The Perfect Dream Date (or not!)
by Ulquiorra9000
Author's note: lots more lemons in this chapter! Lots!
Chapter 3
Halfway through his history homework the next evening, Ichigo's ears were still ringing after Tatsuki had cornered him at school and screamed her lungs out at him about harassing her with texts until Ichigo had hastily informed her of Candice's role in that incident. In light of that, Tatsuki had half-heartedly apologized for hitting Ichigo a few times, but only that: half. She didn't let things go easily, did she?
Ichigo was definitely happy to be safe and sound at home, where multiple girls couldn't make his life hell! In fact, he could hear Isshin listening to the TV in the living room, and Karin and Yuzu arguing about something minor downstairs, and the distant churning of the washing machine. A perfectly ordinary evening...
Ichigo jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang and he muttered a curse. "Jeez..."
Then, from downstairs, Ichigo could hear Isshin greeting someone and then whooping with joy. That couldn't be good!
"Ichigo! Your friends are here! Aren't ya gonna say hi?" Isshin called up.
Ichigo felt dread as he rose to his feet, rubbing his head. He glanced at the window; maybe he could just sneak out...
But he found himself marching right downstairs, where Orihime and Candice were waving hi. This evening, Candice wore a sleeveless babytoll tee and short jean shorts and white sneakers, but the manic energy in her eyes was still the same, unfortunately.
"Didn't you get my text, Ichigo?" Orihime asked.
'Uh..." Ichigo checked his phone; indeed, there was Orihime's message, ever so politely suggesting that Ichigo should spend more quality time with Candice and "give her another chance ;)". Those darn winking-face emoticons!
Too late to say no.
Candice threw out her arms and wrapped them way too tightly on Ichigo. "I missed you, darling! I'm lookin' forward to spending the whole night with you."
Ichigo made a choked groan. What did she just say?!
Isshin gasped in delight. "My boy... he's finally brought a girl home for the night! He's all grown up! Ichigo, you have my blessing!" Happy tears ran down his cheeks.
Orihime giggled behind her hand as Ichigo wormed his way loose from Candice's death-grip. He rounded on Isshin. "I wasn't gonna have anyone over for the night, dad! We don't even have a spare room!"
"Can't we... share a bed?" Candice leaned in and ticked Ichigo's ear by whispering the last three words.
Ichigo went red. "That's nuts!"
"I'm sure your dad will figure something out for you," Orihime said. She turned to go. "Have a good night."
"W-wait!" Ichigo reached out as though to grip a lifeline. "Why're you doing this?"
Orihime went pink. "W-well... Uryu made a pretty good case for setting you both up. I'm just doing my part, that's all."
Ichigo hung his head. "You're throwing me to the wolves here, Orihime."
Once again, Candice wrapped her arms around Ichigo and nuzzled his shoulder. "I'm not a wolf. I'm a little cuddly puppy!"
"Come on, son, this is great," Isshin declared. He pointed upstairs. "Yuzu! Karin! Accomodations for a girlfriend, stat!"
As though they've practiced this a hundred times (maybe they had!), Ichigo's sisters got out kits for a sleepover and hurried upstairs to get it all ready.
"I'll promise you one thing, Ichigo," Candice said in a honeyed voice into his ear, "I'll be the perfect girlfriend. We'll have so much fun!"
Ichigo winced.
*o*o*o*o*
"This room... it's so...!"
Candice had stalked right into Ichigo's room and turned the place inside-out like a curious dog. She rifled through Ichigo's dresser and ran his clothes through her hands and sniffed them, then ran her hands over his desk, then knelt and tested the texture of the carpet.
Ichigo stared. "You're like a cop."
Candice stuffed one of Ichigo's old sweaters over her head and poked her face out from the turtleneck opening. "I like these clothes! So soft and fancy."
Ichigo laughed in spite of himself. "You kidding? I live a spartan life. Orihime, now she has a full wardrobe. What, are you only used to your old Sternritter uniforms?"
"Yeah," Candice chirped. "And by the way, Orihime wouldn't let me into her closet. I dunno why!"
Ichigo scowled. "Because you'd tear or steal everything in there."
Candice tilted her head. "Hey, maybe you're right." She threw aside the sweater and gasped once she laid eyes on the beach model poster over Ichigo's bed. She hurried over to it and put her hands over the model's chest. She was pink in the face with shock. "Ichigo! How could you? When you've got me!"
Ichigo went pink, too, and waved his hands nervously. "H-hey, I don't even know what... this... is! Uryu just forced us onto a date and it went badly -"
"Badly?" Candice did a sexy strut to Ichigo, a cowgirl look on her face. "Darling, it was fun! Even if I can't remember half of it -"
"Thanks to the wine. That you stole."
Candice reached over and held up Ichigo's hands in hers. She poked out her tongue and licked his left middle finger with a soft moan. "We barely had any intimate time during our date! What base did we reach? First? Was that it?" She put her lips over Ichigo's fingertip, her eyes fondly looking up at his.
Ichigo felt his heart race and his skin tingle. "Wh-what are you tryin' to say?"
"I mean, darling, that I can't stop thinking about you... and all the things that you're still holding back..." Candice let out a tiny, tickling zap on Ichigo's finger as she eased it a little deeper into her mouth. "You're such a tease, big boy! What else have you got?"
"Uh... um..." Ichigo jerked his head over his shoulder as though expecting Karin and Yuzu to be standing there, shaking their heads in disapproval. He gently drew back his saliva-slick finger. "If you wanna know more about me, I can show you an old family photo album. I've got one around here somewhere."
Candice had a funny look in her eyes when she said "okay". Ichigo rummaged in his closet for the album, and he failed to notice Giselle and Meninas standing on ladders right outside his window, handing over a "care package" to their electric friend.
Giselle and Meninas retreated out of sight when Ichigo finally turned back around with the photo album in his hands. Ichigo blinked. "Hey, what are you hiding behind your back?"
"N-nothing, darling." Candice smiled and glanced at the door. "Can we look at the photos later? I wanna watch TV and have a snack with you. I'm still getting used to world of the living stuff."
Ichigo made an approving smile. "See? Normal, girlfriend-y things like that are much better..." He gasped at what he had blurted out.
Candice seized Ichigo's wrist and dragged him out the door. "I decide what we watch!"
Ichigo groaned.
Turned out, Candice wanted to watch everything, from soap operas, to The Price is Right, to informercials, to nature documentaries, to anime ("this anime show is nothing like real life!" Candice had commented), and even the weather channel. Unlike Ichigo, Candice was entranced by the weather channel, gawking at it like a curious puppy.
"The clouds around here are crazy!" Candice said in the dimly-lit living room, cuddled with Ichigo, the wrappers from all kinds of snacks and candy around her. "There's nothin' like that at Silbern. And look at that lightning..." She stared at the footage of a a thunderstorm in the neighboring prefecture.
Ichigo sure as hell remembered Candice Catnipp, Sternritter T, throwing around zappy bolts of doom and definitely decided that lightning belonged in the heavens, not in Candice's naughty hands. "It snows in winter," he added. "It can be beautiful."
Candice sighed with delight. "Orihime showed me vacation pictures taht were taken during her winter break... so much snow! But you know what, I think I like things a bit hot instead." She licked her lips and gave Ichigo's thigh a zap with her pointing finger.
Ichigo jolted. "Hey!"
Candice giggled. "I can do it again."
"N-no, please..."
"Ichigoooooo!" Yuzu called from upstairs. "The bath is ready for you!"
Candice leaped to her bare feet, hopping up and down. "Yes! A bath! I love all the soapy suds and hot water... let's dive in!"
"No way!" Ichigo got up and scrambled away to a safe distance behind the couch, his heart racing again. "I'm going in first, then you can take a turn right after me. That's how mortal Japanese people do it, okay?"
Candice clasped her hands behind her back and acted coy. "I don't understand..." she said in a falsely innocent voice.
"Sure you do." Ichigo carefully went back upstairs and went into his room to change.
*o*o*o*o*
"I need another bit of help." Candice stuck her head out the open kitchen window and into the cool evening air. "Ichigo's gonna lock himself in the bathroom. Can you believe it?"
"I'm on it." Meninas removed a simple hairpin from her pink locks and handed it over.
Candice took it with a devilish grin. "You're the best."
*o*o*o*o*
"Oh, what to do, what to do..." Ichigo sighed as he sat on the bathing stool, pouring hot water over his nude form, his vivid orange hair plastered to his head. Why couldn't he face the scary but exciting mixed feelings swirling in him?! Candice... she was very pretty, but she had no sense of boundaries, but she was actually trying to be a decent girlfriend, but she liked to steal and break things...
Uryu wasn't exactly the world's best matchmaker!
Then Ichigo heard a funny clicking noise at the door's lock. What the... it kinda sounded like someone picking the lock, like in a spy movie. Uh-oh!
The door burst open and Candice paraded in, draped in a fuzzy white towel, her own bath kit in one hand. "Ichigo!" she said brightly, slamming the door shut behind her. She beamed. "It's bath time!"
"What the -!" Ichigo grabbed his own towel and covered himself, his whole body tensed up. "Did you just pick the lock for real?"
Candice held up a hairpin. "Giselle once taught me how." She tossed it aside and strode closer, her bare feet pitter-pattering on the tiled floor. She giggled and went pink. "Whoa. Now that your clothes are finally off, I can get a good look at you! It was worth the wait..." She bit her lower lip and toyed with it, ever so gently.
Ichigo scrambled back. "D-don't come any closer! And where did you get your own bathing stuff? I would have lent you mine."
"I have... my methods."
Ichigo stared. "Wait, are Giselle and Meninas around here somewhere, helping you out?"
"What a smarty pants!" Candice set down her bath kit and toyed with the hem of her towel. "Okay, here I go."
Ichigo threw his hands over his face. "Nooooooo!"
He heard Candice's towel hit the floor.
He dared to peek.
There stood Candice, one hand on her hip. Turned out she had worn a pink two-piece swimsuit under her towel. "What do you think?" she asked.
Ichigo felt himself panting for breath as his eyes savored Candice's shapely forrm. "I-I, uh... I didn't realize -"
Candice smiled again as she stepped closer. "I want to take it slow, Ichigo, and make you want me a bit at a time. Is it working?"
"Uh..."
Ichigo couldn't say another word; Candice knelt next to him, grabbed his bathing stuff, and started scrubbing him head to toe in soapy water. She hummed to herself over Ichigo's indignant yelping, and she got every square inch, including his back. Candice sighed as she ran her open palms up and down Ichigo's back.
"You're like a bodybuilder," she said fondly, their slippery skin rubbing together.
Ichigo stared resolutely at the far wall, his face red. "Chalk it up to all my training sessions."
"Mmmmmmmmm." Candice rubbed Ichigo's shoulders, then turned him around. "There, you're sparkly clean. Now do me."
Ichigo was sure that Candice's double entendre was on purpose. He sputtered, "Th-this isn't how it works! I should leave, and you can take your turn -"
Candice sighed. "Modest, silly Ichigo..." Then she took hold of Ichigo's left hand and placed it at the hollow of her neck, and slowly slid it downwards. "How do you like that?"
"C-cut that out!" But Ichigo couldn't find it in himself to pull free as Candice guided his hand to her cleavage, and his heart jumped as his fingertips caressed the top of her breasts. The steamy bathroom seemed to double in temperature!
"How about now?" Candice cooed.
Ichigo swallowed. "N-not bad!" he said, his voice actually cracking. His blood thundered in his ears as Candice's hand helped his own hand cup her right breast, testing the fabric of her swimsuit top. Not bad at all!
Then Ichigo's mind cleared in a snap. "I-I can't do this, Candice! I've gotta get out of here and cool off and think about what -"
"That's your problem, Ichigo! You think too much. You have to feel." Candice let go of Ichigo's hand. Then, with an eager gleam in her eye, she raised her hands and gently shoved Ichigo away. Ichigo yelped again as he fell flat on his back and slid on the wet, soapy floor, totally exposed. Totally!
Now Candice got on her hands and knees and held herself over Ichigo, sighing again in pleasure. Her sweet breath tickled his face. "You're windin' yourself up like a spring, Ichigo. You're gonna snap if you don't stop to smell the roses." Candice leaned lower and ran her tongue along Ichigo's jaw, letting out tiny tingles of electricity as she went.
Ichigo couldn't help an excited grin as he groaned in half-hearted distress. "Hey, c'mon..."
Candice grabbed Ichigo's bucket and dumped the soapy water over herself. "See? I'm bathing."
"N-not what I'd call it." Once again, Ichigo had that funny, squeaky voice from sudden excitement. He was glad that none of his friends had ever heard that voice!
Candice blinked and reached around to her back. "Hmmmmmm. These things are kinda hard to operate. Hang on."
"Whoa, what are you..." Ichigo gasped when Candice undid her top and let it slip off her body and onto the tiled floor. She ran her free hand across her naked breasts, her soapy fingers leaving trails of white bubbles on her skin. She smiled. "Is this your first time getting this far? I can tell from your face."
Ichigo nodded rapidly, unable and totally unwilling to move his gaze anywhere else. He felt something hot stir in him, something he hadn't felt with anyone else before. He swallowed compulsively. "Wh-whoa," was all he could choke out.
Candice sighed again as she very gently rolled her left nipple between her soap-slick left finger and thumb. "Do I have your attention now, darling? Say you want me."
Ichigo panted for breath. "I-I... I want you..." he automatically said.
"Now that's better." Candice ran a hand down Ichigo's well-defined chest, closer and closer to his navel. "Now, why don't I wander around your body for a bit? Show me what you've got!"
"A-anything," Ichigo breathed. But a small part of him was saying, don't do it, Ichigo! You're not ready. Get outta here!
Candice lowered herself again and kissed Ichigo first on the lips, then his chin, then further down his chest. "Mmmmmmm, you taste good." Then she reached down and pinched her bikini. "How about a bit more? You ready?"
Ichigo nodded.
Candice smiled and started slipping off the bikini, slow inch by inch along her slick skin, her curvy hips bare -
"Ichigo! Hey!" Yuzu's voice was accompanied by sudden banging on the bathroom door. "Are you all right? You've been in there for a while."
Again, Ichigo felt his mind snap back, and this time, he scrambled out from under Candice. He stood and threw on his white towel. "Y-you've gotta get out of here," he stammered. "Okay? Please. Give me time to think this all over."
Candice pouted, then stood and wrapped herself up. "Fine. But this isn't over, darling. I'll be back for you." She delicately stepped across the bathroom to the door, rubbed her feet dry, and left.
Ichigo stood there in the bathroom, his chest heaving, his every nerve tingling. That was close! Close to what, though? To what he wanted? Or to what only Candice wanted? It had felt so right, and seemed so wrong at the same time! What was he supposed to do?
He groaned and ran his hands over his face. A sentence in the Muken prison was too kind a punishment for Uryu for starting this madness! Or maybe not?
Going to sleep on a futon in his room, while Candice slept in his bed that night, gave Ichigo time to fully appreciate the crazy sexual tension between them. He was freaked out, but at the same time, he couldn't stop thinking longingly about the stunning Candice...
Candice had been right; this wasn't over!