The Protector's Temptation.

Welcome back once again dear readers. I'm happy to know that the vast majority of you still enjoy this story and to those that have their grievances and put it them forth in a smart, sensible way, I'm sorry that parts of it annoy you. Anyway thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter and what I'm going to be trying is addressing some of the reviews at the end, just to offer some insight where it's needed. Anyway read on and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'Thoughts/Inner Speech'

"Kido/Zanpakuto release"

"Zanpakuto speech"

XXX

Chapter 13:

As Sunday dawned over the Karakura Town, the Captains of the Gotei 13 stranded in the World of the Living, made their way down into the basement of the Urahara Shop for their daily briefing. Little of consequence was truly discussed other than patrol rosters in case the clone's attacked again, or quips at how slow Kisuke and Mayuri were being at unlocking the Dangai. Today though, Toshiro noticed something disturbing about the soul reapers assembled in front of him, or rather something lacking.

"Where are Matsumoto, Lieutenant Kuchiki, Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Kusajishi and Captain Sui-Feng?" he asked, looking around the room with narrowed eyes, his gaze falling on Renji and Omaeda.

"Uh well the Captain said that she had something to do when she left early this morning," Omaeda answered, stuffing his face with rice crackers and causing Toshiro to scowl as he tried to understand the man.

"I don't really know where Rukia and Rangiku disappeared too, but they probably went to go visit Orihime," Renji said with a shrug. "As for Captain Zaraki…he said something about going and finding Ichigo and testing his powers again."

While Momo and Isane seemed worried for the former substitute and Byakuya and Komamura seemed unconcerned about it, Toshiro had to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying to alleviate the oncoming headache that he could feel coming on. 'Please just tell me that Kurosaki can stay away from Zaraki today…I really don't want to explain why the town was demolished in a brawl. But more importantly…why would Sui-Feng leave now? As far as I know Yoruichi Shihoin is still in the shop, so she's not obsessing over the former Captain. What is she up to then?'

XXX

While the Captains were still puzzling out where their missing task force members were, a pensive Tatsuki and Orihime sat nursing steaming cups of tea in the healer's apartment. They had barely spoken to one another ever since they found out about Ichigo and his date with Michiru and the stifling atmosphere was beginning to weigh on Tatsuki's shoulders. She truly didn't want to break her friend's heart by telling her what Ichigo had told her yesterday, but seeing her friend like this tore at her heart. What worried her most though, was that there was a tiny sliver in the back of her mind that secretly rejoiced that Orihime didn't have a chance with her long-time friend. Squashing down that part of her, she set her cup down and cleared her throat, getting the healer's attention.

"You know he didn't mean to hurt you in anyway," she said softly, seeing the girl nod her head in agreement. "And he's not the kind of guy to just randomly pick up a girl and take her out," she continued, seeing the same nod again. "And he seems happy about this, so we should be too right?" Seeing the same annoying nod again, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, a habit of Ichigo's that she found herself emulating. "You know it is okay for you to be mad about this Orihime," she said, finally drawing a reaction out of the girl, who stared at her with wide eyes.

"But…but how can I be mad at Kurosaki-kun or Michiru-san," she said with a hint of a whimper. "They deserve to be happy."

"No one's saying you have to be mad about it, just that you don't have to pretend that you're okay with it," she said gently, clasping her friend on her shoulder. "It's perfectly fine to feel jealous over this and well, maybe it's time that you looked for guys other than Ichigo?" she asked tentatively, seeing the same stupid nod again and causing her to scream inwardly. Before she could continue though, there was a knock at the door. Sighing, she got up and made her way over to the door, opening it to find Rukia and Rangiku in front of her in their gigais.

"Oh hey Rukia," she said, stepping aside and letting the pair of them in. Feeling a niggling at the back of her mind related to the strawberry blonde woman next to her, her eyes widened in surprise as she recognised her as being the soul reaper that had appeared between her and Aizen.

Rangiku though was focussed on the melancholic expression on Orihime's face. "So it's true then," she said as she took a seat next to the girl she saw as a younger sister. "How are you doing?" she asked gently, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arm soothingly.

"Okay I guess," Orihime mumbled, resting her head against Rangiku's shoulder. "Still hurts though."

"It will for a while, but it won't last long," Rangiku said with a smile. "In fact I know the perfect activity to get your mind off this."

"W-What would that be?" Orihime asked timidly, afraid of what the buxom lieutenant of the Tenth Division would suggest.

"Why shopping of course," she said with glee, her eyes alight with joy, while Rukia and Tatsuki shuddered at the sight. "Now get up and get ready so we can go. There are so many stores and we have such little time."

Fifteen minutes later and Rangiku dragged the other three along with her, babbling away about everything they should do while they were out. Rukia and Tatsuki could only smile though, for it seemed like she had at least revitalised Orihime, causing the girl to smile again, even if it was only a small one.

XXX

As for Michiru though, she was fidgeting with the bottom of her skirt nervously as she waited with her parents in front of the TV. Knowing that they wouldn't be doing anything too physical, since he would be coming after his practice, she had gone with a pale pink blouse with white lace trim around the neck and bottom edge, a faded black pleated skirt and black flats. Even now she felt slightly self-conscious about wearing something like this out.

"Calm down Michiru-chan," her mother said soothingly, smoothing down some of her hair. "You look fine and from what you and your father have told me, this boy seems to be the perfect gentleman."

"I can't help it kaa-san," she replied, jumping up when she heard the doorbell. Leaving her parents in front of the TV, she slowly made her way towards the door, bracing herself for whatever lay beyond it. Opening it, she felt her face rapidly turn crimson and all thought came to a grinding halt.

Smiling down at her with a serene expression on his face, was Ichigo clad in a pair of black and blue sneakers, blue faded jeans, a light black jacket over a white t-shirt with red stripes over each of his shoulders. Hanging idly off his left shoulder was a large backpack that seemed to be struggling to keep its contents within.

"Hey Michiru," he said, his honeyed tones sending a shiver down her spine, "ready to go?"

"J-Just a s-sec Ichigo," she stuttered out. "M-My parents w-would like to see you first."

"Well lead on then," he said with the same devilish smile, taking hold of her hand and dragging her into the house gently. Hearing the sounds of a TV, he made his way towards it, thinking that's where they would be. Spotting them on the couch, he bowed his head to them slightly. "Mr & Mrs Ogawa, a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly.

"And you too Kurosaki-san," her mother replied with a smile, turning away from him to face her again. "Such a polite boy indeed, have fun now Michiru-chan."

Feeling Ichigo tug on her hand slightly, she quickly uttered a hasty goodbye, before heading out the door with him. Allowing herself to be led, she silently revelled on the feeling of her hand in his.

"Your parents seem nice," he said idly, turning to smile down at her again. "I was half-expecting your dad to interrogate me and warn me not to do anything too…intimate with you."

"They're kind of expecting you to be the perfect gentleman, so I guess that's why," she said shyly, looking down at her feet. Feeling him cup her chin and lift her head up to look at him, she lost herself in his eyes again, barely registering his words.

"And they're right. Anything that you don't want to happen, won't," he said with bold determination, stroking her cheek with a slim finger. "Now stop looking so down, it's not a bad thing to be seen with me is it?" Seeing her smile at his attempt to lighten the mood, he could almost see Kyoka smiling at him.

"Point Ichigo," she said from within his inner world, crossing out the word 'Introductions' on her clipboard.

"I heard that there was going to be a play by the Botanical Gardens, so I thought we'd have a picnic while we watch and then we can head to the new amusement park," he said as they continued to walk, heading in the direction of the Karakura Botanical Gardens.

"I think I'll like it," she said with a smile, squeezing his hand as they continued.

"Second point to Ichigo," Kyoka said again, crossing off the line 'Attend to her needs'.

As they got closer and closer to their destination though, he became aware of a slight presence trailing after them. Scowling inwardly, he reached out with his senses and identified it as the Second Division Captain Sui-Feng. While she was barely detectable as she followed him, a larger flare of power caused his eyes to widen a fraction as Kenpachi followed not too far behind her. 'Should've known that they'd decide to follow me on today off all days,' he grumbled, spying a busy outdoor market between them and the Gardens. 'Then again…this I can use,' he finished with a smirk.

As they walked through the crowd, he clamped down on any hint of his reiatsu, effectively hiding himself among the throngs of people. Stopping at a random stall that sold various necklaces and bracelets, he pulled a reluctant Michiru closer and began to hold various ones up to her skin, occasionally asking her and the proprietor for their opinion. Despite her protests though, he ended up paying for a bracelet with several pink and black gemstones on it, but only after he had felt the Captains disappear off in opposite directions from him.

"You didn't need too Ichigo," she said softly, running a finger over the cool stone that was resting on her left wrist.

"Correct I didn't need to, but I wanted to," he told her, finally entering the Gardens and following the path towards the main area.

"Distraction and Gifts? Impressive Ichigo, two points for effort," she commented idly, adding one line and crossing off both of them.

Seeing that they were still setting up, he led her over to a tree on the far left side, pulling out a picnic blanket from within his bag and setting it down. Afterwards he pulled out a large platter, filled with tuna onigiri, chicken karaage and vegetable tempura. Pulling out a chilled flask of juice, he watched her taking in the platter with wide eyes, while he poured them each a glass.

"Did you make all this?" she said with slight awe, accepting her glass from him.

"The karaage and tempura yeah, but for the life of me I cannot make onigiri so Yuzu helped out with that," he said with a smile, offering her the platter and watching her take an onigiri. Seeing her take a bite and close her eyes as she savoured it, he couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.

"Sorry, but it's good," she mumbled, pouting and turning away from him.

"Don't worry, Yuzu's cooking will ensnare anyone," he said nonchalantly, plucking a piece of karaage and popping it into his mouth, chewing slowly on the spicy morsel.

"Pleasant conversation and dining, check. Maybe I should channel Unohana more often after all," she commented idly, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

Not too long after they started eating, the actors took their places and the play began. From what he saw, it was basically about a guy going away to war for his country, leaving behind the love of his life, before being sent back due to a debilitating injury and then having to overcome it so that he could live the life he wanted with his beloved. In other words, it was another cheesy war romance.

Despite his annoyance with it though, he had to admit that the actors at least did their best with what was shoddy script and at least made him feel that they deserved their happy ending. Seeing that Michiru was enjoying it though, he kept silent and endured it. Thankfully there was an unplanned interruption, as the ducks that inhabited the nearby pond, jumped in on the act of marching soldiers, following them to and fro much to the audience's amusement.

As the play wore on, he leant back against the trunk of the tree they were under, stiffening slightly when she unconsciously leaned into his right side, resting her head on his shoulder. Placing his right arm on her back, he felt her tense momentarily, before she relaxed again. Running his fingers gently over her back, he managed to keep himself amused as he traced several random letters with his fingers.

"Tender caresses, five points," Kyoka mumbled to herself through a mouthful of popcorn, crossing out another line on her clipboard and relaxing back into her arm chair.

When the performance finished two hours later, Ichigo packed up their picnic and led her towards the amusement park. Going on some of the less extreme rides, Ichigo laughed without restraint, while Michiru huddled into his side on several occasions. Walking past a photo booth, he noticed her eyes flicker to it briefly.

"You want a reminder of this right?" he said softly, seeing her nod her head. "Well let's get one then," he said, but led them away from the small booth. Finding what he was looking for, he led her over to a stall with a photographer, paying for a larger picture. Ignoring her protests, he dragged her into the small studio and sat down in the chair in the middle of the room, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Just relax and go with it," he whispered into her ear, causing her to freeze up in shock, before she practically melted in his arms. Smiling at her, he rested his head on her shoulder, nodding to the man to take the shot.

Walking away with the glossy print in her hands, he led her to their last ride for the day, the Ferris wheel. "Do you like it?" he asked as they got in the queue for it, prodding his date with a finger as she still stared transfixed at the photo.

"Th-thank you for this Ichigo," she whispered, his ears straining to hear her.

"You're welcome Michiru," he whispered back to her, wrapping an around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. "Come on, one last ride." Climbing into the cart, they sat back and strapped themselves in, Ichigo's arm still around her shoulder. As the wheel spun bit by bit, filling with other patrons, the pair of them found themselves stopped at the pinnacle of the ride, staring out at the town as the sun set.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, her head resting on his chest. Feeling the warmth of his body through his clothing, she peered up at him, seeing his orange, spiky hair flutter in the gentle breeze, while he smiled out at the sun set.

"Yeah it is," he replied, turning his head down to face her. As they continued to stare at one another, entranced completely by the other, their faces began to inch towards one another slowly. Closing her eyes as his warm breath washed over her, she moaned slightly as his lips captured her own, his hand cupping her cheek.

Despite the fact that she had been about to cross of 'Sealing the Deal' on her list, Kyoka stiffened and snapped the pen in her hands, feeling a hint of unease run down her spine. "Shit," she murmured quietly to herself, sinking into her arm chair and wishing for it to swallow her whole.

Feeling the strangest feeling wash over her from his lips, she felt her entire body heat up, the feeling of bliss overpowering each and every thought of restraint she had. Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him, until she was straddling him. Lost in the moment, she didn't feel the need to stop herself as she nipped at his lips, nor when she slipped her hand down his shirt, caressing the chiselled muscles beneath it. That is, until she felt him pull away from her.

"Let's not get too carried away," he whispered in her ear, bringing her back to reality.

"Oh…oh my god," she muttered to herself, slightly horrified at what she had done. "Ichigo I…" she tried to say, only to be cut off as he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Shh I know you didn't mean for it to happen," he said soothingly as he hugged her lightly, resting her head against his shoulder. "It's okay to have a bit of fun, but I don't think you'd be comfortable taking it any further."

As the ride started to move again, she swung her leg off of him and took her seat next to him, staring down at her feet. Feeling his fingers running through her hair, she sighed and relaxed a bit, not trusting herself to relax completely. Just before their cart got to the bottom though, a sudden gust of wind ripped across the ground, forcing them to shield their eyes from the onslaught of dirt and debris.

Cracking his eyes open, Ichigo paled as he saw a cloud of dust several hundred feet away from them, along with several spikes of reiatsu. As another blast of air tore past them, their cart finally reached the ground and they leapt out of it. Hearing the dull boom of an explosion, he narrowed his eyes and turned back to the cloud of dust, noting the plumes of flame near it. As the crowd began to panic and run away from the explosions, he grabbed Michiru and dragged her towards a deserted alley. Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed Nova's pill and swallowed it, ejecting his soul from his body.

"Her house is on the opposite side of the fighting, so take her back to my place and keep her, Nozomi and my sisters safe please," he said to Nova, watching the mod soul nod his head in understanding. Turning back to Michiru, he gave her a sad smile. "Sorry that this had to happen today, but I need to go deal with this," he apologised as he pecked her on her cheek, before he turned on the spot and flash stepped away, leaving the two of them alone.

"I didn't get a chance to thank him," she whispered quietly with her hands clenched tightly around one another, "what if he doesn't come back?"

"He will…because that's just the type of guy that he is," Nova said equally quietly in a sincere tone. "We need to leave now," he said as he grabbed her wrist and started to head towards the Kurosaki clinic.

Looking over her shoulder, Michiru could see even more plumes of flame appearing over the town, accompanied by the sound of sirens heading towards them. 'Be safe Ichigo,' she thought, before turning back to concentrate on running.

XXX

"I told you it was a bad idea to bring him," the Reigai-Rukia said as she shook her head and stared down at the devastated area below them. Ever since Kenpachi and his clone had encountered one another, they had fought unrestrained, leading to the collateral damage around them. Turning to look at Reigai-Ichigo, she could see him scanning the horizon with narrowed eyes, his face turning morphing from blank to scowling.

"They're here," he muttered to her, just as the Karakura task force, with the exception of Rangiku, Rukia, Mayuri and Nemu, flash stepped into view. Feeling his instincts flare, he grabbed his blade and brought it up above his head, blocking the vicious slice as it threatened to split him in two. Staring up at the original with a smirk, he spun away from the blow, forcing Ichigo to go flying past him. Charging after him with glee, he brought Zangetsu down on Kyoka Suigetsu, sparks grating off their blades as they strove against one another.

"I thought I killed you," Ichigo growled at him, sliding his blade down his opponents and lashing out with a lightning quick riposte that left a shallow cut on his clone's cheek.

"Of all the people here, you should know that we have the bad habit of not staying dead," his clone grinned back at him, responding with a heavy handed blow that sent him skidding back several feet. "And this time…I'm the one walking away," he said with cold finality, while his body was engulfed in a tower of azure reiatsu.

XXX

Hmm I wonder why Michiru was so OOC at the end there, I mean for such a shy girl, she was awfully bold. Thankfully Ichigo is still a gentleman. And what's Ichigo's clone doing back so soon and how will this go down this time?

Right I said I was going to do a few review responses, but then they took up quite a bit of space and I thought I'd rather just address the concepts people brought up.

Ichigo and the Gotei 13:

Yeah I really don't like how everything was just okay after they gave him his powers back. If my friends ignored me for over 17months, 11 in my fic, there'd be hell to pay, especially since letters, e-mail and phones exist.

Michiru:

Someone referred to her as a 'Moe' I think it was and until I watched 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya' I had no clue what they were talking about, now I at least have some idea. Nevertheless I just get the feeling that she's the type of girl you'd give a hug to and tell her that everything's going to be okay, even if it won't. Hang on…shouldn't guys do that to their significant others already?

Kyoka Suigetsu and her powers:

It would be strange if the first time he really fights with her, he uses her like a pro. So of course I needed to have him act like an idiot in a way. I feel like kicking myself for making her cry though.

Nozomi:

Another character that I haven't seen involved in many fictions that some readers like. I'll be honest; I'm struggling to bring her out into the story. I mean she gets portrayed as cold to the world, so how do I write that? It's honestly not something I know how to do so let's hope I don't screw up too badly.

Romance 101:

Sadly ladies and gentleman, spots are given out at Kyoka's discretion. Not even I got on that list *Cries in a corner*

Anyway till next time guys and girls. I'm going away from the 26-31 October so no updates for you over that period. Hopefully this chapter will keep you sated for now.