Chapter 8
Ichigo's Question
As Ichigo and Rukia enter his room, after their successful first official date, Ichigo smirks at Rukia who isn't sure how to react to that, so she gives him a questioning stare before finally asking the question.
"What are you smirking about?" Rukia demands to know, wondering why his eyes are flashing in such a mischievous manner.
"We leave for this trip in a month, right?" Ichigo asks, and Rukia slowly nods her head yes.
"Yeah…"
"It just occurred to me that a month is when I can finally take up strenuous activities again." Ichigo says, which gets Rukia red instantly.
"Is that all that's on your mind?" Rukia asks worriedly, wondering if Ichigo will be gentle with her the way she hopes he will be.
"No," Ichigo says honestly, but he's still sure it's too soon to tell her he thinks she's the one, even though he said plenty about how he felt just before they reached the restaurant earlier.
I actually told her I didn't want to let her go…I hope I sounded cool and not pathetic…
Rukia also has a look on her face like she's remembering what he'd said in the car and she gives him a small smile. Ichigo feels himself start to heat up so he turns from her and removes his shirt, not realizing that Rukia has inched a bit closer to him and her hands are out and making motions like she wants to squeeze his ass.
Rukia's fingers twitch, and she's so tempted to just grab him, considering how much he played with her last night, but she refrains and yanks her hands still at her sides when he starts to turn back around. Then she is awarded with the view of his muscular chest again. Seeing him naked from the waist up in just his bandages is enough to make her entire body tingle all over.
Damn he looks good…
Then he realizes she's staring, so he puts his hands on his pants to pull them down next…and he has to hold back laughter at the way she keeps staring, but backs up a couple of steps to put some distance between them.
"Ichigo…why are you undressing?" Rukia asks in a whisper, with her eyes wide as hell.
"I'm not completely undressing. I'm still in my boxers." Ichigo objects as he opens a dresser drawer and pulls out a pair of sweat pants. "I'm just getting ready for bed." He tells her, before he slips on his sleeping pants.
Rukia can feel her heart pitter pattering against her chest in a ferocious way, and it's all she can do, not to bring her hand up to her chest which would give her away to Ichigo. She's unaware that she's holding her breath.
I bet he knows he's giving me heart palpitations, and he's probably enjoying it!
She exhales a breath of relief once he's pulled his pants up, and he gives her an amused smile, which horrifies her because that means he noticed the breath she'd been holding. He takes one large step to be near her, and then he places his hands gently on her arms.
"Rukia…" Ichigo's voice sounds extremely seductive, and part of Rukia is totally turned on, while the other part is very wary.
If I let down my guard, he'll surely get me!
"Quit teasing me Ichigo…" Rukia warns him, but that's all she's able to get out of her mouth before his lips come down over her own, and he's kissing her so passionately that she melts completely in his arms, guard completely down.
She hates to admit it, but she can't get enough of his kisses. Each one clouds every thought in her brain except how much she wishes she could freeze time and never leave this moment. His kisses give her happiness unlike any she's ever experienced, and with his arms around her, she wonders if it's truly real…the feelings she's getting to experience are so unexpectedly intense, that she has no set way of dealing with it, due to her inexperience in this area of life altogether.
For Ichigo, the way she melts against him, subconsciously trying to get closer, pressing herself harder and harder against him as he deepens this kiss is what makes him react in such a fierce manner. Even his pants have gotten tight again, but instead of yanking away from him as he half expected her to do, she's pressing ever closer to him in that region too, which just makes him kiss her even more passionately, and he realizes as he tightens his hold on her, that if he weren't holding her, she'd fall because her knees have buckled on her, and he's supporting her entire weight.
The doctor wouldn't be happy with him right now, but it feels too extensively right for Ichigo to pull away. Instead he drags her against his body backwards and he sits on the bed, pulling her onto his lap in a straddling position, where he puts his right hand on the back of her head to prevent her from pulling away.
She scoots closer, kissing him back, making him think that maybe he doesn't scare her as much as he thought he did…so he takes his left hand and pulls her blouse from her pants, and then he lets his hand trail up her back, making her shiver during the kiss.
Rukia brings her hands around his front, opens her hands up to feel the muscles in his chest, applying pressure and being pleased with what she feels.
The bedroom door being swung open suddenly makes them both pull apart, but Rukia is so startled that when she pulls back, she starts to pitch to the ground, and Ichigo yanks her back up to prevent that from happening, so Isshin walks in on what looks like a passionate embrace between the pair, breathing hard like they were about to get it on.
"Ah! So you two are a couple!" Isshin says loudly enough for people living three blocks away to hear, which makes Rukia's eyes go wide, and she turns her head away to avoid having to look him in the eye.
"Yeah…" Ichigo growls at his father with a look that Isshin can only laugh at since his son appears to be silently promising him an early death as soon as he gets Rukia-chan off his lap.
Rukia is too shocked that Ichigo easily called them a couple, even though he has yet to make that official with her just yet, but Ichigo ends up making her squeak from shock at his next comment…
"That's great-" Isshin starts to respond, but Ichigo cuts him off.
"I'd call us more than that…I'd say she's the girl I want to marry." Ichigo's words get rapid blinks from both of the other people in the room, but then Isshin jumps up so high, he nearly hits his head on the ceiling.
"Yippee!" Isshin's voice is so loud that Rukia claps her hands over her ears but stares at Ichigo with her mouth open in shock.
"Ichigo! Are you insane?" Rukia breathes, unable to believe what he just said to his father in front of her.
"If I am, it's all your fault." Ichigo informs her dryly, and Rukia attempts to scramble off his lap, but Ichigo holds her firmly, not allowing her to get away and give his father an eyeful of exactly how much Rukia had managed to turn him on in under five minutes of entering the room…
Ichigo tries to give her a look to let her know she can't move, but she looks so panicked that she doesn't realize what his reasoning is for keeping her there, even though it's pressed right against her abdomen.
"I'll take out an ad in the paper!" Isshin yells excitedly before turning and dashing out the door, and Ichigo is forced to yell right in Rukia's ears…
"Don't you dare you crackpot!" Ichigo practically tosses her into the bed and grabs a long tee-shirt at lightning speed, throwing it on before going to chase after his father to give him the punishment he's deserved, leaving Rukia wide eyed and shocked in his bed.
Rukia brings her hand up to her forehead in dismay, before muttering to herself in complete disbelief.
"Maybe I'm the one that's gone insane…"
She puts her hand to her heart to find it's still racing like crazy, and she's not sure what type of magic Ichigo just used on her, but she's not sure how she's supposed to go an entire month without doing anything, because she clearly wants him bad right now.
If he finds out, I'm in trouble…
Rukia wonders how she'll keep control of herself the next time he kisses her and then she blushes again.
I already know there will be a next time…
"It's no wonder I'm losing my mind, and it's that damned Ichigo's fault!" Rukia finally bursts out, feeling more inept than she ever has in her life.
I've got to stay strong, it's best for him to heal, that he doesn't do anything strenuous…
Rukia leaps off the bed. She's sure he's about to fight with his father, and that will certainly be strenuous indeed!
"Ichigo!" Rukia shouts before she dashes out of the room and in the direction of the masculine shouting from the first floor. "Oh for heaven's sake!"
Rukia dashes down the stairs and gets in front of Ichigo right before he's about to capture his dad.
"You bastard!" Ichigo's shouting at his father, and Rukia's first instinctive thought is to take Ichigo's feet out from under him, and she barely restrains herself in time.
"Ichigo! You're not supposed to be doing anything strenuous!" Rukia yells at him, and Ichigo blinks wide eyed at her, before giving her a cocky look.
"You didn't seem too concerned a few minutes ago- Ugh!" Rukia has taken him down in mid-sentence and she's standing over him with flashing eyes looking very dangerous, making Ichigo stop with his tirade.
"Shut up Ichigo!" Rukia hisses at him, looking very embarrassed, which makes Ichigo feel bad and forget some of his anger towards his father…but then Isshin laughs, and Ichigo's ire is back in full force.
Rukia balling her hand up into a fist is the only thing that keeps Ichigo silent, and Isshin is laughing so hard at this point that he falls to the ground holding his mid-section.
"She's perfect for you son!" Isshin finally manages to get out in between laughs, and Rukia just looks embarrassed beyond words.
Then Rukia notices Ichigo's teenage sisters, looking curious and amused at the scene that just played out in front of them.
"I'm afraid to ask…" Karin mutters before turning her back and sauntering away, while Yuzu looks torn between staying to make peace between her father and brother or following her sister.
"Why are you so mad anyways?" Ichigo asks Rukia, who still looks pretty furious.
"No strenuous activity." That's all she can get out, which gets Isshin howling in laughter again.
Ichigo looks a bit annoyed with his father, but a bit amused with Rukia as well. He finally sighs in defeat before looking back at his father.
"My girlfriend says we have to stop. Don't make me calmly walk outside and cut the phone lines to prevent you from calling the paper." Ichigo warns, which makes Rukia gasp, but Isshin just laughs harder.
"I'll call from my cell phone, cut the phone lines all you want!" Isshin says, antagonizing his son a bit more, but Rukia is still dazed from Ichigo calling her his girlfriend.
"Fine! Tell the whole world, I don't care anymore!" Ichigo says before he stands up and grabs Rukia by the waist.
"Ichigo what are you-" Rukia starts to ask, but Ichigo silences her with a sexy wink.
"We're going to finish what we started upstairs," He leans down with his lips against her ear to say the last part and a shiver runs down Rukia's spine.
"I think we need to pull out the dictionary and teach you the meaning of the word strenuous, so that you finally get what you can and can't be doing right now." Rukia says breathlessly, as he drags her up the steps.
My hand is really close to his ass right now…it'd be so easy to reach out and just grab it! Should I? What will he do?
"I'll let you teach me any-" Ichigo is cut off, because a tiny hand just squeezed the hell out of his ass, and that makes him freeze on the spot, before letting out a low growl like some sort of wild jungle cat.
Oh yeah, that's real nice!
Rukia squeezes again for good measure, and them makes the mistake of looking up into her boyfriend's eyes.
Whoops…did I get too carried away?!
"If you want me to stay away from strenuous activity…you should probably not do that." He says, with a deep breath like he's having a great deal of trouble maintaining control over himself.
Then Rukia feels a hand grabbing at her own ass, and she shrieks in response.
"Ichigo!" Rukia yelps out, jumping so high the top of her head nearly cracks his chin.
"Damn Rukia, you've got a nice little ass…" Ichigo says, and Rukia blushes but can't help telling him something about his ass in return…
"You too, berry boy, I think I'd like to bite yours." Rukia tells him, making his groin ache from desire.
"I've wanted to taste you ever since you hit me over the head with my cell phone under the bridge where you first saved me." Ichigo tells her, and Rukia looks enchantingly embarrassed.
"I like it when we touch…" Rukia whispers, but then she looks up at him forlornly and he nods his head in agreement.
"This will be one long month." He says, which is exactly what she'd just been thinking.
"More importantly, you called me your girlfriend…" Rukia says, and she looks back up at him with her eyes big. "Did you mean that?" She asks, and he rolls his eyes at her.
"How can you even ask that? Life was never happy before you came along, I'm still trying to figure out a way to convince you to marry me as soon as possible!" Ichigo blurts out, but then his eyes widen when he realizes he said things he should have only thought.
Rukia's reaction puzzles him though. She pulls away from him and starts pinching herself…hard.
"This isn't real, that's just not possible…" Rukia's mutterings make Ichigo give her a strange look.
"Rukia…oi!" Ichigo grabs her arm to pull her upright, and Rukia gives him a disbelieving look.
"Why would you say that? You can't possibly mean that, can you?" Rukia finally bursts out, and Ichigo takes a step back.
I meant every fucking word…what's with her reaction!?
"Are you just trying to play me or something?" Rukia asks, and Ichigo looks insulted.
"Why would you say that?" He demands, and Rukia shakes her head at him.
"Because my friend Matsumoto Rangiku told me that if ever a man brings up marriage within a week of meeting you, he's most definitely playing you!" Rukia bursts out, and Ichigo decides he's had enough of this annoying friend of Rukia's without ever having even met her.
"I'll marry you before we go on the trip if you'll agree to it." Ichigo says, daring her to question his intentions again.
Rukia blinks, and then loses her balance, which is bad since she's most of the way up the stairs with him. She makes a desperate grab for him but manages only to catch the waistband of his pants, which she pulls all the way out, getting a good view of what's in his pants before pulling him down the stairs on top of her.
Ichigo manages to reach out and grab a rail before they go more than three step together, and Rukia is still hanging onto the front of his pants for dear life and he pulls her close to him.
"You're going to be the death of me Rukia. Now answer my question. Would you actually agree to become my wife?" Ichigo asks, but all he gets in response is heavy breathing from Rukia, so he pulls away to look at her, and then he feels her hands on his butt yet again, which makes him have a reaction in the front, which she's pressed all up against right now.
"You'd become a Kuchiki?" Rukia says innocently but shocked, and Ichigo nearly chokes.
"Why would I do that!? Why wouldn't you become a Kurosaki?!" He asks, but Rukia shakes her head.
"Byakuya ni-sama was married and his wife died before she had kids. He won't marry again. Once of the conditions of my being allowed to get married is that my husband become a Kuchiki along with our children." Rukia tells him, not meaning a word of it, just wanting to see his reaction.
"I'd do anything to marry you." Ichigo says, and Rukia grins at him.
"Then I guess I could become a Kurosaki." Rukia says, getting a glare out of the man proposing without a ring.
"Is this all funny to you?" Ichigo asks, and Rukia shakes her head while still smiling.
"I'm just glad I'm not the only one that's serious about us. Ni-sama and his wife had eggs fertilized before she died. Ni-sama has been interviewing women to be a surrogate mother so that he can have legitimate children from the wife he loved to raise. As far as I know, I have no stipulation to remain a Kuchiki no matter what, but when ni-sama finds out, I can't guarantee he won't try to say something like that, which is why I tested you." Rukia informs Ichigo, and he sighs before squeezing her a little to get the answer he actually desires.
"Does that mean you'll marry me?" He asks, and Rukia squeezes his ass again.
"Even if you find out things about me you don't like?" Rukia asks, and Ichigo is sure she's thinking of something in particular, but he doesn't hesitate.
"Even then." He assures her, and Rukia bites her lip.
"This is awfully fast to be getting engaged…" Rukia trails off, but Ichigo leans a little closer to her, making her heart skip a beat.
"So?" He says, and Rukia sighs.
"Then yeah. Lets get married." Rukia finally says, and then they hear Isshin whooping loudly before he practically floats by the bottom of the stairs.
"You're not so useless after all Ichigo!" Isshin declares, and Ichigo just stares at Rukia, who is staring at him in disbelieving shock.
I can't believe I made it happen that easily. Will I actually be married to Rukia?!