(Yoshi! Another quick update. I do fast work when I am appreciated. :) The browser I am using on my tablet is acting funny so I cannot do italic. And so I cannot do a flashback scene. I do hope to do another short update for this story before the weekend and then a happy update on my birthday. I really hope I can.)
(意欲)
"Papi!" Fresa Cifer ran happily to her father, who in one scoop, lifted the giggling girl right into his pale arms.
Ulquiorra Cifer caused a few jaws to drop simultaneously and suddenly when his expressionless face broke into a big smile at his auburn-haired daughter.
"Why are you doing here, Fresa?" He asked softly of the little girl who was nestled in his arms. Her face at the side of his neck and her small arms wrapped tightly around him, she did not answer her father.
"I am sorry, Ulqui-kun." Inoue Orihime apologized softly.
"Ulqui-kun?!" Abarai Renji just managed to keep his voice low as he questioned his shock to his friends.
Hisagi Shûhei nudged back his shocked friend, "Look at the ring on his finger, but where's hers?" He said in just a low voice that was heard by all of their friends.
All eyes left the father and daughter touching scene and focused their attention on the princesss' left hand. Indeed there was no sight of a wedding ring.
"Maybe she doesn't like to wear jewelry of any kind." Arisawa Tatsuki observed the lack of adornment on the auburn-haired woman.
"Or she is allergic to all type of metals." Kotetsu Isane helpfully suggested and her boyfriend nodded in support of her comment.
"Or she's involved with more men than... " Kuchiki Rukia wanted to make some sneaky snide remarks but she was quickly elbowed to silence by her childhood friend. She glared at Renji who directed her furious gaze to their scowling friend and bespectacled friend. Both of their eyes were riveted to the former classmate of theirs.
"Why are you apologizing for, Hime?" The green-eyed doctor asked with a slight smile.
"Hime?!" This time it was Shûhei who uttered the shock.
If looks could kill, Fresa Cifer was already fatherless. Kurosaki Ichigo was taking the happy family scene in front of him with venomous hatred in his dark brown eyes. And the seemingly weird doctor was getting the full strength of his jealous loathing. All kind of accusing thoughts were making themselves painfully known to him.
He just did not want to acknowledge them.
Orihime stroked the similarly colored hair of her little girl as she explained. "She has gotten a sticker for a wonderful drawing she did and she wanted to show the stickler to her proud father." The proud mother smiled at him.
"And where is the sticker now?" Ulquiorra asked gently of his daughter.
Fresa turned her face to look at her father. She pointed shyly to something on her chest. Ulquiorra smiled, "Cute. Almost remind you of Grimmy."
Cute?!
Grimmy?!
"Grimmy?!" Renji was the only one who could not help himself. He shouted out the name everybody else was wondering as well.
Ulquiorra fixed his emotionless green eyes on Renji. "Is anything wrong, Abarai-san?" He asked stoically.
"No. Nothing's wrong, Doctor Cifer. Just wondering who's Grimmy?" Renji asked, bravely.
"Oh, he is our British-Blue Shorthair." Orihime cheerfully supplied the information and seeing the confused faces looking back at her, "Our cat and... Oh, I have pictures to show you." She took out her mobile phone, gave a tiny delighted squeal when she got her cellphone working, murmured to herself and nibbled on her lower lip as she looked for the pictures.
"She's the cute one." Renji whispered admiringly to his fellow connoisseur of pretty women. Shûhei could only stared.
"Here it is." Orihime showed them the pictures of a rather big bluish-grey cat.
"Wow, Ichigo! It has your eyes."
"No, you idiot. The color of its eyes almost resembled our carrot-top friend's hair color.
Orihime sneaked a peek at Ichigo during the comedy act of Renji and Shûhei. She has never noticed it before, but Grimmy-chan's eyes were 'goldenish' like the piercing amber eyes which were locking in on her curious brown eyes.
She quickly looked away from the intense questioning gaze.
"Ulqui-kun, here is the drawing that Fresa was rewarded with the cute sticker. It is being pinned to the board in the classroom. Luckily, I remembered to take a picture of it to show you. Look at how she has drawn Grimmy-chan. He has a blue ribbon around his neck and he is wearing blue shoes. Or are they socks? Isn't he just adorable?" Orihime rambled endlessly on to get the intense gaze off her mind.
Ulquiorra gave a little smile at the auburn-haired princess' little speech. He knew why she was behaving in this manner. He reached out and gave her a reassuring squeeze on her thin shoulder. He nodded at her when her light brown eyes met his dark green eyes.
She beamed at his concern.
A pair of dark brown eyes darkened in jealousy at the affectionate exchange.
"So you drew me, mami and Grimmy. Grimmy will not be too pleased about him looking so cute." Ulquiorra jokingly told his daughter.
"Which Grimmy?" A laughing Orihime blurted out. Realizing what she has unintentionally asked, Orihime covered her mouth with her free hand. Her big brown eyes looked anxiously at Ulquiorra. The doctor looked back at her with his facial features unreadable by all.
"Would Fresa like a reward from papi as well?" He asked instead of his daughter.
The little 'artist' nodded eagerly. "Ice-cream." She added timidly.
"Ice cream it is, but not now. Papi needs to work. Perhaps..."
"If you do not mind, Doctor Cifer. May I have the honor of escorting your two beautiful girls to a treat of frozen delicacies?" A refined voice interrupted the indulging parent.
"Nii-sama?! What are you doing here?!" At her unexpected surprise at her relative's sudden appearance, Rukia shouted out most inappropriately.
Kuchiki Byakuya arched an elegantly trimmed annoyed eyebrow at his sister by marriage. "Rukia, where are your manners? Apologize to Doctor Cifer for interrupting our conservation." Granite grey eyes were fixed reproachfully at her.
The bright violet eyes shamefully lowered their lashes to shield the pain. She bowed. "I am sorry for my uncalled-for outburst, Doctor Cifer." She said softly.
Doctor Cifer simply nodded.
Renji let out a soft sigh of relief and lightly patted Rukia on her back. She lifted her head and gave him a small smile. Then fixing her features, she turned to the stern aristocrat. He looked at her with nary an approving smile on his face.
"To answer you as to why I am doing here. I was in the area when I spotted a most striking vibrant hair color. It looked familiar and so I, decided to tempt fate and here I am." Byakuya explained in brief, but it left everybody with more questions than answers.
"Like I was asking before we were so rudely interrupted, may I be permitted to accompanying your two lovely ladies for ice cream, Doctor Cifer?" He asked Ulquiorra again.
"It is not for me to deny you the enjoyment of such good company, Hime?"
"I do not mind, Byakuya-san. But you should seek permission from the guest-of-honor." Orihime smiled shyly at Byakuya.
"Where the hell are we?! Back to the Victorian ages?!" Renji groaned at the polite exchange.
"Fresa, do you want to go for ice cream with Kuchiki-san?" Ulquiorra asked of his daughter still being cuddled in his arms.
Slowly, the pretty little strawberry turned to the aloof looking man, she stared at him, then she must have made up her mind for an angelic smile appeared, she nodded and her tiny hands unwrapped themselves from her father's neck and they stretched out timidly to the other dark-haired man.
Without a noticeable change to his expression, Byakuya reached over and carried the waiting girl into his arms.
"Nii-sama... " Rukia said softly, unbelievably.
"Byakuya-san, you do not have to..." The auburn-haired mother protested.
"It is fine, Orihime-san. It is my pleasure. Shall we go?"
Fresa uttered a soft yes and Orihime smiled her consent.
"Byebye, Papi."
"Doctor Cifer," Byakuya nodded to Ulquiorra. "And Rukia, I will see you at the house."
Orihime bowed gracefully. "I will get something for you at the shop for dessert tonight, Ulqui-kun. Any particular favors you want?"
Ulquiorra shook his head. "Anything will be fine."
"Alright. I will see you at home tonight." Her fair hand gave his equally pale hand a squeeze before bowing again to his students, she walked off with Byakuya
All pairs of eyes kept their full attention on the departing couple. They saw Byakuya asking Fresa about something on her chest. Giggling was heard from the older woman as the shy girl burrowed herself in his chest.
Ichigo felt his rational sane world crumbling at where he was standing, staring at the back of the princess, his princess, the one trusting soul he thought he knew almost as well as himself. But, he guess he was so wrong; he was so very wrong, about himself and... her.
First, the blue-haired bastard, then the weird doctor and now the snobbish noble.
What was she trying to prove?
What should she be even trying to prove anything?
He knew.
He fucking knew.
What he did not know was what has happened to the beautiful blushing girl of their teenage years gone by.
'You, Kurosaki-kun. You are what happened to me.'
The painfully seemingly truthful words spoken by a sobbing princess came hurtling hurtfully back to him.
"Excuse me." The emotionless detached voice cut through his woeful regrets and filled his empty heart with intense hatred.
The professor nodded to his students. "You all should be getting to your classes as well." He told them.
"Doctor Cifer." Ichigo halted the movement of the professor. Placid green eyes encountered almost fiery amber unyielding brown eyes. "Just what is your relationship with Inoue?" Ichigo asked head-on and Ishida Uryuu mentally smacked the impulsive scowling roommate of his on his stupid head.
"I thought that would be obvious to a medical student such as yourself. And Kurosaki-san, that woman is not so hard to love, is she?"
And the doctor walked off.
"Rukia, are you okay?" Renji thumbed the motionless woman lightly on her back. Immediately, she responded by pinching him on the forearm.
"Ouch! Why did you do that for?" Renji griped at her.
Rukia did not answer him. She rubbed her face and stomped her feet. "So, I am awake and this is not some nightmare I am having. What is happening?" She muttered to herself.
"Hey, Kuchiki. You alright?" Even Tatsuki looked a little worried at her. "You seemed to be losing it." She told her honestly.
"Losing it! What am I losing? Expect maybe my brother to that hussy!" She turned her angry to the two former classmates of the woman who was 'stealing' her brother. "The two of you better do something about this. I will not let my brother be stolen by a gold-digger!" She pointed her finger accusingly at Ichigo and Ishida
Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose, slowly. "Kuchiki-san, please be reasonable. Inoue-san, with the permission of, who I assumed is the husband, is at the eatery with her daughter, I may add having ice cream with her and your brother-in-law. What does that makes her a gold-digging hussy?" His glacier blue eyes glared at her.
"She is using her daughter to snare my brother. My brother. Did you see the way he was behaving with the little girl and... her? My brother has never... has never remotely behaved that way towards anyone... towards... me." The green-eyed monster made its appearance.
"And for that you are making unfounded wild accusations towards Inoue-san."
"Then prove it. Asked her. Asked her about her relationship with my brother, with Doctor Cifer and who knows who else?"
"No. It is not my business. From what I have seen, Inoue-san is not doing anything wrong and once again, I must ask her to refrain yourself from using such spiteful words on a friend of mine. My and Kurosaki."
"Ichigo." Rukia turned to the scowling silent one who has not say another word after what was sublimely suggested by the doctor.
"Let's go to the class."
And that was what he said.
(いよく)
A beautiful day.
At a beautiful Zen garden.
A beautiful woman with long flowing shimmering hair greeted her friend cheerfully.
"Ishida-kun, it is so nice to see you again and so soon. Did you miss me?" Inoue Orihime asked her friend playfully.
Ishida Uryuu looked at the trusting happy face apologetically. "Inoue-san, I am sorry."
Orihime was genuinely puzzled. Why was Ishida-kun sorry for?
"Why are you apologizing for, Ishida-kun?" She tilted her head and asked in surprise. She did a little fast thinking. "It was no trouble meeting you at such a short notice. I wanted to... "
"Hime."
"Oh... "
(意欲)
(Since it was such a fast update, I am not expecting it to be very good. Please comment.)