14.

Orihime traced the scars all over her body. Her fingers touched some old scar on her hip and she grimmaced. It had been more than twenty five years ago since her parents hurt her, they kept abusing her as a kid, leaving so many scars on her pale skin. Even after so many years, the scars still hadn't disappeared. Maybe it would never disappear forever. She sighed as she dried her body with the towel. She wondered if he felt disgusted by her scars. Last night when they finally had sex again after few months, shenwondered if he saw the scars on her body.

What did he think about it?

Orihime wondered if he was comparing her with his exes. Maybe he wanted to have sex with her just because he hadn't had any with other girl, once he tasted other girls, he would realize that she was not good enough for him. She was so worried that one day he would dump her just like her ex fiance. No, that day would definitely come, after all, they were not really married. What they had together right now was not real. This was just temporary, she shouldn't use her feeling too much. She would enjoy this while she can because she knew she couldn't have him forever.

She looked at her self in the bathroom's mirror and frown. Her stomach wasn't that big now but soon she would turn into a whale and at that time, would he still want to touch her? After what she saw in the party last night, she realized that there were so many beautiful women around Ichigo, who would be more than happy to sleep with him. Those young and pretty girls who was not so plain and boring like her. Maybe, some of them understand soccer and would have a good conversation with him.

Now that she thought about it, they almost never had a real conversation ever since they got married. No, they never had a proper conversation at all.

Orihime closed her eyes and touched her stomach gently. What would happen to them in the future? Everything had been more complicated than what she had intended to be. When she first slept with him, she hadn't expected that she would feel this way.

When she walked out of the bathroom, with a towel around her body, Ichigo was talking to someone on phone. He was sitting in the bed, wearing nothing but his boxer. When their eyes met, Orihime tried so hard not to blush. He shouldn't know that seeing him half naked like right now made her feel weird. Oh God, did he know that for him to wear so little clothes like that was a crime?

She took her clothes from the floor and was ready to go back to the shower to get dressed but Ichigo caught her wrist. She tried to pulled away but he looked at her with a look which telling her to do it there, right in front of him.

She bit her lip and shook her head.

No.

She doesn't want to show her body to him. Not now.

Orihime must have made some kind of face because Ichigo finally let go of her hand. She used the chance to grab her clothes and disappeared back into the bathroom. Ignoring the fact that Ichigo's brown eyes were following her with a look she couldn't describe.

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"What do you mean it is a good chance?"

Ichigo growled. His eyes were still on the closed door of the bathroom. If only he wasn't in a shitty conversation with his so called best friend right now, he would not let her go. For God sake, she should just get dressed here, in front of him. After all, he was her husband wasn't he? Besides it wasn't like he hadn't seen her body before.

"Well," Ichigo knew that his red headed friend wasn't serious when he said it, but still he wish that Renji could stop joking like that, "Soifon maybe not as attractive as your sexy little wife but still, she is practically the heiress now that Yoruichi had admitted that she couldn't have a baby. All you have to do is, well, her. Make her pregnant and voila, you will have enough money for the whole life. You don't even have to play soccer anymore."

"Renji..." Ichigo gritted his teeth, he could hear Renji was laughing, "this is not funny, dumbass. I am married and I would have a baby. I can't marry her!"

"Hey she is still 21, don't you like younger girls?" he was obviously teasing him because Renji knew since beginning that the Berry was not interested with the black haired heiress. Renji knew that Ichigo, in fact, didn't have any plan to divorce Orihime just yet, but it was so hard not to tease the guy, "you really like Kisuke, aren't you? This way you can be family with him."

That wasn't even funny, in fact it pissed him off how Renji could joke about it. He could make a joke out of it because he was not the one in Ichigo's position. No matter how great Renji's relationship with both Urahara and Yoruichi, somehow they had never considered him for Soifon.

"Why me," grunted Ichigo immaturely, "why not you!"

He could hear Renji snort, "I have Rukia, stupid."

"But I am married!" Ichigo said, "and soon I will have a baby!"

"Poor you," Ichigo almost could hear sympathy in his voic2, if only he didn't know so well that Renji was relieved it wasn't him, "Talk about your wife, how is she? Last night I was surprised, how could you let Grimmjow made a move on her."

Ichigo frowned at the thought of what had happened last night. If only he knew that Grimmjow would make a move on Orihime, he would never let her stay away from his side. He knew that Grimmjow would have come to the party but he had never though that he would make a move on his wife. The nerves!

He was relieved because that bastard hadn't done anything to Orihime and, though he hated to admit it, he was kinda relieved that he was there to help her when she fainted, but still it didn't change the fact that he hated to see how he could touch her casually.

"So," Renji asked again, as if he could read what had been in his mind, "Are you jealous?"

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in the king sized was the same question he had been asking to himself ever since last night, when he sat there, holding her hand, waiting for her to regain her consciousness. He had been wondering if the weird feeling in his stomach was something called jealousy. Even that night when they made love, thinking about the men she had before him made him more aggressive. Now that he thought about it, he wished he hadn't hurt her.

"Don't be stupid," Ichigo hissed, he glared at the bathroom's door. He wanted to deny it but he was afraid Orihime could hear it and misunderstand, "she is my wife! It is just right for me to worry about her."

Yes, in fact, he was so worried about her, that was why he left her alone last night, because he didn't want her to hear about stuff she shouldn't know. He knew those people would talk about his exes nonstop if he saw her standing next to him, comparing her to his other super model exes. But if only he knew that leaving her alone would leave a chance for that bastard Grimmjow to make a move on her, he would never let her left his side even for one single step.

"So, tell me, would you and Rukia join the lunch with Kisuke and Yoruichi? That way at least it would be less awkward, the midget could talk with Orihime and maybe distract her so she wouldn't notice Yoruichi's plan." Ichigo sighed, "I dont want to beg but please? You know that sometime that couple could be really scary... I couldn't say no when he invited us for a lunch."

"But Ichigo, we are not invited," Renji said matter of factly, "How could we just come uninvited like that?"

"Rukia should be able to do something about it. She is close to Yoruichi and Kisuke, oh c'mon..." Ichigo scowled, "it is just a lunch."

This time it is Renhj's turn to sigh, "Ok fine. Let me tell Rukia first. If she said no..."

"Just tell her this is one little way to atone her fault to get me into this mess," Ichigo hissed under his breathe when he saw the bathroom's door opened slowly, "I gotta hang up now, just call me later after you talk to Rukia."

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Orihime had been acting strange lately. Ever since that night when they finally made love again, Ichigo felt as if she had been trying to avoid him. It shouldn't matter for him, but weirdly, he couldn't get it out of his mind. He had a feeling that she had been hiding something from him. This woman, ever since they met for the first time, had been hiding too many things. She had thought that he was stupid and wanted to get pregnant with his baby with no intention to tell him about it. Now that she knew he was not stupid, did it make her regret her choice?

But when they made love last time she was sure as passionate as he was. This time he made sure he made her came few times. He was being extra careful not to hurt her too... So why?

Even during dinner with his family, Orihime behave weirdly when her hand accidentally touched his when they reached for the soy sauce at the same time. She spilt the sauce and quickly muttered an apology without looking at him. It was kind of awkward and he hated it.

What more, his father seemed to realize the awkwardness between his only son and daughter in law. The women were in the kitchen baking some cake when Isshin sat down next to Ichigo who was watching the television boredly.

"What's happened between you and your wife?"

There was a playful smile on his lips but Ichigo knew that his father was serious asking about it. Ichigo tsk-ed because he didn't really knownwhat to answer. He didn't even know the answer. What had happened between them? Aside from her fail attempt to be a single mother of his kid. What had happened?

Ichigo snorted, tried not to raise his voice so the ladies in the kitchen wouldn't hear him, "I also want to know about it."

Isshin laughed, "having your first fight as husband and wife?"

"I don't know if I would call it a fight," Ichigo sighed, "You're lucky, Old Man, Mommy is not a hard head like my wife."

This made Isshin laughed louder, making Karin shouted from the kitchen telling him not to be too loud, he lower his voice, humor still on his voice, "Oh son, you know nothing about your mom... If she were not hard headed, I wouldn't marry her and you wouldn't be here."

Ichigo frowned, he shifted a little in his seat, "what do you mean?"

"Three times," he grinned, "she asked me to marry her three times before I finally give up. The third time she proposed me, she had you in her tummy and I had a ring in a box in my pocket. It was just about timing. I would have been the one to propose her if only she didn't ask first."

Ichigo had never heard this before. His cheeks were a bit red after his father finished the story, it was always embarrassing to hear your parent's love story. Ichigo had never knew that it was her mom who made the first move on his father.

"Why would Mom want to marry someone like you if it wasn't you who pursue her?" asked Ichigo, he pretended that he wasn't interested with the story, he nowmally wouldn't but somehow right now he wanted to hear more about it.

Isshin grinned, "why would Orihime want you?"

Ichigo looked away to hide his bright red face. Isshin laughed again. Not too loud or Karin would scold him again. Ichigo might not realize it or maybe he tried to deny it but his father could see how his son had been attached to the woman he got married to recently.

"Don't you think your wife looks a bit like my wife?" isshin wiggled his thick brows, annoyed the hell out of his son, "it is something in our blood son, we both attract awesome women to us."

The orange haired younger man snort. Yeah, sure, his wife was attracted to him because he thought he was stupid, and God knows if only his mother thought same about his father.

"I don' want to tell you this because I know you knew it already, but..." Isshin patted his shoulder and gave him a loopsided manly smirk, "never let her go. I know maybe it would be hard sometime, you guys would fight and argue, but believe me, Son, if you let her go, you would never find anyone like her. Treasure her."

Ichigo scowled, "shut up, Old Man! I know already!"

Yeah he knew already. That was why he would do something about Yoruichi's plan.

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"Are you warm enough?" Ichigo looked at her with a questioning look, he had just made her wear another layer of clothe before they left the house, "where is the muffler? You should wear one!"

Orihime rolled her eyes and pouted, she was warm enough thanks to her husband but he wouldn't stop to worry about her. They were about to go out shopping to the mall for some winter clothes for her but it has been fifteen minutes and they had not stepped a single step out of his parent's house thanks to Ichigo and his overprotective nature.

"I am warm enough, Ku-, ehm, Ichigo-kun..." protested Orihime when he put his muffler on him, "I couldn't breathe if you added more."

Ichigo sighed, "the weather has been colder lately, it is almost October!"

As they walked to where the car was parked, Orihime imitated his frown, "That's why I said I can go alone. You don't have to go with me, I can take Yuzu or Karin with me."

He snickered as he opened the car door for her, "yeah sure. And what if something happened to you?"

"Something like what?" Orihime asked sarcastically, "I drink my vitamin and suplement diligently, you don't need to worry about me."

"Oh yeah, you've fainted twice before, do you forget?" he added with a gruff tone, "besides, it is a man job to worry about his woman."

Orihime blushed, "I am not your woman."

Ichigo didn't look at her, "you are my wife."

"But still, I am not your woman."

Ichigo didn't say anhthing after that. He didn't want to argue with her. Not right now. After they made love that night he had never touched her anymore. It wasn't like he didn't want to but because she looked as if she would cry if he touched her longer than few seconds. He hadn't even kissed her. She still talked to him but he had a feeling that she had something from him and it didnt feel good. He wanted to know more about her. That wasn't fair, he had introduced her to his family, she had met his friends, but he knew so little about her. He didn't know much about her past except for few things about her parents and her late brother. He wonder if she would ever tell him more about her self if he didn't ask.

About the lunch they would have with Yoruichi and Kisuke, Orihime didn't say anything. She just nodded when he told her the plan. It seemed like something occupied her mind but she would never tell him about him and somehow it started to frustrate him. He never realized it before but he wanted to know more about her.

When they arrived at the mall and she started choosing for her clothes, he didn't sit down and wait. He would help her to choose, to make sure the clothes she chose was warm enough for her. Orihime didn't really seem to like him following her around when she chose her clothes but she said nothing.

"This one is good," Ichigo took a coat and showed it to Orihime. She looked at the coat and checked on the pricetag before shaking her head, no she didn't want it. He frowned, "why?"

Orihime checked on another clothes, "too many zeros on the pricetag."

Ichigo checked on the price tag to see how much it actually costed. He didn't even check on the price when he chose it. Well it was quite expensive, Ichigo was not really into expensive clothing. He didn't care whether it was expensive or not, as long as he liked it, he would buy it. But the women he had been dating before were all the same type. They all loved branded clothing and expensive stuff. He didn't mind though. He could pay for those clothes so it didn't matter even if they chose the expensive ones. But it seemed like his wife was different, she checked on the tag carefully before she put back the clothes.

"I have money, you know."

"Yep, of course you are."

"Then? Why?"

Orihime looked at him, "we will have a baby together, don't you think it is better if we don't spend too much during this period? Baby's stuff could be expensive you know..."

Ichigo couldn't help but to smile. He knew that Orihime was not poor. He had done a little background check on her and he knew she had lots of saving in the bank, in fact she was quite wealthy herself but still she worried about stuff like that for their baby. He wanted to remind her that they had the money so she shouldn't worry about it but then he realized that she was right.

"Fine," he shrugged, "just make sure you chose a warm one."

Orihime smiled, "of course."

Ichigo watched Orihime chose a simple coat. She checked on the pruce tag and smiled. It seemed like the price was reasonable enough for her. She turned around to look for a shopkeeper when she bumped into a tall figure. It happened so fast that Ichigo couldn't do anything about it.

"Ouch!"

Orihime landed butt first on the floor, Ichigo was on her side in a second. Checking if she was okay with a worried look on his face, "Are you Ok?!"

"Yea, ouch my butt..."

"You should be careful!" Ichigo groaned, then he looked up and scowl at the man who bumped into her, "You too, Sir, you..." Ichigo stopped when he saw his expression when he looked at Orihime. Suddenly he had a very bad feeling about it.

"Ori...Hime..."

Orihime stopped.

She knew this voice.

Slowly she looked up only to meet a pair of brown eyes hidden behind thick glasses.

"Sousuke-san..."

Little did Orihime knew when she left his parents' house this morning that she would bumped into her past lover during shopping with his husband. Suddenly she remembered about the dream she had recently and a weird feeling filled her stomach.

"You are nothing but a pretty face..."

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To Be Continued...

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NOTE:

Sorry I make you wait so long... I kinda busy and well... No excuse. By the way I am drawing IchiHime fanart too you can find in my deviantart or tumblr, .com or .com