THE HEART

Chapter Seven : Your Guardian Angel

A/N : Sorry for taking so long getting this chapter up everyone!!!!....So here it is guy's the moment of truth....***(laugh)***bwahahahahahahah***(cough)***:-);-)

PlayList :

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus : Your Guardian Angel

Evanesence : Bring me to life

Linkin Park : Numb

NickelBack : Photograph

The Script : The Man who can't be moved

The All American Rejects : Real World

Stereophonics : Maybe Tomorrow

Chapter Six : Your Guardian Angel

It was early spring when Orihime stepped foot into her apartment again. When she did, she found that she couldn't speak. Instead, she stepped around her home touching things absentmindedly while trying to gauge her shockingly calm feelings. Eventually, she made it to her desk, where an open notebook lay. She noticed some writing scribbled in the corner, and her hand trembled as she reached out, her fingers smoothing over the words.

It was then that she sunk to her knees and wept.

When she had cried herself dry and shed all of her hurt, she wiped away her tears and reclaimed life. Now she could smile at the girl who had written such condemning and hopeless words; she was stronger now, so none of that worry mattered. But even so, Orihime found it was somewhat hard for her new self to suddenly be thrown into her old life. Without knowing what else to do, Orihime began cleaning her apartment, and little by little, she began feeling at home once again. She went shopping, filled her fridge with food, and baked the most ingredient packed cake she had ever made.

Slowly but surely, Orihime picked up the pieces of her shattered life. She and Tatsuki spent many long hours together in the days to come. Eventually, Orihime even was able to speak about her time in Las Noches. She told Tatsuki about the many things she had seen and felt. It was therapeutic, sharing some of her more difficult memories, but she never quite got over them completely. There was something there, a sunken part of her heart, that never seemed to let up.

Some nights, they would lay mats on the small space on the roof and star gaze. On one such occasion, when Orihime was being more silent than usual, Tatsuki made an observation.

"You've changed, you know," Tatsuki stated, blowing softly over her tea as Orihime looked over at her.

Her face fell as she asked, "I have?"

Tatsuki nodded, her face betraying her amusement as she replied. "Sure. You've definitely grown up. Haven't you noticed?"

Orihime worried her lip for a moment and glanced away, thinking. "I...I suppose I have changed."

"But," Tatsuki went on, her smile unfaltering, with Orihime looking back at her in wonder, "you changed because you wanted to. You didn't change for anyone but yourself."

She stared a moment, blinking, her eyes beginning to feel slightly misty as a slow smile spread across her face. "I did..."

Tatsuki bent her head towards her cup, her expression mischievous as she added, "You never used to look at the moon so much either."

Orihime found she could give no excuse for that.

It was raining the day she returned to her apartment after school and found a man lying on her couch. At first she had gasped, and then she spent a moment wondering if she was perhaps dreaming. Who could really blame her for her confusion? It wasn't every day that your former enemy wound up taking a nap in your home, especially when he hadn't even been invited. She watched him, unsure of what to do, and after what seemed like centuries, she saw two vivid green eyes open to observe her casually. He watched her, and she watched back, but eventually curiosity got the better of her, and she spoke.