Authors Note: Sorry for the delay! I put a lot of thought and work into this chapter so please please review!.
Thanks for all the support and helpful reviews^^. I've really got my work cut out for me now!.
I've decided who to use, and to reassure everyone, it will still be IchiHime FTW. Otherwise it defeats the purpose of the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, and I never will T_T
He examined her briefly before slightly smiling, a smile that almost made her knees buckle and turn to jelly beneath her.
"Are you alright?". His voice was soft and caring, yet deep and mysterious. He was so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face. He smelled intoxicating to her, she wanted to be nearer to him, nearly forgetting that he had just brutally murdered someone.
Orihime found herself in an almost daze-like state being so close to him. His soft, deep brown eyes were peering into her grey, mesmerised ones and it felt as though he was her only means of gravity right now. "Ku..ro..saki…..k..un", she breathed, still unable to take her eyes away from the vampire before her.
Her body felt paralysed, and she was powerless as she watched him inhale a shaky breath; his pupils slightly dilating. His piercing gaze fell to a spot on her neck and she swallowed thickly, a mixture of fear and arousal surging through her pulsing veins. "Run...you know you have to run…come on!", her thoughts rationalised with her, but her body was adamant on not moving.
Her instincts knew that this was dangerous, but a part of her really didn't want to move, and this same part that ached for his touch… for his lips on her neck…
Orihime watched as he leaned in toward her ivory, young, and delectable neck, and instinctively moved her head back while closing her eyes, waiting for his mark.
His arms slowly moved their way around her waist and propped her back for support, leaning her neck toward him. She felt his hot, shuddering breath against her skin as it tickled the lobe of her ear; sending a shiver down her spine.
She prepared herself for his bite, but instead, she felt a sudden gust of wind surround her before it ceased.
Opening her eyes she noticed she was outside her apartment and he was nowhere to be seen. Her grey orbs searched scrupulously around her; the rooftops, the windows and the streets, but he was gone.
"Why would he…wait how did he know that I live here?", She asked aloud, suddenly confused at the situation. Her mind was reeling with these thoughts as she made her way up the steps of her apartment door before unlocking it.
Closing the door behind her, she sighed dejectedly, slumping against the frame of the door. A feeling of emptiness washed over her," Why…why do I feel this way?. I-I don't even know him but when he was there I didn't feel like this…So why now?".
Orihime wrapped her arms around herself briefly before shaking her head to stop the oncoming tears. If Tatsuki knew she was crying over a vampire she just met, she would think she was out of her mind.
She began to laugh half-heartedly while rubbing her eyes dry; tomorrow was another day, and for all she knew she would never see the strawberry haired vampire again.
She headed toward the bathroom to have a shower, unaware of the eyes that were watching her from outside.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Stepping out of the steaming hot shower, Ichigo picked up the nearby towel and began to dry himself down. The blood that had dried into his skin from the earlier events was now washing down the drain, disappearing like that bastards body he had to dispose of.
The image of Orihime being pinned against the tree replayed in his mind and he snarled; his fangs releasing with anger. Any guy that dared to go near her would have to deal with his wrath from now on.
He knew it was wrong but he felt compelled to keep watch of her, to protect her from the vicious world that he knows, and has seen. "I'll keep you safe…..no one will ever hurt you again", he vowed to himself, his fangs now recoiling.
Letting the towel slide from his toned abs and down to his feet, Ichigo rubbed a hand through his wet, tousled hair, and proceeded to his wardrobe before changing into a fresh shirt and pants.
He sighed as he finished buttoning the shirt, slightly frustrated at the sudden intrusion into his room. Closing the wardrobe door, he saw Rukia leaning her petite frame against the door.
"What do you want Rukia?. If your looking for someone to boss cause Renji's busy, then look elsewhere", Ichigo scoffed, avoiding making eye contact with the older vampire.
Rukia's violet eyes narrowed. "Two human bodies were found in Karakura last night. The bodies were so badly messed up, they had to shut down an entire street to find the rest of their limbs. The reporters are blaming vampires…..and I know you were not back when this incident took place. If your turning rogue again then you need to let me know!", her monotone voice raised slightly in defiance, still keeping her eyes focused on Ichigo.
Ichigo turned to face her, his brown eyes flickering in colour with anger. "Dammit Rukia I haven't been rogue in over 600 years!, What the hell makes you think it was me?. What about Ishida or Chad?".
Rukia stepped away from the door, her short arms folded across her chest in audacity. "A person can easily pick up old habits in 600 years, so there are definitely some rogue traits left in you. It could not of been Chad or Ishida because they were with myself and Renji; we were still at the bar when you left. So where did you go? …Because whoever did this means we probably have to get a vampire spokesperson to defend our title before a war breaks out".
Ichigo reacted quickly; so fast that to a human it would of happened in a fraction of a blink. He had snapped and lunged at the petite vampire, his fangs released and ready to pierce.
Rukia was two steps ahead of him already, she had arched her back and placed her right foot behind her, gaining balance in her spring. She was older than Ichigo by at least 1000 years, and was therefore the superior vampire in both title and strength.
In just milliseconds, she had managed to pin him beneath her feet, her fangs ready if he was moronic enough to try fight her a second time. Rukia waited until he calmed himself before removing her hold on him, and using Shunpo to create a slight distance between them.
"You naïve fool!, what did you expect the outcome of that to be?".
Her voice softened before she continued; "What's going on with you Ichigo?", she asked, concern filling her large violet eyes.
His mouth opened slightly before closing. Rukia was his closest and oldest friend; like the older sister he never had. She was the one who mentored him into becoming an ethical and forth righteous vampire, and for that, he always respected and valued her.
It was these values Rukia possessed, that restrained him from telling her about the antics he got up to last night.
"Don't tell her…..but then again she met Renji when he was a human…and they're happ- No!, it's not going to turn out like that. It's just her blood your after….It had been a while since I tasted human blood", Ichigo reasoned with himself, snapping out of his stupor.
"I'll talk to you later Rukia, I need to be somewhere", Ichigo said leaving the room, determined to prove himself wrong. He ignored Rukia's protests, his mind only focused on getting to that bar.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The snow softly crunched beneath her shoes as she carefully treaded her way through the park, determined not to slip onto its cold surface. This year she would win the battle of balance against the snow that defeated her during the previous years.
"I can do this…I'm nearly there…one,….two,…..thre-", Orihime was cut off mid count by slipping on a piece of black ice and landing flat on her tail bone.
"Owww! That's not fair, it's the same thing every year!. I'm not so sure you're my favourite season any more". Orihime crossed her arms and huffed, ignoring the snow. Once again the score remained its usual; Winter-1, and Orihime-0.
"Need a hand? Or do you plan on freezing your ass off for the entire day?", a rough, arrogant voice said, interrupting her silent treatment.
Orihime shot up off the ground, completely embarrassed, and turned to meet a teal haired and eyed man looking at her oddly, with a smirk on his face.
"Um, ah I'm sorry I was trying to beat the snow on my way to work when I slipped, and I refused to move because the snow wouldn't let me win this year!", She exclaimed, waving her hands nervously.
His teal eyebrows raised slightly before he scoffed. "Whatever, c'mon I'll help you make it the rest of the way in one piece".
Orihime trudged after him, eyeing her path carefully. The two walked in silence having exited the park, and Orihime glanced his way from the corner of her eye, unsure of what to say to him.
As they reached the bar she turned and bowed her head to him. "Thank you for helping me, ah….I'm sorry I don't know your name"
The teal haired man grinned, then cocking his head back before laughing. "My name?…. all in due time, I'm sure we will be meeting again pretty soon.".
He paused momentarily, his eyes focusing on further down the street, a smirk twitching its way across his mouth. "I gotta go, I'm not exactly everybody's favourite around here".
Before Orihime could object he had disappeared in front of her, leaving her standing outside the bar in utter shock. "It didn't even occur to me he was a vampire…..they're everywhere".
Shaking her head to prevent last night's images from re-playing in her mind, she opened up the bar and hung up her coat and bag. She had roughly an hour before it started to pick up with the alcoholics that liked to perch themselves for the day around the counter.
The bar door opened with a creak behind her.
"I'm sorry I just opened, if you would give me a minute I'll be right with you", she said smiling, while turning to see her first customer.
The bottles of Pigeon Ruby she had been holding smashed onto the ground below her when she saw Ichigo standing no more then 4ft away from her.
Her legs froze, while her grey eyes widened with shock at seeing him. She hadn't expected to see him for a while because of their encounter last night, but apparently the only one of them it bothered, was her.
Orihime watched him lock the door of the bar, before turning back to her and taking short, slow steps toward her, his eyes filled with determination and intensity.
"K-Kurosaki-kun….I-", she started, but he cut her off by placing his lips against hers. He carefully placed his hands at either side of her face, cupping her jaw, and proceeded to kiss her with ease.
She was frozen for several seconds before heat and ecstasy coursed through her and she found herself moving closer to him, her soft, delicate lips synchronizing in movement with his rough lips.
His hands dropped to her waist and wrapped themselves around her, their bodies in complete contact. She responded with her arms placed around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers as she deepened each kiss.
He kissed her back passionately, each movement of their lips getting hungrier for more. Ichigo pulled back before he devoured her mouth in search of the tongue he could feel aching to be free.
Confusion spread across her face, combined with her hazy eyes and slightly bruised lips. "Kurosaki-kun why did you-", she was cut off again by his clamping over her mouth.
"I need you to stay quiet…I think there is someone on the roof", Ichigo whispered, pulling her into a corner.
0o0o0o0o0o
"Omaeda, tell the captain I've located the perpetrator…..ask him if he wants Ichigo Kurosaki brought to him dead or alive", a woman with short black hair and two long braids said grinning atop the roof.
Authors Note: Phew! Another chapter down, I'm happy with this one, so please review! It would mean so much to me.
Regarding Ichigo and Rukia, there is no romance, I just want to show their friendship.^^