In My Heart

by Cosmic Sky

Much could be said about Ichigo Kurosaki. He was a man who could do the impossible and at times simply didn't know how to give up. It was interesting to think about what drove him to such lengths. Orihime knew, rather he admitted it or not, he had a heart full of love and care, just like her. A significant portion of that love, as she would learn, was for her.

Hey, everyone. My little Bleach binge continues, and with my fist series lemon featuring my favorite couple. Having heard that, you know now what you'll be in for. This story is also going to include a few headcanon ideas I have for what happened after the final battle with Yhwach, and a little crack at some other couples I fancy. Enjoy!

I do not own anything.

---

In my Heart

The minute she stepped into the room, there was silence, though not complete silence. Orihime's ears registered the faint sound of breathing; the sound set her heart at ease. As she walked toward the table, she could make out its rhythm, soft and steady, perfectly normal for a person resting. More importantly, the continued breathing was a sign of life.

Over the past twenty-four hours, so much of that had been lost that it was surreal to think about. Then again, that was war. Thankfully, the war was over and no more lives were to be lost to the fires of war. Hopefully. Now, lives lost due to injuries sustained? That was another matter entirely.

Orihime had learned that wars rarely end quietly. Even after the fighting stops, death still collects its harvest, reaping what lives it could in the close curtains of any conflict. Ironically, Shinigami, gods of death, weren't immune to being reaped themselves. Orihime had seen too many of them die, they were mortal just like ordinary people. It's like the saying went, in death, all were equal. Still, death could be beaten back, and that's what had happened; from what Orihime understood, death hadn't only been beaten back, it had been saved. All by the blade of the ma that she loved, the same man who was lying asleep in the bed before her.

Coming to a stop in front of it, Orihime sat down in the sole chair set up beside it. She'd heard some label it "her" chair, because she sat in it so often. Considering that she'd came by every day for the last four days, they might have had a point. It was always her warmth that she could feel on it; she stayed there for as long as she possibly could, sometimes even eating on it.

She imagined that Ichigo would have told her to go eat somewhere else, to go eat with the rest of the friends, many of which were happily still alive. Orihime knew she'd have spurned his request, or twisted it around saying she was eating with a friend-she was eating with him. Ichigo would have sighed but accepted her decision none the same as he always did. Orihime liked eating with him, and she suspected that he liked eating with her as well, though that could have just been her imagination.

When he woke up, maybe she'd have the courage to ask him that and get a direct answer. Orihime had a lot of things that she wanted to ask Ichigo when he woke up. At the moment though, the latter was what she was focused on; she so desperately wanted him to open his warm brown eyes. The minute that they did, tears would fill Orihime's eyes; she knew it would happen just as surely as the sun would rise.

Orihime laughed as she remembered a comparison that Ichigo and the rest of her friends had made-she was the sun. Aizen stole her from the sky and they all came to rescue her and return her to the center of the universe. It was a fairy tale-like way to look at the Hueco Mundo rescue mission, but Orihime couldn't help but do so with a laugh at times. The tale was certainly more violent than your average fairy tale given the horrific battles that had taken place, two of which she had front-row seats to. Her heart throbbed as she remembered Ichigo battle with the Sixth and Fourth Espadas. Each time, he'd been forced to draw upon the powers of his inner Hollow to win. The first time had been…cleaner, the second time was what had given her nightmares for months. It was only in the last battle, the greatest battle of their lives, did Orihime truly overcome that fear. Or at least she hoped she did.

She could look at Ichigo and picture him in his half-Hollowified form not freeze up in complete panic. What made her freeze up in fear was the thought of his bloodied and beaten body being at the mercy of the King of Qunicies. Thankfully, Ichigo had managed to come back from that, just like he did everything else.

So, he'd get back up from this, right?

Impulse taking control of her, she reached over, running her hand over his chest. First, there was the center of his chest where his Hollow hole manifested. Like so many other things regarding his Hollow powers, Orihime had nightmares about it, especially since it was so close to where his heart was.

Her hand drifted a little over to his left side, where she could feel his heart beating in a steady rhythm. "Oh, Ichigo." She whispered with longing-filled eyes. How many times could one's heart stop then start up again? That was in reference to herself; her friends' rescue attempt had done that to her several times, and each time she hated herself for forcing them into such a situation.

In closing her eyes and letting her mind drift away to the darker past, she was blind to the slight stirring of the man in front of her. Brown eyes opened to a wooden ceiling. After a few seconds of absorbing that, they looked down where they saw a gentle hand lying atop a rising and falling chest. From that head flowed warmth, it was like a breath of life.

Ichigo's right hand rose and fell atop the healer's. As one would have expected, the sudden contact shocked Orihime out of her recollection.

"Orihime," the hybrid warrior whispered, his lips curving into a smile that absolutely melted her heart. "I'm alright."

"I-I-Ichigo? I-Ichigo," she stammered feeling an onrush of tears. Those tears overwhelmed her common sense, which would have had her telling him to lie down. "Ichigo!" Letting the building emotions consume her, the auburn-haired girl threw herself into the Substitute Soul Reaper's embrace.

"I'm not going anywhere." He spoke in a soothing voice while running his hands through her beautiful sun-colored hair. "Just had to take a little nap after that battle."

"I-I-I know, b-but…I-I'm sorry, I still just…" She attempted to explain through sobbing that he had no problems with. Her tears became ones of relief as she continued to feel his hand combing through her hair. "I-I'm sorry I'm such a worrywart."

"That's fine, I mean, I give you plenty of reasons to worry." He kindly responded. Let it never be said he was totally unaware of how his daring way of life impacted the people around him. That impact weighed on him more heavily than he let on, something that could have potentially changed. He always fought for the people he cared about, though Ichigo knew he wasn't always forthcoming about doing so. Tatsuki's angered face came to mind. She had a right to know that he was worried about Orihime and was planning on rescuing her, but he couldn't tell her any of that. Ichigo honestly feared she'd try to tag along as well since she cared for Orihime just as much. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry about." Pulling away, she wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled at him. Unknown to her, Ichigo's heart beat several ticks faster as he looked to her tear-stricken face. She was happy, but the presence of those tears nipped at him. Impulsively, he reached forward and wiped them tears away from her cheeks; the act caused Orihime's cheeks to redden. "Ichigo," her left hand rose, falling atop his hand and holding it against her cheek. "You saved the entire world, or well, maybe I should say the universe. If not, well, I'm pretty sure we'd all be shadow monster food."

He laughed. "Shadow monster food" was such an Orihime Inuoe thing to say and he was so happy to hear it. "Well, I did my best to avoid that fate. Not sure anyone would have liked it. Not to mention after everything that Yhwach had done, I couldn't let him off easy."

"Everything he'd done." Orihime repeated, her eyes growing heavy. "You mean about yours and Uryuu's mothers?" Slowly, the black swordsman nodded, the previous joy on his face lost. Orihime hated herself for wiping it away, but it was the direction that the conversation had turned. She resolved to make it end as quickly as possible. "I'm sure she'd be happy to know what happened to her will never happen to anyone else."

Slightly wide-eyed, Ichigo stared at her. Her statement wasn't about revenge as one would have expected. One very much could have argued that he had every right to it, and Uryuu as well. Maybe there had been a smidgen of that dark desire in their actions, but he knew and Uryuu knew that this was bigger than either of them. Or at least Uryuu figured it out after he had to scream in his face about it.

"You know, sometimes it feels like after every adventure we have, I end up learning a little more about myself. About my powers and even a little bit of my family." It was totally unexpected, but that was life. The more you live, the more you learn, including about yourself. "In a way, I guess I have another reason to be grateful that Rukia showed up that night."

Orihime nodded. "Thinking about it, it really changed us all, didn't it? If you hadn't became a Substitute Soul Reaper…none of us would be here. Without you…Sora would still be another wondering soul." Their eyes met, gentle gray and warm brown; they were so close to each other, as were the pair's lips. Ichigo and Orihime could feel each other's breaths tickling one another's faces. "Thank you, Ichigo."

The memory of that night was forever etched into Ichigo's mind. It wasn't often you had to slay the vengeful spirit of the older brother of one of your friends. Then again, for a person like Ichigo…that sort of thing wasn't too hard to imagine. It was in stopping Sora he learned how to effectively kill Hollows, kill them before emotional sentiment got in the way and someone potentially lost their lives. That was the responsibility he'd been saddled with, and it was one that he bore with a tall, if not heavy head.

His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head where he brought her in close. Orihime was surprised, but she quickly melted back into his embrace; Ichigo was happy that she did. He needed her close by, he needed her to help with his recovery. Hell, he needed her in his life.

Somewhere inside, Ichigo contemplated what that meant, how her life and wellbeing so heavily affected his own. The answer was obvious, but for all his struggles and growth, Ichigo felt too scared to acknowledge it. Not yet. He also felt like if he tried to bring it up now, the fragile peace that they'd now grasped onto might shatter and Ichigo wasn't ready for that. Honestly, he was still too exhausted, physically and mentally. Speaking of which, the former was fast catching up to him.

Orihime somehow sensed that as she gently pulled away from him. "I-I can go if you…"

"No." He declared shaking his head. "It's just…Orihime, um…" Now his cheeks were burning bright red. "Would you-"

Sleep with me. An oh-so-familiar distorted voice cackled in his ear.

S-S-Shut up! His cheeks burned making it all the harder to keep a straight face. Worse, Orihime's eyes flashed as she registered the change in his demeanor. How was he supposed to explain to her that his Zanpakuto had just suggested they sleep together?

Because you two are, dumbass! Zangetsu shouted back, wicked glee evident in his voice.

Technically speaking the Hollowified Zanpakuto spirit had a point, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. This is so not what I need for my recovery. Ichigo groaned. He wanted to lie back and go back to sleep now just so he could get some peace and quiet.

"Ichigo?"

At once, his attention immediately went to the white-dressed girl whom he'd gone to the edge for. He'd do so again and again no matter how many times needed to keep her safe. "Y-Yeah, Orihime?"

"Could, um…" She was blushing up a storm, a clear sign she was as nervous as he was. At least that meant they were on the same level. Sucking in a breath, she raised her head and looked to him. He immediately found himself lost in those eyes, gray as storm clouds, but always as warm and welcoming as the sun. Subconsciously, he tightened his grip on her. "Could I…stay here, with you? I promise if anything starts to hurt-"

"Sure." He declared before she could finish. Orihime eyes went wide, only to slowly close as they took in his smile.

Both of them smiled as they laid back. The healer made herself comfortable by the Substitute Soul Reaper's side; it felt like she was cuddling up to the sun. Coincidentally, that's exactly how Ichigo felt having his arm wrapped around her waist. Her presence made it easier for him to close his eyes and drift off to the sleep, likewise, his strong presence made her heart both accelerate and calm itself. Sandwiched between his arm and his body, Orihime felt safe, happy, comforted. When Ichigo was close by, she always felt these things, but the feeling was so much stronger now than it had ever been. So rarely had they ever been this physically close. She was happy for it.

And Ichigo was as well. This was one of the reasons he'd fought so hard, not just against Yhwach, but against all the Arrancars in Hueco Mundo. Having Orihime at his side…something about it just felt right. Shutting his eyes, he drifted back into darkness, but the darkness wasn't absolute. Sunlight was there, shining on him and replenishing his strength.

---

"That's step one down, I guess." Rukia declared with a happy smile. Of course, she made sure to keep her voice down; her compatriots though were a little bit of a different story.

Rangiku had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep from screaming delight. Uryuu simply looked to the blonde-haired lieutenant and rolled his eyes, even though he was just as happy as the rest of them. Chad, his usual quiet and cool self, managed a smile, a smile but very noticeable and heartfelt smile. The Soul Reaper beside him took notice of that, she was more interested in that than she was in the romantic drama that they'd all been watching. When he looked back at her, she realized it and attempted to get her focus back on the two auburn-haired individuals. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

How in the hell had she been talked into this? As of now, Insane was the highest-ranking medical officer in the Gotei Thirteen! She had hundreds, potentially thousands of other patients to tend to! She should have been tending to them instead of…instead of…

She blamed Rangiku for this.

"Ooohhhh! Finally! Finally! Here I was worried we'd have to-" The strawberry blonde squealed, only to be silenced by her redheaded fellow lieutenant.

"Hey, keep it down! The last thing we want is them noticing us!" Renji half-whispered and half-barked.

Uryuu couldn't help but sigh, knowing he could potentially aid in giving them all away. Just how in the hell had this happened? One minute, they were fighting for their lives with everything they had against the King of the Quincy, just barely succeeding in killing him and saving all of reality, and the next…it was this.

Strangely enough, as he peered back into the room, he felt…happy. Days ago, he'd resigned himself to dying before he could see his two orange-haired friends finally get together. Honestly, it was like watching a shark circling a whale carcass, it was going to bite and devour the bleeding corpse, it was just a matter of when. Frankly, the wait was unnecessary, but Uryuu remembered precisely who the two people in question were.

Ichigo Kurosaki may have had the strength to rend the stars and make the impossible possible, but his thinking left much to be desired.

Likewise, though not a warrior, Orihime Inoue had strength of the heart that had allowed her to weather crisis after crisis, and still come out of it with the ability to smile. Sadly, her strong heart could be sent a flutter when around the Substitute Soul Reaper.

These things made them a perfect match for each other, the only problem was getting either of them to actually admit to their feelings, or at last getting on the path to doing so.

It seemed that a battle for the fate of the world and the after life was what was needed, or rather, another one. Uryuu quietly mused how they'd now been through many of those. Granted, this one had undoubtedly been the biggest one of them all, and they'd came out of it alive and victorious.

They'd earned a few days of rest at minimum.

"Come on, everyone, let's really give them some alone time." The Quincy whispered pushing his glasses up.

"I agree. The longer we stay, the more we risk…waking them up." Rukia couldn't say notice them because they were both asleep. It wasn't surprising, she could feel exhaustion-induced drowsy nipping at her. That went for the rest of their little group as well, and beyond. Even days after the Quincy King's defeat, everyone including the Seireitei itself, looked like it was still knee-deep in the throes of recovery. It was and they were, they would be for a while.

The road to recovery was long, but it was one they'd all happily walk. Well, in their current state, they'd be leaping for a while before they could walk.

Actually, right across from them, on the other side of the hallway, they saw a group similar to their own.

Like them, they too were a walking collection of bandages, said walking being helped by a couple of walking sticks. Ganjo certainly needed one, and Rukia hoped that it didn't make enough noise to disturb the slumbering couple. Hananataro was there to help him along, the young medic's eyes met Rukia's. In spite of her previous remark, she smiled at him and motioned for his group to peer into the room. They did and they too sighed in relief.

Neliel looked particularly happy at the sight. From what Rukia understood, she'd took note of the budding feelings between the two, and like the rest of them, waited for their inevitable union. Rukia was at least happy that she wasn't glaring at her as her child-self had done in asking her what her relationship to Ichigo was. She was happy that hopefully that question wouldn't be directed at her again. Granted, that question would now be directed toward Orihime, who'd hopefully grow more confident in her answer.

"A-A-Alright, everyone, back to bed, all of you." The future captain of Squad Four declared, still in a whispering voice. It wasn't like she needed to go any louder; frankly, Insane didn't think she had the strength to. Thankfully, it wasn't needed as everyone seemed to be in the mood for a rest. Including her.

Hanataro, Nelliel, and Ganju all returned the way that they'd came, careful not to make too much noise just like them. Uryuu was the first to withdraw, his face slipping into impassive relief at the way things had turned out. It was an impossible outcome, but the best outcome imaginable.

Insane could feel her legs beginning to wobble beneath her. Her hand first went to the wall to her right, but she felt another fall atop her shoulder, steadying her. Feeling her cheeks warm up, she turned around and looked upward, something that she rarely did. The dark yet warm eyes of Yasutora "Chad" Sato twinkled at her. Smiling in acceptance, she leaned back, wrapping her arm around his waist. Though he was supporting her, she also had to support him. He too was still recovering from his battle which happened to be fighting a literal legion of animated statues, each with strength comparable to a Captain's, the rank that she was due to inherit.

She could feel her legs liquifying at the thought of assuming Captain Unohana's shoes. Insane could feel herself already beginning to get crushed under the future weight.

"Insane," two voices spoke in unison, snapping her of out imaginary drowning.

"Hey, wait a little bit before you go passing out. You've definitely earned a couple of hours to yourself, so enjoy it." Renji called giving her further reason to stop and take stock of the world around her. "Heh, I'd say that you've got a pretty good bodyguard to help you find a nice spot to lay down…or you could take a page out of Orihime's-ow! Hey, injured here!"

"The don't rush them!" Rukia hissed at her redheaded friend.

"Who was the one most relieved when those two finally got together!" Renji hissed back.

As the two Bankai-wielding lieutenants went at each other, the Shinigami healer and fist-using Fullbringer quietly stood behind them, watching the spectacle. Neither of them quite knew what to do or say, partially for fear of making more noise and disturbing Ichigo and Orihime. Focusing their hearing on the room, they were relieved to detect the pair's continued slumbering.

"Renji," Chad called.

"Rukia," Insane spoke.

Both looked to the taller pair. Their gazes immediately made them feel foolish for their squabbling, then came the dull sense of pain that reminded him they weren't in much condition for this.

"Come on, everyone, let's call it a night." Chad said. "We can pick this back up in the morning."

"Uh, assuming anyone's in a state to talk and move." Insane muttered.

"Hey, after a night of rest and cuddling, I'm sure everyone will have a little more energy, right?" The redhead's eyes moved between the two towering individuals. His fellow lieutenant blushed as red as his hair, while Chad kept his cool demeanor. At least this time, Rukia didn't elbow him like she did before. Maybe she was enjoying the show as much as he was.

"C-C-Come on, I-I-I'll walk you back t-t-to your room, C-C-Chad." The gray-haired Shinigami declared. Near ten seconds after speaking the words, her cheeks flared up as she looked back to Rukia and Renji. "A-A-A-And you two as well! I-It's my duty as the chief medic!"

"Sounds like a boss already." The redhead chuckled. Just a few seconds after speaking, he found his right arm moved and wrapped around something, or someone. Looking down, he wasn't surprised in the slightest to find Rukia supporting him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

In pairs, the group of four moved back down the hallway, the thought of rest seeming more appealing by the second. It was already being enjoyed by the two orange-haired teenagers. They were lucky as their rest had come earlier, and they were certainly making the most of it.

Had any of the group peered in once more time, they would have noticed that the two had grown…closer. Orihime lay curled up against the Substitute Shinigami's side, both of his arms wrapped around her. The healer's auburn hair lay fanned out behind her while her hands rested against the warrior's chest. For her, it was the most comforting place to be, and for Ichigo, he felt more at peace than he had in a long while. Even in his dreams, he felt Orihime's presence, a presence that he found immense comfort in. He wanted to protect her, keep her at his side. That declaration would linger in his mind hours later when the two of them awoke to the early morning of the next day.

She'd be with him for as long as she could, and when he felt himself ready to close his eyes for good, she was there, offering her his hand. Again, he'd take it, and again they would fall asleep together, curled up in each other's arms.

---

Sometimes, it was comical to think about life in Karakura Town. On the surface, it seemed to be a perfectly normal suburb right outside of Tokyo. It was if one looked solely on the surface, albeit it had its own fair share of mundane but eccentric characters.

When one looked beyond the surface, it was quite an extraordinary place to live. In the case of looking beneath the surface, that expression could be applied literally.

Secret underground bases were things that normally only existed in fiction…and possible in real-life at the behest of real-world governments, but the latter rarely exceeded the former in size and scoop. Such things couldn't possibly exist in real life, or at least that's what one would have thought if they had next to no idea about the existence of the supernatural.

Or if they didn't know Kisuke Urahara.

Orihime could picture her younger self from almost two years being utterly blown away by the intensity of the battle unfolding before her. Granted, it wasn't a life-or-death struggle, but it was one that could literally shake the earth. It did, it shook the earth and the artificial sky. Rather curiously, this massive training ground was officially called the Study Chamber. Orihime supposed in a way that it lived up to its name. The best way to learn when it came to Soul Reapers and Spiritual Powers was through live practice. That had certainly been the case for Ichigo, was back to doing what he did best.

Her gray eyes were able to track the fighters' movements, albeit there were points where even she had trouble keeping up.

It wasn't surprising given who the combatants were. On one side was one of the Espada, the third-ranked Espada in fact, and other side was Ichigo. Two high-level fighters who, even in a sparring match like this, were able to make it feel like a great calamity was unfolding.

Of course, that would made Orihime suicidally insane for watching from the sidelines, but she was protected. She had both various Kido-based barriers and her own walls, which could more than handle any blowback from their attacks, or stray attacks altogether. In the case of the combatants, that translated into a lot of water coming her way.

There'd certainly been a lot of that thrown around, as expected of the tan-skinned Espada whose powers revolved around the manipulation of water. That was far easier to deal with than the pure-energy attacks of some of the other Espada, namely Grimmjow.

From what Orihime understood, he so desperately wanted to come this little "get together". Of course, if he did, it'd go from a simple sparring session to an all-out death match, which Ichigo, Orihime, and Urahara himself weren't exactly up for. Harribel had apparently had to do quite a bit of arm twisting to get him to stay behind in Hueco Mundo; Nelliel had to stay behind to help keep an eye on him, something Orihime was actually sadden to hear. She and the turquoise-haired Arrancar had actually built up a good rampart. Orihime supposed she'd just have to wait until next time.

"I gotta say, I seriously underestimated the strength of your man, princess." Boomed a masculine voice from her right. Snapping to attention at it, she looked up to see the other Arrancar that had accompanied Harribel for "peace sparring" as Urahara had called it, with a rather cheeky smile to boot. The first thing that caught her attention was the orange-colored afro, really, it was impossible to miss.

A blush crept up on her cheeks. "M-M-M-My man? N-N-No, I-Ichigo's just a friend, that's all!"

The fist-using Arrancar raised an eyebrow. "Just a friend, huh? Well, princess, he's probably one of the most devoted friends that you've got. He led the charge into Hueco Mundo against Lord Aizen, fully willing to fight not just him, but all of the current Espada, just to save you."

"E-E-Everyone was prepared to do that for me." As she spoke the words, she flashed back to the conversation she had with Ulquiorra, a talk that she often found herself looking back on with fondness. She'd spoken the truth when she said she was relieved, she was. From the bottom of her heart, she was genuinely relieved that her friends cared enough about her that they were willing to charge into Aizen's stronghold to save her, even if the odds were slim to none.

"You're right, we were all ready to do that, and we'd all do it again, but Ichigo's a bit of a different case." A second masculine voiced boomed, this time coming from her left. In contrast to the Privaron Espada's outlandish afro, Chad's oily black hair was short and messy. In Orihime's opinion, that helped give him part of his charm. "Ichigo would do it all a thousand times over, not that we care about you any less, Orihime. He just cares about you a lot more."

"C-C-Chad!" The healer screamed.

"Ah, so just like a knight and his lady, right?"

"Hm, that's a pretty good description for the two of them." The human declared.

"I'm standing right here, you two!" Orihime screamed in scandalized embarrassment.

"Sorry, princess, but men like us only know how to tell the facts as we see them." The one-hundredth and seventh Arrancar countered. His arms were crossed and his focus lay on the epic sparring match happening before his eyes. As much as he would have liked to deny it, at this level, he'd have been utterly beaten, yet the human teenager known as Ichigo Kurosaki was holding his ground against Queen Harribel. Given that he'd managed to defeat Aizen and went on to defeat the King of the Quincies, it wasn't too hard to believe. Watching their sparring just made him hunger for his and his former opponent turned rival's turn to spar. That said, he wasn't opposed to continuing this little small talk. "Princess, what's the deal with you two? If you care about Kurosaki, why not just tell him? I mean, no offense, but if you don't hurry up, some other lady could come along and snatch him up."

"Gantebabinne, it's…" In spite of the battle unfolding before her, the auburn-haired girl focused her attention on the afro-haired brawler, or at least she tried to. Her cheeks burned and her heart began fluttering in her chest.

Thankfully, her towering friend was there. "It's complicated. Feelings like what Orihime and Ichigo have for each other can be…complicated." Both orange-haired individuals looked to Chat, who remained his quiet but passive and stern self. His face broke into a smile which he directed to his high school friend. "But things will eventually work themselves out, even if it takes a little bit of time."

In spite of the swirl of anxiety within her, she found comfort in Chad's words. Slowly, she found herself smiling.

"Alright, I'm ready to try it!"

Everyone's attention snapped to the orange-haired hybrid whose existence had played a crucial role in saving the world and the various realms of the afterlife. To Orihime, he was still Ichigo Kurosaki, her classmate, her comrade, her friend, the man that she loved with all of her heart.

He was surrounded by a swirling maelstrom of spiritual energy, a mixture of human and Hollow, so thick and powerful it actually crushed the ground around him. The air itself grew a hundred times thicker, becoming so thick that a lesser being would have likely suffocated.

At one point in her life, Orihime would have been grasping for breath, unable to breath. Now, she merely held her breath in anticipation as to what was about to come next. She kept her gaze focused on Ichigo, who stood at the center of the maelstrom. As it built up, her mind was pulled back to four months ago, the single greatest and most ferocious battle of their lives. The details had been hammered into her head.

Even in the last few seconds of the battle, she'd seen the gradually color transformation of his larger blade. Seeing it, Orihime knew exactly what was about to happen next. She knew what she would see as the explosion of spiritual energy shook the entire Study Chamber. Cracks spread along the artificial blue sky and dirt-composed ground. Beside her, Chad and Gantenbainne stiffened; this was their first time seeing the transformation.

And the same went for Urahara, who stood off to the side. Orihime glanced at the helpful but highly enigmatic shop keeper. Beneath the hood of his hat, his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw through the dust and dissipating reisatsu.

"So, this is the so-called Horn of Salvation that you took against the Quincy King." Called the current leader of Hueco Mundo. Throughout the last minute of her sparring, she'd watched the gradual transformation of Ichigo Kurosaki's bigger blade. Now, she saw the end result of that transformation…and even Harribel had to admit, it was an interesting sight. "You look half-way between a human and a Hollow, truly a hybrid form."

"Yeah, well, getting to this form isn't easy. The last couple of times I tried to activate it, it backfired. Zangetsu's still pretty damn picky." Laughed the horned-man. Yes, horned, a bone-white curved horn shot out from the left side of his head. For Orihime, seeing it brought a multitude of memories, but the most recent one was…relatively positive. "This is the first time I've used a Hollow's spiritual pressure to bring him out and fuse with him like this. Thanks for the help, Harribel."

It was faint, but a bead of sweat rolled down the blonde's tanned skin. "If you wish to properly thank me, then show me a fraction of the power that form possesses." Her voice grew commanding toward the end as she raised and pointed her massive sword directly at the Substitute Soul Reaper. Harribel knew that this new form was powerful. She had no intention of seeing its full power, but surely she could draw out at least a third or fourth of it.

Ichigo Kurosaki looked ready to assume a fighting stance, but at the last second, his focus shifted away from his sparring opponent to the sidelines. One eye remained warm brown while the other had turned unearthly yellow and become surrounded by black. In spite of the sinister coloration, it too shined with concern and warmth as it met the stormy gray of the girl on the sideline.

The tightness that had been gripping Orihime relaxed itself, just as it did the first time when he spoke to her. This time, there was no need for words, only glances across dozens of yards.

Orihime's lips curved into a smile. Ichigo's smile wasn't as bright, fittingly, it was more reserved, but it was noticeable none the less.

"Do your best." The auburn-haired girl mouthed to the dual-wielder. He nodded in confirmation of her words.

"Are you read, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Called the Queen of Hueco Mundo.

Turning back to her, Ichigo finally assumed a fighting stance. "Yeah, I am. Thanks for waiting."

"Alright, Ichigo! Show us with this hybrid form of yours can-" Urahara never got to finish, not that he needed to speak in the first place. His fan came up in front of his face, protecting it from the fierce gale that was kicked up from the two fighters darting toward each other. It was nothing compared to the shock wave that came from the two clashing swords.

For that, Orihime's barrier went up, and would stay up for the remainder of the training session.

---

"Orihime?"

"Hm?"

"I…um, would you mind if I…walked you home?" He tried to ignore the snickering behind him. He knew it would have been such a better idea to wait until they were out of the shop, except it was pouring rain outside so waiting was out of the question.

In a heartbeat, Orihime recognized the situation for what it was, for what it could turn into. "Sure, Ichigo, I'd appreciate it."

Silent relief flooded Ichigo. At least he kept from visibly sighing in relief.

"Make sure the lady gets home safely, Ichigo! She's more than earned it after all the healing and cooking she did for everyone!"

Snapping to the shop owner, the spiky-haired teen shot him a characteristic scowl. It's not like Urahara was ever intimidated by him, but Ichigo just couldn't help it. At times it could cut short the former captain's teasing, which he could be happy about. He took solace in the fact that the shop's other occupants were mostly silent on the matter.

"Hey, you two try to work out whatever the hell it is between you!" Gantinenbainne shouted.

"H-Hey! Can't you mind your own business!"

Yet again, Chad didn't look surprised in the slightest. If anything, Ichigo was sure the boxing warrior was smiling a little. He could take that over Urahara's giggling and prattling.

Orihime giggled while her spiky-haired protector grumbled as he usually did. Their polar opposite demeanors served to only make Urahara laugh even more. Ichigo could still hear the hat-and-clogs wearing man's cackling voice when they were at least a block away.

Rain pounded against the couple's shared umbrella. Normally, he'd have proposed them both using their own umbrella, but Orihime had stepped close to him as he unfolded his and before he knew it, they were out the door together. Neither of them complained about the closeness.

"Sorry that this ended up going longer than originally intended." He broached.

She shook her head. "It's fine. I was actually expecting it to be honest. When I heard that Harribel would be the one coming, I had a feeling things would get a little wild. She's strong opponent, strong enough that she could…give you a challenge. Then there was Chad and Gantinebainne."

"Do you know him?"

"I heard of him. He stopped by my cell was, he was actually a rather nice guy." She saw him raise ne eyebrow. "I was happy to hear that he survived, him and Chad. Those two make great boxing buddies."

"Can't argue with you there. Gotta say though, I'm a little envious that Chad's Arrancar rival is helluva lot more friendlier than mine."

"Ah, so you do see Grimmjow as a rival, Ichigo." She inquired.

Ichigo made a face. "Well, that's the best way I can describe him. It's not like we're friends, but…I don't quite think of him as an enemy anymore. Gah, I can hear him shouting in my ear about that classification. I'm real glad that he didn't come, though I'm sure he'll be chopping at the bit for the next time." His brown eyes swerved to the shorter girl. "Orihime, you-"

"I'm going to be there, Ichigo." Their eyes met as the sky boomed with thunder. Neither of them paid it much attention, focusing solely on each other. "I don't like fighting, and I don't think I ever will, but that doesn't mean that I won't fight, or that I'll just stand by and do nothing while my friends fight." Her gray eyes grew distant as dark memories of the past shot forward. "The pain of just standing by while everyone else is fighting…I hated it. I hated it from the depths of my soul."

She wasn't alone in being strangled by emotions from the past. Seventeen months of peace, seventeen months of powerlessness. They were pretty good, but Ichigo looked back on them with a twinge of regret. He'd enjoyed the peace, but the world of spirits marched on, and the danger it presented could still find the people he cared about. It did, and then he longed for the return of the powers that made his life so hectic. "I can understand the feeling." He finally whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It at least lets me know that you're taking my feelings into consideration." She laughed.

"Well, I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't." He felt calmer than he ever had before staring into her gray eyes, yet Ichigo could feel his heartrate picking up more and the longer he stared into them. Indeed, Orihime had been there, she'd always been there. "Orihime," Ichigo began catching her attention. Unfortunately, after speaking her name, he suddenly found his mouth go dry. He could stick his tongue out and he doubted he'd be able to gather enough moisture to make his mouth work. For all his power and ability, he was frozen stiff, helpless before her.

A ray of light smiled upon him, literally. His left hand was taken by Orihime's hands, first her left then her right. The cold chill of the rain storm utterly vanished, and it was all thanks to her touch. Ichigo didn't say a word, he only smiled at her. Smiling back at him, she began to guide him down the street back to her apartment. Her right hand remained interlocked with his left. Their grip on each other remained strong through the booming thunder, howling wind, and pounding rain. To the spiritually-gifted teenagers, those things might as well have been nonexistent.

-o-

It hadn't been his plan to stay for dinner, but that's how things had worked out. To be clear, Ichigo was perfectly fine with walking home in the rain. It wouldn't be fun, but he could do it; at Orihime's instance, he decided not to. At her instance, he was…going to have dinner at her place. Have dinner cooked by her.

The last one seemed suicidal, yet Ichigo was going to do it. He helped out, so one could say his fears were somewhat migrated by his own hand.

But the truth was as strange as it was fascinating, watching Orihime cook, he felt the desire to just watch her, not help her. This wasn't the first time that he'd felt this way, though it was the first time that it was just the two of them. Alone. In her apartment. Together.

Ya' know, with your luck, it'll probably be another month before you get a chance like this. Why the hell are you wasting time?

Accepting his Inner Hollow as his Zanpakutō spirit came with its positives and negatives. Listening to his at times snide and unnecessary jabbering was one of the latter. Sometimes, Ichigo didn't even need to be in his Soul Reaper form to hear Zangetsu. He seemed to pop up whenever Orihime was around and he was being-

A colossal lazy-ass slowpoke.

Can't you just go back to sleep? What the hell do I have to do? Walk outside and stand in the rain? He irritable challenged.

Zangetsu laughed from within the infinite darkness of his mind. You know, I'd dare you to do something like that if it'll get you two closer together. You know she'll DEFINITELY want you to stay the night, and you'll need some body heat to warm up. The disembodied voice cackled in Ichigo's ear causing his face to deepen into a further scowl. Some things in life were easy to deal with, others…not so much, but this was his lot in life and he had to make do.

"Ichigo?" Called the girl who'd been the center of his thoughts for almost the entire day. "Dinner's ready."

"R-Right, sorry that I spaced out there for a second." He apologized.

"It's fine," she smiled. "Come on, let's put something hot in our stomachs after walking through all of that." Orihime indicated to the window, where the storm had yet to let up. She took hold of his hand and guided him to the table. "Thank you for letting me cook for you, Ichigo, and I, uh…hope you don't mind a little bit of ginger."

"Orihime," he started. "You can…come up with some weird combinations, but at the end of the day, you're an amazing cook. You're an especially good baker. Your boss is lucky to have you." Upon taking up his chopsticks, his smile brightened. "And I don't mind a little bit of ginger pork. It's been a long time since I had it."

Relief swam through the healer. She was iffy on preparing shogayaki, but it looked like she'd made the right decision after all. As Ichigo ate, she told him that her choice had been a training exorcise of her own. Ichigo could certainly see that; out of all of his friends, Orihime seemed to have a clear cut goal of what she wanted to do with her life-cook. Luckily, she was quite good at it, even if her dishes could turn out to be rather…bizarre. She was well aware of that fact and sheepishly apologized for it.

"Don't, at least not in front of me. They can taste pretty good…and they're a part of who you are. I consider them kind of your trademark."

"Thank you, Ichigo." Her gaze shifted from him to the bowl, an indicator that she was wrestling with her thoughts. "A part of who you are, Ichigo…"

He saw the path the conversation was heading and immediately felt his muscles tighten. "I don't want to have to use that form if I can help it."

"But one day, we may face an enemy where you have to take that form in order to win." The way he grimaced confirmed her words. He knew it was the truth just as much as she did. She didn't sigh in annoyance or defeat, she merely smiled at him. She continued to smile in spite of everything she'd been through. Her ability to do that always amazed him, and he feared that it'd been lost after their ordeal in Hueco Mundo. Orihime set her chopsticks down and reached out with her left hand. Ichigo got the memo and reached out with his right.

Her hand was always as soft as a feather, a perfect compliment to her personality, but Ichigo knew that softness wasn't all there was to Orihime Inoue. She could be hard when she needed to be, and she didn't need to shout or make a face like him and so many others he knew. Ichigo always admired that about her.

"If that day comes, Ichigo, I want to be right there beside you, just like I was against Yhwach. That was the first real moment that I stood beside you, and if need be…I want to do that again."

He gripped her hand. "As much as I hate the thought of you being in danger…I felt like I was really at my best with you beside me. And I felt so damn happy when I woke up to your face." Ichigo quietly chastised himself for how corny the line sounded. Regardless, it's how he really felt, his feelings from the depth of his heart. He could try and hide them from the girl in front of him, but he had a gut feeling that wouldn't be the right thing to do. "When you're standing beside me…Orihime, what do you see?"

She was the one to tighten his hand next. "I see you, Ichigo. I see the funny-faced-" He scowled, yet all it did was get a laugh out of her. "But kind, noble, and honorable man that…that I…I…that…that I would do anything for." You're such a coward. An inner voice inside of her bemoaned. It was right, but Orihime felt like now wasn't the time to drop such a heavy emotional bomb.

"…I'd do anything for you, Orihime, though I know there are some things you…probably don't want me to." She looked up at him, her eyes wide. In a minute, she realized what he was talking about. "I'm sorry about scaring you whenever I use my Hollow powers."

She gripped his hand even tighter, yet she refrained from squeezing him too tightly. She could have one hell of a grip sometimes. "Your Hollow powers are a part of you, and I can accept that. I wouldn't be able to accept you if I rejected part of you." Both of her hands clapped over his. "You're not a monster, you're just Ichigo, and I wouldn't want to be beside anyone else but you."

There wasn't a crack of thunder outside, only the soft patter of rain. Neither of them were fans of it, yet in this moment, they could bear it. The continuous padder seemed to be pushing them toward one another, literally.

Ichigo and Orihime could feel their bodies moving, yet their minds were drawing a blank, save for each other. They only stopped when they felt their noses brush against each other. Even then, neither backed down. Though wide-eyed, they continued to stare at one another, the smell of the shogoyaki attempting to sway them back down. The still working rational sides of their minds told them to do that. Brown eyes and gray eyes shifted to lips.

Surprisingly, Ichigo was the first to back down. "L-L-Let's finish our food while it's still hot." Was he telling that to her or himself?

Regardless Orihime listened, backing down ad returning her focus to her plate. "Y-Yeah. U-Um, afterward…how would you feel about dessert?"

In spite of the residual pounding of his heart, he smirked at her. "Definitely."

He never got tired of seeing her squeal in joy, and Ichigo believed he likely never would.

-o-

A look outside and it was clear that the storm had let off. There was still a sprinkle, but enough that one could walk through in a hoodie or under an umbrella. "Orihime,"

She was aware of that, and she was aware that it was almost midnight. He should have been back home hours ago; it was surprising that his family hadn't called. She suspected that Urahara had likely informed them that Ichigo was walking her home. "If you want…you could…stay here tonight? I mean, you can if you-"

"I'll sleep on the-"

"Ichigo," Her hand shot to his shirt sleeve. "Do you remember when you asked me what I see you as? What do you see me as?"

The running water from the facet mixed with the soft pander of the rain outside. It would have been nice if they let it consume them, but neither Ichigo nor Orihime were willing to do that.

First, he turned it off, then the Substitute Shinigami turned to look down at the auburn-haired baker. The size difference between them was hilarious, yet she never seemed scared of his height. Orihime always seemed to find comfort in it. Ichigo reached for the wash clothes and used them on Orihime's hands.

"You know…I've always told myself that you're just a friend, but somewhere inside…you were never just that, Orihime." She passively watched him dry her hands, being incredibly gentle in doing so. "In spite of everything I've been through, I guess I'm still a bit of a coward."

"If you are, I'm just as much as one as well." Once he was finished washing her hands, she washed his, with the exact same gentleness. "When I left for Hueco Mundo to protect you…there was something that I wanted to say, but I was too scared to say it. A part of me has always hated myself for not saying it…but I was so scared."

"It's not easy bearing your heart to someone." He deduced. "Even when your heart is full of that person." He held one hand while removing the wash cloth from it, placing it on the kitchen counter.

"No…it isn't." she laughed in accordance. "But…there comes a time when we have to gather our courage and try. If we don't face our fears, how can we ever open to succeed?"

He smiled at her, heartened to hear such words.

Ichigo felt his body move, he felt himself more than he thought about anything. As his bespectacled friend would say, he acted like himself-choosing to act over thinking. Luckily, Orihime didn't seem to have a problem with that.

Her lips tasted sweet; he didn't think it was just a carry over from their dessert, a hearty serving of strawberry-flavored roll cake, Granted, Ichigo could still taste that, and he was certain that she could taste the same on his lips. It wasn't just that though, it was the simple feel of each other that they desired. The feelings had long since swirled within them, sitting at the bottom of the seas in their hearts. Finally, light shined on them.

As they separated, they looked into each other's eyes. What could have been an entire conversation was confined to that simple eye-exchange. At the end of it was one clear message-they couldn't stop at the fiery kiss that had just ended. There was no way they could stop at that.

Ironically, they moved toward each other rather solely. Their lips gently brushed up against each other, slowly refamiliarizing themselves with each other. That's how it was at first.

Heat lingered on both their lips, like dying sparks that were suddenly rejuvenated by joining together. The fire surged through both of them, fueling the amorous desire that had been quietly building within the both of them. Such desire had taken complete hold of them; they were self-conscious of it, and embraced it. That embrace certainly showed in the way the teenagers wrapped their arms around each other. In Orihime's case, it was her arms and her legs, the latter wrapping around Ichigo's waist furthering their embrace.

"Hmmmmm." Evidently, he liked the act. It would have bee a lie for Ichigo to say that he'd never…thought about Orihime, thought about he and her being in this kind of intimate position. He had, more times than he'd ever publicly admit. As begrudgingly as he could, he quietly admitted that he was living a fervent dream in this very moment, and it was only getting started. "Orihime," Ichigo whispered as they slowly separated for air.

"Y-You can…touch me, Ichigo." She saw how his eyes widened and his cheeks blazed bright red. The auburn-haired girl couldn't help but giggle in amusement. "I know you want to, Ichigo." His cheeks blushed even more at her not-so-subtle attempt at seduction. The attempt could undoubtedly be called successful given his heavier breathing and the way his cheeks were practically burning coals. Letting out a thick, lust-addled breath, she stroked his right cheek. "You can do it to me, Ichigo. You can…do whatever you want to me."

His eyes sharpened, gleaming like a blade seconds before striking its target. He struck with his lips, his tongue quickly darting into the princess' mouth, which opened for him. It welcomed him. That welcoming only further motivated Ichigo. The taller boy's hands fastened themselves around Orihime's waist, pressing her body against his. Her womanly assets were squeezed against his chest, just as her lips were squeezed against his mouth. It was intoxicating and empowering, Ichigo simply couldn't get enough of her and she couldn't get enough of him. Her hand rose from his cheeks into his hair, his orange spiky hair that she so dearly loved. Orihime gyrated her hips against his, knowing she'd get a reaction out of him.

She did, she most certainly did. Ichigo's hands slid from around her waist to her bottom. Orihime knew exactly what was coming next and welcomed it. If possible, she clung onto him even more.

Ichigo remembered when he lifted her up over his shoulder after his battle with Grimmjow. He definitely remembered Nel nearly destroying the Kurosaki (or Shiba) family jewels before they could ever be used. To say that the memory was one of annoyance was an understatement. Granted, in the time since…he'd somewhat begrudgingly accepted that the child-sized Arrancar had a point.

With her arms wrapped around him and his hands beneath her, he moved her toward the kitchen counter, which he sat her upon. It would have been another lie for him to deny that he'd never dreamed of this. Ichigo had been somewhat ashamed of the lewd fantasies-taking his best friend on the kitchen counter which she prepared food on? Seriously? What was he, some horny teenager? Kon? Keigo?!

However, at the moment, that sense of shame was a distant thought in his mind. All he was thinking about, all he could think about, was the beautiful woman in his arms, whose lips he was greedily devouring and whose mouth he was exploring to his heart's content. Ichigo didn't withdraw until his lungs screamed for oxygen; odds were Orihime's were doing the same as she took in wide gulps of air when they broke apart. They were back in this same position, panted, red-faced, eyes filled with desire for one another.

It was amazing how they were seemingly froze in place after such an intense make out. The fire was still burning hot, so hot that it could melt steel. In spite of that, neither of them moved again, seemingly frozen in a trance.

In that trance, the two found a shred of reason. Ichigo heaved out a sigh, moving a hand up through his princess' beautiful mane. "Orihime, if we do this…I don't think I'll ever let you go." His body tensed as his heart thundered in his chest, a powerful beat that resonated through his entire body. "Ever."

"That's fine, Ichigo, in fact, you have no idea how happy I am hearing that." She whispered as she ran her hand up his back. These hugs always left her wanting more; sometimes when they had them, she wished that they weren't wearing clothes. "Out of all of the guys in the world…you're the one I'd happily give my heart and soul and body to. I'd give them all to you without a second thought, Ichigo. You're the man that I love and…and…nothing would make me happier than going that far with you."

Their eyes met as a sharp crack of thunder sounded outside.

"I want to go all the way with you, Orihime. Once I take you up in my arms, I'll never let you go, I promise." Ichigo passionately declared. Some baser and instinctive part of him was shouting for him to just take her right then and there. He vigorously beat that part back. What he wanted with the woman in his arms wasn't just some sexual fulfillment; Ichigo wanted her heart for himself and he wanted to give her his. It was a foolish prospect as he'd always had her heart, and in a way, maybe she'd always had a piece of his. He leaned in to kiss her, she eagerly recuperated the sentiment. She was deserving of more than just a piece, he wanted to give her all of it.

"Then…let's not wait any longer." It was a bold statement that came from the depths of her soul. She eagerly pressed her lips against his, beginning another kiss. Just like her, Ichigo happily recuperated, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her up against his chest. This was her favorite place to be, always had been and always would. "I want this, Ichigo, and I want this with you. No one but you."

They could have done it right then and there in the kitchen, or on the couch. Neither idea appealed to Ichigo. Again, what he and Orihime had, it wasn't going to be some casual fling, not to mention in his eyes, she deserved so much better than that. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it right.

"Hold onto me." He whispered to her as he lifted her from the kitchen counter. In truth, he wouldn't let her fall even if she allowed her arms to go limp. They did the opposite, tightening around his neck as she withdrew from him. It gave them both a chance to get some air into their lungs. They continued to do that on the short trip from the kitchen into her bedroom. Ichigo saw the bed and immediately made for it. The two of them fell onto it, her back hitting the mattress as he loomed over her. Orihime's warm gray eyes lit up as she took stock of their positions. "Orihime, you're going to be mine."

"I know, and I couldn't be happier for it." Whispered back the healer. Her hand once more rose up to stroke his cheek. Her body was shaking with anticipation at the intimate embrace that was about to follow. "Ichigo…"

"Yours." He finished for her as he began to descend upon her. The Substitute Soul Reaper did so slowly, enjoying the slow and drawn out connecting of their lips and their bodies. It felt like it'd been too long and a missing piece of each other was finally found. "Only ever yours, Hime." The spiky-haired teenager whispered during a brief break. He felt her hands settle on both sides of his head, holding him in place so she could stare into his eyes again. It worked both ways as he was able to stare into her eyes as well. Ever so gently, she brought his face down atop of hers again, softly connecting their lips.

The kiss was gentle at first, but neither of them had the appetite for that for much longer. All too quickly, the kiss grew fiercer as both teenagers felt their hormones raging as they had before. Their bodies sensually grinded against one another, shaking the bed ever so slightly as the rain pattered on outside. Ichigo and Orihime had long since stopped caring about the storm outside, it was so weak in comparison to the storm brewing within the two of them, around them. It grew stronger and stronger by the second while the storm outside gradually lost strength. At the rate the two spiritually-empowered teens were going, they might not stop until the sky turned blue again and the sun had risen.

Each felt like they were holding the sun in their hands. Every kiss felt like a kiss from the sun, filling them without lustful energy that they quickly burned through; it was replenished mere seconds later. Truly, it was a never-ending cycle that they'd created, just for the two of them.

"Aahhh…mmmmhhhh…" Moaned the orphaned teenager. Every time Ichigo pulled his lips from hers, she eagerly awaited their return. This time, Ichigo didn't go for her lips, he moved his lips to her cheeks and descended from there. "I-I-Ichigo…aahhh, I-Ichigo…" She never knew her skin could be this sensitive, or maybe it was just Ichigo. Hundreds of sparks danced up and down her spine, more were on the way as the swordsman seemingly found a spot on her neck to suckle. "Aaaaaahhhh…I-Ichigo, o-oh my…"

"So, this is where you're sensitive, huh?" He jokingly asked. "That's good to know." Ichigo chuckled as he moved his hands up her arms. It was a good way to keep them from flailing about so much, plus, he just enjoyed the feel of her beautiful silk-like skin. His hands moved up to face hers, his fingers interlocking with hers. Ichigo sat up, looking down at her; Orihime's blushing face had his heart racing faster than it already had been. The whole thing still felt too surreal to be real, but it was real. Every second that he stared into her shimmering gray eyes, he knew it was real. She was lying beneath him, waiting for him to make his next move. Unable to contain himself any longer, he descended again upon her lips, affectionately kissing her while gently raising her hands above her head.

Orihime helped him. Whatever he had planned, she'd go along with. Whatever he asked her to do, she'd do in a heartbeat. Air rushed into her lungs through her lips, "Ichi," she whispered with that intake of air.

His eyes flashed and a sly smile adorned his face. Orihime smiled as her cheeks burned. "Hime." Well, their pet names for each other were set, and rather sweet sounding. Though Orihime wouldn't be the first person to call him that, she would be the one whom he was happiest to hear it from. When she spoke it, it didn't invoke annoyance in him but happiness. Even if he tried to hide that happiness behind a grow or scowl sometimes. That would never fool her.

As they kissed, Orihime slowly raised her legs and grinded them against her lover's side. He groaned into her mouth; his hips thrusted into hers getting a moan out of her. She continued her actions, giggling against his lips as she felt his body shaking atop of her. It was a perfect match for hers. Their interlocked fingers told the story, as did the continued shaking of the bed underneath them. They weren't quite rocking it yet, but one look at their gyrating bodies and it was clear that they were getting there. A major step was taken as Orihime untangled her hands from Ichigo's to claw at his backside. He moved his head into the crux of her neck and growled. The sweet smell of her perfume filled his nose further stoking the fire within him.

Ichigo didn't speak through his words but through his body. His thrusts grew more intense, his breathing on her neck heavier. Just barely keeping from breaking under the sensually assault, she reached for the bottom of his shirt and began to pull upward. Orihime knew she was giving into a desire that had burned within her for almost two years now. It was quite a normal day for a girl to dream of undressing the guy they were in love with, in spite of that, her face still burned red like a tomato. Ichigo straightened his arms out allowing her to fully remove hit-shirt and reveal his broad-chested body. Orihime's gray eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she took in the full physique of her spiky-haired lover.

Honestly, it shouldn't have been too surprising, she'd seen him somewhat shirtless before! Well, some of those times he'd been bandaged up and her concern for him had superseded whatever amorous feelings she might have had for him. Not this time though. This time, they were in the comfort of her home, alone, having decided to take that step as lovers.

Chuckling, Ichigo wrapped his arms around her and brought her up against his chest. If he hadn't, he had a feeling she was going to keep on staring.

"Like what you see, Orihime?" He casually whispered.

Her hands subconsciously began to move up his backside, her nails dragging across his skin. "Y-Y-Yes. I-I like it very much, I-Ichigo." He silently growled as she continued to gently scratch his back. Ichigo yearned for her touch and she yearned to give it. "I've…always wanted to do this." She admitted.

"I don't see anything wrong with that, Orihime." Ichigo stated. His hands were mimicking hers, moving across her backside in naked affection. With every beat of his heart, he felt an impulsive desire to literally rip her dress off. Zangetsu was practically screaming it in his ear forcing him to shut him out. He was really going to have to find a way to shut him up whenever he and his girlfriend had sex with each other. Refocusing himself, he went back to cradling his girlfriend against him. "I'm yours to touch…whenever you want."

She knew what the usual follow-up to that response was, and she was more than happy to give it. "And you me, Ichigo." She saw his face brighten, yet she also saw his mouth getting ready to move. Smiling, she cupped his cheeks and kissed him, silencing the Substitute Soul Reaper. Both moans as they rocked their bodies against one another again. It was incredibly tempting to utterly lose herself in the euphoria, but Orihime didn't. Looping her arms around his neck, she gave him a brief but tender kiss before making her move. She felt the short but swift rush of air around her as she flipped the two of them over. Orihime now sat on top and Ichigo laid on the bottom. He looked up at her and blinked in genuine surprise at the move she just pulled.

Orihime looked down and smiled at her boyfriend, enjoying the momentary shock on his face. It quickly melted away into a seductive and approving smile. Slowly, he moved his hands to her sides, never breaking eye-contact with her. Giving him a nod, she raised her arms up; Orihime felt her shirt being lifted above her. The apartment's cool hair kissed her now exposed upper body. Save for her bra, she was utterly exposed before the man she loved.

She didn't have to worry about any sort of negative response as Ichigo's brown eyes widened to the size of saucers. His jaw dropped as he moved his eyes between her face and her chest; her blush deepened as he stared at the latter.

Shit…holy shit, they're…they're bigger than I imagined they would be. It was a known fact that Orihime Inoue was well-endowed in the chest area. Ichigo had been reminded of that thanks to the…outfit that Urahara had tricked her into wearing. Yoruichi had laid into him on not complimenting her for the outfit. Oh, he wanted to do more than just compliment her; luckily, they were on their way to the fiercest battle of their lives. Did he go into that battle with some potential regrets? Yeah, but thankfully, he'd lived to rectify some of those regrets.

"You can touch them all you want, Ichigo." Came the princess' gentle voice. She giggled as he looked at her with naked bewilderment. "Here, let me help you." Ichigo let out a quiet moan as she took hold of his hands and moved them against her breasts. His hands were soft as were her bra-covered breasts. Orihime kept her hands atop of his as he began to fondle her boobs. She was happy that she'd gone with a lacy pink number tonight as even when he tried to look away, her boyfriend still sneaked in several glances at her chest.

"Y-Y-Y-You haven't been hanging out with Rangiku, h-h-have you?" Ichigo asked while looking away, even while he continued to toy with her chest. He cursed the fact that for the first time in his life, he could truly sympathize with Keigo and Kon, the perverted jerks.

Laughing in amusement, she leaned in close, close enough that their noses were touching. Ichigo couldn't look away from her, she had him utterly captive. Excitement surged through her like lightning. "And if I have been?"

Yep, she'd been hanging out with the busty party-girl lieutenant. Where else could his princess have learned to be such a tease? "Then I…guess I sorta might owe her one." He admitted in a whisper while his cheeks blazed like fire. The girl atop of him giggled again, further fueling his blazing cheeks. "Urgh, don't tell her that though, she'll never let me hear the end of it."

"My lips are sealed." She the went on to sealing his using her own. A joint moan rose up between the two of them, filling the room alongside the continued patter of rain outside. The two mixed together to create an erotic scene that would have the most diehard romantics squealing in joy. Being one of those, Orihime imagined her inner self jumping for joy as she and Ichigo made out atop her bed. For an added bonus, both of them were topless, only in her wildest, lewdest dreams had she ever imagined that happening. "Aahhhhhh…" she moaned as they briefly separated for air. "Ichigo," His lips were on hers, massaging her breasts causing her moans to grow even louder. For someone who was so shy at first, he was certainly getting into breast fondling.

It was invigorating and suffocating; Ichigo didn't know what was going to give out first, his cock or his mind. Every cell in hos body was positively screaming for him to remove the rest of Orihime's clothing. He wanted to see her stripped down to her birthday suit, he'd follow after her course. His mind kept o repeating the declaration that she'd made, "I want this, Ichigo, and I want this with you. No one but you." Heart racing, he gripped the upper rim of her bra and began to tug it down. Orihime's sudden cry as she felt cool air tickle her nipples made his blood quicken through his veins. Like a Venus fly trap, he clapped down on the now exposed mounds of flesh, his cheeks still burning red.

"That's it…fill me…fill me up, Ichigo." Orihime beckoned, her voice enchanting him as if she were some mystical siren.

Panting, he started to do exactly that, quickly growing enamored with the feel of her soft fleshy mounds. As he groped them, a passionate, possessive hunger took hold of him. He channeled that hunger through his lips; Ichigo let out a predatory growl before claiming Orihime's lips in a searing kiss. She more than welcomed it, it and its meaning. Her body was for him and him alone, and he was about to lay claim to it. Orihime's tongue flickered against his as they continued to grind their hips against each other, feeding more fuel into the lustful fire. Another crack of thunder sounded, but it was so distant in their ears. Lewd, fleshy squelching noises filled their eyes and their eyes gazed into each other. Stormy gray that held nothing but loving warmth and warm brown which held similar feelings. They would only ever look to another with such emotions.

The couple released themselves from the kiss with a pop. Orihime arched her back upward, allowing the man beneath her full view of her absolutely eye-catching breasts. They jiggled in his hands, partially because of his hands. The sight only spurned him to fondle her boobs even more. Her lewd cries definitely helped.

In that moment, Orihime looked more beautiful than she ever had before in Ichigo's eyes. His hands instinctively groped her mounds even harder causing her to shout. The call seemingly stirred something within Ichigo, he pulled away. Orihime looked at him in surprise, he looked away.

"I, um, I don't want to hurt you…or…go further than you're willing to." He explained without looking her in the eye.

Gently cradling his cheek, she turned his head so they were facing each other. Yet again, Ichigo was absolutely powerless before the kind smile whose radiance could compete with the sun and the stars. There were times he felt underserving of it, yet he longed for it, and at times like this he embraced it. His hands moved around Orihime's hips, once more cementing the physical bond between the two of them.

"Ichigo, you'd never hurt me." She declared. Her hands gently moved across his brow, soothing the worries that had been building within him. It was truly amazing how she could do such a thing with a mere touch. "I love you, and I'll always trust you." To prove her point, she titled his head upright so she could kiss him. The kiss relit the fire in both of them, roaring back to its previous brilliance. It ended far too quickly for both of them. "Besides, maybe I…like it a little rough with you." She giggled as his cheeks once again ignited. This night wasn't quite going how she expected it to, but she was glad for it. "Gentle, rough…I like doing it anyway with you, Ichigo." Orihime whispered as she leaned in close to him.

That's… He began in his mind. Though his heart raced, his voice was surprisingly calm and even. "A relief."

"In the future, let's explore." Her entire body seemingly buzzed with electricity at the prospect of their future trysts with each other. She caught the way Ichigo smiled showing that he too was interested in experimenting. Orihime raised her hand and ran it along the sides of his head. "For tonight though…let's just…be together, in any way."

"I'm fine with that." He said in a husky voice that sent further shivers up her spine.

Ichigo didn't resist her as she pushed him back against the bed. His breathing was calm in spite of his fast-racing heart, he was curious and eager to see what Orihime had in store for him.

"Let me treat you right, let me love you back…for everything that you've done for me, Ichigo." She spoke undoing the straps of her bra. Ichigo's eyes remained on her as she let it fall to the side of the bed. She moaned as she felt his hands moving up her sides, gently massaging them as he'd done her breasts. As if she were losing support, she bent down, affectionately connecting their lips. Tongues moved out, connecting at the tip then sliding past one another. Their hips began to shake, bumping against one another in another sensual rhythm. "Lie back, Ichigo."

Did she have any idea how hard that was going to be? Ichigo was fighting an internal battle that he didn't think he was going to win. He wanted to take her, but apparently Orihime wanted to take the slow and steady approach. A part of him wasn't exactly against that, but another more primal part of him wanted to turn her over and pound away into her like there was no tomorrow. Ultimately, one side triumphed.

In spite of her request, Ichigo lifted his neck up, taking the time to devour her lips. His hands swam through her auburn hair, and remained there when he finally withdrew his lips from hers. He clearly did so reluctantly, not wanting to be away from her sweet lips. Orihime could understand the pain of separation. Laughing, she gave him more one peck on the lips to keep him held over. Her hands gently slid from around his neck to down it, slowly pushing him back down onto the bed. She felt his hands remain on her sides then her hips, his grip tightened as she peppered his chest with kisses.

Orihime paused at his chest, choosing to take a moment to listen to the beautiful music that was his heartbeat. She felt Ichigo's hand fall atop her head, gently stroking it as he always did. He knew her so well, knew exactly how to comfort her; it was one of the reasons she absolutely loved him from the depths of her heart. Once she had her feel of the lovely symphony, she continued to move down toward the waistband of his pants.

Ichigo inhaled a quick breath, knowing what was about to happen next. He and nudity had a…well, he could say his relationship started with Yoruichi. She'd be laughing her ass off at a moment like this-especially since she'd been trying like hell to get them together just like everyone else. Ichigo briefly shuddered at how she'd take the news; that was a ways off into the future though, he chose to focus on the present. And the present was looking incredibly nice.

He lifted his legs up allowing Orihime to slide his pants and boxers off. It was his turn to let out a sudden breath as he felt cool air tickle his lower regions. In his mind he saw himself in a position that he never thought he'd be in-lying naked atop Orihime's bed. It was so…surreal, yet for all the awkwardness he might have felt, Ichigo felt happy. Here he was, having lived a truly adventurous life doing something so…basic, so teenager-like. He'd heard his classmates, specifically the male ones, boasting of how good it felt to be lying in the bed of the girls they were crushing on. Ichigo had never given much thought to what that would feel like, but maybe somewhere in the back of his head he had thought about it.

Maybe Orihime had too.

"Ahhhh…O-O-Orihime…Ori…hime…" His eyes flew wide open as his heart threatened to explode out of his chest. Two more licks, yes, licks, from her tongue followed and he felt like he was on the verge of exploding from the inside out. The teenager's back arched back, his fingers curling against the light gray bedsheets. "That feels…amazing."

That was perhaps one of the best things a girl could have heard. Her heart bubbling with sexually pride, Orihime began to flick her tongue against her lover's shaft. Let it never be said that Ichigo Kurosaki was lacking in any department physically. The healer's togue rose up and down his member, enjoying every inch that she slathered in her saliva. It was quite easy to hit a moving target, and Ichigo didn't' stop moving, he couldn't stop moving. That was a testament to how much euphoria was pumping through him. Orihime had that same euphoria pumping through her as well. She decided to see how far they could push things.

The Substitute Soul Reaper's breathing became increasingly faster and more frantic as his girlfriend picked up the pace. Any second, his heart was definitely going to explode, yet time itself seemed to freeze, locking him in a sea of never-ending pleasure. He continuously opened and shut his eyes, unable to look anywhere but up at the ceiling. Ichigo found he couldn't even speak, only pant over and over again, never able to get one breath of air in, yet using what he could to pant and even shout. There was only one decipherable word he could scream, a name-the name of the woman that he loved with all of his heart.

Said woman greedily licking his cock up, down, and sideways. She'd completely slathered it with her salvia and wrapped her tongue around it. Orihime was clearly hooked on it, somewhat literally. Flicking her eyes toward her constantly twitching boyfriend, she moved her hands to his balls and began to fondle them just as he'd fondled her boobs. The loudest cries yet came from the Substitute Soul Reaper. She giggled against his cock as she knew a way to make them eve louder.

A brief reprieve came for the black-cloaked swordsman. Sweat poured down his face and his vision was hazy. Slowly, the details of the ceiling came back into focus; with that, he started to look around him. Through the blinds to his right, he could see that the rain was finally slacking off, going to a quiet whisper. In that quiet whisper, he realized there was an absence of sound from the woman he loved.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw his cock standing erect in the small space between Orihime's gigantic mounds. His eyes met hers, she smirked at him in such a way that his cock twitched, speaking for him. A tiny spurt of pre-cum leaked from his tip.

"Are you ready, Ichigo?" She questioned with an innocent face that belayed the erotic desire she held burning within her.

Still at a loss for words, he slowly nodded his head. Orihime let out a rather girlish cheer like she'd just wo the lottery. It actually made her look sexy instead of just cute.

"Aaaaaahhhh! Orihime! Ori…aaaaaaahhh!" He thought he'd known pleasure before, but the sandwiching of his cock between Orihime's breasts made Ichigo realize he didn't know the meaning of the word. Until now. "More…more, Hime, more!" And he was absolutely hooked on the feeling. "Oooooooohhhh!"

Rangiku, thank you so much for your help! She made a mental note to thank the busty Shinigami the next time she saw her. It was natural that the…advice she'd given could produce some results, some rather fruitful results. Orihime had always silently wondered how it would feel to have a man's cock between her boobs, to rub that cock with her blessed mounds. As it turned out, the feeling was incredible. She followed what advice Rangiku had given her along with using her own natural instincts. Never had she been so grateful for her ginormous mounds. With pride, she continued her actions, squeezing Ichigo's member even harder with her breasts.

"AAAAHH!" Shouted the spiritual warrior. Ichigo felt like thrusted his hips upward, creating an erotic friction that left him thrashing his head from side to side. Holding fast to the sheets at his side, he forced his head upward to shout over and over again. That and he wanted to get a look at his girlfriend's face. "Hime…you're…so…incredible." He wasn't used to using the phrase "beautiful and talented", at least not in this sense, but those were the words that came to mind watching the healer pillow his cock and kiss the tip of it. Ichigo didn't know when she'd started sucking his tip, probably while he was screaming in bliss.

It…feels so good. Ichigo…feels so good. She purred with the tip of his member in his mouth feeling his hand stroke the side of her head. Orihime wanted to continue this wondrous feeling, but she knew it would end eventually. As she sucked his cock, she felt Ichigo's impeding orgasm-his cock was twitching more and more by the second. Given its size and thickness, an orgasm so close would be akin to a volcanic eruption. The thought once more sent euphoric lightning jolting up her spine.

"Hime…I can feel it! I'm going to…!" He shouted throwing his head back revealing the stress veins.

In seconds, she took his cock in one final time, pushing it as far back as it could go while squeezing it with her boobs.

"AAAAH!"

The tsunami of bliss crashed into both of them, though more literally in the healer's case. Her face and chest bore the brunt of the orgasmic blast, dousing both in creamy white love nectar. As she predicted, it exploded from the hybrid warrior's tip, streams of white love hitting her in the face and spilling onto her chest. Of the former, she opened her mouth wide to drink up as much of Ichigo's masculine juices as she could. What she tasted was sweeter than anything she'd ever ingested before. She was so enraptured by it, she moved to force out more by squeezing Ichigo's cock with her mounds. The already gushing stream was lengthened as the spiky-haired teen further buried his head in the pillow.

Orihime took a perverted-like sense of pride in the fact that she made a mess of herself. Since it was at the hands, er, cock, of the man she loved, she figured that was nothing too surprising, nor was it anything to be ashamed of. As the cum trailed down her face and stuck to her chest, Orihime felt a rising sense of pride ad joy. Having swallowed the previous load, she turned her attention to the still leaking member. Her face and chest still doused with her boyfriend's love nectar, she leaked up the cum leaking from the tip of his cock. Inevitable, the masculine tower twitched, as did its owner.

"Hime…" Ichigo whispered.

"You're still so hard, Ichigo." One more lick and his member seemed on the verge of erupting again. Amazingly, it didn't after a second ad third lick. Giggling, she looked up into the strained face of her spiky-haired lover, relishing the sweaty and exhausted look on his face. She'd brought him to heel far quicker and more easily than any other enemy he'd faced before. "You taste wonderful." She declared before giving his cock a long sensual lick.

"I'm…so happy to hear that, Hime." He didn't even try to fight the blush that overtook his cheeks thanks to her compliment. Really, it was…nice to hear. Feeling his heart swimming in a sea of joy, he spread his arms out to either side of him and simply let his body go. He only tensed up when another orgasm came to him curtsy of his girlfriend's feather-like fingers. Through hazy vision, he saw that this time, she took the majority of his loud into her mouth.

"Mmmmmmmhhh!" She moaned with her lips fastened around his member. He tastes better on the second serving! Happily sang the spiritual healer. As if she were slurping a smoothie, she eagerly sucked his cock, swallowing the thick stream that was his masculine juices.

Another popping sound filled the room signaling the disengagement of the princess lips from the warrior's cock. The latter laid flat on his back, panting while his lover took the time to enjoy his juices, and begin cleaning them off of her. Ichigo shut his eyes and listened to the lewd sound, finding something oddly enticing about it. Popping one eye open, he saw the sight himself, and chuckled at it.

He'd seen Orihime covered in food cream. He'd seen her covered in soap bubbles. He'd seen her covered in sticky notes. He'd seen her covered in a lot of weird things, but the sight of her covered from head to chest in his cum was…exquisite. There was something about it that just seemed so right to him.

No other man will do what I just to her…and what I'm about to do next. Ichigo thought. Whenever she looked up to him, he merely smiled at her causing the aspiring baker to blush. Crossed with the residual cum on her face, she looked half-adorable and half-sexy as hell. It made it hard for him to remain still, though his member did some moving for him, occasionally twitching at the sight of Orihime. Ichigo quietly watched the show until it ended, almost all of his cum having been licked off of Orihime's face and chest. Watching her clean the latter had been particularly arousing as it wasn't often a guy got to witness a girl kiss her fairly large boobs, and to do so to clean off his cum to boot.

Having felt his eyes on her all the while, Orihime finally looked up and held her protector's gaze. Her breathing suddenly became highly erotic as she began to crawl toward him. Ichigo sat upright, staring back at her with those warm yet cool brown eyes. Once she was within an inch of him, his arms rose up, wrapping around her waist and holding her against him. Their lips met in a vibrant kiss. The taste of his cum was exchange between their lips. Both teens moaned at the exchange, clearly savoring it, and the feel of one another's lips. Tongues flickered back and forth just like they did once before.

Finally able to feel Ichigo's naked body beneath her, Orihime gently gyrated her hips like continuing to kiss her lover. A constant jolt was racing through her feeling his harden member against her waist. The desire to strip off the last of her own clothing burned within her, yet she couldn't bring herself to move away from Ichigo's lips. Likewise, the Hollow-empowered Shinigami knew that he'd best remove her short-shorts and her undies; he wondered how soaked they were. He wanted to, yet Ichigo couldn't fathom not kissing her. Gently biting her lip, he found the strength to move his left hand from her face and direct it downward. Orihime shuddered against him feeling his hand so softly moving downward toward her waist.

The princess opened her mouth to cry out in bliss as she felt his fingers probe her vaginal lips. Ichigo seized on the opportunity to take her lips again; she happily accepted the kiss. Her tongue stretched out, colliding with Ichigo's. He quickly overpowered her on multiple fronts, taking command of the situation.

"You're so wet down there, Hime. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised." He whispered against her lips.

"Y-You tend to do this to me, I-Ichigo. You get me…all hot and bothered when I think about you in that way." She confessed.

Pumping her using his index and middle finger, he whispered, "Only me, right, Hime?"

Wrapping both her arms around his neck, she looked at him with pleading eyes. "Of course! There's no one else but you!"

With that same feral growl, he wrapped his right arm around her waist and flipped the two of them over. Orihime quickly adapted to the new position, raising her legs up and wrapping them around the swordsman's waist. All that was missing was his cock inserted into her, but alas, her pants and undies still stood in the way. Based on the look in Ichigo's face as he pulled away from her, that wouldn't last long though.

Two sets of fingers gripped the side of the teenage girl's pants, they gently slid them down leaving her only in her pink undies, undies that had a small stain in the center of them. Ichigo could smell the sweet aroma from it. In spite of that sweet smell, he kept his eyes locked on Orihime's shimmering gray,

"Ichi," she whispered in that voice that sent bolts of lightning racing down his spine. His hands were still on her hips, gently raising her off the bed. Orihime expected her underwear to come off next, but she was happy with a tender kiss. Her hands immediately latched onto the side of his head, she instinctively thrusted her hips upward, bumping up against Ichigo's. It was her way of sending a message, a message that Ichigo got. Still holding onto his head and lips, she lifted her lower body up allowing him to fully remove her panties. Either cared where they landed. Ichigo's hands slid up the healer's body, increasing her shaking. Their arms encircled each other's waist and neck respectively.

Finally nude, the couple kiss and grinded together in sensual rhythm. They looked like two majestic beasts mating, a lone spiritual spectator observing the show. Well, maybe not one, actually seven, but all stayed absolutely quiet; this moment belonged to the black swordsman and the sun princess, they'd long since earned it.

Their pet names flew from one another's lips as they continued the long-awaited mating. With his hold on her, Ichigo gently raised the long-haired girl, who responded by sensually grinding her legs against her lover's body. Groaning, the spiky-haired boy retaliated by sliding his hands down his girlfriend's back. Long before he reached her ass, Orihime shuddered in erotic bliss. Once she felt her lover's hands on her buttocks, she broke from his lips and let out a howl of delight. Ichigo followed it up by softly grinding his body against hers. Orihime's eyes briefly fluttered open, stars dancing across her vision. They burned brighter as she felt the brush of Ichigo's harden cock against her loins. She so desperately wanted his cock inside of her, and she was pretty sure Ichigo wanted the same.

She mirrored his actions, making his member pulsate even more. Brief as it was, he tensed, that opening was all Orihime needed. Her assault was fierce and direct, further straining his control. "Ichigo," whispered the gray-eyed beauty.

His leer was enough to make her pussy twitch in excitement. "Trying to go for three, huh, Hime?" Her cheeks flaring red, she nodded. "Well, I'd like that to be inside of you…but first, I think it's only fair we even things up."

Orihime's eyes widened as she caught the implication. Her lips curved into a smile as she peppered his cheek with kisses. "Then do it, like I said, Ichigo, I'm all yours."

"Yes, you are." He whispered back with that smoldering look in his eyes. Holding by the top of the head, he titled her face back so he could get at her neck. She tightened her hold around him, and he responded by suckling her neck. Her scent was so enticing Ichigo wondered how he ever resisted the urge to take her in the first place. He felt anger at the possibility of another man getting close to her; only he would be allowed to do that. Only he would be the one able to make her howl like this. Geez, am I really this possessive of her?

Yeah, dumbass, you are. I mean come on, look at her! You're fucking her!

Ignoring Zangetsu's words, he eased her back onto the bed so that she lay flat against it. Orihime still arched her back up, it was impossible for her to stay flat on her back. Ichigo's kisses continued to fall on her. This was something else she'd quietly wanted, dreamed of even. Orihime always felt like Ichigo had this gentleness in him, she'd seen it with her own eyes. It was nice to fully be a full recipient of it.

"Aaaaahhhh…yes, Ichigo…h-h-have your way with them." Cried the auburn-haired girl. Her hands moved across his hand, his beautiful sun-colored spikes brushing up against her skin. "More…harder, Ichigo…"

Ichigo bit down just a little more on her left side nipple. His head was happily sandwiched between her breast and her hand; it's not like he needed the encouragement, but it definitely helped. The Substitute moved his tongue along the fleshy nipple with all the speed in which he swung his sword. Orihime was defenseless before it, and she welcomed the tongue-based assault. He left bite marks on her breast, his mark. After a few seconds of admiring his handiwork, Ichigo went at it again, heaping attention onto both of her breasts using his mouth and his hand. Orihime applauded him with her voice, a heavenly song that spurned him onward just as much as his own surging lust.

Several minutes passed during which he bit ad licked the princess' left side breast until the nipple was surrounded by teeth marks and saliva. He silently moved onto her right, still tending to the other with his right hand, his dominant hand. Orihime's mouth flew open as both of her breasts came under new sensual assault. Ichigo moaned into her breast as he felt her soaking wet pussy pushing up against him. Even he had to admit, it was a struggle not to grab his cock and ram it right into her snatch. Given his…size, he knew it wouldn't be pleasant at first. Not to mention he wanted a taste of his lover's feminine juices.

Those juices accumulated as he continued to kiss and fondle her mounds. They were everything they were cracked up to be, and so much more. Ichigo pulled away, hovering over her and watching the expressions she made as he groped and massaged her boobs. Orihime's mouth hung open in endless panting and moaning. When her gray eyes met Ichigo's, the fire between them grew hotter and brighter. It beckoned them toward one another, their lips colliding in another kiss. Their tongues jetted toward one another and collided, slapping against each other. Saliva connected their lips as they separated. In the quiet calm after, they stared at each other, panting and red lipped.

Orihime nodded. Her permission wasn't needed, but it was nice to have in Ichigo's book. He leaned forward kissing her on the lips again, a brief but sweet kiss that she treasured.

The swordsman slid his hands down as he moved his head toward the healer's pussy. Orihime nervously spread her legs out, giving Ichigo a view of her wet pussy. A small tuff of orange hair sat above her pussy, feminine juices leaking from her silt. Ichigo drew closer, the smell growing more intense until he touched her pussy with his tongue. It magnified and Orihime moaned, for the first time knowing the feel of a man's tongue against her pussy. She'd never forget the rush of pure euphoria that ripped through her body. Her toes curled and her legs came close to sandwiching his head. They did on the third lick as Orihime couldn't contain herself anymore.

"Ichiiiigo…" moaned the auburn-haired girl. Tears built in her eyes as she struggled to raise her head and look down. As she laid eyes on the spiky orange mass of hair between her legs, another wave of ecstasy ripped through Orihime. "Oooooohhh!" His tongue was going at it in earnest, flicking against her silt ad occasionally dipping into it. "D-D-Deeper, please, g-go deeper, Ichigo! Please!"

She couldn't see his face, she couldn't see the way he smirked. As you wish, Orihime. He pushed his tongue deeper and immediately felt the princess' fleshy walls pressing against it. Ichigo had never felt anything like it, but he was immediately taken with the sensation-no-the taste. Not surprisingly, she was extremely wet inside, and Ichigo lapped up that wetness using his tongue. He heard the princess moaning in erotic joy, beginning him to keep on going; he did, and with gusto. Ichigo felt the bed beneath him shaking as he explored his girlfriend's vaginal tunnel, marking it with the salvia on his tongue.

"Aaaaaaahhhh! Yes, yes…Ichigo…harder! Go even harder! Deeper!" Her voice boomed in his ears.

It was intoxicating having her creamy legs wrapped around his head. Holding those thighs had been amazing, but having them wrapped around him was a whole new level of enjoyment. The constant warmth and shaking on both sides of him helped him to dig his way into her pussy. Fleshy walls continued to tighten around his tongue like they were attempted to stop by squeezing it to death. Regardless, Ichigo pushed on. An ear-splitting howl of raw ecstasy went up just as he reached what he believed to be Orihime's center.

Jackpot. The teenager grinned knowing he'd hit her core. He wasted no time in continuous slashing at it with his tongue. Orihime's voice grew louder by the second, each blow making her scream louder and her body burn all the hotter. She was living up to the celestial lantern that she was so commonly associated with, and was on the verge of going supernova. The teenager pushed her into collapse, now holding onto her shaking hips so he could keep her steady. Of course, he already had her shapely legs wrapped around his head. Ichigo felt like he was in Nirvana, from the sounds of it, Orihime was right there with him.

"Aaaaaaahhhh! More! More, Ichigo!"

The princess' hands grabbed for his head. Orihime tightened her hold on her boyfriend's head, having lost any trance of concern that she might have been squeezing him too hard. She squeezed him with her thighs and her hands, her nails digging into his cranium. The princess was hanging onto him for dear life, Orihime felt like if she didn't, she teetered right off the edge into the abyss. Regardless of what she did, she knew she was going to go over the edge. Below her lay a swirling whirlpool of ecstasy that she longed to experience.

Her dark yet heroic lover gave her one final push with her tongue, sending her free falling into release.

"OOOOHHHH! ICHIGO!"

He felt it and was ready for it-the torrent of womanly nectar that gushed from Orihime's vagina. It came bigger and stronger than any tsunami he'd ever seen, utterly dousing his face. Still, Ichigo opened his mouth and took in as much of her love nectar as he could. He definitely made sure to try as he found the taste to be absolutely delicious. With a mental chuckle, he could have sworn it tasted sugary sweet, just like her. Even when he was forced to pull away, his mind never strawed from the thought of lapping up her gushing juices until her pussy was as clean as it had been when they began. Ichigo looked at the waterfall of love nectar with continued hunger before diving right back in.

After such a loud scream, Orihime thought her voice would be a little burnt out. In spite of that, she found herself continuous moaning and panting as she felt Ichigo's tongue against her pussy. Every lick caused it to quiver again. He really was licking up all of her juices. She moved her right index finger to her mouth ad gentle bit on it in an attempt to steady her breathing. That's how she stayed as her boyfriend licked her pussy clean; she enjoyed every second of it. When she felt his tongue dart back into her folds, she broke away from her finger and howled. Before it ended, she moved her hands back into his spiky sun-colored mane.

It was comforting to feel Orihime's hands atop his head as he finished licking up her love juices. He'd made her cum quite a bit, pleasantly surprising him. With his hands against her thighs, he felt the nonstop shivering of the healer. Ichigo looked up at her through partially closed eyes.

Would there ever be a time when he stopped calling her beautiful? Gorgeous? Would there ever be a time when he didn't look at her and year to wrap his arms around her and keep her close to him forever? Ichigo doubted so, and he was happy to let that doubt fester.

Time passed in a near completely silent vacuum for the couple. The princess continued to pant, her breathing slowly returning to normal, her knightly lover kept o licking up her folds until they were mostly clean. He'd had quite a little feast, just like she had with his cock. Now finished, he turned his focus to his wavy-haired lover.

Just like with her cum, he let Orihime taste her juices on his mouth. Framing his face again, she took pleasure in sampling her cum on the lips of her beloved. Orihime enjoyed the taste, ad enjoyed the feel of his lips on hers again. The swordsman returned his hands to their favorited position around her waist. They were in perfect position for the next step of their tryst and they both knew it.

Neither said a word at first, preferring to just keep kissing each other, the act caused the already burning around arousal within them to further smear. It was maddening for the both of them.

"I'm ready, Ichigo." She whispered when they pulled apart.

"Already, make sure to hold onto me." He responded.

She shut her eyes and braced herself, knowing it would hurt.

Inevitably, it did. In one fell swoop, her virginity was gone, but it'd been given away to the man of her dreams, a man who lovingly held her as the pain of that loss shook her.

"I-I'm okay, Ichigo, I'm okay." The soothing words didn't cause him to ease up much, but she knew they were a start. "You're just…so big. You feel so big, yet so…right inside of me." Orihime added with a happy smile.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that, because I love how you feel around me, Hime." The Substitute Shinigami laughed. "You feel so wonderful."

Giggling at his affectionate praise, she angled his head so they could kiss each other. It was a lovely way to ride out the last portion of pain. Their kiss continued longer after it subsided.

"You can move now, Ichigo." She whispered.

That was the go ahead he'd been waiting for. Once it was given, he began to thrust his hips forward and didn't stop going. Euphoric sensations flooded the both of them; they flowed into Orihime and seemingly bounced back onto Ichigo. Her mouth hung open while his was shut through gritted teeth, aggressive grunts passing through his teeth. He felt her walls pressing down on him, but this time against his cock, which twitched and pulsated at the wet and warm pressure being inflicted o it. He'd already gotten a feel of how tight his girlfriend was, but this was a whole new level.

"So good…Ichigo…you're…filling me…to the brink!" The princess screamed.

"And you're…squeezing me…so damn much! Orihime…you're…amazing!" He kicked the speed of his thrusts up, half-curious as to what would happen.

The results spoke for themselves. The young baker's back arched pushing his member deeper into pussy. Her walls promptly squeezed down harder on the massive cock rearranging them, shaping them into their future positions. Orihime's heart sang with joy at the erotic molding. Her eyes flashing with starlight, she slammed her lips up against Ichigo's, rocking her body against him. He bore down on her with all that he had, vigorously pushing his member in and out of her snatch. In spite of his size, it constricted around him, clearly unwilling to stand for him moving so much as an inch out. Ichigo made up for that every time with a powerful thrust to her center.

"OOOOOOHH! YESSSSS! MORE, ICHIGO! MOOOORE!"

"SINCE YOU ASKED FOR IT, HIME!"

Now, the bed was rocking like it was in the midst of a storm. It shook under the force of the swordsman ad the healer's frantic lovemaking. There weren't ay signs of it stopping as it looked like both teens were running on near limitless energy. Perhaps it was all the pent-up yearnings within them. They knew that there was no going back for either of them after this. Neither of them were the type for casual sex, and this certainly wasn't that. The way they kissed each other and looked into one another's eyes spoke of genuine love; that love was on full display as they rocked their bodies in tandem with each other.

"I-ICHIGO, I CAN FEEL IT IN ME!" Evidently, it wasn't so limitless, but the end wasn't something that they shirked away from.

"LET IT OUT, ORIHIME! LET IT ALL OUT!" This was the most intimate that he'd ever been with her. Somewhere inside, as far back as last year, Ichigo contemplated if this how he wanted to be with her all along. Now he was with her, and he would be with her right to the very end.

"ICHIGO!"

"ORIHIME!"

Her walls clapped down on his member one final time, expunged twin waves of cum onto his member. Simultaneously, his member shot thick ropes of his masculine essence straight into her. One orgasm fueled the other, happening within seconds of each other. They perfectly came together, much like the two of them.

Cum leaked from the auburn-haired girl's filled up hole. It wasn't a mighty waterfall like it had been before on account of the near foot-like girth occupying it, it was more like a continuous leak. Orihime felt the bulk of the cum entering into her womb; it was a feeling too amazing for words. Tears of joy slid down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. Fulfillment bloomed within her like a field of flowers. First there had been rain, but the sun had finally came giving them all that they needed to blossom to life.

The couple collapsed into the ethereal flower garden, their heavy breathing replacing the love-fueled storm of moments earlier. In the relaxation that followed, both realized that the rain outside had stopped. Both were quite happy to see that, the rain clouds had parted allowing the moon to reveal itself to the once. Ichigo scooted over so that Orihime was facing the window while pressed up against his chest. She enjoyed the position and let her boyfriend know it by turning her head back and kissing him. Upon laying back, they watched the night sky through the window.

It took several long minutes of gazing at the night through the window for the Substitute Shinigami to speak. "Orihime," she turned around, giving him a chance to look into her lovely gray eyes. Ichigo felt his heart stir once more as his left hand fell atop her stomach. "I…I'll-"

"I'm on birth control." Her words cut him off as quickly as his sword would have an enemy Hollow. She couldn't help but laugh at the way his eyes widen, exactly like a Hollow realizing it'd just been cut down before perishing. "Yeah, sorry that I forgot to tell you before."

"It's fine, you told me now, so…going forward…" he trailed off, his cheeks turning as red as Renji's hair. Having a front row seat to it, Orihime couldn't help but laugh in amusement. That just made his blush burn all the harder. "Um, look…"

"Is this the part where you officially ask me to be your girlfriend?" She happily inquired.

Ichigo at first laughed, then he moved into position above her. Orihime felt herself blasted by the intensity of his gaze. She was attracted to it, pulled to it like a magnet. Her legs rose to cross around his waist and her hands scrapped across his backside.

"Yes, it is, Orihime." The swordsman whispered. "It's…taken me a while, but…going forward, I want you to be there with me, like you always are. Not as my friend, but as my…my…as my girl."

"You seem so shy in calling me that." She pointed out with a giggle. His response was to, of course, blush red like an apple, or perhaps even redder than an apple. Orihime burst into laughter while the spiky-haired boy continued to hover over her, his cute pout never dissipating. After getting a few good laughs in, she brought him down against her. "Yes, Ichigo. I would honestly love to be you girlfriend."

Sighing in happiness, he wrapped his arms around her, around the girl that he realized he'd do anything for, he'd do anything to see her smile.

Orihime exhaled in joyous bliss. She'd miss being held in Ichigo's arms. The memory of her lying asleep curled up in his arms never left her, it'd been a quiet wish come true. She'd told herself those tranquil days following Yhwach's defeat had been enough for her. It was a half-truth as she wanted to be near Ichigo, she wanted to be wrapped up in his arms, to freely love him and be loved by him. As far-off as such a dream had seemed, it had happened.

"I promise, Orihime, I'll always have you at my side, and in my heart." The hybrid swordsman whispered feeling her pressing herself against his chest. He knew she waned to hear it-the proof of life that he held as a living being.

It was a proof that Orihime would fight to protect with all her might, come what may. "And you'll always be in mine, Ichigo." She whispered back.

Clouds parted and the moon shined in full brightness, almost heralding the start of the relationship between the two. The heartbeat of the Substitute Soul Reaper and the healer slowly joined as one, beating onward to a future they would walk together.

Fin.

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My third Bleach story, my second IchiHime story, and my first Bleach lemon. Funny how things work out, huh?

Canonically, it's heavily implied Ichigo and Orihime got together after Rukia and Renji's wedding, but in this story, I sped things up a little so it's in the aftermath of the battle against Yhwach. This story sprang from my musings about how Orihime would react to Ichigo's fused Hollow form. It was actually one of my favorite scenes in the TYBW Arc, that brief flashback of terror that's dispelled by Ichigo reassuring her that he was still him. In my opinion, it was a nice cumulation after Ichigo spent three-quarters of the series wrestling with his Inner Hollow for control.

Hopefully you all enjoyed this little story. I'm looking forward to writing more Bleach stories in the future, including this favorite couple of mine. Until next time, readers!