Disclaimer: Standard applied
Summary: Autumn last year I was rejected. My boyfriend fell in love with another girl. The man who rejected me is still my boyfriend even now, and the girl he loves is still my best friend. And even now they still love each other. AU.
Note:
Past/Thought
Present
-. This is an AU, so as expected from most AU, yes the character would be OOC. So don't bother to review about the OOCness-
Thanks for my BETA: LunarStar77
and reviewers:
Miwa03
bakanootoko
ayame0217
kikyoevil
shigeru
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Chapter 3 —Ichigo—
"Promises"
I threw my body into the bed. It had been a really tiring day many things had happened to me today. Suddenly I felt really, really tired as my back touched the bed. I frowned as I touched my chapped lips with my fingers. I could still feel it. I could still feel her soft lips on mine.
I closed my eyes.
That was wrong.
That was really wrong.
I shouldn't let her kiss me.
I slapped my face hard and groaned, she had just told me that she loved me, after all of this time, why now? Why must she tell me now, when all I had been only Orihime—and all Orihime had been me. I couldn't put Orihime's happiness on the stake. I just couldn't make Orihime sad. No matter how hard I had fallen in love with Rukia, I still had to protect Orihime. I had to protect her heart. I couldn't break her heart.
I didn't want to break her heart.
Rukia was a really strong girl and that was why I had my eyes on her. She had been always strong since the first time I met her, even until today she had been violent sometimes but that was why I …. Err… liked her.
Okay.
I had loved her for few years now.
I loved her but I didn't want to hurt Orihime. Not now, after all that had happened last year. I wouldn't hurt Orihime, not again.
Rukia was strong, but Orihime was delicate. Orihime had never cried in front of me but I knew I made her cry. Rukia wouldn't cry, I knew that and that was why I chose to stay with Orihime.
If Orihime was the rain, Rukia was the sun.
They were just that different.
I growled as I pressed my hands on my face. It made me crazy, all of this kind of business was just not my thing. I was never good with romance. I thought it gone back to normal after what had happened last year, but today, Rukia told me that she loved me. And kissed me…
It had been almost a year.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why did it have to be so complicated?
I loved Rukia but I couldn't leave Orihime, yet.
I knew I had to decide but I just couldn't. I had promised to protect Orihime and I would never break a promise.
I didn't know why I felt this way, I thought I was sure about my feeling. But after today, I didn't know anymore.
I had told Rukia once about what had I felt for her, I didn't know what had I thought at that time. Rukia rejected me of course, she had been thinking about Orihime. Now I could understand her reason to reject me, so why now of all times did she have to tell me that she loved me?
And kissed me…
"Shit!" I cursed loudly when my phone rang, surprising me when'd been so deep in hought. I glared at the phone before grabbing it and frowned when I saw Renji's name on the screen.
Somehow I felt panic when the name was still flashing on the screen. Why in the world would Renji called me? Did something happen to Orihime? Damn. I shouldn't have let him to take Orihime home.
"What's wrong?"
I could hear Renji sighed, "Yo, Ichigo!" I waited for him to continue, "It's about Orihime-chan."
I knew it!
I groaned, I sat up from my current position, "What's wrong with her?" my voice was stern, if something happened to her, I would kill that red headed baboon.
"Whoa, easy dude…" Renji gritted his teeth, "Actually Orihime-chan doesn't want me to tell you, but I was worried."
"Tell me."
The baboon let out another sighed, "I think you have to talk to Orihime-chan…"
I frowned, "Why?"
"I think Orihime-chan was a upset today." Renji added quickly, "Not that I want to sniff on your problem or what…" he snickered, "I don't really care about you actually. It is just about Orihime-chan…"
"What happen with Orihime?" I started to lose my patient, this man could be really frustrating sometime, Rukia was right, he wasn't a really smart person but still it annoyed me when he acted like this.
"Well, she was crying today, so…"
"She what?"
"You heard me, Strawberry!" Renji groaned, "She said it was because of her fever but you know, it doesn't look like that. Are you guys fighting or what?"
I stiffened, "No. Of course not."
Renji let out a sound like he didn't believe me, "Well, I don't care about your romance stuff, Berry-kun. Just told you this because I was worried about Orihime-chan."
I sighed, "Yea, thanks a lot."
I put the phone back onto the table next to my bed. I sat on the side of my bed, with my head hanged low. I had a terrible headache suddenly. I pressed my hands to my temples, what Renji had just told me played repeatedly like a broken record in my head.
She was crying.
Damn.
I made her cry again.
I closed my eyes and scowled, the image of Orihime crying in my head made me wanted to punch someone, maybe myself.
I stood up and grabbed the black jacket I put on the chair. I needed to see Orihime right now. I had to know what made her cry—and why didn't she said anything to me if it was me who made her cry. I knew it was late and Orihime might already be asleep but I had to see her now. I couldn't wait until tomorrow.
"Where are you going, Nii-chan?"
I turned around to see Karin standing behind me with her hands on her hips as I tied my shoe laces, "To Orihime's place."
"At this hour?"
Finished with my shoe laces I stood up, "Yeah," I waved my hand as I walked to the door without looking at my younger sister, "I'll be late…"
I walked out of my house and quickened my pace. Orihime lived with her cousin in the other part of the town. It wasn't really that far actually but I needed to be there soon, so I ran.
The night was surprisingly quite cold for a summer night. The breeze slapped my face as I ran. If what Renji told me was true, then there must be something wrong. Orihime wasn't as strong as Rukia but she almost never cried. To think that it was probably because of me it hurt me.
I had known Orihime for a really long time. More than ten years. And during those times, she had always smiled. Even when she cried, she would smile. I always adored those smiles, I had even promised myself that I would protect that smile. But lately, she hadn't smiled as much as before. Honestly, I missed her smile.
It had been almost a year since the last time I saw her smiled sincerely to me.
I was almost out of my breath when I finally arrived in front of her house. Ever since her brother passed away seven years ago, Orihime lived with her only relative around, Rangiku Matsumoto. I frowned, Rangiku knew about me and Orihime, and she had nothing against our relationship. But yet, I was not sure how would she react if she saw me coming to visit her cousin at this hour. Rangiku could be really—I mean REALLY—extreme sometime.
I pressed the button on the intercom, I wait for half minutes before I heard Orihime's soft voice. It made me relieved, at least she sounded fine.
"Yes?"
"It's me." I swallowed, "Would you let me in."
I could hear a gasp before then she answered, "Uh, oh… Okay… Wait."
There was something. I could hear her voice faltered when she knew it was me. I licked my dried lips. I didn't know why but suddenly I felt really nervous. What if she actually did not want to see me at the moment?
"Ichigo…"
I smiled at the auburn haired girl when she walked out the house and opened the front door for me. She looked pretty with only a pair of short jeans and white cotton t-shirt. She held up her hair in a high pony tail. She smiled back to me faintly, I could see her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying.
"C'mon in," Still smiling she let me enter her house. I followed her into the house.
"Where's Rangiku?"
"Rangiku-san had a date with Gin-san." She closed the door behind me, "She said she'll be late…"
I frowned, I knew what kind of woman Rangiku was, "That means she won't be home tonight."
Orihime smiled, "Or she'll be really late."
I sat on the white coach in the living room, "And you're waiting for her?"
Orihime shook her head as she walked to the kitchen, "What do you want to drink?" I shouted that anything would be fine before she answered my question, "She said I didn't have to wait for her…" She said from the kitchen, "but I just couldn't sleep."
I didn't say anything. Orihime acted like nothing had happened. She forced another smile. I knew that she did that to not make me worry, if only she knew how wrong she was. The way she acted just made me more worried.
"And, may I ask what brings you here?" Orihime came back from the kitchen with two glasses of orange juices in her hands, "It's already late, isn't it…"
I mouthed a thank you as I took the glass from her, "I wanted to see you."
Orihime sighed, looked at me with her beautiful grey eyes and she sat next to me, "I'm fine."
I gulped my orange. Avoid looking into her eyes.
"What did Renji-kun tell you?"
I scowled, she always could read everything.
"You were crying."
That wasn't a question. She knew that and she didn't answer it.
"Why did you cry?"
It was obviously a question but she still didn't answer why she cried.
I exhaled deeply. I put the glass on the table in front of me and looked at her sitting next to me. This time, it was her who avoided my eyes. My frown went deeper when I realized she was chewing her lower lip again. I didn't like that habit of hers. She often hurt her lip by doing that.
"Why do you care?"
She still didn't want to look at me. She hid her face under her bang now.
"You're my girlfriend, Hime…" I didn't like this kind of conversation, she always made it harder for me.
"True." She said, "But you don't love me."
I hissed, "Hime…. You know that I care about you…" I put my hands on her shoulder, I fought the urge to shake her body to make her looked at me, "I just don't want to make you sad…"
She didn't answer.
I knew she was biting her lip again.
"I don't know."
I narrowed my eyes, "What?"
"I don't know you anymore Ichigo…"
That was my line. I am the one who doesn't know you anymore, Hime…
"Hime…"
"You love Rukia."
I froz when she mentioned her. A flashback of the kiss played in my head. Suddenly I remembered the kiss. Shit. I had almost forgotten about it. About the kiss she gave me today. When finally Orihime raised her head to look at me I couldn't say anything.
"Still, no matter what, I am your boyfriend. That's a fact and nothing will change that."
I couldn't believe what had I said.
"Don't make promises Ichigo…" She shook her head with a kind of expression like she could cry anytime soon, "Especially the one that you can't keep…"
I didn't say anything.
I just pulled her body to me in a comforting hug, "I already promise you, I won't break your heart..." I frowned when I felt her body's heat. She had a fever.
I couldn't see her face, but I knew for some reason, she was smiling, "You know, Ichigo, sometime you're just too good for your own good…"
I smiled even though she couldn't see me, "I hope that won't hurt you."
She did not say anything, she just hugged me back tightly.
"Don't leave me."
She said weakly, still hugging me.
I knew she was right, I shouldn't make promises I couldn't keep.
But I couldn't help it.
"I promise, Hime.." I muttered, "I promise…I won't"
------------------chapter 3—Ichigo— "promises" : end-------------------
-author's note-
I am really sorry for my Beta-san that i have to make her Beta this chapter through her week ends lol.
But to be honest, this will be the last chapter fro this month. Next week I have to go to Bali for a photoshoot and I'll be really busy . i hope you don't mind waiting :D
thanks alot for all reviewer...
and hey, this is an IchiHime fic, believe me.
R.
