AN: This is my first Bleach story, so be kind. Sorry if the characters sound a little OOC. The idea of the story came about after the episode, during the second season, when Orihime was with Squad 11, talking about their reason for being the Soul Society. Those who may not remember that, that was when Maki Maki came upon Orihime and Uryu and Mayuri was about to kill them but Orihime protected Maki Maki. He took her away when Uryu told them to run. He then bumped into Yachiru and together the two took them to what could have been Squad 11 barracks where Ikkaku and Yumichika were recuperating from their injuries of fighting Gangu and Ichigo.
Edited: 08/19/16 - for spelling errors
Story set before the time skip but after the battle with the Arrancars
Entering a Foreign Territory
From the day Yumichika met Orihime, he always thought she was gorgeous. He knew she was a bit flaky but that didn't stop him from admiring her beauty. And everyone knew Yumichika had a mono towards himself about never looking upon people who were ugly. Well Orihime Inoue was far from that. He often found himself dreaming of her beauty, but always kept it to himself, never telling anyone, not even Ikkaku.
Now the day had come again when Yumichika was going to be face to face with the girl who had been plaguing his dreams. He was ordered to the World of the Living, on a mission to search for a lost artefact of the Soul Society. He was being sent out on his own. Upon getting to Earth, Yumichika was quick to make his way over to Orihime's. From the few times he had been to Karakura Town, he had been able to remember where the young woman lived, who lived by herself.
He knocked on her door, hoping she was home. Where it was dark, he could see there were lights on but he knew that didn't always mean someone was home. He took a deep breath as the door began to open. There before him stood Orihime, dressed in a set of strange clothes, which he knew were known as pajamas. He and Ikkaku had worn men's pajamas before when they had stayed on Earth.
"Yumichika!" she squeaked. "What brings you here?" She opened the door up for him to enter.
He smiled at her invitation, entering her home, closing the door behind him. With him not in his gigai, he didn't want anyone to catch Orihime talking to herself. As a Soul Reaper, no one could see him, except for those with high Spiritual Pressure.
"I'm sorry for coming so late," he said. "I was wondering if I could stay here for a few days."
"What's going on?" She walked over to her sofa, sitting down, folding her legs partly under her. She had just been getting ready to turn out her lights and head off to bed. She didn't have school the next morning, but she was beginning to get tired.
"I've been sent out to search for a lost object from the Soul Society. It's said to be here in Karakura Town."
"Never heard of something like that happening," Orihime answered. "I've only seen you guys come here to stop Hollows and you have Ichigo to do that plus you have one of your guys here as well."
"Yeah, well it's funny how strange assignments come up," Yumichika replied as he took a seat on the nearby chair.
"So are you going to need the use of your gigai then?"
Yumichika shook his head. "I'm hoping not to. It's always so much easier to do things when I don't have to reveal myself to others. You and your friends are different since you have enough spiritual pressure to see me as it is."
"Yeah it's really strange you know. I used to not be able to sense spiritual pressures. It wasn't until the night my brother attacked me. He became a Hollow, trying to kill me until Ichigo showed up and saved me. Rukia tried to use that memory altering thing but soon I was able to remember it on my own, which was when I began to sense spiritual pressures."
"And your unique gift with your hair pins finally revealed themselves to you?"
Orihime nodded. "Yes. It was when my best friend Tatsuki was being attacked by a Hollow and the overwhelming urge to save her released them. I was quite scared at first but now I've grown accustomed to them."
Yumichika nodded and suddenly noticed something with her. She seemed a little sad. "I don't mean to pry," he started as he leant forward. "But is it just me or do you seem sad for some reason?"
Orihime looked up to him. He knew. Guess she was quite transparent right now. There was no sense in keeping it from him. He was a smart man after all. "It's just five years ago today… my brother died in a car accident."
Feeling sorry for her, Yumichika gave a look of concern. He stood, going over to the sofa to sit beside her. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said honestly. "And since that day you've been alone."
She looked to him, a little startled to see him so close, but he was a friend. They may not have met on good terms, but he and many others from the Soul Society became good friends with her.
"Well I wouldn't say alone," she answered quietly. "I do have Ichigo and Tatsuki."
"But you have no other family," he insisted. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.
"No…" she whispered as a single tear fell.
She realized he must have seen the tear as in the next moment; he was even closer to her with a warm thumb, brushing that one tear away. Her heart skipped a beat. The closeness he was to her was giving her butterflies in her stomach. Why was she feeling like this? She had the hots for Ichigo.
"I know how you feel," he said gently. "I too have no family. I adopted one with my Captain and Ikkaku and yes you can say my Lieutenant too. She can be a handful but she was with Captain Zaraki when I met him. And just like you, you adopted a family yourself. You have those here in the World of the Living and you even have us from the Soul Society."
She gulped, knowing he was speaking the truth. She did have an extended family. And though Ichigo, she knew, did not share her feelings, he was just as concerned for her like he was with a member of his family. She even had Tatsuki, Chad and Uryu to help her in times of need. And of course she had the modified souls, they were always nice to have around.
In the Soul Society, she had Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Captain Ukitake, Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika as part of her extended family. The two Captains weren't as close as the others, but they did have their gentle side towards her and would do anything to keep her from harms way. Captain Ukitake was like a father to her.
Another tear escaped her eye as she felt her wall begin to crumble. The wall she placed up to protect herself from the onslaught of sadness. It was the whole reason she turned into a flake head in the first place. She did it to forget and to run from her sadness. But with Yumichika in front of her, she wasn't able to keep the walls up any longer. His soothing voice was doing her in.
He could see the desperation in her eyes that she really didn't want to break down in front of him, but he knew she must. Even though he was a member of Squad 11, that didn't stop him from having compassionate thoughts. His thumb had remained on her skin where the tear fell. The other tear was still tracking down her face, getting him to reach up and brush that one tear away as well. Now he had both hands on her face.
"Orihime, it's never good to keep your feelings bottled up inside." Yumichika was dropping his strong front of Squad 11, to be someone he once was before he ever even met Ikkaku.
"But…" her voice cracked under the strain of fighting the tears.
Yumichika shook his head. "Let it out. No one needs to know. Not Ichigo. Not Ikkaku. I'll be the only one who needs to know this." He was offering his shoulder for her to lean on.
That did it, Orihime no longer could hold it in as she fell against the man's chest openly sobbing, soaking the orange accessory around his neck. Yumichika knew she was going to fall into his arms, which is why he encouraged her to let it out.
As she sobbed, his arms went around her back in a comforting gesture. "It's ok," he soothed.
"No it's not!" she cried in his chest. "My brother is gone and he was turned into a Hollow before Ichigo saved his soul. I have no family left to care for me."
Yumichika had no idea how to answer her statement. She was right and yet she was wrong. She had her extended family to care for her, but that wasn't the same thing as having a real family. Rukia had an adopted brother but even that wasn't fully the same thing though they had been family for over 50 years now and in reality they were actually sibling in-laws.
He held on to her, not knowing nor caring about the time. His mission could wait. It was getting late as it was. Eventually Orihime's sobs turned into whimpers. Her arms were around his back, gripping the material of his kimono.
"I'm sorry," she finally whimpered out.
"Sorry for what?" he asked, gently holding her.
"For soaking your uniform."
"No need to apologize," he said as he pulled her off him to look into her tear filled eyes. "You needed someone and I'm here for you. I wish there was something more I could do for you, but I'm only a Squad 11 Soul Reaper with a thirst for fighting."
Orihime tried to smile but her frown couldn't be turned. She found it was amusing to see a hell bent fighter sitting in front of her, allowing her to cry on him. His words replayed in her mind 'Let it out. No one needs to know. Not Ichigo. Not Ikkaku. I'll be the only one who needs to know this.' He truly was placing his reputation of a warrior on the line for being concerned for her.
With him giving her so much comfort in the last several minutes, she knew she just had to accept his request to stay. She pulled fully out of his arms, standing up. "I guess you can stay here. I do have another room you can use. Mind you it hasn't been used in awhile."
"Anything is better than nothing," he commented. "The two times Ikkaku and I were here, we stayed at your friend Keigo's and both times we were only invited to stay all because of Ikkaku's bald head."
Orihime turned to the man, finally releasing a giggle. "Mizuho can be a handful."
"You're telling me," Yumichika responded as he stood. "She was such a pest towards Ikkaku but now I think there's an understanding."
"I've seen her talk about Ikkaku sometimes but I think she's finally gotten over him… I think…" Orihime's eyes lifted as if she was trying to remember.
"Ikkaku would love to hear that. Anyway, weren't you going to show me a room to sleep in?" Yumichika asked, getting back to the subject at hand.
Orihime seemed to snap out of it as her gaze went back on the man. "Oh right! I'm sorry. I forgot." She turned away, heading down a hall and stopped in front of a closed door.
Yumichika stayed right with her as she walked. He watched her open the door and there before the both of them was a darkened room. He could see there was a bed and it looked like it hadn't been slept in a long time. At first sight of the room, Orihime had to turn away.
"Forgive me," she said sadly, the raw emotion of just a few moments ago, returned, full force. "Excuse me, I think I need the bathroom."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and he could see a fresh onslaught of tears surfacing. It then hit him. The room was once her brother's. He quickly turned around, grabbing her arm, firmly yet gently, causing her to gasp in shock. He didn't want to her hurt her.
"Please, don't hide from me," he said quietly. "You don't have to here. I already told you, no one has to know."
Her eyes casted down as he looked down at her. There wasn't much height difference between the two but there was enough she was able to cast her eyes away from his.
"And please, don't play me for a fool. I know you're hurting and seeing your brother's room is bringing out the tears once again. I don't have to sleep in there if it's hurting you too much."
She snapped her head up, looking directly into his purple eyes. "No!" Her eyes were glassed over with unshed tears. "You shouldn't do that just because of me. It's not fair or right. I'm offering you that room."
"But it's not right of me to take something that upsets you so much," he argued.
Orihime shook her head. "Please," tears fell from her eyes. "Take the room. It's the least I can do for all the help you've given me."
Yumichika hated to see her cry. His hand reached out to again brush her tears. "A beautiful woman such as yourself shouldn't cry. It makes her appearance less appealing."
Nearly an inaudible gasped escaped her throat from his words. He actually thought she was beautiful? And she knew he would not lie about something like that. He had even commented several times how he didn't like to look at people who were not beautiful. And from hearing such a compliment from him, she knew he really did think she was beautiful.
A blush rose in her cheeks as she gave a bashful look. "Thank you," she said quietly. "No one really has ever given me a compliment like that before."
He smiled. It pleased him to know he was able to make her blush with a compliment. "It's the truth. And you know I only like to look at those who are extremely beautiful such as myself."
"Oh… Yumichika…" her blush brightened. He truly was a remarkable man. Even if he was only a man from the spirit world.
Seeing her blush was making Yumichika feel something for the woman that he hadn't felt in many years. The way her eyes glittered while looking at him and the fact he's the first person she ever released her frustration of sadness for the loss of her brother. It was something that made Yumichika feel wanted. He knew many people probably only liked her for her looks and the fact she's big busted. But he had seen many women who were like that. Rangiku for one.
His fingers continued to brush her cheeks even after her tears were gone. He found himself wanting to touch her skin, to feel the softness and to reassure her things were ok. He saw her breath quicken at the feel of his fingers on her skin. Her eyes stared into his, in a trance.
Fear was very visible in her eyes. Fear in not wanting to move and fear in the feelings she was feeling. Orihime's heart began to race. Never in her life had she thought she would feel this way. The more she looked at the Soul Reaper before her, the less she was thinking of Ichigo.
His fingers gently slid down her cheek to her chin, lifting her chin further up to him. The urge was too irrestible. It had been far too long and being in the presence of this beautiful woman was making his mind think things that the rest of his Squad would probably tease him for. But he really didn't care. He wanted to make Orihime feel welcomed and most importantly he wanted her to stop crying. What he wanted to do was something he couldn't help himself.
"Orihime," he whispered as his head slightly lowered. "Please, forgive me."
"For what?" she whispered back, seeing his head slowly creep lower to hers. Every nerve in her body was shaking as her heart picked up speed. She knew what he wanted and she was powerless to stop him. She was about to finally have her first kiss and it was someone who was not of Earth.
"For this." He was now just a few inches from her inviting lips. He watched as her eyes slid closed. His fingers remained on her chin, giving feather touches. As his eyes closed, he completed the distance to her lips, sealing them with his own in a tender kiss, something most Squad 11 members had no idea how to do. They knew how to kiss, but not kiss with softness.
His lips were gentle and soft against her own as she felt herself wanting to melt to the floor. This was not what she had planned for her evening but him being there was making her evening turn out better than expected and now it was even more unexpecting, but enjoyable, even though it wasn't with the one she wanted to have her first kiss with.
What surprised Orihime the most was he never stepped any further to her or applied any more pressure than what he was doing. He was giving her the most gentlest kiss anyone could ever ask for. Her hands reached up to grip the orange material, resting against his chest. He could feel her hands were shaking when he felt his clothing be touched. It was then he realized he was giving her, her first kiss. That alone forced him to lift his head, leaving her enticing lips.
She wanted to protest as his lips left her own, but she held her tongue, immediately opening her eyes to see into his purple ones again.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It was not my intention to do that."
A look of confusion appeared on her face, showing him she really didn't know what he was referring to.
"Orihime, you've never been kissed before. And it wasn't right of me to take away your first kiss."
She gasped quietly as she flushed. How did he know? But his kiss wasn't all that bad. In fact it was truly a remarkable kiss. She enjoyed his gentle kiss, never knowing such a harsh fighter could be so tender. She wanted him to kiss her again.
Her eyes casted down once again, looking down at her own chest, not wanting to really look at him for fear of melting. Wanting to speak, she realized her voice had left her for a moment. But she needed to speak. She took a quivery breath, clearing her throat at the same time.
"It's…ok…" she responded shyly. "I actually…" There was a pause as she took a breath of air. "I actually enjoyed…it…"
His eyes widened, heart beating a bit faster for himself now. She actually enjoyed the kiss?! "You did?" he blinked, finding it hard to believe. He watched her blush brighten.
"Well… yeah…" she stuttered, looking up. She took a deep breath again. "Yes-I-know-it-was-my-first-kiss," she rambled very quickly, going nearly a mile a minute. "But-it-was-a-sweet-kiss and it-was-enjoyable. Never-knew-such-a-kiss-could…"
Yumichika reached forward, grasping her arms quickly before his lips crashed down upon hers, silencing her. He felt her intake of breath more than heard it as their lips crushed together. He had no idea why he did it, but needing to shut her up was the only thing on his mind. Kissing her was the best way to accomplish that task. Her rambling on really fast was confusing him.
For Orihime, she shook with fear and excitement. This man was kissing her once again but this time he was applying a lot of more pressure than before. She could feel through the kiss he was indeed a Squad 11 warrior. But there was something about him that made her feel he wouldn't hurt her like probably some other Squad 11 members would. Perhaps it was the gentleness in their first kiss or how he spoke with her about no one needs to know.
Feeling his lips so tightly against hers, forced her mind to stop thinking and just go with the flow. Her hands released the orange material to slid up and wrap around his neck, pushing him further against her. His arms were instantly wrapping around her slim waist. He could now feel her large breasts pressing against him.
A soft moan escaped her lips as his lips released some pressure, going back to kissing her tenderly like before, but still with an amount of pressure. Orihime was in complete heaven now. She never knew a kiss could be so delightful.
Hearing her moan, gave him a moment of excitement. He wanted to hear more from those beautiful lips of hers, but he had to be gentle with her. Soon the need for air disrupted them both and he moved away from her, but not before giving her light peck on her already puckered lips. But their embrace never broke. She gave a content sigh as she stared into his eyes.
Keeping one arm around her waist, the other came around, fingers lightly tracing her now swollen lips. Yumichika was falling for the woman before him and there wasn't anything he could or would do to stop it. Now the problem he would have to face was his Squad members learning of it. But that was his problem to deal with and he would deal with it. It wasn't a crime to love someone. Heck there were actually members in Squad 11 who were in relationships. He knew this was something new for the both of them. He hadn't been in a relationship since his days in the Rukon District and she had never been in a relationship. They were both entering a territory that was really foreign for the both of them.
Orihime's heart continued to hammer, not from lack of breath but from how Yumichika was tracing her lips and from his very enticing kiss. Her mind was a complete blank in what started their kissing in the first place, but she was sure it would come back to her once reality would finally catch up with her. But for the meantime, she was just simple going to enjoy his embrace.
He gave her a gentle smile. "Guess forgiveness is no longer neccassary," he breathed, finally breaking the silence. "I will be honored to take your brother's former room if that is what you please."
His words finally brought her around, realizing what brought everything on. She gave a slight gasp at the memory of how their kiss first started. He was trying to stop her from crying and then stop her from babbling.
"Please," she whispered, not able to get any higher. "It would be rude if you didn't." She couldn't trust her own voice at the moment to speak any louder.
He didn't want to leave her side, but he knew he had to. He had a job to do and it wasn't going to get done, standing in her hallway, arms around one another.
"Perhaps, I should let you rest," he suggested. His other arm finally removed from her waist as both hands reached up to grasp her wrists, pulling her arms from his neck. She didn't do anything to stop him. The lack of her arms around him made him wish they were still there, but they both had things to do.
"I suppose," she answered sadly. "You did come here seeking accomdinations because of a mission." Yeah, she finally was able to remember that too.
"I did," he agreed. "But I did find something much more interesting." He could tell his words were upsetting her again.
Her head perked up, wondering what that was.
"To kiss the most beautiful human that I've ever known," he smiled. His smile widened as he saw her blush brightly.
"You don't mean that," she answered shyly.
His fingers hooked under her chin, getting her to look at him again. "Now you should know the honor of a Squad 11 Soul Reaper. He always speaks the truth and you know I always speak the truth when it comes to beauty. In fact I think I may be a little jealous for your beauty, I think, may surpass my own. But that's something I could tolerate."
Her cheeks flamed brightly, heat rising throughout her entire body. Her mind wanted to scream and hide away, while her heart was wanting to scream out with a happy dance.
He was delighted to see how she was able to react to his words. Seeing her blush and be bashful was a trait he was seriously enjoying. It was probably something he would love to explore more, but for right now, he did have to part ways with her, as much as he really didn't want to. With reluctance, his fingers left her chin once more and he took a step back, until reaching the archway into the spare bedroom.
"Sweet dreams, my beautiful Orihime," he added.
Another blush crept into her cheeks. "You as well," she said back.
She stepped towards her door, going in her room, but not before passing another glance to Yumichika who was still staring at her. This was going to be one night where her mind wasn't going to think of her misadventures in Heuco Mundo. No. This time her dreams were hopefully going to be of him and their wonderful kiss they shared.