Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo
Author's Note: Dear goodness, I'm so sorry this took SO LONG to get out. I've had it written for a long while now but it never felt quite right so I let it sit. After reading through it again, I feel it's the best I can come up with for Kensei and I just hope I didn't botch it up too badly.
Thanks to TheLoverOfLit for the scenario idea, hope it's to your liking! Also thanks for your comments on chapter one. I'm pleased you like how I developed Renji a bit more. He's one of my favorite characters so I'm happy when people feel I've done him justice in the way I write him.
ShadowArbitor: Jushiro has been requested the most so I am planning the next one to be him. Thank you for reading, reviewing and requesting!
Crista2311: Thank you! I'm glad you like their portrayal and the transition from friends to lovers.
SuperiorBatman1: Thank you so much for the compliment and providing suggestions!
Nypsy: So pleased you enjoyed it and I'm glad you liked the slow build. I don't think you sound prudish at all and I'm so glad that my pacing made it feel more romantic because that's what I wanted. I like the idea of the unbridled passion but I wanted some foundation for it to stand on and I'm glad I was able to portray that adequately.
ScarecrowReaper: Thank you! I felt that was a fitting profession for him. Thank you also for your suggestions!
Merry Beaker Fractale: Those are my top three ships as well (with ByaHime a close runner up). I know, it's fun sometimes to see the strawberry smacked upside the head with what he missed out on.
Feelthechillofdespair: Thank you for the compliments, I'm so happy you like my fanfics! And I do believe Coyote will make an appearance in this series, he's been requested a couple times.
Casey525: As always, thank you for being my most faithful reader/reviewer and previewer!
lokiworshipper13: Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm always so happy when I hear I've written a character well!
Taylor1717: Thank you so much. I tried to message you but was unable to so I'm sorry I'm just now having the opportunity to thank you for your review. I'm sure you've seen by now but I do have a multi-chapter story of Renji and Orihime entitled "Waking Up". It was my first fic ever so if you have read it or plan on reading it please forgive my mistakes. I've learned a lot over the past year.
Five Lives, Five Loves Series 2
The Self-Defense Coach: Kensei Muguruma (Rated M)
"Well done, Emiya-san! Punch, punch, punch!"
Kensei turns to watch his student turned assistant as she encourages one of his many pupils. The young girl's eyes are shining at the auburn-haired beauty's face as she takes in her praise. Orihime has always been good at building people up. It's a quality Kensei knows he's lacks, badly.
As he watches her instruct the next student his mind trails back two years to when she first entered his dojo soaked, her hair matted down in a mixture of muck and blood, eyes full of tears and voice cracking.
"Please, Muguruma-sensei," her trembling voice implored, "Please teach me how to fight."
He'd eyed her with a mixture of concern and confusion. Why was she here instead of seeking medical treatment for her obvious injuries?
"Why do you want to know?" he'd asked gruffly. He'd seen her around the town, she was impossible to miss. With fiery red hair, the body of a full-grown woman though her years could not have been more than fifteen, sixteen at the oldest she stuck out amongst the crowd, which he now saw undoubtedly brought her more trouble than good times. And he was pretty sure she had her own set of body guards, though clearly they'd been absent and something had happened.
As if she had read his mind her eyes met his. "Because," her voice grew stronger slightly, her resolve making itself know, "I can't rely on Tatsuki-chan or Kurosaki-kun to always defend me. I have to learn to defend myself."
Kensei knew what had prompted him to begin her tutelage but he'd been bewildered with himself when he allowed her to stay far longer than any previous pupil. Truthfully her child-like tendencies annoyed the hell out of him. But whereas at the beginning of their arrangement he would constantly be pissed off at her for acting in such a manner now…now he found it almost endearing, though he still acts annoyed when he remembers to. And because of her kind spirit and open heart she could motivate his students in ways he couldn't; not that he'd ever admit that to her.
He wonders, not for the first time, why she's stuck around. Any normal person by now would have told him to go fuck himself (not that Orihime would ever use such language). In all the time she's known him, worked with him and now worked for him he's never changed his demeanor with her. He's crass, abrasive, unyielding and stubborn; and still she stays.
He's overhead on more than one occasion Kurosaki (who still annoys him to no end) telling her she should quit, that Kensei doesn't appreciate her. "Tch, like he's much better in that regard," Kensei had thought striding away from their conversation. Again, his thoughts trail back to the past.
"Inoue-san," he began one night after practice. He wasn't sure why he was asking but curiosity had gotten the better of him. "What happened to you that night, the first night you came to me?"
He saw her cheeks flush, her fists clenching slightly. Before he could retract the question, actually ashamed at causing her discomfort despite his appearance of indifference to her feelings, she was already speaking.
"I…I had been running…from Kurosaki-kun's house."
"He did that to you?" Kensei had roared ready to kill the orange haired boy.
"No, no, no!" Orihime responded vehemently waving her hands in the air. She stopped the motion and went on speaking. "I…I had finally confessed my feelings for Kurosaki-kun but…he…he did not return them. It was my own fault for running blindly in the rain. Some mean girls from my school cornered me and beat me up."
"Where was your guard dog?" he'd asked, his nickname for her friend Tatsuki making her chuckle.
"Tatsuki was away and even if she'd been in town I wouldn't have taken her with me to see Kurosaki-kun."
He learned later the girl and boy had managed to salvage their friendship despite the initial awkwardness following the revelation of her feelings, though the male carried a heavy guilt that one of his greatest friends had suffered injury because he'd not followed her that night.
Kensei was sure that during the first year of their training Orihime had continued to carry a torch for the Kurosaki idiot, but now, another year older and wiser, she seemed to have been able to move on. She'd grown stronger in more ways than one.
After graduating high school Orihime came to Kensei to ask to be his apprentice. She'd fallen in love with the art of defense and wanted to continue to get better as well as learn how to teach so that maybe someday whenever she moved on from Karakura she could open her own dojo. Kensei had been surprised at the time how much the idea of her leaving bothered him.
But he'd managed to grunt, "Tch, if you get good enough to open your own place that'll be the day. But sure, why the hell not? I could use the extra help around here."
And so Orihime had quit her part time job at the bakery to work full time for him which created a whole new set of problems for Kensei; because now that she was with him all day every day he was disturbed to notice his perspective of her changing. It wasn't just that he'd gotten used to her antics and babbling. No, this went far deeper than that. He can clearly remember the day the shift happened.
Orihime was standing by the doorway of the dojo talking to a few of the girls before class began. At one point a young girl, probably thirteen years in age, walked in with her big brother behind her. Kensei watched as the young man blatantly stared at his apprentice and though he knew this was by far not the first time it had ever happened it was the first time he'd witnessed it; and it set his teeth on edge.
"Ohaiyo, you must be the lovely Inoue-sensei Ryo-nee talks about all the time," he said suavely.
And Kensei had watched as Orihime blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear and murmuring some sort of dispelling remark that it was actually Muguruma who was the sensei, she was merely the assistant.
"Regardless, you teach with him, right?" the male had gone on and when she nodded he offered a bright smile. "Then you, too, should be considered sensei, or at the very least senpai."
Before she could response Kensei had yelled something about not dawdling and she'd made haste to usher the students into the room so class could begin.
It had been that moment Kensei realized Orihime was not a school girl anymore; she was a woman and a very beautiful and desirable one at that. The revelation of his own growing attachment to her had irritated him to no end. She was eighteen, he was twenty-five; he'd no business feeling the things he was about her, to him she should have remained a child. But no matter how much his brain told him to forget her and move on his heart stubbornly latched onto an image of him and her…together.
"Damn it," he thought watching her move about the room. In the two years of her training she'd gone from clumsy and careless in her movements to poised and refined. She carried herself with assured grace and strength. Gone were the eyes casting to the ground and stuttering words to be replaced with fixed grey orbs and steady speech. Her confidence shone brightly making her that much more beautiful.
So, day after day, week after week the same argument played in his head. "She's too young, she's your student, she's nothing you've ever wanted," and the dreaded, "Why would she be interested in you?" And day after day, week after week he'd just manage to not lose the argument with himself. But it was only a matter of time before he cracked and did something really stupid.
So, he took to never being alone with her…ever. He'd make up any excuse for a student or two to stick around, or ask her to handle closing on her own, though he'd hide (really the indignity of it) just out of sight to make sure she got to her car ok. It wasn't that he believed she couldn't defend herself. If he had, she would have never been involved in helping him with classes. But it was because despite all the empowerment he knew he'd helped her glean he couldn't stop himself from wanting to protect her. Yes, these were dangerous feelings indeed.
And today should have been no different, except that he had a bad omen. The weather report had indicated heavy showers and a danger of lightning strikes. As the morning progressed to early afternoon the sky darkened more and more until an absolute deluge erupted around three PM meaning he and Orihime would be alone…in his home. "Fantastic," he thinks.
Said woman has been on the phone all morning calling students to advise them not to come today. The street they're on would no doubt be flooding and it would be exceptionally dangerous on the roads.
As she finished up with the last-minute calls to those girls she'd not been able to get a hold of in the morning, Kensei prepared for the storm. He'd been in this location long enough to know how to handle these things. Both his and Orihime's cars were moved to the garage next to the dojo before he piles sandbags against the door and locks them in. With one last look around he determines them as prepared as possible.
"Oi onna, let's go upstairs," he says roughly and she sends him a beaming smile. He frowns. "What are you smiling about?"
"This is the first time I'll get to see Muguruma-sensei's home!" she says with a positive first pump. He rolls his eyes but crooks his finger to follow him. Their feet echo on the wood steps, each one raising Kensei's anxiety.
"Really, get a grip man!" he thinks irritated at himself for his inability to be calm. He's never been nervous around women, ever in his whole life. Quite the opposite, having had his fair share and pick of them. But now with this slip of a girl…woman..whatever, his nerves on set on edge. Kensei thinks it's maybe because in the past when he feels this level of attraction to a woman he just goes for it. If she turns him down, fine, he can move on with no regrets. If she accepts whatever it is he happens to be offering (a drink, a date, sex) then great.
It's silent save for the rain pelting on the roof and the claps of thunder as they reach his living room. Turning to her he says, "So, I don't have much in the house but if you're hungry I could probably whip something up."
She smiles again and he feels his heart clench; damn these feelings! Giggling she settles on the couch and looks around. Again, he's caught by how much she affects him and finds himself wondering what she thinks of his place. Meeting his eyes once more she says, "I like Muguruma-sensei's home, it suits him." He feels his chest release as he lets go of the silent breath he's been holding. As they continue staring at each other Kensei knows, he just knows, this evening is not going to end well.
He doesn't bother to acknowledge her compliment, but she's used to it. Reaching into her bag she drags out a rather large novel: The Complete Collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
"You a mystery fan then?" he asks from the kitchen and sees her start; clearing she wasn't expecting him to speak.
"Hai! And this is the perfect weather to enjoy it," she says opening the book to where her marker was left.
He turns back to his task of cooking them some sort of dinner. As usual he has a fair amount of ramen. A quick glance in the fridge reveals beef cutlets he'd forgotten he bought two days prior. Chopping up vegetables he adds them and the beef to a wok, tossing it with an expert touch compliments of his grandfather. Soon the scents are wafting towards his "guest".
"Oh, that smells really good Muguruma-sensei," she says. Her long-drawn o's sends warm sensations to his stomach. Why does everything she does turn sensual? He knows she's not doing it on purpose but he's affected nonetheless.
Eventually the meal is ready and they sit together at the small table sent just in front of the pass through. Orihime is quiet, unnaturally so, and he casts a glance at her face only to be startled to find she is staring at him rather intently.
"What, do I have food on my face or something?" he asks frowning.
She giggles. "No, sorry, Muguruma-sensei, it's nothing." But he knows she's lying. With all the time they spend together now and his growing obsession with her he's learned her nuisances and tells; she's holding something back. He has no claim to make her tell him what she's thinking but now he's fixated on what's churning in that unique mind of hers.
"Oi, I know yer lyin' so out with it!"
She jumps slightly at his tone but then a rather…impish smile splits her lips.
"I was just thinking how it's been so long since sensei and I sparred together," she says before taking another bite of food. When she finishes chewing her eyes meet his in a blatant challenge.
Kensei knows, kami-sama, he knows this is a bad idea. Just being this close to her is making him on edge but now she wants to spar…which means touching. Sighing he finishes his meal, she completing hers a moment later.
"I'll clean since you cooked," she offers picking up a sponge and filling the sink with water. He grunts something resembling a thank you and heads to the couch flicking on the TV. Faintly he can hear her humming to herself as she cleans and he steals a glance at her. This all feels way too natural. Her in the kitchen and he finally getting to put his feet up. Even without teaching they've had a busy day today, plus with all the added tension he's felt being alone with her all damn day and now into the night he's thankful for a moment of rest.
It lasts until she joins him on the couch sitting surprisingly close to him though they do not touch. Her nose is back in her book, clearly undisturbed by whatever is on the TV. And though he tries valiantly to ignore her and pay attention to the screen Kensei keeps tossing quick glances to her. If she notices them she says nothing.
He lasts an hour before getting up and moving to the window. He can feel her eyes on him as he stares at the rain still dumping buckets. He's not sure how long he stands there but the sound of the door shutting snaps him back to his surroundings. Whipping around he see Orihime has left the room, more than that she's left the house!
"What the hell?" he thinks striding purposefully to the door and wrenching it open. He just catches the sound of her last steps as she reaches the dojo. He pursues and finds her standing by the door staring at the rain just as he had been doing moments before.
He's about to speak but doesn't, just watches her watching the rain. Her hair is down, a rare occurrance when they're together since she's usually working and he's taken aback by its beauty. He's not poetic nor romantic by any stretch of the imagination but the word that is most present in his mind is lovely. She's lovely, in mind, body and spirit.
Finally, she notices his presence but before she can open her mouth to say whatever inane excuse has popped in her head he says, "You still wanna spar?"
Her eyes light up in a way he hasn't seen before which is saying something considering all the expressions he's been privy to. Nodding vehemently, she strides to the light switch but he stops her. "Naw, you need to learn to fight in different conditions and places. This is fine." Her hand drops and she slowly walks closer to him.
He doesn't warn her just charges and she's jumping from his grasp. He throws out a kick and she blocks parrying with a punch which he easily dodges. She's a little rusty having done mostly slow movements because of training newbies and having had no warm up. But eventually she's matching him almost move for move. He catches her side making her exhale a shocked breath but she's right back in there, giving as good as she gets.
As much as he and she encourage their students to never believe they can be beat he knows that without going all out she's going to lose. He's big, stronger, and faster than her but she isn't giving up. Soon they are both breathing hard, their bodies warm from the exertion. Kensei whips off his sweat soaked shirt tossing it to the side. Not only will it help him cool off but now she can't grip it to get leverage. Huffing in vexation she tries again to take him down but it's no use.
Kicking out his leg he catches both of hers sending Orihime to the ground. Before she can get up he's pinned her, both hands held above her head by the wrists. Her eyes are wide and bright, breath panting out in short gasps as he hovers over her. This is the closest he's let himself get to her in a very, very long time and the proximity is quickly affecting him. He's leaning closer to her face before he even realizes what he's doing.
When he's about six inches from her face he stops. Fixing her with a stern gaze he says lowly, "You're supposed to be resisting Inoue-san."
He's startled when she cranes her head up the gap between them getting smaller. In a voice barely above a whisper she confesses, "I'm tired of resisting, aren't you…Kensei?"
His name…the first time she's ever said his name and it's…there's no words. So instead he crashes his lips against hers, forcing her head back down on to the ground. A deep moan of appreciation reverberates through her chest pulling an answering moan from his own. His tongue darts out to caress her lips, a mix between request and demand for entry to taste her and she complies willingly, she's so willing. Kensei doesn't remember any kisses ever affecting him this way, it's only because this is Orihime. This is…Orihime…he's kissing Orihime Inoue.
When he finally withdraws both are breathing rapidly and their eyes meet.
"Kensei, I need you," she gasps clutching his firm biceps. Those four words shoot through him like a lightning bolt. He feels like a man who just discovered the most delectable of essences, her scent, her taste, the feel of her against him, it's all almost too much. He's fucked plenty of women, not that he'd brag. He may be an asshole but he'd never kiss and tell. But this woman, she's everything he never knew he was missing until tonight and it's not just because she's giving him what he wants physically. It started before upstairs which until it was graced with her presence had merely been his rooms. But she makes them feel like home. He knows this can't be a one night stand. If they proceed everything changes and for the first time in a very long time Kensei realizes he's scared.
Orihime senses the shift in his energy, opening her eyes to find him staring at her face. Cupping her cheek gently he kisses her softly, slowing his movements.
"Kensei?" she questions when he pulls back. She's startled by the intensity of his eyes despite his calm demeanor. But in them she sees a question she instinctively knows he's either too prideful or, and this surprises her, is too afraid to ask.
"What does this mean?"
A man like Kensei will never voice that question, she's sure of it, but it hangs in the air between them and she knows he won't continue until he has an answer.
Smiling she leans up and kisses him back, trailing her hands through his short silver hair. "I need you and I'm yours, for as long as you'll have me," she answers. His body tenses, clearly surprised she's basically proved herself a mind reader. But her words release him from his self-imposed chains of hesitation. And all at once the frenzy of his passion for her erupts.
Quickly standing, he gathers her up in his arms and takes her back upstairs. In no time at all they're in his room and he sets her down. Grabbing her hands, he raises them above her head, her shirt whipping off quickly. In rapid succession his fingers unclasp the hook and eye trail on the front of her sports bra, delicate pale flesh coming into view. When her breasts are finally free of their entrapment his pupils dilate. While her figure is impossible to hide, unhinged she is captivating.
His intense stare makes her blush, hands raising to cover what he's sure has been the cause of so many of her issues with men. "Damn them," Kensei thinks darkly. He's grown dangerously possessive of her in a nanosecond and he knows he'll have to work to keep himself in check whenever other men dare to even look at her.
"Don't you dare," he utters huskily pulling her flush against his own chest. His skin is hot, its contact making her hiss in surprised pleasure. "You don't get to hide from me," he breathes against her ear and kisses her cheek before trailing his lips down to her throat.
Grasping the waist band of her work out pants he peels them off. She's not wearing any underwear and the discarding of her garment leaves her bare in all her womanly glory to his eyes. Enraptured he trails them up and down her form; she's perfect.
His own pants join hers in the growing heap of clothing. Now completely exposed to one another he lays her gently on his bed before leaning down to kiss her deeply, passionately, pouring all his pent-up emotions into it. When he pulls away her breathing is reduced to short gasps and slight pants, his licks and nips on her skin pulling whimpers of pleasure from her succulent lips. Reaching down between her legs he rubs calloused fingers against her throbbing core making her inhale sharply. She's more than ready for him.
She confirms this when she says breathlessly, "Stop teasing, take me Kensei!"
"Fuck Orihime," he groans leaning back over her.
"That's kind of the idea," she says smiling.
"Tch, never would have pegged you as a smart ass," he says chuckling while positioning himself at her entrance.
"I'm just full-"she begins but shrieks in pleasure as he plunges deep into her hot body, his voice cutting her off to say, "Yeah, of me!" He pulls back only to slam into her again making her cry out once more. His name becomes all she can say as he drives her pleasure higher, each thrust and kiss casting her further towards a brilliant white light of hot release.
"Kensei, oh god, please don't stop," she moans and his eyes almost roll back in his head. She's beautiful like this, head cast back in abandon, words becoming incoherent rambling the longer he keeps it up. He secures the base of her skull in his hand drawing her lips to his own, his tongue swirling around hers and making her moan even louder.
Wanting to touch more of her supple body he pulls out of her momentarily and she utters a weak protest at the loss of his contact.
"Patience princess," he says. He shifts into a seat position easily drawing her along with him. Spreading her legs, he sheathes himself into her tight center once more. With her vertical he can caress more of her flesh, the sensations he's causing making her sounds of enjoyment increase in volume.
"Kensei!" she says loudly as he repeatedly lifts and dips her on his long, firm shaft. She feels fully engulfed by him. His tongue laves her neck, teeth nipping her skin sporadically while his strong hands grasp her ass directing her movements. Once she has the idea of what he wants she continues the motion on her own allowing his hands to move to her breasts. Cupping them he pushes up to bring her sensitive nipples within licking distance of his tongue. The sensation makes her whole body quake.
"Oh god, I….I'm…." Orihime can barely breathe, he's brought her to the brink and she yearns for the freefall. All she needs is one little push...
"Come for me Orihime, I wanna hear you really scream," he commands and she shatters, her whole body releasing at once.
"Kensei Muguruma!" Her voice echoes in the small room. He follows close behind, an eruption of hot liquid pouring forth into her body.
They're both breathing hard and Kensei flops down on his back, Orihime all but crashing on top of him but she's so light he barely feels it. Plus, he rather enjoys the feeling of her soft breasts against his firm chest. In no time at all they're both fast asleep.
It's weeks later that Ichigo has returned to Karakura. After high school, he left for college and is now finally on winter break. He has one thing, or rather one person, on mind: Orihime. During his time away they've stayed in contact and he's come to realize just how much really does mean to him. When she'd confessed while they were still in high school he'd been scared shitless. He didn't know anything about dating, had never really had the urge before and he didn't want to risk his deep friendship with Orihime by screwing things up as her boyfriend. So he'd panicked and told her he couldn't return her feelings. Not that he didn't but he just…couldn't.
"You're an idiot," Renji tells him often and he agrees. So now he's back with every intention of righting that wrong. If she'll still have him.
Striding into the dojo where he knows she still works he's surprised to see the main floor empty. Apparently, he's arrived between classes. Just as he's about to call out a hello Orihime enters the room from upstairs.
"Oh! Kurosaki-kun!" she says with a bright smile.
"Hi, Inoue-san," he says smiling slightly back.
"This is such a surprise, are you back for the holidays?" she asks politely and he nods. Just as he's about to ask her to join him for coffee or maybe even dinner to catch up Muguruma enters the room from the same set of stairs.
He sends a nod of acknowledgement to Ichigo who is scowling at his piss poor timing. A second later the scowl morphs into a look of astonishment when Kensei grabs Orihime around the waist and flips her around to face him.
"I gotta go pick up the shipment of new pads, be back soon." Then he does something that almost makes Ichigo faint; he kisses Orihime, right on the lips. And it's not a quick peck either, it's lingering. When he pulls away his eyes flick to Ichigo's face, an infuriating smirk on his lips.
"Kensei-kun," he hears her admonish him but he grins and smacks her butt before letting her go.
Ichigo's hands clench into fists in his jacket pockets and it takes all his self restraint not to deck the man as he walks by. Just as Kensei is parallel to his position he says lowly, "Don't even bother, you're too late."
The orange hair opens his mouth to retort but a quick glance back to Orihime confirms Kensei's words. She's watching the silver haired male and the look in her eyes is how she used to look at him. After Kensei is out of sight Orihime turns her attention back to him.
"So, what brings you to our neighborhood?" she asks moving towards him.
As she hugs him his heart clenches but he takes a deep breath and says, "I just really wanted to see my…good friend."
Author's Note: I hope I got Kensei's tone right. Apparently, it's challenging for me to write gruff and rude properly lol, but I hope this was enjoyed. Ok, the favored requests from the last chapter are Jushiro Ukitake with Coyote Starrk a close second so as of right now the next two chapters will feature them. That means we've filled the slots with the last being Ichigo! Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed and made suggestions. Again, I'm sorry this took so long to put out. Ukitake will be next up!