Author's Note: To re-emphasize, it takes a few days at least for souls to pass through the Konso, as briefly mentioned in CH6. Ichigo's conversation with Yuyu in CH2 was edited to mention this.
First vestiges of sunlight were dark brownish-red gradients seeping into the night sky. The top of a red disk peeked above the horizon. It was a giant blood droplet, enlarging on a pinprick wound atop hills and mountains. Ichigo had always enjoyed gazing into the sunrise, but this was not the vibrant burst of loving sunlight that he remembered of the living world. This dimmer sunlight was cold and unfriendly; still, he was relieved to see this sun again. The night had passed without trouble.
Behind him, fabric rustled, Rukia again turning in her bedroll. This time she yawned, and anxiety slithered down his throat. "Who turned off the heating Kido?" she moaned, then jolted into a sitting position. Her wide indigo eyes gleamed purple in the red light.
"Hey." Ichigo tried to smile. "How are you feeling?"
She looked down. Her eyes closed. "You have five seconds to tell me who you are before I blast you with ice."
Panic squeezed air from his lungs. Electricity crept up his chest. He said in a rush, "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. How can you not remember me? Something must've went wrong with the virginity pill. This is bad. We need to contact the Gotei 13 right now."
Her lips slanted. Her eyes opened. "Relax, I'm just kidding."
His heart started beating again. He sucked in cold air, yelled, "That wasn't funny!"
"Yes, it was."
"No, it wasn't, you scared the hell out of me." He palmed his face, shook his head. "I was wondering all night how the pill works exactly. What counts as a sexual experience? Do you know what you've forgotten? You must've lost months worth of memories. I still can't believe I agreed to this."
Her shoulders slowly lifted. Her eyes were carefree. "I think I've lost a little from last night. You patted my head very disrespectfully, then you asked me to take off my cloak. I refused and said that's sexual harassment, but after that I can't recall. The blank in my memory is short, and afterward, I'm still fully dressed. Should I assume nothing happened?"
"Yeah, I told you I'm not that kind of man. I would never assault you in that way."
"I'm sure you wouldn't," she said with a hint of sarcasm.
"I mean it," he said without full confidence. He had come close to a dangerous breaking point last night. He was pretty sure she had wanted him to snap. Crazy girl.
"Of course you do, and that other night when we first met, I did something to make you answer my question about if you knew what I am. What did I do?"
The memory fizzled into his mind. Their voices were clear. "You said you would take off an item of clothing. I answered, then you took off your sandals."
"Only my sandals? Are you lying?" Her eyebrow arched.
"Why would I lie about that?"
"I feel that you're leaving something out."
His eyes meandered around the tent. "I peeked up your skirt and saw your panties? You seemed to like that."
"Is this all?"
"Yeah."
She studied his face for ten seconds. "I find it peculiar that I took off my sandals when I said an item of clothing. Footwear is accessory to clothing, not clothing in itself."
Just as Ichigo had thought. Losing that much life experience would massively impact one's personality. This was not the same Rukia from last night. In a way, the virginity pill had sent her back in time. In another way, it had killed her and replaced her with someone else. He had done this. He could have said no. But his own selfishness had won, and now there was no going back…
He almost didn't want to ask, "Is this permanent? Your memory loss."
Her answer was delayed: "On a beach, you can build a sand castle, but when the tide comes and washes it away, it is impossible to put the individual grains of sand back into their original places. You can build a new castle so it looks like the old one, but it will never be the same. It will never feel the same. I hope you won't regret doing this to me, Ichigo."
He tried to say with conviction, "I have no regrets about this."
"Good." Her smile was bittersweet. "So, about that night we met… what do you think was going through my head?"
"Hard to say. I think you were being a sly tease. You liked seeing me sexually frustrated at you. Is that still the case?"
She stared at him as though here were some rare animal in an exhibit. Slow nods bobbed her hood. "It does sound like something I might enjoy. I wonder what your face looked like. You must've been very frustrated at me."
His face warmed a little. He scratched his nose. "I was."
"Exactly how much?"
"I was thinking about ripping off your panties."
"Oh my." The red sunlight covered her blush well, but a subtle pursing of her lips gave her away. "Did you say that out loud?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I was a little shy."
Her head tilted. "Haruka may've mentioned that. But you aren't shy anymore?"
He shrugged. "It still goes against the grain, I guess you two have helped me open up in that regard."
"How did she help you?"
Ichigo knew exactly what she was asking about. He almost wanted to lie or give a non-answer. "She took off her top for me. I fondled her breasts."
Rukia's tongue rolled in her mouth. Skin around her eyes wrinkled for a half-second. Could that be jealousy? It was: "Then it's true. She did say that." Rukia sat straighter. "Take a good look at my chest, Ichigo."
"What about it?"
"Are you dumb?"
He couldn't shut up: "I mean, with that cloak on, they look like little bumps. They might as well be not there at all. So what abou—"
"Bakudo 1: Sai!"
He hunched over as her chilly spiritual pressure punched down on him. His wrists were pulled together behind his back, then her foot was on his head, pressing his nose down onto this tent's woolen floor. He laughed, a juvenile hearty laugh. He hadn't so much fun in a long time. More than fun, tense knots in his gut were loosening up in relief—because his hot-headed Rukia was still in there, intact, alive, safe.
"Little bumps, eh?" she hissed. "Sounds like you're already having regrets!"
"I'm just kidding."
"Not funny!" Her foot grew heavier.
"But I'm laughing."
She growled like an angry kitten. "Just for these comments, you might remain a virgin for the next hundred years."
His mirth died. "Come on, Rukia. It's a joke. I like your small breasts."
"Ichigo," she warned.
"I'm serious. Your petite body is more appealing to me than Haruka's."
"I'm going to be honest, your groveling doesn't arouse me, the opposite really." He foot let up. Her Bakudo spell dissipated.
He sat up, looking up at her, asking, "Are you sure you're not confused?"
She was still glaring. "You're very witty."
"Thanks."
She exhaled mist through her nose. Tiny ice crystals twinkled pink, and she sat down in a kneeling posture. "I was considering to let you have me now, then you had to open your foolish pathetic mouth. Fortunately for you, I still am considering it."
"If you insist on right now, I won't object." He smirked; it felt forced.
She stared down at him unblinkingly. "First I want to ask you, how old are you? Sixteen?"
Surely this couldn't be about the age of consent. "Fifteen."
Conversationally she asked, "I take it you've been sexually mature for at least a couple years?"
"Yeah."
"Despite that, you haven't been with a girl? Why not?"
"Why does that matter?" Ichigo automatically said and looked at the ceiling, at the Bakudo talismans that swung back and forth in calm air. She was waiting for his answer, so he relented, saying in an irate tone, "As you know, the girls I were around aren't exactly like you, no arousing spirit energy and sexy uniforms. I could easily control my urges, and I didn't really meet anyone I wanted to be with. That's all."
"Didn't really meet anyone," Rukia said in her cutesy voice. "That's quite a qualifying statement. If I didn't know better, you meant to say you did meet someone you wanted to be with."
A sigh rasped from his lungs. "You want to know? Fine. There was Orihime Inoue. She's cute and weird at the same time; her body's kind of like Haruka's. Then there was Tatsuki; she's a bit like you actually, feisty and slim though not as short."
Rukia was subtly nodding. "It sounds like they've failed you."
"I wouldn't say that." Ichigo believed his words were truthful, mostly.
"It must've been very uncomfortable for you to bottle up all your desires for them. In the Seireitei, it's seen as a failure of a Shinigami girl to leave a boy unsatisfied for so long. You're in a better place now, and I would never fail you as they did."
His eyes lit up. It was time. "So are you going to take off that…"
Rukia stood. Fingers jittering, she undid her cloak's oversized buttons. The velvety fabric bunched up around her ankles, unveiling her lovely petite body. She breathed deeply as she flattened her skirt against her slender thighs. That Shihakusho top that exposed her midriff did well to emphasize her small breasts. Slim muscles in her belly contracted. Weight shifted from one leg to the other, then back again.
She was anxious. In her mind, this was her first time all over again.
His mouth watered. He swallowed. "Relax. We can go as slow as you like. I'll be gentle. You can trust me."
"Slow and gentle," she said quietly.
"Yeah, I promise."
A scowl came of out nowhere. "Did I say that's what I want?"
"Well…" He shrugged, pretending to be unsure of where this was heading. He didn't want to ask, "What do you want?"
That beautiful otherworldly intensity was returning to her eyes. "I grew up in South Rukon 78, Hanging Dog." She paused as though waiting for his permission to continue.
Reluctantly he said, "So what?"
"It is a lawless place ruled by bandits and gangs. When my body and spirit energy started maturing, the looks I got from some men were that of hungry beasts gazing at their prey. No matter how much I tried convincing myself otherwise, I knew deep down I loved it. I wonder what they did to me, if anything at all. I wish I could remember. Just thinking of what might've happened excites me. So, Ichigo, no matter how much I beg, or cry and scream, or fight back, or bleed, I want you to take me like a hungry beast would take its prey. Can you do that for me?"
He found himself leaning away slightly. Disgust, shock, confusion—these were the emotions broiling in him. Then there was also ravenous desire. Her confession appealed to his inner beast, and he had to chain the beast back into its dark cave where it belonged. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Rukia. You're crazy. I could seriously hurt you. I don't want to hurt you."
"You? Hurt me?" Her chuckles were insanity. "I may only be a third-seat, but know that I have already surpassed most lieutenants. At your level, it would be hard for me to not hurt you."
He put on a sportive expression. "Then clearly I can't give you what you want. You're too dangerous of a prey for me." He rubbed her calf. Her skin was soft and silk-smooth. She felt easily breakable. He could only be gentle with her.
To his surprise, she said, "You're right."
He looked up at her. "So we'll do this the normal way." The safe way.
Her gaze fell. "Alright, Ichigo. Take off your robe—you first."
He had thought she would be a lot more difficult. A tiny part of him was disappointed—the insane part of himself that wanted to hurt her. He calmed his breathing, stood up, and untied his robe's sash, or at least tried to. The knot resisted his prying fingers. His hands were suddenly warm and tingling.
"Nervous, eh?" she said, amused.
"A bit."
"Never been naked in front of a girl?"
He didn't answer.
"Let me help you relax," Rukia said. Without warning, her spiritual pressure buffeted him with misty cold air. Similar to Haruka's wind, her spirit energy also manifested as a physical elemental in addition to a directional force. But the force here was different, enveloping, inviting, a soothing embrace. Her pupils began glowing silvery-white while her indigo irises took on red hues. Multiple Hell Butterflies faded into view.
Ichigo's heart palpitated. All of a sudden, her face was that of an angelic goddess, nicely framed by her onyx hair. Every inch of her body was a million times sexier from her face down to her slim chest and belly, to her slender legs, to her cute little fingers and toes. His own body heated in desire. His hand ripped off the sash, and he was naked. His erection was so stiff that it ached.
Wide-eyed, blushing, she knelt and stared at his engorged cock in marvel as though it were both the strangest and most appealing thing in the world. "So this is what it looks like," she whispered to herself. Tentatively she touch him, her hand wrapping around his length. Her lips were inches from his cock. She was the perfect height for this.
The mere touch of her fingers pushed him a closer to the edge. A sexy girl was holding his cock. This could only be a dirty wet dream. But he didn't wake like he usually would by now. And while she held his cock, he expected her to start pleasuring him. He realized she didn't know what to do. She was inexperienced and innocent in this way. "Like this," he whispered, gently guiding her into a pumping motion.
"I know what to do," she quickly said.
"You're adorable." He patted her head. "Keep stroking just like that. Use your thumb on the tip. It feels the best there—" His breath hitched as she stimulated him, not with her thumb, but with her lips. It took him completely off guard, and the instant her soft wet tongue glided against his most sensitive spot, his unstoppable climax exploded from within, years of bottled-up lust rupturing, thick white cream shooting onto her face pulse after pulse.
She had recoiled. She touched her cheek, then closely looked at his cum. "Wha— What is thi— Did you just—"
His cock was already limp. Euphoric, light-headed bliss robbed him of words. His knees folded.
It took a while before her dissatisfied frown smoothed out into a serene expression. "Ichigo," she exhaled. "That was…"
"Great." He smiled at her. It was a natural smile full of joy—a smile that hadn't lifted his face in many years.
And she returned the smile while cum dripped off her chin. "I'm glad that you feel better, but do you want to know something?"
"What?"
"You're still a virgin. In fact, you still haven't seen a girl fully naked, as far as I know."
Gazing into the rising sun, he didn't care. He was at peace. The world could end in the next minute and he would simply let it happen.
She rubbed his shoulder, saying, "There are blue Kido talismans in my backpack. It's an all-purpose cleaning Kido. Your ejaculation smells… strange. I'm not sure if I enjoy it on my face."
"You'll get used to it."
"You better hope so." Her finger lightly flicked his ear. "Let your hair grow out two or three inches and keep it that way. I think you'll look very handsome."
"Sure."
She wasn't done: "I brought you a custom-made Shihakusho. It's a lot like the regular one for men, but it has a white coat that goes on top of it. Wear it for me."
"Alright," he yawned. His eyelids were heavy. A ten-minute nap would be good.
"Also," Rukia said, "since you're so adamant on having a relationship with me, I'd like you to meet my sister and brother-in-law."
"Fine," Ichigo murmured, lying down onto his back. He hadn't known how demanding a girlfriend could be. Nevertheless, he would do anything for her. These small requests were nothing. At least she wasn't asking him to buy her a house or an expensive car.
"One more thing," she said errantly, "next time, I won't help your sexual needs unless you first beat me into submission. Know I won't hold back. If you don't like that, find another girl."
He pretended he was asleep.
"Ichigo." She touched his forehead, twirled strands of his hair. "I'm not speaking in jest. You will need your Shikai release."
He faked snores.
She kept talking: "It makes me hot and wet down there, thinking about you ripping off my panties while I'm screaming for help and begging for you to stop."
Ripping off her panties. Those had been his words. He had spoken so carelessly. Damn.
Author's Note: Next chapter will start off with Toshiro...
Review Responses
- The Hell Butterflies brainwashing them isn't quite right. Full details will be revealed eventually.
- Yoruichi will soon enter into the story. Her personality will be noticeably different compared to Rukia's.
- Isshin 100% knows what is happening, which should be very clearly hinted at. Also remember in Toshiro's chapter he was mentioned as 'Captain Shiba'.