A/N: Finally updated. Sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter makes up for now. lol. Now some of you might be thinking this is the chapter you've been waiting for...then again... :P
Tangled Heartstrings
Chapter 10: The Game of Love
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Orihime glanced over her shoulder, mid chop at the salmon she was cooking. She grabbed the phone off its cradle and held it between her neck as she continued to chop the fish into small pieces.
"Hello?"
Her grey orbs widened at the sound of the voice on the other end. A slow smile spread across her face and it was all she could do in her excitement not to drop the phone and go parading around her apartment with an orchestra at her heels.
"Yes, that's wonderful! Alright, I'll see you then. It was good talking to you!"
Orihime turned the phone off and began jumping in joy, her cleaver escaping her grasp. She turned her head in time to see her husband walking into the kitchen. Uryuu bent backward slightly as he caught the cleaver between both hands. He sweatdropped, smiling tiredly at his hyperactive wife.
"Who was it, Hime?"
Orihime had launched herself at her husband, her face buried deep in his neck. She placed both of her bare feet on top of his leather shoes. Uryuu wrapped his arms around her, smiling at her behavior. She pulled away just enough so that she was staring back at his face.
"Chad is coming back!"
Uryuu's eyes widened in astonishment. "Are you serious?"
Orihime nodded vigorously. "He arrives in Japan tomorrow night! Oh, we must prepare a welcome home party for him! I have to take out all my cookbooks!"
She left off his feet and began pillaging through her cabinets. Uryuu sweatdropped at the mess she was making.
"Uhh...umm Orihime? Why don't we just cater the food?"
Orihime blinked. "Why?"
"Erm- I...I find things will be easier that way, dear." Uryuu smiled, trying to look convincing. He grabbed her hand in his and rubbed his thumb against it. "I wouldn't want you to wear yourself out."
"Uryuu, that's so sweet but nothing you say can stop me now!" Orihime cheered, pumping a fist up.
Uryuu reached out a hand. "W-wait! Why don't you call Rukia? She knows a lot about foreign food, right?" he asked, his last hope saving everyone's appetite.
"That's a good idea. I should call her up and tell her the good news," Orihime cheered, tip-toeing to kiss Uryuu on the cheek.
"So Chad is coming back, huh?" Renji asked, placing a pensive hand to his chin.
Rukia smiled. "Orihime just got off the phone with him. I think it's a great idea to throw a party for him. Though, I have to disagree about the food. If he's been in Mexico for this long, I'm pretty sure he must be tired of it. I say we do some French cuisine. Which reminds me, I should go grocery shopping."
"M-mom! Umm...is it okay if we stay home while you go out?" Sachiko blurted out.
Rukia turned to Renji. "Do you mind? I'll only be out for half an hour so."
Renji smiled. "Would I say no to you? Exactly. Just go ahead already, the kids will be fine."
"Alright, then." Rukia reached forward, beckoning for him to hand over the keys. "I'll be taking the car. Don't fall asleep this time, okay?"
"Sure, sure," he said, waving distractedly.
Renji turned to the kids standing on either side of the couch. He raised an eyebrow at them, resting both of his arms on the cushions.
"What's up, guys?"
Sachiko approached him, her cheeks flushing in shame as she offered him a cup of hot chocolate. Renji smiled down at the petite little girl. He reached out to take it from her and gave her a pat on her head. She almost flinched, her eyes closing as she forced a smile.
"You're so sweet, Sachiko. Thank you."
Sachiko nodded, not saying anything to that. Ichi and her shared a look, telling her her job was finished. He sat next to Renji silently and turned on the t.v. He patted the seat for Sachiko to sit beside him. He got the remote and began flipping through random channels. Noticing Sachiko's shaking form, Ichi settled a hand on her bony shoulder and shook his head side to side. She tried to watch the t.v. but they were just moving pictures to her. It wasn't long before they heard the soft snores of Renji coming from beside them.
Ichi jumped off the couch, motioning for Sachiko to follow. She bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder at her Uncle Renji. She hurried her steps as she shuffled after Ichi. They entered their mother's room with Ichi tip-toeing to turn on the light. Ichi went to Rukia's nightstand, struggling to pull out a drawer. He looked over his shoulder to see Sachiko frowning at him from the doorway.
Ichi scowled. "Don't look at me like that. You want to know as much as I do. Come over here and help me, dammit."
"You used me, Ichi," Sachiko murmured, her face turned from his. "I am not as innocent as I look, ya know."
Ichi raised an eyebrow, waiting expectantly for her to back this up. Sachiko's face fell after a moment, her shoulders sagging in defeat.
"Alright, so I am."
Ichi turned his back on her to haul the nightstand drawer on top of the bed. Sachiko crawled toward it and began going through its items. There was mostly old books and letters. Sachiko rolled onto her back, balancing a dusty photo album against her knees.
"Check this out."
Ichi kneeled beside her, leafing through the pages. His eyes eyebrows furrowed together. It didn't show a single picture of Rukia from before high school. It showed her with his godparents Uryuu, Orihime and Chad. Though, the last time he had seen Chad was when he was three.
"Look at this." Sachiko pointed at all the photos on the same page. "This guy's face is hidden all the time. Whether, he's facing a certain way or someone's blocking him from view, it's only him that we can't see."
Ichi nodded slowly. "It's almost like...we were never meant to know." He shook his head. "If mom hates this man, why would she even keep photos of him?"
"Maybe the love never went away," Sachiko suggested, fingering a photo. She held it up close to her face for a closer look. Her face was simultaneously burning red at the image. "W-what's he doing to mom?!"
Ichi grabbed it to take a look. His eyes bulged at the picture. It was his mom and some man caught up in a overly passionate kiss. The following pictures were them with angry expression as they came closer to the camera. The following was a picture of the ground where the camera must've fell. He carefully slid the picture back where it came from.
He sighed. "I'll just...pretend I didn't see that."
"What do you think he's like, Ichi?"
"Who knows? I just hope he has a lot of cash on him and a damn good explanation as to why he left," Ichi said, something close to a growl echoing in his throat.
Sachiko sighed. "'You know what the worst part is?"
"No. What?"
"...I can't hate him for leaving. I should be angry that he left mommy but I'm not."
"Maybe Rukia left him," Ichi pointed out.
Sachiko's eyes widened. "But why the need for secrecy?"
"That's what I don't get. All we know about him is that he's a shinigami. Do you think we kind find records of him in the hospital?"
"But mommy said she didn't give birth to us at a hospital."
"They should still have our records along with our dad's certificate."
Sachiko lept off the bed and went to her mom's bureau. She rifled through various objects until she came upon. "Wait, a minute. I suddenly remembered something. I saw it a while back."
"What're you doing? The only people she has listed there are people we already know. Why would she keep her ex-husband's number there?"
"Here," she said with confidence. She placed down on the bureau and motioned for Ichi to come closer. "Right there. There's an address that's been crossed off. Can you make out any of it?"
Ichi squinted. "Umm...erm...a- a clinic? Ugh, that's all. I can't make out the rest."
"As stupid and crazy as this may sound, we're gonna have to look up every clinic in Karakura." Sachiko thought for a moment. "And there's also the possibility that the clinic isn't even here anymore."
Ichi scowled. "There's too many. There must be something else we can try. And how're we gonna try to look for it, anyway with Rukia watching over us twenty four/seven."
"A chance will come soon," Sachiko said, her voice full of hope. "We just have to be patient."
Orihime smiled, her arm looped through Chad's broad arm. He was as tall as ever with shaggy hair hanging over his shoulders. His skin was a darker olive color meaning he had probably spent years under the sun. His honey brown eyes were large with the telling of a story that he only kept to himself. He donned a black tailored jacket with a wife-beater beneath it that shown his gold medallion hanging proudly from around his neck.
"Here he is."
They all turned to see him, smiles lighting up their faces. Rukia walked toward Chad and held out a hand. A hug might've been called for but this was just Rukia and Chad's style.
"It's good to have you back."
He nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. "It's good to be back," he murmured.
"Uncle Chad!" the three children cheered, leaping into their uncle's arms.
Takeshi stood off to the side awkwardly but after recieving a look from Uryuu, he stepped forward to shake hands with him. Chad smiled at him as he held all three kids in his strong arms. After the kids finished reprimanding their uncle for being away so long, they all decided to head back to Takeshi's room to play.
Ichigo was next in line as he shook a manly hand shake with him. He grinned at Chad all the while. Renji and Uryuu stepped close and shook hands with him as well.
"Como has estado? Como esta tu vida en Mexico?" Ichigo asked, his Spanish flowing out naturally.
Chad's eyebrows arched upward. "Tu espanol es excellente. Ha estado bien i se siente increible estar patras en Karakura."
Ichigo smirked. "Has encontrado una guapa chica?"
Chad grunted, looking a tad embarrassed. "Orita no pero conozco una mujer que trabaja en un orphanato. Me cay muy bien."
"I? Que mas, vato? No me dejes colgando."
"Pues...no hay planes orita. Tal vez en el futuro."
As Chad and Ichigo continued to go on with their conversation in Spanish, the rest of them stood by in confusion.
Orihime clapped her hands together. "Alright! Now that everyone is here, I say we play a little game."
"A game?" Rukia asked.
"Yes, it's a game we used to play back in high school," Orihime said. "It's an honesty game where we place people's names in a hat. We pass it around and the name we choose is the person we have to reveal one honest thing about."
Renji shrugged. "Why not? I've never been to high school and am glad I never had the pleasure to."
Orihime smiled. "Oh, it's fun. Now why don't you go first, Renji, since it's your first time."
He shrugged before reaching into the hat and glanced down at the name. He smirked as he turned to Rukia. Orihime saw his look and understood as she went to stand behind Rukia. She got behind his sofa chair and placed both hands on his shoulders.
"Renji, if you could change anything about Rukia, what would it be?" Orihime asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I can say anything? Anything at all?"
"Yes, of course," Orhime chirped, her fingers tapping against Rukia's shoulders.
"Okay, then. She's too much of a perfectionist."
Rukia gawked. "I am not."
"Uh...yeah, you are."
"Ugh! That's it, my turn to choose!" Rukia grabbed the hat from Renji and pulled out a name. She glanced down from it to Ichigo.
Orihime laughed pleasantly. "Same question. What would you change about Ichigo?"
Rukia smirked. "So many flaws so little time."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Get on with it, midget."
"Well, if I had to choose one thing. I would say...you're too passive."
Ichigo's eyes widened a fraction before scowling at her. "What do you mean passive? What're you trying to say?"
"You keep everything to yourself. You need to be more honest and open the things going on around you," Rukia stated, folding her arms in front of her.
"I am not passive," Ichigo grumbled, turning away from her. "I'm not," he said childishly.
Rukia laughed lightly at this, handing him the hat of names. Ichigo snatched it from her and rolled his eyes at the name he got. He turned to Uryuu who was waiting expectantly with his hands clasped together. He raised an eyebrow, forewarning Ichigo of crossing him.
"Well..." Ichigo curled his fingers under his chin in thought. "You're too damn stubborn for your good. Even after all this time, you're still on about your Quincy hating shinigami crap."
Uryuu squared his shoulders. "It's not being stubborn, it's merely a fact, Kurosaki," he spat the name out like venom.
Ichigo stood up, working the kinks of his muscle. He cracked both of his fists as he advanced Uryuu, hauling him up from his seat by his shirt collar.
"Just call me by name already, dammit."
Uryuu turned his nose up at him. "I would sooner fall on a rusty nail than say it." He pressed his glasses higher onto his nose. "You couldn't hit a guy with glasses if you tried, Kurosaki."
"Wanna bet?"
As they continued their squabble, Orihime giggled as she sat down beside Rukia.
"They are such good friends."
Rukia sweatdropped. "Umm...sure."
Orihime smiled brightly at her. "I'm serious! I think that they're more alike than they both think."
Rukia stared at her for a moment thoughtfully before returning her gaze to the arguing Quincy and Deathberry. She might've been right. Serious, headstrong, and stubborn. Yes that definitely sounded like them. Though, Uryuu apparently valued his proud more than Ichigo. She smiled lightly, letting a small laugh escape her as she watched their argument unfold in front of her.
Orihime and Rukia glanced up simultaneously when they heard the sound of latino music filtering through the air. Chad now stood in front of them, seemingly shy as he extended a hand to each of them. They accepted as he pulled them to him and they began dancing meringue. He spun them away from him before bringing them both back. They giggled like school girls all the while.
The guys stared in a mixture of irritation and amazement. Before long, they were all drinking and Chad was coaxing all of them dance along. Eventually, Ichigo and Renji were dragged into it and let themselves be made fools of. They exchanged girl partners from time to time so as not to look gay.
"I brought my dolls!" Sachiko cheered.
Ichi and Minoru groaned in unison as they watched their mecha anime. Sachiko was kneeling down beside Takeshi's bed as she brought out her collection of dolls. He sat up, staring from her to the dolls and gave a slight shrug.
Ichi's eyes widened. "You're actually gonna play with her?!"
"Why not? She is my favorite god sister," Takeshi said as if this were the most obvious thing. He easily swung Sachiko onto the bed.
Sachiko grinned a toothy grin at Takeshi as she handed him the boy doll. He looked at it uncertainly before watching her dress one of her girl dolls.
"Okay...so how do we play?"
"Well, this is Rina and while she's on her way to school, she gets kidnapped," Sachiko said. "This guy holds her hostage because of this precious gem she doesn't know she has."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "Al...right?"
"Your boy doll is the bad guy that kidnaps her so you can do whatever you want with your role." Sachiko placed her doll near his. "No, let go of me! Someone, anyone please help me!" she squeaked melodramatically.
"Screw that. Let's play Night Seek," Ichi suggested, grinning broadly.
Minoru from his place on the floor. "What's that?"
"It's like hide-and-seek except its played in a single room with all the lights turned off where we have rely on our senses alone to find someone. The only rules are you can't leave this room and you can't hide into places like the closet or under the desk," Ichi said sternly.
Sachiko nodded. "That sounds good."
She quickly cast aside her dolls and went to stand by her brother and Minoru. They pulled straws and Minoru ended up with the shortest one. He sighed disheartened as he waved for them to turn off the lights. Takeshi began walking out of the room but Ichi grabbed hold of his elbow.
"Where're you going, Takeshi? We need you to play."
Takeshi stared down at him. "I'm hungry," he said simply.
"Food can wait," Ichi insisted, pulling him back into the room. He jumped up to turn off the light and quickly ran to pull the dark velvety drapes together. "Ready? Go!"
All three children spread across the room while Takeshi stood in place dumbly. He sighed in aggravation as he went to the closet, barely making a sound as he closed it behind him. He sat with his back against the door and pulled out a shounen manga from his shoe box. For a moment, he was so absorbed with it that he did not notice that he wasn't alone in the closet.
"Boo."
Takeshi's body jolted as he fell on his back, his manga cast aside. He rose up onto his elbows in annoyance, looking up to see a white kitten crawling onto his belly.
He narrowed his eyes. "You...What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come back."
"Aww...don't pretend you don't enjoy my company," Yayoi teased, her claws raking over his chest. She licked his cheek. "I promised myself I would be bound to the first guy I chose to reveal my true form to."
Takeshi's eyes widened. "Don't you dare transform in here!"
Yayoi stretched her body out, licking her back and grooming herself to perfection. She lept off his lap and closed her eyes. She slowly felt her body expand and lose its brilliant pearly white fur. Takeshi backed up against the wall, watching the transformation unfold in front of him. It never ceased to amaze him. Yayoi opened her eyes, revealing her lovely topaz eyes. She was in a kneeling position with one knee drawn to her chest while her waist length blond hair fell around her.
"I knew I should've let that Rottweiler eat you last week," Takeshi muttered to himself. Taking another look at her, he snorted. "I guess I shouldn't have been worrying, you're built like a boy anyway."
At this, Yayoi felt the color rise in her cheeks. She pinned a death glare at him. "Sh-shut up! Just because I didn't inherit mother's voluptuous body does not mean I'm not a woman too!" she argued.
"Sure," he said, turning his gaze away. "That is if you can call a twelve year old's body a woman."
Yayoi frowned. "I'm sixteen which would make me two years older than you, boy." She laughed haughtily. "I bet you haven't grown into your manhood yet, have you?"
Takeshi glared at her. "Shut up. Why're you here?"
Yayoi ran a hand through her strawberry blond hair, her topaz eyes turning serious as they met his.
"I'm supposed to be guarding those kids," she said. "Mother is expecting this much from me."
"Just who is this mother you keep mentioning?" Takeshi asked irritably. "And I still don't get everything you explained to me."
Yayoi rolled her eyes. "Even though it doesn't concern you, I chose to tell you of Ichi and Sachiko's impending fate. There's still hope for them. You said you wanted to help them, right?"
Takeshi nodded slowly. "I'm not making a pact with the devil, now am I?"
At this Yayoi, tossed her head back and let out a long laugh. Takeshi leaned forward and clamped his hand over her mouth. He pressed a finger to his lips, making shushing sounds for her to be quiet. Yayoi shook herself free from him and fixed her eyes on his once again. They fell on the scar lining his jaw and she went somber. She was on her knees as her hand reached out of its own accord to touch it. Takeshi's grabbed her hand in his and gave her a menacing look.
"Don't. No one touches me...not unless I want them to."
Yayoi cocked her head to the side in confusion. "But it must bother you, right? Let me heal it for you."
Takeshi released her hand, lifting his hood to hide it from view. "It's alright. It's all I have left of my past so I want to keep it."
"Your past certainly doesn't look good if it comes in the shape of a burn mark," Yayoi argued. "Let me heal it. It's the least I could do since you saved me."
"I said no. Whether I may or may not want to know why I ended up in the gutter, they're still my memories. Besides, if I find out who I was before then, I can leave this house and lift the burden off the shoulders of my adoptive parents."
Yayoi's eyes softened. "You're not a burden," she whispered.
Takeshi gave no answer to that as he stood up. Yayoi tilted her neck up to look at him, revealing the pale skin that was hidden beneath her clumps of hair. He extended a hand to her, his face completely emotionless. Yayoi allowed a small smile to play at her lips as she placed her hand over his. Just then, the doors to the closet slammed open and three children were staring at them. Takeshi wanted to smack himself but thankfully Yayoi was well covered.
Ichi blinked. "Yayoi? What the...you and Takeshi? Are you real?"
"I thought you promised you'd marry me, Takeshi!" Sachiko whined, her arms locked together.
Ichi stared at her in bewilderment. "What is it with you and getting married?"
"I'm just kidding, Ichi! If mom doesn't take Ichigo soon, I'll keep him for myself." Sachiko turned to Yayoi. "So this is what you look like in human form! You're so pretty!"
At the compliment, Yayoi felt herself flush, turning her gaze away modestly. Minoru leaned against the closet's doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave his brother a questioning look.
"Something you wanna tell us?" Minoru asked, scrutinizing him. "Dad was the one telling you that should you ever impregnate a girl, he would castrate you."
Takeshi growled. "Don't ask me anything! That damn alley cat snuck in here!"
Yayoi lowered her head in irritation. "An alley cat, huh?"
She curled into a ball, feeling the prickly hairs start to grow on her hands and spread all over her. Her arms and legs became smaller and smaller. She took a swipe at Takeshi's leg, her claws biting through the material of his jeans and his skin. He yowled as he tried to kick her away from him. Sachiko quickly grabbed her, holding her against her like a newborn.
"Temper," she tsked. She glanced down at Yayoi. "It's okay. A lover's first quarrel is agiven."
Takeshi fell over at her statement, snarling in Yayoi's direction. "She.is.not.my.lover!"
A pair of hazy violet eyes followed the carrot top making his escape onto the balcony. When no one was looking, she wobbled over to him. She closed the glass doors behind her, making Ichigo raise his head up sharply to look at her.
"What're you doing out here?" she slurred. "The party's...inside."
Rukia stumbled toward Ichigo holding up her whine glass as she took another sip. Ichigo quirked an eyebrow as she approached him. Ichigo's eyes widened when she staggered against him. He raised his arms to hold her upright.
She groaned. "...This is the first time in a while...that I've drank this much."
"Only your second time?"
Rukia shook her head somberly. "No, fool..." She coughed. "I- I just can't hold my liquor too well."
Ichigo studied her. "I can see that."
Rukia put her arms around his neck and stared up at him. Ichigo looked around to see if anyone else was there.
"What?"
"You...have brown eyes."
Ichigo snorted, reaching around his neck to unwind her from himself but Rukia stayed locked around him, pressing herself closer to him if even possible. Ichigo stared curiously down at her while she gazed back with her drunk, hazy expression.
"Am I so repulsive? Why won't you hold me?"
"Huh?!"
Ichigo retreated a few feet, nearly choking when Rukia chose to follow too late. He sighed heavily under his breath as he placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned down to her face.
"Alright, you need to listen and listen good. I don't care how drunk you are, even if I was any other man, I wouldn't take advantage of the situation."
"But you're not other men," Rukia murmured, standing on her tip-toes. Her eyes widened when his forefinger and thumb had squeezed her lips together. Ichigo sighed. "I see we're gonna have to take this one step at a time."
"Sawting wit dis,"(Starting with this) Rukia mumbled against his hold.
She broke free from his hold and threw herself at him which sent them both tumbling backward. Ichigo hissed as the back of his head hit the concrete. He quickly had to turn his head when Rukia had climbed up on top of him. He held her face in between his hands with a scowl.
"You know for a midget, you're a lot stronger than I thought," he muttered. He turned away with a flush on his face. "You mind moving? You're kind of erm- sitting down on a really distracting area."
Rukia smiled down at him. "Brad, don't be shy. We can elope soon and I can be Mrs. Rukia Pitt...On second thought, I'll keep my last name. Is that alright?"
Ichigo stared at her with a deadpanned expression. "What? Oh, hell no!! I don't want to be part of your sick fantasies! Get off!" Ichigo pushed her off of him and with that simple movement, Rukia had curled up into a ball and fell fast asleep. He sighed. "You're a lot more trouble than you're worth."
He picked her up, one arm securing the back of her head while his other arm gripped her behind her knees. He carried her through the balcony doors and placed her gently on the couch. The others raised their eyebrows at them while Orihime giggled as she walked over to them.
"I'll bring a blanket. All of you are more than welcome to spend the night," she said cheerfully. She began walking off toward the linen closet down the hall.
He tucked a pillow behind her head and tried to keep her arms to her sides. She kept flinging them backward or to the side, smacking him in the face more than once.
'Rukia? Rukia?'
The said girl rolled over on her side to see Ichigo scowling down at her. He was kneeling beside her bed and cradling her hand in his own. She sat up immediately at seeing him, carefully pulling her shirt over her thighs. She swung her legs over the side of the bed as she stared down at him.
'Ichigo, how did you get in here? I thought you were staying at your father's house.'
He shook his head. 'This couldn't wait.'
'Is something wrong?'
'I want a huge request from you.'
Ichigo slowly stood over her, his hand traveling from her bare arm up to her cheek. Rukia closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. She placed her hand over his, feeling her heart speed up a bit like it always did when she near him.
'I love you...you know that right?'
Rukia nodded, not sure where this was going. She stared up into Ichigo's bottomless eyes, feeling lost in their trance.
'I want you to marry me. Sorry that this isn't the usual proposal where I get down on one knee. I won't subject myself to that. I just need one word uttered from you.'
Rukia looked baffled. "But...Ichigo, we're too young. My brother will never allow it. I can't age so I can't stay here and I don't want you to give your life as a human for me.'
Ichigo took both of her hands and made her stand up. His hand held the back of her head as he gazed down at her.
'I don't care about any of that,' he murmured. 'I just want you. No matter the cost.'
'I wouldn't go around saying things like that,' Rukia whispered, turning her head away from him.
Ichigo leaned down, turning her face back to him, almost unaware of his own actions and kissed her. It wasn't like their first kiss, chaste and awkward with neither of them knowing of the thousands of kisses that would soon follow. This was the oath they had pledged for one another.
Rukia let herself go and before she knew it, they had lowered themselves onto the carpet in front of the fireplace. She had her arms linked around his neck, drawing him as close as possible. Her hand had curled behind his head, tugging on his prickly orange hair. Ichigo pulled away from her much to her chagrin and his displeasure.
'I need an answer.'
He leaned down, tugging at the collar of her shirt. He placed a tender kiss at her collarbone, slowly moving along her neck and her jawbone. Rukia gasped beneath him, reaching out to clasp his shoulders. It wasn't fair. She couldn't think straight with him being so demanding.
'You...should already know.'
Ichigo shook his head. 'I need it from you.'
'Yes,' she breathed when he reached her ear. 'I want to spend my days with you whether they be immortal or not. Just let me be with you.'
Ichigo bent his head to kiss her once more, a slow passionate kiss that left them wanting more. Rukia ran her hands at his sides, angling her head to kiss better. Their clothes had long since been discarded, and they lay embracing one another on the rug. Orange and black mixed together, creating the aphrodisiac mist hanging over them. Rukia clung to his back, her face flushed a sinful scarlet. Her hand traveled to his jaw, her lips grazing the side of his mouth.
Ichigo buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking large intakes of her scent. He caressed her hair affectionately as he held her bare body against his own. He purposely hid his face from view, far too embarrassed to show how nervous he was. Never had he touched her or any other woman for that matter, in such an intimate manner. He paused when he felt Rukia turn his face to look at, her cheeks equally as flushed.
Rukia gave a slight nod of her head. 'Go ahead. Do what you will.'
Ichigo bowed his head, his eyes falling closed. '...Are you sure?'
'If I wasn't sure, I would've beaten you up by now,' Rukia murmured. 'Remember, I trust you the most. You will never know how true that is.'
Ichigo stared down at her beneath him with an emotionless face. He inclined his head in the slightest acknowledge, slowly maneuvered his head down to her body. Several minutes passes where they merely stimulated their act of love before Ichigo moved away from her, trembling slightly and placed a hand over his red face. Rukia sat up in concern and touched his arm.
"I can't. I can't do it. Not to you," Ichigo grunted, slowly bringing his gaze to meet hers'. 'I think I'd much rather have you pure on our wedding night. It's only two months away...it's no big deal.'
Ichigo got up, pulling Rukia up with him. He pulled her against him, her tiny fists clenched against his chest. She gave a small smile as she buried her face into his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his waist, content in simply being in his presence.
"You have a lot of will-power. Most guys wouldn't have passed at a chance like this," Rukia chortled.
Ichigo smirked. 'I'm not most guys.'
Rukia gazed back at him grinning. She reached out a hand to caress his hair, noting the calm, serene expression he donned as he leaned into her touch.
Rukia jolted upright from the couch, her face flushed and her heart hammering against her ribcage. What in the world...was that?? She winced as she touched her forehead, realizing she had gotten up to soon. She should not have been drinking the previous night. She couldn't remember anything from the night before. She sighed to herself, wondering what on earth she could've done to humiliate herself.
She turned to her left ever so slightly at the feel of a pair of eyes on her. Ichigo had his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, his chin on his upturned palms. He raised an eyebrow at her, his only sign of acknowledging her. She somehow didn't like the look he was giving her. It was almost like he had known exactly what she had dreamt of, and the thought made her blush a deep crimson. That damn dream was so clear, so vivid like if it happened only recently. Rukia coughed lightly as she kicked off the sheets, murmured a 'good morning' and started folding the blanket.
With her back to Ichigo, she heard him walk toward the kitchen. Once he left the room, Rukia allowed herself to heave a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She placed the folded blanket on the arm of the couch, and willed herself to enter the kitchen. She saw Ichigo bend over, reaching inside the fridge. She allowed her eyes to travel down his smooth, bare back and lower, before mentally berating herself.
Ichigo stood up, taking large gulps of orange juice. Rukia growled as she reached out and snatched it from him.
"What's wrong with you? Don't just drink from the carton!"
Contradicting what she had just said, Rukia took a swig of it before tossing it back at him. Ichigo smirked at her as he caught it. She wasn't usually one to go digging through other people's food but knowing Uryuu and Orihime, they wouldn't wake up for a while, anyway.
"Wanna make breakfast?" Rukia asked. "They do say men are the best cooks."
Ichigo snorted. "You're damn right about that," he said, shoving past her.
Rukia crossed her arms and gave him a condescending look as she sat back and watched him. Ichigo brought out an assortment of frying pans to prepare pancakes, eggs bacon, omelets and toast. Rukia bit the inside of her cheek as she watched him stir the ingredients in for the pancakes. She stood up and went to stand by him.
"Give me the stirring spoon, I'll make it," Rukia insisted, holding her hand out for it.
Ichigo refused, pulling away from her. He placed his hand on her face the way he would with Ichi. He watched in amusement as her tiny hands tugged at his large one. He chuckled as she watched him wrench his hand off her face, her face flushed in anger.
"Give it to me!" she shouted.
She grabbed the spoon from Ichigo and started to walk off when he suddenly got behind her, his arms reaching around her to grab the spoon back. Rukia stuck her tongue at him as she pulled it out of his reach. Just then, they heard a padding of feet shuffling into the kitchen. They both looked over their shoulders to see Uryuu and Orihime standing there, obviously stupefied at them with Ichi and Sachiko beside them. Ichi looked like he was gonna blow a gasket, but Orihime held him in place.
Sachiko's eyes were wide. "What're you doing to mommy?"
Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her question before looking down at Rukia and himself. A slow dawn of realization reached them at seeing their position. He was behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist while her hands were clinging to the edge of the sink. They immediately jumped apart. Rukia snorted, tossing the stupid spoon back at him. She smiled at everyone as though unaffected.
"Morning everyone. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Uryuu smirked. "Sure we weren't interrupting something."
Ichigo shot a glare at him. "Shut the hell up." He looked around him, realizing one of their own was missing. "Where's Renji?"
Orihime stretched her arms out above her as she let out a yawn. She walked toward the dining table and sat down none too gracefully.
"He and Chad left a few hours after both of you conked out. We told them they could stay the night but they both said they had responsibilities."
Rukia stared at her friend, not exactly sure of what kind of responsibilities Chad could have after returning to Japan only yesterday. Renji...knowing him he had gone to that old warehouse to train himself the way they had been doing for a while now. She would go meet him later to help him out with his training. A small smile etched her face as she stared at the ground. This did not go unnoticed by Ichigo who pondered silently at what she knew that he didn't.
Ichi went to stand beside his mother, holding her hand all the while glaring at Ichigo. Sachiko wrapped her arms around Ichigo's leg in a tight embrace. Rukia stared at Ichigo as he protested and tried to convince Sachiko to get off him. She shook her head. The man infuriated her to no end but her children seemed to like him. That was good enough for them...at least for now. Sometimes she wondered why she couldn't live out the rest of her days like this. Okay...maybe not exactly like this but close.
A/N: Wow. I surprised myself with this chapter. Haha well, I hope that quenched your IchiRuki thirst for now. Plz R/R for more upcoming IchiRuki goodness. And for those of you who don't know Spanish, here's a translation of Chad and Ichigo's conversation.
"How've you been? How's your life been in Mexico?" Ichigo asked, his Spanish flowing out naturally. Chad's eyebrows arched upward. "Your Spanish is excellent. I've been good and it feels incredible to be back in Karakura." Ichigo smirked. "Found any good looking chicks?" Chad grunted, looking a tad embarrassed. "Not right now but there is this woman who works in an orphanage. I like her, she's great to be around.' "And? What else, man? Don't leave me hanging." "Well...there aren't any plans right now. Maybe in the future."