Disclaimer: Hello everyone! this story is heavily inspired by the manga "Hapi Mari?!" so it's an AU. When reading it I thought the characters looked so much like Orihime and Ichigo so here you go. We need more Ichihime stories goddammit!
*I don't own Bleach nor Hapi Mari.
*Orihime's character is going to be like when she faced Ginjo, confident, and strong. As for Ichigo... it will depend, but I won't say much ;)
* Italics are for Orihime's inner thoughts.
*If you see any mistakes, keep in mind that English isn't my mother tongue.
*Enjoy the chapter! :)
She eyed a desk, paper, and a pencil. In 10 seconds, her fate would be sealed one way or the other. She choked down the rising bile and consciously flexed her hand, feeling at last, the pain of her nails digging into her palm.
"Please sign your name and put your seal here, Miss Inoue."
Wedding Contract
Name: Ichigo Kurosaki
Place and Date of Birth: 15 July 1991, Karakura Town
The serious voice of the major punctured the near silence and she almost bit her tongue in two. She lifted her hand, oblivious to the heavy air, and rested her fingers on the pen, feeling the shaking of her hand.
Alright...
The girl leaned and started to write.
Name: Orihime Inoue
Place and Date of Birth: 03 September 1996, Karakura Town
Her breathing was rapid and shallow as cold sweat glistened on her furrowed brow. With hands clasped tightly around the pen, she started shaking uncontrollably as she felt her pulse pounding in her temples.
Just add your seal and you're finished…
She thought she might pin her other wet hand right against the desk to look casual, but to her surprise, a high-pitched cry of anxiety leaped out of her mouth.
"Ahhh!" she dropped the pen, holding her head in panic. "I can't do it! After all, this can't be possible!"
It all began yesterday. Orihime Inoue liked to think she was a normal office lady, until one point…
A day earlier
"How did it go with that man yesterday, Rangiku?" a brown-haired girl asked while eating her noodles.
"Eh? It was no good!" the blond woman frowned. "He went home in the middle of it. Can you believe it, Momo?!" she sighed.
"As expected from Gin, huh?" Momo shook her head. "What do you think about it, Orihime?"
"You shouldn't be disappointed with his reaction. You go to the same night club every weekend, right?" Orihime chewed on her strawberry flavored shrimps, "Men who come to that nightclub are not very good I suppose…" the orange-haired girl answered.
Both girls looked at their friend and co-worker with a vein pumping on their foreheads.
"Is it that bad not to have boyfriends?" Orihime continued, "Men are just a pain in the butt. You don't have to go through all that trouble to-"
"Hold on," Rangiku interrupted, frowning at Orihime's words.
"Do you have any right to say that to us?" the blond woman stood in the company's cafeteria, pulling on her co-worker's cheek, "I wouldn't mind if that's a line coming from your bitter experience from dating a horrible guy, but you've never had a boyfriend for almost 22 years of your life!"
"Ow, that hurts Rangiku-san!" Orihime cried out loud, drawing the attention of the other co-workers in the cafeteria.
"I can't believe it, Orihime. Why are you so dried up?" Momo jested, sighting at her friend.
"I-I'm not like that yet!" The orange-haired woman spluttered, rubbing her reddened cheek.
"If there's someone taller than me, kind, wholehearted and can take care of himself, I'd fall in love with him at any moment…" she mumbled, playing with her chopsticks.
"That kind of man runs out the fastest, Orihime! You're so naïve!" Rangiku deadpanned while Orihime looked back at her plate, losing appetite.
"But really. It's fine even if he's not a handsome man. A supernormal guy is fine," she insisted. "If a handsome guy is single, you'll end up thinking that there must be something wrong with him…" the auburn-haired woman scratched her head, smiling at her friends.
A boyfriend? To be honest, I don't even have the time to think about getting one… she frowned at the thought.
"Well if you say that, what do you think about our company president? Doesn't he make you want to change your values?"
"Our company president?" the orange-haired girl puzzled. "What kind of man is he again?" she tried to recall how he looked, but nothing came to her mind.
"Eh?! You don't know?!" Momo exclaimed, stretching her eyes.
"I was asleep during the welcoming ceremony, I've never seen him since I started working here…" Orihime admitted while taking a sip of her tea.
"He's such a handsome guy too…" Rangiku daydreamed. "I have a photo of him in my phone," she grabbed her phone out of her purse and tapped on it.
"Let me see!" Orihime approached from her, trying to take a look at her phone screen.
Rangiku stuck the phone to her chest, hiding the screen as she frowned at her friend.
"It'll be boring if you change your values. I won't show you this photo," the blond woman teased her friend trying to pique at her curiosity.
"W-what?" Orihime grumbled, "Fine then..." she sighed, picking up her lunch. "I'm going back to work," she hurried, leaving her co-workers behind.
I have a proper reason, why I have no hope in men… and that reason is…
"Welcome!" Orihime cheered, raising her hand to salute a customer.
"Are you Orihime Inoue? What an interesting name. You do look like a princess…" the customer smiled back at her, noticing the blush on her cheeks.
"You look wonderful tonight…" he started to eat her with his eyes, making Orihime feel uncomfortable.
The young woman looked down at her pink gown. It was a knees length made of soft, satiny fabric that fitted tightly about her body. She felt her face turning red, thinking about why she accepted this second job.
Her older brother Sora escaped with her when she was still a toddler because of her parents' violent behavior towards her. She had an amazing childhood thanks to Sora, who raised her with their deceased Grandmother, Tia Harribel.
Sora quit his studies and opened a business on his own but it failed miserably. To pay his debts, she accepted to work part-time as a hostess because she rejected her brother's request of selling their Grandmother's house. She couldn't bear to part with the garden her grandma loved so much. Her hostess job made her lose more hope in men, but it's not like she had a choice.
Think about your brother Orihime, you can do this!
"Let's get inside, mister!" she tapped on the man's shoulder, focusing on the present moment.
How can I get a boyfriend in this kind of environment, idiot!
Chatters and laugher filled the reception room as many hostesses entertained men who all seemed to be wealthy businessmen.
"So, what drink do you want sir?" Orihime put on her fake smile, the one she showed mechanically when working at the club.
"Orihime-chan! A customer's calling for you!" a co-hostess called for her.
Orihime turned around, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"He's a very high-class customer so you'd better hurry. I'll take care of this customer for you," her co-hostess Yoruichi whispered in her ear, "He's waiting for you in the VIP corner,"
Orihime hurried at their location, wondering how someone asked for her since she never worked in any club before as a hostess.
"I'm sorry to keep you w-waiting…"
Orihime's eyes stretched wide when they landed on the sitting figure on the luxurious red sofa.
Waw, he's so out of place here… did he get to the wrong place?
Orihime kept gazing at the man, observing him. He had orange messy hair hanging on his forehead. She had never seen such a hair color before. His jaw was sharp, and he had the most mahogany eyes she had ever seen in her life. Such a handsome man…
He was wearing a black designer suit, the first button of his white blouse opened up. His tie was slightly loose and he frowned at her, his eyes reeking of danger. She couldn't help herself from turning red when he spoke to her with a deep and velvety voice.
"Are you Orihime Inoue?"
Orihime nodded and sat next to him, trying to keep her composure. "Would you like some diluted whiskey, sir?"
"Sure," he replied, taking a glance at the woman with long auburn hair. "I came here today because there's something I want to tell you." Trailing his eyes down, he realized she didn't only have a beautiful face but she seemed attractive seeing her cleavage and body.
"Hmm, what is it?" Orihime blushed, moving slightly on the edge of the sofa to take some distance. His rough voice made her stomach swirl and she blushed again.
"Quit this job right now and go back to the way your life used to be," the man ordered as he moved extremely close to her face. "This job you're doing is meaningless."
What is it with this customer…?
Orihime stood to prepare his drink and she noticed her hands were shaking when she added ice cubes in his glass.
She tried to hide her concern and smiled, "Come on, what are you sudden-"
"I'm saying that you shouldn't continue selling your body to pay off your debts like this," he insisted, interrupting her.
"Oh, I'm not working to pay off any debts…" she laughed nervously.
"If I were to put down a hundred million here right now, you wouldn't say that, would you?" he dared her, interrupting her again. "You wouldn't have that much pride if you're doing a job like this."
Orihime opened her eyes wide, stunned at the customer's nerve. Anger boiled up in her system feeling it flowing through her veins. She clenched her hand around the glass of whiskey, feeling her wrath eating her insides. She turned around with a flushed red face and threw the liquid on the man's face.
"Hold on, Inoue-san! What are you doing?" The club manager, Shunsui Kyoraku exclaimed, stunned with what he just witnessed. "I'm extremely sorry, dear customer!" he bowed down to the man as his face turned red. They couldn't afford to lose a customer like him.
"W-Why?" Orihime caterwauled, addressing to the orange-haired customer. "Why are you saying that even though you know nothing about me?" she complained, narrowing her eyes. "I'm working here because I have my own reasons! You have no right to make fun of me!"
She was panting, feeling her heart pounding against her chest. The whole club turned silent, only a small murmur was filling the air.
"You don't have a single thing that's important to you or you want to protect, do you?" she fumed, frowning at him. "That's why you make fun of others!"
She was looking at the man who was frowning back at her. His face and clothes dripping from the drink she threw on him. "You're the one who has no pride! Don't ever come back here!"
The man stood and scowled her before growling. "I got it. I'm leaving and I won't ever come back here again," he brushed some strands of wet hair falling down his face and headed to the exit door.
"I'm terribly sorry! I'm extremely sorry!" Kyoraku bowed down a second time, fidgeting before the man before summoning Orihime to his office.
Ah! Damn it, I can't believe that I got fired from the club! Why does this have to happen to me? I've got to find a new place to work part-time…
The auburn-haired girl was still pissed as she was typing, or more hitting on her keyboard like she wanted to break every single key.
Jeez! I absolutely won't forgive that customer!
She thought working at the company might help her forget the incident of the night before, but she couldn't get his disrespectful words out of her mind.
"Inoue-san?"
She turned around, the voice of her manager Kaname Tosen getting her out of her thoughts.
"What have you done? You just got called to the president's office!"
She looked back at her manager, perplexed by what he just told her. She followed him towards the President's office, her mind clouded with concerned thoughts.
Why? Did they found out I have a side job? That's not a good enough reason to call me up there… well, now I'll get to see the rumored President for the first time…
Her manager knocked and opened the door, "I brought Orihime Inoue sir,"
"Thank you. You can leave now Tosen," a rough voice answered.
Orihime's eyes stretched wide and frowned.
This voice…he's the man from yesterday!
"Thank you for the great diluted whiskey yesterday, Inoue-san."
The orange haired-man stood in his large office, an oval desk separating him from her. He wore a classy black suit and he had a black-tie above a white shirt. His clothes fitted him perfectly and showed his muscle curves. He smirked at her, crossing his arms as he watched her facial expression and body movements.
As soon as her manager left, Orihime closed the door in a hurry and froze against it, feeling herself turning white from shock.
"W-Why are you here?" she yelled, pointing her finger at the man as she blushed furiously.
"I'm here because I'm the president of course," he looked at her, amused by her reaction.
"Heh? You're the president?" she repeated his sentence with wide eyes.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I can't believe you don't know the face of your own company's president," he crossed his arms, annoyed by her statement.
This isn't real… this can't be real. I threw diluted whiskey on his face…?
She pressed her hand against her chest, feeling her heart beating hard against the palm of her hand, "Does this mean I'm going to be fired?" she asked him, her voice shaking in panic.
"Fired? No, not that," Ichigo reassured as he noticed how her face turned pale.
"Ohh!" exclaimed a second voice in the office.
"As I thought, you look a lot like Harribel-sama when she was young!" An elder man exclaimed happily, hugging her tightly. Orihime had been expecting the croak of old age but his voice was more like a sergeant major, strong and distinctly upper class.
"What's with this old man?" Orihime blushed deeply, looking at the president to save her from the old man's embrace.
"Please, wait on the side, Chairman…"
Chairman?… Chairman?!
"Come, let's talk my daughter…" the old man held the woman's hand, dragging her to the living room situated in the office. He was surprisingly agile for his age.
Orihime followed him, feeling embarrassed. She sat and watched Ichigo Kurosaki taking a seat beside her, making her blush more. The old man was facing both of them, smiling at them.
His face was lined by large scars on the left side of his chin that went down to his neck and across his right eye. Despite his aged appearance, he was stocky, muscular, and tall. The old man's thick, groomed mustache was silver-white and his wide forehead had numerous lines. He wore a dark grey suit, sitting comfortably on the couch and drinking his tea.
"I'd like to repay your grandmother's favor," the old man spoke.
"You what?" Orihime blinked at the older man's proposal.
"That's right. I was a descendant of a servant who used to work in Harribel-sama's house, a former noble family," he explained. "During the difficult period after the second war, she was very nice to me and took care of me," he took a sip of his tea. "It was also thanks to her that I was able to found this company,"
"For a period, I didn't know my own place, and I harbored a longing for her…" the old man admitted.
Orihime felt her eyes stretch wider at the old man's words. Why did she never hear of this story before?
"And now, her grand-daughter is having such misfortunes … If only I had realized it sooner…"
"Please don't say that sir," Orihime bit on her lip, looking at her lap.
He knows about my situation…
"You reap what you sow so…" she glanced at the company's president, trying to detect any hint of where this conversation was heading to, but he kept his face serious.
"Therefore…" the old man cleared his voice, "I have a proposal. Why don't I help you pay your debts? If that can help repay my debt to her." He smiled at the young woman.
"No way!" Orihime objected.
"I'm not finished!" the old man interrupted her with a strong voice. "However, I have one condition."
He finished his tea and cleared his voice, smiling at both of them, "I would like you to marry my grandson, Ichigo."
In that instant, Orihime felt her heart missing a beat. Her mouth hung with lips slightly parted and her eyes were as wide as they could stretch.
"M-mar…" she mumbled, her brain desperately scrambling to make sense of it all.
"Please, don't worry Chairman! I mean... Grandfather Barragan," Ichigo reassured the old man. "I will build a wonderful family with Inoue-san!" he wrapped his arm around the woman, bringing her to his side.
"Therefore, please drawback from the commercial affairs of our company and leave the future of the corporation in my hands!" the orange-haired man smiled, trying to convince his grandfather.
At his touch, Orihime felt as if her body was paralyzed, feeling the blood draining from her face.
"Yes, and Miss Inoue will belong to our family…" the Barragan cheered, wiping discreetly a small tear from his eye.
Going back to the starting point…
"This can't be happening after all! It's irrational!" Orihime stood and slammed her hand on the table before the Major and Ichigo.
"With the wage of a part-time job like that, you can't even pay the interest alone for an eight-digit debt, even if you devote all of your life to it," Ichigo remarked. "Are you still against this marriage?"
"That's not the matter here!" Orihime blushed deeply and looked away, "A m-marriage… has to be with someone I love after all!"
Ichigo looked at the woman who seemed honest in her answer, but he had other plans in mind.
"Then why don't you just fall in love with me?" he didn't move from his seat as he watched the woman become redder.
Is this man stupid or what?
"That's not it!" she objected as her eyes narrowed at the man before her in anger.
"Irrational, huh? Indeed," Ichigo roared with a deep voice, "For that old man to view a cheeky and stingy woman like you and my position as the company president as having the same value…" he stood and eyed the woman with hard and cold eyes, "Is very irrational, yes. I also think that way."
Was he threatened by the Chairman?
Orihime almost toppled as she took a large step backward, feeling scared by the look on the President's face.
"Yesterday, you said that I don't have anything important," Ichigo continued, softening his frown. "But I do have things that I can't hand over to anyone else," he stared at the woman, crossing his arms. "For those things, I've decided to go along with this marriage."
"When I met you for the first time, last night I thought that since you're also like me, there are things you can't give away to anyone else," He paused. "I might team up with you as partners."
Partners…?
She deeply blushed as she listened to every word he said.
Ichigo turned his gaze away, facing the large window of the town hall, "Well, if you want to forever continue doing that job to pay off those debts you might never be able to pay off, then suit yourself, there's nothing else I can do."
Orihime looked down, thinking about her situation.
I see… If we team up, both of us will benefit a lot from it…
"Anyway…" Ichigo took the contract and headed to the exit door.
"I'll do it," Orihime blushed as she moved closer to Ichigo, "I'll marry… you," she mumbled, looking away, too embarrassed to show her red face.
"I'm glad that you're sensible," Ichigo softly smiled to Orihime, "I hope we'll get along in the future," he smirked at her, amused by her fidgeting.
But if I just have to enter my name into his family register… if that makes a lot of people happy… if it's just the family register… I can do this.
"Why do we have to live together?" Orihime cried, carrying her suitcase towards Ichigo's apartment.
She lifted her head, gazing at the neighborhood. It was composed of many luxurious large and high buildings with smoked glass and steel.
"It can't be helped. That old man Barragan is going to keep a close watch on us," Ichigo sighed, following the auburn-haired girl.
"I mean, I thought I only have to enter my name into your family register so I-," Orihime sniffled, waiting for Ichigo to open the door.
"It's not like I'm going to eat you alive!" he groaned, taking the keys out of his jacket pocket, "Come on in, "
There was the noise of a key in the lock and then the door swung open. Orihime raised her brows in surprise, her breathing suspended.
The apartment looked like a cut out from an architecture magazine. It was beautiful. Everything was geometric. The windows took up entire walls with only polished steel beams to break them into yet more rectangles. The look would have been entirely metallic like a mini downtown skyscraper had it not been for the cedar beams of the external porch and the matching raised plant beds that contained only white blooms.
The floors were polished concrete and the furniture Scandinavian, high-end designers only. The only compromise to comfort was the filth on the floor. It was so messy with clothes everywhere that it was hard to believe anyone could live in it.
Ichigo removed his shades and entered his house without removing his shoes, tossing his jacket on a sofa.
"There's one empty room, you can stay there for now."
Orihime cast her eyes down to the shoes she was removing as staring into the apartment gave her hot flashes. Frozen to the spot, she took a large step backward, her back hitting the door.
It's so dirty! It's such a high-class apartment, and he's wearing such a dashing suit, yet there's not even a place to stand in this room! I don't like men who can't take care of themselves!
Later that day
"Phew! It feels so good when things are neat and tidy!" Orihime wiped the sweat from her forehead and took off her apron after spending hours cleaning the whole apartment. "I gave it a major cleaning without thinking!"
Ichigo returned from the company, his eyes flew open as he was shocked by seeing the new looks of his apartment. As it was cleaned, it felt lighter and brighter, becoming a place that invites deep breaths and for the thoughts to slow as if one had just awoken.
"Oh, I can see the floor!" he exclaimed, gazing around the place. "Hmm… It's starting to feel like the house of a newlywed couple," he softly smiled, turning his gaze to the auburn-haired woman.
Orihime's cheeks suddenly turned kissed pink like a spring rose, a blooming color against her freckled skin. She looked away finding a distraction. "A-Are you hungry? Your meeting finished very late…"
"I already ate outside, just find something to eat for yourself," he took off his jacket. "To be honest, I'm so busy that I don't have time to clean up, so thank you."
"W-What's this feeling? To have a guy thank me…this is the first time a man has thanked me…"
"Why don't you have a bath first?" Ichigo asked the woman, getting her out of her thoughts, "I'll take a little nap."
The bathroom had an earthy feel. The walls were large format tiles of white honed travertine and the floor was made of dull brown tiles. The vanities were of dark wood and the counters were brilliant white quartz. There was a large bath with a white-gold faucet that could have paid her brother's debt. Her eyes fell from one solid white-gold fixture to the next, relaxing into the hot water.
"I'm glad that the bathroom is clean, it's unnecessarily large though…" she sank more in the water, making bubbles against the water with her mouth.
I can't believe all the things that happened to me in just one day. I got married when I still didn't really get it… what does it mean to be married…? I thought that it's something I'd do someday with the one I love but…
She stood against the tub, wrapping a towel around her body as she moved near her clothes. She didn't want a stranger to see her wrapped in a towel, she'd rather wear her clothes in the bathroom…
"Oh…." Orihime grimaced in annoyance.
I forgot to bring my panties with me…damn now I have to return to my room like this…
"No way! Why do I have to forget it at a time like this?" she grabbed her towel tight, glancing out of the bathroom's door to see if Ichigo was awake.
"Thank goodness, he seems to be sleeping…" Stealthily, she tiptoed across the living room, heading to her room situated on the other side. Hearing him snoring softly, she continued her way confidently.
Orihime rushed forward, eyes on the bedroom's door ahead. She was close to her room yet her expression turned in one of shock and horror. Her left foot caught on Ichigo's jacket, making her fall on all fours on the ground.
Hearing a grown and a slam on the floor, Ichigo woke up abruptly, facing the woman's naked buttocks.
He saw me! I want to die!
Orihime was mortified, frozen to the spot. She couldn't believe it had happened. The draught on her face and butt made it impossible to breathe, she felt like she'd suffocate from embarrassment.
Sitting on the couch where he took his nap, Ichigo's eyes stretched and his mouth hung with lips slightly parted from seeing the woman in that position.
Hearing him moving, Orihime covered herself in a hurry as she felt the blood drain from her face.
"If you want to seduce me, try to be sexier," Ichigo exasperated as he passed his hand through his hair, sighing.
"Huh?" Orihime turned around and faced the man. Her blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute, she thought her face was on fire.
"I guess it doesn't hurt to try it out once," Ichigo continued. His eyes stared, not unblinking but slowed. His lips gave away his intention, not quite smiling but tilting as if they mean to.
"T-try out what?" she answered hesitantly.
What is he talking about…?
Ichigo knelt to face the auburn-haired woman, getting dangerously too close to her. "We're going to be each only partner from now on after all."
Orihime clasped her fingers against her towel, feeling drops of sweat appearing on her face. Her heartbeat grew faster as his scent invaded her space, making it harder for her to focus.
"What…? I don't get what you mean…?"
"I'm the one who doesn't understand what you mean," Ichigo replied with a deep voice. He titled Orihime's head up with his finger, making her look deep in his eyes.
"Don't tell me you plan to cheat on me out in the open with my old man keeping a close watch on us?" he frowned and stretched his eyes.
Unblinking, Orihime clasped on her towel tighter, taking some steps back as she was still on the ground.
No! I can't! I mean…
"Now that we've gotten married, I'm the only man for you. You don't have to put on an air of importance," he growled, slowly opening the buttons of his shirt.
In an instant, she connected her hand with his cheek and the living room went silent. The slap echoed in the room and stung his face. It had been an open-handed smack and it had left a red welt behind.
Ichigo staggered backward, clutching his face, "Ow, what are you…?" but he couldn't finish his sentence when he noticed Orihime's watery eyes and red face.
The next day
"What's wrong, Orihime? You look rather pale today," Rangiku wondered, concerned about her friend.
"You went home early yesterday. Was it just because you weren't feeling well?" Momo added.
"I'm fine," Orihime sighed and looked down at the file she was holding.
"But your usual happy aura is absent today…" Rangiku insisted.
"Last night, I had some problems with a man…" Orihime frowned and bite on her lip.
Silence followed her declaration until her coworkers burst into high pitched laughers.
"A-A man? That must have been tough!" the blond woman paused to catch her breath.
"Let us know if there's anything we can help with, ok?" Momo held her stomach as she kept laughing more.
They think I'm lying or joking…
"I have to go, I have a lot of work girls…" Orihime mumbled, saddened by her co-workers' reaction.
"Ah, come to think of it, I saw the president just now…" Rangiku started to daydream about him.
I had some trouble with that president…but they wouldn't believe me even if I said so…
Back to her desk, Orihime eyed the pile of files she still had to work on. Turning her computer on, she heard her boss calling for her.
"Inoue-san! Did you make a mistake with the president yesterday? You got called to his office, again!" Tosen remarked, crossing his arms in annoyance.
Here it comes…
She frowned.
I've had enough! Of course, he'd demand an explanation from me…
She headed to the president's office and knocked on his door. "Excuse me…"
The auburn-haired woman breathed deeply, trying to calm herself.
It'll be all right, I'll say it in one breath, calm down…
"Come on in," a now-familiar deep voice answered.
Before looking at his face, say it in one go!
"I'm sorry that I left just a divorce registration paper behind and went away without saying anything! But I'm serious, I can't do this after all!" Orihime lifted her eyes up, looking at the president when the door swung open. When she met his intense gaze, she felt her heart skip a beat as it started to beat faster against her ribcage.
"I can't live with someone I don't love! Moreover, you told me something like-"
"Never mind that," he interrupted, hanging her panties right before her face. "You forgot them. They fell on the floor."
She grabbed them in a hurry and pressed them against her chest, her face turning red. She turned around, facing the closed door of Ichigo's office to hide her embarrassment.
"This thing that you left in my apartment this morning… I'm going to submit it to the public office today," he showed her the envelope she left on the kitchen table with the divorce papers. "I'm going to quit working here soon, so we probably won't see each other anymore."
Orihime's eyes opened wide as she blushed furiously all over again. Turning back to face him, she felt her heart beating out of her chest as she met his intense gaze. She clutched at her white shirt, feeling its thumping against her hands. What was this feeling?
"It was indeed a stupid marriage, but I was serious in my own way," Ichigo continued, his eyes never leaving hers. "The words I said to you last night can be said right back to me."
"No matter what kind of woman you are, and no matter if I can love you or not in the future after we've signed this contract, I will respect your values, I was prepared to do that much,"
She noticed his stare softened as he spoke with a gentle and reassuring voice. Her blush renewed, observing how extremely appealing he was.
"Well, if you don't have the same level of resolution then it can't be helped. You can go back to work now."
The auburn-haired girl looked down, still facing her future ex-husband. She felt sadness seeping into her. But while her body seemed to grow colder and her mind seemed to fill with a leaden feeling, she focused so her face remained stubbornly dry.
If I had tried to bear with it, would something have happened from there? Even though that marriage ended after just one night, it did have a novel feeling to it…
"Sora, I'm home!" Orihime pushed the entrance door.
It feels weird to be back…
"Are you home?" She called again, taking off her shoes as she stepped into their grandmother's house. "I'm sorry the marriage didn't work out, so…"
Orihime stopped her tracks, looking at men wearing black costumes bringing a pile of boxes inside, stacked in a corner.
"Welcome home Orihime! As you surely noticed, I'm starting a new business again," Sora was drinking his tea, smiling at her, "These very nice people said they'll finance me if I agree to sell what's in their boxes!" he continued, blowing at his hot cup.
"Are those gangsters?" Orihime's eyes stretched in shock.
"Don't worry! It'll go well this time," he rubbed the back of his head, smiling softly to his little sister.
"They're gangsters! What are you doing borrowing money from them? Why do you never learn?" For the first time, Orihime yelled at her brother, angry at him for his poor decisions.
"Little Miss…Can I speak with you?" a serious voice spoke.
A man who seemed to be the gang leader was resting against the wooden pillar with a face of utter nonchalance as if he were merely waiting for a bus on a spring day, apple in hand. He wasn't slumped, his body being too muscular for that, yet he was just as relaxed as his face. He was almost smiling as if something good were about to happen.
Feeling him getting closer to her, the world fell through her feet.
Orihime turned around, clutching her hands against her chest, "This house and land will all be collateral?" Orihime frowned at the man.
"Why are you asking me? I've already negotiated it with your brother, just in case," The gang leader crossed his arms and scowled from behind his glasses.
Sora… why is he doing something so thoughtless….?
"U-um.. for that collateral… can't we choose something else?" Orihime pondered, fearing her brother might lose their grandmother's house too. "You can take anything else! Please just leave us this land…"
"Why do I always have to fall into this kind of situation?" Orihime clenched her fists, biting on her lip in anxiety.
"No, that'd put us in trouble. What else can we get from this place?" The gang leader gazed around the house, trying to find a valuable object before resting his eyes on the auburn-haired woman.
"Maybe you can be a prostitute for us?" he smirked, getting closer to her face as she looked down, frozen on her spot.
Orihime stumbled backward, her back hitting a wall.
I've had enough! My brother, this gang leader, and … men are all the same… I hate them!
"What are you going to do? We're not a charitable organization. There's no way we'd lend you money with nothing in return!" the gang leader yelled at Orihime, making her look down at her feet, her face turning red.
"Sex industry… Me? Grandma, you'd be so ashamed…" she closed her eyes, her heart throbbing in pain.
"Oh… the door's open. How careless…" a deep voice noted.
Orihime opened her eyes wide.
Kurosaki Ichigo…!
Ichigo ignored the men's presence in the house and stood before Orihime.
"What do you want with me?" Orihime mumbled looking at Ichigo's chest as she couldn't face him.
"You missed an entry in the divorce registration paper…" he gave her the envelope, "Thanks to that, I couldn't go to the public office!" he hardened his voice, frowning at her.
"Huh?" a drop of sweat rolled down her temple as she blinked in confusion.
"Who's that?" Ichigo turned to face the gang leader who was listening to their conversation.
"Don't mind him…" Orihime blushed and looked down, opening the envelope, "He's starting a new business with my brother…"
"A business? Even though you still have debts...?" Ichigo scowled at the man, sliding his hands in his long jacket pockets.
"Ah… I forgot to fill out this part, right?" Orihime gazed at the document, her vision getting blurry with tears. "So…"
Orihime's eyes shifted to the side again and became glazed with a glossy layer of tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids on the document and slid down her cheeks. She bit her lip tightly in an attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth.
Ichigo stared at the woman as he felt his heart sank to his legs. He softened his frown, listening to her.
"Why did you have to come right now?" Her lower lip quivered as words slowly made their way out of her mouth, "You must be thinking that I'm stupid, right? You're thinking that this wouldn't be happening if I had to bear with it at that time! But I-"
"Do you want me to save you?" Ichigo spoke with a husky voice, as his eyes lowered.
Orihime flinched and deeply blushed as more tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.
"Do you want me to save you?" Ichigo repeated, gazing intensively at her.
"Save me…" Orihime sobbed. The tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. She just stood against the wall as still as a statue while the magnitude of her sadness swept over her.
"All right," Ichigo ripped the divorce papers before her eyes, making her gasp in shock. "From now on and at times like these, you'll have to add hubby to the end of your sentences," Ichigo smirked at her, teasing her playfully.
"What am I getting all captivated for?" Orihime hurried on with a hot blush.
In the end, I got saved by him. I'm a bit grateful for my own clumsiness for missing out on an entry in the divorce registration documents….
"Anyway, that man who has no brain is my brother in law? How sad…" Ichigo frowned at the driver's seat of his red Lamborghini Gallardo. "It's a good thing that you don't have to be labeled as a divorced woman, huh?" Ichigo softly smiled, teasing her.
"What?! That goes for you too!" Orihime remarked, crossing her arms, "That doesn't hurt my reputation at all… but thanks..." she gazed at him and softly smiled. "Having to sell my body when I still don't know the taste of a man is just…"
In an instant, Ichigo pulled his car to the side, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead in shock.
"Hey, what are you doing all of a sudden? That's so dangerous!" Orihime cried, frowning at him.
The orange haired-man stayed silent, trying to recover his composure. He exhaled and gazed back at the woman. "You're a virgin…?"
Ah! I was careless…
Orihime felt her face turning hot and tried to cover her blush with slender fingers.
"Ah…" she laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "Somehow, I let go of my chance to experience it…" she looked down at her lap, "Well, it won't be a problem, right? We're just partners, after all…"
For now, our married life will continue like this….
Arriving at Ichigo's apartment, Orihime turned on the light only to notice he messed up with place again with clothes thrown all over the floor. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, while Ichigo took off his jacket, softly humming while throwing it on the living room's sofa.
The room I remember cleaning yesterday had already gone back to being a pigsty. He must have been lying when he said that he just doesn't have the time to clean up…
A vein pumped on her temple, thinking about how tired she was after cleaning up the first time…
A/N:
*Thanks to my Beta Naomi-stories (she's also a writer herself so check out her work :) )
*I still don't know if I'll leave it as a one-shot or if I'll keep writing it so leave a review if you liked it...
*Ichigo is older than Orihime in this fiction (he's 5 years older), there's a reason to that ;)
PS: If anyone knows the name of the artist who designed the picture I used for the fiction, can you please tell me? I've found it on Pinterest without any name... thanks!