An interlude.

AU.

OOC.

(ない)

"Ichigo, you going home?"

Kurosaki Ichigo took a quick glance at the light drizzle of sunshine-soaked summer rain before answering his childhood friend. "Yeah. You need a ride home?" He offered.

Ignoring the envious mutterings from her friend's groupies, Arisawa Tatsuki grinned evilly, "Not me. My friend." And she pushed her surprised friend towards her other startled friend. "Thanks Ichigo." She called out as she ran off.

"Tatsuki-chan~" Tatsuki's grin widened as she heard her embarrassed friend's whine of protest. She turned her head and waved supportingly to the flustered friend.

Ichigo arched an orange eyebrow. 'Arisawa Tatsuki playing matchmaker?' He thought amusingly. 'As if he needed the help.' A smug smirk curled his thin lips.

He scrutinized the long-haired girl in front of him. She still has her back to him. 'Nice... back' He thought at the first instance as to what was presented to him of her rear profile before she turned to face him.

'Pretty.' Was what come to his appreciative mind. 'Very pretty.' Came next. 'More than very pretty.' His admiring eyes took in the beauty in front of him. Long luminous hair which at first glance looked to be of the same color as his but on closer inspection, it appeared to have captured the orange rays of the setting sun thus making her mane of indescribable color to take on a similar shade as his. His own brown eyes wandered down to encounter a pair of soft brown eyes which were staring right back at him in a rather disdaining way.

His eyes moved swiftly to take in the cute nose, full pink lips that were truly kissable. Moving further down; his eyes widened at her assets, 'big breasts means fat' , he thought medically before verifying her fatness with his eyes.

Slim waist.

Slender hips.

Legs that seemed to go on forever.

Small feet.

Hmm. He would not mind giving her ride home. Maybe she could invite him in and they could get to know each other better.

And then, warning bells started to clang really loud and clear.

Cosmetic surgery! No way someone with that kind of a body could give thanks to their parents, except to help pay the surgeon's bill.

What was his childhood friend matchmaking him with an obviously high-maintenance bimbo?

He has absolutely no trouble attracting women like that on his own. He wondered wearily if Tatsuki was involving him in some kind of joke.

Payback for some forgotten childish prank?

Well, he was not going to give her the satisfaction of...

Satisfaction of what?

Getting screwed by an artificial beauty?

He rather liked the screwing part and he could look beyond the manufactured parts if they were soft and reacted normally to his touch.

But first, he needed to know for sure if Tatsuki was playing him.

His usual scowl on his handsome face, his determined eyes locked onto her unwavering ones.

The intimidating scowl almost fell from his flummoxed face at the hostile glare that was directed at him.

What the hell!

Before he could open his mouth to ask what was with that look, the contemptuous look he was subjected to, disappeared suddenly when she lowered her head to search for something inside her tote bag.

Protection?

From him?

For him?

He smirked hopefully.

He saw something blue before she walked past him without another glance.

The object turned out to be a small umbrella in a pretty shade of blue. As pretty as the dress she was wearing. He was distracted momentarily by the curvaceous body underneath the dress before realizing she was standing under her umbrella and starting to walk away from him.

"Hey!" He called out.

There was a slight faltering in her footsteps but then she continued to walk on without acknowledging she has heard him.

Ichigo scowled. He hated the rain and he really hated getting wet. He looked at the beauty in the rain. He looked up to the skies.

"Kurosaki-kun, would you like to borrow my umbrella?"

"How about the two of us share one umbrella, Ichigo?"

"How about we just run to your car?"

"Why don't you just take off your shirt to shelter me from the rain as we run to your car?"

Ignoring the sexual innuendos disguised as flirtatious banterings that were hinting at something much more than sharing an umbrella or a ride home, Ichigo lifted his hand to wave at the girls behind him before running out in the light summer rain to where she was.

He grabbed her wrist to stop her from taking another step. "Didn't you hear me calling you?" The startled girl glared at him with her big, brown eyes before turning her attention to the tanned hand around her wrist.

Ichigo ignored the unspoken ordering of the removal of his hand, instead he gave her cocky grin, moved closer to her to find refuge from the drizzle and nodded to his car. "My car is over there."

Still continuing to glare at him, she started to walk towards his car with her wrist still captured within his rough hand.

She was determined to not talk to him.

He wanted to hear her voice.

"So, what's your name?" Ichigo asked of the silent, stubborn beauty. "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo." He introduced himself when she continued to ignore his presence. Seeing that there was not going to be any response forthcoming from the pouty lips, he shook the delicate wrist and said cheekily, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kurosaki-kun. What a strong grip you have. You must worked out, a lot. Big, strong man like you makes me feel all tingly and warm and... protected. I am... " He looked slyly at her. There was light twitching of the plump lips but still no words was coming out.

Then...

"Is this your car, Kurosaki..." Ichigo found himself 'tingling' at her soft, tinkling voice, glanced at her almost in... lust and saw that her eyes were twinkling. Twinkling with...?

"-san."

Mischief. Ichigo found himself liking the girl in front of him, very much.

"Yeah. Do you want to drive?" He asked her with a smirk. They were standing next to the driver's side of his car after all. "I know we have just met but I certainly do not mind a confident woman. In fact," He lowered his head to within kissing distance. "You can drive me anywhere, anytime. But first, can I have a name to go with this beautiful face." He said in a husky voice and touched the flushed cheek with his free hand.

The flushed cheek flared at his light touch. But she did not smack his hand away. She just gazed at him with her doe-liked eyes in an indefinable way that he did not mind.

Not. One. Little. Bit.

She tore her eyes from him and held her umbrella tighter. She looked warily at his car.

"Just get in the car, Kurosaki-san." She sighed and told him softly.

"Eager, aren't we?" He gave her smooth wrist a squeeze before releasing it.

He opened the car door, got in and reached over to open the passenger side of the door and waited.

And waited.

He looked in front of him and... saw her walking away from his car.

What the friggin' hell?!

He opened the car door, got out and shouted at her. "Hey! Where are you going? The car is here!" As soon as the words was spoken, he realized he sounded like an idiot and mental smacked his forehead.

But at least this time he has gotten an response. She turned around and her calm farewell to him irked him to no end.

'Goodbye, my arse!' He thought angrily as he got in and closed both the car doors. He turned the key, stepped on the gas and the car leaped forward to where she was. It stopped exactly next to her. He rolled down the window, "Hey gorgeous, do you need a ride?" He winked at her.

"I am good, Kurosaki-san." She managed not to roll her eyes over his 'charming' behavior.

"Alright, all kidding aside. Tatsuki asked me to give you a ride home and that's what I am doing. So, how about getting in, as in, right now. Please?" He gave her what he hoped would be a sad puppy dog look.

"It is fine, Kurosaki-san. Tatsuki-chan asked you for a favor but she ran off without hearing as to if you were going to do it. Let's just assumed you declined and that is why I am walking home, by myself." She rationalized her refusal to sit in his car, politely.

"But I didn't say no. So how about you saying yes to me seeing you home. You are letting the rain in my car. I am going to lose the new car scent." He joked.

"I have to decline your kind offer, Kurosaki-san. Goodbye." She gave a polite little bow, waved and walked off.

"At least tell me your name!" He shouted almost in desperation.

A fair hand giving him a little wave was his only answer.

Kurosaki Ichigo slumped against his car seat. He watched through the rain spattered windshield as the graceful figure in blue walked farther and farther away from him.

Even as he wallowed in his rejection, he could not help but noticed that the rejecter has not only a damn fine pair in front of her but the behind was highly impressive as well.

More nip and tuck by a good doctor?

Whatever. He will just have find out for himself... with his hands.

A devilish grin appeared on his handsome face.

College life has just gotten more and more interesting.

(面白)

To be concluded...