Disclaimer: I don't fricken' own Bleach or any of the related characters.
Orihime Inoue x Tatsuki Arizawa
School had just ended and Orihime was walking along the hallways, waiting for her friend to meet her. Orihime needed to talk to someone. She was so stressed from her new found gift. Yes, she could talk to Chad, but they had never been good friends, and he was always so quiet. Tatsuki had known her for years, and she could talk to her about anything. She didn't even mind Tatsuki's mean comments when she said something dumb, or Tatsuki's constant lectures because it was her way of showing that she cared. Orihime looked up at the sign on the door: "Storage Closet" was imprinted on a gold plate near the top of the door.
'Hm...Have I walked that far?' She pondered. The girl had been so deep in thought that she had traveled all the way to the other side of the school.
"Orihime!" A voice echoed of the walls as if searching for the person it called. "Where are you, darn it!" Running at top speed, Tatsuki ran right past Orihime.
"Ahem..." Orihime raised her hand, trying to get her attention.
"Hey! You scared me! You weren't spacing out again were you?" Tatsuki fumed at Orihime. She whimpered in response, causing Tatsuki to back off a little.
"Well...just...never do it agian!" She turned around and began to walk back down the hall way to the front doors. She mumbled under her breath, from worry and embarrassment instead of anger. "Not that it does any good to say that. You'll definatly do it agian."
"Ah...heh heh!" Orihime giggled. She had almost forgotten all the things that had been troubling her. Things had almost gone back to the way they used to, the way they should be. "Tatsuki, aren't you wondering why I wanted to talk to you?"
Tatsuki stopped. They had just reached the doors and Tatsuki had her right hand out for the door.
"Huh? Oh yeah..." She turned around to look at Orihime. Her eyes were shiny with tears, and she looked like she was about to collapse. "What's wrong?" Tatsuki ran to her and held her elbows in her hands. She trembled as Orihime began to cry harder.
"Just sit down! Don't fall over!" Orihime sat obediently. Tatsuki stared at her. 'How can she just listen to everything I say...just letting me boss her around. But I guess I like it...and she's better off listening.'
"Tatsuki...do you remeber that day after school?" Orihime stared at the floor as the horrific memories resurfaced.
"...What? Which day after school?"
"Oh yeah. That one, when we stayed after to clean up the broken glass."
"Yeah! That was so stupid! We didn't even do it!" Tatsuki slid down the wall to sit with Orihime on the floor. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to recall the memories.
"But...don't you remember what happened? Don't you remember the monster?" Orihime looked wide eyed up at Tatsuki. "Please tell me you remember!" Tatsuki looked down, as if her head was being pulled down by Orihime's gaze. Their eyes met, and floods of memories over whelmed Tatsuki's mind. They seemed to flow from Orihime's eyes to Tatsuki's, causing the latter's to tear in emotional and physical pain.
"Yeah...of course." She sat in disbelief. 'How could I forget something like that?'
"And remember! Remember my brother and Ichigo, the soul reaper?" Orihime remembered that night clearly. That's when her own powers had been awakened. She had hoped with all of her heart after she found out that Tatsuki, too, had hidden powers. She had faught the hollow, after all.
"...Barely. I just remember the bear spliting, and then waking up for a second, seeing you dead on the ground and Rukia standing there, in the room. And there were these shimmers, like heat waves, it the shapes of two humens and a huge...snake thing." Orihime was glad just to hear this. She shot her arms out, grabbed Tatsuki, and held her close to her.
"Oh there's so much more to it than that! I've got weird powers! And so does Chad and Ichigo! I'm weird, Tatsuki!" She pressed Tatsuki's head under her chin and into her chest. She smothered her tears into Tatsuki's short, black hair. Tatsuki smiled a bit.
"At least you finally know the truth!"
"What? You knew!" She sat back, covering her mouth in shock.
"...No. I meant...What kind of weird powers? Are you sure your not losing your mind?" Tatsuki held Orihime's shoulders and looked into her eyes with a concerned, but almost annoyed look.
"Well...I've got fairies. Well, they're not fairies, so they claim. They're me. But not." They stared at each other for a few minutes, Orihime with a little smile on her face and a black look in her eye, and Tatsuki just confused.
"So they're paranormal? That's how you killed that monster!"
"Yes! And Chad killed a monster, too! He has cool armor!" She smiled her goofy smile.
"Hey! This isn't a time to be joking around! If this stuff is true...then there has to be something wrong for you to suddenly cry like that!...And why aren't you anymore?"
Orihime stared back, realizing that she had forgotten again. 'See what you do to me, Tatsuki? I couldn't ask for a better friend.' She sat in deep thought, remember how Tatsuki was always there to defend her and keep her in line. She would never have survived with out her. With this rush of warm memories, she wrapped her arms around Tatsuki's neck and hugged her agian.
"Well, ya see...wait," Orihime raised her head to look at Tatsuki. " You remeber Rukia! You said you saw her in the room!"
"Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I? Though no one else has really said anything about her disappearence. I don't know how they don't miss her."
"Your memory was supposed to be erased. But I guess it didn't work before so never mind." She smiled quickly and stood up with a jolt. Her face suddenly became unusually sad. "So Rukia...She's been taken back to the Soul Society. She's a soul reaper...just like Ichigo. I don't know all the details, but I do know that me and Chad...we're going to go help save her." Her lip quivered and another wave of tears poured out of the girl. "It's just that I don't know what's gunna happen there! What if we die?" Tatsuki stood again and turned Orihime to face her.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I let you cry again. I'm sorry that you have to feel sad again. I wish I could help you, but I think that this time it's just too big for the both of us." Orihime sniffled and stared into Tatsuki's eyes. What she had said was strangly wise, and most of it just went in one ear and out the other...except "I'm sorry." Tatsuki pulled Orihime into another much needed hug, but this time Tatsuki didn't ever want to let go. 'Why does she think that she'll die? Is it that dangerous?...I know I'm supposed to be tough and protect Orihime...but there's nothing I can do. And what am I supposed to do with out her? Who am I gunna boss around? Who's going to brighten my day...with her stupid smile?'
Tatsuki pulled away from Orihime. "I vote that we make this the best night of your life then! I vote we spend it out on the town!" She threw a fist up in triumph.
"Okay!" was the simple answer, and the girls walked home, hand in hand.
Orihime stood in her room looking into a full length mirror. Tatsuki had told her that she'd be back in an hour. 'Dress to party!' She had said. Where would we go? She wondered. Day Dreaming again, of a fantasy world full of unicorn rides and lolipop trees, Orihime was lost agian in her own world. She didn't hear the door bell ring, so the loud knock had shaken her.
"Be right there!" She skipped to the door merrily. "I'm expecting a friend, so I won't be able to do anything!" She said as she opened the door, not even bothering to see who it was. Her eyes shut and a big smile, she greeted the stranger. A long pause of silence, and finally Orihime openned one eye to see the visiter. Before her was a fair featured boy about her age. He was dressed in a loose, black tux and his short black hair was spiked forward. Large, dark, un-needed sun glasses hid his eyes and identity. "Good evening stranger! Are you perhaps Tatsuki's suprise?" The boy bowed his head with a smirk and stretched a hand out for Orihime to take.
"Come with me," he whispered in her ear as he lead her out the door.
"Hm...I dunno! You're a complete stranger after all!" Orihime laughed. She still followed, dispite this fact. The boy led her down the street and swung a left, leading to the park. The sun was almost set and a few stars were visible in the purple sky. The mysterious boy led the girl to a bridge which led to a secluded area. It was a cleared patch about 10 feet by 10 feet, fenced in by trees with one lone tree in the center.
"Hm...I'm sensing a pic-nic! I love pic-nics!" Her worries had agian escaped her. 'The work of Tatsuki! I know it!' She felt more confident with the stranger, feeling the presence of Tatsuki every where now. The boy bowed and Orihime let go of his hand and she happily skipped to the blanket set under the tree. She sat down and began to dig through the basket with her familiar, stupid grin stretching her face. The boy followed slowly, walking and staring at the beautiful creature before him. He sat close to her. She leaned into him as she excitedly pulled out a juice box.
"It's my favorite, you know! Tatsuki definatly set this up!" The boy smiled and gave a small laugh. He scooted closer to her, causing Orihime to stop eating and look at the boy. He whispered into her ear.
"There's another suprise...if you just kiss me." Orihime's heart skipped a beat. That would be her first kiss! And with a complete stanger, no less!
"I promise to tell you who I am...if you do." His warm breath tickled her ear, making her giggle with excitement. She layed a hand on his cheek and kissed his lips quickly. She pulled away, but the boy stood still, in shock and wonder. Orihime lifter her hand slowly and reached for the boys glasses. The boy grabbed her hand lightly, and they took the glasses off together. There, staring back at Orihime were those unforgetable eyes, of a reliable friend, one who...never let her cry.
"You must have known it was me, Orihime!" Tatsuki laughed in embarrassment.
"No! I had no clue!" She giggled and put her hand back on Tatsuki's cheek. Both of the girls cheeks turned bright red and there lips were millimeters apart. Tatsuki whispered to her.
"I'm sorry I never let anyone else touch you...If you don't...love me, I completely understand." Her intire face flushed, she tried to laugh her commment out.
"I may be a clueless girl most of the time...but it was so obvious...that the 'boy' was you...that even I got it." She giggled and her breath tickled Tatsuki's lips. She laughed quietly in response and the girls kissed agian, this time for a good, long moment, never wanting it to end, for in the morning, fate would bring them apart.
But for now...the moon did shine and the breeze did blow...and love did grow...and the black butterflies flew.