Shadow61953: Thank you for your compliment, I have a challenge with writing close to characterization sometimes so I'm glad to hear you feel it's realistic, even if it's frustrating, lol. Hopefully this chapter will be satisfactory.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Chapter 11 – The Hollow's out of the Bag

When Tatsuki, Orihime, Chad and Ishida had finished at the arcade the Quincy made his to Ichigo's room. He'd told everyone to go ahead to the restaurant downstairs and meet up with Dom while he collected his cousin.

He entered the room to find the substitute-shinigami on the couch, scowling at the TV but it was evident he wasn't paying any attention to the show. His eyes flicked to Uryu briefly before returning to the screen.

Ishida strode over, clicked off the television and stood in front of Ichigo with his arms crossed.

"Now then," he said ignoring the eyes boring through him, "what the hell is going on with you and Inoue-san? I thought things had improved after the movie today but clearly that is not the case."

"It's none of your business Ishida, just leave it alone," growled out the orange hair.

Ishida walked forward, grabbed him by the collar hauling him off the couch and slammed him against the wall.

"What the fu…" Ichigo began but Uryu cut him off, "Kurosaki, I am tired of your childish tendencies to not deal with your feelings. I don't care how badass you think you are. You are not immune to the more tender emotions. Clearly, the relationship between Inoue-san and Langer-kun bothers you. Why will you not tell her how you feel?"

Ichigo shoved him away roughly just barely keeping himself from decking him in the face but it would do no good to trash what appeared to be a very expensive hotel suite.

He really did not want to confirm what he knew Ishida had deduced himself but saw no way out of it.

"Why the hell would I now that she has a boyfriend? I'm not going to be "that guy" Ishida," he yelled.

Uryu shook his head before continuing, "You're an idiot you know that, right?"

Ichigo huffed but said as he opened the door, "Yeah, I know," then walked out.

How Ichigo made it through dinner with Dominic present was a miracle. He was still seething from his confrontation with Ishida and boiling like a pressure cooker from having overheard about Orihime's supposed feelings for him.

He knew he'd really lose control if they actually made it to the club and he'd have to watch Inoue dance with her boyfriend so once they were in the lobby of their hotel and before he could talk himself out of it he'd grabbed her elbow whispering hoarsely, "I need to talk to you, now."

Dominic made a move as if to stop them but Orihime put her hand up, "No Dom, it's ok. We'll be back in a few minutes, just wait here," she said and her eyes implored him to not try anything. She knew he had no idea how strong Ichigo really was and she didn't want him to get hurt nor cause a scene.

He relented begrudgingly asking the others, "What is that all about?" as they all watched the two orange hairs headed to the elevators.

"I'm not sure," Tatsuki said but she had suspicions she was not going to voice.

Ichigo had all but drug Orihime to and into the elevator. He hit the button of his floor and they started up.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she inquired but before she could continue he said roughly, "Not here."

She shut her mouth, looking at the ground, nervous and just a little bit frightened.

The elevator ride felt like it drug on forever but thankfully no one else got on so it continued straight to the 14th floor. After the doors opened Ichigo strode forward but had relinquished his hold on her. She followed him and entered his room after he opened the door for her, him following on her heels. Once the door had shut he turned around but suddenly realized what opening his mouth would do.

So he said the first thing that came to his mind, mostly because it was the truth, "I don't like Dominic."

She stood looking at him in shock and then crossed her arms, "You brought me all the way up here to tell me that?"

"Would you have preferred I did there?" he bit back. He knew he was letting his emotions get the better of him but he couldn't stop.

"No," she replied slowly, "but I do think you could have made less of a scene or waited until the end of the evening. And why?"

"Why what?"

She sighed, "Why don't you like him? You've barely talked to him or seen him today so how could you form an opinion so quickly?"

He scowled and crossed his arms, "I don't like him touching you. I hate that he kisses you."

She blushed but made herself speak, "What do you expect? He's my boyfriend, Kurosaki-kun! He shows affection! Look, this…this…big brother, over protective behavior is too much! You don't have to like him but you don't have to be so rude!"

Ichigo scoffed, "You think I don't like him for the reasons I gave because I think of you as my sister? That it's only because I want to protect you?!"

She faltered slight before continuing, "What other reason could there possibly be?"

He ignored her question and asked the one most prevalent on his mind, despite its potential for further irreparable damages, "Inoue, why didn't you tell me you had feelings for me?"

"Wha? How?" she stammered but he cut off her unfinished question, "I overheard you talking with Tatsuki today. Now, why didn't you tell me?"

Surprisingly her eyes hardened a bit and he wasn't sure if it was because he'd admitted to listening in on her conversation or because she was remembering the reason she hadn't told him about her feelings.

"Why would I when you didn't even want to go on one date with me?" she asked coolly.

For a moment Ichigo actually didn't understand what she meant but then comprehension hit him like a ton of bricks, "You heard that? At Keigo's house? You heard all that?"

She nodded, "Yes and you made it pretty clear how abhorrent it would be to you to ask me on one date so why on earth would I tell you I have…had feelings for you after that?"

"Is that what I said? Did I use those words? All I said was no but you don't know the context of why, you just jumped to a conclusion Inoue! Plus it sounds like you've felt like this for a while, why didn't you tell me before all that happened?" Ichigo said firmly.

"Why do you even care? Why are you asking me about this now of all times?" she asked and he was surprised at the fierceness of her tone.

He narrowed his eyes, "Why? Because I care about you damn it!"

"Since when? Oh, I know you've protected me over and over and I appreciate it, I really do but since when do you care about me as a person? As more than an obligation to save? Honestly, how could you not see how much I cared about you when we were in Karakura?"

Ichigo's eyes were almost flashing, "How the hell could I know Inoue, if you didn't tell me? Was I supposed to read your mind? Ask yourself this: you treat everyone with kindness and respect, even our enemies so how was I supposed to know I was any different from any of them?"

She opened her mouth but no words came as Orihime realized he was right. Her looks of affection, her pining, everything had been done out of his sight. Sure, others had seen them but they were looking at her. If he looked at her, she hid; she hid her feelings because she was so scared to tell him the truth.

He continued, "And what do you mean care about you as a person? Of course I do! Why the hell else would I have done everything I did for you?"

"Because that's what you do, you're a hero," she stated back, ignoring his eye roll at her calling him a hero, "you would have done it for anyone."

"No, I wouldn't have for just anyone," he said firmly.

"Then I'll ask you the same thing you asked me. If your actions were ones believed to be performed for any and all wronged persons, how could I possibly know I was any different in your eyes if you didn't tell me? Honestly, I thought you were keeping in contact with me so much the past few months out of guilt because you didn't say goodbye so I tried to back off so I wouldn't get hurt again!"

Ichigo ran hands through his hair in frustration, "I couldn't tell you Inoue, I just…I can't…"

Ichigo's head felt like it was going to split open. His hollow was exploiting his lack of focus to try to force his way out. He closed his eyes in concentration to push him back.

Orihime felt she needed to get out of there, she'd begun to hope something she had been steadfastly trying to push out of her heart but this stupid argument with Ichigo was drumming everything all up again.

While he was distracted she made her way past him to the door. She'd opened it but he slammed it shut and pulled her away.

"Kurosaki-kun, let me out of here right now," she shouted but he ignored her and bolted the door.

"We're not done yet," he said quietly and his voice startled her. It didn't sound like him.

When he'd turned around to face her she gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth. Gold irises surrounded by black sclera bore into her grey eyes which had begun to fill with tears.

"Why is he here?" she thought, heart filled with terror at being alone with Ichigo's hollow.

"Hi Queen, long time no see," he rasped out as he stalked forward. Orihime felt very much like prey with a predator closing in on her.

She was so terrified she couldn't even scream. The last time he'd come out Uryu had almost died.

Ichigo's body stopped moving and he regarded her with an almost neutral expression on his face.

"Relax Queen, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you since King is too stupid, stubborn or both to tell you the truth," he said almost gently and she blinked in confusion.

He sighed in frustration and took another step forward but this time, amazingly, Orihime did not retreat. She'd locked eyes with him and hadn't looked away, initially too terrified to, but now, as he'd spoken she saw the sincerity in them. That, or he was a very, very good liar and that thought had her rethinking the decision to stand still.

When he'd almost reached her she called forth her fairies, being able to call them with just her thoughts now, and encased him in her shield dome.

He smirked and said, "And here I thought we were making such great progress. What's with the cage queeny?"

Orihime swallowed once, trying to get her voice to work as she still stared into those golden eyes, "I…I don't trust you quite yet so, if you want to talk, you can talk from in there."

He chuckled and tapped against the shield. Cocking his head slightly he pulled back and flung his fist into it, shattering it easily. She squeaked in surprise and jumped back. Just when she was ready to call Tsubaki out she noticed he hadn't moved towards her.

He snickered a bit, "See Queen? I'm not going to hurt you but I spend enough time locked up and I'm not going to waste one moment in confinement. Now, are you ready to listen to me?"

She nodded, no longer able to find the strength to speak. Regrettably she noticed her continued retreats had caused her to end up being backed against the wall. Before he could continue, however, he grabbed his head violently and fell to the ground on his knees.

"Argh! KING! Will you chill out and just listen?!"

Orihime watched helplessly as the two of them struggled for dominance but then made a decision. She stepped forward and placed her hands on Ichigo's shoulders. The golden eyes shot up to her face and she spoke to the man inside, "Kurosaki-kun, I want the truth. You decide if it's going to come from you or him but I want to hear it."

There was a pause and then his body collapsed. Orihime just barely held herself up from toppling on top of him and laid him prone on the ground. She could see his face twitching at they fought again.

IN ICHIGO'S INNER WORLD

"You bastard, I told you to stay away from her," Ichigo shouted and slammed Zangetsu against his hollow's copy of the same sword.

"King, for just once, listen to me! I didn't hurt her did I? I didn't violate her, I didn't even touch her, she touched me!"

Ichigo thought it over, knowing he was right but he didn't trust him, he couldn't, not with something this important.

"King, think about it. If I didn't hurt her when I was in full and utter control of your body what makes you think I would start now? Where do you think my "feelings" for her come from? I'm a hollow, I don't feel on my own. I don't even understand this all myself but all I know is I want to protect her and I've never wanted to protect anything in my existence besides my own skin. I want to be near her."

"Yeah just so you can have your way with her! Why after everything you've said about her would you think I'd ever let you near her?!"

The hollow sighed then chuckled, "King, I said those things to rile you up. Sure, I have the hots for her but so do you! Remember, I feel what you feel. I may be partly my own but I exist within you. Really, do you want to keep having this argument with me? You heard her, she wants the truth so go tell it to her before I get back out there and do it for you!"

Ichigo didn't understand his hollow's willingness to stay behind but he took the opening and projected himself back into control of his body.

When he opened his eyes it was to see Inoue leaning over him, a worried expression on her face.

Author's Note: I really had meant to drag out the confrontation about the confession longer but that didn't feel right for the pacing. Plus Ichigo is impulsive and I think he wouldn't sit on what he overheard for long. I would have kept going on this but this chapter has already gotten longer than I anticipated so the second part of this is up next. Mutual confession!