So it's a little bit rushed in the beginning, but I hope you don't mind it much and enjoy this chapter!
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The people were becoming mere shadows and the deafening sound of applause paralyzed her mind. Her knees wobbled as the stares intensified and her chest started to hurt. Orihime managed a small shaky smile at the people around her as cold sweat broke from the top of her hairline. Her hands trembled and when she scanned the shadowy room, around the crowd, her eyes were drawn to his form.
He leaned at the wall behind him, in a world of shadows, his stance seeming relaxed but she could see the tension rolling off his shoulders. His gaze was sharp and his dark orbs glared holes at her head. Then his eyes shifted and everything toppled over. His body tensed and his eyes turned to burning cinders, hatefully glaring at someone behind her. His firm lips curled just as a hand landed at the small of her back. Her mind went to the smiling image of her brother, but when a light chuckle echoed in her ears her body froze. That wasn't her brother.
"It seems we have attracted quite the attention, Orihime-san." His smile was small and warm, yet from up close Orihime could see how strained it had become. She felt his hand on her back pushing her and slowly, she let herself get lead to the bottom of the stairs. She turned facing the smiling crowd and forced herself to smile and bow to the crowd in the front; all in all pleasing her father and everyone around her. Her eyes though wondered back to the single pair of eyes that wasn't amused at all by this entire charade. In fact he looked ready to jump and force his way to her. She shivered at the possibility of the bloodbath that would occur if that were to happen.
Her father started speaking but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She was too preoccupied trying to ease her nerves and shaking. She was drowning in the fake smiles and lights around her. She tried again to scan the very back, to the spot he was moments ago but he was gone, disappeared. Her breathing shortened and as discretely as she could she tried to look around for him, only to finally notice the line of people that had come to give their congratulations and wishes. First was the immediate family; her father with his cold exterior yet kind eyes, her mother with her bright smile yet her eyes spoke of her displeasure in volumes. Her brother didn't come and that surprised her a lot. Then came the Shiba family; the matriarch of the large yakuza family followed shortly by her eldest son and her brother who all bore grins large and arrogant and in the case of her fiancé's brother, lewd. She didn't break character, not even once. Perfect, trained smile plastered on her face mechanically thanking everyone that came to wish.
She didn't break character. Not even when she saw him right in front of her.
Her heart skipped, her stomach tied in a dreadful knot that with each heartbeat constricted. The air shortened and she couldn't quite breathe. She felt her eyes water and hard sobs climbing up her throat. Her face betrayed nothing. Like a porcelain mask that covered her lies.
"Congratulations." Her legs wobbled at his voice, she didn't let him see. She smiled, small and polite, and bowed back gracefully, nothing like the mess she had made not an hour ago.
"Thank you." She didn't trust herself to say his name, she knew she would break. So she sat back and smiled, even when Shu placed his arm around her.
"Oh, dear cousin. I didn't know you were here as well." Ichigo's eyes sifted to his smiling cousin and clenched his jaw.
"It's not like you would have come to greet me, Shukuro."
"Ichigo!" from his side, Masaki-san scowled at her son. Ichigo ignored her all together, focusing more on his cousin who despite all that managed a laugh.
"It's quite all right, auntie. Cousin is always so cold." If Masaki-san caught Shu's undermining tone, she didn't let it show. She smiled at the both of them and bowed stiffly, her golden honey eyes lingering on Orihime the whole time. They spoke volumes and made her wonder about the vast sadness that leaked within those orbs. She was left wondering even when Ichigo took his mother by the hand and led her away, while she was left behind thanking guest with a practiced smile.
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"Why did you do it?"
"Hm? I do not understand what you are referring to, my dear."
Baby blue eyes narrowed, "Why did you go through with the engagement?" Pale hands clenched to a fist, "You promised me, Sosouke…"
"Patience is a virtue, my dear Ran…" mahogany eyes glinted in the dark, "Everything is part of the plan."
A fist banged on the small surface of the desk, "I won't have my daughter sold off because you want to invest."
A small smile appeared on the man's face, "Whoever talked about investing..?"
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It was as if she couldn't breathe.
The walls closed around her and the silence was loud enough to break her. She was at her room, locked and isolated from the world. The soft knocks of her mother had stopped after the third day and her father had stopped by her door twice but even that wasn't enough to mend the crack in her heart.
It has been weeks, two to be exact; two long excruciating weeks of awkward hellos and dinners with her fiancé. They were frequent and many, five or six up till now. Other than that she didn't step out of her room. By choice of course, both her parents would have given everything to see her out and about and smiling again. But how could she? How could she be happy when she was dying on the inside? Orihime recalled the nights back then, when she was a little girl, deep in her mother's loving embrace with her soft voice lulling her to sleep with fairy tales about princesses locked to towers and of princes slaying mighty dragons.
"Every princess has a prince, Hime-chan."
"Eh? Even me?"
"Of course, sweetie. You are a princess after all."
"Oka-san, how do I find my prince?"
"It doesn't work like that, Hime-chan. He will find you and he won't stop searching until he does."
She felt her eyes tear up, the memories far too real now than then. Her prince had found her and had held her. She had fallen for him and had whispered her love to him how many times now… Yet here she was, caged and alone in a castle feeling so betrayed; from her mother, her father, her brother… and from him.
'Ichigo…'
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The round of applause quieted as she moved down the corridors. Step by step she could feel her heart breaking in even smaller pieces. Tears were ready to flow but she was stubborn to release them. Thirty more steps and she was in the safety of her room.
Twenty-five steps away; away from everyone.
Twenty steps away now and she'll let go.
Fifteen.
Ten.
Five.
Oh.
She was swept in and her back slammed at the closed door. She gasped and her body arced at the sudden pain. It only intensified when her eyes met two fiery browns. They bore holes on her head, his hands burned her arms through her sleeves and his scent. That spicy fragrance drove her insane every time he was in proximity. Taking her mind away, making her feel like the ground had disappeared from her feet. It was heaven before, but now?
Now she felt unclean, dirty. And she was.
"I thought you left." Breathy was not the way she aimed for and she mentally chastised herself.
"I did." Something crossed his eyes, something she didn't know. And it made her feel queasy. There was a moment of silence where he looked at her, debating over something. Then he closed his eyes and took a breath, "I only came back to tell you something."
Her eyes widened at the look he threw her; cold, distant, harsh. A new feeling; hate. Why did he look at her like that?
"Have a happy life."
And with that, he was gone.
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The message was loud and clear that night. I'm moving on, do it too.
Yet how could she where all this damn time he was all she could think of? Everything reminded of him, everything. It was almost silly. It wasn't easy, she knew it wouldn't be, but she never imagined this. It was madness. And it drove her insane.
He had been her first, her first in everything. Of course it would be near impossible to forget. Like her favorite cartoons, she always remembered them even if she didn't want it to.
'Ugh, Orihime… comparing your love life with cartoon series. Why yes, very effective.'
There was a knock on her door cutting off her train of thought, but she ignored it. She didn't want to talk to anyone, childish as it was, but she had lost any will left in her to cope with anything. She felt so pathetic…
They knocked again and this time Orihime buried her head into her pillows, her sheets a bundle around her middle, 'Go away…' She closed her eyes when the person outside knocked again harder than she expected, almost taking her door down. Why won't people get a message?
"Orihime!" said girl snapped her eyes open, "I swear if you don't open the door in five seconds, I will kick it down!"
She had never moved so fast in her life. Not when her mother had baked her favorite red bean paste cookies or when there was Laugh Hour on TV. The door unlocked and swung up in a blink. And she then stared; surprised honey and teary grey.
"T-Tatsuki-chan…" the karate champion gave her a toothy grin that evaporated when she saw the redness at her best friend's eyes. Her brows merged and sadness followed suit. Orihime took a step and fell on her best friend's arms, hugging the girl that had missed so much.
"Oh kiddo… Shh… don't cry…" Tatsuki tried to soothe the tremors Orihime produced but it was in vain; she knew she wouldn't stop then, "I'm sorry, Orihime. I wasn't here…" The young woman in her arms only cried harder. Slowly Tatsuki led them inside and closed the door behind them.
"I'm sorry Orihime." She said in a soft tone as Orihime tried to wipe her tears in vein.
"No, don't be. You couldn't have done anything to stop it." Orihime took her best friend's hands, "I'm just glad you came back." She smiled up at her, "How was the tournament?"
A slow grin appeared, "I killed it, like you said." Orihime giggled, "I wasn't supposed to come till next week. I'm missing my 'coronation' at the moment."
Orihime gasped, "Tatsuki-chan! You shouldn't–"
"You're more important to me than a stupid title. Besides, it's not that I lost or anything, just that my sensei is having his own time to shine in the spotlight." Tatsuki interrupted, "When Rangiku-san called I dropped everything and came back as quickly as I could. I even forgot my suitcase in the hotel."
Orihime frowned at the floor, "Mother shouldn't have done that."
"I'm glad she did." Now it was her time to frown, "She told me you haven't been eating. What the hell, Orihime."
"I am…"
"Only when that bastard and his family come, and even then you only take a bite or two." At the reprimanding tone Orihime bit her lip, "I don't want you to starve yourself because Ichigo didn't have the balls to stand up to his father."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Tatsuki sighed, "Kurosaki-sama knew about the two of you. He had Ichigo tailed plenty times and when he learned he was furious. He told him he either stopped or he'd send him away and this time permanently."
"So.. back at the formal… He…"
"He voluntarily gave you up, just to stay with you. Even if that meant being away from you." Tatsuki caught her before she could hit the floor. She clenched her jaw as her best friend started hyperventilating. She hugged her and softly traced circles on her back trying to ease her friend into a normal breathing state.
After a moment, Orihime wheezed, "How… d-do you… know…"
"Masaki-san told me." Tatsuki said, continuing the circles at Orihime's back, "She heard Ichigo and Kurosaki-sama yelling at his office. I had called her to tell her I wouldn't be able to go for the twins' birthday and she started crying over the phone." Sighing Tatsuki rose a now calm Orihime up and looked at her eyes. Sad eyes that were now red and crystal and shinning with fresh tears, "So stop crying, Hime. There wasn't something you could have done. Now Ichigo on the other hand…"
"No, it wouldn't be good. He knows how I'd feel if I was the reason he had a fight with his father." Orihime said, "Besides! He's his father! Comparing to Kurosaki-sama, I am nothing to him anymore."
She had said that yet she started crying again, this time silently, allowing the tears to wash over her cheeks. Tatsuki couldn't bear seen her best friend like that, she always hated seeing her crying. So she took her back in a hug and kissed her temple as she buried her best friend's face at her jacket.
After a moment she pulled away and smiled at the red head, "Come on, kiddo! We are going out. I just saw that your favorite coffee shop has finished redecoration, on the way here. So let's get you ready." Tatsuki paused and looked Orihime over, "Go take a shower, Orihime. I refuse to take you out looking like a mess. Like seriously when was the last time you washed your hair?!"
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They sat at their usual spot, a booth in the back right next to the long bookshelves decorating the pale walls. Tea and coffee in hand with a pastry for each one, the two were back on their usual routine.
"Stop laughing! It wasn't funny at all!"
"I can't help it, Tatsuki-chan! Why you have to hit every possible candidate, I'll never understand." The red head said.
"Well he could have started with a simple hello instead going straight to grope my ass." The karate champion scoffed, "I had enough of that in the academy."
"Yes, but have you thought that it was by mistake? Maybe he tripped or the blue men tied his shoelaces together making him fall on you!" Orihime said exuberantly.
"I saw his face. It wasn't the look a man gets when he finds out he's falling because of his shoelaces."
As Orihime laughed the doorbell on the front door dinged and a barrage of curses came into the shop. Tatsuki stopped and raised her eyes to the front, instantly falling on the couple that came in.
"Eh, what's wrong Tatsuki-chan?" she tried so hard to tell her not to turn, not to look, because it would shatter what she tried to salvage the past two hours. But of course the young woman didn't listen, she never did. She turned at the door and the smile fell from her face.
"Oh…" it wasn't a strange imagine, she had seen them together before; him with her. Black short locks falling around her pale face, unblemished and round. Big eyes that almost ate her face, in a lovely color of dark lavender, narrowed staring at the man in front of her. Lips plump and glossed in a smirk and posture that of a highborn lady.
Orihime heard Tatsuki click her tongue, "That bastard… That's barbaric; I thought he had more sense than bringing her here. I should break his fucking head over that."
As she made to stand, Orihime grabbed her hand, "No. Let them be." She smiled up at her friend, "Besides, he's not mine. Remember?"
"Orihime…"
"I'm sorry Tatsuki-chan, I don't feel so well. Can we go please?" she whispered and Tatsuki smiled at her.
"Of course, kiddo."
With a small smile Orihime rose up and headed to the door, passing right behind him. She only paused when the woman laughed, voice soft like a lullaby. She bit her lip and with one last look above her shoulder, Orihime grabbed her best friend's hand and led her out of the café shop.
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"You're being such a dick. You know that, right?"
A sigh, "As if I don't know."
"Well, if you don't stop being a wuss and you lose her, I'm gonna kick your ass so hard, you'll be feeling it for the rest of your life."
A glare.
"Got that?"
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Yay, update!
We have progress here as you see, but I'm gonna leave it to the lot of you and decide if you liked it or not!
Please ignore any grammar and/or vocab mistakes you found! And thank you again!
Please review!
-Berry.