Touched

Disclaimer: Creator Tite Kubo owns the manga and anime Bleach and its characters. No offense or infringement is intended.

A/N: I'M ALIVE! Whew! I apologize for the long absence! Inexcusable, really. I cite the aforementioned employment issue- I had to settle into a new specialty with new hours and all that jazz. Lots of homework. But totally worth the trouble- I've never been happier at a job! Yes, pay me to do this stuff, haha!

Many thanks for the AWESOME reviews from the previous chapter- several of you earned giant cookies for correctly identifying 'What's a 'Tatsuki'?' in there. Since so much time has passed since the last post I wanted to thank each of you for such wonderful, adorable, humorous and thought-provoking messages: Mako-Hero, xJ11Cx, Marie Darkholme, EveryEye (cookie!), XBloodMageRikaX, pharaoh-90, Jmamill, YellowWomanontheBrink, blackenedheart231, jesi ki kage, Kiss-Kiss-Kiss-Goodbye, hornyzombie, Cheyanne Bourne, KatzNoel, Queen NekoChan (cookie!), hotaru yorukarashi, and 1dmp2- I'm so glad you all left feedback and hope you will get a chance to read this newest chapter. I confess, after so much time has passed I hope someone will still be reading this. After the reviewing format changed I don't even know if people get new-chapter alerts like they used to (info on this would be helpful).

So there you have it. For those who didn't feel like perusing all that above it was: 1) Sorry for the disappearing act, 2) thanks for loving and reviewing ch 9, and 3) hope people are still out there reading this. Ok now on to the good stuff. Chapter 10 for your viewing pleasure! A little bit of sneaking and a revelation!

Chapter 10: Closer

Soul Society, Shiba Inn, three days later- in the late evening…

After three days of sunny, cloudless skies it had decided to rain once again. Tatsuki stood leaning in the doorway of the balcony as she listened to the downpour- it was the closest she would allow herself this time. She couldn't help but think of the falling drops like the bars of a jail cell; they'd all been cooped up inside all day. Not that she or anyone else had anywhere to go, but lately she'd taken to long lazy strolls through the inn's garden and not being able to do even that felt excruciatingly stifling.

The rush of the rain drowned out any sounds of Orihime's nightly bathroom ritual but Tatsuki knew the girl was splashing, brushing and flossing her little heart out in there. That was one of the few up-sides, she mused: for her flighty friend, this trip undoubtedly seemed like one giant sleepover.

And of course Orihime was probably exhilarated over the fact that she was finally sharing a 'giant secret' with her best friend instead of keeping one from her for a change. True to her word in the kitchen, the brassy redhead had shown a surprising knack for the utmost secrecy over the past few days. She'd even gone as far as to coordinate some of their ruses.

The past three days had been so surreal. After she'd been abducted Tatsuki had felt like her life had been turned upside down by traveling to the Spirit World. Now, with things… escalating the way they had she'd felt spun in a blender and poured into Wonderland. Nothing seemed to make sense- certainly not her newfound ability of sucking the life force of anyone she touched. And certainly not the sudden and unforeseen attentions of a certain elusive substitute Soul Reaper and former absentee best friend. Just thinking about him made the place behind her forehead feel light and dizzy.

Tatsuki stretched her neck as she fought yet another yawn. The fatigue seemed to weigh more heavily lately, the crash feeling harder and faster than before. Right now, if not for her obligations she could probably just go curl up and drift off to sleep… Certainly Orihime would wake her when-

Her half-lidded eyes almost missed the flurry of movement as a dark-clad figure suddenly dropped from the sky landing right in front of her. What the hell? When Tatsuki opened her mouth a large wet hand clamped over it. The young fighter's instincts instantly kicked in- she had already grabbed the assailant's forearms and was raising her knee towards his pelvis when a familiar voice whispered, "Tats, wait!"

This energy, it's… Freezing in place, she looked up with daft recognition at the person attached to the hand clamped over her mouth. He released her, a stupid grin spreading across his face. "Ichigo?~!"

He slipped past her into the room to escape the rain. Toeing off his sandals he asked, "Why were you screaming? Weren't you expecting me?"

Attempting to mask her frazzled reaction she groused in the loudest whisper she would allow herself, "I wasn't screaming! And of course I was expecting you… through the door. What the hell are you doing dropping onto my balcony like some crazy weirdo-stalker?"

He shrugged, "I couldn't get to the door; Rukia was standing in the hallway for some reason. So I found another way. I thought you would have admired my creativity." He was looking entirely too smug for his own good.

She rolled her eyes at him, "Maybe if you hadn't shocked the living daylights out of me…"

At that moment Orihime came out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. Through a mouthful of foaming toothpaste bubbles she exclaimed, "Oh hi, Ichigo! I didn't hear you come in."

Tatsuki pointed a thumb over her shoulder, "That's because idiot came from outside." She raised an eyebrow at him, "You're not coming anywhere near me until you're drier. You're dripping all over our floor."

Orihime had already ducked back into the bathroom to spit. When she re-emerged she had a towel, "Here, Ichigo. Tats-chan has a point, you know."

He took the towel from her before she flounced back into the bathroom, "Thanks, Orihime." But then he threw it to Tatsuki, who caught it with a confused look.

Before she could finish her question, "Why are you giving this to me? I'm not th-" he'd shrugged his soaked gi off leaving him shirtless. The rest of the words died on her lips as he held the garment out the balcony door to wring it out. She gulped at the contours of his tensing back as he did so.

Turning back around, he caught her staring. Lips pulling into a smirk he strode slowly toward her until he'd stopped right in front of her, the tips of his tabi bumping the sides of her feet. She blinked rapidly as his arm wrapped around her… to hang his shirt on the door knob at her back. One word was whispered in her ear, "Better?"

Then he winked, grabbed the forgotten towel in her hands and stepped away just as Orihime came out of the bathroom again. He wrapped it around his shoulders and rubbed at his hair as the redhead pulled on a light evening kimono over her pajamas. "Alright, you two. I can give you an hour before the others get too suspicious," Orihime announced in a conspiratorial hush as she headed for the door. "I'll be back by then, okay?"

Tatsuki was almost too distracted to reply. "Uh, yeah," she murmured, her eyes actually on the shirtless Shinigami presently rubbing his torso and neck vigorously with the towel to remove all traces of moisture from his skin. The fluttery feeling in her chest and stomach was rising again with a vengeance and she swallowed hard in hopes of pushing it back down.

Ichigo nodded, "Thanks again, Orihime. See you in a bit." The girl opened the door a crack, peered out into the hallway like a trained spy, and then slipped through pulling the door shut quietly behind her.

Ichigo chuckled as Orihime disappeared, "She's looking more like 007 every day…" It was the third evening in a row that she'd helped them sneak a secret rendezvous. One certainly had to admire the girl's dedication.

He sat down on the closest horizontal surface as his gaze drifted over to Tatsuki, who didn't seem to have heard him. She was all the way across the room, still hovering against the balcony door as if anchored by an unseen force; there was an unmistakable weariness about the slump of her shoulders. Once again she was worrying the corner of her lower lip between her teeth as she stared past him.

Hoping to gain her attention he offered, "Hey Tats, she's gone now." He watched as she blinked rapidly before her eyes darted with surprise around the now empty room. It brought to mind the behavior of a startled animal.

"Huh?" was all she managed.

"You tired?" he asked, not even bothering to mask his concern. He stared more closely at her; what little skin her outfit revealed- mostly her face and neck- seemed paler than he thought it should. She should have charged with Uryu earlier that day- he wondered how many hours had passed since then.

She sighed heavily and he watched her chest fall with the exhale, "I don't know. Just wrecked. Not sure why." Her eyelids seemed to drift low all on their own.

The words left his mouth before he realized he'd spoken them, "I can help with that, you know…" When she blinked over at him, shock raising her eyebrows, he instantly felt like a letch. He hadn't meant it quite the way it sounded…

"I meant… I just meant that since I'm here…" Confidence instantly deflating he stopped himself, his previous words sinking into both of their minds as his fingers plucked absently at the fabric beneath him. Only then did he realize he'd sat down on her bed- the soft bedroll rolled out for the night onto its tatami and low wooden frame. He sat up straighter, suddenly acutely aware of his shirtless-ness and the fact that the lower portions of his pants were still quite wet. Accommodating the bed's low frame had made him sit with his knees far apart- he leaned forward to rest his arms on them hoping to seem less… he didn't know. Forgetting why he was even there he stammered, "I should, um… maybe I should go?"

Tatsuki's soft yet steady voice surprised him.

"No…" she replied, "You shouldn't go," and in that moment she seemed to have made up her mind about whatever reservations she might have been nursing. Pushed by a renewed confidence, she slid off the balcony door as smooth as a puddle; in several fluid steps she was standing between his parted knees. "I think you should stay right here…," she murmured, her small hands settling firmly on his shoulders, "…because I've been thinking about you all day."

Her hands felt cool against his bare skin; Ichigo knew within seconds they would be warming from their contact. He also realized that her grip was to steady herself- happy for the excuse, he skimmed his palms up her hips to grip her waist; he felt her abs tighten beneath his thumbs even through her clothing. "Well, that's good to hear," he replied, mouth suddenly parched, "since I haven't stopped thinking about you since we got here." Tatsuki's silent chuckle tensed her muscles again; then her concentration stilled her in his arms.

As she pulled energy through her touch he stared up, marveling at her soft, meditative features. "So beautiful," he whispered and she opened her eyes to shine a bashful yet appreciative smile down on him. Her gaze drifted down to his mouth before returning to his eyes and he knew she was going to ask permission, because in the past three days she'd asked every time.

"Can I?" she whispered, raising a hand to ghost fingers under his chin.

"I wish you would," he replied, tugging her closer against him. She took the hint and pulled her knee up against his hip so that when Ichigo pulled her down she sat straddling his thigh. Lips on course, she brushed several light delicate kisses against his mouth.

He loved when she did that. When she'd first done it- grazed soft touches across his lips instead of the hungry assault he'd expected - he'd found it very un-Tatsuki-like and told her so. He still recalled the blush that rushed to her cheeks when she admitted that it was the closest she thought she could come to kissing him in the real world, because she could feel his lips without the distraction of their increased energy transfer. He'd been pleasantly surprised to hear such a confession and from then on secretly reveled in those gentle attentions from her.

Of course, such sensual touches invariably stirred more possessive inclinations in him making him pull her harder against him and kiss her more deeply, more forcefully until he could feel his reiatsu charging through her, could feel that mystifying connection that laid her emotions bare to him. It was as much a rush for him as it was for her, making it hard to concentrate on anything besides the surge of her pleasure or the feel of her body against his as she pulled her own strength from him.

When she finally broke their kiss for a breath Ichigo found he'd inadvertently laid her down as he'd rolled on top of her, his full weight pressing her into the soft bedroll beneath them. Panting and flushed, he felt her grip on his neck and back as tight as if they'd been soaring through the clouds, short nails dug in as if she were afraid of falling. He propped himself on an arm to give her ribcage room to expand and watched as she inhaled grateful gasps, words lost on kiss-swollen lips. Her hands loosened and then fell away as she relaxed beneath him. Ever protective, he asked, "Are you okay?" Somehow he knew he would always ask.

Tatsuki smiled happily, sleepily, as pupils blown as black and wide as a starless sky constricted to focus on him. "Never better," she whispered seductively, making his ego swell with male pride. She felt perfect beneath him, he decided, without even the slightest sign of discomfort at his much larger weight pinning her. She looked messy and radiant.

Even propped on a forearm Ichigo was able to brush the corner of her mouth with his thumb. In a mock of her typical request he asked, "So… can I?"

With a Cheshire grin he felt her wiggle beneath him until both of her hands were back on him- one grazing up his side and chest, the other sliding across his shoulder and neck until she held his face in both hands.

"I wish you would," she mimicked back as she pulled him down to her.

His arms had been wrapped warmly around her stomach. Somehow his hands had migrated down her arms until they encircled her wrists and slowly began to pull… Tighter and tighter until her shoulders began to ache from the strain…

…Of her wrists being restrained over her head. Movement proved futile; pulling against her bonds only pushed her against the wall behind her, rough-hewn stone that felt jagged between her shoulder blades.

Panic rose like fire in her throat. Even with eyes wide open she saw nothing. Could only feel the air around her- hot and damp, as heavy as a layer of clothing against her bare skin. The pungent stench of must and rot curled thickly in her nose nearly making her gag…

Eerie echoes vibrated in the darkness, surrounding everything. But immediately around her it was quiet. Far too quiet. She tried to speak- to soothe herself with the sound of her own voice- but when she parted her lips there was nothing, her tongue like a wad of matted cotton in the hollow of her mouth.

She swayed against her arms again and the darkness danced within her vision, like the lingering evidence of intoxication or perhaps simply a mind-numbing fatigue…

Dim lights approached with the sounds of feral grunting. A pair of eyes. Red- glowing within deep sockets that loomed closer, taller, making her strain her neck to see so high. As large as an elephant or a dinosaur but with a body more like that of a giant amphibian, it had a white bone face the size of a car hood that stared back down at her. It was then that she realized that the echoes in the distance were strangled screams…

It stalked closer making her panic climb, washing through her entire body until she was shivering. The giant head lowered to sniff her and then roared, hot breath blasting her face and torso. The smell of wet rotting flesh from its mouth nearly blinded every sense until she felt its wet spongy tongue swipe a wide swath across her chest, lingering against her neck and ear.

'No… no no no nonononono…'

Tongue retracting from her skin it roared again, jaw hinging open as it lunged forward to devour her. She cowered and braced for a rending force that never came. Instead it emitted a strangled howl- she choked as warm splatter flew across her face, the monster falling heavily against the length of her body before sliding lifeless to the floor in a giant heap.

She shuddered in relief as the darkness around her thickened with a newfound silence. The body of the beast disappeared. She could hear herself gasping for ragged breaths…

She must have blinked because suddenly he was there- a tall man standing before her as if he'd been present the whole time. White coat and skin, chocolate brown hair and eyes. Much older than her, but quite handsome in a striking sort of way. He wasn't smiling per se, but his face held no malice, his body no tension.

He was close enough to touch her and he did, his hand settling lightly against the center of her chest. Her skin began to burn beneath his fingers as if it would catch fire. Then he did smile…

…And finally she could scream.

Orihime was there in the room when Tatsuki woke with a start, a strangled scream bit off as she sat bolt upright from her bed roll.

"Ohholyshit! Um…" The redhead watched as the girl's eyes gained focus, concentrating through her gasping breaths before they swung onto her, "Uh… 'Hime? Oh, jeez…"

"Tatsuki? Is something wrong?" Orihime asked, noting how her friend scrubbed her palms against her eyes as if to banish something she'd seen. Blinking a few times to test her vision the dark haired girl slowly began to take in the room around her.

"Where's Ichigo?" she threw out to the air. Orihime couldn't even be sure the girl was talking to her, but since she had an answer she figured she'd field the question. "He's downstairs with some of the others." Her auburn eyebrows huddled together as she thought about the encounter, "…I'm not very good at charades but I think he was trying to tell me that you'd fallen asleep."

Tatsuki began to nod her head, a small motion that slowly grew more purposeful. Finally she tensed her muscles and took a huge breath that seemed to visibly banish the tension from her body. Giving her head a final shake, she looked over at Orihime, completely collected, "Yeah. So that must have looked strange. Sorry. Um, are you okay, Orihime?"

The redhead tilted her head in confusion, "Well, sure I am, Tats-chan. I was just worried about you! Did you have a bad dream?"

"Something like that…" the girl admitted. "Nothing to worry about. But that's not what I meant." Orihime noticed that Tatsuki was staring contemplatively at her as she asked, "Um… 'Hime, are you… okay with this?" And she made a circling gesture with her finger that didn't seem as specific as the redhead imagined it should.

Orihime frowned, more disappointed that she didn't understand than anything else. "This…?"

Tatsuki huffed, realizing she'd have to clarify. "This thing… with me and Ichigo," she said finally. "Are you really okay with it? Because I know you had a… well, had a thing for him once upon a time. And you two have been through a lot together, if what Ishida has mentioned is true, though he was very tight-lipped about the whole thing when I asked further… "

It was a rare sight to see Tatsuki babble. Orihime smiled because she'd already thought long and hard on this particular question. Admittedly she hadn't seen it coming- not at first. Even after she had a strong suspicion back at Urahara's shop and again after they'd first arrived in Soul Society, it took seeing them stumbling all over each other in the kitchen to finally confirm it. Neither of them had had much to smile about for a long time, both having lives fraught with anger, confrontation and disappointment. Seeing the two of them practically giddy in each other's company- her first instinct had been to protect that happiness at all costs. Only later, when she had a moment to herself, did she actually realize what it meant…

…Ichigo and Tatsuki wanted to be together. The fierce little fighter had been the one who'd finally broken through his walls- the walls that had shut out everyone else. She'd been the one to bring back that long-lost smile, without the aid of a cataclysmic event to do so. At one time she'd perhaps hoped that she herself… and then later it seemed Rukia might… how odd that it would be the feisty little tomboy. Somehow Orihime had thought they'd already eliminated this scenario long ago.

But apparently not, and it seemed as much a surprise to the two of them as it did to her. Orihime found it funny to see the typically confident girl suddenly so flustered in the presence of a boy she'd known for most of her life. And she was sure that Ichigo was going to have cramps in his cheeks from all the smiling he did around the little fighter. It was adorable beyond words, and though on a certain level she lamented an opportunity missed she knew that protecting her best friend's secret, her happiness, was the right thing to do. She wanted that for Tatsuki. And after she thought about it, she wanted that for Ichigo, too.

"…I mean, a week ago I didn't even know he liked me- I don't even think he knew if he liked me! But it all just happened so fast! I mean, we're not… you know… but the other stuff- it's just… sooo… But anyway, the point is I don't think I could bear it if you weren't, you know, okay with it… Soooo…" Tatsuki finally slowed down, worry scrunching her face as she eyed her best friend. Orihime couldn't help but notice that she finally sounded like a teenaged girl for once.

"Tats-chan…" the girl in question bit her bottom lip nervously, "It's been a long while since I've seen you this happy and I know it's all because of Ichigo. And I'm certain you're the reason he's been so happy lately, too; in the time I've known him I don't think I've ever seen him act the way he does around you. I think it means that you two are supposed to be together. So that's what I want, and that's why I want to help you." When her friend's head dropped and her shoulders bounced Orihime worried she'd somehow said the wrong thing. "…Is… …is that okay?"

Tatsuki raised her head, still chuckling. "How ironic is it that I want to hug you and can't right now?"

Orihime smiled and sat down right next to the girl. "Since when did you start following the rules again anyway?" she teased, intent on collecting her hug.

The following day…

Keigo had decided. After carefully weighing the pros and cons of the idea- including the very real possibility of risk to life, limb and certain masculine parts- he'd concluded that it had to be done. And since Mizuiro was the pollo grande, it was up to him…

…to check on Tatsuki.

Because the girl just hadn't been right for the last few days. Moody and short-tempered he could deal with. But ever since she'd been rescued from her rainstorm she'd been… Just. Plain. Weird. Nothing terribly overt, but since they'd been hanging out more prior to their Spirit World field trip there were just some things the boy couldn't ignore-

Like her perpetual state of distractedness- the girl couldn't concentrate for more than five seconds on anything before she'd be staring off into LaLa land, a wistful look on her face. Which was weird in itself 'cause Tatsuki didn't really do 'wistful'. Or the strange little scary smile that had recently replaced her typical tight-lipped purse. Prior to all of this, her neutral face had always held at least some hint of annoyance or exasperation. However, this new perpetual tug of the corners of her lips towards her cheeks… it was just not normal, and the more he saw it, the more Keigo grew afraid.

…Because he couldn't think of any reason that she'd be cheerful- life had recently dealt her a fairly shitty hand. And if she was resorting to bizarre mental gymnastics just to cope… Well, he felt like someone ought to at least make sure she was okay. That she knew she had someone to talk to, if she wanted. He may not have had any reiatsu to spare, but an ear from a respectable distance? Totally in the bag.

As he ascended the steps Keigo thought he saw a flash of movement in the hallway above. Advancing quietly he saw Ichigo's back as the teen stealthily entered the nearest room… Tatsuki's room. 'Aw, did Ichigo get the same idea?' Then he noticed how slowly and quietly the shinigami in question had shut the door. 'Hmm… well someone's looking awfully suspicious…' On a hunch Keigo tiptoed up to the door and flattened himself against the wall to listen.

He could just make out Tatsuki's confused voice, "Ichigo? What are you doing in here? It's the middle of the day." But instead of the anticipated sound of a head-slap he heard her lower her voice a little, "Did anyone see you?"

"Nah," he heard Ichigo reply. "Just thought I'd check in on you. You good?" Keigo thought that the guy's voice somehow sounded very strange.

She answered vaguely, "Yeeeeaaaah… I'm good…"

"You, uh… you sure?" Ichigo pressed.

The eavesdropping teen heard a high feminine laugh and it took a few seconds to process that it must have been Tatsuki, "Last I checked. Why? You worried I'll burn out again? Or are you coming with an ulterior motive?" Keigo had to shake himself. He assumed his mind went to the gutter on its own accord- no way was he actually hearing the deadly mistress of martial arts getting her flirt on. With Ichigo. Too absurd, even for him.

Nevertheless, he heard them move closer and fought the urge to push his ear against the door. Ichigo's voice dropped about an octave as he huskily murmured, "…Let's just say I'm willing to top off your tank for ya…"

Ichigo was one step away from pressing Tatsuki up against her door when the two suddenly heard a loud series of bumps followed by a yelp. He watched the lust swirling in her eyes dissipate into confusion as she blinked up at him. Not waiting for the question forming on her lips, he grabbed her by the arms and yanked her protectively behind him. Pulling the door open, he launched himself into the hallway scanning for the source of the troubling sound.

…And found it at the bottom of the stairs- Keigo crumpled on the floor with a crazed look on his face. Tatsuki tried to push past him to see but he held her at bay with a shielding arm- he still wasn't certain what was going on. Within moments many of the others arrived to investigate as well.

Rukia was the first to ask the boy on the floor, "Keigo, was that you?" Looking up the length of the stairs, she quickly caught sight of the two perched at the top.

Orihime leaned down next to the sputtering teen, concern clearly written on her face, "Oh, Asano-kun, are you alright?" Ishida was standing right behind her.

Recognizing the familiar antics of the boy, Renji exhaled a sigh of both annoyance and boredom as he asked no one in particular, "What's wrong with him? Why does he have to be such a spazz?" Chad smiled silently.

But Keigo only pointed dumbly up at Ichigo and Tatsuki, exclaiming in a voice far too loud for even the hallway, "Because they are doing it!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Rukia squeaked, eyes wide in shock.

"He snuck into her room! And she didn't punch him in the face!" Doubtful looks narrowed in his direction, the only exception being the suddenly all too familiar glare of one pissed off karateka. Tatsuki tried to pin Keigo down with that 'Don't-you-dare'-thousand-yard-stare but he couldn't seem to stop himself, driven verbally forward by a gossip force far more powerful than the threat of a horrific beating. He screeched, "I swear! He offered to take her tank top off!"

Ichigo sputtered, "What? That's not what I… Jeez, Keigo!"

If the teen in question had been searching for Tatsuki's angered scowl he could now find it firmly in place on her face, "I can't believe you were spying on us! Argh! You are soooo dead, Asano…"

Ichigo shot back, "And we weren't doing anything, you idiot!" Glancing back at Tatsuki he lamely added, "She's not even wearing a tank top. Dumbass."

Ishida cleared his throat before muttering, "Well, that's not entirely true…" He glanced down at Orihime whom he could sense wanted to disagree, because Tatsuki was in fact wearing long-sleeves; thus he hurried to clarify his meaning. "…You certainly can't expect us to believe you were sneaking into Arisawa's room for a 'chat'? Because your actions for the past few days would indicate otherwise."

Orihime's face fell instantly, as did Tatsuki's. But Ichigo just scowled at the young Quincy; of course Ishida would have noticed something. 'Damned Sherlock-fucking-Holmes.' He closed his eyes in frustration as he heard Renji saying, "Damn, guess that means the spazz was right for once…"

Their secret was out. He could only imagine what that meant for them. Perhaps there was a way to control the damage? The weight of a nearby presence pulled Ichigo from his thoughts. As he opened his eyes, they seemed to gravitate towards the sight he feared the most-

Perched on Chad's shoulder was a motionless black cat, her golden eyes staring unblinking up at him.

'Shit.'

A/N: Okay, so some fun stuff in there. Yep, the secret is out which will change things for our intrepid couple. And did you think I forgot about those wrinkles and action I promised? Oh no no no, dear readers. More to come soon.

Please let me know you're out there! I'll say this for the new review system- it's convenient! So push the button so I know you're still out there! Many thanks!