A/N: Konnichiwa!

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Disclaimer: Bleach = Not mine.

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Chapter – 9

His fierce eyes bored into her and she hurriedly scrambled off of him, her knife falling from her fingers as she tried to distance herself from him. Pride and courage ceased to matter in front of his chilling glare. Her heart in her throat, she made a mad dash for the double doors of the impressive bedchamber - only to have him appear directly in her path, preventing her escape.

Not to be deterred, she swiftly changed directions and rushed to another set of doors she had seen earlier . . . only to emerge onto a wide balcony. She whirled around to find him observing her with open amusement and disdain from the doorway as he took slow, unhurried steps towards her. She backed up, trying to maintain some space between them but that seemed impossible. The cold wind whipped about her figure and she almost stumbled when her feet met with the base of the beautiful balustrade. He was still moving, getting closer and closer. She tried to back up further and lost her balance.

Her body tilted backwards and gravity took over. Her eyes were wide and a surprised cry burst forth from her throat. She was sure she would have met her death falling through the trees to the gardens more than three stories below had it not been for the arms that wrapped themselves about her waist and pulled her back.

Her palms met his bare chest as she braced herself against the sudden impact. He clutched her impossibly close and there was hardly any space between them. Bright orange hair that shone in the moonlight and sharp amber eyes took up her vision. His grip was like iron around her. She timidly lifted her head and dazed grey eyes met molten amber ones.

Once again, there was that enigmatically serious expression on his handsome face. She drew in a shaky breath and her hands trembled against his heated skin.

Something changed in his eyes and the very next moment, he crashed his lips down to hers.

She was crushed against his hard chest as he held her, his soft but strong lips moving sensually against hers. She didn't know what he did, but like the last time, she found her defenses slipping away. It was always like this. She wasn't weak-willed or stupid, but against him, all her efforts were meaningless. And when he was kissing her like this, she had no control and her mind stopped thinking to just let her feel.

He savored her sweet taste and the floral fragrance that engulfed him with each breath that he pulled in. He turned his head, deepening the kiss. His teeth tugged slightly at her lush bottom lip and her mouth opened on a gasp. Without further delay, he plunged his tongue into her waiting moist warmth and felt her shiver against him. Timidly, her tongue met his in a soft movement and he bit back a groan. He soon won over her feeble attempts to fight him and swept his tongue against the roof of her mouth. His hands found themselves on her hips in a firm grip as he placed gentle kisses on her cheek and jaw. She subconsciously tilted her head and he trailed his lips against the column of her pale neck.

His dexterous fingers reached up to tug at the pin holding her hair up, freeing her thick, lustrous, burnt-orange locks. He combed his hand through the heavy, silky auburn mass while the other remained at her hip. Possibly impatient at having to bend down, he suddenly lifted her up and set her such that she sat on the edge of the balustrade. Unhindered by their height difference, his lips found her pulse point again and his tongue traced her soft skin.

He parted her knees to stand closer to her, pressing her soft body against himself. He teased her delicate throat with his teeth and his tongue laved the tender skin to soothe the spot. He didn't realize that she had frozen, still as a statue.

His hands made a path back to her slim waist, brushing her thighs over her dress as he trailed butterfly kisses from her neck to just below her jaw.

A wet drop landed on his cheek and he looked up in surprise. The sight he opened his previously shut eyes to made him feel as he had been knifed in the gut. He had caused this. It was him.

Her eyes were squeezed shut. She was sniffling, crying softly and biting her bottom lip to try not to. A single tear, glistening like crystal on her pale cheek made its way down the side of her face and he hated it.

Her hands, which until moments ago had been pressed against his chest now hung loosely at her sides.

'Why, Orihime?' he asked.

Her teary eyes opened in shock upon hearing him speak her given name. They grew wider as his hand came up to gently cup her face and his thumb brushed away the wetness on her cheek. She held back her silent sobs and a guilt that was now excruciatingly familiar to him plagued him.

'What's wrong?' he questioned.

Her head dipped forward and she rested her forehead against his shoulder, her body shaking as she tried to stop her tears.

'I – I'm not going back on my promise, but c – can I p – please have some time? I'm not ready yet.' She whispered in a broken voice.

He pulled away slightly and tilted her chin up to meet her gaze.

'Ready for what?'

'To be taken.' She breathed.

A ton of bricks falling on his head could have compared to what he felt at her confession. He knew what she thought of him, for he had wanted her to think all that. But now, it tormented him.

She continued to speak.

'I can try to convince myself all I want, but the fact remains that I'm not ready for this. I – I had always thought that I would give myself to someone I loved after we were married and all of that. And as much as I don't want to, somewhere deep inside, I . . . still love you.'

How? How was it possible for someone to be so innocent, so forgiving? How could she even manage to say such words of affection to someone like him?

'Why?' he rasped hoarsely, 'Why do you still love me?'

'I don't know!' she sniffed, 'I don't know myself. My mind tells me that you're despicable. A man who caused me to be separated from a beloved sister, a man who destroyed and shattered my cheerful existence, a man who wants to rob the only thing I have left to give, after which I will have nothing, I will be nothing.'

Every word that fell from those beautiful, red lips was like the serrated edge of a rusty blade pressing against a fresh, open wound.

'But,' she continued and an inexplicable hope soared somewhere inside him, 'my heart says that maybe, just maybe, you're not that bad. And I'm scared because I want to trust that. The small voice says that you really haven't harmed me, that you have even helped me . . . that there have been times that you have cared for me. I can't deny that I loved you before all of this. I loved you and I still do. But I don't know if I should. And these tears are because I can't choose!'

She was openly sobbing now, a waterfall of tears cascading down her beautiful pale face in the moonlight.

He scooped her up from the balustrade and ignored her slight squeak of surprise. Re-entering his candle-lit room, he proceeded to sit upon his bed, his precious bundle situated sideways on his lap, her bare feet resting on the sheets.

He felt sickened at the fear he saw in her eyes as she swallowed.

He pulled her arms around his neck and placed his own around her.

'Shh.' He breathed in her ear. 'Calm down. Nothing will happen to you. Do not be afraid.'

Her sobs quietened down but did not stop. A huge burden had been lifted by telling him but her anxiety and confusion had not disappeared. She cried softly against his shoulder, her tears dripping down to his chest, but he did not utter a word. She stayed like that the whole night, finally giving vent to her fears and he held her through it all.


A/N: Tada!

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