InsaneJournal

Orihime Fic, "Trust"
Title: Trust
Author: haruomi
Rating: PG, I guess
Character(s)/Paring(s): Orihime (and her as of now unrequited feelings for Ichigo), mentions of others.
Disclaimer: Hahahahahahano.
Warnings: FLUFF AND SPOILERS AND THE THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT.
Notes and Dedication: To kay_willow on LJ, for providing me with that prompt of Orihime and “holding hands”. I’m sorry for the complete and utter failure.

Also, let me know if you see any mistakes. I know they're there.

For as long as she could remember, Orihime has always been protected by others.

She doesn’t mind, of course. She knows that she’s weak. She knows that she’ll never be on the same level as her friends in power or skill. But she’s also come to realize that she can’t depend on them forever. After finding people she wants to protect with her life -Kurosaki-kun, especially-, it’s obvious that she’ll never be of any use to them if she doesn’t get stronger.

Although such a feat may not be possible for someone like her, Orihime wants to try anyway. She wants to do all she can, to the very best of her ability, so she won’t have any regrets later on.

After all, she isn’t a little girl anymore.

When Orihime was still in elementary school, she remembers how the teacher would tell the class to hold hands while on field trips, so no one would get lost. Because, as long as the students were connected -as long as they were together-, they could trust that their partner would always be by their side.

It’s a good idea, she thinks now, a bit older and wiser than she was at the time, A perfect way to keep the children safe.

It’s just a shame that no one ever wanted to hold my hand.

As much as she wants to say that it never hurt her, that she didn’t mind her classmates hating her simply because she looked different, she can’t. It was painful, whenever she had to walk alone. It was lonely, being treated the way she was, just because she wasn’t the same as everyone else.

Fortunately for her, she had her older brother with her during those hard times. And, although it didn’t exactly solve all of her problems, it certainly made them seem trivial in comparison.

Besides, it was Sora who protected her from abusive parents, raised her at the cost of his own future, protected her long after he died, and willingly put his soul to rest so that she wouldn’t get hurt anymore.

After he passed away, Tatsuki-chan came into her life. It was all thanks to Tatsuki-chan that Orihime was able to get through her brother’s death, didn’t have to worry about the bullies at school, and had someone always by her side when she was feeling lonely or discouraged.

Then, not even six months ago (although it feels much, much longer), Orihime met Kurosaki-kun.

Not the Kurosaki-kun she knows from school, the one who growls and grumbles at anything that moves, but the Shinigami Kurosaki-kun. The one who throws himself into danger and risks his life to protect people he hardly even knows. The Kurosaki-kun she fell in love with. The Kurosaki-kun she might even die for.

As silly as it might seem, since that day Kurosaki-kun saved her from the hollow her brother had become, Orihime likes to believe that he also gave her a piece of himself. His determination, his unshakeable resolve.

It’s now a part of her that no one can ever take away.

Even as a prisoner in Hueco Mundo -knowing that Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, Renji-kun are fighting all over Los Noches to rescue her- Orihime will keep on believing in her friends. She’ll keep on praying for their safety.

After all, with Kurosaki-kun’s presence all around her, it’s as comforting as if he was really holding her hand.

So she may be scared, she may not know what to expect, but she won’t give up.

She trusts that her friends will make this out alive.