Long chapters are the best chapters.

Finally found some, clear headed, time to write and I hope this chapter makes up for last chapters boringness/ shortness.

I'm really excited for you guys to read this ^-^

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach or any of its characters!

Lets jump in-

Ichigo removed his shirt, ripping it over the back of his head in a rush, as if he could not wait.

And I'm a big enough woman to admit that the moment his olive skin was revealed, when his powerful stomach and chest were released out into the world, the steel trap of my mind faltered. Actually, it was more of an unraveling; but I quickly picked up that small, human, scrambled part of my brain off of the Center's floor and, thankfully, Ichigo didn't seem to notice my mental misstep.

Everyone gathered to watch. Even Sam stepped up, moving a few of his recruits out of his way with a soft shove to the shoulder. "I'd be careful, Kurosaki." Was all he remarked as he settled in.

I rolled my neck, trying to loosen the tender muscles I seemed to have over-worked. Ichigo was doing the same, jumping around on his toes. And when he stilled, he observed me with an uncanny like reverence. I kept my face blank.

I had never seen or heard anything about Ichigo and the way he fights. I had not observed whether or not he was right handed, or if he favored certain attacks. I knew nothing at all. Which, under normal circumstances, would have me on edge. But I felt I knew, in some regard, how Ichigo would approach me.

He was tall, slim in build but with strong, sturdy arms. He was aware of his strength, aware of his clear advantage. Yet, he was not a man who would strike first. He would see himself as chivalrous for allowing me to begin. I would set the pace; he would let that pace play out, until he felt he had indulged me, and then he would strike for the throat, maybe the chest. Anywhere to get the wind knocked out of me.

After our previous encounter just last night, he would think that to be my weakness. And he would be wrong, and that would lead me to my opening.

This would be over quickly.

Ichigo had already spoken half of his sentence before I realized he was speaking, and by that time, I no longer cared for what he had to say.

"Do you wish to engage in conversation, or in combat?"

Clearly it was the proper response to whatever statement he had uttered, judging by the way he smiled, feeble and small, and by the rising in the watching crowd around us. Sometimes I wear the mask, and sometimes it wears me.

I felt my body slide, effortlessly, into the normal posture needed for what was to come. Ichigo followed my lead, and then, the fight was beginning.

Yet, perhaps, 'fight' was not the correct word.

It was like sparring with my own reflection, every step I made was perfectly mirrored. When I jabbed, Ichigo blocked. When Ichigo attempted to advance, I was no longer within his range.

It took me only a few seconds to realize, that while I had never seen him fight, he had been studying me for weeks, perhaps even longer. Bronze had mentioned that she had grown with the dream to become someone like me. And judging by the bruises I'd seen on her knuckles, she had come very close to succeeding. And if she had been the one to teach Ichigo, even only a few things, he would know precisely how to counter me; and he could have all the tools he would need to perhaps beat me.

He was using his knowledge well, none of my hits landed, and even when I altered my strategy; choosing to back away slightly, to allow myself to gain a stronger footing, Ichigo kept right on me, knowing better than to allow me that time to recoup.

I had never fought someone with a similar fighting style to my own. And I felt it was rather odd for someone such as Ichigo to use those comparable tactics. I was thinking too hard on his movements, forgetting my own footing-

The Center went quiet as I slammed into the hard ground.

My hands braced behind me kept my back from connecting with stone, but my backside throbbed, as it had taken the majority of the impact.

And while everyone watching had no clue how to react in the seconds that followed, I stared up at Ichigo; who stood before me, hands on his hips and a smirk on his lips. He tried to hide the quick rise and fall of his chest with even breath, but I could see the sense of shock on his own face.

Ichigo Kurosaki had knocked me down.

I was on my feet, a rare, genuine smile, slowly overtaking my entire face, my cheeks ached with the strain of using such foreign muscles. He had taken out my legs, he had noticed my attention, so precisely fixated on his upper body; where most men kept their attacks… He had used my own strength against me.

"Okay." I quipped, raising my fists. I had not been giving him the respect of my full attention, and that disgraceful conduct had cost me.

Yet, even once when we both struck again, clashing together like sword's, I could no longer lie to myself about the bubbling excitement overflowing in my chest. I had been knocked down… And I had not allowed it, I had not let him overtake me. I had a true opponent, who I could lose to if I was not careful. I had forgotten what it was like to strike against a foe that could block me. Had forgotten that small fear in my stomach every time he swung; knowing that now, it could hit me.

I had let myself ignore the overwhelming boredom every moment I spent in an uneven match with Sam, or even Devon.

I flung myself at Ichigo, again and again. My fist and my legs both moving and hitting him in a whirlwind of excitement, and he met them all. It was a certain kind of high, I thought I would never have again.

Then, through the sea of movements I saw a loose opening.

Shrinking myself down, I forced myself into his fighter's circle, knocking him just slightly off balance. Before he could swing down on me, I brought my right knee up, and felt his stomach flex as the center of my knee collided right inbetween his lower ribs. His breath rushed out against my forehead, cold against my dripping brow.

I sent him some silent gratitude, before I let my guard drop just slightly, bent my knees and felt my hips rotate as they knew how, right as I sent my left hand into a perfectly formed uppercut against his jaw.

My fist was already snapping back down, filling its designated spot it had isolated only a second before.

Ichigo did not fall, and I was ready to take whatever counter move he had planned, but then his feet stumbled, yet somehow stayed under him. His arms, however, lowered completely, as he shook his head in a clearing motion.

Sam was behind him before he could lose his balance completely.

It only took him a few seconds to regain his bearings, and he grinned up at Sam before slapping him on the shoulder in thanks. Then Ichigo was looking at me, and it was a battle to keep the happiness off my face. It was hard to breathe, the inside of my chest felt hot, every breath heavy and steamy.

What was the tingling in my veins; the fog over my mind? Both possibly caused by the new found rush of adrenaline. I reveled in it, pleased beyond words at the fire pumping through my entire body. It had been so long.

"Again?" I gasped, trying to still my thumping heart; or at the very least hide its adamant enthusiasm from everyone watching.

Ichigo did not smile, or smirk as I had expected. But there was an odd look on his handsome face. And the way his eyes slid over my features, like it was the very first time he was seeing me and he did not want to forget a single detail.

And that look in his eyes remained, even when he stepped forward, and our dance began anew.

I knew my body. It had been the only constant thing in my life, and I made sure to know it inside and out. I knew its limits, its weaknesses, and I knew when it could take no more.

I braced my hands on my knees, panting; sweat dripping from my chin and onto the floor. My brain screamed at me to continue, to chase the high for as long as I could, but my body was close to collapse. And its warnings were the ones I listened to.

And it seemed my opponent was feeling very similarly. Ichigo was laying on his back, arms spread wide to his sides, his naked chest expanding far too quickly, up-down, up-down. I watched it as I felt my own breathing come easier in the few minutes we sat in silence.

Everyone else had left us hours ago, they had grown bored fairly easily- even Sam, who had reluctantly released the recruits early, so he could limp off to ice his knee.

I straightened and walked, slightly wobbly, to swipe my bottle from beside Vladimir. I gulped down a few mouthfuls before tossing it over to Ichigo, who seemed to have difficulty rising. He groaned loudly, laying a hand over the aching muscles of his torso.

I started to laugh.

I was not sure why, but the need rose in me, literally forcing its way up and out of my throat. Ichigo glanced over, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he did so, raising a perfectly arched brow at me.

"I haven't had a work out like that since I was a child." I explained, while he stretched like a long fat house cat.

"Well, it's comforting to know that you live up to your reputation."

I hummed at the barely there compliment, "We should get going, the wall certainly won't patrol itself." I had decided that Ichigo would follow me everywhere I went, and it would only be an annoyance if I allowed it to be. I had been asking for companionship my entire life, and if a stalker was all I was going to get, I would take it.

He groaned from his place on the ground, even going as far as to kick his feet a little in displeasure.

It took me awhile, but after using the last of my deplenished strength, I got Ichigo off the ground, and out of the Center. And while he protested and complained the whole way, when we were out of the High Courts I could see him visibly relax. It was easy to forget that he was in enemy territory, that he was on constant alert while under the kings roof. I connected with that feeling.

And I felt a similar sense of relief when I saw the sun, lowered in the sky above us, the colors of the sun set not yet overtaking the bright blue. I had deprived myself of the sun set the past few days, not wishing to share the moment with Ryley.

The thought of my betrothed settled a dark shadow over my heart. And I couldn't help but wonder if showing him my true face had been a lethal mistake. One word to Clark, and Ryley could seal my fate. Then again, deep inside me, I was relieved to not have to worry of his misguided love. Surely any affectionate feelings he had been harboring for me had vanished as quickly as my glass shield. Shattered into unrecognizable pieces.

"How long have you been here?" I blurted out, suddenly.

Ichigo answered the question without a moment's hesitation. "Only two months, give or take."

"And you came from Bellator?"

"Originally, yes. Though, I was in the South a few weeks before coming here."

I glance at him as we made our way through the merchant's district, and he met my gaze easily, his hands casually placed in his baggy pockets. "What business did you have in the South?"

I had not journeyed to the hollows that made up the Southern Continent since the war, but judging by what I had seen in my short time there, it was not a place anyone should go willingly. I tried to picture Ichigo, with his sharp features and all-knowing brown eyes, within the sea of copper tones and prejudices and could not.

"Do I seem like a man who has 'business'? I was merely visiting, if only to say I had. And from what I hear, your name is used as a curse word along the inner border."

I chuckled darkly, rumbling up from deep in my belly, the sound earning me a few concerned looks from the townspeople. "Yes, my time there had been very short… But I had tried to make the most of it." I recalled the look on general Aizen's face as I lit the fire beneath his rebellion. And I remember the words he spat in my face before he dropped the foot into hangman's stance. My time in the South had at least been enjoyable- towards the end.

"You make that sound very ominous, Princess."

"Perhaps, one day, I will tell you all about it."

The corners of his eyes crinkled, nodding his approval.

We made quick work of the stairs, Ichigo taking most of them two at a time- it was a rare thing indeed, for me to rush in order to keep up with someone else. The wind was harsh and loud around us as we emerged from the open stair well. I took in the view of the city behind us as we walked, lights were beginning to be lit in most shops, leaving sparkles throughout the large city.

Lingering thoughts of the South had me looking to the High Courts, the glittering marble in such a contrast to the dark mountain it was carved into, the wall, wrapping around the entire city, connecting at the base of each carved rock, encased the town in a false sense of security. I had overthrown a city just like this one in the South, a poor replica, sure, but a military stronghold nevertheless.

Succeeding because I had spent years imagining the downfall of my own city.

"Did you ever hear the story about how the wall was built to keep demons out?" Ichigo questioned, over the roar of the wind. He walked a few paces behind me, letting me guide him.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" I mocked with a sigh.

"Why not? It seems like a good enough reason to me." I turned around, continuing our walk backwards. Watching his face as he talked. I was hoping to see a bit of mischief hiding there, to give away whether or not he truly believed it, yet his face was relaxed, giving absolutely nothing away.

"Sure, it's a pretty thought. But if that rumor was indeed the true reason, then the wall would be failing in its purpose." It had been an attempt at a joke but my tone gave away how serious of an answer it was. For I had heard of that myth when I was a young girl, long before I became Heir, before the vicious training. And I had believed it then. Even felt comforted by it.

But I soon learned that the walls weren't there to keep demons out, but instead to cage them inside.

"What makes you so sure?" Ichigo asked, his voice changing to accommodate my seriousness.

Suddenly self conscious, I looked away, yet still felt compelled to answer, "Because here I am, standing right on its head, and it does absolutely nothing to keep me out."

A laugh boomed out, drawing my still attention to him instantly.

"You're no demon, Orihime." He managed when his laughter, at last, subsided. "Look at you, standing so high, dressed in all white. You look more like an angel to me."

I felt a heat rising in my cheeks, even though I knew that he hadn't meant to compliment me. My traitorous heart sunk deep in my chest, heavy in its thudding. I looked away, returning my gaze out into the city, yet, as I took in the beautiful sight, I somehow found myself looking back at him. To find his trademark smirk flowing over his laughing lips, as if he could read my thoughts.

In that moment, I decided to punish him. And so, I swerved slightly in by backwards steps and I saw his eyes dart to the edge of the wall, before snapping quickly back to mine. "An angel, huh?" I grumbled, as if thinking very hard. And then when my senses told me the ledge was near I paused my walking, "Well then, why don't we see if I can fly?"

There was a very quick flash of something on his face, and I did not give myself the time to figure out what it could possibly be, before I flung myself back, soaring away from the wall, into open space.

I plummeted fast, down and down, my heart threatening to break clean from my chest. The wind whistled in my ears, and I thought I could hear it saying my name, welcoming me back, and I stretched out into its soft embrace, feeling unconstricted and utterly and irrevocably free- before I hit the net. I laid there for a moment, in a haze, allowing my rushing blood to settle itself in my veins before I barrel rolled towards the staircase that I knew was not far from my left.

It did not take me long to reach it, and I was met there by Ichigo, his hands braced on his knees- breathing ragged, head bowed as he struggled to calm his, no doubt, burning lungs.

I hauled myself over the small dip, pulling myself to my feet. I thought of Ryley and his over reaction, and I waited, bracing myself for the lecture that was inevitably coming.

But the sound coming from Ichigo was not anger, it was laughter. And when he lifted his head, his giant grin was revealed to me.

"Holy crap. Let me tell you, I never expected anyone, let alone you, to use the nets as a way to make a joke." He stood up straight, chest still heaving.

I could only gape at him, my mouth slightly askew. "But- you don't think that was reckless and irresponsible? That it was an unnecessary danger?"

Ichigo stopped laughing then, instead choosing to look at me as if I had sprouted a second head. "Well, yeah," He began, his tone clearly baffled. "Though, wasn't that the point?" He finished with a shrug of his shoulder, decided he would probably never understand my random bewilderment. "Come on, Princess, let's go get some food. Kicking your ass made me hungry."

I merely watched him as he began his long descent down the stairs- concluding on his own that my patrol was over after my daredevil leap. Ichigo had taken at least six steps, before I shook my head and followed behind him, feeling slow and slightly astounded. For, even though my feet were now planted firmly on the ground, I still had that light, airy feeling in my chest.

The feeling of falling.

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LOUD SCREAMING

I have had this scene written for FOREVER

Please tell me how you liked it because I can not contain my own excitement!

Till next time-