A/N: Hello, hello! I'm glad to see you all returned for the next installment! But, then again, how could you not, right? LOL Anyway, before I let you go so that you can read, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU! to all of my reviewers! Thanks to you, this is officially my most-reviewed story! Please keep 'em coming! And now that that's out of the way: I hope you enjoy what happens next!

Disclaimer: Bleach is not, nor shall it ever be, mine.

Soul Mates

Chapter 16: Sweet Release

Orihime's ears were still ringing when the dust scattered. She had heard him call out his bankai so many times, and she had thought that it couldn't be more impressive than the time she'd been standing right behind him so long ago. But she had been wrong.

Standing before him, as his opponent, was the best (and, probably, worst) way to hear it.

It was also the best view, for the moment that he stood still as the power settled. A breeze that hadn't been there before was blowing back his long cloak, tugging at his loosened collar, and rattling the short chain of Tensa Zangetsu.

But, as much as she appreciated the new sight before her, she knew what it meant. Her real training – the real reason that he had brought her out here for their date – was about to begin.

She swallowed heavily and took a deep breath in silent preparation. Here we go, she told herself.

Ichigo adjusted his hold on his sword, letting a little of his spiritual energy leak out of his palm and build around the blade, and then he surged forward.

Orihime called her Santen Kesshun without a word, holding it firmly between herself and Ichigo as he crashed into it. One of her feet slid backwards a couple of inches, but her shield held, even though the resulting impact knocked a few loose rocks free around her.

"Good reflexes," Ichigo praised as he pushed against her shield one more time before leaping back.

Her shield dissolved as she watched him land on the air and she said, "I wish you could teach me that."

He grinned down at her, the black and red energy still swirling around his right hand, and replied, "I don't think my technique would work for you, Hime."

She shrugged, smiling, and admitted, "Probably not."

Ichigo brought his sword forward, wrapping his left hand around the hilt, and said, "This isn't the best time to be having this conversation, you know."

Remembering the condition to Ichigo's promise, Orihime nodded and replied, "That's fair." She threw her hands forward, directing her shield to materialize several feet in front of her so that she would have room to run, and added, "Shiten Koushun!"

Ichigo watched her patiently from his vantage point, waiting until her shield was nearly formed. And then he threw his arms forward and called, "Getsuga Tenshou!" The attack exploded, as it always did, off of his zanpakutou, and as soon as the energy was free he vanished in a flash-step.

Using the speed of his bankai, Ichigo dove down and wrapped his left arm around Orihime's waist, hauling her up against him before flash-stepping away again.

They reappeared in the air, off to the side of the attack that had only just collided with her shield, and Ichigo tightened his arm around her.

Orihime had been startled when Ichigo had suddenly been there, scooping her into his embrace, but by the time they materialized in the air several feet away from where they'd just been she had calmed down. And she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck to help him support her weight, as they watched the results of his attack.

His getsuga had crashed against her shield solidly, the force of the connection alone sending shockwaves of spiritual energy spiraling everywhere. And the energy held there, rolling along her shield almost like it didn't know what to do, for a long minute before the whole thing exploded again, her shield shattering. And then the energy blasted out violently in all directions.

Orihime squeaked and ducked, tucking her head beneath Ichigo's jaw and holding tightly to his shoulders as the wind whipped around them, peppering them with small pebbles and bits of dust.

Ichigo lifted Tensa Zangetsu, squinting against the harsh wind and stinging debris, and braced the blade to block the bulk of the oncoming shockwave.

A part of him had expected this, and so he was prepared for it. He waited with a patience built from battle until the energy was close enough to predict, and then he swung his blade forward, releasing just enough of his own spiritual pressure to negate the oncoming force and push it back.

He held Orihime close until the dust had settled and the last remnants of their combined energies had snuffed themselves out. And only then did he lower them both to the ground below.

Orihime lifted her head, loosening her grip, when she felt Ichigo touch down onto solid ground. She looked up at him, blinking a bit to clear her vision, and slowly said, "I guess…it didn't work."

Ichigo turned a soft smile toward her, tightening his arm around her, and said, "Actually, it held longer than I thought it would."

Her voice was still hesitant, though this time slightly more optimistic, and she asked, "But…I thought you wanted to know that I could defend myself against your attacks?"

He inclined his head slightly. "I do," he replied. "But that doesn't mean I expected you to be able to withstand them right from the start. That's something we have to work up to."

"You mean…we get to do this again?" Orihime asked carefully, a tinge of hope lighting her voice.

He smirked now and leaned down, pressing his lips over hers. When he pulled back, he murmured, "We're gonna do this regularly, Hime. Even once your shield can fire back my strongest attack."

For a moment, Orihime held his gaze, a soft, happy smile on her face. And then her smile grew, turning into a grin, and she said, "I'm not tired yet…."

Ichigo leaned forward, his lips brushing her ear, and he replied, "You will be when I'm done with you."

Orihime giggled and squirmed until she had freed herself from his grip, and then she turned and began running.

A tell-tale rattling behind her told her that he had given chase.

"This has definitely been my favorite date so far," Orihime declared as they slipped into her apartment that night. They had been out all day, spending hours in the basement beneath the warehouse, working on slowly building up her stamina and regenerative ability, which Ichigo had explained would help enforce the strength of her shields. And then he had insisted that they go out to dinner.

Ichigo came up behind her in the hall, snaking his arms around her stomach and hauling her up against his chest. He leaned down enough to let his lips brush over her ear and confessed, "I'm glad. I was kind of afraid you wouldn't like the idea of spending the day like that."

Orihime let herself slump against him slightly, her hands landing on his forearms and her eyes falling shut. "I've always wanted to be able to train with you and the others," she said. "I know the nature of my powers is different, but…it's nice to know that I really won't hold you back."

His head lowered, lips dancing down the line of her neck with feather-light kisses, as he murmured, "You've never held me back, Hime."

Any exhaustion that had seeped into her body as a result of the hours of training was suddenly gone, replaced by something much stronger than adrenaline. His lips were dancing, almost tauntingly, along her throat, and Orihime could barely breathe.

"Ichigo…" she moaned as her head fell to the side to grant him better access. Without thinking she asked, "Can you stay?"

Ichigo's lips lingered over the hollow of her throat for a moment before he lifted his head enough to reply, "Yeah."

Orihime's eyes fluttered open at the unexpected response. She certainly knew that he'd been holding back before, but she had expected that he would continue to hold back for a while still. And, as much as she wanted him to stay, she didn't want him to regret crossing that line, either, so she asked quietly, "Are you sure?"

He pulled back from her neck entirely and spun her around in his arms so that he could look properly into her eyes. His hands landed on her hips and settled there, holding her in place as he said, "I'm sure." He paused, lips twitching, and leaned in so that his breath was fanning her face before he added, "And shouldn't it be my job to ask that question?"

She smiled and lifted her hands to frame his jaw, saying, "It's the 21st Century; the roles are all cock-eyed now."

A chuckle rumbled up from his chest and Ichigo tugged her into him as he claimed her lips hungrily. No matter how the 'roles' were, he knew what he wanted. And, tonight, he was going to stay as late as she would let him. If he didn't get home until the next day, that was fine.

So when her fingers slid back, curving around his neck and burying themselves in his hair, he reciprocated by slipping his hands beneath her shirt as his arms wound around her. And then she was flush against him, her body arching ever-so-slightly with his heavy touch, as he coaxed her tongue into his mouth.

Orihime deliberately let her body roll against his as his thumb moved along her spine, causing both of them to release ragged, muffled groans of pleasure. His hands were inching higher along her back and she could feel his arousal pressing against her, separated only from her center by a few layers of oppressive clothing.

But they weren't close enough, and her body was almost itching for his touch, so she pulled her lips from his and breathed, "Come with me."

Ichigo froze for a moment, and she used that opportunity to step back and take his hands in hers. Their gazes held as she walked slowly backwards, down the hall and toward her bedroom. But she made it only a few feet before his brain woke up and he increased his pace.

Orihime squealed with laughter as he suddenly scooped her up, his arms around her waist as he continued to walk forward. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his hips, leaning forward and letting her hair fall into his face as she asked, "Was I walking too slow for you?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied, his voice thick despite the chuckle vibrating up in his chest. But by the time he'd answered her question he had already arrived at her bedroom, and so his feet stopped moving and his hands slid up, again beneath her shirt, as he added, "But this part might work better if you let go of me for a second."

With a flirtatious pout, Orihime released him and dropped back to her feet as she said, "That seems counterproductive."

He smirked at her, trailing his hands deliberately across her stomach before removing them from her skin, and replied by grabbing his own shirt and pulling it over his head. She was already working on the tie to her halter when his eyes landed back on her a moment later.

They kept their eyes on each other as they quickly shed the remainder of their clothing, and then they collapsed together onto her futon in a tangle of exploring hands and hungry kisses.

Ichigo rolled onto his back, taking her with him, as his hands slowly roamed her body. He had already discovered that he loved the feeling of her smooth, soft skin beneath his palms, but that feeling was exponentially better when there were no frustrating layers of clothing in his way.

And it was nothing at all compared to the feeling of having her bare skin pressed directly against his.

Their lips were locked together as their tongues traveled freely from cavern to cavern, and Orihime's hands released his hair in order to trail across his shoulders and down the sides of his well-toned chest. His hands were burning a path over her back and she was mewling against his lips hopelessly, but she had every intention of returning the favor.

Her hands shifted, lingering over certain muscles and skimming over others, and then she raked her nails over his abdomen and he grunted against her lips, his grip tightening. She grinned and broke the kiss in order to dance her lips and tongue along his jaw, and when her mouth was beneath his ear she breathed, "Did you like that?"

Ichigo's eyes kept trying to roll back in his head as she lightly nibbled her way down his throat, her breasts pressing against his chest and her hands lingering dangerously near his hips. He wasn't even aware of his response as he grunted, "God, yes."

Orihime shifted then, leaning up after releasing his throat from her lips and meeting his hooded gaze with a flirtatious smile. She watched his face as she purposefully slid her leg over his hip, straddling him, and let her hands land on his chest. She was sitting up enough now that she knew she was giving him a good eye-full, but she couldn't be embarrassed about it. Not with the way he was looking at her.

His heart was slamming against his ribcage as his eyes finally accepted the sight before him. Orihime was straddling his hips, so dangerously close to his arousal that he was afraid to take even a deep breath, and she was smiling at him in the most seductive way. He would never have even been able to imagine that expression on her face if he hadn't seen it for himself.

She swallowed, then, feeling a twinge of nerves before she said what she had decided to say. They had established an open-communication relationship, right from the start, and she felt that to hold back in that moment would be a type of betrayal. So she leaned forward, letting her hair fall around them like a curtain, and admitted, "I have a confession. I've always had this fantasy…of just laying back and letting you have your way with me…."

One of Ichigo's hands landed on the back of her thigh as the other skimmed up, over her backside, and settled over her spine. He held her close for a moment and whispered, "Then I'd better not disappoint you."

Neither was entirely sure how it happened, but the next thing they knew Ichigo had flipped them over, managing to keep her legs half-wrapped around his hips even as her head hit the pillow.

Orihime sucked in a breath with the impact as his arousal bumped, teasingly, against her center. She offered him another private smile and slid her hands around his chest, so that her arms were curved around him.

Ichigo bowed his head, his lips brushing over hers, and he murmured, "I love you, Hime."

Her heart melted and she breathed, "I love you more."

He chuckled now, his hands skimming up her sides and brushing over the swell of her breasts, as he managed, "I seriously doubt that," before capturing her lips in another deep kiss.

Orihime's hands curled into his back as his tongue plundered her mouth. One of his hands had locked around her hip once again, and his chest was leaning heavily into hers as he braced himself above her with his other arm. And his back was flexing, tensing beneath her hands.

Her partially-lifted leg rubbed, deliberately, along the outside of his thigh as she shifted beneath him and Ichigo growled something against her lips that she couldn't interpret.

And then he shifted above her, releasing the tension from his muscles and filling her in a single, powerful thrust.

Their lips parted, her hands clenching tightly over his spine and his head falling to her shoulder, as strangled cries tore from their throats. Their bodies froze for a long moment as they adjusted to the new sensations coursing through them.

And then Ichigo lifted his forehead from her collar and began trailing light, loving kisses up the side of her neck. "Hime," he murmured between kisses.

Orihime danced one hand up his spine slightly as she rolled her hips forward and gasped, "Keep going."

Ichigo swallowed, instinctively gritting his teeth to fight back his reaction to her movements, but her words shot through him and he clamped his lips tightly over the skin beneath her jaw as he thrust into her again. She moaned loudly and her hands tightened again as her head fell back, her hips lifting off of the futon to greet his as he surged forward.

Their blood was burning through their bodies, enhancing every sensation and adding a carnal echo to every sound that spilled from their mouths.

One of Ichigo's hands skimmed over her slick, heated flesh until he could wrap his fingers around her breast, and he couldn't help but smirk against her neck when she moaned a little louder and rolled her hips against his. He dragged his thumb over her nipple and a strangled cry escaped her lips. And when he repeated the motion, adding a powerful thrust for effect, her cry sounded suspiciously like his name.

Orihime's world was spinning in the most glorious way as Ichigo surged into her again and again. His hand was working magic on her chest and his lips were practically attached to her throat, and each time he filled her she could swear she saw stars. She had never imagined it would feel so good to burn so thoroughly.

But she wanted to return at least some of these amazing feelings he was giving her, so she tightened her arms around him, digging her nails into his back unintentionally, and shifted until her legs were wrapped around his hips. And then everything was different.

Suddenly he was going deeper and harder and she barely knew anything at all beyond the feeling of having him buried within her. His tongue was running along the shell of her ear, he had abandoned her breast in favor of wrapping one arm around her waist and bracing himself above her with the other, and he was grunting with each heavy thrust.

Her hands clenched over his spine as she arched to meet his powerful thrusts, her head falling back to the pillow as he filled her, and she had no idea what she was saying. But whatever she was saying seemed to sound good to him, because he increased his pace again, and this time he captured her lips in another hungry kiss.

He knew she was teetering on the edge of oblivion, and he knew he wasn't far behind. The way her body was moving beneath his was enough to drive him insane with need.

He clamped his lips over hers and sucked her tongue into his mouth, and in no time their tongues were dancing to the same beat as their bodies. With every slide of her tongue against his he surged into her, filling her, and her hands dug into his back a little harder.

And then he was filling her again, as deeply as he could, and they were flying.

Orihime arched immediately against him, her legs and arms clinging to him desperately, as her lips tore from his and she cried out his name.

Ichigo slammed into her one more time, his free fist curling as his world went white and her name tore from his throat.

Neither of them moved for several minutes as they attempted to regulate their breathing and steady their racing hearts.

Slowly, Orihime's legs slid from his hips and her arms loosened, dropping haphazardly to the futon beside their collapsed bodies. Ichigo released her hip, sliding his hand lightly up along her side as he lifted his head, managing to hold himself up just enough to keep from crushing her.

He found her cheek with his newly-freed hand and rubbed his thumb along it gently before turning her face enough so that he could find her lips with his again.

This time the kiss was slow and simple, and Orihime's fingertips only barely curled into his arm before he pulled back and offered her a soft smile.

"You're so damn sexy," Ichigo rumbled quietly as he studied her face.

Orihime could only smile, her fingers still tracing lightly along his arm, before she said, "That was amazing…. We get to do it again, right?"

His smile turned into a grin and he replied, "Hell, yes. As many times as you want."

She giggled softly, a light of mischief igniting in her eyes and vying with her returned exhaustion for dominance.

Ichigo leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips before he shifted and carefully withdrew from her. Then he slipped one hand beneath her head, the other beneath her back, and rolled over again. Again she landed on top of him, this time using his collar as her pillow.

"But maybe we should get a little sleep first," he suggested lightly, one hand lifting to tangle loosely in her hair.

Orihime hummed, already half asleep, before managing, "You did wear me out today…."

He couldn't help but chuckle as his own muscles relaxed and sleep began weighing down his eyelids. And he had just about decided that falling asleep with an utterly-naked and completely-sated Orihime in his arms was the best feeling in the world when he realized what one part of his plan he'd forgotten.

His eyes snapped open as he cursed, "Fuck!"

Orihime jerked awake at the loud, unexpected exclamation, and she propped herself up enough to look her boyfriend in the eyes. She couldn't begin to imagine what could have upset him the half-minute it had been since she'd fallen asleep, but it couldn't be good. "Ichigo?" she asked, letting the rest of her question speak for itself.

Ichigo pulled one hand away from her bare torso and dragged it down his face, forcing himself to take a deep breath. It was too little, too late now, anyway. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world, and pinched the bridge of his nose. I should've known I'd screw this up somehow, he grunted silently.

She was becoming increasingly concerned at his long stretch of silence, and her lips curved down into a pout as she leaned forward and carefully pulled his hand from his face. She wrapped it in both of hers, holding it between their chests, and kept her eyes on his as she asked, "What's wrong?"

He swallowed, knowing he'd have to tell her, and curled his fingers around her hand. "Hime," he choked, the guilt building up quickly. "I'm so sorry…I completely forgot…and I left the condoms in my pocket."

Orihime blinked at him for a beat, not understanding what he was saying. And then it clicked, and she relaxed, an easy smile lifting her lips. "That's okay," she began reassuringly. He opened his mouth to argue her words, so she quickly shimmied her way up and pressed her lips to his.

Ichigo relaxed beneath her kiss, his hands returning to her bare flesh and his frustration fleeing from his muscles.

She pulled back after a minute, her hands framing his jaw, and said, "It's okay because I'm on the pill."

It was his turn to blink up at her for a moment before he dumbly asked, "You are? Since when?"

A faint flush lit her cheeks and she looked away, admitting, "I ran to the store during my lunch break the other day…you know, after I almost missed my shift…."

Then it is okay, he realized, the guilt and fear falling away as quickly as it had come. "Well…then I'm sorry I scared you."

She returned her eyes to his with a smile. "I suppose I could have thought about it and told you."

"I'll forgive you," he promised, lifting one hand to tangle it again in her hair, "on one condition. Let me pay you back."

"Eh?" Orihime asked, utterly confused now at his request.

Ichigo tugged her down for another lingering kiss before he explained, "I get that kind of thing for free, you know. There's no reason you should have to be out any money for it."

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Orihime let the fingers of one hand dance down to his collar and said, "How about, instead, you just make sure it's worth the money? And then I won't spend any money on them when I need to replace them."

"I could live with that," Ichigo grunted as he pulled her in for another kiss. Her lips moved slowly over his, and he could feel his body waking up again. But he knew she was tired, so he broke the kiss and said, "In the meantime, you should try and sleep."

"Mm," Orihime hummed, reluctantly agreeing with him. She moved to return to her earlier position, having decided it was incredibly comfortable, and lifted one hand to brush a stray lock of her hair from her eyes.

But, as she did so, something caught her attention. There was something red on the tip of her fingernails. Is that…blood? For a moment, she was confused. And then she knew where it had come from.

Orihime sucked in a breath and exclaimed, "Oh! Oh no!"

Having begun to relax once more, Ichigo tensed and moved one hand to her shoulder. "What's the matter, Hime?"

She turned horrified eyes to him and slowly held up her hand, fingers slightly curled, and said, "I think…I think I gouged you! Does your back hurt? Oh, I'm so sor-!"

Ichigo cut her off with a chuckle, pulling her back to him and kissing her thoroughly. He kept their lips locked together for a long minute, silently assuring her that he was far more than fine, before finally releasing her and saying, "You might have, but it doesn't hurt. In fact, I remember when it probably happened, and I'm kinda hoping you'll do it again."

Orihime's eyes widened and she asked, "You…liked it?"

He trailed a deliberate thumb along her jaw and replied thickly, "Couldn't you tell?"

Her face heated again, but a slow smile curved her lips and her hand fell down to his chest. "Well…in that case…I might not be opposed to doing it again."

"Orihime," Ichigo began after a beat, "if you're going to get any sleep tonight, you should start soon. Otherwise we're gonna start working on one of my fantasies."

Pulling in a deep, slightly unsteady, breath, Orihime leaned down and let her lips dance over his, saying, "I think I'll need sleep for that. So sleep now, and fantasies for breakfast?"

Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle, despite knowing that he probably wouldn't get any decent sleep that night. "Goodnight, Hime," he said quietly before planting a chaste kiss on her lips.

She returned the kiss before settling, again, against his chest and murmuring, "Goodnight, Ichigo."

His arms wrapped around her as she relaxed against him, and Ichigo smiled softly even as he decided that he could probably grab some good sleep, after all.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Whew, was that good for you? …Yeah, I just asked that… *ahem* Anyway, I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations! And, don't worry, the story's not done! Yes, that's right, I've got a little more coming your way! So don't forget to review, and then go read more!