A/N: Yes! Another update from me!
A big thank you to everybody who reviewed, followed or favorite this fic! It means a lot to me.
blackroserocker – Here's your scene!
nypsy – I put in bits of what you wanted : )
Chapter 7
Kurosaki Ichigo
I try to be a nice guy. Don't laugh, I really do. I try hard to protect the ones important to me and crush the evil that rears its ugly head. So why was the universe so intent on punishing me?
Yes, punishment. Because nothing else could describe the condition I was in. On a beach. With Orihime. Did I mention she was wearing a midnight blue bikini?
My head was about to explode.
Two hours ago . . .
'Kyaa!' a female voice shrieked.
'Oh, I didn't hear you come in.' said Orihime, hurriedly smoothing down the loose shirt that she had just pulled on as I entered the room.
'Too bad she wasn't facing us.' A disappointedly snarky voice remarked as that white nuisance in my head expressed his regret.
I grimaced and tried to ignore him. Key word tried.
'When are ya gonna admit it?' he asked, apparently continuing our earlier, er, conversation. If you could call it that.
I'd gone down to the reception to ask if there were any less populated beaches around. After that day's incident, I'd figured that maybe if there were less people around, it would be better. It was there that the damn hollow had started spouting crap as usual. He tended to be very eloquent about Orihime's, um, figure.
'Why the hell not?! Just because you're brain dead doesn't mean that I am. At least I know how to appreciate that cute li'l butt – '
Shut up.
'Oi, retard, how long are ya gonna lie to yerself? It's friggin pissing me off.'
I don't know what you're talking about.
'"I like her, I don't love her." When are ya gonna stop that bullshit?'
It's true I –
'Go fuck yerself. I see what you see, Kingy. So what about those dreams of yours? You think I don't know that you wanna see her go wild for ya?'
I gritted my teeth, trying not to remember certain scenes. Though it was hard when she was walking around the room with her hips swinging like that.
'Admit it. You want her.'
So what? Lots of guys do. And I want to brutally murder each of those bastards.
'So you'd be fine with just fucking her and leaving it be?'
Of course not! I care about her!
'Hey, you said it not me.' He grinned sadistically.
I said I care! I didn't even mention anything about –
'For the love of - ! Ya keep friggin mooning over the chick! You even have a stupid grin on yer face when she smiles! You care too much and ya want her so bad that ya have a new dream every fucking night!'
Whatever.
'Ya know what? If yer not gonna do anything about, I will.' The hollow said, voice chilling and eerie.
Stay the fuck away from her.
'Only if you won't.'
'Ichigo-kun?' her slightly anxious voice gained my attention.
'What?'
'Is, um, is he bothering you?'
I knew exactly who she meant.
'Nah, not really. You ready to go?'
'Hai!'
Present time . . .
I tried not to stare at her like a pervert, but she was really leaving me little choice. She talked rapidly, waving her hands and my eyes strayed to the front of her top which was held up only by two strings around her slender neck and behind her back. A modest amount of cleavage was visible but it was enough to put me in danger of a bad nosebleed. One that I would have had to stop with the knee-length black shorts I had on. Now that wouldn't be too embarrassing, would it?
'I've never seen you wear this before.' The words slipped out before I could stop them.
'Um, well that's because I was too nervous to wear it around people.'
'And now?'
'Now I'm here with you, Ichigo-kun.' Her face was pink and she said that as if it explained everything. And in some way it did. It made me pleased that she knew that I would protect her.
My thoughts subconsciously wandered to her delicate shoulders with her burnt orange hair spilled across them. I noticed her flat stomach and her hips that flared out from her small waist, the bottom of her bikini held there by ties on two sides. The dark color of the cloth contrasted with her fair complexion and made me itch to reach out for her . . .
I felt a sharp but fleeting pain on my forehead. She was grinning at me, the finger she'd used to flick said forehead still extended playfully.
'What was that for?'
'You were staring away into dreamland, Ichigo-kun.'
She really knows how to inadvertently scrape away a man's dignity. Seriously, dreamland?
I felt another prick in the same spot.
'The hell was that for?!'
'I felt like it.' She replied cheekily and ran away as I started to get up from our beach mat.
'Felt like it? I'll show you what I feel like you little – '
'Oh but that's only if you catch me, Daydreamer-san!'
That did it. I threw my unbuttoned shirt off and chased after her. She promptly splashed straight into the ocean, wading deeper in hopes of avoiding me. As if she could. As if I'd let her.
She was still giggling madly, egging me on as I grabbed her slim waist and immediately began to tickle her.
'Ah! Ah! Ichi – go! Stop!'
'No way! This is my revenge.'
She was literally laughing her head off, trying to push my hands away. I wasn't feeling very merciful yet.
'Can't – breathe!'
I finally took pity on her and let her go.
She panted and looked up at me, face flushed with healthy color and eyes shining as she tried to catch her breath. With the sun on her face like that, she looked more than beautiful.
I leaned down to drop a quick kiss on her lips and her eyes grew wide at the surprise. She blushed heavily at the fact that I'd done such a thing in so public a place.
'Wh-what was that for?' she asked and then turned her face, as though abashed at her bluntness.
I replied truthfully and failed at keeping a smirk away from my face.
'Because I wanted to.' I said and her blush deepened enticingly.
I took her hand and led her away from the water to the food we'd brought. I almost laughed at the excitement on her face. Only Orihime.
I noticed a few snide comments and saw that as usual, some assholes were ogling the cheerfully oblivious woman next to me.
I pulled the hand I was holding to draw her nearer and wrapped my arm around her waist instead. There. That ought to show them.
A second later, I reflected on my own behavior. There was nothing friendly about my feelings towards her. Sure a friend would want to protect her and watch out for her happiness. But a friend wouldn't get as obviously jealous as I had. And a friend definitely wouldn't have thoroughly enjoyed kissing her.
I let out a low sigh. All these days I'd been denying the truth.
Fine. I'll admit it. I just don't know how to say it. Or if I can.
I love Orihime.
'Finally.'
That's it? No sneering?
'I'm saving it.'
For what?
'You'll know when you get there.'
Tch. Bastard.
Kurosaki Orihime
I was really enjoying myself. Everything seemed so . . . happy. Kuro – I mean Ichigo-kun, was telling me the funniest stories and I couldn't help but laugh.
'Coffee he doesn't like, but that Pineapple ate all the chocolate in my fridge!'
'But Abarai-kun shouldn't have problems with chocolate, right? It's sweet.'
'Oh you'd think so, but most of it was dark chocolate. Although since that wasn't the only thing he ate, the taste might have been masked.'
'What else did he eat?'
'Everything.' He replied, frowning a bit, 'And Yuzu made me go shopping in the pouring rain.'
I broke into fresh peals of laughter at his disgruntled expression as his trademark scowl stretched on his face.
I heard a few voices whispering nearby and saw a few girls looking at us and talking.
'You think she's with him?' said one.
'No way.' Another replied then said hesitantly, 'I hope not.'
'I know, right? I mean have you seen his arms?' a third interjected.
'Arms? What about his abs?' said a fourth.
'So what's he doing with her? I know she's got a hot body but . . .'
'Maybe that's all she's got.' The second girl sneered, 'she's probably an airhead.'
'Yeah. Maybe that's why he keeps her around.'
'Heh. In that case all I need is a bit of good flirting and he'd dump the bimbo for me.'
This was wrong. It made me feel uneasy. They shouldn't talk about Ichigo like this. That's not how he feels. I know he cares for me. I know that.
But the feeling wouldn't go away so I did a very bold thing.
I reached up and kissed his cheek.
'Hime?' he asked and it felt like a burst of lightening shot through me when he called me that.
'N-nothing.' My face could have given competition to a tomato.
The girls were now looked a bit disconcerted and disbelieving.
'She-she could be his sister.' One of them said, though she didn't seem very sure.
He must have noticed my gaze and heard the whisper because the next thing I knew his mouth was next to my ear and he leaned down to speak in a low, gravelly voice that sent shivers up my spine.
'You're jealous, aren't you?'
I turned to stare at him bewilderedly and then realized that he could probably read the truth in my face.
'Ye-yes.' I admitted embarrassedly and ducked my head to avoid his intense eyes.
He chuckled softly and grinned at me before unexpectedly pulling me into his strong chest.
He put a finger under my chin and tilted my face up to meet his gaze. There was a wicked smirk on his face as he suddenly kissed me. Roughly, violently, passionately.
By the time he let me up for air I was having trouble breathing and all coherent thought had fled.
He was looking at something over my head and I saw that those girls were now standing with gaping mouths and bright red faces.
He ignored them and lightly mussed my hair.
My stomach grumbled and I smiled sheepishly. The food we'd brought had been finished a while ago.
'Time for lunch.' He said, getting up and pulling me along with him.
'I hear there's this one place with a variety of red bean paste dishes.' He continued and grinned as I beamed happily at him.
A/N: Hope you liked it! Lemme know your thoughts!
