Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters affiliated with the franchise.

"What?! Tell me you're joking, Orihime!" the martial artist shouted in absolute outrage, her eyes bulging, after learning of what had exactly transpired between her best friend and childhood friend. It was a good thing the two were on the roof of the school alone, or else they would've drawn a crowd.

Blushing, the healer looked down, understanding that she was about to receive the scolding of a lifetime.

"Why would you let that asshole do that to you? Unless you've suddenly developed amnesia, he fucked Rangiku! As a matter of fact, he still is! That slimebag doesn't deserve you," stated Tatsuki, with utter disgust present in her tone.

The burnt-orange-haired teenager realized that her best friend could very well be correct in her accusation, as well as the statement that Ichigo, in fact, didn't deserve her affection. But, in spite of that possibility, it wasn't as though she could turn off her emotional attachment by flipping a switch.

He was just so valiant … so handsome; the memories from last night inundated her brain.

"Ichigo is kind. Really. And ... look," she said, showcasing the bracelet to her dark-haired friend, "he gave this to me last night. Why would he do that if I was … I was …"

Unimpressed, Tatsuki countered, "He's just stringing you along. Why? I don't know. But, the facts are the facts, Orihime. Give him up and find another guy who'll appreciate you. Just make sure he isn't a coward, like Ichigo Kurosaki."

"But, Tatsuki -"

"Orihime, you and Ichigo are done. He's nothing. You're not allowed to see him anymore. I don't even want that bastard to so much as look at you. If he does, I don't give two shits what you say, I will kick his ass! Understood?"

The healer nodded her head, doing her best to withhold tears that so desperately wanted to spill. Why, oh why couldn't anyone comprehend the connection she shared with the young substitute soul reaper? It was something not of this world. His smell. His touch. His voice. His determination to protect those he cared for.

… There would never be anyone like him. Ever. How could she plausibly relinquish someone so significant to her development and her resolve to become a stronger person? If there was a way, she doubted her ability to find it. Well, to be perfectly truthful, she had no desire to do so in the first place, even if no one else saw what she saw. Ichigo was the very best in her eyes - and there was nothing that trumped the best!

But, Tatsuki was her best friend, and she deduced that the martial artist only wished for what was best for her to coincide with not wanting to witness her being hurt in any form or fashion. For that, she valued the fellow teenage girl dearly. Without her, she didn't think she ever would've had the opportunity to have met the love of her life, or had the confidence to grow her hair long.

This was so hard. No matter what she selected, Orihime would cause pain to someone and that didn't sit well with her. Not at all.

The healer remained silent for the rest of lunch and hadn't bothered to finish her strawberry, mustard, squid and pretzel sandwich (with bacon, lettuce, mayonnaise and tomato!).

XOXOXOXOXO

When the healer and the martial artist returned to the class following lunch, the former had immediately - inadvertently, mind you - locked eyes with the person she loved. Her heart skipped a beat, but, as the latter had given her a very emphatic warning in regards to contact with him, Orihime quickly darted her eyes elsewhere and had nearly collided with another student on the path to her seat. She swiftly offered a sincere apology and seated herself shortly thereafter. The burnt-orange haired teen then made certain she exercised extreme caution in not gazing in his direction.

For awhile, it seemed to work in spite of sensing his gorgeous brown eyes on her. That feeling made her body melt, but she had been successful in quelling it. However, as time appeared to progress sluggishly, it was merely a matter of time before she, to her dismay, couldn't resist and had to direct her vision behind her. She instantly regretted it.

"Orihime, you're so fuckin' beautiful," he silently mouthed to her, licking his lips.

The girl blushed and shifted around abruptly, scribbling all over her paper furiously in a lackadaisical attempt to pretend his words disgusted her instead of the opposite. She could feel Ichigo's smirk behind her and she huffed out of frustration, erasing the atrocity the moment she gathered her wits.

"Embarrassing. This is so embarrassing. I'm losing my mind over him … over this."

XOXOXOXOXO

The final bell couldn't ring soon enough for the beautiful healer; the school day had been long and given the order from Tatsuki to break things off with Ichigo, the girl wasn't quite ready to face him to do just that. So, she ran. She ran fast, not burdening herself to stop for any obstacle in her path. To everyone's amazement, Orihime leaped over a construction site barricade just outside of the school, like a marathon runner.

The substitute soul reaper scratched his head at the spectacle. While he planned to walk his classmate home - whilst making a date with her in the process - the young man merely shrugged his shoulders, figuring she had to congregate with aliens from Uranus.

Opting not to pursue the healer, the orange-haired young man made his way to Rangiku's for supper, as well as other activities.

XOXOXOXOXO

Four days later, Ichigo was shocked to hear a knock at the door. His family wasn't home, so he sprang to the door, naturally.

Opening it, he was surprised at who it was.

"'Hime? What are you doing here?" he asked amid a dumbfounded expression on his face. The girl hadn't spoken to him at all in the past few days, so he deduced that something wasn't quite right. He wished to press her about it, but in his attempt to have trust in Orihime, he opted to be patient and wait for her to come to him when she was ready.

Apparently, this had to be that moment.

"Am I interrupting anything? I'd hate to bother you if you were busy …," blushed the healer, secretly hoping to had caught him alone. She hadn't sensed any spiritual pressure within his home (outside of Ichigo's), so that boded well for her. The last thing she desired was for his family - or Rangiku - to be there, as that would've ruined what she plotted.

"Nah, I was just about to doze off, actually. Wanna come in for a little bit?"

Nodding meekly, the girl waited for her handsome classmate to step aside so that she could enter.

"Would you like something to drink, 'Hime? I got tea, water and some grapefruit juice."

"No, thank you," Orihime replied, allowing the substitute soul reaper to take her coat and hang it up on the rack behind the front door. Her cheeks reddened more the moment she noticed Ichigo's eyes drinking in her form.

"'Hime, you look so sexy in my hoodie. I'm glad I let you have it, 'cause you do it justice. And that skirt? You're just trying to fuckin' tease me, aren't you?"

His tone was husky as he stated his words, making the girl feel aroused.

"O-Oh, no, I would never try to … tease you, Ichigo," whispered the girl nervously, feeling wetness forming between her legs. "H-Honest, I wouldn't ..."

"Yeah right," he cockily remarked, a large smirk on his face. "You expect me to believe that, 'Hime? Well, I ain't fuckin' buyin' it. Turn around, with your hands on the door, you little schemer."

"Ichigo …," she murmured, frozen, and obviously not doing as she was instructed quick enough for Ichigo's liking. Feeling her body being forced around, she gasped.

Of course, Orihime would be lying if she told anyone she didn't like this forceful side of the man she loved.

The teenage boy instantly lifted the girl's skirt, taking note of her panties. "Pink's a good color for you, babe - especially with this teddy bear on it. Only you could pull off being childlike and sexy all-in-one."

Ichigo rubbed her modestly-sized bottom, making her moan from the contact. He then popped her taunting flesh, forcing her to cry out, "Ow~!"

"You've been bad, 'Hime; coming here, looking like that … You need to be punished," chuckled the boy. "But first, I want to taste the rest of you before I continue your punishment."

The burnt-orange-haired girl's heart raced.

What did he mean by "punishment"?

Was Ichigo into the kinky sex that she'd heard about from Tatsuki and others?

Was he going to tie her up and spank her?

Above all else, why did the thought of all those things turn her on?

Orihime wondered if she was, indeed, a masochist.

Admittedly, she had some fantasies that were a bit on the dark side, albeit, she was the dominant one (being a sadist) - with high heeled boots, a long, leather whip, a violet corset and a cat mask to complete her look. But, she contemplated whether she truly desired to play the other side.

"Those are just girlish fantasies. Nothing more."

Hastily dismissing the notion as "balderdash" for the time being, the young healer groaned, tossing her head back upon the sensation of Ichigo's lips contacting her neck area.

His lips, they were oh-so good to experience on her soft skin.

Mm …

Her neck was always a spot that made her go weak-in-the-knees (a fact Ichigo was more than aware of!). Just from this mere act alone did she literally want him to rip her clothes off and penetrate her core against his front door as if she were a common street whore.

Orihime felt that tingle in her spine and her legs started to quiver.

Knowing he had the healer under his control, the substitute soul reaper let out an exultant sigh, loving her smell and her taste. Ichigo feasted on her flesh with more ferocity, pinning Orihime to the door so she couldn't elude his strong, masculine clutches.

To be fair, he doubted she wished to escape in the first place.

"I want you, Orihime ..." she heard him huskily whisper in her ear, sending euphoric shockwaves through her system, "... so bad. I'm going to … take my time … and enjoy every inch of you."

His lips met her ear, making her body endure the jelly-like sensation even more. Kiss after kiss, he was driving her positively mad.

The healer craved her classmate.

She had to have him. She knew it was wrong, and Tatsuki would never surely approve, but when a man this handsome, this dashing, this … seductive pressed all the right buttons, how could she plausibly say no?

Ichigo's hands reached to the front of his former hooded top and unzipped it, causing Orihime to gasp. Reaching quickly inside, he noticed his classmate didn't have anything but a bra on underneath, prompting him to shake his head, "'Hime, you're such a fuckin' tease. It's good that I'm here to punish you."

"Punish me, Ichigo. I want you to punish me. Please, punish me, Ichigo."

"Now, take off your fuckin' bra, before I rip it off," the boy commanded her.

Just hearing him speak this way aroused the teen girl.

Whilst, Ichigo pulled her top off, Orihime speedily unfastened her bra and allowed it to fall to the floor before her.

Not wasting a second, the boy's hands fondled her plentiful breasts, his fingers rolling around her steadily hardening pink pearls. The girl sighed at the contact, but she wanted him to be more rough.

"More, Ichigo ... Please~!"

The sound of her voice sparked his hunger for her further and, without hesitation, he groped her ample flesh more vigorously. Her melons were so soft, feeling like pillows in his hands; they were heavenly. Rangiku's were soft, too, but not as soft as Orihime's (despite the latter's being a tad smaller). He twisted each of her nipples between his thumb and middle finger, forcing her to cry and scream in pleasure.

Orihime could feel the wetness rapidly increasing within her core. She needed him inside of her so badly. They'd never gone quite that far, however, teenage hormones were a motherfucker: One never had the capability to be perfectly rational when the aforementioned got involved.

She was ready.

In her heart, she wanted this.

They might not had been girlfriend and boyfriend, but that didn't really matter.

"Ichigo, I want you …," she moaned, unconsciously.

The healer was shifted around, only to have her lips seized by her classmate's. She quickly granted his tongue entry and the two of them battled for dominance, tasting each other as if the opposing person would be their last meal. Once Ichigo assumed his position of power, his mouth lowered to her delectable breast, dangling there for him, biting her nipple.

"Ah~!" Orihime groaned, biting her lips and squeezing her inner thighs together.

Laughing, the substitute soul reaper, bit her again; this time allocating his teeth to sink in a little deeper.

The teen girl experienced the pain but couldn't care less. It felt … good.

"Harder! Bite me harder!"

Ichigo complied, gnawing at her pebble, twisting his teeth around the erected pink flesh. Again, Orihime cried, imploring him to persist until she could no longer take it. At that point, she lunged into his arms and kissed him with everything she had.

XOXOXOXOXO

Growling in her mouth, relishing her taste once more, the teen boy carried the healer up to his bedroom, speedily shutting the door and placing her on the bed as delicately as possible. He set her up, with her legs dangling over the bed, making his descent to her steaming core. The smell was delectable and he simply had no more patience; he had to eat now.

Lifting her skirt, his lips met her inner thighs, instantly making her toes curl; her fingers gripping the soft, white pillows. She was getting so wound up that, without thinking, she fisted his orange locks, bringing his head directly to her core.

Getting the hint, Ichigo slid her panties to the side just enough in order to slip his tongue inside her womanhood. The boy wasted little time licking at the girl's clitoris vigorously. From her movements, as well as the sounds emitting from her sweet mouth, he could ascertain that she would climax in short order.

Five minutes of wonderful flicks of the tongue was all it took before Orihime had succumbed to the constant stimulation, bawling her euphoria to the world. Her breathing ragged, she called for the boy to meet face-to-face with her. The moment he did, she kissed him.

Hard.

With undeniable hunger, she nibbled at his lips and devoured him.

Grinning, Ichigo slyly remarked. "'Hime, what's gotten into you?"

"Y-O-U," the girl uncharacteristically growled, kissing him yet again. Her hands traveled south to his pajama pants, reaching inside. Orihime's eyes widened at how large he felt.

"So ... big. And he's so hard."

"I'm so gonna take you now, beautiful. If you don't wanna do this, you'd better say something now, 'cause I won't stop once I start," he warned her, his yearn for her too great to control any longer.

"If that's true, then you'll never get to stop. I want you, Ichigo. So much."

"You don't know what you're in for."

"I'll take my chances, because I know you'll never truly hurt me, Ichigo."

"If you only knew just how much a damn dog I am, 'Hime."

Getting on top of her, the boy gazed into the girl's grey eyes, ensuring that she was, indeed, alright with moving forward. He had no reason to believe that she wasn't a virgin and understood just how much this instance would mean to her. It would forever be in her heart.

As if reading his mind, Orihime explained, "It's okay, Ichigo. Really, I've wanted this for so long. Please, take me. Make me yours. I want to be close to you."

Unsure, but not wishing to screw up a perfectly good moment, the substitute soul reaper told her, "Lemme grab a condom, babe."

With Rangiku, he never used condoms, as the Soul Society had already made "provisions" to each female soul reaper prior to them ever being sent on a mission on their behalf. After all, the worst thing that could ever occur was for one of them to experience the horror of being raped, which obviously left the door open to the plausibility of carrying a hollow's seed. One couldn't possibly fathom the panic that would ensue at that scenario.

Orihime shook her head. "I-I'm on the pill, so we won't need it. ... I want to feel all of you, without restriction."

Trusting her, he nodded, retrieving his member from his jeans and asserting himself with her womanhood. Orihime smiled, as did Ichigo - and, with that, he penetrated her core.

XOXOXOXOXO

Two hours later, the healer rolled out of bed, covering her breasts. She looked at the love of her life, sleeping, after they'd just done what she spent the entire length of her adolescence dreaming of. Overall, the experience was wonderful, and there wasn't any way that any occurrence could outshine this moment.

Ever.

She desired to do it again.

But …

Orihime knew this was wrong. In her heart, she had come to accept that Ichigo wasn't truly hers. She arrived here recognizing that she needed to let him go. Tatsuki certainly influenced her decision, however, the selfish part of her acknowledged that she required this intimate moment, or it would slowly kill her deep within. … The girl was ecstatic she had the ability to be selfish and let go.

This was a moment she refused to give up.

No one but the duo would know of anything that happened between them.

This was her moment and hers alone.

Even with the sore between her legs as she walked, this event was special. She thanked the love of her life and wrote him a letter that she was sure he would read when he awakened.

"Ichigo, I love you. You're the kindest, sweetest, most wonderful person I've ever known. You've given me everything a naive girl, like myself, could ever ask for. Because of you, I have courage. Because of you, I have strength. Because of you, I feel accepted. Because of you, I have the power to protect my friends. ... Take care of Rangiku. As much as it hurts me to let you go, I know that she's the right one for you. So, be happy, Ichigo. Be happy, even if it makes me cry that I'm not the one who could truly make you smile. Thank you … for everything."

Author's Notes: I want to thank all of you who have reviewed, faved, followed or read the story from the shadows. As such, I'm sorry that I didn't get this chapter out sooner. To be honest, I had no idea which direction I desired to go with this story. I typed this chapter numerous times and nothing worked. Now that I have a general idea of where I'm going with this story, I believe there won't be anymore long delays between chapters.

Again, my apologies, and I thank those of you who stuck with me on this journey. Really, it means a lot.

Peace, love, goodies and happiness to all of you.