Soldier had rushed Orihime so hastily down the path back to the house she had little chance to utter a single word before he ushered her inside her room and disappeared. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but couldn't. Firstly, he didn't give her a chance to, and secondly, they wouldn't be able to understand each other with that pesky language barrier. She could ask Tatsuki to translate, but she would chastise her severely for her reckless behavior upon hearing of her late night escapades. On top of that, would her childhood friend even believe her? What a predicament the young Miss Inoue was in.
The lady of the house threw herself atop her bed and let out a long groan. She was sure she would not sleep that night or any night after considering. Not with such an exciting night so freshly behind her. She splayed her hands out before her and examined them like she had so many times before trying to understand the mystery behind them.
The gold light that she created was not something new. She had kept it hidden as best she could. It only seemed to break free of her control when she was in danger, which were only a small handful of times. He was the first friend, other than her late brother whom she considered a friend as well as family, to have witnessed it, and because of his predicament he could hardly judge her for her oddity, or shun her for it.
Soldier. Her thoughts once again traveled to the handsome young man that under such a short time captivated her attention. What was that thing that lived within him? Why did it want her so badly? She knew it should scare her. Any normal person of sound mind would have been and would still be scared senseless, but her protector and his "demon" were far too fascinating for her to cower. It was a new adventure that begged for her attention.
Her thoughts shifted to what he, or rather, the demon had done to her. Her face flushed at the thought of its strong fingers kneading into her flesh and the heat of their skin on skin contact. Butterflies formed in her stomach, a spark ignited there, and traveled lower to her nether regions. Immediately she grabbed the nearest pillow to her and squealed into a pillow hoping to relieve some of the pent up tension. She concluded it helped slightly, but the brunt of the sensation she was feeling remained.
"Soldier, you will be my undoing!" She called out into the darkness. Frustrated, she continued. "It's down right maddening!"
It was best not to delay the inevitable. She decided to take care of the throbbing between her legs the best way she knew how. It was a method taught to her by one of her father's many women, Matsumoto. A very lively and sensual woman for whom she adored.
Her night would filled with passion, romance, and intrigue - starring her and her soldier, of course. If he ever found out about her lusty thoughts she would be sure to die right on the spot.
()()()()()
When Soldier left his charge in her room he did not stray far. He was given the duty of protecting the young woman and would fulfill this task demon or no.
With the outburst he had experienced earlier and her retaliation, the spirit that resided within him seemed to lose its energy. It had been exhausted by whatever she had used against it. It was... asleep? It rarely rested and this intrigued him. She was a delicate white girl and this sort of power was not something he expected of an ignorant foreigner, let alone a woman. Perhaps he misjudged her.
The young man closed his eyes and focused on Miss Inoue. With his training he was able to hone in on what his teacher called "spiritual pressure," or a person's aura. He needed to know that she was okay, especially after the eventful night they had. As he slipped into a state of meditation he could hear the faint beating of her heart and the occasional sigh that escaped her. She was not angry, or scared as he expected her to be. She seemed to emanate excitement, curiosity, and... Sensuality? Her sighs turned into moans. She was...
"Oh." He whispered as blood quickly rose to his face. He swallowed hard, struggling with every fiber of his being to maintain composure. Another seductive noise came from the young woman, and another, and another, until she finally cried out in ecstasy. Then there was peace at last. He sucked in a breath of relief and willed the heat that pooled in his stomach to dissipate. "Lady Inoue, you will be my undoing."
()()()()()
Morning came quickly for the young lady as she had fallen asleep a lot sooner than she had anticipated. She rushed around her room to prepare for the day as hastily as possible. She had hoped to catch her protector as soon as she could and make as much time for explanations as possible. She was determined, in spite of their language barrier, to understand what had happened the night prior.
As soon as she was washed and dressed she bolted out her private entrance and began to search for the tall, redheaded man.
"Orihime!" Tatsuki called after her. Head peering out from behind one of the doors to her room. "Your hair!"
"Later! I have to find Soldier!" She yelled back as she disappeared into the tall bushes that lined the path to the gardens. She was aware her hair was left down and unruly, but it just took too long to put up and make presentable to the public.
For some reason her body urged her to head down the dirt path towards the little hut she discovered the young man in the night before. It was as if his body called to her without words. She could feel his presence strengthen as she neared the shack.
()()()()()
Soldier could feel her approaching quickly. He had mastered the art of reading spiritual pressure a long time ago. His peers claimed that he was far better at it than anyone in history. No matter how suppressed a person's energy was, he was able to shut down all of his senses and focus well enough to feel it.
He wasn't sure how he would deal with her. He knew she had questions he could not answer because of their language difference, thank the heavens! He would be able to avoid the topic of his inner demon assaulting her and touching her supple...
"Soldier?" He heard her feminine voice call to him from outside. She kept calling him that weird name for reasons he did not know. He supposed it could be forgiven given her ignorance and that it made him feel rather good to have some sort of pet name. Particularly one that was used by such a beautiful...
"Inoue." He stood up straight as she opened the door and slipped quietly inside. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She immediately pressed her lips together and her focus shifted to the ground in thought. Finally, she was understanding the silliness of talking at him.
She lifted her gaze at him once more. Her eyes were of the brightest silver and larger than a doe's. Her stare made him feel naked, as if she could see everything - who he was, is, and all of his past transgressions. She gave off an air of innocence, yet she was the most seductive woman he'd ever beheld. His cheeks heated.
"Fuck her." The spirit inside him awoke. He winced. "If you don't, I will."
Lady Inoue stepped forward, reaching for his hand. He stepped back. He couldn't let her get too close. Not like the last time, or they'd both regret it.
"Please." The young woman pleaded as she reached for his hand once more. This time she was able to wrap her fingers around his and pulled him gently to follow her. He complied.
"Taste her!" The demon continued to scrape at his focus. "She tastes gooood."
Soldier tore himself away from her and turned to face the wall. It was starting again, but in broad daylight.
"The better to see her naked body." It hissed in response to his thoughts. "Fuck. Her."
He moaned in agony as he crouched, trying to focus, desperately attempting to resist it.
"Not again." She whispered as she rushed to the young man's side. As she touched his shoulder, a gold light appeared. A warmth filled his body and there was silence. She put the monster to sleep yet again.
He looked at her concerned face and nodded. She responded with a painfully bright smile. She dropped to her knees by his side and her arms snaked around his neck in an embrace. He could feel the heat radiating from her body, hear the deep beating of her heart, her touch was electrifying. He felt comfort in her presence and it made him nervous. There was no doubt to either of them that they were bound together in some strange way. He was haunted by a demon that only she could control. At least for now.
He could smell her wonderfully enticing scent yet again. Today her hair flowed freely and it was slightly more strong. He placed his large hands around her waist and pushed her away from him so that he could get a better look at her. The corners of his mouth curved upwards slightly and his scowl softened. He preferred her that way - wild and untamed. This appearance matched her personality much more than the intricate twists and uptight curls he first saw her in.
"Is everything alright?" The young woman questioned her friend's actions. A flush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks as he looked her over and she tried in vain not to shy away. He used his finger tips to smooth away an unruly strand of hair from her face. Her breathing deepened at the intimate contact. His eyes bore into hers as he closed the space between them.
"Unhand her, my dirty, hooligan of a nephew!" Their intimate moment was abruptly interrupted by the Soldier's old crone of an aunt. He was so immersed in beauty of the foreigner before him he had forgotten all else. How would he protect her from assassins and old ladies if he forgot the world existed when the young woman was in front of him? "Kurosaki Ichigo, I will have your head! I told you, she is too good for you, you ungrateful, selfish boy! Wait until your father hears - he would probably applaud your attempted seductions of this poor, innocent child..."
Orihime was frightened by the elder female who bombarded their privacy and plastered herself as close to her protector as possible. She did not understand what the old woman was saying, but knew that whatever spilled from her wrinkled mouth was out of anger. She hoped that it wasn't her who caused it.
As the old lady rambled on she hobbled over to the young man and proceeded to smack him. She grabbed him by the ear and pulled him up, away from his charge, and towards the exit. Orihime shot up and followed, trying to dissuade the old hag from further punishing her beloved Soldier, but the crone was blinded by the insolence of her nephew.
All the slow way back to the house the elder lady complained and griped in her language, the young man hissed in pain, and the redheaded woman apologized profusely, begging for his release. Towards the end of their journey, with the estate in sight, they came across Lady Inoue's best friend and companion, Tatsuki with an amused look on her face.
"Oh, Tatsuki! Help me!" Orihime cried, a perplexed look adorning her face.
"What happened?" She snorted out through her laughter.
"This... Woman walked in on Soldier... Um... Well, you see..." She winced. Maybe she shouldn't have asked for her friend's help, but she had already said too much. "Hewasabouttokissme!"
"Oh, I do see!" Jested the brunette, wagging her eyebrows at the lady of the house, who in turn gave her a frustrated glare. "Orihime, it is improper in this country to kiss before one is engaged, or even married. Not only is that highly looked down upon, but this young man, as handsome and full if good character as he may be, he is far below your station in life."
"But I am not from here, nor do I care about our different 'stations in life'." She huffed and continued to follow the quarreling family duo.
"It may not mean much to you, but tradition is important here. You cannot fraternize with hired help. You will earn yourself a reputation!"
"Then what if I marry him?"
"Orihime Inoue!" Her lady in waiting gasped. "You barely know the poor bastard."
For a moment the two young ladies were lost in their conversation about social acceptance in the new land until they heard the subject of their talk yell out in pain. The two looked a few paces ahead of them at the old woman beating him with a shoe. He was down on his knees taking his punishment when all knew he could run away, or avoid any contact very easily.
Orihime ran to his aid, ignoring her friend's warnings to stay out of it. She threw herself in front of the man she adored, blocking him from another hit.
"Enough! He did not do anything that was not welcome." She looked to Tatsuki, begging her with the most pathetic facial expression possible in hopes that she would translate. Her friend rolled her eyes and complied. The old woman looked shocked and shot a look of harsh judgement at the redheaded woman. Miss Inoue crumbled at her glance.
"We intend to marry, Aunt." Soldier stood up and rested his hands on his savior's shoulders, squeezing them slightly. He knew it was a sudden decision, but it was an inevitable one. They were connected and there was no escaping it.
"What?!" Tatsuki shouted. Orihime's eyes grew as big as saucers at the reaction from her companion and that crazy old hag.
"W-what?" She breathed out, looking questioningly at all who surrounded her.
Her Soldier gently turned her around to face him, wrapped one strong arm around her waist and pulled her to him. With one hand on the small of her back, and the other at the base of her neck, he placed a tender kiss on her lips.
"Oh." She whispered.