, "He knew for two years now! An international scholarship program or some shit… I ca-"
Trepidation registered before pain. Unaware she had screamed out at all. A figure approached but ignorantly she didn't sense it lost in the boisterous heat overtaking her form.
White foaming steam seeped from her arm splintering red at the skin. Dragging the unbearable heat to her chest she cried. Tears mangled her vision the appendage was ripped from her carefully nestled between trembling hands.
"Orihime! Are you alright?" Tatsuki clamored to remove the steaming kettle from the floor. Trading between checking the blotchy red whelps slowly glistening against peach skin and getting the poor little lamb out of the puddle of boiling water.
Tears flooded her eyes. Pain tearing against her leg and arms as an unbearable heat surfaced. Like a curtain separating her from the world waves of red split her vision. Sucking in a breathe she collected herself. Embarrassed of her weakness.
"S'okay." Standing the girl tried rubbing the tears from her eyes the fanning of cool air feeling like such poison against the raw scalded skin. "You just surprised me."
"Are you sure?" Tastuski asked protectively.
Clinching her teeth as she ghosted the skin she let out a breath of confirmation, "I'll be fine. It'll heal."
"I think-" A dull trill escaped out of the front pocket of her jacket. Not hesitating she snatched the instrument from her jacket with a vengeance. Orihime shuttered debating whether to give the wounds air or move as little as possible.
"Hello? NO! I'm mad at you!" Screamed the irate teen. Pulling the phone from her ear she made petulant faces at the foamy noises coming from the device. A few more moments of bastardizing insults following collected silence sent the conversation- screaming match? Into its apex, "I don't care screw you jerk!" screeched the tiny brunette slamming the phone shut.
"Was that?"
"Yeah..." Grumbled the bitter girl, "He wants to apologize." Looking at her limping friend Tatsuki shifted towards her shamed at her debacle. Ushering the girl to a seat she studied the burns contemplating on administering her amateur first aid abilities.
After a few moment of digging through drawers upon drawers the fighter looked up to her rather quiet friend. "Where's your first aid kit?"
"Uhhh… I don't have one?" Responded the red-head careful upon her words.
Looking up she shuttered at the mama bear expression over taking Tatsuki's face, "And why not?"
"Well It's….it's cause…"
Standing the girl gave a weak glare approaching the freezer. "That's no excuse. You don't have those magical…super powers anymore Orihime." Leaning down she pressed a pack of frozen peas onto her legs. Softly dabbing the skin with the harsh coldness, "You have to take care of yourself."
I know.
Her lips pursed. If only her friend knew how much she was making an attempt to care for herself. Tatsuki's fears were understandable after all. The last few years Orihime's temperament though sweet and genial as well didn't match her sullen and often reckless attitude.
Frowning she even dare say she was weaker before. At least then she had her shun shun rika as a pillar of strength. A cloud loomed around her sudden and heavy. Palpable to the point it strained her heart.
Stroking the table her fingers glided onto the manila folder sliding against the rough material. A spark ignited. Determined she glanced forward causing the girl beside her brows to furrow. Taming her expression Orihime confronted Tatsuki's frustration.
Eyes wide imploring Orihime dared to pipe, "Are you still angry?"
"At you? Of course not!" Argued the teen.
"Ano… I mean Ishida-kun." She corrected gaze tangled between curious and belligerent.
A spark of defiance leaked from Tatsuki glaring not at her friend but at her audacity. Something in those liquid greys pried the fighter to answer.
"Like hell I am!" Pointed the enraged teen slamming her fingers against the table. "It's horrible thing for somebody to invest so much time into someone else only for them to stab you in the back." Grumbling Tatsuki snuffed her fingers in her jacket probably in the attempt to break the device pocketed there. "It makes our relationship feel so shallow."
Silent she watched the girl passive with her actions but active in her thoughts.
"Fuck him." She snuffed pride wounded, "He's dead to me. All I have is Orihime and jijutsu, that's all I need! I know neither one of you will betray me!" Berated the teen.
Entering into a long circumventing rant to release her anger Tatsuki raged on heart sitting upon her sleeves as she admitted all woes and insecurities. Orihime's head nodded and bobbed to pacify her friend though her head was miles away twisting at a solution for the inevitable wound she would cause.
!-!-!
After some minutes between screaming, huffing and the collection of Orihime type what if's the frumpy teenager departed heart still unresolved and stinging.
Looking back once more at the closing door Tatsuki couldn't decide which was stranger the pitiable hurt look in Orihime's eyes, the sensitive burn wounds or her crazy hair.
!-!-!
Dread seeped into the crowd. He was accustomed to it. An anomaly they cackled- an oddity with a dour deposition and soulless gaze- Aure Bonet the prodigy.
Walking in tied to his arm was what he sufficed to guest as a warming present from the university. She wasn't an ugly thing per say but between her sickled figure and overly large doe eyes the two complemented each other like walking corpses. She fluttered her eyebrows and whined a protest as they were seated in an upscale clad table inside the ballroom.
Sipping on the acidic drink framed between his fingers Aure frowned. He was much closer to the stage than he may have liked. He dare think should he reach out his hands he could pull the sparkling tassels right from their lining on the platform though such immature show from him would cause quite a spoiling on his host universities reputation.
Beside him the skeleton of woman giggled merrily dredging herself in the collection of fine alcohol Katakura University offered. Her eyelashes battered faster and fewer times in between the more she gulped, and while her frequent touches weren't bothersome in the least they lacked a pleasantness that he couldn't name.
Twirling her finger between long round black curls she guffawed at her partners blank expression. Swigging back another glass her face contorted into cheers to match the crowd as the first speaker walked the stage. Grinning like idiots the crowd jeered and cackled at the unsavory entertainment chosen for such an important night.
Every so often a rare eye would turn to his table awed at the quietly serene corpse seated there. However; his evening partner was doing her best to draw attention to who she deemed to be the man of the hour.
"A toast," She quipped adjusting her scant ball gown, "The smartest man on earth. And the sexiest if I may say so myself."
Signature green eyes rolled sipping at the foreign glass before him, " Your encounter with men of the world must be limited. I am by no means as intelligent as you believe." Sliding his fingers against the shiny rim of his glass in order to reign in his glare.
Laughing openly the woman countered self-assured, "So modest. It's a little unbecoming. Though only intelligent men like yourself can so brazenly humble themselves and yet still be all haughty. But I do digress your handsomeness does very much outlive your rudeness. Grinning so Cheshire-like gave his mind a drunken buzz. "Do you think me stupid still?"
Suckling his cup heavy eyebrows arched removing themselves just slightly from their perpetual seat against his eyes. "I would be lying if I said no." Humming the hint of annoyance barely sealed behind his cold exterior.
"Honest to a fault I see. I like that. I like you as well." Her eyes batted together crinkling her lashes together as the hammiest smile overtook her feature. "But no worries, we have time. For now… just have a bit of fun on my sake. It would be kind of a splendor to be the one named for making the infamous Aure bonet smile."
He'd admit she was the most insensitive of all his lady dates so far possibly the stupidest as well. And something of that crooked grin just set his nerves on high gear. Glancing towards the stage with a frown he fingered his glass.
She gave that feathery laughter morbid almost distressed in its sound, "Just enjoy yourself. I'm not asking you to smile but I'd prefer not to be drunk alone." The stupid girl was causing quite the commotion. Half way out of her chair she was showing quite a reputation for the alumni of Katakura University.
Posing away he signaled a waiter. Had he been a gentleman he may have asked the man to close her tab and feed the oblivion a placebo of sparkling water- In this state she wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. But he was nothing close to gentlemanly and had no intention of staving the sharp tongue woman. Nonchalantly he requested to keep the drinks coming and supply him with whatever she was having.
!-!-!
Popping from her seat she rubbed the sore spot on her head irritably. Pushing away the letters in front of her she griped at her newest situation. The bakery shop in which she would be working in was foreclosing. Frustration grappled her nerves for hours as she debated ways in which she could stretch her savings for the next two months. What were the chances anyone would hire a girl who could only work a few weeks at the most.
Standing she approached the kitchen hesitant to cook anything on the stove in fear of her wondering mind. She had enough burns from the day to last her lifetime. Sighing she dug the fridge settling on a bland meal of chocolate ice cream on top of cold left over fried noodles.
Not having the energy to return the table she spoon fed herself the frosty tasteless meal grumbling at her problems.
Freezing she turned to the thudding footsteps surprised to hear any noises so late in the night from her usually homebody neighbors. Giving her mind an acceptable answer she reasoned it to be alien robots coming to rescue their captured space kitten sister from the horrible octopus king next door, or possibly at less reasonable guess the troublesome neighbor girl sneaking out of the window again but, that was preposterous.
Giggling to herself she couldn't even imagine the overly crazy situation. Robots were more reasonable-
Fright entered her skin. She couldn't sense reitsu anymore though the quivering sensation that someone was at the other side of her door caused her skin to crawl. A series of knocks grappled her door. Years of living in the apartment gave her the insight of knowing no one approached her door in the middle of night.
"Crap, crap, crap! Ice cream and cupcakes, explicative, explicative!-" Cried out the girl grasping everything from her tea kettle to a rolled up newspaper. Settling on a steel pot she leveled it in her hand before approaching the door with soft steps.
"Wh-who is it?" Crying out she unlatched the door ready to put all three months of little league t-ball into her hit. Something heavy fumbled onto her knocking her from her feat. Thrashing about her mind instinctively brought her knee into a fleshy firm abdomen.
A gasp escaped the intruder. Fueled by fear Orhime shrieked kicked and scratched towards her opponent only to find herself gasping as a knee settled onto her solar-plexus knocking the air from her as ice cold fingers pressed her mouth shut.
Shooting her arms in a blind frenzy she was stopped by a terse voice, "Open your eyes woman." Eyes popped wide staring wordlessly at the somewhat irate man toppled on top of her.
"Ano- I didn't mean to…"
Picking himself up calmly He gripped the girl softly dragging her to her feet. He stared at her leaning onto the door frame. "It's the next day." He confirmed closing his eyes for a moment to bate away the lucidness.
She approached him. "Yes it is." Her fingers ghosting against his cheek as he stared far off past her. Something was different. His figure still tense seemed to have a languid hypnotizing quiet and the impenetrableness of his expression had intensified to a mild seeable annoyance. Pursing her lips her followed her example furrowing his eyebrows down at her.
Leaning down his pale fingers slid through her colorfully golden hair. Peering at her troubled expressions his cold jaded eyes quivered softly. "I don't like it when you look at me like that."
Her heart fluttered uncomfortably his head settling onto her crown nose cold like a wet puppy sent a tingling sensation through her forehead. Deftly her fingers splayed onto the brink of his jaw. "Ulquiorra?"
He hummed in response his hair tickling her face as he slid his gaze further down to meet her imploring grey eyes.
Frowning once again she pushed his face softly back to study him intently, "Are you drunk?"
And there you have it. Sorry for the long wait on this chapter guys. No excuses. Answers on who exactly Aure is will be answered in the future. Please give me your criticism I really enjoy it and it inspires me to write. Also happy new years to all of you guys out there!