For those of you who are reading this from my other story Unforgettable… YAY, I'm so glad you decided to follow it.

If someone is reading this who hasn't read the first chapter of Unforgettable, you don't have to read that story to follow this one but they tie in together so you might be interested. Just a suggestion.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Who is that?" Isshin asked, a look of awe spreading over his ruggedly handsome face as he stared across the field.

Ryuken turned in the direction his best friend was staring, brushing back a strand of medium brown hair that fell across his face. His eyes widened and he had to blink several times to make sure it really was who he thought it was when he saw the figure in question. "That's Masaki… my sister," he answered, now glaring at his friend.

"That's your sister?" Isshin asked incredulously. "That's not possible. No one that gorgeous could be related to you."

Ryuken decided to ignore the insult, knowing the argument would get him nowhere. When the woman with long, wavy brown hair waved in their direction, Ryuken waved back and started walking forward. Isshin followed closely behind, his jaw hanging in stunned amazement as he watched his slightly shorter friend walk right up to the woman and give her a huge hug.

"Masaki, you're finally back," Ryuken announced, holding his sister at arms length as he took in her smiling face.

"I got back a few hours ago. They told me you were out here so I came looking for you," she said, her eyes shining with happiness for her brother. A sudden movement to Ryuken's side made her eyes dart away from her brother's face and she had to contain the gasp that threatened to escape her lips when the tall, black haired man with dark brown eyes smiled at her.

"Hi there. I'm Isshin Kurosaki… your brother's best and most handsome friend."

Ryuken elbowed Isshin in the gut and watched him clutch his stomach, bending over slightly as the breath whooshed out of him. A moment later, Isshin stood up, a grin spreading across his face as he held out a hand to Ryuken's sister.

Masaki placed her delicate hand inside Isshin's and smiled up into his face. "It's nice to meet you Kurosaki Isshin."

"The pleasure is all mine," Isshin answered, his eyes glued to the woman's face.

Ryuken watched as his sister and his best friend introduced themselves, taking in the way their eyes never wavered from the others and the way their hands lingered together afterwards. 'This is not good,' he thought to himself, running a hand through his hair. He knew his friend well and had seen countless times how women reacted to him but he'd never seen HIM react this way. His eyes were nearly overflowing with some strange emotion and his smile; he'd never seen him smile like that before.

Watching his sister was no better. She was always bubbly and happy, genuinely kind to everyone but something about the way she looked at Isshin, the way her face seemed to be trying to hide the reaction that was clearly written in her eyes. Even after they released each other's hands, their gazes didn't waver.

'No… this was not good.'

"Isshin, aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" Ryuken butt in, nudging his friends shoulder.

"Eh… it can wait," Isshin answered, only momentarily breaking eye contact with Masaki.

Ryuken grunted and said, "I don't think it's a good idea to keep the Soul King waiting."

Isshin sighed and turned to face Ryuken. "I don't think it's possible to piss my dad off even more so who cares if I'm late?"

Masaki's eyes widened at the mention of the Soul King and quickly backed up a step. "It was very nice meeting you Kurosaki Isshin."

"Please, call me Isshin."

Ryuken watched a blush spread across his sister's cheeks and internally cursed.

"It is possible and you better leave now. I don't want the royal guards coming to my families' house again," Ryuken said, adjusting the frameless spectacles on his face and then crossing his arms over his chest.

Isshin sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. "Fine. Cya Ryuken," he said and then turned to Masaki. "I hope to see you again Ishida Masaki."

"Masaki," she breathed and watched Isshin's eyes light up as a toothy grin spread across his face.

"Shouldn't you be with your squad?" Ryuken asked agitatedly as he prepared another arrow and aimed for the bull's-eye a small distance away.

"My lieutenant is running the exercises this morning so I thought I'd come and bug you," Isshin answered, leaning on a nearby tree trunk. His thick arms were folded over his chest and he watched as Ryuken let loose another volley of arrows, hitting the target squarely in the center.

"You wouldn't, by any chance, be here because of my sister would you?" Ryuken asked, his bow disintegrating in a flash of blue as he turned to face his friend.

A grin spread over Isshin's face and he asked, "Am I that obvious?"

Ryuken sighed. "Masaki is betrothed. Don't bother."

Isshin didn't seem bothered in the least by Ryuken's statement as he straightened from the tree and started walking towards him. "Betrothed isn't married."

"It might as well be when the betrothal is to the leader of the Quincies," rebuked Ryuken.

Isshin's eyes widened marginally but continued stalking towards the Quincy. "Don't worry Ryuken. I just wanna flirt a little."

Ryuken groaned and turned to walk beside Isshin as they made their way to the large manor house. "I've seen you 'flirt' with other women. The other day with my sister didn't seem like flirting."

Isshin's thunderous laugh echoed through the entrance hall as the pair walked inside. "Perceptive as always my friend," Isshin said.

Ryuken pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and groaned out loud when he saw his sister walking down the hallway towards them. What bad timing.

"Hi there," said Isshin, a grin spreading over his handsome features.

"Hi! It's nice to see you again," Masaki answered. "Will you be joining us for lunch?"

"No," answered Ryuken abruptly.

"But I'm starving," groaned Isshin, earning himself an elbow to the gut. Ryuken looked at his sister's smiling face. She seemed to be enjoying the interaction between himself and the shinigami captain.

"Fine," he relented.

They walked into a nearby room where several trays of food were already laid out for them. Ryuken took a seat at the end of the table, Masaki taking the seat to his left and Isshin taking the one to his right.

"Thanks for saving me a seat," a voice said from the doorway. They all turned at once to see Ryuken and Masaki's father enter the room and take the seat at the other end of the table opposite his son.

"Ishida Soken, it's nice to see you," said Isshin, a genuine smile lighting up his eyes for the older man.

"Isshin Kurosaki… how have you been?" Soken asked while helping himself to some food.

"Eh, pretty good. Trying not to work too hard," Isshin answered, receiving a chuckle from the old man.

"How you and Ryuken are friends I will never understand," Soken said.

"Yea, me neither," said Ryuken with a scowl.

Isshin laughed at his friend and Masaki watched the scene with smiling eyes. Throughout the lunch, she had to fight herself to keep her eyes from resting on the man in front of her. The way he smiled made her insides churn and a growing warmth was spreading through her gut. She knew she shouldn't be feeling things like this… she was betrothed to another man, a very powerful man but she couldn't help it. Her body was reacting without her brains consent.

"Ryuken, are you going to the festival tonight?" Masaki asked her brother.

Before the quincy had a chance to reply, Isshin butt in and said, "Yea, we'll be there."

Ryuken glared at his friend but didn't say a word. He already had plans to meet his own betrothed there later that evening so maybe this would work out in his favor. He could get some alone time finally.

"Great! We should all go together," Masaki suggested.

"Sounds good," answered Isshin, his eyes resting on Masaki's smiling face.

'What harm could come from one evening together?' Ryuken asked himself while his eyes darted from one side of the table to the other. 'Yes, one evening would be fine.'

Isshin stared at the beauty walking toward him. He'd never seen anyone so incredibly gorgeous in his life. Her beauty was so natural. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she wore little if any makeup. She had an aura about her that made even the sun pale in comparison and when she smiled… oh man when she smiled. He could swear his stomach literally did somersaults when she smiled. Smiling was like breathing for her, it came so naturally and easily. He wanted to make her smile for the rest of her life.

That thought made him pause. He'd never though about any woman in a long term sort of way. And even more scary was the fact that it didn't bother him.

Isshin was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Ryuken next to him, snapping his fingers to try to get his attention.

"Isshin… ISSHIN!" Ryuken finally hollered and was rewarded with a momentary glance from his friend before his attention turned back to Masaki.

"Promise me you won't do anything inappropriate," said Ryuken a moment before his sister was close enough to hear.

Isshin laughed and answered, "Depends on what your definition of inappropriate is."

The glare Ryuken sent him didn't affect Isshin in the least as Masaki walked up to the two of them. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Sure are. Let's go," said Isshin and the group headed out of the large manor and made their way to the festival.

Once there, Isshin scanned the crowds till he found what he was looking for; a dark haired girl with large silver eyes. She was standing by herself beside a gaming table, one arm crossed in front of her and holding her other arms elbow. Her eyes were darting around the festival, looking like a lost little kid at a supermarket. When her eyes finally rested on Ryuken, a small smile lifted the corners of her lips and she walked towards them, her fingers now fidgeting nervously in front of her. 'Finally,' thought Isshin. 'I can be alone with Masaki.'

"Hi," the girl practically squeaked when she was a few feet away.

"Hey, Ryuken's been looking all over for you. You two have fun," Isshin said and none so gently pushed Ryuken towards the girl.

Ryuken once again glared at his friend. It seemed he was doing that a lot the past few days. It was probably good he was getting away from him for a little while. Plus, he had been anxious about this evening for days. He'd been betrothed to Ayden since he was a child but it wasn't until recently that he'd actually taken an interest in the shy girl. She'd blossomed of late, her curves finally catching up with her lanky limbs. Her jet black hair was long and paper straight with shorter strands framing her heart shaped face.

They'd met a few times lately, their parents finding it important for them to know each other a little bit before getting married. Each time though had been in the company of several family members from both sides. This would be the first time they met and actually would be able to spend time alone. He was curious whether she was eternally shy or if she would warm up to him without the ever present audience.

He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her forward through the throng of people playing table games or watching acts. A quick glance behind him caught Isshin and his sister making their way through another row of tables, both their faces nearly glowing with happiness. 'Maybe this was a bad idea,' he thought but when he turned to look at Ayden he forgot his trepidation and soon he forgot the couple they had left behind altogether.

"So, how long have you and my brother been friends?" Masaki asked. They were making their way slowly through the crowd of people, stopping at several amusement tables as they went.

"A couple of years now. He helped me through a difficult time a while back. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a member of the Gotei 13. Of course though, as you know, being royalty doesn't generally mean you get to do what you want to do. Being the second son helped though. I don't have nearly the responsibilities my brother has but when I told my parents that I wanted to be a Soul Reaper… let's just say it didn't go over too well. Ryuken was there for me through it all," Isshin said while leading Masaki to an indoor playhouse where a show was about to start. They found seats in the back, nearly the entire row empty besides themselves. When the show started, the lights faded and the music started.

Masaki tried to concentrate on the show, her back rigidly straight as she sat on the hard wooden seat. She could feel the heat emanating off the man beside her, his large body seeming at ease as he sat there quietly. She peeked over at his profile, his hard jaw line covered with short stubble. His dark eyes were staring at the stage in front of them, his lips turned up slightly in a smile of amusement. Her gaze dropped down to his thick neck and then his broad chest and shoulders. He was wearing a bright red shirt with short sleeves and a ruffled collar which she thought looked great with his dark hair and eyes. His jeans were loose in the legs but hugged his waist which accentuated his surprisingly narrow waist.

When the audience erupted in laughter, including the man she'd been focusing on, she quickly averted her eyes from his form and turned to watch the play. She tried to focus on the story but she'd already missed so much and she just couldn't pay attention.

The whole left side of her body started to tingle as she sat there, imagining what it would feel like to slide over just a few inches and brush against him. She started picking at her nails in her lap, trying to concentrate on anything but the man beside her. It was useless though. Whenever he laughed at something in the play or shifted his weight in the seat, her attention was drawn back to him. It was disconcerting that he didn't seem to feel the same way. His body was still seated at ease beside her, his arms crossed over his thick chest which once again rumbled with laughter at something in the play.

She took a deep breath to try and calm down her raging senses. Her hands started to clench the front edge of the bench beneath her, her knuckles turning white before she let go and crossed her arms over her own chest. She shouldn't be having thoughts like this. She was to be married to another man in just a few weeks. She didn't love the man but that didn't matter in a family like hers. Her marriage was one of power and connections. It didn't matter what she wanted; family was more important.

Beside her, Isshin was trying desperately to appear casual as he sat there and pretended to watch the play. He had felt Masaki's eyes on him, perusing every inch of him in what felt like a long caress. If it hadn't been for the crowd of people in the small room he would have grabbed her small waist and pulled her against him for a passionate kiss. His hands itched to touch her. He was glad his arms were folded over his chest so she couldn't see his fingers clenching and unclenching in frustration. He'd never wanted someone so badly in his life. And what was that earlier with him telling her all about his dream of becoming a Soul Reaper and his family struggles? He'd never felt any desire to tell a woman anything so personal before.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the play ending till he saw people start filing out of the small building. Masaki stood up and he followed, standing behind her as they waited for an opening in the line of people. It was unbelievably tempting to reach a hand out and wrap it around her waist to bring her body up against his. As it was, he was close enough to smell the sweet fragrance from her. It was intoxicating being this close to her. His entire body was painfully aware of their nearness, so much so that he didn't realize his hand had reached out and softly touched her silky hair. Luckily he pulled back just before she stepped forward to enter the aisle as the last person in the line moved past them. He followed her closely as they exited but just before they were going to walk through the propped open door, Isshin grabbed Masaki's arm and pulled her back in and to the side.

Masaki gasped when she felt herself being pulled roughly back into the building and then pushed against the wall. An instant later, her lips were being crushed by a smoldering hot mouth and she melted, her bones turning to liquid. She would have collapsed on the spot if not for Isshin's strong arms holding her tightly, pressing her firmly against the wall. The feel of his tongue sliding across her lips sent chills down her spine and she parted her own lips to allow him entrance. She didn't realize her hands were fisted in his shirt, clenching the fabric over his chest until he pushed even closer to her, pressing his body against hers. She slid her hands up and around his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around him and deepening the kiss. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears and she would swear he could hear it.

"You are so gorgeous," Isshin whispered, barely breaking apart long enough to say it before kissing her again.

Masaki let out a strangled cry before tightening her arms even tighter around Isshin's neck and sifted one hand through his thick black hair.

Isshin moaned as well and pulled her body closer, his right hand traveling down Masaki's back until it rested just above her rear. Her body was such a delicious temptation and he could feel himself growing uncomfortable in a certain place.

"My God I want you so bad," Isshin gasped as he pushed himself away from Masaki, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He looked into her eyes which were smoldering with lust and he lost himself, his arms reaching for her again and his lips hungrily searching hers out. His hands touched her everywhere they could reach, smoothing down her back and over her hips then moving around to glide over her flat stomach.

Masaki's hands were equally explorative, tracing the lines of his shoulders and chest, testing out the muscles beneath with her fingers. She couldn't get enough of him. She wanted to feel more. She wanted to feel his large body surrounding her, flesh against flesh.

"Hey! What are you guys doing in here?" a gruff voice said from down the hallway, startling them out of their sensual worlds.

Isshin was the first to react, reaching a hand out and grabbing Masaki's to pull her out of the building. They half ran and half walked down the crowded street, giggling like school kids.

"Do you wanna step out for a few minutes? Get away from the crowd?" Ryuken asked, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. He didn't know why but the girl made him nervous. Her huge eyes felt like they could see right through him and pull out every secret within him. They were mesmerizing. Too many times that night he'd had to force himself to look away from them, not wanting to appear strange.

"Sure," Ayden answered, a small smile appearing on her upturned face.

They walked side by side through the crowd of people till they reached an opening in the festival gate and made their way outside. Ryuken led them to a nearby tree and stopped once they were beside it.

"I'm not a huge fan of large groups of people," Ryuken admitted, watching Ayden lean back against the trunk of the tree.

"I'm not either," she answered. Her eyes were searching the ground around her feet, her hands fidgeting nervously behind her back. She tried to look at him, she really did, but every time she looked up into his stunningly handsome face she felt her face flaming up and a blush spreading across her cheeks. It was incredibly embarrassing.

"Are you having fun?" he asked and started playing with a small rock on the ground with the toe of his shoe.

Ayden lifted her eyes for a brief moment and answered, "Yea I'm having a lot of fun. Are you?"

"Yea, I am too."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing what to say. Ryuken continued to play with the rock till he kicked it a little too hard and it bounced next to Ayden's feet. His eyes widened when he saw her tiny foot reach out and kick the rock back to him. When he looked up at her face, she was smiling shyly at him and he smiled back, a mass of butterflies flying around his stomach. He kicked the rock back to her, eliciting a giggle from the shy girl before she once again kicked it back.

They went back and forth a couple times, each time Ayden becoming more and more daring in her glances up into Ryuken's face. His intense blue eyes were distracting and she found herself staring, glancing down to the ground only long enough to find the rock and quickly kick it back.

Ryuken was having a difficult time himself trying to pay attention to anything but her face. Her laughter sent warmth through his body and he quickly found himself moving closer and closer to her, his body only a few feet away now. A sudden gust of wind blew her raven hair into her face, causing her to laugh nervously and run her hands through her hair to get it out of her face. When she looked back up into Ryuken's face, his hand reached out and brushed a missed strand of hair away from her face, his knuckles grazing over her soft skin. She was startled by the contact and shivered from the feeling as, what seemed like lightning, streaked through her body.

"Are you cold?" Ryuken asked, concern filling his deep voice.

"N… No. I'm fine," she answered but shivered again in spite of herself from the nearness of his body.

"Here, take my coat," he offered and shrugged out of the grey jacket. He wrapped it around her slender shoulders and adjusted it, stepping directly in front of her to pull it together.

"Thank you," she said, peaking up into his face.

Their gazes locked in that instant, blue eyes searching steel. Ryuken could feel his heart pounding quickly in his chest and the hands which still held the front of his jacket started to pull gently without him even realizing it. He watched Ayden start to lean closer, her mouth parted and eyes still staring into his. He bent his own head down, licking his lips before...

Familiar giggling invaded his ears followed by a loud bellowing laugh and he quickly stepped back, sighing and running a hand through his brown hair.

"Ryuken… Ayden, is that you?" Isshin asked, approaching the couple.

"Observant as always Isshin," he replied and adjusted his glasses on his face.

"Let's get out of here," Isshin suggested and the group left, the lights of the festival fading in the distance.

To be continued…