I DON'T OWN BLEACH
This chapter dedicated to; "Fat ppl are harder to Kidnap." Your screen name made me LOL. And to my regular reviewers- You all keep me writing and smiling through a tough time. Special thanks to my beta readers ChillyRaven and Tommo2304! Huggle you both!
A Different Kind of Favor
"There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable." Mark Twain
Chapter 10; Forbidden Fruit
Byakuya is relieved it is nightfall when they arrive at the small shack in Inuzuri. The cover of night will draw few glances from surrounding neighbors and the streets will be empty. Shutting the door behind them he releases Ichigo's waist and peeks out the window.
"I'm starving." Ichigo pulls her hair back up into her normal high pony tail with her black hair tie. Looking around she surveys the room noticing a closet and one door she assumes is the bathroom. "Looks like it's just a one room house."
"We can eat later." Byakuya not sensing anyone following them leaves the window and slides open the closet door. He grabs a couple of bags and tosses Ichigo one. "Take off all your clothes." He walks toward her with a stoic expression.
"W-What?" Ichigo turns dark red around her nose and cheeks.
"I need to see your clothes and check for tracing devices." His hand reaches out to touch her shoulder.
"Oh! Ha, Right no problem." She turns around heading for the bathroom door when his hand taps the soft white silk robe on her shoulder. "Hmm?"
"You need to check in there too." His hand points to the tops of her barely visible breasts.
"Why!" She gathers the fabric of the robe with her hand covering her neck.
"It looks like a place where something could be hidden." He steps closer to her with his hand hovering near her chest.
"No way. There's nothing in there." She backs into the wall biting at her lip."That's perverted!"
"You check or I will." Byakuya's face remains unchanged. "Is she utterly clueless? Looking at me with that kind of expression."
"You wouldn't dare." She glares at him defiantly. "He wouldn't right? He is supposed to be a bigger prude than I am!"
"I will stop at nothing, if it means protecting you." His hands reach down one to her robe and one to her hair at the same time. He tugs on a stray lock and waits until her hands fly up to block him before slipping his hand inside her robe.
"Eeek! Byakuya get out of my bra!" She squirms feeling his fingers slip between her breasts. She turns planting her shoulder into his stomach. Knocking him off balance and her along with him. They both land on the floor with her straddling his waist with a bare leg visible and his hand stuck inside her bra.
This is the moment Renji opens the door.
"I got the- " Renji looks at them on the floor and Byakuya's hand inside her gaping open white robe. "I-I'll come back in twenty... er maybe forty minutes!" He slams the door with his mouth dropping open. "It's the fucking apocalypse." He starts to walk away when Byakuya slides the door open.
"Not a word Abarai."
"..." He steps inside staring at the floor afraid to look up and see Ichigo's breasts and very smooth looking tan legs sticking out of a frumpy robe.
"She is in the bathroom." Byakuya says checking the fabric of her robe with his hands. He slides his fingertips down the seams of the pockets and front ignoring the warmth from Ichigo's body still lingering on the fabric.
"Captain's got a clothing fetish?" Renji shakes his head wondering how Byakuya could get to the top half with Ichigo so quickly. "Should I give him a thumbs up or something?"
"Did you get everything I asked for?" Byakuya asks stuffing some candles into a pack and securing a harness to it.
"Yeah, but I don't get what's going on."
"You said it yourself Renji." Ichigo walks into the room wearing a dark red plain looking kimono. "I'm famous. Everyone knows me. So why would a guy in the sixth division attack me?"
"That attacker was aware not to use kidou or his zanpaktou on her." Byakuya says grabbing some clothes and walking to the bathroom door. "Someone wants Ichigo dead and needs it to look like an accident."
"Why? Isn't she heading for the King's Realm?"
"Wait, he didn't try to kill me." Ichigo sits down in a corner of the room putting her hand to her neck. "He said he couldn't wait t-to..."
"I saw what he was trying to do." Renji's jaw tightens glancing at Byakuya. "I don't get why. I mean I know why. It's just..."
"He was from a lesser noble family. Other families may follow the same thinking and try to claim her by force. Until Ichigo is wed I will make sure she is unharmed." Byakuya walks inside the bathroom to change his clothes. "She is not yet marked." Hanging his haori on the hook in front of him he loosens his belt with a sigh escaping his throat. "Why do I feel relieved?" He changes his clothes quickly eager to be away from the town before sunrise. "It doesn't matter. She is to be the prince's wife. That makes her forbidden fruit. Well technically she is still fair play. Do I really want her?" His phone rings drawing his thoughts away from Ichigo and his conflicting emotions.
"Bya-boo, did you get Ichigo to marry you yet?"
"She accepted Prince Neji's offer tonight. He came in person to see her."
"Did he? Aww, I know how you hate to lose."
"I did not lose."
"Admit defeat. You lost!"
"No, she has yet to officially decline my offer."
"Really? I heard she turned everyone else down. Wonder why she didn't refuse you yet?"
"..."
"Hahaha! You are wondering too!"
"What is The Ark? "
"Ark? Like Noah and God and all that? I didn't think you were the religious type."
"I am not. What is really going on here?"
"Tch, I'm not a dictionary. Look it up yourself."
Byakuya hears the line go dead making his frown deepen. "Yoruichi Shihoin... What information were you looking for?" He finishes dressing then joins Renji and Ichigo in the main room."Is this still a favor? Or when this is over and she is safe will I want to keep her?"
"I brought your stuff too."
"Oh thanks Renji." Ichigo replies digging through her bag and breathing a sigh of relief finding the large leather case.
"What is that thing?"
"Something that was my moms." She smiles touching the outside of the case. "It's the one thing I could never part with."
"You stupid woman. You really gonna marry someone you don't want to?" Renji flicks at her nose hoping to draw a reaction from her.
"Looks that way." She swishes her head away avoiding his hand.
"That's the second time she said that." Byakuya's eyes narrow at her body movements. "She... has no intention of marrying him."
"I still don't get this!" Renji stands up with his hands on his hip looking defiant. "If you are so important to the prince and in danger just by being single. Why not marry right now and be done with it?"
"I requested the Spirit King to be present at the ceremony." Ichigo shrugs putting the leather case back in her duffel bag.
"Now that's interesting. Ichigo Kurosaki just might be smarter than I give her credit for."
"Did you know? It takes thirty days for the King's Door to be formed in Soul Society?"
"No shit? Wait, King's Door?"
"Yes, Every Key must have a door."
"How could she know that? This woman must truly be..." Byakuya's head starts hurting he turns to Renji to speed up their departure. "Renji take my scarf back to the manor and the chief housekeeper will know what to do." Byakuya hands Renji his light green scarf hiding his reluctance to surrender such an important symbol of his birthright. "Things would be difficult if someone recognized us."
"I always wondered why you kept this place after adopting Rukia."
"I have made a habit never to let something valuable go to waste." Byakuya replies to Renji pulling the supplies pack onto his back.
"Where are you heading?"
"It's better if you don't know." Byakuya grabs another bag and points for Ichigo to do the same. "I will be leaving the division to you until this is over. If anyone asks tell them everything you know. That way they don't sense you are hiding something."
"You can count on me."
"I know Renji." Byakuya answers walking with Ichigo following behind him to the door. In a puff of dust they are gone leaving Renji to try and sneak back to the manor without anyone noticing.
Quickly reaching the outer Rukongai barrier wall Byakuya pulls out two brown capes. After putting them on, Ichigo and Byakuya walk into the forest heading for a remote site.
"We travel the rest of the distance on foot." Byakuya says holding up a small compass. "I don't want anyone to be able to track us. For the next thirty days we live as normal souls."
~/~
As the midday sun bakes Ichigo from the inside out. Her pace gets slower causing her to fall behind Byakuya by a few hundred feet. By nightfall she is hungry and exhausted.
"Byakuya are we there yet?"
"No."
Four minutes later.
"Byakuya are we even close?"
"Yes."
Three minutes later.
"Byakuya am I really stupid?"
"Yes. By shinigami standards you are very stupid."
Two minutes later.
"Byakuya do you hate me?"
"What?" Byakuya's eye twitches as he turns around to look stare at her. Ichigo is dragging her bag behind her with her hair down covering her sweaty face. He stands still watching her shuffling her feet until she bumps into him.
"Byakuya there is this giant wall here." She reaches up with her finger poking at his chest. Her head tilts up seeing it's Byakuya she smiles. "Oh it's you." She instantly wraps her arms around him planting her face in the center of his broad chest.
"She is hugging me? No one ever touches me."
"I don't care what people say about you. I think you are actually very nice." Her arms drop and she passes out leaning against him.
"Ridiculous woman." He picks her up and her bag continuing to walk down the rocky trail. "I am not nice." Ichigo's stomach growls loudly as she sleeps pressing her face to his chest. "I forgot she was hungry."
Byakuya breathes a quiet breath hearing the sound of water in the distance. "We are here." He glances down at her sleeping with her eyebrows furrowed up. "I... am sorry. We can eat soon."
"It'll be alright Inoue. Do this one last thing for me... He must live. "
Byakuya stops in his tracks listening to the desperation in her voice. "Who must live?" He couldn't shake the feeling that her words are familiar. "Have I heard her say them to someone?"
"Don't cry. Be strong and believe."
Putting Ichigo's thoughts aside for now he walks behind the waterfalls entering the maze of caves heading toward the only place he knew to be secure. Only the leader of his clan knows the location of the First Archive. The original documents containing thousands of years of history written down by every leader of the Kuchiki clan since the very beginning of time. Once each year the leader travels in secret to this place to update the files.
Placing his hand on the large stone in front of him the seal on his body glows faintly. With a light chirp the safety protocols react with the locking mechanism lifting away the stone giving him access to the underground chambers.
The lights pop on as he walks down a long corridor passing several identical stone doors with the Kuchiki symbol glowing in the center.
"Unlock." Byakuya says calmly reaching the door at the end of the hall. The seal on the door flashes then the door clicks open. Byakuya steps inside the Kuchiki private vault setting Ichigo down on a large bed. Dropping the packs on a carpet in the center of the room he walks to the back of the vault and enters the utility room. He turns on the water and gas before returning to the main area.
"Wow, I'm in a totally different place." Ichigo stretches her back looking at the room in shock. "It's like a cabin without windows. Where are we?"
"Inside a cave is all I can tell you." Byakuya walks into the small kitchen area and turns on the water.
"Alright, your a man of many secrets. I get it." She digs through her bag pulling out an empty water bottle anxious to fill it from the tap. "What's for dinner?"
"Tonight we can eat the lunches that Renji packed for us. Tomorrow we will have to find other ways of feeding ourselves." Byakuya pulls open a small black box handing it to Ichigo.
"Food!" She smiles opening the box to find small sandwiches and various other things to eat. "Hey Byakuya..." She lifts the box up showing him the contents. "None of the food is touching." She grins pointing a chopstick at the neat compartments. "Yum?" She stuffs her mouth with a bite trying not to laugh at his serious expression. "It's so good!"
"You are making fun of me?" He watches her hair rarely left down move around her shoulders in a messy natural wave as she prattles on about pointless things.
"Um, well. Yeah I guess, but that's what friends do." She fills up her water bottle before taking a drink of it. "I remember when I went through this growth spurt last year. Rukia kept making fun of my-" She stops as his eyes glance down to her breasts. "Maybe I shouldn't talk about-"
"Do you remember what I told in my office?" He lifts a strand of hair from her shoulder bringing it up to his nose to smell.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I didn't take it seriously." She waves her hands in front of her face taking a step back. "I'm gonna marry prince Neji after all."
"You should. I am very serious about it. In fact, coming here gives me thirty days to change your mind doesn't it?" He steps closer to her breathing in her sweet smell mixed with sunshine.
"I-I don't think..." Ichigo moves back bumping into the sink. "you would do that. You have always disliked me being around. And I am engaged after all."
He stops for a moment considering her statement before shrugging his shoulders. "There are three stages of engagement for high ranking females. The first..." He raises his finger up in the air drawing her attention away from his body coming closer. "Written request- You haven't denied my offer or accepted his in writing." His left arm comes around her back as he leans his face near hers.
"B-But I told him yes already."
"Verbal agreements aren't legally binding." Byakuya moves his left hand to her chin rubbing his thumb across her soft trembling lips. His fingertip collects the sticky rice clinging to her mouth. "I told you, I will have you." He licks the rice off his finger before walking into the next room.
"HE LICKED IT!" Ichigo's mouth drops open as the heat from his body moves away. "How can he act like such a different person! I'm tough! You will see! I don't care how good looking you are!"
"By the way, Ichigo..." Byakuya turns around watching her struggling to give him a brave face. "Do I really want to keep her to torture for myself?"
"What?!" She curls her upper lip at him folding her arms in front of her chest. "Why does my heart get all crazy fast when he touches me?"
"There's only one bed in this cabin." He points to the large bed in the corner of the room giving her a small smile.
"I think I've come to a bad place..."
~/~
"It's time."
"Do you have their location?"
"Of course, Let's give Ichigo Kurosaki a little visit."
Hey all! Yup it's chapter 10 already. I couldn't sleep and though meh, might as well get it done. I hope you like it and can see where it's starting to go. I'll work on Chapter 11; Something lost-Something found. As soon as I get my average 12 reviews LOL. Some of the questions you have will be answered in the next chapter!