Not much author's notes. Just been repetitively listening to Me Against the Music by Britney Spears GLEE version. Yep, Naya Rivera and Heather Morris actually made it sound better, with more awesome dance moves/steps.

Thanks for the reviews guys. :)

Chapter Two

Awakening

Hushed noises awakened Inoue Orihime from her deep slumber. Those noises seemed deafening to her. Her entire body screamed for relief. It was as though there were a million knives pointing at her skin and bones. But, miraculously, the pain seemed endurable, and she did not make any groaning sound as her light purple eyes flew open.

"Orihime!"

Orihime instantly spotted the identical eyes of her mother, hovering worriedly over her. Her face was as pale as chalk, making the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced, and her hands were clutching her handkerchief tightly. Her mouth looked dry and to say the least about the extremely beautiful woman, she looked like a mess.

"Mom," Orihime said, her voice sounding foreign to her. Her throat was extremely dry and it took a lot of effort for her to say anything. "Water…"

Aya nodded quickly and summoned the nurse, who instantly brought a small plastic cup. Orihime took it almost reverently, with her hands quivering at the sudden movement. She took a sip and sighed.

"You have a lot explaining to do," a baritone voice interrupted her.

Orihime turned her head so suddenly at the direction of the voice that she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness envelope her. She briefly clutched her head, trying to make out the person who appeared to be standing in the shadows of the spacious ward.

"Stop overexerting yourself, darling," Aya protested, laying her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

Orihime finally realized that it was her father, his brown eyes glinting anxiously and furiously at her. She looked down in shame and sadness, knowing the full extent of what she did and how it affected her parents.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

"You know that we only asked you to try the proposal," Sousuke said, immediately taking the seat beside his wife. "We will never force you if you didn't want to."

The auburn-haired young woman sighed, "I'm sorry dad, mom. I was just so… distraught."

Aya took her daughter's hand. "We were just thinking about your future, darling. But we will never force our choices on you. But what you did was really reckless. What if we lost you? It's actually a miracle that you don't have a single scratch after a fall like that."

What? Orihime thought in shock. Come to think of it, the pain she was feeling was more of internal pain. Now that she was looking clearly, there were no signs of scratches and bruises. The wounds she had initially felt on her head and legs before she succumbed to unconsciousness were no more. She was certain that the extent of damage on her could bring death itself, but there was none. Not even a single trace.

Then in a flash of memory, she remembered.

The devil.

Yes, she remembered. That black form, darker than the shadows she sees at night. Darker than the rainy night. It was a presence that awed and frightened her. Yet, at that moment when she was inches away from death, she found solace in that company. She found solace in the fact that someone was there before she died.

But she had not died.

She remembered that he had spoken to her. He asked her what she wanted the most…

To meet my beloved. To marry him…

That means, indirectly, to save my life until the day I've found him.

And he said yes to the deal.

He spared my life.

Orihime did not know whether she would believe her own memory or if it was only a dream. It was a bit impossible yet it felt so real. And why would she be here alive when she fell almost fifty meters down a steep slope? And why would she even be out of an accident unscathed?

"A miracle indeed," Sousuke was saying, nodding. "We're just glad you're safe."

Her head turned towards her parents, forgetting her dilemmas about that devil with whom she had a deal with. Perhaps if she was right, then he would visit her again. He still had to tell what her part of the bargain was.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"A week," Aya replied. "But the doctors said that you were fine. They just said that you seemed to have undergone shock, that's why you were out that long."

"I see," Orihime said.

"Are you sure you're ok, darling? Do you feel anything?" Aya pressed on, searching Orihime's face.

Orihime gave off a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, mom."

"Good," Sousuke said, his mood seemingly lighter. "But you know that this immature action won't go unpunished."

Orihime nodded, knowing that even though her parents were the kindest people on earth, they were still fair. She just had to accept whatever it was they wanted her to do.

"Even though we said that you're free to refuse the engagement, you still have to meet the young man," Sousuke said, much to Orihime's surprise. "Don't look at me like that. How would you know how he is when you haven't even met him? Plus, we do owe his parents amends for your sudden disappearance. They're more than understanding that you might not want to accept, and that's rare Orihime. Just have a marriage interview with him or something."

She felt like she owed her parents this much. And there won't be anything more that could happen, right?

With this thought, Orihime agreed.

"And even though you're 20, I still decree that we have the right to ground you," Aya said. "So, no functions or parties for you in a month, agreed?"

Orihime laughed slightly at this. She was never really a party girl, so that was fine with her. "Ok, mom."

"Good," Sousuke said again. "Now, we'll go ask the doctor when you'll be discharged now that you're awake. And get ready for Tatsuki's wrath. She's still camping at our home."

At the last bit of information, Orihime blanched.

"ORIHIME!" a sudden outburst pierced the finely decorated and polished reception area of the Inoues. A certain tomboy was restraining tears of relief and anger towards her auburn-haired friend, who was being unwillingly pushed on a wheelchair.

"Tatsuki-chan," Orihime said, feeling unbearably guilty when she looked at her friend's expression.

The young woman in front of her did not quite know how to react. She rushed towards her and kneeled in front of her. She was this close to bringing her fist down her head to show her displeasure and disappointment towards her brash behavior, but she restrained herself, knowing more than anything else that she was just glad that nothing happened to one of the people that she loved the most.

"I'm sorry," Orihime apologized, smiling sadly.

"You idiot," Tatsuki said, finally letting the tears overcome her. "If you ever do that again, I… I won't hesitate to pummel you!"

Orihime laughed. "Got it, Tatsuki-chan."

"Make sure you do," she replied threateningly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

Orihime's parents, who witnessed the exchange between the two friends, started to leave when Sousuke suddenly said, "Orihime, don't forget what we talked about."

The young woman blushed and nodded almost too automatically. This did not go missed by Tatsuki.

"What was he talking about?"

"A-anou… Tatsuki-chan, I have a favor to ask of you," Orihime started, slowly getting off the wheelchair she was forced unto.

"Hey!" Tatsuki said in alarm. "Are you sure it's alright for you to stand up?"

"Yeah, it's okay," Orihime assured her. "You see…"

"Hm?"

"I have this dinner date I have to go to later," she started, her blush still staining her cheeks.

"Dinner date?" Tatsuki said, astounded. "But you just came from the hospital. What kind – ?"

"It's alright," Orihime said, giggling. "Apparently I'm made of steel. No damages at all, see?"

When Tatsuki looked over what she meant, her eyes turned as wide as saucers, clearly amazed that there wasn't even a single scratch on Orihime.

"Y-yeah. That's really cool… I mean, good!" Tatsuki said, circling Orihime like a vulture. "So, what do you want from me? And with whom are you having a dinner date?"

"Can you please drive me to La Cocina?" Orihime said. "Mom and dad won't let me drive on my own as of now – "

"And they should!" Tatsuki interrupted. "Sure, I'll drive you there. But why can't you take a chauffeur or something?"

"Well, I want to feel a bit more comfortable."

Tatsuki's eyes softened. "But with whom are you having this date? And why do you look so nervous?"

Orihime sighed. "Well, dad kinda punished me for what I did. I still have to meet the boy I was supposed to be engaged to. Just to give him a chance."

"I see," Tatsuki said. "Well then, at least they're giving you a chance to decide. Besides, it is the least you can do for the bastard for suddenly running away from him like that. I'm sure his family already knows of what happened."

"Yeah they do," Orihime confirmed, eyes downcast.

"But even though this is an arranged date, there's no way I'm going to let you out there with that gloomy face and banged up appearance!" Tatsuki said loudly, eliciting a squeak from her friend as she dragged her out of the house to shop for Orihime's dinner dress.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Orihime was saying, surveying herself in the mirror. She knew that Tatsuki was simple when it comes to her choice of clothes, but she would go above and beyond when it came to other people. She actually had what it takes to be a fashion consultant, but since most of her family members were already in the business she hadn't bothered with it. The feisty young woman was simply not interested in that particular field and had chosen to live her dream – to become a professional martial artist.

"Are you actually looking at yourself?" Tatsuki said, rolling her eyes. "You look fantastic!"

Orihime gave her friend a smile. Yes, I do look great, she conceded. The lavender cocktail dressed fit her perfectly like a second skin, but still leaving room for one's imagination. Sophisticated, sexy, and modest, that's what she would call it. Topping it off with matching pumps and some gorgeous diamonds that she had on her neck and ears. Her hair was styled wonderfully – softly curling at the ends and arranged artfully around her stunning face.

She was more than ready. She looked stunning.

"You're gonna give that rich dolt a run for his money," Tatsuki commented. "He's going to beg you to become his fiancée."

Orihime laughed. "Oh, I don't think so Tatsuki-chan. If he does, I'll be sure to turn him down."

Oh how wrong was she…

Tatsuki had dropped her off at the location of their meeting place, telling her to call her when she wanted to leave earlier or if she will be brought home by her date. Orihime agreed, immediately walking in with a bit of her confidence coming back to her.

When she entered the posh restaurant, everything was not what she expected.

There were no other customers in the spacious dining hall. All that she could conclude was that the young man that was supposed to be her date rented the whole place for the two of them.

"Miss Inoue Orihime?" the maître de said, smiling cordially at her.

"Yes," she responded, giving an uncertain smile in return.

"This way, please," he said, gesturing and leading the way for her.

She carefully wounded through the empty tables and chairs and finally found herself on the private upper floor of the restaurant. When she arrived, she stood stock still, almost dropping her purse.

Standing there, in the middle of the room, was him.

And that was when Inoue Orihime realized that the dream deal with the devil was a reality.

Because there was absolutely no way that this man in front of her could even exist.

There was only one table in this part of the restaurant and the table was all set. But Orihime took no notice of that. Between her and this man who was staring at her was a dark void that seemed miles away. Her footsteps couldn't seem to bring her towards that table. She knew that the servers and the maître de were already waiting for her to take his lead and follow. But she could not.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the maître de inquired.

Orihime was startled from her trance and nodded abruptly, her cheeks burning furiously.

She took a few unsteady steps until she reached their table, staring face to face with the man of her dreams.

There was no mistaking it. The man was really him.

He had exactly the same spiky, orange hair, the same chocolate brown eyes, the same build, and if she could imagine it correctly, the same height. He was wearing the same expression when her dream guy was serious – that adorable scowl and the knitted eyebrows.

It took all of her willpower not to reach out and touch him, just to make sure that he was real. She knew that she was on the verge of delighted tears, but she restrained herself. This was too good to be true, but of course she wouldn't risk harassing her date just because he looked like someone from her dream. She would give off a more foolish impression than she already had because of what she did.

I ran away… from this? Or is this just the workings of that devil I met? Was he really my betrothed, or did something magical happen to alter my future or something?

These thoughts battled inside Orihime's befuddled brain. She was nowhere near getting an answer when the young man finally cleared his throat.

He walked over towards her and pulled the back of her seat. "Please sit," he said bluntly but formally.

Orihime jerked awake from her thoughts and blushed once again, taking a seat. The action was more ungraceful than she thought it was.

This motion caused a sudden change in the man's somber expression. His lips briefly lifted forward. But his companion did not see this, as he was in the middle of returning to his seat directly opposite hers.

"A-anou," Orihime started shakily, trying to get a grip of herself, "I'm sorry about what happened. What I did was completely – "

He brought up a hand to stop her and she was offended by that action, but it seemed that he was merely calling for the waiter to take their order. Her face turned scarlet once again.

"What will it be?" he asked, his voice also the same as she had dreamt of.

Orihime, who was still aghast by the entire situation, merely pointed out a dish in the menu, eliciting a raised eyebrow from her confused companion.

"I'll have the same," he said to the waiter, who quickly left.

Seconds ticked by and there was an unbreakable silence between them. Orihime kept staring at the man with wide eyes, trying to see every inch of him and if there were any differences to the man in her fantasies.

"If you're interested to know, my name is Kurosaki Ichigo," the orange head said with amusement, tilting his head to the side.

Orihime moved so fast that she barely registered her hand slipping against the wine glass beside her. She squeaked, waiting for the sound of shattering glass.

But there was none.

A sigh escaped someone's lips. Orihime looked down.

There he was, crouched down in what should look like an awkward position for anyone. But he looked far from awkward. The finely tailored black suit stretched to accommodate the sudden movement of its owner's sinewy form, molding the lean body even more. Her eyes widened as she realized that he had jumped out of his seat just to avoid damage caused by her clumsiness. He had superb and superhuman reflexes.

"I guess I should thank all those years of training," he said, standing up to his full height and putting the glass back to where it was.

Orihime caught a whiff of his scent, feeling tingles travel up and down her body. He smelled subtly of a clearly expensive perfume with a certain muskiness and masculinity that could only be his natural scent. The clean and spicy smell suddenly made Orihime's insides go warm, travelling towards a region that she would rather not think of at the moment.

"S-sorry," she muttered, ducking her head to hide the brick red glow that her face had adapted.

"If you want to apologize so sincerely, then you should start making it up for what you did," the young man named Ichigo said, grinning slightly at her.

Purple eyes clashed with brown ones, widening in surprise. "W-what?"

"First, you should stop being so flustered," he said with an air of confidence that actually made Orihime realize that this was a wealthy heir she was talking to. "And second, you should stop destroying things."

"E-excuse me?" Orihime stammered, her face showing all kinds of embarrassment.

"That's the deal, so just follow it," Ichigo said, peering down at her with a challenging gaze.

Orihime stopped her jaw from falling off the floor. The man in her dreams was kind and caring, but he also had the same arrogant and confident streak in him.

After a few seconds of digesting these realizations, Orihime offered a meek nod in exchange.

When dinner was finally served, Ichigo was the one who broke the silence.

"So," he said, actually surprised with himself that he started a conversation. But this woman before him was just too interesting. She looked like she had seen the ghost of Christmas past when she first saw him. She acted like he was Jack the Ripper when he talked to her. And what's more, the amazement in her face was so worth the effort, "why did you keep on apologizing again?"

"U-uhm, because of running away like that…"

"Oh. Don't worry about it. I'd do the same if I was being forced into something like that," he said, taking a piece of meat in his mouth.

Orihime observed the way he chewed the food, wondering what it felt like if she touched those lips…

"There you go again," he said, scowling. "Stop gaping."

"G-gomen," Orihime said. What's the matter with me? I never act like this in front of anyone! Especially not in front of a complete stranger!

Ichigo ignored her apology and went on, "But even though I didn't want to marry some stranger, I would attend a date or something," he said, a faint trace of pink staining his cheeks at this notion. Nope, he wasn't usually like this. "Who knows? I might actually find it interesting."

"Interesting?" Orihime blurted out. "You don't go to these serious things just to find someone interesting. One should marry for love or else it would be meaningless!"

"But you don't fall in love at first sight. You have to meet people and get to know them better. You won't fall in love unless you try. That much anyone should know," Ichigo said, unfazed of the depth of what he just said. He merely sipped from his wine glass and looked at her through the rim.

Orihime, being the idealist, was stopped by this statement. What she dreamt of about love was far from real, she knew that, but she just couldn't stand the fact that she was suddenly being arranged to someone for the rest of her life. But the thought of giving the guy a chance and actually falling in love with him later on…

Her eyes landed on his sculpted features again. It was by a trick of fate, or a granted wish, that the man she was supposedly betrothed to was the man of her imagination. The man she always compared all men to. The man who always had a place in her heart.

"This is impossible," she said, massaging her temples unconsciously.

"Impossible?" Ichigo asked. "Why? You can't stand my idea of love?"

"Oh no!" Orihime said, waving her hands comically. "I was just talking to myself, that's all!"

Ichigo chuckled. "You are strange. You're the first heiress I met who talks to herself in front of other people, let alone her date."

Orihime frowned. "Well, I apologize if I didn't meet your expectations.

An orange eyebrow rose once again. "Who said you didn't?" was all he said before proceeding to eat, leaving a stunned Orihime.

The rest of the night was quite motivating for a first date. Ichigo had made a lasting impression on Orihime. He was witty and humorous, despite the constant state of sourness his face was in. His normal expression would crack once in a while to show her bits and pieces of emotion, and it was a good sign. He talked about his family and their business. Orihime was shocked to find out that they were well-known. She just missed their surname because she was so entwined in her own little world.

The Kurosakis were indeed a wealthy family, the only one able to match the fortune of the Inoue family. They owned a medical empire consisted of multinational and local pharmaceutical companies, research and medical technology laboratories, Japan's most prestigious medical school, and a chain of hospitals around the country. It dawned on her the reason why her family would want to make a union out of the two sole heirs of their respective conglomerates. It was a financial and business match made in heaven.

What Orihime was most impressed about is that Ichigo was professional and modest in discussing the nature of his family's business. He wasn't the bragging type, and he was certainly a bit shy in admitting that he was a doctor himself and that he finished faster than anyone else. He also looked loving, which was strange but really heartwarming for someone who often wore that scowling expression, when he talked about his parents, especially his mother.

When it was her turn to talk about herself, she was muddled by the intent expression on his face. He was really listening and taking in everything that she said. He would make comments here and there, also complimenting her and the success of her family. Orihime found herself magnetized by those deep brown eyes as the minutes passed them by.

And this was a strange feeling for a person she just met.

But it felt as though she knew him for a much longer time.

It was already 10 in the evening when they both decided to go home.

"You want a ride home?" Ichigo asked as they both walked out of the restaurant. This was one of the things Orihime liked instantly about Ichigo. He was direct to the point, something that was a bit out of place for a person raised to be a proper rich kid in the society.

Orihime smiled up at him. "That won't be necessary. I'll have a friend pick me up."

Ichigo stared at her, his gaze unfathomable. "So, you think I'm just going to leave you here while you wait for your friend? You might as well come with me. I'll take you home."

Orihime's gaze flickered towards a dark blue limo that waited outside. An intimidating bald man stood waiting for his young master, accompanied by a pretty boy with dark blue hair that reached up to his chin.

"Don't worry about Ikkaku and Yumichika," he said, following her line of sight. "They might look suspicious, but they're the best people to be around with. Well, at times."

Orihime giggled at this and conceded, sending a brief text message towards Tatsuki informing her not to pick her up.

She smiled as she followed his retreating figure, heading towards the now open limousine doors.

"Good evening, bouchan," Ikkaku said, while Yumichika bowed. "Where to?"

"The Inoue estate," Ichigo said briefly.

"Yes sir," the two said, turning towards Orihime and bowing before closing the door behind Ichigo and Orihime.

The ride home was more silent than expected. They both sat at the opposite sides of the car, looking out the windows.

Orihime, despite getting a bit used to Ichigo, was still surprised by the whole ordeal. Having met someone who was just the figment of your imagination could take a person weeks to even fathom. She also had to deal with the fact that the two were the same in almost every way. The sudden meeting gave her unexpected feelings and she would be unsure of herself if her parents badgered her for a report on what happened. She was deathly sure that they would want to know what she thought of her almost fiancée. And of course, they would have to ask if she would even consider giving him a chance.

But, she knew that they wouldn't wheedle an answer from her yet. But they would be instantly suspicious. And knowing them, they would conclude that she was interested in Kurosaki Ichigo. She would have them saying 'We told you so' before she even told them anything.

Orihime was also relieved that the news of her accident seemed to be the only thing Ichigo did not know of. It would be far to embarrassing if he found out about that and he would be suspicious as to why she didn't even emerge with any scar from the occurrence.

When they finally arrived at her house, she was again blushing profusely when Ichigo stood up and opened the car door for her.

She prayed that he would not walk her to the door because she was certain that her parents would be waiting to bombard the two of them with uncomfortable questions. Much to her relief, he only stood by the car's door as she began walking up the stairs.

"Good night, Inoue," he said.

"Good night, Kurosaki-kun," she answered, bowing slightly before bolting up the stairs and into the door.

That's it for now minna. Hope you enjoyed it! =)