Orihime sighed fondling the giant rock on her finger. It's been three years since their wedding anniversary and little had changed since they walked down the aisle. Ichigo still treated her with the same detached kindness as he always did and in return she smiled and pretended it was enough to make her happy. But was it really? Did she really want a life where they only politely acknowledged each other and moved on about their own business? What happened to the passion and the fireworks? Or was it ever there? Don't worry, Inoue, I will always be there for you. Don't be afraid, I will protect you. He told her after the death of her brother. And Orihime knew that he said it out of sympathy. Despite her growing crush on him, Ichigo never saw her as anyone other than a friend. And even though he started talking to her more, she never felt like his feelings changed. Yet, she was still hopeful.
Talking turned into spending more time together, until one day she tagged along to go home with him, and then the next day, and then the next. Ichigo never said a word of protest, never told her to leave him alone and mind her own business. Maybe he did it out of compassion that now she was all alone and hurting, maybe he didn't really care for her company, but she never bothered to ask.
And then one morning he showed up on her door step meeting a pair of puffy eyes. It's been a year since her brother's death and Orihime spent a sleepless night crying and remembering. Seeing the signs of tears on her face, Ichigo gave her a reassuring look and pulled her into a hug. That night they sat together, drank, she cried, he listened, and everything else was a blur. And before she knew it, they woke up together in the same bed. The next day he asked her to date him.
Orihime was overjoyed. Finally, the boy she loved since the first year of high school became her boyfriend. Despite everything that had happened, it was the happiest time of her life. Ichigo was nice, and kind. He never snapped at her, never yelled. He was everything she had ever dreamed of. And she was absolutely convinced this would be her happily ever after. And before she knew it, high school was over and he presented her with a diamond ring as a graduation present.
Orihime accepted him feeling a million butterflies in her stomach. Her life was a fairytale and her prince was right besides her. Their college life wasn't without difficulties, but she was still happy. Yet, sometimes she caught her husband staring into space with a longing that was alien to her. She noticed that they never talked much about anything other than work, school, and their household. She could only guess what went on inside his head, and he never bothered to tell her.
Whenever Orihime would ask him questions in an attempt to find out what was on his mind and why he loved her, he would always smile, tell her she was the one and seal it with a kiss. Once that happened, Orihime forgot her worries and gave in. She was happy, wasn't she? And he seemed to love her and wanted to make her happy. But after some time, her worries came back to haunt her. Every time Orihime brought up the same topic, Ichigo would avoid it by whispering the same shallow nothings into her ear that stopped sounding convincing a long time ago.
Her friend Tatsuki once asked her why her husband called her by her last name. At that moment Orihime carelessly dismissed it by pretending it was no big deal, that Tatsuki was exaggerating. But in truth, she did not know. They called each other by their last names since high school and they never questioned why. Apparently, old habits died hard. But she wasn't Inoue anymore, not since the "I do". Yet after three years of marriage and the name change, she still remained Inoue, always and forever. And Orihime never learned to address her beloved Kurosaki-kun by his first name either, when that should've come to her naturally. And right now the more she thought about it, the more she started to wonder if everything was as it seemed in her seemingly flawless marriage life.
After Ichigo graduated from the medical school and obtained a position at the local hospital, they finally moved into the suburbs from their tiny apartment in the city. At that time Orihime was ecstatic about having the freedom to create a home for the two of them. They had a house with a white picket fence, a yard, a two car garage, everything any girl could ever dream of. Every morning her kind and gentle husband would give her a peck on the cheek before leaving for work and she would spend the whole day cooking, cleaning, and waiting for him to return.
Orihime was so diligent about making him happy, that she even took a few cooking classes where she learned how to bake. And after a few weeks her blueberry muffins became a hit in the neighborhood. She received so much praise that one day she started thinking about saving enough money to open up her own little bakery. Once Ichigo heard that, he did not object. And Orihime was not surprised he didn't, he never objected to anything and never argued with her. He only smiled and nodded, then went back to whatever he was doing.
But, despite enjoying the tranquility, Orihime felt envious of other couples around her. What would it feel like to argue, to snap at someone? No, she did not want to fight with Ichigo, but their continuous politeness started taking its toll. It wasn't that she wanted to yell at him, but always smiling at each other without so much as a frown seemed unnatural.
A loud engine roar finally snapped her out of her thoughts and Orihime went to the window to see what was going on. There were two bikers in front of the house across from hers. She watched them park and head to the truck in the driveway then carry some boxes inside. New neighbors? When did they move in?
Everything about them was different from the people who lived there. One had bleached hair, and the other wore it long. They were dressed in leather and jeans and looked like they came straight out of a gangster movie. People who passed them on the street stopped to stare but the bikers did not pay any attention. One talked loudly while the other continued working without saying a word. The whole spectacle soon started to attract more residents of her quiet street and people began to wonder if these two meant trouble.
"I'm home." Orihime heard Ichigo's voice.
He came into the leaving room noticing her watching something through the window.
"So you saw the new neighbors, eh?"
"They are so weird." she laughed. "And look at those clothes."
"Do you want to go say 'hi'?"
"I don't think so. They look a little scary."
"Alright then. I've had a long day so I'm going to sleep early tonight."
Orihime nodded without taking her eyes off of the men across the street. They stuck out like sore thumbs, completely alien to everything she'd ever known. It felt like they added a little excitement to her mundane life, and she felt herself being drawn to them.
What am I doing? I am a married woman. Orihime gave herself a mental kick finally tearing her eyes away from them. The new neighbors were certainly interesting and she couldn't help but being curious about them. Maybe playing a good neighbor wasn't such a bad idea after all. I will wait until they settle down. And maybe tomorrow I will welcome them into the neighborhood.
Orihime woke up with a jolt to the familiar sound of the motorcycle engine coming from the street. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. It was 2:30 am. What the heck are they doing in the middle of the night? She looked at Ichigo who was still sound asleep, but now she was wide awake. Orihime got up and walked to the window seeing one of her new neighbors sitting on his bike outside of her house and nonchalantly pumping on the steering wheel.
Feeling her annoyance rising, Orihime hastily put on a robe and ran outside.
"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped in a half-whisper.
The biker turned his head studying her with a flicker of interest. Orihime's robe was wide open showing a thin little nighty that revealed every curve of her body. Noticing where he was looking, she covered herself in embarrassment glaring at him. He isn't nice at all! He is...is…a perverted demon prince!
Seeing her reaction, the corner of his mouth curved in amusement.
"Did I wake you?" the perverted demon prince asked in deep monotone.
"You certainly did!" Orihime said recovering her composure. "It's the middle of the night!"
He did not reply and continued to regard her with lazy curiosity, but now it was Orihime's turn to stare. His green eyes stared back at her through thick locks of black hair which she found almost sexy. He was slender but well built revealing pale skin and a muscular body under the unbuttoned shirt. Orihime gulped. Ichigo was handsome, but this was the type of raw male sexuality that was completely new to her.
What am I thinking? What if Kurosaki-kun wakes up? He's been so tired lately… How shameless! Her husband was sleeping upstairs and here she was having a midnight conversation with a perfect stranger.
The biker watched her expressions change from confusion to dismay to almost a smile. She was the first person who wasn't afraid to approach and confront him, while the rest of the neighbors didn't even want to look at him.
"You are one interesting woman." she heard him say.
"Never mind that! Please, stop making so much noise! People are trying to sleep!"
Ignoring her request he pressed harder on the steering wheel making the engine roar even louder. Orihime covered her ears in shock.
All of her previous desire to be nice disappeared. Orihime wanted to be friends with everyone, but some people were impossible, including this demon prince who kept looking at her with defiance. Is he trying to push my buttons on purpose?
"Stop!" she yelled.
Seeing her reaction he finally gave in turning his bike around and glancing at her for the last time.
"As you wish." He said and quickly rode off leaving Orihime staring into the empty street.
She stormed upstairs feeling angry and embarrassed. It was only their first meeting and he already managed to piss her off with his arrogance and complete disregard for basic human manners. But it was alright. She would show him. She would tell him exactly what she thought of him the next time they met. Orihime glanced at Ichigo, he was still sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to everything that has happened. And it was better he didn't know anything at all since he already had enough things to worry about at work. This demon prince was someone Orihime planned to handle all by herself.
She woke up to the rays of sunlight dancing on her face. After tossing and turning from trying to come up with the best form of revenge, Orihime was finally able to fall asleep at dawn. And now it was almost noon. She sat up and looked around the room. Ichigo was long gone leaving a note on her nightstand.
Inoue, don't wait up for me tonight. I am going to work late.
He's been doing it every week for the past couple of months, then leaving notes or giving her apologetic kisses to make up for it. But this time Orihime did not give it too much thought. This way she had more time to think of a way to teach that demon a lesson.
Maybe if she pretended to be nice, the demon prince would trust and open up to her, and then she will crush him. Images of him staring at her breasts with those sexy green eyes brought the old annoyance back.
And half an hour later she was in the kitchen ramming her fists into the muffin dough. Orihime couldn't believe that just a mere encounter would set her off so much. Ichigo never made her angry like this; he was never so arrogant and shameless. And what was worse, she couldn't remember the last time she was so upset, and at a total stranger. An image of him with horns and wings went through her mind and she chuckled. That look suited him well because he was a demon after all. And demons had to be handled with caution.
She finally finished the dough, loaded it into the trays and looked through the window. Both of the motorcycles were parked in the driveway.
Good! They are home.
She quickly put the trays into the oven and raced to the shower. It was all about the right timing and preparation, and she had all of that. Nobody had ever refused her muffins and she was determined to make this a success.
An hour later she was standing in front of their door with a plate of freshly baked goodies, wearing her best dress and a bright smile on her face. Orihime gave herself one last glance, took a deep breath, and finally rang the bell. Five, ten seconds passed until she heard someone unlocking the door from the other side.
The door flew open and Orihime came face to face with the friend of the demon prince. He looked at the muffins then back at her and scowled.
"What do you want?"
"Um…hello. Welcome to the neighborhood! This is a token of our appreciation to you as our new neighbors. Is your friend home?"
The blue haired punk turned around without inviting her in and disappeared around the corner. Orihime did not dare to follow after him.
"Hey, there is some chick at the door asking for you!" she heard him yell somewhere in the house.
Soon, the object of her torment appeared in front of her wearing jeans and nothing above the waist. Orihime blushed and averted her eyes away from him.
"We seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot. So let's start over." she smiled nervously, extending the plate of muffins to him.
The demon prince looked at her then at the muffins. A second ticked before he spoke again. "How unexpected. This neighborhood looks more promising by the minute."
His arrogance annoyed her but she did not show it.
"I hope you like it here. My name is Inoue Orihime. What is-?"
"Inoue?" he interrupted. "Then why does it say Kurosaki on your mail box?"
"That's my husband's name."
"You don't like it?"
"I like it!"
"Why don't you use it?"
"I do." she said through clenched teeth. "Going by my maiden name is just a habit."
"I see. Hello then, Inoue Orihime." he said ignoring her irritation.
"Kurosaki Orihime." She corrected him. "I hope we could be friends from now on. Let's forget about what happened last night and start over." she flashed him an eager smile.
"Forget? That would be a disappointment." his eyes started to roam.
His smooth voice made her nervous, his arrogant eyes made her angry. Orihime shoved the plate of muffins into his chest, politely excused herself, and started to walk away. But before she reached the road she heard his voice behind her.
"Woman…" he called after her. She turned around half way looking at him in silence. "Last night…you looked rather good."
ARGH! Orihime managed a dignified nod and resumed walking to her house. Demon! Demon! Demon!
That's ok. When Kurosaki-kun gets home, everything will be fine. And then she remembered the note and the feeling of disappointment returned. Her mood was already spoiled from the encounter with the demon prince, and having Ichigo around to cheer her up would've certainly helped, but he wasn't there and he won't be back for a while. There was nothing she could do but wait.
Yet, the more she waited, the more time Ichigo spent at work. But despite the obvious rift between them, Orihime still refused to question anything and just waved it off as him being busy. To get her mind off of things, she occupied herself with the new neighbors. She spied on them from her window. She spent more time outside pretending to do gardening. She even made an excuse to go up there to get her plate back. The blue haired punk was still as rude as usual, but his attitude did not bother her. The demon prince, on the other hand, was another matter. His expression usually showed indifference, but despite that Orihime often caught him staring at her and did not know what to make of it. And the more she thought about it, the more her curiosity grew with each passing day.
"So, how is the married life treating ya?"
It was bright and lively outside, so Orihime invited Tatsuki out to lunch. A long time passed since she saw any of her friends, and it felt wonderful to finally escape her empty house and to talk to someone.
"Oh, it's great!" Orihime said enthusiastically, "Kurosaki-kun has been really busy lately, so I have a lot of time to myself."
"Still busy, huh?" Tatsuki remarked thoughtfully, "For how long has he been keeping this up?"
Orihime shook her head. "His work is very important to him and I have to be understanding that he can't always be with me."
"What are you talking about? You've been pretty much alone for the past five months! He can't be that busy that he doesn't have time for his own wife!"
"It's ok, Tatsuki-chan." Orihime reassured her. "I really don't mind. There are bigger things that worry me."
"Like what?"
"For one, the new neighbors are really inconsiderate. And I have to put up with their noise every day."
"So tell them off!"
"I did! But that demon won't listen to me! I think he enjoys making me suffer."
"What demon?"
"The man across the street. Every time I talk to him he just stares at me. I tried everything – telling him off in the middle of the night, baking him muffins, trying to be nice. Nothing is working!"
Tatsuki looked at her for a moment then burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Orihime asked in confusion, "He doesn't even want to address me by my married name and just calls me woman! What is going on with him?"
"Something is definitely going on with him." Tatsuki said through chuckles. "And you seem overly fixated on that."
"I am not! It's not my fault he makes me so angry."
"Do you want me to beat him up for you?"
Orihime giggled. "Maybe the next time, but right now I want to wait and see, maybe he will get bored and decide to be a normal person."
Even though Tatsuki's joke didn't seem like such a bad idea, Orihime was determined to fix this problem herself. The demon prince was stubborn and arrogant who always did whatever he wanted. But she will absolutely not let him get away with it. Orihime was immune to his charm and she would do anything in her power to win this battle.
One day, the motorcycle roar disturbed her blissful morning once again. Despite her attempts to appeal to her neighbors' common sense, they still ignored her and Orihime was fed up with it. She loaded the remaining dishes into the dishwasher and walked outside across the street towards the demon prince. He was working on his bike sitting next to it on the ground.
"Still trying to fix this piece of junk at the expense of the entire neighborhood?"
"What do you want, Inoue Orihime?"
"I told you, it's Kurosaki Orihime. And it would be nice if you put a stop to this already ."
Hearing that last bit caught his attention. He slowly got up to stand in front of her noticing that Orihime immediately took a step backwards.
"I believe you are giving me orders on my property." he said in a soothing monotone.
"Can the noise also stay on your property?" she retorted with fake enthusiasm.
He studied her ignoring the sarcasm in her voice. "You really are quite interesting after all."
Demon!
Orihime groaned in frustration. "What can I do to make you stop doing this every day?"
"You can take a ride with me."
"No way!"
"You will say 'yes'", her persisted leaning closer; "Anything else is not a negotiation."
Orihime gave a nervous smile thinking that he was joking. But his face remained perfectly serious.
"What are you thinking?" she asked trying to hide her edginess, "What an odd request. And I don't even want to be here!"
She turned around to leave but he interrupted her.
"The very fact that you came proves that you do."
"You are wrong." she said and resumed walking.
"Pretending you aren't interested when you are dying to get away….such confidence, I'm impressed."
"You're the devil!" Orihime glared back at him and increased her pace.
The demon prince did not reply. He remained standing where he was watching her retreating figure disappearing into the house. And even though Orihime did not see his face, she was sure he had that arrogant almost smile that she wanted to wipe off of it for good.
After finally locking the door behind her Orihime realized that her heart was racing. Why exactly did she seek him out? Why did she want to argue with him? And what was worse, she enjoyed it! It wasn't even about the motorcycle noise anymore but the fact that she used it as an excuse to go talk to him. What exactly did she get herself into? Acting like a ditzy school girl and chasing after boys wasn't who she was. Ichigo surely won't approve. Orihime had to stop this nonsense and concentrate on her husband instead, whom she hadn't given much thought in the past week.
She opened the blinds blissfully humming to herself. It was finally the weekend and she planned to spend the next two days with her husband. They could drive out to a picnic, invite a few friends over, spend hours cuddling and talking. She couldn't wait.
Ichigo finally came out of the shower and Orihime skipped towards him hugging him from behind.
"Good morning!" she said happily.
"Hey...whoa…morning."
"I was thinking." She turned him around to face her. "Maybe we could drive up somewhere and spend the night?"
"Today? That's a little unexpected."
"It will be fun. We haven't had a lot of time to ourselves and I will make it worth your…"
She did not finish before Ichigo's cell phone interrupted her.
"Don't pick it up." she whispered in his ear.
"Hang on one second, Inoue, this might be important."
Ichigo untangled her arms from around his neck and went to answer the call.
"Oh, hi Rukia!"
Orihime watched his face lit up as soon as he said the name.
Who is Rukia?
They chatted for a few minutes, then he hung up looking at his wife apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Inoue, I might have to go to the office for a few hours."
"But it's Saturday!"
"I know, I'm sorry. The work load has been crazy this month."
"Who is Rukia?" Orihime asked reluctantly.
Ichigo looked at her sharply, then seeing the confusion on her face relaxed a little. "She is my new research assistant."
"Really? And you guys are on the first name basis already?"
"Yeah. She is easy going and really smart. We hit it off right away."
Noticing her disappointment, "But it's no big deal." he added quickly.
"Alright!" Orihime managed a smile, "I guess it can't be helped."
They ate breakfast in silence both lost in their own thoughts. Orihime stole a few glances at him, but she couldn't tell what hid behind the calmness on his face. It seemed strange that he was ok with leaving her alone again after spending most of his time at work during the week. But being alone wasn't anything new to her. She never objected to him staying late and canceling their plans. It was fine. Ichigo was all hers and he was trying just as hard to make it work. She did not want to seem ungrateful and make him doubt her good intentions. So Orihime never said a word or ever got jealous.
And she did not have a jealousy fit right now either. Maybe Rukia was old and ugly, or maybe she was just a good friend. Yes, that must've been it, developing good relationships with your coworkers was an important part of a healthy working environment. Orihime shook the negative thoughts away. She did not dare to think of anything other than a professional friendship between her husband and his research assistant. Despite Ichigo's change of mood as soon as he answered the phone and his eagerness to leave, Orihime still could not bring herself to doubt him. Because Ichigo was true and good and he would never betray her. He married her after all, so he had to love her.
Ichigo politely thanked her for the meal and went upstairs to get ready to leave. Orihime slowly got up and loaded the dishes into the sink staring into space. She had to occupy herself with something. Being alone in an empty house with nothing to do but housework started to feel like prison. Maybe she could go shopping, or visit Tatsuki, or join a book club. Yet, all of it seemed like a temporary getaway to avoid reality. She needed a change of pace, something to make her feel less lonely, something to make her feel needed.
A few minutes passed and she heard Ichigo's footsteps again.
"Ok, I'm off!" he said heading for the door.
"When will you be back?"
He hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure. It might be a while. Do whatever you want, though, you don't have to wait for me." And then he was gone.
Orihime watched him through the kitchen window getting into his car and driving off. One moment he was there and the next he was gone. How very predictable.
Was this really how married life was supposed to be? She didn't think about these things when she was with him or in the company of her friends. But when she was alone, all kinds of thoughts crept into her head making her doubt everything, including herself.
Everything seemed great on the surface. They looked happy together, smiled at each other and everyone around them. Their neighbors thought they were an ideal couple living above everyone else's problems. But not everything was as magical as it seemed in their perfect little fairytale. Orihime often felt empty and confused. She felt like Ichigo was distancing himself from her even further, and she did not know how to breach that gap between them which made her nothing but miserable. Unbeknownst to her, her eyes started to moisten and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.
That Rukia person was just a name, a stranger on the other end of the phone line, yet she held more power than her, the power to hold Ichigo's attention and to make him stay. Orihime chuckled through her sobs. She couldn't believe she felt so inadequate and jealous over a total stranger. Why was Ichigo so eager to leave her behind and run off to work on the only day they had to themselves? She wanted to believe that it was just a fluke, that Ichigo really had a lot of work, that it will pass with time. But Orihime wasn't stupid. This wasn't anything new, and with each passing month he started to come up with more excuses not to be at home. And after Rukia called, Orihime began to worry even more.
She looked at the people on the street and felt like the life was passing her by. When she was a teenager she had dreams, maybe they were silly and unrealistic, but they were her own, something to look forward to in her adult life. Perhaps becoming an astronaut was a childish fantasy, but she had other options that she wanted to try as well, but all of them remained unrealized. When Ichigo happened, she decided that choosing marriage over everything else was the right thing to do. What could be better for a man than a smiling and doting wife greeting him every day with a hot dinner waiting on the table? That was a dream she thought would make her happy, but instead she found herself being surrounded by four walls with nothing but silence to keep her company. Was it too late now to turn around and change anything, to make a comeback? She wanted to feel wanted and needed, instead Orihime felt isolated. The empty house made her feel like she was the only one left in the world. She felt claustrophobic, she couldn't breathe.
I have to get out of here! Orihime darted upstairs, grabbed her purse, and ran out of the door towards her car. Not knowing where to go she got inside and put the key in the ignition but nothing happened. She tried again and again but the car wouldn't start. Frustrated, she got out and angrily kicked the wheel. Everything was against her today.
"Your battery is dead." the familiar monotone said behind her.
"Wah! When did you get here?" she turned around startled.
"Just now, so calm down." then he looked pointedly at the car, "It needs a recharge, but the necessary tools are in the truck that my roommate borrowed."
"What am I going to do?" Orihime cried in defeat. "I just can't win today!"
"Your husband can't help you?"
"He is…ah….at work."
"I see."
His lack of reaction surprised her. She expected him to ask more questions about her "wonderful" marriage life, but he just stood and watched her. Just what I need. He is probably laughing at me. Demon! The last of her self-control shattered, and Orihime lost herself once more. She felt sixteen again, naïve and helpless, allowing the enemy to see her at her weakest as she gave in to her sobs.
But the demon prince did not mock or even smile at her. He did not say a single word. Silently he turned around and started walking away, only to stop turning his head sideways to look back at her.
"Come with me." he said quietly.
"What?" Orihime asked in confusion, "Do you have something to say to me?"
"That's right, woman, I have something to say to you."
"But…I can't! Where are you taking me?"
"Don't ask me any questions." he said more forcefully, "Just follow me."
Not having the will to argue Orihime complied trailing behind him back to his house.
They entered and he lead her into the living room pointing at the stool by the bar.
"Sit." he ordered.
Orihime obeyed watching him going around the counter then pouring something into a glass.
He set it in front of her and looked at her expectantly. "Drink this."
She glanced at the glass then back at him, "Are you trying to get me drunk?"
"You are welcome to go back to your empty house and sulk by yourself." he said coolly.
Demon! "Fine!" she snapped grabbing the glass and emptying it in one single gulp.
The demon prince watched her with amusement. The woman was entertaining even when she was depressed.
"So, why did you bring me here?" she demanded.
"Because you wanted me to."
Orihime looked at him in puzzlement as it finally occurred to her that he was absolutely right. Sick and tired of being alone she was in a desperate need for company. Any company. And as if reading her thoughts he was right there talking, listening, and letting her unload every last bit of bitterness that had been piling up for weeks. And strangely enough, she felt comfortable around him, even though they barely knew each other.
"Another one." she said handling him back the empty glass.
He refilled it without objection and Orihime was thankful. She was tired of pretending to be a nice kid and never doing anything wrong. At least once in her life she wanted to walk on the wild side, to break the rules and have an adventure. Ichigo expected her to be a good girl and do the right thing, and she always met his expectations. But Ichigo wasn't here. In his place there was this arrogant man with lustful eyes who somehow knew exactly what she wanted.
"So you do have a heart after all." she murmured to herself picking up the glass.
"What?"
"Nothing." she answered finishing her drink.
The alcohol made her feel warm and she giggled from the tingling sensation in her stomach.
"You know," she mumbled, "If Kurosaki-kun saw me like this he would freak out!"
Her companion studied her for a moment before speaking again.
"I don't understand you. If you are so unhappy, why don't you tell him?"
"Because! He already has enough things to worry about. I don't want to burden him with my problems!"
"Woman…shouldn't your problems be his problems as well?"
"It's no big deal! Really!"
"Indeed," he said in slight annoyance, "That is why you prefer to get drunk in another man's house."
"You demon!" she glared at him, "You're the one who invited me here!"
"I didn't force this down your throat." he said looking at the empty glass.
"Argh! I give up!" she exclaimed getting up and going towards the door. But her legs gave in from the dizziness and she fell to the floor.
"You planned this, did you?" she yelled at him.
His expression unreadable, he came up to her and forced her to her feet.
"Are you scared? Do you want to find out exactly what I planned?"
The close proximity made her conscious of where she was, yet Orihime couldn't help but stare back at him with their faces being only inches away from each other. None of it made any sense - his questions, his sudden anger. But more importantly, why was she trembling? The alcohol made her feel lightheaded and her skin burned under his touch. But Orihime didn't dare to move.
As if sensing her nervousness he finally let her go.
"Go home." his voice was barely audible.
Salvaging the remains of her dignity, she turned around and walked outside praying that her legs would not fail her. Her cheeks burned from embarrassment and her blasted inability to stay away from him. Orihime made a promise to herself that she would stop this school girl nonsense, but her interest was only getting stronger. And the less time Ichigo spent with her the more edgy she got.
She entered the empty house feeling the old loneliness coming back. Why was it that the man she did not even like made her feel wanted while her own husband seemed like a stranger? Orihime rubbed her temples feeling a headache coming up. She needed to take a break and to rethink everything when she was feeling better, and right now she needed rest.
A few hours passed unnoticed and Orihime stretched trying to get rid of her drowsiness. The afternoon nap took care of her headache and cleared her head. She got up to get dressed and went downstairs. The house was quiet echoing her footsteps against the floor. Ichigo was still out and it was already getting dark outside. Orihime sighed in disappointment and headed towards the kitchen, and then she heard laughter coming from the street.
She went to the window and peeked outside seeing an unfamiliar brunette saying something to her husband, which caused Ichigo to burst into laughter.
Who is she? What is going on here?
No sure whether to stay inside or to go out and greet them, Orihime hesitated gathering her courage. It felt like if she came out, she would intrude on something private. But this was her husband and her house, and she had every right to be anywhere she wanted.
Quickly smoothing her hair, she put on a smile and hastily opened the door stepping outside.
Ichigo and his companion turned their heads in unison at the sound of the door.
"Oh, hi Inoue!" he greeted his wife.
The brunette smiled politely and extended her hand. "It is nice to meet you. My name is Kuchiki Rukia, I am Ichigo's assistant."
"She followed me here because I left something at the office." Ichigo added nervously.
So this is Rukia! She is so tiny. Orihime observed shaking her hand then she looked at Ichigo who was positively glowing while gazing down at his assistant.
She felt her heart sink. When Ichigo was alone with her at home they barely spoke, and he only acknowledged her presence when she talked to him. He either spent most of his time at the office or aimlessly flipped the channels of the TV remote. Orihime forgot the last time he smiled or even laughed with her like that.
Without meaning to do so, she turned her head and looked at the house across the street. A strange sense of longing washed over her as she noticed herself wanting to be anywhere but here, where she witnessed her husband laughing with another woman. And then the images of the demon prince went through her head. She saw him looking back at her, talking, holding her, and Orihime felt herself blush.
As if sensing her searching for him, the demon came out of the house and headed towards his bike. Orihime's eyes followed his every move, but he didn't even look into her direction. Quickly, he got on his motorcycle and rode off passing her by without so much as a glance.
He must still be mad at me. But it's all his fault. He shouldn't have been mean to me in the first place!
Days passed and Orihime barely saw him. Sometimes he would work outside, sometimes she saw him riding off, and sometimes there was no sign of him at all. When before she would notice him looking at her from across the street when they were both out, but now he acted like she did not exist.
Ichigo was seldom home and the demon prince was purposely avoiding her. Orihime was getting tired of being ignored, tired of feeling lonely and unwanted. Ichigo's strange relationships with his assistant was impossible to overlook. But Orihime forced herself to shut it out. Even though her feelings dulled, it still hurt that nobody wanted her.
More days passed and her loneliness grew into irritation. Cooking and cleaning seemed meaningless as there was nobody to appreciate it. And neither did she feel like doing it. Random things annoyed her more and more, especially the sound of the motorcycle engine. And the more she thought about it, the more her irritation grew. Demon! Without thinking she dropped the book that she was reading, marched out of her house and across the street finally stopping in front of his door.
What now? As soon as she stopped, the last bit of her resolve shattered. What exactly did she come here for? To confront him? For what? It's not like he'd ever done anything to her. More so, he kept her company when she was feeling miserable and in return she did nothing but fight with him for petty reasons.
Orihime took a deep breath. She couldn't bring herself to apologize to him, yet she didn't feel like starting another argument either. All she knew was that she wanted to see him.
She pressed her finger on the doorbell anxiety rising with each passing second. Finally, it opened revealing the demon prince looking at her from the other side. He didn't say anything, did not invite her in. He just looked at her with mild indifference as if waiting for something to happen.
Oh, for goodness sake! His behavior didn't make her feel better at all. Without waiting for his invitation, she took a few steps forward and closed the door behind her.
"What are you doing?" he asked coldly.
"I don't know." Orihime replied with honesty, "I felt like coming over."
"Go back. Your husband is waiting for you."
"He is at work."
"Just as expected."
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"You don't know? When was the last time you felt like a wife?"
"That's none of your business! Even if it was, you could still be a little more sensitive."
"What would you have me say? 'Don't worry, I'm sure it will all work out'? Ridiculous. I am not here to comfort you about your failed marriage."
Orihime cast her eyes down. He was right about one thing. It was a failed marriage.
"I don't understand you." he continued. "Every time you feel bad you come here. And then you run back to him. Why can't you realize that this is a dead end? Why can't you move forward?"
He studied her for a few seconds waiting for her reaction but Orihime continued staring at the floor. He was touching on a sore subject and opening old wounds, but she did not have the strength to protest.
"Your problems were obvious long ago yet you were still blinded by your own feelings. It made me sick watching that loser daring to bring the other woman to your house and displaying her for everyone to see."
"It wasn't like that!" Orihime objected, "Stop it!"
"Why didn't you say anything to him?" he persisted, "Why did you let him get away with it? If it was me, I would've been infuriated by his stupidity and his pathetic attempt to try to save face in front of the woman he does not even want."
That last bit made her hair stand on edge. How dare he talk about her husband like that? He knew nothing about her and her life! Feeling all of her anger and sadness spilling out, with one easy stride Orihime came up to him and slapped him across the face.
His head went sideways as the sound of the impact rang through the hall. Neither of them moved or said a word. It felt like the time stopped in that one moment as Orihime slowly realized what she has done.
The demon prince slowly moved his head back to her and stared. Orihime stared back not knowing what to say. She just killed one last chance she had to be friends with him. He would never forgive her.
But he did not scold her or even look angry. His face was simply blank until he finally averted his eyes and started walking away.
"You've made your point and I've made mine." he said without stopping, "Now, get out."
Orihime ran back to her house like her life depended on it. She really screwed it up this time, didn't she? The one person who somehow understood her became the target of her frustrations. And even though his words were harsh, deep down she knew that he was not wrong.
Why was it so difficult for her to keep relationships? Ichigo was a complete stranger now and even that demon did not want to have anything to do with her. This time she was absolutely and totally alone.
A day passed and she did not see him, his motorcycle wasn't even in his driveway. There were no lights and no sign of his room-mate either. Orihime started to worry. Where did he go? Did he abandon her? But how can he abandon me if we weren't even together?
More days passed and then a week. Orihime desperately tried to find something to occupy herself with before she went crazy with anxiety.
One afternoon she returned home from shopping and saw Ichigo's car in the drive way. A little surprised that he was home at the normal hour Orihime hurried inside to greet him. But before she called after him, she heard whispers coming from his study. Curious, she came close and noticed that the door was ajar.
"I miss you too, Rukia." She heard Ichigo's voice from the inside, "But don't worry, I'll come up with something tomorrow."
Orihime stole a glance inside and saw him talking on his cell phone.
Rukia…now she had every reason to believe that the woman wasn't just a co-worker. Yet, surprisingly Orihime did not feel jealous at all. There was hurt, disappointment, loneliness, but not jealousy. And she did not even notice when her feelings changed. The love that she thought would last for lifetimes slowly grew into something else that left her guessing.
The next morning Ichigo announced that he had to go to a seminar and he will be gone for a week. Orihime did not even bother to ask him questions or to wish him a good trip. She simply nodded and left the room.
A few days passed and then she suddenly noticed the familiar motorcycle being parked across the street. The demon prince was finally back and she breathed out a sigh of relief. It was ok if he did not talk to her, him simply being there was enough. Perhaps time will set everything right and they could start over, at least that's what she hoped for.
Ichigo never called and Orihime had no idea when he would be back. But one morning as she did her usual choirs, the door suddenly flew open and she saw him coming in.
"Why are you home?" she asked him in surprise, "Shouldn't you be at your seminar?"
"Inoue," Ichigo said with a solemn expression on his face, "We need to talk."
She slowly nodded and sat down looking at him expectantly. But Ichigo did not tell her anything that she did not already know. Their marriage was a joke, the feelings that she thought were love turned into something indescribable. And right now she didn't even know what she felt. But one thing was certain, she did not want to be miserable anymore, and she did not wish the same for Ichigo.
"That woman, Rukia," Orihime asked him reluctantly, "Is she important?"
He nodded avoiding looking at her.
"Are you having an affair with her?"
"No." Ichigo said firmly.
Orihime was about to object remembering how they behaved around each other, but she promptly stopped herself. Ichigo was a lot of things, but he was not a liar. And neither did he have a reason to lie right now.
"Do you want to have an affair?" she asked him again.
"I'm sorry, Inoue." he said apologetically looking at her with pleading eyes.
And that told her all she needed to know. There was no more point pretending and avoiding the truth. This was it.
"Well," she said getting up, "That clears things up. I guess this is it then!"
"I never wanted it to end this way! But I felt like this for a very long time, I just didn't want to hurt you." he said miserably.
"I know, Kurosaki-kun, it was gre-"
The sound of a motorcycle interrupted her and she rushed to the window. Her demon prince was there and her heart screamed at the sight of him.
Without another word she dashed towards the door.
"Inoue, where are you going?" Ichigo yelled in alarm.
"Don't worry, Kurosaki-kun, I am fine. And don't be sorry about anything. I am not mad and I wish you well." Then she ran out ignoring him calling after her.
Orihime ran up to her demon not even bothering to hide her joy. He was back, and he did not abandon her after all.
"What is it?" he asked casually.
"I want you to take me for a ride!" she said panting.
There was a hint of confusion in his eyes from her odd request.
"Remember you asked me to go for a ride with you a month ago?" she asked impatiently, "Now is the time."
"Inoue, stop!" Ichigo yelled running out of the house.
"Let's go! Now!" Orihime cried jumping on the bike behind him.
The demon prince looked at Ichigo, back at her, then handed her his helmet.
"Hold on to me." he said pressing on the steering wheel and carrying both of them away.
Orihime closed her eyes feeling the cool wind against her face. All of the pent up stress started to evaporate leaving a feeling of weightlessness. She was free and ready to rush into the unfamiliar territory even if she didn't know what awaited her ahead. But it didn't matter. Everything would eventually fall in its place the way it was supposed to.
She put her arms around his waist and pressed herself against him feeling a familiar sensation rise in the pit of her stomach. It made her feel giddy and happy, and she felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. Even though it wasn't love yet, it felt warm and inviting, something that gave her a feeling of belonging, something that she couldn't wait to find for herself.
Orihime did not know where he was taking her and she did not care. The destination didn't really matter as long as they kept going as far away as possible. She was eager to leave her old life behind and to completely separate herself from everything if only for a few hours. Casting the last glance back at Ichigo's disappearing figure, who just stood looking after them in helpless bewilderment, she silently said her last good-bye. He didn't understand anything after all.
"Where do you want to go?" the demon brought her out of her thoughts.
Orihime smiled. "Surprise me!"
~END~