Story Title: This Twisted Fate

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Bleach.

Warnings: Changed the rating for this story to M, just to be safe since I realized this story is a little... dark and angsty and could have some more adult themes in the future.

A/N: I made two chapter updates last time so please go back to Chapter 6 if you haven't read that one before jumping into Chapter 7! To commemorate the return of the Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, I wanted to post this chapter. I've been waiting to write this scene for years now, and so I hope you guys all enjoy.


Chapter 7: Living The Nightmare


Heartbeat, loud and deafening like the sound of a war drum, the only indication that she was alive in the face of this absurd madness.

And she trembled in fear. The air felt cold against her skin as everything around her remained still and silent. Her whole world rocked beneath her feet, and it pulled her under like gravity, drowning her into the depths of a cold, dark abyss.

And suddenly, her human instincts kicked in like a drug. Her physiological reactions became more apparent as sweat started to collect along her temple, orange strands sticking to the sides of her angelic face. Eyes wandered for the closest object or even the nearest exit.

Her body was ready, whether to fight or flight, she did not know.

But still, in all her years living under a fabricated identity, Inoue Orihime had never expected an encounter as wicked as this.

"Since Orihime is our guest tonight, should we let her do the honors?"

Orihime felt the rough hand still around her wrist tug and tighten at Grimmjow's words and only then did she force herself to look at the man next to her, eyes turned away, a dark expression etched across his scowling face.

And in that moment, the human girl would've done anything to know what was possibly going through that pureblood's mind of his.

As if he knew she had him in her most intimate thoughts, Kurosaki Ichigo stole a quick glance of the auburn haired girl, a look of sincere concern and sheer fright, before diverting back to the peers around them.

"We're leaving." He said firmly, but only to be left interrupted immediately.

"Where to?" Grimmjow questioned obnoxiously, "The party's just begun!"

The jaguar-like vampire skirted through the dim lit room, over to his two beloved classmates, putting each of his arms around them.

"See Orihime, only here at the upper suites of Soul Society, are you able to feast on humans. Straight from their very flesh." The arm around her pulled her closer, and she could feel his murderous breathe on her, and she jerked away, wincing in agony. Then he whispered, "Of course, in secret."

Orihime's brain worked overdrive to outline the situation at hand, collecting information faster than she had ever processed to get a grip of how this establishment was logically possible to begin with.

In Karakura Town, there was only one way to consume blood: through either trade or purchase. A society hinged on the values of capitalism, blood was distributed in a highly monitored economic fashion to prevent barbaric manslaughter and malpractice over their so-called precious livestock - a way to justify the enslavement of humans for their blood.

So why?

Why were there living, breathing humans working here illegally at Soul Society?

Just exactly what types of crime have taken place behind these club doors?

Or was it that Inoue Orihime was too ideal and naive of a person, where such gruesome, lawless, and actionable felonies were unthinkable to begin with?

"No." She whispered, shaking her head in denial. Any minute and the tears she held back for so long threatened to fall, and slowly she could feel Grimmjow's horrid presence disappear as he started to stroll toward the human workers, in slow confident strides.

Her petrified ashen eyes slowly scanned the handful of humans one by one, all about her age, lined up in a single file line, with an unreadable expression etched across their lifeless faces.

Clad in thin white covers and blindfolds, barely covering their delicate branded bodies, these innocent teenagers resembled a troop of marching corpses, walking to whatever hell awaited them, as if they've already become accustomed and routine to such vicious antics.

And an ominous realization dawned on Orihime. She could have been alongside these human slaves, had it not been for a strike of luck. A daunting reminder that the vampires she currently stood next to, including her beloved Kurosaki Ichigo, whom she considered an irreplaceable figure in her life, were merely her captors who would oppress and devour her without a second thought upon realization of her identity.

She'd rather cease to exist.

"Look at them, princess." Grimmjow purred cynically. "Tantalizing. Irresistible. You're blessed to be able to have first dibs." He spoke as if he had given her the biggest of favors, "After all, a much deserved congrats for landing your little internship."

And she's decided she's had enough.

"This is wrong." she finally said, like vile in her throat, the sheer disgust toward the situation couldn't be more apparent. She bowed her head unable to look at anybody in the room.

Ready to sever ties with her own sense of self-preservation, Orihime mustered what little grit she had left to escape from Ichigo's ironclad grip.

She had determined there was no turning back anymore.

To not let fear consume her from the atrocities of her ill-fated life.

Afterall, there was no one left to trust but herself.

"Wrong?" The feral beast exclaimed, questioning her in disbelief, "You must be out of yer fucking mind, woman." He said slowly approaching her until he was standing right in front of her, strikingly blue eyes forcing wavering ashen ones to meet.

However, Orihime stood nailed to the wooden ground, not inching to move. Not even daring to breathe.

"You know how many would kill to be in your position right now?" The frustration apparent in his tone, "Take a good look at them yourself. They're just waiting to be devoured."

He leaned in real close to Orihime's left ear to say what's next without missing a beat.

"Besides, this is what humans were ever good for."

Sick fuck.

You could hear a slap ripple through the premise, louder than any sound to echo through time.

At last, the trigger finger on the heavy pistol she was holding deep within her soul set off without direction as her mind became livid at his final words.

And it took a moment for the entire room to realize what had happened. But the stinging red mark on Grimmjow's face soon turned ablaze, shock transforming into rage and Orihime should've feared for her life.

The human girl should've made a run while she had the chance.

She should've.

She could've.

But she didn't.

Because the unbelievability of the situation caused her to turn blind to everything, losing all control of her actions, as the blow recoiled from her fingertips throughout her body.

Inoue Orihime, shrouded by so much resentment and anger in this very moment, she didn't notice her own body being thrown against the wall behind her. A rough hand over her bare throat in a death grip cutting circulation from her throat to her lungs, choking the life out of her, but not a single shred of regret could be seen in her glass-like eyes, as she'd rather be dead than to know what would come after this.

It all happened too quickly.

Grimmjow's hand wrapped around her pretty little throat, cutting off all circulation. His dagger-like fingers dug deep within her neck, and she could hear death calling her name.

"You bitch." He sneered, sharp and fast, as he shoved Orihime violently against the wall behind her, knocking the wind right out of her breath, causing her to short-circuit in an instant. "You'll fucking pay for this ahh-"

But as quickly as the pain drew in, the nails in her slender neck vanished, the hand that clasped onto her throat was no more.

"Don't you dare touch her."

She heard a deadly voice.

Her savior yanked her away from Grimmjow and shoved her safeguard within his protective embrace, never intending on letting her wander again.

She heaved, in and out, coughing uncontrollably, as lungs refilled the lost air as the pressure has been relieved from her neck, but the series of events that took place proved to be too mentally and physically excruciating and tortuous for Orihime to handle.

Even she had her breaking points.

She let the tears that brimmed her eyes finally fall in final surrender and cry silently into Ichigo's arms.

In one swift motion, the fearsome Kurosaki heir knocked Grimmjow to the floor, and in a heartbeat the heel of his black leather boots trampled his skull, ramming it deep into the wooden floorboards.

This was a warning for everybody.

To never touch what is his.

.

.

.

"If you lay your hand on her like that again, I'll make you wish to have never lived."


The pureblood vampire and the human girl exited Soul Society using a hidden back door, where they now emerged into a narrow backstreet far away from the main roads, where the cold night's air struck against their skins. As the metal door slammed shut, the sound rang loudly through the secluded alleyway for a moment before it turned eerily quiet.

However, Inoue Orihime didn't give the dead silence a chance at accompanying the two of them.

"What was that?" She said voice tight, lips beginning to tremble with absolute rage.

"You shouldn't have come here." He replied evenly, unable to meet her eyes, fully aware of the fact that his friend was visibly on the brink of breaking from the trauma.

"They were human!" She cried loudly in disbelief, tears overflowing from her eyes, panic building in her chest.

"Look, Inoue, would you please calm down and -"

"Answer my question!" She screamed desperately, latching onto the loose black tie around his neck with both of her hands, forcing him to meet her at eye-level.

But the fearsome vampire had just enough.

"Goddamn it, Inoue!" Ichigo finally snapped, and pushed her hard against the brick wall behind her, caging her between his arms, warning not to cross the line. "Did it ever occur to you that I didn't expect this either?!"

The poor girl didn't even have the time to flinch at his sudden outburst, instead her small fists tightened, and she swiftly turned away from his heartless gaze. Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks out of agony, burning to know the truth.

"Why…"

She said weakly, unable to control her emotions any longer.

Ichigo gently put his arms down, putting some distance between the two, eyes diverting in a downturned way, feeling guilty for abruptly lashing out at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you." Ichigo apologized, sounding defeated, but also shaken by the turn of events of tonight, "I didn't expect you to show up here like this. I'll take you home in a moment, so just -"

"You knew." She muttered, shallow and weak, as the ugly truth settled in. Having the courage to look at him, she stared straight into this man's soul, completely shattered by the reality they shared, "You knew." she emphasized a second time, empty and lost, betrayal hitting her deep within.

"You knew Soul Society was a place like this. Where only vampires of your caliber gather to … feast."

On humans like me.

She desired to confess.

She wanted to shout it to the heavens.

But Orihime was only met with his silence.

And it deafened her.

"Well, Kurosaki? What do you have to say for yourself?" She stepped forward, prompting him to take a few steps back. Orihime rarely lost her temper, but nothing mattered anymore.

What was that look on his face?

Guilt?

Sorrow?

Regret?

She couldn't tell.

But his lack of response only irritated her more.

"For fuck's sake, scream!" She commanded, reaching the end of her patience. "Yell at me. Say something. Anything!"

His inability to answer her cries wounded her far more than his outrage, an implicit confirmation of all of her deepest terrors.

Where did they stand now?

What did this all mean?

And she crumbled deep within at the overwhelming uncertainty of their relationship.

Years of building their seemingly unbreakable, delicately hand-crafted bond, only be shattered by the secrets they've kept hidden from one another.

If they had been different individuals.

Could they have avoided such anguish?

Could they have prevented such sufferings?

Kurosaki Ichigo fisted his hands so hard, they turned paler than his already fair complexion. His eyes snapped to hers, dark and unfeeling, no longer the fine aristocratic air surrounding him.

He looked at her, a strained smile formed on his tired expression, making great effort to reach her again.

A tell-tale sign that he was no longer playing games with her anymore.

Forfeiting all guns and weapons in this war they were battling in.

This was the candid side of Kurosaki Ichigo that only Inoue Orihime was allowed to see.

"Seems like this is a lesson in not trusting people?" He said bitterly, "For the both of us?"

He unfisted his hands to relieve the built up pressure, but the empty feeling forced him to run one of them through his undone hair and the other to rest on the side of his defined hips, trying to reel whatever self-composure he had left to afford.

"Look, Inoue. I'm sorry if this had come to you as a shock, and you had to find out this way." He replied, choosing his words carefully, "As vampires, we have our innate needs. You should know, we need blood to survive, but for some, they crave the pleasure. Whether the law says so or not, they'll do whatever it takes obtain it."

And Orihime closed her eyes shut, hoping that the pain of the truth would hurt less.

But it didn't.

"How long?"

"For a while."

"And you knew?"

There a short pause, and then a sigh.

"Don't misunderstand. I did it because I had to, not because I wanted to."

The human girl glared at the vampire in disbelief.

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm only present. I don't partake."

"And so what?" She spat grimly, "You think that makes this any less forgivable? You didn't even bother to tell me that your family had a stake in some shady illegal business? That you were one day going to inherit? All this wishful small talk about bringing change to the world - instilling virtue and civility was all bullshit? To play me as a fool? I'm just some nobody who meant nothing to you?!"

At that Kurosaki Ichigo stepped forward dangerously, closing the distance so that they were only a breathe apart. So intimate that every word after came as a hushed whisper.

"Don't you dare put words in my mouth, Inoue." Ichigo spoke through gritted teeth. Beautiful brown eyes met her stormy ones, "I may have messed up this time, but don't for a moment think that you meant nothing to me because there's no telling what I would've done for you."

She starred back in challenge, her eyes piercing his.

"You don't mean that."

She wanted to believe.

"Oh yeah? And what right do you have pointing fingers at me?" He questioned, eyes-narrowing. Ichigo could be stubborn too if he chose to, "Don't act like I'm the only one here with secrets. That's low, even for you."

She tiled her head, and laughed ironically, but it was more a scornful response to the universe's twisted fate for putting him and her in this insufferable situation in the first place.

"So that's it?" she huffed, tugging at the syllables of each word, "You and I are just a bunch of liars who ended up hurting each other?"

The world seemed to not be real anymore.

Putting the one individual she hoped to only love through this intolerable suffering proved to be far more unbearable than she could have ever imagined.

"Is that what you think?" He asked sincerely.

Yes, my whole life is a lie.

She wanted to say.

I was supposed to be nothing better than a fragment of your imagination.

But her mouth remained sealed, praying all of this to go away. After that, silence embraced the both of them like second skin, as they stood arms distance in this brisk, abandoned alleyway, where all hope for repair of their broken friendship seemed impossible.

The makeup on Orihime's face smudged under her light gray eyes, devoid of the jewel-like sparkle she usually carries. Hardly an hour has gone by, but it feels like she's been living an eternal purgatory.

And Ichigo looked no better.

A few ticks went by, and then another. And she heard him say.

"Do you hate me?"

The question come from left-field, and Orihime wondered why Ichigo would ever ask such a foolish thing. She forced herself to look at him one last time, and he didn't say anything, but his expression spoke volumes.

Because she realized, this was his last attempt at making ends meet.

There would be no going back to how things were before if she confessed she hated him. After the events of this past week, Kurosaki Ichigo would never be able to bear the fact that his best friend despised him. If she did, then he'd turn around and walk away for good.

She'd be losing him forever.

And for once she selfishly refused to do that.

So instead she responded.

"No."

I could never hate you.

Not now.

Not ever.

Inoue Orihime knew, no amount of wrong could ever surmount to the made-up fabrication that she was.

It's unfair to him, she thought, unleashing her anger out on him when he's only ever provided her with his utmost loyalty and grace from very beginning. Kurosaki Ichigo, being the heir to an entire conglomerate, could have anything and anybody he ever wanted.

But instead he chose her.

He selflessly invited her into the inner most circle of the Academy, even though she didn't have anything to offer in return, and made others recognize the potential she carried as an individual of their society.

She wouldn't be who she is now if it wasn't for him.

And for that, she could never hate Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Then why? Why do you always step forward and then push me away? Why are you always leaving me in the dark?" Ichigo begged, in exasperation, trying to figure it all out, "Inoue, when did you become so cruel?"

"What?"

"I mean does it have to be so hard?"

"Could what be so hard?"

He reached out and pulled her to him, one hand on her waist and the other behind her neck. He tipped her head up and lowered his in one motion, and she closed her eyes shut in anticipation.

What she was expecting never came.

Orihime was too scared to open her eyes, but what happened next forced them open.

"To let me into your life? To make it make sense? One moment I feel unstoppable with you. And in the next I feel like I've lost you forever." He whispered to her in confession. His voice was raw and shaky, and it spoke to her very soul, pulling at every heartstring that comprised of her being, coming undone at every haunting question.

The pureblood vampire didn't even give her time to respond, let alone think, as he pressed their body closer again, this time much softly, caging them against the wall in a tender embrace.

The Ichigo she knew was cool, collected.

Kept his composure even in the most unpredictable circumstances, always keeping his boundaries up like a fortress.

But this version of Ichigo that was standing in front of her now, had a mind of his own.

And Orihime broke at how real this all felt.

At how genuine his emotions were.

Because she'd be a complete idiot if she remained unaffected by his intimate feelings for her, let alone her own intensity for what she burned for him.

And this level of reciprocity was all she ever dreamed for.

Even so, it scorched her to the very bone knowing that they were never meant to be.

"Perhaps."

Not in this lifetime.

"Why?"

He reached, pleading, begging.

"You wouldn't understand."

Was all that she could bring to say.

"Then try me." He spoke in defiance, while slowly tracing the side of her waist, down her hips, and dangerously around her back, pushing her firmly against his taunt body. Orihime watched intently, as his eyes unapologetically scanned her expression, exploring every inch and every detail. She followed his gaze, trailing down her nose and her lips. Then down, the length of her slender neck, still throbbing slightly from her early encounter with Grimmjow.

It was finally in the moment, she realized how delicate her dress was, wishing she had something less revealing but it was too late, as she melted under his gaze, hands on his taunt chest to keep her steady.

"Don't push me away anymore, Inoue." He called desperately, clinging onto her like his life depended on it.

"Please, I can't bear it anymore."

His mouth leaned dangerously close to her's, as hot breathes breathed against each other, aching to pull the other in until any distance ceased to exist. To seal the wounds they've adorned on each other, and she knew if she crossed this boundary, there would be no turning back.

But she's always known.

Inoue Orihime didn't deserve nice things in life.

And Kurosaki Ichigo was a luxury she could never afford.

"I'm sorry."

Orihime managed to say, turning her face away, diverting her eyes so she couldn't look at his pained expression. She broke, knowing that she caused such torment, but she needed to be strong.

Even in a situation like this, where everything she ever yearned for was within her very reach.

"I have to go."

She said quickly, thick and sharp, trying to escape from her problems once again, but Ichigo's hand securely grasped around her slim wrist making it crystal clear that he wasn't going to let her go so easily.

"Stop shutting me away."

She refused to meet his eyes, knowing that she'd only continue lying to him.

"Let go."

"I'm not." Ichigo declared through his pearly fangs, and only held on tighter, in fear that if he loosened his grip even a tiny bit, she would slip away again.

Not after being so close.

Not after everything they've been through.

"Not until you tell me what's going on. What are you hiding from me, Inoue?"

"Kurosaki-kun, please." She kept pulling against this godlike strength. She had to try, even though she didn't stand a chance, "Stop making this any harder for me. Just let go!"

As if on queue, the grasp on her wrist reeling her back was no more, and instead the force of motion sent her recoiling backwards.

It all happened in a blink of an eye.

Her body released from Ichigo's hold, forcing her body to connect with the concrete beneath her, falling unceremoniously onto rock-hard asphalt.

Scraps and cuts blossomed on ivory skin.

Injuries visible along her knees and palms, where she attempted to break her fall.

Soon the pain of open flesh bolted through her nervous system.

The sweet smell of her irresistible blood filled the autumn air.

.

.

.

As her greatest nightmare now became a reality.


A/N: *GASP* and *hides*... Finally... we're getting somewhere I think?

But like I mentioned, I love to create parallel scenes from canon Bleach episodes, wondering if you caught the one from this chapter? :,)