"Tatsuki, could you stop looking at the phone and help me choose a gift?" A dark haired man asks looking at some hairpins. The hairpins reminded him of the first gift that he offered to his sister.
She was very sad in that day. In fact, that day was the day when everything started. The day when she was no longer a human, the day when she became a vampire. Secretly, he would have wanted that day never to have happened, but that was a silly wish.
She does not know much about vampire history. He tried to hide as much information as he could. But one day he will have to tell her all the truth, especially that fact that he was her brother.
Orihime was different from the start, way different than the other humans. Perhaps it was to be expected given that his mother had an affair with a human man. An adventure that cost her even her life when she was born Orihime.
He was there when his mother died. He was there, even if his soul ached awfully. He asked her to quit her adventure many times, to go back to the kingdom to take it over again. But she always answered him smiling, smiling that this is what she wanted, that she is happy that she can make her own decisions for the first time.
He did not understand the meaning of her words at the time. It felt like a justification to her infidelity. Royal vampires have no freedom since birth to do what they wanted, unlike the regular vampires. Her desire and her behavior were a denial of her own existence, and her death was more than justifiable.
It took him a long time to accept her last wish, namely to watch Orihime in her absence, but he did it, even if it pained him terrible. At that moment it was the first time he even noticed the humans, their emotions and nature.
The man she chose to be her partner in the human world was normal, too banal for a creature like her. He took care of the little Orihime until his last breath. The day the man and the Orihime have lost their lives was tragic.
The unfortunate event happened in front of a factory, during a walk. The explosion was so strong that all people in a 200m radius were affected. When Sora arrived it was too late. He was shocked to see that the only spirit in that area was Orihime.
The other spirits and even the vampires turned out to be absorbed by her. When he tried to touch her, he felt how a huge amount of his energy was absorbed. What was happening was something new, something that never happened in vampire history until that day.
He was not sure how to react, if he had acted wrong he risked losing his life. He did not want to draw attention to the event, so he responded according to his instincts. Among the broken windows of a store in the incident area, he found a pair of blue hibiscus-shaped clips.
Even though he could not be considered an expert in human beings, he noticed that gifts were a symbol what were making people to smile, smile being a sign that denotes happiness. He hoped that this gesture would calm her down without forcing him to destroy his promise to his mother and kill Orihime.
So he approached her again. The energy that Orihime emanated was no longer a spirit, nor a vampire. If he did not react quickly, the effects could have been even more disastrous than her death, resulting in even the death of the whole city.
As the distance between them diminished, he could feel that his skin begin to burn. He began to feel human pain for the first time. Because he was the king, he had to make a pact with the world in what kingdom was, which it gave him unlimited energy without the need to absorb the vital energy of the people, as long as he was in the kingdom. In the human world he was as vulnerable as any other vampire.
He was impressed by human suffering, by how much pain a child can store. He abandoned his resentments and he embraced her intensely. After a while, she calmed down. He felt relieved and he even smiled at her and he even complimented her when he put the clips on her hair.
What has happened is still in the fog because he has fallen due the fact that his energy has almost disappeared. Well, what is the most important is that since that day he started appreciating Orihime, and now she was like his little princess.
"It has already been 3 days in the human world and I have not even received a phone call or a message from her. I can not escape the feeling that something has happened to her. So ... I will not leave my phone even if my life depends on it, you understand? Tsh ... Are you sure phone coverage in the kingdom is good?" Sora could not help but laugh. Tatsuki was even sympathetic when she worried so hard about Orihime. "What's so funny?" She wonders annoyed by seeing his behavior.
"Do not you think it funny that we, the ones who despised humans, have come to be so attached to a former human being?" The brunette eyes grew for a few seconds, leaving the phone screen.
His statement even surprised her. It's not like she was not used to Sora would make her think about some aspects or ideas ... but that... It made her smirk. She did not like admitting he was right, but Orihime is a very important person for her, too.
She hit his shoulder, making him focus his attention on her.
"I thought you called me to help you pick Orihime's gift, not to talk. Damn, Sora. I bet this is the reason why you didn't find a wife yet." She sights. She knew too well that the Sora had many pretensions. She knew that he was the king, and that she was just a royal guard vampire. But still ... She liked to force his limits.
After her reply, it did not take long to kiss her. He knew too that their relationship was impossible, but he could not just stand listening to her disappointment. It was not easy for her to accept a long-distance relationship, nor to be ok with the fact that there were so many vampire women around him.
The kiss did not take too long, because they could not risk being seen by other vampires. Despite this, she had a triumphant smile.
"Huh ... You really like to complicate my existence." He says could not keep his smile.
Perhaps their relationship was dangerous, but they still had a couple of days together till she returns to the human world.
"Kurosaki-kun, I'm ok. Put me down. I can go alone to sleep at home." Orihime asks him. She was feeling really strange in his company. It wasn't a bad feeling, but she would feel much better in her room, alone, where she can control her heart's beats.
"Who did say something about your home?" He asks looking for the key for the interphone.
The shock resulting from his words as well as at the sight of his building let her speechless until he put her in his bed.
"Kya... I'm really sorry, but I'm not ready for this Kurosaki-kun." She's trying to apologize while she's wanting to jump out of bed. He read her gestures, putting his hand on her abdomen to immobilize her.
"Tsh... I'm will not do anything to you. I brought you here to make sure you were sleeping and that you will not run back to the hospital, or that you will not faint on the road. Do you understand?" She nods, making him to remove his hand from her. "Good. Now I'm going to make something for us to eat. Try to sleep until I'm ready." She nods again being too ashamed to speak.
She should not have thought he wanted to do it with her. He's looking so good that he has a girlfriend for sure. 'Little blue man, why am I such a stupid woman? I shouldn't act so silly especially when he did so much for me... Mmm... I'm the biggest foolish in the world.' While her little blue man monologue did not have a response, she heard a curse outside the room.
She thought it might be better to ignore the sound, but she heard it again in a short while.
"Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?" She asks running in his direction. She froze in the moment when she saw him with a knife in his hand and some blood on his index finger and the table. His palm was ok despite the amount of blood.
"Tsh... I'm not sure. I know that I'm healing fast, but this is damn wrong. Orihime, do you think is it possible for a human to heal instantly when he is hurt?" He asks worried. She bit her lower lip.
"Theoretically not. Maybe it just seemed to you." He sighs, as if he wanted a different answer.
"Then how could you explain this?" In the moment he asks he cut a little portion of skin from his index finger. In no more than 3 seconds he was completely healed. He sighs again seeing the troubled expression on her face. "Forget that I asked. It's just damn odd. This has not happened to me before. I would like to think this is just a dream... but it's just another strange thing of me." He lets the knife down and stops the cooker. He had no desire to cook anymore.
"Another strange thing ? What are the others ?" She shivers when she hears his wounded laugh.
"Sorry, but if you are looking for a way to fix me there is none. I'm just a guy who just knows how to beat and can not be killed." His voice was harsh, like he was blaming himself for something.
"So... In the day I found you, you were trying to kill yourself ?" She tries to keep her calm, even if inside her she was angry.
"Not exactly. That day I struggled with some very strong opponents. They were not strong enough to bring me to the condition you found me in normal conditions, but that day was different. I did not feel the desire to fight and I had to solve the problem. So I let them do what they want. I did not think I would be in such a bad state that I could not walk, but I'm grateful for your help. I would not stand to die by their hands." His monologue stopped when he felt his cheek was stinging him.
As far as he knew there were no bugs in his apartment since he bought it so what could it be? Seeing the angry look on her face was more than a hint for the answer.
"You shouldn't speak in this way about yourself. I don't know what made you speak this way, but you should treat your life with more respect. I saw many people during my life what were asking just for another day to live, just for another day to see the risen. I'm sorry but I can not stay still to see a human giving up at his life. It's the saddest possible thing for me. If you are alive that means that you have something to protect, something to do. If you think there are none, then go and find them. Don't loose yourself, please, just don't..." Seeing her tears made him sad. He was not the kind of person to comfort but his arms instinctively wrapped around her body.
"Tsh... I never said I wanted to die. That day reminded me of the day when I failed to protect an important person. I have people I want to protect, but that day I just remembered how useless I was when I lost her. I did not mean to make you cry. I'm sorry." He feels weird to be so open to her. He did not tell anyone about that incident. It's kind of scary for him to feel so secure and so strong in her arms.
He knows her very little, but why does he feel so attracted to her? Why does he feel like his place is on her side? She moves away from him when she realizes she is in his arms. She misunderstood the whole situation, plus he's the one who console her. Could she be any worse?
"I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I'm sorry that I made you remember something painful to you. I feel like I have been an inconvenient to you since you met me." She's trying to get away from him as though she was a kind of a poison. And maybe she was... After all, his body changed its healing process because of her and who knows what else did she did because of her wish to save humans... Even if she saved him it feels like she only hurt him more. Maybe that was why the rule 'to not share your spiritual energy with a human' was created. Now she messed it all, probably at the point of nothing can be done to repair it.
"If you would be an inconvenient you wouldn't be here. I'm not the type of person what likes to associate with problematic people. Tsh... I don't like to do anything what I consider to be a pain in the ass." He scratches the back of his neck. He's not good at explaining things, but he wants her to understand that she's not a burden to him. Well, he would not have exaggerated to say he likes her to be part of his life.
He moved his look on her when he felt that the atmosphere wasn't as odd as before. He could see her blushing and smiling. Damn, she was beautiful. The little moment didn't last too much because a woman enter in his apartment.
"Ichigooooooooo... It's been so long since I did not see you. " The woman was really amaizing. She managed to remove her shoes and to reach the kitchen, embracing him in less than two seconds, without taking down any obstacles on the way. Orihime was jealous of her talent to move so fast. If she had been in her place, she would have probably broken everything that would have stood in her way.
"Yes, yes, Nel. I understand. Now, get off of me! How many times did I tell you to call me when you want to visit me ?" Nel did as she was told to, she removed herself of Ichigo.
"Is seems that somebody is more grumpy than always, aren't you ? I didn't give you a call because I was somewhere around and I wanted to surprise you, if you still remember what a surprise is. Uh... We know each other for so long and I caught you with even 3 girls in the same time. What else could you do to surprise me so much that I need to give a phone call ? Or... do you have something hidden here that isn't suppose to?" Nel looked around the room to see if something was changed, but it just looked like regular. "Could it be that you are cooking something good for me ?" He was looking at Nel perplex. He had a new woman in his apartment and all Nell was seeing was food ?!
"No. Why would I ? By the way, it's rude even for you to ignore Orihime when you are looking right at her." Nel eyes grow bigger at his nervous remark after what Nel starts to laugh.
"Haha... Good joke, Ichigo. For a moment I really trusted you. Um... What's with that look on your face ? You wanted me to play along with your joke ? Okay, then. Hello, Orihime. It's nice to see you. I never expected Ichigo to present me an imaginary girl, but that means that he run out of hot girls or he's just drunk. Haha... Are you happy now ?" Nel asks amused, just to meet his shocked expression.
"Are you 100% serious when you are saying that you are not seeing her ?" His face was now white like he was seeing a ghost. Well, considering what Nel says he might see one... He looked at the place where Orihime was just to see it empty.
"Ichigo, were you really serious ? It's nothing there. Man, don't tell me that you are dating ghosts now." Nel wanted to make a joke, but it had the opposite effect on Ichigo who started to run to his bedroom. When he entered here he could see Orihime in his bed sleeping peacefully.
"Oh... So you really have a girl here. And she's more beautiful than the others. But still... I can not understand why she still has the clothes on. Don't tell me that you forgot how to do it. Ichigo ?" He was too confused to listen to his friend. If he didn't talk to Orihime in the kitchen all this time, with who did he talk ? or did he imagine it all?
What really happened : Orihime's vampire form has separated from her body, due to her body's fatigue. Ichigo didn't saw the difference because the both outfits are white and he was focused of her face, but what's more important is the fact that Ichigo saw her in her vampire form! (Reminder : Humans could not see vampires in their vampire form)
Now, Orihime's vampire form was in her apartment. She jumped from his balcony to hers when he was distracted. Now she needs to prepare herself to face him, because in no more than 2 hours she needs to get back to her body.
"Ichigo, you need to calm down and breath deep. After that tell me what the hell did you take to act like this... You worry me. Can you not stare at her palm ? It's really odd." Nel sighs couldn't understand what was so interesting at the woman in his bed. She was beautiful, indeed, but this shouldn't be enough to make him act like this.
"There is no blood on her palm or on the gown." His deduction made her only more troubled.
"Yeah, there is no blood on her. Good work, Sherlok. Why should it be ?"
"Because I touched her after I got cut with the knife. There is no way it wouldn't be a stain. " Nel's worries grow from 79% to 500000000000000000% in less than a minute.
"That's a very nice story. It explains the blood from the kitchen. Now that everything is clear let me help you go to sleep because you need some." Her words made him to go to the kitchen and to take the knife back in his hand. "Ichigo, I don't know if you got drunk or if you hurt your head too bad the other day when you fought with Dominik's men, but please, let the knife down. It's not save to cook in you situation." He didn't listen to her and cut a little of the skin of his index finger, again. After that it took more than 3 seconds and the cut was still there.
"Shit... It doesn't heal."
"Of course it does not heal, you idiot! I know you heal faster than most of the people, that's why some people call you invincible, but still... That's no reason for you to cut yourself all of sudden. You really make me worry. If you really don't feel good I can talk with a psychologist to see you. I know it passed 3 years since her death, but you should take better care of yourself. I was very worried when Dominik told me that his men hurt you really bad. But I was really happy that you are ok and now this... Would you feel better if I will stay with you for today ? I can take the day off if you want to..." Nel's proposing while bandaging his wounded finger.
"No, it's fine, I'm fine. It's no need for you to take your day off. I will take your advice and I will sleep for a while. I'm sorry for what I did. I had probably scared you." He starts to scratch the back of his neck like he always does, making her to feel better.
"You sure did. Next time don't try to cook when you're sleepy or have fun with the girls. If you are hungry and you need someone to cook for you, you need just to call me, ok?"
"Yeah, yeah. Why did you get through this area?" He finally asks making her to grin.
"Well, not too much. I wanted to visit my idiot friend to see if his still alive. Now that I convinced myself I'm done here. Don't miss me too much, Ichi." She says winking and taking her shoes.
"Tsh... I told you to not call me like that." His grumpy attitude was more than an insurance that he will be okay.
"I can not help it. After all you will be always Ichi for me. Stay alive till the next time."
"You too." After they said farewell, Ichigo remained the prisoner of his thoughts.
What did happen in his apartment? Was it all a hallucination? But then what is the explanation about the blood in the kitchen? And about the blood from his palm ? Has he even imagined the moment between him and Orihime? His answers were unsatisfactory, it was the best to wait for Orihime to wake up.
After 2 hours, with much attention, Orihime in her vampire shape sneaked back into the bedroom. Fortunately, Ichigo was not around, so she returned to normal form without any problems. Her body felt much better, now that the human body rested.
Now she feels like she's recharged. For a while she even forgot that she was not in her apartment, but she realized her situation when she found him in the kitchen drinking a huge cup of coffee.
"Morning' . I didn't expect you to wake so soon. Did you sleep well ?" Till now the conversation seems normal so she tried her best to not do something wrong.
"Yes. I did. I slept very well. Something's funny. I'm not sure when I went to sleep. The last thing that I remember is that I went to the bedroom to search for a bandage because you cut yourself, but then I remembered that I wasn't home and I started to laugh and that's all I can remember. How about your cut ? Did you find a bandage ?" She starts to say her prayers to her little blue man to lend her enough strength to survive this. He looked at her face for some seconds what for her seemed more like she was scanned of any suspicion. After what he turned back to his coffee.
"Yeah. I found one. A friend came and she bandaged me. She's not a doctor, but it's not a wound which could affect my life. You can use the bathroom before you eat." His reply without any sort of suspicion made her feel like she was in heaven. She wasn't good at lying nor to hide secrets, but she was glad that she managed to do it.
"Thank you. I will be back in a minute." She shivers a little when she realizes that she answered a little too happy. Well, he's probably thinking that she said that in that way because she's happy that he's okay. 'Yes, that should be.' She's thinking before she enters the bathroom.
'Tsh... She's so bad to lie that even Yuzu would realize.' He opens his bandage and he sees that his wound is healed again. 'Who or what are you Orihime?' He's thinking.
When she was back she was humming. It was a little late, but she could use at least some hours to help some patients. She didn't want to eat, but, she could at least do this for him. The food next to him seemed delicious, there was a big cake with pancake and a strange red liquid over them.
"The food looks delicious. Thank you." She praises him before she tastes it. After she finished tasting it her eyes began to shine. She has never eaten something so delicious. Usually, Tatsuki was the one who prepared the food and she always used the same recipes. When Orihime's alone she's always trying new recipes. One of them was pancakes, but they didn't taste as good as these. "The pancakes are the most delicious one that I have ever eaten. I often do not have the chance to taste new food, so I am extremely grateful. Even if I do not have much experience, I'm sure you're a great cook, Kurosaki-kun." Her comment makes him smirk for a little while. He didn't know why did she lied to him before, why does she want to hide from him, but despite all she was really innocent.
"Tsh... If you want to try new things, you should simply do them. I don't understand what would stop you." He makes her smile frail. It would be a little difficult to explain that because she's a vampire she doesn't need to eat so she does more than she need to.
"The red thing on the pancakes it's my favorite. How is it called ?" She tries to change the subject in the end. She already lied to him more than she would have desired.
"It's called strawberry jam. My mother made it. She says it reminds her of me. Pretty lame, isn't it ?" He smirks. He probably said a silly thing, but he didn't care. Yeah, it was a silly thing, but he was somehow proud of it.
"Wow... This is amazing. Your mother cares a lot about you. I was always curious to know what it means to have a mother, but I did not ask. I was happy to look at the distance how children interact with their mothers. Hehe... You're really lucky, Kurosaki-kun." Her words made him feel proud, but he also blamed himself for bringing his mother into discussion, making her to feel alone.
"What did happen to your mom ?" He asks even if he feels that it's a sensible subject. He wanted to know more about her.
"Mmm... Well... from what I heard she died when I was born. Her body was pretty fragile during pregnancy, but she chose to give birth to me. My dad never blamed me for her death, he supported me as much as he could and told me that I was special. Every time I smiled, he told me that I looked like her. Probably because of this I smile so often. Because I feel that's what binds us. Hehe... Perhaps it seems strange to you that I feel like I have a connection with a person who is no longer in this world." It took her a while to stop herself to speak. No one asked about her family, not even Tatsuki, but she feels good to have a person with whom to share her memories and thoughts.
"It's not strange at all. I have a similar feeling when I think about a person who was special to me, but she's not longer here. I'm sorry for your lost. It's good that you have your father to support you." When he talked about her father, her face was saddened, contrary to the way she responded when she spoke about her mother.
"He's no longer living too. He died when I was 7. I was with him when that happened, but I'm not remembering how did it happen at all. It's like a black hole." He didn't expect her to have no parents at all, she was so bright and caring that he could bet that she had a big happy familly.
"Tsh... I'm sorry that I mentioned him. I think it was hard for you. How did you live after his death? Did your relatives care about you?" His questions were making her happy even if they pained her a little. She couldn't tell him her real story, about the way Sora found her...
"I do not know my relatives. How long my father lived they never visited us. I think it was because of his relationship with mom. He was a man with a very good financial condition, but he fell in love with a singer. What I liked the most about my parents' story is that my dad told me that when he met my mother for the first time she was shining. She was so brilliant that she lit the entire room and she made him to instantly fall in love." She took a short break to remember the way her father told her stories of him and her mother. But Ichigo was thinking intensely about her parents' story. He had the same sensation when he first saw her when she saved his life. It was just for a moment, but he felt the same feeling. Even at this point he can understand the brilliance about what her father was talking, because she shines in his eyes. "The period after my father died is quite in the mist. The shock was so strong that I was unconscious for a week or at least that's what Sora told me. Sora was the man what found me that day. He decided to take care of me when he heard that I have no relatives anymore. Even though he was just a stranger, I felt like I was part of his family the minute I met him. Soon after, I met my best friend, Tatsuki, with whom I live together." The smile was again on her lips when she was talking about her dear friends." I do not know if my parents' death happened to meet Sora and Tatsuki, but I'm really happy that I met them. They are all for me." The expression on her face intensifies his desire to kiss her. In a short time he could not control himself, causing their lips to meet.
She was surprised, but her body responded involuntarily to his desire. She did not know why she could not reject him, why his touch was feeling so well. Her face was reddened when their lips broke apart.
"Damn... Is there anything to make me not like you anymore?" He asks hiding his face with his hand. He did not want to initiate physical contact so quickly, but it was like her body was calling him. He didn't know how to explain it... but he felt as though he were under a spell.