'Are you serious? You can't be serious. What are the odds of this happening?'

'Very, very slim. But... This is definite.'

'What should I expect?'

'I can't say. I'm sorry.'

'Don't...'

'Onii-chan!' Yuzu cried when her brother keyed the door to their home open. Squealing in girlish delight, she tried to wrap him in her arms. Of course, this was impossible considering the difference in their size. Especially now that Ichigo had grown taller and more muscular than she remembered.

How long had it been now? Seven years?

'Ichi-nii!' Karin joined her siblings in their long overdue embrace. They could have stayed that way forever, it seemed; enjoying each other's presence, as if they had been incomplete as people for all these years and had finally become whole again. It was tough for the girls to be without their brother, but it was hard on him as well knowing that he couldn't be around to watch them grow into young ladies. And so now, he wasn't about to let them go for anything.

'Welcome back, my idiot son!'

Unless, of course, that "anything" was his dad attempting to kick him on the head. The hot-headed man anticipated this, and thought it would be best to stay above it. He actually thought that this would be a subtle yet powerful way of showcasing his newfound maturity. Then again, he wasn't very good with pulling through with plans.

'Is this how you greet your son after nearly a decade?!' he retorted, dodging another attack and going in to punch his father. The old man was hit hard, falling to the floor slowly while flashing a thumbs-up. The sisters were completely unfazed. They had expected this. It was the only way the men in their family seemed to be able to show affection.

'This is the first time you've been home since you left!' Isshin whined, comically large teardrops streaking down his face. 'And you hit your father?!'

'You started it!'

'And on top of that...'

'What?!'

'You won't even spend the day with us tomorrow! You're going to give a lecture!'

'I can't help it.' the orange-haired man reasoned, although he admitted inwardly that even he was disappointed about that. 'I've been pushing it back for months. Once they announced on TV that I was coming back here, the university kept contacting my team. It would look bad if I wasn't able to present myself as a guest lecturer before the students left for vacation.'

'But you're such a big shot now anyway that they'd delay their summer plans.' Karin interrupted, hoping that she could convince him not to go tomorrow and spend some time with the family. 'You know that, right?'

'It's not a good thing to get such a big head.' he yawned, making his way up to his old room. 'And no, they wouldn't.'

'Yes, they would.'

'No.'

'Whatever.' she shrugged. 'As long as you watch my softball game tomorrow.'

'Do you know what would make this deal more convincing?'

'Mm?' Rukia Kuchiki tilted her head to the side quizzically, arching her back gracefully and inadvertently leaning into the man she was supposed to close a million-dollar contract with. He was much older than her, even older than her Nii-sama. His leathery hands shakily undid the top of his suit as his lecherous eyes examined her lithe frame sitting on the conference table. It was long and made of steel, enough to accommodate a maximum of fifty people. But by now, everyone included in the meeting had left except for these two. The man beckoned her to stay behind, citing financial discrepancies as the reason.

'If I could try out the merchandise.'

'Merchandise?'

'Don't play dumb.' he was practically salivating.

'I don't recall including myself in the bundle.' the businesswoman frowned, swaying her legs off-handedly. She ran a perfectly manicured hand through her long hair, seemingly unbothered by her companion's advances. 'Not like you could afford me anyway.'

He was about to respond, but the pointy edge of her heel met his groin painfully. He keeled over, his mouth contorting into a strained O. When he was close enough to the ground that she was sure he wasn't looking at her, she allowed herself a small smile.

'Sign the deal, don't sign the deal, I don't care.' Rukia declared, jumping off the table. 'We don't need you, you need us.'

'You bitch.' he spat. She looked down at him, trying not to laugh at how absolutely pathetic the sight of him was on his knees.

She could have said something witty, but decided he wasn't deserving of that. Instead, she pouted playfully, a twinkle in her sapphire eyes. Then she laughed and spun on her heel out the door, her midnight hair trailing behind her in the wind.

'A lot of people talk about power.' Ichigo began. 'They talk about positions of power; who should rightfully be seated, who should be taken out... About what has to change within the structure of power. But I don't think it's such a good idea to focus on that. I think it's better to talk about change amongst the people. Forget those on top. Let's think about what the masses can do. Start the change from the bottom up.'

'Can't people start a revolution though?' a random student quipped.

'They absolutely can.'

'Isn't that bad?'

'Not necessarily.' the guest lecturer replied. 'Revolutions, coups, strikes - they're all ways in which the people's desire can be made known. These socio-political phenomena tend to occur when the needs of the people are being ignored.'

'How do we know when a revolution is justified?' another student interjected. 'How do we know people aren't trying to mess with politics just 'cause they can?'

'Any drastic action taken by the people is symptomatic of the problems and injustices that that society is experiencing.' Ichigo wanted to expand further, but the dean was signalling that time was up. In fact, they had already gone an hour overtime. The amber-eyed pseudo-professor would have liked to stay, but he could tell that the staff present to oversee the special class wanted to get home. He didn't blame though. He kind of wanted to see his friends as well.

'Thank you so much for your time, Ichigo Kurosaki.' Dean of Arts Shunsui Kyoraku thanked their guest as he came up on stage. The closing announcement was met with a mix of sad groans and loud applause.

'Thank you for having me.' the young adult responded, nodding in the direction of the audience.

'It was an honour.' Shunsui assured him. 'Again, everyone, that was Ichigo Kurosaki - the youngest former Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Affairs in the United Kingdom, and who will be serving as Under Secretary to Political Affairs here in Japan as of next month. It truly is such an honour.'

'Man, you've got guards waiting outside!'

'Don't say that like it's my choice, Keigo.' Ichigo reminded his friend. 'I don't want a security detail, but the state won't let me move without them. Karin was so embarrassed to see them when I watched her game today.'

'It's so surreal that you've come home such a bigshot.' Mizuiro commented, handing the server a bill.

'Guys, come on, I'll pay for this.' the politician insisted.

'No, it's fine!' the shortest of the trio waved it off. 'It's the first time we've seen you in such a long time. Let us spoil you. Besides, you aren't the only one making some cash! And you hate alcohol anyway, so it's not like you're having any of this.'

'Thanks.'

'Don't mention it!'

Ichigo leaned back onto the couch and sighed. Bombastic, noisy music was blaring from countless speakers as voluptuous women clad in nearly nothing either danced around the club or served patrons drinks. He didn't like these types of places, but his friends were adamant about coming to this establishment. Something about knowing the owner and being able to snag some discounts. And something else about a "pleasant surprise." There was nothing surprising in this place except the depravity that surrounded him.

'Ichigo!' Keigo yelled after taking another shot. 'You don't look like you're having fun!'

'I hate this shit.'

'But there are so many girls!'

'I'm not looking.'

'What's wrong? Got a girlfriend back in London?'

He shook his head, his expression betraying no emotion. He had two girlfriends during his time abroad, but he ended both relationships after realizing that he just wasn't that serious about either of them. It was strange. He cared about those women, but it was nothing in comparison to how he had felt when he first discovered love so many years ago.

He still couldn't forget her.

While his feelings for her had completely dissipated, he thought of her from time to time. He wondered how she was doing, what she had been up to, what kind of path she had carved out for her life... But there was simply no way of knowing without seeming suspicious. He knew that she and Keigo were friends in college, but had no idea if they were still close at all. And if there was a way to get in touch with her, why would he do that now? Truthfully, he kind of regretted not taking her up on her offer to be friends. She was a big part of his life and he would always remember her for the good times they shared.

Then he'd remember the bad times and want to break things.

He shut his eyes in irritation. This is exactly why he had avoided coming home for so long. She was like poison to him, that much stayed consistent against the test of time. Just the thought of her was enough to drive him insane. And the memories of her were so closely linked to Karakura Town that just being here set off a semi-permanent trigger. It all just ended so horribly... How could something so pure and beautiful rear its ugly head a second later?

This was exactly why he decided that cutting her off was the smartest thing to do.

'You know, Rukia-chan never had a boyfriend while you were away.' his brunette friend assured him.

'Why bring her up all of a sudden?'

'Don't you think about her?'

'No.'

'Didn't you like her?'

He thought about it. 'No.'

'So you don't want to see her while you're here?'

'Hell no.'

'Kaien... dono...' Rukia breathed. She straddled her lover, planting chaste kisses all over his neck. He caressed her thighs in appreciation, pulling her closer when she started sucking on his lower lip with a lusty need. He pulled away from her momentarily, staring into her beautiful eyes as he cupped her face. They shared a moment of unspoken understanding before their lips met again, his tongue probing her sweet mouth. She submitted to him, letting him take the lead. He liked it when she did that.

Her work phone rang, but he pushed it away when she reached for it. She tried to climb off of him, but he pushed her onto the bed. His mouth watered at the sight of her bare breasts, swollen and begging to be touched. The light blush on her cheeks made her shine with an innocence he knew was not genuine. Fuck it, he wanted her anyway.

'I wanna be inside of you.' Kaien moaned into her ear as his hands played with her mounds.

She stiffened at those words, whimpering in panic as he thrust his uncomfortably hard groin against her. He mistook her whining as excitement, kissing her so wetly he might as well have been a dog slobbering all over her face. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute, the nausea starting to build at the back of her throat. She screamed into his mouth and he immediately stopped, sitting up and helping her upright.

She panted heavily, and he took it as a sign that she needed some water. He retreated into the kitchen to offer her a glass, and she drank its contents thirstily. She didn't thank him or look at him. Surprisingly, she hung her head in embarrassment. It wasn't necessarily shame that she felt. She wasn't about to allow herself to feel coerced into sex. It was just that, in the year that they've been seeing each other, she really hadn't been able to feel comfortable doing it with him.

'I'm sorry, Kaien-dono.' she apologized, crossing her arms over her chest to hide her breasts. 'I can't.'

'Don't feel bad.' he whispered, rubbing up and down her arms. His voice was smooth and gentle, his touch even more so. 'Don't do anything you don't want to do.'

She smiled at him. He returned it.

With Kaien-dono, everything felt right. At least it felt like the world made more sense than when she wasn't with him. He was kind, not just to her but to everyone around him. She was thankful that a being like him existed, for she had known only one before him.

In fact, they shared quite a resemblance. She wondered if all good souls were just destined to be tall and handsome.

But Kaien-dono had a wife. Miyako was beautiful, and Rukia often wondered why Kaien wasn't so happy with her. At least, he couldn't have been that happy if he were willing to cheat on her with a girl ten years his junior. But men were weak. The young Kuchiki knew that very well. They didn't like to stick with one flavour. Perhaps it was too boring. Or maybe she was too good. At such a young age, she had already learned how to please a man. Maybe she herself was a catalyst to such moral corruption.

Oh, well. She didn't care anymore. For once in her life, she didn't feel nervous to exist. Her anxiety had calmed itself, and she was in the best place she'd ever been in her life thus far. Perhaps she was alone, but she was by no means lonely.

As Kaien dressed himself, she flipped through her phone to see why it was ringing earlier. She frowned when she saw that the manager at one of the clubs the Kuchikis owned sent her urgent texts claiming that a VIP was present when Grimmjow was dealing at their location.

I'm busy.

She sent the text. Not even a minute later, her phone pinged back, alerting her to a response.

He's a government official. We could get in trouble.

She rolled her eyes. Politicians were the absolute worst. They all pretended like they didn't go to clubs to touch all the young girls trying to pay for their education. Rukia had observed enough of their corrupt fondling whenever she dropped in to see if the staff were up to par with their training.

'I'm sorry, Kaien-dono.'

'You have to go?'

She nodded. He told her not to worry. She didn't.

She should've.

'No, I'm good, thanks.' Ichigo was getting more aggravated by the second. Woman after woman kept asking if he wanted to dance, drink, or some were bold enough to just throw themselves on top of him and wait for a reaction. Needless to say, he never responded well.

Unfortunately, it had been this way for quite some time now. He had always been oblivious to women's advances, but they had become hard to ignore after he received his first seat in office. His charming looks and built, combined with his newly acquired power and money set off an estrogen switch. He wasn't ignorant. In fact, he was very astute to how his new position in the social hierarchy affected those around him of various demographics - it just so happened that desperate women were at the top of the list. The whole experience had turned him into a real pessimist.

'Just one shot. Take one shot with me!'

'I don't drink.' he protested, trying to push her away without hurting her. His friends had left him to dance with random girls, thinking that he needed privacy so that he could "get some" that night. He swore he'd get them back.

Eventually, a bouncer yet again had to escort this lady away from him. He tried to thank him, but was shot an annoyed glare. Ichigo winced. He didn't blame him. The entire evening for the guy was spent between checking IDs and carrying women away from the young politician. It seemed like he was having a horrible night at work.

Searching his surroundings for his friends, a head full of light-blue hair caught his eye. His stomach turned. He recognized that unique shade of blue anywhere. Not just that, but that sinister smirk that never failed to anger him... The familiar figure was surrounded by his own posse of armed men, and Ichigo wondered why they were allowed to bring weapons inside. He had a table to himself, but he beckoned a group of young girls over - they couldn't have been older than twenty years of age. Chocolate eyes widened in child-like outrage when he witnessed the man shove two pills a down a young girl's throat. She sputtered, but he held her in place by the neck.

That fucker never changed.

Not even thinking about what exactly he planned to do, Ichigo stood and marched his way over to Grimmjow. The hell was the guy thinking, distributing most-likely illegal substances to youth? It was people like him that inspired Ichigo to try and empower young people; to be strong enough to fight agains those who threaten to destroy the strength of a naive and vibrant mind.

Recognizing the man with the budding political career, Grimmjow's men did nothing but cower in fear when they saw the unmistakable orange-haired man approaching them. If anything, they parted their formation to make way for him. With his back turned, the drug lord couldn't really see what was coming. Not to worry; he felt the stinging impact of a fist meeting his face anyway. In retaliation, he reached for a gun holstered at his waist and fired it at the ceiling.

It was a riot.

People screamed, staff scrambled, bodyguards rushed inside to come face-to-face with Grimmjow's henchmen. Ichigo could hear his friends shouting at him to let it go, that he would regret this later on. It was a miracle he could even make out what they were saying amidst frightened cries of "Kurosaki-sama, the car is outside!." It was a mess, but neither of the hot-blooded men gave a damn. They exchanged blows, unable to feel the pain of being hit from all the adrenaline coursing through their veins. Their primal hatred for each other had taken a nearly decade-long break; nothing would be able to calm either of their spirits.

'Kurosaki, you relentless fuck!' the rebel laughed. 'Why are you here?!'

'Why are you not in prison?!' came the husky reply. He showed no fear when his enemy picked up bottle and cracked it in half, charging at him with the sharp, jagged edges of the glass.

Ichigo was ready to bleed a little, but fate would not allow it that night.

A bouncer came up behind him, bulky arms hooking wrapping around his waist to lift him out of harm's way. Another burly man grabbed Grimmjow by the arm, twisting it and making him hurt enough to let go of the dangerous makeshift weapon. Despite being held hostage by big guys with guns, both young rivals tried to swipe at each other, failing to land a hit at anything except the air.

'Fools! What's going on here?!'

That voice.

And the pain that followed.

Ichigo whipped his head towards the direction of her voice, and he was sure he looked like he had seen a ghost. Rukia returned his startled stare, a temporary paralysis shocking her in place. Her large eyes scanned him, as if not believing that it was really him. He was taller, bigger; no longer a child. Then her line of sight lingered on his orange hair, and something in her clicked. It was definitely him. There was no mistaking it.

He swallowed involuntarily when it hit him just how different she was. She had grown her hair out longer, almost up to her waist. Her slender frame was clothed in an angular suit, making her look taller and more intimidating than he remembered. Not that he was intimidated. No, he was frightened. Scared that she'll slither her way back into his life and just... ruin everything. Not that he'd let her though. He learned.

Begrudgingly, the Kuchiki tore her gaze away from her former lover to signal an order to her men. Cackling maniacally, Grimmjow was escorted out of the premises through a back door. His cronies followed suit, and Ichigo felt sick knowing that he would get away without being brought to justice. And even if he wanted to make a case out of what he saw, he could only offer hearsay. There was no to prosecute that jerk. What made matters worse is that he could sense Rukia was in on it too; she was covering something up.

Amber eyes rolled in their sockets. Yeah, for sure she'd do anything to shield her toy.

The man holding him captive suddenly let him go when Rukia nodded his way. Though he was roughed up, he stood proudly when set free, only rubbing his wrists to regain some feeling. He could feel deep blue eyes staring right at him, and he felt incredibly self-conscious. But no way in hell was he going to give her the satisfaction of a second look.

'Rukia-chan!' Keigo beamed as he approached his friend. 'Thank goodness you showed up!'

'No pro-'

'And look, it's Ichigo! You remember Ichigo, don't you?!'

'Yes.' she murmured, fighting back tears; of happiness or hurt, she couldn't really say. 'Ichigo...'

'Hey, sorry for the trouble.' he cleared his throat, turning his back to her. He waved a hand at her dismissively, like he wanted to silence her. His other hand buried itself in his pocket, clenching into a fist to suppress every primal urge in his body that wanted to touch her, stroke her hair, crash his lips onto hers to taste the bittersweet comfort of being with his first love. 'Thanks for your help.'

'Wait, Ichigo!' she called after him, hot on his heels. Keigo reached out to grab her hand, but she was too fast for him. A knot formed in his stomach; he was not looking forward to this. Ichigo was the personification of hostility right now. One would have thought he had some fondness for her left in him.

'Wait!' she repeated, catching up to him. She stepped in front of him, not thinking when she placed a hand on his chest as if she were willing him to stop in his tracks. His eyes softened at that, the familiarity of her small hand on his body taking him back to the times their bodies were intertwined, hot and moist as she begged for him to be inside of her. He remembered how she'd look at him with the most intense longing in her stunning orbs, noticing that she mirrored that same yearning as her eyes bore into his right now.

He parted his lips. He wanted to ask what she needed, what she wanted. He'd give her anything.

Then he imagined her bent over a desk, taking another man's engorged organ inside of her. He could almost hear her pants, her moaning as she was rammed into again and again. Humiliated rage swelled inside of him when he recalled how she looked back at him the first time he saw her in the throes of passion, how she flashed him the most unforgettably innocent smile like she didn't know she wanted to be filled.

'Ichigo...'

Do you want to hear something funny?

I think I'm falling in love with you.

'Sorry.' he muttered, gently shoving her hand away and going about his way.

A/N: Thank you so much for your continued support, everyone! This chapter is an intro to the timeskip, I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you sinfulxdaisies, JoTerry, Anon01, Shirayuki992, RukiYuki, Harveyman, FunnyEasyMe, GenesisVentura, Godrukia, and anoyak111!

GenesisVentura, thank you so much for your wonderful comments and for understanding Ichigo!

Harveyman, thank you very much and I think you are absolutely correct! Will be changing the genre.

Shirayuki992, I did read it! And yes, she does look absolutely stunning! I loved all her looks, but the long hair is by far my favourite. I think it makes her look more carefree. She also looks so adorable in the captain haori; love how loose it is on her! Cutest captain ever.

FunnyEasyMe, hope you enjoyed the small friendship between Keigo and Rukia! Also, yes, Byakuya knows/suspects something - but I won't be revealing that just yet. I don't think Orihime will be playing a major role in this story! I don't have any intentions so far to make any significant use of her.

Thank you so much again, everyone!

Working hard on the next chapter for you guys!