~FIREFLY KNIGHTS~

Bleach Copyright Tite Kubo

Firefly Knights Copyright Illand Girl

'For those that need a Guardian.'


Chapter 27: Twice for The Daughter


"What did you say?"

Naomi hesitated, holding the box closer to herself. Ichigo's head was drenched with rain, droplets spilling down his cheeks as the rain picked up.

"We're moving. Tomorrow." She bit her bottom lip, looking at the ground. Then she looked up, determined. "I-I made this for you. It - It has my new number in it, and my new address. We can keep in touch-"

He hugged her, tightly. His little body shook, and he wasn't sure if it was from the cold rain, the reality of his situation, or from pure fear.

"Don't leave. Please." He said, hugging tightly. She was taller than him, just a bit, he held onto her, refusing to let her leave. "You can't go."

"I have to Ichigo. I can't- I can't leave my mom." She slung an arm around him, fighting back her own tears as they mixed with rain. "I have to."

He didn't want her to go, fearing the idea of what might happen to their friendship. He imagined what it would feel like, to be an obligation more than an inclination. To become just a name attached to the other end of a phone call. The name on a parcel that he'd send to her and wait anxiously for her to reply to. He didn't want to ever burden Naomi.

He wanted her to stay, to be his Naomi and his best friend. But that wasn't fair, was it? Just like it wasn't fair to make her remember him and make time for him. Reply to every call like the needy bastard he could be sometimes. What's more, he feared the worst that came from distance. What other friends would she make? Would she like them more? Would she forget him? What if she became so happy she didn't remember him anymore? Ichigo could handle a lot, but being nothing more than the needy boy who clung like a baby koala to her side while she took care of him was not how he wanted to be remembered.

What he wanted though, was for Naomi to be happy.

Even if it wasn't with him.

'It hurts.'

He pulled away, wiping furiously at his face. Naomi stood there, gently reaching out to him. She touched the top of his head, doting and loving. So pretty, so kind to him. Always there, always by his side. He'd been so selfish and never even realized what he had the entire time. Had he ever even thanked her? Told her how important she was?

"Ichigo-"

"You'll come back, right?" He asked, pretending the rain was clouding his eyes as the storm became worse. Neither moved for shelter. He watched her eyes widen slightly. "You'll come back, with a bunch of stories, and you'll talk my ear off like you always do. You'll tell me bad jokes, and I'll pretend they aren't awful."

Naomi watched him, swallowing a lump in her throat. He didn't want to see her cry, she hardly ever did. Ichigo's hands jerked as if to wipe her tears, but let his arms fall to his sides. She cried, sniffling as she tucked the box under her arm. He stared at it, struggling not to reach out to pull it from her hands. He forced a smile instead.

"I want you to be happy, Nao." Even if it's without him.

"Ichigo..." She stepped towards him, but he put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. No more hugs, he couldn't cling to her like this his whole life. His eyes betrayed his sadness, just for a second, before he looked down to the box tucked under her arm.

"Keep it. So that way we have a lot to talk about when you come home." He said, forcing a weak grin. Naomi's heart stuttered, and she nodded was Naomi's turned to wipe her eyes, struggling to keep her composure. So pretty, even crying. Her dark hair plastered to her face. He dropped his hands from her shoulders before he could think to touch her, wipe the strands away.

"Y-yeah. We can read manga and I can listen to your terrible English, and I'll recite Shakespeare for you. And we'll have lots of stories. Lots of them..." He watched her tears fall and forced his arms not to wipe them away. His eyes glanced at the box again, but then he looked back to her beautiful indigo eyes. This was the right choice, he knew it in his gut. It might be the last time they saw each other, but he could remember those indigo eyes for the rest of his life.

"Goodbye, Nao."

The rain kept falling.


No matter what he tried, Ichigo couldn't sleep that night. He listened to Nao slowly fall asleep. He laid beside her for hours, just stroking her back, soothing her when he felt her become restless. But his own mind refused to rest. At the first sign of light, he rose from his spot. Ichigo was careful not to jostle Naomi, but the girl looked like she'd sleep through a train wreck with her little snores. He crouched next to the bed, resting his arms on the mattress as he watched her for a moment.

"I had nobody I... I was so alone."

He winced, feeling a burn in his chest. How did she do it? How did someone so small just grin and bear that? Slowly, he reached out the gently tuck some loose hair behind her ear. Naomi hummed, shifting as she mumbled something, but didn't wake. He smiled, then stood and made for the door. It was unfortunate for him that his father was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, enjoying the steamy drink in the quiet morning light. Isshin looked up at him, slowly sipping his coffee, before purposefully looking at the empty couch bed. Ichigo looked away, crossing his arms and huffing quietly, really not in the mood for his crap.

"Gunna tell me something?" Isshin asked, keeping his tone low. Ichigo held his breath, wishing he wouldn't ask right now while his might was elsewhere, he was too on edge for a normal conversation. He sighed, looking at his father.

"Not now Dad." Ichigo said, sitting down at the table as well. Isshin noticed the discomfort. He put down his mug, watching his son carefully, then sighed and scrubbed his beard. The father would be lying if he said he didn't have similar worries.

"I imagine she told you everything then." Isshin said, watching his son's head snap up.

"You knew?" He asked, sounding betrayed, voice rising. "And you just left it as it was?"

"I didn't leave things," he replied firmly, calming the noisy teen. "Naomi and her mother are in a delicate situation. I had a feeling something was off when she came in for the ad. When I found her in her apartment alone, she told me her mother was in an abusive relationship."

"Guess she skipped over the part where he hits her too." Ichigo said, feeling something deep, vengeful even, bloom in his chest. "What kind of man..."

"I know this is hard to process," Isshin said carefully. "But you need to think of Naomi before anything else-"

"I am thinking of her!" Ichigo snapped, then immediately quieted, putting his head in his hands as he leaned on the table in front of him. "She doesn't want me to do anything... but I..."

He couldn't get it out of his head. The image of her bracing to get hit by that giant. The feeling of her whole body shaking as she stopped him from attacking Akito. He couldn't forget the agony in her voice. The sounds of her sobs as she clung to him desperately. His shirt had tear stains all over the shoulder, and he could only sit there and hold her to his chest as she told him how the past three years had been a nightmare for her.

"She chose him over me ."

It was then that Ichigo realized that, despite all his bravado and chivalry, he hadn't really done much for Naomi in his whole life. She was the one always blocking out the rain, holding his head above water. Anytime he'd rescued her, she was in trouble because of him. And it made sense why she didn't want him to be in trouble because of her. Because Naomi was the real protector. She was the one doing everything she could to keep the ones closest to her safe.

"I'm really a terrible person." He said out loud, surprising his father. Ichigo wanted to lament it all, maybe this could've been prevented if he'd not rejected her that day. If he'd taken the fucking box, if he'd kept in touch. He could've found out, could've saved her, protected her like he was supposed to. But he didn't. He thought he was doing right by her, but he left her alone.

"None of this is your fault, Ichigo. Naomi doesn't blame you for it, nobody does." Isshin said calmly, fatherly. Ichigo's eyes were glossy when he looked out the window. The sun was slowly peaking from the horizon.

"She did it all alone." Ichigo said, feeling hollow. It made him wonder how many times she had reached out to someone that entire time. How many people failed her before she stopped asking for help? But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Naomi had never really asked for help before. He could remember assisting her, carrying her bags, holding something. But nothing like this. Nothing of real substance. Naomi would never ask someone for genuine support. Did she even know how? How could you ask for something you've never had?

"Regardless of what happened, there's no use lamenting what was. Right now, we need to plan ahead." Isshin said, sipping his coffee in a far more sombre mood. Ichigo gritted his teeth and nodded. His father was right, they needed to figure out what to do. Short of drop-kicking Akito into next Tuesday, Ichigo was fresh out of ideas.

"Naomi will never accept help as long as her mother's in danger." Ichigo said. Isshin hummed, thinking. "She mentioned something about her mom stopping by the other day. I'm not entirely sure. But she seemed bothered by it, thinking her mom tried to leave that guy."

"Then we find her mother and make sure she's safe." Isshin nodded. "What's the odds of Naomi having her mom's number saved on her phone?"

Ichigo glanced at her purse sitting beside the couch. He didn't want to snoop, and wanted to desperately respect her privacy, but this would be his exception. Naomi's safety would always be the exception. He stood, walking the short distance to her purse. However, his fingers graced over an envelope before her phone. He pulled it out, about to toss it aside, when he read the note on the front.

For my little Naomi.

Was this from her mom? It was opened. Inside was a wad of cash, along with a number on a slip of paper. He glanced at it, a new idea popping into his head.

"What's that?" Isshin asked. The father and son looked across at each other.

"It's from her mom." Ichigo explained. "I think... I think I have an idea."


"You good Naomi?" Tatsuki nudged my foot under the table, gaining my attention.

"Huh? Oh sorry, I was listening about your match." I yawned, making Orihime frown.

"Did you not get enough sleep Naomi?" Orihime asked, glancing down at my outfit. I nodded, pulling at the shirt I was wearing. It was Ichigo's that I borrowed and tucked into jean shorts with a belt. It wasn't out of the normal for me to have taken his shirts when we were kids, but now it probably seemed a little odd.

"Late night, I ended up sleeping on the Kurosaki's couch and didn't grab a change of clothes to bring with me since it wasn't planned. I had to steal Ichigo's shirt and run for it this morning." I half lied. Crying myself to sleep and cuddling with Ichigo definitely kept me up longer than usual. Tatsuki tsked.

"We could've postponed! Is something going on with you? You dodged my texts yesterday and only answered briefly this morning. It's so unlike you." Tatsuki commented, sipping her milkshake. I hummed before drinking my coffee in languid sips.

"Nah, just- settling down from our trip is all." I said quietly, glancing at Orihime. Understanding crossed her eyes as she smiled.

"It was a busy trip! I don't know about you but going back to school almost seems exciting now!" Orihime said in her normal bubbly tone. I smiled at her words. Yeah, school would help normalize everything. My mind drifted back to Ichigo this morning. He was acting weird. I wasn't sure if it was because I spent the evening crying on him, or if he had some terrible plan up his sleeve. With that short tempered boy it could be anything. Maybe it wasn't even involving me or my family drama? Maybe Chad needed a hand? If he went after Akito...

"I think we should go to the mall, what do you think Orihime?" Tatsuki's words broke through my thoughts. I realized that I zoned out on them again and decided to refocus. We paid our bill; I checked my phone while waiting for the girls to use the washroom. Ichigo sent a text right after we split.

Don't do something stupid.

What an ass. I grumbled about it, texting him back the usual.

You took the stupid with you!

"Are you texting Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked as she looked over my shoulder. I squeaked, nearly dropping my phone. At the last second I shoved it into my pocket with a frown. "Don't mind me, you just looked a little sour there."

I hummed.

"We... got into an argument last night. I think it's smoothed over, but- we never talked about it this morning." I murmured, thinking about how vacant he looked while checking his phone.

What was he up to?

"Don't worry about it," Tatsuki said, slinging an arm over my shoulder. She yanked Orihime under her other arm. "I'll bet Ichigo's already forgiven whatever hair-brained idea you came up with."

"Hey why's it my fault?" I snapped, walking along with them. Tatsuki cackled.

"Because it's you! I remember when you tried to convince us your dad was a ninja who fought monsters. Ichigo believed you, and you both spent weeks trying to convince me to play along. Bunch of nerds." Tatsuki rambled. I didn't remember this, not at all. I hadn't thought of my father much over the years. Mom wouldn't talk about him, and I knew he'd vanished years ago. She wouldn't tell me what he looked like, or even if he was still alive. I'd all but given up on the nameless man many, many years ago. And in all honesty? The closest thing to a father I had ever had was Isshin. The man had literally been a parent for me these passed few months, and I was heavily indebted to him despite him having no interest in me 'owing' him.

"I don't remember that, besides, Ichigo doesn't just follow my lead." I mumbled. Tatsuki laughed as I slung an arm around her shoulders as well.

"Yeah right! If I ever need to find one of you the other isn't far behind." She taunted, her toned dipping in a curious way. I pointedly looked away from her.

"Huh? Don't know what that means. I don't know why Ichigo's always following me around anyway." I lied, Tatsuki could tell. Orihime, on the other hand, couldn't. She giggled.

"Because he loves you," she said brightly. My face turned pink at those words, shocked to hear them come from her. If it was that obvious, should I just say the truth? Should I admit we're dating? As my mouth opened to say so, Orihime continued. "You're the big sister he's always wanted!"

I faltered in my step, being yanked forward by Tatsuki. She didn't say anything as Orihime rambled, but her eyes were on me.

"I mean, he always looks up to you, and he definitely admires you Naomi! I don't think there's anybody else who can make him listen like he does for you. So clearly you're like a big sister to him!" She looked at me, at my wide eyes, and lost some bravado. "Right?"

"Mine." He whispered, the sound of his voice, so deep and gravelly, doing things to me I didn't entirely understand.

Big sister was the furthest from the truth that she could've been, but instead of correcting her I felt a pooling of doubt in my stomach. Was this what our friends viewed us as? Brother and sister? I looked away from her, pretending to view our surroundings.

"Mm, sure." I muttered, not able to say more. My face was beginning to turn red as I remembered the feeling of Ichigo's fingers trailing down my bare skin, his mouth giving soft kisses, his-

"It'd be super awesome if we all had something in common. Maybe we can all be important to Ichigo in some way! Tatsuki was his first opponent, Naomi is his big sister, and I-I could be..." I looked back over, the colour draining from my face as I saw Orihime's blossom with red. That's right, Orihime had a crush on Ichigo. Something deep inside me spilled forward. It was hot, angry, and seething as I struggled to keep a neutral face.

"Don't you think that would be a decision made with Ichigo ?" I asked, my tone harsher than usual. "It's not exactly a choice you make for someone else."

Tatsuki side-eyed me, my eyes caught hers, I looked away as Orihime turned red.

"O-Oh of course not! I mean- I was- um. I didn't mean anything by it-" Tatsuki squeezed our necks tighter, stopping us both.

"Enough, I don't wanna talk about Ichigo all day. Let's talk about literally anything else, hm ?" We both agreed to drop the subject, though the tone I'd used still hung in the air. We ventured through the mall and to a couple of stores. I saw a cute sundress on sale that was a creamy orange and decided to buy it, then a copy of Othello for Ichigo. While waiting for the girls to finish browsing the bookstore I stood outside, leaning against the wall. I sniffed, smelling several spiritual pressures in the air. One was familiar while two others weren't.

"My my, ya look like you could use some company." A voice drawled as they approached. I turned to see a tall man smiling down at me as he stepped closer. The scent of vinyl and almonds surrounded the guy. "S'nice on the eyes to see such a pretty young lady. Name's Shinji Hirako."

The guy looked kinda strange to me, especially since his spiritual pressure was massive for someone in the world of the living. He was certainly not a normal person. Something about him put me on edge.

"Naomi Sakurai, pleased to meet you." I said, glancing behind Shinji to the two figures standing across the street. One was short with blonde hair while the other was that guy from the other day. Kensei was it? They both had their arms crossed, a glare on their faces as both stared at me. The little one frowned deeper when she noticed me looking.

"Oh I know all about ya, Ms Sakurai," Shinji cooed, a grinned on his features. "Hard not to know about you, or that boy toy of yours with the hollow inside him."

I froze, staring up at him to meet his gaze. He seemed satisfied with my reaction as I narrowed my eyes and stayed quiet.

"Good for ya, stayin' calm. I half expected ya to snap m' head off." Shinji teased. I crossed my arms, looking to his companions.

"You smell funny, as do your friends." I said lowly. This surprised Shinji as he glanced at Kensei and the little blonde. She tapped her foot impatiently. Shinji looked back at me, his smile waning.

"Very perceptive." He mused. I tensed, not understanding his motives. I didn't have a substitute soul reaper badge like Ichigo had. Maybe I needed to keep my soul candy on me more often.

"If you're looking for a fight-"

"Now now, ya got it all wrong. We ain't here to scare ya. See, we wanted ya to... pass along a message for us." Shinji said, lowering his head to meet me at eye level. I frowned.

"What message?" I asked, suspicious, especially when he grinned.

"We just wanted to formally invite Ichigo to our lil' club. In exchange, we'll teach 'im how to tame his inner hollow." Shinji's words rolled off his tongue easily, making me second guess what he was saying. Tame his inner hollow? These guys? "Don't believe me? Well, come find us and see."

He handed me a card, which I took numbly, before he sauntered across the street to his friends. I stared between him and the card, vaguely noticing the little blonde snapping at Shinij before he dragged her away.

That was... odd.

The entrance to the bookstore opened, spooking me. Tatsuki poked her head out.

"There you are dummy! Why are you at the outside entrance? I thought we'd meet at the other one!" She said, nudging me. I stared, confused. Didn't we say the outside entrance? I looked to Orihime, who had a nervous look on her face. Could she sense those guys? She must've given me space to deal with them without interference.

"Are you okay, Naomi?" Orihime asked. I nodded, feeling a bit out of it as I shoved the card in my pocket. So much shit kept happening and I was almost thrilled with the idea of going home to collapse into my own bed. Orihime clapped her hands. "Okay! I'm beat! Time to head home!"

She wasn't tired, but the way she kept glancing at me, I knew she could tell I wasn't focused anymore. I felt a bit bad, but also relieved that Orihime understood. It felt nice if I was completely honest, not having to hide something. It brought me back to earlier, my thoughts on just telling my friends about Ichigo and I.

"Um, before we part ways, I wanted to tell you guys something." They both turned to me, looking curious. I bit my lip, looking away from them, struggling to be brave and spit it out. "It's um, it's about- Ichigo?"

The subject of my thoughts caught my eye as he sauntered down the street. He was walking stiffly, like he'd just been in a fight-

Oh no.

"What about Ichigo? Naomi?" Her gaze followed mine. "Oh hey, look who it is. Man he looks like he just got into another fight huh?"

"I gotta go!" I sprinted after the carrot top, aggressively waving goodbye to the girls as I ran after him. He made it around the corner before I caught up with the boy. My bags clacking away in my hands as they swung around.

"Ichigo!" He flinched, hesitating on the sidewalk. With his back to me I could only see dirt and other markings on his clothing. Was that blood in his hair? I caught up to him, trying to step around him, but Ichigo wouldn't look at me.

"Ichigo?"

He remained with his back to me, not saying a word.


As far as bad ideas went, Ichigo could think of a plethora of worse ones than this.

That morning Naomi had informed him she would be spending the day with Tatsuki and Orihime, which was perfect for him. He forced her to carry her cellphone, asking if she so much as saw Akito to tell him immediately. She was against it, but considering Tatsuki could defend herself and so could Nao, between the two they'd have a fighting chance.

"I don't want you going anywhere alone." Ichigo insisted. Nao rolled her eyes, looking sly like she always did when he tried to boss her around. He wanted to kiss her, give her another huge, but Isshin was looming around the corner each time he thought of it. It was like his father was psychic and knew exactly what he was thinking. Naomi noticed him looking anywhere but her and frowned.

"Fine, I promise I'll stay with Orihime and Tatsuki." She assured him. He didn't believe her, but the sentiment was kind of nice.

Much to her chagrin, Ichigo walked her to the cafe that the girls would be meeting at, before they were in view and separating. Naomi thought it was all overkill, but Ichigo knew the danger magnet wouldn't bat an eye at a bomb going off under her feet.

He watched her go before turning down another street. Three blocks further was another small cafe. This one had a hedge around the seating area, affording some privacy to anybody inside. Ichigo stepped up to the entrance, looking at all the patrons.

"Can I help you, sir?" One of the staff asked. When Ichigo looked at the petite brunette, her eyes locked with his, she blushed. He was cute .

"Ah, just looking for someone." He said, surveying the area once more before seeing familiar indigo eyes glance up at him. Ichigo excused himself, the girl's eyes followed him across the patio, walking over to the woman. He stopped in front of her. She looked haggard, her eyes nowhere near the shine of Naomi's, and yet this was undeniably Chiyo Sakurai. Her mother.

"You must be Ichigo. My, you've grown a lot." Chiyo's voice chipped, sounding rough around the edges, as Ichigo took a seat. He leaned back in his chair, trying not to jump on the woman with a million questions. However, he had arranged this meeting with the intent of getting to the bottom of things.

"It's nice to see you again, Ms. Sakurai." He said politely. Chiyo scoffed, looking at her menu. A sardonic look slipping across her features.

"Is it? I doubt that Naomi's told you much then." She said without humour. Ichigo watched her carefully, finding her behaviour so staunch from what he remembered her to be. The Chiyo Sakurai he remembered was very animated, happy, and overall cheeky. It was why she and his mother were friends even before children and marriage came into the picture.

"She told me... Some things." Ichigo admitted. Before they could continue the waitress from earlier came up to the table. Her cheeks were still tinted as she looked directly at Ichigo. She cleared her throat, trying to act professional despite the hottie seated a few feet from her.

"Can I get you anything to start?" She asked, her voice held a stutter. Chiyo noticed, her eyes glancing between the two. Ichigo looked at Ms. Sakurai to go first.

"I'll take the hearty bowl with a coffee please." Chiyo said as she folded the menu. The waitress nodded at her with a smile before snapping her gaze back to Ichigo.

"Just a green tea for me." He said while handing the menu over. His fingers brushed the waitress' own digits. She gasped, taking the menus and scurrying away. Chiyo watched, noticing how Ichigo seemed none the wiser to the girl's attention. Her heart was hit with a wave of nostalgia from when she watched her best friend get hit on by Isshin without realizing it.

The apple didn't fall far from the tree, it seemed.

Ichigo noticed her staring, seeing the expression of sorrow melting across her face. Before he could open his mouth to say anything about it, she spoke.

"You've got her eyes." She said softly, surprising him. "I always expected you to look like Isshin, which you do, but your eyes are so much like Masaki's."

Ichigo looked down at the table between them, feeling uncomfortable. What was he supposed to say to that? Chiyo realized his discomfort and cleared her throat. The waitress returned with their drinks, leaving a moment later and evading eye contact with Ichigo. Not that it was hard since he was staring at his tea.

"Sorry, I don't mean to dig up old wounds." She said, stirring her coffee with milk. Ichigo grabbed his cup but didn't drink it.

"It's fine, you were close to my mom after all." He sipped his tea, uncertain how to broach the subject he came here to discuss. Chiyo sighed, sipping her coffee slowly.

"We weren't much different than you and Naomi actually. I met her when she moved here to Karakura in middle school. Practically joined at the hip after that. We did everything together." Ichigo was surprised. He never knew they were that close. Isshin always spoke about Chiyo as if she was a family friend, not the closest friend of his late wife. What happened? Chiyo noticed his surprised, but it only made a humourless smile slip onto her face.

"I suppose Isshin doesn't talk about me much. Can't blame him. I was both the reason your parents almost didn't marry, and also the reason they did." She looked wistful, smiling into her cup as she cradled it in her palms. Her indigo eyes held a touch more life as she walked down memory lane. For a moment he forgot why they were here, but then he remembered Naomi's tears and the wistful moment passed quickly.

"I don't mean to push but... I need to know more about... everything. What pushed Nao to leave, why you didn't go with her, why it all started." He said in a soft yet firm voice. Seeing Chiyo's light immediately die in her eyes, he added, "please don't misunderstand-"

"You're doing this for Naomi, I know." She said, a smile on her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. "She looked good, though it was a very brief encounter. She's gained weight, which is nice. She became so skinny when she- when we lived together. Do you know where she works?"

Ichigo hesitated on telling her, wondering if she would show up in Naomi's life more often. But the fact that she had left a contact number implied she was waiting for Naomi to call on her instead.

"She's working at my Dad's clinic. She started before she finished school at the academy, from what I know." Ichigo explained. Chiyo smiled into her cup, her eyes watery.

"She moved out before school was done. I had heard she was couch surfing for exams but then she vanished. I had checked several other places before realizing this was always the place she'd return to." She placed the cup down, stirring some sugar into it. "I'm grateful, Isshin has always been a good man and doted on Naomi. He even joked about adopting her from me several times."

"He still offers to adopt her." Ichigo said, sipping his tea. Chiyo chuckled.

"He even said you two could get married, he'd even supply a dowry." As the words left her mouth, Ichigo choked on his tea. Chiyo chuckled, knowing how terrifying marriage must sound like to a teen boy. Ichigo wiped his face, muttering something about his old man under his breath. The humour passed quickly though, as Chiyo focused on why Ichigo was here.

"Naomi is a very private person, I'm sure you know that. She doesn't like to share weaknesses. She especially hates people looking down on her. So I have to ask, why did you think I would tell you anything?" Ichigo stared across at her, seeing the sharpness behind dull eyes flicker momentarily. This woman was Nao's mother. Where Nao got her wit and cleverness from. This was also the mother that used to dote on her child and sing songs to her daughter when she was picked up from the park. Naomi loved her, and he knew Chiyo loved Nao. It was why he thought to ask her, and why some part of him prayed it was some cruel joke that this even transpired.

That Nao didn't have to lose her mother too.

"Because you love Nao, and you wouldn't have tried to contact her if you weren't worried about her too." Ichigo said slowly. Chiyo watched him, noticing the protectiveness in his eyes. He came to see her without Naomi. Which meant either Naomi didn't want to see her, or Ichigo wasn't letting that meeting happen. The hardened gaze he was showing her made her believe Naomi didn't know he was here, and he was deciding on whether or not to tell Naomi about it based on what he heard.

The waitress returned with Chiyo's meal, placing it down and smiling at them both. Her eyes lingered on Ichigo, asking if he needed anything. However she was dismissed politely as Chiyo sighed. She picked up her fork and began to eat between explanations.

"Masaki and I were inherently different... in more ways than one... but we were the same in our goals for university. We were both planning to study abroad, maybe America, maybe Italy, didn't know at the time. What I did know was that those plans came to a crashing halt the night she met your father." She played with her food, reminiscing. Ichigo listened quietly, not sure what this had to do with everything else.

"Masaki and Isshin were getting pretty serious, so she chose to go to a local college. It caused... a rift," she laughed without humour. "I used to mock her for ever changing her life-goals for a man. Now look at me."

She took a small bite, swallowed, then continued.

"Eventually I told her she could stay, but I may have cornered Isshin to be sure his intentions were good." Ichigo could believe it, even picture it. This must've been where Nao got her Jekyll and Hyde persona from. He smiled lightly, imagining her doing the same thing. Chiyo noticed.

"I ended up going to Brown. While I was abroad... I met Naomi's father. He wasn't local to the college, just doing some touring of his own. By the time I finished university I was pregnant with Nao and returning home to have her. We lived outside of Shirakawa for the first few years of Naomi's life, it was closer to my parent's and we were comfortable living there." She sighed heavily, taking another bite of food. "It wasn't a romance like your parents. No, not even close, but he was a good father. He loved Naomi, probably more than he loved anything in his entire life. And that was saying something considering the... friends he kept."

Chiyo watched Ichigo as she continued, stirring her meal. Her eyes travelled away from him as she got lost in memory.

"When he... when he died, it shattered us. Naomi doesn't even talk about him, but I'm not convinced she can remember him since she was so young. Seeing her cry in front of his grave, I knew I couldn't let her suffer. So after some phone calls, I moved back to Karakura. Masaki played a big role in that. This was around the time Naomi met you." She smiled, the first genuine smile since he'd arrived.

"You put the light back in her eyes you know?" This surprised Ichigo, his eyes widening as he stared. Chiyo laughed once. "My little Naomi didn't want to make friends, she didn't want to be with children. The first few days in Karakura she laid on the couch, staring out the window. It was like pulling teeth to get her to go to the daycare, but she took one look at you and was enamoured. She kept talking about how pretty your hair was, how big and warm your eyes were, and how goofy you looked. I dare say she fell in love at first sight."

Ichigo cheeks turned bright pink. He looked away, scratching the back of his neck. What was he supposed to say to that? Chiyo noticed, curiosity in her eyes as she raised a brow. Could he...? She resumed her story telling, remembering the next struggle. Her mirth died immediately as she remembered the funeral for her best friend.

"But then... Then Masaki passed away..." The mood sobered as both looked down. "I'd lost my love, my best friend, I... I was broken. There's no excuse for it, but I was half the woman I used to be after losing so much. If... If it weren't for Naomi... I would've lost my only purpose."

She took a deep breath and several forkfuls of food before she continued.

"That's when I met Akito." Ichigo bristled at the name. "Ah, so you know about him."

"Got a firsthand account of him trying to punch Nao." Ichigo said lowly. Chiyo froze, eyes snapping down to stare at her coffee. Ichigo watched the shame build up. "But Naomi didn't want me to intervene, because she was afraid he'd hurt you."

Chiyo's neck went limp as she hung her head. She took several deep breaths, gripping her fork for support.

"She's always been trying to help me." Chiyo remembered all the times she'd been crying on the bathroom floor, or the kitchen floor, or her bed. Naomi would always come rushing in with band aids and snacks, thinking the worst. Naomi refused to cry in front of her mom after that, wanting to be a good girl and not make her cry more. Chiyo felt absolutely useless, her own child was raising her. Chiyo used the heel of her palm to rub the tears away.

"Naomi is really the perfect child. She never asks for anything, and she wants to help everyone. I am probably to blame for that. She could never rely on me, always taking care of me when I needed someone." She said, voice watery. Ichigo watched the woman in front of him slowly unravel. Her meal pushed aside as she gripped her coffee cup in a death grip with one hand and wiped tears with the other.

"I- please understand, I did this for Naomi." She stammered out. "When Akito showed his true self I- there are things that I can't explain but... Naomi needed to leave. She wasn't safe there, in that house, or that town. If I went with her, he'd follow, but if I stayed- he promised to let her go."

"Hold on," Ichigo said, putting the pieces together. "What are you saying?"

Chiyo took a breath, then looked Ichigo in the eye. Her eyes were red, but there was that spark of protectiveness again, a sharpness that would eb and flow.

"Akito is... look I don't recommend bothering him. He will follow me out of town soon enough. I just- I wanted to make sure Naomi was doing okay. But it's exactly what it sounds like. Naomi asked me so many times to leave, and I wanted to just scoop her into my arms and run. But Akito... he'd never let us both go. So I promised to stay. But Naomi is not the type to give up on her loved ones. She'd go to the moon and back for them."

'Or Soul Society.' Ichigo thought.

"I couldn't- I had to make her leave." There was shame as she looked down again, and it reminded Ichigo of Naomi last night. "I used to be so... so strong. But now? I can't- God I'm horrible."

Her voice cracked, she struggled not to cry.

"You can call me a terrible mother, a horrible person even. But I promise you, every choice I've made, it was for Naomi."

How ironic, that the hope for a cruel joke ended up being true. Ichigo stared, unable to fully process what she had said. And yet it made perfect sense to him how a loving mother had turned her back on her child. Naomi would've never left her mother for any other reason. She would've died protecting her instead. He felt his fingers clench into fists at the thought.

"Don't leave," were his words that broke the silence. Chiyo looked surprised as Ichigo looked at her firmly. "There's a woman's shelter not far from here where you can get protection. You can take out a restraining order against him and have the authorities on your side."

Chiyo looked doubtful, but Ichigo's firm gaze held her in place.

"Don't give up on Nao," his words hit something deep in her, causing her chest to clench. "She also thinks she's weak and helpless sometimes. But strength isn't always in your fists. Naomi's brave, far braver than me, and she's unafraid to protect people, to be their shield. That courage, that willingness to act, it's why she's the strongest person I know, and I think that instead of apologizing to her, or trying to make things right, Naomi needs to know that there's someone in her corner. So fight for Nao, fight for your daughter."

Chiyo's eyes watered, wide and shocked as she looked at the teen boy across from her. There was no doubt in her mind now, that meeting Ichigo Kurosaki was the greatest thing for her daughter. She felt a small spark of joy, knowing there was someone out there protecting her Naomi.

"It makes me happy, that there's someone who's always looking out for her." Chiyo said, feeling happy at the steady eye contact. Ichigo's cheeks grew hot, he swallowed, he sat up a bit straighter at her words. Chiyo let out a tiny breath, seeing devotion in his eyes, the same devotion Isshin had in his when she confronted the man all those years ago. Kurosaki men were a different breed, so it would seem.

Ichigo kept to his word of escorting Chiyo to the women's shelter. Chiyo stopped at the corner of the building where an alleyway opened up in order to turn and thank Ichigo. She offered him money for his trouble, but he refused any gratitude. She knew he was only here for Naomi, but part of her was grateful for his assistance anyway.

"I... want to fight for Naomi... but in the meantime. Please look after her." She bowed to him, making Ichigo scratch the back of his head and look away. The attention making him blush.

"Y-Yeah, of course." He stammered, not used to such displays. Just as they were about to part ways, they heard the last person either were hoping to see.

"There you are, ya dumb bitch."

Ichigo bristled, both he and Chiyo looked to the alley, where Akito was stomping up to them. Ichigo immediately stepped in front of Chiyo. The taller man glared at him, recognition in his eyes.

"Ah, the baby daddy. What? Wanted to try the older model?" Akito taunted. Chiyo frowned, baby daddy? What? Ichigo growled, not moving an inch. Chiyo nervously looked between the two, sensing a fight brewing. She figured Ichigo was stronger than when she'd last seen him, but Akito was a different story. The man was twice her size and raw muscle. She couldn't let Ichigo get beat up for her. Tentatively, she went to step around him. Ichigo stepped between them again.

"Ichigo, I appreciate everything, but this is not the time-"

"I think you should reconsider what you're about to do." Ichigo spoke, scarily calm. It sent a shiver down Chiyo's spine. "If you go back to him, if you give up, then you will never get to see Naomi again."

Her eyes widened, was he implying he wouldn't let her? Or was he implying Naomi would never forgive her? She was surprised he would even mention Naomi at a time like this. Considering his words though, and the fact that he was even here in the first place, it shouldn't have been very surprising.

'You're also always thinking about Naomi.' She thought, realizing then the true extent of his feelings. Chiyo took a step back, struggling with herself. Even if she wanted to see Naomi again, she wasn't about to let a teen boy get the snot beat out of him for her .

"And you," Ichigo continued, staring straight at Akito in his dark eyes. "What kind of man hits his own woman? Or her daughter?"

Akito smirked twisting into a sneer as he stepped closer. Ichigo didn't move.

"The kind that knows how to keep them in line, boy ." He towered over Ichigo, looking smug. "The bitch saved your ass last time. She knows what it feels like. But looks like she's not here to save you this time. Where is she anyway?She spreading for someone else?"

Ichigo saw red, holding his ground. He had to know first, know how hard this guy would hit someone. He wanted to know what had Naomi trembling at the thought of being hit.

"Only cowards run away from a fight," Ichigo said, stepping forward. Akito was surprised, but he laughed.

"Now I get it. That's why she's got a mouth on her again. Hanging around shits like you are why she's so fearless. It's alright, she'll get quiet again." Akito said, taunting him as if trying to get Ichigo to fight him. He completely misunderstood the situation though. Chiyo did as well as she struggled not to move. She wanted to stop it, badly. She considered running for help, even turning to sprint away from the alley, but Ichigo's voice stopped her.

"You need to see this, Ms Sakurai. You need to see this guy is nothing but a brat without any manners-"

Akito sucker punched him, making Ichigo stumbled a bit, hiding his face. There was stunned silence for a moment, a cackle broke through Akito's lips as he waited for a reaction. Most people felt that kind of hit and ran, or at that very least showed fear. However, Ichigo did neither as he spat out saliva and blood. He was processing the strength of the hit, imagining Naomi dealing with that when she was even smaller than she was right now. The idea that she took a punch from that thing-

He pulled out his phone, dialing a number before holding it to his ear. Akito growled, ready to punch him again.

"The fuck you doing? Calling backup?" He took a step forward as Ichigo answered the phone.

"Hi, yes I would like to report a fight." Akito froze, surprised. "It's pretty serious. One guy's in critical condition. I'll tell you the address, one sec."

He rattled off the address, then thanked the dispatcher before hanging up. He turned, handing Chiyo his phone. She took it and his wallet as he dropped them both in her hands. She caught a glimpse of his eyes, seeing a look that made her feel cold as he thanked her in monotone before turning back to Akito. The giant grumbled, hiding behind his bravado.

"Whatcha gunna do you lit-"

Ichigo lunged. He kicked the taller man in the gut so fast that Akito couldn't even block. The taller man went flying backwards, falling to the ground further in the alley. Chiyo eyes widened, stunned at the sheer strength of the boy. Ichigo calmly stalked over as Akito struggled to his feet. He glared, lunging for Ichigo, but the ginger dodged, using his elbow to drive into his ribs, breaking several as Akito toppled over again. He moaned in pain, struggling to breathe. Ichigo stood there, quiet.

Chiyo couldn't believe what she was seeing. Akito was not a weak person. He had a serious hit, he'd broken walls without trying, and had been in fights before with other big men only to send them packing after two shots. This kid... how was he stronger than Akito?

"What's the matter?" Ichigo asked. Akito froze on the ground, looking up at the teen. There wasn't a shred of empathy in his eyes. "Done already? Two hits? That's all you can take?"

Akito sensed it then, the killer intent, the fact that Ichigo called an ambulance because he fully intended to beat him within an inch of death. The taller man scrambled to his feet, trying to get away.

"Get back here coward!" Ichigo round house kicked him into the side of the woman's shelter. Akito's head hit the wall, making blood fall down the side of his head. Ichigo growled, grabbing the back of his collar and making him sit up. "You don't even realize it, do you?"

He punched Akito across the face. The bigger man folded, but Ichigo yanked him back up.

"Naomi could've beaten the shit out of you," He hit him again. "She's stronger than you are you weak bastard!"

He hit him again, then slammed him back into the wall. taking a deep breath.

"You knew that, didn't you? It's why you went after her mother! You made her feel powerless," he grabbed Akito by his collar and yanked him to stand. The giant struggled, knees bent as he leaned against the wall. Ichigo gripped his shirt, pressing him against the brick. "I won't ever let you take that power from her again!"

He punched him in the nose, breaking it. Akito was covered in blood, groaning and moaning. Ichigo was pissed off, this wasn't even a challenge. Ichigo threw punch after punch to anywhere and everywhere, imagining one hit for every day the two Sakurai's had suffered. When the ambulance sirens started to fill the air, he felt Chiyo gently touch his arm. Ichigo pulled back, but didn't look at her.

"That's enough," she said, though she didn't have anger or regret in her tone. "If they see you they'll have questions."

Ichigo nodded, seeing her point. Chiyo looked to Akito on the floor, amazed at how easily Ichigo beat him down.

"Thank you," Chiyo said, looking back at the teen. Her eyes were watery. "I know I shouldn't thank you for beating him up but- God did I need to see that. Thank you, Ichigo."

Ichigo wiped his chin, looking away from her. He agreed with her sentiment, but could understand her position.

"Just make sure you come back and tell Nao the truth." Ichigo said, turning away from the duo. "I better go, you should head into the shelter."

Chiyo watched him go, biting her lip.

"Ichigo," he paused, but didn't turn around. She felt tears sting her eyes. "Thank you for loving my Naomi, even when I couldn't."

Ichigo's hand twitched as he let out a shaky breath. He nodded, not saying a word. Chiyo didn't need him to, his actions spoke volumes. Ichigo took off, the sirens getting closer. Chiyo took one last look at the lump of a man, then turned towards the front of the alley.

As Ichigo stepped out of the alley, he shoved his hands in his pockets, hissing when his right wrist stung. Nao could heal this, but then he'd have to admit he got into a fight. What was he supposed to tell her about today? That he hunted down Akito after she specifically asked him not to? That he was in a random fight? He got jumped? That Chad needed a hand (honestly the most believable for him)? That he ran into her mom? That he met her mom on purpose? Ichigo sighed, swallowing a lump in his throat. He didn't want to lie to Naomi, but he also knew she would feel guilt at leaving her mom if she knew the truth. He should keep a distance now, let them solve things. He didn't doubt that Nao and her mom would figure things out at their own pace.

" I don't doubt for a second that your mom loved you more than life itself. I'll bet whatever happened that day, Ichigo, that your mom chose you over herself. Not because you were too weak to protect her, but because that's what moms do. They protect their children."

Did she even believe her own words? When she consoled him at his mother's grave, she'd been so strong, so sure in her voice. Yes. He did believe she felt that way, at least somewhere inside of her. He hoped that Naomi wouldn't be too angry with him for lying to her when she eventually found out. Now he just had to go home and-

"Ichigo!"

He flinched, realizing he was screwed. Naomi came up behind him.

"Ichigo? Are you okay?" Her soft voice was laced with worry. He shouldn't show her, make her worry. Naomi would worry about nothing then. She touched his shoulder though, urging him to turn around. So gentle and kind, he folded. Ichigo turned to face her, watching her eyes absorbed the bruising around his jaw. She reached up, fingers going through his scalp. She pulled back, her hands covered in blood.

"It's not mine." He blurted out, immediately regretting it when she looked at him with nervous concern. She knew whose it was, of course she would. He wasn't ashamed of his choices though, and he didn't want to back down. So he said nothing, looking her dead in the eye. Naomi frowned, eyes glancing at where he'd come from. She was thinking, likely about going back to see what happened, but as she shifted to walk he grabbed her wrist mid-air.

"It's over, don't worry about it." He assured, but it had the opposite affect.

"Don't worry- Ichigo this better not be-" She let out a breath, looking sad. He didn't want her to be upset. Her eyes then widened. "Mom's out there though. She-"

"I ran into her," he blurted out, eyes molten. "She's at the women's shelter, trying to get herself together. She's safe."

She searched his eyes, trying to figure out what he wasn't saying, but she trusted him. She trusted he wouldn't keep things from her, so she nodded, looking back the way he came.

"What is it?" He pulled her closer, stroking his hands up and down her waist in comfort. His fingers touching her sides grounded him, bringing him further from his rage that hadn't entirely settled yet. "If you want to see her, we can go. If you don't then we forget about it."

"I want to but... not right now. I..."

"Then let's forget about it. What matters is she is safe, Akito is laid up getting surgery for organ damage, and you're safe Nao." Her eyes flickered at organ damage , but she didn't look stunned. She looked down his torso, noticing several wounds with his shirt off. He hated when she looked at him like that. Remorseful, like it was her fault he was injured. His chest swelled, seeing the soft eyes that held so much emotion.

"For the record, I didn't go looking for him. He found me." Ichigo supplied, if only to make her less upset. It worked in his favour, but now she looked guilty.

"Sorry." She reached out, taking his hand in hers. He grimaced, swapping sides to his other hand.

"It's sore." He explained. She sighed, blinking rapidly as if holding back tears. Why would she be crying? Ichigo almost pulled her in for a hug at the sight.

"What am I going to do with you?" She huffed. Ichigo glanced down at her, his cheeks pink from the affection in her tone. Naomi tugged him away, bringing him to her apartment a few blocks away. He hadn't realized he'd been heading to her home subconsciously.

"Let's get you cleaned up before your family sees you like this." She sounded much calmer as they walked in the entrance.

"They won't care, they already know I get into fights." He dismissed, but let her pull him upstairs.

"Yeah but, I doubt Yuzu and Karin like to visibly see it. I wouldn't." He glanced down at her and she pulled out her key, opening her door a moment later. "Okay, go wash up, I'll make some tea. This time I plan to drink it."

Ichigo hesitated, remembering the last time he was up here and shivered.

'Calm down.'

"R-Right." He went to the bathroom, now understanding Naomi's look, and the looks they got on the street walking here. Ichigo had blood spatter on his face, smeared wherever he'd rubbed it away. He looked deranged. Naomi just seemed crazier to him now, being practically unphased by his appearance. When he exited the bathroom, she was leaning against the counter, drinking her tea.

"You didn't... you know..." She started, eyes looking up at him. He stepped closer to her.

"Send him to Soul Society? No, the ambulance showed up." He said, not an inch of remorse in his voice. Naomi took note of his stance. Tense, angry, Ichigo didn't get genuinely angry without reason. He stood in front of her, then guided Naomi by the back of her neck until she was inches from his face. "I did send him packing though. If he shows his face around here, I'll deal with it."

"Ichigo..." She sighed. "You're sure my mom's safe?"

She searched his eyes, needing an honest response. He grinned, happy to oblige.

"Promise." He assured. "And if she sees him, she'll contact me or my dad about him."

A warmth spread in her chest at the protective tone in his voice. Her fingers brushed his clothed chest.

"You got her number? Didn't know you liked older women, Mr Kurosaki." Naomi teased, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. Ichigo massaged a hand up and down her back, smirking.

"You're such a brat." He leaned down, meeting her halfway in a kiss. Her lips were so soft, tasting like the jasmine tea she was drinking. Naomi wrapped her arms around him, leaning up as far as she could on the tips of her toes. Ichigo was growing tired of looming over the girl though and picked her up by the back of her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his torso as he sat on her bed. A sigh escaped her lips as she pulled back, aiming to lick his wounds. Her tongue glossed over his cheek, reminding him of a cat cleaning her young. He gave a short laugh.

"I feel like a kitten being licked by his mom." Ichigo muttered. Naomi made a sound of displeasure, imagining exactly what he was saying as she pushed him onto his back, straddling his waist with her hands on his chest for balance. She looked down at him, her long black hair a curtain around her head.

"Orihime called me your big sister today." She muttered, but Ichigo laughed, running his hands along her thighs.

"Definitely not." He said, smirking. Looking pleased, Naomi leaned down and began to lick any of his wounds away like last time. He gave a sigh, closing his eyes to focus on the sensations her tiny nibbles and soft tongue gave. She returned to his mouth moment later, leaning in for a slow kiss. Naomi pulled his sore wrist up, licking along his forearm and wrist joint, healing the soreness with licks and small nibbles where she pleased. Her eyes watched his the entire time. He cupped her cheek, stroking it softly as he remember his fight with Akito.

"He's never going to hurt you, or your mom, ever again." He said firmly. Her pupils dilated, a shaky breath leaving her lips. She desperately wanted to believe it was over. Maybe it was?

"Thank you." She said, feeling a release. Ichigo was surprised, but the shock wore off quickly as he realized Naomi was happy. He cupped her jaw, stroking it lovingly.

"I realized something else today." He said as he sat up, making her slide down to sit on his thighs, her hands still on his chest.

"Hm?" She sounded distracted as he kissed her softly once, twice, then the corner of her mouth, her cheek, then finally behind her earlobe.

"I'm shit at protecting you," he kissed her behind her ear again. Naomi made a noise of disagreement, frowning, but her lips softened as he nibbled on the chords of muscle in her jugular. "Besides, saying you need protection is an insult to all the struggles you've endured."

His fingers grazed under her shirt splaying over the soft skin of her belly. She held onto his shoulders, fingers twitching when his second hand crawled up her back.

"You're a shield, you're meant to protect. And you protect all your friends, your family. You've been protecting me since the day we met." He grabbed her left hand with his right, holding it between them. Ichigo rested his forehead against hers. "So let me be your sword."

Oh God, he couldn't take that look she was giving him. That look of awe and wonder. Nobody had ever looked at him like she did. Had she always looked at him like that? Naomi had always been Naomi to him, with her pretty eyes and cheeky smile and wild personality. But that look, with red tinting her cheeks-

In the next second, she was on her back. Laying across her mattress as Ichigo loomed above her, one hand holding the sheets above her head. He leaned down, kissing her again. His tongue easily entered Naomi's mouth to stroke her tongue. She whimpered, wiggling so perfectly against his body that Ichigo almost lost his train of thought. He yanked away with a trail of saliva, licking her lips and kissing up to her ear again.

"Let me throw the heavy punches," He kissed the side of her neck. Naomi squirmed, dragging her arms to wrap around his neck. "Let me fight your battles."

He trailed his kisses down to her clothing, kissing between her clothed breasts, he crawled down her body until he was kneeling between her knees.

"You want to be stronger in a fight?" He kissed her navel, his free hand cupping the small of Naomi's back, encouraging her to arch up. "I'll be your strength. And you be mine."

Naomi felt her breath quickened, seeing such a man lying before her was quite a sight. Her fingers found his jaw, stroking it fondly. Ichigo grinned.

"That sound fair, Nao?" He asked. Her eyes darkened, turning violet as she nodded. Ichigo felt relieved she didn't fight him, his grin turning to a smirk. "Good girl."

She clenched around air at those words, her face going scarlet. Ichigo kissed her navel again, gently brushing her shirt aside. He was watching her as she stared at him. Anticipation building in her belly.

"Do you want me to keep going?" He asked, immediately receiving a nod.

"Please."

He obliged, hands roaming over the now exposed skin of her navel. As beautiful as she was, he was oddly partial to her stomach. There was something about it, the way it went taut as he kissed and nibbled, but when he gently brushed his fingers over she seem to relax. The skin going soft and feeling plush beneath his fingers. Ichigo's lips moved all over her, taking his time to map out every inch of skin. She had a mole on her left rib cage he'd never seen before, he also wasn't the only one to grow some muscle since going to the Soul Society. Naomi's legs were toned, the elevens abs were obvious now, she had lost even more of that little bit of chubbiness she used to have as a child.

He missed the chub, admittedly. She was so soft and round, giving the best hugs, when they were kids. But it didn't bother him. Naomi was still stunning in his eyes, and he still didn't get why she liked him so much. Slowly, he pushed her shirt higher, above her bra, removing neither. Ichigo's amber eyes watched for any signs of rejection, eager to please when he saw that anticipation reflecting back at him. Her fingers found his hair, scratching with her short nails as he fumbled with her bra. He would figure this fucking thing out one day, he was adamant on it, but for now he'd take the loss as she reached back and undid it with one hand.

She arched up into him, the wet skin along her navel rubbing his throat. He kissed it, following it back down as she pulled her shirt and bra over her head. He removed his own shirt at the same time before diving back in for more. Ichigo's eyes locked onto her chest, remembering these two mounds vividly from his last time in this room.

He took his time, praising her body, kissing each breast and nipping her nipples the way he knew would make her squeal. Her thighs wrapped around him, encouraging Ichigo to rest his full weight on top of her. He could feel it, against his abdomen, the intense heat of her core. He tried to ignore it, focusing on pleasing her rather than the welcoming warmth she could offer. Even through her jean shorts she was hot.

"Ichigo." She moaned. He hissed, reaching out to grab the sheets above her head to grip onto something. Last time he'd scratched her without meaning to. That sound was too good, too sweet in his ears. Her fingers clenched his hair, tugging roughly. It almost did him in. Ichigo grunted as he lunged up, kissing her mouth, using his loose hand to pull her thighs around him. His fingers sinking into the plushness. His bulge felt painful in his slim jeans, rubbing against her crotch sent a heat springing from his core.

"Nao." He groaned into her mouth. She responded, rubbing her core against him. He pulled back with a hiss, burying his head in her shoulder like he always did. His grip on the sheets above her head was so tight his hand shook.

'Calm down.'

'Need to calm down.'

When Ichigo first thought of confessing to Naomi, asking her to be his girlfriend, he'd thought they would take things slow. He figured he'd probably get to kiss her in private, hold her hand occasionally, and maybe he'd get that intense make out session once in a while. With friends like Keigo, who was always chasing after women, or Mizuiro, who would subtly flaunt his latest girlfriend, Ichigo always figured sex and anything beyond the surface of kissing would be degrading for any woman.

He had been rather traditional in thinking he might even wait for marriage before having sex. It just seemed like the respectable thing to do, and he would've. He wanted to prove his respect for Naomi, prove that she wasn't property that he would ever objectify. Ichigo didn't know if she would be his first girlfriend, or his only girlfriend, but he knew he had zero intention of ever degrading her. She was far too important to him regardless of context.

But a single sound from his Nao, whimpering his name into his ear, and all propriety went straight out the fucking window.

"More," Naomi whimpered, clawing at his bare shoulders. "Please, Ichigo?"


He swore, he did that a lot lately, despite always trying to keep polite when in Naomi's presents. But those tiny whimpers and her talking like that? He couldn't take it, it'd drove him mad.

Ichigo shot up, looking down at his beautiful girlfriend. She let him go, her arms laying above her head. Her breasts had little hickeys all over then, as did her neck. There was only one place he hadn't explored yet. He shivered, pulling back. Initially Naomi was confused, thinking she'd done something wrong, but then Ichigo popped the button on her jean shorts and aggressively yanked them off. She giggled, grinning, then looked at him. Seeing her look at him like that, his jeans were unbearably tight now. He knew, in the back of his mind, it was safer to keep them on. He should. His dick shouldn't do the thinking for him, but it would feel so much better without them.

Naomi noticed his discomfort, looking down to his bulge. Her skin bloomed scarlet, then her dark violet eyes looked back up at him. Nervous, shy, eager.

"Can- um, can your pants come off too?" She asked, looking away when his eyes widened slightly. "I don't- it's weird if you have more clothes on."

He didn't hesitate, tossing his jeans to the floor at the first chance he got, standing in just his boxers as his girlfriend stared at him. His skin felt hot under her gaze, hoping she liked what she saw, the red of her cheeks spread to her neck and chest. Ichigo took a huge breath, thinking it wouldn't be a huge difference. He'd felt Naomi through his pants before, had her hands around him. He could handle this. Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed, offering her a hand, then pulled her to sit between his legs like the time before.

Naomi shuddered, feeling the heat from his bare chest on her back. He turned her head sideways, kissing her lips once, then he gently pushed her to lean forward. He'd only meant for her to lean a bit away so he could kiss her shoulders, but Naomi bent all the way down, hands on the floor. Her hips slid backwards into his, his bulge pressing between her cheeks. He grunted, watching the way her small waist bloomed into her wide hips. Her black panties weren't fancy, he'd be shocked to ever see her in anything other than cotton honestly, but they sat perfectly on her hips to show how wide they were. His gaze travelled up to the scar on her back. He leaned over her, kissing it. Naomi shivered, jerking her hips back into his.

"Fuck, don't do that." He grunted, but grabbed both hips and held her to him. Ichigo was wrong, this was very different without pants on. He dipped a hand from her hip down to one of her cheeks, feeling how soft the skin was, much like her hipbones. She rubbed her ass along his bulge. He wanted to moan but choked it down. "Nao."

"I wanna make you feel good." She swayed her hips against him again, this time Ichigo struggled to try and stop her. When she looked back at him over her shoulder, he was done for. He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her back to his chest. She gasped, his hand on the back of her neck wasn't hurtful, but he held her still as his other hand pulled her leg over his thigh. She was staring at him, panting against his lips.

"Once I'm done with you." He said, struggling to keep focus. Ichigo considered re-adjusting himself in his pants, seeing as he was now pressed into her lower back, but figured she'd waited long enough. He slid his hand from her navel into the waistband of her panties, finding a soft mound of hair, then felt his middle finger sink into the wet folds. He couldn't angle his wrist as much as he wanted to though, so he pulled back, tugging her panties down and off her before resuming their positions. His index found her wet folds quickly. Naomi jerked, one of her hands bracing on his free thigh while the other moved over top of his fingers. As much as he wanted to push her hand away, he'd have to admit he had next to no idea what he was doing. Other than sex ed, and the odd magazine Keigo chucked at his head, he didn't even know how to make his Nao feel good.

"It's he -re !" Her hips jerked, thighs twitching. His gaze never left her as the pad of his index found a small bud near the top of her pussy.

"Here?" He rubbed it again, pressing once. She grunted, pulling her fingers over his and showing him the motion.

"Mmm~!" She bit her lower lip, her skin turning red again. "I-Ichigo...!"

He kissed her, using his tongue to massage hers. The only sounds that escaped her were little moans for the next few minutes. Ichigo found himself getting bolder from her moans, sliding his fingers down to her core, pushing one inside. She jerked a bit, surprised, but then stilled. He pushed it in deeper, finding her pussy was soaked inside, blood rushed to his cock. How could she be so hot? So soft and gummy? Moments later he put a second finger in, surprised when Nao's cunt tightened around the digits. Ichigo pulled his head back, a trail a saliva dripping onto her chest, looking for her reactions.

"Do you like that?" He asked, not sure if it was a good sign. Embarrassment covered her face, but she nodded. He felt dizzy, watching her bite her lip, feeling her hips roll in time to allow his fingers to sink in deeper.

"C-Curl... Curl your fingers..." She whimpered her hand on his thigh scratching him. He grunted, clenching his fingers in both hands in reaction. Naomi's back arched, her pussy sucking his fingers in. His eyes drifted down to see for himself, staring as his long fingers disappeared inside of her.

"Don't- ah! Don't s-stare. Oh~! " He remembered her clit and began to rub circles on it with his thumb. He couldn't keep perfect time with her as she rolled her hips, but Ichigo was enamoured as he watched her suck him in. His mind imagined the feeling of his cock sinking into her. So wet and warm-

'Calm down.'

He gritted his teeth, hissing as his fingers picked up pace. He looked at her eyes, seeing them going from where he was pleasuring her to his own gaze. Embarrassment, shyness, pleasure, trust. All clear across her skin. He kissed her mouth, then her neck, nibbling on any skin he could reach. Naomi had no reason to ever be embarrassed. If anything, he should've considered himself lucky to touch her like this.

"Fucking beautiful." He groaned out, feeling her clamp onto his fingers. He grinned against the skin of her shoulder, kissing it once. "You like that?"

"Y...Yeah." She cried, he curled his fingers again to hit that spot she liked. "Ah- Ichigo~!"

"Say it again." He bit her neck, not meaning to be rough, but her hips jolted into his dick and he closed his mouth tightly against her skin. Ichigo was surprised when he felt her cunt pulse, fluid gushing over his fingers.

"Ichi- go !" She cried, her entire body shaking. He pulled back to watched her, looking down to see her pussy clenching and unclenching. She fell back against him, staring across the room for a moment.

Ichigo's own breathing hadn't settled, and as he pulled his fingers from her, she twitched in reaction as she slowed her breathing. Curiously, he brought his fingers to his face, seeing the fluid that made strings between them along with a clear fluid that was more watery. He knew oral sex was a thing, but what did it taste like? Tentatively, he stuck his fingers in his mouth and gave a lick. It tasted somewhat sweet, but mostly tasteless to him. Somehow he expected something foul, but this...

He looked down at Nao, she was watching him, her pupils blown wide.

"Lay down." He said, pulling her back onto the mattress again. She didn't argue, laying open to him as he stared. She looked heavenly, her skin hot to the touch as he grazed a palm over her belly, thinking. His dick was doing all his thinking at this point, and he knew he had to be the one to slow things down. Naomi was way too willing, it was great that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, but it was also the problem. He had said she would set the pace, but at this rate they were moving too fast. They were sixteen, and here his mind could only think about fucking his best friend. He wanted to be in her, how the fuck had he ever thought he was waiting for marriage before this? At the very least he should try and resist right? That was the right thing to do...

Right?

"Ichigo?" Naomi's voice brought him out of his thoughts, he grimaced and looked away. Naomi sat up, tucking her legs under her and reaching for his jaw. "What's wrong?"

He allowed her to turn his head, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. God this was supposed to be him making her feel good and he fucked that up too. Ichigo shifted, his dick was so sensitive that the movement of fabric stung. He hissed, eyes drifting back to her. Naomi's eyes went down to his erection, seeming to understand. She looked up at him, eyes eager.

"Let me take care of you." She said, leaning forward to kiss him, hand trailing from his jaw down the front of his torso. She pulled him free easily, Ichigo sighed in relief. Naomi smiled against his lips, then pulled back to spit on her hand. She paused, thinking. He hated when she got a new idea, and he hoped it wasn't anything like his own thoughts. It was one thing for him to think it, but if she were to suggest-

Thankfully she didn't, instead her fingers went to her pussy, and he nearly fainted when she brought her hand back to his cock. Naomi's fluids, all over his cock. Ichigo felt his balls tightened as he watched her tiny hand stroke him. He grunted, glad she remembered what he liked too as she twisted and squeezed perfectly.

"Do you like it?" She asked, eyes bright. Cheeky. He narrowed his eyes, then reached for her cunt. Two of his fingers slipped back in easily, shocking her. She clenched around him, making him grin, until she squeezed him just right and his hips jerked. She worked him faster, he responded in kind. He tried to angle his thumb to help him, finding satisfaction when her hand trembled on his cock bad enough for her to lose rhythm. She grunted, eyes on fire, looking like he'd challenged her to something. Was she trying to make him come before he did? He curled his fingers, she jolted and tugged him, her hand squeezing him almost painfully. He hissed.

"Sorry!" She cried, her pussy already going manic around him. Ichigo didn't slow down, feeling Nao trying to move her hips in time. Watching his fingers disappear in her again brought back the idea of his cock sinking into her and he saw stars. Naomi noticed, a wicked grin and a red blush spreading across her cheeks. Ichigo's brow furrowed, wondering what was going on in her pretty head.

"What- Oh! " Naomi bent over, closing her mouth over the head of his cock. She didn't know what to do exactly, having never done anything like this before, but her tongue took a long lick under the rim of his head, curious about what it would taste like. Ichigo choked, sounding like a wounded animal as his hips thrusted himself higher into her mouth. Naomi hummed, pulling herself off of him to glance up with a sly smirk.

"You like that?" She teased again, taking in the dishevelled appearance as Ichigo struggled not to jump on top of her. He huffed, only now realizing his fingers had stopped moving. He curled them again, smirking when her thighs shook.

"You're such a brat." His voice was low, almost a growl. She clenched around him again, making him smirk. With a huff, she tried put his cock back in her mouth. Ichigo hissed, fighting the desire to thrust into her throat. He needed to calm down, it was too easy, too fast. He winced when her teeth grazed him.

"Watch- no teeth- ngh! " So good, he was struggling not to move, focusing on his fingers. Naomi whimpered, bobbing her head on his shaft, not able to take much of him but she made up for the rest of his length with her hand. Ichigo urged her along, noticing the signs similar to the last time she came. Her whole body started to shake, she cried out around his cock as her pussy clenched around him, pulsing like last time. He found that sweet spot one more time and she snapped. Juices drenched his hand and wrist, her pussy fluttering around his fingers again.

It became too much. The smell of her in the air, the feeling of her cunt, her mouth on his cock, He meant to grab her hair to pull her off, but she tried to take more of him at the same time. Ichigo's hips jerked, thrusting into her throat and making her gag. It was too much, he couldn't hold it in.

" Ngh ! Nao, sorry- fuck! Fuck !"

He came. Hard. Ichigo collapsed, shooting his load into her mouth. Naomi hadn't been expecting it to hit the back of her throat. She gagged, pulling herself off him with some of his semen dribbling down her mouth. She coughed, trying to clean it up, surprised by the salty taste as she swallowed what she could. Ichigo watched her, coming down from his high.

"Sorry... Sorry..." He muttered, dazed. Naomi smirked, using the back of her hand to wipe her mouth. The image of his semen dribbling out the corner of her mouth was banked and committed to memory though. One of many of his Nao that he doubt he'd ever forget.


A while later, they came out of their daze. Ichigo cleaned them both off with a warm cloth, helping Naomi into some clothing before tucking himself in his boxers again so he could lay down. Naomi curled against him with Ichigo stroking his hand up and down her back. It felt so intimate, just laying there in each other's company. Ichigo sighed deeply, glancing down at Naomi. She looked tired, eyes closed as she laid her head on his chest.

'So much for calming down.' He thought to himself, mildly disappointed in his self-control. At least this time he didn't hurt her at all. The hickey on her shoulder, from their last time, was fading to blend in with the ones from this time. His head told him he needed to get home, but his mind was stuck on Naomi curled against him. His little rule breaker was going to drive him mad one day, he knew that.

'Five more minutes.' He justified, trailing his fingers along her back again. Naomi shivered, wrapping a leg across his torso. Too cute, he decided, reaching to yank a blanket over both of them. Five minutes and he'd go.

Naomi started to give cute little snores. He sighed, pulling her closer as he relaxed into the pillow.

'Five more minutes.'


This chapter is aggressively long omfg. But it had no good spot to split it! So now we know a bit more about Nao. I kinda realized part way in writing this Naomi literally doesn't even think about history much. She evades it like the plague. I relate lol.

Next chapter we're back on track with the plot! This isn't the last we've seen of Akito but it is for the time being. And I hope y'all like Chiyo, she's been interesting to write. I'm emotionally invested in getting to Ulquiorra, who we'll see soon enough. You might be thinking 'wow this is a lot of smut all of a sudden' and the honest answer is, yeah, it is. Because there's very little room for more in the second half of the story, so it might be mentioned in passing, but uh, we get maybe one more steamy scene for the novel if im completely honest. So enjoy that shit while the fighting's at a minimum!

Mesmerizing Mermaid: Isshin is literally the best dad. Like Nao is so lucky to have him around. Big guy has been trying to adopt her for years haha.

So yeah, um, I see a lot of people read this, over 1000 people this month have read the last few chapters, which is kinda sad that people don't review it. Makes me question if I'm doing something wrong but I digress.

Cheers.

Iland Girl