Notes- Somehow, I managed to write this although I was busy all week. That is why my other fic hasn't been updating do to testing and such in school. I posted on my Live Journal account the reason why I have been so delayed in posting the past few weeks.
So if you want to know when I'll be posting chapters, one-shots, or anything else, just visit my LJ account. There is a link on my profile page! ^^
In other news, I have posted a poll on the rating for my other story, so please go vote now! Now, on with the story~! =D
Also, some may think the beginning is weird, but remember, this is AU! So it never really happened and is only a dream. You'll get what I am saying once you have read it… =)
Summary:
Tatsuki wants there to be someone else who Orihime can confide in besides herself. So she chooses to get Orihime and her other best friend Ichigo together. While planning though, tragedy strikes leaving Tatsuki unable to help Orihime anymore and Ichigo to think about his own growing feelings. But little did she know that her own death could be the cause for the two to finally get together. Now, Ichigo must find a way to comfort the depressed Orihime over the death of her friend.
Learning To Cope
Chapter One
Only One
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"K…Kurosaki-kun?"
Inoue Orihime stood a few feet away from the heartless monster that she still sees as her friend. A bull shaped mask with long, sharp horns and two black lines parallel to each other, covering his usual scowl. The scowl she loved so much.
Oh, how she missed that scowl right now.
"C-Can you h…can you hear me, Kurosaki-kun?" She whispered to the now albino skinned Ichigo. His crisp tan colored skin was gone as well. Sometimes, Orihime would dream about what it would feel like to run her hands down his muscled arms. Maybe even down the ripples of his sculpted chest and learn how to draw it out and trace it with the light touches of her small fingers.
"S… Save… You….I'll… You… S-Save"
The words that hissed out from under his mask were hard for her to comprehend. The voice was booming, yet barely audible for her to hear.
Auburn hair whipped around her perfectly oval shaped head. Grey orbs glanced back to her other friend who was missing a hand at the moment. The fourth Espada was nowhere in sight, or at least from where she could see.
"You… Save…"
"Are you really…" A gulp from the princess. "K-Kuro…Kurosaki-kun?"
Her head swung back to let her look over once again her now monstrous crush. She jumped as one of his clawed feet stepped closer to her form. She couldn't move, so she kept watching for what he wanted to do by getting closer to her shivering self.
She blinked once, big mistake.
A scream of pain from the last Quincy entered her ears as she saw the now empty spot where Ichigo use to reside. She turned her head and saw Uryuu lying flat on surface of the dome with blood spilling out of his abdomen, his groans getting dangerously softer with each passing second.
She watched with intense fear as his breathing slowly began to fade.
Another scream pierced through the air.
It was only after the fact that her hollowed friend was now in front of her, did Orihime relies that she was the one screaming bloody murder.
It was then that Uryuu stopped breathing all together, yet the screaming never did stop any way.
"P… Pro… You… I'll… You…Protec… Protect You…"
Kurosaki-kun!
"KUROSAKI-KUN!"
Scared eyes flashed open. Auburn hair stuck to her forehead as she panted and tried to calm herself down. A loud beeping noise came from the digital alarm on the beauties night stand. She lightly pushed the button for it to stop.
For a few nights, she had been having the same dream of her class mate, Kurosaki Ichigo. She had spoken to him a few times before, learning about him from her friends and wishing that he himself would tell her more about his personal life. Over time, she learned that her curiosity about him was growing into something so much more.
She now discovered she had a crush on her orange headed male.
A blush tinted her cheeks at the thought of him, making her quickly forget about the scare she had just gone through only moments before.
She pulled the light pink blanket that was half way off the bed back on to its usual place. It had fallen off from her tossing and turning though out the night. She crawled off the bed, letting her toes curl from the coolness of the wooden floor when she made contact with it.
Her small feet brought her to her bathroom, where she stripped off her night gown and took a steaming hot shower. Orihime let the water that burned her skin trial down between the valley of her breasts and all the way to her nether region. She combed her fingers through the thick strands of dark orange locks. She flinched when she got caught in a tangle.
The water turned off, and she changed into her school uniform like any other day. She tied the crimson bow around her neck and let out a soft sigh that echoed though the empty hall of her apartment.
She glanced at the clock, already knowing she was almost into being four hours late for school, which was very unusual of her since she was a good student and always made good conduct every day since the term began in the spring.
Orihime opened the front door and left, hoping she hadn't missed to much in the short time she had not been in class.
…
…
…
"Dammit," cursed a tall, spiky hair girl as she began to bite down on the thumb nail of her right hand. She eyed the classroom door, as if waiting for it to slide open and reveal her air headed friend after so many hours of her being gone. It wasn't like her to skip class or even be absent; so it left her feeling like something bad had happened.
Purple orbs glanced at the karate champion through slightly squinted lids. The girl's hair was short and curled out before hitting her shoulders. It was darker then a raven's wing. Her body petite and she was short in size. She had wide hips and skinny arms that hid the true strength she possessed. A short, thin eyebrow was arched as she kept her eye on her worried friend.
"Calm down Tatsuki," she told the girl who was acting like a mother hen. "I'm sure Orihime is just late from sleeping in or something like that. You know how care free she can be at times."
Tatsuki met her other friend's glance and grunted out her response half-heartedly. She switched her gaze from the door; to the window that over looked the entrance gate of the school.
"Sorry," Tatsuki sighed out. A guilty look over took her honey colored eyes. "I guess I'm just getting a little too worried about Orihime…"
With an eyebrow still raised, the daughter of a noble family, Kuchiki Rukia, just shrugged at the other girl's answer. "You are her best friend, Tatsuki," the noble said with a small smile growing on her lips. "I think that gives you enough right to worry over her. All she has is you after all."
The Kuchiki continued by waving her hand to try and show that everything was going to be just fine. Tatsuki tried to smile at her reassurance, but found it tasting a little bit bittersweet, so she gave up on it.
Rukia gazed over to the window then back at Tatsuki. She grabbed her bento box and headed over to the sliding door.
"Do you wanna come and go eat with the other girls under the sakura tree?"
Tatsuki shook her head. "No… I think I'll wait here to see if Hime comes back before lunch is over. So you go on ahead." She resumed by grabbing her own box and opening it to eat whatever her mother had prepared for her that morning.
"Well, if you change your mind, then you know where to find us, Tatsuki." Rukia said, than slid the classroom door closed and walked off to eat with the others.
When the door shut, Tatsuki's eyes gained a hint of sadness. She looked out the window again, hoping Orihime would show up soon then later.
"All she has is you…"
Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better then it should have… Tatsuki thought. I need to find someone else who can be with Orihime when I can't… I won't always be around for her when she needs me the most…
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Notes- Yes, I know that first chapter is a little too short, even for my taste. I hope for people to support it though, chapters should be regularly longer then this one. At least, I hope so… ^^;
Please R&R to give me your thought. Who knows? Maybe if I get a certain number I'm thinking of, you might get the second chapter sooner then expected. Because I already finished it~! =P