Not really any new terms! I'll be explaining the axis portal in later chapters.

Chapter 6

Two Days Later

Pain, searing, aching, and excruciating pain. Anna's legs kicked violently as she shook on her bed. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could feel Ryuuken holding her down. She couldn't even render a scream, just halting gasps as her lungs clawed for air. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes open wide and unseeing as her mouth worked at articulating choked curses.

Once the wave subsided and she knew where she was again, her breathing slowed, her eyes coming back into focus.

"….na….Anna…."She heard Ryuuken calling to her softly. It was still dark. Probably about 3 am in the morning. Anna felt Ryuuken's warm hands on her pulse at her wrist. "Anna….please…answer me."

She rolled her head to look at him.

"How long?" She asked breathlessly.

"I don't-"

"How long…was….I seizing?"

"Only for about three minutes. What the hell is going on?" His face was etched with worry. She wondered what had woken him to come to her side. She'd forgotten to tell him about this part.

"I'm reverting…I'm becoming Fae again…." She inhaled, shuddering. "This is just the start. It'll get worse." She paused, her head rolling to meet his eyes. A faint, but mischievous smile crossed her features. "Aren't you glad I convinced you to stay?"

"A warning earlier would have been nice." He hissed. "Your pulse was at 180, and if I could guess just by touching your vein in your arm when you still let me, your blood pressure was 190/130. Do you have any idea what that means?"

Anna shrugged, she didn't, but she was sure Ryuuken would explain it to her. Oh yes, in a severely annoyed tone, too.

"It means you almost had a heart attack," He took a hot towel from a bowl that lay beside him and put it on her forehead. "Next time you might hemorrhage. Please, do me a service and try not to die."

"Hai, hai, Sensei." Anna droned.

"How long before the next one?"

"I don't know, it's like labor, only I don't get any warning beforehand. It jus-"Anna's eyes rolled back inside her head and her body began to shake again. She thrashed, unable to think. Every nerve felt like it had been fried. She vaguely felt her body roll onto its side, and a firm grip encase her frail arms. The contact made her throat make a sound she'd never heard come out of her before. She opened her eyes, her vision focusing and then blurring again. She saw Ryuuken's strained face, he was saying something. Anna couldn't even begin to comprehend anything at the moment.

When it finally subsided again, Ryuuken was laying over her to hold her down. She tapped him weakly.

"I'm okay…"

"You are far from 'okay'," He responded curtly. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Absolutely not." Anna hissed. "I will be fine. This has happened before, and it's very rare that death is a result of changing back."

"You can't be serious."

"As the grave, Ryuuken. Just….just get me some water."

Ryuuken stood stiffly, obviously unhappy.

Let him be angry, Anna thought.

He returned a moment later, handing her the glass of water. She downed it rapidly. A warm hand slid around her wrist to check her pulse rate again. Then slid up her arm to press down lightly on her vein at the crux of her arm.

"BP 130/90, high but much better, and your pulse is down to 100."

"What's the norm?" She asked.

"For blood pressure? 120/80 and a normal pulse rate is 80 resting." He dabbed more sweat off of her face with the hot cloth.

"Looks like I'll survive this after a-"

This time a scream ripped through Anna's throat as the intensity shot up several notches. She clawed at Ryuuken as he held her body down while it thrashed. A seizure, yet not a seizure. She was conscious and aware, and the pain seared every inch of her like she was being burned alive.

And there were still hours of this to go.

Ten Hours Later….

Anna's vision came back slowly, her body still twitching from the last wave. Her body and bed were drenched in her sweat. She was fighting to stay awake.

"Ryuuken…." She called hoarsely. "Water, I need water…."

A cold glass touched her hand and she sat up and drank it.

"How long was that one?" She asked, afraid to know the answer.

"An hour and a half." He responded, his voice tired. She turned to him and gave a weak smile. He looked haggard, exhausted, hell almost as bad as she probably looked. Anna handed the glass back to him, her hands barely able to grip it.

"What's our record?"

"Your heart should have exploded in your chest at least three times by now, I've lost count."

A thunderbolt hit her then. A scream of agony ripped from her and she collapsed against the bed. Her mind froze completely, any thought was a complete impossibility.

Ryuuken's panicked face began to fade his mouth moving, shouting at her. She didn't hear it.

Then blackness.

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Anna stood on the lawn of a vast, elegant home. At first, she felt disoriented looking at the expanse of what could only be described as a manor. Nervousness filled her belly, twisting it into knots. She had never been to the main house before where the elders, and the Clan Head sat. She wondered again, probably for the millionth time, if she was ready for this kind of responsibility.

Clan Head was an immense title to take on, and Anna had refused her claim to it when she had come of age. Her grandfather, at the time, was still as sharp and as strong as ever as Head of the Sidhe, and filling his shoes was something she simply did not want.

She smiled to herself sadly, remembering how furious he had been when she had refused. He had tried forcefully to convince her only to have her rebuke him, saying that he was still fully capable in his position. At the moment he relented, he told her his true intention.

He had wanted to retire early.

Anna was livid, she stormed out of the great hall spitting a flurry of profanities at him over her shoulder.

They hadn't spoken since.

And now, he was dead.

Adam had claimed that he'd found his beloved grandfather in his chambers, no longer breathing. And, he claimed, despite his best efforts, he could not revive him. Anna remembered, three years prior to his demise, imploring her grandfather in a letter to reconsider making Adam captain of his vanguard. She had received a rather snarky reply that had only served to infuriate her.

I seem to recall your disinterest in any affairs like this three years ago, Anna. If you feel that my judgment is unsound, perhaps it's time you accepted your place as Head of our House.

She had thought about writing another, choicely worded letter to Meriadoc Sidhe, but she knew it wouldn't have done her any service. Her father had always joked that her stubbornness and sass came from her grandfather, and much to her personal displeasure, she agreed. Knowing that she also knew that he would never recant his decision without direct evidence that Adam was a loose cannon. She wasn't going to be able to explain why she felt so uncomfortable with his appointment to her grandfather, either.

When Adam had found out five years ago that Anna was to be offered the position as Clan Head, he'd practically flown off the handle. He'd shoved her against the stone wall outside of her house, his hand gripping her right arm so fiercely he'd bruised her.

"Why you?" He had hissed, always the short tempered one. "I'm older, I'm stronger, so why you?"

She could see the envy, the disgust, and the yearning to be recognized in his eyes. Since they were children; since they had sprouted their wings when they'd come of the right age, Anna had been fawned over. For her wings were the mark of the next in line to ascend to Clan Head. Pure white, and larger than any in the family before her, the Sidhe believed that it would be she who would take her grandfather's place. She tried to comfort her twin when they were small. She told him how she didn't want the responsibility that came with the title, and all that paperwork. She loved him more than anything else in the world, they had always been together, and they had always shared that bond that twins had. Anna would have cut off her left arm to make him happy.

After years of complaining to him, in attempt to ease his feelings of rejection, he finally snapped on her. Anlanah was taken completely by surprise, he always told her what was bothering him. Even with his short temper they always worked through it. Together.

She remembered the fury in his eyes that day, the jealousy. Though they were only 11, he'd punched her in the solar plexus, knocking the wind from her lungs and forcing her to her knees. He kicked her, viciously and repeatedly, and worst of all, silently.

He didn't utter a single sound, nor give her a reason for why he was suddenly hurting her. Anna gasped and rolled onto her side, curling into the fetal position to protect her vital organs. She wept openly, both in physical pain and emotional. She begged him to stop, and asked him why. Why was he hurting her? What did she do wrong? Why was he so angry?

Abruptly as it began, he stopped and sank to his knees over her, wrapping his arms around her gently. He was shaking all over, and crying with her.

"I'm sorry, Anna," He gasped between the sudden sobs. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

Anna unfolded her bruised body and, still weeping, dove into her beloved twin's arms. He held her, comforting her, apologizing to her.

"I love you, little sister," He whispered hoarsely. "I'll never hurt you again. I'm so, so sorry, I'll never hurt you again."

But every now and again, he would. His temper was unpredictable, and Anna never knew what would set him off. One moment, he would be jovially laughing with her, they would be teasing each other, and the next moment he would be whipping her with his belt at something she'd said. His eyes would light afire first, then go completely dead of emotion while beating her. And every time, after a few minutes, long enough to do a fair amount of bodily damage, he would come back to himself, a lost and sorrowful look on his face.

Like the day he found out that their grandfather intended to name her Clan Head. His eyes flashed with anger, then resentment. She knew then that she was on eggshells. He wasn't going to hurt her, not yet anyway.

"I won't accept it, you know that," She said quickly, trying to pacify him. "And then he'll select you in his will, I know he will. You're the only other person he'd choose."

Anna watched his eyes go dead, her heart felt like it stopped. He grinned at her without humor, his handsome face contorting into an animalistic countenance. Anlanah would have run if she could move, she thought she knew what was coming, but none of her previous experiences with her twin's temper prepared her for what he did next.

Instead of simply hitting her until his rage died, his free hand (the other still crushed her arm) wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air.

Anna's own free hand gripped his wrist, trying to pull it away, but the lack of oxygen was making her too weak, too fast.

"Adam, please," She choked, barely a whisper coming out. "You're hurting me…." He ignored her.

"If I kill you, then I'll always be first choice," He mused. "Just like I should be." Her vision began to darken, her hand only able to weakly tap on his wrist.

"Adam…..please…..let go…"She rasped, her knees gave out, his grip suddenly loosened and she gasped. Her lungs burned as they filled with air. She was on her hands and knees, coughing. As her vision came back, she looked up, finding Adam grappled on the ground by her husband. Gabriel had taken him by surprise, and now had him in a figure four hold.

"Stop this insanity, Adam, now is not the time to quarrel." Gabriel hissed. Adam stopped his struggling realizing the futility of it. Gabe released him, both men slowly standing, ready to attack the other if either made a move.

Adam turned his gaze to Anna and glared down at her; it sent chills down her spine and bile up her throat. Something inside him had changed, something inside him had broken. Something black that had been held at bay for 300 years had finally gotten loose.

"Why are you even here, LaRell?" He asked Gabriel, his eyes never wavering from Anna.

"A message came to me from your father," Said Gabe, as he moved swiftly to Anna's side. "He wants you in his Hall immediately."

Adam turned, cursing, and stalked off. Gabriel knelt beside Anna gently pulling her into his lap.

"My, you're still shaking." He said with concern. "Will you be okay, Anna?"

She couldn't respond. Adam had been intent on ending her life. It wasn't just a thing he was only considering, he was going to do it. Her beloved brother was trying to kill her.

"Anna…." Came Gabriel's voice in a disjointed echo.

She blinked, bringing herself back to the present.

"Anna," Gabriel called softly. "You alright?"

"Yes, yes, just an old memory that decided to take me on a short vacation." She replied, turning to him to offer a smile.

"Nervous?" He asked.

"Yes, a little. It's not every day that you have to become the Head of your Clan because your brother is too blood thirsty for the job." Responded Anna. Gabriel's sky blue eyes smiled at her, even while his mouth remained mostly a flat line. His corn silk colored hair was tousled, his clothes slightly messy from their long day's travel. He looked carelessly handsome. Her heart filled at the sight, and her nerves eased. Nothing could touch her when they were together. As long as they were together, there wasn't anything she wasn't capable of. He reached out a hand to slide it around the side of her neck, his fingers sifting through her thick brown locks. One of his rare, dazzling smiles graced his features.

"No matter what happens," He said softly, drawing his face close to hers, touching foreheads. "Always remember how much I love you."

Anna's hands slid up to cup his face.

"I love you more, you big sap." She laughed lightly. They separated from their intimate proximity and Gabe took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Let's go."

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Her vision was blurred, her breathing ragged. Anna's body ached and stung all over. She tried hard to focus….heat….there was heat everywhere, and smoke.

The home she shared with Gabriel was on fire.

The events came back to her in a rush.

Adam had gone mad at her first Clan Gathering and Anna had sealed him herself. She had kept him on as Captain of the Vanguard after her initial appointment, a month had passed since. But when she'd proclaimed to the elders that the human world would be closed off to them all permanently, he'd gone berserk. He raged about how all races should bow to the power of the Fae. It took two of her retainers, Tajin and Malcolm, her husband, and her father to subdue him long enough for her to seal him until he could be properly dealt with.

But, less than a week later, he'd broken out.

They had been in the middle of packing for their move to the main house. Adam must have gone after their father first.

Nathaniel Sidhe used a very dangerous, very powerful spell to warn her that Adam was coming. It was a mirror commune. Anna had just happened to be moving the vanity mirror when he'd made the connect with the spell. He told her to run, and judging by the blank looks in his eyes, his body was already dead, his soul just hadn't caught up yet.

"I love you, my little one." He'd uttered as his image in the mirror shattered in her hands.

No time for tears, Anna had shouted to her children and opened a portal to the axis world. She shoved both of them into it. Serene had looked up in surprise from her place at the back of the establishment on the other side of the portal. Anna shouted at her to seal all ports and sealed the portal from her own side.

Then he came, and Gabriel…

Gabriel, she thought, choking on smoke. Where are you?

She spied her husband's still form across the room and began to drag herself to him. She lifted his broken body into her arms, his skin in tatters from Adam's cruel torture.

How do I get us out? She thought frantically as her home burned around them.

She felt a tearing in the universal fabric as Serene opened a gateway from the axis. Relief and anger washed over her simultaneously as Serene Undine stepped from the portal. The woman that belonged in no world, yet any world, reached down and scooped Anna up.

"Wait…."Anna coughed, hardly able to breathe from the smoke. "Gabriel…."

"He's already dead, Anna." Replied the water elemental sadly. Anna fought her weakly, trying to free herself from her friend's grasp.

"No!" She pulled trying to make Serene turn around. "No! I can feel him! He's alive!"

But Serene had already set foot into the nexus, and Anna screamed curses at her as the portal shut behind them. Her heart wrenching at the sight of her spouse's body alighting in flame. It was the last thing she remembered before blood loss and grief stole the world away and darkness took her.

Anlanah's eyes popped open, the ceiling of her apartment in Kurakura Town, and darkness greeting her. Tears wet her face and her pillow, she rubbed them away in haste. She rolled to her side only to find Ryuuken's sleeping form next to her.

He must not have had enough energy to make it to his own bed after restraining me all day, she thought amusedly. Sorry, Ryuu, you were probably worried sick over me.

She rolled out of her bed and padded her way to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and flipped on the light. Starting the faucet, she collected icy water in her hands and splashing her face.

She wondered how long she had been unconscious for. Strange that she had actually dreamt, and of something from so many years ago. She peered at herself in the mirror. Her sharp vision was back, her skin had taken back its lively luster again. But her eyes still appeared hollow to her. Perhaps it was the dream.

"Another old ghost," She said to her reflection, cynically. "Even in my dreams he haunts me…"

She left the bathroom, taking care to turn off the light before opening the door, and climbed back into bed next to a fully clothed Ryuuken.

One day of rest and readjustment, she thought. Then we must prepare.

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"Anna…."

Someone was calling her.

"Anna…."

Gabriel?

"Anlanah!"

No, that's Ryuuken.

"Hmm? What?"

"You've been asleep for ten hours."

Anna's eyes popped open and she shot up in bed.

"WHAT?" She looked at the clock. It was only 12pm. She sighed. "Jesus Christ, Ryuuken, don't scare me like that, I thought you meant since the last time I woke up."

"You were awake earlier?" He asked, sitting up in bed himself. She looked at him and laughed. His shirt was twisted around his waist and had come untucked during the night. His hair was sticking out in random directions. He looked ridiculous.

"Oh, shut up." He hissed with a hint of a smile on his face as he hit her with a pillow. She hadn't seen him act playful like that since they had first met. She could only guess that the relief he felt must have made him a little giddy. Anna rolled out of bed, pulling her night clothes off of her body until she wore nothing. She smiled slightly as she felt Ryuuken's eyes on her. She strolled to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Forget a bath, she needed a shower. She turned on the shower function in her bathroom and plucked the showerhead from the wall, sitting down on the stool and running the water over her body. She let a sigh loose as the water rinsed the sweat on her body off. Soap, lots and lots of soap covered her as she scrubbed her skin.

After she was done, she exited a towel wrapped around her. Ryuuken was no longer in the bedroom, instead, he was in her kitchen making a pot of coffee for himself. She poked her head around the corner of the door frame.

"Your turn." She called.

He left the coffee pot brewing and walked into the bedroom. Still in her towel she was throwing her dirty night clothes in the wash and started working on the bedding as well. Her keen nose could smell the sweat from the previous day. It smelled foul to her, like she had been detoxing. Well, she supposed to an extent she had been.

She heard the bathroom door close behind her. She shoved the dirty sheets and comforter in the washer and turned it on.

When she was done redressing the bed, Ryuuken was out of the shower. Her back was still turned to him, as she was smoothing out the comforter. She felt a tug on her towel.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that your lack of clothes is a hint to me…." Said Ryuuken, his fingers trailing up along her spine. "You're Fae again, right?"

A shiver rolled up her spine and her heart picked up it's pace. But, she did not turn to face him.

"Yes…"

He gave her towel a hard tug, effectively using it to turn her to face him, and remove it at the same time. The sight of his bare form made Anna's heart kick in her chest. His eyes were burning with an intensity she knew, and had only seen to this extent once before, so many years ago. A slender, but firm hand came to rest between her breasts on her sternum. Ryuuken gave her a strong push, sending her tumbling backwards onto her freshly made bed. She let out a yelp of surprise as she hit the soft surface. Before she knew it, they were skin on skin as he climbed on top of her, crushing his mouth against her's. He cradled her head, and she reached to throw her arms around his shoulders. His kisses were igniting, urgent, intense. He shifted, lips still locked with hers, as his hands slid down her sides, outlining her curves. Everywhere he touched her lit up with cracking electricity, the kind that sent a thrill through her.

He pulled away from their kiss, his body moving down her's, the skin on skin contact making her moan softly. His mouth moved to the place where her shoulder and her neck connected, opening to kiss her there. Her breathing became more rapid than before as she uttered a small sound of satisfaction. Ryuuken's mouth opened wider, his teeth suddenly latching onto her flesh with just enough force to sting. Anna cried out, as the sensation shot from her neck, down her spine, and lit her insides with fire.

Wasting not a moment, he released her neck and his mouth fell over her left breast. Anna's marvelously blue eyes shot open, her hands instantly gripping Ryuuken's wet hair as he bit and nibbled on her taught nipple. Her hips arched and rolled against his stomach. She felt warm, slender fingers brush her nether lips, stroking them gently. The sensation drove her wild.

"Goddammit….. Ryuuken…stop…..fucking…..with me." She gasped. He lifted from her breast, his hand skimming up her lips again, across her pelvic bone, up her stomach, and to her right breast, where his dexterous fingers rolled the hardened nub between his fingers.

"You're awfully demanding." He teased.

She burned between the apex of her thighs. She needed to be filled, and she wasn't in the mood for waiting.

Her hand was still tangled in his hair, she tugged on it a little, watching his eyes flicker and burn brighter.

"That was unfair."

"Seemed perfectly fair to me." She purred. He slid back up her body, his hard chest rolling against her over-sensitive nipples making her moan. He swallowed the sound with his own mouth, his tongue delving in to meet hers. She used the leverage she had on his hair to pull him closer, her hips arching again, this time her pelvis rolled against his erection. A groan from him filled her mouth, and he broke the kiss, uttering an expletive.

Ryuuken positioned himself over her, his hand guiding his large girth into her. Their voices joined in the same sound as he filled her. He moved inside her, cutting straight to a fast, rough pace.

Anna cried out as he hammered against a particular spot within her. She raked her fingernails down his back, leaving red trails all the way down to the small of his back. This only served to spur him on. He pulled away from her, stopping his movement all together as he shifted them. Rocking back on his knees, and still partially inside her, he grasped her hips and pulled her into him harshly. A smooth hand wrapped around her calf as he lifted one of her long, coltish legs and hung it over his shoulder.

He thrust deep into her, making Anna cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Her nails dug into his thighs, this time, drawing small droplets of blood.

The sensation that something was preparing to break in her began to build. Again and again he slammed into her, each thrust determining how loud a sound she made. Slick and wet sounds could be heard just below her cries. The sound mixed with the sensation of his withdraw, then his rough return, made it that much more erotic.

She grasped at him, gasping between screams, the muscles in her belly constricting as her hips rolled into his, her body trying to take as much of him into her as possible.

Finally, she felt her muscles clench down as a wave over took her. Her toes curled back, her legs tensing as her insides clamped down around his throbbing girth. Her hips rocked as she came, husky cries emanating from deep inside her throat. Ryuuken's thrusts suddenly became uneven, and he cursed again. Wave after wave came, hard and fast, and once it subsided for her, he thrust into her one last time. She felt hot liquid fire fill her insides as he shuddered.

Ryuuken released her leg and leaned down to kiss her. He moved inside her slowly, smiling into her mouth as he felt her body tighten around him as he did. He pulled away just enough to speak.

"You up for round two?"

"Always." Anna laughed breathlessly.

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The fact that Ichigo couldn't feel his arm anymore was what woke him. His eyes popped open and he turned his head to look at his numb appendage. Orihime lay next to him, the sheets of her bed had slid down to her waist during the night, leaving the rest of her torso bear. Her long fiery hair was splayed out like silk across the pillows. She clung tightly to his arm, her face nestled against it as she lay on her side.

It took him a second to realize that his arm was wedged quite firmly between her ample breasts, and that her grip in her sleep was like a constricted python.

She had trapped him to the bed quite effectively.

"Curse your sudden, but inevitable betrayal…" She mumbled in her sleep. He could only guess what she was dreaming about. Probably something completely random, like spaceships and old American westerns.

He gently, slowly slid her off his arm, his heart racing a little. He was glad he couldn't feel his arm, because he was sure that the sensation of her bare chest would have made it very, very hard not to wake her up. She rolled onto her back.

"I need new keys…" Came another mumble. He stifled a chuckle and pulled on his boxers, leaving her room as quietly as possible.

Running a hand through his hair, he took stock of Orihime's apartment. It was a mess. Books had been knocked off of her bookshelf, clothes were strewn about, and pillows littered the floor. The last couple of days had been a little bit of a blur. He started to pick up, and he noticed that Orihime had deliberately taken Sora's photo and turned the frame face down. He snorted in amusement and righted the frame, replacing her books on the shelf.

He still found this turn of events a little hard to grasp. His face grew hot as his mind wandered to their escapades over the last couple of days. He guessed this would technically make them an official couple now. Well, it wasn't that strange, they had confessed to each other, it had just moved a little faster than expected from there.

Wait…A realization hit him like a brick on his head.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Ichigo felt like he was going to hyperventilate. How many times had they…..had they done it?

He couldn't remember, but it had been a lot.

And without any form of birth control that he was aware of….

Oh, Kami-sama, why didn't I think of that until NOW?

Were they really going to have to go to his father's clinic to pick up the morning after pill? No, no he couldn't handle that embarrassment, maybe just to a pharmacy? They were both of the legal age, but how much did it cost? Oh, his old man would definitely ask questions if he saw Ichigo go home to get money.

"…Ichigo?" Came Orihime's voice from her bedroom. He tried to calm himself as he watched her wander out of her room with nothing but a sheet wrapped around her.

"Wha's wrong?" She asked sleepily, rubbing an eye while the sheet sagged, the peak of an ample breast revealed by the falling fabric.

"Nothing…."Did his voice just crack? His voice just cracked. Orihime's head tilted to the side and she blinked a couple of times, her soft eyes becoming sharp and lucid.

"Ichigo…what is wrong?" She pronounced each syllable with emphasis. He sighed, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

"I just realized something…."

"What?" Her brow furrowed, both in confusion and inquisition.

"We….we...uh…we didn't….use…a….uh….c-c-c-" If he'd had a gun, he'd have shot himself.

"A condom?"

Ichigo choked on his own spit, coughing hard. How could she say it so easily? And with that same inquisitive look on her face! Why was she so calm?

"Is that a problem?" She asked, eyes wide, head still tilted to the side.

"Yes, that's a problem! What if you…what if you're…..p-p-p-p"

"Pregnant?" She started giggling. Ichigo stared at her, his jaw slack. "You're so funny sometimes!"

"Eh?"

"I'm not going to get pregnant, silly. The doctor put me on birth control last year. She said it would make my…..ano…my periods more regular."

"Oh." Very intelligent response, Ichigo. But he couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over him.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked, concern knitting her brow.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine, I was…just worried a little for a minute there."

"You looked like you were going to pass out." She paused, shifting the sheet around her uncomfortably as she averted her gaze from him suddenly. "Do you not want children?"

Now that had almost made him choke again. He restrained himself and actually had to think about that question for a second.

"No, no it's not that, just…not right now."

"Oh! Okay!" She beamed at him, effectively washing all of his embarrassment and anxiety away in one fell swoop. Now that his panic had subsided, he had time to focus on what her current attire was.

Or lack of attire to be more precise.

The white bed sheet was held up by one of her delicate hands over her breasts, parting just above her knees showing bare thighs and calves underneath. Her ginger colored hair was slightly tangled and cascaded over her shoulders in random, but still graceful curls, the shorter parts framing her face. The sheet itself covered just where she held it, either side looping down and around her, coming to a rest at the small of her back.

Ichigo felt a familiar quickening in his body. She was so beautiful, and still so innocent. He took a lot of personal pleasure watching her cheeks flare up in a rouge as his eyes obviously swept over her.

"I-Ichigo?"

"Hmmm?"

"W-why are you staring?"

He smiled, feeling hungry in familiar ways all over again.

"Maybe I'm thinking about eating you up."

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Okay, so I know I said I probably wasn't going to post tonight, but I decided that I wanted to finish this chapter so I could move onto the next. The next few chapters are going to be a lot of fun to write! I do have to admit that I have a little bit of a hard time with the fluffy stuff, in my defense, it's been a while since I got to experience the thrill of a new relationship. It'll explain itself more in time, but I just wanted to say one thing about Anna and Ryuuken. If they had to put this into a Facebook status. Their relationship status would be "It's complicated." They obviously still have feelings for each other, but sometimes love just isn't enough. Anyways, this week's chapter of Bleach was hi-lar-ious!

As usual, feel free to review! I read through all of the reviews and they really help me gauge how well I'm doing with this.

Thanks for reading!

-Third.