WOW! I'm like, only 20 reviews away from one hundred! But I doubt that I'll reach that many but that's cool, maybe some day...
Any who, Here goes the next chapter. I that you all enjoy.
Rest in peace
1 year later.
Orihime and Tatsuki stood at the grave, saying a prayer and lying down fresh flowers.
No tears were shed. After last year, Orihime became officially sick of crying.
She didn't let anyone pick on her anymore to the point of tears, not that anyone had the guys to after Tatsuki hung a girl off the roof for a full 12 hours and threatened to break the arms of anyone who tried to help. She actually did break the arm of the girl's friend.
No one tried to help after that.
Principle Urahara was oblivious to it all.
After that...incident, Orihime had a surprisingly easy year. Graduation was just around the corner, and she couldn't wait to finally be through with high school. She loved all of her friends but it seemed that her heart had been through too much and it was an enormous relief to be done with it all.
Besides, she'd been accepted to Tokyo University. She couldn't wait to get her degree in emotional psychology so that she could help other young girls, other kids who are having trouble dealing with life.
She couldn't wait to start helping people.
She stood, dusting the dirt off her pink and white flower print skirt. She adjusted her pastel pink cardigan, and tighten her ponytail.
"Hey guys. We thought that you might be here," Rangiku said, her arm wrapped around Gin's midsection.
A few months ago Gin had proposed to Rangiku. Surprisingly, she didn't like to show it off. The ring was quite impressive. A 10 karat gold band with a 14 karat traditional cut white diamond.
She didn't even wear the ring in her finger. Instead she wore it on a gold necklace he gave her on those very first anniversary of them being in a committed relationship. She said that while she wasn't quite ready to get married just yet. The fact that he worked so hard to get her the ring and the fact that he wanted to get married assured her that no matter where he went, and no matter how long he was gone, he would always come back to her.
Orihime had to smile at that.
"Hey Rangiku, Gin, what are you guys doing here?" she asked, a smile on her face as she stood to hug them.
"Why wouldn't we be here? We know what today means to you," Rangiku replied engulfing he in a huge bear hug.
"Thank you. That really means a lot."
"Orihime!" a pair of voices said in unison.
Yuzu and Karin both ran to Orihime and hugged her tightly.
"Yuzu! Karin! Hi, how are you?"
"Fine, but Karin has a few questions to ask you," Yuzu said with a bright smile, bumping shoulders with Karin.
Karin glared at her, Orihime only lifted a brow.
"Please don't tell me that the party started without us?!" Keigo exclaimed. Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Grimmjow were behind him.
"It's not a party you asshats, we're at a grave site," Renji muttered angrily. He had officially moved in with principle Urahara and Yoruichi. His parents had come back, after months of leaving him to fend for himself. He had decided that they weren't worth the effort and stayed where he knew he was being looked after.
"Oh! You guys are here as well." Orihime stated surprised. A smile fought it way on her face. It made her more beautiful than what she was already.
"Yeah, a few more people are on their way as well," Renji supplied. "You know, one last get together before graduation."
"It won't be the same without Ichigo though," Keigo said sadly, looking down.
"Dick face! Have some tack!" Ikkaku growled, looking at Orihime, punching Keigo in his arm.
"Ow! Geez! What?! It's not going to be the same without him! I really miss that Orange headed asshole! Hey! Quit hitting me!" he shouted.
"I never did get a chance to fight him. I heard that he was the best in Karakura," Grimmjow stated, producing a beer out of nowhere and popping the tab.
"Well…he was the second best," Tatsuki stated, wrapping an arm around Orihime to comfort her.
"Are you guys talking about Ichigo?" Chizuru, surprisingly calm and normal for once in her life, said walking up beside Chad. He made his way over to Tatsuki and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Man, although he'd stolen my princess from me, he did treat her very well."
"I MISS YOU SO MUCH ICHIGO!" Keigo wailed. "I WANT TO JOIN YOU BUDDY!" he cried out to the sky.
"Will you please shut up!" Ikkaku shouted, all of his patience lost.
"Yeah, show a little class! Poor Orihime must be having a terribly hard time dealing with this and you're going around making a fool of yourself and sounding like a completely inconsiderate retard." Rangiku admonished him.
"Yeah, we all miss my big brother, but your whining about it isn't going to bring him back," Karin grumbled.
"But I just miss him so much! I never thought that he would leave us at such a young age," Keigo cried.
"Will you stop your damn whining?! You're making it sound as if I'm dead," Ichigo grunted, coming up behind him, Ulquiorra, Uryu and Nemu with him.
"Ichigo!" Orihime exclaimed happily rushing to him. He collected her in a bear hug, a large smile on his face as he placed a kiss in her hair.
"How was your Internship in America? I thought that you would come after graduation?" she questioned, unable to keep the giddiness out of her voice.
"Yeah well, we decided that we didn't want to miss graduation. Besides, I missed you too much," he murmured, giving her a deep kiss, one that she could feel down to her toes.
They could hear all of their friends whooping and clapping loudly.
They broke apart and Orihime blushed all the way to her hairline.
"So Ichigo, did you bring us back anything from America?" Keigo asked excitedly. Ichigo rolled his eyes, smiling, but took off his bag and lying it on the ground.
Kneeling, he unzipped it and produced a mug that stated, "I love NY"
"Really? A mug? You go to America and the only thing you bring me back was a mug?" Keigo asks, astounded.
"It's either that or a key chain," Ichigo stated bluntly.
"Thank you very much sir." Keigo stated walking away.
Ichigo dug in his bag and produced three small boxes.
He tossed two of them to Yuzu and Karin. He looked around.
"Where's Hinamori?" he asked.
"She's in the hospital. Yeah, when decorating for the end of year dance, Rangiku accidently knocked her off the latter and she have a broken tail bone." Orihime supplied, smiling brightly. Ichigo quirked up an eyebrow but didn't say anything further on the subject.
"Well, I guess I'll just visit her in the hospital and give it to her then," he muttered. Yuzu and Karin both opened their boxes. It was a golden necklace with their names on it.
"Oh big brother, it's beautiful!" Yuzu exclaimed. Karin merely grunted.
"I would have preferred a hat, but thank you anyway big brother. I can give it to Torshiro and then it would be like stating that he's my property," Karin smirked.
"YOU WILL NOT!" Ichigo shouted, regretting that he'd given her a necklace. "I BOUGHT THAT FOR YOU NOT YOUR B-B-B…THAT WHITE HAIRED SHIT!" he shouted.
"Chill, you're wearing Orihime's necklace," she commented rolling her eyes.
It was true, the delicate gold necklace with Orihime's name hung around his neck, lying against the white cotton tee that he was wearing.
A vein popped out along his temple.
Orihime grabbed his, stroking the outside with her thumb. Like magic he was calmed down to an incoherent grumble.
He went back into his bag and brought out a shot glass set of 10 of the capitals of America. He tossed it to Rangiku.
"Oh Ichigo! You didn't have to get me anything!" she laughed happily, detangling herself from Gin to marvel at her present.
"Yeah well, also, congratulations on your engagement. I'm really happy for you two," he replied, digging into his bag again. This time, he pulled out a box of red and white Nikes which he tossed to Tatsuki.
"Wow, Ichigo, this is really cool of you, thanks" she caught the shoes, a humble smile on her face.
"She get shoes, and all I get is a damn mug?!" Keigo exclaims, whining once more.
"Can it Keigo, I was thinking about a but plug for the hole in your face because you kept calling me every single day!" Ichigo snarled.
"I was only concerned, you know, with what happened last year and all-"
"Keigo, seriously! I'm praying for an anyerisum right now! Between you and your annoying sister_"
"Hey, you're the one who decided to kiss her and make everything official!"
"How many times do I have to keep telling you?! I was drunk!" Ikkaku yelled.
"Whatever man, you weren't that drunk," Renji scoffed, folding his arms.
"Hey! I'm not the one sleeping with the teacher!" Renji went completely red like his hair, a flustered and angry expression on his face.
"I AM NOT SLEEPING WITH HER! I'M JUST CRASHING AT THEIR HOUSE AND IT WAS ONLY ONE WET DREAM!" he shouted.
"Yeah whatever man, at least now we know you're not gay," Grimmjow grunted.
Ignoring them, Ichigo reached into his bag and pulled out some sunglasses, handing them to Renji and Grimmjow. He gives a mirror to Yumichika, a t-shirt for Chad and Chizuro, a cap for Ikkaku, and a jacket for Ulquiorra.
"Man, I never knew Ichigo to be so generous," Rangiku stated, pursing her lips.
"Yeah, it's like, ever since he was shot by that big ass bullet he's become a different man," Renji laughed.
"Seriously, how was it someone as small as Rukia was able to handle a .44 Magnum, that's some serious fire power, she really wanted to kill you Orihime," Grimmjow stated, putting on his shades.
"Her brother believes in a gun collection and the .44 was her favorite," Ichigo stated, wrapping an arm around Orihime.
"Shit! How did you survive that?" Grimmjow questions.
"Jeez! Have a bit more sympathy!" Karin said disgusted. "My brother was hurt, really bad; the last thing he and Orihime probably want is to relive the event," she seethed.
"She's right," Uryu commented, locking hands with a very shy Nemu who left her father to go to America with Uryu. They had become an official couple after Uryu helped her get emancipated from her crazed father. "We're already at a cemetery, let's not stain the moment of Ichigo's rare generosity with talk of his accident."
"Speaking of generosity, where's our gifts from America from you!" Keigo accused Uryu.
"I wasn't expecting everyone to be here, so I had your gifts delivered to your homes," he stated simply, using his index finger to push his glasses up his face.
Keigo grumped but said nothing further.
Ichigo tightened his grip around Orihime as he remembered the intense therapy that he had undergone afther the bullet was removed from him.
"I didn't survive it," Ichigo said quietly, looking at the ground, his grip on Orihime's body becoming tighter and tighter. "I was legally dead for two minutes, before they jump started my heart." Everyone looked at him, completely silent as the fact that their friend, some of whom he had known for years, would have been gone from them forever.
This was a sobering thought. Especially for the burnt orange haired girl who had lost so much in life. If she were to have lost Ichigo, she was certain that she would have been forever broken beyond repair, unable to ever be whole again for a part of her would have been forever lost.
She reached up and grasped his arm, leaning back against him.
Ichigo was in a coma for a week after he was shot. It was the worst week of her life, never knowing if he would wake up, if he would remember who he was, if he would have irreparable brain damage.
But he woke up.
Orihime sat in the chair of the hospital room. For the past week it was as if that chair were a part of her. Seldom has she left it to sleep, eat, change her clothes or even use the bathroom.
Isshin and Tatsuki urged her to leave, to take a break. She knew that the bags under her eyes were monstrous. But she did not care; she couldn't find the will to care. The only thing that mattered was that he wakes up.
He needed to wake up.
No more little girls should ever have to grow up without an older brother, she thought of Karin and Yuzu. He meant the world to them and she simply couldn't bear it if she took that away.
No parent should ever have to bury their child.
No one should have to wallow through life with a chunk of their heart missing.
She reaches over to grasp his hand tightly, tears slipping out of her eyes. she's been crying so much, she doesn't even notices the difference between crying and not crying anymore.
She looks over at his closed eyes. His orange eye lashes gently dusts his face.
He looked so beautiful and peaceful as he slept. The silent rise and fall of his chest…if only he was only sleeping.
A painful ache swept through her chest. She closes her eyes tighter as a fresh bout of tears overwhelms her.
This man which she loves so much, whom she holds so dear to her heart…how could she have let this happened to him? What is wrong with her?
She must be underserving…she must be truly unworthy of anything good ever happening to her in her life.
She paused.
She couldn't be certain, because she was so deep down into her own self-hate and pity, but it almost felt as though…
There it was again! She could feel his hand moving, as if it was tightening around hers.
She looked up, her face stained red with tears, yet her eyes completely wide and alert. Hope began to dawn on her face as she looked at her hand, which was being weakly grasped.
"…Ichigo…" she whispered so softly that even she could barely hear.
He moaned incoherently, his eyes moving beneath the lids. His head began to move, shifting and rocking ever so slightly, as if he was fighting off a nightmare.
"…I-Ichigo…Ichigo?" she calls to him softly, scrambling out of the chair, still clutching his hand. She moves until she is standing directly above him. The tears roll off from her face and lands on his.
Slowly, his eyes crack open, they flutter as he takes in the brightness of the room. His chocolate brown orbs meets her grey ones.
"…Orihime…?"
Orihime has never in her life been so grateful than when Ichigo woke up. When they deemed that he would live.
She holds on tighter to his arm, grateful for the memory.
"Hey Ichigo, I didn't see you bring Orihime anything from America," Rangiku said, looking at the couple.
"Yeah, what gives with that? Did you find some new ass in America?" Keigo commented.
Ichigo detangled himself from Orihime and looked on the ground. He found a small rock, about the size of his palm, and threw it at Keigo, hitting him square in the face. The boy fell backwards, clutching his bloodied nose, whining loudly.
"Ew," Rangiku commented, using her leg to shove Keigo away from the rest of the group as if he was trash.
"Hey Red, high school isn't over yet, are you sure that you don't want to…" Grimmjow stopped his sentence as Gin was suddenly by his shoulder, his eyes narrowed to slits, an evil grin plastered on his face.
He gently touched Grimmjow's shoulder.
"Please…continue…" he stated slowly. Big droplets of sweat formed along his brow. He cleared his throat and said nothing more.
"For you information, I did bring Orihime something back," he stated.
He turned to Orihime. Just seeing her breath-taking smile was enough to fill his heart with joy and elation. "However, this present isn't from America."
He knelt down.
Orihime's eyes widened to saucers, she sharply inhaled her next breath and held it.
He reached into his pocket.
Her head began to swarm as her heart beat raced faster and faster. She couldn't take her eyes off the orange haired boy, she bit down on her lip as tears welled in the corner of her eyes.
He produced a tiny black box.
She heard all of her friends gasp, tiny sounds of noise could faintly be heard. She couldn't distinguish who was who's. she didn't care.
He opened the box, and a beautiful, princess cut diamond lied inside.
"I wanted to do this in front of you brother," he said, looking over at Sora's grave then brought his eyes back to hers. "This belonged to my mother…she was the sun that our family would revolve around. And now…ever since I met you, you've become the center of my universe. I already died for you once and I would do it a million times over again. Please, Orihime…will you marry me?"
Everyone held their breaths as they awaited her answer.
"…No…"
They all gasped shock. A horrified look crossed Ichigo's face.
"I'm just kidding, YES! Of course I'll marry you!" she dived into Ichigo, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
His own heart was beating furiously in his chest. For a moment when he thought that she had said no, his world around him began to crumble. It was as if he had several heart attacks all at once.
But she said yes.
SHE SAID YES!
He was, officially, the happiest man on earth!
He wrapped his arms tightly around her smaller, plush frame.
Faintly, they could hear their friends clap and cheer.
"KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS," they chanted as they clapped. No doubt this chant was started by Rangiku. Well, you didn't need to tell Ichigo twice.
He pulled back from her, looking her into her beautiful grey eyes, which were overcome with tears of happiness. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his.
It was as if he swan in a river of gasoline and walked into a burning house. Every single nerve in his entire body was lit.
His hand felt for her long, silken tresses, coiling it about his hand as he pulled her hair, forcing her head backwards, for deeper access so that his tongue was able to thoroughly explore her mouth.
They broke apart, the catcalls, and whistles from their friends filled the air with noise.
Orihime blushed, looking into Ichigo's devilish eyes.
They stand up, and he pulls her into his warm embrace, as if he's unwilling to ever let her leave.
This man…this man was someone who she is going to spend the rest of her life with.
She had been through a lot of hell to reach this heaven.
And she couldn't wait.
Now be honest, did any of you really think that he was dead? Come on, Dame, dame (which i think is tell me in spanish)
Well, what do you think? I really want to know. I only have two chapters left. One is an epilogue the other is a special treat for sticking with me so long. Phew!