Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki, a young doctor that keeps to himself. Inoue Orihime, a girl that gets caught up in an accident and loosing her memory. Together they go on the journey of getting her memory back only to face her dark pasts that continue to torment her.

Disclaimer: This is where I claim that I don't own Ichigo or Orihime. I don't own Bleach or their feelings in the matter, Kubo-sensei does~ I do not hereby claim this as my own or will make profit from it, this is all just a form of entertainment to kill my boredom. XD

Notes: This was supposed to be up earlier... XD; but I had to go and do a facial with some friends :3 It was uber fun and I hope to do it again~ and...my exams are coming up ._.; poo. I don't want to study. I want to write and spazz and OMFG DID YOU SEE THAT SHIRO X ICHIGO ARE CANONZ? 8D; -new chapter guys- I...I just can't speak coherently right now.. my number one yaoi otp has now become canon... 8D;

Temptations /Chapter 4/ ; Sleepy Promises

"I'm serious. He said something about some conference so I'm stuck home alone tonight and I'm having trouble on deciding what to eat for supper," the petite woman complained as she held her black cell phone in her hand and used her other hand to reach up for the bottle of soy sauce that was on the top shelf. "You can't be serious. You broke up with him again? Oh? He broke up with you? What's that all about?" she questioned as her violet eyes narrowed when her fingers couldn't reach the soy sauce.

Damn. The one night when I need something and I can't even reach it. Curse my height! I don't have time for this. I still have to read my manga before the night is over. Maybe I should just get some fast food or something, Rukia thought as she sighed in defeat when she couldn't reach the bottle.

"Need some help?" a gruff voice came out suddenly causing her to scream and drop her phone. She turned around quickly as her eyes traveled upwards and met a pair of crimson ones.

"R-Renji? What are you doing here?" Rukia demanded as she breathed heavily with her hand across her heart as if to stop it from beating so fast.

"Nothing really. I just thought I'd come and restock my supply of ramen," he replied as he glanced down at the three boxes of ramen that he held in his arms.

"Again? How many times are you going to eat ramen? It has too much sodium in it. It's bad for your health," she told him as she bent down to pick up her phone that was now on the floor.

"Since when have you concerned yourself with my health?" Renji asked, raising an eyebrow at his childhood friend who sighed in reply.

"Since I decided that it was my job to take care of you. Do me a favor and make yourself useful. Grab me that bottle of soy sauce," Rukia demanded as she pointed up at the bottle that was on a shelf about three feet higher than her.

"Still a midget-" he was interrupted by a kick to his groin which made him double over in pain.

"Care to repeat that?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm good," Renji breathed as he stood back up, wincing at the pain that was throbbing in his lower region. She really knew how to kick and the worst place possible. "Why do you need this? Are you making something?" he asked as he reached for the bottle easily and handed it to her.

Rukia went to grab it but Renji held above her head, smirking. She narrowed her eyes as she grabbed for it again but he pulled it out of her reach again.

"Renji...I don't remember where me making dinner concerns you," Rukia replied, dryly as she grabbed for the bottle again and smirked in victory as she took it away from him.

"You're concerned about my health so I'm concerned about if you're going to burn Byakuya's house down or not," Renji said which made Rukia roll her eyes.

"That's my house too and I can cook perfectly fine, thank you. At least I don't cook things in the microwave still."

"What exactly are you making?"

She placed a hand on her hip as she shook the bottle of soy sauce in the air, smiling. "I'm making ohitashi. It's the favorite appetizer of the main character in one of my manga series that I'm reading so I wanted to try it. Do you want to join?" Rukia invited causing Renji's eyes to widen.

"You want me over for dinner? Sorry, I'd rather live," he responded as he remembered the intimidating brother that Rukia had.

"Just to let you know...Nii-sama isn't home. He had a conference meeting to attend to, so I'm alone for the night." Renji's eyes widened at the sound of her saying that she would be alone. It wasn't usual for Rukia to be alone. Byakuya was more of a father figure than a sibling; he had already threatened to kill him if he laid a finger on his beloved sister.

"Fine. I'll stay for dinner. But only because I want to see you cook something without burning it," Renji said which made Rukia grit her teeth in anger as he grabbed the bottle from her hands and walked off to the register to pay for their groceries.

A small girl looked up at the man standing by her. His large frame towered over her as he held his large hand out to her. Her gray eyes stared at his hand for a minute before looking back at the scenery in front of her. There were different kinds of people in the ice skating park. Children like her, parents and couples.

"Onii-chan. It's kind of scary. What if I fall?" she questioned as she looked back into her brother's gentle brown eyes. His smile widened as he bent down to be at eye level with her.

"When have I ever let you fall? I'll never let that happen. Onii-chan will always protect you," he told her which made all the fear in her heart disappear.

"Okay. As long as Onii-chan is with me..." Her voice trailed off as he picked her up and ignoring her protests, sat her right on his shoulders.

"What do you see Orihime?" he asked as she laid her small hands on his head. His brown hair was soft like silk and as she let her fingers curl themselves around a few locks of his hair, she looked up at the sky.

"Ah, Onii-chan! It's snowing!" Orihime yelled out,excitedly which made him laugh in response. "What does snow mean, Onii-chan? Why does it snow? What makes snow?" There was another laugh as she bombarded him with questions.

"Snow is something precious. You never know when it will come and when it does, you should treasure it." he answered her which made her prop her elbow on his head as she cupped her small chin in her hand. "Orihime, you're like the snow to me," Orihime's eyes widened as she felt him glide across the ice and she wrapped her small arms around his neck. "You are precious and I will treasure you always."

"She's the new patient?"

"She's so beautiful..."

"Why does Kurosaki-san fancy her so much? It's not fair!"

The voices rang through her head as she opened her eyes slightly, wondering where she was. Everything was white - maybe she was at a wedding. Normally everything was white at weddings. Glancing from the ceiling to the door across the room that was cracked open, revealing three women that were staring at her with different expressions. She smiled weakly at them and wondered what they were doing there. Perhaps she was the one getting married and they had come to give her their congratulations.

Her eyes widened when she heard someone say "What the hell are you doing?" and then there were gasps and screams as the women turned around and ran off.

Orihime's smile slowly vanished as she tried to sit up but to no avail. Her body was too exhausted to do anything. Looking down at the gown she wore, she noticed that it wasn't a beautiful gown like brides wore at weddings; it was a hospital gown.

I was in an accident or that's what that man told me. How did I get into an accident? He said that it was some kind of hit and run...but why can't I remember? she asked herself, silently as she blinked a couple times to wake herself up. It was hard to move her body and her head felt like something hard was pressing against it.

"Inoue Orihime, eh?" the same deep voice came again and her eyes widened as she turned her head quickly back to where the three women had been standing. Groaning softly, she held her head with her free hand. She had turned too quickly and the pain was increasing in her head.

"Got a headache? You hit your head pretty hard or that's what I was told,"

Orihime pulled her hand away from her face and looked up at the man that was staring down at her. He was just as tall as the orange-headed man except that he was a bit more built. He wasn't dressed as professionally - just a black tee and a pair of jeans underneath a lab coat and a white bandanna was tied around his forehead.

"Ah, my head does hurt. How did you know? Did you read my mind?" Orihime asked as she touched her throat. She didn't even recognize her voice. It kind of hurt to speak.

"Uh...no. You were clutching your head as if you were in pain. I was just assuming," he answered, rubbing the base of his neck as the room got caught in awkward silence.

"Are you my doctor? You look different than from the one before," Orihime whispered which caused the man to shake his head and cross his arms.

"Abarai Renji. I'm not your doctor but the man you know as your doctor is Ichigo. His dad told me to come check up on you. See if you needed anything...how you were feeling...etcetera." Renji replied as he sat in the chair that was right by her bed.

"His...father?"

"Ichigo's father is a surgeon. The same surgeon that operated on you. I gotta admit he's one of the best surgeons here. He's a little kooky but if you can manage ignore that fact, he's a pretty decent guy," Renji explained as he leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms back behind his head.

"I hope I can thank him someday," she whispered, looking back down at the white sheets that covered her.

"You'll see him eventually. He likes to go around and speak with everyone. He's pretty talkative unlike his son," Renji said, muttering the last part.

"Got something to say, Renji?"

Renji glanced behind him to see Ichigo glaring at him with one of his hands in the side pocket of his pants. Before Renji could reply, Ichigo walked up to them, glancing downwards at the auburn beauty.

"Seems you woke up. How are you feeling?" Ichigo asked.

"She had a headache when I came in...not that you were here to help her out," Renji taunted.

"I was busy."

"Too busy for your patient? That's-" Renji was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat and the two men looked down at Orihime to see her moving her uninjured arm in the air.

"P-please stop. It's fine. Headaches are normal, right? I'll be okay," she told them, giving them a weak smile as she looked up at Ichigo. She nodded her head at him as if to assure him that everything was okay which made the young doctor sigh.

"Headaches aren't normal. A headache is pain in the head that is caused by dilation of cerebral arteries or muscle contractions-" Renji was interrupted by Ichigo grunting.

"In other words, it's pain and pain's never a good thing, right?" Ichigo asked, giving her a small smile.

"Same thing," Renji muttered, crossing his arms as he tried not to gag at how gentle Ichigo was being.

"A-ah Abarai-san?" Renji opened his eyes that he had unknowingly closed to look at Orihime. "M-may I ask why you have tattoos as your eyebrows?"

Silence enveloped the room as Renji stared at her and Ichigo grinned like a madman.

"Pardon?" Renji asked, blinking in confusion. She was the first patient ever that had asked him why he had tattoos. Others just stared and whispered to their families or friends.

"A-ah, I apologize. I shouldn't of asked. I-It's just that they look so painful and um..." her voice trailed off as she looked down at her lap, her cheeks growing red in embarrassment.

"Nah, It didn't hurt a bit-"Renji was interrupted by a snicker and he glared at Ichigo. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You were crying like a baby or that's what Rukia told me. and Rukia tells me everything," Ichigo replied, his grin growing.

"You can kiss my ass," Renji said as he rolled up the sleeves of his lab coat. "You weren't there so you don't know. Stay out of my damn business!"

"It's not my fault that Rukia goes and tells me about your damn business. But if you wanna fight, I'll be happy to oblige, asshole," Ichigo replied, rolling his sleeves up as well.

"A-Ah! Don't fight please!" The cry made both men stop and look at the girl that was staring at them with wide, concerned eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I was just curious," Orihime said, waving her uninjured arm again. "If they weren't painful, then that's good. You must have a lot of stamina-" she interrupted herself as she covered her mouth with her hand, coughing harshly.

"Inoue-san?" Ichigo asked as he grabbed Renji's collar, much to the doctor's refusal and pulled him away from Orihime so he could get closer. "Are you alright? What hurts?" Ichigo asked as he plugged the stethoscope in his ears and pushed her gently so she could lay on the bed.

Running the stethoscope over her chest, he checked to see if her breathing was accurate. "I need you to take a deep breath, okay? Take a deep breath and hold it," he ordered as she nodded and did as he asked. "Alright, breathe out," Ichigo ordered again and she obeyed.

Kurosaki-kun...has orange hair. It's kind of like mine but brighter, Orihime thought. Before she knew what she was doing, she let her hand wander to his head and let her fingers run through his orange locks, "I've never met anyone that has this color of hair before."

"W-What?" Ichigo stuttered as he looked into her eyes. His face had an expression of surprise and she let a smile form on her lips.

"Your hair color... I've never seen anyone with such a bright color of orange for hair. I think it's pretty," Orihime complimented which made Ichigo's cheeks turn bright red. "How did you get such a color?"

"He fell in paint when he was a kid and his father could never get it to wash out," Renji explained with a grin spreading across his face.

"Shut up, Renji," Ichigo demanded as he glanced away from Orihime towards his co-worker. "I did not fall into paint," he replied as he returned his attention to Orihime. "I was born with this hair color. Unfortunately, it's always the main object of people's jokes."

Pulling the stethoscope from his ears and letting it hang loosely around his neck, he gave her an assuring smile, "Your breathing is normal which is good. It's probably the effects of the surgery," he told her as he moved away but her hand grabbed on to his lab coat, pulling him closer.

Ichigo's face went through ten different shades of red as he felt Orihime press her face into his chest. "You smell really good... Kind of like strawberries," she murmured as she inhaled his scent.

"I-I-I-Inoue" he stuttered in a whisper, his brown eyes wide with shock as Renji stared with wide eyes as well. He had never known a woman to get that close to Ichigo and while it was amusing to see Ichigo in such a stupor, it was disgusting as well.

Ichigo turned to ask Renji for some assistance but to his surprise, Renji was already gone.

That bastard. He just walks out without even saying anything, Ichigo thought as he glanced back down at the girl who was clinging to him.

"I'm really...sleepy," Orihime said as she let go of him and laid back down on the bed, looking up at him.

"You woke up pretty early for just getting out of the surgery. Your body is probably exhausted. Get some sleep. I'll be back to check up on you later, alright?" Ichigo said, placing a hand on her head as she nodded, sleepily.

"You'll be here when I wake up?" Orihime asked as she closed her eyes and he couldn't help himself as he brushed her bangs out of her closed eyes.

"Yeah," he answered as he removed his hand, his cheeks growing warm at the sudden desire to touch her porcelain skin again.

"Promise?"

Ichigo pursed his lips together, pausing for a moment before answering, "...Yeah."