Title: Courting Darkness
Warnings: As usual, there will probably be typos.
Chapter Seven
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez pushed through the back door of Rukia's tavern, careful not to draw unwanted attention to his entrance. If Hichigo was back like Ichimaru said, he sure as hell didn't want to be the one caught off guard.
He snarled under his breath.
Just thinking about that aggravating fuck made his lip curl. Something about Hichigo had always grated on his nerves, nothing he could put his finger on, but something that just pissed him right the hell off. And he didn't always seem to add up. He could be inhumanly cruel one second and a gutless, bleeding heart the next. It was fucking maddening.
Grimmjow had never understood Hichigo's aversion to murder, not when it was a kill or be killed world. But somehow, that bastard always managed to stay out of the way of someone else's blade.
Grimmjow shook his head, disgusted. Even when they were still training with Ichimaru, Hichigo had all the traits that Grimmjow had had to work hard to get. A natural and lethal skill with his sword, a clever wit, and a magnetism that made women do insane things just to get his attention.
Grimmjow'd always wondered why Ichimaru had picked him over Hichigo, in the end.
They had always butted heads, and every comparison had left him looking weak and inferior in comparison. But he supposed, maybe that had been the reason. Perhaps, Hichigo's ability had threatened Ichimaru on some level. But he'd probably never find out. Least, not if things went well and he killed his old rival.
Grimmjow stopped before the doorway, letting his eyes grow accustomed to the dark. It was crowded, like usual, and there was a slight pause in the room as he stepped over the threshold and every face turned to consider him. He was recognized and the buzz of hushed whispers resumed, if only a bit warily. They were still watching him, although it didn't look like it, but he didn't care. No one knew why he was there and no one would be stupid enough to ask.
He searched the crowd, not finding anyone of interest until his eyes slid to the bar and landed on a queue of bright red hair above tattooed brows. Renji was bickering softly with Rukia, but they stopped when he took the first step their direction. Rukia's face dulled to an emotionless mask as she eyed him coolly, her hand disappearing from view to wrap around the blade of her dagger. He liked Rukia. She was feisty and not too bad to look at. It was disappointing that her loyalty fell to Hichigo.
Renji glared at his sake as Grimmjow leaned next to him before he drained it in one swig.
Grimmjow smiled, flashing his teeth at the smaller woman across the counter. "Heard your boy Hichigo was back."
She glowered at him, lips twisting. "He's gone again."
"And he didn't say where?"
Her hand was behind her back again, and it was amazing how she could look down her nose at him considering she was about two feet shorter.
"He never does." Rukia moved away. "I have things to do."
She left and he turned his back to the place she had been with a growl. Shit. He had hoped for information, but he supposed she had never warmed up to him. Just as he was about to leave, Loly and Menoly came through the door, scuttling to a dark corner in the back.
He narrowed his gaze before making his way over. Menoly looked up when he came towards them, but the dark haired girl's head was down and after a few steps he realized she was counting out coins. He snorted. It was almost too easy.
"What the hell do you want?"
He didn't look at Menoly. She was too smart to give up information, but too utterly unremarkable otherwise to be useful. Instead, he focused on Loly. He tossed a couple coins onto the table, watching as their heads snapped around to follow the flash of gold as it spun on the wood's surface. Loly licked her lips, her stomach giving off a loud rumble.
"I was about to have some dinner. Why don't you go get it?"
Menoly frowned, looking at the other girl before snatching the money up and going to order something from Rukia. Grimmjow slipped into her vacated seat.
"Hichigo's back."
"He was, but he's gone again." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a pouty frown. "You just want to kill him."
Fuck, did he ever. "It's nothing like that. I'm looking for a girl. She's got orangey-red hair with a bunch of different shades—"
"What do you want her for?"
Grimmjow was vaguely aware his mouth had dropped open. He hadn't expected her to know anything and was just leading up to asking more questions about Hichigo. He leaned across the table. "You saw her?"
Loly shrugged.
"Well, where the fuck is she?"
"How should I know?"
His fingers curled into fists and he wished he could wrap them around her throat. He could beat it out of her, get her alone and keep hitting 'til he got answers, but that would take time he didn't want to waste. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist of coins, slamming them on the table he pinned her with his gaze. Loly stared at the pile beneath his hand, her fingers twitching.
"She was here, but he took her away."
"Who took her away?"
Her eyes never left the money. "Hichigo."
()()()
Ichigo sat at his desk, glaring at the paperwork in front of him and tapping his knuckles against the clawed arm of the chair. He glanced at his fidgeting hand before slumping down into his seat and throwing a leg over the arm instead.
She was infuriating. Determined to keep running away like she was. Was he really so detestable that she couldn't stand to be around him? Ichigo sighed. No, that wasn't it. It was something simple, he knew it, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was.
Ichigo thumped his head back against the chair, tracing the wooden pillars up to the ceiling and its intricately carved plaster molding. A chandelier hung, covered in thousands of delicate crystal droplets, directly over his head. He frowned, wondering why he had never noticed its precarious placement.
It looked heavy. If it dropped—
He rose, snatching up his papers and relocating to a couch across the room. Sprawling gracelessly, he tucked an arm behind his head and began reciting her previous lesson.
"The Emperor is addressed 'Tennō'. The Empress, 'Kōgō'. Dowager Empress would be… 'Kōtaigō'."
Ichigo pressed his fingers into his eyes, dropping the list on his chest.
"Crown Prince, 'Kōtaishi', his wife, 'Kōtaishihi', their heir would be 'Kōtaison'. Plain princes are 'Shinnō' and plain princesses are 'Nyoō' unless they marry in, and then they're… then…" He cursed, raffling through the papers.
Stupid imperials. Why did they all get different titles? It was easier when all he had to remember was that so-and-so was lord of such-and-such.
Learning how to be noble was a lot different from learning to be a thief. For one, being a thief wasn't half as boring. He would much rather be sneaking in to someone's treasury than waiting for another afternoon lesson from Inoue. Not that it was terrible. He had asked for it after all, but being around her was clouding his mind with all manner of irrational thoughts.
It had only taken him the first day to conclude that she was unusually intelligent. It was hard to tell from the way she would often be lost in thought, having little or no idea what was going on around her. She actually expected him to be able to memorize entire pages of notes at a time and to repeat them back.
He gave up flipping through pages and stared at the ceiling again. "Inoue is addressed, 'Lady Inoue', with her father's name. When she inherits his title, she'll be 'Lady Orihime'. When she marries, she gets that name, so it'll be 'Lady Kuro—'"
He stood, letting his papers cascade to the floor.
Turning to pace in front of the fireplace, he heard the click and slide of the door opening before Inoue entered. It was surprising how he had never noticed the way she entered a room before. There wasn't any sound except the light swish of long sleeves trailing. It was like she floated, all grace and soft movements, clothed in a shimmering gold and salmon kimono with dark blue layers in a shade he was particularly susceptible to.
She stood watching him and with a soft curse, he realized that he hadn't returned her bow. She shook her head at him.
"That's too low. Your shoulders shouldn't move." She reached to correct his posture before she seemed to notice their proximity. Blushing, Inoue took a step back and looked away. "A simple nod would suffice for anyone at or below your rank…"
He cleared his throat into the silence, searching for something to do.
"Would you like to sit down?"
At her rapid nod, he took her arm and led her to the couch. When she didn't begin her lesson immediately, Ichigo frowned. Inoue's nose wrinkled in concentration before her small pink tongue peaked out at the corner of her mouth. He eyed it thoughtfully.
"Something wrong?"
"Have you heard anything about Ururu and Jinta?"
His gaze snapped up from her mouth to her eyes. "Yeah, they're a couple of little monsters."
"They are not! They do what they can and they helped me... It's my fault that they're in danger at all—"
"Don't worry about it. They're fine."
"They are?"
"I had them sent out of the city to a friend. He'll give them a place to stay and make sure they're taken care of."
She watched him from under her lashes. "Would this be the same friend that helped you acquire this castle?"
Ichigo watched her with a narrow gaze.
"I'm not going to tell you where they are, so you better get running away out of your head."
She slid down in her seat a few inches, abandoning the good posture she had been pounding into him the past week. A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. He liked her so better this way, not uptight and worried about every insignificant detail. It suited her, made her look a bit tousled, like she might not mind if he tipped her back on that couch and showed her how to unwind properly…
Damn. She had stopped talking again and he had no idea what she had said. He shuffled his feet over the fallen papers before remembering the lesson. Ichigo launched into a recitation of terms of address for various Imperial family members and government officials. Relived when she nodded, carefully following his progress.
He stopped when she laughed, biting her lip to stifle a giggle. "You're bored with titles, aren't you?"
Ichigo blinked up, surprised at her perceptiveness as she raised a sleeve to cover her smile.
"A lord isn't called Lord such-and-such." Her brow furrowed. "We could move on to decorum?"
"What about it?"
"Do you know what to do when your fiancée arrives?" She bit her lip at his clueless expression. "Do you know how to interact with a woman, at all?"
Ichigo arched an eyebrow at her and she flushed, creamy skin turning pink and drawing out the strawberry tones of her multi-colored hair. He itched to know what it would feel like to sink his hands into it, to feel it spill against his chest and lower.
Inoue swallowed, unable to hold his gaze. "Let's just start at the beginning."
"Okay."
"You should never attend any private or social function with a woman who is not a close relative without a chaperone."
"What, never?"
"Never."
"You sure?"
She blinked at him.
"Right. No going anywhere with a female." He paused. "Really?"
She nodded, going back to her list as a strand of hair slipped free and fell over her shoulder. Ichigo tilted his head, watching its progress.
"We're alone, Inoue."
For a moment, her mouth moved without sound. She blushed, licked her lips and tried again.
"You should also avoid familiarity." She flicked her eyes to his, but quickly looked away. "My situation is different. I'm already lost to good society. Normally, I wouldn't visit you alone or attempt to teach you anything, except…"
He took a step forward. "Except?"
She bit her bottom lip and he took another step.
"I'm in your debt." Inoue looked up at him, long lashes over mirror bright eyes. "I can't think of any other way to repay you. If you hadn't rescued me, he would have found me."
"Who?"
She almost said the name without thinking. He could see her lips move to form the sound. Then she caught herself at the last moment.
With a squeak, she lept to her feet. Only, he had moved so close that he was practically leaning over her and her head made contact with his chin. A spike of pain shot through his skull, sending him bouncing back, swearing. Inoue yelped and pitched backward, hands clutching her head. Still swearing, he made a grab as she lost her balance and curled into a ball, taking him with her.
Ichigo tumbled to the floor, still clutching Inoue. As his pain receded into a dull ache, he looked down to see her perched on his legs. Her arms were still over her head, eyes closed tight. He sighed, resisting the urge to rub his own sore jaw.
"Here, let me see." He turned her in his lap and pried her hands from her head.
"I-I'm fine."
Ichigo ignored her and tilted her head down. She squeaked when his fingers brushed a bump forming at the crown.
"Really, I'm fine. Please, let me go."
He dropped his arms, letting her slip from his grasp. Ichigo was watching and ready when she tripped over her sleeves, and he caught her before she hit the ground.
"I told you. Now, let me see."
"W-What are you doing?"
"I'm taking your hair down."
She tried to pull away. "But, you can't do that!"
Knowing better than to argue, Ichigo brushed her hands away and pulled out the blue hairpins. Hair fell over his hands like heavy silk. It ran the full length of her back and was cool to the touch. His fingers were in it before he knew what he was doing.
"D-Don't."
She made a grab for the pins, latching on to his wrist and lunging. They had touched before, but Ichigo couldn't remember her ever intentionally initiating contact. Her fingers brushed the cuffs of his sleeves and he could feel his pulse beating rapidly under her grasp.
Kissing her seemed like such a natural thing. Like drinking liquid sunlight. Her mouth was soft and sweet, and he drank at it slowly, savoring the sensation. Heat pooled into his chest, slipping down into the pit of his stomach as he licked at her bottom lip.
Every nerve ending clamored to life, tingling and begging for more contact. When she opened for him, he pressed his thumbs under her jaw, arching her neck back so that he had better access to her mouth. He was careful to be gentle as he tried to capture that teasing pink tongue of hers, but she was so easy to get lost in. It felt like he had downed an entire bottle of sake. Everything was becoming hazy.
Her arms moved up to the back of his neck and a thrill shot down his spine as her fingers tangled into his hair, tugging him closer. His palms slipped down her shoulders and she jerked back, breaking the contact and catapulting him out of his daze.
Ichigo blinked, pulling further back. She was holding very still, watching him. Her hair tangled over her shoulders and long strands of it were still wrapped around his fingers. How had she managed to stay unattached, a girl that could kiss like that?
He closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing and his wild hormones before deciding he'd have better luck if she weren't sitting in his lap. He gathered her up, ignoring her squeaks of protest and sat her on the couch.
Inoue seemed to be a mix of startled confusion. He spat another curse and turned away. She had woken up that dark craving, stirred the other side of him that was always hungry. He had done a lot of terrible things in his life, but... she was innocent, utterly defenseless against anything he could throw at her. He couldn't take advantage of that.
A shadowy voice stirred inside him, laughed, and asked why not.
"Fuck, I don't need this on top of everything else."
"Why did you… Why did you do that?"
He glanced at her, took one look at her flushed face and red, swollen lips, and spun back around. He shoved a hand through his hair.
She continued. "I… You have to promise… not to do that again."
"I have to, huh?"
"Are you making fun of me?"
He turned back to see that she had repined her hair, although it was still a mess. Her lower lip was trembling and for a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off it. Hichigo laughed, prodding him, daring Ichigo to promise, to promise like she had promised not to run away.
Ichigo stuffed his hands into his pockets and considered it before a cold tingle slipped down his spine. A smile curved his lips. He looked up at her through his hair.
"No, Inoue-sama, I'm not making fun of you."
He began walking toward her, while he held her eyes and fought to control himself.
Orihime stumbled back, swallowing hard. "So… you p-promise?"
"You don't want me to promise that."
"I-I don't?"
He shook his head with a wicked smile, reaching up to trace her lower lip with his thumb. "No, you don't. I did the teaching just now, but you sure were a fast learner."
Her cheeks flushed and she gasped, backtracking quickly, picking up her skirts and all but running from the room.
After the door shut, he dropped his hand before shoving it into his pocket, closing his eyes. What the hell did he just do?
A/N
Poor sad, sad Ichigo. He's hopeless.
Thanks for reading!
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