Author's note: Holy crow! I'm so sorry for taking forever to update! Things have been really hectic lately with school projects/papers being due and work being crazy with the holidays quickly approaching. Sadly, because of the holidays, updates may be few and far between, but I'll do my best to update as often as possible! Unfortunately there will be no limes in this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!

Important note: I am currently searching for a beta! You must be good at English, grammar, punctuation, etc. as well as being honest and giving constructive criticism without totally crushing my spirit. If you are interested in becoming my beta please contact me via private message! :D
-- Position has been filled!

Reviews: A super duper special thank you to copperheadfightningninja, Madhvija, Runedf, inwayovermyhead, HolySilverDrake, Brenediction, noi-chi, Aaron Leach, insomniacxapocalypse, Thail, TheKumoMan and ViviBell for reviewing! It's crazy that there's already over a hundred reviews! Thank you!

Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, designs, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. I'm only allowed to fantasize about them.

The rain had finally stopped, but a misty haze clung to Karakura Town, blanketing a small figure in small droplets of water. She took a deep breath of the air and was delighted by the freshness and cleanliness of it, all thanks to the heavy storm earlier that afternoon. Steam wafted from the cup she held delicately in her pale hands, the heat warming her from the chilly air outside. In the distance, she could hear birds chirping as they playfully flew from branch to branch in search for shelter. Nightfall was fast approaching, orange rays peeking through the dark clouds that continued to hover over the town. Raising the cup to her lips, she sipped the hot liquid and felt it run smoothly down her throat. A small smile graced her lips as she gazed at the sky, drinking in the rare peace and serenity of the town.

She jumped when a door opened behind her, her tea sloshing over the side of the cup and onto the ground when the wood collided with the frame noisily, destroying the peaceful setting she had been enjoying so much. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the intruder, her grip on the cup in her hands tightening for a fraction of a second before she closed her eyes in an attempt to control her temper.

"What do you want?" she asked coolly as the figure loomed over her.

"I want to know what the hell you're doing out here in this damn rain!" he exclaimed angrily before his voice softened. "You might catch a cold."

"Nonsense." She slowly turned her head, allowing her indigo eyes to lock onto a pair of deep brown ones. "Anyway, why should you care if I get sick?"

"Because I'll be blamed for letting you sit out here when it's still raining!" He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know how Byakuya-taichou is."

"I know exactly how Nii-sama is Renji. Now tell me what you want."

Renji scratched the back of his neck as his gaze wandered around the small enclosed yard. "I…was going to see if you wanted some company."

Rukia narrowed her eyes before letting out a small sigh. She returned her attention to the sky and sipped her tea. Renji nervously awaited her answer, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he stared at her small form.

"I suppose that would be alright."

Grinning, Renji quickly took his seat beside the small girl and placed his hands on his knees. "So, what exactly are you waiting for?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and saw a small, devious smile emerge from her calm face. Suddenly, he felt a surge of reiatsu being released from the direction of Orihime's apartment and his attention quickly turned in that direction. His eyes widened slightly at the sheer mass of reiatsu bearing down on him and he clutched his chest, gasping for air. It ended just as quickly as it had began, leaving him confused and somewhat wary of what had just happened. He stared wide-eyed at Rukia, his breathing somewhat labored.

"Wh-what the hell was that?!"

Rukia calmly sipped her tea, the smile still lingering on her face. She glanced at his bewildered expression out of the corner of her eyes. "Ichigo."

"That…was Ichigo? What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Remember the conversation we had yesterday?" Renji nodded stiffly as he stared intently at her calm expression. "Unfortunately that was only a small portion of the reiatsu that has been building up within him."

"Th-that's insane! I knew the kid's reiatsu was monstrous, but I didn't know it was this bad!"

"I didn't think anyone knew that it was going to be this bad, Renji," said Rukia quietly. "The most we can do is help him however we can…like we did today."

"But you're saying that that huge amount of reiatsu was just a small portion!"

She set her cup down beside her and placed her hands in her lap. Her gaze traveled up to the heavens, a sparkle of hope shining in her eyes.

"But it's a start."

Something shifted beside him, waking him from his slumber. He cracked one eye open and glared at the wall opposite him. A tiny sigh caught his attention and he slowly drew his gaze up, only to find a wall of copper locks shielding Orihime's face. Propping himself up on his elbow, he gingerly brushed the hair away from her sleeping face and smiled. A light pink still tinted her cheeks and her lips seemed fuller than normal. Her brow furrowed slightly when he ran his thumb over her lower lip and she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing the grey orbs beneath and she gazed at him dreamily, a small smile curving her lips up.

"Hey…" she murmured sleepily.

"Hey." He smiled and kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling against the curve of her neck. Inhaling deeply, he basked in the sweet smell emanating from her.

Orihime ran her hand through his hair, playfully tugging on a few strands. Her gaze drifted to the clock sitting on the small table beside her brother's shrine and her eyes widened. "I-Ichigo-kun?"

"Mmm?"

"I-it's getting late. Won't your family be worried that you aren't home?" she asked quietly.

Raising his head, he peered into her grey eyes and noted the worry hiding in their depths. Cupping her face gently, he brushed his lips against hers before resting his head against her chest. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of her heartbeat; he felt completely relaxed, something he rarely experienced since becoming a shinigami.

"I don't think my dad will be worried if I stay here a little bit longer…" he mumbled. He absently reached for a lock of her hair that had fallen onto her chest and twirled the silky strands over his fingers. He smirked up at her, his cheeks flushing. "Besides, I don't think my clothes are dry yet," he teased.

Blushing, Orihime began chewing on her lower lip and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her heart was beginning to speed up and the feel of his hot breath on her exposed skin was causing her mind to slowly become hazy. Shaking her head, she returned her gaze to him and smiled warmly.

"Ah…I guess you're right…" She frowned in thought before smiling at him. "You can stay as long as you call Kurosaki-san to let him know where you are." She laughed quietly at his horrified expression.

"Hime," he moaned as he stared at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious." Her laughter quieted and she stared at him with a stern expression.

"I would hate to think of your family being worried about you being abducted by aliens!"

Ichigo chuckled; she looked adorable with her cheeks puffed out slightly as she chided him. Kissing the tip of her nose, he relinquished his grasp around her waist and sat up. Orihime blushed as she watched him stretch, the muscles on his back shifting with each movement. Just as he was about to push himself away from the futon, he was stopped when a pair of arms snaked their way around his torso. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Orihime's small figure pressed against his back, her flushed cheek resting against his shoulder blade.

"Hime…" She tightened her grip around his torso when he tried to move and he gently rested one of his hands over hers.

"I…I changed my mind. You don't need to call Kurosaki-san," she mumbled against his skin.

Ichigo frowned in confusion; peeling her hands away from his chest, he turned around to peer into her eyes. He was shocked to find that they were brimming with unshed tears. His eyes softened as he gently ran his thumb underneath her eye, brushing away a tear that managed to escape.

"Wh-why are you crying? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" His panic subsided slightly when she laughed weakly and brushed away the tears falling down her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Ah… I'm sorry, Ichigo-kun. I don't know why I'm crying." She smiled, tears still clinging to her eyelashes.

He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear before cupping her face. Her eyes widened slightly when he slipped his fingers under her chin to lift her face. Her breath hitched when he gently pressed his lips against hers and her cheeks heated. Pulling away, he smiled sheepishly, a blush of his own creeping across his cheeks.

"If you didn't want me to leave, you could have just said so," he said gently as he ran a hand over her hair, smoothing the stray hairs.

"B-but…I couldn't… Your family would be worried…" She dropped her gaze and bit her lower lip. She jumped when Ichigo suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. Her mind derailed when his breath brushed against her ear and his fingertips lazily ran over her back.

"Hime, if you want me to stay all you have to do is ask. Don't worry about what my family will say when I go home…I'll deal with it when I get there," he murmured as he pressed his lips against the side of her neck. "Besides…I'd rather stay here with you than go home to that crazy old man called my father."

"I-Ichigo-kun…" She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"I wonder where Onii-chan is…" murmured Yuzu as she rested her chin on her small hand, her eyes trained on the hallway. Her fingers absently drummed on the tabletop, indicating both her worry and impatience. Karin was sitting across the table from her and looked up from her book, a bored look on her face.

"He'll be home eventually, Yuzu. He's been gone longer than this before," said Karin calmly. Yuzu's fingers stopped their rhythmic movement and her eyes darted to her sister.

"But Karin-chan… Dinner is almost done and he still isn't home!" She pouted, causing Karin to roll her eyes.

Shutting her book, Karin shook her head at how much her sister worried over their older brother. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

"Yuzu, you need to get used to the idea of Ichi-nii leaving. He's not going to hang around here forever." She raised a hand to silence her sister, who had opened her mouth to protest. "You need to stop worrying about him so much. He's a big boy and can take care of himself."

"Karin-chan, you're not worried about him?" asked Yuzu quietly, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I never said I wasn't worried about him." Karin closed her eyes and sighed before looking out the window. "I'll always worry about him because he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But…I know that he can take care of himself."

Her attention was drawn to the sound of the front door opening. Pushing her chair back, she rose to her feet and quietly walked down the hallway. Leaning against a wall, she crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Ichigo slip his shoes off, his school bag in one hand.

"Welcome home, Ichi-nii."

Ichigo looked up from his task and regarded his sister in silence for a moment before cracking a small smile. Straightening up, he slung his bag over his shoulder he walked past her, ruffling her hair as he went.

"Where's the crazy old man?" he asked, his eyes quickly scanning the living room for any signs of an ambush.

"He's still at the clinic, but he should be leaving any minute now."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he ran a hand through his hair. "I think I'm going to go take –"

He froze when a door slammed and the sound of feet hitting the hardwood floor traveled down the hallway. Dropping his bag to the ground, he took a defensive position as his father barreled down the hallway towards him, a determined glint in his eyes. Karin managed to side-step the collision at the last second; she watched in amusement as Ichigo dodged a right hook from Isshin and planted his elbow in the older man's stomach at the same time.

Isshin stumbled backwards, clutching his stomach. "Where…have you…been?!" he wheezed.

"Why do you care?" spat Ichigo, his usual scowl firmly in place.

"Your sisters have been worried sick and you come waltzing in like nothing is wrong in the world!" bellowed Isshin as he lunged at Ichigo once again, this time receiving a swift kick to the back of his knees. He was sent sprawling across the hallway floor; Ichigo huffed in irritation before stooping down to pick up his bag.

"I'm going to go take a shower," he muttered as he passed Karin and rounded the corner. His eyes widened as a pair of arms suddenly had him in a head lock; he growled when he heard his father chuckle.

"What's the hurry son? Why not join us for dinner?"

"I just…want to…take a damn…shower," grunted Ichigo as his father's grip around his throat tightened, restricting his airways.

"Ah…" Isshin grinned and released Ichigo, who gasped for air and massaged his throat.

Ichigo looked behind him, expecting to see his father preparing for the next attack. His eyes widened in horror when he saw Isshin plastered against the poster of his mother, tears streaming down his cheeks in typical over-dramatic fashion.

"OH KAA-CHAN! OUR SON IS FINALLY GROWING UP!" he sobbed. "He's finally learning to enjoy the privileges of manhood!"

"What?!" Ichigo's face turned a brilliant red as he threw his school bag at Isshin, hitting him squarely in the forehead. "Th-that's… I didn't do anything like that!" he stammered.

"So why do you want to take a shower as soon as you get home?!" demanded Isshin, jabbing a finger in Ichigo's direction. "That's the only logical explanation for your behavior!"

"I… That's… I got caught in the rain walking Orihime home!" yelled Ichigo, his hands reflexively curling into fists.

"But…I gave you an umbrella this morning, Onii-chan. How did you manage to get caught in the rain?" inquired Yuzu as she came around the corner, her small hands neatly tying a pink apron around her waist.

Ichigo's gaze slowly turned to his younger sister, his eyes betraying the horror he felt at her statement. They stared at each other for a moment before he turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs. Yuzu winced when he slammed his bedroom door.

"Nice going old man," said Karin as she returned to her seat at the dining table.

"I didn't do anything wrong…" muttered Isshin. Rising to his feet, he rubbed the bump forming on his head from where Ichigo's school bag had hit him.

Karin rolled her eyes. "Sure you didn't dad. I'd leave him alone for awhile unless you really want to get your ass beat."

"Karin-chan, don't say that!" chided Yuzu as she began setting the table for dinner. "Daddy, please don't bother Onii-chan anymore tonight."

"Aw, but Yuzu-chan!" whined Isshin as he plopped down into his chair and crossed his arms, his lower lip sticking out in a feeble attempt at pouting. "What's a family meal without harassing Ichigo?"

"A quiet one," muttered Karin before accepting a bowl of rice from her sister. "Ah, thanks Yuzu."

"You two are no fun at all!" Yuzu giggled at Isshin's sulking before passing him a bowl. She glanced up at the stairs and her smile faltered.

Something was bothering Ichigo and she was determined to find out what it was.

Rummaging around in his dresser drawer for clean clothes, Ichigo frowned. Not only did he have to deal with his idiotic father saying embarrassing things, but now he had to be careful to hide any new developments from his sisters. His scowl deepened when he thought about how Yuzu had caught him; of course she had given him an umbrella that morning. There was really no reason for him to have been caught in the rain. Grabbing some clothes at random, he slammed the drawer shut and glowered at the wall, his hands gripping the edge of his dresser tightly. He shouldn't have to worry about his family prying into his personal life. Pushing himself away from the dresser, he flung his door open and stomped down the hallway towards the bathroom, being sure to make as much noise as possible to inform his family of his irritation.

Shutting the bathroom door behind him, he set his clothes on the edge of the sink and turned to face the shower. Turning on the water, he absently listened to the steady drum of the water hitting the surface of the tub as he began undressing. His shirt dropped to the floor when the image of Orihime's grey eyes, sparkling in joy danced before him. A small smile broke through his scowl at the memory of her flushed cheeks and disheveled hair. Shaking his head to clear his mind of the tantalizing image, he resumed the task of removing his clothes before stepping into the stream of scalding water.

A low sigh of contentment escaped his lips as the hot water ran over his body, soothing his tense muscles. He absently kneaded a shoulder as his thoughts wandered over the events of that day. Someone definitely took his umbrella as well as Orihime's…but why? Resting his forehead against the cool tiled wall, he ran a hand through his soaked hair. While he wasn't particularly upset with the events that had transpired that afternoon, he had a feeling that someone was behind it all. Why else would they conveniently lose the one item that would keep them from becoming as intimate as they had? A slight blush crept across his cheeks at the thought and he closed his eyes, trying to push away the mental images that were making it difficult to think.

His scowl deepened when he thought about his father. That idiot seemed to be fixated on his love life and it was going to drive him insane. He rarely had privacy before but now it was ridiculous! He couldn't leave the house without being interrogated by his father about his plans, generally revolving around whether he was going to see Orihime. His hand clenched into a fist when he thought of all the times his father had tried to steal a kiss from Orihime when she visited for dinner or to do homework after school. One of these days, he'd beat some decency into that old man.

With a heavy sigh, he tilted his head back, letting the water run over his face and neck. He knew now that he loved Orihime and would do anything to protect her, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for what they had done that afternoon. A small voice in the back of his mind reasoned that he had given her plenty of opportunities to tell him to stop and it wasn't his fault. Opening his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling and wondered if there would be anyway he could make it up to her. Perhaps he could talk to her at school tomorrow…

An hour and much banging on the door from his father later, Ichigo emerged from the bathroom dressed in a baggy pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He rolled his eyes as Isshin dashed into the room and slammed the door as soon as he had exited and padded down the hallway towards his room. He ran a towel over his damp locks, successfully ruffling his hair in the process. He passed a yawning Yuzu in the hallway and bid her good night. She waves and smiled before stifling another yawn and heading into her room.

The hot water had helped him relax and the silence of the bathroom allowed him time to think without being interrupted. His mouth was set into a grim line as he opened his bedroom door – he'd have to apologize to Orihime and try to make it up to her somehow for his behavior earlier. There was no way around it. Flipping the lights to his room on, he stopped in the doorway and his eyes widened.

Sitting on his bed was a petite figure with raven black hair. She smiled smugly at his shocked expression as she tossed a light blue umbrella into the air and caught it.

"Enjoy your afternoon?"

I'd like to apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I'm hoping to make the next chapter a bit longer than this as well as have a bit more action and sexiness in it. :) Stay tuned for the next installment!

- Nagi