Orihime followed behind Ichigo, listening to the sound of their footsteps beat into the marbled floors, their new revelations and plans making her head filled with thoughts of what was to come. Lost in her own mind, she bumped into Ichigo's tall back when he stopped at the entry way to the sitting room, causing her face to flame brightly and her eyes to immediately widen. Ichigo just huffed as he walked into the space, allowing her eyes to take in the setting. There were two small tea tables clothed with silky cream colored cloths, that had perfectly etched patterns and were smoothed elegantly over the light colored wood. Those tables were accompanied by two chairs per table, the chairs were carved skillfully, wide and luxurious, holding a small pillow with frilled arms, the fabric looked satin and expensive. The entire far wall was windows that over looked the garden, their long red curtains tied back to give perfect view to the neatly trimmed bushes. Orihime's attention was pulled away from the red roses by a deep throat clearing, an obvious indication for her to sit down. Orihime pleasantly took the chair on the other side of Ichigo, who now held a delicate tea cup between long fingers, she watched intently as his perfectly sculpted lips blew on the hot steam from his cup, touching the cool glass to his mouth, and sipping on the heated beverage. Her pink blush grew deeper, the now, regular sparks flying for the third time that day. 'Ahhh Orihime, pull yourself together, what if he catches you staring..' as though he could read her mind, he opened his eyes as he removed the glass from his lips, and looked directly at her. "Well Miss Inoue, do you intend to not drink tea?" He asked simply, staring at her with raised eyebrows, receiving a slight giggle from one of his housemaids who watched quietly from the other side of the sitting room. Her small quirk caused Ichigo's brows to immediately fall, and a scowl take his face. "Miss Haru, do you find something about this evening funny?" Ichigo asked, looking at her disapprovingly, earning slight surprise from Orihime, who had never quite seen him interact this way. "No Master.." the housemaid said, crossing her hands in front of her and looking dejectedly at the floor."Well then I suppose I should hear no laughter or humor coming from your lips, you're excused." Orihime watched as the housemaid quickly walked out of the sitting room, leaving them utterly alone. 'Well that was…. Interesting.' She thought to herself, quirking an eyebrow. She couldn't help the words that quickly left her lips, "That sure was something, Kurosaki-Sama." His attention immediately snapped to her once more, the scowl falling from his features, being replaced with absolute shock. "What do you mean something?" He retorted in his usual annoyed sounding banter, usually heard from his conversations with Renji. "Oh nothing, you just seemed very, serious." Orihime couldn't help but tease the man sitting next to her, something about his facial expressions were sending her chest blazing. "Well I have to be an authority figure Miss Inoue, or else I won't receive respect." He said in response, his tone still slightly humored.
Ichigo looked at Orihime thoughtfully, he found himself tempted to continue his light playful conversation, the desire thick and heavy, if it be his own or influenced, he wasn't sure, But, he couldn't pull his eyes away from the woman next to him. His stomach started to flutter, and his cheeks to rise a blush, until a swift knock at the entry way ended whatever trance she had him in. He watched as the pale gentleman waited at the entry way, not entering until told to do so. "Come on in Ulquiorra." Ichigo called out, sipping his tea as he listened to the paced foot steps of the man entering. Putting his tea cup on a small glass tray before bringing his eyes to meet with the bright green that looked directly at him. "What is it you needed?" Ichigo asked emotionlessly, matching the character of the man in front of him. "I came to inform you of a guest, a Woman whom says she knows you, the name of Rukia Kuchiki, she holds the seal of the royal family upon her neck and is graciously waiting for entr-" Ulquiorra was cut off quickly as a woman who rowdily spoke was heard marching loud steps down the hallway towards them. "Well where the hell is Ichigo anyway? Always acting so brood and arrogant, he ought to be hit upside the head from having me stand about his front steps for so long!" A short, black haired woman with large purple eyes came bustling into the room, she wore a full blue gown that covered her shoes completely and a white puffy coat, she held one accessory, a thick gold emblem about her neck, that had a orient flower and two white doves.
Orihime immediately took in the woman who freshly entered the room, watching from the corner of her eye as Ichigo's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. Her eyes flashed back quickly to the woman as she opened her mouth to yell, causing Ulquiorra to leave the room swiftly before his ear drums bust. "There you are you fool, how dare you leave me outside for so long? I could have caught a cold or died of starvation!" Ichigo rolled his eyes in response to the short screeching woman, her overreaction only causing him a headache. "Relax Rukia, you were out there hardly five minutes and the sun has not set along the horizon to bring you any cool temperatures." Ichigo's relaxed, and unbothered response earned him a swift hit to his head. "Is that anyway to speak to someone who is of higher ranking? You idiot!" Rukia asked, dusting her hands. "Oh my bad, Rukia, didn't know you were claiming your title all of the sudden, maybe if you acted like a lady you'd be treated like one." Ichigo called out again, rubbing the throbbing spot about his head.
Orihime's eyes widened as the unsuspecting Ichigo was about to receive yet another blow, she quickly jumped from her seat, earning the attention of the pair in front of her. She grew embarrassed instantly, holding their eyes, she bowed, and introduced herself clearly. "It's nice to meet your company, Kuchiki-Sama, I am Orihime Inoue, and please excuse my behavior." Rukia's face fell to confusion and then humor. "It is no trouble Miss Inoue please, feel free to call me Rukia." She held out a hand to Orihime, who had just risen from her bow. Orihime took her hand and shook it proudly. "Thank you, Rukia." Rukia watched as Ichigo's furrowed brows softened at the sound of the woman in front of hers voice, her mind brewing devious thoughts.
A couple hours had passed since Rukia had found her way into the Kurosaki Estate, she watched diligently to the body language between the two brightly colored people in her company, from the blushes to the hazy looks, and gazes across the room. She was completely convinced that Ichigo was definitely fond of Orihime, and she had the perfect plan to pay him back for his rude behavior in the sitting room.
The three, Rukia, Ichigo, and Orihime sat at the long wooden Dining table, waiting for their feast to be brought to them. Orihime had tried multiple times to excuse her self, explaining she be better to not intrude any longer on their personal affairs, but Rukia insisted her company to diner before she left back to her own estate to retire for the evening. Orihime now sat across from Rukia at the table, while Ichigo took the head of the table, resting perfectly between the two. Growing a nervous bubble about her belly, as Rukia turned and asked Ichigo a question that sent her cheeks flaming. "So Ichigo, is Miss Inoue going to be your wife." Ichigo all but spit his tea across the table, but he swallowed it thickly, his own cheeks becoming dusted with a blush. He refused to play into the short woman's games, and ignored her. Rukia wasn't giving up so easily, "I'll take that silence as a definite yes, should I call the planners, tell my Brother there's a new Duchess about?" Rukia asked teasingly, earning Orihime's interjection, "Kurosaki-Sama Does not think of me that way…" Rukia immediately dropped her small grin, taking in the slight look of disappointment from the woman across from her, kicking Ichigo against his shin hard. "Ouch you Idiot!" He yelped out in slight pain, immediately rubbing at the impact spot, which was right under his knee. "Well you deserved it, especially for being such a dense idiot." Rukia exclaimed, earning a serious glare from Ichigo, one that hardened and caused all her humor to fade. "What Orihime is to me, is nothing to concern you." He said in a cold voice, Orihime's eyes snapped immediately to catch the faint golden glow that was quickly erased once he blinked.
Dinner was over shortly, and the room remained quiet and awkward. Orihime helped cleared their dishes as Rukia prepared herself to leave the Estate, the sun long gone behind the darkness of night. Ichigo had excused himself early, saying he needed to use the washroom. While Orihime was continuing her tidying, Rukia spoke softly. "I'm sorry if I caused any Issues, I usually am a loud woman, but Ichigo has never been so keyed up, though I suppose if I took it too far on your part I apologize, Miss Inoue." Rukia slightly bowed at the auburn haired woman, whose face was graced with a soft smile and warm eyes, "You didn't offend me at all, I enjoyed your company immensely and hope I can be in it again." Orihime exclaimed, causing Rukia to give her a smile back, the two women exchanged goodbyes, as Rukia exited the dining room making way to the entrance doors. 'Ichigo is definitely in love with her….' Rukia thought smirking into the dim light of the hall she was on, thinking of the future for her new friend, and the dense idiot she'd known her entire life. Her mind still drifted into the endless possibilities, as her slipper caught a slightly raised marble tile and she went crashing into the cool ground.
Rukia was quickly collected by large warm hands, "Are you okay miss?" The voice called out from the dim, she looked up to be greeted with the face of an unexpected man. "Renji?…" Rukia asked slightly dazed from her fall, Renji's eyes widened a little at the woman he held slightly against his chest. "Rukia? Since when… I thought." He was cut off quickly by small puckered lips smacking into his.
Renji was stunned as he felt hot lips pressed against his so fiercely, but he immediately responded with an even deeper kiss, his hands filling with her hair effortlessly. The kiss lasted but a second more before heavy breathing broke it, in which Renji straightened them upright immediately. Rukia caught her balance again and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that." Her voice though, was not laced with regret, but pure pleasure and love. Her eyes filled with longing. "Don't worry about it, you can kiss me anytime." Renji whispered against her ear playfully, causing her to shiver a little against his hot breath. She simply started walking towards the doors, smiling lightly as she heard him following behind her. Once outside and approaching her carriage, Renji dared to stop her again in front of her footman. "Renji you know we can't…. You know we can't do this. It's forbidden, if my brother found us out I'd be cast out, shunned." Rukia whispered to him in the dark of the court, recalling the 'restricted relationship' that her older brother was far from fond of. Renji just let out a deep breath, turning back for the doors, leaving Rukia at her carriage to be taken into the night.
Several hours passed as the moon rose higher into the night sky, Ichigo lay slightly restless in his bed, wondering if the woman next door had any trouble sleeping. He couldn't help himself as his feet drug him out of the comfort of his blankets and through the door to the conjoined washroom. He hardly was able to navigate in the dark, but he was far too embarrassed with himself already to even light a candle to guide him. 'Yeah here I go again, creepily going to watch a woman sleep!' He thought to himself, almost disgusted enough to turn around, but a small voice he didn't recognize caused his stomach to drop to his toes. He made the last few steps to Orihime's door and swung it open, seeing nothing but a cloaked figure holding Orihime over its shoulder, the window open and a swift flash of black cover his vision. Ichigo saw nothing more, but felt a a heavy object connect with the side of his head, his eyes shut as his brain glazed over with nothing but blackness.
Authors note: I'm so sorry for the delay of chapters! And this one is definitely filled with a lot to take in, but still not as long as some of the others, this imo is just another filler, but we're introduced to a new relationship? And what is this kidnapping? Ichigo is officially named as a duke, which honestly was my plan from the beginning, and the kuchiki family be the main royal bloodline, those of the kings and queens. But I do hope you enjoyed chapter 6 nonetheless. I am already working on chapter 7, but I can not definitely say when I'll post it. But I'm going to try and work on the new chapters for More than a battle and Strawberry soda pop. But feel free to dm, comment, with any questions you may have. See you guys soon- H