Title: To Catch A Tiger – Part3

Rating: Still M

()()()

Orihime lay beside Ichigo's hollow after he fell asleep, surprised he actually had. She didn't know how difficult it was for him to maintain control and keep Ichigo away, but she guessed it had to be hard. Did Ichigo struggle that way all the time? She supposed he had to, but she couldn't recall ever hearing him complain. Ichigo just wasn't the type. Maybe that was the reason it had taken her so long to realize that something wasn't right.

It seemed wrong to feel sorry for herself. And Orihime supposed it wasn't actually that terrible, at least, now that she had time to reflect back. It was Ichigo, after all, even if it was his darker, less amiable self.

Well, a lot less amiable… but still, it was nothing that wouldn't heal, even if she might be sore for a while.

Her stomach rumbled crankily, protesting the lack of attention, but she knew it wouldn't do any good to think on it. A steel muscled arm and leg were slung over her, effectively forming an inescapable cage. She had tried once to get up for water, but he growled, cracking an eye to glare at her, unwilling to move or let her out of sight.

She sighed, turning her head to watch him sleep. Was this the price for being in love with him? To be tied to Ichigo was to be tied to all of him. If they did have a future together, this would be something she would have to face. Was facing. Maybe this was a sort of trial basis for dealing with his hollow. If she made it out alive, they had a shot, right?

She resisted the urge to moan in frustration, because she already knew she was kidding herself. If Ichigo ever found out about this, he would put as much physical distance between them as possible. He might even turn himself over to Soul Society.

Orihime bit her lip, only to wince at the sting. That lip had apparently been bitten quite enough.

No, she wouldn't tell him. She couldn't ever let him find out. It would destroy him. If she broke because of this, he would never forgive himself. Orihime never wanted to see him that way again. She would never say it to him, but it really frightened her to see him like that. Without any hope. And she would do anything to prevent it from happening, even if that meant learning to deal with his other half.

She would make that promise to herself, if she couldn't do anything else, at least she could protect him from this.

()()()

Orihime awoke to lips at her throat and a warm Ichigo pressed between her thighs. Her head spun dizzying circles before memory took over, and she realized it wasn't Ichigo at all. The sensation was like ice trailing down her spine while molten warmth pooled into her belly.

But that was all the logic she had time for, because at that moment he slipped inside her and all other thoughts were gone. She gasped, sleepy muscles straining to arch, bringing every nerve into fizzling contact. It felt like there should have been sparks, like she should have spontaneously combusted, and maybe she had, because her body was on fire.

He was everywhere, the only thing she could see or feel. Her hands found his back, testing muscle as he worked over her, breath tickling her ear. She whined when he marked her throat with his teeth.

"You moan like a whore..."

He was looking at her and Orihime's face flushed in shame as the meaning of the words sunk in, but her body burned, tingling and responding to the timbre of growl in his tone. No one had ever spoken to her that way. It did funny things to the pit of her stomach.

He laughed, dark and low into her ear. "Did you like that?"

Orihime dug her nails into his skin, arching back and panting. When he stopped moving into her, she blinked her eyes back open, frowning and impatiently wiggling her feet. Didn't he know how close she was? How much she needed him to keep going? Orihime writhed under him, lifting her hips and trying to move for him.

He smiled before pinning her down by her collar, holding her still. "You want something, Hime?"

"W-what?"

She heard the words, but they didn't make any sense. He knew what she wanted.

"Say it."

Orihime whined, shaking her head, turning away from his eyes. He bit her neck as he slid back inside her and she gasped, instantly inflamed again, and temptation to give him what he wanted was almost irresistible.

"Tell me what you want." He nipped along her jaw, kissing his way back to her ear. "You want me to stop?"

She gasped, arms and legs tightening around him, biting her lip to keep from spouting an embarrassing comment.

He smiled against her throat. "You want me inside of you, holding you down?" His hand tightened around her neck and she shivered, feeling faint and flushed. "Do you want me to fuck you?"

Breath left her lungs, shocked at hearing the words. They sounded foreign and forbidden, and they sent heat pulsing around where he waited inside her, hard and ready. Orihime whimpered, she closed her eyes and nodded.

He shoved into her, clearly satisfied with his game and no longer holding back. Her body responded with embarrassing enthusiasm, writhing and squirming.

All sense of her surroundings vanished and she lost herself to the heated whirlwind coiling in her belly, twisting and building until she didn't think she could stand any more pressure. But he kept going, increasing his pace, forcing all that energy smaller and tighter. She could feel her nails scraping down his back, her thighs locked around his hips, and she thought it should hurt, because he was thrusting so hard, but there was nothing but pleasure and heat and need.

He made a noise that was half growl and half groan, and it was so sensual that it pushed her over the edge. The force between them contracted tighter and then burst, surging through her body with the potency of a lightening bolt. White light lit behind her eyes, her body free of control as it strained into his, grappling for every last ounce of friction.

When her mind came back to her body, he was lying beside her, chest rising and falling as fast as her own. Pale light filtered in through the curtains and she realized it wasn't even morning yet as she tumbled back into sleep.

()()()

Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed, shaking violently, eyes darting from bruise to bruise. Orihime's chest rose and fell under the thin sheet, breath sighing out through abused lips. Her fist tightened on the cover and he could see the blood under her nails. Probably from trying to fight him off.

The air left his lungs and he dropped his head into his hands, struggling not to relive the flashes of nightmare crowding his mind. He tried to swallow, but his throat was so dry he choked. All he had was pieces and bits, jumbled together and disorganized. They came at him in a different way every time, impossible to decipher.

There was no way to know what all he'd done, and it made him sick to think he might have destroyed the one person he had wanted to keep farthest from that part of him. To even think that he had hurt Orihime, of all people, that he had forced her to be with him… She would never trust him again.

She stirred again, face tilting toward him and he was hit with the sudden panic that any second she was going to open her eyes. She would open her eyes and look at him with what? Fear? Hatred? Disgust?

He couldn't– No.

Ichigo jerked back, stumbling from the bed, yanking his jeans off the floor before he fled.

()()()

A/N

Alright guys, one more part and this will be officially finished. And since the last bit is all IchiHime, it will be posted in Where Angels Fear to Tread. I hope that's not too confusing. Lol. This whole story was so random…

As for what lovely bit of HichiHime I have planned next, Ero-Chibi- Suly-Sama, I think you know what's coming :)