Epilogue

Until tonight I only dreamed about you

I can't believe I'll ever breathe without you

Baby you make me feel alive and brand-new

Bring it one more time, one more time - Heartbeat Song by Kelly Clarkson

June - At the Inner-City All High School Sewing Finals Competition

*Orihime*

I stood, already wearing the heels that I still thought were too tall, in a dress that was way too fancy for someone like me. Although, it wasn't really for me. After all, our model had fallen down the stairs at school a week ago. Ever since, Uuryu and the rest of the sewing club had practically lived at my house trying to fit it to me. Apparently, I am 'perfect for this!'

The theme this year, which also happens to be the first and only year Uuryu and I have been able to attend, is Wedding Fantasy. Karakura High had taken one of the top five spots, and today was the big day. Runway! I was a giddy mixture of terrified and exuberant.

"Ow!" I shifted, "You poked me!"

"Stop moving," Uuryu mumbled around a mouthful of pins, "and I won't poke you."

The other girls laughed as they hurriedly finished sewing tiny rhinestones and jet beads to the bodice of my dress. It looked like a midnight sky sparkling into the brightest white landscape. It's actually beautiful, and I have the most childish urge to spin and send it's yards of material flying around me like a glittering wave of taffeta.

"Karakura High?" A smiling woman with a clipboard hovered into view. "Ten more minutes."

Michiru nodded, "Thank you, ma'am. We'll be ready." She abandoned her sewing and flipped open another box, this one full of makeup and hair styling things. She held up a curling iron and a handful of white and black glitter encrusted hair combs, "You're the most beautiful model here, Orihime-chan! I can't wait to get all that hair pinned up."

Uuryu nodded, and stepped back giving me a critical appraisal, "The dress is done." Then he smiled, pushing up his glasses at the same time, "And I agree, you are quite lovely." He squatted down beside his own sewing kit, and lifted the tray of thimbles and needles out, revealing a frothy pile of lace. He pulled it out, unfolding and smoothing it, "It was my mother's."

It consisted of a tiara, delicately wrought in art deco style. The veil itself was a guipure-style lace with small designs that progressed to an elegant floral at the hem. "This is both old and borrowed," his eyes were shimmering with emotion.

"I couldn't! What if I got something on it, or tore it somehow?"

"No, you won't." Uuryu handed it to Michiru who anchored it in my hair with a few bobby pins. "I didn't know if I would ever get to see it, since I don't think there's any more," he cut his eyes toward the other girls bobbing around, "like me to carry on the line."

I swiped a kleenex and carefully dabbed at the tears that threatened to ruin all the hard work Machiru had done. "You can still get married," I said.

"Just wear it, okay?" He closed his sewing kit, "I definitely want it back."

Our pattern maker, Lekki-chan, stood holding a ring box. When she thumbed it open, I saw a dazzling sapphire winking at me under the backstage light. "It's amazing!" I cried, "What's it set in? It looks black."

"It's a sapphire set in black stainless steel. It's not, like, the most expensive ring, but..." She smiled and proffered the box to me, "It's yours, now."

"I really can't accept it."

"Seriously! We all chipped in, it cost less than a day's work, even in my mom's bakery."

I plucked the ring out of the box, and slid it onto my ring finger. It fit like a dream. I laughed, "You are all so funny, is this from that wedding rhyme? Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?" I took a look at my friends, "It doesn't matter, thank you, all of you. I know we'll win!"

The last few minutes were spent primping. When the backstage assistant came back around, we all got to our places. I'd be going out second, while the team would be holding hands waiting for my safe return. There wasn't much to it. I would walk out, smile, pose for the judges and audience, then return and wait for the other entries.

As each entry went out, I got more and more relaxed. Finally, something I was doing for my friends that didn't mean I'd have to get hurt, or have heal a life-threating injury at the end of it. I mean, unless something truly terrible happened, but what were the chances of that at a sewing competition? It was my turn, and I lifted the single white camilla blossom to my chest.

I walked out into the fierce light of the runway. I couldn't see past the judges and the first row of spectators. I knew, for instance, that Tatski was out there, but I couldn't see her. I smiled radiantly, and every piece of me felt uplifted and beautiful. I paused at the half way mark to give a half-turn and wink to my team, and the whole crowd erupted in cheers. I finished the walk, and posed quickly for the judges before turning back. It went off without a hitch, and I rejoined my team. They simply swamped me with hugs and congratulations.

"Did you hear those cheers?" Lekki grabbed the hand without a flower in it, "No one else got cheers like that!"

Uuryu smiled, "You were stunning out there, Orihime." He drew me apart slightly, "I invited Kurosaki and his family, since I knew you wouldn't mind, and one thing lead to another... I think half the gotei is out there."

I gasp, "I missed them all so much," I hugged Uuryu, "I'm glad they could come, really."

"Does that go for me, too?"

My hair all tried to stand on end, as Uuryu turned me toward the man whose voice I hear near nightly in my dreams. Juushiro stood there, in his rietsu dampening gigai, looking like he'd stepped straight off a runway himself. Maybe Uuryu had sewn his clothes, since he was wearing a white blazer accented with a black embroidery climbing the lapels. His jeans were black, and had that wonderful wornout look. He was wearing a dress shirt, the first few buttons undone to show a perfect collar bone and the barest hint of the pleasures to be seen under.

"Yes," I admitted, the guilt of not getting in touch with him, confessing, telling him that I still loved him with all my heart nearly crushing me. "I'm glad to see you, Juushiro."

He took a tentative step toward me, "Is this okay?"

I nodded, tears balanced on my lashes as I looked up into his dark brown eyes. "I don't know where to start..."

"How about at the beginning?"

"I was thinking more like the middle?" He and I nearly tripped as we both decided to take a head dive into each other's arms. "I love you so much, and I'm ready. Ready to talk, to live, just to be. With you."

"Oh, Orihime, my love, I missed you so much." He stroked my cheek, wiping away some stray tears, "I woke up this morning to the sun pouring in and blinding me, and all I could think is how much you would have complained. I miss you so much!"

I looked into Juushiro's radiant features as he held me tightly. I could hear everyone else, the other shinigami and my friends all talking and laughing. Some of them were even watching us, but I didn't care, there was only he and I. "I said something once, to Ichigo-kun."

"Oh? Juu's brows lifted in curiosity.

"He never heard this." I shook my head at my crush. It had been so overwhelming back then, but the happy relaxed feeling with Juushiro... That's what love feels like. "I told him a little about myself, how I felt, like how I wanted to be an astronaut or run a bakery..." Juu's arms tightened, "I said I wished I could have been born into five different lifetimes. Then I'd be born in five different places, and I'd stuff myself with different food from around the world..." I felt tears slipping down, but Juushiro's face was shining with love. "I'd live five different lives with five different occupations..." I lowered my voice, "And then, for those five times, I'd fall in love with the same person."

"What life are you on?"

"Still the first, I think, because I don't want all those things anymore. All I want..." I leaned into him again, lifting my hands to play with his long soft hair, "Is you."

fin

AN/ White Camilla symbolizes 'longing'. You know what, this word processor is dumb, I have no idea how many words this was... LOL Anyway, thank you so much for your patience as I picked up the pieces after I moved (Nearly three years *chokes* ago). You know I enjoyed writing this story. I'm not sorry to see it end though. Keep well, everyone! Bleach 2015!