First of all thanks to eveyone for reading. I really didn't expect anyone to remember and thanks for the feedback to the amazing and beautiful souls who left reviews. To show my gratitude, here's to a quick update and lengthy chapter. Cheers!
If there's any confusion about the plot, let me know! I'll be happy to make revisions :) Okay here goes!
Chapter 4
As Tatsuki and I sat in a cafe sharing a sandwich, I sniffed my arm.
"Will you stop smelling yourself?"
"But I smell so fucking good!" I answered her with a grin. Since I wasn't able to afford it, I never been to a Spa before. "We should call Ichigo to thank him." I took out my phone to give him a call. After two rings, I heard his voice immediately.
"Nice of you to call finally."
"I...I'm sorry." I felt guilty. I didn't mean to make him feel bad. That was never my intention but I can't deny that I just wanted to momentarily forget about my unrequited feelings for him. Even if it was just for a moment. Honest to boot, spending the week with the charismatic and delicious Grimmjow at my side was a fairy tale dream but even then, I wasn't fully able to get Ichigo out of my mind. If I couldn't even get him out of my mind, there was no way I could get him out of my heart. "I just had a busy week!"
"I know. Tatsuki wouldn't shut up about it." I could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. As long as the basta...I mean, fella treated you like a gentleman."
In a way, I knew he cared but I always hated myself for wishing that he'd see me more than like a sister. It felt so shamefully greedy and desperate of me.
"He did...but that wasn't why I called. Tatsuki and I wanted to thank you for the Spa! Oh my god, she's been laughing at me for smelling myself the past hour but I just can't help it. I smell so nice all thanks to you!" I rambled in excitement. I could hear him chuckle softly.
"You know there's more to come. Didn't Tatsuki tell you?"
"Huh? Tell me what?"
"I guess she didn't fill you in. Uryu and I'll be seeing you ladies soon. Anyways, I gotta go. My supervisor's calling me." I gave Tatsuki a quizzical look as I finished the call.
"Tatsie, did you forget to tell me something." As soon as I asked her, I thought I saw a glint on mischief flicker across her dark eyes.
"Oh...yeah. Ichigo and Uryu are going to help us with the dresses. Speaking of which, we need to head to the salon if we don't want to be late for our appointments."
"Salon?"
"Yeah. Uryu gave me his card for us to treat ourselves!"
"Tatsuki, you know I can't do that!" I got up to leave but Tatsuki grabbed my arm.
"Hime, if you decline, both Uryu and Ichigo's gonna take it personally." She frowned in a very Ichigo like fashion. "...It's like you're declining their friendship. And what's wrong with a friend treating their friends once in awhile? Plus trust me when I say they can afford it." Tatsuki hung her arm over my shoulders.
"Because I can't afford to treat you guys like how you guys are always treating me." I muttered.
"Oh my god, I can't believe you're going that route. You'd been treating us just fine! Who's been hand knitting scarves every Christmas? Who's been making handdrawn ceramic mugs? Who's been baking cheesecake every birthday? Should I go on?"
"But those things are so small compared to what you guys always do for me." That's when Tatsuki bonked me lightly on the head.
"You dummy. What you might consider small are priceless to us." Then Tatsuki pulled me into a bear hug. "Cause we know how much love you've put into the presents you give us. I'll let you know that Uryu has his cups stored right beside Math tournament trophies and between you and me, we both know he probably sleeps with them next to him." At Tatsuki's joke about Uryu, we couldn't help it. We just broke down in a fit of laughter.
"Wait...the cups or the trophies?"
At this point we were clutching our sides from laughing too hard.
-Chapter break-
After getting our hair and makeup done at the salon, we went to the dress shop to pick our dresses. As soon as we went in, the attendant closed the shop. I couldn't help but ask her if we came at a bad time. She looked at me amusingly.
"No. Our client is a VIP and he requested for the shop to give you a personalized experience." She answered politely.
A fucking VIP? Who was she talking about. I mean I knew both Ichigo and Uryu made a comfortable earning but hardly the salary of a doctor could afford to close down a luxury boutique of this scale. I looked at Tatsuki for an answer. She just shrugged.
"This one's on Ichigo. He told me to me to come here. I didn't know he booked the whole goddamn place for us." Before I had time to call Ichigo, the attendants took us to the back where multiple dresses were hung up.
They were all so beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful transparent tulles surrounding the ornamented silk. The beads were giving off a pearly iridescent sheen with every blink of an eye and the lights were playing with the shimmering glow of the sequins.
"Will you try them on?" I nodded. All of them were beautiful but there was one that caught my eye even amid the sea of glitter.
It was a deep cobalt blue shade with gems decorating the neckline. Even as it hung shapeless on the hanger, I knew immediately that was the one. I gave Tatsuki a toothy smile.
"I think I found the one!"
"Go on, try it! I think I need to look a little longer." She motioned for me to go to the changing room and I did. Carefully not to ruin my hair or makeup, I slid the dress up and soon an attendant came in to help me zip up. I looked at myself in the mirror. Both the attendant and I gasped at the same time.
"You look so beautiful!" She gushed and I couldn't help but agree. For the first time, I felt so good about myself. The reflection staring back at me was too good to be true.
"Thank you." I returned timidly. I wanted to show Tatsuki and I think the attendant knew it as well because she quickly pulled the curtains back for me. When I excitedly turned around to tell Tatsuki how much I loved the dress, instead I was met with a pair of familiar molten chocolate eyes that always took my breath away. Those eyes widened a bit and then quickly fell back to their trademark scowl.
"Ichigo!" I gasped. He stood up from the white leather couch and walked closer towards me. He looked like a god in his midnight black tuxedo complementing his bright orange mane.
"Hey kiddo." He grinned. My heart skipped a beat.
"Where's Tatsuki?" I quickly scanned the boutique in panic with my eyes. She couldn't have just left me here with Ichigo like that.
"She left with Uryu." Okay so she could. "...They'll meet you at the gala." Ichigo must've noticed my frown which formed when I finally understood her mischievous smile from earlier on, because he playfully added. "Why, can't stand to be alone with me? I don't bite."
If only he knew. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy being alone with Ichigo. I did but it was in the way of burning at the bottom of the deepest pits in hell in delicious melted milk chocolate instead of fire. It was like watching *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Put Them on repeat for hours but unable to reach a satisfying climax. So much pleasure and so much torture in one. So close yet so far.
My heart felt like it was in the middle of a fucking mosh pit battle. Every dog across the neighbourhood were probably howling at it angrily for bursting their eardrums.
"N...n...no." This was going to be a long night.
-Chapter break-
The car ride was filled with light tension. We haven't seen each other all week and Ichigo not so subtly reminded me that it was rather all my fault.
"...You even missed our game night."
"I know. Sorry."
"Hey, I'm not trying to make you feel bad but I..." Ichigo's voice was so low I would've mistakened it if I wasn't looking at him when he said the next words. "...missed you." At this point, I stopped breathing and felt a glimmer of hope. Could it be that he felt the same about me. I couldn't help but feel warm all over. He cleared his voice.
"We all did. You know how much we all care about you." It was like being splashed with a bucket of ice water to cool me down. How could he play me hot and cold like this? The more it hit me the more I started to get a bit angry. Not at Ichigo but more at myself. I looked away. Maybe it was time I moved on.
If there was anything I learned being with Grimmjow for the past week was how much I liked Ichigo. In a way, I could say that I love him.
"I...I missed you too." I answered honestly. His eyes softened. I observed his handsome face contemplating if this was the moment to confess my feelings for him.
"I guess I shouldn't be so hard on you. It's just that we never miss game night even if I have to skip out on a date or two." His tone was light. At the word date, it slowly all came back to me. Ichigo would never see like that. I knew in a way that he loved me but never in the way that I yearned. He saw me like one of his sisters and that nailed the door down the fucking coffin for me.
"Yeah. I'll make sure I never plan another date on game night next time."
"Another date?" He looked at me questioningly. If I didn't know him well, I would've thought he was jealous because I saw darkness cloud over his features. "I thought he's back in Paris."
"Well doesn't mean he'll be my last date." Before Ichigo could say anything, the valet opened the door and Ichigo gave him the keys to his Maserati.
"By the way, when did you get a car like this?" I asked him.
"I borrowed it." He didn't elaborate any further so I didn't question it anymore.
Inside the hotel, it was already filled with the most beautiful glamorous people of all ages and size. If I didn't know how grand this gala was going to be, I sure knew it now. Now, I didn't blame Ichigo for going all out to treat us for this event with his hard-earned salary as he probably knew beforehand this gala was for the rich and famous only. I wondered just how on earth did he get invited?
Not that Ichigo wasn't accomplished but I thought I saw Rangiku Matsumoto with Gin Ichimaru walk by me. They were some of the hottest A-list celebrity couple in our generation. Also, I could see Sosuke Aizen, the nobel prize laureate and senator chatting with **Kisuke and Yoruichi Urahara near the bar. This was completely on a different scale.
"Oh my gosh, is that Renji Abarai, the rockstar?" I gasped at Ichigo when I spotted the very same shade of scarlet which graced the cover of "Rolling Stones" magazine every now and then. Before I could get lost in the sea of the glorious crowd, Ichigo took my hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. Electricity coursed through the very spot where his skin touched mine.
"Relax kiddo." He smiled assuringly. Oh heart, be still. Be fucking still.
"Hey Kurosaki!" We both turned around to face the person calling for Ichigo. Just how?
How on earth did Renji fucking Abarai knew who Ichigo was?
"Yo Abarai, haven't seen you in awhile." I looked at Ichigo in complete awe like I was seeing him for the first time.
"Yeah, I've been on tour for the season but now on break. Let's grab a beer soon." The edgy looking rockstar continued while Ichigo nodded in agreement. "By the way, who is this beautiful girl you have on your arm for the night?" Renji smirked.
"Don't talk to her like that. She's my friend." If I could hear Ichigo's pleasant voice changed to carry a definite edge at Renji's question, Renji sure could as well.
"I'm Orihime Inoue. Nice to meet you." I answered timidly.
"Okay, settle down Kurosaki. I thought she was one of your fucktoys!" I could feel Ichigo twitching under my hand but I squeezed his arm reassuringly to show that I'm okay. Renji looked at me apologetically. "My apologies, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions when you look like such a nice gal."
"It's fine...I guess that means the salon did a good job if I could pass for one of Ichigo's fucktoys cause he does know how to pick the hot ones." If I felt discomfort at the mention of Ichigo's past women, I must've been doing a hell of a good job masking it because Renji roared in laughter.
"We're gonna get along just fine. Just wait, Rukia's gonna love you." Rukia? The name rang a bell but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"We'll see you later." Ichigo pulled me closer towards him as he lead me further inside.
"Ohh by the way, call me Renji" I gave him a thumbs up and a little wave as I made my way into the ballroom with Ichigo. Maybe it was just my hyperactive imagination after the run in with the famous rockstar but it seemed like there were nods of greetings or looks of recognition made our way towards Ichigo from other famous beings. However, Ichigo didn't stop until we got to the entrance of the ballroom. The ceilings were so high and majestic. The room was decorated with glittering gold ornaments and several dozens of round tables were set up around the luxurious space.
"Sir, your name?" The attendant asked as he looked through the slim black leather covered book that he was holding.
"Kurosaki."
"Right this way, sir." More looks were headed our way and this time I knew I wasn't imagining them because I could see people wave at Ichigo outrightly and him nodding politely back. When the attendant showed us our table, we spotted Tatsuki and Uryu and a pair of teen girls sitting around it so far.
"What took you so long?" One of the girls with dark hair asked. She had a very familiar looking scowl on her face. My guess was confirmed when the other with soft hay coloured hair asked. "Ohh brother, is this your girlfriend?" She giggled.
"I'm Yuzu and this is Karin. We're Ichigo's sisters!" She beamed at me. What a lovely girl she was. I beamed back at her.
"I'm Orihime and we're all close friends!" I motioned around the table to where Uryu and Tatsuki were sitting. As mad as I was at them for ditching me at the boutique, I knew they meant well. They probably wanted to give me alone time with Ichigo while they had some too for themselves.
"Best friends." Tatsuki corrected while looking at me guiltily. I rolled my eyes at her and stuck out my tongue. When she stuck hers back at me, we broke out in giggles. All was forgiven. While the girls, Tatsuki and I chatted, Ichigo was locked in a conversation with Uryu and Yasutora Sado, the world champion pro-boxer.
When they saw me glancing their way, Ichigo introduced the famous boxer.
"Orihime, this is Yasutora but we call him Chad. We went to high school together."
"Hello nice to meet you!" As I was chatting politely and more people filled up the room, I thought I saw someone familiar pass by. Someone who I once described with my vulgar vocabulary as 'dropdead fuckable'. Tat very same someone with piercing icy violet eyes and dark swept back hair.
"Look it's him. Byakuya Kuchiki!" I heard Tatsuki whisper to me.
End chapter
*Fantastic Beasts and where to find them
**think of them as the Obamas
Also a disclaimer to every copyrighted item or person mentioned above