Story Title: This Twisted Fate
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Bleach.
Warnings: /eyes/
A/N: Hi! Happy New Year! I've returned. And all I'm going to say is: Enjoy :)
Chapter 10: Set Me Free
Where did it all go wrong?
He asked himself.
Or was it that the world has always been this way?
Like a bird born inside a cage, who thinks flying is a disease.
Everything he accepted as truth began to vanish into thin air.
Only for there to be a mountain of flaws to be left in its place.
Since birth, Kurosaki Ichigo had been instructed to wreak vengeance on the human race: a belief so deeply rooted in him, it became his sole identity.
To never forget the oppression.
To never forget the sacrifices.
To never forget the hatred.
A message so vividly ingrained in his mind, he lived and breathed it for every single day of his life.
And without question, he played his role as heir, so perfectly, so impeccably, he remained simply untouchable.
He became a beacon of light for this next generation of vampires, and there wasn't a single soul out there who would possibly challenge or defy his ways.
Until the voice of an angel whispered to him.
"Ne Kurosaki-kun, can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?"
It was a Wednesday afternoon in the Academy's library, where he was studying for his upcoming Literature exam, when his classmate suddenly brought up the existential thought.
And he stared blankly at Inoue Orihime, a recent transfer student from a family he's never heard of, because to be completely honest.
What kind of obvious question was that?
He was a Kurosaki.
He was going to one day inherit the powers of a god.
But there was no need to say those words out loud, so instead, trying to humor her, he replied without looking directly at her, "Inoue, our test is on Walt Whitman, not Charles Bokowski - I think you're getting your poets mixed up again."
He assumed she was just trying to be playful.
He figured that Orihime was just attempting her best to be her natural, carefree self, poking at every button to get him to entertain her in another one of her wishful small talk. However, when he wasn't hit with her typical, tender laugh, he turned toward her, and was caught off guard by the sad look in her deep ashen eyes that wanted to say a thousand different things.
But ultimately settling for one.
"I wasn't asking about Charles Bokowski." She said carefully, "I was asking about you."
Completely speechless by the words she just said, he could only stare back at her eyes-wide in disbelief.
Because everybody knew what kind of vampire Kurosaki Ichigo was.
Everybody knew of the soul-crushing responsibilities he held. Even the kind of power he was destined for.
Knowing all of that.
Nobody would dare say those words as easily as she just did.
Inoue, that's bullshit.
He wanted to tell her.
But instead, something sick started to twist in his gut.
For his entire life, Kurosaki Ichigo had done everything right, and he never once questioned it.
In fact, he would've never thought twice about it.
But only now, a trickle of doubt began to creep from within.
Was he truly doing everything 'right'?
Was this truly what he wanted?
Or was he doing what everybody else wanted him to do, like a puppet on strings?
Her words vibrated through him like an earthquake, and he felt the foundations of his understanding begin to shake, as if the force of her words was asking for permission to ruin him.
Just to build him back up again into the person he wanted to be.
Instead of the person he was told to be.
And for the first time in his life, he listened to the voice he suppressed for so long.
Him and this girl - what they had - he wanted it to last forever.
Even if it meant sacrificing everything he worked toward.
Even if it meant turning back on the very individuals who created him.
And ironically in a world where he could have anything, she felt like one treasure he could never have.
But in the end, he swallowed this heavy lump in his throat and learned to ignore the pain in his heart every time he looked at her.
Because something like this wasn't supposed to happen.
He wasn't supposed to feel for her the way he did.
.
.
.
So he asked himself again.
Where did it all go wrong?
As he peered down at his pale hands, wrapped tightly around the human girl's small ones, and then looked up at the cold-steel barrel pointed closely at her temple.
Or was it that the world has always been this way?
A few seconds of silence felt like an eternity, as the pureblood, the human girl, and the fearsome Espada stood in the dead alleyway - knowing very well, that one of them wasn't going to make it out of this place tonight.
For better, or for worse.
"Step away from the human girl, immediately." He heard Starrk say, and Ichigo turned his gaze toward Orihime, who looked at him as if her whole future now rested in the palm of his hands.
And he questioned if everything he knew about humans up until now was real.
If not, did he have the courage to seek the truth?
Was he brave enough to embark on the path of no return?
Closing his sullen eyes, he inhaled sharply.
And once he found the will to open them again, he had made up his mind.
He offered a sad smile, one that was dedicated just for Inoue Orihime.
This time, it was a face filled with a lifetime's worth of regret.
"I'm sorry."
The vampire watched painfully as the human girl's expression shattered entirely, before releasing her two trembling hands from his lifeless grip reluctantly.
He turned and gave Starrk one knowing look, signaling that it was okay to finally lower his pistol, and respectfully, Starrk bowed to the Kurosaki heir.
In understanding and gratitude over his cooperation in the matter.
Starrk stepped forward to proceed with apprehending the human girl.
However, little did he know of the betrayal that would soon befall him.
The moment Starrk looked away, ready to harness the defector, Kurosaki Ichigo flashed jumped behind him, striking at a pressure point in his neck, successfully knocking him out cold.
I'm sorry.
He repeated a second time.
And the second the Espada collapsed to the floor, the vampire returned to the auburn-haired beauty's side, before picking her from underneath her pliant legs, pulling her close into his embrace, vowing to never let her out of his grasp again.
And Orihime didn't even have a chance to say a single word.
Before the two of them vanished from the scene.
By the time Orihime opened her eyes and regained sense of location, she noticed that she was no longer in the cold, dark alleyway behind Soul Society.
Rather, the first thing she noticed was not only the warmth of being in the sturdy arms of Kurosaki Ichigo, but also the warmth of being indoors.
To her left was a wall made completely of glass from floor to ceiling, showcasing a beautiful view of Karakura Town from what appeared to be the top floor of a luxury penthouse.
The obsidian sky perfectly cascaded against the concrete jungle, as the night twinkled brightly with city lights and starry skies.
Mesmerized by the night view, she barely registered anything that was happening, until the pureblood placed her carefully on the marbled floor of the penthouse's vast living room.
And she generously took a few moments to survey her surroundings.
Every painting and furniture in the room was snow white with black rim accents, just like the keyboards of a grand piano that sat in the back corner. Despite how plain and simple each decoration appeared, she knew each item was carefully handpicked and handcrafted by the experts.
The untouchable wealth this place exuded, coupled with the familiarity this place held, all suggested that this flat belonged to only one person.
"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime addressed wearily, not daring to initiate eye contact, "why did you bring me here?"
The human girl's shaky voice echoed in the silence, as none of them dared to move an inch, completely speechless by how mere seconds ago, they were caught up in a life-threatening catastrophe.
Nevertheless she could feel the way his warm, golden eyes bore into the side of her profile: scanning her figure from tip to toe, checking for any wear or tear, examining her like an open book, as if he had the ability to read her most intimate thoughts.
Still without a reply from the heir, Orihime grew hot at his surveillance, standing unsteadily on the tops of her black stilettos.
Several seconds went by wordlessly, and Kurosaki Ichigo's wandering gaze began to aggravate Orihime to oblivion, heart rate skyrocketing uncontrollably, guts swirling with anticipation.
As a result, she couldn't help but nibble furiously on her bottom lip, unsure of how to proceed with this situation.
Impatiently, Orihime quickly crossed one arm over her flat abdomen, trying to keep composure, while she unconsciously brought her right thumb in between her teeth, picking at her fragile nail, as she drew her brows together in deep thought.
What was he thinking?
Why would he do that?
Why would he save her?
A part of her couldn't be too sure when it came to matters dealing with the heir, and had to anticipate the opposite.
What if he was going to hand her over to Aizen himself?
Without her even realizing, in one swift motion, Kurosaki Ichigo stepped forward into her personal space, reaching out and grabbing her hand gently into his, pulling her slender digit away from her soft, pink lips.
Stop doing that.
She heard a ghost of a whisper, and the unexpected draw of attention forced Orihime to turn toward him, eyes wide, like a deer caught in headlights.
The moment her stunned ashen eyes locked onto his sunken brown ones, he finally spoke.
"You think I was going to just leave you there?"
And the auburn-haired girl couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"What?" she managed to breathe out, completely taken aback by his reply. But as quickly as the response settled in, she pulled her hand away aggressively, voice suddenly turning cold, "Now's not the time to be playing around-!"
"I'm not playing." Ichigo cut her off, dead-serious.
Unintentionally Orihime let out a sarcastic huff, completely in denial of his self-righteous and self-composed attitude.
Because in a situation like this, there was no way Kurosaki Ichigo was able to be this calm.
Unless.
"I didn't consider you suicidal, Kurosaki."
Was all Orihime thought to say, but that managed to backfire and put a crack in him, causing Ichigo to chuckle faintly before casting his next words.
"That should be my line, Inoue."
And the human girl shut her mouth immediately, face turning red at his truth. Afterall, considering that she spent the majority of her life pretending to be a vampire, she clearly wasn't one to talk.
"Fair enough." Orihime responded, dropping the argument entirely.
After a few beats of silence, the pureblood took a step back, reeling in his innermost thoughts, knowing fully well that his rebellious actions were devastatingly out of character, and his irrational decisions were about to have massive consequences.
Because Kurosaki Ichigo never made mistakes.
But this one was going to cost him his life.
"Actually," he said, one hand covering his tired eyes, and Orihime could tell that he seemed a little doubtful in the way his voice shook nervously, "I was going to hand you over to Ulquiorra and Starrk. Honestly. Genuinely. I was about to."
And she knew - being raised a Kurosaki, he had been primed, from the moment he was born, to despise humans for what they've done.
To put the pillars and values this society hinged on before his own desires.
Before he could be his own individual, he was the sole inheritor of Aizen's Manufactory, the beating heart of Karakura Town.
A blood-sworn promise, not to be taken lightly by any means.
And going rogue was never part of Ichigo's perfectly curated life plan.
In fact, any form of rebellion was equivalent to asking for a death wish.
"Because that's what Aizen would've wanted me to do." He said, voice trembling, as if the reality of his actions began to seep into the holes of his flaws, "That's what my parents would've wanted me to do." He said next, and then he slid his hand down his scowling face, cursing loudly, "Fuck, that's what I was supposed to do!"
And the way Ichigo vocalized his internal turmoil strained Orihime's heart.
Because now, he's made a wrong turn, along a downward path, that he could no longer go back on.
And she saw how much the future scared him, petrified him even, to the point where no nightmare could compare to the reality of disappointing the entire world, and she quivered, as she heard his voice hinder in fear of his own revolt.
"But when it came to it," He muttered, slowly coming to terms with the outcome, smiling sadly in defeat, "I couldn't."
Those very words came out as a small breath, but echoed loudly against the high ceilings.
And Orihime felt the air grow thin.
"I couldn't do it." He repeated again, looking brightly at her, finally accepting his fate.
Knowing that these were emotions he could no longer keep bottled up, he surrendered to his own battle.
"I couldn't bear to see them take you away, and without me even thinking, I bought us here."
"No." she gasped, her two small hands covering her mouth in disbelief, eyes brimming with tears.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
She told herself.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
And because of her.
There was no knowing what was going to happen to him.
But Ichigo forced a heart-warming laugh before stepping forward.
"You don't get it, do you?" he questioned, a bit amused. He tilted her chin slightly, forcing eye contact, to ensure she heard his next words, "Even now, after knowing that you're a freaking human being. Even after knowing that you belong to the same species I've dedicated my whole life to seeking revenge on."
She held onto her breath, heart thumping loudly against her chest, threatening to break-free.
"Even knowing the complete absurdity and impossibility of us." He whispered wistfully, pondering the implications of their relationship once more, "Losing you seemed far scarier than losing anything I ever had."
And Orihime felt her next words vanish entirely, as she focused all her attention on the man before her.
The man who put everything on the line to be with her at this very moment.
The man who would die for her.
No, the man who would kill for her.
Ichigo took in the broken gaze in Orihime's eyes, trailing down the length of her small nose, even down to her plush, rosy lips before locking his glorious brown eyes with her beautiful stormy ones again.
And in a voice so delicate, so sweet, he said.
"Because I am madly, painfully, and hopelessly in love with you, Inoue Orihime."
And a single tear slipped down her angelic face at his confession.
As she felt time stop entirely.
I am in love with you.
"And to be honest, I'm scared out of my mind because this is the first time I've ever done something of my own free will. My own damn volition. But you know what," Ichigo said, two hands cupping her face like he was holding the whole world in the palm of his hands, slowly placing his forehead against hers before whispering quietly, "I don't care because nothing terrifies me more than the thought of losing you."
And it was only then, Orihime let out a small sob that didn't know she'd been holding back this entire time because the truth of his words seared her to the universe's end.
You're my everything, Inoue.
Suddenly Orihime closed her eyes, overwhelmed by her collapsing emotions, as she let every word and every letter sink in.
The way Ichigo's tender touch burned her cheeks set her whole heart ablaze, as he stroked away the tears that fell onto it.
The way his hot breath fanned against her pretty plump lips as he professed his love for her, a human being, and him, a pureblood vampire.
And Orihime didn't dare open her two orbs.
Too afraid that everything was nothing more than a dream.
Too afraid that this moment would flutter away the second she opened her eyes.
So she let her actions speak for itself.
Hands reaching out, she hesitantly curled her fingers into the soft fabric of Ichigo's dress shirt and stood shyly on her tip-toes, reaching so that she was close enough to say,
"I love you more than you will ever know, Kurosaki Ichigo."
And the second the words escaped her mouth, he caught her lips in a warm kiss, sealing the gap that rested between them.
Every thought in Orihime's mind ceased to exist, as she felt the very taste of his mouth undo her from her core, and she shuddered uncontrollably, causing the human girl to wrap her thin arms around his neck for steady support.
Ichigo proceeded to rest his two hands along her slim jawline, as they continued their exploration, gently at first, and then unyieldingly hard, and without Orihime realizing, she was moving her lips fervently together with his, with an intensity so fierce, it burned them together.
A strange, lecherous feeling blossomed in her stomach as their mouths tangled desperately against each other, so passionately devastating, he quenched a thirst she never knew she had, and fought to commit the taste to memory.
Orihime felt a rough hand slip through her soft, auburn hair as she felt him tilt her back sideways, angling them in a way to deepen the kiss even more intimately, and she gasped erotically at their new-found closeness.
And suddenly, she began to ache from something carnal rooted within.
Panting heavily, barely able to keep up with his passionate movements, she felt her knees begin to grow weak and buckle, hardly able to stand on her two heels for even a second longer.
And as if Ichigo read her mind, his lips caught onto hers again in a hard kiss, causing the small girl to stagger backwards onto his white cloudfoam sofa and feel the soft cushion dip against her back at their combined weight.
Shifting until the two of them fit perfectly against one another.
They made for a volatile combination, threatening to explode at the undying tension and incessant desire for each other.
Orihime breathed out soft, quick pants before she felt his wet lips latch onto hers in desperate need, as calloused hands roamed the small of her bare back, dusting little flames at each stroke. The feel of his hot touch sent her mind spiraling on a rollercoaster, as his hand slid dangerously lower and lower.
Long, dexterous fingers swept against the zipper of her black mini dress, in a teasing gesture, pulling it down a few inches, causing Orihime to gasp sensually.
Ichigo mischievously took it as an opportunity to slip his tongue subtly into her hot, moist cavern, and Orihime shivered at the foreign, risque sensation of it all. Ever so lightly, patiently, he let Orihime warm up to the lewd touch of their tongues, as she timidly and curiously met his with her own.
However, the way she cautiously swept the little muscle against his in a wet, intimate way, drew a long groan from Ichigo, pushing their bodies ferociously harder and impossibly deeper against one another, almost as if his body was superimposing against her lithe one.
The sudden climax in their actions proved to be too overwhelming as Orihime began to overheat and twitch painfully, pushing urgently against him for something greater.
Suddenly Orihime felt Ichigo's mouth leave her, but moments later latch onto a sweet, sensual spot at the base of her slender throat, causing her to draw out a long whimper.
"Ichigo-!" she cried in a strained, pleading voice.
The use of said boy's first name forced him to tightly curl his fingers into her long orange locks, as the delirious sound of her voice, so erotic, sent him unraveling and spinning out of control.
And finally, he was at his last straw.
"Open your eyes for me."
As if he was in control of her body, she did as he commanded.
And when she did, the look in eyes was no longer a warm brown.
But a bleeding crimson.
And it begged for one thing.
Wet tongue on her pulse point.
Eyes swirling, desperate for relief.
She knew exactly what he needed.
Even so, she heard him say-
Tell me it's okay.
And she smiled, whole-heartedly, as she brought one hand to his cheeks, surprised that vampires were capable of possessing such warmth.
Ichigo studied her carefully, as the human girl slipped a curious thumb along his bruised lips, through the small of his mouth, and gently against his front row teeth. She then brushed her thumbpad against his soft tongue that was on her's not too long ago, and finally his pearly fangs, amazed by the sharp glint of ivory.
The pureblood fluttered his eyes shut, as she let her explore freely, committing each curve and dip to memory, and she felt his breath labor at each suggestive movement, as if he was holding onto every strain of self-control to not devour her like a wild animal.
And she couldn't help but blush madly at the thought.
Once Ichigo felt Orihime draw her thumb away, he opened his bright red eyes, watching the way she consented with one look - that took his entire breath away.
As long as it's you, anything is okay.
As long as it's you, I'm not afraid.
As long as it's you.
Without breaking eye contact, Ichigo placed his rough hands securely onto Orihime's slim waist and began to draw small circles on her hipbones to relax her muscles and keep her steady. Then he settled his rock-hard body comfortably into the center of her lap, straddling her in place, molding the two of them against each other so perfectly, and in a way so purposefully.
That she couldn't ignore the way she felt everything about him.
Ichigo slowly leaned in, planting a soft kiss on her hooded eyes, then on the tip of her petite nose, and finally, a slow deep kiss on her soft, swollen lips, before resting his mouth on her pale neck.
Hot lips ghosted along the length of it, and Orihime felt goosebumps bloom throughout her body in anticipation.
And finally, when he settled on the point where he felt her heart beat the loudest, he kissed it one, twice, before inquiring in finality.
"Do you trust me?"
And she let the question sink in, as she felt him thoroughly prepare her, a combination of tongue, teeth, and saliva generously coating her skin, making sure it'd be as painless for her as possible.
And his words only lingered briefly, before answering earnestly, sincerely.
"More than anything."
And she felt him smile into the crook of her neck.
Knowing very well that her body and soul was his to keep.
.
.
.
She didn't hear the sound of him biting into her unblemished flesh.
She didn't register the draw of her sweet blood through his sharp fangs.
She didn't feel the way he hungrily drank her in like his whole life depended on it.
.
.
.
All Orihime felt a warm bliss course throughout her entire body.
A rapture so unbelievably pure and ecstatic.
It felt as if she had died and gone to heaven.
A/N: I've probably went through a dozen different drafts and a whole box of tissues before settling on this chapter, and all I can say is: Can somebody help me find my heart? I think I dropped it somewhere.
Just kidding.
But seriously can we talk about what happened? Like after 10 chapters…
(they finally kiss.)
(and they finally do the thing.)
(and I'm 100% here to deliver it.)
All I'm going to say is that when I first outlined this story, this was NOT the way I wanted Ichigo/Orihime's reveal to go.
(Lets just say, I was going to turn Ichigo into a total asshole.)
But after much thought and consideration, I decided to go the other route and honestly.
I like how it turned out.
(And I think for the better.)
So I hope you guys do, too :)
Again, thank you for reading this far. We've come a long way and these two really deserve the most after going through all that, don't you think?
As always, feel free to review and let me know what you thought!
Did you expect this at all? What did you like/not like about this chapter? What do you think will happen next?
DUN. DUN. DUN.
I love reading your comments because tbh it does change the way I think/write about things, and honestly inspires me a lot!
(P.S. Isn't This Twisted Fate Ichigo the most perfect guy in the whole entire world because he's just… ;-; I can't with him. / ugly sob)
