Main POV

After coming down from our collective high, and the awkward, post coital scramble for our clothes before someone caught us mostly naked and sticky, we'd perched next to each other, exchanging the occasional grin while we went back to work like nothing had happened. Well, almost. I flicked through invoices and answered orders, writing notes about them in a book while Ichigo's fingers danced across my thigh. I could see he was taking his math revision seriously but it didn't make him keep his hands to himself any less.

"Still feel guilty about keeping me back here?" Ichigo asked as I scribbled away. I flushed, refusing to make eye contact.

"You're the worst," I hissed.

"Not what I recall you saying some thirty minutes ago," he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, maybe I should remind you."

"No way!" I blushed beet red and scurried away from him. "I went out there earlier, Renji and Rukia definitely heard!"

"And who's fault is that?" He grinned. I scowled.

"Yours." I crossed my arms.

"Oh, 'You're destroying me' Ichigo 'you're fucking me so good'~" he teased. "Is my fault is it?"

"Yes," I replied seriously. "If you sucked a little more then maybe I'd cry out less."

"Oh I can suck a little more," he told me, leaning over predatorily and pouncing. He grabbed my thighs and pulled me towards him and I squealed. He had my thighs over his shoulder as he pinned me to the floor, kissing across my stomach and I giggled at the tickling sensation.

"Stop," I cried out through laughs.

"I'm a little glad I stayed back with you actually," he told me. "It gives us the opportunity to hang out, just us for a little while more. I can guarantee we're not going to get any time together in the seireitei."

"No probably not," I sighed. "Especially if you're going to be on high alert from random Kenpachi attacks."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, dropping his head down to rest on my belly.

"Well, well.."

I looked up then to see Ikkaku leaning down feral grin on his face, Yumichika looking just as smug. Ichigo untangled himself from my legs then with a sigh, pushing himself up off the floor and then offering me a hand up.

"What have you two been up to?" Ikkaku grinned.

"I think it's pretty clear what they've been doing, Ikkaku," Yumichika replied and I held my face firm, hoping if I refused to blush he wouldn't be able to confirm this outlandish and completely true rumour.

"You guys have fun at the fight?" I tried to change the subject before I broke composure.

"Ugh there was no fight," Ikkaku grumbled. I raised a brow. That was odd.

"What do you mean there was no fight?" Ichigo bellowed.

"They weren't there when you showed up, were they?" I asked and Yumichika turned to me. I was resting my chin on my hand thoughtfully.

"How'd you know that?" He asked.

"I told you earlier I thought this was a trap," I replied. "But maybe it wasn't for you."

"You weren't there so they didn't engage?" He replied. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I know nothing about these guys or what they want," I replied. "It's just a theory."

"If it was just a theory you wouldn't have mentioned it." Ichigo turned to me. "Do you really think that's what they're trying to do?"

"They might not know Urahara fixed my face," I replied. "I don't know they have the ability to undo whatever kido or whatever they cast on my face, but I also don't know they don't. It possible they thought I'd be so desperate I'd come running as soon as I sensed their spiritual pressure. Or, they could be planning on crying wolf until we stop taking their threats seriously and strike when we're not expecting it. Or they could just be waiting it out till I die. Or they might not have been trying to get us to go there in the first place."

"So really, you don't know," Ichigo sighed.

"I never said I did," I said. "Look, I don't know anything about these guys. I was never going to figure it out. You're going to need someone much smarter than me to help you."

"Did I hear you calling for me Uo-chan?~" Urahara popped his head in the room.

"I am so not in the mood for any of your antics," I grumbled.

"No, you're in the mood for a little of something else," Ikkaku grinned at me and I punched him in the chest.

"Don't be a bastard," I grumbled.

"I thought people were meant to be less irritated after OOMPH!" Ikkaku started but was cut off by both Ichigo and I hitting him.

"Do you think they knew?" I asked. "Where I was while you guys were gone? Do you think they've always been able to search for my spiritual pressure or are the just getting lucky? Because if that's the case..."

"Then they might have followed us back here," Urahara finished for me, Ichigo tensing up immediately. "That's certainly possible but with that many highly trained shinigami around you'd think we would have noticed."

"Uotani," Hitsugaya announced his presence in the room. "I've been speaking to the Head Captain. The soul society would like to observe these enemies more, so we're postponing your trip to the seireitei in favour of watching what these guys do. After today it looks like you're in no immediate threat, so with your permission Urahara, we'd like to have Uo stay here along with a shinigami guard to observe their actions. Just Lieutenant Kuchiki and I will return to the soul society now and Lieutenants Hisagi and Kira will take our place for the time being."

"Um, just because they haven't tried to murder me today doesn't mean I've given up on them ever doing it. Why are we suddenly no longer afraid of these smelly old men?" I butted in.

"We don't think they're not going to try something," Hitsugaya replied. "Instead, we're trying.."

"To make it happen," Urahara nodded.

"Absolutely not. You're not using her as bait," Ichigo roared. "Either you take her with you or I'll do it myself. I'm not leaving her here to be vulnerable."

"Are you worried, that if we don't force them out the they'll disappear?" I asked, resting my chin on my hand.

"You're not considering this?" Ichigo yelled, turning to me.

"If they do disappear, what will they do next, when will they come back? They could pull and Ichigo, disappear for several months, suddenly be 5 times stronger and decimate all of their enemies, which just so happens to be us. So yeah, I'm considering it. Do you think I want to be bait? I'm not happy about this, but if we stop them now, cut the head off the snake, they can't come back and definitely kill me. And as you can imagine, I'm quite opposed to being dead."

"Alright, gees," he sighed, rubbing his face. "No deliveries. No leavening the shop for any reason, including with any of us."

"Chill out Ichigo, I'm not suicidal. And with all these extra guys the soul society is sending, you can still go to school," I grinned and he groaned.

"Why are you so obsessed with that?" He threw his head back.

"I don't want to date a dummy," I grinned. "Look, I don't see why you have such a problem with going you big baby. What going to miss your Uo if you're away from her too long? I know you wanna protect me but if you are here 24/7 now, how are you going to help me later? If you don't graduate this year you'll have to repeat. And then where will we be?"

"Fine," he grumbled. "Can't believe I got stuck dating such a manipulator."

I rolled my eyes. I left they boys to it, going back over to the piles on the floor and trying to organise the invoices into their correct orders. At least now I wouldn't have to postpone the accountant.