Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite, I Muise, will never own it a day in my life of ichihime shipping…

Warning: strong T+ story, rating may change, slight sexual content and smexy scenes!

Can You Hear Me Now?

Chapter One

Home

As soon as the glass doors of the airport closed behind him, he felt the cool breeze of summer. The sun was covered in wispy clouds and the sky was still an orange-ish tint rather then a bright blue when he had gotten on the plane seven hours before.

Ichigo stretched his arms out and let out a tired yawn as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. The long trip had tired him out, though some would say sitting in a chair for a few hours wasn't so bad. But you had to consider the small fact that the chair was very lumpy.

He got to the side of the road and walked down the busy sidewalk to find a motel to spend the night in instead of hunting down the friend he was supposed to spend the summer with.

It had been five years since Ichigo had stepped foot in his home town of Karakura. Needless to say he was happy to be back and see all the people he had left behind for the busy Harvard University in America. He had happily fulfilled his dream of becoming a doctor and planned to move to Tokyo as soon as he finished his last year there start after the summer.

Lucky for him, he had taken summer courses the past five years instead of coming home and was lucky enough to earn the right to graduate in that time instead of the eight years it usually took others. His teachers had congratulated him and said he was a natural at his future career and would probably become one of the most wanted doctors around the world.

Not only that, he was now one of the most wanted males to date at the University. He remembered people fearing him when he was in high school (save the few who were his friends) and only one girl in particular that asked him out.

Inoue Orihime.

Why was she the only one to be remembered in particular? Well, she was his best friend.

From what he remembered, Orihime was a nerdy girl who made better grades then him. She wore thick rimmed glasses, baggy sweaters, knee length skirts, and her hair was always in two messy French braids. It was always a private little contest between the two of who would score higher in a test and who would get teased for not making it in the top three. Little things like this since they first met when they were in middle school. They would always be friends.

He always thought of her like he did in the past: a friend. She was never a looker; boys dared each other to ask her out if they lost a bet. He was the one to protect her from those people along with their other friend, Tatsuki.

She had always been the only girl teased and hurt from gossip and childish pranks that were sometime taken too far. She had a terrible past that only he and Tatsuki were told straight from her about. They never believed the dramatic rumors of her selling her body for money or about her older brother sexually abusing her.

But through all the drama, she still found a reason to smile and laugh, which Ichigo looked up to from her. She was always giggling and joking around about how she wished to be a robot or maybe take up creating monsters as her career.

This was back when Ichigo didn't judge people by their looks. He knew that on the inside she was as beautiful as any flower or picture. Orihime always had the sun shining inside of her to create light for him to find his way through a dark and small tunnel.

She was his sun, his best friend.

But then he left to pursue a better life and left her in the dust on a cold winter night.

He regretted it, but he had to leave, he had to get out before he became too far into the lovable town of Karakura. Because once you have stayed after high school, there is no escaping. He left before finishing high school since the school already accepted him; he had taken classes to graduate early if he wanted to anyway. He watched her call for him in the snow to not go, to not leave her behind like her parents.

But he left and she cried.

He pretended he had never heard her cries. He walked on and left her to freeze alone in the dark.

The light went out and he was forced to find his way out of the dark tunnels alone.

And now he was back. Ichigo had come to a place he fears the most, a place where Orihime was still living. He had dreamed of their reunion. Sometimes she understood and told him she was just glad to have him back, others she hated him and never looked at him without utter disgust. He was scared to finally see how she would look at him. He didn't want to have one of the purest people on the face of the planet hate him.

Ichigo stopped in front of a cheap looking hotel that would have to do. He really didn't care, so as long as the bed was more comfortable then the damn chair he had sat in for seven hours straight. His back still ached.

"Ichigo?"

He stopped and looked over his shoulder to find a short woman with a petite but strong frame. She had big indigo eyes and a small mouth. Her hair was black as a raven and hit five inches below her shoulders. A single strand of hair cut through the middle of her face all the way down to her chin. She smiled up at him with her thin eyebrows raised.

"It really is you, isn't it?" she asked him with the small smile still grazing her lips. She was dressed in jeans and a thin coat over her light green shirt with a Chinese design.

"Rukia?" Ichigo questioned with a bit of shock in his tone. She still looked the same from their earlier years. Her hair was longer, but still had the same style to it. Her body frame was the same and she had maybe grown an inch taller in the last five years. But there was no real change, she still had the same attitude it seemed or at least from what he could tell.

She just grinned. "Yes you idiot, of course it's me! Who the hell else would it be?" She put her hands on her wide hips and playfully glared at him with her grin still in place.

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe someone taller?"

A nerve ticked and she kicked him in the shin hard. He groaned out in pain and bent over to try and stop the pain from worsening on his now bruised shin. She laughed at him with the smirk e painfully remembered from high school.

He noted that Rukia still had the arrogant but noble air coming from her. She always got into trouble and dragged him and Orihime into her messes with her older boyfriend who in a yakuza group at the time. She would drag him out of class to fight off people who were giving trouble to others. Orihime had proclaimed he was a super hero off to fight off crime and save the towns people. He had dismissed the thought and told her he didn't even want to have any part of it. She just pouted and told him he was made to save people.

This was probably when he had the first thought of becoming a doctor. He had Orihime to thank for that. A shame he had not seen or even talk to her in so many years.

Rukia on the other hand, was thinking through the years she had known the man in front of her. She was slightly angered that he had grown even taller then before and was more built. She saw he had a spoiled rich boy air around him, probably from being surrounded by other rich snobs at the collage he had gone to. She knew it was supposed to be famous from its high ratings, but she would always look at it as a place for the rich.

She didn't even like the way he was dressed.

Ichigo was sporting a white button up shirt with a black formal jacket and black slacks to match. Rukia wanted to slap him upside the head all of a sudden. What had happen to the scowling punk who didn't care about looks or appearance? Sure the scowl was still in place, but it seemed he actually put thought into what he was going to wear! Where was the boy who treated everyone one like shit except for one certain princess in question?

This man was not her friend. He was a complete stranger in her eyes.

She ignored the urge to punch him and ask questions later.

"So…" she inquired awkwardly. "I know Tatsuki told me you were coming back; we just didn't expect you till tomorrow or even a few days from now. You could have at least called and told them you got here."

"Oh please," Ichigo rolled his eyes, "they would have just complained about not being ready yet and all that crap."

"Well, just be warned that you'll have to face the furry of the dragon," Rukia joked. She ran a hand through her thin ebony hair and started to walk to the direction of Tatsuki's apartment. "Are you following me or not?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Where to exactly?"

She rolled her eye in response. "Wonderland you idiot, where the hell else?" When he didn't respond she went back and reached to slap him in the back of the head. "To Tatsuki's place where I believe you are supposed to be staying."

Ichigo grumbled something about hating midgets. He walked on and followed her to what he thought of as hell if the girl he least wanted to see was there waiting to murder him in his sleep. He also wondered if she had taken up contacts and put her hair down.

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"Perfect, simply amazing!"

A brunet haired girl with her hair up in pigtails eyes sparkled with new ideas of what ways her model should pose. The woman being thought of was lying on a long relaxing chair in a sexy black pantie set. A fluffy white coat was hanging off her shoulders in a seductive manner and her lips painted a bloody red. Her grey eyes shined as flashes from the camera hit her like kisses from men. Her long hair curled out and hid her face to make her look mysterious.

She got on her knees and pushed her generously sized breasts out by letting her arms go behind her head as if she was being held back by a chain. She let her lashes flutter for the shot.

The photographer's eyes widened. "God, you have to be one of the best models ever! I didn't even think of this pose!" She exclaimed. She stopped when a low beep came from her camera. She sighed and looked back at her model. "Sorry, I'll have to go put in another chip for this thing."

In the background stood a tall male with a lean but strong body, he was devilishly handsome with mysterious black orbs and shoulder length ebony hair. A small scar went over one of his eyes.

He growled in annoyance at the small girl. "Riruka, when am I supposed to pose in the picture with her?"

"When I get back with my other chip you stubborn ass," the girl named Riruka snapped at him. "Geez, sometimes I wonder how you even got into the modeling business with that attitude…"

"Because I worked unlike some people," he said with a smirk, then looked over at the woman who he was modeling with. He licked his lips when he saw how her breasts overfilled the cups of her bra, almost exposing her nipples. She had long legs that ended with cute feet which were in six inch heels. She had to be the sexiest and beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he had seen a lot in his life time as a model.

"Tsukishima," Riruka warned. "You better not sexually assault her while I'm gone!"

"Tch, I wasn't planning on it you little bitch. This is just business after all. We look sexy and you just take the pictures."

She scowled at his foul language but nodded anyway. Tsukishima was a man pure of business and money so it would ruin him to do such a thing. So she turned back and went to her office to find her memory chip for her camera without a second glance. But she speed walked her way feeling a little bit worried.

The woman in the seat frowned. "You shouldn't say things like that, Tsukishima-kun," she said while giving him a pleading look at his back.

He sighed and turned to face her seeing how she seemed near tears. "Christ, if you cry you'll ruin your make-up and then we'll have to stop for the day again."

"Oh," she gasped and tried to hold in whatever was about to fall from her eyes. "I wasn't going to cry! It's just these contacts keep on bothering me lately, I think I might have to go and buy some more soon…" she pouted at the thought. Contacts had grown so expensive over the last few months.

"Still as cheap as ever I see," he stated sounding bored.

"Ano, I'm not che-" she was interrupted when he got closer then she had expected. Her back was now flush against the soft cotton couch. Tsukishima had crawled on top of her and his hard chest was almost touching her soft mounds. She blushed as his hot breath blew over her ear as he whispered into her ear.

"Do you still remember the promise we made," he asked her huskily. He backed up to face her bright red face. His gaze was lazy and hers embarrassed.

"I-I… I do…" she stuttered out. She was tempted to look up at him. She wanted to see if his eyes were filled with love or just plain lust. She gulped but never dared to take a peak.

She didn't see it coming as he began to suck her unprotected tender flesh on her neck. She bit back a moan. His hands started running up and down her sides but not touching her most private parts. He was teasing her on purpose, but she knew he was doing it to probably laugh at her later.

"Tell me… do you see him when I do this to you?"

He took a strand of her auburn hair and it was then that she saw another face, the face of the man who left her behind.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

He held in his laughter to watch her fall apart and call out her loved one's name. He wanted so bad to just take her right now, but it wasn't time yet. He still hadn't broken her down all the way yet, nor has he even taken a glance at that one she always called out to with love.

So with bitter amusement, he called out her name with his voice and kissed her harshly.

"Inoue."

"Oi, Inoue!"

"Christ, are you trying give me and Tatsuki a heart attack Inoue?"

"Happy White day… Inoue…"

"I'll always protect you Inoue, no matter what!"

"Inoue, they're just jealous of you…"

"Thank for helping me with this Inoue."

"Anytime, Inoue."

"I think you gave me the idea to try and protect people, Inoue, so thank you."

"Inoue… I-I… I think Iov…"

"We'll be friends forever, Inoue!"

"Ori- ORIHIME!"

"Goodbye… Inoue…"

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Next Chapter: Reunion

Here I am writing another because I am so darn lazy! This one is so much easier though! I wrote the whole thing in only an hour! That Is pretty amazing for me I think! I find myself planning out other chapters, but not the one I am writing right now for HTBB, haha.

This fic is for the summer and will probably be finish before the end of it. Chapter should round from about to 2 to 5 thousand. I love this story cause it is mysterious in its own special way and I hope you guys enjoy it as well!

AU seems to be my area in Ichihime, but I do have idea's for slight canon, I wanna write some GrimNel or UraYoru because it is super sexy! XD

Summer is in two weeks for me, expect updates and some hot stuff you guys!

Please review and tell me what you think! It is these that give me inspiration to write another chapter just as quick as before!