Orihime was sure she had read the electronic words incorrectly. She was positive there had to be some sort of mistake. Some kind of mix-up or misunderstanding. However, no matter how much she wished with every fiber of her being and soul that this was all a dream or something, Orihime knew even before her eyes glanced over the little black letters that she had not been wrong.
'This isn't working out. We need to call it quits.'
Two short sentences. Ten simple words. One earth-shattering text message.
The final nail in the coffin was hammered down when Orihime read the name of the person whose phone had sent the devastating message.
'Ichigo <3 !!!!
There was no mistake. Ichigo had just broken up with her via text message.
The next moment, Orihime's vision was completely obscured as her eyes were flooded with tears. She didn't even have the presence of mind to make her way over to the couch less than two paces away from where she was standing in order to be more comfortable as the pieces of her shattered heart were ejected from her body in the form of hot, salty tears. Collapsing onto the floor and curling herself up into a tight fetal position, Orihime wailed, sobbed, hollered and screamed out her anguish.
When her throat began to feel scratchy and sore, she decided to syphon out her sorrow by hitting her clenched fists as hard as she possibly could against the floor. Only vaguely aware of the pain she was inflicting upon herself, she continued on until muscles she didn't even know existed began to burn with exertion.
Turning over onto her back, Orihime finally allowed her exhaustion to wash over her and with it came the worst part. The questions.
Why had Ichigo broken up with her? What had she done? Had he grown tired of always having to save her either from Hollows of from her own clumsiness? Had she made him unhappy? Had she made him miserable? Had she been too clingy? Too needy? Too demanding? Too selfish? Had it been something she said or did?
On and on the questions ran through her mind along with mental images of times she had spent together with Ichigo. At first, she couldn't see where she could have messed things up, but the more she thought about it and the more those pictures flashed through her mind the more she could see just how much Ichigo had had to put up with while she was around.
He was always having to pay for things she didn't really need like popcorn at the movies or ice cream at the mall or even silly little mementos from their days at the beach or festivals. He had never complained about having to put up with her rambling conversations, but now that she thought about it, she had never really given him the chance to say much anyway. So many things that any decent girlfriend would have done that she had failed to do pressed in upon Orihime until she felt more tears prickling the corners of her eyes once again.
Out loud, Orihime spoke her thoughts in a tearful, croaky voice, "If only he would give me another chance, I promise I would be a better girlfriend. I would be more supportive, more understanding, listen more, more giving...I would do anything and everything I could to make him happy."
Closing her eyes and covering them with her arm, Orihime choked out, "I know he deserves better than me. He is so kind, strong, protective, determined and just so perfect that he could have his pick of any girl and they would definitely be a better choice."
Putting both hands over her face, Orihime sobbed, "But I just love him so much! I just want him to know how much I love him and how sorry I am!"
Turning over onto her side and pulling her knees up once again, Orihime began to cry in earnest once again. She cries were so loud that she failed to hear the raised voice outside her door calling her name.
It wasn't until the owner of that voice pushed open the door, charged into Orihime's apartment and called out her name that she was even aware of the person's presence.
"Orihime!"
Hearing her name called by that voice, Orihime shot bolt upright and hastily attempted to unblock her eyes to make sure that her mind wasn't playing cruel tricks on her. The feeling of warm, strong and familiar arms encircling her body in a protective embrace confirmed that the deepest and most desperate desire of her heart had come true. Gathering up a third wind, Orihime clung to the owner of the arms and voice as fresh tears and sobs wracked her body violently.
It took about three minutes before Orihime's grief began to subside and in that time Orihime could feel firm and soothing hands tracing circles on her back as the arms pulled her closer to the strong shoulder and chest on which she allowed herself to be supported.
Sniffing and hiccupping, Orihime fought to control her voice as she said, "I'm sorry, Ichigo."
Ichigo's beloved voice replied in a tone of soft incredulity, "What in the world are you apologizing for?"
Fighting valiantly to keep her tears at bay and her voice under control, Orihime rasped out, "I haven't been a good girlfriend and I completely understand why you wouldn't want to go out with me anymore, but I...but I...I...I love you too much. I'm so selfish for not wanting you to go and be happy with someone else...someone who would be better for you."
"Orihime, are you trying to say you want to break up with me because you're not good enough for me?"
Even in her grief ridden and exhausted state, Orihime was able to understand what he was asking and pushed herself away so that she could look at him through her blurry vision and puffy eyes as she said, "I don't want to break up with you."
Ichigo blinked at Orihime before he said, "Well, that's certainly what it sounded like to me."
Orihime returned the blank stare before she replied, "Of course I didn't say I wanted to break up with you only that I understood why you broke up with me and how while I don't way you to it-Ichigo what's wrong?"
Orihime's tone had become worried and a little frightened in response to Ichigo's ferocious scowl that had suddenly darkened his features.
"What made you think that I wanted to break up with you, Orihime?"
It was less of a question and more of a growl and Orihime's voice quavered as she said, "You texted me."
In his shock, Ichigo's face lost the scowl and was replaced by another blank stare as he somehow managed to ask, "I did what?"
Feeling extremely bewildered at Ichigo's apparent lapse of memory, Orihime decided that showing him the destructive and conclusive text message would make this conversation move along. So she looked around briefly for her phone, picked it up, pulled up the message and then handed her phone to Ichigo without another word.
Ichigo silently received the phone and Orihime saw his eyes look at the words uncomprehendingly a few times before surprise and horror began to flood his eyes.
Looking back up into Orihime's eyes Ichigo said quietly, "Orihime, I am so sorry. I thought I sent this message to Chad."
Orihime stared at Ichigo in bemusement as he went on saying, "I meant to send this to Chad because we are working on a presentation for school together. I said we need to call it quits on the idea we were working on because it's just not coming together as nicely as I thought it would."
Reaching up to cup Orihime's face between his hands, Ichigo said in a tone of remorse, "This message wasn't meant for you. You didn't do anything wrong and I most certainly do not want to break up with you. I love you, Orihime Inoue."
Leaning forward, Ichigo gently kissed her cheeks, eyes, mouth, chin, back to the mouth, tip of the nose and then once again her mouth before the full meaning of Ichigo's words began to sink into Orihime's brain.
Ichigo loved her. He didn't want to break up with her. Ichigo still wanted to be with her. He loved her.
With another cry and wave of tears, Orihime threw her arms around Ichigo's neck and mumbled incoherently against his shoulder. Once again he held her close and this time alternately rubbed her back, whispered words of affection in her ear and kissed her face and hair tenderly.
A little while later, when Orihime managed to compose herself once again, Ichigo said slowly, "Man, this was not the way I envisioned celebrating your birthday, Orihime. I'm sorry."
Something clicked in Orihime's brain and she said simply, "Oh that's right. It is my birthday today, isn't it?"
Ichigo looked down at Orihime disbelievingly before he said, "You forgot it was your own birthday today?"
Orihime gave a small sheepish nod and Ichigo sighed resignedly as he said, "Well, I guess that might work out well for me. If we ever get married it could be that you'll forget when our anniversary is and I won't get in trouble if I happen to throw together a present at the last minute or am a day or two late."
Before Orihime could reply, Ichigo pulled her away from him so he could look into her eyes again and said in a serious tone, "Now this whole thing was my fault to begin with and I fully intend to make it up to you for at least the next few weeks, but don't ever scare me like that again."
In her surprise, Orihime could only open and close her mouth in confusion while Ichigo went on, "Your neighbor downstairs heard you screaming and banging on the floor before you went all quiet. I had told her that if she ever heard those kinds of noises coming from your apartment that she was to call me immediately. The whole time I was running here pictures kept flashing through my mind about you being abducted again by Arrancars or mauled and killed by Hollows."
It took a moment for the full meaning of Ichigo's words to sink in and as it did a slow procession of pink quickly turning to red colored Orihime's entire face.
Raising her hand to cover her mouth in a common gesture of suppressed horror, Orihime said slowly, "I wasn't thinking...I didn't mean...oh dear...what poor Mrs. Li must think..."
Suddenly frantic, Orihime struggled to stand as she said hastily, "I need to tell her...she needs an apology...I'm going to have to take her something to make u-oh!"
For whatever reason, Ichigo had allowed his flustered girlfriend to make it to the doorway before he blocked the door. Orihime jumped a little in surprise before she turned her slightly less puffy but still cutely wide eyes upon him with a quizzical stare.
In a tone that brooked no argument, Ichigo stated, "You're not going anywhere. I'll make us something to eat with whatever you have here and we'll watch whatever you want."
As Orihime opened her mouth, Ichigo cut her off saying, "I'll call Mrs. Li so that she knows you're all right and none of what I just said is up for debate, discussion or discourse. You go sit on the couch and start figuring out what we're watching tonight."
Less than an hour later, Orihime was snuggled against Ichigo's chest with his arm around her shoulders laughing merrily at the antics of the different comedic actors on TV. No one would have believed that about two hours previously Orihime's heart had been broken almost beyond repair...almost.
While it would be rather inaccurate to say that Orihime's entire world revolved around Ichigo and her love for him, it would not be much of a stretch to say that he had taken up residence in a large portion of her heart and life to where she had a hard time imagining her future without him beside her. What she did not know at that time, but would find out a few years later, was that the same held true for Ichigo.
