(Yoshi! What's happening?! No update for more than a year and then, 'BANG!' Two updates in a week. It is all because of you, yes, 'YOU'. You all know I am referring to 'you'. The rest of you, what are you doing here anyway, shoo, shoo, go away. But.. seriously, thanks for the show of support. To show my appreciation, you can request for the next update for any of my stories, even the completed ones. I was going to suggest you send me a PM, but sorry, the mailbox remains close. Disturbing messages and images since last year from more than one sender. Anyhow... why not your top three updates to 'review'. I will think about it and ask my muses. Not this story, though; the muse has gone off to recuperate after more than ten thousand words! I will get back to you to inform you as to if the update you are dying to read will be posted. During the very small window of I sending a message to you, if you are online at the same time, please quickly tap, tap, tap and tell me what that cannot be shown on 'reviews'. Think about it. All updates' requests will be answered, within my lifetime.)
(Hmm... this just came to me. Mayhap, I should set up a new account just for the sole purpose of communication. I will let you know once I think of a 'cute' name. Do look out for it in your mailboxes send to you from this address. You can ask anything... regarding my stories. And please, do keep it private between us. Thanx.)
(ううん)
Kuchiki Rukia's mouth opened and closed. She could hardly believed what she had just heard. She turned to look at her dear friend. She thought that her eyes seemed to be brighter and her fair skin appeared to be on the wrong side of the palest white.
Inoue Orihime tried not to show how the one word that came out of Kurosaki Ichigo's cruel mouth had hurt her. She has thought he would not scoop so low as to really hit her. Taking advantage of her, maybe. He was only a man, after all. But... She thought he was just...
She had thought...
She just could not figure him out.
She shook her head and blinked away her unshed tears. She would just have to bear it out.
After all, it was not as if she had never been at the receiving end of a fist or two. Besides, she admitted to herself, resignedly; she is in the wrong for hitting him in the first place. Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and looked into the handsome face devoid of any emotion.
And felt a small strong hand holding her own cold trembling one.
"What did you say?" The owner of the warm hand asked, still in disbelief.
"Something wrong with your ears? You asked and I answered you. Do I need to say it again"
"No. I heard you the first time but I thought..."
"Don't think anymore. In fact, don't even open your mouth anymore. This is between her and me." Ichigo's face remained as impassive as his words.
"You can't be serious!" It was like reasoning with a brick wall. He was all stony-faced at her. Rukia turned to her boyfriend. "Do something! Anything!" Abarai Renji opened his mouth, took a look at Ichigo and shut it. He shook his head at Rukia. Rukia's face reflected the disappointment and dismay she felt for him. She glanced at the rest of his friends. "Can't one of you stop this insanity from happening?" She appealed to the rest of Ichigo's friends as well.
No one said a word.
Till...
A big, tanned hand appeared on Ichigo's shoulder.
"Ichigo."
Rukia's temper exploded in disgust. "Why, you want to hold her down as he laid his fists on her!"
"Rukia," Renji started to say,
"What?!" Rukia cut him off by shouting at him and holding on to Orihime's hand even tighter.
"Rukia, if there's anyone who can talk some sense into Ichigo. It will be Chad." Renji ignoring the contempt he saw in her eyes, told her watchfully.
Rukia mumbled something under her breath.
"Ichigo." The deep voice of Sado Yasutaro's utterance of his name spoke volume.
"It's okay, Chad. I know what I am doing." Ichigo informed his friend.
There must have been some kind of assurance in the words for the big man patted Ichigo on his shoulder and said nothing else.
Ichigo's cool gaze centred on Orihime.
"Inoue, it is Inoue, am I correct?"
"That's Inoue-san to you!" Rukia instructed unnecessarily by shouting at him.
Ichigo pointedly ignored her.
"Inoue," He started again and Orihime instinctively nodded.
"You admitted that you were wrong in hitting me."
Again, Orihime nodded.
"That's why we were willing to apologize to you." Rukia butted in.
"And I said that an apology will not do and that was when you offered for me to hit your friend."
"I was not being serious. It was meant as a joke!"
"That's the problem with you, feminists. You are always talking about equal rights and all that. But when one is ready to treat you on equal standing, there is always the escape of everything being a joke. Don't make me laugh." Ichigo's voice was filled with disdain.
"W-what has you hitting my friend and being a feminist and equal rights have in common?" Rukia stumbled in pure puzzlement.
"It's very simple and I will demonstrate."
Ichigo proceeded with his demonstration by hitting Asano Keigo.
"Ow! What did you do that for?!" Keigo whined and massaged his injured nose.
"You are going to annoy me." Ichigo answered smoothly, obviously and much to everybody acceptance of how Keigo was.
"See. You want to be treated with equality, you should be able to take it like a man. And that includes a mild beating once in a while." Ichigo told the two women with contrasting expressions on their faces.
One filled with shock and the other with rage.
Murderous rage.
"Of all the bullshit! This is sheer madness! We. Are. Leaving! Come on, Orihime. Let's get out of this lunatic asylum!" Rukia started to pull her friend to the exit.
"Rukia-chan," Orihime said softly and stood firmly as to where she was.
"Orihime."
"Kurosaki-san is correct." Orihime began to say.
"Don't 'san' him! He does not deserve your respect! That bastard!" Rukia spat and started again to pull her friend away from him.
Orihime was not moving. She began to pry Rukia's stubborn fingers from her hand. "Abarai-san,"
Renji gave out a startled, "Huh?"
Having successfully removed Rukia's hand from its death-gripped position covering hers, Orihime gently pushed Rukia towards her boyfriend.
"Abarai-san, do you mind?" She hoped Renji knew what she wanted him to do for her.
In a rare moment of insightful understanding of what was requested of him, Renji reached out for his girlfriend.
"Don't touch me!" Rukia hissed, even as Renji wrapped his strong arms around her.
"Orihime." Rukia's softly cried out to her, desperately.
"I am going to be fine, Rukia-chan." Orihime said bravely. A sad smile appeared on her pale face. "It will be like the bad old days when not a day went by without I getting a beating because I-I..." She could not continue, the pain of remembrance was too much, instead she turned to Ichigo, stood a little straighter,
"I am ready, Kurosaki-san,"
Rukia buried her face in Renji's chest. She covered her ears with her shaking hands. "I am going to kill him. No. Tatsuki and I will kill him. No. Tatsuki and I will take our time as we make him suffer in front of Orihime. He's not getting away." Rukia mumbled incoherently against Renji's chest as she thought about her own incompetence with the useless threats.
Ichigo's stomach hurt. The moment he heard about Orihime being abused, his heart fell to his stomach and that was why he felt so sick.
Sick of himself.
"Are you scared?" He asked of the previously spirited woman looking helplessly at him.
She shook her head vehemently.
"Your eyes are betraying you." 'Your big beautiful brown eyes'. He mentally corrected himself.
"Close your eyes." He ordered softly and she, obediently did.
And clasped her trembling hands, together, tightly.
"Ichigo." One of his friends muttered.
Shutting out his friends, everything. He focused on the woman in front of him. His hands covered the smaller ones clutched furiously into a ball-liked shape. They were cold and shivering, from fear.
Anticipation of a known experience and the end result.
Orihime wondered warily why his warm, calloused hands were cocooning hers. Was he trying to prevent her from striking back at him. No. She will not do anything. She has learnt her lesson.
Then his gentle, whispered words touched her ears.
"I am sorry for frightening you. I am sorry for what you have gone through. I am sorry that you have experienced what one should never, ever had. But I, Kurosaki Ichigo will never lay a finger on the opposite sex. Much less someone like you."
'Someone like me?' Orihime's nervous heart began to beat frantically.
And then she felt the soft caress of his lips at the corner of her mouth.
Her eyes shot open.
There was a sincere smile on his face. His hands separated themselves from hers. A cocky smile replaced the likeable one.
'Likable?'
Orihime's small hands flown to cover her flaming cheeks.
"And now we are even." He said in a voice loud enough for his friends to hear.
With that one sentence, the suffocating tension dispersed like leaves scattering in the soothing autumn breeze.
"Phew, Ichigo. You've all of us worried there for a moment." Keigo grinned toothily.
"Speak for yourself, Asano-san. We were never worried about Kurosaki doing something so despicable. Am I correct, Sado-kun?" Ishida Uryuu asked his former comrade in arms.
The tanned giant gave a thumb's up of agreement.
"What's happened?" Kojima Mizuiro looked up from his cellphone, pretending he was absolutely absorbed with what he was doing with his cellphone. When in fact, he was as antsy as all of Ichigo's friends.
Renji heaved a large sigh of relief. He must really learn to trust his idiot of a friend. The movement jerked Rukia from his chest. She peered anxiously up at him. "What's happening?"
He grinned at her and pulled her hands from her ears. "Look for yourself." He turned his girlfriend in the right direction.
Rukia stared at a blushing Orihime and a smug looking Ichigo.
She did not look to be hurt, at least not physically.
"What did you do to her?"
"Nothing." Ichigo answered calmly.
And the redness on Orihime's face flared up.
"Orihime and I have just come a compromise," He started to say, provokingly,
"Orihime?!"
"We have decided to be friends. She agreed to compensate me for any medical bills I might incur with a dinner date thrown in." He smiled confidently.
"Dinner date?!"
"Muzzle your pesky parrot, Renji." Ichigo needled before pressing on his advantage, "A dinner date with a friend, right, Orihime?"
The flustered woman could only stare back at him.
"No! You don't get to call her by her given name. Your medical bills will be paid by us, within reason, of course. And there will be no dinner date. Right, Orihime?" Rukia suggested for her hastily.
Again Orihime could only stare back at her friend, speechless.
Rukia ran to her and grabbed her by the elbow. "Orihime? Look what you have done to her. You have frightened her to numbness. What did you do to her anyway? You brute!" She accused Ichigo.
"I have already told you. Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Not a thing."
"Renji," Deciding she could not get the truth from Ichigo, Rukia turned to her boyfriend. "Before you say anything, remember I am still very, very unhappy with you." She warned him. "So, did he do anything to her?"
Renji broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes flittered to a scowling Ichigo before he choked out to his girlfriend, "He kissed her!"
"He what?!"
Orihime chose that very moment to come alive.
"It was nothing, Rukia-chan."
'Nothing?!'
"It was just a little peck on the cheek." Orihime improvised quickly to a suspicious Rukia.
"I see," She narrowed her eyes and directed her questioning gaze on the one person she surmised was a 'babblemouth'. "You!" She pointed at Keigo. "Was it just a peck?"
Keigo grinned, happy to be in the spotlight, "As compared to the first kiss, I supposed." He answered truthfully.
And for his honesty, he was rewarded with an elbow to his grinning face.
A very sharp elbow.
"Oww!"
"So... you did do something inappropriate to her, you pervert! Molester!" Rukia raged at Ichigo. "Well, that cancelled out the compensation. My poor, pure princess is going to have to go and see a shrink for being kissed by someone like you."
"Someone like me? What is wrong with me?" Ichigo was offended.
"Your actions speak for themselves, pervert-san."
"Why... you... "
"It's alright, Rukia-chan. I did not mind Kurosaki-san's kisses." Orihime said, absent-mindedly. Hearing herself saying what she should not have said, Orihime's hands were a little too late in covering her mouth.
Her impulsive, honest mouth.
" ... "
"O... ri... hime... " Rukia stiffened.
Orihime grabbed the fuming Rukia by the arm, "It's getting late, Rukia-chan. We should be going." Orihime was doing fast damage control.
"Wait!" It was like before; he loathed to let her vanish from his sight.
"Why? So you can molest her again? Not. A. Chance!"
Ichigo bypassed the black-haired roadblock. "Orihime, you still have not given me a way to get in touch you in regards to the medical expenses... " She was given a boyish smile. "Or a da-, dinner date." Ichigo tried to improve on his chances of getting to see her again.
Orihime tried to suppress a returning smile but the twitching of her lips was the proof of her failed effort.
"Here's my mobile. Do you want to tap in a number? Or do you want to call me with yours and I will add your number to my contacts? Do you want me to whisper my number to you?" He flirted shamelessly.
She shook her head, amused.
"But I do not have Abarai-san's number." Orihime said innocently.
"Why do you need to know the baboon's number?" He was not the only surprised one.
"Kurosaki-san has his number?"
"Of course I do. Why..."
"Then Kurosaki-san has a way to get in touch with me. Through Abarai-san."
"He has your number?!" Ichigo shouted.
"No. Of course not. But whatever you need to let me know, you inform Abarai-san and in turn, he will pass on the message to me through Rukia-chan. Right, Rukia-chan?" She smiled knowingly at Rukia. Rukia smiled slyly back at her.
"Definitely. Right, Renji?" Rukia instructed or rather ordered him.
A dazed Renji could only nodded in agreement.
"But that's so troublesome. One big roundabout method, when we could be connected directly. As one to one." Ichigo persisted in trying to add her number to his contacts.
"It is not troublesome, right, Rukia-chan?"
"Most definitely."
"You see, Kurosaki-san. Problem solved." Orihime smiled sweetly and promptly gave a graceful little bow that caught Ichigo by surprise, he quickly bowed in return.
"Goodbye, Kurosaki-san. Shall we, Rukia-chan?" Hooking her arm around her friend's arm, Orihime and Rukia walked side by side towards the exit.
"Rukia,"
Said girlfriend held up her free hand, "Not tonight, Renji. I am still not happy with you. Orihime and I will be going home by ourselves." Rukia stressed the last word in case someone else offered to see them home.
Renji looked wretchedly at her. "You'll call?"
"We'll see."
"Goodbye Rukia-san, Orihime-san." A hopeful Keigo called out from over Ichigo's shoulder.
Rukia looked at him as if it was beneath her to answer him and so she did not. The polite princess, through; gave a friendly wave, stole a quick look at a scowling Ichigo and led Rukia away.
Keigo gave out a longing sigh and planted his jaw on Ichigo's shoulder. "So beautiful." He said, dreamily.
Then while, watching the backs of the two women, he remembered something, "Struck out, eh, Ichigo? This must be a momentous day for you. A hottie rejecting you. She's not even remotely interested in you." He gloated.
"Want to bet?"
"On?"
"Whether or not Orihime is interested in me. And you better place your bet quickly because we will know the answer before they are out of the door."
"How?"
"Yes or no?"
"What do I get if I win?"
"I will help you to get any woman, excluding those two, of course, or man if that's your preferrence," Ichigo grinned wickedly. "If you win."
"Ichigo! What if I lose?"
"I will think about it. Now make up your mind."
Keigo made up his mind.
What did he have to lose, anyway?
"Yes." He answered and waited for Ichigo to explain.
"If Orihime is not interested in me, she will go out the door without turning around to take a look at me, but if she is..." He let the words hang in suspense.
Seeing Rukia already at the door and Orihime just a step behind her, Keigo chanted, "Go, Orihime-san, go."
Ichigo folded his arms across his chest and waited.
Tried as she might, she should not, but she could not resist.
Just beyond a foot from going out of the exit, she turned around, and saw a beaming Ichigo, standing tall and Greek-statue-liked, his strong arms across his manly chest, then his arms were moving, she thought he was going to wave to her.
Her foolish heart began to beat wildly.
Instead...
Using his hands around his mouth like a loudspeaker, he bellowed out, amidst the loud music, the chattering, the noise;
"Goodnight, my sweet princess! Here's knowing you are going to have sweeter dreams of... ME!"
And Orihime all but pushed Rukia out of the door.
"W-hat?! B-But... She refused to give you her number. She didn't even want your number! How can she be interested in you?!" Keigo babbled. "You can't contact her personally to prove she is really interested in you." Keigo was desperately clutching at straws.
"Good point, Keigo. Renji?" Ichigo's confident gaze leveled on the heart-broken redhead.
Renji shook his head.
"No." He answered plainly.
"No? Don't make me pull rank on you, Renji."
"You forget, Ichigo. We are no longer in the Force."
"That's right, Renji. We are friends, though, aren't we? Very good friends. Friends who had experienced much together. Like saving your life, too many times to count. Don't you want this friend to be happy?"
"I do, but I don't want her to be hurt."
"I am not going to hurt her."
"You don't know that."
"Why are you so protective of her?"
Renji did not answer.
Ichigo decided to change tact. "Renji, you know I can find her with or without your help. So why not shorten my misery by telling me what you know."
"You really want to know her and you are not going to hurt her?"
"Unless she orders me to." He joked harmlessly. But noticing Renji's beady brown eyes glowering at him. Ichigo turned serious and answered truthfully, sincerely,
"Yes."
"I don't know." Renji was still mulling over as to tell or not.
"Just tell him what's he going to find out anyway, Abarai-san. Just bear in mind to keep the personal stuff private or you will be here till closing time. You know how Kurosaki is concerning a pretty woman." Ishida advised.
Renji gave out an exaggerated sigh. "I guess Rukia wouldn't mind letting you guys know how we met."
"Why the fuck would I care how you and the meddlesome midget met?" Ichigo asked incredulously.
Renji glared at him. "Mind how you speak of the woman I love. If you must know, I got to know Rukia through Inoue-san."
"Explain yourself, now!" Ichigo's patience was razor-edged thin.
Renji shrugged and began,
"I first encountered Inoue-san at a trade fair,"
"You meant a Car Show. I can just imagine Orihime-san in one of those supersexy, eye-catching outfit." Keigo was practically drooling at the imaginary of Orihime wearing one of those tight-fitting clothing with her bountiful bosom bursting to be free.
Too immersed in his delusional daydream, he forgot himself and said out loud. "Come to papa."
And held his hands out to receive the bouncy prize.
Only to be greeted by a ferocious fist to the face, which knocked him, out cold.
"Well, that will keep him quiet for awhile. Please continue, Renji." Ichigo deadpanned.
And man interrupted, did just that.
He continued by admitting he was attracted to Orihime at first sight. Who wouldn't, he hastened to add. But tried as he might,Orihime did not give him the time of the day. In fact, she kept asking him to go away as he was interfering with what she has been trying to canvas for more business for her employers.
He decided to do just that and observed her from a not too far distance. He was glad to see he was not the only one getting the cold shoulder from her. After awhile when he had decided it was time for him to try his luck again,
"A few hours, you should say. And you were ogling at her. That's what I would do." The muddlied voice of Keigo mocked at Renji before falling back into unconsciousness again.
A sheepish smile.
"Yeah, maybe more than a few hours. I was so absorbed in watching Inoue-san that I did not notice a pretty, petite black-haired woman standing next to me." Here, Renji stopped again even though nobody has cut him off. He waited to see if Ichigo was going to insult Rukia.
Ichigo raised his eyebrows as if questioning him for the delay but he said nothing.
Who was he to question the big ape's falling standard in women?
"The first thing that Rukia said to me when I had noticed her was, "So... are you trying to get into her pants?" The big ape confessed to sound of sniggering.
Except for one.
"And were you?"
"What do you think?" And he left it at that.
Of course he denied it to Rukia.
They started talking and Rukia helpfully suggested she will assist him to become friends with Orihime.
So that's how it started.
Dates supposedly with Orihime always ended up with just Rukia and him.
He was comfortable with that. He got to ask questions about Orihime. Although Rukia did always provide him with just scraps. Nothing of real importance.
He felt comfortable with the woman with the vibrant violet eyes.
And then, it happened.
He started to want to know more about her than the beautiful princess.
And the more he learned about her, the more his heart was beating faster at the sight of her.
Finally, he came to realize he was wrong.
Wrong to want to chase after an unattainable fantasy when he could cherish the woman right by his side.
"And that's when I had found the woman I loved, for always." Renji finished with a wishful smile.
"At the risk of repeating myself, what the fuck has your stupid story has anything to do with Orihime!"
"That's just it, I felt grateful to Inoue-san for being a matchmaker, albeit a unwittingly one, to Rukia and I. That's why I feel sort of protective about her."
"Fine. Whatever. Now tell me what I want to know. Namely, an address."
"But I don't know her home address."
"Then the place she works. You do know, don't you?"
"I do, but you have seen how protective of Inoue-san Rukia is. And not just Rukia. From what Rukia has told me, Inoue-san had a dark childhood, no, I don't really know the details but Rukia said it's a miracle that Inoue-san turned out the way she has, regardless of what she had been through. She has friends, lots of them who are looking out for her now. And one of them is the woman I love, who's currently not happy with me. You asked me earlier if I wanted my friends to be happy. How about you, Ichigo, don't you want me to be happy as well?" Renji finished his long, solemn speech with a pleading look.
Ichigo was having none of it.
Leveling Renji with the full weight of his irritation, he said with hooded disinterest dripping with a deliberate threat,
"Renji, so far you have told me shit as to what I want to know. And yes, I want you to be happy. In fact, I want all my friends to be happy. But, Renji, you know I can also make your life now a living hell and I really doubt you would want to drag the woman you love straight into hell with you, right?"
(こだわり)
"No, Rukia-chan, I can truthfully, hand on my heart tell you I do not remember of having met Abarai-san before." The puzzled princess reaffirmed of what she knew for the.. was it the third time?
"Why is it of such importance to you, may I ask?"
Rukia looked guilty. "If you must know, I met Renji through you."
"Huh?" Orihime was truly surprised.
Rukia decided to come clean. "Do you remember a few months back when I told you that I have found someone?"
Orihime nodded. She recollected how absolutely joyous Rukia was and how ecstatic she felt about Rukia's newfound love. She wondered why remembering Abarai-san was so important to her friend.
"Well, I have gotten to know Renji sort of through you."
She got her answer and a whole lot more confusion.
"I do not understand."
And Rukia got on with her explanation.
It was love at first sight. At least it was for her. But his attention was caught by a certain pretty princess manning the booth.
"Me?" The princess squeaked in shock.
Rukia nodded and continued.
So for the sake of love, Rukia decided to hopefully inspire the unsuspecting Renji into falling in love with her.
All she had to do was to use Orihime as the bait.
"M-Me? B-But... H-How?"
"I told him I will help him to go out with you."
"But you didn't. Are you ashamed of me? Do you not trust me, Rukia-chan?" The supposedly 'bait' sadly asked.
"No! Of course not! I just didn't want to take the chance of the two of you falling in love with each other before I gave it a try between him and I." Rukia confessed in shame and hung her head.
It had felt so right at that time.
What Orihime did not know would not hurt her.
And yet, Orihime did almost had gotten hurt.
What a friend.
Orihime lifted her quivering chin, gave an understanding smile and squeezed the shorter woman's hand.
She guessed love did make one irrational.
"So... the two of you..." Orihime started to sing-song, cheekily and then suddenly she remembered something.
Something of earth-shattering standing!
"How about the baby?"
"What baby? Oh, that baby. That's why I went to ladies. I felt it coming down."
"WHAT?!" Orihime could not breath. The baby? The baby is gone?! How could Rukia-chan be so calm? She stared at her friend who in turn, looked at her with a inquiring expression like she was the one who has uttered those depressing words.
Slowly Rukia realized what her words could signified.
"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I meant it's 'tampon' time." She grinned, apologetically.
Orihime let out a breath of relief.
"But you should have seen his face when he 'ambushed' me as I came out of the restroom." There was a big smile on Rukia's face. She tried to mimic her boyfriend's voice.
"Oh, Rukia. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of you and our baby. I love you.I know that by marrying me, you will be marrying down but I'll prove to your brother you'll have no regrets, ever. What if your brother don't want to give his blessings? Would you still want to marry despite his disapproval? Think of our baby. My baby girl must know we got married because we love each other." Rukia's voice got softer and softer as she related what Renji had promised her.
"That is so sweet. Did he really said all that? What did you tell him?"
"He said that and a whole lot more. And the funny thing is, the first thing I said to him when he had finished gushing was, 'how can you be sure it's a girl?'."
"And what did he say?"
"It's only a slip of the tongue." Once again, Rukia tried to talk like Renji.
The two women laughed.
"But you have told him that it is only a false alarm."
"You didn't see him all anxious with me when we fell down, did you?"
"So, everything is fine with Abarai-san and you? Are you going to call him?"
"It's not important. I am sorry for what he didn't do."
"Oh... You are talking about Kurosaki-san and I. Don't blame him, Rukia-chan. I chose to accept the payment due."
"What payment? You fool. But you're right. I shouldn't blame him. I am the one at fault. I should have done something. I am so sorry, Orihime."
"It is over and done with. Besides, what could you have done? Take my place?"
"Yes!"
"No, Rukia-chan. What would your brother say? You know, in my line of work, it would be better for me to show up with a few bruises. Play the sympathy card." The hardworking woman said in jest.
"Don't even joke about it! You would have just stood there and accept what he dished out, wouldn't you?"
"Yes. All I would show as a sign of weakness would be a few drops of tears and then, I will hate him."
"But you don't hate him, since he didn't touch you."
And there was the blush again, highlighting her fair face and spreading down to her neck. What was wrong with her?
"Ah... But he did touch you... with his lips." Rukia teased. "And what did you say, 'I did not mind Kurosaki-san's kisses', unquote." She went on ruthlessly.
"Rukia-chan! It was just a slip of the tongue."
"Are you repeating what Renji said? In Renji's case, he has always told me he prefer a little girl to spoil rotten. So unconsciously, he was hopping for just that. How about you, Orihime, you like him?"
Orihime pursed her lips, worryingly. She chose to ignore the question.
But Rukia was relentless. "So, how about you and the spiked 'fruit'?"
"M-Me and Kurosaki-san? K-Kurosaki-san... " She stammered before covering her mouth in a hurry with her small hands. She gave out a delicate, small sneeze.
"Orihime! Are you alright? You are not catching a cold, are you? What are we standing in the middle of the street when you should be at home, right now. Let's go." The older woman ordered in concern and started to drag her towards her warm home.
"Rukia-chan, I am fine. My nose just felt itchy for a second," Orihime cutely twitched her nose to prove her point.
"Or someone is thinking and talking about you?"
"Why would Tatsuki-chan be talking about me?"
Rukia gave the gullible girl-woman a look of hair-pulling exasperation. "Not Tatsuki. The orange top. I bet even now he's grilling Renji for your information."
"But Abarai-san does not know anything about me." She stared at a guilty looking Rukia. "Rukia-chan!"
"Don't worry. I only fed him 'tits' and bits. No pun intended." She grinned and drove on with her assumption. "What would you say to him if he should arrive at your place work with flowers and a Chappy cuddly toy and ask you for a date?"
"Why Chappy?"
"That's besides the point."
Orihime fidgeted uneasily and fiddled with her hands. "It is... I do not really like Chappy." She muttered.
Everybody knew about Rukia's obsession with the rabbit-liked toy.
Rukia glared at her. "Fine. Flowers and a Doreamon soft toy to impress his resourcefulness to you. How would you answer him?"
"I understand about Doreamon. And it is so expected. Why cannot it be Pikachu? He is so cute!"
'Cute and crazy.' Rukia thought cleverly to herself. 'Almost like you.' She smiled self-consciously at the one she has just likely have insulted. "For the last time, flowers and a Pikachu plush toy and your answer?"
Orihime's pretty face was set in full concentration.
Rukia waited.
And waited.
"Rukia-chan," Orihime's soft voice was serious but it was also wavering,
"Yes, Orihime."
Orihime's thoughtful face scrunched in concern. "If Doreamon and Pikachu were to meet each other in a sumo match, who will come out victorious?" She looked at a shocked Rukia, hopefully.
"Huh?! What?! I don't know and I don't care!"
"But, Rukia-chan ~ " Orihime pouted. Rukia-chan is just like Tatsuki-chan. They are both no fun. Perhaps if she suggested that Pikachu partnered Chappy, then Rukia-chan might take an interest, but two against one. How unfair. Maybe she can be Doreamon's sidekick and then it will be 'Game On!'. Two against two. A fight to the death... Or maybe not. She shuddered. That will be too... too 'uncute'.
"Orihime," Somebody was calling her. Was Doreamon in trouble?!
"I will save you, Doreamon-chan!"
A light thump on the top of her daydreaming head.
Orihime touched her head, ran her fingers through her hair to knead her scalp with her fingertips and giggled. "Hee, hee."
And faced an impatiently tapping-her-foot Rukia.
There was no more delaying in answering Rukia.
Rukia-chan wanted her answer.
"Umm... Rukia-chan, I guess, maybe... no." Orihime nodded and then shook her head. "No." She repeated more firmly more to herself than to Rukia.
"Well, that sure, eh, Orihime? I should be proud of you for resisting a rather tempting 'fruit'. But..."
"No." Orihime interrupted and shook her head again.
"It's just I sensed something going on between the two of you. It will do nobody any harm if you do go on a date with him. Renji and I could be your duennas. In case, pervert-san decide to molest you. Wait.. I am contradicting myself. You might be right in avoiding him. Maybe we should get Tatsuki in on this." Rukia was finding out that returning the favor to an unknowingly matchmaking friend, was not so easy.
"It is still no, Rukia-san. The only thing I sensed about Kurosaki-san is; he is mad, bad and dangerous; whereas I am a good girl, right?"
(かわいい)
Ichigo smirked as he used his thumb to unlock his front door.
Wasn't technology great? It's what that separate human beings from the animal kingdom. No offense, of course.
The moment he knew, someone had used his code to gain entrance to his apartment, he rushed out of the business meeting in a flash. He ignored the questioning protesting. Millions were at stake. The company's stockholders would demand an answer. His reputation was on the line.
As if he cared.
It was not like they can take their business elsewhere. He scoffed at his competitors. They can try but no one can topple the king.
Anyway...
He stepped into his apartment, closed the door quietly and changed the code to his lock; no sense in making anything difficult for himself and removed his shoes.
Walking silently into the living room, his eyes caught the bright bundle on his couch. It was impossible to miss it. A splash of color in a checkerboard-designed of a abode.
Reaching it, he glanced upon it with an unreadable expression on his face. Lightly fingering it,
'So soft and smooth.'
Just as he knew her skin would be.
He could hardly wait to touch her.
To taste her.
And to be inside her.
He wondered where she was.
Not in the kitchen, he thought devilishly.
It would be uncomfortable for...
Her.
Then he heard it.
A male singing voice.
A man!
In the bedroom?!
At least it sounded like a man singing till he heard the girlish giggling.
Just take a bite
Let me shake up your world
How appropriate.
Caused just one night couldn't be so wrong
I'm gonna make you lose control
Ichigo took off his jacket, loosened his tie and removed it from his neck. He threw them next to the dress on his couch.
She was so shy
'Til I drove her wild
His cufflinks, those he treated with more tender care. He placed them carefully on the table.
I make them good girls go bad
I make them good girls go bad
He could hardly wait to make her go bad.
Unbuttoning his shirt as he walked towards the opened door to his bedroom, she started to sing in her own voice.
A singer's voice. He noted appreciatingly.
I know your type
Boy you're dangerous
He's dangerous? Perish the thought.
Yeah you're that guy
I'd be stupid to trust
She was not in the bedroom.
Ah... enclosed space.
He closed the bedroom door.
But just one night couldn't be so wrong
You make me want to lose control
Pulling his shirt from out of trousers, his unbuttoned shirt hanging on him,
He walked into the bathroom.
Slid opened the glass door,
"Ready to lose control, Orihime?"
(クレーツー)
(So... have you all decided? If I do not get any response at all, I would assume you want me to just do the update that my muse is collaborating with me at the moment. Don't you hate it when your muse is back. You spend every waking hour with your story. You do not even have time to catch...
No. I am not obsessed.
I am not going...
I am not gonna...
I am not...
Gotta Catch 'Em All!)
.
