(You are going to read this every time there is an update. My stories were deleted, deliberately. When I finally realized my stories were missing and after undeleting them, they were not exactly as they were. But you only need to know this, for those of you who have added this story and all my other stories as either as a favorite or to follow, you need to un-do and then re-do the actions again; that is if you want to. It is just something for me to speculate.)

(意欲)

"Hime." Kurosaki Ichigo started to greet the beautiful auburn-haired woman in a simple dress with a pattern of radiant red flowers with bright blue centres and grassy green leaves. But Ishida Uryuu felt the need to apologize and explain to what he has been 'persuaded' to do.

And so he cut in on the person who has used him to arrange a meeting with the former idol of their school.

"Inoue-san, I am truly sorry for all the false pretenses of wanting to catch up with you for old time's sake." He apologized again before glaring at Ichigo. "As you can see now, it was all his idea."

"False pretenses? Doesn't Ishida-kun want to see me again?" A seemingly hurt Inoue Orihime asked Ishida in a shaking, soft voice. Her big, soft honey brown eyes gazed wonderingly at him.

Ishida made a sound to clear his throat and his embarrassment. Who would not want to catch up with someone like her? But he has to be mindful of what he was going to say due to the scowling orange-haired non-admittance of what he really feel for the presumably mother of one.

He slid his glasses up his nose. "Of course I want to see you again, Inoue-san. But I was hoping for it to be under more pleasant circumstances rather than under the impatient eyes of a growling gnome." He made known his wish to want to see an old friend again and insulted the other friend at the same time.

"Oi! Who are you calling a gnome?!"

Orihime giggled. "Yes, Ishida-kun, why did you describe Kurosaki-kun as a gnome? He looks nothing like a gnome, even a garden gnome." The daydreaming princess giggled in delight as she imagined Ichigo short, with thick, bushy facial hair covering almost his entire face and wearing an extremely bright pointy hat. Still giggling, she took a glance at him to bring up a picture of a gnomish Ichigo only to find him staring intensely at her, her giggling stopped and in that instance, an unwanted, unwilling thought came to mind,

'How would her baby... their baby look with such golden brown eyes?'

Ichigo wondered what was with the sad look that took over from the jubilant, giggling woman that was only just behaving as he remembered when they were carefree teenagers. She actually looked like she did not mind his company till she... took one look at him. And the giggling stopped.

It was always him.

It was always about him.

He made her miserable.

He made her life filled with not smiles but sorrow.

"Hime," He started to say but the princess chose to ignore him, instead she addressed the one she still considered as her friend. Besides, she was tired of reminding him to stop calling her 'Hime'.

Did he still not get it?

She was already someone else's princess.

One whom she knew really, truly love her.

"Ishida-kun, since we are on the same mind of wanting to catch up with each other over what has been going on in our lives," She smiled serenely at him, "Do you want to sit down before I start to ramble?" Orihime pointed to an unoccupied log-liked bench and proceeded to walk towards it.

A callous, tanned hand reached out and halted her movement by lightly grabbing her elbow.

"Hime." Ichigo's deep, frustrated voice tugged a little at her healed heart. "How long are you going to continue to ignore me, when I am just standing right in front of you." He wondered what must he do for her not to reject his whole existence.

"Hime?"

"Inoue-san?" Ishida ventured to ask as well when the princess stood as still as a statue.

Orihime made sure her face was devoid of any emotions before she turned to address the heartless father of her firstborn.

Her beautiful angel.

"Whatever gave you that petty idea, Kurosaki-kun?" She gave him a fake smile which was so obviously out of place on such a genuine, expressive face.

Ichigo dropped his hand and shoved both his clutched fists into his pockets. He hated the false smile on his princess' face. It just rubbed him the wrong way. He bit back the retort that the sarcastic question was begging for. He rubbed at his face instead.

"Fine, there's no ignoring of me on your part. I was mistaken." Ichigo saw the surprised reactions on the two faces in front of him due to his unusual lack of an expected ripping riposte. At least it wiped away the sickening smile.

"So, can we talk?" He directed his questIon to a still surprised princess.

Orihime stared innocently back at Ichigo with barely concealed amusement. "But, isn't that what you are doing now?" She asked frivolously.

Ichigo scowled at Orihime. He restrained himself from grabbing the slender shoulders and shaking her till she returned to the sweet, thoughtful girl he remembered.

"Ishida, do you mind leaving us? Orihime and I need to continue with our 'talk' in private." Ichigo requested of his roommate as his hard chocolate eyes never left the auburn-haired beauty who has started to finger her bag.

In that instant, Orihime's soft honey eyes which have only been defiantly looking back at Ichigo suddenly turned a shade darker and it was her turn to grab onto Ishida before he agree to Ichigo's politely-veiled demand.

Ishida glanced worryingly at the pale hand gripping his wrist.

'What is she afraid of?'

His blue eyes wandered to the woman who has a deathly clasp on his wrist.

"Inoue-san?"

"No, Ishida-kun. You do not have to go." Orihime softly pleaded with Ishida before she stole a quick glance at Ichigo.

He looked so fiercely determined.

Determined for what reason?

Ishida looked first at Ichigo before his eyes once again returned back to the nervous princess.

"Inoue-san, I should go. You and Kurosaki have some unfinished personal business to settle among yourselves."

"No!" Orihime suddenly shouted. Hastily, she covered her mouth with her free hand. The two startled males stared at the flustered wide-eyed woman in shock.

Orihime looked anxiously back at the two males who were having contrasting expressions on their handsome faces. Slowly, she removed her hand from her mouth. She took in a deep breath to steady herself. "I mean," She fixed her firm gaze on a scowling Ichigo and a concern Ishida.

"I mean, there is no longer anything personal between Kurosaki-kun and I. We do not need to talk in private. Please don't go, Ishida-kun." Again she pleaded with her fellow sewing club member.

"Inoue-san," Ishida started to say, but this time he was rudely interrupted by the scowling orange-haired roommate of his.

"Just stay, Ishida. But do try to keep any of your fucking overly smartass comments to yourself." Ichigo advised Ishida. He looked at the fair hand still gripping onto someone else's wrist.

His eyes met hers.

"Happy, now?"

Instead of answering him, Orihime chose to look at Ishida and she said gratefully, "Thank you, Ishida-kun."

Ishida nodded and hoped in his heart he was not going to get himself be tangled up in some messy unresolved love situation.

"And Hime, don't blame me if Ishida learn of any of your deep dark secrets."

"I know deep in my heart that I have done nothing that I am ashamed of, then and now. So, why should I be afraid? Are you afraid, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime smiled sweetly at him.

Ichigo just scowled back at her.

"Fine. Do you want to sit down first before we 'talk' and..." He glared jealousy at the small hand still clinging onto Ishida's wrist. "I am sure Ishida do not mind and I am sure he is not going to bolt the minute your hand release his wrist. So, you mind letting go of his wrist."

"If what you are saying is true and Ishida-kun does not mind. Why should I let go?"

Ichigo really hated this new attitude of Orihime. He scowled and glared at her. Both expressions he has never done once to her when they were still...

What were they actually?

He glared more fiercely at her.

She smiled back at him, innocently.

Hard brown eyes were trying to force the soft brown eyes to surrender.

To surrender to his will...

As before.

As always.

But time has changed and besides, they were not alone. She will not be so easily to be 'persuaded'.

And the battle of the brown-colored orbs continued till Ishida decided to intervene. He felt like a child caught in a custody battle between a possessive idiot of a father and a gentle mother who has suddenly gotten for herself a titanium backbone.

"Inoue-san, it is better for you to remove your hand from my wrist." Ishida pushed up his glasses and gave her a small sheepish smile. "My hand is getting a little numb."

Orihime gasped in surprise. She removed her hand quickly. "Sorry, Ishida-kun. I guess I do not know my own strength." She bowed apologetically at him.

"It is perfectly all right, Inoue-san. No harm done."

Ichigo was losing his damn patience. He was also tired of Orihime being so friendly with every other men except him. He wanted to pull out his orange spiky hair in sheer frustration. She was driving him crazy and he has not even began to seek some answers from her.

"Alright! Enough with the fucking pleasantries!" He shouted impatiently. He looked at his princess. "You must have an inkling as to why I ask Ishida to call you out. I want answers and I want them now."

"So... ask. No-one is stopping you." Orihime answered in a challenging tone.

"Is Fresa my daughter?" He asked her head-on and he ignored the mildest of shock expressed on Ishida's normally stoic face.

"No."

"Is she Cifer's?"

"Yes."

"Is she your daughter?"

"It is of no concern of yours."

"Are you married to him?"

"Again, it does not concern you."

"Then what is your relationship with the blue-haired bastard or Byakuya?"

"That's Jaegerjaquez-san to you. And I do not know how many times I have to say it but it is really none of your business to anything regarding about me."

Ichigo frowned furiously. Why should it not concern him? Why was it not any of his business? He cares for her. She was his...

What was she to him anyway?

The wrinkles between his eyebrows furrowed even more as he thought as to what the auburn-haired beauty standing in front of him really mean to him. The beautiful woman who was now looking back at him with bemused curiosity in her twinkling brown eyes.

"People will talk."

"Talk about what?" Orihime asked quietly and tilted her head slightly as her thick, glossy hair swayed with the movement. She tucked a few stray behind her ear and gazed innocently at him with her doe-liked eyes.

Ichigo felt his temper rising at this angelic act. "You know what! You and all those men! A mother of one..." Ichigo stopped with his loud accusation. He remembered just what he was dying to know.

"Did you have our child?" He asked pointedly.

Orihime went back to ignoring him. She turned to Ishida. "You must have realized the reason as to why I left school without graduating." She said sadly.

Ishida looked at her solemnly. "Actually, I sort of figure it out."

"Ishida-kun is always the smart one. Yes. I was with child when I left school. Do you know what Kurosaki-kun said to me, when I; the girl who loved him with all my heart told him I was carrying his child." Orihime was asking Ishida the question but she turned her bitter gaze to Ichigo.

"He actually believed that the child was not his and he told me to get rid of my baby. Can you believe it, he accused me of sleeping around like a whore and he was even willing to pay for an abortion. That was how he thought of me." Orihime glared almost hatefully at Ichigo.

"How about you, Ishida-kun? Would you have asked the girl who has given you everything to go for an abortion when you were told you were going to be a father?" Orhime asked almost hopefully.

Ishida adjusted his spectacles to give him more time to consider as to how he was going to answer a mother such a sensitive question. "Inoue-san, you are not going to like what I am going to say." He began tactfully as bright, brown eyes wavered with nervous anticipation at him.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted an arching of an orange brow. Ishida did not like he was going to be on Ichigo's side. "Inoue-san, abortion is always an option." He almost regretted the harsh opinion that he has always supported when the hurtful choice caused the honey brown eyes to tear up.

"So... maybe I was wrong..." Orihime said softly, sadly, almost to herself. She hugged herself. Her thin arms trying to give her the warm comfort she craved so desperately. She wished she was in someone's comforting strong arms. She wished it was...

"Hime."

"Inoue-san,"

"NO!" Orihime screamed out. She wiped at the few stubborn tears that dared to escape from her eyes. She looked at Ishida. "You are wrong Ishida-kun. Getting rid of my baby was never an option. It was a choice I was never going to make. I might have suffered during the journey... but I have never once regretted letting her come into this complicated world of ours." She told him in a soft firm voice.

Ichigo let the most important word wiped out all others from his mind.

'Her.'

"So, it really is a girl." He hesitated to ask the bristling auburn-haired mother. He could not suppress the corners of mouth from lifting up.

He has a daughter.

A little princess.

He wondered if she looks like her beautiful mother.

"Who does she look like?" He ventured to ask bravely of the princess who has her arms crossed in front of her and who was not looking so kindly at him.

"Obviously, not you." Orihime phrased her answer to deliberately sting him.

And it did hurt.

His heart clenched bitterly at the said observation.

"Oh." He kept his voice low. He did not want to let the pain showed, but he was sure his eyes were not doing a good job of disguising the disappointment. "And her name?" He really was a glutton for pain.

Orihime looked at him straight in the eye and the name caused his heart to flutter in hope.

"Masaki."

"Really?" Ichigo could not stop the bubble of happiness from radiating in his voice, from his face, from his whole body.

And Orihime burst it with the cruel words that was spoken spitefully.

"Of course not. Do you really think I was going to name my baby after the woman who gave birth to the one who wanted her life to be snuff out even before she could see the world? Do you think my love for you transcend what you did to me, Kurosaki-kun? For your information, my love for you died the day I left."

"That's right. You left me. You left with our child. Who knows what will happen if only you have stayed? We could have worked something out." Ichigo desperately wanted to let Orihime he has regretted the heartless, thoughtless words that was spoken when he first learned he was going to be a father.

Every damn day since she left him.

And for his honesty, he was rewarded with a slap to the cheek.

Just how many times was she going to strike him on his face since their fated reunion.

"What the fuck did I say now?!"

"You... You do not get to accuse me of anything! You do not have the right to blame me for leaving! You... You forced me to leave." More uncontrollable tears flowed down her heated cheeks.

"You forced me to leave when I finally realized what I really meant to you."

"What are you talking about now?!" Ichigo was confused. He never wanted her to leave.

"Before I plan on leaving our small town, I went to see you. Foolish me. I thought maybe it was indeed a shock to you and perhaps after a few days of thinking it through, you would have seen it my way of having our child. 'We could work something out'. That was what I thought I was going to hear from you, but..."

"But I did not even know about you leaving. There was no call or a text message. You just left."

"What was the use of you knowing? You were too busy on a date. Yes, I saw you. I saw you with her just as your sister has told me. Stupid me. I did not want to believe. Your kind father must have seen the hurt on my face for he mentioned you had been really moody for the last couple of days and you must be moping about somewhere. And for a second, I thought I would find you at our secret place, till your sister mentioned her name." Orihime's eyes glazed over for a memory filled with hurt and sorrow. She continued softly as if talking to herself.

"I went to her place, waited and prayed that it was not to be true. Then... then I saw you and... her. She was grabbing onto your arm, laughing and saying about something. And you... you were smiling and paying real attention. I doubt you have ever listened to me so intently. And here I thought you were feeling anxious about what I have told you. But the reality was, you just did not care, about my baby or... me." Even now the truth was still unbearable, heartbreakingly difficult to believe.

"Orihime."

"I walked home. I did not run. I was pregnant, after all." She gave a self-mocking laugh.

"I did not want to see you kiss her goodnight. The minute I reached home... I am not ashamed to confess, I cried. I wept for my love for you and the realization that you have never love me." She looked at Ichigo coldly. "Isn't that true, Ichigo-kun? Not only did you never did love me. You... You were ashamed of me. Oh, how you must have depise me. You thinking that I have deliberately gotten myself pregnant with your child." And the tears continued to rain down her flushed cheeks.

Orihime wiped away her tears messily with the back of her pale hand. She bent her head to look for a handkerchief, a tissue, something, anything to wipe away her pain, but with her eye burning and her vision blurred; she could not find anything in her bag.

A white handkerchief appeared, she lifted her head, her small hand reached out to accept the thoughtful gesture, till she saw who was offering it. Orihime chewed her bottom lip nervously, should she accept anything from him?

The one who has caused her the tears.

Ichigo saw the hesitation, what was wrong with accepting anything from him?

"Just take it, Hime." He said softly.

Her teary eyes gazed upon his face.

She chose not to understand the look on his face.

She hesitated.

She decided.

She took it.

As she used it to wipe her tears and wet cheeks, she wondered, she did not want to but the mind, it made her think if his girlfriend has bought it for him.

A small sigh escaped from her trembling lips and then a very soft,

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun."

A ghost of a smile. "Orihime, I..." He started to say.

But she cut him off. She knew what he was going to say. She did know him so well. "No. No more lies. I was just a foolish girl who believed in fairytales, prince charming and true love conquers all. But the truth was, you were a doctor's son, whereas what was I? I cannot even be considered as an orphan as my parents are still alive, somewhere. Even my own parents did not love me so why should I have thought someone like you would return my affection. It must have given you a lot of pleasure to string me along and to play with my love."

"Orihime, I was never ashamed of you." He protested of her opinion of herself from him. But there was no mentione of love.

"You said that now, but your actions then proved otherwise. Did you know Ishida-kun, Ichigo-kun and I were... I was going to say 'dating' but how could we when we were never seen together as a couple. I could not talk to him in an overly-friendly manner when there were people around lest there were suspicious of us. And I could only call him by his name when we are alone, right Ichigo-kun?" She asked him, but she was not expecting an answer or more lies.

"Though it hurt and it felt like my heart was cracking into hundred of painful pieces, I was glad to see you with her. My eyes were finally opened on that day."

"She meant nothing to me! We just bumped into each other and I was just walking her home." He tried to explain to her. Be it they could be lies.

"She must have meant something to you for you to be seen in public with her. Or am I supposed to be so gullible as to believe your version of what I had seen. If I were to ask Ishida-kun as to the number of dates you went on when I was no longer around, what answer would I get?" Accusing brown eyes dared him to tell her more lies.

"Ishida-kun?"

Ishida did not want to add more fuel to the fire that was Kurosaki's cruel treatment of Inoue-san but he properly deserved it for what he has said and done. He fiddled with his cellphone. "Let me check. According to this, the number of dates Kurosaki went out with is a record that has not been broken yet." He announced.

Orihime clapped lightly. "Congratulations, Ichi-kun. When you are married and have a son, you can boast to him of your proud accomplishment." Orihime taunted him.

"Forget about what I have done or what's in the future. I want to see what I already have, my daughter."

"Why should I let you see her? A two-persons world do not need you." She told him bluntly.

"Two persons? That means it is just you and her. Is she not calling anybody her father?"

"No. She is loved by a father who loves her."

"Who? Who is she thinking is her father?"

"I repeat. It is of no concern of yours."

"She is my daughter!"

"She is what you admit was a mistake. A careless mistake." Orihime reminded him as yet again.

"I was wrong, alright. I want to see her, please."

"No."

"Don't make me bring you to court in order to see my daughter." Ichigo did not want to threaten her, but he wanted so desperately to see the daughter he did not want.

"What a joke. You will never win. I am no longer the pitiful, unloved girl of yesteryear. I have people who love me and who will do anything to help me. So if you want to waste your time in seeking the law to help you, go ahead and be my guest."

"Please Hime, just let me see her." He begged her. His pride almost forgotten. A small price to pay to see his daughter.

"Why do you want to torment yourself in meeting her? Nothing good is going to come out with you and her."

"Why? What do you mean?"

"She will never acknowledge you as her father nor will you ever hear her calling you 'otou-san'." The mother told him truthfully. There was no malice in the sentence, only the truth.

"You do not know for certain."

"I do know."

"Have you been turning her against me with lies?"

"There is no need for me to make things up. Is there? The truth hurts, doesn't it, Ichigo-kun? And I will let you see her, but on one condition." She looked at him squarely with all emotions wiped from her beautiful face.

"What will it be?" Ichigo asked but he was dreading the answer.

"Forget you. Forget me. Forget about us."

(忘)

"Ahhh... Grimmjow, not so rough."

"Shut the fuck up bitch! You are moaning like a whore. Don't pretend you are not loving it."

"D-Don't call me that!"

"You are the one who's writhing underneath me. So that gives me the right to call you any fucking way I like. Stop your bitching and let me fuck you as I damn please."

" ... "

" ... "

"I love you, Grimmy-kun."

"Of course you do. What's not to love about me? But you talk too fucking much besides, there are more pleasurable things you could do with that wet mouth of yours. And don't call me that when I am fucking you. I am not that bloody cat! Unless you are thinking of that shitty fur ball!"

" ... "

" ... "

"Don't you love me, Grimmjow?"

"You need to ask? I have loved you since I first laid my blue eyes on you and I have never stopped loving you since then. I couldn't not love you even if I fucking try. I bet I love you more than the other one ever did."

"No. I knew I was loved as I have loved."

"You were loved? And you have loved. So, who do you love now?"

"You. I will always love you and I love you so much, Grimmjow."

"Prove your love for me by cumming as loud as you should. Scream out my name to the world. Let everyone know of your love for me."

" ... "

" ... "

"Jaegerjaquez-sama!"

"Right. Who's your king now, princesa?"

" ... "

" ... "

"I love you, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

" ... "

" ... "

"Grimmjow-sama will fucking do for me, princesa."

(プリンセス)