-Love Story-
13
.
.
.
"I am really sorry, Ulquiorra-kun was really rude to you today!"
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to apologize to me. It wasn't your fault."
Their dinner tonight was pasta. Orihime made it for them. She did add some unusual spices but after living together with the girl these past few months, Ichigo could eat the food without getting food poisoning or feeling sick. Secretly, he was amazed of the ability of humans to adapt. He started to like her food—of course he would stay away from the eccentric ones like rice with chocolate topping or curry with strawberry jam... But pasta with miso topping actually tasted good.
Today when Ichigo and his friends came to the bakery where Orihime worked, one of Orihime's co-workers had been rude to him. Not only once but twice. He didn't understand why it seemed like that black-haired pale guy had been trying to pick a fight with him. He was so thin and Ichigo knew he could beat him easily if he wanted to, but of course he didn't want to cause Orihime trouble in her work place.
He didn't tell her that that emo guy called him a 'jerk' under his breath when Orihime looked away. He didn't understand why he deserved such an ill treatment from a stranger like him. He had never met him before but it was like he had been declaring war to him. Maybe that guy was...
"Hey Kurosaki-kun, are you listening?"
"Ah," Ichigo blinked, he hadn't realized that the girl in front of him was talking to him, "could you repeat that?"
Orihime huffed, "are you okay, Kurosaki-kun? You looked distracted. Ah... are you still thinking about Ulquiorra-kun?"
Ichigo shook his head, "ah, not really..."
Orihime smiled, she looked at her half-empty plate, "Don't worry, Kurosaki-kun, Ulquiorra-kun didn't mean anything bad. He may be weird, but he is not a bad guy..."
Ichigo scowled. It was weird how Orihime seemed to know quite a lot about the guy. Plus, she called him by his first name. Well, it was true they were working together, but he and her were living together and she only called him 'Ichigo-kun' in front of his friends.
"By the way, you said the owner is your ex-teacher?"
Orihime who was continuing eating her pasta nodded, "He was only a substitute teacher though."
"Could it be... You also know this Ulquiorra since high school?"
Orihime blushed.
Ichigo had a bad feeling about this.
She bit her lower lip and avoided his eyes, "Well, he's my ex-boyfriend."
.
That night Ichigo couldn't sleep. He was just laying on his bed with his eyes wide open. He wasn't sleepy at all. It was weird that such a simple word from a girl could make him feel like this. He was restless, the words she had said to him earlier were stuck in his head.
Okay that guy was her ex-boyfriend. So what?
He shouldn't feel this way anyway. Orihime and he weren't dating or anything. She didn't even know about his growing affection toward her. Plus, there was that promise she made him agree to about not falling in love with her.
Thinking about that promise made him even crazier.
He closed his eyes for few seconds only to open them again with a realization that it was impossible to force himself to sleep. He wouldn't be able to sleep. Luckily, tomorrow was his off day so even if he couldn't sleep tonight, he could sleep the whole day tomorrow.
Ichigo sat up and groaned. How he hated himself at times like these. He never really thought about stuff like this. Romance was never his thing. This girl, however, had managed to make him half crazy just by the fact that she had an ex-boyfriend.
You didn't act like this about Grimmjow, King. His other self sneered at him.
He growled, "But Grimmjow isn't working with her. Besides..."
There was something different about Ulquiorra. The way he treated him earlier today... Ichigo was stupid but not that stupid. He knew it, the way that thin man treated him was like treating an enemy. Maybe he thought of him as a threat. It was crystal clear to Ichigo that Ulquiorra Schiffer was still harboring feelings for his housemate.
He didn't know about Orihime's feelings, but he knew Orihime didn't want to be in another relationship at this moment. It meant he shouldn't worry about this Ulquiorra guy, but still...
How did they know each other?
Why did they break up?
There were so many questions in his head. He laid back on his bed and stared at his ceiling.
"Does she still like him?"
His other self laughed in his head.
You're so out of character, King.
"Shut up."
.
"Morning, Kurosaki-kun..."
Orihime was a little surprised when she entered the kitchen this morning and saw the orange-haired guy was standing there making some french toast for breakfast. It was Sunday, his day off. Usually, he would sleep until later that day. Ichigo only had one day off in the week so he would always treasure it and used it wisely to rest. Orihime found it was weird because it was not yet eight in the morning, but he was already awake and preparing breakfast.
She didn't know that actually, the tall guy didn't sleep at all, and she was the one to blame.
Ichigo turned to see the girl and smiled. His eyes were kind of red and he looked a little pale. He rubbed the back of his head and brought the french toast plates to the living room to eat there.
"Morning, Inoue, let's have breakfast." He yawned as he sat on the carpeted floor in front of the low table. "I hope you don't mind french toast." He put down both plates on the table, "could you bring me the orange juice?"
"Okay," Orihime chirped.
She walked to the refrigerator and took out a carton of orange juice and poured it into two glasses. Behind her, Ichigo was looking at her back, scowling as usual. He quickly turned away. Thankfully, the girl didn't realize his rather weird behavior this morning.
She put the glasses on the table and sat in front of him.
"You woke up early today."
Ichigo shrugged, "I guess, it's not bad for once in a while."
Orihime giggled and nodded, "Yeah, true..." She put a lot of butter on her toast. They'd run out of red bean paste so she had to have normal breakfast today, "but it looks like you didn't have enough sleep."
"I was reading a book," he lied.
He didn't think it was necessary to lie to her but he couldn't stop himself.
"Oh yeah? You like to read? I didn't know..."
"I love to read," he said. This time he wasn't lying to her. He didn't look like it, but actually he loved to read books.
Orihime bit her toast, munched and swallowed.
"What kind of books?"
"Uh, novels."
Orihime eyes widened, "Kurosaki-kun reads novels? What kind of novels?"
"Uh, rr-ro," he blushed, "romance."
You're so lame, King... This is embarrassing—Romance?
Ichigo kicked his other self mentally.
But to his delight, Orihime didn't laugh, she only nodded.
"You didn't find that funny?"
"What?"
"About, uh, me reading a romantic novel?"
Orihime smiled, "What's funny about it?"
She was so beautiful.
His other self agreed with him about this. She was beautiful when she was smiling. To think that some guys had ever monopolized this smile for themselves somehow pissed him off. He wanted her for himself only. He didn't want her to show that ultra beautiful smile to anyone but him.
Before he realized it, he had leaned in toward her and kissed her lips.
No alcohol this time.
.
"So you met him?"
Both men didn't plan it, but this morning apparently they both had the same idea about having breakfast in a famous cafe near the bakery. They still had one hour and they decided, or rather Aizen decided, to have the meal together before they went to work together.
Ulquiorra didn't answer. He stirred his coffee without saying anything.
Aizen smiled. Not many people know about this, but Ulquiorra and him were related by blood. Ulquiorra's parents who were killed in a car accident when he was nine were Aizen's dad's cousins. After the accident, he lived with the Aizens. Of course, because of their age gap and different family name, people didn't know about this.
Aizen had thought of Ulquiorra like a little brother since he was the only son in the family. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, thought of Aizen as a God. He had always had this adoration toward the older guy. He didn't open up to anyone but Aizen. Aizen could read him like a book, sometimes this annoyed him so much. He adored this man but there were times when the man would say something that was like pouring salt onto an open wound.
"His name is Ichigo Kurosaki, you don't have to worry though... Well not for now." Aizen smiled again, "they aren't dating."
"I'm afraid, I don't care about it."
"Oh really?"
Ulquiorra didn't answer, he drank his coffee instead.
Aizen sighed, he looked at the guy from behind his glasses. "You should just tell the truth to Orihime. It would help. You know, finally, you have a chance now—you shouldn't blow it off."
"What truth?" Ulquiorra kept his poker face, "I don't want to explain anything. It was her who said that she wanted to break up."
"She didn't have a choice at the time," Aizen smiled. "She had just found out that you're gay and dating another man. What was his name again? Ah, right, Nnoitra, right?"
"You know I am not a gay."
"Well, I think, kissing another man is considered a gay behavior."
"I didn't kiss him," he stated coolly. "He kissed me. There's a difference."
"You let him kiss you, didn't you?"
"He caught me off guard."
"Liar."
"I am not."
"How could you prove that you were not gay and cheating on her with another man?"
"If I kissed you now without your consent, will it make you gay?"
Aizen laughed.
"Ok, you got me there." He smiled kindly and looked at the guy in front of him, "I was just kidding. I know you loved her."
Ulquiorra looked away, "Well, I still do."
.
Ichigo and Orihime looked at each other without saying anything. Both were red like a tomato and frozen. Her mouth was half-opened, she looked at the younger guy and couldn't believe what had just happened. Meanwhile, the culprit also had his mouth half-opened. He tried to say something to justify what he had done just now, but he couldn't find any words.
He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't even let out any sound.
Ten minutes had passed since he had kissed her. He knew, he had to say something. Anything.
He should apologize but he couldn't say that he was sorry for kissing her because he didn't feel like that. He had kissed her and liked it. He didn't want to say that he regretted the kiss.
Be a man, King.
His stupid imaginary friend who lived inside his head was commenting and for once he agreed with him. He needed to be a man.
Make her our queen!
"Inoue, about the kiss," finally he started.
He was trembling but those big grey eyes were looking into his brown eyes—he couldn't step back now.
Now or never.
"I, I think... I love you.
.
TBC