Hello fellow readers! I apologize for not updating any of my stories at all. I kinda went on a hiatus due to RL issues and LACK of inspiration. However, I found motivation for this story. I intend on finishing it. Especially since there's not many chapters left! It's almost at its end, so I'm gonna see it gets finished! But enough of my blabbering. Let's get on with my story!

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Darkness. That's all she felt.

Like she was drowning in her own emotions, she wasn't so sure anymore.

About anything.

Whether she was dead or alive, she had no idea.

Everything seemed so vague. So unreal. So...

Imaginary.

She heard screams. Screams that held pain and anguish. Begged her to be okay. To be alive. But she wasn't so sure if she wanted to return to that voice. It would hurt her heart when she heard that voice. Because to her, she had been selfish.

I forced my feelings onto Kurosaki-kun. I told him I loved him and expected an answer on the spot. I acted so childish by running away from him. From rejection. Why am I so weak? Why do I always depend on him to be there? Even now, I feel that I only told him to keep him with me. To make sure he wouldn't leave me behind. It's so unfair.

To him.

And also, to my heart.

"Inoue…"

That voice. So deep, and full of pain. I'm sorry I had to rely on you too much. For forcing you into a position you didn't want to be in. But I want to be selfish one last time.

I want to see your eyes and be beside you. Even if this is the last time, I want to be with you.

She struggled to open her eyes. They felt like lead. But her heart screamed, begged for her to open her eyes. Her mind finally caught up with her heart and her eyes opened slowly. Her vision was blurry until she blinked a few times.

He was the first thing she saw.

"Orihime."

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His eyes were wide, full of fear, desperation, even… sadness?

There was a hidden emotion within his depths that she couldn't comprehend. Her mind was still too hazy.

Unconsciously, her hand went to her head, gently rubbing the back. He noticed her wince when she touched her head.

"You fell into the river."

Orihime looked up from the blanket to his face, her eyes filled with confusion. He never realized just how gorgeous she was until this event.

"But why? How could I be so dense? She was right in front of me the whole time, cheering me on. Healing me when I was in rough shape. So how was this different from all the other times?"

That's when he realized. "She almost died tonight. If I hadn't saved her…."

He stopped thinking at that moment. His breath hitched at the thought. Without thinking, he yanked her into his arms. She squeaked at the sudden movement but he didn't pay attention to the sounds she made. Rather he focused on the feeling of her.

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She didn't know what to think. Then again, she didn't know what happened. He said she fell in the river. But how?

"Right, because I was trying to run away from him. Because he didn't return my feelings."

"Orihime…"

The sound of his voice shook her from her thoughts. She looked up from his shirt into his chocolate brown eyes.

"Just stay here. With me. I don't care if I don't deserve it. I just can't stand the thought of you leaving me. Just the thought of you getting fed up with me, and walking away… It kills me!"

Her eyes were wide. Speechless, she tried finding words to say. But she came up with nothing. She could feel her heart ache just by looking into his saddened eyes.

With shaky hands, she pressed one against his chest, feeling his heart beat underneath her fingertips. She was still trying to process what he had spoken. Trying to figure out if it was merely out of sympathy or if he truly meant it.

But that's when she realized; he meant every word.

She knew he would never lie to anyone. The fire in his eyes combined with the intensity of his sadness only confirmed that fact. That's when she also came to another realization;

He was scared.

Much like she was, he was scared to admit to these new feelings. Of course he had never experienced them before. He was always fighting hollows and saving people's lives. He didn't have time to explore new emotions towards girls.

Especially her and Kuchiki-san.

It made her heart feel so much lighter.

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"Kurosaki-kun,"

"Ichigo."

She looked at him with a confused expression.

"Call me Ichigo, Orihime."

"I-Ichigo-kun," she blew out a breath before a smile was on her face.

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"I'll always stay with you."