Orihime's feet met with the creaky dock along Brighton's shoreline, letting out a small squeal as she attempted to catch her balance. Renji was collecting luggage from the ship and taking it to one of the two horse bound carriages in front of them. One was smaller and held a single brown Stallion, and a large metal bracket along the back to hold bags, its body was a russet wood. Orihime stepped off the dock and onto the path to peer into the thick curtains of the carriage, it held plush velvet seats on either side, but the inside was definitely cozy. 'I wonder how all three of us are going to fit in here...' she thought curiously, looking back at Renji and Momo who were now carrying some smaller round boxes to the back of the second carriage. Orihime's eyes widened at the grand ride, it was large and white, with small golden accents along the base and roof, it held two white horses, that had elegantly brushed manes. Her thoughts were cut off quickly by the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the boat, her head snapped up to greet two giant men who were covered in coal-stained clothes, their faces streaked with the ashes. "Kurosaki-Sama, which carriage would you like me at?" the largest man called. Ichigo appeared from behind the large wall of the boat, wearing a fresh coat and matching black trousers. " You can guide the passenger carriage; Chad will guide mine." he mumbled, linking his cuffs with shiny golden pieces, the appeared to be a K surrounded by a hollow button. Orihime watched Ichigo as he tucked his shirt into his pants, oblivious to the giant man standing next to her, his voice hardly came out in a whisper, "Excuse me miss, we're starting to seat the carriages, please follow me this way." Orihime blushed furiously as she tore her eyes away from Ichigo, turning her full attention to the man in front of her. He was extremely tall, with tan skin, his hair was long and brown, covering most of his face. "Ahh my bad, its nice to meet you, I'm Inoue Orihime." she called out in pleasantries, as she followed the towering man, halting when he was bringing her towards the grand carriage. The towering man looked over his shoulder at her, quirking an eyebrow, "Well Miss Inoue, I'm Yasutora Sado, and Kurosaki-Sama has requested your company in his carriage". Orihime's cheeks started to flame, she quietly slid into the carriage as the tall man opened the door.
Orihime deeply inhaled the floral scent of the huge plush seats, the inside of the carriage was extremely spacious. 'I bet he's going to want to talk about what happened on the boat..' Her thoughts running into the pit of her stomach as the carriage door opened once more. She didn't look up as Ichigo slid into the seat across from her, and the carriage grew dim once more. It wasn't until she could hear the clatter of hooves from the passenger carriage that Ichigo started to Speak. "Well, earlier was interesting..' he awkwardly noted, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. Orihime met eyes with him once the jolt of movement went through her limbs, shaking the butterflies from her chest. She held his gaze for a moment, not speaking, only searching. 'Why is she staring at me like that?' Ichigo questioned, feeling the depths of her eyes, staring directly into him. He could feel Hichigo watching, practically drawing hearts around her face, he dropped his eyes, letting out a long sigh. "Obviously you've noticed, and for your safety I have no reason to sit here and try to hide it from you.' he waited a moment for her response growing anxious from the silence. "Your eyes, they turn yellow, I saw it, for the first time on the trail to the boat, and then you, you were in my room, watching me sleep". Ichigo squinted in guilt and embarrassment, getting caught being a creep when he had no control over it. " I shouldn't have bought you from that auction that day, being here with me, is probably a far more terrible fate." Ichigo's voice was solemn, and the future hung on his head heavy. Orihime only looked at the man across from her, while he sat in his own little rain cloud, "Well, if it makes any difference, Kurosaki-Sama, I'm Glad you bought me." Her words flowed tenderly, lured out by the picture of yellow eyes in her mind. Ichigo's head quickly turned to hers, with surprise, and some anger clouding his senses, "You shouldn't feel glad! Don't you have any sense of danger?" he spat at her, waiting for the looming dread to finally click in her brain. He watched as the small smile on her lips fell, but her eyes turned on him hard, full of resolve, "I'm not afraid of you." her words were simple, but it sparked electricity into the air around them, and his heart started pounding loudly, hammering against the cavity if his chest. With red stained cheeks, he turned his head to stare out the window. 'What kind of woman is this? is she fearless or just stupid...' Ichigo thought, earning a grin from Hichigo, 'Or maybe... she just likes me too.' The disgustingly sweet purr his demon let out, sent his stomach into knots.
The carriage came to a stop shortly after the sparks finally stopped charging the dim light of the cab. Orihime looked out the window expectantly, taking in a huge iron gate that had giant green hedges running for miles on either side. A cursive K sat permanently imbedded into the iron, and it stared back at her, striking her curiosity. 'If this is what the entrance looks like, the inside must be huge.' She thought, listening to the tall men get up and open the gates before returning their driver seats. She continued to watch as they passed the gate, an open green field stretched out for a moment before neatly trimmed bushes that bordered a giant stone court with an elegantly carved fountain. Orihime choked as the estate finally reached her eyes, it was long, and two stories high. it was perfection carved of stone, with giant windows and a slightly peaked roof. "Wow...' Orihime whispered, earning the attention of the man across from her, "I haven't decided what exactly you'll be doing yet, but for now I suppose you we can try and figure out this whole, 'yellow-eyed' thing." Orihime turned to look at him, a scowl on his lips, "Is that why you went to San'ya?" She randomly blurted out. "Uh, Yeah... I was looking for a mage, how did you know?" Ichigo asked cautiously. "Well, I would always hear the stories of a mage, he carries a cane, with a hat that covers his eyes, some say he'd turn people into monsters, some into cats, since he's always seen talking to one." Orihime said, mind in another place, remembering her home. 'A man with a hat and a cane?... I've only ever heard of the one seen in the shadows, the one of the name Mayuri.' "Was his name Mayuri by any chance?" Orihime bit her lip and thought, tapping her finger to her chin, "Nope, I think it was Yuyuhara? Urahara? something like that." The conversation cut off by Chad opening the door to the carriage, "Welcome to Kurosaki Estate, Master, Misses." Chad said quietly, not looking at either of them while they climbed out of the cab. Orihime stepped eager feet onto the slick stone before the grand staircase to the Estate, forgetting all of her conversation, while she patiently waited for Ichigo and the others to lead the way inside. Ichigo walked past her and started to climb the stairs, "Are you coming?" he asked without turning, Orihime Just bound after him.
The giant double doors opened immediately for Ichigo, each side of the door lined with Women and Men who wore matching uniforms. "Welcome Home Master." they called out as they bowed, Ichigo walked by confidently, directly towards the spiral staircase across the room. Orihime held her head down and stared at the sparkling marble floors, earning some mumbles from the house workers as she walked by. Once she met Ichigo at the stairs, He turned to speak, calling attention to his workers. "This is Inoue Orihime, she'll be staying with us for a while, please show her around the grounds, and start some evening tea." He left her then, and climbed the stairs, the workers stood up straight and made way for the stairs where Orihime stood. "Hello Miss Inoue." the workers said. Orihime took in the faces of the people in front of her, there were three women and three men. "I'm the head Lady, Retsu, I overlook all of the female workers, it's nice to meet you." an older woman with blue eyes and jet-black hair called out to Orihime, she bowed slightly. "I'm the secondary cook, Tatsuki, it's nice to know you." Another woman called out, she had big brown eyes and spikey black hair. A Couple more people introduced themselves, Isane, one of the housemaids, Hachi the gardener, Toshiro the bookkeeper, and a tall pale man stood further back from the rest of the crowd, he had icy pale skin, jet black hair and startling green eyes. Orihime looked at him briefly, Retsu catching her attention, "You've already met Renji, Momo and Chad, that man back there is Ulquiorra, personal affairs." Orihime shuttered as they made eye contact, something about his cold exterior made her uncomfortable. She couldn't dwell too long on the queasiness she was feeling, Retsu was leading her onto her tour of the Estate.
Orihime marveled at the shiny glass windows, marbled floors, high ceilings and beautiful art that cluttered the walls of the Estate. There were dark-wood tables that housed plants in crystal vases, long thick runners along some of the floors, that had perfectly sewn patterns. Thick curtains hung from every one of the hundreds of windows, there was a long Mahagony dining table with a dozen plush chairs with high wooden backs, shimmering glass plates with pink painted flowers sat in front of each chair, polished silver utensils accompanying them. The back courtyard was filled with white metal chairs and tables, surrounded by a thick garden of roses. The second floor of the Estate held a grand Library with hundreds of books, a couple of small end tables and curved chairs. The suite rooms were on this floor, while the worker rooms were on the first, which those rooms were quite spacious and accommodating, with a large bed, dresser and storage closet. Orihime quirked a brow towards the end of the current hallway they were on, sure enough the double wooden door at the very end was without a doubt Ichigo's. She was more surprised when Retsu stopped her one door down from the end of the hall, unlocking the ancient wood, revealing a grand room. "Master has said that this room will be yours, to allow you to settle and bring you some of the clothes our seamstress has worked on." Orihime hardly acknowledged the woman as she left her in the room. She took in everything her eyes could see. A perfectly sculpted make-up stand with an oval orient mirror attached to the wall, it had a wooden stool with a thick cushion in front of it which sat near the foot of the bed along the furthest wall across from the door. The bed was almost twice the size of the one on the boat and sat perfectly in the middle of the room, a netted canopy giving slight sight to an arrangement of different shaped pillows and a thick cream-colored blanket, that had a lacy design. The frame was a deep brown, that played with the light coming through the readers window on the far wall away from the bed, it was three paneled, accompanied by a small bench, the thick red curtains tied up away from the windowsill in white silky ribbons. The wall closest to the door, on the left side, held a standing Mahagony dresser, and a small plush sofa, that sat at an angle against the top right corner of the room, next to it was a small glass nightstand. The right side was left fairly open, nothing but a large painting of sunflowers was along the wall that the bedrooms door laid. The wall farthest from the bed to the right held a small empty bookshelf, and a single wooden door, which Orihime reached for the handle to. Once the door was open it revealed a huge bathroom, with a large tub in the middle, long mirrors from roof to floor, a polished white toilet, several small tables that housed baskets of florals and soaps. A large counter with an even larger mirror above it, the counter held lotions, hairbrushes, small bottles of liquids, with names she could never even attempt to pronounce, and along its farthest wall, directly across from the door she just came from was another. 'If my math doesn't prove wrong that door must go to Ichigo's room...' she thought hesitantly, walking towards the closed entry way, curiosity moving her closer, gripping her hand on the cool shinning handle.
The room was almost the same as hers, just much larger, if that could even have been possible. There was hardly any candlelight coming from the room, as she walked in, leaving the wash-room door open. "Is there something you needed Miss Inoue?" Ichigo's voice called from the dark, Orihime jumped slightly, letting out an embarrassed squeal. "I'm sorry Kurosaki-Sama, I shouldn't have intruded." she called out apologetically, bowing slightly, an off-tone chuckle pulling her upright. "It's no problem, I hope the room choice isn't an issue, didn't really have any available downstairs.." Ichigo trailed, letting his words hang. Orihime's eyebrows furrowed, recalling the dozens of empty rooms downstairs. "Ahh, well my bad Kurosaki-Sama, I'll leave you now." Orihime turned to leave as a shadow flashed across the room, blowing out the scarcely lit candles, and slamming the washroom door shut. The same electricity from in the cab charging the now dark room, Orihime froze in place as the butterflies pounded her stomach raw. "Don't you want to stay awhile Hime?" Hichigo whispered into her ear, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand. She could feel Ichigo's warm hands grab ahold of her hips and spin her around, she met glowing yellow eyes instantly. Ichigo's face was curved into a devilish smirk, as his fingers pressed against Orihime's hips, she could feel the heat warming in her core, as her cheeks started to blush pink. "Who are you?" Orihime asked when he moved his lips closer to her neck, breathing in her scent. "Well don't play coy with me Hime, It's just me, Ichigo." He took a small nibble at her neck, causing her breath to hitch, "You are not Kurosaki-Sama..." her voice trailed off as she felt his lips smile largely against her neck, "Well I suppose that's right but also wrong.." Hichigo whispered, catching Orihime's earlobe between his lips, causing her to shiver against him. "I'm Hichigo, although that should hardly matter." he purred out, leading Orihime towards the chair he was sitting in when she came in. "Shouldn't it though? I hardly doubt this is what Kurosaki-Sama wants." she said as her bottom met with the chair. Excitement flashed in Hichigo's eyes, 'Oh how little these two know..' He thought, earning a blush from Ichigo who watched below the surface, 'Just because she's a woman doesn't mean I want to do these things, let me out!!!" Ichigo screamed from the inside, unsuccessfully, he watched as Hichigo kneeled before Orihime's legs, looking up at her. "This isn't too far off trust me.." he said, running hands up her legs, lifting himself above her, only inches from her face. Orihime's core was hot and bothered, something just kept pulling her to those glowing yellow eyes, leading her on, for once, the cool pools of honey that were usually in his face, was all Orihime wanted to see right now. Hichigo lowered his mouth towards hers, about to close the distance, when she whispered out the faintest of names.."Ichigo.."
As if it had never started to begin with, Ichigo's eyes were once again brown, and he stared back at the woman under him, whose eyes were closed tightly. 'She will be ours, you either make her yours or I'll make her mine!' Hichigo declared as he fell back into the depths of his mind. Ichigo could feel the weight of the promise from his other half, and it weighed heavy in his mind. Orihime opened an eye slightly once she didn't feel lips on hers, meeting those honey eyes. "Ahh I'm sorry, Kurosaki-Sama for the intrusion," she said from under him, trying to evade his gaze. Ichigo quickly got up from over her and cleared his throat, "I think we should talk before you go..." he said in a sure voice, knowing what had to be done. Orihime looked at him cautiously, waiting for him to speak, "We have two options as of right now, we can either, try, to you know..." He couldn't even finish his sentence before the scarlet was over taking his cheeks, "We can get to the bottom of this together, since he, well obviously, uh-um likes you..." Ichigo hardly choked the words out, catching Orihime's deep intake of breath. "Or we can go looking for that mage." He said more confidently, their eyes meeting, and the resolve setting in. "Let's find you that mage Kurosaki-Sama." Orihime said, as Ichigo led them out of the room to afternoon tea. The black cat with glowing yellow eyes, watched from the window, a small smile gracing it's feline features.
Authors Note: And that's chapter 5. I knew I wanted to end this chapter this way since I started the story, And as for Hichigo, we definitely haven't seen the last of him yet. Most of the household workers besides a couple of them were just for setting, and more than likely won't be reintroduced. The story will start to have some mild spicy parts coming very soon, I tested it out with this chapter and really liked it so, i will be continuing it. Expect chapter 6 within a 10 day or less period, Im going to Update More than a battle, Strawberry soda pop, and continue the drafts for my next story idea's (the morning after we fell, Halcyon Days) But feel free to dm me or comment any questions you may have, im also taking some minor idea's for this story right now since the ending is still fairly open. But thanks for reading chapter 5! 33 ~ H