Author's Note – Hey everyone, thanks again for all the nice reviews! I'm sorry this one is a bit late, I've been wrapped up in some personal issues. I'm might try to start updating this story on a schedule, maybe every Friday or so. Another author I follow does it and it seems to work very well for her. This chapter ended up pretty long so I hope that makes up for it! I'm behind on responding to reviews, but I promise I didn't forget and I will respond shortly! ^_^

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorited! And thanks for reading!

Chapter Three – "Ichigo in Denial? The Transfer Student Aims at the Weaver Princess's Heart"

Ten minutes and twenty colorful Chappy drawings later, Ichigo found himself sitting on the ground, an entire notepad full of Rukia's passionate artwork sitting in his lap. Truthfully he'd rather have been figuring out where that Hollow was and if it was connected to Orihime's attacker. Staring down at the overly sugar sweet bunnies and rows of pink hearts, he decided he mind as well have been looking at something from a different planet. Rukia touted it as her best work ever, telling him to keep it close to him at all times in case there was an emergency with Inoue. And she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Are we done yet? Don't we have more important things to discuss? Like that Hollow?" he moaned.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Rukia once again whacked him upside the head. "Shut it, this *is* important."

"When the hell did you get so interested in my love life anyway?"

Standing up and crossing her arms, Rukia leaned forward to look him dead in the eyes. "Don't you want to be happy Ichigo?"

Unnerved, Ichigo looked away from her. "I have more important things to think about, like keeping her safe."

Rolling her eyes, Rukia grabbed his chin and forcefully turned his head back to face her. "Idiot. Doesn't that say anything to you? The fact that her safety is so important to you you're putting it above everything else? This isn't the first time either."

Doing anything to avoid her stare, Ichigo looked at the ground beside him, wondering why the blades of grass were suddenly so interesting.

When he didn't answer, she moved in front of him, softening slightly. "You carry a heavy burden Ichigo. I know you think your only place in life is to protect others and that you can't ever fail that. I know how important it is for you. But is that all that really matters to you?"

Kneeling, Rukia placed her hand on his and gently squeezed. "You're always so concerned with making sure everyone else is okay. But what about you? Doesn't your happiness matter too? You saved my life, and you saved hers, hell, you've saved all of us at one point and thousands more. Isn't it about time you let someone save you instead?"

Feeling as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the air around them, Ichigo felt as though he might drown, so many foreign feelings washing over him like muddy waves, every one causing him to panic more than the last. He continued to avoid her eyes, wanting nothing more than to escape the lingering questions there. Desperate for a change of subject, he noticed a small glittering object secure around her finger. Raising an eyebrow, he felt strong enough to meet her gaze again. "What's that?"

Blinking in surprise, Rukia stared at him. "What's what?"

"That ring on your finger."

Eyes widening and face paling, Rukia ripped her hand away from his, bringing it to her chest as crimson replaced white in her cheeks. "It… it's from Renji. We're engaged."

Eyebrow arcing even higher, Ichigo gave her a sly, mocking smile. "What the hell did I miss when I was gone all that time?"

Blushing even deeper, Rukia turned away from him. "After you lost your powers I… was having some attachment issues from the real world and Renji confessed how he felt. I realized how far apart we'd grown, that I had been lying to myself, and that the one I missed the most wasn't the one I expected. I believe his exact words were 'I need to do this before that bastard does.'"

The other eyebrow quickly raised, a look of confusion painting his face, subconsciously pointing to himself. "By bastard he meant…?"

Swallowing hard, Rukia stared up at the sky, the red light from the moon hiding her flushed cheeks. "He was talking about you."

It was Ichigo's turn to blush as he frantically leaned away from her, waving his hands and shaking his head. "No way! Like that'd ever happen! He's crazy!"

"Yeah… pretty crazy…" Rukia said softly, sighing.

Confused, Ichigo watched her quietly, seeing something flash in her eyes. Longing? Regret? Determination? "Rukia…"

Tilting her head back, Rukia closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's fine," she said. Before he could react, she moved to punch him in the head. "If you ever make me get like that again I'm gonna kick your ass."

Groaning and rubbing the place where her fist collided, Ichigo turned back to her. "So how are you guys not dead yet? I thought Byakuya would've objected by now."

Cringing, Rukia shrugged. "We haven't told him yet."

"Good plan. So where is Renji anyway?"

Rukia smirked. "He's staying at Urahara's. I'm sure Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai are sufficiently torturing him by now."

"And what about you? Where are you staying?" Ichigo asked, cautiously.

Crossing her arms, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Where I always stay when I'm here," she said as if stating an overly obvious fact.

"Oh no, no you don't! You can't stay there, I mean it!"

"But where else am I supposed to go?" Rukia asked softly, twisting her lips into a less than genuine pout.

"Why? Why me? Why don't you stay with Renji?"

Huffing out a sigh, Rukia shook her head. "Are you kidding? I'll never get any rest, they'll never stop coming up with chores! A girl needs her beauty rest!"

"Wow, what a wonderful fiancé you are. Lazy ass. And don't even get me started on that last part- OW!" Ichigo bit out, ending with a yelp as Rukia kicked his shin.

"Shut it fool. You'd do well to watch your next words carefully. Now, back to our *original* conversation, you need to ask Inoue out, and you need to do it soon."

"I already told you, it's not like that," Ichigo said, nearly emotionless.

"So freaking- ugh I can't even," Rukia said, exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. "You've got to be the thickest headed idiot I've ever met! You don't honestly expect her to wait forever do you? When are you going to realize this hm? When it's too late and she moves on with someone else? Why are you so stupid-"

"Shut up!" Ichigo growled, voice low and dangerous now. "What the hell do you know anyway? You think it's so easy, everything's so obvious to you? I've never had a girl love me that way, and if Inoue really felt that way she would've said something by now! Even if she did, it just can't happen! Our being friends already puts her in danger, if we were more, who knows who'd try to come after her just in an attempt to harm me! I won't put her in that position, I won't!"

Rukia, taken aback by his sudden passionate fury, stepped unconsciously back from him a couple steps. "Ichigo…"

She watched as tears of frustration welled up in his eyes, hardening with resolve. And for the first time since she'd known him, she saw how much of a burden his powers were for him. They'd given him the power to protect, but at what cost?

"I can't lose her Rukia…"

…

Inside, Orihime sat nestled underneath the window, long since having stopped watching Ichigo and Rukia. Wrapping her arms around herself in an effort to stop the shaking, she sat staring into the darkened room, wiping at the stubborn tears in her eyes with her hand.

"I'm so stupid…of course he'd see her again," she whispered miserably into the room. Biting her lip in an effort to stop the crying she realized just how far she'd gotten her hopes up. With the end of the fighting, she'd thought maybe she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, that Rukia would stay in Soul Society and her and Ichigo wouldn't need to contact each other again. There was a small, dark corner of her heart that had rejoiced at the idea and thought maybe with Rukia out of the picture, Ichigo would finally see her.

It disgusted her. Orihime thought she'd escaped and come to terms with these feelings long ago and cemented them away when Ichigo had come for her in Hueco Mundo. For the first time, she'd been able to see just how much Ichigo cared for her and was willing to risk everything for her, same as he had for Rukia.

"I was just fooling myself. I'm his close friend, so of course he came for me. But that's all I'll ever be…he'd do the same for any of us…"

Bringing her knees to her chest, Orihime buried her face in her arms, tears flowing freely, dampening her grey uniform jacket. The myriad of emotions poured out in the salty liquid, shame, disgust, embarrassment, sadness…

'Things are fine just the way they are, for both you and Kuchiki. Ichigo is still a kid who can't stand up on his own, so right now that kid needs both you and Kuchiki. What's so bad about being jealous? That's a difficult thing to accept, let alone stop.'

"Rangiku-san… I wish you were here with me in this situation…" Orihime said quietly, looking up at the moon, her tears sparkling in the eerie light. "I don't know what to do…"

'My beautiful Princess… that boy doesn't care about you.'

"Wha…what?" Orihime asked, body suddenly cold, the pain in her ankle renewing itself. She thought the voice had disappeared after the attack, her heart sinking into her stomach.

'He doesn't care about you. Look at him, he's down there with that girl instead of up here making sure you're safe, leaving you unguarded.'

"That's… that isn't true. Kurosaki-kun transformed because he thought there was another threat," she said shakily, unsure of her own certainty.

'Don't be a fool. Look at them, look how close they are, how close they've always been. She gave him his power, he needs her. She's always the one to renew his faith, surely you notice how much better she makes him. And what do you do for him?'

"What do I do for him…?" Orihime asked, slowly and quietly. It was a question she'd pondered many times, many sleepless nights and daydreams that ate away at her heart constantly.

'You slave away, constantly, trying so hard to win his heart, but you can't because it's already gone. He doesn't notice, he doesn't care, he doesn't care what you sacrifice for him. He doesn't care that you suffer in silence everyday because he won't notice or return your feelings. You deserve so much better my love. Someone who will love you, and keep you safe, someone who's heart you will always hold and never have to compete for.'

Orihime wanted to believe, and on the surface, she knew the voice made sense in a twisted kind of way. It was true- Rukia was constantly Ichigo's rock. She been the one to give him the power to fight, the power to pick himself up, and knock sense into him with little to no effort. It didn't take a crystal ball to see that the bond between them was strong and something not easily broken.

And what had she done for him? Always the damsel in distress who needed rescuing, never powerful enough to stand on her own. Even when she'd willingly gone to Las Noches in an attempt to save her friends lives, his life, it'd been him saving her in the end. It was always her putting him in needless danger.

Yet, all that didn't faze him. He'd still kept her by his side, he still kept her as a friend, he still cared about her. If she truly did nothing for him, was nothing to him, wouldn't he have pushed her aside by now? Wouldn't he have left her to die?

Orihime instantly felt nauseated, ashamed. As much as it seemed bad on the surface, she knew Ichigo was just not like that. When he said something, he meant it. When he promised something, there was nothing that would stop him from following through, not even death. If he didn't care, he wouldn't be here and it was that simple.

"You're wrong," Orihime whispered.

'…What?'

"I said you're wrong," she repeated, this time more firmly. "It's true. Kuchiki-san is very important to Kurosaki-kun. But I…"

'Ichigo is still a kid who can't stand up on his own, so right now that kid needs both you and Kuchiki.'

"Kuchiki-san is really pretty, and kind, and amazing, and it's true, Kurosaki-kun looks to her a lot. She even took it upon herself to train me when I was going to get left behind, Kuchiki-san is a really good, caring person. So what if she gave him his power… I'm grateful to her for putting the smile back on his face, for helping him all the time. Maybe I can't do the same, but Kurosaki-kun is better and that's all that matters. As long as he's happy, even if it's with her, I can be okay. She deserves to be happy too. Even just being part of his life, it's more than I ever could've hoped for, more than I have ever deserved. As long as I can be by his side somehow, I'll be okay."

'Why… why do you insist on defending him?!'

"Because…because I…" Orihime said, on the verge of tears. "I love him! I'm in love with Kurosaki-kun!" she shouted, crushing the inner voice, breathing heavily as she waited for it to return. After several minutes, when there was only silence, Orihime wiped the tears off her cheeks and stood, grabbing the Shun Shun Rikka from her collar.

"Soten Kisshun," she said as the hairpins came apart, the familiar fairies dancing around her, Ayame and Shun'ou covering her ankle with the golden shield.

Noticing her visible distress, Shun'ou stared up at Orihime worriedly as he healed her ankle. "Are you alright?"

Before she could answer, a small black blur rushed at her, latching onto her hair and pulling. "She'll get over it," Tsubaki quipped, causing Orihime to cry out as he pulled harder.

Shun'ou frowned up at him. "Oi, Tsubaki, leave her alone, can't you tell something happened here?"

"Stupid girl should've called us sooner then," Tsubaki continued, releasing his hold on her hair, giving a small kick to the side of her head.

Rubbing the place where Tsubaki pulled her hair, Orihime stared down at the floor, unable to look at them. "I… I'm sorry."

Giving her a reassuring smile, he broke the shield with Ayame, flying up to meet her eyes. "At least you're okay now right?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Good. But please, call us if you're in trouble next time, okay Orihime-san?" Shun'ou finished, the fairies whirling around and reforming themselves back in their hairpin form. Clipping them back onto her collar, Orihime made for her apartment door, climbing down the stairs to the street below where Ichigo and Rukia stood in silence, watching the moon.

"Uhm… hi Kuchiki-san… it's really nice to see you again."

Surprised, Rukia turned around to greet her friend, briefly stealing a glance at Ichigo, who's vacant expression betrayed nothing, staring off into the sky. Sighing in defeat, she looked back at Orihime. "Hey Inoue. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm great!" Orihime chirped, beaming at the other girl and wrapping her in a tight hug. Surprised, Rukia wrapped her arms carefully around the red head, patting her awkwardly on the back at the sudden display of affection. "I'm glad."

Releasing her, Orihime's smile faded as she looked up at the moon above, noticing its bloody color for the first time. "That's…"

"What? What is it Inoue?"

Orihime began to tremble unconsciously. "That's the same moon in my dream…"

Worried, Rukia put her hand on Orihime's arm, squeezing gently. Ichigo stared back at them, going completely still as his body stiffened like stone. "You're absolutely sure?" Rukia asked, meeting Orihime's grey eyes, searching them.

"Mhm… it's the same… when that Hollow took me to that place, where he attacked me."

Inhaling sharply, Rukia grabbed both of Orihime's arms this time, her tone icy and serious. "This Hollow that attacked you, can you describe him? I want all of the details."

As Orihime related the description to her, Ichigo stared at Orihime, shock setting in, blood freezing over. Why did her description sound so familiar? A dark ache began to claw at his heart, dread filling the wound. He needed an answer, soon, and prayed to whatever god was out there that this wasn't what he hoped. Sharing another look with Rukia, he could tell by her solemn expression she was thinking the same thing he was.

As soon as Orihime finished, Rukia turned back to face Ichigo. "Ichigo…"

Shaking his head, his dark brown eyes met her azure ones, leaving no room for argument. "I think you should stay with Inoue tonight."

Shooting him an annoyed look, Rukia gave Orihime a brief, nervous smile. "Would you excuse us for one second Inoue?" she asked, before grabbing Ichigo forcefully by his sleeve and pulling him around the corner.

Confused, Orihime stood, unsure of what to do or say, a tiny part of her dreading the fact the pair was going to be alone and she was uninvited. "Oh… okay."

Once they cleared the corner, Rukia spun on Ichigo angrily. "What are you doing?"

"I can't stay with her."

"And why not?"

"If this is what I think it is, it'll be too dangerous for me to be around her. I won't take that chance."

Glaring at him, Rukia crossed her arms. "You're being ridiculous. You don't know that's for sure the case, we barely have any information on this. Why don't you wait until we actually have some answers before you start jumping to conclusions?"

"You're really annoying you know that?"

"What the hell happened to the Ichigo I knew, the Ichigo that didn't even fear death? You're just scared!"

Whirling on her in anger for the second time that night, Ichigo grabbed her by the collar of her shihakusho, desperate to make her understand. "You just don't get it do you? There are some things worse than death Rukia! If anything happens to her because of me, I'll never forgive myself!"

"Stop making such pathetic excuses, it's really unbecoming," Rukia said, her tone glacial, cold, slow, and dangerous as she shoved him off her. "Sure, go ahead and push her away. You'll keep her physically safe. And yet what you fail to realize is that won't stop her from loving you. Your denial doesn't make her feelings go away, and every step you walk away from her is another knife you put in her heart. So yeah, go ahead, push her away, pretend it doesn't exist. She'll be alive, but you'll destroy her from the inside out." Pushing away from him in disgust, Rukia walked away from Ichigo, back over to where Orihime stood.

"…Is everything okay?" Orihime asked Rukia carefully, worried when she didn't see Ichigo return with her.

"Yeah, it will be," Rukia said, giving Orihime a halfhearted smile, still thoroughly annoyed. "Is it alright if I stay with you tonight?"

Nodding, Orihime frowned. "But… what happened to Kurosaki-kun?"

"He… had some business to take care of," Rukia lied, cringing inwardly. It was hard to lie to the other girl, so hopeful and fragile.

"Oh… I see," Orihime said quietly, looking down at the ground, disappointed.

Putting her hand on Orihime's shoulder, she led them both up the steps to Orihime's apartment. "Don't worry too much. He'll be fine."

"I hope so."

…

"Whhhhaaaaaattttttt?!"

"Well you see, I didn't get to eat breakfast the other day and I didn't sleep very well and- AH!" Orihime yelped, Chizuru gripping her in an iron clad hug.

"I'm just so glad you're okay Hime-chan! I was sooooooo worried, don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Eh heh…"

"Alright, that's enough," Tatsuki growled, grabbing Chizuru by the back of her shirt and peeling her off of Orihime.

"But, but Tatsuki-…"

"I said that's enough. Leave her alone, she's been through enough," Tatsuki said tightly, as Chizuru turned away towards her desk, sulking and pouting as she watched them from afar.

Rolling her eyes, Tatsuki gave Orihime a once over, checking to see if she was still hurt. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine Tatsuki-chan, never better!" Orihime said, braving a smile.

Sighing, Tatsuki stared out the window, the morning sunlight bathing the room. "I'm really sorry Orihime."

"But…for what?"

"I wasn't there when you needed me. I've always protected you and yet… lately everything's changed so much. I feel like… I feel like you don't even need me anymore. Whatever it is you've been doing… you've gotten so strong, Orihime. You shouldn't ever need to fight. You have to fight because I'm not strong enough."

"Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime asked, concerned at the unusual shakiness in Tatsuki's voice.

Shaking her head, Tatsuki moved over to her desk, slumping into the chair. "Nevermind. I'll be okay."

Still confused by Tatsuki's meaning, Orihime frantically waved her hands. "But I'm fine Tatsuki-chan, really! You worry too much. Besides, Kurosaki-kun took me home and kept me safe, I wasn't alone, just like you asked."

Giving her a side long glance, Tatsuki braced herself for her next words. "Yeah… about that. Orihime, I think you should stay away from Ichigo for awhile."

"H-huh? What are you talking about Tatsuki-chan? Kurosaki-kun would never do anything? You've been with him for so long, why would you say something like that?"

"Stay away from him Orihime. I mean it," Tatsuki said, reaffirming, stomach twisting into knots knowing that the girl had no intention of following said advice.

"O-okay," Orihime said, at a loss for anything else to say. Whatever had Tatsuki so concerned the past couple days, Orihime knew she was dead serious. In the whole time she'd known her, she'd never seen Tatsuki like this, not once. Taking her place behind Tatsuki's desk, Orihime watched as Ichigo and Rukia walked into the room, as if having been summoned by cue.

"Hey look! That hot transfer student is back!" one of the male students in the class shouted as Ichigo and Rukia sat down next to each other near Orihime, Keigo following behind them.

"You guys look pretty cozy. You *positive* you're not dating? It sure looks that way. Man, why am I always the last one to know about these things? You guys hate me don't you?" Keigo whined.

Biting her lip, Orihime folded her hands in her lap, trying hard to ignore the teasing comments, to keep a fresh wave of jealousy from springing fourth.

"Shut up," Ichigo growled. "She isn't my girlfriend. It isn't anything like that."

"Then how come you guys are always seen together? Oh… I get it. I bet you asked her out and she rejected you so you follow her around until she changes her mind."

"I said shut it already."

"Man, you are in some serious denial dude. Hey Rukia, got a date for the Tanabata festival yet?" Keigo asked as he sat down beside her.

"Not interested," she responded flatly.

"Hey, it was worth a try," he said, seemingly unfazed by the instant rejection.

"Alright everyone, that's enough. Please take your seats now," the teacher said, arm full of papers as she opened the classroom door and walked toward the podium, a boy following close behind. Whispers and murmurs began to meld together, some of the girls swooning and blushing throughout the classroom while the boys gave him a glance, wondering what about him was so wonderful that they didn't have, Keigo especially vocal.

"Today we have a new student joining us. Please welcome Hiko to our class," the teacher sang cheerfully.

"Thank you," the boy replied, voice deep as he smiled, calm and collected. "I'm sure I'll enjoy my stay here," he said, eyes falling on Orihime as he held her gaze, "…very much."

Orihime went completely still, her breathing becoming shallow and rapid, butterflies dancing nervously in her stomach. 'It's him…' she said to herself as Hiko continued to stare at her, freezing her in place. 'But why is he here?'

Rukia, noticing Orihime's sudden panicked reaction, went completely on edge. Glancing back at Hiko, she couldn't help but feel sick at the dark reiatsu waves he was emitting.

"I don't like this," she whispered to Ichigo, whose eyes never left Hiko for a second.

"Yeah," he echoed, expressionless and uneasy, every muscle tense.

"Where can you sit? Uhm… oh! Take the seat next to Inoue-san. Please, kindly show him around when you are able, we want him to feel at home here," the teacher spoke.

Tatsuki, beside them, had a similar reaction. 'What's he doing here? And how is he able to move freely like this?' she wondered to herself, eyes wide with shock as Hiko passed her, giving her a quick, smug smile, daring her to stop him. Taking his seat next to Orihime, Hiko's hand brushed Orihime's as he moved beside her, causing her to blush and shutter from the gentle touch.

"I look forward to our time together Princess," he spoke, low and deep, his jet black hair glistening in the sun, his gaze burning into her skin while he looked at her.

"Yeah… me too…" Orihime said softly and uncertain, trying to keep her voice steady as the teacher began her lesson, chalk grinding on blackboard.

'What should I do? I can't tell Kurosaki-kun. He'll only worry about me more. And what if he's really dangerous now too? I can't let Kurosaki-kun get hurt for me anymore.' She wondered to herself, desperately trying to focus on the mass of words and numbers on the board, pencil quivering in her grip, none of it meaning anything to her.

…

As soon as the lunch bell rang, Orihime was instantly out the door, not a word breathed to Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, or any of her other friends as she hurried to the roof, melting into the crowd of students, determined to evade them all.

Taking a seat on one of the impromptu concrete benches, Orihime set the plastic bag that held her obento box aside, ignored and forgotten as she stared blankly through the chainlink fence that lined the perimeter, the warm wind dancing through her hair. Normally lunch was Orihime's favorite part of the day, but for once her appetite was extremely lacking.

'There's no way, there's no way I can do this all by myself. I'm not strong enough. I'm always the one that has to be saved.' Orihime thought to herself sadly. It always felt to her that no matter the strides she made with her powers, her friends always seemed to be ten steps ahead of her. Forever on the outside looking in.

She thought back to her time spent as Ulquiorra's captive when Ichigo had nearly lost himself in an effort to save her. She remembered the terror, the sadness of knowing he'd become like that to save her, to the point he had been willing to destroy those closest to him. All because of her, because she wasn't strong enough to save herself. A single tear rolled down her cheek, a fresh batch of tears blurring the world around her, making no move to wipe them away. She'd always been so certain that she'd do whatever it took to help him. If he got hurt, she'd heal him, if he was in trouble, she'd shield him. She thought maybe now that the fighting had ended, she wouldn't have to put him in that situation ever again. But that had only turned out to be wishful thinking, the cycle was truly endless. There would always be evil in the world that needed to be extinguished, and Ichigo would always be called upon as the guiding light. And now…

"Maybe he's better off without me…" Orihime whispered into the wind miserably.

"What's a beautiful girl like you have to be so sad about?" came the familiar voice behind her. Hearing the words, Orihime froze as she craned her head back to look. "Oh… Hiko… it's you…"

"You don't sound very happy to see me Princess," he smiled, moving towards her, a large bouquet of white roses cradled in his arm.

"I… I'm sorry, you just startled me, that's all," Orihime said, backing away from him slowly until her back was pressed against the fence.

"Forgive me," Hiko said, offering the bouquet as he leaned in close to her, causing Orihime to blush as she accepted the silky flowers awkwardly.

"Th-thank you."

Neither one noticed Rukia's presence behind the stairwell corner.

"So tell me. Do you have a date to the Tanabata festival yet?"

"N-No," Orihime replied nervously as Hiko leaned in.

…

Breathless and panting, Rukia cursed the very human limitations of her gigai as she leapt down the stairs, bounding down the halls as if her life depended on it. When she finally arrived back at the classroom, she found Ichigo, alone and staring out the window. She quickly gripped him firmly by the arm, nails digging painfully into his skin as she pulled him towards the doorway, knocking him off balance while his chair tipped over.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"There's no time. Don't argue, just come," Rukia breathed.

Easily escaping her grasp, Ichigo pulled away from her. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

"That new guy, Hiko, he's trying to make a move on Orihime," she said, every word coated with urgency.

"Yeah right. I know what you're trying to do Rukia. I already told you, it's not happening."

"You idiot," she snarled. "I'm serious, he's with her on the roof right now!"

When he said nothing, she grabbed him by the back of the neck, as she'd done so many times in the past, and pulled his arm around behind his back, paralyzing him. "Listen to me," Rukia spoke, her voice like a sharpened edge. "I know you care about her. I know you don't want to lose her. That guy is bad news and you know it, and if you don't stop this, it might just happen. If you want to protect her, that means protecting her heart as well. You can't keep her hanging on like this. If you're so adamant that your being together would put her in danger, then fine, you're right, I can't tell you how to live your life, so this is the last time I will bother you about it. But I know you, Ichigo. You don't fool me. I know it would kill you to lose her to someone else no matter how many times you try to convince others, or yourself, otherwise."

…

Unable to see a way out, Orihime swayed uncomfortably in place as Hiko leaned into her, his breath softly caressing neck, causing a shiver to cascade down her spine. Gently he pushed the bangs away from her eyes, tucking the locks of hair neatly in place behind her ear, his touch causing her skin to shutter.

"So what do you say Princess? Will you go with me to the festival? Will you become my Orihime for just one night?"

Swallowing hard, Orihime desperately tried to look anywhere but directly at him, but found it highly difficult, his presence magnetic. "I…" she trailed off, her eyes landing on the bag of cookies peeking out from her school bag, the ones she had intended to use to ask Ichigo to the festival. She felt a pang of sadness knowing that it very likely would never happen, wondering why she had agonized so much over them when she already knew the answer. Before Orihime could respond to him, she heard the door swing open with a bang as Ichigo and Rukia emerged from the stairwell, Ichigo immediately grabbing Hiko and pulling him away from Orihime, pinning him roughly against the fence.

"She's not going anywhere with you because she's going with me," Ichigo said, every feature on his body daring the other to try something.

"Ah, I didn't realize she was spoken for," Hiko replied with a smile, his words laced with poison, eyes glaring sharp as knives, his demeanor suggesting he was anything but happy.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you so much as lay another finger on her, I will make you regret the day you ever met me. That's a promise. You *will* stay away from her."

"Is that so?" Hiko asked, half amused, making one last glance at Orihime before Ichigo released his grip. "Then perhaps you should take better care of her. One day she might just slip from your grasp," he said, voice taunting. Tucking his hands in his pockets, Hiko moved away from them, giving them all a venomous smile before disappearing down the stairwell.

"We'll see who the one left with regret is Kurosaki Ichigo."

Damn, Ichigo is really dense. Haha.

Okay, kidding aside, I apologize if this chapter is somewhat lackluster, especially the latter half. I stayed up a long time to finish writing it because I was excited to get it out, but now my inner perfectionist is yelling at me and there's probably six billion errors. Ah well, I will probably end up revising later like usual. I really don't think I'm happy with it.

A few notes, I apologize for the lack of moving plot still, but most of this will be important later I promise, and truthfully it's going to be a pretty long fic.

Next chapter will begin to explain what's going on with Hikoboshi, as well as what Tatsuki's role is in all of this and why she knows so much. And last but not least I apologize for angstyemo!Ichigo, if it was too much, or any oocness. Somehow if Kubo ever gets to it, I don't picture Ichigo handling Orihime's feelings and his feelings for her (if he will get a grip and finally realize them -_-) very well, at least not to begin with. Lol. Also, I know that the mysterious transfer student thing is a bit cliché, but I couldn't really think of another way for him to get close to Orihime to cause problems in a way that made sense.

Anyway, thanks again for reading! Please review, it really helps me a lot ^_^