Ishida was in his element, happily going away at making dinner for his new houseguest and himself. Now that he had the time to think and seriously consider what had just happened, he thanked his grandfather doubly. Who knows what he might have done? Foolish things, he was certain. Things any decent person would find terrible. And here, in his little kitchen, he felt safe from any physical temptations; Which was always the troubling thing about Inoue Orihime, as she was a walking temptation. Even in his safe domain, he felt useless and pleasant thoughts sneak up on him when he was concentrating. They were small things, like the tiny whispered thought: What would his grandfather have thought of her? Would they get along? And then he imagined the three of them having tea together, his grandfather and Inoue laughing brightly while he watched in amusement. The image brought him back to himself, and he tried to forget ever imagining it. She was haunting him, surely she was. Even if his physical impulses were gone with their closeness, he could still feel a pleasant warmth filling him at the thought of her and this world she'd made up being real. It made him ache, thinking how much he envied the false Ishida's nerve. If he had the nerve to ask her to live with him when they'd gotten back... maybe... no! He was not going there. That would only end in bitter disappointment.

Inoue examined her companion during dinner, which didn't go unnoticed. The food was lovely, Inoue had voiced. Having been around during one of Tatsuki's rants about her food, he watched in discomfort as she added the provided chocolate sauce to her yakisoba noodles and eggs. He honestly didn't know why he'd bought it. Ishida wasn't one for sweet things and possessed no ice cream. But he had been thinking that it was on sale and it wouldn't hurt to try it. His father didn't like him having decadent foods as a child, and thus the stuff gave him terrible stomach aches even now.

"Ishida-kun..." She said, breaking the silence as he placed his spoon back into his serving of miso soup. "I know you're really worried about me, so I won't push you to do anything but... but I need to know..." Ishida looked up from the soup, watching her questioningly as the words seemed to die in her throat. She turned a pale pink under his gaze that he thought compared to cherry blossoms. Perhaps he might take her to the park for a picnic on the weekend- as her intimate companion, of course.

"Go on," He said as seriously as he could. He tried thinking of something, anything that might come out of the mouth of an intimate companion. He recalled something very suddenly that he'd heard from someone else's quoting of a soap opera and thanked the heavens he hadn't forgotten it. "You can tell me anything you wish." As always, he added a little of himself into it, so it didn't sound fake. Watching her for a reaction, he felt his heart lodge comfortably into his throat as she beamed at him. It was the same beam from earlier that made him feel sort of... sparkly. He blushed lightly, deciding to never use that phrase again.

"I mean... I just want to know when you think it would be safe again is all," She said, still pink. Ishida tried to shake off the warmth spreading to his limbs and threatening to turn his face into a large red tomato with dark hair and glasses. He kickstarted his brain to answer her, trying to think of something smart to respond with. And it came to him as a flash of pure intellect.

"The doctor said to take it easy for two weeks," He said, surprised by his own brilliance. But even as he said it, he swallowed down the disappointment clawing all too closely to his chest. So he had shut things down? Good. Yes, this was good. Even that word, good sent a jolt of sadness. He mentally scolded to get a reign on himself then, she was still watching. And in her grey eyes were mirrored his feelings. He looked away, erasing the moment from his memory. It would do no good to be pondering over this later. Ishida was a man of reason, and he was going to hold onto that reason with everything he had left.

"Oh... well, if that's what the doctor said," Inoue said, sounding downtrodden. She suddenly turned her face up and smiled. "Then I'll just have to wait! After all, I have to be just as patient as Ishida-kun who must have it harder than me!" Ishida was tempted to tell her how right she really was.

"You can help with the dishes if you like," he said, still looking at the ever-so-intriguing spot on the wall to her right. The light and high sound of her laugh- he was sure it was a sound in the soul world- made his eyes focus on her again. Ah, it took so little to please Inoue. He smiled almost sadly, but let it drop immediately. She was too attuned to the people around her. She'd see it and he wouldn't be able to explain it to her.

Ishida was cautious and skilful at arranging the evening in such a way that they bathed in turn so he would be asleep by the time she had gotten out of her bath and dressed. Luck was not on his side today, it seemed. He'd forgotten one very, very important detail.

"Uryuu," whispered her sweet voice into his dreams, and he groaned. He suddenly associated her with the taste of chocolate sauce, only he wasn't getting the appropriate stomach ache. He slowly opened his eyes to a blurry figure. Who was it..? As his vision cleared, he could make out long dark ringlets of hair that were clearly still dripping a little. He lazily traced the smoothness of the blurred face, down the cream coloured neck and bare shoulders. It was when he reached the white towel struggling to contain something very three-dimensional that he shot awake and realization set in. Inoue was wet, and avoided nakedness by only a towel that couldn't contain her. "Uryuu, where are my clothes?"

(A/N)

Haha... sorry about this chapter taking longer to get to you but my life was a great mess this week. I enjoyed it, but I slept 16 hours in a row by the end of it to catch my brain up. I assure you, Ashari and her rusty sporks are aimed at me if I let this cliffhanger go too long.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Ishida's apartment of smut fantasies, Orihime in a towel, or Ishida in bed. Though I think we all would like to own these someday.

LadyAshari: Yay! Sugar! Do I get mooooore? Speaking of which, I expect more work on the Renji/Hime. So you better be thinking about Renji/Hime this week...!

Winterflower: This one might be a bit too cruel. I feel sorry for the guy now. I mean, she's naked and wet and in a towel. And she's standing beside his bed. I might take it easy on him. Well, maybe not. Oh well. I'm sure he has health insurance.

Lihanou: If you try it on some guy, tell me how it goes! XD

HaineAsakura: Thanks! I'm now accepting heaps of love as well as bags of sugar to flavour some waff into this send more love, will ya? I need it.

HawkeyeChuui: Bwahahahaha! Add this to your turkey dinner! I'm sure you'll love it and hate it at the same time. Ah... cliffhangers... I'm voting on death by strip poker.

SatanHat: Orihime is just skilled that way, you know. Man, I wish I was that skilled. Poor little Ishida the egg. He's about to turn into a sunny side up egg in the frying pan of luuuurv. lol.

Revised:May 17, 2011