A/N
I know i should have updated earlier but real life got a bit hectic. Anyway, this fic is a dedicated to FLOL, the best Ichihime message board around, in celebration of their 2nd birthday celebration. It's based on the idea of lovers finding each other and loves transcending multiple lifetimes- a play if you will on Oihime's vows to love Ichigo for five lifetimes, the theme behind FLOL.
The story started ariund my first attempted poem below and simply ran away with my mind, ending up into the massive script it turned out to be.
Anyway... on to the fic. I hope you all enjoy it and please remember to read and review or just drop me a line to let me knw if you enjoyed it. Helpful hints and constructive criticism is always welcome!
P.S A greatful and heartfelt thank you to all the readers and reviewers of my last fiction writing efforts. Your words and thoughts are so inpsiring so thank you to Atemu's Lotus, Elphaba85, PameRulez, Blitch, Copperfightingninja, Rairraku Hana, Ayjah, Temari13, Thail, PrincessOfHeartsNYP, ChuchooTrain, Jeimi-chan1989, Sidney AKA Sidrawrr, Darth Hawk 32, Dragon lady and Kally-kal
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An original Poem:
We are held together by
A love that transcends time.
A love that surpasses death
And even five lifetimes
And, even if separated
I will always find you
Because my heart will always
Know yours at first sight
My soul will always find yours in very lifetime
Then
With one look
One smile
One touch
One embrace
And one kiss
This love will return
And these two people
Two minds
Two souls
Two destinies
Will return to each other
Return to travelling this one road
Back to each other on this one journey
To one ending
Always together.
- Twix10
Chapter 2
This was not happening to her.
Inoue Orihime stared at the gauges on her dusty dashboard and prayed for all she was worth that she was simply imagining things.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hands to the keys in the ignition and turned it again. Unlike the first four efforts, this time the engine did not even make an attempt to cough and sputter in indignance before humming into action. It simply remained silent.
The weight of her predicament fell to her slim shoulders then like a ton and with a pent up part scream, part groan in frustration, the girl's head slid forward with an audible thump to the steering wheel.
She was lost.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
She was lost....
And out of gas...
And it was dark...
It was raining...
She sighed and thumped her head against the steering wheel repeatedly in frustration.
How was it that she always ended up in these weird situations? She had clearly noted she needed gas earlier on so how could she have forgotten so easily? Surely she must have recalled somewhere in the deepest corners of her mind that her small compact did indeed use gas to run and not air like the super canon beam bat-woman mobile she was planning to build?
Her head fell forward again and rested there against the steering wheel for a moment as she closed her eyes, feeling the headache that had started earlier take root and start to strum wildly at her temples. Another sigh escaped her then, the hot heat of her breath sliding past her heated and sore throat almost painfully, then groaned. Not only was she lost, she was getting sick too- an unusual occurrence in itself since she was not one of those persons who ever got sick easily. Added to that, the thin jacket she was wearing was doing nothing to ward off the distinct chill that accompanied the heavy rain and already, her body was beginning to feel chilled.
Lifting her throbbing head from the wheel, Orihime tried to look past the heavy splashes of water on her windshield, past the darkened atmosphere around her and unto the barely visible road ahead of her, wondering how in heaven's name she had even gotten to this point.
It had seemed like such a good idea then, after sitting three hours in the bumper to bumper traffic on the highway, to get off at the first available exit and follow the other drivers on the exit from the over-packed highway. They had certainly seemed more knowledgeable in what they were doing than her, and not wanting to spend another three hours on the highway just to shift barely three kilometres closer to her destination was not an overly appeasing idea- so without much ado, she had decided to follow them. A bad idea, she decided now. She should have at least asked or tried to find out if they were going the same way she was before deciding to follow...
Unfamiliar with the city and these streets, she had found herself lost in less time than it actually took her to get off the crowded highway and, trying to get herself back unto the crowded highway had only landed in more confusion. Recalling something she had heard earlier- "make all left turns and you'll end up where you started"- she had settled to doing just that. Obviously, whomever made that statement didn't live in Tokyo however, as, instead of anywhere that looked even remotely familiar to where she had been before, she was yet again in a wholly unfamiliar place- a seemingly deserted strip of road. The last town she had passed through was about a half hour back and, added to this, it was raining heavily by now and the evening was darkening rather quickly from the weather.
Way to go, Orihime, she chided herself lightly. You certainly know how to get yourself into a pickle.
She sighed again.
She should have at least suspected that she wouldn't have been the only student thinking of getting to campus a week earlier than classes to settle in and- By God- how in the world could she have forgotten what day it was when she set out. It was a Friday and so, as was the natural situation, of course the roads were going to be packed... Weren't they always?
Now here she was, no closer to getting into downtown Tokyo or to her small flat situated there, no closer to settling into the new place or even getting there... and feeling sick on top of all of that.
Gazing out her windshield in dismay, she noted the lack of traffic on the path and groaned aloud. It seemed hiking up the lonely road wearing her thin soled sandals and thin jacket in the cold rain was definitely going to be an activity she would be engaging in very soon...
Better get at it then...
Reaching across the seat from her, she grabbed her purse and opened the door. A gust of cold, rain-laden wind lashed out at her on exit, seeming to penetrate to her very bones and reminding her rather brutally of the importance of being prepared. Or, at the very least, having the good sense to keep a blanket in the car for such emergencies.
Sighing once more, she pulled the edges of her thin jacket closer to her already shivering body and set off up the road.
Her fingers were beginning to feel like sticks of ice and the wind had picked up quite a bit when she found herself at a familiar intersection and, in opposition to her prior decision, Orihime turned to the street on the right. Her decision proved to be a good one when not even fifteen minutes into the walk, her eyes landed on a neon sign flashing above what looked like a store attached to a house saying After Hours Clinic.
Saved, she thought happily then and made a beeline for the clinic, I'm saved.
With an effort, she unfolded her frozen arms from around her aching body--whether due to sickness or the weather, she was beyond caring--and pulled the bell above the door. Silence greeted her on the other side of the door and remained that way until, just as she was about to give up, the shuffling sound of feet sounded on the other side.
The door opened before she could compose herself for a greeting and she suddenly found herself staring up at a tall, dark-haired man. The suddenness of his appearance startled her so much she took a step back and almost fell backwards if it weren't for the warm hands that suddenly grabbed hers and pulled her into the house at the same time.
"Oh my," the voice sounded then, "You're soaked wet and partially frozen. Come...come inside."
For some strange reason, the voice seemed to be coming at her through a thick haze but she heard herself reply then, "No...n-no, really... M-my car... It's... out of g-gas...I just need..."
"Alright," the man interrupted with a warm smile, "I understand. Don't worry about it. Just come in and warm up and I'll call someone to get your car for you."
Orihime shook her head, feeling the pounding at her temples increase exponentially with the movement. It seemed walking in the rain had made whatever she was coming down with much worse.
"I-I-If y-you c-could just c-call a cab f-f-for me," she managed to get out, gratefully accepting the white towel he handed her, "I'd b-be really g-grateful. I w-wouldn't want to inconvenience you."
As great as the offer of warmth sounded, he was a strange man, and he seemed so tall ... And she was so alone. . .
The man nodded silently to himself as if suddenly understanding something, then stepped back away from the door. She heard him murmur to someone and a boyish dark-haired girl appeared beside him at the door.
"This is my daughter, Karin," he introduced, "She's going to stay with you while I get some more towels. My other daughter, Yuzu, is going to make you something hot to drink to warm you up a bit- you look a bit chilled. You just stay right there and I'll get you something dry to put on as well- you're shivering badly and dripping all over the floor."
Realisation made her blush embarrassedly as she wryly noted the mess she'd already made. The path leading to where she stood was dirtied with water and dirt from her shoes and there was an ever growing puddle of water beneath her sodden feet where she stood.
"Gomen," she apologised hastily, "Perhaps I should just wait by the door...I'm creating such a mess..."
"Nonsense," the man interrupted with a smile, "You just stay right there, Miss..."
"Orihime," she supplied somewhat automatically, "Inoue Orihime."
"Ok, Inoue-san. You just stay where you are. Don't worry about the mess. We'll get this mess cleaned up in no time. By the way, my name is Kurosaki Isshin. I'm the doctor in this clinic so no need to be afraid. I don't bite- not much at least," he grinned, "but we'll take good care of you."
He disappeared through the door with that same grin plastered on his face and appeared a moment later with a loose pair of sweats and a large black t-shirt emblazoned with a skull and the name of an American band in bold letters reading The Grateful Dead.
"Here," he said, holding them out to her, "You need to get out of those clothes before you get sick. Just go with Karin and she'll take you to the back where you can get changed."
"No," Orihime felt forced to protest hoarsely. "I couldn't... I..."
She was already impinging on their kindness without accepting their clothes and looking at the clothing, she was positive it was neither the doctor's nor his daughters'. She would feel worse invading into someone's privacy she had yet to meet if she took and wore their clothing.
"Sure you can," the Doctor interjected calmly, "Besides, it's no bother and what kind of doctor would I be if I let you get sick in my clinic?"
Seeing the sense in his argument and not wanting to offend him, Orihime offered him a weak smile and thanked him before turning to follow Karin who was waiting patiently for her by the door.
With each step she took through the warm house, the numbing cold in her fingers, toes and ears started to give way and a dull ache began to replace the cold as they began to thaw. Worse, the rest of her body felt on fire; each breath burning its way into her lungs and past her now very sore throat in minute torture. Her eyes felt like they were watering from a heated haze and her head was starting to feel as if elephants were tap dancing on her skull.
She made it to the change room without incident though and, murmuring a quick thanks to the dark-haired girl, she hurriedly pulled the curtains and stripped out of her dripping clothes. She had no other choice but to also remove her bra and underwear since they too were soaked but stepping into the warm cotton sweat bottoms and t-shirt, she felt more than comfortable without them. She was well covered and unless she was jumping, which she supposed she'd not be doing much of with her headache, no one would notice her unsupported bosom as the shirt was very big.
Satisfied with her appearance despite her limp auburn hair and slightly pale face, Orihime gathered her wet clothes and, bundling them as best she could into her jacket, she set off out of the room.
"You could put those in the dryer beyond that door," Karin indicated then, "That will give you something dry to put on when you're ready to go. When you're done, just come back to the clinic."
"Thank you," Orihime found herself murmuring once more before heading off in the direction Karin had indicated.
She found the small laundry room easily and, noting the familiar colors of the clinic linens nicely folded in one corner, she set about to get her stuff in the dryer. She gave her under garments a quick rinse in the sink to freshen them before tossing them into the dryer and turning it on. She'd been wearing them since she'd left early this morning to finish up her last assignment at work and that had been more than twelve hours ago now. It would have been nice if she could also get a rinse after such a long day but she really did not want to impose anymore on the doctor and his family.
Her stomach growled at that moment, reminding her that her last meal had also been several hours ago and, remembering the promise of tea, she stepped back out into the hallway. Both directions looked equally unfamiliar however as she glanced out and in dismay, she realised she had not nearly been paying enough attention when Karin had brought her here.
Her stomach growled again and, with a sigh, she turned left, telling herself almost automatically- 'Make all left turns...' She stopped suddenly after a few steps, catching herself in the same actions that had gotten her into this mess in the first place, and, shaking her head at her near stupidity, she turned around and went the opposite direction.
She walked back into the clinic a few minutes later and was somewhat surprised to see it empty. The dark-haired doctor and his daughters were nowhere to be seen. She thought for a moment that perhaps she was not in the right place but the sight of her purse in the corner of the room confirmed that she was.
She started to head for it when a discreetly cleared throat startled her, sending her heart rate into overdrive. She spun in surprise, her first inclination to run as her eyes met with the tall imposing form of a young man with shockingly bright orange hair and a fearsome scowl. The dark-winged brows cowered over hazel-brown eyes which seemed to feed off the light in the room- eyes that seemed to be skimming over every part of her; from the top of her rapidly drying hair to the tips of her barely visible toes under the hems of the too long sweat pants.
"Um...," he began slightly uncomfortably as his eyes came back to her face again, his voice uncertain even as her heart continued to pound mercilessly in her chest, "My dad sent me to get you."
"Oh," she managed weakly and drew in an unsteady breath to calm her overactive heart. "Ok."
Reaching for her purse, she hauled it comfortingly against her chest like a beloved bear and started off after the orange-haired youth.
Absently, she noticed his sock clad feet and the way his long-legged stride seemed to emphasize the leanness of his body outlined in the slim fit blue jeans he wore and the small white t-shirt that covered surprisingly broad shoulders and strong forearms. She noted the way the hair at his nape seemed to curl lovingly around the strong tanned cords of his neck and felt her fingers itch slightly with an urge to reach up and feel if they were really as downy to touch as they looked.
She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realise he had stopped and, in true Orihime style, walked right into his hard back.
A dark blush graced her cheeks as she stuttered her apologies, missing the way the doctor was suddenly looking in their direction with an amused expression.
"It's okay," the orange-haired male interrupted after her fourth apology," no harm done."
She sighed in relief at that but could not get the embarrassed color to leave her face until the doctor suddenly spoke.
"Why don't you have a seat?" he urged her, pointing to an empty seat in the room, "I'm just on the phone trying to get a tow-truck out to your car."
Orihime's eyes widened in panic at that.
A tow-truck!?
She had barely enough savings to get her through until she found something part time as it was and getting a tow truck from that measly penance was simply out of the question.
"No," she interrupted a bit too quickly, causing the man to frown questioningly at her, "I... can you please just all a cab? I just need to get to a gas station and then back to my car..."
The doctor hesitated for a second and then, mumbling something to whomever was on the other end of the line, he hung up and turned to her.
"If you only need a cab," he stated, "Instead of going through all that trouble, why don't you let us help you? My son has his licence and I'm sure he wouldn't mind dropping you to the nearest gas station to get fuel and then back to your car..."
"Oh no," Orihime exclaimed, "I can't...that would be too much. You've already done so much..."
Again, the man waved her off with a smile, "Don't worry about it. It would be a better idea if you didn't even bother trying to travel in this weather but I can tell you're already uncomfortable. The least I can do then is make sure you get home safely. "
Orihime opened her mouth to protest that she would be fine on her own but he was already moving to the male lounging in the doorway, his scowl still in place and saying to him, "Why don't you get the jeep started?"
The youth muttered something inaudible back at the doctor which made him smile even wider. He said something back to the youth, glancing slyly over at her before turning back to his son and whatever he said then created a rush of color, possible angry color she mused, to the face of the orange-haired male and with one last scathing remark she again didn't catch, the orange-top was striding away down the hall and disappearing from view, leaving the doctor with a silly grin on his face as he watched him go.
The grin was gone when he turned to her a second later and started to make his way to the easy chair to her left. He reached for a cup of the steaming hot tea on the table before her as he passed and, following his example, Orihime reached for one as well only to find that her hands were trembling rather badly. In fact, the tremors seemed to want to invade the rest of her body as well, jostling the hot liquid as her fingers curled around the warmth of the mug. But, determine to have at least one sip of the inviting drink, she concentrated on getting the mug safely to her lips and not on the way her whole body seemed to want to curl in on itself from the shivering that threatened to rack her small frame.
The warm brew went down wonderfully with her first sip, bathing her aching throat and seeping in blissful waves through her body. Her eyes closed in a moment of untarnished appreciation before flying open again as the doctor spoke.
"So, Inoue-san," he began, "what brings you out here in this type of weather- if you don't mind my asking anyway?
"Oh," Orihime returned, "I'm starting at Tokyo University next week and was trying to beat the rush by getting here early and getting settled. There was an accident on the highway though and, thinking I'd be able to find a shortcut to the downtown area, I got off on one of the next exit. I'm not familiar with the roads here though and I should have remembered that as I got lost rather easily. I started taking all lefts- You see, I thought if you keep taking left turns you'll somehow end up back where you were,- but for some reason, it didn't work out that way, and--" Orihime stopped when she realized she was babbling and, with a self-deprecating chuckle, she continued, "Sorry, I sometimes do that when I'm tired. I just go on and on and--" she stopped herself again with a wry grin.
The doctor looked at her and offered a bemused smile. Whatever he was going to say then however was interrupted as the orange-haired boy returned, his scowl still present- making her wonder if it was permanently etched on his face- and announced the jeep was warmed up and ready to go.
"Ah," the doctor sighed somewhat dramatically, "And just when I was enjoying our little talk too. I was just about to use the infamous Kurosaki charm and convince you to stay the night too..."
His son made a pained sound by the door and the man grinned unrepentantly before walking over and, rather gallantly, lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the now warm skin at the back of her hand.
"Please get lost again soon," he told her, his dark eyes sparkling in merriment, "we'll have tea again and you can tell me more about yourself."
Despite the strangeness of his actions, Orihime found herself smiling brightly at him, a light flush of color making her cheeks appear rather rosy.
"I think I'd like that," she returned truthfully.
Despite her initially fear, she realised surprisedly, she had never felt more comfortable anywhere else as she had in her small time at this house.
"Good," the doctor beamed at her before leaning in closer to whisper conspiratorially to her, "Don't let my idiotic son scare you away with that stupid scowl. He's really a sweetheart- deep, deep...deep, deep, deep down in that undersexed adolescent body... Between you and me, I think he just needs to have se..."
The hot color in her cheeks faded to horror as a fist suddenly landed in the doctor's cheek, sending him flying to the corner, the force slamming him against the wall only for him to fall in a crumpled heap on the floor a second later.
"Tch... idiot old man," the orange-haired male muttered before turning to her.
His frown deepened at the surprise, fear and worry he saw mirrored in her grey gaze, causing him to curse slightly under his breath.
"Don't worry about him," Karin's voice sounded then, dragging both gazes from each other and to her, "Goat-chin is tough. This is just his and Ichi-nii's way of bonding..."
Orihime gazed uncertainly at the man in the corner then almost jumped out of her skin when he suddenly shot up, bleeding nose and all to announce, "You're getting better, Ichigo. Oyaji didn't even sense that one coming!"
Another curse sounded from the orange-haired youth and then he was striding away. Orihime looked at him and then back to the older man who was now being fussed over by his other daughter, Yuzu she recalled, then back to the retreating form of his son.
That was bonding??
Noticing possibly that she was not following, the orange-top stopped near the door and looked over his shoulder at her.
"Do you still want that ride or not?" he asked.
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Ichigo came to a stop at the gas station and glanced over to the seat next to him. There, cuddled against the side of the door, a blanket draped across her slim frame, was Orihime, the most unexpected and seriously strange girl he had ever met. One minute she had been so silent, then all of a sudden she was talking his ear off and the next thing he knew, his brain was physically tripping over itself to understand the words coming out of her mouth. It was incredulous the things that kept pouring out from her mouth and try as he might, he just hd not been able to keep up. Subsequently, she'd lost him somewhere around the little blue men who had thought it would be fun to use her gas to fuel their space ship and by the time he'd tuned back in, she was fast asleep, her head resting gently against the window.
She was probably one of those people who hated uncomfortable silences and felt an urge to fill them, he mused silently then recalling the conversation.
Oblivious to his thoughts, the girl chose that moment to shiver rather violently, pulling his gaze to her then and he found himself studying her a little more intently than he had since meeting her.
Escaped strands of soft auburn hair were beginning to curl around cheeks shadowed by impossibly long dark lashes, cheeks that looked decidedly flushed even in the dimness of the jeep. Her lips had regained color to an enticing candy pink along with the rest of her face and with her eyes closed and her face at rest, he couldn't help but think she looked completely and utterly helpless lying there- much like a lost child.
A sudden strong urge to protect her welled up in his chest then and caught totally off guard by the feeling, he didn't realise his hand was going to brush a stray strand of hair from where it had fallen across her face until the limb entered the periphery of his vision. Scowling and wondering what the hell had come over him, Ichigo shook the thought away and moved to wake her instead.
As soon as his hands touched her shoulder, he almost withdrew in shock from the heat radiating off her small frame. Surely it can't be normal for one person to exude so much heat, he thought, then felt an irrational anger surface.
Stupid old man...what the hell was he thinking letting him take her from the clinic when she was this sick?
He sighed again and shook her gently, feeling the burning heat of her body right through his borrowed clothing once more.
Damn...
The grey eyes fluttered open slowly before focusing rather confusedly in him. She bolted upright a minute later, shrinking even further into the corner as her eyes went wide.
Expecting as much, he raised his hands non-threateningly and said, "You said you needed to get to the gas station... we're here."
The look of confusion grew then cleared as she seemed to recall and an embarrassed flush colored her cheeks.
"I-I... Gomen," she stammered out, "Thank you."
With that, she almost fell out the door in her haste to get out, saved only by the strong arm suddenly grabbing on to her elbow.
"Stay here," he stated then, "I'm not a doctor like my Dad but it looks to me as if you have a fever, and probably some of whatever bug is going around these days. You've been sleeping for a while now and your skin is flushed. Sleeping is just your body's way of telling you that it needs rest so it can heal and I think you should stay here and just rest. You're probably too weak to even make it into the station anyway, so I'll go."
He didn't give her a chance to respond, opening his door quickly and striding away to the attendant before she could get any words past her lips.
God, he chastised himself as he strode away, he'd sounded like his fucking father. What the hell was the matter with him? He wiped a hand tiredly across his face and continued towards the attendant at the counter. He explained the situation to him, purchased the container of gas from his own funds then headed back to the jeep, gas in hand.
When he got there, she was asleep again, her body curled on the seat in a way that made her seem even more tiny and frail beneath the light blankets. She was also shivering intermittently, her lips trembling lightly as her body shook and edged closer into itself, seeking warmth it seemed to ward off the cold chills that were wracking her small frame.
Settling the container in the back, behind his seat, Ichigo climbed in and closed the door before hesitantly reaching over and putting a hand to her forehead. She was burning up, he realised in shock, her temperature much higher than it had been before.
What in heaven's name had made her risk travelling when she was obviously sick? he though then, frowning.
The girl mumbled something incoherently then and, to his shock, leaned into his touch with a barely audible sigh.
"So warm," she muttered.
Her statement made him pull his hand away quickly, a rush of warmth flooding his cheeks.
Cheeks still burning and muttering to himself about strange women, he pulled out of the gas station and started back down the road.
He had no idea where her car could be but he didn't want to wake her up either when she was obviously sick and needing as much as rest as possible. Besides, he had a few ideas anyway where she could have run out of gas since she had made it to the clinic so he started on that.
It took him two tries to find the abandoned vehicle and he needed no convincing it belonged to her. It just seemed like it was something she would own. Carefully so as not to wake her, he pulled the keys from her limp fingers and, pulling up his hood over his head, hurried outside. The keys fitting proved his theory and within minutes, he'd refilled the tank and was hurrying back inside the warmth of the jeep.
Telling himself this was probably a bad idea, he reached across the seat and shook her shoulder, gently calling her name. She barely stirred however at his prompting, only moaning restlessly before drifting back to sleep.
With a sinking feeling, he looked across at the car then at the darkened streets. He couldn't force her awake to drive if she was sick but what should he do? He couldn't leave her here but... what if she had someone waiting for her at home...? Was there someone he should be calling? He frowned as the thought came to him that she had never thought to contact anyone when she was at the clinic. Was she perhaps here on her own?
He sat there debating within himself for a full minute before he accepted the inevitable. There was nothing else he could do, no other choice he could make under the circumstances and, though he felt slightly uncomfortable, he hurried back out into the rain, secured her small car and ran back to the jeep. Assured her car was safe, he pulled away from the small car and started back towards the clinic.
She was shivering uncontrollably when he pulled up again outside the clinic, small sounds of discomfort escaping her lips now and then. He got out and made his way to the passenger side and opened her door. Still no other movement from the sleeping woman except the uncontrollably shivering and intermittent moans.
With warnings bells blaring like thunder in his brain, he lifted the small frame into his arms and started back toward the clinic. She immediately snuggled closer to him, burrowing her head in the nook of his arm, causing him to come to a complete stop, suddenly unaware in the moment of the rain still beating down at them as he looked down.
An odd feeling swept over him as he looked at the girl so trustingly curled up in his arms, looking and feeling for all the world as if she belonged there, as if she was supposed to be there...
"Ichigo... what are you doing standing out there in the rain?"
His head snapped up, the moment broken as he heard his father's question over the sudden wind and frowning over the unfamiliar feeling fading into the background of his mind, he hurried through the door his father was holding open expectantly.
"What happened?" his father questioned, noting the shivering form still in his arms.
"I think she's sick," he returned, and, ignoring the wetness his coat was leaving on the floor, he walked over to the living room, not the cots in the clinic and deposited his human burden on the couch.
She made a sound of protest as her fingers tightened in his jacket, not wanting it seemed to be separated from his warmth.
He frowned at her actions, not noticing the speculative way his father was looking at them or the way his eyes suddenly sparkled with a look, which, had he seen, he would have recognised to mean nothing good.
"I'll get my stuff," he heard him mutter behind him and then heard the receding of his footsteps.
"Hurts," the girl muttered then, her eyes squeezing together in obvious pain, "my head...it hurts... so cold."
His eyes scanned the room, landing on a discarded blanket on the chair across from him. He reached for it but felt her hands tighten even more in his clothing.
"Don't go," she murmured and he sighed, turning his gaze back to her as he wondered if she had any idea what she was saying. He was a virtual stranger to her and yet here she was unwilling to let him go, snuggling up to him as if she knew him and telling him not to go. A sudden thought came to him on someone else being in this position and he was suddenly glad she had somehow ended up on their steps. No telling what would have happened had it been someone else's steps she'd turned up on and he was reluctant to even entertain the thought.
"Shift over," his father ordered as he returned and he shuffled to the side as much as he could since her fingers were still like a vice grip on his clothing.
In full doctor mode now, his father gave her a full assessment from head to toe. He had to stop himself from objecting as his father lifted the hem of his borrowed shirt, exposing a smooth expanse of creamy skin across a taut stomach to listen to her stomach and later palpated the area for any kind of abnormality. She sighed at his examination, turning slightly into him and causing her hot breath to wash over his neck in a way too erotic fashion.
Swallowing convulsively, he shifted his body slightly to get away from the sensation and almost groaned aloud as his eyes met with the knowing ones of his father.
He was never going to hear the end of this...
"She's running a very high fever," his father announced switching back to doctor mode instead, "and her throat is red and inflamed. Seems like she's got some pain somewhere..."
"Her head hurts," he mumbled automatically and his father's eyes got speculative again in a way that he knew didn't bode well for him before he continued. "She's got a case of strep throat and she's probably caught the nasty flu bug going around as well. I'm going to give her some antibiotics then to help with her throat and something for pain and fever. Stay with her. I'll be right back."
Not like he could go anywhere, Ichigo thought to himself staring down at the small hands still clutching tightly at his clothes.
True to his word, his father returned with two bottles of liquid a while later and a syringe. He drew up some of the liquid from one of the bottles into the syringe and turned to him.
"Can you raise her up a bit? I need her to drink this without choking on it."
Not thinking on it, Ichigo slid a hand under her back and raised her up gently.
She muttered something and winced as the movement jarred her but fell into silence a moment later, sighing as she turned more into his neck.
"I think she likes you," his father muttered, far too amused for his piece of mind, and he shot him a dark look.
"Shut up," he scowled at him, "Just do what the hell you're doing and get this over with."
Still grinning, Isshin put the syringe to her lips and slowly, tilting her head back slightly, got her to swallow the mixture without incident. He repeated the procedure with the other bottle then stood.
"She's probably going to sleep for a while but she needs to get another dose of the antibiotics in six hours. Make sure you give it to her on time."
"Me...why do I have to give it to her?"
"She obviously likes you more than me," Isshin muttered, chuckling amusedly as Ichigo's face darkened, "besides, I have to be at the hospital early in the morning. I can't be getting up just to give her medications when I'll need my rest to pull off another 16 hr shift."
While Ichigo considered his words, he started to walk off. He was at the door when he threw back.
"She's a very beautiful girl and as much as you might want to climb in the couch and cuddle with her, Ichigo, just remember she's sick. Too much strenuous activity ..."
He stopped, chuckling loudly as a shoe whizzed past his ear.
The boy was still just too easy to tease even at this age- not that he didn't enjoy it. Hell, he lived to fluster the poor boy and even know he could feel his lips turning up in a devilish grin as he thought about the other ways he could fluster his poor son tomorrow.
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Five hours after she had finally let go of him, Ichigo found himself groggily making his way downstairs again. He had barely fallen asleep, his thoughts too taken up by the strange girl asleep on their couch to allow him to fall asleep easily, and just when it seemed he'd finally been able to drift off into sleep, the alarm he'd set to mark the six hours was blaring him awake again.
Crap...it seemed like it was just not his night.
She was still asleep he noted as he came into the room, but she was no longer shivering uncontrollably. Her temperature was still high as well but she did not seem nearly as hot as she had been before. Whatever his father had given her, it was obviously working.
He gave her the medication without problems and headed back upstairs to sleep until the next dose was due in the morning.
When he woke up to the alarm again hours later, he found himself all alone in the house except for his guest still asleep on the couch, blankets askew and settled into the couch in some weird angle he wondered how she even slept. His father had probably left already for the hospital and Karin and Yuzu had probably gone out to get groceries. They had been intending to do that yesterday until the rain had postponed the trip. As they had nothing for breakfast in the house, it was only plausible they would have left to catch the stores as soon as they opened.
Going through the same motions as last night, he set up the dose in the syringe and got ready to give it to his sleeping guest. Instead of getting her up however, he found himself staring down at her peaceful face, transfixed it seemed by the way she seemed so childlike and innocent, curled up as she was, her hands under her cheek. Several tendrils of her auburn hair slid across her face like a smooth caress and the bangs that had been limp with wetness last night were now curled only damply, enticingly, against the smooth skin of her forehead.
Before he could anticipate and stop his actions, his hand was reaching forward to smooth the tendril from her face and, like a bad twist of fate, the girl chose that moment to open her eyes.
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When Orihime opened her eyes, it was to a room all together too unfamiliar to be home and too homely to be a hospital. Confused and wincing at the slight pain in her head, she shifted her gaze. She was on a couch somewhere, she realised blearily and something tall and dark was casting a shadow over her. Realisation that a strange man was standing over her was slow to enter her brain but when it did, her reaction was lightning quick.
She screamed and scrambled backwards in horror, her hands reflexively reaching next to her to grab something she could use. Her fingers draped across what seemed to be a heavy book from the corner table next to her and, without thinking, she got both hands to it and swung with all her might.
Not expecting the sudden attack, the book collided heavily with the would-be attacker and she heard the breath go out of the figure in a muffled whoosh before he toppled over the coffee table behind him.
She was fairly certain he'd landed between the next sofa on the other side and table because the sounds of muffled cursing were coming from that general direction.
Shakily, she pulled herself to her feet, the room spinning dazedly for a minute, before her eyes focused and began searching for another weapon as she heard the man shuffling to his feet. Her eyes landed on what looked like a mop and a bucket at the other end of the couch and she dived for it. Grabbing the stick, she raised the mop defensively in from of her and, heart pounding heavily, head spinning still, she walked around to the still muffled cursing.
"W-who are you?" she questioned, her voice shaking despite her efforts to sound unafraid, "Who are you and... what am I doing here?"
Had he kidnapped her? she wondered hazily.
A pair of hands raised in surrender from the space between the table and the couch and a muttered curse sounded more distinctly before said voice stated louder for her benefit, " Fuck... just hold on before you swing anything else at me.... just give me a second for everything to stop spinning first.... Fucking hell, what the fuck did you hit me with?"
"A book," she felt compelled to answer and was met with another curse.
"Fucking Oyaji," the voice muttered, "I told him those books were a fucking hazard..."
Orihime froze as the voice sounded, clearer than before, something tickling at the edges of her memory. That voice. . . it was familiar somehow.
As the thought came, spiky bright orange hair and dark scowling eyebrows appeared over the table and suddenly, most of last night came flooding back to her. The Kurosaki's ... her car...Ichigo...
"Oh!" Orihime was so stunned, she dropped the mop. Unfortunately, it landed on Ichigo's unprotected head, prompting a loud yelp and sending Orihime into a whole new level of feeling like an idiot. Apologizing profusely, she moved the mop aside and attempted to help Ichigo to the sofa.
"I'm so, so sorry," she mumbled incoherently, "I really didn't mean it...I didn't...I'm sorry..."
"It's ok," he muttered, his face turned away from her as he rubbed his hand over what he was sure was going to be a nice bump from where his head had slammed into the table when she had hit him with the book.
"Oh but it's not," Orihime cried despondently, "You...your family ... you've been so nice to me and...and... just look what I did to repay your kindness...I'm so sorry..."
Ichigo shifted his hand to repeat that it was okay only to stare at his hand in horrid fascination as it pulled away coated in red. She must have busted his nose when she slapped him with the book in his face, he realised dimly then, and his movements had probably aggravated the injury into bleeding this much.
"Oh my god," he heard Orihime gasp and moments later, he felt gentle hands, hands like velvet cup his cheek and the cold of a wet rag on his nose.
His eyes raised then and he found himself blushing madly as he confronted a part of her anatomy he would rather not look at. ..
And yet couldn't tears his eyes away from as it became all too obvious she was not wearing a bra under his shirt. He could clearly see the pert ends of her nipples pointing against the material as it drew taut across her chest, caught as the hems were between her and him and the couch... a fact that also seemed to instantaneously remind his brain exactly how close they were.
He could feel her breath blowing across the sensitive skin of his face, the sensation causing the hair at his nape to stand on end in an oddly pleasant way. Her hair, haphazard and wavy, tumbled from her head, several tendrils brushing against the skin of his arms and creating a delightful sensation against his skin. His fingers itched then to race through it, test if it was really as silky soft as it felt brushing against his skin and he clenched them to avoid the temptation, wondering hazily what the hell was going on at the same time...
The whole room seemed suddenly hazy and there was a warmth surrounding him now that he had oddly never felt before until this moment. His brain also seemed pleasantly sluggish and as such, it took him a while to notice that her hands were no longer moving and that she was looking at him as confused as he felt he looked, another emotion blazing in intensity behind her grey orbs.
His dad was right, the thought came then, his eyes noting the way her hair surrounded her face like an auburn halo, her eyes bright under the sooty shade of her long dark lashes- she was exquisitely beautiful.
Unbidden, his eyes fell to her lips and a fierce urge to feel them against his own welled in him along with a pleasant heat that flooded his body, spreading outwards from his abdomen to his limbs before coming to settle somewhat uncomfortably in his groin.
As if feeling the heat of his gaze on her lips, a small pink tongue darted out to wet them and, even as he wondered on the sudden craziness of the situation, he felt his hand bury in her hair and a moment later, her sigh whispered across his lips.
Then came the sensation of her lips against his...
Kami...
His mouth slanted over hers with a soft fierceness while his hand curled around her nape hesitantly. She shivered in pleasure at the contact, the shiver shifting to a full body shudder as his fingers started to stroke the sensitive skin at her nape almost instinctively, reflexively, his other hand shifting from his leg to encircle her waist, pulling her even closer to the warmth of his body.
Orihime felt as if she were beginning to melt and float inside and, just as she couldn't have pulled herself away from the hypnotic gaze of his hazel-brown eyes moments before, she felt she couldn't pull herself away from him now. She wasn't even surprised at her reluctance to do so and that in itself should have been a shock.
Lost in a sea of pure sensation as his lips slid enticingly across hers, tasting and gently suckling on the plumpness, Orihime shifted her hands from where it hung limply between them, loosely still hanging on to the now bloodied rag and set them on his chest to steady herself. The heat of his body seemed to burn into her palm and she wondered hazily if he might not also be coming down with something- he was so hot... At the same moment her hand steadied against his chest, Ichigo's arms instinctively and automatically tightened around her, pulling her, drawing her even closer to his body. She shifted in response, her knee moving between his legs as her body sought the warmth he was offering and the moment her soft bosom leaned into the hard plans of his chest, the heat between them became absolutely combustible.
Automatically, Ichigo's head shifted and he deepened the kiss, his mouth opening hungrily over hers as Orihime clung tighter to him, sliding her fingers into the soft hair above the collar of his t-shirt, her nerves on end with the sensation wracking her frame with jolts and jolts of wild pleasure. She was practically sitting on his lap right now- a boy she had only met the night before- but she couldn't bring herself to care- not when it felt as if her soul had known him for a lifetime, her body responding to his kisses as if it instinctively knew him and had always been waiting for this moment- waiting to be kissed like this.
I'll love you for five lifetimes...
My heart will know yours at first sight...
My soul will find yours...
The random words whispered across her consciousness, then drowned out as he continued to kiss her, long, lingeringly, then shifting to touch his tongue to her now slightly kiss swollen lips, coaxing them to part. She couldn't deny him, she knew, this boy she didn't even know and her lips opened sweetly, ushering him inside. His tongue slid between her lips filling her mouth and her body melted into his bonelessly, her chest becoming crushed into the hard planes of his as his arm tightened around her and his other hand fisted in the silken mass of her hair to hold her still for his ministrations.
The kiss turned demanding as she wound her arms around his neck, and kissed him back just as he was kissing her. His tongue wrestled with hers for a while, ended up winning, and finally took his prize as he further explored her mouth. She gasped against the onslaught, feeling as if he was stealing all her air and leaving her utterly breathless with his kiss and he made a soft sound in response in the back of his throat and his right hand moved to her lower back, pressing her impossibly closer to his frame.
Whether from fear or the strange headiness of the new feelings of desire raging through every fibre of her being, Orihime moaned softly and the sound somehow managed to penetrate his aroused senses, dragging him reluctantly back to reality.
Dropping his hands from her waist and from her hair, he lifted his lips from hers, his eyes opening slowly to stare into her face, his eyes dark and primal with need, an unknown fire burning in their depths.
What the fuck had just happened? he wondered wonderingly, staring at her as the long lashes shifted, revealing dark grey eyes to his gaze.
A pretty blush reddened her cheek at his look but her voice was uncharacteristically steady, if not still slightly husky from the lingering remnants of desire filling her blood as she asked, "What...? "
The sound of a single hand clapping cut her question short and caused her to scramble away from the male under her in shock and embarrassment as both youths caught sight of a happily grinning and highly amused Isshin standing in the doorway, Karin standing next to him, her mouth agape in shock and Yuzu peeking from behind the fingers she was using to cover her eyes. The flustered movement was too quick and she found herself flailing a little to correct her balance, then, unsuccessful, tumbling over the table. Her head hit the edge before she crumpled in a position reminiscent of Ichigo's earlier fall.
As pain cracked through her skull and darkness descended on her vision, she heard Isshin chirp much too happily, "I didn't know you had it in you, son but it seemed you have inherited some of the infallible Kurosaki charm after all. I'm so proud of you... bagging a babe like Orihime-chan... and after only such a short time... great wor--pphhh."
A fist swimmed past her closing eyes, followed by a loud crash.
"Shut the fuck up, old man. Just look what you did..."
And her world chose that moment to go decidedly blank.
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TWO YEARS LATER...
"I hate this fucking weather," Ichigo griped watching the rain batter heavily against the sliding glass doors of his dorm room and yet he couldn't pull his gaze away from the watery terror.
Not when his girlfriend of two years was outside anyway.
Trust her, he thought somewhat bitterly, to absolutely love the foul weather.
And yet, he couldn't stop his lips from quirking upwards at the amusing sight she made, drenched to the bone and happily dancing in the puddle-filled balcony, her eyes alit with wonder and happiness as she held her face up to the rain. His borrowed white shirt stuck to her now like a second skin, emphasizing the curve of her hips as she swayed seductively to music she alone could hear, the swell of her backside contrasting to her narrow waist. The wet top fitted perfectly over her luscious body, gliding over her buxom bosom before blending perfectly to the pale skin of her arms, shoulders and neck, giving her the image of a half-naked celestial maiden with her auburn tresses cascading like waterfall down her lower back, the moonlight bathing her in a ethereal glow and the light dancing off the water caressing the length of her shapely thighs...
He groaned inwardly to himself at the vision she made, need hitting him like a wild bull in his gut- Damn girl was going to be the death of him- and slid the doors open, grimacing as a sudden wind drove the wetness into his face.
"Hime... it's time to come in," he called out to her and she turned towards him with a bright smile.
"Not yet," she called back," I'm not wrinkled or cold enough yet."
"You're going to get yourself sick," he felt forced to warn her.
"No I won't," she returned, "not when I have you to warm me up," and a mischievous glint entered her eyes.
"Hime...," he began warningly as she moved towards him but she only laughed and launched herself at him, dripping wet and all.
Reflex made him catch her, shivering slightly as the cold wetness of her body robbed him of his heat. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms tightening around his neck and she laughed gaily before licking his neck, making a different heat start to run amok in his body. His hands slipped under her derriere automatically and he groaned, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her derriere as she nipped at his chin and then at his ear.
"Hime," he warned again, his voice laced with a heat that made her shiver all too enticingly against him and cling to him tighter.
She laughed again then, a gay sound that exploded from her lips and made his own tug up reluctantly in the desire to join her contagious laughter.
"For once, my idiot old man as right," he muttered then, watching her gaze up at him adoringly, "You are going to be the damn death of me."
She giggled at his words and slid down only to tug hard on his unresisting frame as she hurriedly backed out the door again.
He gasped as the cold rain hit his warm body in full spray, then scowled darkly as amused laughter rang out from his left.
"I hope you're enjoying this moment," he stated nonplussed.
"I am," she returned laughingly, "I think you happen to look extremely sexy as a wet rat..."
His face contorted into a scowl and he swung around quickly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to him. Her hands came to rest against his muscular chest, her right palm directly over the steady beating of his heart. He cupped her face, his breath catching at the sight of her deep grey pools, eyes made more luminescent and more breathtaking than ever because of the faded light of the moon hitting on them, before shifting away to her luscious candy pink lips that were just begging to be kissed.
"What are you thinking?" her soft voice washed over him and he sighed, thinking that even now, being so close to her could still bewitch him so.
"I'm thinking," he answered softly a moment later, his eyes raw with heat, "that I want to kiss you."
And so saying, he captured her lips in a gentle caress.
A shudder racked through her small frame as his lips moulded over hers, taunting, teasing and enticing her to do the same, his body fitting itself to hers as his hand tightened on her hip, crushing her to him even as his other hand buried itself under the heavy wet hair at the back of her nape.
His warm lips moved over hers, the sensation of his hard warm body pressing against hers so achingly, poignantly and vibrantly familiar to her, she found herself wondering hazily once more if perhaps they had not been this way before- perhaps in another lifetime. He knew her body so well, knew her so well it was like he was reading her. He knew just how to touch her, just how to kiss her- God he was such a talented kisser- and when they were together like this, it was like their bodies were made for each other, his hard planes complimenting her soft curves like they were two halves of one whole.
As if feeling she wasn't quite with him, Ichigo's lips broke away from hers, his eyes dark.
"Kiss me, Hime," he urged hoarsely, shifting his mouth to kiss her temple, her ear, her cheek, "Kiss me."
Orihime, lost in the warmth of his voice, needed no other urging. Moaning softly, she met his lips once more and let all thoughts just slip away at the feel of his lips over hers.
He kissed her for what seemed like an endless moment- long drugging kisses that shook the very core of her being and made Orihime want to curl into him as far as she could go, moulding their bodies together until she wouldn't be able to tell them apart. When his tongue traced the line of her lips, coaxing them apart for him only to rush in and explore then retreat, she clawed him closer, clinging to him to make the moment last before, feverish to make him understand what he was doing to her, she touched her own tongue to his lips.
With a low groan, Ichigo opened his mouth over hers with the sudden, urgent hunger that filled his veins, clamouring in his skull, burning through his body- only for her, always for her. She answered his passion with her own, her lips parting beneath his sweetly without further urging, welcoming his tongue as it plundered and ravished the inside of her mouth, then giving him hers. He crushed her to him at that, drawing her tongue into his mouth and caressing it with his own as his hand shifted again, curving possessively around her bottom and pulling her tighter into his hardening body. Her legs shifted restlessly and she moaned deliciously into his mouth. The sound drove him to lift her slightly upwards and she followed his directions wordlessly by wrapping her legs around his waist again.
Without taking his mouth from hers, Ichigo pressed her into his body, chuckling with throaty delight as he felt her press her body closer to his and tear her mouth away from his to gasp his name breathlessly. His mouth switched to her ears and when he nipped the soft lobe then delved into the depths of her sensitive ear, her nails dug into his back and her mouth released another breathless moan.
"I love you," she whispered as his sweet torture continued down her neck, "I'll love you for five lifetimes and more..."
He tore his lips away from her neck, shifting his body as he moved to lean her against the glass doors, his body going weak at her words.
"I love you," he returned earnestly between the hot kisses he trailed down her neck, "I love you... my Hime..."
"...and even if we get separated in the next life time," she murmured at his words, "I will look for you. My heart will always know you... I want to return to you, Ichi-kun- always to you, only to you..."
"My soul will always find you," he murmured in return before his lips returned to hers for another bout of long, feverish kisses until she shivered, from the cold this time, her skin filling with goosebumps. He pulled away from her then and grinned down at the hazy darkness of desire swirling in the depths of her beautiful eyes.
"You're turning me into a fucking corny idiot," he admonished with a smile then.
She smiled back brightly at him then looked off into the rain now falling softly behind him and hugged him.
"Do you know why I love the rain?" she murmured into his neck as he started for inside.
"Because you like getting me wet?" he questioned, a smile in his voice.
She laughed softly and punched his arm weakly.
"No," she returned, her eyes starting to droop, "I love the rain as I met you on a night it rained... the rain always reminds me of that night- tying us together..."
He smiled at the memory she conjured and walked into his bedroom, ignoring the trail of water following them.
"So warm," she murmured into his neck then, snuggling closer, "You're so warm..."
He smiled and wasn't as surprised as he should be when he let her down in the bathroom a minute later and she was already half-asleep - she was known to drop asleep at the drop of a hat at times. Leaning against him sleepily, she let him peel the wet clothing from her body, his face stained red from her nakedness- (Despite their heated making out sessions, they had yet to go all the way though they had gone everywhere but that last step) - and towel dried her skin before replacing his wet shirt with a dry one- grey this time. He set her against the wall, hearing her sleepily protest the loss of his warmth, watching her until he quickly shrugged out of his own wet clothing and then, towelling himself quickly, slid into a pair of warm flannel pj bottoms and a light blue t-shirt, and lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed.
She curled up to him instantly, her fingers curling into his shirt and reminding him of another time she had done so- the first time they had met. He smiled, bending his head to brush his lips across her knuckles even as he thanked all the gods that had driven her to his doorstep that night.
"Don't go," she whispered grasping him closer and shifting closer to him. "So warm..."
He kissed her hair, then her temple, his arms tightening around her as he set them more comfortably into the bed and drew the blanket other them.
"Never," he whispered to her and she smiled contentedly against his neck.
He drew in a deep breath, savouring the uniquely sweet scent that was her and closed his eyes, contentment making him suddenly very relaxed.
"Not in this lifetime or the next."
Above them, the rain continued to beat against the roof, the sound much like music in his ears as his eyes drifted close, the world drifting away as the two souls breathed in contentment and drifted off- two long lost souls together once more.
OWARI