Bleach 1. Lessons in Love

**_Hello everyone and welcome._**

**_I have decided to start a new collection of one shots for my Bleach plotbunnies, very much like my Fairy Tail collection of one shots. _**

**_These one shots will be centered around Ichigo and Orihime, but I will add chapters around other of my favorite Bleach pairings as well, so please look forward to it._**

**_Thank you in advance for your support!_**

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><p><strong><em>1. Lessons in Love<em>**

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><p>The light in the former nursery turned on when she stepped inside the darkened room with her 4 year old son in her arms, getting ready to put the boy to bed for the night.<p>

"I'm not sleepy, mommy..."

Orihime smiled tiredly as she placed him down in his bed and pulled the covers over him lovingly. "Little boys need to sleep, so they can grow up to be big and strong."

Sora rolled onto his side and stared at her wearily. "Did Mamo-chan have to go to bed, too?"

She smirked amusedly at that and nodded. "Your big brother is already fast asleep. That's why he's bigger than you."

"Did daddy sleep a lot, too?" Sora murmured drowsily.

"Yes, that's why he's so strong, you know?" she whispered, brushing a kiss on his forehead lovingly.

"I want to be strong like daddy, too..." the orange haired boy whispered before falling asleep.

Orihime sighed and stood up, quietly turning around to leave her youngest son's room. She'd barely closed the door behind her when her other son walked up to her, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Mom, dad is on his way back. He's hurt."

She took a moment to look up her husband's Spiritual signature, coming to the same conclusion. "It's nothing to worry about, love. Go back to bed," she replied very softly, moving away from Sora's door. "You have school in the morning." She walked up to him and turned him around. "Plus, your little brother has finally fallen asleep, so keep quiet."

Mamoru nodded and followed her down the hall back to his room, halting in the doorway to look back at her hesitantly. "Mom, you and dad are okay, right?"

Orihime smiled at her eldest son and dismissed his worries with the shake of her head. "What makes you think that we are not, Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru bit his lower lip and averted his gaze. "You fight almost every night lately, mom... And you rarely smile when he's here anymore."

She hid her startled expression behind another smile and approached him, kneeling in front of him. Her hands went over his messy mop of brown hair lovingly as she observed him for a moment. At 8 years old, Mamoru was amazingly perceptive, with no small thanks of course to his newly awakened Spiritual awareness. "Your father and I still love each other very much," she whispered, looking at him pleadingly "I'm sorry our talking late at night has you worried, but there will be times when your dad and I will argue, it's something people who love each other do sometimes. It certainly doesn't mean that we don't like each other anymore."

The young boy thought about it for a moment. "Like when you got really mad at me when I hurt Sora?"

Orihime nodded. "I got mad, but it didn't make me love you less. Nothing you or your dad do will ever make me love you less."

Mamoru returned her smile and moved in to hug her tightly, visibly relieved with her answer. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Mamo-chan," she replied, hugging him back and kissing him on his temple. "Off to bed now."

"Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, love," she whispered, letting him go. She waited for him to be in his bed before throwing him a kiss, turning off the light in his room and closing his door gently. She made her way down the hall and down the stairs leading to the ground floor and the incoming hall. Her senses picked up Ichigo's approach and she headed to the back of their house, past the dining room and into their sun room, where she chose to wait for him.

She saw him land in their garden a moment later, a deep gash in his left shoulder. Orihime opened the glass door leading to their porch and let him in silently. He sat down on the cane couch nearby with a sigh and she followed suit, lifting her hands to start healing him.

"Mamoru felt you getting hurt. It woke him," she softly spoke. "He knew about it before I did."

"Really?" Ichigo said regretfully. "I was distracted for just a second..."

"He's fine..." she whispered back reassuringly. "He understands what you have to do."

Ichigo sighed tiredly and looked at his wife. "He grew up so fast."

Orihime only glanced at him furtively, refusing to meet his eyes. "He did. Sora will be coming into his powers soon, too."

"Maybe he will take after you this time," he said with an excited grin.

"Mamoru could still take after me, who knows?" she reasoned, lowering her hands now that she had finished healing him.

Ichigo flexed his left arm and moved his shoulder tentatively. "Thank you," he said after she'd gotten ready to leave. It was obvious that she was still upset about their recent fight. "Hime?"

She turned around patiently, but didn't say a word.

"About last night," he began, standing up. "I'm sorry. I realized that I hadn't apologized for the things I said."

Her eyes rolled away from his and she closed them, shrugging. "We both said things we shouldn't have."

He walked up to her, her quiet indifference rendering him desperate. "We need to get out of this, Hime."

Orihime looked at him again and sighed softly. "I don't know what else to add to the topic. I can't see us having another child with you never being here... Your youngest son barely knows you, Ichigo."

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed, turning away from her. They'd had this argument many times before. "What would you have me do? Cut down on my hours at the office? Find a job you have no objections with?"

"Do not bring Ikumi-san up again!" She interjected exasperatedly with a roll of her eyes. "And this is not about me!"

"I didn't ask to be made partner!" he told her, perhaps a bit too loudly. " But I would've thought that it would make you happy! The firm has expanded and I only accepted so you and the kids wouldn't have to worry about anything!"

Orihime only shook her head in an irritated manner, huffing in disbelieve. "If you're never around, what's the point?" she quietly said, wrapping her arms on her chest with another shrug and getting ready to walk on.

He walked up to her quickly and grabbed her by an arm, turning her around. "Don't go turn this into something that it isn't, Hime," he said in a low tone, staring into her angered eyes.

She pulled her arm out of his hold and stepped into his personal space tauntingly. "Really? Pray tell then, what is this truly about? Is money the only reason why you spend so little time with your family? Because it's not the Soul Society, they haven't been in contact for months."

"For the love of-"

"You're the one who brought it up, so explain!" she yelled, pushing him away from her. "What is this about? You seem to think that you know what I'm thinking, so tell me!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes with a loud grunt. "Do you hear yourself, woman?!" he hollered. "There is no way that she's interested in me that way!"

"I never said that she was," she retorted cooly, eyes hard. "But you seem to think that there's a chance that she is. I know you."

He closed his eyes and sighed out deeply, realizing that he might have made things worse for himself. And he couldn't deny that he had sensed some form of attentiveness coming from his longtime employer, which he'd always brushed off as mere professional interest. But if Orihime's insticts told him what he'd suspected for a while, then it was probably true. His wife's instincts and intuition were some of the few things he never took lightly. "There's nothing between her and me," he told her gently, looking her in the eyes, wanting for her to see the truth there. "Only work. I have no interest in her whatsoever, Hime. You know that. You're the mother of my beautiful children, there's no way I would ever find what you give me with another woman. The thought doesn't even come up in my mind to go look elsewhere. It's you that I love, who I vowed to share the rest of my life with and with whom I share half of my soul with."

"Then what is keeping you from coming home before your children go to bed? Your Shinigami duties?" she asked, sighing and wrapping her arms around herself, hugging herself tightly. "You have a family of your own now, Ichigo. You're a father and a husband. Your sons deserve to be put first in your list of priorities! If that woman is keeping you from coming home at a decent hour every night, then you should tell her that." She watched him fidget uneasily and scratch the back of his hair, knowing that he was giving in, albeit reluctantly. "Uryuu and Sado would gladly take over from you if you would only let them. They understand the situation you're in."

"So you want me to stop exorcising Hollows now, is that it?" he asked her softly, taking a step closer to her. "I had no way of avoiding a confrontation tonight, Hime."

"I gathered that when Kon arrived before you did," Orihime calmly spoke, nodding in the direction of their bedroom. She then lifted weary eyes up to him and shook her head pleadingly. "Your sons are 8 and 4 years old. I'm not asking you stop being who you are, I'm just asking you to think about them. Think about the impact your constant absence will have on their lives. Especially if they have no one to relate to concerning their Shinigami powers. They need you."

He continued to stare at her while her words echoed in his head, the despair in her eyes hard for him to bear. Over the years, they both have had to switch their priorities in life, something that happens naturally when you become parents. As the needs of their little family began to grow, so did their responsibilities towards their children of course and the people around them. It was a hectic life, but not one without fulfilment and joy, or at least that's what he'd thought until recently. When did the distance between him and his family grow so wide? "And what about you? Do you still need me?"

She averted her eyes and stepped away from him, choosing not to see the hurt on his face. "This isn't about me," she stated again.

"Of course it is," he whispered back, closing the small distance between them again. "You've been effacing yourself from this situation, making it seem like the kids are the only ones having a problem with the way I spend my time away from home."

Orihime locked her arms over her chest and turned to her side, resting her shoulder against the archway separating their dining room from the sunroom. She never said a word.

"We haven't been intimate in two weeks," Ichigo remarked quietly, looking at her unresponsive frame sadly. "I miss you. I miss making love to you. Tell me what it is you need, Hime. For once in your life, ask something of me for yourself."

A tear found its way down her face and she wiped it away in an annoyed manner, biting her lower lip to fight against the rest of them threatening to spill over. For the past few weeks, there had been something eating at her, an issue she did not know how to address him about. Because of their constant bickering whenever they had some time alone, she'd never really wanted to bring it up out of fear of making things worse. It was clear now however that they had come to a point where things couldn't get much worse. But was it the time to tell him about it, though? "I..." she began but stopped, shaking her head. "There's nothing..."

Those last words hurt him, not because she said them, but because he realised that he not only had made himself less available for his children, but for his own wife as well, more than he had thought. "Please talk to me... I want to know what I can do to remedy this..."

She rested her eyes on him now and she figured that he misinterpreted her words. The anguish in his expression and words however did not leave her unaffected. "It's not that I can't talk to you about it... I just wish in a way... That I didn't feel like this," she tried to explain, desperately trying to find the right words, her tears now flowing. "When I found out that I was pregnant with Mamoru, it was the happiest day of my life. I always wanted to give you a child, a family. I always wanted to be a mom and that dream came true and everything was amazing and I was so happy."

Ichigo frowned, trying to understand. "What changed...?" he whispered gently, moving to stand in front of her, searching for her eyes.

Orihime looked at him now, lips trembling. "I did," she said apologetically, sobbing quietly when she saw his eyes grow pained. "It's so stupid..." she sniffled, wiping away more tears. "I love being a mom," she whispered, reaching for his face with both her hands, wanting to reassure him, even if her words hurt. "I love being your wife," she confessed with a watery smile as he smirked briefly. "And somehow, I thought that that would be enough... But it isn't... And I hate that it isn't!"

Understanding dawned on Ichigo and he cracked a relieved smile, taking her in a strong embrace. "Orihime. There's nothing wrong with wanting more than being a housewife. I'm happy that you want more."

"I want to pursue my Master degree in Psychology and help people that way... Maybe open a practice after a while," she whispered over his shoulder, hugging him back. "I thought that wanting time away from my children would be frowned upon and with you being gone all the time it made me envy and resent you at the same time."

He smiled warmly in her hair and kissed her temple, retreating from the embrace to look at her. "What is this? The 1950's? Or feudal Japan? I never stopped you from getting a job, did I?"

Orihime blushed in embarrassment and chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I know, but I've always been of the belief that a mother needs to take care of her children and her husband. Your mom was a stay at home mother, so I thought that that was what you were ok with."

"You're not my mother," he simply stated, brushing her tears from her face with his thumbs. "It's your life, do what you want with it. I'll support you to the best of my abilities as your devoted husband. We can hammer out the details of how to make you going back to school work with the kids."

She smiled happily at him, staring at him in wonder. "Are you sure?"

"I'll cut down on my work and delegate my Shinigami duties to Ishida and Sado," he stated with a nod. "If it'll make the mother of my children happy, then I will do whatever it takes. Now that I understand your feelings, there's nothing I won't do."

She kissed him passionately, laughing blissfully when he returned the kiss with fervor. "What about that little girl you've been asking me for?"

"I'll ask you again in two years, after you're done with your Master," he shrugged. "We'll need time to adjust to our new work schedules anyway."

"That was easy," Orihime remarked, surprised.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I need to figure out how to be a good and present dad to the boys first. I can't push the raising of Masaki solely onto your shoulders too."

She grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "Masaki, huh...?"

He shrugged again and smirked. "Just thought I'd throw it out there."

Orihime laughed and kissed him once more. "I like it."

"Alright then," he murmured, staring at her lips. "Now, Mrs Kurosaki, I feel like we have some more making up to do. Like upstairs, in our bed."

She giggled behind a hand and shook her head amusedly when he planted his lips in the side of her throat and took suckle there. "Not beating around the bush, are we?"

"What bush?" he murmured impatiently, one hand already cupping one of her breasts wantonly through her chiffon shirt. "You're so beautiful..." he whispered, pulling the bow of her dress shirt loose teasingly before moving in to pull it out of her pencil skirt and kissing her again, unbuttoning her shirt and letting it fall down her arms.

She embraced his broad shoulders and kissed him back, caressing her tongue over his sultrily as his hands slid up underneath her skirt and up her thighs. "I love you," she murmured against his lips, arching her back against the wall when his strong hands ripped her flimsy underwear apart.

He watched her eyes roll into the back of her head when he pressed two fingers against her and gently massaged her swollen bud, groaning lustfully in the side of her neck as he slid them inside her moist warmth. "Hime," he murmured breathlessly, moving his fingers inside of her faster in time with her hushed moans and gasps.

"The kids will hear us," she whispered, wincing at a dangerously pleasurable stroke. Her hands shot out to rest on his arms and she whimpered, moaning her pleasure. "Ichigo...!".

He ignored her protest and instead removed his fingers for a taste of her, smirking at the blush of arousal that had spread over her lovely features, turning her into the sultry goddess he knew she could be. Her heaving chest was barely contained in her satin and lace balconette bra, her erected nipples threatening to spill over the cupline of the garment. "You're the hottest woman in town, you know that, right?" he throatily murmured, mouth suckling on the cup border of her left breast while his hands pulled down the straps of the bra. "I'm so lucky you're mine..."

She moaned in approval, arching her back to give him more access, wanting for him to ravage her more. He wasn't the only one who'd missed their intimacy. His lovemaking drove her mad with need, his touch the only one that turned her on this much. A content sigh escaped her swollen lips when his finally found her nipple and he took suckle, alternating between hard and soft tongue strokes. She reached for the back of her bra and took it off, pressing his face against her breast quickly after. "That's it..." she murmured, locking eyes with him as he continued to work his mouth and teeth on her nipple, making another shot of arousal pool in between her legs.

Ichigo moaned at the sound of her soft cry of pleasure, switching his attention to her other breast while he worked on the back of her skirt, pulling down its zipper. When it hit the floor he moved up her body to capture her lips a last time in a searing kiss before stepping away from her and watching her perfect, naked body step out of the pool of her clothes now gathered on the floor. She was still breathing heavily as she looked at him from the other side of the archway, taking off Zangetsu from his back and pulling his hakama loose. He approached her again, stepping out of the pants and taking her into his arms for another breath stealing kiss while she pulled his obi loose and pulled down the white leggings he wore underneath his gi. She let her hands run up his now naked chest, marveling at the sight of those toned muscles of his that made her mouth water.

Orihime gave in to her urge and planted her lips on the upper half of his chest, kissing her way down to a nipple and taking suckle before moving to the other, moaning in time with his wordless grunts of approval. She locked eyes with him wantonly before she continued her trip down his torso, lowering herself on her knees eagerly.

"You're so sexy, Hime..." he murmured breathlessly, mouth hanging slightly open as he stared at her lifting her breasts to rub against his raging erection, looking at him with a mixture of innocent wonder and lewd sexual desire. And then he almost lost it right then and there when she licked the tip of his head with a low moan, her small tongue flickering against his overheated skin with her milky white breasts holding his erection up in the background. "You're driving me insane..." he whispered, chuckling when she giggled.

"Can't wait to have you inside of me," she whispered encouragingly, eyes on his weeping hard-on before she took him into her mouth without warning, taking him as deep as she could, humming to herself as she did.

Both his palms hit the wall above them and he threw his head in his shoulders as he bit back a yell of how good her mouth felt around him, loving the contrast between her wet tongue and the soft, warm sensation of her breasts against his scrotum. And of course there were the sounds she was making that didn't help with his restraint.

Orihime pulled back and let him slip from her mouth when she felt him tense up, chuckling to herself. She knew her passionate husband well; he never lasted whenever she chose to pleasure him this way. She laughed when he grabbed her by her elbows and helped her on her feet effortlessly, sighing into the kiss that followed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in anticipation of what she knew was next.

He smirked against her lips and took hold of the back of her upper thighs, lifting them up to go around his waist, inside the folds of the gi he was still wearing.

"Take me."

And he did, swiftly and hard, groaning in time with her surprised gasp, his fingers now digging into the flesh of her bare ass. "This was too long overdue..."

She arched her back in response, her body slightly quivering in his hold, a loving smile on her lips. "It's all yours..." she moaned breathlessly as he began to move.

"Hime..." he murmured in between her breasts, nuzzling her soft skin lazily while his hips worked in fast, whipping thrusts, his need for her only growing the more she softly cried his name and whispered encouraging words in his ear.

This was where they belonged, together, in love and devoted only to one and other. It'd been ten years and still nothing felt quite as right as when they made love, renewing their promises each time. The smallest of touches, the briefest of glances was enough to make their passions for each other run high, setting their desire aflame.

With each push of his manhood inside of her, her body was singing, lost in his unrelenting rhythm and cherishing every moment of it. Her trembling thighs pulled him closer, needing him deeper inside, to fill her up completely, to promise again and again that she was his, that there would never come an end to this ecstatic feeling of joy and bliss and that every caress of his calloused fingers were meant for her and her only. This was the purest way in which he showed her his love and need for her and she welcomed it open-hearted, greedily taking however much he could give her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted that the sounds they were making were borderline animalistic and that they needed to keep it down, but she couldn't. He made her feel all woman, from head to toe; she felt as desirable as she felt powerful and protected at the same time. His worship of her body made every fiber of her cry out for him.

The soft smacking of flesh against flesh echoed through the small archway as their cries of passion subsided and they worked hard to reach that coveted peak, wishing to climax close together.

Her flushed face was contorted in concentration with her mouth hanging open in a soundless gasp, her long brown hair sticking to her damp skin sexily. He wanted to keep looking at her, having found that watching her come undone turned him on to no end. He had to bit back a groan however when he felt her contract around him, indicating that she was precariously close. It wouldn't take much for him to join her and so he stopped trying to hold back and kissed her deeply, drinking in her mewling moans and savoring her throaty, wordless whimpers when rapture took her, letting her guide him through the maelstrom of their joint orgasmic experience.

"I love you," he murmured against her forehead afterwards, sitting on the bottom step of the archway with her sitting in his lap, clad in nothing but his black gi. He grinned at her drowsy response, caressing a kiss against her skin.

"Let's spend the day together tomorrow," Orihime whispered against his chest, smoothing the fabric of the white undergarment Ichigo was still wearing with a hand. The rest of their discarded clothing lay in a pile in her lap. "I promised Mamo-chan and Sora-chan that we'd go to the park. Join us."

Ichigo smiled at the thought of taking the day off with his family and nodded. "How about we go to that new amusement park by the beach? There's two of us, so you won't be overwhelmed."

Orihime lifted a skeptic eyebrow at that. "You think that you coming along will keep them from being overwhelming?"

He frowned amusedly and shrugged questioningly. "Yeah...?"

"Mamoru I can handle, he's the responsible and protective kind, just like you. Sora is the crazy one."

Ichigo laughed and tightened his hold on her. "Just like you?"

"He's a handful!" she concluded with an aggravated sigh, making him laugh harder. "When I picked him up from school this afternoon, he'd managed to glue his right hand to his hair. Again!"

"Wait, didn't he do it earlier this week too?" he chuckled, beginning to stand.

"He did it three times this week! His teacher is running out of places to hide the stuff..." she said, mentally sweatdropping. "Honestly... What made him not get it the first time? He almost has no hair left for me to cut the glue out from..."

Ichigo smirked softly, now rounding their dinner table and entering their welcoming hall to take the stairs to the first floor. "Sounds like it's been a long week."

"The longest..." she yawned, snuggling closer in his arms. "But tomorrow should make up for all of that crap..."

"It will," he replied, stepping onto the last step and turning into their hallway on his right. "I'll be there with you."

She smiled and nodded sleepily, already beginning to doze off.

He watched her fall asleep in front of the opened doorway to their room for a few moments before he pressed another loving kiss on her forehead and walked inside, shutting the door behind him.

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><p><em><strong>On to the next one... <strong>_

_**-BDP-**_


	2. The Sakuras of Winter

_2. The Sakuras of Winter_

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><p>Her emerald cut diamond engagement ring glistened in the lights of the kitchen, the small finger it was resting on tapping nervously against her lower lip.<p>

"Well, I would think that it makes sense. I can understand where Byakuya is coming from," Orihime said, turning away from the stove after checking on the roast she had cooking in its oven. She placed the meatfork on a wooden board on the kitchen island in front of her and shrugged, giving her friend an encouraging smile. "He and your sister didn't get the chance to have children." She took off her oven mitts and put them on the counter behind her. "As it stands, you getting married is a chance for the Kuchiki clan to have more heirs. Byakuya won't marry again any time soon, he's still in love with your sister. So it's up to you and Renji to continue the Kuchiki line."

Rukia cocked her head to the side with an indecisive pout on her features. "I know... Apparently I just never really thought about all of the implications Renji and I wanting to get married would bring."

Orihime rounded the kitchen island and took a seat on the stool next to her friend's and took her left hand in both hers, staring at the gorgeous ring with another smile. "What does Renji say?"

"He did not expect to be offered a place next to mine in the Kuchiki clan. He doesn't really know what to do either..." Rukia said and then sighed, closing her eyes. "The Yuinou* was yesterday and although we haven't given my brother an answer yet, we need to decide before the wedding."

"That would be best," Orihime said with a chuckle, receiving a grin back. "But what do you want?" she whispered softly, letting go of her hand and reaching for her glass of white wine on the right.

Rukia crossed her legs on the stool and readjusted the skirt of her dark blue cocktail dress absent-mindedly, her high-heeled right foot bouncing up and down restlessly. "What I want is to be with Renji, but I want to make my brother happy as well," she answered with a desolate shrug before burying her face in her hands. "This is impossible..."

Orihime sighed in comprehension and moved Rukia's glass of red wine pointedly closer to her. "Drink."

Rukia did as told and grabbed her glass, taking a sip. "Did you have the same problem when you married into the Kurosaki family?"

Orihime had to think about it since it'd been 5 years since she and Ichigo had married, and almost 7 since the proposal. "I don't remember dealing with the exact same problem," she began with a small grin. "But I did get my aunt to meet Ichigo's family."

"How did that go...?"

"We didn't have the elaborate Yuinou like you and Renji had yesterday; we had a simple family dinner with her at the Kurosaki house."

"Betrothal traditions sure have changed..." Rukia remarked. "I almost felt like I was getting sold to Renji."

Orihime chuckled and gave her a semi nod after having sipped from her wine. "Believe me, I would've prefered feeling like that than the way I felt when dinner was over."

"What happened?"

"Well, she basically told Ichigo's father that I was his problem now and that she was relieved that she wasn't obligated to send me money anymore, that she could finally put her hard earned cash to better use," she said, staring into her glass as she remembered her painful embarrassment of that night. "I don't think I ever saw Ichigo's father angrier than on that day. Ichigo too."

Rukia could only stare at her in disbelief for a few moments. "Wow..."

"Yeah," Orihime whispered, scratching the back of her head with a shrug as she put her glass back on the kitchen island. "Apparently my dad, her brother, had put her in his will as my caretaker should he die and if I had no other living family members. She was promptly dis-invited from the wedding by Ichigo and I was practically adopted by Isshin that same night." She laughed happily at the memory and her eyes fell on her own engagement ring. "Ichigo had already bought me a ring other than this one, you know?"

Rukia looked down at the ring as well and grabbed Orihime's hand. "I've always admired it, it's an unusual cut, isn't it?"

"It's called a 'princess cut' lotus ring," Orihime explained. "It's the ring Isshin gave Masaki."

"Really?" Rukia said in a whisper. "It's so beautiful..." she said, staring at the white gold ring with the princess cut diamond set on a bed of diamond encrusted 'petals' designed into the shape of the flower. "And fitting for you."

Orihime's eyes softened and she brought her left hand to her heart before covering it with her other lovingly. "Isshin gave it to Ichigo to give to me." She closed her eyes and smiled, unknowingly shedding tears. "Ichigo had already explained the meaning of the ring to me after he proposed, but I only got the true symbolism of it after Isshin told me the story behind it.

He told me that Masaki grew up in an environment she did not choose, one where she felt like she did not belong, but much like the lotus flower that grows in muddy soil, she managed to flower into a beautiful, kindhearted and loving woman, surpassing all the difficulties of the situation she was in. He said that a ring like this belonged to a woman who never stops fighting for her freedom and for the ones she loves."

Rukia sighed at the romantic representation behind the ring and smiled at her friend, reaching out for the kitchen paper roll to wipe away her tears. "He couldn't have been more right."

Orihime opened her eyes and chuckled in embarrassment, shaking her head and taking the paper tissue Rukia was holding to dry her face. "Ichigo had the plain band customized with these diamonds falling down its sides."

"So gorgeous," Rukia replied with a sigh. "And what happened to the other ring Ichigo bought you?"

"He returned it and put the money towards our first apartment," Orihime said with a smirk. "It was for the best anyway; I was in my last year of college and he was the only one of us working full-time, so we could've used every bit of money back then."

Rukia grinned back and then lifted her own left hand to stare at her diamond encrusted, split band engagement ring. "Renji told me that the split band symbolises the time we spent together in Rukongai and then apart in the Sereitei. The bands joining with the diamond symbolises where we are now and where we're headed."

"That's unbelievably thoughtful and beautiful,"Orihime said, uncrossing her in black faux-leather skinny pants clad legs and slid down the stool. She then grinned cheekily. "Our men may not look it, but they do take the time to think things like these through. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Byakuya helped Renji with the choice of the ring."

Rukia laughed and nodded, turning herself around in her seat when Orihime went back to the stove to check on the food that was now almost done. "I'm sure he had to run his choices by him at one point or another..." she then quieted, a thought suddenly coming to her. "I've read that it is sometimes custom in the real world for women to keep their maiden names when they marry."

Orihime suddenly emerged from below the kitchen island's surface on the other side with a huge rectangular ovenpan on which the deliciously glazed porc roast was still slightly cooking and blew the hair that had fallen over her face out of the way. "Yeah," she said breathlessly, placing the pan on the stone surface of the island and taking off the oven mitts again. "Why?"

"Because," Rukia began, getting off her stool as well now and walking to the cupboards on Orihime's right. "I could keep the Kuchiki name and Renji could keep his, but still be a part of the clan without joining it completely."

Orihime thought about it for a moment as she grabbed the ceramic dish Rukia handed her to start scooping up the potatoes from the roast pan. "So like, would you hyphen it for you children?"

The smaller woman now placed the frying pan containing the broccoli next to the pan on the kitchen island and looked at her friend. "Yeah. What do you think?"

"I'm completely okay with that," Orihime answered. "So you would be the bridge between your brother's house and your husband's, right?"

"Ugh, but that will bring problems when we have children..." the black haired Shinigami whispered in realization. "Of which house would they be the heirs?"

"Both?" Orihime whispered with a thoughtful shrug before moving in to hug her. "But I honestly think that things will solve themselves one way or another. Byakuya may be rigid in his ways at times, but he is also open to change when he's convinced into it. He loves you more than anything, Rukia. Probably even more than the name of his House."

Rukia blushed as she let her go and hid her smile close to her chest bashfully, scooping up the broccoli to place them in another, matching ceramic plate. "Yeah, but the real problem are the family elders and councelors."

Orihime walked to the fridge and took out four ceramic bowls containing the cucumber crème soup they made earlier . "So?" she said with a smile. "He's defied them before; what makes you think that he won't do so again to protect 'his pride'?"

Rukia stood silent after hearing Orihime's heartwarming words and sighed again. "Renji wants to make his own way in the world. Succeed by his own strength and will. I know that getting the Kuchiki name is not something he wants; it's not in his nature."

"Then tell your brother that," Orihime urged gently, pushing in the buttons to start heating up the cups of soup in the microwave two at a time. "He'll listen, I'm certain. And as Renji's Captain, he may already suspect it."

Nodding agreeingly, Rukia turned to the stove again and picked up the next pot with vegetables. "You're right. Thanks, Orihime," she whispered, smiling at her.

"Come on, let's cover all of this food up and serve the soup," Orihime smiled back, reaching for a drawer and taking out the plastic foil. "I'm sure that they've finished dressing the table and that they're hungry by now."

"I'm surprised they haven't come to complain yet," Rukia remarked with a grin, setting to work.

"That won't last," Orihime said with a chuckle, walking back to the microwave when its alarm went off to put in the two other deep dishes.

And sure enough, the moment the microwave timer went off they both saw Ichigo walk into the kitchen with Renji in tow. "We're starving out here! Feed us!"

Rukia laughed and Orihime shook her head amusedly. "I know, come help me with the soup. Renji, grab the loaf of bread in that cupboard, will you? Rukia when you're done with the asparagus, please check the drawer next to you and take out the wooden bread board you find in it," she commanded, taking a moment to check if she would find it. "Yes, that one. Could you pick up the bread knife from the knifeholder also? It's a large serrated one."

Ichigo then pressed a kiss against the side of her head lovingly and followed her to the other end of the kitchen to grab a tray on which to put the damping soup bowls she'd already placed on the counter. "It all smells amazing," he told her, earning a kiss on his cheek.

"Did you check with Tatsuki?" she whispered, pressing in the buttons on the microwave to quickly heat up the remaining bowls of soup. She then picked up one of the warm bowls and placed it on the tray he was holding up.

"Yeah, Mamoru is fine," Ichigo replied, watching her put the other dish in his care. "And I asked Sado to stay with her, so if anything were to happen..."

"You read my mind," Orihime said in relief, walking over to the fridge again to retrieve a small plate with butter. She placed it on the tray when the timer for the microwave went off again. "Can you pick up the rest of the soup? Then take those to the table, I'll be right there. I need to keep the rest of the food warm first."

He nodded and did as told, walking out of the kitchen and into the dining room a while later where Rukia and Renji were preparing the bread. He placed the tray with the soup on a nearby dresser and proceeded with putting the bowls on the designated dishes on the artfully decorated table.

"Oh, by the way, Ichigo," Rukia began, carefully taking the bowl Ichigo handed her to place down on a dish near her on the other side of the table. "I've had a chance to talk to Captain Ukitake about your audience request with the Head Commander."

"You have?" Ichigo replied, handing her the last bowl. "When will Kyouraku-san be able to see me?"

"The day after tomorrow," she replied, putting the soup down. "Whenever you can make it, he's willing to make time for you."

"That's kind of him," he reasoned, picking up the tray again after he'd put the butter in the middle of the four damping bowls. "Thanks, Rukia."

"It's the least he can do, after you saved our asses again for the umpteenth time," Renji remarked, rounding the rectangular table to take a seat next to Rukia. "What do you need to see him for anyway?"

"I need to talk to him about reducing my Shinigami duties temporarily," Ichigo answered, turning his head in the direction of the sound of Orihime's high-heeled feet tapping on the tiled kitchen floor. He sat himself down on the dresser side of the table, so he faced Renji, leaving the chair closer to the kitchen free for his wife. "I have other, if not more important, duties now next to being a Substitute Shinigami."

They all watched Orihime enter the dining room, the apron she'd been wearing put away, showing off her cute, see-through white blouse and the matching sleeveless top she wore underneath. In her hands she held hers and Rukia's filled up wineglasses. She handed Rukia's glass to her and sat down at the table with a small sigh, gingerly running her fingers through her low side pony tail. "What are we talking about?"

"Ichigo's been granted an audience with the Head Commander this Sunday," Rukia answered, sitting down across from her.

"Great, we've been waiting for an answer," Orihime said, smiling before gesturing for all of them to please start eating.

Renji reached for a slice of bread and nodded reassuringly, "I'm sure he won't see any objections to your request. You have a kid now, it's only normal."

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it," Rukia added confidently, accepting the slice of bread her fiancé was holding up for her.

"It's just with Mamoru still being so small, we don't want to leave anything to chance," Ichigo explained.

"Or keep dumping him on our friends whenever an emergency comes up," Orihime added, looking at her husband who smirked back. "And I just feel safer knowing that Ichigo is here, even with all the barriers Hachi put up around the house."

"Totally understandable," Renji said, nodding. "I for one think you're in your rights to ask for some time off." He took a spoonful of soup and drank it, expressing his pleasure with a surprised grunt.

"This cucumber soup is delicious, Orihime," Rukia translated, making the other couple chuckle.

"Thank you, it took many a try to get it right..." she replied, smiling when she felt Ichigo's encouraging hand on her knee under the table. "So, to return to the previous topic, when can we expect to see smaller versions of you two?"

Ichigo grinned and reached for his beer to take a sip. "Yeah, now that you're all geared up for marriage, do you have an idea of if and when you want any?"

Biting off a soaked piece of bread and munching on it for a moment, Renji nodded. "I would like to get started as soon as we can."

Rukia sat back with her glass of wine and laughed to herself. "Oh, I'm sure you do," she chuckled, taking a sip.

They all laughed and she continued. "Kids are definitely something we both want, but as he said it'll have to wait until we actually can."

"But won't motherhood interfere with your lieutenant duties?" Orihime questioned, sipping from her spoon.

"Not only that, but I sort of get the idea that Byakuya will have a hard time letting you return to the corps if you were to get pregnant," Ichigo said, bringing a spoonful of soup to his mouth. "I mean no offense, Rukia."

Rukia and Renji looked at each other and smiled before she took the word again. "If and when I become pregnant, I will take a step back. At least until our child or children are grown enough for me to return."

"Yeah, it's an arrangement we already discussed with both Captain Kuchiki and Captain Ukitake," Renji added, having seen the surprised expressions of their friends.

"Oh, I have an idea!" Orihime exclaimed giddily, clapping her hands. "If and when you have your baby, please let he or she come over to play with Mamoru sometime when he or she is big enough! I could really use more mommy friends!"

Both Ichigo and Renji chuckled.

Rukia nodded. "If we can make it possible, you bet!"

"Yay!" Orihime whispered happily, taking a spoonful of soup.

"So, now that we've talked about that," Renji said with a grin, putting aside his empty bowl and reaching for another slice of bread and the butter. "There's something Rukia and I would like to ask you guys," he finished spreading the butter on his slice and placed it down on his plate. He looked to his right at her and smiled when she nodded encouragingly.

"At our Yuinou yesterday, it was decided that our wedding would take place two months from now, on the last Saturday of January," Renji started, smirking at Orihime's excited gasp. "Yeah, but that's not what we want to talk about right now. Well, it's related to it of course, but-"

"What my soon to be husband is trying to ask," Rukia interrupted amusedly, "is if you two would like to come to the ceremony as Renji's side of the family?"

Renji was blushing in embarrassment by then. "Yeah, I mean yesterday it was fine it being just the three of us, but I would feel really weird if it were just me at the wedd-"

"We'd love to," Orihime said gently, smiling softly as she slid her right hand into Ichigo's left on the table. "And we're honored that you would ask us."

Ichigo nodded once at his friend and sent Rukia a friendly wink. "But I have to wonder, why not ask your friends on the other side? I'm sure some of your lieutenant pals wouldn't mind-"

"Because the both of you are the most civilised out of my group of friends by far," Renji answered without missing a heartbeat, making Orihime laugh behind a hand.

"Can't argue with that logic," Ichigo agreed with a deadpanned expression.

"So, I just want to check with you guys if you know what happens at a traditional Japanese wedding?" Rukia then asked, taking half of the buttered bread Renji was offering her.

Orihime smiled, endeared at seeing the repeated gesture between them. "I know a little bit from watching drama's on tv, but I'm sure they're nothing alike?" she said questioningly, looking up at Ichigo in wonder.

"Please tell us what to expect," he asked with a small chuckle. "Because I think I remember that the ceremony is supposed to be for the closest family members only, right?"

Rukia nodded. "Only the bridal procession is allowed in the shrine's ceremony room. So the two of you, the Kuchiki clan, the shrine maidens and the Shinto priest get access. Unlike your Western-style wedding, a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony is much more involving and intimate for all of those attending it."

"What about the rest of the guests?" Orihime asked, tapping her husband on his shoulder for a piece of bread.

"They'll be waiting in the reception room of the Kuchiki mansion," Renji explained. "They won't get to see us until Rukia and I are married. We'll have a rehearsal in a few weeks and you will get the details then."

"Okay," she nodded, tearing her piece of bread in two and dipping it into her soup. "It indeed sounds much more different from our wedding."

"We didn't even celebrate ours here, remember?" Ichigo said, shaking his head amusedly. "We got to go to England**." He then stilled when he suddenly recalled an unpleasant detail. "Wait, Yumichika isn't planning yours too, is he?"

"Fuck no," Renji answered bluntly with a scowl and a shake of his head before drinking from his beer.

"We had so much fun though," Rukia chuckled, remembering. "I wish I could throw a bachelorette party like yours, Orihime!"

Orihime took a sip from her wine and laughed. "I don't think Byakuya would like having drunk, naked women traipsing around his home in the middle of the night."

Renji cleared his throat and tried to hide his blush behind a hand inconspicuously. "Yeah, you've never really told us what happened that night."

"And we never will," Orihime said in a sing-song voice, grinning behind her glass at Rukia.

Rukia lifted her glass and ticked it against Orihime's. "It's a secret we'll take to our graves."

"Yeah, give it up already you perv!" Ichigo commented with a smug smile. "You're getting married, you shouldn't be saying stuff like that!"

"What are you smirking smugly for, Pervy McPerv? You think I didn't see your eyes light up when I asked her about it?!" Renji retorted, grinning venomously at his friend.

"Oh, he has asked me about my bridal shower many times," Orihime said en passant, calmly lifting her almost empty bowl of soup to sip it.

"Hime!" Ichigo protested, making Rukia laugh and Renji exclaim triumphantly.

"Hey, Rukia, we could go do a ladies night out before or after the wedding, here in the Real World," Orihime suggested, ignoring her husband's annoyed expression comically and putting her empty bowl aside. "It might get tricky getting in contact with Nel, though."

"I'm sure Urahara has way of getting a hold of her," Ichigo said reassuringly, putting his empty cup in hers. "It'd be fun seeing her again."

"That's a fantastic idea!" Rukia nodded, finishing her soup. "Let's start organizing it as soon as we can!"

"I feel like I haven't seen any of the ladies anymore since I've become a mom," Orihime said softly, smiling excitedly as she reached out for Rukia's hand, grinning when she grabbed hers and squeezed it. "This is going to be so much fun! And we can go Kimono shopping for the wedding with all the girls!" she added, beginning to pick up the three empty bowls from the table.

Rukia grabbed her bowl and stood in time with her friend. "We could have a fitting at the Kuchiki Manor with the tailor, so everyone can pick their colours and motifs."

"Oh my God, that would be amazing! We could make an entire day out of it!"

"Oh, oh! Then we can make my bridal shower celebration into an entire weekend thing!"

The two men only stared at their women as they retreated back into the kitchen with the empty bowls and their shower ideas that grew more extravagant with each passing moment.

"Do they even realize how much all of that is going to cost?" Ichigo commented with a small chuckle, sitting back with his beer in hand.

Renji smirked and grabbed his beer from the table. "Hey, as long as I'm not paying for it, I don't care."

Ichigo laughed and cleared his throat, placing his half empty glass back. "So what are you going to do about what you told me before?"

Staring into his drink, the vice Captain of the Sixth Squad sighed. "Talk to my Captain and soon to be brother in law about it."

"I'm sure he'll understand where you're coming from," Ichigo replied with a nod. "Rukia just wants to be with you."

"But she still very much cares about what her brother says and thinks," Renji retorted, sitting back as well. "And I just want for her to be happy, I've always wanted nothing but happiness for her."

Ichigo smiled at his friend's words. "And she knows that. She trusts you and that's the most important thing in a marriage. Believe me," he told him, nodding. "It'll work itself out, you'll see."

Renji returned his smile and nodded quietly to himself. "You've done well for yourself, you know Ichigo."

The Substitute Shinigami looked up in surprise at the unexpected compliment. "You think so?"

"Yeah," the other Shinigami confirmed with a chuckle. "You have a beautiful wife, a beautiful son, a beautiful home... You've come a long way from that shitty brat you were when I first met you 12 years ago."

"The same is true for you," Ichigo joked sharing a chuckle. He then grabbed his beer again and quieted when he thought about the long journey he'd been on since he was 15. "It hasn't been easy..."

"I'm sure it hasn't been," Renji agreed. "But you and her look very happy and very much in love."

He smiled again at that, his expression now turning thoughtful. "We've had to work hard to get to this place, believe me." Ichigo began, catching the other male's attention. "After our wedding - well, that same night, I found out that she was pregnant with our first baby. I told you about this, right?"

Renji nodded. "Yeah, you told me a few weeks after."

Ichigo drank some of his beer and nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, when we lost her it almost broke not only our marriage, but ourselves as well. I blamed myself, she blamed herself and it took us almost a year to get through the loss. You never get over something like this. Not really. But we remembered the vows we made to each other and decided to start over. That year was without a doubt the hardest of my life. But it is thanks to that same year that she and I are still going strong."

"Mamoru must've been a blessing and a relief to the both of you," Renji remarked.

Ichigo laughed and nodded. "Like you wouldn't believe. Throughout her pregnancy we spent as much time together as we could, I was constantly fretting over her. Exorcising Hollows became my obsession during those months; I did anything in my power to keep my wife and our precious son safe."

Renji grinned. "I'd be the same. Well, probably will be."

"It is the scariest thing and the most exciting thing at the same time to see her carry a pregnancy to full term," Ichigo said smiling proudly.

"And being a dad?" the redhead asked, intrigued.

Rukia and Orihime entered the dining room holding all kinds of delicious looking dishes and he stood to assist them. "It's one of the most fulfilling experiences. You'll see," he said with a grin before kissing Orihime on her cheek lovingly.

That's when their house phone rang in the welcoming hall and Ichigo went to pick it up after he'd helped placing the vegetable dishes on the table.

"Renji, can you help me with the roast?" Orihime asked, beginning to walk back towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure," the redhead said, pressing a kiss against Rukia's left temple when he passed her.

She grinned back at him and got ready to sit herself back down on her seat when she saw a light coming from behind her in the garden, past the sunroom. A relieved smile formed on her lips and she descended the few steps leading into the glass room and opened it's backdoor to wait for the messenger to come through the Senkaimon-gate.

Two young housemaidens from the Kuchiki-clan appeared a few moments later, both holding lavishly decorated baskets each containing a small bonsai tree, one with pale flowers and the other crimson, white and red paper origami figures and a silver scroll on a bed of moss at its roots. "My Lady Rukia, we received the items you asked for."

"Thank you," she said, taking the baskets from them happily. "You can tell my brother that the Kurosaki's have agreed to our proposition."

"Yes, my Lady," the women said in unison, bowing.

She nodded once and turned back around, looking over the flowers and the paper figures critically as she entered the house and the Senkaimon closed and disappeared behind her.

"Oh, have they arrived?" Renji asked giddily, having put the roast on the table a moment before and now hurrying down the steps to assist his fiancé, taking one of the baskets from her.

"What are those?" Orihime asked as they both walked up he steps again and entered the dining room. She placed the bottles of wine she was holding on the tray where the rest of the drinks stood near the end of the table. "Whoa, they're gorgeous!" she exclaimed when she saw the stylized baskets up close.

"These are for the both of you," Rukia explained. "Our wedding invitations."

"We were supposed to bring them along, but they got a bit delayed," Renji explained with a grin, looking up when Ichigo appeared from the living room at the other end of the hall where he'd taken the call. "Yo, Ichigo I have an invitation for you too!"

"Man, Byakuya sure isn't sparing a dime on this wedding..." Ichigo replied, taking the basket with the crimson flowers over from his friend and staring at it from all sides. "Thanks."

"We'll be bringing more of these for Ishida, Sado and Urahara the coming days, but we really wanted you two to have them first," Rukia explained, watching Orihime open the silver scroll and show it to her husband with an excited smile.

"I can't wait for your wedding day now," Orihime whispered softly, giving her basket to Ichigo, who placed both on the dresser behind their chairs. "Thank you so much for these, we'll take good care of them" she said solemnly, sitting back down in her chair.

"You're very welcome," Rukia replied, placing her hand into Renji's as they sat back down too.

Orihime then turned to Ichigo who took his place at the table as well. "Who was it on the phone?"

"Mamoru's godfather and godmother who called to check in," he answered with a smile. "He's fallen asleep and they've assured us that we can come and pick him up whenever we want. Sado will be staying at Tatsuki's place until we do."

"You guys, if you want to go pick him up, that's fine," Rukia said apologetically.

Renji scratched the back of his head in unease, agreeing. "Yeah... You don't have to leave him there just to entertain us."

Both Ichigo and Orihime blinked at them before smirking and grinning. "Are you kidding?" Orihime whispered, waving their words away. "We earned some grown up time!"

"We wouldn't have wanted to pass on this dinner party for anything," Ichigo added with a shake of his head. "And either way, I'm sure that Tatsuki and Sado are enjoying the time alone."

"Eh?!"

"You're joking?"

Orihime nodded with an exagerated serious expression. "But we're not supposed to know."

"Eitherway, we're here to celebrate your engagement, Rukia, Renji," Ichigo said, grabbing the bottle of beer from the end of the table and filling his and Renji's glasses.

"The gossip on Sado and Tatsuki will follow after," Orihime promised with a wink, making everyone laugh before she lifted her glass and Ichigo followed suit. "And like my handsome husband just said, tonight is all about celebrating the union of our closest friends, their happiness and their joint fortune! So let's dig into this food because I'm starving."

They all laughed again and touched glasses, each of them looking forward to a future that seemed all the more bright.

* * *

><p><em>*Yuinou: Japanese Traditional Betrothal Ceremony in which the family of the groom presents the family of the bride with traditional gifts to show his good intentions for the marriage. The engagement is only official once the Yuinou is over.<em>

_** The story of Orihime's and Ichigo's wedding can be found in my bio under 'Taking that long road' Parts 1&2 (I would've inserted a hyperlink if ffnet allowed me to, sorry.)_

_**Thank you to all of you who favored and reviewed so far!**_

_**To be continued...**_

_**-BDP-**_


	3. Inner Voice

_3. Inner voice_

* * *

><p>Getting down the stairs proved itself to be a challenge now, especially since her feet periodically refused to carry her now enhanced weight.<p>

"Mom!"

She cringed when she heard something smash against her kitchen floor in the distance. "For the love of-" she whispered, waggling her way down the steps in the hall quickly. "Mamoru?" she called, throwing her loose ponytail over her shoulder as she hurried. "What the hell is going on?" she said when she found her youngest son standing on the countertop trying to reach for a plastic cup in a corner cupboard. "Sora! Get down this instant!" she cried, more out of fear than anger. "What are you doing? How did you even get up there?" Orihime asked, noticing that the stools around the kitchen island remained unmoved. She carefully made her way to him, making sure to avoid the shards of glass littering the floor.

"He can't find his favorite cup," Mamoru said with a sigh, coming from behind the kitchen island to follow close behind her. "I told him to get down from there."

"Mamoru, stay back!" she said softly, effectively keeping him from stepping on anything. "There's glass everywhere. Go get your father. He's in the basement."

"Mommy, where's my Karakurizer cup?" the orange haired child whined, turning around on the countertop with a pout, making his mother's heart skip a beat at how precariously close he was to the edge.

"Sora-chan, if you get down from there, I'll help you look," Orihime promised urgently, reaching out for him from a small distance, trying to avoid the thick shards of glass right underneath her son. "Come here," she whispered, grunting when she managed to lift him from his armpits and place him to safety. She then turned to him and grabbed him by a hand while she groaned in pain softly, one hand on her back. "Sora, do you realize what you just did?" she asked him gently, kneeling in front of him once they were in the dining room. "You could've seriously hurt yourself!"

"But mommy," the 7 year old whined, "I needed my cup!"

"Did you have to break three water glasses for your cup?" Orihime sternly asked, grabbing him by his shoulders. "Why didn't you come and ask me or your daddy to help you?"

Sora rolled his caramel eyes to the side remorsefully. "I couldn't find daddy and you were asleep..." he whispered softly. "I just wanted to make you some tea to make you feel better, mommy... You're always tired lately so I thought I would help."

Orihime sighed and pulled him close to her. "Sora, I appreciate that you were worried about me, but by doing what you just did, you made me really scared and worried for you. It hurts my heart when I worry about you... especially now, when you're this close to meet your little sister. What will she say when she gets here and she can't meet you?"

Sora's lower lip began to tremble with regret and he hugged her back tightly. "But mommy, Masaki won't be able to talk because she's still a baby."

Orihime laughed heartedly at that and tightened her hold on him for a moment before kissing him on his forehead. "You're right, love. But do you understand what I'm saying?"

The boy then let go of her, nodded and moved in to press the side of his face against her bulging belly. "I want Masaki to come out soon so she can stop making you feel so tired. When is she coming out, mommy?"

"If we're lucky, in a few days already," Orihime whispered, looking up when she saw Ichigo enter the room. She made a headmovement towards the kitchen and he went to assess the damage while she ran her hand through her son's hair affectionately. "Mamo-chan," she then called when she saw him appear from the small hallway leading to the basement behind the stairs. "Come take your brother and go start that new movie auntie Yuzu got you in your room."

The brown haired boy with the chocolate brown eyes walked up to her and took his brother by a hand. "But you said you'd come and watch it with us, mom," he wondered.

"I'll be up with snacks after dad and I finish cleaning up the kitchen," Orihime answered with an encouraging smile as they heard the sound of tumbling shards of glass coming from the kitchen. "Go on." She watched their faces light up with happiness before they raced each other to the stairs and up, waiting for them to be out of her sight to let out a long, tired sigh.

"You seem to be in a pickle down there," Ichigo smirked as he walked into the dining room a few moments later and saw her struggle to get back on her feet pathetically.

"I can't get up," she chuckled to herself when she gave up and just sat down on the floor. "I've never felt this bloated in my entire life!" she whispered with a sigh. "Every bit of my body is swollen and sore. Even my lips! If I get any bigger, I'll never snap back..."

Ichigo smiled and reached out for her. "You are the most gorgeous woman in the world to me," he whispered when she placed her hands in his. "An amazing mom and my sexy wife whether you're big or not. I'm a fan of your body either way."

"I feel as sexy as a beached whale right now and I'm nauseous all the time," she whined, pushing herself on her feet with an annoyed grunt. She then sent Shun'o and Ayame to the kitchen to fix the broken water glasses. "I'm ten years older than when we first did this... This is my body saying 'enough'."

"You're beautiful," he whispered against her forehead, caressing a kiss there as he embraced her.

She smiled up at him begrudgingly and wiggled her nose to fight the upcoming wave of dizziness, but let him kiss her lips softly. "I have no pants that fit my ever expanding butt anymore," she pouted, touching the twin flower pendant around her neck when she felt the two spirits return. "And I'm tired of wearing leggings with everything!"

He chuckled in the crook of her shoulder and kissed her there too. "You're still super hot."

"I am actually," Orihime commented, adjusting the fit of her dark blue tunic on her shoulders and letting out a puff of air. "All the time."

Ichigo bit back a grin, knowing that she was just goofing around now. "Are you done?" he asked, putting up a stern expression or at least trying to.

Orihime bit her lower lip with another amused giggle and ran her hands through his hair while staring at him lovingly. "Thank you for making me feel like all those things..."

"I'll never stop," he told her in a throaty voice, looking her deeply in the eyes, basking in her never-changing beauty, his entire future reflected in those pools of caramel. "I love all of the woman that you are, Hime... Every day a bit more."

She moved in to plant a kiss on his lips lovingly before her face scrunched together and she covered her nose in clear disgust, taking a step back to look at him, unable to keep her growing nausea at bay."What have you been doing down there?" she asked looking over his torn and frayed outfit, her stomach now avidly protesting against her husband's offensive body odor. "You reek!"

Ichigo spread his arms and looked himself over. "I've been working on touching up Sora's old crib and I got a little sweaty...? Since when do you not like the smell of my sweat?" He smelled his dirty t-shirt and shrugged. "It isn't even that bad!"

Orihime shook her head and gagged a little with her hand pressed against her mouth, reaching for him with her other hand. "Oh, I'm going to be sick...!" she whispered, taking the arm he was offering her to help her get to the bathroom in the hallway behind the stairs. "This is getting to be ridiculous..."

"Did you have anything to eat today, Hime?" he whispered as he waited for her to finish by the opened door of the bathroom.

"I haven't been feeling hungry at all today..." Orihime confessed, throwing her loose ponytail over her shoulder again as she straightened away from the toilet pot and reached for the toilet paper. "I'll try eating some of the left over miso soup you made tonight for dinner."

"Do you think that your lack of appetite could mean that it's almost time?" he asked, walking back inside the room and helping her onto her feet after she'd flushed and cleaned her mouth with a bit of water from the small sink.

"That's how it was with the boys, wasn't it?" she replied with a wince, quickly placing a hand on her lower back. "I don't know, a lot has been different from those pregnancies this time around."

"Do you want me to call Yuzu?" Ichigo asked her, walking her to their living room with a hand on her lower back gently massaging the sore muscle tissue there. "Your due date is in three days."

Orihime shook her head and sat herself down on one of their two sofas. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, I'm not going into labour yet, this is all still part of the miracle people call pregnancy," she said sarcastically, watching him arrange some pillows at one end of the sofa so she could rest against them.

Ichigo grinned and helped her move towards the end of the sofa, making sure she was comfortable. "There's no need to hide the fact that you want this to be over... This pregnancy was full of surprises," he whispered, taking off her ballerina flats for her. "Masaki being able to control your ShunShun Rikka from the womb being one of them."

"I'm pretty sure that we'll both be happy for me to have full control over my powers again," she agreed. "Waking up in the middle of the night while floating a few feet in the air and being unable to call back the shield is not very pleasant."

"I can't believe that she's already this powerful," Ichigo murmured, sitting next to her and caressing her stomach. "It's scary, isn't it?"

"Terrifying," Orihime whispered back, smiling nonetheless. "It'll be a completely new adventure."

He kissed her belly lovingly, staring at it longingly. "I can't wait."

"I hope Sora develops his powers soon, too," she mused, joining their hands on her belly. "He already feels inferior to Mamoru as it is."

"I actually talked to Sado about it the other day and he mused that Sora could be a Fullbringer instead of a pure Shinigami like his brother. He might even be part Quincy."

Orihime grinned. "Come to think of it, our children could be so many different supernatural beings at once, it's crazy."

"True," Ichigo agreed. "But Sado brought it up the other day during training because he thought he'd felt a flicker of Hollow-like Reiatsu coming from Sora last time he took the boys swimming. He'd brushed it off, thinking that he'd been imagining it, but he thought about it when I mentioned that Mamoru had already manifested Spiritual Awareness at age 7."

"A Fullbringer, huh? Somehow I feel like that would suit him..." she murmured, sighing and resting her head back. "He's always been one to be overly attached to his belongings... But if this is true, then it could be another few years before he truly comes into his powers, right?" Orihime asked, thinking about the scene she'd witnessed in the kitchen earlier.

He nodded and his attention was diverted to his hand underneath hers on top of her stomach where he'd felt the slightest of movements. "And when he does, he has enough people to help him develop them properly."

"Could you ask Sado to check again, if he can? I think that Sora might be closer to developing powers than we think."

"Did you see him do something?"

She shook her head. "It could be just my intuition, but I don't think he climbed onto the countertop. He didn't use any of the stools."

Ichigo's eyes grew wide. "You think he jumped?"

"What's that thing Fullbringers do in the air?" she asked, voice soft

"Bringer Light?" he asked, knitting his brows together skeptically. "That's a pretty advanced move, I don't think he's gotten that far. We would've noticed if he did, believe me."

"Oh," Orihime yawned, shrugging. "Then it must've been something else."

"Probably," He agreed, brushing a few of her bangs out of her face gently, eyes growing soft at the sight of her worn out expression. "If you feel like taking another nap, no one will judge you."

"I must be a very helpless and pathetic sight to behold if all the men in this house feel like they need to baby me. No pun intended," she said with a grin, reaching a hand for him which he grabbed. His lips landed on her palm and she sighed contentedly. "Before all of the kitchen drama Sora wanted to make me tea to make me feel better. Mamoru insisted on helping me get dressed this morning and you... Well, you're just being my dotting husband, I suppose."

Ichigo chuckled,"We all love you and we'd be completely and utterly lost without you, that's why."

She giggled happily and bit her lower lip in appreciation of his kind words, cupping his face in her hand. "I'm okay. Really," she whispered reassuringly.

He smiled at her wryly, the slight worry in his eyes not completely gone. He kissed her tenderly. "Even though not all of us fully understand what you're going through, those of us who do want you to know that it is greatly appreciated and deeply admired. I for one know what you've had to give up for this so I want to be as attentive as I can be to your needs."

Orihime sighed and gave him a grateful smile, "And here I felt like bitching some more..."

He laughed and removed her hand from his face gently, moving to stand. "Bitch as much as you want, you've earned it after 9 months."

She let him kiss her forehead with a comical scowl on her face and she grinned at him as he prepared to leave. "Hey, are you going upstairs?"

"My Hime says I smell, so I need to take a quick shower," Ichigo answered, making her giggle. "Do you need something?"

"Ask the boys if they want to come watch their movie here with me. I don't think I can climb those stairs again before bed," she said, straining to see him from over her enormous belly. "Let's all watch the movie together. Did you have more work downstairs?"

"Nothing I can't finish later tonight," he answered with a knowing grin. "I'll send the boys downstairs to watch the movie here."

She nodded in acknowledgement while caressing her belly lovingly. "Don't be long," she whispered, watching him climb the stairs.

"I know," he called back from the first floor, understanding all too well that he couldn't leave her alone with the boys for long stretches of time. Not in her weakened and tired state.

Orihime smiled to herself and continued to rub her hands over her stomach, focusing her thoughts on her unborn child. "You're becoming impatient too, aren't you?" she said, smiling at the small movements she felt inside. "We're ready for you; so it's your call my love."

A sense of quiet reassurance came over her then and she closed her eyes gratefully, nodding in understanding. "Then it shouldn't be long now. You'll love it here with your brothers, I promise." Orihime chuckled happily at the soft kick she got in response. "And your daddy has been waiting for you for the longest time. He's loved you from the moment we first felt you stir in there," she whispered, nodding and giggling at the excited arm movement Masaki made. "Yeah... So, there's nothing for you to be scared of; come share this world with us. There's so much for you to see, feel and love... We'll show you all of it, teach you all of it and protect you whenever you need to be. I can't wait to meet you, little one."

She lifted her gaze from her belly with a soft smile when she heard her sons coming down the stairs in a rambunctious manner. "Take the big pillows from the other sofa and come sit close to me on the floor," she told them warmly, grinning when Sora did as told and Mamoru walked over to their TV set and inserted the movie disc into the player. He walked back with the remote and handed it to her.

"Should we wait for dad?" he asked her as he grabbed the other large pillow from the second sofa and dropped it in front of the one his mother was lying on. "He said he wouldn't be long."

"No... I want to continue watching the movie!" Sora whined, pouting up at her.

"Don't you want dad to know what the movie is about?" Mamoru asked his brother, sitting spread eagled on his pillow now. "Mom won't know what's going on either if we don't start it over."

"Oh," the youngest boy whispered in realization before shrugging, "But we can always just tell them what happened?"

Mamoru grunted and rolled his eyes impatiently. "Do you like it when people talk during a movie?"

"No..." Sora said quietly and then sighed. "Okay, okay, if there's really no other way..."

Mamoru shook his head amusedly and looked at his mother, who returned his grin and passed an affectionate hand through her eldest son's hair. She soon gasped at the rather hard kidney shot she felt inside her belly. "Oh!"

Mamoru was by her side in an instant, holding her hand. "Mom?"

"Stop hurting mommy, Masaki!" Sora said, his tone reprimanding.

Orihime smiled reassuringly at the both of them and shook her head. "I'm okay, boys... Your little sister gets excited when she feels the both of you near. She's very curious about you guys," she said, lifting Mamoru's hand that she was holding onto her stomach. "Say hi to your big brother Mamoru, Masaki."

The eleven year old's chocolate eyes lit up when he felt his sister's greeting and he smiled excitedly, lowering his lips near his mother's belly so he could whisper to her. "Hi, Masaki. I can't wait for you to come out of there so I can show you some cool tricks!"

Orihime laughed in endearment. "Keep your karate tricks for when she's a little older, okay?"

"I'm not a complete idiot, mom," he replied with a smile before getting pushed aside by his younger brother. "Sora!"

"I want to feel!" he quipped, pressing the side of his face against her belly a tad too hard, making Orihime gasp for breath.

"Be careful, you'll hurt the both of them!" Mamoru cried.

"It's alright, Sora," Orihime gently said, slowly bringing an encouraging hand on his head against her. "Keep quiet and try to listen to her."

A few moments passed in which nothing happened. "Hello...? Masaki? You still in there?" Sora called, quietly rubbing his mother's belly. "Mommy, why is she not doing anything for me?" he asked her, lifting his head sadly.

"Because you scared her," Mamoru said scornfully, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't say that, Mamo-chan," she told him, taking both Sora's hands in hers to direct them over the surface of her stomach when she saw the crestfallen expression of her youngest. "Just try again, Sora-chan. Tell her something nice."

Sora pressed his lips together hesitantly and lowered himself against her again. "I know karate tricks too, you know? And if you want, I'll teach you how to touch the tip of your nose with the tip of your tongue! Oh, and dad taught me how to shave the other day! I'll teach you that too, okay Masaki?"

Orihime laughed heartedly at that, shaking her head.

"But Masaki, please come out soon! There's no school because of summer, so we can spend whole days together if you want," the little boy continued. "I'm growing tired of waiting, I want to show you how to eat dumplings and ride all the rides at the fair and I want to tell everyone I'm a big brother too now!"

Orihime caressed the top of his head lovingly. "What is a big brother's duty to his younger brothers and sisters?" she asked him quietly.

"To protect them, no matter what!" Sora answered, eyes glittering with newfound pride. "I want to be a better big brother to Masaki-chan than Mamo-chan is to me!"

"Hey!" Mamoru protested, visibly hurt. "Mom!"

Sora bumped his shoulder against his brother's chest and blushed. "Just kidding. I want to be just as good as Mamo-chan." He then kissed his mother's belly and whispered so softly only Orihime could hear. "I want to be better than Mamo-chan, because Mamo-chan is super strong. I want to be super super strong so I can protect you and Mamo-chan some day."

Tears welled up in her eyes at the sound of those heartfelt and innocent words and she took him in her arms as tightly as she could, kissing him repeatedly on his cheek. "You'll be a great big brother, Sora-chan."

Sora's cheeks reddened a bit more and he smiled at her belly when he left her embrace. "She still didn't kick though..."

"Place your hand here," Orihime whispered, guiding his hand to the lower left side of her belly. "Do you feel her now?"

Sora's eyes went wide and he nodded avidly. "She's pushing back against my hand!" he said happily. "Hi, Masaki!"

Orihime chuckled at the cute exchange before her eyes fell on Ichigo descending the stairs in clean black track pants and a grey t-shirt.

"Masaki is one lucky little sister," she commented when he found her with the boys' hands all over her stomach. "She gets to play hide and seek with her brothers from the womb."

Ichigo grinned before calling for his sons to get their attention away from their visibly tired mother. "Help me get the snacks for the movie."

Orihime closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, still rubbing her belly soothingly. The dull, pulsing pain that started when her husband left to take a shower was getting impossible to breathe away now. "Anata*?" she then whispered to him when her sons had already disappeared into the other end of the hall. He came back to her with a questioning expression on his face, but the moment he laid eyes on her again, he knew.

He could feel the increase in her spiritual pressure.

Ichigo reached for his cellphone in the backpocket of his track pants as he quickly walked to the coat closet by the entrance door and retrieved his wife's pre-made overnight bag. "Dad? Yeah, she's going into labour," he said, grinning nervously into the device wedged between his shoulder and cheek. He grabbed his jacket and her cardigan. "Just now. We're on our way to Karakura Memorial, meet us there? Ok. We'll call Yuzu and Ishida from the car." He hung up and hurried back to Orihime to help her stand. "Boys?" he called, helping Orihime into the long, light grey cardigan while she put her ballerina flats back on.

"Masaki is coming isn't she?" Mamoru said excitedly, coming running from the kitchen with his brother in tow.

"You know what to do, Mamoru," Ichigo commanded with a nod, putting on his jacket. "Take care of your brother."

Mamoru nodded back in determination. "Sora, go put on your shoes," he told his brother, following him up the stairs a moment later.

"You need to put on yours, too," Orihime said softly, smiling amusedly as she stared at his big naked feet. "You can't become the father of our daughter on bare feet."

He chuckled and kissed her softly, rushing to the closet again to put on the loafers he kept in there. "Dad will come by later tonight to pick up some clothes for the boys so they can spend the next few days with him. If this is anything like when you had Sora, he'll make sure they don't stay up too late."

Orihime looked down at her stomach and shook her head. "This one will be quick, I can feel it. And you have things in complete control, so I'm not worried."

Ichigo walked up to her again and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you too," she whispered back, looking into his chocolate eyes and seeing her future reflected in them. A grin formed on her lips when she saw two small faces grinning at them from the first floor landing.

Ichigo had noticed them too. "Well, can we get going or what?" he said after having cleared his throat. He tried to suppress his own smile when both boys descended the stairs, laughing joyfully while they made their way towards the kitchen and the garage door in its back.

Orihime watched him pick up her overnight bag from the floor and grabbed his hand when he reached back for her, holding the underside of her belly with her other, a welcoming smile forming on her lips.

_"Almost home."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Anata: literally means 'you', but in a marital context signifies something along the lines of 'my love or my darling'. Expressed only by a wife to her husband.<strong>_

_Thank you everyone who took the time to leave a kind word and to all of you reading and liking this. You help keep my inspiration flowing._

_Until next time..._

_**-BDP-**_


	4. Boiling Point

_4. Boiling Point_

* * *

><p>The streetlights flickered on one by one, preparing the city for the day's transition into night.<p>

He pulled up by the coffee shop just in time to see her bid goodnight to her colleagues, a small pink box held in her hands. He stepped out and quickly walked around the delivery van to open it up for her. "Happy birthday, Orihime."

Orihime grinned up at him gratefully, kissing him lovingly on his cheek when he pulled her to him. "Hi!"

"Hey," he greeted back lovingly with a smile, stepping aside to let her climb into the passenger's seat. "Ready for your birthday party?"

"Yeah!" she quipped excitedly, placing the box in her lap as he shut the door.

"Do you still need to pass by your place?" he asked after he'd taken his seat behind the wheel.

She put on her seatbelt and made an affirmative head movement. "Yeah, if you wouldn't mind? I forgot my outfit at home. I'm sorry," she said, looking over her jeans and t-shirt attire.

He nodded in acknowledgment and started the car, driving down the street a moment later.

"How was work today?" Orihime asked him conversationally, settling comfortably in her seat as she looked at the passing lights outside.

Ichigo made an annoyed face. "Remind me to never get a pet," he said, checking for oncoming traffic before taking the street on his left.

Orihime giggled. "Oh no, another pet assignment?" she said, wanting to sound soothing but unable to keep the mocking tone in her voice away.

"If she has me scooping up cat, dog, gerbil, ferret or bird poo one more time, I'm quitting! For good this time!"

She was laughing out loud now. "You always say that," she commented with a shake of her head. "You just won't admit to yourself that you like the fact that you're helping people this way too."

Ichigo was still scowling, his expression amusing her to no end. "Yeah, well maybe..."

"Right," she said quietly with a grin, looking down into her lap when a blush spread on her face at the thought of how kind her boyfriend truly was, despite all of his complaining, which was cute and entertaining in its own way too.

They'd been dating for 7 months now and there were still times when she thought she was lost in one of her high school fantasies about him, finding it hard to believe that in the end he was the one who made the decisive move and that at the time she'd decided to move on from being infatuated with him.

He was everything she'd hoped he would be and he made her happy in ways she never could've imagined, the clumsy and blunt ways he showed his affection for her only made her love and appreciate him more, so much that her feelings for him had reached a tipping point where something needed to happen to relieve the ever accumulating tension she felt inside.

She knew him to be considerate of everyone and everything, but rather oblivious when it came to her growing sexual desire for him. And it wasn't his fault; Orihime had no idea how to handle the matter effectively either and she'd never once spoken to him about it because she knew how much of a gentleman Ichigo was. Also, she feared that maybe it was still too soon for them to be talking about sex in their relationship.

It became harder and harder to deny how much she wanted and needed it though. She'd grown passed her high-school fantasies of him, feeling more than ready to take their relationship to the next level.

"Do you feel like coming up, Ichigo-kun?" she whispered quietly once they'd arrived in front of her apartment. "Or do you need to go return Ikumi-san's van first?"

Ichigo parked the car and sat back to look at her. "No, I get to have her van until tomorrow because I have deliveries to make in the morning."

"Oh, okay," Orihime replied, smiling to herself. "Do you want to come up?"

Ichigo thought about it for a moment before nodding, taking a small breath when she opened her door and got out, quickly following suit.

"I won't be long," she said as she now turned her key in the door slot and stepped inside. She placed the pink cake box on her kitchen counter as she passed it. "At what time is the gang meeting us?"

Ichigo stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind him, taking off his shoes as she sprinted into her bedroom at the other side of the hall he was standing in. "At nine," he replied, taking a right into her small living room and seating himself on the floor at her table which was littered with text books and notes. "Orihime?"

"Yeah?" she answered from her room.

He picked up the large, dark blue book on Psychology from the table, briefly impressed by its rather important weight. "How do you feel you did on that test you told me you about? That was today, wasn't it?"

Orihime grinned to herself quietly, appreciating the fact that he'd actually remembered her telling him about it. She took off her jeans and stepped out of them quickly. "I think I did well, I could answer all of the questions with relative ease. The results should be in by the next class."

Ichigo nodded to himself in understanding and put the book back on the table, smiling proudly at how smart and ambitious his girlfriend was. He had chosen not to pursue an academic degree himself, having seen little point in doing so. He had his hands full with his job and his Shinigami duties, adding college to that list would only stretch him too thin. If he wanted to have a semblance of a normal life, he couldn't add anything else that would make his life even more hectic and insane than it already was.

He sighed and his eyes fell on a picture of Orihime, Rukia and Tatsuki in bikinis, recognising the setting immediately. A smirk grew on his lips and he stood to walk to the dresser by her tv, picking up the frame. It'd been taken last summer at the beach with all of their closest friends to celebrate his 19th birthday. He remembered it being so hot on that day that most of the beach activities Orihime and Rukia had planned for them couldn't be done. They ended up having a barbecue and only the water related activities.

And as he stared at her he recalled how amazing she'd looked in her blue and white bathing suit, outshining everyone else with her beauty and kind smile. There were still times when he had a hard time believing that a girl like Orihime actually liked him, having always thought that his life as a Substitute Shinigami only caused her worry and pain and that a life with him was not something she could ever want to deal with for the rest of her life, not when she didn't have to.

But she did want to. She wanted to be with him, to share not only his battles, but his daily life. She'd deemed him worthy of her affections and although he'd never taken the time to inspect her feelings about him when they were still in high school, the news of her being in a relationship with a sophomore student when she started college last year had hurt and angered him for a then inexplicable reason. He'd always fought those who wanted to claim her by violence, be they malevolent souls or living maniacs, telling himself and others that Orihime belonged to none other than herself. And that's something he felt obliged to do as her friend and he felt good about being able to be there for her. That is, until she willingly chose to become someone else's. Someone other than him.

The day he realized that he wanted for Orihime to be willingly his, was the day he realized and understood most of her past actions towards him and that he was an absolute idiot for not having seen it before. Because by the time he'd realized it, someone else had taken his place.

"Ichigo-kun?"

"Yeah," he called back, placing the framed picture back down.

"Can you come help me, please?"

He rounded the corner that led him to the short hallway and entered her room on his right only to quickly walk back out again with a furious blush on his face. His forehead now rested on the opposing wall. "Put some clothes on first," he calmly said, shoulders shaking as he tried really hard to put the image he just saw of her out of his mind. "Please."

Orihime blinked up at him innocently from her sitting position on the floor in front of her bed. "Ichigo-kun?" she questioned, looking down at her self. She was clad in nothing but a white tank top, a sky blue bra and matching panties. "Come on, you've seen me wearing less," she chuckled, moving to stand.

"Those instances were different, there were people around..." Ichigo murmured, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly, still facing the opposing wall. "It's just us here now."

She smiled warmly at that. "Do you feel uncomfortable because your 'cool guy' facade doesn't work in situations like this?" she questioned, walking over to her desk to grab her folding chair. She pushed the piece of furniture against her open closet and prepared to stand on it.

Ichigo made a face at her accurate comment but still refused to turn around. "Even so, as your boyfriend there are some things that are expected of me. Certain ways of conduct."

"Oh really?" Orihime whispered, balancing herself on the wobbly chair. "Like what?"

"Like making sure you're cared for," he said with a stoic nod.

"I was doing fine before you and I started dating," Orihime retorted indifferently, reaching for the top shelf of her closet to grab a shoebox. "I think I can take care of myself pretty well."

Ichigo mentally sweatdropped and turned to glare at her before regretting doing so. "T-that your modesty remains protected!" he blurted out in a panicking tone, trying his hardest to keep from looking at her underwear clad, bouncy buttocks as she continued to reach for the top shelf.

Orihime sighed in annoyance and stopped to look at him. "Right, is that why you're letting me jump up and down this rickety chair in my underwear when I clearly asked you for your help?"

Ichigo scowled and grunted. "Can you please put some clothes on first?"

She got down the chair and crossed her arms on her chest, giving him a testing look. "Why?"

"Because you're making me uncomfortable looking like that," was his answer.

"So you don't find me attractive," she reasoned, plopping down on her bed with a cute pout.

"Are you kidding?" Ichigo replied with a frustrated grunt. "You're the hottest girl in town and I just don't want to do anything that would scare you."

Orihime smiled silently to herself now that she knew they were approaching the heart of the matter. "Anything like what? Like french-kissing?" she asked, playing dumb on purpose.

He chuckled at that and shook his head, placing his hands on his hips as he searched for words. "No... Uh. Not french-kissing, which by the way we've already done."

"We have?" Orihime wondered, continuing with her act. "When?"

"That time when we-" Ichigo began before realizing that she was playing with him. He turned around to face her, finding her smirking knowingly. "Don't do that."

"Look," she started, knowing that this wasn't the way to get what she truly wanted. She reached for her jeans on the floor. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed the issue."

Ichigo watched her put on her jeans again with a pensive expression on his face and just as she was about to climb back onto the old chair he walked up to her and effortlessly grabbed the shoebox. "Why do you keep that so high up there anyway?"

"So I only want them when it's a special occasion," she replied, taking the box from him with an excited smile and opening it. Inside lay a pair of gorgeous glittery black, delicate high-heeled strappy sandals. "Aren't they pretty?"

Ichigo only stared at them for a moment, having no particular opinion on the footwear. "Will you be able to walk on them all night?"

"I'll be fine," she answered coldly, already feeling irritated at the lack of development their previous discussion brought and now at the way he could sometimes belittle her self-confidence with a comment like his last one. She knew he didn't mean it that way and that he only cared for her well-being, but right now she couldn't care less. "You can go now. Wouldn't want you to see anything that would make you scare me."

"You're upset," he noted quietly.

Orihime rolled her eyes at him pointedly before shaking her head and retrieving a plum skater dress from her closet and throwing it on her bed along with the shoebox. "I'm about to take off my pants again, I'm sure you don't want to see this."

"Orihime... I..."

She took a step away from him, her fingers placed threateningly on the top button of her jeans. "I'm going to change underwear too, so leave while you can! Please!"

Ichigo approached her quickly and grabbed her face in his hands, kissing her languidly on her lips, effectively shutting her up. "Stop it. I know you're frustrated with me sexually."

She opened her eyes, blushed and stared at a point next to his head, refusing to look at him. "If you do, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because the places my mind goes at night when I'm alone in my bed and I'm missing you..." he whispered throatily, letting his words hang in the air to catch her attention. His eyes were fixed on her slightly parted, luscious lips and he sighed hopelessly. "I want you so badly that I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself."

"Sex shouldn't be about control..." she whispered back shakily, heart beating madly in her chest as her arousal for him grew stronger.

Ichigo smiled at her naïve words, gazing at her reddening cheeks. "I guess that to me it is, especially with you. This'll be your first time... Once we're past that point, there will be no going back and I want the both of us to be absolutely sure that we want this."

Orihime let out a shivering breath and closed her eyes, her hormones threatening to go berserk now. Him being this considerate all the fricking time turned her on to no end. She lifted herself on her toes and kissed him softly. "I want you, Ichigo-kun. So badly. I have been wanting you for years."

Ichigo licked his lower lip and closed his eyes too, taking a quivering breath to keep control of the urges that were threatening to take him over. "Orihime," he groaned softly, leaning back a bit in hesitation when she moved in to kiss him again. "Fuck..."

"I trust you," she breathed pleadingly, reaching for the hem of her tank top and pulling it over her head. She grabbed him by his black shirt once the top hit the floor, needing him closer, blindly searching for his lips again. "Do you think you're the only one fantasizing about us going all the way...? Do you think I don't touch myself when my mind strays to you and what I want you to do to me...?"

"Crap..." he chuckled in defeat when his resolve smashed to bits somewhere next to her discarded top on the floor. The taste of her lips as she kissed him next was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted and he gave in to her, kissing her back wantonly, growling possessively when she gasped and exposed the side of her neck for him to plant his lips on. "Are you sure, Orihime?" he asked seriously, pulling her hair back and out of her face so he could inspect her features for even the slightest sign of hesitation.

"I want you to be my first," Orihime murmured against his lips, biting her lower lip when she reached for the buttons of her jeans and began to pop them open slowly. She opened her eyes then and reached for his head so she could make him look at her. "And I consider myself lucky that it'll be you," she confessed, taking off her pants and stepping out of them. "So," she said with a small smile, taking a step away from him and swaying quietly from side to side seductively. "If I were to say that your body is what I want for my birthday, what would you say?"

Ichigo rose a surprised eyebrow at that, having discovered a sultry side to his girlfriend that wasn't entirely unwelcome. He chuckled while his eyes went over her tight and voluptuous form. "I would say that we're going to be late for your party," he murmured, closing the distance between them, letting his fingers go through the strands of her honey brown hair that fell over one of her shoulders.

She giggled and took a breath when the hand playing with her hair only lightly grazed the top of her exposed breast. Her eyes rolled up to his wantonly and the desire she read in them nearly sent her over the edge of sanity. "I need you... Please..."

He smiled at her gently and coaxed her down onto the bed. As she cleared the surface of her duvet of the clothes and the box she'd thrown on it, he started to undress, pulling his black shirt out of his pants and taking it off, smirking when her breathing visibly quickened at the sight of his sculpted torso. Her erected nipples now peeked through the fabric of her bra. "Lay down."

Orihime did as told and took a steadying breath, rolling her head to the side to watch him take off his jeans and socks but leaving on his dark blue shorts. He grinned at her reassuringly when he climbed onto the bed, coming up to her from in between her legs, looking her over lovingly. "Are you still okay with this?"

She nodded quickly, the anticipation of what was about to happen eclipsing the nervous jitters in her stomach.

"Lift your head a bit," Ichigo said, having reached for a pillow from the top of the bed.

Orihime gathered her hair to one side and let him slide the pillow underneath her head, smiling up at him when his face was back on her eye-level.

He looked into her eyes for a few moments and then kissed her lips softly. "If you don't like what I'm about to do to you, just tell me and I'll stop, okay?" he whispered, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

She breathed in deeply and nodded once, eyes going wide in surprised realisation when he made his way down her body again, giggling when his tongue dipped into her belly button playfully.

"Lift your legs up together," he then instructed, watching her do as told gracefully and letting his hands run up the back of her smooth thighs. "Draw your knees to your chest now. Yeah, like that..."

His warm hands grabbed for the hem of her underwear on her hips and pulled, taking the garment with them, over the curve of her ass and up her thighs as she stretched her legs again and up her calves, slowly, teasingly and sensually until finally her feet were the last body part to receive a caress of his passing fingers and her panties lay on the floor next to the bed.

Her eyes were following each of his movements when she bent her legs and rested her feet on the bed again, both her hands covering the apex of her thighs casually, tauntingly, invitingly. He watched her closely as he placed his hands on a knee each and slowly pushed them apart, tongue passing over his lips at the sight of her heaving chest and quivering breasts. Another reassuring smile formed on his mouth and he silently rolled his eyes downwards to her treasure, lowering himself lazily until he was face to face with the hands covering her womanhood. His eyes went up to look at her amusedly, receiving a nervous smile in response. He waited patiently for her to remove them, first her right one and then her left.

"Beautiful," she heard him whisper, the small puffs of air against her heated folds making her whimper softly as she shivered from the ever building anticipation.

"Tell me when you need for me to stop," Ichigo murmured, darting the tip of his tongue against one of her outer folds tentatively, humming in approval before he pressed his lips against her intimate ones, lapping up her juices that had accumulated there.

Her body's reaction was immediate; her hips shot up and he went with her, refusing to let her go, his eyes focused on her pleasure struck face, taking in all of her reactions, breathy moans and gasps and committing them to memory. Balancing himself on his elbows now, he took a moment to nuzzle the inside of her right thigh and grinned at her debauched face. "I could keep kissing you down there all day, Orihime. Your taste, your scent, the sounds you make... You're fucking delicious."

Just him telling her that made another shot of arousal speed down her spine. "Don't stop..." she whispered shyly, watching him through her heavily lidded eyes, a healthy blush on her cheeks.

"I'm far from done," he murmured, bringing two fingers to his mouth to wet them. His brown gaze remained on hers as he slowly slid one digit inside her wet warmth, his own nether regions twitching in response to the velvety feel of her untouched walls. "You're so tight," he whispered, watching her hands fisting in the covers on either side of her, her expression now one of anxious expectation. "Hime, look at me..."

She opened her eyes and took another steadying breath, reflecting his caring smile with one of her own. "I'm still a little nervous."

Ichigo shook his head comfortingly, giving the thigh he was holding a slight squeeze. "I know..." he replied, having thought of an idea to help her relax as he removed his finger from her. "Can you... Can you maybe show me how you do it?"

Her face exploded with red at that and she blinked, lifting her head to look at him in between her legs. "You want me to...?"

He flashed her an encouraging grin and moved his head once affirmatively. "Help me learn how you like it, Hime..."

She didn't know if it was his sexy smile or his throaty voice and sultry tone that swayed her into lifting her right hand to rest on her stomach first and then to slide it towards her swollen bud hesitantly, but she knew that she wanted for him to see how much she wanted for them to do this and how much she desired him. And so she closed her eyes and arched her neck when the caress of her own fingers transported her into one of her imagined scenarios of him, the sound of his wordless approval only heightening her self-inflicted pleasure.

A lopsided smile grew on his features as he watched her, the small motions of her hips hypnotizing him into craving another taste of her, his arms now locking themselves around her thighs as his fingers kept her open and accessible, his tongue eagerly lapping up the fragrant moisture that continued to seep out of her delicate rose.

"Ichigo...kun...!" she breathed, her left hand fingers now threading through his orange strands, pulling him closer, needing for him to lick, nip and suckle on her harder. "Yes... Please, please..."

Glancing upwards once more at the sound of her rapid gasps and ascending voice, he quickly wet his right hand index and middle finger and pushed them inside of her, moving up to give her clit some attention when the digits encountered minimal resistance. "That's it, Hime..." he murmured, moving in again when she removed her fingers from her moist bud so he could take it into his mouth eagerly.

Her loud moan echoed through her small apartment at the overload of stimuli he procured her, her body now completely at his mercy and her mouth reduced to producing nothing but whimpered praises and shaky sobs of his name as he showed no sign of relenting. His tongue, lips and fingers were too much on her and she couldn't escape it, this was going to be it, the biggest one she'd ever had to date.

Even as she shook and trembled around and against him he didn't stop, diligently slurping up all she had to give, humming his satisfaction against her rock hard clit, flickering the tip of his tongue against it until she was practically nothing but a breathy, sobbing mess, letting her crest yet another peak with nothing but a well directed thrust of his fingers. "Fuck yes..." he groaned when she whimpered his name over and over.

She couldn't breathe, her eyes couldn't seem to focus and she had no voice left to cry out with when even the removal of his fingers from within her sent another shockwave of arousal through her. Her senses barely registered him reaching for his pants to retrieve a condom before putting it on his erection. She then felt him moving up her body and pulling the straps of the bra she was still wearing down her shoulders so he could more easily push the soft blue cotton fabric from both her breasts. A weak groan was all she could muster when one of her nipples got engulfed in the assault of his lips and teeth while his right hand lustfully played with the other, her still shaky legs closing around his hips and her body arching up to him.

Her small hands came to cup his face when he released her breasts and their eyes locked, his need for her now rampant, the kiss that followed driven by nothing but his insatiable thirst for her.

She could feel his hard-on press against her testingly and she let her hips respond wantonly, gasping into the kiss at the immense warmth he seemed to be rubbing against her drenched womanhood. She was clinging onto his shoulders when he used one of his hands to line himself up, searching for his eyes when his tip carefully, questioningly pressed against her, finding all the reassurance she needed in his warm pools of chocolate when he looked up from where their bodies were about to join.

One nod and a trusting smile was his signal and he burried his nose in the side of her neck before pushing inside of her sharply and swiftly, nearly blinded by the explosion of warmth that greeted him once he was in, but forcing himself to check on her, having heard her soft cry of pain.

She tried to keep the shaking of her body at a minimum, not wanting for him to take it as a sign that he should stop. The pain was not what she had expected and although she'd promised herself that she wouldn't, she hadn't been able to keep her scream from escaping.

And now he was looking at her with a mixture of worry and guilt and she couldn't bear it, managing a trembling smile. He kissed her comfortingly and she kissed him back, whimpering when the pain began to subside enough for her to be able to feel him throb within her, shifting the balance of discomfort and arousal back into the latter part. She broke the kiss and opened her eyes, finding her hands pressed against his chest as he had taken her in a protective embrace. She smiled warmly at that, feeling like she was falling in love with him all over again. Her eyes lifted up to his patiently awaiting ones and she spread her legs wider tentatively, making him slide inside a little deeper and ignoring the sting it caused. She then closed her legs around his waist in wordless encouragement, mouth falling open in a soundless gasp when he took her cue and slowly rolled his hips against hers.

Her head fell back against the pillow after that first stroke and he bit his lip at how irresistible she looked in that one moment, grinding his hips against hers one more time and smiling contently at the way she threw her head to the side with a gasp, her swollen lips hanging open still, eyes tightly shut.

A few more careful thrusts had her moaning again, indicating that their sexing was starting to feel good to her now, so he hooked his right arm underneath her left knee and lifted it a little higher, spreading her open wider, thrusting just a tad bit harder, testing for the both of them what could make their first time better. He breathed something between a curse and a praise when she moaned hoarsely and tightened around him, almost losing his balance at the electric current that coursed through the both of them. Her small hands rested on his waist just above his buttocks now and he could feel them urging him to go deeper again, her short nails digging into his skin making his brain swim in an intoxicating draught created by her blossoming erotic sagacity. He wanted, required, almost felt the need to selfishly demand all of her, from her silky strands of honey brown to her perfectly full breasts and delicate lower folds, her milky white and sensually soft skin, her big emotive caramel eyes, her timid voice... He needed all of it to be his. Willingly his.

He couldn't think of anything else he wanted to do other than make love to this woman until they both couldn't form another thought, being with her was all he wished for. And if he got a chance, he wanted for them to live their lives together without ever having to go a day without her by his side. They'd gotten passed the point of no return, and he would never give her up. He was hers.

"I'm in love with you."

Orihime's eyes flew open at the words whispered in the side of her neck and she shifted her head to meet his eyes, her hands cupping his face as he moved to brace himself on his arms. She couldn't but stare at him for the longest time, his movements inside of her now stilled as well as the world around them. Or so it seemed.

"You're mine, Orihime," he told her, following one of the tears that rolled to the side of her perplexed face with his eyes. "I love you," he whispered and she let out a breath before chuckling happily, her hands pulling him down on her again for another kiss.

And although this was the first time he'd confessed his feelings for her and that this night with him was the apotheosis of nearly 4 years of longing, she'd never felt the need for him to tell her, having always known that his actions spoke louder than his words. Therefore, she'd known for a few weeks already how he truly felt about her.

Just like he knew how she felt about him.

"Make love to me, Ichigo-kun," she whispered against his lips, sighing contentedly and letting her eyes roll into the back of her head when he obliged and resumed his gentle thrusts.

"You're beautiful, Hime," he murmured, raising himself on his hands now so he could have a full frontal look of her body while he quickened his movements, mesmerized by her bouncing breasts, the way her hair now stuck to her neck and collarbone, not getting enough of her.

It was everything she'd imagined it would be; sensual, unbearably erotic and passionate. He'd given her the greatest gift any girl in love could want; the safety of knowing that not only her feelings were reciprocated, but that her sexual needs for him matched his for her and that their desire and love for each other only grew more adamant as they discovered each other physically, turning her into a woman deserving of his touch and care and one confident about her own developing sexuality.

Their hearts were now at ease, any lingering doubt about their relationship now gone the closer they reached climax, the both of them reveling in the thought of being each other's, having found that secluded part of the world only they had access to.

Even when she came undone again they kept going, fuelled by a strong sense of belonging, wanting the night to never end as they continued to explore and love each other.

Their friends would have to excuse them for not inviting them to this private birthday party. And seen as how they still had her cake, they would indulge in it and eat it by themselves, too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thank you everyone for the ongoing support!<strong>_

_**On to the next one...**_

_**-BDP-**_


	5. Departure-Disconnect

_5. Departure/ Disconnect (1/2)_

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><p>"Talk to me, son."<p>

Ichigo was staring at his untouched cup of coffee on the table, his folded hands pressed against his mouth as no words came to him, his mind numb and his soul dead-tired.

Isshin sat back in his chair across from him, lowering his head mournfully.

"She started lactating yesterday..."

The Kurosaki patriarch closed his eyes and folded his arms against his chest sadly. "Another one's of nature's cruel jokes it would seem..."

Ichigo remained quiet, incapable of mustering a reaction to his father's words.

"I can prescribe medication for it so she doesn't need to suffer through that, too," Isshin offered, looking at his son desolatedly.

"Do you think..." Ichigo started, swallowing his tears. "Could it be... That because of me... Our baby..."

Isshin reached for his son's left wrist that now lay on the table and shook his head pleadingly. "No, Ichigo." He knew what Ichigo meant; he was thinking that because the way he lived his life he had somehow caused for their unborn child to pay the price.

"Our little girl..." Ichigo whispered, his lower lip trembling as he furiously blinked the swelling tears away. "This is just too cruel...!"

"It wasn't your fault," the older man said consolingly, squeezing the wrist he was still holding. "It... It just... Wasn't meant to be..."

The lone tear that escaped rounded his grimacing lips as he gritted his teeth, his eyes going hidden behind his bangs. "Knowing that doesn't make it hurt less..." he whispered, shakily placing his other hand on top of his father's on his wrist.

"I'm here for you, son," Isshin whispered with sympathising eyes, letting him express his grief quietly while the house around them darkened as the weather outside prepared for the first snowfall of that year.

It'd barely been 7 months since their wedding last June and they'd been so very happy since then, preparing for their baby as soon as they received confirmation from Isshin and Vice Captain Kotetsu that she'd been 6 weeks pregnant when they exchanged vows. They moved out of the small apartment he and Orihime had shared for 2 years and became owners of a 4 bedroom house with the intention of filling it with the laughter of their children one day.

Everything about it felt cold and alien now, the promise of joy and love eclipsed by a crippling tragedy. Even now that the doorbell rang and he saw Yuzu come out of the kitchen to open the door to Uryuu, Sado and Tatsuki, he still felt very much alone and isolated, feeling a growing sense of shame because of what happened.

What good were all of his powers when he couldn't even protect his own daughter and keep his wife from drowning in her anguish?

What did it all mean? Would they ever be able to surmount this torment, this pain so dark and all consuming?

Elsewhere on the first floor of the house, she took a breath and looked at her companion mournfully. He glanced her way and let out a regretful sigh, shaking his head and closing his eyes silently. She needed a moment to center her emotions and thoughts, receiving all of the reassurance she needed when he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. She then knocked and pushed the door of the nursery open, finding her sister in law sitting on the padded windowsill as she stared outside passively. The mascara that she had put on for the upcoming funeral was now staining her pale cheeks, her eyes red from crying, her body thin and underfed from the loss.

Karin placed the bowl with soup on a nearby dresser and closed the door behind them before taking off her winter coat and hanging it on its back. She then smiled sadly when Orihime's eyes fell on them, their presence only now made noticed by her brother's wife.

"Karin... Toushiro..." Orihime whispered, sitting up with little difficulty as she wiped away her tears. "You came all this way..."

Karin rushed to her when she broke down in tears and took her in her arms. "I'm so terribly sorry, Orihime... Oh God..."

"You were supposed to come back to meet her..." Orihime whimpered over her shoulder, hugging her back tightly. "You weren't supposed to come back for this... Not for this..."

Karin closed her eyes and gritted back her own tears, kissing the side of Orihime's head comfortingly. "We couldn't stay away at a time like this... No matter what the Academy's regulations say..."

Toushiro took place by the dresser close to the door and leant against it with his back, crossing his legs and his arms. "All of Soul Society feels with your loss, Orihime."

Her lower lip began to tremble as she let go of Karin and nodded, whimpering her thanks as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "I feel like I'm in a waking nightmare..." she said, taking the tissue Karin offered her.

The black haired girl moved to sit herself next to her now. "Do they know what went wrong?" she carefully asked, sliding her hand into hers on her lap.

"There was... A knot in her umbilical cord," Orihime answered quietly, staring unseeingly at the fully filled nursery cupboard in the corner, ignoring the pained expressions of her visitors. "She was stillborn."

"Oh Orihime..." Karin whispered, averting her gaze.

"I should've been able to bring her back," the older woman whispered shakily, still staring at the cupboard, her tears flowing again as her hand holding the tissue balled into a fist so tightly that she drew blood. "I should've been able to bring her back... My baby was supposed to come back to me, but I couldn't bring her back!"

Karin hugged her again, trying her hardest to keep herself from crying too when she pried Orihime's fist open to keep her from hurting herself.

Orihime broke down in sobs again when the soiled tissue hit the floor. "If she was in distress, why couldn't I feel it? Why couldn't I bring her back? Why couldn't I reject it?" she wailed over Karin's shoulder. "My baby... My Aiko*... It's not fair! I want her back... Please give her back to me..."

At a loss for words in the face of this desolation this acute, Karin simply held on to her until her sobs lessened, wishing with all her heart for her sister in law to find the strength and courage to surmount this seemingly insuperable agony.

"They say that you don't know what you've got until it is gone," Toushiro began, his teal eyes calmly looking at the snow that had begun to fall outside.

Karin sat back again and lifted her head to him silently, realizing that as a Shinigami in training, she should've been able to find the right comforting words. She was nonetheless grateful that he took the initiative, acknowledging ambitiously that she still had a lot to learn.

Orihime sniffled and blinked in surprise when Toushiro came closer and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"But in reality," he continued with a small smile, beginning to heal her small wounds in the palm of her left hand. "You always did have it. You just didn't think you'd lose it so soon."

Orihime shook her head in agreement, closing her eyes to let more tears escape from her eyes.

The tenth division Captain's smile didn't waver as he continued to look at her with compassion. "The time spent with Aiko will forever be etched in your soul, so it is up to you to decide whether you want to look back on that time with happiness or regret. And it is completely acceptable for you to feel like you can't let go of your anger right now, but realize that Aiko knew that she was loved."

Those last words made her fall back into sobs and he let her cry for a few moments before continuing.

"Her name is a testament of that fact. She was created out of love," he said softly, reaching for her face to brush a few tears away. "Have her memory be one of love, too."

Orihime let his words sink in for a moment before she chuckled and nodded, having seen the truth in his kind and piercing words. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling him into a hug he did not expect.

His arms floated awkwardly above her back for a few moments before he carefully lowered them, returning the hug with a small smile.

Karin smirked at the gesture and wiped away a tear of her own with a finger when their eyes met over Orihime's shoulder. "Thank you," she mouthed to him, receiving another smile in response. "Is there anything we can do for you, Orihime?" she then asked softly, taking Toushiro's hand when he moved to lean against the wall on her right. "We brought you some soup, thinking you might want to eat it before leaving?"

Letting her eyes fall on their joint hands, Orihime managed an endeared smile, remembering with pain in her heart how happy she and her husband used to be. Everything was ruined and broken now and nothing would ever be the same. She couldn't imagine the both of them going back to what they used to be. The funeral was in an hour, and all she wished for was to go back in time and save her baby. "I don't know how I'm supposed to face all those people coming to the..." she said, shaking her head before falling silent and sniffling, taking a breath. "I'm not ready to say goodbye."

"And you don't have to," Karin whispered back with a shake of her head. "This is your grief, do whatever it takes to heal in your own time. Funerals are mostly symbolic, letting go of a loved one takes more time than that."

Orihime smiled a little at her words and nodded. "True..." she whispered, remembering the loss of her older brother and the time and the support it took for her to get past it. She then looked at her sister in law, wiping away her tears with both hands. "I think I need my husband here, could you go get him?"

Karin nodded and smiled back, moving to stand again with Toushiro closely following her. "We'll be downstairs if you need us," she said, pressing a kiss on the crown of Orihime's head.

"Thank you," Orihime murmured, forcing herself to smile as they walked back to the door and she watched Karin retrieve her coat before exiting. Her eyes met with the white haired Captain's and she averted them quickly, not wanting for him to see her resentment in them.

Truth be told, she sent them away because she couldn't take the blatant exposé of their still growing feelings for each other, not when her own heart felt like someone had broken and crushed it to dust inside her chest. She didn't want her husband up here with her either, but she knew they needed to get ready for the funeral and that they needed to talk about how to handle the people coming to the house afterwards, because she now realized that she wouldn't be able to.

She turned to look at the scenery outside of the window as she waited, thinking briefly of how pure the falling snow looked, how innocent. Just like her poor baby.

He found her sobbing with a hand palm pressed against the window, curled up on the windowsill and her frail shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "Hime...?" he whispered, closing the door behind him, feeling at a loss of words again now that he was faced with the raw emotional mess that was his wife. They'd barely talked since they lost their first child 4 days ago because neither knew what to say to the other, the pain to overwhelming for the both of them.

He'd tried to reach out for her a few times, but his own guilt kept him from translating his own grief effectively and he understood that she must've been resenting him for his apparent lack of empathy in light of their bereavement. Yet he couldn't blame her for feeling that way because he knew she needed to place the blame on someone for what happened. And he preferred her blaming him than herself. He would be strong for the both of them if he had to.

She finally turned her tear-streaked face his way and he felt his heart break for the thousandth time that week, forcing his face to remain expressionless when his tears threatened to spill over. "It's almost time..." he said in a shaky voice.

Orihime bit her lips and sniffled, lowering her feet from the windowsill to face him. "Could you... Could you cancel the reception afterwards? I can't handle the incessant coming and going of all those people even if they all mean well..." Her voice was shaking as she talked and he wanted with all his might to hold her close against him, but he remained frozen in place, helplessly nodding at her request.

"O-okay..."

"Ichigo?"

He lifted his head hopefully and watched her wipe away her tears with a tissue from the gilded box standing in the corner of the windowsill. "Seen as how, uh..." she began, looking around the room as she fought her tears and stood up with a wince, her body still healing from the failed delivery. "We won't be needing... This room anymore, could you uh..." she bit her lower lip and took a shaky breath, her index finger vaguely, nervously pointing at all the baby stuff that decorated the nursery. "Could you..." she whimpered, the tears flowing again. "Could you...?"

Ichigo stepped up to her and took her in his arms, having picked up on what she wanted to convey. Her small hands were pressed against his chest as she sobbed and lowered her head against them. He closed his eyes, letting a few of his own tears escape, rocking them quietly from side to side.

Orihime sighed and sniffled again, the familiar warmth of his embrace lulling her back into memories of love and comfort now lost. She didn't deserve to be enjoying this, not when all that was happening was her fault

He felt her hands pushing him away and so he let go of her with a defeated expression, watching her place her hands against her mouth and taking a resolute step back. "Hime, are you sure...?"

She shook her head pensively for a moment before making her way to the door. "Just get rid of it," she whispered, voice hard.

He watched her hurry her way out of the room and as his own despair took over and he gave into his sorrow, he'd never felt as powerless, frightened and consumed by loss as he did in that moment. He was too blinded by agony to see an issue to this escalating situation.

It was hard to imagine that their marriage had been happy once, and neither of them could've predicted that its end would come less than a year from that sorrowful day.

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Aiko: Child of love<strong>_

_Thank you everyone for reading!_

**_On to the next one..._**

_**-BDP-**_


	6. Disconnect-Departure

_6. Disconnect/Departure(2/2)_

* * *

><p>The papers lay in front of her on the coffee table.<p>

The house was dark except for the fire that was going in the fireplace in the living room, casting eerie shadows on its walls.

Her fingers incessantly pushed on the button of the pen she was holding, the clicking sound reflecting the unease and doubt in her heart.

Hadn't this been what she wanted? Wasn't this for the best?

They didn't even live together anymore, so what was the point of extending both their suffering? They both needed to be free from each other and signing those papers would help them achieve their individual freedom.

Nothing was keeping them together anyways and it had been this way for over half a year.

Orihime reached for her glass of wine and held it in her hands quietly as she took a breath and sighed in frustration.

They'd tried, hadn't they? Their relationship had lasted 6 years, of which one was of marriage and they'd been happy, right?

She smiled in nostalgia above her glass and closed her eyes, bringing up all of the fond memories they'd shared, briefly wondering if those papers lying on the table would truly bring the relief she was looking for.

The loss of their first child had thrown everything into disarray, true, but if she was completely being honest with herself and objective about the last few months, she had to admit that the main reason why their marriage failed was because of their emotional disconnect from each other. They'd strayed far from the way they used to be, from the devotion they'd had for each other in the beginning, and from the passion their love for each other used to evoke.

Now when she thought about her estranged husband, she only felt weary and lonely.

It'd been almost a month since the last time she saw him when he moved out and it got easier being alone the more time passed, or so she kept telling herself.

Her heart made a jump in her chest however when she heard a key slide into the key slot of the front door. She lowered her feet on the carpeted floor and moved to stand, recognizing his spiritual pressure instantly now that she wasn't lost in her thoughts anymore.

He stepped into the hall and took a moment to locate her before he turned his head to his left and saw her rising from the couch furthest from him. "Orihime, hey."

"Hi," she whispered, placing her wineglass back on the table before running a hand through her messy bangs and hastily put up bun. "What are you doing here?"

"I came up to pick up the formal suits I left behind," he answered, closing the door behind him. "I have a business dinner with some investors tomorrow and important meetings after that," he added quickly when he saw her eyes roll away from his.

Orihime sighed and smiled softly at his ever present kindness. He wasn't obligated to give her an explanation for his actions, not anymore. The way he spent his time did not concern her. "Good luck with that," she said friendly, wrapping her knee-length soft green cardigan around the black leggings and thin black tank top she was wearing and sitting back down, pulling her legs underneath her as she went back to stare at the papers on the table. "I left your best suits in the closet. They're all the way to your right when you open it."

Ichigo followed her gaze and frowned briefly when he saw all the official looking papers on the table. He didn't need to ask her what they were, he was expecting to receive his any day now. "Okay, thanks," he said quietly, his chest heavy with regret as he climbed the stairs to what was once their room. His heart did a small hopeful jump however when he realized that she hadn't signed them yet.

He was still in love with her, but the loss of their child last January created an emotional rift between them that had only grown the more time passed and conversations with her only ended in vicious and hateful fights. There was only so much rejection a man could take after trying to reach out for her so many times.

So when he left last month to live with Chad in his condo downtown, they hadn't discussed what this meant for their marriage, but he didn't expect anything good to happen when the weeks of silence between them dragged on, dwindling his hopes of being able to save their relationship.

Orihime lifted her head again when he came back down the stairs with a suit bag hanging from his right shoulder. "Did you find the ones you need?"

Ichigo nodded gratefully and placed the bag on the floor behind the sofa sheltering the living room from the income hall before rounding it and sitting on it in front of the table with her to his right. He let a few moments pass them by in silence, his eyes staring at the bundles of paper pensively. "When can I expect mine?"

She rested her chin on her drawn up knees and shrugged. "As soon as I'm ready to sign all of these..." she whispered, her beautiful eyes shining with the light of the fire next to her.

He made an acknowledging headmovement and glanced her way briefly, her small frame so very much appealing to him, his attachment to her still strong. "For what it's worth," he said, catching her attention. "I just want to say that I'm sorry."

A wry smile appeared on her features and she shook her head. "So many things happened, it's impossible that all of it is your fault..." she said softly, closing her eyes. "I take part in the blame, too."

Their eyes met then and his heart beat faster when she smiled again. "I'm sorry too, Ichigo," she whispered, lowering her legs again and reaching for the papers. "But I want you to know that you made me happy. Truly. I regret nothing."

He squeezed his eyes shut at those bittersweet words because to him they felt scathing, only underlining the fact that he had failed, failed their marriage, their intimacy and most of all; her. "Stop. Just stop," he protested, beginning to stand. "This can't be it," he said, reminiscing about everything they went through ever since she and him met; from their high school days to the time when he lost her to Aizen, that time when she almost died in the Soul King's palace and when she started dating her first boyfriend in college. He remembered asking her out for the first time and her telling him 'no', he recalled how his heart had ached, how his soul had longed for her, how his days had felt meaningless and empty. That is, until she finally agreed to date him and they began their relationship and he realized that she was the one for him, that he would never let her go. He vowed that he would protect her, their love and later, their marriage.

He didn't understand how they'd gotten to this place where they were now sitting around divorce papers, numbly exchanging apologies to each other, ready to throw away everything they'd worked hard to build together. He didn't care about maintaining the peace with her anymore; He wanted her back and they needed to get back to the way they were, he couldn't let it end like this. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

They'd been through too damn much.

Orihime closed her eyes in an annoyed manner, having guessed what was about to happen. "Ichigo, we've been through this."

"How can you just sit there and contemplate killing our marriage?" he cried to her, watching her begin to stand in turn, dropping the bundle of papers she was holding back on the table. "We can't give up, Orihime. Please."

"Kill, huh?" Orihime echoed sarcastically, folding her arms against her chest angrily. "I seem to be getting good at that, wouldn't you agree?" she said spitefully, watching him regret his unlucky choice of words. "But tell me though... Just how am I supposed to kill something that's already dead?" she whispered back vindictively, her eyes fixed on him calmly. "Hmm? Just because you suddenly seem to realize that you want to fight for it, doesn't mean you can save it. You're too late," she spat viciously with a shake of her head. "It's too late."

"Well, I can't do it on my own," Ichigo replied softly, swallowing past the heaviness that seemed to have settled in his throat. "If I'm the only one fighting, I'll surely fail."

Orihime closed her eyes and shook her head in denial, biting her lips. "Then it's over because I'm done fighting," she said stubbornly with a derisive shrug.

"Why?" he pressed on courageously, looking past her hurtful words and straining to see the loving and warm woman he fell in love with. "Why did you stop trying? What could've happened that made you want to give up on us? Our future? On me...?"

She chuckled lowly and rolled her eyes and face away from him, shaking her head, his emotional outcry enraging her. "Oh, give me a break!"

"No! Answer me!" He hollered, stepping up to her. "You owe me at least that much of an explanation!"

"Because I can't live being married to you when I know I'm the only one to blame for the loss of Aiko! There, I said it! Are you happy now?!" she screamed back in frustration, her teary eyes looking at him with a fury he had seldom seen her express. The words she uttered next felt something akin to taking a blade to the heart. "How can you stay married to a woman who loathes herself for being unable to save her own child? I feel dead inside, Ichigo. I can't love you when there's nothing left within me! I can't keep doing this, this hateful, spiteful, hurtful and desperate dance we do every time we see each other, I just want it to be over! I need it to be over-"

Her last words went muffled against his chest when he embraced her and held on without saying anything.

Her shocked eyes filled with tears and softened when she felt his cheek rest on the top of her head. "L-let go," she whimpered, lifting her hands to push against his chest, feeling the urge to run away from those strong protective arms of his. "Let me go."

"No," was all he said, not moving.

"Let me go!" she now sobbed, pushing harder and crying louder when her trashing barely phased him. "Ichigo! Let go! Let me go! Please...!"

"Never. Use your powers if you want to, but I'm not budging. I let you go once before, remember?" he whispered to her, tightening his hold on her enough without hurting her. "In the nursery, all those months ago. And when I did, I lost you. I don't ever want to lose you again. You're mine."

"Stop it," she whimpered, bending through her knees in a weak and desperate attempt to break free of his hold. His words pierced through her guilt and shame like streams of light through a curtain of dark clouds and she didn't want him to save her, she didn't deserve to be. "Please... Stop and let me go..."

"I love you, Hime. And I know you love me," he told her, pouring all of his hope, despair, need, anguish and passion he felt for her into his voice. "I had no idea that you still harboured feelings of guilt over Aiko's death. Please find it in your heart to forgive me for not seeing how much you were and are still suffering. Please."

"Stop..." she whimpered softly, although by now her fingers were clutching the fabric of his blue shirt desperately as her tears freely flowed. She'd never blamed him, never wanted for him to feel responsible for the way she felt. It had been her responsibility to deliver their daughter into this world safely and she'd failed, miserably. "Oh God...!" she sobbed, unable to deny that his touch and compassionate words felt and sounded amazing and that she'd missed him during those long, lonely months. How could she have thought that he couldn't comfort her? That his love somehow wasn't enough? He was the love of her life, the man who always gave everything he had to fight for her, the only one who could respond to the needs of her heart without fail.

The grip she had on her anger, guilt and shame loosened itself at those thoughts, her arms hesitantly wrapping themselves around him, her face pressing against his chest and her heart wishing for him to lift her up from this dark place she'd lost herself in. "Ichigo..."

Ichigo closed his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed together in compassion as he let her cry out the months of loneliness, agony and despair she'd felt after the death of their baby.

"I'm sorry," she whispered after a while, taking a step back from his embrace, lifting her tear-streaked face to his. "I didn't stop to think about the fact that you lost her too."

A small, forgiving smile formed around his lips and he closed his eyes, shaking his head. "What you experienced was worse," he murmured.

"No, it wasn't," Orihime said, more tears falling down her face. "What I did was selfish. I couldn't let go... You were in need of as much comfort and understanding as me and I completely neglected you while I was chasing after our daughter who is out of both our reach." She moved in and wrapped her arms around him again. "I was too blind to see what I still have... I still have you," she murmured, her eyes resting on his gratefully. "My greatest treasure in this whole world."

He smiled happily at her and tightened his embrace, letting a tear escape when he pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"I love you," she whispered against his chest, smiling when her ears caught the sound of his strong and reliable heartbeat.

They were looking at the crackling fire in the fireplace afterwards, her giggles echoing through the house as they played at who could burn the most sheets of the divorce document, one paper at a time.

"Hey, no cheating!" she laughed, reaching for the bundle of papers Ichigo was about to ball together at once. "We agreed; because you're so much stronger than me, we'd do it one page per time!"

He laughed and gave her half of the sheets he was holding, kissing the side of her head from his sitting position behind her. She was resting in between his legs, clad in nothing but his blue shirt now that they'd made up emotionally and physically. "Do you blame me for wanting to get rid of this crap as fast as I can?"

Orihime giggled and rested the back of her head against his chest with a sigh. "No..." she confessed, balling up the sheets he'd given her and throwing them into the fire. "I don't ever want to see these kind of papers again."

"Exactly," Ichigo agreed, crumpling up the last few pages of the document and tossing them next to hers in the hearth.

"So," she whispered, pulling his arms around her for him to embrace her. "I want you to come home."

He winced at that and closed his eyes apologetically. "And I want to too, but I've committed myself at work to go on a few back-to-back seminars in Nagoya and Kyoto over the next couple of weeks."

"Oh," Orihime whispered, crestfallen. "When do you leave?"

"My train to Nagoya leaves after tomorrow's business dinner," he told her, pressing his lips together when he felt her tense up.

"Wow," she said, voice trembling a little. "Ikumi-san's agency seems to be doing really well, huh?"

Ichigo nodded silently against the side of her head. "I'm sorry, Hime..."

"Don't be," she said, trying to sound unphased, but failing as her shoulders began to shake and her hands tightened her hold on him. The thought of having to let him go now that they'd finally found each other again was unbearable. "I mean, neither of us expected for us to make up tonight, right?"

"No," he admitted, nuzzling her hair soothingly. "I'll call you everyday."

She turned herself around in his embrace and kneeled in front of him, sighing with a resigned smile. "You better," she grinned softly, leaning into his caressing hand against her left cheek. "I'll miss you..." she murmured with a mischievous smirk, pulling his shirt off both her shoulders seductively. "But not tonight."

He pulled her to him with a wanton smile, kissing her lips lovingly and drinking in her breathy moans as he lowered them on the floor again with her on top, reclaiming their intimacy one caress at a time.

She would have a surprise waiting for him upon his return, the result of their renewed promises blessing them with another child and a second chance for their marriage.

* * *

><p><em>Once again, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for your ongoing support!<em>

_AN: I never take requests and the same will be true for this story. All major events of the plot will be explained at some point, but seen as how I plan and write chapters weeks ahead before publishing them, and as the more observant reader has already noticed, there is a certain method to the seemingly randomness of these chapters. Although each chapter could be a standalone, each one is connected, divulging important plot elements for later chapters._

_**On to the next one...**__  
><em>

_**-BDP-**_


	7. Precious Saccharine

_7. Precious Saccharine_

* * *

><p>She couldn't stop staring at the big man with the funny pink hair, her mind briefly wondering how much she would have to eat to become that big.<p>

"Masaki, say hi to Hacchi-san."

She retreated shyly behind her father's right leg, hiding one side of her face against his calf. "Is he going to eat me, daddy?" she asked worriedly when Hacchi sat himself down on the bench on their terrace right outside their sunroom.

Ichigo smirked a little and sat on his heels in front of her. "Of course not," he said comfortingly, brushing a few of her vibrant orange-brown strands away from her heart-shaped face and out of her caramel eyes. "He's here to help teach you about your powers so you don't hurt yourself or others."

"But daddy," the four-year old girl whimpered, her lower lip trembling with remorse. "I didn't mean to hurt Mamo-chan the other day!"

"I know you didn't, little princess. And that's why you need to learn how to properly use your power," he told her reassuringly, needing her to understand that this was in no way a form of punishment. "You didn't do anything wrong, kitten. Your mother and I are just trying to help."

"Do your best, Masaki-chan!" Isshin called from his seat by their shallow koi pond in the back of the garden. He was sitting with her mother and her brothers around the large, round cast iron table underneath the bright yellow parasol.

"You can do it, Masaki!" both Sora and Mamoru cheered, waving at her when she looked back at them.

Her little lips pressed together in determination and she nodded, encouraged by the words of her big brothers and turning to face Hacchi. "I don't want to hurt Mamo-chan ever again!"

Hacchi nodded kindly. "And you won't, once I've taught you how to properly control your powers, Masaki-chan. May I call you Masaki-chan?" he said, reaching out an enormous hand to her.

Masaki looked up at her father questioningly, mirroring the nod he gave her to the older man. "Okay," she whispered timidly, lifting her small hand to rest it on his. "Hacchin-san," she whispered with a small smile which Hacchi returned.

"Soon you'll be able to have training sessions at Uruhara with your little sister," Isshin remarked when he turned himself around and took a bite from his ham and cheese sandwich. "What are your thoughts on that, boys?"

"I think she'll be a great addition to our team," Mamoru said with a grin. "She's just like mom, so her powers will go great with ours, right Sora?"

The ten year old nodded excitedly. "I wonder which one of our shields is stronger, hers or mine. Does she have Blut vene like me, auntie Yuzu and Adelheide, too?"

"That still remains to be seen," Orihime answered with a smile. "We'll have to ask uncle Uryuu to have a look at your sister if he comes by later, though I think she's a bit too young."

"By the way, isn't aunt Yuzu coming? Everyone else is," Mamoru chimed in.

Orihime smirked at that and shook her head. "Your aunt is still on her honeymoon in Phuket. She'll be back by the end of next week."

"I thought she'd be here... It's been so long since we've seen her," the oldest sibling whispered sadly.

"5 weeks, one day and 4 hours, but who's counting!" Isshin said with a shrug, visibly missing his youngest daughter terribly.

Sora placed a consoling hand on his knee and smiled encouragingly at him. "She'll be home to make you your favorite curry dish soon, grandpa. And I miss her too; she promised to make me lemon meringue pie last June and I'm still waiting."

Mamoru and Orihime burst out laughing at that, shaking their heads amusedly.

"Oh, Sora-chan it's so good that we understand each other," he said with his lower lip trembling comically, exchanging desperate looks with his grandson. "Your aunt has a lot to make up for, that's for sure."

Mamoru and his mother were dying with laughter by then, wiping away tears from their eyes.

"But enough about that," Isshin continued, his expression back to being serious. "If I remember correctly, your Fullbring allows you to change any material around you in an armor, shield or even a weapon, right Sora-chan?"

Sora nodded, "Yeah! I wanted to call it 'The Space Avenger', but uncle Sado and Daisuke said that was lame..."

Orihime chuckled while Mamoru made a deadpanned expression. "It _is_ lame. Superlame," the 15 year old murmured.

"I think that 'The Space Avenger' had a nice ring to it, but I like 'The Knight' just as much," Orihime said diplomatically with a wink to her youngest son, who beamed at her proudly. "Can you give your grandfather a small demonstration?"

"Okay!" Sora said, standing up from his seat and looking around to pick the material to use.

"Show them what you showed me the other day, bro," Mamoru said with a proud smile. "Mom'll love it. Use the paper napkins."

Sora nodded and reached for the small stack of white paper squares on the table, closing his eyes to concentrate. "The Knight; Icarus!" he cried, opening his eyes.

There was a gust of Reiatsu induced wind around them followed by a flash of green light when the soul of the stack of papers got sucked out and remodeled to Sora's wishes.

"It's not completed yet, though," Sora whispered demurely when he emerged from the whirlwind of white napkins with a pair of large white wings attached to his back.

"Sora-chan! Whoa!" Orihime exclaimed, moving to stand to inspect her youngest son.

"That was a nice output of Reiatsu, son!" Isshin complimented him, eyes wide. "And although your form isn't perfect yet, what you managed to accomplish at this age is very impressive!" he said, looking at the slowly disintegrating paper feathers. "If you work on this form, you could fly!"

"I need to grow stronger and learn how to combine two or more materials first uncle Sado said," Sora explained, grinning amusedly when his mother tentatively touched one of his wings and he shook it, startling her. "These paper wings can't take me anywhere."

"Has your father seen them?" Orihime asked, letting her eyes go over the impressive details of the paper attachments, her hands coming to cover her mouth at how beautiful they were.

"Dad was there to absorb the blow of his awakened Fullbring, together with uncle Sado," Mamoru explained. "This was the first form he managed to shift into, albeit with wings made out of black Reiatsu, not paper. He showed us the paper version two days ago for the first time."

"Wow... You've become so strong, Sora-chan! You never told me you could do this!" Orihime whispered proudly, kissing him on his forehead. "Good job!"

Sora grinned back at her and let his wings be consumed by the green flames of his Fullbring before sitting back down. "You should see Mamo-chan's Kougetsu* though, mom! He's gotten even stronger ever since he's been back!"

"Has your training with your aunt Karin paid off?" Isshin asked Mamoru, now sitting back with his cup of coffee.

"Yeah! It was just like dad told me, training in the Soul Society helped me control Kougetsu so much better," Mamoru said with a nod. "My connection to her when I'm there is heightened somehow. I have almost perfected my Shikai, thanks to aunt Karin and uncle Ganju."

"Has she reached Bankai with her Hangetsu* yet?" Orihime wondered, pouring Sora more iced-tea. "I haven't seen your aunt in a while now..."

"I was told that she has," Isshin said, cocking his head to the side in wonder.

"Oh no, she has," Mamoru informed them, lifting his glass for his mother to fill. "She says that controlling Mangetsu* at this stage is a pain in the ass."

Isshin laughed heartedly at that and nodded. "Sounds like her. Then perhaps I should go and give her a visit sometime," he grinned. "See that my successor is treating her well and all that..."

Orihime smiled warmly at her husband's father, thinking of how happy he looked surrounded by his growing grand kids. She felt pride when she watched him interact with them, feeling immensely lucky to still have him in their lives. At almost 70 years of mortal age, she could tell that the pull of the Soul Society was becoming stronger in him and that soon, he'd be returning there to live out the remainder of his days. It was a bittersweet thought to think about, but after Ichigo had told her of the sacrifice his father had made for his mother she understood that seeing the end of his allotted lifespan approaching gave the Kurosaki patriarch a sense of relief after having stood guard over Masaki's legacy for so long. Orihime was proud of her husband and her children for instilling that relief in the former Captain of the Tenth Squad, knowing that when the time came, his rest would be well-deserved and regret free.

"Two swords? Like your dad, huh?" Isshin said with surprise, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What do they stand for?"

"The moon from my paternal side and the sun from my maternal one. One is a large blade and the other is smaller and golden," Mamoru explained. "That's what Kougetsu stands for, Heavenly Moon or Transcending Moon. The merging of two into one, transcending both."

Orihime shared an impressed gaze with her father in law before her attention got taken by the arrival of the tall, chocolate haired half-Mexican in the doorway of their sunroom. A young girl and a young boy followed close behind him. "Sado!" she exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

"Orihime," Sado greeted with a wave of his right hand when he saw her approaching. "I hope we're not too late?"

She was taken into a warm hug and shook her head. "No, you're fine. It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," Sado smiled back, watching how she turned to greet his twins.

"Isobel-chan and Daisuke-chan! Man, both of you become more and more good looking every time I see you guys!" She commented, making the girl blush and the boy chuckle amusedly. "Did you guys enjoy your stay in Mexico?" Orihime asked the girl with the long wavy dark brown hair and the black spiky haired boy, grinning when they both nodded.

"It was awesome," Daisuke answered with a smile. "Every time we leave there, I can't wait to go back."

"Yeah," Isobel said, grinning agreeingly. "It was so great to see the children at dad's orphanage again."

Orihime smirked happily at that, glad to hear that The Joaquin De La Rosa Orphanage was doing well. She then sighed in disbelief at how tall her godchildren had become over the summer. They'd celebrated their 13th birthday at the beginning of the month on their vacation and she was thrilled to see Daisuke wear his pair of high-end headphones she and Ichigo had sent the both of them around his neck. "Remind me your ages again?" she whispered with a shake of her head. "Maybe I should've grown up under Mexico's sun too; I would've been taller!"

The twins laughed heartedly at that, knowing that their mixed heritage had worked out favorably for the way they looked. Although they were fluent in both Japanese and Spanish, they both looked more asian than hispanic, the only traits setting them apart from the average Japanese being their moss green eyes, their height and tan complexion. They were almost as tall as Mamoru now, who by Japanese standards was already tall for his age. Many modelling agencies had already approached Isobel, wanting her to represent them in different fashion markets and her brother already received multiple offers from national youth league soccer teams both Mexican and Japanese for his athletic prowess in the discipline.

"Oh," Isobel then said. "We brought something for Masaki. I hope she'll like it." she then added, turning to her father to retrieve the large pink gift bag he was holding.

"Masaki is right there," Orihime informed them, pointing to her left to the bench where Hacchi was sitting with her only daughter on one of his knees. Masaki had cubes of golden lights floating in between her hands.

"Whoa cool!" Daisuke exclaimed when he saw her, walking up to her a moment later with his sister in tow.

"Didn't Tatsuki come?" Orihime wondered when she and Sado stepped onto the grass to join the others around the cast iron garden table.

"She's in the kitchen helping Ichigo get more snacks to put on the buffet table," Sado answered, waving cordially at Isshin and the Kurosaki boys. He took a seat next to Mamoru when Orihime went to find her best friend and they exchanged a secret handshake before hugging each other. "How are you doing, kid?"

Mamoru smiled brightly at his Godfather and nodded. "I'm not too bad. I've almost perfected my Shikai during my time in the Soul Society this summer."

"Oh, you'll have to tell me all about that during our next training session," Sado commented, lifting his hand for Sora to slap it. "How about you, superhero?"

"I took it easy since the last time we trained in July, concentrating on extending my transformation time with dad, just like you said," Sora answered. "I can last over ten minutes now and make paper wings."

"Nice, little man!" Sado exclaimed, bumping their fists together. "I want both of you to bring your A-game to the next training session. What date is the first Saturday of September?"

"The 5th," Isshin answered, having followed the exchange. "That's in two weeks, and I believe that you guys will be staying with me then."

"Oh right, mom and dad are going on a weekend for her birthday," Mamoru said, remembering. "Are they taking Masaki with them?"

Isshin shook his head. "That's why they had Hacchi come over to start teaching her the basics of her power. She'll be with us."

"How old is mom?" Sora asked, reaching for a red bean paste sandwich from the plate in the middle of the table.

"36, I think," Mamoru said, grabbing himself a chocolate donut from the same plate.

Sado grinned. "Your mom and dad are from the same birth year, so if you know that your dad turned 39 a month ago, how old is your mom right now?"

"Her birthday is the 3rd, so she's 38 going 39." the oldest Kurosaki sibling said, snapping his fingers in realization.

"Wow... Mom looks really good for her age!" Sora exclaimed, making all the other men chuckle. "My teacher at school is 33 and she doesn't look nearly as good as mom."

"Your mother has always been extremely beautiful," Isshin agreed. "She'll age gracefully, if she does at all."

"I hope I look as good as dad when I reach his age," Mamoru commented, watching his parents and Tatsuki step back onto the terrace and act surprised when Masaki giddily showed them the traditionally dressed Mexican doll she received from the Yasutora twins. His eyes then fell on Isobel Yasutora and he smiled gently. "And that I can find and marry a girl just as strong and pretty as my mother."

"All Kurosaki men age well, take it from me," Isshin smirked, making his grandchildren laugh. "And women will throw themselves at you, you'll see."

"Even when you're clearly nearing 70?" Sado joked, eliciting a laugh from the former Shinigami.

"The older you get, the more traction you'll create," Isshin grinned. "We're like good Sake. We only get better with age."

"And you look great grandpa," Mamoru told him with a nod. "As long as I can't beat you in a sparring match, I won't acknowledge your advanced age."

"Me neither!" Sora chimed in happily.

Isshin smiled brightly at the both of them, his old heart swelling with love and pride for his grandsons. "Aww crap boys... Are you trying to make this old man cry?"

"Like it's that hard!" Sora laughed, earning a playful punch against his left shoulder.

Yeah, even a change in the weather has you crying about your joints, grandpa!" Mamoru added, smirking amusedly.

"You little demons," he murmured with a vengeful stare, making both boys laugh harder.

"Yo Mamoru! Sora! Grandpa Isshin!"

They all turned to see both Daisuke and Isobel walk up to them with cheerful smiles.

"Hey, you guys!" Mamoru greeted them, standing from his seat to throw his hand together with Daisuke's before pulling him into a brotherly hug. "You're finally back!"

"How was Mexico City?" Sora asked, leaning out of his chair to look at them. "Man, I saw the pictures that you posted online! Looks like you guys had fun!""

"It was amazing, as always!" Daisuke said, letting go of Mamoru to give Sora a high five."The girls over there man..." he whispered, grinning as he shook his head. "Mamo, you need to come with me just to see them, bro."

Sado chuckled from the other side of the table. "If you put as much thought into your Fullbringer training as you did in girls, Mamoru and your sister wouldn't keep beating your ass."

"Yeah, right. Thanks, dad," Daisuke replied with an embarrassed smile, rolling his eyes amusedly when everyone laughed.

Isshin leaned out of his seat and took Isobel in his arms. "Welcome back, sweet girl," he told her, kissing her forehead and then pressing his finger against the tip of her small nose playfully, making her giggle. "You look very tan, almost as tan as your dad!"

Isobel giggled and blushed. "Well there is a lot of sun in Mexico."

"It looks good on you, Isobel," Mamoru said kindly with a smile as he sat back down. "Welcome back."

The teen girl blushed harder and nodded, unable to meet Mamoru's eyes. "T-thanks, Mamoru-kun..." she whispered timidly, tucking a strand of her long hair behind an ear.

Isshin and Sado exchanged intrigued looks and smiles, but didn't say anything.

A young girl around Masaki's age with waist length platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes then appeared onto the terrace, closely followed by a statuesque, stern looking woman with the same blonde hair, eyes and a pair of silver rimmed glasses.

Orihime and Ichigo stood up from their seat on the bench next to Hacchi and walked up to their new guests with happy smiles on their faces.

"Masaki-chan!" the little blonde girl exclaimed when she saw the youngest Kurosaki.

Masaki jumped off Hacchi's lap and ran up to the girl, bouncing happily in place when their hands intertwined. "Heidi-chan! It's been so long!"

Adelheide Ishida took her friend in her arms and hugged her. "Happy birthday, Masaki-chan!"

"Gertrude," Orihime greeted, taking Uryuu's wife in her arms. "Thank you for coming! I know how busy you and Uryuu are."

"We wouldn't have wanted to miss this, especially since Adelheide was adamant about seeing little Masaki again," Gertrude answered with an amused smile, letting go of her friend and waving at Tatsuki who witnessed the exchange before deciding to also came over. She then took Ichigo in her arms."Hey, Ichigo. Uryuu is on his way, he's having a bit of trouble finding a parking spot."

"Yeah, it's not easy finding one around these parts on a Sunday," Ichigo replied, watching Tatsuki hug Gertrude as well. "Let me go see where he's at."

Orihime watched him go with a smirk before turning to see Gertrude holding up a rectangular gift box in her hands excitedly. "I hope she'll like it, we had it made last month in Zürich."

"Wow," Tatsuki exclaimed.

"Oh my God, Gertrude," Orihime whispered, having opened the box. "We can't accept this..."

"Please," Gertrude insisted. "She's our Godchild, we're here to spoil her rotten with stuff like this."

Orihime laughed a little at that, letting her eyes go over the designer dress again. "I wouldn't even know when she'd get a chance to wear something like this. It's so fancy..."

"How about at our New Year Party at the German embassy?" Gertrude knowingly said with a wink to the both of them. "You're all invited by my father."

Orihime looked at Tatsuki and they shared a laugh before she nodded admittedly. "Yup, that's definitely a reason for her to wear something like this." She then moved in to hug their old friend from college. "Thank you, Gertrude. It's a beautiful dress."

"You're welcome," Gertrude answered, returning her friend's hug warmly. "And it's so good to see the both of you again, it's truly been too long."

"It's really has been," Orihime agreed. "We missed you at the wedding," she commented, knowing fully well that the reason was because of Gertrude's condition and her need to be hospitalized in Switzerland's best hospital in Zürich.

"And I hear it was a beautiful ceremony," Getrude said, smiling softly. "But Uryuu tells me your residency at Karakura Memorial is going really well! You're the most celebrated psychiatrist in training they have," she then said proudly, changing the subject..

Orihime chuckled bashfully with a shrug. "Well, I'm passionate about my work."

Getrude grinned back. "And it shows!" She then turned to Tatsuki. "How many Dojo's do you have now? Last I checked, you were opening another one in Yokohama after winning the national under 16 Karate Championships thanks to your daughter!"

Tatsuki chuckled proudly and nodded, turning to look at her daughter in the back. "We have 4 now, soon 5. Sado and I are opening one in Mexico city next spring for the orphans there."

"So you'll be taking a lot more trips back then, I presume?" the blonde woman asked, following Orihime to the smaller cast iron table at the other end of the terrace.

"Yes," Tatsuki replied, seating herself at the round table and watching Orihime placing Masaki's gift on the table. "It'll be a busy couple of months."

"Well, I hope you'll be here for the New Year Party," Gertrude warmly said, placing her right hand on Tatsuki's left. "I would love to have all of you there," she whispered, placing her other hand on Orihime's. "All of our families reunited to celebrate the new year."

Orihime and Tatsuki shared quiet glances before squeezing the hand they where each holding.

"I want for all of us to let go of what happened in the past," Gertrude continued with a sigh and another smile, receiving encouraging nods from her friends.

"How is your brother doing by the way?" Orihime asked softly, purposefully ignoring Tatsuki's shaky intake of breath.

"Oh, you know him," Gertrude said with a shrug and a small smile. "He's probably gone to find enlightenment with some monks in the Andes or he's surfing with some dolphins in the Pacific."

Orihime grinned back before standing and quickly grabbing three plastic cups from the buffet table in the sunroom and the glass can filled with Sangria*. She offered her friends a cup each and filled them before sitting down. "Glad he still hasn't lost that wanderlust of his. It's something I've always admired about him."

"Yeah..." the blonde woman said, taking a sip of her wine. "He'll be there too by the way."

Orihime blinked in confusion. "Be there where?"

"At the New Year party," Gertrude said with an apprehensive smile.

"Gertrude, things were never settled properly between Ichigo and him, you can't expect-" Tatsuki began, but fell quiet when she saw Orihime shake her head.

"I can understand the need you feel to have us attend the party," Orihime stated in a poised tone, lowering her cup in her lap to stare into it. "But please understand it if Ricart's presence there poses a problem for us."

"You mean that it'll pose a problem for your husband," Gertrude reasoned silently, nodding to herself and closing her eyes. "It's been almost 20 years... Can't we let bygones be bygones?"

"Can you blame him...?" Orihime replied, sitting back against her chair with a saddened expression, knowing that saying no wasn't an option and that she needed to be there for her friend for whom this year's end of year period might be the last. "I'll try and talk to him," she whispered gently.

"I'm not condoning my brother's part in that affair, you know that," Gertrude said pleadingly, reaching for both of Orihime's hands that now rested on the table.

"I know you're not..." Orihime whispered back, frowning pensively at the memories of that time of their lives. "We never blamed you for anything, Gertrude."

The other woman nodded and sniffled a little, smiling at the shared soft squeeze of their hands. "Thank you, Orihime."

She nodded back and looked at Tatsuki who nodded as well. "We'll be there."

"Thank you, the both of you" Gertrude reiterated with a satisfied nod before lifting her head when she saw Ichigo and Uryuu come down the steps from the dining room.

"Seems like your back yard is getting crowded," Uryuu commented when he came up from behind Orihime and hugged her, smirking at her surprised shriek. "Hey, Dr Kurosaki," he laughed.

"Uryuu!" she cried, smacking him on his arm. "You scared me!" she said with a loving grin when she hugged him back.

"Tatsuki," Uryuu greeted her, taking her in an embrace. "How was Mexico City?"

"Beautiful," Tatsuki replied, letting him go and sitting back down with a smile. "How was Zürich?"

"Rejuvenating," the Head Surgeon of Karakura Memorial's Oncology Department replied with a small sigh. "We had some much needed rest," he continued, taking the folding chair Ichigo was offering him to sit next to his wife around the table. He looked at her lovingly and shared a smile. "It did us both a lot of good."

Ichigo smiled at them gently before his attention got taken by the appearance of a Senkaimon in the middle of his garden. "Oh, and here are the last of our guests."

"Finally," Orihime chuckled, standing up. "I hope we're ready for this..."

Ichigo grinned and followed her to the gate, placing his right hand on her left hip as they waited for it to open. "There's no turning back now anyway."

The Shoji doors opened and out floated 6 Hell Butterflies, closely followed by a red-haired girl around Sora's age dressed in a dark purple summer yukata. Her big, dark blue eyes took in her sunny and colourful surroundings and she flashed a happy smile when they landed on Ichigo and Orihime.

"Ichigo-san, Orihime-san!" she greeted politely, walking up to them so they could take her in their arms.

"Michiko," Ichigo whispered happily. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back!" she exclaimed, giggling at Orihime's soft fingers going through her crimson hair.

They let her go when she noticed Masaki and Adelheide behind them and the two other girls cried her name excitedly.

Next to come from the gate were two younger boys, of roughly the same age, one with jet-black hair and the other deep purple, both dressed in yukatas of blueish green.

"Koichi, Takeshi!" Orihime called to them cheerfully.

Ichigo grinned in embarrassment. "Good catch. I completely forgot their names," he whispered under his breath as the boys walked up to them with giddy smiles.

"Of course you did," Orihime giggled, kneeling to take the boy with the black hair and dark blue eyes in her arms. "It's so good to see you, Takeshi."

"This is for you, auntie Orihime," the 8 year old said, handing her the paper scroll he was holding. "I practised with Uncle Byakuya."

She opened the scroll and drew a gasp at the high level of calligraphy the boy expressed on the paper, smiling when she read the words he so expertly drew. "Strength, Pride, Duty and Honour. This is beautiful, Takeshi-chan, thank you! Would you mind me hanging this in my office?" she said, smiling brightly when the boy's eyes lit up happily and he shook his head proudly before running off to go see his male cousins by the koi pond who were already beckoning for him to come join them.

"I want you to fight me, Ichigo-san!" the smaller purple haired boy announced when Ichigo took him in his arms and lifted him up. "Fight me!" he yelled happily from his position on Ichigo's shoulders.

"Alright, alright!" Ichigo chuckled, looking up at him amusedly. "But only after you've said hi to all of your cousins and after we've had dinner, okay?" he told the 6 year old, who nodded enthusiastically.

As he placed Koichi back down on the ground, the rest of the Abarai-Kuchiki family came through and the Senkaimon closed itself behind them.

There was a moment of silence as all the attendees stared at the couple and the small ravenhaired girl who stood there, looking like they'd gone through the valley of death and didn't sleep in weeks.

"Can someone please come and get all these traveling bags off of me?" Renji cried tiredly, his fatigue so great that he threw all dignity out the door.

Ichigo chuckled and looked back at Uryuu and then towards the back of the garden for Sado to come help him with the ridiculous amount of bags Renji was carrying. Obviously he'd been made into the mule of the family.

"Rukia!" Orihime whispered as she moved in to hug her exhausted friend.

"Hey," Rukia whispered back tiredly, managing a soft smile. "I'm sorry we're late... The logistics that involve getting a family like ours ready for a two-week getaway are insane..."

Orihime laughed and shook her head. "I'm just glad you made it." She then looked down at the little girl in the yellow yukata Rukia was holding by a hand. "Hi Sachiko-chan! Remember me?"

"No!" the two year old girl cried mischievously, taking a step away from her with a smile.

"She's in her 'no' fase," Rukia sighed with a shake of her head.

Orihime only chuckled. "Also known as the 'Terrible Two's'. Not to worry," she then added with a wink to the little girl. "That just means that Sachiko-chan won't have any of Masaki-chan strawberry cake later on if she keeps saying 'no' to everything."

"But I want cake..." Sachiko softly whispered, looking up at her mother questioningly.

"Then what do you say to your kind auntie?" Rukia sternly said.

"I'm sorry, auntie Orihime," she whispered, letting go of her mother's hand and lifting her hands for her to pick her up. "I do remember you!" she then said in Orihime's arms, giggling when she received a kiss on a blushing cheek.

"Do you now?" Orihime grinned, turning around to start following the men inside the house.

"Yeah!" the little girl quipped when the mother of three looked back at her friend kindly.

"Are you ready to enjoy your stay with us?" she asked, smirking when Rukia nodded her head desperatedly in response with another worn out smile.

"Yeah!" Sachiko cried, making Orihime chuckle again.

"Okay!" Rukia heard Orihime reply to her youngest when she felt a tug on the left sleeve of her pink travel kimono, lowering her head to find her friend's youngest smiling at her.

"Auntie Rukia, here," Masaki whispered, turning up her palms and sending out a stream of bright golden light particles from them, directing them to the Shinigami's chest, who felt her fatigue instantly vanish.

"Masaki, thank you..." Rukia whispered thankfully, kneeling in front of the small girl to take her in her arms. "Happy Birthday, sweetie."

"Thank you, auntie. We're all glad you're here. Now our family is complete," she whispered back, letting go of her to run back to her friends and Hacchi who were clapping their hands proudly.

Rukia nodded contentedly and stood again, tucking a strand of her shoulder length hair behind an ear and waving kindly at Tatsuki and Gertrude as she passed them on her way inside, looking forward to a well deserved holiday in the company of her closest friends.

She could not only feel the warmth of the summer sun on her skin, but of all of the people gathered in this place as well, filling the house and their hearts with light and love, making this place feel like a home away from home for all of them, one they could and would always be able to return to.

Their family was now, indeed, complete.

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Hangetsu: Half Moon<strong>_

_***Mangetsu: Full Moon**_

_***Sangria: Sweetened wine with added chopped fruit and sometimes a little bit of brandy. Typical beverage from Spain and Portugal.**_

_***Kougetsu + Author's note 1: Transcending Moon or Heavenly Moon**_

_Could also mean Crimson moon, but I prefer the Yin and Yang interpretation better for the purposes of this fic, which fits my portrayal of Mamoru so much better. He truly is the combined manifestation of Ichigo's Black Moon and Orihime's White Sun. Written with the characters for sun 'Kou' and the characters for moon 'getsu'. Notice that I made neither of his blades black, because he has no Hollow powers._

_**Author's note 2**_

_Thank you everyone once again for reading, liking and taking the time to leave comment! Do not hesitate to ask me questions concerning this fic, if you have them. I will try and answer all questions (Not story requests) without divulging important plot points, of course._

_On to the next one..._

_**-BDP-**_


	8. Overture

_8. Overture_

* * *

><p>She was putting the last touches to her hair and make up when her mobile phone went off on her bed. Rushing out of her bathroom to pick up the call before it ended, Orihime hit her big toe against her bedroom door in her hurry, biting back a whimper as she answered.<p>

"H-hey Gertrude," she whispered absent-mindedly, sitting down on her bed and wedging the device between her shoulder and cheek as she inspected her left big toe with a wince.

_"Hey, girl. Tatsuki and I are coming to pick you up in 15, you better be ready!"_

Her toe was quickly becoming a bloodied mess. "Uhm... Yeah!" she said, hurriedly standing up again and carefully waggling her way awkwardly to her bathroom. "Damn it.."

_"Are you alright? You sound a bit off?"_

Orihime sighed and opened her medicine cabinet to retrieve a cotton pad and rubbing alcohol. "I just hurt my toe trying to reach my phone in time. Guess I'm not wearing those new peeptoe heels he got me..."

_"Is it that bad?"_

"No, I'll live, but the blood is coming from underneat the nail," she replied, moving to sit on her toilet flap, pulling her left knee against her chest to look at her toe again, ready to wipe away a bit of the blood that now colored her toe crimson. "Maybe if I put nail polish on my toes?"

_"Just keep wiping the blood away so it doesn't get gross. It'll stop bleeding eventually."_

"Yeah," Orihime whispered back, doing as told. "Did the guys say what they were doing tonight? Ichigo said both Sado and Uryuu were too busy to hang out tonight."

_"Sado and Uryuu are volunteering at the __hospital.__ They're having a Christmas dinner there for the patients without family."_

"Hm... I wonder why they didn't ask Ichigo to come..." she wondered, lowering her foot back on the floor with a relieved smile when she saw that the bleeding had stopped. "I feel kinda bad for going out while he's stuck at home."

_"Ichigo's a big boy, if he wanted to go out tonight he would've made plans of his own. Besides, __you told us you'd be spending tomorrow with him anyway.__"_

"True," Orihime said happily, standing up with a smile when she wiggled her toes without too much pain. "So..." she then said with another grin, walking back into her bedroom to retrieve her favorite pair of skinny jeans from her closet along with a white sleeveless peplum top and the nude colored, suede peep toe platforms Ichigo bought her for her 20th birthday last September. "How are things between you and Uryuu going?" She wondered, hearing her friend's high heeled feet stepping onto stone before the sound of keys and a closing door came through the other side of the line. She quickly placed all the clothing items on and next her bed to look them over critically. She then picked up her white,structured peplum blazer and a silver statement necklace, arranging them with the rest of the clothes on her bed with an approving nod. She then heard an aggravated sigh coming from her phone and stopped to listen.

_"Now I think I know how you felt when Ichigo barely knew you existed."_

Orihime made a sympathizing face and slid her closet door shut to look herself over in its build-in mirror. "He's super busy with work and school, it was the same with Ichigo and those two are more alike than either is ever going to want to admit. They're like men with hammers who see nails everywhere... If they don't have someone to tell them to stop and notice the world around them, they won't." She paused when she heard Gertrude chuckle approvingly. "He likes you, that much we all know, you just have to help him see that his life is better with you in it."

Gertrude sighed softly and grinned at Tatsuki as they both walked around her car to get into it. _"Since when did you become a relationship guru?"_ Tatsuki asked jokingly when they were both seated.

Orihime chuckled back and placed her phone on her nearby desk, turning on its speaker. "Just giving advice based on what I know," she admitted meekly, taking off her bathrobe in front of her mirror, now in a matching underwear set of purple satin and black lace. She bit her lower lip as she remembered the last time she'd worn this little number, instantly missing her handsome boyfriend more. She'd decided to wear it because he liked it and because he'd made her feel insanely sexy that time and she wanted to feel that way again tonight with the girls.

_"Whatever that __guy__ of yours is doing, he's doing it well... You sound nothing like that timid girl I met on the first day of college. I like it."_

"He's always had that effect on me..." she replied confidently, casting a last glance on her reflection and reaching for her jeans. "He motivates and inspires me like no one else can..."

_"And making the rest of us feel inadequate and kinda envious of how lucky the both of you are that you found each other..."_

"Oh, don't say that, Gertrude!" Orihime protested with a small pout, jumping up and down into her tight jeans.

_"I guess that what __our friend__ trying to say is that what you guys have is like a goal for the rest of us. An example to follow__,__"_ Tatsuki interjected, playfully swatting Gertrude's shoulder.

_"Yeah, what Tatsuki said__,__" _The blond agreed with an equally playful grin.

Pulling her sleeveless top over head as she listened to her friend's words, Orihime quieted and lifted her long hair out of the garment with a small appreciating smile. "Thank you, you two," she whispered, picking up her phone again.

_"Alright, so Tatsuki and I are driving out of my driveway right now; see you in ten, girl."_

"Okay, see you in a bit," Orihime replied before hanging up. She then quickly pulled all of her hair up in a high and tight ponytail so she could turn it into a big, classy bun on top of her head, adding her twin flower pins into its side for a cute finishing touch. She hastily finished dressing after that, having barely put on her heels when her doorbell went off. She grabbed her oversized beige winter coat and a matching hand purse from the hanger in her hall and opened her door.

"Miss Inoue?"

The smile she'd been sporting in anticipation wavered a bit at the sight of the solemn looking, middle aged man in a black suit and tie standing in front of her. "Yes?" she answered warily, taking a hesitant step back inside of her apartment. She glanced at her phone and gave him a friendly smile. "Can I help you?"

"My name is Mr Nagakawa," he replied, holding up a folded note for her. "And I have a message for you, miss."

Orihime frowned but took the note out of curiosity, eyes going wide with surprise when she recognized the handwriting. "Oh...!"

"Your car is waiting, miss Inoue."

She blushed and smiled as she closed the note, nodding once before stepping out and locking her door. "Please take me to where he is, then."

"Certainly, miss," the chauffeur answered, walking ahead of her towards the black Bentley Mulsanne that was waiting in front of her apartment building and opening the passenger door for her.

She took her seat in the back of the luxurious car with a small impressed gasp, pressing her right hand against her mouth in pleasant surprise of the opulence she was being subjected to. From the comfortable and heated beige leather seats with the Bentley logo embroidered on them to the polished solid wood panel that ran all around the interior of the car and the crisp silver accents. "Nagakawa-san, did he tell you anything else about all of this? This just doesn't seem like something he'd do..."

"I was not given any further information, miss," the driver replied from behind his wheel as he quietly drove the car away from the curb. "I take it that all of this comes as a surprise, miss?"

Orihime chuckled softly and nodded, sitting up a bit. "Yes, we weren't even supposed to see each other tonight."

"Sounds to me like you're a very lucky lady, miss," Nagakawa commented, smiling gently at her in the rear view mirror.

Orihime returned his smile and sat back in her seat, turning her head to look outside, her heart filling with giddy anticipation, the questions piling themselves up in her mind. She took out his note again and read it once more, grinning amorously as she tried to figure out what all of this meant.

_Orihime,_

_You'll have to forgive me, but both Gertrude and Tatsuki are in on this. I asked them to lead you into believing that you guys were going out tonight._

_You'll have to pardon my selfishness also, because I want you for myself and I can't stand being away from you for to long. Therefore,__ I've prepared something different for us tonight._

_Let Nagakawa-san take care of you until you and I meet again._

_See you soon,_

_Ichigo._

All of this was different alright, but she couldn't deny that she was intrigued because when she tried to call her friends, both her calls suspiciously went directly to voice mail, proving at least that Gertrude and Tatsuki indeed were in on whatever this was.

Maybe he was doing this because she'd be leaving to see her aunt for the Christmas Holidays and that they'd be separated for a whole week, which is the longest they would have to go without each other since they started dating nearly two years ago. He did mention that he doesn't stand being away from her for too long... So perhaps that was it; a special date for Christmas and because she was leaving.

Orihime smiled to herself and nodded, confident that she had figured her boyfriend out and only loving him more for his attentiveness.

They were driving past the Karakura Town Ice Rink by the Communal Park, which was covered under a thin sheet of snow that only added to the romantic feel of the evening with all of its glittering Christmas lights and promising for a night of true magic.

The car then drove up a quiet road leading to a quieter side of the Park a few minutes later and halted on its edge.

Orihime looked around them only to find their immediate surroundings to be dark and abandoned with no Ichigo in sight.

"Nagakawa-san?" she whispered, unsure.

The older man smiled again and turned to her. "This is the destination Ichigo-san gave me. Don't you worry, though," he then said, sitting back in his seat and pointing at something past his windshield.

Orihime gasped and bit her lower lip with a smile.

"He's right there, already waiting for you," Nagakawa said.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Nagakawa-san," she whispered, getting ready to open up her door to the right.

"There is one last thing he asked me to give you, miss Inoue."

She blinked as he pointed to the collapsible arm rest in the middle of the back seat, instructing her to pull it out and look inside. When she had done as told she found two crystal champagne glasses and a bottle of very expensive champagne inside.

"Please take those with you and as for whatever he has planned for you tonight, I hope you have a good time."

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling brightly at the man. "I hope you have a good evening too."

"It already was," Nagakawa answered, tipping his hat to her. "I got to chauffeur a very beautiful lady in my car tonight."

Orihime chuckled in appreciation and nodded before she watched him get out of the car to open the door for her. She whispered her thanks again as she stepped out and turned to Ichigo standing a ways ahead, shaking her head amusedly at him when he leisurely came closer. "You're unbelievable!" she chuckled when he only grinned and took her face in his surprisingly warm hands to kiss her lips lovingly.

"And you look breathtaking," he said throatily before looking up to wave a hand at his accomplice as he drove away. "Come on, it's too cold to be standing here like this." He took the bottle of champagne and the glasses from her, managing to hold all three items in a hand so he could take one of hers in his other, leading her down a short dirt path through the trees towards a freestanding, brightly lit, turret shaped gazebo in the middle of a snowy clearing that overlooked the Ice Rink and the city lights beyond from atop a small hill.

"Did you do all this?" she asked in awe when they got closer to the pavilion that she now saw had been lavishly decorated with Christmas lights all over, some cascading down its conical roof and off its edges into the open spaces between its supportive pillars while others wrapped neatly around them. There was a small table with two covered plates on it standing in the middle of the structure and four pyramid shaped, outdoor gas heater units in a corner each, which provided much needed warmth to the medium sized space. A wireless speaker was playing some smooth Christmas jazz in the background.

"Well I did have some help," Ichigo admitted with a smile when he noticed her wearing the shoes he bought her 3 months ago for her birthday as they climbed the few steps towards the octagonal platform of the pavilion.

"Let me guess, are the names of those people Tatsuki and Gertrude by any chance?" she chuckled, sighing when the warmth of the heaters greeted her cold face.

Ichigo smirked and placed the champagne on the table along with the two glasses. "Among others, yeah," he replied, walking back to her to take her hands in his. "Are you alright? Do you need it to be warmer?"

Orihime shook her head, eyes focused on his lips as he stared at her worriedly. "No, I'm good," she whispered, completely enamoured with her man. She lifted herself on the tip of her toes and kissed him tenderly. "What's the occasion for all of this, though?"

He kissed her back and looked into her eyes longingly while his hands came to rest on her hips and she slid her hands up his shoulders, smiling when he started to move to the soft music. "Well, I'm sure it has come to your attention that you're leaving for your aunt's place in three days, leaving me here all alone for an entire week."

"Oh, I think I saw that memo pass the other day, yeah," she joked back with an amused nod. "It kinda sucks too, because I'm going to miss Christmas with the girls here."

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, though I'm pretty sure there's someone else who you'll miss even more. I know I will. Miss you, I mean." He chuckled at his own clumsy use of words when she rose an amused eyebrow. "This is me showing you how much you mean to me."

Orihime sighed in endearment and kissed him again, staring into his beautiful brown eyes a moment later. "I wish we could spend Christmas together again, like last year. I loved spending the week at your family's house. Me going to see my 'dear aunt' is making me think that I don't ever want to spend Christmas without you or your family ever again after this."

Ichigo rose a silent eyebrow at that confession and smiled gently, brushing away a few strands of her hair out of her eyes. "And maybe you won't have to, ever again. I mean if that's what you want."

She cocked her head to the side a bit, having heard and sensed the slight nervousness in his words again. "What do you mean?" she wondered, looking for an explanation in his eyes.

He scratched the back of his head and smirked in embarrassment. "I thought I could draw this out more, maybe ask you after dinner, but I guess that maybe it's better this way."

"Ask me what?" Orihime replied, blinking in confusion.

"I've been apartment hunting," he told her with a small smile and she gasped in total surprise.

"Oh, why didn't you tell me?" she retorted excitedly. "You're ready to move out? Congratulations!"

He chuckled and shook his head, loving her supportive reaction. "You were too busy with school, exams and work. I didn't want your mind to be even more distracted from your schoolwork than your part-time job already does and I wanted to wait until I was sure I had found something we'd both like."

"So, that means you settled on a place?" she asked, her smile only widening itself.

"Yeah, it's actually not that far from here," he told her, nodding vaguely to his left. "And that's also another reason why I wanted tonight to be a bit different because I would like to ask you to move in with-"

"Yes!" she said without missing a beat, making him chuckle when she moved in to hug him tightly. "Yes, I want to live with you. I want to share every moment of my life with you!"

He grinned happily and kissed her forehead. "That's good, because I have something else that I would like to ask you."

Her eyes opened with curiosity and she lifted her head away from his chest in time to see him reach for the back pocket of his pants inside his grey winter coat and get down on one knee. "Oh my God."

"Orihime," he whispered, his eyes fixed on hers amorously as he produced a small, dark blue velvet box.

"Oh my God," she squeaked, her trembling hands coming to cover her mouth in disbelieve. "What are you doing...? What are you doing?! Oh my God!" Never in her wildest fantasies had she seen this moment come this soon in her life, which was why her mind was failing to process what was happening right now.

Ichigo couldn't keep his amused chuckle inside as he watched her lose control over her emotions while he had yet to reveal the ring. "Like you said only a moment ago, I want to share every moment of the rest of my life with you too."

"Oh my God…" she now whimpered, hiding her overflowing eyes behind both her hands before pressing her palms together and her index fingers against the tip of her nose to look at him through her tears. "Ichigo…?"

"I want to be there for you, always. And enjoy to the fullest whatever life has to give to the both of us," Ichigo continued, grinning encouragingly at her when she broke down in sobs at his honest words. "You are the one I always want to come home to. Your love is the foundation on which I want to build our future together. You comfort me whenever I need you to, even when I don't say it. You put up with a lot of the crappy stuff in my life, but you always light up my days with your unwavering enthusiasm and support." He then sighed and looked at her hopelessly. "And God, do I love your smile."

She chuckled tearfully and sniffled, but let him continue.

"You're the one I love, you're the one I want, the one I see myself having kids with, the only one I can imagine living a happy, fulfilled life with," Ichigo concluded, now opening the small jewelry box to reveal a glittering, white gold lotus ring with a princess cut diamond in its centre. "You make my life better, you make _me_ better... Therefore I would like to ask you, Orihime, if it would please you to become my wife?"

She couldn't stop the waterfall of tears anymore by then and she just stood there, staring at the gorgeous ring with her lips trembling. "But I can't even cook the dishes you like the way you like them!" she whimpered in a squeaky voice before sobbing into her hands.

An endeared sigh escaped his lips and he stood back on his feet with a chuckle to hug her comfortingly. "Yuzu could teach you, if you want to," he whispered over her shoulder with an amused grin. "I don't mind cooking for us. And besides, your cooking is only a fraction of who you are. I'm not asking to marry you for your cooking, I'm asking to marry the woman I'm madly in love with. I want all of you, the good and the bad."

She retreated from their embrace and looked at him with sincere eyes. "And I want all of you, too."

His eyes slowly grew wider at that, but he still needed a more direct confirmation from her. "So...?"

"Yes! It would please me greatly to become your wife, Ichigo Kurosaki!" she whimpered, nodding and giggling happily when his tense expression broke with relief and he moved in to hug her with a satisfied grunt that she answered with a tearful chuckle. He quickly pocketed the ring again and took her by her waist, lifted her up and spun them around once elatedly as they both laughed. He placed her back on the floor and kissed her passionately, nuzzling the tips of their noses together afterwards while he stared into her eyes.

"I love you, Hime, so unbearably much," he murmured throatily against her lips. "And I promise you, I will spend every waking minute of the rest of my life protecting you and cherishing you."

She made an agreeing sound and rested her head against his shoulder, smiling contentedly. "You've been doing a fantastic job so far, just keep doing what you've been doing. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

He smirked and took a step back to retrieve the ring out of its box. "My heart is yours," he whispered, taking her left hand and solemnly sliding the band around her ring finger, looking up at her lovingly when it proved a perfect fit. "Always."

Orihime took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, chuckling along with him when they broke apart and basked in their new found happiness. "You completely surprised me, I had no idea!" she whispered tearfully against his lips before stretching her left hand fingers on his shoulder to stare at her new engagement ring. "It's so beautiful... I love it."

He took her hand in his again and gazed at the ring with her. "It was my mom's."

She gasped and looked at him in shock. "And your dad let you give it to me...?"

"There's no one else we both wanted to have it..."he answered, nuzzling a kiss in the palm of her hand before pressing it above his heart "My sisters adore you and my dad loves you so this was a no-brainer to him. That ring belongs on that finger."

"Thank you… Thank you so much..." she whispered over his shoulder, fresh tears rolling down her face once more. She sniffled and chuckled in embarrassment. "The one time I put on heavy mascara... You pull this one me!" she whimpered, reaching for a tissue in her coat as he chuckled amusedly. "Good thing I went for the waterproof one..."

"You look beautiful, tears and all," he grinned, taking the tissue she was holding from her and dabbing her face dry carefully.

She closed her eyes and grinned back, opening them again when he was done, seeing him pocket her wet tissue. "I'm the luckiest girl in the world because you love me," she told him, pulling him closer again.

He smiled gently in her embrace, closed his eyes and breathed in her lovely scent deeply. "If you're the luckiest girl, I'm the luckiest man."

She smiled and then retreated with giddy smirk. "So, if the others helped you set all of this up, do they know what the purpose was?"

Ichigo smirked back in a very pleased manner. "All they know is that I was going to ask you to move in with me. My dad is the only one who knew I was going to propose to you tonight." He then shook his head as he remembered something. "Well, no that's not true. He's known that I wanted to marry you for a few weeks now because he found the original ring I had bought you in my drawer while looking for clean socks to wear."

Orihime giggled at that, nodding as she could picture Isshin sneak up to his son's room to steal socks. "You got me another ring before this one, then?"

"Yeah," he answered with a sigh, shaking his head at that memory. "I didn't know that he still had her ring. My mother rarely wore it because of how showy it is. I recall seeing her wear it a grand total of three times and all on special occasions."

"Your mother was an amazing woman," she whispered, watching how their hands intertwined as they wordlessly decided to resume their slow dance. "And this ring is amazing. I'm honoured that your father chose to give it to me."

"You're pretty amazing too, you know?" he replied, his lips lightly touching her forehead as he spoke. "That's why that ring belongs on that finger, like I said."

She bit her lower lip at those kind words, wishing for this bliss she experienced right in that moment to never end. "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" he whispered back, resting his cheek against her head when she pressed her face against his chest again.

"I get to call you my fiance now..." she said softly with a chuckle, wrapping her arms around his neck. "My future husband... The father of our future children..."

He laughed and made an agreeing sound. "Well, all of that sure has a nice ring to it, but if we want to get that 'father of our future children' part right we'll have to practice a lot. Like everyday. We're still going for a soccer team, right?"

Her laughter echoed in their oasis of light in that abandoned part of the park while stray notes of the jazzy music sounded through the darkened forest of trees around them.

After they'd had the dinner Ichigo had prepared himself for her, they had another dance while they waited for Nagakawa-san to come pick them up again.

"Hey," she murmured softly, nose buried in the side of his throat as she blinked sleepily, stomach full of champagne and delectable smoked salmon. "You told me that you have the keys to your apartment already, right?"

Ichigo smiled to himself and caressed a kiss against her forehead. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, swaying them quietly to the languid rhythm of the music.

"Soccer practice..." she answered, grinning mischievously.

He returned her grin and closed his eyes. "There's nothing there yet, though..."

She pouted her lips and let go of him to retreat towards a wooden pillar, eying him in playful displeasure. "Does the kitchen have a counter?" she whispered, rubbing her thighs together seductively.

Ichigo gulped at the sight of her, having picked up on her growing aroused state. "Yeah."

Orihime sighed contentedly and smiled drowsily. "Can you bend me over it? I'll keep my shoes on if I have to," her smile then turned mischievous again. "Or if you want me to."

"How soon can you move in again?" he asked jokingly, reaching for his phone to check if their driver hadn't arrived yet.

She laughed heartily at that but soon quieted, watching him come closer to her again with wanton eyes. "Well, I'll be gone for a whole week, but if you were to use your key of my apartment, you could get a head start on the packing. I can get out of my renting contract at any time…"

His eyes had gone back to being serious when he braced himself on an arm against the pillar above her. "We could have your place empty by Tuesday if we get started on Sunday with the gang," he told her, caressing the side of her face with his free hand.

Orihime nodded quietly and pulled him closer to her by hooking her index fingers behind his belt, needing to feel his larger body cover hers. "Yeah…" she said absent-mindedly, already nuzzling the side of his neck. "Can you imagine us making love everyday… without having to worry about anyone walking in on us, or my neighbours complaining about the noise…?" she giggled.

A smile cracked his lips, but he gently pushed her back. "I can't wait for that, I truly can't, but Hime-"

She took a steadying breath and shook her head, suddenly feeling a little nauseous."I know," she said, eyes cast downwards. Even in her mildly inebriated state she could tell that Ichigo was too much of a responsible man to do anything for which she couldn't consent to without her full mental capabilities. And she wouldn't tempt him into doing something he'd hate himself for later either, she loved him too much for that. Plus, she'd suddenly realized that the way she was acting now brought too many shameful memories of her early months in college. "I'm sorry... did I just ruin tonight?"

Ichigo smiled and shook his head, having been able to follow her tacit train of thought. "It's my fault for letting us drink the whole bottle."

"It was delicious champagne though," she whined reassuringly, allowing him to take her in his arms again.

"Let's go for ice cream, what do you say?" he whispered to her, resting the side of his head against hers, smirking when she nodded avidly against his shoulder. "And if afterwards you still feel like getting bent over a kitchen counter I will happily oblige."

Orihime giggled and blushed with a self-conscious shake of her head. "Okay."

"Come on, our ride just arrived," he told her encouragingly, tapping his index against the tip of her nose playfully before taking her beige coat from the back of her chair and draping it over her shoulders. He put on his own coat again as he watched her do the same, taking her hand in his when they were ready to leave. "So, if I want to get you in the right mood, champagne is the way to go, huh?" he joked, chuckling when Orihime punched his arm fun-lovingly.

"That's a horrible thing to say! " she protested cutely with a whine and a pout, grabbing his arm with both hands when they started their descend down the steps of the gazebo. "Wait, shouldn't we be taking all of that stuff we left there with us?"

"My dad is coming with the guys to clean things up in a few," Ichigo replied, keeping an eye on the way she walked over the uneven grassy terrain.

"Oh," she whispered back, leaning against him with a small alcohol induced blush on her cheeks and sighing, feeling amazing. "Tonight has been wonderful so far, you surpassed anything I ever dreamt my engagement to you would be…"

He smiled contentedly at that, breathing a small sigh of relief and grabbing her by her hip when they stepped onto the pebble littered dirt path towards the road. "You're worth it, Hime and more…"

Orihime giggled softly and placed her right hand on the one holding her by her hip and her left hand in his right, squeezing it affectionately moments before she lost her footing over a small stone and lost her balance. "Whoa-"

"Whoops," he commented, picking her up in his arms in one fluid movement. "Yeah… I probably should've carried you from the start."

She chuckled bashfully with her hands against her mouth. "Thank you… Although gorgeous, these shoes aren't easy to walk in when slightly drunk..."

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked her, looking her over worriedly and making sure she was still wearing her shoes.

"I'm fine," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his cheek. "I love it when you get all chivalrous… It's very sexy."

"You find it sexy, huh?" he whispered back with a small grin, now walking them out of the park and towards the awaiting car a ways down the asphalt way.

"Very much so," she whispered, snuggling up to his chest. "You're a very sexy man. My man…" she murmured quietly with another blush and smile.

He closed his eyes and smirked to himself. "I'm sorry about what I said a few minutes ago about the champagne, given your history," he whispered to her after a moment of quiet. "It was in bad taste."

She quieted and looked up at him again. "It's like you said, 'history'. I'm the one who's sorry for bringing all those stupid memories back by getting drunk like this on this special night."

He kissed her forehead as they approached the car and shook his head. "You're not at fault, Hime, but let's just forget about it, okay?"

She agreed with a nod and then turned her head to greet Nagakawa with a grin through the windshield of the car as they passed it by on their way to the backseat door. "Hello again, Nagakawa-san!" she greeted him cheerfully, moving herself to sit behind him.

"Hello again, miss Inoue. I assume that your evening went well?" he asked, looking at her through the rear view mirror as Ichigo sat down next to her and shut the door.

Orihime nodded avidly and wrapped her arms around her fiance before flashing him her engagement ring, giggling at his surprised expression. "Oh, miss! Congratulations! To the both of you!" he told them, smiling happily for them.

Ichigo smirked a little at that and expressed his thanks. "Do you know of any good dessert parlors nearby, Nagakawa-san?"

The chauffeur put the car in drive and smiled with a nod. "I think I know just the place, sir," he confirmed, averting his eyes from the rear view mirror with another smile when Orihime pulled Ichigo's face to hers and kissed him passionately on his lips.

He would drop them off a newly built park side apartment complex 45 minutes later and watch them kiss in front of the glass lobby doors again, excited for the newly engaged couple and their promising future lives together.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Happy 2015! I wish this year to be filled with joy, love and fulfilled ambitions for everyone!<strong>_

_**Dear lord was this chapter difficult to get out there! I usually work on my tablet when I write my chapters, but it went kaput 5 days before Christmas when I was working so hard to get it posted for the Holidays (Thank Goddess for Google Drive). Unable to find a decent replacement for my tablet on time, I resigned to work on it later on my sister's laptop when she would let me use it. This is the reason it took me so long to get a new chapter out, but I figure that getting it out on the first is a promising start of an already very promising 2015. **_

_**Because I will be laptop hunting the coming days or weeks, I can't assure an update every week anymore for the time being, but know that my notebook is being used diligently now, as I always write down ideas and drafts in ink before translating them into text (thank Goddess).**_

_**Thank you ever again for the ongoing support and love and I shall catch you all soon, on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	9. Recurve

_9. Recurve_

* * *

><p>Droplets of sweat accumulated on her temples as she strained to keep control over the weapon she held in her hands.<p>

"How much longer?" she moaned, wincing at the sharp sting that went through her right hand fingers holding the bow's string and arrow.

Uryuu walked around her, investigating her posture and Reiatsu levels closely. "Concentrate, Masaki!" he told her sternly.

"But it freaking hurts!" she exclaimed, feeling the blood trickling down her fingers towards her wrist and lower arm. "And I don't know how much longer I can hold it."

"Just a few moments longer," he told her, taking place behind her and adjusting her faltering grip on her golden Spirit Bow. "Now, concentrate all of your Reiryoku in that arrow you materialized."

She did as told with a laboured grunt, taking a breath to keep her output of energy constant.

"Now aim," Uryuu directed her, taking a step back when he felt her Spiritual Pressure stabilize as she focused on one of the small, round targets 15 meters away from her in the white Sekkiseki wall. "And shoot."

Masaki let go of the arrow and it hit the target with a small poof sound, the Spirit Reducing Stone the underground training room of Karakura General Hospital was made of absorbing the Reiryoku from the weapon as it hit. She let out a soft cry and bent over panting, holding her scorched and bloodied hands against the black fabric of her punk rock t-shirt. "Aah… I thought they were going to fall off!" she whined, breathing hard.

"So dramatic, just like your father," the Manager of Karakura General Hospital commented, walking leisurely over to the target she hit successfully. "At least you managed to hit the bull's eye this time. There might be hope for you as an archer yet."

She pouted at him and turned away from her godfather. "You really don't know how to spare your words, do you?" the 15 year old said spitefully, removing her ruined archer gloves to watch her hands and fingers heal themselves "Just because I can heal myself, doesn't mean I don't feel pain!"

"Why don't you fix your gloves, too?" Uryuu asked, stopping in front of the wall now.

Masaki shook her head and rolled her eyes. "What's the point if they keep getting burned anyway? When are you getting me Quincy ones?"

"But you're not just a Quincy," he replied absentmindedly, eyes going over the bull's eye critically. "Plus, you're not ready for them anyway."

"So you'd prefer me getting burned every time I draw an arrow from my Reiryoku?"

Uryuu scowled as he briefly lost his patience and sighed. "Pain is a part of the process, Masaki," he told her disinterestedly, inspecting the other holes made by her previous Spiritual Arrows, briefly impressed by how far they went into the stone that was made to vaporise any spiritual energy that came close to it. "The bow is a weapon of elegance and is wielded with grace and dignity. In order for you to grasp and master the power of the weapon you wield, pain is but a trifle."

She threw her eyes up to the ceiling with a resigned sigh and shook her head, having heard those same words what seemed a thousandth times.

"Besides," he then informed her, turning around. "I don't think Quincy gloves would be enough to keep your Reiryoku from burning through them. Like I said, you're not just Quincy. You're much more than that."

"God, why couldn't my power manifest itself in a sword like my dad or Mamo's?" she whispered under her breath. "A bow is so lame."

"Again," Uryuu insisted, taking another steadying breath and pushing his glasses higher upon the bridge of his nose, "although you are part Quincy thanks to your father, the majority of your powers come from your mother, so you were never meant to wield a sword anyhow. Your mother wields projectiles as well as her offensive strength, so it only makes sense that a bow would be yours."

Another annoyed grunt escaped the teen and she rolled her eyes once more. "Yeah, don't remind me that," she replied coldly.

"You've mastered the defensive abilities of your powers, but you know that those alone are not enough in real battle. You won't be able to master your offensive ones if you don't accept them first," the Quincy told her, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants. He then smiled encouragingly at her. "Your mom had trouble with that part of her abilities as well, you know?"

"I am nothing like her!"Masaki suddenly cried, stomping her studded boot clad right foot against the white floor and folding her arms against her chest angrily. "And I'm fine with not accepting the stupid offensive side of my powers anyway!"

Uryuu quieted, looking at her with sympathy for a long time. "It wasn't her fault," he then whispered, closing his eyes and turning his head to the side.

"Shit!" she cursed under her breath, shaking her head. "Don't," she whispered, turning away from him to hide the swelling tears that threatened to spill over. "Just don't, okay?"

"Masaki-" he started, but stopped when the hidden door on his left opened and Mamoru Kurosaki stepped through.

"Hey, uncle Uryuu. Is Masaki ready to go?"

Before Uryuu could answer however, they both saw her storm past them and out of the room, her school backpack and black leather jacket in hand.

"Okay...?" the eldest Kurosaki sibling commented with a frown in his sister's direction.

"Have your mother call me as soon as she can," was all Uryuu said, walking away from Ichigo's son, a pensive expression on his face as he looked at the hand that had brushed against Masaki's arm a mere few moments ago. He turned around again when he heard Mamoru's agreeing answer, watching the door fall shut as the back of his hand stung, as if it'd been burned.

Mamoru pressed his lips together when he opened the driver's door of his car, seating himself next to his sister with an apprehensive sigh, knowing what to expect next.

"When do I get to see dad?" she asked him the moment the door fell shut. "Both you and Sora have been to the other side. When do I get to go?"

"Hi, Masaki. How was school today? Alright? Oh, I had an okay day at work, thank you for asking."

Masaki huffed and folded her arms against her chest, a murderous look on her pretty face.

"It's not a good time right now to go there, sis. You know this," Mamoru eventually answered, closing his eyes with both hands gripping the steering wheel.

"That's bullshit!"

"Masaki! Language!" he told her reprimandingly.

"I don't care!" she hollered back. "And this _is_ bullshit! We're his family, we need him too!"

"You think he doesn't know that?" Mamoru replied, his voice ever gentle as he kept his eyes front, understanding her sorrow. "Do you think that him being over there is easy for him? That he's enjoying it?"

He sighed, closed his eyes and then sat back in his seat when he heard her first sob. "He has a responsibility towards this world and the Soul Society. When they called, he couldn't leave them hanging."

"But bailing on us is completely okay, is that it?" Masaki whimpered, wiping away her tears angrily. "Mom never should've let him go. If she wasn't such a push-over-"

"Stop it. I get it, okay?" he told her, scowling now. "You're angry that dad left and that mom 'let him' go, but you have to see the bigger picture, Masaki!"

She sniffled and sat back, stubbornly staring at the streetlight right outside her window.

"We need to do what we can on this side to help dad, aunt Karin and Rukia and uncle Toushiro and Renji, as well as all the others we know and hold dear over there. With you refusing to master your powers, how will you aid us when we need your help? You're the only one of our generation who can heal others. You are of an invaluable value to all of us."

Masaki gritted her teeth as her lips trembled and more tears fell down her cheeks. "Yeah, because of my powers. Thanks."

Mamoru now looked at her pleadingly. "How can you say that?"

"Soul Society only calls on you or dad when they need your strength, why should it be different with me?" she replied desolately, leaning with her right shoulder against her door, but more importantly, away from him.

"You're my only sister," he clarified softly. "Just like Sora is my only brother. That's what's making you and him invaluable to me. You're a kind, loyal and good friend to the rest of our friends, teammates and family and that makes you unmissable to many others, not just me or Sora.

And the Soul Society has called upon our father because he's not only the best, but also a cherished ally and friend to many. They trust his judgement, his experience and strength of character. That is why he is one of the Captains fighting in this current conflict, leading and helping the best way he knows how, by giving everyone hope."

She gulped and thought about her brother's praising words, her heart filling with nothing but pride and admiration for her father, pushing back the resentment it had previously been full of.

Mamoru sighed and let his head fall back with a small smile. "I am proud to be the son of our father and when the Soul Society calls on me for help it will be because of the bonds of trust and friendship we have. And like dad, I will have the option of turning them down, but just like him, I won't."

"Why?" she questioned softly, desperate to know, but still not looking at her older brother.

"Because, like him, I understand that I need to do whatever is in my powers to ensure that my family is safe," he answered, smiling wider when she finally turned her tear streaked face his way, her perception growing clearer. "All these powers I have in me enable me to do so and I'm grateful that I can, despite the sacrifices, so I don't turn them down because it doesn't make sense that I would."

"But what about Isobel? And Haru?" she whispered, shaking her head, confused.

"I love them both more than anything in this world. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to them and I could've done something to prevent it," he replied, smiling.

"But you can't predict these things. Something can always happen!" Masaki reasoned.

"So should I stop fighting Hollows and the likes because 'something can always happen' anyway?" he grinned at her knowingly. "Give up on my training and start complaining instead?"

She sucked in the insides of her cheeks and bit on them with a scowl. "Not funny," she whispered then with a small smirk, not finding something else to say despite herself.

There was a moment of silence between them and he started his car to drive her back to their familial home.

"But I am allowed to miss him, though, right?"

Mamoru pressed his lips together in sympathy and glanced her way as they stopped at a light, eyes going sad at the sight of her wiping away her tears with her black scarf.

"Of course," he whispered back, sliding his right arm around her shoulder and pulling her in, lifting his head to the side so he could rest his cheek against the crown of hers. "Oh, little sis. He'll come back. He always does."

"How does mom do it?" Masaki murmured, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to her brother.

"She has faith in everyone fighting on the other side," he answered back, smirking proudly. "The same goes for dad. He trusts us to handle things on this side, too."

The youngest Kurosaki slowly cracked a smile, realizing that neither of her parents could've made the decision of leaving and staying lightly. It took an immense amount of emotional strength and will to do either. And they had both been doing it intermittently for the past 35 years! "I don't know if I could ever be like that. It would kill me every time..."

"No one expects you to fully accept the way things are, but as long as you understand why these sacrifices are sometimes necessary, it's enough," Mamoru spoke, retreating his arm from around her and driving on when the light turned to green.

Masaki sighed with a reassured smile and looked at her brother thankfully, admiring his wisdom and loving him for being who was even more. He wasn't their father, but he made for a suitable replacement and that, to her, was comforting enough. "Thanks, Mamo-chan. You're awesome."

"Anytime, sis," he whispered back, smiling lovingly at her. "And guess what?"

"What?" she asked, sitting up in her seat with renewed enthusiasm.

He smiled brightly as she heard his stomach growl loudly. "Sora's cooking tonight," he said, mouth watering.

Masaki's eyes went wide and she felt like crying again, this time from the pure joy his announcement provoked within her. "Oh thank God… He's here?" she whimpered. "No enchiladas?!"

The young father of one leaned over his steering wheel guiltily and nodded quietly. "Do not tell Isobel that I told you this, but…"

"She needs to learn how to cook Japanese food!" Masaki exclaimed in despair, sighing sadly when her brother nodded avidly. "It's been 3 weeks since dad left and I am done with the Mexican take-over of our kitchen!"

"Even Sado has had enough…" Mamoru confessed with a wimpy expression. "But neither of us want to take her fist to the face."

Masaki mentally sweat dropped at the sight of her otherwise calm and collected older brother. "Uh anyway… Mom's cooking is terrible when dad's not around and you don't cook, so Sora's cooking is pretty much my only safe haven when it comes to food. I've been begging him to come back home for days now."

"He's taken the week off from Culinary School to help out mom, I picked him up from the station earlier this evening," he informed her with a small chuckle.

"Seriously, you'd think that with a family as big as ours there wouldn't be a lack of good home made Japanese food…" she muttered, sighing regretfully.

"Well, obviously our strengths lie elsewhere…" Mamoru said, taking a right turn into their street and down the sloped driveway leading to the underground garage, parking the car in front of its large door.

"Yeah, well, I'm having Sora teach me the basics this week," she decided, opening her door and stepping out. "You could learn a few things too."

Mamoru got out of the car as well and shrugged. "If work permits it. Next week is jampacked with numerous therapy and evaluation sessions," the physical therapist replied. "We'll see."

Both their attention then got taken by the front door that opened to reveal their mother.

Masaki hurried up the slope and towards the door, taking her mother in her arms a few moments later. "Hi," she whispered bashfully over her shoulder.

A surprised expression graced Orihime features as she stared at her daughter before she lowered her arms around her, sensing a shift in Masaki's feelings. She hadn't been oblivious to the growing resentment of her daughter and the rift that had grown between them over the past few weeks. But though Masaki's alienation from her hurt her, she had understood that her youngest needed the time to sort through her feelings concerning her father's departure. If taking the blame for Ichigo's leaving was what it took for Masaki to accept her father's absence better, Orihime had decided for herself that she would, just as long as Masaki came to her own terms with the way things had to be for the time being.

It seemed that her hopes and prayers had been answered somehow and she felt nothing but gratefulness and relief. "Hi," she responded hopefully, returning her hug with a watery smile.

"I understand it now, mom," Masaki whispered softly, opening her eyes regretfully. "And I'm sorry. You're amazing and I love you."

Orihime's mouth opened in a soundless gasp and she closed her eyes, resting the side of her head against hers lovingly as she tightened her embrace. She then noticed her oldest walking up to them and mouthed her thanks to him, realizing that Masaki's turn around had to be because of him.

Mamoru tenderly kissed his mother's forehead in acknowledgment and walked passed them and into the house, picking up his 2 year old daughter who came running to him on his way to the kitchen with an excited laugh.

"What's cooking, bro? I'm starving!"

The two women in the doorway chuckled and let go of each other, sharing a last smile as Masaki walked inside to join her brothers in the kitchen.

Orihime turned her face to the nightly sky then, sending a reassuring thought Ichigo's way before turning towards the light filled interior of their house, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Author's note<strong>_

_Masaki : 15 yrs_

_Sora: 22 yrs_

_Mamoru: 26 yrs_

_Orihime: 50 yrs_

_Ichigo: 50 yrs_

**_Thank you to all of you reading and commenting this!_**

**_Onto the next one!_**

_**-BDP-**_


	10. Dissent

_10. Dissent_

* * *

><p>"Take your brother and sister to bed. Now."<p>

The front door of the house slammed shut when she threw it behind her, taking a steadying breath as she tried to ignore Masaki's soft request to her oldest brother for an explanation to her mother's upset and distressing behavior.

The car ride back home from the German Embassy's New Year party had been anything but quiet.

You could say that 'explosive' was more of a word for it.

Orihime squeezed her eyes shut when Sora's saddened eyes fell on her as he walked up the stairs behind his brother and sister, choosing to reach for the top buttons of her coat instead while the front door opened behind her again.

"You couldn't wait until we were home," she told him accusingly, pointing at him with her silver jeweled clutch. "You just had to do it in front of the kids? Haven't you humiliated me enough for one night? We had to leave early because of you!"

Ichigo threw the door closed with a nonchalant flick of his wrist and locked it after he heard her angry words, his expression conveying sarcastic calm after he turned to face her again. "_You_ felt humiliated tonight? I have a right to be angry after what you pulled!"

"What I pulled?! You _punched_ him, right in front of everyone!" she cried, stamping her right, high-heeled foot on the dark laminated floor of their income hall.

"You were the one hanging all over that son of a bitch!" Ichigo hollered back, getting in her face. "You, my wife! With the one asshole you shouldn't even be anywhere near!"

Orihime scoffed at the accusation, "Excuse me?" she asked, lifting one perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Excuse me?!" she said louder, angered at the tacit implications her husband's words conveyed. He only stared back at her defiantly, clearly not about to apologize for his hurtful words. Orihime chuckled humorlessly, her disbelief at his attitude rendering her at a loss for words. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she whispered scornfully, before slapping him across his face. "Screw you, Ichigo. Screw. You."

His angered eyes followed her as she stormed off and up the stairs, running the tip of his tongue against the inside of his throbbing cheek. "Sure, just walk off. Nice and easy."

"Bite me! Happy freakin' new year!" she yelled back from the first floor, gathering her gray sequined gala dress in her hands before stomping off towards their bedroom.

"We're not done!" Ichigo said mockingly, hurrying up the stairs behind her, walking into their room scant moments after she did.

"You don't say!" she retorted viciously, throwing her winter coat and clutch on the armchair on her side of the room that was furthest from the door and reaching for her elaborate silver necklace resting above the sleeveless, heart shaped cleavage of the sequined bodice of her dress. "You've been waiting 20 years to tell me this, so let's hear it!" she said, throwing the piece of jewelry into its case that still lay open on her commode by the window. She then turned to face him defiantly from the other side of their bed.

Ichigo shook his head impatiently, biting his lower lip while loosening his silk silver necktie. "You're unbelievable…"

"Right!" Orihime bit back sarcastically, taking off her delicate silver bracelet. "You're the one who is unable to let go of something that happened ages back!" She lifted her head to the side, her seething eyes shooting daggers at his perplexed face. "Your behavior tonight said as much. So just admit it."

He scowled at her, but never said anything as they both continued to undress.

Orihime sighed, shook her head and sat herself on the edge of the bed with her back to him. "What's the point of holding on to a grudge for that long? I got over the fact that-"

"He drugged you and almost raped you," Ichigo finished for her, knowing that she would disguise the facts by softballing them as per usual and not feeling in the mood to use euphemisms in that particular moment.

Her shoulders tensed and she turned her head to stare at him, quietly fuming on the inside. "We promised that we would try and have a good time for Gertrude's sake! You promised me!"

"Does that translate in you laughing at each of his jokes and being all over him during dinner?!" he shouted back, throwing his dress shirt on his chair angrily. "Hm?"

"So you are still jealous," she quietly remarked, shaking her head and standing again after she'd taken off her pumps. "Jealous of a boy who had me for a hot minute," she added spitefully on her way to their walk in closet, the small silver accents in the train of her dress sparkling with each movement of her hips in the tight fitting bodice. "And I'm the one who's unbelievable…"

"See? You're doing it again!" he yelled, refusing to chase after her. "And I'm not jealous! You know exactly what it is that irked me about your behavior tonight, so don't you dare play the victim on me now!"

Her unamused laugh hit his ears a moment later. "Yeah, because I'm so good at playing one, right?" she called back, her tone dripping with sarcasm once more. She waited for him to reply and when he didn't, she smirked to herself with a roll of her eyes, letting her dress slide down her body. "Are you upset because although you saved me from the big bad sophomore guy all those years ago, I'm still not grateful for the fact that you beat him within an inch of his life?"

"I'm not apologizing for that," he said coolly, now standing behind her and startling her. "And I never will."

Orihime picked up her dress from the carpeted floor and delicately placed it back inside of its plastic dress bag. She sighed sadly at the sight of her barely worn, gorgeous designer dress, thinking how much of a waste it was. "Which makes you the asshole, not him," she quipped in an equally cool manner, now moving in front of her mirror to remove the white strapless bustier she'd worn underneath her dress. "In more ways than one," she added in a disappointed manner.

"I only want to protect your dignity, your honour as a woman because I am your husband…I never asked for your gratitude over what I did," he softly spoke, his expression still unapologetic. He placed his suit back on its designated spot in his closet and his dress shirt along with the t-shirt he'd worn in the laundry bin. "I did it because it was what he deserved after what he almost put you through. I thought that this was something we both saw eye to eye on."Ichigo turned to face her, enchanted by the gracious curves of her thong-clad backside and sighing in frustration. "So why are you defending him?"

"Because although he knew that you were coming tonight, he chose to come anyway and he apologized to me!" she answered in a hard tone. She let out a deep sigh and covered her naked breasts with an arm while reaching for her dark purple chamber robe and putting it on.

Finding no words to express his surprise at her revelation, Ichigo felt his irritation about the matter ebb away slowly and he reached for his drawer in turn, taking out a pair of cotton sleeping pants.

"That's why he came tonight," Orihime admitted, closing her robe around her naked body and seating herself on the padded bench in the middle of their dressing room. She waited for him to have put on his pants and searched for his eyes. "To apologize… to the both of us. But you never gave him the chance."

He sat down next to her with a forlorn grunt and looked at her regretfully. "It's just that when I think about what could've happened to you-"

"Nothing happened," she whispered back, turning her torso to him so he could lay his head against her chest comfortingly. "Not then, not tonight. Not ever." She kissed his forehead and smiled when their eyes met. "I came home with you in once piece, didn't I?" Orihime added with a jesting smirk.

"You could've come home just for the kids…" Ichigo replied guiltily. "I know I wouldn't have wanted to come back home with me."

She grinned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him closer. "You're right, I only came back here for the kids. Ricart is waiting for me in a car at the end of the block."

He laughed, realizing how stupid and impossible that sounded and therefore how retarded and insecure he must've sounded accusing her of being interested in another man. She was after all still the same girl he fell in love with; she was still the kind, compassionate and forgiving soul he'd always known her to be. He shouldn't have expected for her to act any other way with Ricart tonight, if he'd apologized to her. And now he had prevented her from celebrating the new year with all of their friends. "I don't deserve you…" he murmured against her chest.

"Maybe…" she replied softly, resting her chin on top of his head. "Or maybe it's the other way around. Who knows? Who cares?"

"I did deserve that slap you gave me, though,"Ichigo admitted, sitting back up and lifting his right leg over the bench, straddling the furniture to more effectively look at her. "And you read me perfectly, as always…"

"About how insecure you felt all night?" Orihime commented softly, sliding her right hand into his left on the bench.

Ichigo smiled wryly and closed his eyes with another sigh. "I guess that feeling like that could've come over as me being jealous… All those people tonight held prestigious degrees, living lives we can only dream of. Sometimes I wonder if-"

"No," she told him. "Never. I chose you and fell in love with you with my eyes wide open. I chose to take every step with you, to celebrate the joys or mourn during the trying times with you by my side."

He sighed and took her both her hands in his. "I'm not a doctor, or a lawyer… I never continued my studies and when I watched you hold all those complex conversations with all of them, enjoying yourself and being the belle of the ball, I felt pride for you, as I always do when you get to show how gorgeous and smart you are to other people."

She smiled a little at his words, feeling for her husband because she knew where his unspoken thoughts were leading him to next.

"And then there are times when I wonder if I'm enough," he confessed softly, smiling to himself sorrowfully as he stared at their joined hands. "I'm not thinking of ever going back to school though, that's not what this is about. I just wonder sometimes if I stimulate you enough mentally. Am I smart enough? Do I keep things interesting enough? Does she feel like she can talk to me about those intricate subjects? Is she still happy with me?"

"If I wasn't happy or interested, I wouldn't be here. You're more than enough," Orihime reassured him, staring at him sadly and shaking her head. "Just because you don't have a degree doesn't make you any less better than those people we met tonight. And I can promise you this right now that I tell you everything that happens at my work, I don't leave out anything because I think you wouldn't understand. You're patient with me and willing to listen to me when I come home from work, so why wouldn't I talk to you about it?" She cupped his face with a hand and smiled amusedly. "Though I hope you don't hate me for simplifying some psychological terms so that you can understand what I'm talking about."

Ichigo chuckled and shook his head, taking the hand touching his face in his.

"You're the smartest, most compassionate man I know, lover" she continued. "Going to school doesn't bring with it the life lessons you've learned or the brutal, yet necessary experiences you've endured as a Shinigami. Which is why I understand why you did what you did tonight…"

He closed his eyes sorrowfully. "I shouldn't have-"

"No," she whispered back, scooting closer and shaking her head comfortingly. She let him rest his head against her shoulder. "What's done is done…" She nudged him with her nose against his forehead and he looked up trustingly. "This is the path you chose to take for your life and I have no regrets for me nor do I have any for you. And I truly do not see why you should feel inadequate compared to those other people, you're the Vice-president of Operations of Karakura's number one recruitment agency, soon to be CEO now that Ikumi-san has decided to retire in a few years. That's quite a feat at your relatively young age. "

He watched her move herself on her knees in front of him before she took him into another embrace. "I've loved you from the moment I first saw you, Ichigo and I'm not about to stop. You're hardworking, generous and kind… A woman can't ask for more in a man and you deliver, each and every time."

Ichigo closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, tightening the hold of his hands on her small waist.

"I almost lost faith in my love for you twice and each time turned out to be a big mistake…" she whispered with a tender smile. "So, once Mamoru was born, I promised myself that I would never doubt what we have ever again. That I would never look back and I never did."

His nose nuzzled the side of her neck comfortingly and she moved her head in time with his, closing her eyes at the gentle sensation of his skin on her skin.

"And I want to believe that it is the faith that we have in our relationship that has kept us going all these years," she murmured leaning back a bit to take his face in her hands and have him look at her. "Not money, fancy careers or prestigious degrees. I don't think we'd be here otherwise, together in this beautiful house, with our three beautiful children."

"You're right…" he admitted throatily, eyes full of gratitude. Without hurting his pride or his self-confidence she'd managed to help him shake off his insecurities and he couldn't believe that this amazing woman was his. "You're absolutely right…"

She ran her hands through his chin length orange mane, her eyes turned soft. "Damn right I am, mister," she whispered against his lips, kissing them tenderly after. "I love you, always," she told him, looking him in the eyes seriously. "There will never be anyone else but you."

His eyes reflected the desperation he saw in hers and he nodded solemnly, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder again when his arms closed around her in another embrace. She and their children were what anchored him to this life, he knew. He'd always perceived Ricart as a treat to his wife and their marriage and seeing him tonight had made his protective instincts kick in. To fight to preserve what they had was what he'd promised himself he'd do, he would devote his entire being into providing and protecting his family, no matter what the cost. He couldn't imagine his life without them in it. It simply did not compute. "I don't know how I would ever manage to function without you, Hime… If I ever lost you, or the kids-""

"As long as you keep coming back home to me," she interrupted him, caressing the back of her hand against his cheek when she moved to get off the bench. She took the two fancy hair pins that kept her hair up in a messy, curly updo out and shook her lustrous hair free. "You have nothing to worry about," she finished, pulling the sash of her robe loose.

Ichigo lifted his eyes up to hers questioningly as he un-straddled the bench and then smirked when she lifted an eyebrow as her silent invitation. He reached for the folds of her robe and licked his lips while pulling her closer to stand in between his spread thighs.

The feel of his calloused hands running up her bare sides had her throw her head back in anticipatory pleasure. "You're my rock, Ichigo," she murmured with a small gasp when his lips landed on her stomach and worshipped her sensitive skin there. "I can't see a me without you…"

Their eyes met once more and she lost her breath at the pure intensity of the desire mirrored in his. He took her left nipple in his mouth and suckled on it for but a brief moment before his lips crashed with hers in a demanding kiss.

Breaking the kiss with a trembling gasp, Orihime freed herself from his hold and took a few steps back, her half exposed chest heaving out of breathlessness, her lips that were once colored a deep, matte red now swollen and glistening. She brought a finger to her mouth and took a moment to listen and assert the state of the other Reiatsu's in the house before they were to continue on their current course. "The moment they felt us reconcile they all calmed down. Only Mamoru is still up. Should we wait?"

Ichigo smirked and shrugged. "The walls in this house are pretty thick, but I do intend on making you scream."

She faced him again and grinned in turn. "Shall we test them, then?" She made a beckoning gesture with her right index finger and walked out of the closet giddily, taking off her thong and leaving it in the middle of their bedroom when she sensed him following.

Quickly closing the door to their room and locking it, she turned in time to see him pick up her underwear from the floor to twirl it around his finger. "Did you lose something, miss?"

Orihime smiled and leant against the door seductively, careful to hold the folds of her robe in such a manner that a deep cleavage ran all the way down to her belly button. "I don't know, did I?" she bit her lower lip and pushed herself away from the door, letting go of the purple garment completely when leisurely she began to make her way to him, the shiny fabric of her robe billowing behind her as she went. "Don't really feel like putting it back on anyway," she said sultrily, eyes gazing at him and his deliciously defined, beautifully built torso intently.

She stopped in front of him and took off the robe, following his gaze when it went over what was being offered to him. Her thong landed somewhere behind him when he threw it away absentmindedly.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he murmured, mouth watering at the sight of her generously plump breasts, the perfect rounding of her ass and salacious curves of her proportionate waist. Even after 3 kids, she was still the sexiest woman alive in his book.

She hummed in approval and took another step closer, hooking her thumbs over the rim of his sleeping pants and underwear, slowly pulling both garments down until gravity did the rest of the work for her.

She let one assenting eye fall on his muscular body and bit her lower lip, the thought of all those muscles working together to procure her sexual bliss only adding to her dangerously aroused state. His penis was ready and very much willing, the sight of it making her mouth water as well as other more downward situated places. "And yours is a naked sight that never ceases to amaze…"

He waited for her lips to be in his reach again before he pounced, stealing a deep kiss from her while his hands roamed, squeezed and pulled, the feeling of her naked body against his sending his mind reeling with want. "I need you…" he panted in her ear, wincing at a pleasurable stroke and licking the lobe. "Right the fuck now."

She grinned and took a small step back, coaxing him to turn around and step out of the clothes that had gathered around his feet. She met his questioning gaze with a mischievous one and then lifted herself on her toes to lick his lips with the tip of her tongue wantonly. "Lay back, lover," she murmured, pushing him onto the bed behind him. "Let me take care of you tonight."

Ichigo let himself fall back onto their bed with a self-indulgent smirk, moving his body upwards towards the center in anticipation when she threw her head and hair back sexily, looking at him with a fervor bordering on the predatory. He then quickly pushed the decorative pillows from their bed and propped himself against the headboard to enjoy the show.

"Let me show you how much I appreciate you, so you never forget," she throatily whispered, folding her arms against her breasts teasingly and swaying her hips seductively to an imaginary tune. "I want to show you how grateful and dedicated to you I am. How hot and wet the thought of you still makes me."

His teeth sank into his lower lip at the sight of her voluptuous form gyrating sexily just for him, his breath halting in his throat when she turned around and pulled her long caramel brown hair to one side, her red lips curling into a deliberate smirk over her shoulder when she began rolling movements with her hips. She knew that he loved the sight of her naked back, from her well-toned back muscles and the sensual crease running in between them, to her firm heart shaped buttocks. He also knew that she was proud of the shape of her body, they'd spent months training it back into shape together after the birth of their daughter and still worked out a few times a week to this day. "You're going to kill me, Hime," he murmured wantonly, wincing at the soft twitch his erection gave in agreement.

"It's all for you, lover. And I love it when you watch me," she whispered with one hand in her hair and the other on a hip. She grinned then, seeing him being completely mesmerized by her bouncing breasts when she continued to dance quietly by herself. "Don't you like what you see?" she asked naughtily, now lowering herself on her hands to climb onto the bed and crawl on top of him. Her predatory eyes left his when she lowered her head to kiss her way up his left thigh, making sure that her breasts brushed against his skin as she went, moaning in time with him at the delicious sensations that coursed through the both of them.

"Wow, look at you..." she whispered breathlessly with a giggle when she was face to face with the proud evidence of his arousal. The size of it along with the smell and sight of the pearly drops of pre-cum crowning it made her mind go blank and she had enclosed her swollen lips around it before she knew what she was doing, her need to please him overriding any other thought.

He was watching her through half closed eyelids, his chest heaving and every muscle in his body struggling to keep him from throwing her down on their bed and taking her hard and fast, with her hands pinned against mattress. He pulled her long hair back in between pleasured gasps and groans, finding her piercing eyes on him while her mouth diligently worked on his length and her tongue lewdly conveyed her mounting desire in hard, flickering and consistent licks. "Oh fuck…" was all he could muster as his eyes rolled upwards and he pressed them closed.

She moaned deep in her throat when she felt him throb, keeping an eye on his bodily reactions to gauge his level of arousal. Orihime then let go of him with a popping sound of her lips, grinning sultrily at him before taking him back inside her mouth as deep as she could, bobbing her head in earnest now, determined to give him the best oral pleasure she'd ever given him.

"Hime…" He groaned through gritted teeth, sucking in a shaky breath. He almost hated how good she'd gotten at this, because even after 20 years, he couldn't last as long as he wanted to whenever she loved him orally. And he understood that she wanted to give him all the pleasure tonight, but he prefered to have her enjoying herself too. The sex was always better when they both gave, received and connected with each other on a higher level. And then there was the way tonight went, so he needed to redeem himself to her.

The tense tone in his voice told her enough and she released him, lifting her head up to him questioningly.

"I don't want to do this if you're not with me, not tonight," Ichigo said, voice low. He reached out a hand for her. "Giddy up."

She moved back on all fours nimbly and crawled upwards again, placing her hands on each side of his head, keeping their eyes locked when he placed both his hands on her hips and coaxed them down. He kept looking at her when her body trembled a little, his tip pushing against her moist entrance and his mouth falling open as she slowly sucked in a breath through her teeth while their bodies joined and he sheathed himself deeply within her.

"Oh God yes…" she purred with her eyes closed, hips already beginning to roll on top of his needily.

He watched her body move sensually, both his hands cupping her ass to assist her grinding motions so they could synchronize the rocking of their bodies. When her eyes finally opened with that newfound wonder of how good their joining felt, he pulled her down on him by her neck to connect their lips, drink in her breathy moans and match her furious need with his own.

Giving his lips a last feline lick, Orihime sat up and shook all of her hair back so she could give him a full frontal look of her body when she leant back with her hands on his thighs and swirled her hips. "Just watch me…"

It wasn't like there was much of his body he actively controlled at this point, it was moving instinctively anyway, his eyes drunkenly staring at her movements with his mouth hanging open for the occasional sharp intake of much needed air. "Just like that, Hime…" he murmured, hands sliding up her hips to grab onto her jutting breasts.

She joined her hands with his on her chest, throwing her head back while her hips tirelessly worked on him, ever going faster, her subdued gasps of pleasure seemingly echoing all around them. "Feels so good… so good..."

He grunted agreeingly, completely lost in the pleasure she was procuring him. And it wasn't that he did not like her on top, he loved it, but as he continued to watch her sob and mewl in delight, he knew that she wouldn't mind what he wanted to do to her next before he couldn't hold his orgasm at bay any longer.

Orihime felt him sit up and take her face in his hands before kissing her lips. She smiled and opened her eyes, already knowing what he wanted. She loosely wrapped her arms around him, smile growing wider when he rolled them over the bed so he was on top. Their lips crashed back onto each other, their tongues rubbing, licking and teasing.

Ichigo then pulled out of her and sat up on his knees, tapping one of her thighs playfully. She bit her lip with a knowing grin and slowly turned around on her belly, lifting herself up on her knees sensually, throwing her damp hair over one shoulder invitingly.

His lips landed on her exposed shoulder when he moved to stand behind her, his thighs enclosing hers as she leant the back of her head against one of his shoulders. Her left hand took hold of his cupping her left breast while her other hand intertwined with his on her lower belly.

"You looked absolutely stunning tonight...The moment I saw you in that dress, I've wanted to fuck you like this…" he murmured in her ear, already pressing himself inside of her, smirking darkly at her quivering moan when he shoved the last of his inches within her. "Making you mine, over and over and over again…" he said, groaning possessively when her inner walls contracted around him. This was the position she liked best and he was well aware of that. There was a certain masochistic side to her, he had discovered, that liked to be subjected to his dominance, strength and raw sexual cravings.

And just the sight and thought of that alluring back of hers as he drove into her again and again drove him wild. "Bend over," he demanded throatily.

Barely had she done what he demanded of her, that he pulled her hips to his, filling her up to the hilt. "God…!" she gasped, gritting her teeth at the sweet agony of having him so deep within her. She managed to catch her breath after he left her panting for a few moments, before the next set of whipping thrusts left her sobbing her pleasure into the covers, her hands fisting the fabric desperately.

The ripples that ran up her buttocks each time he banged his pelvis against her had a hypnotizing effect on him and he couldn't stop the oncoming waves that would lead to his inevitable climax any longer. "I love you so much, my Hime…"

Orihime had no breath to answer, her voice otherwise occupied with the incessant whiny moans and sobs his rough loving obliged out of her. Her body was at his mercy and she loved it, revelled in it, pushing back whenever her trembling arms allowed her to. "So deep…" she groaned, one side of her face pressed against the mattress while her right hand snaked in between her legs to touch herself. "Please don't stop…" she whimpered, her own arousal now skyrocketing with the added play of her own fingers.

Throwing his head back with a grunt at the way she spasmed and tightened around him, Ichigo grabbed her by a shoulder and pulled her back against him, needing to slow things down for her continued pleasure. His right hand joined hers against her soaked womanhood and he mimicked her fevered motions there, his own feverish hip pumping reduced to a slow, methodical and hard grind, every inch of her inner walls rubbing against his shaft, fuelling their arousal just as much, albeit at a slower rate.

Her lips were searching for his over her shoulder and he indulged her, kissing her lovingly and staring at her kissing him back, so completely in love with this woman who gave him her all every time he needed her. She accepted him completely for the person he was and after nearly 20 years of marriage he could say that he'd lived the life he'd dreamt of living when they promised eternal loyalty to each other that summer evening all those years ago. She was the one promised for him, his soul mate; his one and only.

"Hime…?"

She nodded, her eyes still closed and body still shaking with each thrust. "Give it to me," she moaned, gasping a moment later when he spilled his warmth deep within her.

He did not stop pushing in and out of her, instead following her down when she lowered herself back on her hands and knees and further, laying his body on top of hers lightly.

Tilting her head back when his lips landed on her shoulder again, Orihime watched how his hands glided over hers on the bed and their fingers again intertwined and closed together. He had her pinned against the mattress with his body and he was grinding into her sensually, their perspiration mingling with each other, skin now sliding over skin erotically.

He moved slightly off of her and grabbed her by the crook of her left knee, lifting the limb to give him easier access when she rolled onto her side. Her could feel her body tense up, so he knew that she was close.

And just then, after but a few strokes, her orgasm crashed down on her, and she bit back the scream that bubbled up in her throat. She fell back onto the bed with a soft whimper and a smile, rolling over onto her stomach to grin at him coyly, finding him laying on his back with a worn out look on his face as he panted in silence.

Orihime moved closer and pressed her lips against the sweaty curve of his right shoulder, before lifting her head to look at him beseechingly, waiting for his attention to be back on her so he could kiss her languidly to finalize their reconciliation.

Ichigo then ran a hand through her messy and damp locks and smiled, "I don't know about you, but I could really go for a shower right about now."

She grinned mischievously and then jumped out of the bed. "Last one there, washes my hair!" she called, already halfway across the room.

He lazily moved onto his feet with a laugh. "Oh yeah?" he replied, sauntering towards their bathroom to join his beautiful wife under the warm stream of water she already had running, not minding having to wash her hair one bit.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thank you for the support! Onto the next one!<strong>_

_**-BDP-**_


	11. Kiss & Tell

_11. Kiss & Tell_

* * *

><p>"In a storeroom, behind my brother's office in the 6th Squad barracks. I was pressed against a wall, naked and he was doing me with his hakama around his ankles."<p>

"You're kidding."

Rukia placed her glass of red wine on the coffee table and shook her head, sitting back against the sofa with a delighted chuckle.

"Did you guys get caught?" Rangiku asked, pulling her feet underneath her on the sofa, scooting closer to her Shinigami colleague. "It must've been super hot…"

Yoruichi chuckled to herself at the blonde's comment and took a sip from her cup of sake, sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor next to the one leg Orihime had dangling over the edge of the sofa she, Yuzu and Tatsuki were sharing. "If you and Renji had been caught, I would've heard about it for sure," the former Commander of the Soul Society Stealth Forces commented, grinning knowingly.

"So, you weren't caught," Karin deduced smugly, sitting across from Yoruichi on a pillow on the carpeted floor and reaching for a cheese cracker on the coffee table.

"No, we did not," Rukia smirked. "But it was the most exciting sex Renji and I ever had."

Tatsuki smiled and bit her lower lip. "So, how long has it been?"

"That was before Sachiko was born…" Rukia answered before her expression turned pensive. "Come to think of it, it might have been how she was conceived… Two years ago." She then closed her eyes and sighed. "Between Renji's ever growing responsibilities as a lieutenant and me taking care of the household and the children, we barely have time to ourselves anymore, and it's put a strain on our marriage and our intimacy. We desperately needed this getaway. It's already helped us a lot just being here and being able to relax."

"Use your last week off in the real world to discover each other again," Orihime suggested with a wink. "Ichigo and I are taking all the kids to the amusement park tomorrow, so use that time to make use of every surface of this house however you deem fit."

All the women giggled and laughed, grinning to each other when they heard their men roar with laughter on the patio.

"Their conversation must be just as interesting as ours," Rangiku commented, standing up to refill her cup with sake.

"How about you and Shuhei, Rangiku-san?" Karin wondered with a gleeful smirk. "What is the most exciting sex you two have ever had?"

Rangiku looked back at Ichigo's younger sister amusedly and shrugged. "As most of you know, Shuhei isn't the type of man who wears his passions on his sleeve. He always needs a bit of..."

"Persuasion?" Orihime added, sharing a smirk with Yuzu who was resting her head on her right shoulder.

Rangiku shook her head coyly and picked up her filled cup to return to her seat next to Rukia on the couch sheltering the living room from the income hall. "I was going to say extortion."

"You blackmail him into having sex with you?" Rukia inquired with raised eyebrows, bending over in her seat to reach for the plate of cheese crackers Karin was holding up for her.

"I find it hard to believe that you'd have to resort to something like that…" Tatsuki added, taking a sip from the red wine glass she was nursing on her lap, making herself more comfortable in her corner of the couch. "I mean, look at you."

Rangiku chuckled and tucked a strand of her shoulder length honey-blonde hair behind an ear. "I don't know," she confessed with a shrug. "It's kind of a welcome change of pace."

Karin smiled knowingly and looked down into her lap pensively. "Now you're the one doing all the chasing?"

Orihime switched her gaze from her sister in law to a now blushing Rangiku. "And you're no longer constrained by doubt either, I suppose. Now you know that the guy you like actually loves you back."

Rangiku giggled to herself. "Though sometimes I wish he'd be more direct when it comes to making love to me."

"Don't you guys have sex on the regular?" Yuzu asked softly, lifting her head from Orihime's shoulder.

"Oh no, they do. Loudly," Karin confirmed dryly, sipping from her beer and making all the other women laugh.

"He venerates the ground you step on, doesn't he?" Yoruichi reasoned, waiting for Rangiku to confirm with a nod. "And when you do get down to it, he's a complete beast, right?"

Rangiku nodded again. "When you see what kind of relationship he used to have with his Zanpakuto it makes sense."

"What a complicated man," Rukia commented. "Yet judging by the way Karin has been chiming into the conversation, it's safe to conclude that there is a good sex story lying in wait."

"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" the lieutenant of the tenth Division teased, grinning at Karin.

"Toushiro and I had returned from a recon mission near the outskirts of the 62nd Rukongai District and I was literally itching to take a bath after 3 days," Karin began, smile widening itself when she saw the anticipatory reactions of her friends. "Who do you think we found in the Captain's personal bath in the Division House, going at it all shiny and wet?"

"No way!" Rukia chuckled as Tatsuki and Yoruichi shrieked with laughter.

"What position were they in?" Orihime asked lecherously, making everyone laugh once again and Tatsuki exclaim her amused surprise at her unexpected directness.

"What has my brother done to you?" Yuzu whispered, giggling.

Orihime grinned and shrugged. "But what…? It's an important piece of information if we're to imagine it going down!" she said in her own defense.

"I completely agree!" Yoruichi chimed in, tapping Orihime's knee approvingly. "So, tell us what position you were in and do not spare the details, please!" she demanded, eyes staring intently at the tall blonde.

"Well…" Rangiku started, taking a moment to think about it. "I remember 'the girls' being out and soapy and splashing water everywhere as Shuhei was taking me from behind… all rough and fast and..." She grinned to herself at the memory, sitting back with a sigh. "God, I love it when a man is so worked up that he just takes you hard and makes your entire body just… surrender to him and do whatever he wants with it, am I right, girls?"

"There's nothing like it…" Orihime agreed, voice soft and eyes closed, teeth sinking into her lower lip as she reminisced. "Sex doesn't get much better than that…"

"Make up sex is right up there too, though," Yoruichi added gleefully, enjoying the blushing and embarrassed expressions of the Kurosaki sisters, Rukia and Tatsuki.

Rangiku leaned forward towards the 3rd seat Officer of her Division, smirking. "So now tell us, Karin-chan, what are you and our Captain up to when you think no one is watching?"

The oldest of the Kurosaki twins huffed and chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through her shoulder-length ebony locks. "I can't share stuff like that… my husband is a respected Captain, I can't just reveal what he and I do behind closed doors…"

Yoruichi grabbed a cashew nut from the mixed nuts bowl and hit Karin with it square in her forehead. "Nah uh, spill it, sister!"

"You are not getting away with that pitiful excuse," Rukia agreed with a chuckle, watching Karin rub her forehead in an annoyed manner.

"Yeah, tell us what Toushiro's like in the sack!" Orihime giggled, reaching for her glass of wine and taking a sip. "I'm sure he's telling the guys out there all kinds of things about you, too," she added teasingly.

Yuzu laughed at her sibling, sitting up and taking the mug with the green tea Orihime was offering her. "You better tell us, sis. I'm dying to know too."

"Oh my God! Alright!" Karin exclaimed, grinning and throwing her hands up in defeat. "He likes to be in control, okay?"

"As in 'fucking you senseless' every night?" Yoruichi asked, licking her lips.

"Or as in 'tying you up and using toys'?" Rangiku added excitedly, sitting up.

Tatsuki made an agreeing sound and sat up. "Do you roleplay?"

"No, I don't think he'd be the kind to be into that sort of thing," Orihime mused. "I think he's more the dominant type, but not in an S&M sort of way."

"Though I do see Karin cracking the whip now and then," Rangiku added with a sneer. "Literally."

Karin laughed with her hands pressed against her face, shaking her head. "I know that all of our minds are very deep into the gutter right now, but people come on!"

"Then tell us something good!" Yuzu giggled. "What's his favorite position?"

"Him on top," Karin said resolutely. "What's Jinta's?"

"The same," the younger Kurosaki twin answered with a shrug. "He says he likes watching me when he's… doing me."

"Is he gentle?" Orihime asked her softly, knowing that her sister in law had wished to wait until her honeymoon to have sex for the first time with her husband. "How was your first time?"

"Your advice helped me prepare," she answered with a blush, closing her eyes at the memory. "It hurt, but he was very understanding and patient and he really tried to make me feel good."

"First times are usually not that great…" Rangiku said, shaking her head with a wince.

"It really depends on who you're doing it with," Yoruichi spoke with a nod, crossing her arms over her chest. "My first time was a very long time ago, but I still remember it because Kisuke had done everything in his power to make me feel at ease. There was minimal pain too, but that's because he gave me something for it. I will say though, that having a penis inside of you feels fucking weird the first time."

They all laughed and made consenting sounds.

"I was scared that Renji wouldn't fit inside of me," Rukia said, looking awed when she recalled her first time. "He didn't really know what to do and I had no idea either. It was painful at first, but I wanted him to go on, I was too turned on to stop even when he wanted to."

Tatsuki chuckled. "He's got you fitted to him now."

"It took a few times before sex with Renji really started feeling good, yeah," the petite Shinigami laughed.

"Practice really does make perfect," Tatsuki told Yuzu, who was fidgeting nervously as she listened to the older women. "Don't believe all those books and movies, sex is supposed to be messy and feel awkward the first few times. I had the same fears Rukia had. I had no idea how I was going to fit Sado's schlong inside."

"Hold up. Honestly though," Yoruichi interrupted, halting their conversation with a raised hand, turning her head to look up at her. "How big is the man, really?"

"Oh my God, I've always wanted to know that too!" Rangiku quipped, sipping from her drink with an intrigued look on her flushed face.

"Think of the girth of an average-sized zucchini or cucumber," Tatsuki answered, grinning delightedly. "And about 8.5 inches in length."

"Wha..?" Orihime gasped, clasping her hands against her mouth with a giddy laugh.

Rangiku and Karin burst out in laughter as well. "How do you even…?" Karin asked, amazed.

"A lot of foreplay, a lot of lube," Tatsuki said, tapping her right thumb and index for emphasis. "And it helps that he's just amazingly patient and loving. We communicate with each other about the stuff we like, what feels good and what doesn't." She then turned to the youngest woman in the room and smiled reassuringly. "It's important that you communicate with each other clearly about what you like so that sex doesn't become a chore or something to dread. Have you reached orgasm with him yet?"

Yuzu nodded sheepishly, now staring into her tea mug. "But not every time."

"And that's okay," Orihime reassured her. "You've only been married 6 weeks, the both of you have plenty of time to discover what the other likes. It's like Tatsuki said, the keys to good sex are communication and practice."

"I want to bet that your first time with Ichigo was no short of perfect?" Rangiku asked, an expectant smile on her lips.

Rukia grinned to herself and shared a knowing glance with Tatsuki before looking at their friend, having heard the story of Orihime's first time the day after it happened. "They ditched the birthday party Tatsuki and I had organized for her because of it."

"You got your first time as a birthday present?" Yoruichi echoed, turning her head to Orihime now. "How was it?"

Orihime grinned and thought about it for a moment, trying to recall that night of her 19th birthday that happened almost exactly 19 years, 11 months and 3 weeks ago. "I remember ruined sheets and being very sore the morning after," she said with a smirk as the others chuckled amusedly. "Ichigo and I had been dating for a 7 months I think…" she began, expression pensive. "And I wanted it, but he didn't think we were ready. He took the time to explain his motivations for not making a move for so long."

"That sounds like Ichi-nii…" Yuzu whispered proudly.

Orihime chuckled. "Yeah, but I could really care less in that moment."

"Hime had Ichi's dick on the brain!" Rangiku kid, making all the girls laugh.

"Can you blame me?" Orihime huffed exasperatedly. "I had to wait 4 years for him to notice me the way I wanted him to and then he still wouldn't make a damn move!"

Their roaring laughter resounded throughout the entire house.

"I feel your pain, girl. That's how it usually goes with those muscle brains," Rangiku said, standing to slap her hand with Orihime's. "But you managed to get him to put out," she then stated, sitting on the arm of the couch she'd shared with Rukia to be closer to Ichigo's wife. "Was he a virgin, too?"

Orihime shook her head. "And I don't want to know who he gave his virginity to. It doesn't matter. I'm just grateful, in hindsight, that he knew what to do to my body and that he fully understood the impact that our first love making would have on our relationship."

"How so?" Karin wondered, moving onto her feet to sit on the now vacant spot next to Rukia.

"Well, for one I hadn't expected for there to be blood. It wasn't much, but I'm not going to sugarcoat it; it really hurt for me at the time," she replied with a semi-nod. "And while I didn't know what to do with my hands, my body and my hair that somehow kept getting in the way, he guided our first time into being a very pleasant experience for me. He helped me be comfortable with my own sexuality. And he was right you know? He was right to have his reservations about taking my virginity.

Those months preluding our first time were filled with so much goofiness and genuine happiness, and I know now that that was his way of helping me reclaim my confidence, my innocence… the 'me' that I had lost after Ricart…" A nostalgic smile now graced her features as she remembered. "Our relationship really became more mature and serious after that. His gentle care is what helped me become the confident woman I am today."

Yuzu grinned happily and bumped her right shoulder against Orihime's left. "You bring that caring and loving side of him to the surface, you know. Karin and I told you this many times before, but it still hold truth to this day; you really bring out the best of Ichi-nii, Orihime."

Karin nodded and smiled agreeingly. "And vice versa, of course."

Yoruichi smirked to herself and sipped from her small cup of sake, resting her right elbow on her raised right knee. "I'm just glad that you guys finally ended up together, I mean the boy was slow on the uptake and it really got kinda touch and go there for a while, didn't it?"

"Yeah… I don't know," Orihime said indecisively, shaking her head. "We were done with high school and although my feelings for Ichigo never changed, I knew that we wouldn't be spending as much time together like we did in high school. We couldn't really escape each other in school, but what with each of us pursuing different things after, I just resigned to accept the way things were."

"Why did you never make the first move?" Karin asked softly, not seeing the near identical, melancholic gazes on Rukia, Rangiku and Yoruichi's faces. "Maybe all of that nasty business with Ricart might have never happened, because you could've been together already."

She looked at her sister in law and smiled gently. "You have to understand that all I wanted from the moment I fell in love with your brother was to be with him and protect him to the best of my abilities, because he helped me overcome the pain that I've endured during my childhood and he saved my brother, too. I wanted to be with him out of gratitude, at first.

And then, I found out how much of a beautiful person he genuinely was. Inside and out and I wanted more, but I didn't see myself as someone who was worthy of being with someone so radiant. I felt selfish for wanting to have him to myself like that, when clearly his priorities lay elsewhere, so I decidedly took a step back…"

"Ichi-nii didn't even realize how you felt…?" Yuzu whispered sadly. "What an idiot…!"

"Your brother was rather oblivious to her feelings, to such a point that it bordered on stupidity," Rangiku sighed with an agreeing nod, recalling an old conversation that she'd had with Orihime decades back.

Yoruichi pursed her lips skeptically and tilted her head to the side. "He might have been oblivious to her feelings, but he also failed to recognize his own for her in time."

Tatsuki nodded, agreeing with Yoruichi's words and seeing Rukia nod too. "I can concur with that assessment, Yoruichi-san. He was in love with her long before he knew it himself."

"I agree," Rukia said, watching Orihime smile tenderly. "I've known Ichigo for almost as long as I've known you, Orihime. And the way he acted whenever he was around you, was nothing like the way he acted when he was with any other girl or woman. He always acted with so much respect for you and that didn't just come from a need to protect you. No, his demeanor changed to be gentler and more considerate each time he was around you, but he never realized it himself."

"It was blatantly obvious to some of us after a while, and despite mine and Kisuke's best efforts to help him take that step towards you, he either preferred staying a coward or he really just failed to recognize his feelings," Yoruichi concluded with a nonchalant shrug.

"But then why, when he finally confessed to having feelings for you, did you turn him down?" Yuzu asked.

"Because of the same reasons I mentioned before," Orihime answered, smiling sadly. "And because of what almost happened with Gertrude's brother…" she paused and bit her lower lip with a frown, trying to figure out how she was supposed to continue. "I come from a broken home..." she started and cleared her throat, obviously finding the topic to be a difficult one to talk about. "I was abused for a long time as a child. Tatsuki knows this, um..." she added quickly with a glance to her friend. "Up until I met her and Ichigo, I didn't know any better. I thought that abuse was all I deserved. That's why I couldn't act out on my feelings because I basically hated myself for being the way I was; weak, stupid and helpless.

And then when I went to college, I met Ricart who was a brilliant and handsome, but very complex young man. There was a kind of vulnerability to him that I recognised in myself, the kind that I believed we could learn to overcome together. He made me laugh, he made me feel like I mattered. He made me feel… visible. I got the attention I thought I wanted."

"Him trying to rape you wasn't your fault, Orihime!" Tatsuki protested.

She smiled kindly at her longtime friend and closed her eyes pensively. "The confidence I had built while being around Ichigo and the others had gone seemingly overnight when I became Ricart's girlfriend, because I thought that in exchange for the way that he made me feel, I should do whatever I could to keep him happy as well. I didn't realize it then, but he made me become very insecure about myself and the way I lived my life. When he tried to force me into having sex with him because I wouldn't put out, I thought that that was what I deserved, that it was the way things should go because I really liked Ricart, despite his shortcomings."

"Wow," Karin whispered, looking away in dismay.

"I was in a very bad place mentally… I had completely regressed," Orihime admitted, sipping from her wine. "Things in the Soul society had calmed down and Hollow attacks were sparse and far in between," she then continued, keeping her eyes closed to hide from the pressing silence her story evoked. "So I hadn't seen Ichigo in months, but him and Tatsuki were still in regular contact with each other and he'd been keeping tabs on me through her.

That night, when Ricart wanted to force himself onto me, Ichigo burst through my apartment door and saved me from him."

"He'd felt that you were in danger," Rukia said sadly. "Renji and I were with him that night, I remember. He was gone before we could do anything."

"All of us at Kisuke's felt it too," Yoruichi chimed in with a confident nod.

Orihime's woeful smile disappeared and she opened her eyes. "Ichigo beat Ricart senseless when he realized what he was about to do to me. I had never seen him in such a rage. I had to cry for him to stop and let him go. And then, when Ricart lay bloodied and unconscious on my living room floor," she stopped and sighed, scowling silently. "I got so mad at Ichigo for having done what he did, that I kicked him out. I was a sobbing, trembling, drunk, half-naked mess on my couch and all I could think about was that Ricart would hate me and that Ichigo ruined everything."

The room went silent for a few moments, the quiet only broken by the sound of Sora laughing upstairs in his room where all the younger Kurosaki and Abarai-Kuchiki children were watching a movie. The Yasutora twins and Mamoru had gone out to the theater to see a new action film.

"Ricart broke up with me the very next day and I didn't want to have anything to do with Ichigo," Orihime continued, staring into her wineglass. "Partly because I was ashamed that he'd seen me like that and because I was mad at myself for being so stupid and helpless. Again." She brought her glass to her lips and downed the rest its contents in one go. "Then there was that Hollow outbreak incident a few weeks after and it was the first time Ichigo and I had been face to face since he'd come to my apartment. He got hurt and I healed him and at some point when we were alone, he asked me out and I said no, because I couldn't understand that he would want me, after what happened. It didn't make sense and also because I was no where near ready for what he was asking me for."

"But eventually you said yes," Karin whispered softly, smiling encouragingly.

Orihime nodded, grinning blissfully. "And when I did I started to see and understand how a real relationship is supposed to be, that I am worthy of him loving me and of me loving him back. Finally."

"It was a long road, wasn't it?" Rangiku commented, eyes grown soft.

Rukia chuckled and then sighed in endearment. "But it was only the beginning, though."

"Yeah," Orihime whispered, sighing contently.

"Your love story is so inspiring," Yuzu said in agreement, leaning with the back of her head against the sofa with an excited grin. "You guys have been through so much together. I really look up to you guys." She then looked at all the women gathered around her. "All of you guys. And I know that Jinta and I only just got married-"

"After you gave him blue balls for 3 and a half years," Karin added casually before she took a swig of her beer bottle, making everyone laugh.

Yuzu giggled and threw a pillow to her sister's head. "As I was saying- Jinta and I only just got married, but I hope that our marriage is as patient and understanding as your relationship with Kisuke-san, Yoruichi-san," she said leaning over in her seat and placing a hand on the purple haired woman.

Yoruichi grinned and raised her newly filled cup of sake to her. "I'll drink to that."

Yuzu smirked and raised her tea mug in turn before looking at Rukia and Rangiku to her left. "I want it to be as sexy and passionate like Rangiku's relationship and as dependable and fearless like Rukia's."

"Aww," Rangiku cooed with a giggle while Rukia nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment.

"Tatsuki," she then said turning to her. "Your marriage to Sado is ambitious and dynamic, I want that."

Tatsuki finished her glass of red wine and raised her left hand for Yuzu to slap it.

"And what you and Toushiro have is exciting and audacious, sis," she told Karin tenderly. "The lengths you two went to be together is no short of heroic."

Karin winked at her. "Thanks, sis."

"And my brother has found a love that is kind and unconditional in you, Orihime."

Orihime looked at her gratefully and bumped her shoulder against hers. "Your marriage will be all those things you wish for, and more… I'm certain of it," she whispered, wrapping her right arm around Yuzu and pulling her close to kiss her temple. "Just remember; communication is the key."

"Thanks, sis," Yuzu replied softly, resting her head back on Orihime's shoulder.

"Hey, ladies…"

They all looked up and saw Ichigo walk up to them from the dining room with his cellphone in a hand.

"What's up?" Orihime wondered, tilting her head back to let him drop a kiss on her lips.

"Sado and I are going to pick up Mamoru and the twins, they just called," he informed her and Tatsuki. "We're picking up extra beer on our way back, do you guys need anything?"

Rangiku gasped excitedly. "Oh my God. Chocolate fudge brownie ice cream!"

"Ooh...Good choice!" Orihime exclaimed with a laugh.

"Get me some salted caramel popcorn!" Yoruichi chimed in.

"Sushi sounds awesome right about now," Karin told him with an innocent grin.

"From that place next to Sakurai Bakery!" Tatsuki said, nodding agreeingly with her. "Oh God yes!"

Ichigo smiled a little, scratching the back of his head. "Should I be writing all this down.. or-"

"Oh, and if you get the chance, could you get more wine?" Orihime asked him. "To go with dinner?"

"And sake!" Both Rangiku and Yoruichi added with a drunk giggle.

"Rice dumplings for me, thanks," Rukia told him, placing her empty glass on the table.

"I would have to go all the way across town just for those!" he protested, scowling at her uncaring shrug.

"Well, if you're going all the way over there, could you get me pan-fried dumplings, too?" Yuzu asked, holding back her chuckles when the other women giggled at the sight of Ichigo's annoyed face.

"Seriously?" he whined, sighing. "We're about to have a cook-out!"

"I would be so greatful, if you and Sado did this for us…" Orihime murmured, taking one of his hands in her left one and kissing its back.

He suppressed his smile with a cute pout. "How grateful would you be…?"

She never answered, choosing instead to give him a playfully sultry stare, wordlessly promising him all kinds of nasty and naughty fun for later.

"Then I'll be back as soon as I can," he said breathlessly, walking away quickly to join Sado who was waiting in the dining room.

"Girl, you have got that man locked down!" Rangiku stated, giving her another high-five.

Yoruichi grabbed the near empty bottle of sake from the table and emptied it in her cup. "He's getting a blow-job, later on, isn't he?"

Orihime shrugged with a cheeky smile. "It's an option."

"You guys do that…?" Yuzu said, perhaps a bit louder than she intended to because she'd quickly slapped her hands against her mouth in shame when she heard the soft chuckles from the other women, blushing furiously. "I mean… It's just that I've never… gotten Jinta's... that close… with my face..."

"We need to hold a sex-ed evening for this girl, I'm serious," Rangiku interrupted, giving the younger girl a heartbroken stare. "Her being this inexperienced and clueless is making me sad."

"I'm in, if you're up for it, Yu-chan," Orihime whispered to her encouragingly.

Karin pulled her feet onto the couch and smiled at her sister. "I'm in, too. Out of curiosity."

"I'm always up for some sex talk," Yoruichi smiled, nodding.

Rukia chuckled and showed her consent with a nod.

"The more confident you are in your sexuality, the better you'll be able to tell Jinta what you want. You'll be able to please him better, too, if you're comfortable with your own needs," Tatsuki advised Yuzu. "I'm in, just say when."

"Thanks, you guys…" Yuzu whispered, smiling bashfully. "I made Jinta wait for so long, I want to show him that it was worth it and show him, that I can love him in that way too. Help me get better?"

"How does next Wednesday sound for you guys?" Orihime asked them, wrapping her right arm around Yuzu's shoulders again. "Ichigo, Renji and Sado are taking the children camping in the morning and they'll be back Thursday afternoon, so we have Wednesday evening all to ourselves."

"And Sachiko will spend the day at the zoo with Isshin, so she won't be a problem," Rukia reassured them.

They all nodded in agreement, each one of them looking forward to another night of enticing gossip.

"So, how big is Ichigo?" Rangiku asked softly after while, biting her lower lip giddily.

"Oh, I don't want to hear this," Rukia said with a chuckle and a shake of her head.

"Don't answer, Orihime, please," Karin begged, although grinning. "I'm not drunk enough to want to know."

"I've seen him naked, so I know how big he is," Yoruichi said in an unconcerned manner, throwing her drink back. "But I'm more impressed by how well proportioned and pretty his peepee is."

"Oh my God, Yoruichi-san!" Yuzu squeaked.

Orihime laughed with the rest of them before she shook her head. "All I am going to say is that he's a perfect fit for me. And Yoruichi is right; I think my husband has a very pretty peepee too."

"What's his favorite position?" Tatsuki asked, laughing and shrugging when Yuzu looked up at her accusingly.

"Yeah... I'm out," Karin said, shaking her head stubbornly with a chuckle and standing up.

Yuzu agreed with her sister, not wanting to hear the answer to that question and stood in turn, too. "I'm going to check up on Jinta."

Orihime laughed and waited for them to be out of earshot. "He likes it when I'm on top, but we both love it when he can run his hands all over my body when he's doing me..."

"It's the best though, isn't it?" Rangiku murmured throatily, now crossing her legs with her hands wedged between her thighs. "What's the most exciting sex you two have had?"

"And when was it?" Yoruichi added.

"A month ago, on his birthday, in his office at work," Orihime answered, nodding knowingly at the excited exclamations of her friends. "It started with his head in between my legs… and ended with me holding on to his desk for dear life with my ankles on his shoulders."

"Damn, that's hot," Tatsuki commented, wetting her lips.

"I thought you were walking kind of funny at his party afterwards," Rukia remarked.

Rangiku sighed with a wanton smile and cleared her throat. "If we keep this up, I'll be the one walking funny before we even get to dinner tonight," she confessed standing up.

"You're right, we should adjourn for now," Orihime chuckled, moving onto her feet. "Let's go see if the men need any help with the grill."

They all grabbed their empty and half empty drinks and made their way to the back of the house.

"You're still here…?" Orihime wondered when they walked passed the kitchen and she saw her husband putting on his grey jacket.

"Yeah, sorry, I took the time to check our pantry again and turns out we're in need of trash bags and mushrooms," he told her, grabbing his keys from the kitchen island as she walked up to him.

She put her arms around his waist and smiled at him gratefully. "Well, it is an impromptu cookout party. Some things were bound to be missing."

He returned her smile and embraced her with a suspicious stare. "Do you need anything else added to the list?"

Orihime chuckled and shook her head. "No… I just love how you keep taking care of us."

"It comes easy to me…" he replied, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "I love to."

"I love you, Kurosaki-san," she chuckled at the ticklish sensation. "And later tonight, as promised, I'll show you just how much," she murmured, kissing him back and letting him go.

"Maybe we can do it in the bathtub, with your 'girls' all soapy and wet…" he told her with an amused eyebrow, grinning at her appalled gasp. "Or we could stop by the office and I could show you my pretty peepee again…?"

"Oh you sneaky bastard!" she said, playfully swatting his arm. "You were listening in?"

"Just a little bit," he chuckled. "Sounds like everyone is getting lucky tonight."

"So you guys were talking sex as well?" Orihime inquired, running a hand through her hair inconspicuously. "Did you happen to say stuff about me…?"

Ichigo shrugged and his expression turned neutral. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" she echoed.

"No," he confirmed, kissing her a last time on her lips. "Because we, unlike you, never kiss and tell."

"Wha…?" Orihime protested disbelievingly with an amused chuckle as he quickly opened the garage door and left with a self-satisfied smirk.

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Author's<span>_**_** note**_

_Hi everyone,_

_I created a Tumblr page to go with my fanfiction writing! __It will be mostly to post musings on my ongoing writings and things related to my works. You will also find previews of upcoming chapters there along with art that inspire my work. Next chapter's preview has been posted, so you can find the link in my bio._

_Thank you for your ongoing support, and I shall catch you on the next one_!

_**-BDP-**_


	12. The Foreshadowing Embers

_12. The foreshadowing embers - Ashes to ashes pt1_

* * *

><p>The moment her reiatsu infused, right fist hit the rocky floor of the underground training area the entire space vibrated and trembled.<p>

"Cataclismo Infernale."

The earth ruptured around her, the cracks fanning out from where her hand connected with the stone and exploding upwards towards the painted ceiling.

She looked up when she felt him move between the rising rocks and falling debris, smirking to herself and slowly standing up from her lateral lunge, having seen through his movements.

His straw sandals barely landed on what he'd perceived to be a stable lump of rock floating through the air in its momentum, before he felt her accelerated approach, dodging her deadly, rock crushing right kick with ease.

"He's just playing with her again."

Ichigo smiled at his daughter briefly before focusing his attention back on the mock battle taking place in the distance. "What makes you say that?"

"Mamo-chan's having too much fun, he always lets Isobel get close enough for her to catch him, but he never lets her," Masaki answered, taking a bite from her cucumber sandwich. They were sitting on a picnic blanket by the entrance of the training area."And that is going to make her mad soon."

Ichigo chuckled and nodded in agreement, taking a sip from his water bottle. At now ten years of age, his daughter had proven herself to be startlingly insightful in combat, possessing a thirst for strength that nearly rivaled his own at times.

"Mamo-chan needs to work on his speed though," she continued, eyes still staring in the distance. "Isobel will be just as fast as he is, soon. She's amazing. I want to be just like her someday."

He glanced at her approvingly, finding her choice for a role model to be a sound one."She does keep up with him well, Mamoru better watch out," he agreed, grinning jestingly.

"Has Mamo-chan asked her to marry him yet?" Masaki wondered with her mouth full of her sandwich.

He looked at her with a startled frown. "What?"

"Michiko and her were talking about how Isobel thought Mamo-chan would ask her one of these days. I heard them talking at Sora's graduation party last week."

"Huh," Ichigo uttered uneasily, scratching the side of his face with a finger. "Uhm, does your mother know?"

She turned her face his way and shrugged. "I don't think so," she replied before giving him a questioning look. "Are you against it?"

"Absolutely not," Ichigo told her, smiling to himself as he looked at the couple again. "I think it's great news, if Mamoru indeed intends on asking Isobel."

"Why wouldn't he? She's beautiful, smart and super strong. And she'd really become part of our family!" the young girl replied excitedly as she watched Mamoru block Isobel's flying roundhouse kick with his right forearm..

He chuckled and nodded. "True, but I think Mamoru will want to finish college first."

"When will he be done with that?"

"Probably next year," he answered inattentively, focusing his attention on his other son, who was training with his mother a ways to his left. The smile he'd been sporting soon dissipated itself and he let out a silent breath. "What are your thoughts on Sora's progress, Masaki?"

She looked up at him and then in the direction in which he was staring before lowering her eyes in a subdued manner. "He's scared," she murmured, stuffing the last piece of her bread in her mouth.

"Yeah…" he agreed, beginning to stand. "Come with me."

"Again! Do it again, do not let up! Shiten Kousshun!"

Sora dodged the projectile shooting out of the shield her mother had put up and jumped into the air, using his black titanium wings to take flight. He then made the titanium and leather bracelets on his wrists turn into a giant spear that he imbued with his Reiatsu before throwing it at her.

"Lancer mode: Gungnir!"

Orihime took an unimpressed step back, jumping out of the way of the small explosion when she let the spear hit the ground where her left foot had stood scant seconds before.

Sora called back the spear with a flick of his hand and twirled it above him, until it changed shape and turned into a bow. He took aim. "Archer mode: Ichaival!"

Orihime looked up with a scowl of concentration, waving her hands in front of her in opposing circular movements to create a domed shield around her to protect herself against the assault of a hundred black Reiryoku arrows that now speeded towards her. She pressed her lips together in displeasure however when she saw him fail to notice and dodge the retaliating attack from Tsubaki in time.

"Argh, shit!" Sora gasped when he landed and lowered himself onto one knee on the ground, holding on to the superficial wound on his left shoulder.

Orihime was walking up to him now, sending Shun'o and Ayame ahead of her to heal him. "Do you need to take a break?" she asked, kneeling down next to him to inspect him for other wounds.

"Damn it…" Sora whispered in between pants, closing his eyes in relief when the pain in his shoulder vanished. "Sorry, mom. I can't focus."

She sighed and then picked up the matching titanium bracelets that had fallen on the ground and now lay next to her. "So it would seem," she mused, handing the jewelry back to him as the two spirits returned to her. "What's going on? Are you worried about tomorrow?"

He squeezed his eyes shut in denial and then looked away from her, his expression now hesitant. "I know it's silly, but…"

"You'll be fine and it's not silly," Orihime told him gently, dusting off her black workout leggings with both hands. "Rukia and Karin will be there to welcome you once you come through, just as was planned."

Sora put his bracelets back on and ran a hand through his spiky orange hair, feeling exasperated at his own lack of courage. "And I don't doubt it, but I still can't shake this inkling that something is about to go wrong."

Orihime tilted her head to the side with a reassuring gaze. "You must release your fear, Sora. Your motivation for doing this should be clear in your mind."

His shaken appearance did not change as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head once, desperately wanting to dispel the trepidation in his heart.

"Sora-nii."

He looked up when he heard the voice of his younger sister, seeing her walk up to them with their father. "Masaki…" he whispered, wiping away the sweat from his forehead with one of his sweatbands.

"Don't give up, Sora-nii," she told him with a bright smile, her long, titian hair that was being held together in a ponytail swishing from side to side as she walked up to him giddily. "I believe in you!"

Orihime turned her head to her husband as he placed an appreciative hand on her shoulder when he passed her by.

"We all do," Ichigo told his son, eyes growing soft when he saw the shame that now replaced his fear.

The 17 year old couldn't bare to look him the eyes. "Dad…"

"Do you believe we would be sending you to the other side if we weren't certain you were ready?" Ichigo asked him, continuing to look at him calmly. "What is the worst thing that you think can happen while over there? You dying?"

Sora gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

"Is it?" Ichigo enquired, looking for his eyes. "Since when do you have so little faith in your own powers, Sora?"

"I can think whatever it is I want about them," Sora whispered, still not looking at him. "But it won't matter if I'm truly not good enough."

"Have you ever known me to sugarcoat anything I say regarding your powers?" the father then asked his youngest son, voice now stern.

Sora now looked at his father hesitantly, having heard the autocratic undertone in his voice. "No, sir."

Ichigo folded his arms against his chest and tilted his head to the side. "And why is that?"

"Because being able to use our powers effectively could be a matter of life and death at any time," Sora answered as he remembered the purpose of all his hard training. He looked at his beautiful sister and smiled at her, finding his resolve in her trusting eyes.

A small smirk graced Ichigo's features when he watched the two hug. "There's no point in making you believe you're doing well, when you're not. So I don't. Your mother, Sado and myself have been keeping a close eye on your progress, Sora. It hasn't been easy for you these past 8 years; perfectioning your Fullbring, mastering different weapon styles and fighting techniques, we are well aware of how gruelling it must have been. Your training was the most intensive and expansive out of all of ours, but have faith in us and in yourself when we say that you will do well on the other side."

"Daddy's right, big brother…" Masaki whispered against his chest, smiling with her eyes closed. "There is no need to be afraid, you will do great."

Sora sighed into her embrace, smiling in turn when he felt her heal his fatigue. "Thank you, lil sis…" He then let go of her and bumped his right fist with his father's. "Thanks, dad."

"Now," Ichigo said with a grin, reaching for the khyber knife on his back. "Show me that badass archer move you executed earlier with your mother again."

Sora grinned challengingly and touched the titanium chain resting on his chest to recreate his wings. "Just don't regret it later," he taunted, taking flight.

"Bring it, kid," Ichigo taunted back, lifting his largest blade from its hold on his back and jumping into the air after his son with an excited smirk.

Masaki smiled happily at her brother and father, nodding silently to herself as she witnessed the fierce battle that took place above her. "That's a lot better; he's found his focus again," she grinned. "Dad and Sora-nii are a lot alike, aren't they?" Masaki then asked her mother who came to stand beside her.

Orihime smiled, her eyes following every movement of her husband and son. "He does remind me of your dad when he was younger. Both in appearance and in the way he acts."

"I want to become stronger, too," the young girl stated, turning to her mother now. "I finished my last lesson with Hacchin-san this morning."

Orihime glanced at her proudly and nodded, zipping up her soft yellow hoodie. "I know and you've mastered your defensive abilities beautifully… you'll soon be ready to assist your brothers during patrols."

"Ooh, I can't wait!" Masaki said, clapping her hands. "When do I get to start training my offensive abilities?"

"On that topic," Orihime started, now fully turning to face her. "Have you been practising what I taught you?"

Masaki looked away and pouted with a scowl. "I tried, but mom meditation is really boring!"

"Masaki," Orihime whispered grimly, eyes closed. "The nature of your powers and mine make it so that we need to have a serene state of mind in order to wield them. They are mentally tiring when used for long periods of time."

"But mom, I can heal myself and others very fast now!" Masaki protested. "I have full confidence in my powers!"

Orihime smiled at those last words and looked at her again, having expected nothing less from her confident and over-zealous daughter. "I know you do. But up until now, you've been healing in controlled environments. There was always someone there to support you in case you needed it. Imagine trying to heal Mamo-chan or Sora-chan while your father's life is in danger. Will you be able to completely focus on just healing?"

The girl's mouth began to open with a readily prepared answer before she stopped and thought about it some more. "I…"

"Although our powers are similar, yours have the addition of being fused with your Quincy powers. And I don't need to remind you what happens when you lose control over your own emotions," the mother of three said, turning her face back towards watching Sora and Ichigo's mock fight. "You need to learn control, Masaki, and you start by calming your mind and body through meditation."

Masaki quieted and looked at her own hands contemplatively. "It's been a long time since I burned or melted anything against my will."

"I know," Orihime agreed knowingly. "But better safe than sorry, right?"

"Why does it only happen to me…?" Masaki asked, closing her hands into fists and sighing sadly, her frustration with that aspect of her powers clear.

"Think of our powers as if they could be accessed by something like a light switch," Orihime spoke, looking at her again. "Your father, your brothers and I all have to either leave our physical bodies or call upon them by name to access the full extent of our powers. We have to turn them on. You on the other hand, don't have an 'off'-switch. Your powers are on all the time, that's why you're self-healing and that is why it goes out of control when you lose control.

What do you think will happen if we start teaching you how to attack and you can't control yourself?"

"I could hurt innocent people…" Masaki concluded with a sigh, hugging herself now.

"I know you feel like you need to catch up quickly to your brothers when it comes to fighting, but you mustn't forget that your powers and abilities are not meant to be used like theirs."

Masaki frowned at those words. "So I won't ever be able to grow strong like them?"

"Being strong can mean different things, love," Orihime said gently, smiling. "You will get that once you've grown a little older. For now, just understand that your power is different from your father's and your brothers' and therefore is used differently. In what manner it should be used is up to you to discover."

An understanding countenance formed on Masaki's small face and she took a breath with a motivated nod. "How do I figure out how to use my powers in the best way?"

"With patience and practice," Orihime answered, starting to walk away towards the set up sheltered camp, taking a moment to see if her daughter was following. "You know the basics, so now you build upon that knowledge."

Masaki caught up to her and looked up as if she wanted to ask something but chose against it.

"What is it?" Orihime inquired, casually putting up Santen Kesshun to shield them from the stray debris from Isobel and Mamoru's ongoing fight.

"Grandpa's zanpakutou is a fire type, right?" her daughter asked when the shield had been called back and they walked on. "Do you think that perhaps he could help me figure out how to control my fire-related abilities?"

"That's not a bad idea," Orihime mused, calling onto her Three Sacred Link shield again to form a protective dome around the makeshift rest area. She kneeled down onto the picnic blanket and reached for the basket to begin setting up the food and drinks they'd brought with them for lunch. "But seen as how grandfather Isshin is retired and not in shape to make the crossing whenever he wants, we'll have to wait until you are older and ready for your first trip to the Soul Society." She said, glancing at her and seeing her expected dejected expression. "I will talk to your father about it. Maybe he can ask grandfather for help when he sees him again on his next trip to the Soul Society."

Masaki's expression lit up and she smiled encouragingly. "Just promise me you'll do what I asked first." She then cocked her head to the side as she thought about something, turning herself around to check upon the progress of the fights happening to her far left and right. "Or would you like to try it with me now? It doesn't look like your father and brothers will be done soon."

"Really?" Masaki quipped hopefully, looking up from the stack of white plastic plates she'd just placed on the green blanket.

Orihime nodded and took off her shoes. "Take off your shoes and come sit in front of me. Take my hands and concentrate on your Reiryoku, just like Hacchi showed you."

Masaki followed her instructions and sat crossed legged in front of her mother, joining hands with her.

"Alright, close your eyes and take a deep breath," Orihime instructed. "Clear your mind, Masaki. This is the most important."

"Ok…" she whispered, exhaling as deep as she could and quieting her mind.

"I see that my mom has prepared the picnic. I could really eat. How about you?"

Isobel wiped the blood from a corner of her lips and smirked at him. "Sure, I'll give you a breather. Wouldn't want to hurt that pretty face of yours any more than you can take."

Mamoru chuckled as he placed his khyber knife on his back and watched her rise onto her feet gracefully and tap the dust off her gray workout shorts. "Hey."

Isobel turned her head his way and pulled her side swept bangs behind her right ear.

"Have you had the time to talk to your dad?"

She looked away and bit her lips indecisively. "Have you talked to yours?" she replied accusingly with a grin, taking off her grappling gloves.

He picked up his half empty bottle of water and poured its content over his sweaty, spiky brown hair. He shook the excess water from it and sighed. "We'll have to tell them soon."

She walked up to him and took the full bottle of water he was holding up for her. "How about we do it together?" she proposed, taking a sip.

He gave her an assessing look, returning her encouraging smile with one of his own. "Maybe that's best, huh?" Mamoru whispered, smoothing back the damp curly strands of her hair that had managed to escape her ponytail and looking her in her beautiful, moss green eyes. "We could tell mine now?"

She smiled again and kissed the palm of his hand caressing her face. "I don't mind, but are you sure, Mamo?"

"Yeah," he whispered back, smirking. "The sooner the better. Let's do this now."

"Okay," she replied back, moving in to kiss him on his lips but stopping when something caught her attention over his shoulder. "What the-?"

Mamoru turned to look in the direction she was staring at. "What…?"

A whirlwind of flames were dancing inside the golden dome covering the picnic area.

"Oh my God, dad, look!"

Ichigo slowly sheathed his large sword on his back at the sight of the horrified look on his son's face, already having felt somewhere in the back of his mind that something had gone terribly wrong when he turned around and saw the sea of flames roaring behind the set up shield.

"Ori-!"

A flash of bright white light then blinded all of them before an explosion shook the entire training ground.

Sora felt his father's Spiritual Pressure vanish from his vicinity as he fought against the blasts of Reiatsu induced wind that kept pushing him back. "Dad! Mom… Masaki…!"

"Oh my God!" Isobel gasped with her hands pressed against her mouth in horror while Mamoru sped towards the spot where his mother and his sister had been scant seconds before. "Oh my God, please no!"

He couldn't find her. Neither of them.

"Orihime! Masaki!" he cried, eyes darting all around him, trying to make out something, anything inside the dense cloud of dust he was in while shielding his eyes against the ash particles that rained down on him. "Fuck, no…!" Why couldn't he discern even the slightest hint of their Reiatsu anymore? He coughed with his right arm against his mouth, running around desperately for even the smallest of signs. "Hime! Masaki!"

"Dad!" Mamoru called, landing next to him. "Where are they?! Can you feel them anywhere?"

"Clear this dust for me, Mamoru," he told him in a rough voice, trying his hardest to keep calm.

Mamoru jumped up towards the ceiling and directed his open palms to the dust cloud. "Hadou nr 58: Orchid Sky!"

The tornado blast hit the centre of the intangible mass and dispersed it, uncovering the shallow crater the explosion had created, but revealing no trace of his mother or sister whatsoever. "Shit!" he murmured, frantically looking the area over again and again. "No... no no no…"

"I can't sense mom or Masaki anywhere!" Sora cried, flying up to his brother to land next to him. "Do you see them?" he asked, looking around in distress, not seeing the silent, disheartened look on his brother's face. "Mamo! Do you see them?!"

His fists were trembling by his sides as he furiously blinked his tears away while watching their father fall down on his knees in despair. "This can't be happening…"

Sora looked at his brother and then at his father in the distance, shaking his head in denial. "No… Mamo-chan, no…" he whimpered, lower lip beginning to tremble sorrowfully.

"Fuck!" Mamoru said through gritted teeth, hurrying his way down to his father.

He couldn't grasp it. What happened?

How was this possible?

They were fine just a moment ago… They were just there, perfectly fine! The both of them!

"Masaki!" Ichigo hollered, nearing wits' end and wincing against the mounting feelings of despair that were now taking him over. "Hime…!" he cried, voice shaking.

How could it happen?

Why didn't he notice that something was wrong sooner?

"Dad..."

There was nothing. He couldn't sense them. He had no answers. His mind couldn't come up with a logical explanation as the reality of the situation slowly edged in on him.

"No…" he heard himself murmur as he fell forward on his hands, eyes squeezed shut. "No!" he begged again, a bit louder, his fingers digging into the ground, balling his fists. "Hime… Masaki…!"

"Daddy…!"

He felt a pair of arms pulling him in an upright position, but he couldn't bring himself to react because his world had just stopped spinning.

"Daddy, please!"

He looked up into the distressed face of his oldest son, watched his lips move, telling him something that he couldn't seem to grasp.

"Daddy!"

Ichigo's eyes grew wide when he realized that the voice he'd been hearing was not Mamoru's, it being too small and faint to be his. He turned his face away from Mamoru's and focused his hearing, placing a calm hand on his son's shoulder, who was looking at him, perplexed.

He could hear soft sobbing and coughing now, his instincts pulling him in the direction he needed to go. His feet pushed him to stand again and he took a few steps, searching for that voice once more.

"Please, help us!"

Lifting his head to towards the centre of the crater, Ichigo broke into a run, now certain that it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. He'd really heard her this time!

"Masaki?!" he cried in a panic, falling on his knees by the spot he swore he could hear her cry for him and started digging into the ground with his bare hands. "Masaki, hold on! I'm coming!"

Understanding dawned on Mamoru and he rushed towards his father to help him move the earth with matching vigor. "Mom! Masaki! Can you hear us? Mom?"

"Mom!" Sora sobbed, landing next to them and immediately joining in on the digging. "Masaki!"

Isobel arrived soon after and kneeled next to Mamoru, placing a palm flatly on the ground, sending an investigating pulse of Reiatsu into the earth. "They're both approximately a meter deep… There's a force holding the rocks from crushing them," she told them with a quivering voice, wiping away her tears with her other hand.

"Mom's Santen Kesshun!" Sora deduced, renewing his efforts.

"Everyone, stand back!" Mamoru said, standing. "Hadou nr 57: Upturned Earth Dance!" he shouted, flicking his right wrist upward with two erected fingers.

The mass of rock that had been covering the golden triangular shield floated up into the air and with another flick of Mamoru's wrist, landed a few meters away.

"Hime!" Ichigo called, watching the shield disperse itself as he jumped into the hole next to her. She was unresponsive, her battered and scathed body curled protectively around their daughter who was crying and trembling in her hold, but was mostly unharmed.

"Oh God," Isobel whispered at the gruesome sight before them. "Orihime-san…"

"Can you move, Masaki? Are you hurt anywhere?" Ichigo asked her as he looked his wife over, looking for a sign of her still breathing. Mamoru landed next to him.

"Daddy, help her…!" Masaki sobbed, her teary eyes looking at him in a panic from behind her mother's right arm covering her face. "I tried… I-I can't!"

Understanding all too well that his daughter's mind was too fogged by the trauma she'd just experienced to think rationally or to even use her powers effectively, he only smiled and nodded at her reassuringly, keeping his own tormenting emotions below the surface. "I'll take care of her," he whispered, carefully lifting Orihime's right arm off of her, trying not to think of how lifeless it felt or to look at the serious burns that marked her entire body. "You go to your brother. Can you stand?" He waited for her to nod and then took his unconscious wife in his arms while Mamoru picked his sister up in his and jumped out of the hole to safety.

"Anata…"

Ichigo focused his attention back on his wife, who had regained consciousness. "I'm here," he told her gently, blinking away his own tears of relief. "You're safe. I'm getting you out of here."

Orihime winced in pain before opening her eyes to look at him with a trembling smile. "Is she alright? M-Masaki…?"

"Yeah," he replied with a supportive smile, looking her lovingly and proudly in the eyes. "You saved her, she's going to be alright."

She nodded vaguely. "O...k," she whispered, promptly losing consciousness after.

Ichigo gritted his teeth in worry and delicately adjusted the grip he had on her broken body, hurrying his way out of the pit and upwards towards Urahara's shop.

"Urahara!" he called, running towards the back of the house where he knew the shop owner would be. "Urahara!"

"In here, Kurosaki-san!"

Ichigo took the corridor to his left and opened the nearest room to find the former captain and Tessai there, already having prepared a bed and the necessary medical equipment. He didn't need to ask them, he saw by the looks on their faces that they'd felt and understood what had happened below. "She's not breathing well!"

"Please place her on the bed, Kurosaki-san," Urahara spoke, his voice conveying a sense of urgency after having seen the state of Orihime's body and Ichigo's alarming comment.

Orihime was laid on the futon between the three of them, and they all saw her breathe in small, rapid gasps, her eyes tightly closed as droplets of sweat formed on her forehead.

"She's cracked a rib and it's pressing against one of her lungs, that's why she can't breathe," Urahara deduced after he'd analysed the internal condition of her body by way of a probing Reiatsu pulse. He made a small grimace as he further examined her, shaking his head. "Her spleen is also ruptured… as is her pancreas." He quickly unzipped her sweatshirt, cut open the black tank top she was wearing with scissors and placed his right hand on her stomach. "I need to stop the hemorrhage first."

Ichigo covered his mouth with his right hand in horror when the extend of Orihime's injuries was made known to him, moving himself to kneel at her feet while the two others worked away on either side of her. "Please.. just do whatever you can-"

"She's going to be alright, Kurosaki-san," Tessai reassured him, silently reaching for the tray of readily placed medical instruments next to him and administering an anesthetic into her right arm before he set to work to start the healing of her ribs.

Ichigo watched her tortured expression disappear, but her breathing was still very shallow.

"She also broke her left leg in three places," Urahara added informatively to his associate as he watched the limb expressionlessly and Tessai nodded in acknowledgement.

A few moments passed by in silence while they both worked before Urahara addressed the Shinigami again, expression grave. "Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo looked up from his wife and rested his eyes on the blond man, catching up on the intend he saw in his shaded eyes. "I know."

Urahara stared at him pointedly for another few moments and then averted his gaze towards Orihime. "She's growing more powerful at a more frighteningly rate than any of us could've ever predicted."

"I won't bind my daughter's powers… I can't make that decision for her," Ichigo replied resolutely, looking at his wife. "Neither of us can."

"And what if Masaki can't control her powers? Can you take that risk, after what happened just now?"

Ichigo shook his head. "We know she can learn to control them. She was meant to have them, so we both believe in her."

Urahara took in his answer and closed his eyes in resignation. "Very well."

"Dad?" Mamoru's unsure voice came through from the other side of the closed shoji-door.

Ichigo crawled onto his feet and walked towards the sliding door to step out of the room.

"How is she?" Mamoru asked him with Masaki still in his arms. Sora and Isobel were standing behind him in the hallway, both looking just as worried as Ichigo felt.

He smiled at each of them nonetheless. "She's going to be fine, Urahara-san and Tessai-san are working on her. She's in good hands," he told them, resting his eyes on Masaki last.

"It's all my fault," the small girl whispered, her face contorting with regret and sadness.

"Masaki," Ichigo began, taking her over from her brother and hugging her tightly. "Oh, my little girl…"

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed over his shoulder, her entire body trembling in his hold. "I'm so sorry… I couldn't stop it! I just couldn't-"

"It's not your fault… I'm just so glad that you're safe, baby…" he whispered back compassionately, caressing her hair repeatedly and kissing the side of her face with an encouraging smile. He looked at his sons and nodded, reaching his right arm to the both of them and Isobel to bring them all into a hug. "That all of you are safe," he murmured, his lower lip trembling as Masaki broke down in sobs again. "We'll figure it out," he then said, taking a step back and letting them go. He looked at Masaki again, his eyes shining with determination. "I promise you… We'll find a way to help you master all of your powers."

"Yeah, Masaki…" Sora said, smiling and reaching up to her face to wipe away her bitter tears. "I believe in you, little sis."

"Sora-nii…" she whimpered desolately, hiccuping. "Now I'm the one who's scared…"

"If there's anyone who can surpass this bump in the road, it's you, baby sister," Mamoru told her encouragingly. "You're stronger than you know. And you have us looking after you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Yeah," Isobel chimed in, grinning widely through her tears. "You're amazing, Masaki. Don't give up now."

Masaki produced a trembling smile and wiped away her tears with the back of her right hand, nodding courageously. "Okay... I'll do my best."

"Mamoru, could you take everyone home?" Ichigo asked him, putting his daughter down and kissing her forehead lovingly. "Get some rest, okay?" he told her, watching her nod wearily.

The oldest son moved his head in acknowledgement and took his sister by a hand. "Tell mom we love her," he requested, tapping his father hearteningly on his shoulder before turning around and walking off with Isobel and Masaki.

Sora walked up to his father and took him in his arms, tapping him on his back. "Don't worry about Masaki, dad. You just worry about mom, Mamo and I will take care of Masaki."

Ichigo smiled thankfully, hugging his son back affectionately. "I know you will. I trust you. Thanks."

Sora let go of him with a grin and walked away, never seeing the concerned look on his father's face as they both wondered why they couldn't shake this uneasy feeling that kept sneaking up and crawling all over them, holding their hearts and minds hostage with near crippling dread of what was to come.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Author's note:<strong>_

_Whoa… okay this was a fast update! *grins*_

_This chapter is the start of a short arc I've thought out, which will run parallel with another arc, which will start with the next chapter (you can find a preview on my tumblr. The link for my blog can be found in my bio)_

_-Gungnir: Spear wielded by Odin in Norse Mythology. It is said to never miss its target when thrown, regardless of the wielder's strength or experience._

_-Ichaival: A bow possessed by Odin. It is said that each pull on it with an arrow would produce ten arrows. Obviously, I adjusted that amount just a little._

_**Thank you to my loyal readers and reviewers, you truly are amazing.**_

_**On to the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	13. Final Distance

_13 Final Distance - Raindrops pt1_

* * *

><p>His head fell back against the pillows with her on top of him, his eyes rolling up to the glass panels on the ceiling as he panted to catch his breath.<p>

He briefly wondered when it had started raining.

Her lips kissed their way up the side of his sweaty neck and followed the outline of his chin until they reached his mouth. She kissed him softly, but soon stopped when her affections went unanswered.

"Where are you?" she whispered, one of her hands caressing the side of his face so he would look at her.

Ichigo looked her in her light brown eyes, sighing softly and taking her hand in one of his. "I'm sorry…" he murmured, shaking his head. "I can't seem to keep my mind from straying..."

Her questioning expression turned worried. "What happened?"

He lifted his other hand to rest it on her raven hair and smiled dismissively. "I always thought that if I just protected her, that it would be enough… That I could live with just being by her side."

"That girl? Inoue you mean?" she wondered, resting her head on his naked chest consolingly.

"She's started dating the son of the German ambassador," Ichigo told her, his eyes following the rolling rainclouds outside. "She's gotten even more out of my reach now… and I shouldn't even be surprised, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Her eyes turned sad at those words and she ran her right hand up his left arm in a comforting effort. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

"I don't have a right to that anymore…" he replied with a frown, closing his eyes. "I let my chance slip between my hands because I never thought she would ever…"

"It's true that you tend to overthink things when it comes to the matters of the heart, Ichigo," she told him, raising herself on her hands, giving him a full frontal view of her full breasts as she sat back on his hips. "I'm not going to tell you what you should've done, there's little point in that, but wallowing in regret isn't going to help you move forward either. And judging from what you've told me so far about her, she will always have a special place on your heart, so don't let circumstance change the way you feel about her. She'll always be the first girl you ever fell in love with, and trust me, you don't forget your first love that easily. Try to not let regret eat away at the affections you have for her."

He stared at her gently for a few moments before he followed her towards a sitting position, wrapping his arms around her curvaceous waist. "You're right, Ikumi…" he whispered, resting his face against her chest. "She's moved on, but I will always care for her and be there for her. Even… if she doesn't want me to..."

Ikumi sighed in sympathy and rested her cheek on top of his head, accepting his heartache and loneliness as the rain continued to pour down overhead.

They remained in their post coital embrace for a while until he let go of her and she unmounted him, watching him reach for his discarded clothing on the floor around the sofa bed.

He showered and they dressed in silence, as they usually did after they found comfort in each other this way.

"Ikumi," he said with one hand on the doorframe, turning around to look at her. "Thank you. For listening."

She pulled her t-shirt over her chest and smirked in slight annoyance. "How many times do I need to tell you that you don't have to thank me after each time. It was embarrassing enough your first time."

He grinned and tapped his hand against the doorframe bashfully. "I'll return the van after my morning deliveries."

Ikumi sighed to herself and smiled, nodding.

Ichigo made his way down the steps outside of the shop and got into the car. He sat in his seat silently for a moment, tilting his head back, contemplating if he was going to go straight home or stop by Chad's place to check up on him.

They'd graduated from Karakura High School three and a half months ago, and he'd decided to focus on getting enough money together to finally be able to move out of his father's house and stand on his own two feet. Tatsuki, Uryuu and Orihime had all chosen to pursue their studies, albeit in different fields of study each.

Chad had decided to take a year off to travel around Mexico and was in the middle of packing up his studio and putting everything he wouldn't need in storage or in the care of his closest friends.

"Oh, Ichigo."

He smirked at his tall friend and walked inside the small space. "I came to see if you needed more help packing, bro…" he stilled when he saw Tatsuki and Orihime sitting on Sado's couch, turning both their heads his way.

"Oy, Ichigo!" he heard Tatsuki greet him, but his eyes were fixed on the brunette smiling kindly up at him, his breath catching in his throat.

"Kurosaki-kun, hi."

"Inoue," he murmured softly, mesmerized by her lovely appearance. She was wearing a pale yellow dress with brown calf-length boots and a brown, matching leather jacket. Her long hair was pulled together in a playful ponytail style and he thought to himself that he couldn't remember seeing her wear her hair like this before and that it was nice and that she looked even hotter because of it and that he should stop thinking because he was now staring at her like a creepy idiot. "It's been a while, how have you been? How's college?" he asked her instead, forcing himself to smile casually at her while ignoring Tatsuki's knowing grin.

"I'm good," she said, smiling politely at him before noticing the strange faces he was making towards her friend and switching her gaze between them awkwardly. "And school is going… well, too…? What are you guys doing?"

"Yeah, what are you doing, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked, grinning mischievously at him.

Sado chuckled as he passed Ichigo by on the way to his kitchen. "Chickening out, more like."

"Huh…?" Orihime whispered, looking up at Ichigo, visibly confused.

"I don't know what they're talking about…" he replied with a nervous grin and a helpless shrug before walking on awkwardly to join Sado in the kitchen to help him put stuff in boxes.

Tatsuki sat back in the couch, chuckling to herself. "He's such a tool."

Orihime turned to look at her reprimandingly. "Don't say stuff like that."

Tatsuki shrugged back nonchalantly and looked at her questioningly. "What…?"

Orihime just sighed and looked at Ichigo talking to Sado, a guilty expression forming on her face. She could tell that being around her made him uncomfortable now and she knew that she owed him some kind of explanation for her radio silence during the past few months of summer.

"She looks good, doesn't she?"

Ichigo picked up an empty box from the floor and placed it on the counter, taking a few moments to collect his thoughts and calm himself. "Is she… Is she happy with him? Does he treat her well…?"

Sado only glanced at his friend and pressed his lips together in sympathy. He sighed and finished stuffing newspaper into a mug before placing it in the cardboard box on his side of the counter. "Talk to her, Ichigo."

"And tell her what, Sado?" he whispered back, shaking his head. "I had a chance and I never took it. I just have to learn to live with the way things are now."

"It must be hard having to cope by doing a milf every night..." Sado said with a chuckle, blocking Ichigo's kick with an arm. "I feel your pain."

"Dude…" Ichigo whispered back, feeling annoyed.

Sado lifted his hands defensively. "I'm not judging. I can understand why she and you do it, but you do get that it does complicate things with Orihime, right?"

"What does it complicate, exactly?" Ichigo replied, shrugging and putting the wrapped plates into the box on the counter. "There's nothing between her and me and she's seeing someone, so who cares if I'm seeing someone, too?"

Chad rose a critical eyebrow at him. "Technically, you're working with and sleeping with that said someone just to get over-"

"Not judging, uh?" Ichigo interjected before sighing. "I've thought about stopping… but each time my thoughts go right back to her and I end up…"

"Like I said; I get it," Sado said, turning back around to put another mug in his box. "But you owe her some form of an explanation, man. She can tell something is wrong with you and you have been acting distant towards her ever since we graduated."

Ichigo rolled his eyes down and to the side guiltily. He had to admit to himself that his friend was right. He'd heard from Tatsuki that Orihime had been hanging out with Chad more often since she started dating her new boyfriend, in the hopes of seeing him, which in turn had made him want to avoid her more. What was he supposed to tell her? That he wished he could be the one to kiss and hold her? That he regretted not telling her how he felt when he got the chance all those months back?

No, he would keep telling himself that it was better this way, that it didn't even matter anymore… who could ever want to be with him, knowing the way he lived his life, anyway?

He sighed with a dejected chuckle and shook his head. "Who the fuck am I kidding…?" he uttered to himself quietly.

"Kurosaki-kun…?"

He stiffened at the sound of her voice, put up a smile and turned to her standing in the kitchen's doorway. "Hey," he whispered, managing a smile.

Orihime tilted her head to the side and returned his smile. "Can we talk?"

He put up an apologizing smile and began to shake his head."I'm kind of busy-"

"This won't take long," she insisted gently, looking at him sternly. "I'll be waiting outside."

She walked off before he could add anything else. Ichigo rose a questioning eyebrow at his friend who was now smirking. "What?"

"Better not keep her waiting," Sado replied, his smile now turned smug. "You're not that busy."

"Fine, don't ever let me help you out again," Ichigo muttered, rolling his eyes with a jesting smile as he trudged his way out of the kitchen.

It had started to rain again in the meantime and he found her standing to his right at the end of the sheltered apartment walkway, looking at the deluge and downtown in the distance.

She looked up at him when he came to stand next to her and sighed. "I'm sorry."

He put his hands into the pockets of his jacket and shrugged. "What are you sorry for?"

She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, turning her face back towards the scenery outside. "As much as I wished for things to remain the same between us when school ended, I knew that I couldn't keep going the way I was, especially after we didn't…" she quieted and shook her head, putting that last thought aside. " And yet I inadvertently changed the way things were between us anyway."

He lowered his head and closed his eyes, willing the events of that summer night three months ago out of his mind. "You chose to go to college, there's nothing wrong with that," he replied, smiling softly. "I've… I mean, we've all made choices that have changed the dynamics of our group. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Orihime sighed quietly and directed her smile to the floor. "Yeah," she whispered, biting her lower lip. "He's a good guy," she then said, having read between the lines of his last words. "And I would like for you to meet him someday."

He licked his lips and nodded, feeling awkward because he didn't know how to feel in that moment. Was he supposed to be happy for her? Be angry because she didn't chose him? Or grateful because she still valued his opinion concerning the guy she'd chosen for herself?

"I believe you, if you say that he's a good guy," he said instead, forcing the heartfelt words out of his seemingly tightening throat. "And I understand…"

Orihime lifted her head and their eyes met. "You do…?"

He nodded with a gentle smile. "You deserve someone who will treat you like the amazing girl you are."

Her face turned red and she quickly averted her gaze from his, her hands nervously smoothing down her hair. "You're making me, blush, Kurosaki-kun! You're being too nice!"

Ichigo chuckled a little. "If you're blushing, it means you must really like this guy!" he teased her.

"S-stop it, we've only been dating two weeks…" she murmured giddily, giggling to herself.

He watched her silently for a few moments, realizing in those instants that her happiness had always been paramount to him. It didn't matter how he felt about the whole situation; she was happy and that's all that mattered. "Just talking about him has you glowing… I'm glad for you." He would keep his feelings to himself, she didn't need to know. She deserved this.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun…" she whispered, hugging herself as her eyes filled with tears. "I somehow felt that I needed to tell you this because I didn't want for you to be worrying about me or be mad with me because we haven't seen each other in so long after that night."

"You're fine," he replied, shaking his head. Even now, she was only thinking about his well-being… the thought of him worrying about or being mad with her was too much for her to bear, and all he'd been thinking about for the past weeks were the feelings he had for her and the regrets that went with them. "You know you can always talk to me," he told her softly, his heart melting all over again at the sight of her radiant smile.

"I'm so glad, Kurosaki-kun…" she whimpered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "That I still can. Thank you…"

"I'll always be there for you," he promised, taking her in his arms when she moved in. "Nothing's changed in that regard."

Orihime nodded against his chest, taking his vow and engraving it in her heart. "Kurosaki-kun…"

"Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?" he then asked her, taking a step back out of the embrace.

She let go of him and bit her lower lip hesitantly. "There was…"

He waited patiently for her to tell him what was on her mind, the resigned smile he'd been sporting wavering when she uttered her next words.

"Whomever she is, I hope she's making you happy," she told him.

He frowned to mask his surprise. "How did you know…?"

Orihime brushed a few of her strands behind an ear and smiled bashfully. "I can… smell her on you."

"Oh… uhm…" he stammered, taking another step away from her and scratching the back of his head gawkily. "Sorry…"

She laughed, amused by his antics. "I'm the one being weird here, don't feel sorry…"

Ichigo chuckled and shook his head lightheartedly. "No… I didn't want for you to find out about her this way…"

She put up her hands merrily and closed her eyes stubbornly. "If she makes you happy, it's good enough for me!" she said with an encouraging grin.

He cast his gaze downwards pensively. "Aren't you going to ask me who she is?"

"I'm sure you'll tell us in time, when you're ready," Orihime said, clasping her hands together on the small of her back. "Just enjoy each other and have fun together!"

"Yeah…" he whispered, his expression now a pained one. "Thanks, Inoue…"

She opened her eyes and looked at him quietly, her smile fading at the sight of his tormented appearance. There was something he wasn't telling her and if she was being completely honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she already knew what it was. "Are you coming back inside?" she asked instead, pointing towards Sado's apartment door.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," he said with a forced smile, taking out his phone from a back pocket of his jeans. "I need to check in with Yuzu for dinner."

Orihime nodded and slowly sauntered backwards a few steps towards the door before turning around and biting back a sob of her held back grief. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun…"

Ichigo turned to look at the rain, never realizing that his hands gripping the railing were trembling. He let his head hang in defeat then, sighing in melancholy. This pain was the worst he'd felt, ever.

It was killing him that he would have to truly find someone else, now that he realized that all he ever wanted was her.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you everyone for the ongoing support! On to the next one, and like always, check my tumblr blog for a preview of the next chapter; Lovely Divergence - Ashes to Ashes pt2. (the link is in my bio)<em>**

**_-MistressBlaque aka Blaquediamond Princess!-_**


	14. Condemning Reprise

_14. Condemning Reprise - Ashes to Ashes pt2_

* * *

><p>Orihime looked up at her husband worriedly, closing her eyes with dread when he squeezed their joined hands in an attempt to comfort her.<p>

"I have a really bad feeling about all of this, anata…"

Ichigo took a breath and looked down at her, his expression soft. "They can't take her away from us, not without a fight and I don't think it'll come to that. And Shunsui-san is a reasonable man, so let's just see what happens."

She sighed and grabbed onto his arm with her free hand. "I hope you're right."

The Senkaimon that appeared in their garden a few moments ago now opened to reveal the four escorts assigned to the two dignitaries chosen from the central chamber 46 and the Head Commander of the Court Protection Guards and his two lieutenants.

"Oh, Ichigo!" Shunsui greeted him joyfully, walking up to him with his usual lightheartedness. "Feels like it was only a week ago that you were on the other side!"

Nanao came to stand next to him with her ever stern expression, holding a document holder under her left arm. "The Celestial Fans Uprising _was _but a week ago, sir."

Shunsui waved her statement away cordially and turned to Orihime, his smile now more solemn. "It's good to see you, Orihime," he said, taking her hands in his caringly. "Though I wish it was under more joyful circumstances. It is such a beautiful, sunny autumn day, too!"

"It is good to see you too, Kyouraku-san, thank you for coming," she replied trustingly, appreciating his genuine apologetic smile. She could tell that he understood her anxiety over the situation as a mother and she silently thanked him for his considerate approach of the matter at hand. He didn't need to be here, but from what she was told, he'd chosen to be.

"Head Commander, my colleague and I would very much like to see the child now!" One of the dignitaries announced after having taken place at the back of the garden around the cast iron picnic table with his companion and the attendants they'd brought with them.

"Have you done as I told you?" the Head Commander asked the couple quietly as they began to walk towards the back of the garden.

"Masaki is spending the afternoon with her brother, Adelheide Ishida and Sachiko Abarai-Kuchiki," Orihime replied with a nod. "They won't be back before tonight."

"Will that be enough to buy us some time, Shunsui-san?" Ichigo wondered, staring grimly at the men awaiting them ahead.

"The amount of time you'll be able to buy will depend on how you answer their questions, Honorary Captain…" Genshirou Okikiba answered, following close behind them with Nanao.

The other lieutenant agreed. "Your daughter has become the centre of a heated debate in the Soul Society. You have to give them a valid argument in order to keep them from taking her away from the living world."

"They're both right," Shunsui concurred. "You won't let her be stripped of her powers, so then you must prove them that you two are capable of keeping her under control."

Ichigo shared a determined glance with his wife and smiled reassuringly. "Thanks for the tips."

"Good luck."

"Kurosaki Ichigo and Orihime, I am Wakusabe Ichiro from the Central 46 and this is my colleague, Goroshi Mako."

The couple bowed and made acknowledging head movements towards the bald, brown bearded man who introduced himself and the other, younger, more austere looking, black haired man. "Thank you for coming all this way," Orihime whispered politely as she took a seat across from them and Ichigo did the same, while Shunsui sat himself to their left.

"This is an important matter that couldn't wait, Kurosaki-san," Wakusabe informed them gently, picking up a sheet of paper from the short stack he'd readily placed in front of him. "It has come to our attention that Masaki Kurosaki, second of her name," he read, "possesses Reiatsu levels well above what is deemed safe for the world of the living."

"We've also been made aware that this power only seems to grow the older she gets and that she lacks the self-discipline -or proper training- to control said power effectively," Goroshi added superciliously, thumbing through a book of reports with a disinterested air.

"This is my daughter you're talking about," Ichigo said calmly, staring intently at the black haired man and instantly detesting him. "Watch it."

Goroshi only smiled guilefully. "Or perhaps she has a temper problem, just like her father?"

Orihime placed a calming hand on her husband's arm, effectively keeping him from jumping onto the other man.

"If we could please return to the actual matter at hand," Shunsui pressed gently. "We're not here to judge the Honorary Captain or his daughter; we are here to find a solution for what the Central 46 has perceived as a possible threat."

"And that 'threat' has a name; Kurosaki Masaki," Goroshi continued, sitting back in his seat. "Where is the child?"

"We found it more adequate to have this preliminary assessment with you first. Alone," Orihime said, voice soft but resolute. "As her parents, it is our duty to protect our daughter because we only have her best interest at heart. Whatever is decided here will be relayed to her by us."

"But Kurosaki-san…" Wakusabe sighed.

"Please understand," Orihime continued, "You did not give us another choice. We were not consulted about this meeting, we did not get the option to refuse. My daughter is a young, vibrant, innocent girl who just wants to live her life with the ones she loves. All she wants is to be happy. As her mother I wish to protect that. Therefore I make the decision that you will not see her until we can reach an agreement or find a solution that works for both our parties."

Goroshi huffed in disdain. "Who do you think you are? And who do you think you're talking to?"

"Goroshi-san," Orihime began, her eyes looking at the displeased man coldly. "It is Goroshi-san, correct? Do you have children?"

"I do not see what that has to do with-"

She rolled her eyes away from his and nodded to herself. "I will take that as a "no". I am a mother trying to protect her youngest from people wishing to take her away from me and possibly harm her. Since you are, apparently, not someone who can or wants to understand that, you will pardon me if I do not put too much value or care in what you have to say. On top of that, it is common courtesy to treat the people who welcome you into their house with a certain level of respect, if you can't even do that, how do you expect me to take you seriously during these negotiations?"

An uncomfortable silence played between all of them for a few moments before she took the word again.

"My husband and I have always stood on the side of the Soul Society whenever asked, our history with you has always been one defined by close alliances and friendship," Orihime resumed, her resolve only strengthened when she felt Ichigo's supporting hand land on her knee underneath the table. "But if you continue to undermine my authority as her mother and try to take her away without our permission, I promise you that next time Soul Society calls, there won't be an answer."

Wakusabe nodded in understanding as he lifted his hands in an innocuous way. "Kurosaki-san, we understand your motivations, but I am certain that you understand ours as well. We cannot let a being this powerful roam the real world unchecked. It'd be dangerous for all of us."

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed. "She is only fifteen. You would snatch her away from the only life she's ever known, just because you and your superiors are afraid of what she _might_ become? We've protected her for the past 15 years! The world hasn't ended, has it?"

"You don't truly believe those words now, do you, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Goroshi asked mockingly, glancing derisively at Orihime. "You know how much of a danger she is; the both of you do."

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "What are you even-"

Goroshi lifted a finger to stop him from talking as he began to read from his event rapports. "Twelve years ago, when the girl was three, the research bureau detected a class 7 event in this house where she set her brother's bed on fire, injuring said brother."

"We were able to contain and reverse the damage!" Orihime protested.

"When she was aged 6, she made an entire portion of the western bridge tiding Karasu River disappear, resulting in the Kidou Corps having to intervene to minimize the casualties and wipe the memories of those involved."

"You can't hold her responsible for that, it was an accident!" Ichigo objected.

Wakusabe lowered his head and nodded. "You're right, we're not. We have to hold you responsible."

Ichigo sat back with a resigned sigh and took Orihime's left hand in his comfortingly.

"And then there are the class 4 and 2 explosions that occurred respectively at ages 10 and a few weeks ago at age 15. Both proven to be near fatal for both you, Kurosaki Orihime-san, and the Quincy Uryuu Ishida," Goroshi continued, looking up with a sickening smirk. "The list goes on with more minor incidents, should I go on? Do you still believe that she is no threat to your family, friends and this town? That you can truly protect her from harming herself, and others? You weren't here for the last incident, Honorary Captain, you couldn't protect her from herself then. What if it happens again?"

"But you can't just decide to take this child away from her parents without meeting them halfway at some point," Shunsui interjected. "If you do, our relationship with the Honorary Captain's family will be in trouble and as you know, he has become a valuable ally to us, one we cannot afford to lose."

"What do you propose, Head Commander?" Wakusabe wondered diplomatically, sitting back.

Shunsui turned towards the Kurosaki couple. "Why don't you ask that question to the parents of the child in question?"

The bald man turned to Ichigo and his wife. "Honorary Captain-"

"You're not taking her from us," Ichigo interrupted coldly. "Not like this."

"Then '_how'_ do you suggest we proceed?" Goroshi asked with an exasperated sigh.

Orihime looked up at her husband and they exchanged deliberate looks. "We're not denying any of those events or belittling the severity of each incident. We know that the succeeding occurrences are escalating and that something needs to be done," she began, closing her eyes and taking a steadying breath. "We've been thinking of sending her to live with her grandfather in the Soul Society for training. That was the plan all along for when she turned fifteen, but…"

Shunsui frowned, having picked up on the heartbroken expressions of the pair. "But what…?"

"Masaki is in psychotherapy," Ichigo said quietly, taking both Orihime's hands in his on the table. "My wife is treating her for her recently diagnosed affective disorder."

Another uncomfortable silence descended upon them.

"Masaki is bipolar?" Nanao whispered, eyebrows knitting together in solicitude.

"We would've sent her to the Soul Society sooner if the war hadn't broken out and if she hadn't been diagnosed…" Orihime whispered softly, looking at their joined hands. "When Uryuu called me two weeks ago to warn me of the signs he'd been seeing in her, I had her tested."

"What signs, Kurosaki-san?" Wakusabe wondered, taking note.

"Her father's absence to go fight in the war had a big emotional impact on her… causing her very first psychotic break on the night she injured Uryuu. Her powers are tied to her emotions; the more impulsive Masaki becomes, the more likely she is to lose control over her powers; namely her fire-related ones... Everything she touches gets burned… or worse.

When Ichigo left, she had to find someone to blame, someone to vent her frustrations and fears out upon. Most teenagers would just lose themselves in sports or other extra-curricular activities, but Masaki always felt like she needed to be strong and show no weaknesses because she looks up to her brothers and father so much. She's always wanted to be just like them. Despite our best efforts, we weren't able to prevent her from feeling... underestimated and maybe even inferior to her brothers and father. And her powers they just..." she bit her lip and shook her head silently, closing her eyes. "Made things worse for her. It's like they become a catalyst for every repressed feeling she's ever had and the more she tries to control them, the more she loses control over herself…"

"Orihime-san…" Shunsui whispered in sympathy.

"She' a good girl," she continued with a nod, biting back her tears with a quivering smile. "She's amazing, and we want for her to get all the help she can get. It's just that with the massive scope of her powers and her very young age… it's taken a toll on her mentally. And we know that there is fault to be found in us, we do not deny it... We just wanted our only daughter to be happy and safe."

"And we also understand that we, as parents, and Orihime as Masaki's psychiatrist can only help her so much," Ichigo admitted. "She's part of the other side too, so we want for her to get help for her powers there."

"Masaki can get the psychiatric help and the help she requires for her powers all in the Soul Society," Goroshi stated calmly, folding his arms against his chest. "And judging by the way you hid the fact that your daughter is actually a mentally unstable person possessing incredible power, why on earth would the Soul Society choose to have her stay in your 'care'?"

"So she can be experimented upon like some sort of exotic curiosity?" Orihime said, voice hard and squinting her eyes in suspicion while Goroshi only smirked knowingly. "As stated before I am taking care of the psychiatric part," she told him coldly. "And we want our family on the other side to take care of her when she's not living on this side. Completely taking her away from everything she knows and cares about will prove itself to be catastrophic, I can guarantee you that."

Goroshi lifted a dissenting eyebrow. "Is that a psychological assessment or a threat, Kurosaki-san?"

Orihime rolled her eyes exasperatedly and scoffed. "Take it as a little bit of both, whatever," Ichigo replied for her, growing tired of the man's bigoted attitude. "But if you're smart, you'll take it as advice from the people who know Masaki best," he said in a hard tone, scowling at the condescending glare he received.

"Wouldn't you agree though that your so called 'motherly authority' hasn't helped your daughter in the slightest?" Goroshi said, unfazed. "That your love for her has actually kept her from getting the help she needs?"

Orihime jumped onto her feet angrily at the insult and Ichigo rose to sit her back down with soothing words and touches.

"Have you been in contact with your family since finding out about your daughter's condition?" Wakusabe asked after the couple had regained a semblance of calm, still taking notes.

"Both the Abarai-Kuchiki and Shiba family have been made aware of our intentions," Orihime informed him. "We are waiting for the outcome of this meeting to properly inform Masaki."

"We won't let her be locked up like an animal because of you not wanting to take the time to understand her and her powers properly," Ichigo stated sternly, looking at Goroshi with a loathsome stare.

"She would be in the care of our most respected and competent doctors and counselors," Wakusabe promised them. "If we were to schedule appointments with consent of your family on the other side, could we come to an agreement?"

"I would have to take a look at the proposed treatments of those doctors first," Orihime said in an authoritative manner, ignoring Goroshi protesting grunt. "And I would like to be present as much as I can when she is on the other side receiving therapy."

"Then how about this," Shunsui said, "We schedule the dates on which Masaki-chan will be with us in the Soul Society and check with all the involved parties over there and get back to you with a complete list of appointment dates, proposed therapies and treatments. If something needs to be changed we will reconvene. For the best interest of this child, it is important to have as much dialogue as possible between all parties involved."

Wakusabe nodded in agreement and took note again.

Ichigo looked at his wife with an approving smile and she nodded gratefully, "That is an arrangement we can work with, Kyouraku-san, thank you."

"What arrangement…?"

They all turned to look in the direction of the patio to see Masaki, Adelheide Ishida and Sachiko Abarai-Kuchiki walking up to them. They stopped in their tracks however when two of the four escorts of the dignitaries kept them from approaching the back of the garden any further.

"Mom? Dad…?" Masaki wondered, switching her gaze between her parents and the men keeping her from getting closer. "What are they doing here…?"

Both Ichigo and Orihime stood up in alert. "It's okay. Stay where you are, Masaki," Ichigo told her reassuringly.

"That is the child! Apprehend her!" Goroshi ordered, standing and pointing in her direction.

Orihime gasped. "What?!"

"Mom?!" Masaki cried in fright, looking up at the two men who grabbed her by her arms forcefully. "No…! Let me go! Dad…!" she didn't finish her sentence because of the blinding flash of light that caught her off guard.

"Lay another finger on her and I will chop your fucking arms off," Ichigo growled lowly, the edge of his khyber knife pressed against the throats of both men.

Adelheide and Sachiko caught Masaki as she fell back, looking up at the impressive Shinigami form of their friends' father whilst he shielded them against Masaki's would be captors. Orihime was holding Ichigo's inert body protectively against her in the grass by the table.

"Kurosaki-san!" Wakusabe exclaimed. "What are you doing, Goroshi!" he told his colleague reprimandingly. "We just reached an agreement! You're not helping us like this!"

"The girl is a menace to the Spiritual Balance!" Goroshi retorted, standing his ground. "And you know that we have directives that she must come with us! She would be much better off on the other side anyhow."

"But not like this!" Wakusabe said, visibly appalled.

"Whose directive are you following and are you ready to lay down your life to follow them?" Shunsui calmly said, having observed the entire altercation in silence. "Because that is where I see all of this going if you continue to ignore their requests. "

"Your job, along with those other two, is to keep us safe!" Goroshi spat back haughtily. "Or are you telling us that you won't fight on the Soul Society's behalf?"

Shunsui began to stand now, an deceitfully amiable smile forming on his lips. "I always have Soul Society's best interest in mind, if that is what you're questioning."

"Dad?!"

Shunsui turned around to see Ichigo's youngest son coming from the house, calling upon twin swords and readily taking on a fighting stance next to his father. "And right now I can say," the Head Commander continued, "that you're not working in its best interest. Trying to exercise the authority you have in the Soul Society here will only lead to unneeded casualties. The Honorary Captain's family has always worked alongside the Soul Society and treating them this way is a disgrace to him and the Soul Society as a whole." He now leant forward above the table and rested his hands on its surface with a menacing scowl on his features. "Who exactly are you working for?"

Wakusabe shook his head in warning. "Stop this madness, Goroshi, before it needlessly escalates!"

The black haired man glared at his colleague and gritted his teeth. "I did not ask for you opinion on the matter, Wakusabe. And you are outstepping your bounds, Head Commander!" He then turned to the other two guards standing behind his chair, making a definite arm movement. "Take her!"

"Hands _off_ my sister!" Sora cried threateningly, coming to stand next to Adelheide who had called upon her Quincy bow. Sora changed the shape of his weapons and now held Ichaibal in his hands, aiming at the two other guards who stopped in their tracks hesitantly.

The two men Ichigo had been warding off were slowly backing away now that they'd dropped their weapons to the ground, having realized that they were no match for him anyway. He then flash stepped to his wife and his body, picked them up and put them next to Masaki and Sachiko in the front of the garden so Orihime could call up her shield to protect all five of them.

Ichigo then turned murderous eyes on the small, black haired man who was slowly moving to stand from his chair. He pointed the tip of his blade at him calmly. "I would suggest that you get off my property," he said quietly through gritted teeth. "Now!" he barked, making Goroshi jump.

Visibly intimidated by him now, Goroshi quickly made a head movement to the two guards closest to him for them to open up a Senkai-gate.

"Ow…!"

Orihime turned around from her kneeling position on the grass when she heard Rukia's twelve year old daughter exclaim in pain behind her, eyes growing wide when she saw what was happening. "Masaki…?"

Sachiko was looking at her reddened palms before she looked how her best friend began to stand as if in trance, chest heaving and her Spiritual Pressure increasing at an alarming rate. "No Masaki, stop…!"

Masaki was panting heavily as she stared at the black haired man angrily, her loose, golden auburn locks slowly lifting themselves off her body and up and her caramel eyes turning a bright golden colour. "They think they can just waltz in here and threaten my family? Haven't we sacrificed enough for those sadistic fucks?! What do you want from us now?!"

"Masaki!" Orihime cried, gasping when her shield shattered around them. "Baby, calm down!"

"Oh my God," Nanao gasped reaching for her throat as droplets of sweat rolled down her temples, suddenly getting a flashback of a similar situation she'd once found herself in. "The air-!"

Shunsui only pressed his lips together in silence, expression calm.

Ichigo was by his daughter's side in an instant, but couldn't get too close to her. "Masaki? Masaki, look at me," he tried carefully, placing his khyber sword on his back again. "Baby, can you focus on me for a second?"

She rolled her eyes up to his slowly, the tears that rolled out of her eyes evaporating themselves almost instantly because of the immense amount of heat she was radiating. "First you and now they want to take me away…?" she whispered slowly, voice trembling. "Mom is helping me now, I'm fine! They don't have to come and take me away! Don't let them take me away, Dad!"

"Honey… No one is taking you away," Ichigo told her gently, sweatdrops rolling down his temples from the intense temperatures he found himself in. "I know you're scared, but you need to calm down… When you get this worked up, you make it hard to breathe for the rest of us, remember?"

"But they can't _do_ this!" she cried, involuntarily sending out a blast of blistering wind out in front of her, destroying the grass, ruining the iron cast furniture and injuring the guards protecting Goroshi by the back wall.

"Masaki…!" Orihime cried desperately, putting her hands up to shield herself against the blast scant seconds before Ichigo flash stepped his body, her and Sachiko out of harms way while Shunsui did the same with Nanao and Okikibe with Wakusabe.

"Masaki, please!" Adelheide begged, holding on to the arms Sora had put around her protectively as they now floated in the air by way of his wings. "Don't do this!"

"Kurosaki!" Goroshi yelled at Ichigo, who was placing his body on the roof of his house next to his wife and niece. "Make her stop this!" he implored, face contorted in a panic. He and his guards had barely managed to jump out of the way of the massive ripple and he was moving onto his feet shakily.

"He's not your puppet to control," Masaki said with a derisive chuckle through her gritted teeth, eying him intently. She then slowly lifted her open right hand and directed her palm to them. "And neither am I. Nobody in this family will be. Ever. Again."

"Masaki! No!"

A destructive wave of fire shot out of her raised hand and made its way towards the terrified dignitary, the explosion that followed seconds later blowing all bystanders many feet away and destroying everything in its path and shaking the earth.

The immense cloud of black smoke that rose from the 22nd street in Sakurabashi was visible all the way downtown.

Flaming debris were still raining down the destroyed garden and the thick dark smoke made it hard to discern anything when Ichigo descended with Orihime on the ground. She fought herself out of his hold before they landed and ran blindly towards the epicentre of the disaster where once their cast iron table stood, face horror struck.

Her scream that followed next chilled all bystanders to the bone.

Ichigo hurried after her, but stopped dead in his tracks when he finally found her, sitting in the upturned earth with her back to him, cradling a lifeless body in her arms. His feet felt heavier with each step he now took towards her, time slowing down as his mind refused to recognize the sneaker that was still barely wrapped around a mangled foot or the shredded jeans soaked in blood… the lower arm adorned with a titanium bracelet dangling off Orihime's lap as she rocked herself back and forth, wailing...

"My baby boy… my beautiful baby boy…!"

Tears formed in Ichigo's eyes as all air left him and all feeling seemingly draining from his body when he finally came upon the scene that broke his heart ten thousand times over.

Orihime looked up at him and her face scrunched together in grief as she shook her head woefully.

"No…" he whispered breathlessly, squeezing his eyes shut and willing his sorrow to stay at bay, knowing that this wasn't the moment to break down. "Keep trying," he told her through gritted teeth, having seen something move in the corner of his right eye. He turned to look and found his daughter kneeling a ways off, her expression blank and her eyes staring unseeingly ahead.

"Sora…!" Adelheide screamed in agony, trying to run up to Orihime holding his body in her arms, but failing and stumbling before scrambling onto her feet again and falling in front of them, sobbing. "No… ple-please… wake up…" she whispered, pressing her forehead carefully against his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut to keep from looking at the severe burns that covered the left side of his face, both his arms and parts of his legs. "You can't leave me, Sora… please…! Please!""

Orihime closed her eyes and shook her head in despair, tears rolling down her face as she pressed her forehead against her son's. "You tried to stop her, didn't you…?" she whimpered, biting her trembling lower lip regretfully. "Tried to protect her… like a big brother should…! Oh, my sweet little boy…!"

Ichigo felt the other Shinigami land behind him just as he kneeled in front of Masaki, but he couldn't bring himself to look at them, knowing that everything was now lost. What remained of their garden wall sported traces of scorch marks where Goroshi and his two guards had been incinerated, and he knew that no matter how good willed Wakusabe was, that he could not overlook what had just happened.

"Kurosaki-san," he heard Shunsui murmur desolately.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "We told him! We told him not to try and take her away by force."

"I know and that will count when a decision about Masaki will have to be made in the Soul Society, there is no avoiding that now," the Head Captain whispered, looking at the weeping women gathered around Sora's body.

Ichigo picked up his daughter from the ground and sent an intense Reiatsu Pulse through her right temple, forcefully rendering her unconscious now that her defenses were lowered. He then turned to face his wife and their gazes met. She nodded tearfully and he looked at Shunsui. "Let's go. Lead the way."

Okikibe placed the shocked dignitary he was still supporting in Nanao's care and unsheathed his Zanpakuto, thrust it forward into an invisible slot and unlocked it, making a Senkai Gate appear with six Hell butterflies floating out of its opening doors.

"Anata."

He turned to Orihime, his expression solemn and already knowing what she was going to ask of him.

"Bring her back to me," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks as she continued to attempt to heal their son. "You make sure you bring our daughter back home to me!" she sobbed when the Souten Kisshun shield shattered for the fifth time.

His lower lip trembled, because he understood what her shattering shield meant. He stepped through the gate just in time to see Yoruichi and Urahara land in what was left of their backyard.

Time was running out.

For both their children.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Author's note:<strong>_

_This took me longer than expected… I'll be honest and say that I truly struggled with this one because it is such an important chapter, a true turning point in this fic and I needed for it to be just as emotionally relevant as it was supposed to be pertinent to the plot. I hope it came out okay. If you have questions regarding this, do not hesitate to ask in the comments._

_No preview this time, or at least not yet, but I will post one on my tumblr as soon as I have some free time to do so lol… I'm already severely sleep-deprived as it is (a new, demanding job will do that to you)._

_Thanks for the ongoing support and on to the next one!_

_**-MistressBlaque-**_


	15. Salacious Interlude

_Salacious Interlude_

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><p>"I don't know what's more disturbing."<p>

Orihime smiled awkwardly and chuckled, scratching the side of her face with a finger as she too stared at the bed.

Ichigo made an annoyed face at the sight of the state of his bedroom. "The fact that they put dad's bed in here or the fact that they just assumed that you and I were going to be sharing a bed and that they're actually encouraging us to have sex."

She blushed and gripped her overnight bag with both hands. "Your dad knows we're sexually active…?"

He looked down at her and nodded apologetically. "Yuzu found my opened box of condoms the other day, so I guess she must've told him."

"Oh," she whispered conversationally, stepping into his room further and placing her bag on the end of the made up bed.

"I'm sorry…" he told her walking over to his build in closet and sliding it open. "I should've hidden them better."

Orihime shrugged and zipped open her pink bag, the blush she'd been sporting deepening when the slinky pieces of lingerie she'd brought almost popped out of the fully stuffed bag. "I guess they were going to find out sooner or later..."

Ichigo turned to her after he'd made some space for her clothes in his closet. He sat down next to her bag on the bed and grinned when his attention went to the frilly pink underwear she was trying to push down into her bag. "Is that for me…?"

"Depends… I have so many boys chasing me, it's hard to chose..." she teased, throwing a pair of rolled socks his way, which he caught easily. They chuckled for a moment as she took out the t-shirts and tops she had packed and laid them on the bed. "Ok, so in light of the bust that happened in your room," she began, making him laugh. "I may have good news for us. I went to the gynecologist the other day…" she then said, still blushing and taking out a few skirts and a dress.

He sat up in worry. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she told him reassuringly, loving him for his concern. "I'm fine," she whispered when he came to stand behind her for a hug.

"Then why did you go?" he asked over her shoulder, wanting for her to stop what she was doing for a moment so they could talk seriously.

"Because," she said, turning around in his hold and placing her hands on his chest, staring at them bashfully. "I want for us to keep having sex whenever we want to without having to rely on condoms and not having to worry about an unintentional pregnancy."

Their eyes met and his lips curled in a smile when he understood what she was saying. "You've started taking birth control pills?"

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling back hesitantly. "Are you okay with it?"

He grinned joyfully and held her closer. "What are you talking about? I have no say whatsoever when it comes to your body…" He kissed her forehead and then looked at her lovingly. "But I'm excited," he added, watching her bite her lower lip happily. "This is a big step."

"Yes it is, sorry I kept it from you…" she replied, looking up into his eyes now. "I wanted for it to be a surprise for our first week that we'll be sharing the same bed… actively."

"So then in a way it's good that this big bed has been moved in here," he murmured with a smirk.

Orihime giggled and nodded. "Gives us more room to maneuver."

"Yeah," he agreed throatily. He kissed her softly and wiggled his eyebrows comically. "Among other things."

She laughed and turned back around to pick up the t-shirts and dresses that lay on the bed, handing them to him. "Like not getting squashed by you while I'm sleeping?"

"Oh please," he protested with a huff, taking the clothes from her and turning towards his closet. "You're the cover hog…" he muttered under his breath with an annoyed expression.

She giggled and turned to him with another pile of clothes. "I'm not a cover hog," she told him, grinning knowingly when she saw his surprised expression. "Yeah, I heard that."

He straightened his expression as best as he could and took her clothes over from her, smirking to himself when he had his back turned to her again. "So, we have the house to ourselves since everyone else went shopping for tonight's dinner that's in your honor. What do you want to do?"

"Hm… how long will they be gone for…?" she asked, smirking to herself quietly, knowing that he couldn't see her anyway and taking out a pair of dark jeans and ankle boots.

"I don't know, maybe an hour?" he replied, reaching for the clothes she was holding out.

"So let me get this straight," she said, now taking out her underwear and placing all ten pairs on his bed in an overly noticeable manner. "We have the house to ourselves. We don't need to use condoms anymore and I'm curious as to how that'll feel like, to be honest…" She then turned to him with a questioning pout. "The only question is if you're ready to go or not-?" she stopped in her sentence when she saw him try to hop out of his pants and wriggle out of his shirt at the same time, making her double over with laughter. "Oh, okay," she giggled when he tackled her and dropped them both on the bed.

She quieted and opened her eyes when she felt the tip of his fingers brush her hair out of her face. His eyes were looking at her as if in awe and she raised her eyebrows in wonder. "What? Do I have gunk stuck in my eyes?" she asked, starting to reach up for her face, but stopping when he chuckled and shook his head.

"I just…" he sighed and smiled at her, feeling a bit self-conscious again. "This time around last year I had lost all hope of ever being with you… and here you are in my room, on my… this bed…" he chuckled when she smirked. "Sometimes I truly think that I'm dreaming, that none of this is real and that you're somewhere else, out of my reach…"

"Hey… This is real and I'm right here," she whispered, smiling softly and reaching for his face with one hand. "What's wrong? What's gotten into you…?"

"You. You're so beautiful… and I'm crazy about you, Hime," he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into her gentle touch. "Completely batshit crazy about you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, you know that."

Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded solemnly, blushing again. "I'm the same," she whimpered. "Wherever you go, I go. You fight, I fight. That's how it's always been. You'll always have me by your side."

Ichigo smiled at her amorously, moved by her heartfelt words as they resonated with the feelings he carried for her in his heart. He nuzzled the tip of their noses together and kissed her longingly on her lips, tasting her love and getting drunk on it. "I love you."

Her next words got lost in the moan he coaxed out of her with his nimble, eloquent fingers playing against the thin cotton fabric of her panties. She couldn't remember his hand going up underneath her jeans skirt and she didn't care, because he was turning her body into a puddle of incoherent goo and she needed for him to press harder and push just a little deeper… Wanting to call his name when he released her lips and swiftly pushed aside the fabric far enough to make contact with her wetness, watching him mimic her gasp as she arched into his hand, his intense, sultry stare arousing her to no end. "Yes…" she whimpered, her left hand pulling her underwear past her hips while the other grasped into the hair near the nape of his neck.

"I could keep watching you forever…" he murmured, loving to see her lose control like this, mouth watering at the sight of her inviting womanhood when her panties slid down her calves.

She knew what he wanted to do, she could feel his intent focusing on the apex of her thighs and although she wanted her share of kisses down low, she needed something else first. "I want to try something," she told him breathlessly in his ear with their cheeks pressed together, smiling when he grunted in response. "Can you…" she began, moaning throatily and eyes rolling into the back of her head when he expertly caressed her clit with his thumb. "Can you please…" she tried, but again she found herself in a difficulty to finish her sentence when two fingers slid inside of her and she let out a shuddering groan.

"You were saying…?" he whispered into her right ear with a smirk, kissing her cheekbone lustfully.

Orihime mewled her pleasure and let him thrust inside of her a few more times before she grabbed onto his arm and looked up at him to make him stop, a furious blush now covering her cheeks when she panted her next words quietly. "I want to… know… know how you taste like…"

Ichigo felt his throat go dry as his pulse quickened in pleasant surprise, his movements inside of her coming to a still. "You want to…?" he whispered before gulping. "Are you sure?"

She smiled a little and removed his hand from between her thighs, sat up and got off the bed. She then took off her long-sleeved, purple shirt and lowered herself on her knees in front of him.

He sat up and blushed in embarrassment. The outlook of having her, on her knees, pleasuring him filling him with nervous anticipation. Of course he'd fantasized about her doing it, but having her actually do it was one other thing completely. "Hime… I-"

She only continued to smile at him before averting her eyes. "This will be my first time doing this…" she whispered, eyes now directed to the floor as she reached for the straps of her green bra and pushed them down. "I just want to return the favor…" she continued, unhooking the garment and letting it fall down her body. "You've done it to me so many times and it always feels amazing when you do..."

Ichigo smirked in acknowledgment of her compliment and scratched the back of his head diffidently, sighing softly. "It's just… I've never… gotten one before…"

She lifted her head to his in surprise and they both smiled before chuckling. "Then I'm glad," she confessed quietly, "that I can totally suck at this and you'll have nothing to compare it to."

They laughed again and he appreciated her even more for cutting the tension. "Okay…" he whispered to her, bending over to kiss her softly. " No pressure, okay? Take your time."

She nodded giddily and took a steadying breath as she watched him take off his black boxer briefs to reveal his throbbing length. "Whoa…" she whispered, feeling a bit intimidated at the sight of it but scooting closer and tentatively reaching out for it all the same. Orihime looked up at him questioningly and received an encouraging smile. Her right hand curled carefully around his shaft and she gasped at how unexpectedly soft the throbbing skin felt, the contrast with the rigidity of its flesh and the pulsing veins mesmerizing her. She gently pulled her hand upwards and watched his reaction, blushing harder at the sound of his guttural groan. Her eyes then fell on his scrotum and she realized that she'd never seen it from this close before and so she caressed the fingertips of her free hand over the uneven surface of the wrinkly skin tissue, biting her lower lip at the way he sighed her name.

She looked up at him wantonly as she approached him with parted lips, unable to resist the musky fragrance that took over her senses. "I love your peepee…" she whispered absent-mindedly, making him chuckle without intending to.

"You do…?"

Orihime nodded, eyes still intensely focused on his member.

He watched her move in closer before he felt her soft lips and tongue land on the base of his penis and kiss, nip and lick their way up to his tip. Barely did he have the time to take in a anticipatory gasp that she had closed her small mouth around his head, making him throw his head back and lean back with his hands on the covers. "Just like that… keep going…" he murmured with a satisfied smile, wincing in pleasure when her tongue swirled over his sensitive skin and she hummed in response. "Oh, Hime…"

She moved her head in twisting motions as her lips and tongue worked on him diligently, just like Tatsuki had taught her, while her right hand pumped the rest of his length in slow and lazy strokes. There was some saltiness and a taste she failed the describe, a flavor caught between the tanginess and sweetness of a pineapple, but something, she decided, that was distinctly Ichigo. And having his hard, throbbing manhood inside her mouth, knowing that she was the only one in control of his pleasure right in that moment turned her on in ways she'd never known she liked before. Hearing him moan her name in that breathy, throaty voice of his made her wildest fantasies about him come alive and she was already touching herself with her left hand before she realized what she was doing, fingers playing between her legs, underneath her skirt as she imagined them to be his.

"Fuck…!" he panted in surprise when her mouth enveloped him further, his head whipping back to look at what divine motion she was doing in between his legs, instantly wishing he hadn't because for a tiny second he felt like he could've orgasmed just from the sight of her.

Breasts bouncing softly as her hips rocked onto the hand tucked underneath the hem of her skirt, her mouth, that deceptively innocent mouth, hanging open around his cock lewdly as she bobbed her head up and down and her lips sucked the life out of him each time only to release him before closing together and sucking lustfully on him again. "I-if you keep going… I-oh fu-uck…" he whispered anxiously, feeling himself tense up.

She released him with a gasp and looked up at him in wonder. "You don't want me to…?"

"No," he told her, helping her back on her feet by her elbows. "What you just did was absolutely fantastic, but I would prefer it if you didn't have me… finish like that," he whispered, lowering himself back on the bed with her on top. "Don't feel like you have to. Ever."

Orihime nodded and smiled, closing her eyes when his fingers brushed her bangs back behind both her ears. "Okay…" she said, straddling his hips now. He sat up again and pressed his lips against her right breast, nuzzling her skin there tenderly while his hands slid down her shoulders and arms before joining them on her lower back, to unzip her jeans skirt. He helped her gather the blue fabric around her and watched her pull the garment over her head, her fully unclothed body now revealed to him. Orihime adjusted her position on top of him with one hand on his right shoulder while the other guided his erection to her entrance, their eyes kept in a mutual, silent gaze.

He sucked in a breath and threaded his fingers through the hair on the back of her head, wincing when her warmth enveloped him snugly and she arched into him with a loud gasp. He could feel every inch of her as she lowered her hips onto his slowly, feel every shiver, every pulse of her racing heartbeat, every sharp intake of her breath, all of it from that spot where they now connected, joined without any kind of interference. Her light brown eyes showed him her soul, but down there, he was certain, he reached her essence, the centre of her entire being and he was grateful, just in that moment that she let him, offering him unshielded access to her most precious treasure.

He could tell that having him inside of her felt more intense without the layer of rubber that had always kept them from truly becoming one, her thighs enclosing his hips trembling ever so slightly when she tried to keep herself from letting the force of her built up arousal take over. "Oh my God…" she whined and he chuckled up at her. "D-don't laugh… don't… you're making me…" she whimpered before letting out a breathless moan and an involuntary cry when she orgasmed unexpectedly just by having his throbbing heat deep inside. "Ichigo…!"

Ichigo bit back a moan of his own as he watched her pant silently for a few moments, her hands that rested on his shoulder quivering ever so slightly and her inner walls still contracting around him while she rode out her premature climax. "You're amazing," he whispered into the side of her neck, giving her the time she needed for them to resume.

Her lips then searched for his after a few quiet moment and he met them, letting her lead the kiss as he laid himself down on the bed once more, running his hands up and down her sensuous, naked back.

Orihime released his lips with a loving smile and unmounted him, keeping their eyes locked while she sat down on the bed and moved herself to its centre and laid down, lifting a beguiling arm as her invitation.

Ichigo stood briefly to kick his boxer briefs from around his ankles, placed her bag on the floor and then climbed into the large bed with her, throwing her pieces of underwear he encountered on his path playfully behind his shoulders, making her laugh. He took her outstretched hand in one of his and crashed their lips back together, later sliding both pairs of their joined hands up the covers and above her head whilst his body settled on top of hers and he easily slid up inside of her moist heat.

He set the pace and she let him, the ferocity of his need giving her little choice but to let her body respond to him with abandon, finding herself in the incapacity of escaping him in any way, his dominance driving her mad with renewed want.

"Put your legs around me…" he panted against her moaning mouth, licking her lower lip hungrily before sliding his tongue inside, taking possession of it with a deep and demanding kiss. He left her panting with her head still spinning from the breath-stealing kiss, throwing his head back in pleasure as she did as told and he slid in deeper, tiny sparks seemingly exploding all over his erection and shooting up his spine. "Hold on tight, Hime..."

When he started his series of hard, deep and grinding sets of thrusts next, she was far from having expected the reaction her body had next. How was it possible that the absence of a piece of rubber made such an overwhelming difference?

He had his nose buried in the side of her neck and she had her eyes tightly shut with her mouth hanging open in a silent gasp while her body experienced orgasm number two and he continued to pump in and out of her relentlessly. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…!" she breathed, simultaneously trying to catch her breath, but failing and ending up gasping rapidly with each stroke, her fingers tightly closing around his underneath the pillows above their heads. "Yes…!"

"Fuck yes…" he agreed, sitting back on his knees and letting go of her hands to look at her panting, sprawled body, smiling at the sight of her worn out expression. "Stay with me, Hime…" he challenged playfully.

Orihime's trembling calves come to rest on his ass and she pulled him to her, breasts quivering at the quick thrust he gave her in response, sobbing his name with her head thrown to the side. "Keep going…" she whispered breathlessly with eyes closed and a drowsy grin, arching up to him, feeling him grab hold of her hips and jerking them to his in time with his quick, decisive strokes. Her hands shot out to his arms and he gritted his teeth at the sensation of her nails digging into his skin."Oh God… Please don't stop."

And he can't refuse her, not now, not when she looks like home and sex and warmth and peace. And he needs her, so unbearably much, right in that moment, to guide him home and give him a place where he could truly belong. Therefore it isn't long before his pushes inside of her grow desperate and their laboured grunts mingle and her hands reach up to close around the steel bar of the headboard as the bed squeaks and he's swirling his tongue around a nipple and enclosing it with his mouth, suckling hungrily on her, while she cries and shivers and begs and falls apart again.

His drawn out, breathy groan makes her open her eyes when he finally comes, hard and hot and sticky and all wet, deep inside of her, filling her up with his love and passion, exposing his vulnerability, dying one breath at a time only to come alive against her bosom again as he listened to her heart and breathed her in, one trembling intake of air at a time.

Her shaky panting had him open his eyes when her small hands came to rest on his sweaty hair and face, urging him back up onto her for a passionate kiss. Their eyes met after and she smiled blissfully, finding the same level of satisfaction she feels reflected back in his lazy smile and soft brown eyes.

"So…?" he asked her a few beats later, bringing his arms to enclose her face on the bed.

"Give me a minute… wow..." she breathed and he laughed. "Is there such a thing as it feeling too good?"

He shared her chuckle and kissed her cheek lovingly. "I for one had no idea that it could get this much better. You blew my mind."

"There's no going back to condoms. Never again," she giggled whilst he dropped wet kisses on each side of her throat merrily. "What are you going to do with that box you still have?"

"I don't know," he murmured, planting another kiss on her engorged lips. "Maybe we should keep them? For emergencies, you never know."

She nodded agreeingly, nuzzling his right wrist and kissing it when he brushed her damp bangs out of her face. "You're right," she said, staring at him amorously. "Kiss me. Please?"

He lays his gaze back on hers and smiles brightly, rubbing the tip of their noses before enmeshing his lips with hers. "I will never stop kissing you," he whispered against her lips, taking a moment to look at her, lying there in the afterglow of their lovemaking, her eyes shining a soft golden brown in the light of the setting sun, her natural beauty never more apparent than when she's bathing in it. "I wish we could stay like this for a while… with me staring at how beautiful you are and dreaming of us maybe getting married someday…" he murmured, averting his eyes bashfully from her growing smile to focus on her collarbone, traipsing his fingers over the sensitive skin. "Getting a house… have kids…"

"How many?" she interjected lightheartedly, her hands running through his messy hair and her lips grazing his forehead when he laid his head down on her chest again.

"Two…? Maybe three?" he answered, looking at how their hands intertwined and smiling because nothing had ever felt more right than these stolen moments he got to spend with her heart as his pillow of comfort.

Orihime chuckled and nodded. "That sounds nice… Two boys and a girl. If I get to have kids with you, then that's what I want."

"Then you'll have just that," he told her solemnly, looking at her now. "I will make that future happen for us, if you'll let me."

"Yes," she promised, chuckling with tears in her eyes. "I want that future for us. It sounds amazing."

"It will be," he nodded in determination. "I promise."

Her hands came to enclose his face and coaxed him into kissing her again while he took her in his arms and rolled them over the large bed with a shared laugh of excitement.

On the other side of the door, Isshin stood silently with his back to the room, having arrived just in time to catch the last bit of their conversation. He'd wanted to invite Orihime to come help Yuzu in the kitchen now that they'd returned from the grocery store, but he figured that his youngest daughter wouldn't mind starting without her.

He grinned to himself and shook his head in amused disbelief, wondering, as he returned to the stairs, when it was that his son had started to harbor such serious feelings about his future. He then shrugged, his grin turning smug as he figured that now that his son had experienced the advantages of having more room to work with, he at least wouldn't have to listen to him bitching to him about the bed.

* * *

><p><em>I hope you enjoyed this 'intermission'! I thought we could all use the emotional break… If you have questions, shoot them in the comments!<em>

_I will post a preview to the next Raindrops Arc chapter on my Tumblr as soon as I've written something worth posting. So please look forward to that!_

_And as always, thanks for the support and see you on the next one!_

**_-MistressBlaque-_**


	16. The Inceptive Despondency

_16. The Inceptive Despondency - Raindrops pt2_

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><p>The private beach near the sea-side shack was lit up with numerous lanterns and decorative torches stuck in the sand, indicating a path to the fenced off, artificial oasis of light.<p>

The sun hung low on the ocean's horizon when she arrived to their graduation party that night, the soft summer breeze playing with her off the shoulders, white, kneelength crochet dress and bringing with it the vibrating bass notes of the music that was currently playing and the succulent aroma of grilled meat and vegetables.

"Inoue-san!" Uryuu welcomed her with a warm smile, manning the grill with Ururu by the bamboo fence directly opposite to the ocean. "Welcome."

She descended the few wooden steps that came down the dune separating their side of the beach from the rest of it and pulled her bangs behind an ear bashfully when all eyes of those present now rested on her. "Thank you, Ishida-kun. Has everyone arrived already?"

"Most of of them, yeah," he replied, watching Rukia come closer.

"You made it," Rukia said in greeting, walking up to her from where she and Karin had been sitting by the huge bonfire with the rest of the guests. She was wearing a purple bikini and an oversized, see-through white tunic on top. It looked like she'd been in the water not that long ago.

"Sorry I'm late," she whispered to her, taking her right hand in hers cordially before her eyes darted around the place in search of a certain orange haired guy and waving at her friends who had gathered. "I couldn't get off work earlier." She then grinned and waved at Mizuiro who was pointing at her with an acknowledging smirk from behind his laptop on the DJ stand by the shack that functioned as the bar. The bar stand had Isshin working behind it and he was smiling at her with a nod before offering a yellow colored cocktail to Tatsuki who was talking with Yoruichi from her stool.

Rukia grinned at her and shrugged as she led her to the circle of white and brown, shaded sun loungers placed around the circular stone pit with fire. "You're not that late, most of us only just arrived."

"Has Kurosaki-kun not gotten here yet?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of the oval lounger Rukia and Karin shared.

"Ichi-nii is in the back of the shack with Chad and Keigo, unloading the drinks from Ikumi-san's van," Karin answered, sitting her petite, athletic body on the white pillows on the other end of the lounger with her knees pulled against her chest as she dried her hair with a small towel. She was wearing a black and white tank top bikini. "You look great, Orihime," she then added with a knowing smile.

"Thank you," she replied shyly, smiling back. Her attention then went to the sound of Renji laughing by the water with Rangiku and Toushiro, sipping from his drink and enjoying his conversation with the Vice-Captain. She met Toushiro's gaze a moment later and returned his smile before his eyes drifted to Ichigo's sister, who was making herself more comfortable in her corner of the lounger and shielding herself from the ocean breeze by pushing herself back into the pillows of the egg-shaped seating. "How are things between you and Toushiro-kun, Karin?"

The fifteen year old turned her face to her and gave her a wry smile. "The only reason my dad is here, is to keep an eye on him. That's how well things are going."

Both Rukia and Orihime winced in sympathy. "Why is your father so opposed to your relationship?" Orihime asked. "Can't he see how much you two care for each other?"

"He's just worried that I might get involved in more Shinigami business," Karin said, turning her head away to look at the flames. "And I mean, how would we even make it work? I'm human, he's a soul. We could never be together anyway."

Rukia placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Did something happen?" she asked, having been under the assumption that everything was alright between them.

Karin shook her head and shrugged. "Not really…" she said in a far away voice, eyes looking at the white haired captain in the distance. "I just decided for myself that I need to stop dreaming. Him and I… it's never going to work."

Orihime cocked her head to the side with a compassionate smile. "It's okay to be scared."

"It's not that," Karin whispered with a complacent smile. She then shrugged. "It's just not worth it."

"That's harsh…" Rukia whispered, looking at her in sympathy. "It's obvious that the Captain cares about you, Karin… or he wouldn't be here."

"He was sent here on a mission with Ichi-nii and you guys, he's not here for me…" the younger girl replied with a disbelieving shake of her head.

"I was told he volunteered to be here," Orihime commented casually. "As the supervising officer of the detachment team ordered to support Kurosaki-kun."

"Who told you that?" Karin whispered with a dismissive smirk, her tone mocking.

Rukia grinned. "He did."

"But he hates these kinds of missions…" Karin whispered, sitting up now with a healthy blush growing on her cheeks.

Orihime and Rukia exchanged amused glances. "Exactly."

"Why do you think he's been stealing glances this way?" Orihime smiled. They then turned to look in the direction of the manly laughter that echoed over the beach, announcing the arrival of Ichigo, Chad and Keigo to the party. "Give it a chance," she continued with a blush on her cheeks, smiling amorously at the object of her affections.

Rukia smiled tenderly when she looked at her brunette friend staring at the tall orange haired savior standing in the distance. He had on a pair of kneelength white shorts with and a matching tank top with a light blue, loose shirt. "You don't want to wake up one day and regret not having taken the chance to tell him how you feel."

Karin thought about it for a moment, lowering her head as she glanced at Toushiro longingly, the blush she'd been wearing spreading a little. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something and then chose against it, casting a contrite glance to her far left where her father was talking with Urahara. "I-"

Orihime looked at Karin gently and shook her head in understanding as she stood. "Go. I'm curious about your dad's mixologist skills anyway."

The older Kurosaki twin grinned thankfully at her and moved to get off the lounger, running her hands through her wet, shoulder length ebony strands nervously. "Ok…"

"Go find someplace remote to talk, we'll keep your dad busy," Rukia assured her, standing as well.

"Thanks guys…" the younger girl whispered gratefully, putting on her light blue bikini-cover and slipping on her white flip flops.

Orihime and Rukia walked away from her and towards the bar, passing Ichigo's group as they went.

"Kurosaki-kun, hi!" Orihime greeted him cheerfully.

He smiled brightly at her and made an acknowledging head movement. "Inoue. You made it."

Rukia only grinned to herself and walked on towards the bar, soon followed by Keigo and Chad who also preferred letting the two catch up.

"Did you have to work late at the coffee shop?" he asked her conversationally, turning his gaze back to hers after he'd checked on both his sisters. He'd risen an amused eyebrow when he saw Yuzu standing by the grill with a plate of food in her hands, bickering with the red haired kid that stayed at Urahara, the one he couldn't recall the name of for the life of him. His other sister was sitting on a lounger by the bonfire, drying her hair.

Orihime scratched the back of her head sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't convince my boss to let me go earlier," she confessed with an embarrassed chuckle.

A new smile graced his features as he finally noticed how lovely she looked tonight, realizing that he liked the way the warm light of the fire lit up her delicate features and how the shadows managed to only accentuate her beauty in a alluring way. The cold shoulder dress she was wearing made her look very sexy, a look he knew she didn't go for often when they were still in high school.

It seemed like now that school was over and done with he'd found more liberties he'd unconsciously set aside because of it.

Like seriously considering dating Inoue Orihime.

"Did you have something to eat already?" he then questioned, beginning to walk towards the readily prepared buffet near the grill.

Orihime turned to look at the bar and smiled when she saw how Rukia and the other guys successfully managed to take up all of Isshin's attention. "No, I haven't," she answered, quickly catching up to him and brushing her bangs behind an ear with a secretive smile.

"The beef is really good," he commented, picking up a cardboard plate and looking at her as he reached for it with the prongs.

She smiled and gave him a nod, her heart melting as she watched him fill up her plate with the food she agreed to eating. "Will you join me?" she asked softly when he handed her the plate and Yuzu and Jinta walked off with the youngest Kurosaki pouting at the redhead in dismay.

Ichigo returned the smile Orihime was sporting and nodded. He wouldn't tell her that he had already eaten, though. "Sure."

"What do you want to eat?" she whispered breathlessly, having placed her plate on the table and now moving around him to go pick up another plate at the other end of the table where they started.

He'd lifted a hand to stop her, but only ended up chuckling at her enthusiasm as she stacked on the food with seemingly no intention of relenting. "Orihime, I can't eat all that."

She froze and turned to look at him. "Kurosaki-kun, you just…?"

"That's more than enough, I'm not that hungry," he smiled as he took his plate from her, obviously not realizing what he'd just said. "Let's go sit over there," he proposed, making a head movement towards the sole sun lounger that stood on the edge of the small dune near the entrance of their private beach, overlooking the ocean. "So you won't have to eat alone since everyone else already had dinner."

Orihime's face exploded with red at the prospect of having him all to herself in such a romantic place. He was so nice!

"You okay?" he asked her when he saw her flushed face.

She only nodded quickly and watched him pick up her plate as well and make his way up the wooden plates covering the path up the dune agily. He placed the plates on the small matching oval table in front of the lounger and then quickly returned to her to see if she needed any help up the path, watching her walk up in her white, straw wedge sandals with an outstretched hand, there for her to grab should she need it. "Be careful."

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Their eyes met when she placed her hand in his and the smile he gave her then made her insides quiver giddily, which translated in her hand quivering and his fingers closing more tightly around hers. His strong, yet gently grip helped her up the slope easily and the momentum of his pull had her lose her balance and fall against him. "I'm sorry!" she whispered, face inches from his chest now and too flushed for her to look up at him, especially now that he'd placed his hands on her lower back protectively. "I'm such a klutz-"

"Don't apologize, you're fine," his rich baritone whispered to her and she could hear the gentle smile in it, even though she couldn't muster the courage to meet it with her eyes. "Did you hurt yourself, Inoue?"

It was just him calling her what he'd always called her and yet somehow… now that he'd called her by her given name it felt… almost disheartening to hear him calling her by her surname again. It only made it clear once more that no matter how close they were now as friends, there'd always be a certain level of distance between them, a corridor too narrow for her to cross… a gap she failed to bridge only by a hair's breath.

But, she realized, that despite everything she wished for and felt for him, that things were fine this way. Being able to call him her friend she could help protect and in turn rely on whenever she needed him to was more than enough.

Well, she would make it be enough.

She closed her eyes with a content smile and shook her head. "I'm okay," she told herself more than him, looking at him. "Thanks for catching me, Kurosaki-kun."

"Anytime," he replied with another handsome smile before letting go of her and giving her first passage to the lounger.

Orihime sat down and turned her face towards the incoming summer breeze, closing her eyes to breathe in the salty and refreshing air. "This feels nice," she whispered with a smile.

He was watching her silently, eyes going over how the wind played with her caramel locks and his nose picking up the subtle notes of vanilla that it carried with it. "It is," he agreed, smiling to himself a little, wondering if there was even a snowball's chance in Hell that a girl as pretty as her would be interested in a punk like him, let alone date him. "And the view is amazing," he heard himself whisper, his smile turning melancholic.

Of course he wasn't referring to the sun getting ready to set into the ocean, but she didn't need to know that.

She made an agreeing sound and then opened her eyes, giving him one of her gorgeous smiles. "Let's taste this beef you've been raving about, shall we?"

He chuckled and picked up his plate from the table in front of them. "I wasn't 'raving', I just said it was really good."

"But since Ishida-kun made it, I'm sure it's rave-worthy!" she reasoned, undeterred as she picked up a small piece of it with the wooden chopsticks he'd handed her.

Ichigo made an annoyed face. "I doubt that anything that guy does or makes can be considered rave-worthy."

Her clear and carefree laughter echoed around them and he found himself smirking back, just happy to be able to bask in the glow of her contagious mirth.

They continued their dinner in silence and occasionally shared smiles and chuckles when she would moan in appreciation of a particular flavor.

"Did you have this already?" she asked him, picking up a piece of the grilled rice ball she'd been working through. "It's amazing!"

He shook his head and his eyes went wide when she lifted her plate towards him, taken off guard and at the same time lured into her more by her candid gesture.

"Have a taste," she offered him.

He lifted his chopsticks and did as told, gingerly picking up a cluster of rice and bringing it to his mouth.

She grinned at the way his face lightened in surprise. "Well?"

"This does taste amazing," he admitted, still chewing. "Wow."

Orihime lowered her plate on her lap with a satisfied grin and resumed eating. "How's the mission with Toushiro-kun and Rangiku-san going? Have you found any of the nobles who escaped here?"

He placed his plate back on the table when he'd finished eating and shook his head. "We've checked all the designated safe houses of the concerned noble houses, but haven't found a trace of them so far."

"Could Hollows have…?" she wondered, giving him her near empty plate when she wanted to place it before her as well and he reached for it instead.

"According to the research bureau, there's no traces that indicate they were attacked by Hollows or anything resembling them."

Orihime thought about it for a moment and turned to look at the horizon that was now aflame with bright carmine red, shades of gold and traces of blues and purples mixed in between. "They have been wrong before…" she mused, continuing to stare at the sunset as a comfortable silence fell between them. The electronic beats from the BPM song that was playing made her move her head to its rhythm and she smiled when he saw Renji run with Rukia over his shoulder to the ocean on her lower left, dropping the both of them in the darkening waters as their onlookers on the beach laughed with merriment at the sound of her shrieks and chuckles.

Orihime turned to her right to look at Ichigo with an amused smile, her breath catching in her throat when she found his gaze already resting on her quietly. "They're so adorable together…" she commented softly, chuckling to herself and falling silent when his stare lingered. "Kurosaki-kun…?" she wondered, feeling her face turn another desperate shade of vermillion.

He then blinked as if snapping out of daydream and chuckled nervously. "I- I uh just realized that I didn't bring up anything for you to drink," he stammered, moving to stand hastily and turning around before she could protest.

"What the Hell...?"

Orihime watch him stand still with his back to her, looking at something that caught his attention by the bamboo fence in the relative distance.

She stood in turn and came to stand beside him, gasping at the scene taking place by the shore. "Kurosaki-kun, don't!" she warned, grabbing him by his left wrist when he prepared to take a step forward, understanding his protective intent. "It's what she wants."

He turned to look at her in confusion. "What...?"

"You probably didn't notice because of how busy we've all been with finals…" Orihime began, smiling tenderly at the couple kissing on the edge of the beach with their naked feet in the water a few hundred meters from the dune and the private party. She gently coaxed him to come back towards the lounger. "But those two grew closer over the last few months."

"You knew about this…?" he wondered, sounding in no way accusing, but rather dissapointed. He sat back down on the lounger and sighed with a small smile. "Is that why Toushiro…?"

She nodded guiltily and sat down too. "I think he cares for her a whole lot, too."

He nodded in acknowledgement before chuckling in disbelieve. "It's not going to go anywhere, though…"

"Why not….?" she wondered, her timid voice carrying her disagreement with his statement, even when she slightly shivered in the sudden cool wind that had set up.

Ichigo shrugged off the short sleeved, light blue shirt he'd been wearing over his white tank top and draped it over her shoulder caringly. "Better?" he asked, smiling when she blushed and nodded.

"Why do you think it won't go anywhere, Kurosaki-kun?" she inquired again, holding the folds of the shirt close to her and resisting the urge to pull the fabric up to her nose to breathe in his scent deeply like a deranged person.

Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "He's Shinigami, she's human. He's part of the world of the dead and she's still very much alive. Soul Society has rules against these kinds of things."

Her eyes went a little sad at those words and her smile took on a forlorn quality. She could understand him not wanting for his sister to go through what their parents had to. "It's ike a classical forbidden love."

"Yeah, but one that won't have a tragic ending, not if I can help it," he said stubbornly. "And Karin is smart, she'll come to her senses eventually."

"What if she's already chosen…? When it comes to love, smarts and logic don't really make sense..." Orihime whispered quietly, hugging herself now and turning away from him. "What if she wants to be with him no matter what? Fight his battles with him, stay by him, no matter what…?"

Ichigo looked at her for a moment and then shook his head resolutely. "Fight what battles? Karin doesn't have Shinigami powers. She wouldn't be able to help him if it came down to a fight."

She closed her eyes with a small patient smile. "But it's what she wants. Even if… all she can do is wait for him. She wants for him to know."

He fell silent again, now ready to investigate this dejected mood she suddenly found herself in, trying his hardest to understand. "Want for him to know what…?" he asked her quietly, now feeling the need to comfort her as he watched her lower head with a nervous sigh. He gingerly scooted closer to her with a reassuring smile.

Orihime looked up into his chocolate eyes that now burned auburn in the light of the dying sun. He was so handsome and more beautiful and radiant to her in that one moment than he would ever realize. The amount of traction he had on her was unreal and she'd grown so weary of pretending it wasn't there, that it didn't affect her the way it did. She wanted for him to see her for the woman she was… to recognize the love she carried for him. She'd started falling for him so long ago and having him sitting there, looking so irresistible and being so close to her, made her want for him to finally catch her, right in that moment, right in between heartbeats, just before she'd inevitably hit the ground. "That he never has to be alone, ever again," she murmured breathily, unconsciously having moved closer to him, her lips slightly parted as she stared at his that were moving ever closer to hers...

There was nothing he could've done to stop the kiss that followed, or the ensuing words he heard himself tell her.

"I can't do this."

She could swear to have heard something break deep within her when she impacted on the cold, hard floor with those words. "Kurosaki… kun…?" she heard herself whisper breathlessly, retreating from the brief kiss with her eyes staring unseeingly at the white fabric of the pillows beside them. "I'm-"

"No," he said, standing up with his right hand pressed against his mouth, eyes filling up with regret when she looked up at him in pained confusion. "I'm sorry. I can't," he murmured with a shake of his head, looking away with his balled hands resting by his sides.

Orihime lowered her head in defeat and bit her lower lip dejectedly, smiling to herself, even when her heart tore itself in two. "I guess... I have my answer…" she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking, but failing.

He closed his eyes in regret let his head hang. "Inoue-"

"I just wanted to do it once, Kurosaki-kun… to have my first kiss be with you…" she whimpered, still smiling. "I'm sorry I imposed myself onto you."

He couldn't bring himself to look up at her anymore, feeling confused and conflicted with himself. "N-no, you've never-"

"Thank you for dinner, though, Kurosaki-kun," she stated and he saw her stand up again. "I'm going to go get that drink now."

Ichigo opened his mouth to offer going with her, but realized that he couldn't even offer that anymore without making things even more painfully awkward than they already were. So he simply watched her stand and take off his shirt, lay it on the lounger and make her way down the dune again and get accosted by both Rukia and Tatsuki, sighing when he could already imagine the reaction of her two best friends when she would tell them what happened. He scowled, turned around and saw his sister walking back to the party hip to hip with Toushiro, laughing at something he said.

And then the words Orihime expressed earlier about Karin and Toushiro's relationship hit him again and he closed his eyes at how stupid he truly was.

She'd confessed her feelings to him then, didn't she?

"You know you just fucked up big time, right?"

"Tatsuki…" he whispered, having recognized her voice. Or more notably, her pissed off tone of voice. His shoulders tensed up, but he did not turn around to look at her. "I can't ask her to be with me when-"

"Oh, shut up!" she interjected, not having any of his excuses. "And man the fuck up, Ichigo! Who are you to decide what is best for her? She chose to be with you, but you're just too much of a coward to return those feelings?! What are you even afraid of, seriously?"

He opened his mouth but couldn't find anything to say, his face only growing more pained when Karin's laughter echoed over the sound of the rolling waves. "I don't know… I just want her to be safe and she can't be if she's with me…"

Tatsuki walked up to him angrily, pulled him by his shoulder, turned him around and slapped him clean across his face. "The safest place that she knows of is when she's with you, you stupid asshole! Where you always this much of a wimp? You don't think she's safe with you, so instead of making sure she is, you decide to let her go instead?! You fucking coward!"

He waited for the stinging in his cheek to subside before he opened his mournful eyes again. Hearing those words broke his heart and he recalled all those times when she'd been there for him, when he'd thought her kindness to come from friendship and friendship alone, now seeing all those precious moments with her under a completely different light. "Could you just tell her-" he stammered, but was interrupted again.

"I'm not telling her anything!" the black haired young woman yelled, shoving him away from her. "I'm taking her home, so she doesn't need to cry in front of all these people!"

He squeezed his eyes shut again at her scathing words.

"Now I have to be the one to console her and help her get over the stupid dick who failed to man up and ask her out! After 3 fucking years that she wasted on your sorry ass!" she added as she now stomped back down the dune. "You had 3 fucking years, Ichigo, and you _still_ did nothing with them! Nothing!"

He lifted his head in time to see her take Orihime by a hand as they walked passed the dune towards the stairs leading to the promenade running alongside the beach. Ichigo took a step towards her when her face to turned to him, but froze in his steps when he saw her broken expression. He pressed his lips together and let her walk on, not finding the courage to tell her anything more.

The eyes of most of the party's attendees were on him now, he knew. He gritted his teeth, unable to stand the attention right in that moment. As he grabbed his shirt where Orihime had left it earlier, he wondered if he'd just irrevocably broken one of the most important relationships of his life and if he would still get a chance to fix things between them.

Her hurt expression would hunt him for the months to come because he didn't know it yet, but it'd be another 3 months and a half before they'd see each other, let alone talk.

And by then he'd be ready.

But too late.

* * *

><p><strong><span><em>Author's note:<em>**

_Waaa! This was hard lol._

_Thank you for reading and liking and reviewing everyone! If you have any questions, shoot in the comments!_

_Oh, and do check out my tumblr page, I've written a short Orihime-centred drabble called Dearest - The Lasting Bonds, which takes place in the Lessons of Love universe and also started a new IchiHime fic there called 'Accursed'. You can find links to both works in my bio._

_The preview for the next Ashes to Ashes chapter should be up in a few days too!_

_Until then, take care and see you on the next one!_

**_-MistressBlaque-_**


	17. Lament - The lasting bonds 2

**_Lament/The lasting bonds(2) - Ashes to Ashes pt3_**

* * *

><p>"You need to eat something."<p>

Her despondent eyes fell on the tray with her breakfast that he laid on the small table next to her futon bed. "I can't get anything down my throat, grandpa…"

Isshin scooted closer to her on his knees and placed his hand on her shoulder, so she would turn away from the wall and face him. "Masaki, you can't go on like this. It's been almost two weeks. With the medication they have you on, you need to maintain your weight or-"

"I want to see them…" she murmured, pulling her knees up to her chest and leaning against the furthest wall of her isolation cell. "My parents… are they still not allowed to see me?"

Isshin closed his eyes and shook his head. "They can't see you for now, princess… although the tribunal ruled what happened as being an accumulation of circumstances and that you've been exempt of most of the blame, the same isn't true for your parents. They have to wait until you've finished your first round of therapy with your psychiatrists before they're allowed to see you."

Masaki leaned her head back against the wall and her long, unkempt titian hair fell out of her beautiful face, the dark circles under her eyes still glistening with the tears she cried not so long ago. "What about aunt Karin?"

"She will come by later today, with Rukia-chan and Renji," he answered, reaching for her face. "I've been told that Mamoru is on his way too."

She brought her face back to his eye-level and shook her head pleadingly, the panic reflected in the dim depths of her eyes breaking the old Shinigami's heart. "I-I can't…! Not Mamo-chan..."

"Masaki…" Isshin whispered, brushing a tear that rolled down her cheek away, cupping her face gently. "He's dying to see you."

"I can't face him… " she whimpered. "Not after what I've done..."

"His love for you hasn't changed, child…" the Kurosaki patriarch said, watching her close her eyes regretfully and lean into his touch. "None of our affections for you have… if anything, they've blinded us from seeing how much you were suffering. We all partake in the blame of what happened."

She crawled into his awaiting arms with a sorrowful sob and hugged him closely, shedding the tears she'd thought to no longer have after the many days she'd spent doing nothing but cry. "I ruined everything… broken our family for ever…"

A small trembling smile grew on Isshin's lips and he shook his head, tightening his hold on her. "Our family is more resilient than that… I thought you knew that by now. The death of a loved one changes a lot of things, true… but the bonds that existed with the departed are never severed."

"Have they…?"

"Not yet," he answered, closing his eyes when she fell back into heart wrenching sobs. "But they will. He knows where he needs to go if he's here." He looked up at the Shinigami standing guard by the bars of the isolation cell who now ticked his detention rod against them warningly.

Masaki looked up at him and then at the entrance to her cell. "When are you coming back, grandpa?"

"I have some business to attend to for the next couple of days, but aunt Karin, Renji and Rukia will be coming in to see you daily starting today," he answered softly, kissing her forehead consolingly.

"Okay…" she whimpered, letting him go with an unsure expression and a watery smile. "If you see mom and dad…"

Isshin nodded. "I'll tell them," he promised, wiping away her tears with both his thumbs, his hands cupping her face. "Be strong, babygirl. I love you."

Her lower lip trembled when she watched him stand up again. "I love you too, grandpa," she whimpered.

A last encouraging smile formed on his lips before he turned around and had the guard open the cell door for him.

"Please step out, Former Captain Shiba," the guard said, pointing with his rod to a spot far enough from the door.

Isshin did as told and stepped back, turned and watched the man put a sealing spell on the door.

"All clear, please proceed."

He nodded and walked down the corridor to the next door, which was opened for him by another guard standing behind it. He went through three more of these checkpoints and sighed in annoyance when he finally reached the end of the long corridor. "Is all of this uberhaupt necessary, she's harmless in there," he commented towards the last guard who was closing the door behind him.

"We can't take any chances, sir," the other man answered with a stoic shake of his head, before looking around hesitantly, the white head cloth he wore hiding his compassionate smile. "But we take care of her, sir. She is in good hands."

Isshin smiled a little and tapped the man on his shoulder. "Thank you, good man. As long as you do not do anything to jeopardize your position. My granddaughter is in need of protection first, above everything else. It warms my heart that you show her kindness, but she is not in need of a friend right now, but of someone who will not hesitate to act if needed be."

The man nodded solemnly in understanding. "Yes, sir."

The former captain nodded back and walked on towards the last gate, his expression turning pensive when he stood outside the maximum security detention facility by the Northern outskirts of the Seiretei.

"How is she, grandpa…?"

Isshin turned his head to his left and smiled gently at his youngest grandson standing there wearing a dark green yukata and a midnight blue haori on top with traditional sandals. "She has a long way to go, son. That girl in there…" he sighed and shook his head regretfully. "It will take time and efforts from all of us as a family to help her raise her head again."

Sora smiled reassuringly and closed his eyes. "If there's anyone who can do it, it's her. She was meant to be so much more than what she's now. I'll be there to make sure she reaches her full potential."

Isshin looked at the newest addition to the Ganju Special Corps with a small contrite smile, sighing as he thought about what still needed to be done on this side and the other, and what his son and daughter in law must be going through.

* * *

><p>They had cremated Sora's body last week.<p>

The cold ocean wind was pulling her hair out of her tired and puffy eyes and she shook her head with a sniffle, leaning into her husband's chest as they walked side by side down the abandoned beach.

"He had such a thirst for his life here."

Orihime chuckled a little and wiped away her tears with her left gloved hand. "He did," she whispered back, smiling up at him. "There was so much he still wanted to do on this side. Like finally teach me how to cook!"

Ichigo laughed softly at that, finding a little bit of comfort when he thought of the new life that awaited their son in the Soul Society. "He still can, though."

She smirked and looked at the black urn she was cradling in the crook of her right arm. "Yeah, he can. But it won't be the same."

Ichigo looked ahead of them to the abandoned beach that stretched on for miles. "No, it won't," he replied ruefully, taking a deep breath and pressing his lips against the side of her forehead gently. "He'll be with her, looking after her as she grows stronger."

"I don't know if I can keep doing this," he heard her whisper after a few moments of comfortable silence.

He stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, having expected those words from her because they expressed the same feelings he felt creeping underneath the surface. "I know," he concurred, lowering his head.

"Our youngest children… I-" she whispered, face scrunching up as she tried to fight her sorrow, turning her gaze to the restless waves that crashed onto the shore under the morose, misty morning sky. "I should've listened to Ishida-kun."

"We all should've…" Ichigo replied with a shake of his head, encircling her shoulders with his arms, his face buried in the crook of her left shoulder in an effort to offer her comfort.

"I need to see them… my baby boy…" she whimpered, the tears now rolling down her cheeks, her lips curling in a longing smile. "Our daughter… our beautiful…"

"We'll get permission to see them soon, Hime…" he told her pressing the side of his face against hers. Kyouraku-san and dad are working to get them to let us see her. I'm certain we will get news when Mamoru returns from seeing her. He only just left, we need to be patient just a little longer, Hime..."

"I just want our family back together…" Orihime sniffled, turning around in his embrace and looking for comfort with her nose buried in the side of his neck. "I'm not ready to let them go, I can't let them go… it's too soon, it wasn't supposed to go like this!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth in sorrow and tightened his embrace. "We didn't lose them, Hime. You have to keep believing that we will see them again, soon. Don't despair on me, I need you to be strong."

"Ichigo... I-"

He cupped her face in his hands and looked her deeply in the eyes, wanting for her to find the answers she longed for in them. "Our son may have left this world, but he hasn't died. He never did, he gave up this life to be with Masaki. They loved each other so much and you know that he'll keep her safe, along with dad, Karin, Renji, Rukia and the rest of the Shiba clan. Our children are surrounded by people who love them just as much as we do. As parents... we always knew there'd be a time when we'd have to let go of them."

Her eyes shone with unshed tears and she took a hiccuping breath, lower lip trembling. "But I..."

"Unfortunately, we had to let go of our youngests well before either of us were ready," he told her, following her eyes and keeping his on hers when she wanted to look away in guilt. "And we wouldn't have been able to stop it even if we had the chance to do things over."

Thick drops of regret rolled down her face and she began to shake her head in denial, not wanting to hear him say those comforting words to her.

"I love you," was all he said with a shake of his head and a determined stare to overrule her frantic headshaking. "And I will keep loving you even when you think you don't deserve to be."

Orihime exhaled deeply with another sob and broke down in cries in his arms, encountering all of her regrets, all of her pain and guilt in his arms, but receiving nothing but forgiveness and acceptance in return, letting the hope she'd lost wash back ashore with the waves of her tears.

Ichigo only held her, his teary eyes looking out towards the grey horizon as he let her cry for long moments. He never blamed her, never regretted any of her decisions regarding their daughter because everything they'd done, they'd done it out of love for her. Losing his son that day was the realization of one of his deepest nightmares and he'd kept himself from thinking about Sora too much when he'd held his unconscious daughter in his arms on his way to getting her the help she needed. Until this day he didn't know how he'd managed to appear fully functional in those moments.

When his father approached him later that day in the Soul Society with a sorrowful and meaningful stare he'd known that Sora had found his way to the Shiba estate.

It was strange seeing his son as one of the residents of the Soul Society and even though he'd physically died in the world of the living, his reiatsu felt so at peace and he'd noticed that there was an aura of determination about him that kept Ichigo from feeling any kind of pity or remorse towards him.

"_I'll always be proud of you, my son."_

He remembered how Sora had smiled brightly and nodded, promising to look after his sister.

"_Just because I'm now here, it doesn't mean that I stop being her older brother. She'll always have me. I'll always look after her, dad. So don't worry."_

Ichigo gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he too gave in to his tears and he kissed the top of his wife's head comfortingly.

"_Tell mom I love her. Tell her... that I'm sorry. Adelheide too."_

The only thing he'd been thinking about after seeing Sora that day was to return to his wife post haste, knowing that she was probably still trying to bring their son back in vain...

He'd found her, late that night, in Urahara's hospitalisation room, still working on their son and he'd had to bite his tears away when both Adelheide and Michiko had started sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of his defeated face and she'd been blinking at him with trembling lips, head shaking in denial.

Sleep had been no where to find that night, especially when Rukia, Renji and Karin arrived to support them in their grief and Tatsuki, Daisuke and Uryuu joined later on, their family gathered in those moments of heartbreaking grief.

Mamoru and his pregnant wife had gone on a short two week getaway visiting his father in law in Mexico City when the news hit them and only two days after Sora's passing they'd returned back home.

He recalled how his oldest son had fallen apart in their arms, their full grown 26 year old sobbing like a little child in their embrace, completely torn asunder by the sudden loss of both his beloved brother and sister. And although they'd been surrounded by most of the members of their extended family, right in that moment, the reality of their family being only three when not so long ago they'd been five hit him the hardest, all the memories of the family he and Orihime had worked so hard to have filling his mind and overrunning his heart.

Both Rukia and Renji had placed hands on his shoulders then, giving him wordless encouragement with their sympathising smiles, offering him much needed perspective.

Especially when just a day later, Isobel went into labour with her second child and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

"_I don't think there's another name more suited, mom…"_

Orihime took another deep breath and turned herself back around in her husband's arms and took a few steps towards the ocean, taking a moment to look at the urn before she decided to open it.

"_Sora… just like his uncle and great uncle."_

Her gloved hands were trembling as her eyes stared unseeingly at the waves, a lone tear finding its way down her cheek again now that the cap of the urn rested in the sand at her feet.

His gentle hands enclosed hers around the urn and his body helped calm her racing mind down with its sheltering warmth.

"All memories of his life here will forever stay in our hearts," he told her quietly, coaxing her into slightly tilting the urn forward. "He will live on in the memories of those he touched and helped save. He's not gone, Hime. He will never be gone. Never."

Orihime nodded, lips trembling. "We will see him again," she forced herself to whisper, tilting the urn further and watching the ashes getting carried away by the wind towards the waters in turmoil.

"We will," Ichigo promised, closing his eyes and burying his nose in the side of her neck. "Masaki too."

She closed her eyes and took in a trembling breath, wishing for the salty sea air to take away her pain so she could finally begin to see the path she was supposed to be on. Ichigo was her lifeline, but even with him guiding her through this ocean of grief, she still couldn't see where she was going.

And she'd felt tired. Truly and desperately tired and also angry and revolted.

When would enough be enough? How much more were they supposed to sacrifice, how many more children was she supposed to lose? When would it finally be over? It seemed like it was one thing after the other lately and she couldn't handle it anymore, she couldn't pretend to be strong anymore when she had no strength left.

Yet somewhere in the back in the back of her mind she knew that the way things had gone couldn't be rectified with anger and that she'd chosen this path along with her husband and that her frustration only helped her sink deeper into this despair that swallowed her whole. She resented feeling the way she did and the helplessness she felt from it made her want to scream… scream loudly from utter distress and anguish.

So she did.

For her brother, for her son, for her daughter, for herself, her husband and her remaining child.

And he simply held her, until long after she couldn't scream anymore.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you want to go about doing this?"<p>

With a nod he put on the brown hood of his cloak over his head. "She needs me to. There's no point in sitting here waiting for them to release her."

"And your parents?"

Sora smirked and nodded. "They'll understand."

"And your sister?"

"I don't want her to know I'm here, not yet," he replied with a resolute shake of his head. "I failed to protect her, so I need to get stronger first."

"If you lose those translocation rods you'll be stuck there and we won't be able to bring you back."

Sora looked up at the Head Captain with a small smirk. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Kyouraku-san."

Shunsui scratched the back of his head with a small smile, seeing so much of Ichigo in him that it warmed his heart. "I suppose." He then turned to look at the three other cloaked figures standing behind Sora. "You better keep an eye on this one."

One of them took off his hood and he smirked reassuringly. "I'd never forgive myself if I let my cousin's son wander into Hueco Mundo by himself! I owe Ichigo for that time in the Soul King's Palace anyway!"

Sora smiled gratefully at Ganju and nodded, turning to the two other figures who were standing still by the spot where the Garganta portal would be opened. "I trust all of them. It's a part of my training I should've completed a long time ago anyway."

"But you know…"

They all turned to look at the Captain of the Twelfth Division standing by the monitoring screens and apparatures of the research room. "I would really not like to get your dad on our case if this were to go wrong," Kurotsuchi commented with an annoyed face. "He has a tendency of getting pretty 'reckless' when things don't go his way."

Shunsui smiled amusedly. "Perhaps when he was still a teenager, but he's done a lot of growing up over the years, Kurotsuchi."

"He will always remain that same brat to me," the eccentric Captain replied with a shrug and an unimpressed stare at the young Kurosaki.

"I don't need my father's permission to do this," Sora told him with a determined smirk.

Kurotsuchi sighed in an overly dramatic manner as he pushed the lever to open up the rip through dimensions in the middle of the room. "It's like dealing with Ichigo Kurosaki's clone! Trying to dissuade your father from doing something against better judgement was always a waste of time."

"Maybe because the methods you used were very shady?" the orange haired youth replied with an amused grin when Kurotsuchi's appalled eyes came to rest on him. "Yeah, we all heard those stories too… just from a slightly different perspective."

The president of the research institute huffed indignantly. "Then go, but I'm not claiming responsibility if anything were to go wrong!"

"It's fine, I will," Shunsui chuckled, walking to stand behind the four figures about to enter the Garganta. "Godspeed everyone."

Sora was the first to jump into the void between worlds, using his Fullbring to create wings from his Reiatsu and fly through, closely followed by Ganju and the other two figures.

The rip in space closed itself only moments later and Shunsui prepared to turn around and leave.

"Are you sure it was wise letting Kurosaki go, Head Commander?" Kurotsuchi asked, descending the platform he'd been standing on.

Shunsui pursed his lips and shrugged innocently. "Which one?"

"Captain Hitsugaya's predecessor."

A clear laugh echoed through the quiet halls of the room and Shunsui resumed his walk to the exit. "Do you think you could've dissuaded him from going if you'd been in my place, Kurotsuchi?"

"No, because they still think I had something to do with that idiot who tried to take the Kurosaki girl by force," the other Captain answered softly, turning to look at the spot where the portal had closed moments before, not caring if Shunsui heard him or not. He then shrugged and walked off in the opposite direction. "As it stands, I don't care enough to have tried anyways," he muttered under his breath with a disdainful chuckle.

The Kurosaki girl was never his problem and he'd washed his hands clean of this affair long ago.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you ever so much for the likes, follows and comments! Please do not hesitate to send me questions if you have them! The preview for the next 'Raindrops Arc' should be up in a few days on my tumblr, and I will post the next chapter of Accursed later this week!<em>

_Until then, domo and catch you all on the next one!_

_**-MistressBlaque-**_


	18. The Nocturne

18. The Nocturne - Raindrops pt3

* * *

><p>Zabimaru returned to its original form with a sideways flick of Renji's wrist, the blood of the Hollow he'd just slain splattering against the concrete roof of the downtown city building he, Rukia and Ichigo were standing on.<p>

"I don't like this."

"No shit," Ichigo replied, walking over to the edge of the roof to look at the colourful lights of the bustling shopping street below. It was evening now and they'd spent the last few hours hunting Hollows all over town. "What did dispatch tell you, exactly?"

"We need to find as many as we can and round them up, we can't just keep disposing of them," Rukia answered from her sitting position on an airconditioning unit, her right thumb playing on her spirit phone. "They want to figure out why they're targeting the nobles."

"How the fuck do they expect for us to do that when they keep trying to bite our heads off?" Renji replied in an irritated manner. "And where the hell is Matsumoto?"

"She and the Captain are escorting the nobles they found back through a Senkaimon summoned by the left bank of the Karasu-river," the petite Shinigami replied, scrolling through lists of incoming data and information on her phone. "Looks like we'll need to head there next-"

Ichigo turned around to her when her phone went off and she grunted. "Dispatch found another group of escaped nobles."

Renji rolled his eyes and threw his head in his shoulders. "With Hollows on their tail?"

Rukia stood and pocketed the device. "Yeah. Tsukidai park."

"Someone better start explaining what the hell is going on with those nobles and fast," Ichigo commented, following the pair off the roof and onto the next building. "Why are they all fleeing from the Soul Society and why isn't anyone putting a restriction on their traveling privileges?"

Renji shook his head. "It's not that simple," he said, landing next to Ichigo and jumping off the building they were on the soar through the air. "Something is making them flee their homes. They wouldn't be fleeing if they weren't desperate."

"So what the hell are the Gotei 13 doing over there? What is keeping them from investigating this exodus?" Ichigo growled in annoyance. "I really don't have time to be babysitting some noble right now…"

"It took them months to realize that there was a steady departure of nobles happening for the past few years…" Rukia remarked with a shake of her head. "And no one is talking, they don't know what's happening and-" she stopped talking when Ichigo suddenly froze and stopped, his face panic struck.

"Ichigo–?"

"Orihime…! Shit!" was all they heard him whisper before he sped off in the opposite direction without another word.

Rukia frowned and took a moment to look up her friend's spiritual signature before sensing the imminent danger she was in. "Something's happening to her!" she said, getting ready to follow the orange haired Shinigami.

Renji placed a hand on her shoulder though and kept her from taking a step, shaking his head with a small smile. "Let him go alone. We still have a mission."

She opened her mouth to give him a rebuttal, but chose against it, realizing that he was right. Rukia nodded and turned back around to follow Renji, her thoughts clouded in worry when she recalled the horror Ichigo's face had translated.

His body was still where he'd left it in the back of Ikumi's van on the other side of town. He quickly reclaimed possession of it and started the car, speeding off into the direction of Orihime's apartment. It was like he could feel her fear, as if it was his and it only urged him to drive faster, afraid of it being too late.

He'd noticed that every since they'd talked after summer break at Chad's place, he'd grown more sensitive to her spiritual pressure in general and more attuned to her emotional state. He only needed to think of her and he could 'feel' her as if she was standing right next to him, he was instinctively pulled to where she was.

Ichigo had wondered at some point if it was because he was always thinking about her now that they barely saw each other anymore, after all distance did make the heart grow fonder or something… Whatever it was, he wasn't going to question it, because it helped him keep an eye on her from afar, without her needing to know that he was. It wasn't what he'd prefer, but it was the best he could get out of this regretful situation of his own making.

And he was glad that he had been looking out for her because something was seriously wrong now. Never had he felt her Reiatsu fluctuate like this. She was absolutely terrified and it sent his mind into overdrive. Where was that boyfriend of hers? Why wasn't he with her to protect her?

He barely took the time to turn off the engine of the car and rushed out, heart beating anxiously in his chest when the sensation of dread only grew the closer he got to her door.

His fist was pounding on it but a moment later and he called out her name, voice trembling with the spike of panic he felt from her. "Open up! It's me! Inoue, open up!"

He heard something smash to the ground on the other side and a low voice telling her to shut up as she gasped in fright. "Inoue, are you okay? Inoue!"

The male voice whispered something else to her and she replied in a timid whimper. He couldn't stand it being locked out and away from her any longer, and as his anxiety for her send him over the edge of reason, his right foot kicked down the door and he rushed inside.

"What the fuck?!"

Orihime looked up from her cowering position on the floor near her TV and gasped in horror when she saw him standing there, eyes wild and wide in consternation of the scene he witnessed. "Kurosaki-kun!"

"Inoue…" he breathed, quickly averting his eyes from her disheveled state, but not missing the bruise on her wet-from-tears right cheek as he rested them on the blond haired young adult standing above her, torso bare and with his jeans undone. His mind went blank when he realized in that instant what almost had happened. "You son of a bitch!"

Ricart barely had the time to take a step back before he was pushed into the wall next to Orihime's TV by his throat. "Who the fuck are you? Get your fucking hands off me!"

"I'm the guy who's going to bash your head in, you stupid fuck!" Ichigo was only seeing red by then and the hand holding him squeezed closer around his neck. "I'm going to fucking kill you!" he hollered, lifting his left fist to start working on his face. "What did you think you were going to do to her?! Huh?! Force yourself onto her, you piece of shit?!""

Ricart finally managed to push Ichigo off of him with a well directed knee kick to his lower stomach and grabbed onto his painful throat, gasping for air for a few moments before chuckling derisively. "Force myself onto her? Have you seen her body...?" he chuckled, shrugging. "Anyway, that's my girlfriend and you just ruined a very special night, ass hole!"

Ichigo gave him a murderous glare, straightening himself up again. "Oh, yeah? Then why is she crying?"

The blonde male shrugged with a sickening smile. "She probably hurt herself… quite the klutz, that one."

"Kurosaki-kun, it's fine…" Orihime whispered, reaching for her discarded t-shirt underneath the low coffee table with a trembling smile and putting it on hastily on top of the pink bra and yellow shorts she was already wearing. "I'm- I'm okay…" she said with a forced smile and an embarrassed chuckle. "You have nothing to worry about…I hurt myself on a cupboard in the kitchen earlier while I was making some noodles, really it's okay and I'm-I'm perfectly fine..."

Ichigo closed his eyes with a mixture of guilt and regret when he heard her say those words as if nothing was wrong. As if this was how things were supposed to be. It made him realize all the more that he'd done wrong by her in more ways than one. He'd heard her say those types of words before, in the beginning when they'd just met. They were the words of a beaten down, hopeless and insecure woman… things he knew Orihime had stopped being years ago because she'd fought against her defeatist disposition as she'd gained confidence in herself and her friendships. He'd watched her grow into a beautiful, confident and strong woman.

Where was she now? What had happened and why didn't he sense her being this much in trouble sooner?

How could he ever let her go and let her become like this?

"How long…" he began, feeling tears well up in his eyes and his throat go dry. His hands balled on either side of him and he looked at Ricart again. "How long has this been going on...?"

Ricart made an annoyed face. "What?" he asked and then shook his head dismissively, walking up to him. "Listen, I'm not going to press charges if you walk out of that door right now, okay buddy? Just turn around and walk out, so I can enjoy a nice night in with my-"

His last words went muffled against Ichigo's right fist and he stumbled backwards, falling back against the wall, holding onto his nose that was now profusely bleeding. "My nose! You broke my-"

He barely had time to finish his sentence again before Ichigo grabbed him by his neck again and headbutted him, never saying a word.

Orihime scrambled onto her trembling feet, eyes wide in panic. "Kurosaki-kun!" she cried, petrified in place and sobbing with each merciless and resounding punch Ichigo landed on her boyfriend, again and again, hands pressed against her mouth.

He was gone in a blinding fit of cold rage, he knew and it wasn't even because of the idiot he was hitting right in that moment, but because he knew it was all his fault. Because of him, she'd ended up with a sexist pig. Because of him, she'd lost that spark that had made her so dear to him. Because of him she was about to let this- this…

"I said stop it!"

The next moment he felt her hand smack against his face and he froze, staring unseeingly at the unconscious and bloodied man on the carpeted floor. He slowly blinked and turned his face to look up into her crying face. "Inoue… are you-"

"What have you done…?" she gasped, horrified.

He watched her kneel next to Ricart and he blinked again, his foggy mind wondering what he had missed. "Inoue, are you…?"

"Who asked you here?" she yelled at him, cradling Ricart's head in her hands, her trembling fingers hesitantly reaching out for the swelling skin above his broken upper lip. "Oh my God... Ricart… I'm so sorry…" she whispered against his lips, closing her eyes regretfully.

He could smell the alcohol on her breath. "Inoue, are you drunk…?" he asked her, eyebrows drawn together in worry.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance and gave him a pointed stare, her caramel pools full of resent. "So what if I am? What is it to you…? Did I need your permission for that, too?" she asked, blinking and wiping away the subsequent tears that rolled down her bruised, yet beautiful face.

"What-?" he whispered back, startled with the realization of how his barging in must've looked to her. "No, I-"

A tired sigh then passed her lips and she looked at her unconscious boyfriend again. "Just go home, Kurosaki-kun. Leave us alone."

He opened his mouth to say something, but not a word came out as a feeling of inadequacy took him over and he suddenly wondered what claim he could've possibly thought to have over her to come and barge into her house like he did. Because he loved her? It still didn't give him the right... Or because they were friends? Were they, though? Everything had gotten so messy and weird between them and it didn't really change because they had that talk a few weeks ago. "Inoue, I felt you were in danger-"

Ricart then chose that moment to gasp awake. "What the fuck…? What the hell happened…"

"Ricart!" Orihime breathed in relief, reaching for his face but jumping back when he groaned loudly in pain and pushed her away from him. "I'm sorry!" she whispered quietly, watching him stand from her now lying position on the floor. "Ricart?"

"I'm out of here!" he told her with a shake of his head. "You can have the bitch, I should've known she had another piece on the side," he said to the orange haired male, standing up groggily. "Shit...What a waste of my time...!"

They both watched him stumble out of the doorway hastily and heard a car door slam shut a few moments later, with the sound of screeching tires following soon after.

Ichigo turned to look at her again when he heard her sobbing and moved himself to kneel next to her in the hope of comforting her, but received a slap against the hand he'd wanted to place on her right shoulder. "I'm sorry-"

Orihime sat up on the floor and scrambled away from him with a shake of her head, turning her back and refusing to look at him, her eyes directed to the wall on her left. "I don't want you here. Please leave."

His voice caught in his throat again and he helplessly reached out for her, not knowing how else to try and convince her that he… that he wanted- "Inoue, I just-"

"Get out of my house!" she yelled, reaching for one of her discarded low-top All Stars and throwing them at him, missing, but getting her point across when he stood and took a few steps backwards towards the broken door. "I don't ever want to see you again…" she told him with a heartbroken sob, missing his anguished expression just before he walked out of her apartment.

Ichigo thought to himself that he'd send someone to come and fix her door later on tonight and that maybe after that he could go and find Rukia and Renji to hunt some more Hollows. He needed someplace to vent out his anger and frustration, so if he kept busy enough, maybe… just maybe he'd be able to keep himself from falling apart now that she wanted nothing to do with him. It was her choice and he would respect it -even if she'd made it while under the influence- until she hopefully decided otherwise.

He just wondered how he was supposed to live his life without her, now that she'd made him see how much better it had gotten ever since she came in it.

* * *

><p><strong><span> Author's Note:<span>**

**_Alright, so omg, for those of you who don't know it yet, I've had some fanart commissioned for this here fic a while ago. It's a rendition of the post-sex scene from the 'Salacious Interlude' chapter. I love it so much, but be warned it's pretty NSFW! lol. I've commissioned more work for this story so keep an eye out._**

**_And I'm having work done for my 'Accursed' fic as well, which I'll be soon sharing with you guys._**

_**So, where can you check out all of this new and amazing Ichihime fanart and stay updated on my ongoing projects, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked, you can check it out on my new official facebook page! You can find the link for it in my Bio! Give my page a like, won't you? xD**_

_**The next Accursed chap will be up in a few days and as always you can soon find a preview for the next Lesson's in Love Chapter on my tumblr page!**_

_**Thank you all so much for reading and supporting me and this piece!**_

_**Catch you all on the next one!**_

**_-MistressBlaque-_**


	19. The Reveal

_19. The Reveal - Ashes to Ashes pt4_

* * *

><p>It'd been a week since she last saw her grandfather.<p>

A ripple went through the air around her, disturbing the quiet of her isolation cell. She looked up from where her head was resting on her knees and slowly began to stand, heart trembling with a perfect mixture of dread, longing, guilt and crushing regret.

"Little sis."

She lifted weary eyes up to him, barely able to meet her older brother's eyes as he stood there on the other side of the bars, in full Shinigami attire. "Mamo-chan..." her voice trembled. "Mamo-chan..." she then whimpered, seeing the lone tear that rolled down his tired, but smiling face.

"You became an aunt again, you know."

Masaki blinked a few times before his words registered with her. "O-oh...?" She breathed, her trembling lips managing a small smile. "Isobel had the baby...?"

"A healthy little boy..."

"A boy...?" she echoed, the smile she managed wavering. "W-what's his name?"

"We named him after our brother," he answered, glancing at the guard who opened up her cell and stepped aside to let him in.

"I'm-" she said, not finding the words that lost themselves within the pit of guilt in her mind. "Aunt Karin said they found him here…"

"I know, he's with grandpa..." Mamoru told her, taking her shaking shoulders in his hands and pulling her to him without another word. Her shocked eyes filled with tears over his shoulder when she heard him start to sob quietly.

"Mamo... chan…?"

"I'm just so glad I can still hold you like this... so glad... Masaki, I'm so sorry..."

"I thought you would hate me...!" she sobbed, all tension leaving her body with the relief that washed over her. "I thought I'd never see you again, that you didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore...!"

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, biting his lower lip to keep it from trembling. "Never. You're my sister. You will always be my sister. You'll always be Sora's sister.I love you, we both do... so unbearably much."

She chuckled happily as he pressed his lips against her forehead lovingly, feeling like a small child again, like when the weight of the world wasn't crippling her and she was his little, precious, baby sister.

"If you had lost your mortal life as well, I wouldn't have known what to do... I would've been all alone... all the people I grew up with, gone..." The eldest Kurosaki sibling confessed, looking her in the eyes now. "Losing Sora-"

She sniffled and sobbed, "I'm so sorry, I never meant to..."

"- wasn't your fault," he told her solemnly, rendering her quiet. "The way the aftermath of the event was handled makes its circumstances all the more suspicious," Mamoru said, expression now determined and serious.

Masaki blinked in confusion. "I don't understand...?"

"Has anyone else other than us or our friends come to visit you in here?"

Masaki thought about it for a moment and shook her head, walking over to her bed so they could both sit down on it as she suddenly felt very fatigued. "Other than them and my doctor, no," she replied, picking up the cup of water that lay on her low table. "Why?"

He shook his head dismissively and smiled. "Even though you're safe in here, we still want for you to be vigilant… The central 46 keeping mom and dad from seeing you has raised many questions from the captains who are on our side in this case."

"I… didn't stop to think about it too much, but…" she began, expression pensive.

"What is it?"

"These walls… aren't made from Seki Seki stone, are they? I can't really tell anymore…"

Mamoru pressed his palm against the wall closest to them and shook his head. "They do contain trace amounts, but nothing that can stop either you or me," he replied with a reassuring smile. "Did you notice a change in your powers?"

Masaki closed her eyes and frowned. "Even when they had me sedated in the beginning I could still sense my Reiryoku within me and the little Reiatsu I had was kept in check because of the Lethality Stone around me. The more lucid I became to more it felt like my Reiatsu was being suppressed, so I just thought they'd changed my medications and I was okay with it because no powers means that I can't hurt anyone else…"

He squinted his eyes in suspicion. "There is no pill that can do that, Masaki. Especially not with the vast amounts of Reiryoku our family possesses. You should still be able to feel something, at least."

"Mamo-chan, I can't feel anything," she confessed, looking up at him. "I close my eyes and concentrate and I can't find anything. The vast pool of power I could always tap into is… gone."

"What-?" he murmured, startled.

"It's been a few days now," she continued, shaking her head as she searched her memories for more evidence of what she was saying. "Nothing. No surge of power… Nothing. I just feel tired most of the time, as if I'm in a haze?"

"Masaki, what are you saying?" Mamoru whispered, face horror-struck.

She looked at her hands opening and closing, not sure of what she supposed to be feeling. Was she relieved that she no longer felt the burden of those immense and destructive powers? Or did she feel scared because she felt naked and vulnerable without them? Did she feel happy? She thought to have been okay with the treatments they had her under, but she didn't feel so sure about it anymore… She felt more confused than anything right now.

"I don't know anymore, Mamo-chan…" Masaki admitted, her eyes filling up with tears as fear took a hold of her. "What have they done to me?"

* * *

><p>"And you let him go?!"<p>

Shunsui was making a resigned face at the orange haired Shinigami pacing back and forth on the other side of his desk in his office, clearly not happy with his decision.

"There's nothing I could've done to keep them here, Ichigo!" he said with a small pout. "Sora-kun wanted to go and quite honestly I didn't see an objection as to why not let him. You have friends in Hueco Mondo and the boy's been there before."

Ichigo growled in discontent. "Goddamit! And my father?!"

"He didn't state his reasons for going, but I assumed that he didn't want to let his grandson go without a family member by his side," the Head Commander answered, watching the agitated father with compassion. "Sora and that Yasutora boy went for training purposes, to strengthen his fullbring most likely. Why Shihouin and your cousin went is anyone's guess."

"I still can't believe you even let Daisuke go, his mother is already breaking my balls over this!" Ichigo groaned, running his hands through his hair. "At least tell me when they are expected to be-?"

The grand doors to the First Squad Main office suddenly opened and Mamoru hurried inside, catching their attention. "Dad," he said, sounding slightly out of breath. He glanced warily at Shunsui and then rested his gaze back on his father. "Dad, I need to talk to you. Right now. This can't wait."

Ichigo pressed his lips together and his expression darkened.

* * *

><p>"Honorary Captain, you can't be here-"<p>

The young Shinigami standing guard before the gate leading into the octagonal structure containing the judiciary authority of the Soul Society stopped talking and reached for his throat when the suffocating pressure of Ichigo's Reiatsu made him squeal with fright.

"Dad, are you sure you want to do this?" Mamoru asked, looking back at the unfortunate, passed out guard with an apologetic smile as they walked through the busted gate Ichigo had cut up just a moment before. "They still have Masaki, we don't know what they'll do to her if things go badly in there."

Ichigo sighed and smiled reassuringly at him. "We're going in there to have a talk, how things go will depend on what they have to say about what they did to your sister."

Mamoru smirked knowingly and closed his eyes. "Not that what they have to say will matter anyhow, right?"

"Your mom and I did not raise any idiots," Ichigo commented, stepping aside now that they stood in front of the large orange doors of the main building. He watched his son lift a finger on top of which a small ball of red light appeared before it steadily grew to a bigger size. "And we don't let our family be taken for fools either," he finished when the door blew up and he stepped into the smoke and through the remains of the door, his expression deadly calm.

"What is the meaning of this?" Who authorized this?!"

"Honorary Captain Kurosaki?"

"Make them leave them at once! Call the guards!"

Both Kurosaki men stepped into the octogonal centre of the assembly hall with almost identical faces of determination and contempt.

"If you could all take a moment to stop cackling your beaks like headless chickens we can move this along."

"Dad!" Mamoru whispered warningly when the room erupted with indignation and filled with agents of the Onmitsukido.

"Arrest them, right now!"

"You will always be nothing but a punk, Kurosaki!"

Ichigo filled his cheeks with air and blew it out with a bored roll of his eyes. "Alright, alright… calm down," he said with a scowl, turning to face the central 46 again. "I have as much interest in being here as you want me to be, so let's cut to the chase."

Mamoru's eyes cautiously inspected the room as his father talked, ready to get offensive if needed be when the room quieted.

"All I need to know is who I need to kill for stealing away my daughter's powers?"

The chatter abruptly stopped and father and son exchanged deliberate looks. "Oh now you finally shut up?" Ichigo murmured through gritted teeth, feeling his anger flare up dangerously. "You know," he said, reaching for the blade on his back and the one on his right hip. "I helped restore the Soul Society more times than I can count now. I'm also a lot older than when I first set foot in this place and the little patience I had with your cockamamie rules back then has only whittled with the years.

I have simple rules for you to keep me on your good side- and I think I've proven that is in fact 'good' to have me on your side- and those are that you _do not fuck_ with _my_ kids or the rest of _my_ family and friends! Now somebody better have an answer for me _right now!_"

Even Mamoru had to take a step back when his father Reiatsu exploded and most of the Stealth Agents passed out while some representatives cried in fright.

"Kurosaki-san… please!"

One of the men stood from behind screen 37 and they turned to look at the shaky figure with the familiar face.

"You…!" Ichigo growled, unable to recall the man's name in that moment.

"Wakusabe Ichiro," the man introduced himself, the sweat rolling down his bald head and temples. "Please… calm… calm down, Honorary Captain."

Ichigo now focused the whole of his attention on the man. "You were present at the disaster that was the preliminary assessment of my daughter," he impatiently replied, squinting his eyes in distrust.

"You're also the one who pleaded to keep my parents away from Masaki during the hearing!" Mamoru interjected accusingly.

Wakusabe now had a look of panic on his bearded face and he shook his head. "I only suggested this for her own best will-"

"How is keeping a child away from her loving parents ever in the best interest of either the parents or the child?!" Mamoru cried angrily. "You took her away so you could take her powers! Do you deny it?!"

Wakusabe's eyes darted between the father and the son who were now moving closer with menacing glares. He took a steadying breath and closed his eyes, lowering his head in a penitent manner. "Kurosaki Ichigo-san… believe me, it was never-"

"All I am interested in knowing is who did this to my daughter and why," Ichigo replied coolly, taking out both his blades from their holders. "Talk. Quickly."

The representative glanced at his cowering colleagues of the assembly, realizing that it didn't matter if their true motives were exposed or not. They'd been in the wrong. No matter how desperate they'd been. They'd been in the wrong and it was now time to admit their involvement. "She was supposed to be part of an experiment aimed at finding a solution to the problem which caused the uprising of the Celestial Fans in the first place."

"The Tear within Garganta?" Mamoru wondered, frowning. "Didn't Urahara and Kurotsuchi find a solution for it with my mother's powers?"

"That solution has proven itself to be temporary at best," the bald man admitted, shaking his head.

"If I remember correctly that's exactly what Urahara told you at the time, but you needed a solution however bad or temporary" Ichigo recalled, shaking his head. "I'm not surprised it's not working."

"Yes," Wakusabe agreed regretfully. "Because the container filled with Kurosaki Orihime-san's Reiatsu was unable to keep the void beyond Garganta from leaking through the barrier put in place."

Mamoru scowled and shook his head in disgust. "But you believe Masaki's Reiatsu will be."

"We've devised a new plan these past twenty years with the research bureau for a more effective and permanent solution to the conundrum laid before us," Wakusabe sighed, looking at Ichigo pleadingly now. "It was for the survival of the Soul Society and all dimensions linked to it. The void… is a threat to all of us; living and dead. Human and Hollow."

"It's still _my _daughter!" Ichigo yelled back.

"You may not trust our institutions Kurosaki-san… and I'll be the first to admit that you have reason to," Wakusabe continued diplomatically, wincing at the increasing pressure of Ichigo's Spiritual Power. "But we couldn't trust you to do the right thing either…"

Mamoru lowered his head, finding truth in what Wakusabe was saying, despite everything. He looked at his father from the corner of his eyes and then closed them, knowing exactly what he was going to say next.

"You do not dictate what is good for my family or my daughter!"

"We have been dictating what's been good for billions of souls for over 2.5 millennia, Kurosaki-san," Wakusabe rebutted, his voice calm and collected even though he was still in the grip of Ichigo's Reiatsu. "It hasn't always been perfect and you've helped us change our ways many times and mostly for the better, but it works. We believe that Masaki is the key to saving us. Without a powerful Soul King to keep all of the worlds together, the best we can do is slap band aids on the oozing wound… which we can't keep doing forever…"

"So that's it? The price to pay is my daughter losing her Spiritual Powers? Forever?" Ichigo wondered.

"We didn't… We couldn't take it all away. Her strength will return," the other man confessed. "We only scraped the surface… and it was still a tremendous amount…"

"You monsters! She's only fifteen!" he whispered furiously.

Wakusabe closed his eyes in regret. "We thought that it'd be enough… but even with all that power…" he shook his head. "We need a continuous output of Reiatsu of your daughters' kalibre to hope closing the Tear…"

"For how long?" Mamoru wondered, dreading that he already knew the answer.

The pressing silence that followed in the room was answer enough.

"There has to be another way," Ichigo murmured, squeezing his eyes shut, refusing to accept what the man was saying for sole truth. "You're asking me to sacrifice my only daughter to help keep the worlds in balance?"

"Dad…" Mamoru whispered, sensing the steadily rising pressure of his father's Reiryoku again. "Dad-"

"No," Ichigo said, shaking his head stubbornly. "No. Talk to the Zero Squad again or Ukitake... I don't care. There has to be another way! If Kurotsuchi and Urahara were aware of this possibility, they must've known that they'd had to find another way."

Wakusabe sat down in his seat when Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure let up for a moment and he panted a little. "Urahara stopped researching on using your daughter as a sole source of power, true," he said. "And Captain Kurotsuchi may not be the most ethical man walking around these parts, but his notes and the samples we took from your daughter prove that without Masaki, we cannot hope to survive the next time the Tear widens itself."

"The next time… You said that this plan of yours has been in development for over 20 years, which means…" Ichigo murmured, eyes staring murderously at the man. "It was all a set up, wasn't it? The other dignitary being an obnoxious asshole, the guards, your good cop routine… all of it was just an elaborate ploy to get Masaki on this side of the veil."

Wakusabe remained silent for a few moments. "It was a sacrifice-"

"My youngest son died because of your stupid ploy!" Ichigo exploded, his anger manifesting itself in a burst of Reiatsu that shot through the roof of the building and destroying part of it with big chunks of concrete falling into the hall that filled with screams as people scrambled to get away. "My wife is on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of you!"

"Dad, no!" Mamoru exclaimed, holding his father back with his arms around his shoulders to keep him from lifting his blades and firing his dreadful Getsuga Juujishou. "Dad, please!"

"My daughter is traumatized and scarred for life!" Ichigo cried, lowering his arms, but still taking a step towards the gathered council of wise men. The rain of stone blocks had stopped and it looked like no one had gotten hurt. "Don't you fucking sit there and tell me that it was for the greater good! My family will never be the same because of it! Let it be known that this is the last time I will ever trust your fucking institution! I'm fucking done!"

He shook Mamoru off of him and stormed off towards the exit. "I'm taking my daughter home! Try and fucking stop me. We're going!"

Mamoru turned to look at Wakusabe's defeated expression and shook his head in disbelief of what he'd just heard and witnessed.

"Did your father ever tell you about your older sister, Kurosaki-san?" Wakusabe whispered softly, keeping the eldest Kurosaki sibling from walking on.

"She died before I was born," Mamoru answered with a shrug, not seeing the connection to any of the things that had happened just now.

"Have your mother or father ever told you why?"

Mamoru frowned and remained quiet, not having an answer.

"When a child is about to be born in the real world, its designated soul travels from the soul society to the womb of the mother. Your sister's soul was sucked into the void before she ever managed to arrive to its new body," the brown bearded man told him.

"Why are you telling me this…?"

"Because if the body doesn't die, something else takes the place of the soul… Just like what happened to the Celestial Fans."

A look of horror appeared on the young father's face.

"Didn't you just become a father?"

"My son is perfectly healthy," Mamoru answered with a smile and a shake of his head. "There's nothing wrong with him."

"How can you be so sure?" Wakusabe asked calmly. "By the time the first symptoms appear, it will already be too late."

Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes, refusing to get intimidated. "All you do is manipulate and toy with people's lives. If that is how this world works, then you deserve to perish with it."

"Then you and your family will die too," Wakusabe reminded him.

Mamoru gave him a confident smile. "We're Kurosaki's. There's always a way. You just won't be part of it."

The uncharacteristically quiet room watched both Shinigami go and with them, their last hope.

* * *

><p>"Masaki… Hey, little sis. Wake up, come on."<p>

Her eyes blinked open slowly and she sighed, lifted herself up on her elbows and reached for the lamp next to her bed to turn it on, gasping at the group of people standing in her cell. "What-"

"Hey, shh…" Sora grinned, kneeling next to her with his finger pressed against his lips. "We're here to take you with us."

Masaki's body began to tremble at the sight of her departed older brother, her mind unable to register what was happening."S-Sora…? Sora, is it you? I- I'm… I'm ...!"

Yoruichi smiled softly when they all watched her pass out onto her bed again, her surprise of seeing him too much in that moment. "We're taking her, we'll have to explain everything to her on the way. Daisuke, pick her up, will you?"

"Uncle, are you sure we shouldn't let Ichigo and Orihime know what we're planning?" Ganju wondered, watching the handsome, brown haired 25 year old son of Chad and Tatsuki pick up an unconscious Masaki and using his Fullbring to walk through the steel bars.

"Urahara should be explaining the purpose of our mission to Orihime," Isshin replied, reaching through the steel bars of the cell and placing his hand on Daisuke's shoulder so he could phase through the solid material with Ganju's hand on his back and Yoruichi grabbing hold of his cloak. "We'll be stopping there before moving on to the Garganta, so they can both see her and their son," he said smiling a little at the knocked out guard. "Now that Ichigo went on a rampage, Kyouraku will have to tell him what's going on."

"Come on, let's go," Yoruichi said, reaching her arm to Sora. "The next portal is in four minutes. We need to go."

Sora took her hand and walked through the bars before breaking into a run with the rest of them when the alarm began to sound overhead.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Wooo! It took me longer than expected, thank you for bearing with me! If you have questions about this shoot in the comments!<em>**

**_You guys, the talented Mai-Kuu drew the living room scene from the Kiss&Tell chapter of this story for me! If you want to check it out, head over to my DA, or my official FB, links are in my Bio!_**

**_The next 'Accursed' chapter should be up by the end of the upcoming week, so look forward to that, too!_**

**_Onto the next one! Take care everyone!_**

**_-MistressBlaque-_**


	20. Unexpected Expectations

Unexpected Expectations

* * *

><p>He thought he'd heard someone knocking on the door of his hotel room.<p>

His hand lowered the tap of the shower to stop the water and he reached for his bathrobe, actively listening if he heard that sound again.

And sure enough, there was another knock on the door.

Ichigo frowned to himself and quickly draped the garment over his naked body before grabbing a smaller towel to dry his hair with on his way into the bedroom/ livingroom. He hadn't been expecting any visits this late at night, and his scowl only deepened when the knocking on his door grew more urgent.

"Who is it?"

"Urgent delivery for you, sir," a female voice answered from the other side of the door.

He looked through the peephole only to see the abandoned hall outside of his hotel room. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

"Good evening, sir…"

A large grin spread over his lips when he recognized the petite woman clad in a fashionable, camel colored trench coat and high heeled, platform beige pumps he instantly remembered. Her long, curly, honey brown hair rested over one shoulder and her face went hidden beneath an assorted newsboy cap and large black sunglasses.

He leant against the door, smirking smugly at her sexy appearance. "Pardon me, miss," he said, when she took off her sunglasses and revealed her sultrily made up face. "But, I was expecting an urgent delivery…"

"I have your package," she answered in a low breathy voice, now loosening the belt of her coat and letting its folds fall open to reveal the arousing three piece, flaming red lingerie set she was wearing underneath. She placed her hands on her hips and a small smile graced her equally red lips. "Right here."

He chuckled and walked back into his room to let her in before quickly closing the door, unable to keep his lustful gaze from her.

She turned around and faced him again, casually let her trench coat fall down her arms, threw her hat on the floor and then waited for him to say something with a complacent grin.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I expect for you to come all the way out here," he whispered, walking up to her and sliding his right hand into her hair, pulling her to him gently to capture her lips with his in a needy kiss. "But I'm so happy you're here… I missed you. So much, Hime…"

She kissed him back just as hard. "I grew tired of waiting for you to come home…" she breathed desperately between licks and nips. "I imagined you were just as lonely as me, all the way out here in Kyoto…"

"But I'm taking the train back home tomorrow…" Ichigo stated, shaking his head amusedly at her nonchalant shrug.

"Like I said, I grew tired of waiting for you to come home," she murmured, taking him by a hand and leading him to the couch in the living room area of his room. "And I wanted to surprise you... It's been three weeks since we made up and you left…"

He sat down next to her and leaned in when she laid back."For a surprise, it doesn't get much better..." he murmured, returning her grin and whispering her name in the side of her throat, suckling the inviting skin there. "I've longed for you every night, Hime…"

"Love me… please… I can't wait anymore..." she breathed, eyes shut in pleasure, hands sliding into his bathrobe and urging it to open. He quickly untied the sash and threw the garment off of him and somewhere on the floor, hastily returning to the warmth of her willing body after for a deep, all-consuming kiss. His lips slid over hers unforgivingly and his tongue demanded possession of her mouth with yearning strokes, his hands running over her body impatiently.

"Don't hold back…"

And he couldn't; the moment her breasts fell out of their crimson confinement he pounced; moaning longingly with each suckle, lick and fevered caress on her supple mounts, grinding his bare pelvis against her still clothed one wantonly.

She couldn't catch her breath; every one of his licks and caresses fired delightful, electric pulses down her spine and soon she was arching up to him and her fingers threaded through his damp hair, urging him to suck on her harder. "Just like that... more, please..."

He lifted his head after a few more moments and kissed her softly with a mischievous grin, biting his lower lip as he slowly began his trek down her curves, one open mouthed kiss at a time. Ichigo then reached for the clasps of her left panty hose and unclasped the front and back suspenders methodically, doing the same on her other thigh before sitting up with her right foot pressed playfully against his firm chest.

She watched, now bracing herself on her lower arms, how his hands reached for the top of her panty hose and purposefully grazed with the back of his fingers against the apex of her thighs, making her throw her head back with a deep, guttural moan full of anticipation.

Ichigo smirked silently and pulled the transparent garment up her leg, over her knee and her slender calf, her ankle and her small, manicured feet. He dropped it beside the couch and she slid her now naked foot up his chest, caressing the side of his face with her red painted toes while swinging her other leg up and resting it against his chest in turn, sharing a fun-loving chuckle with him before he gladly set to work again.

Once her legs were freed, she drew them together and rested her ankles on his right shoulder as he leaned in and grabbed onto the hem of her red lace and satin panties. She tightened the muscles of her core when he leaned back again and shifted her weight on his shoulder, lifting her hips from the sofa for him to pull her enticing lingerie up her thighs and over her legs.

"Let me taste you, Hime…" he now muttered, throwing her undergarment somewhere over his shoulder with an anxious flick of his wrist, lowering himself between her legs when she spread them to accommodate for him in between them, revealing her moist petals that made his mouth water for a sampling.

Orihime's eyes rolled into the back of her head the moment his tongue connected with her heated flesh and she gasped when his entire mouth pressed onto her lower folds and he took suckle, hungrily, greedily, relentlessly. "God… ye-es…!"

He followed each movement of her wanton hips with his neck and mouth, his eyes falling closed at the musical sound of her breathless moans, her pleasure only adding to his, her sweet honey dew taste on his tongue making him high with want for her. Their hands met when he slid them up her abdomen and intertwined, giving her assurance while he continued to worship her down below.

She'd missed this; nothing compared to him loving her with nothing than his lips and tongue, no amount of masturbation ever equalled to the way he excited her. His humming voice against her wet folds were enough to make her sob, his warm breath whispering her name against her skin making her want to scream his until she couldn't breathe anymore. He made her feel like sex incarnate and she couldn't wait, the pleasure was already building and she couldn't wait for it to erupt, for him to claim her and go to that coveted peak when he did and she didn't want to wait anymore ; she'd waited more than enough.

"Take me now… I need you… inside, please. Please."

Her panting face, swollen lips, flushed face, drowsy eyes, messy hair and quivering breasts were all part of the sight he'd dreamt about for days and he moved on top of her as if in a daze, pushing inside of her with a sigh like he was finally home, her breathy voice echoing in his mind as he lost himself in her. "Hime…"

Her hips responded to his in a synchronized dance of desire and they rocked together for long moments, their urgent, wordless praises floating around them as their bodies worked towards climax.

His fully body weight was on her, every inch of his torso sliding over hers and eliciting all kinds of pleasurable sensations that made her head spin. His scent, the hard, yet supple feel of all his muscles rolling underneath his skin, his tender kisses in the side of her neck… she'd missed all of it so unbearably much and now that she was the sole object of his affections again, they were quickly becoming too much.

From the moment he'd slid inside of her, her womanhood had been quivering around his length, as if humming in elation, sucking him into her soaking, silky womanly depths every time he pulled out. And his longing for her had made his patience wear thin, leaving him bereft of any restraint when he felt his orgasm come on after only a few minutes..

She moved with him, trying to keep up with his accelerating movements, but her breath failing her as the pressure building within her reached its apex and time stood still while her body arched up to him and went rigid, her mouth frozen in a cry that never passed her lips.

Ichigo stopped moving, being unable to push through the tight contraction of her inner walls around him, and squeezing his eyes shut with a throaty muttering of an expletive as he waited for her the intense flurry that was her orgasm to abate.

Time resumed when she finally gasped in air and her trembling hands slid around his neck to pull him down on her for a deep kiss, mewling his name as he restarted his thrusts within her, her small body still trembling beneath him from the aftershocks of her powerful climax.

It wasn't long before he was panting and sweat had accumulated on his forehead and the small of his back, his hips working in fast, hard pumps and his pelvis grinding stringently against hers. With her name on his lips and a deep grunt he came, pushing inside of her avariciously a few more times while she gasped each time, keeping their eyes locked and smiling encouragingly until he dropped his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder, now utterly spent.

They lay there on the couch, a tangled, panting but satisfied, sweaty mess of arms and legs and golden brown hair.

"Totally worth the three hour train trip…" she whispered in his ear, making him laugh.

"I love you," he murmured quietly, smiling at her whispered reply against his skin. He lifted his head to look at her now. "I can't wait to be back home, with you; my amazing, sexy wife."

She grinned and caressed his sweaty hair lovingly. "Maybe not just with me…" she answered, biting her lower lip after, giving him a meaningful smile.

"What do you mean…?"

"Your father says I'm pregnant again," she whispered hopefully, her smile hesitantly growing wider at his perplexed expression. She then felt tears sting behind her eyes when she saw the ones welling up in his. "We're going to have another baby…"

"A-are you sure?" he croaked, his joy overflowing from his eyes when she nodded. "This is amazing!I… you make me so happy… thank you..." he whimpered, letting her take him in her arms. "We'll have to get started on preparations, get the nursery ready... Buy clothes..."

She remained silent as she continued to listen to him ramble on on her chest, his excitement at the prospect of finally having a family moving her to more tears. There was something else she needed to tell him now that she had learnt what the true reason of her miscarriage was, but she prefered to let him have this moment. She'd missed him for so long; nothing was worth taking away this current moment of genuine happiness.

"Did you think of a names?"

Orihime snapped out of her thoughts and laid her eyes on his questioning ones and sharing his excited smile. "Masaki for a girl…" she whispered, grinning at his widening smile. "Mamoru for a boy."

Ichigo kissed her on the top of her nose before nuzzling his against it lovingly. "Why Mamoru?" he wondered, having expected for her to put her late brother's name on the table.

"Because he'll be his father's son," she answered, reaching for his face again and running her fingers through his damp hair. "If we have a boy this time, he'll need to be the one protecting his siblings. Just like you did. Hence; Mamoru."

"Mamoru…" he whispered back, looking down at her still flat belly now. "That's a good name," he stated, bringing his face close to her stomach. "A boy, huh? There's so many things my father never did with me or so many things I wish he'd handled different with me, rather…"

"Like his 'Good Morning Ichigo'- kick?" she chuckled, hearing him grunt in annoyance. "Or his 'Welcome home Ichigo'- round house kick?"

"I know that that was his way of showing me that he cared and of helping me hone my reflexes for what he knew would eventually happen once I discovered my Shinigami powers." Ichigo smiled lovingly at her stomach again, imagining having a boy with the love of his life. "But this baby will know from the get go what it can do; we'll make sure of that. It won't go a day without knowing how much its parents love him or her."

"We'll make sure of that, too," Orihime concurred, biting her lower lip affectionately when he pressed his lips against the soft skin near her belly button.

He grinned and moved back up her body to drop another kiss on her lips. "So, like… did you travel all the way here in nothing but your underwear and a trench coat?" he asked her, the idea suddenly crossing his mind.

"It's October," she answered with a disbelieving chuckle. "I love you, but I would've frozen my half-naked butt off!" she added, laughing when he did. "I rented a small room down the hall."

"Okay," he said, making a mental note to go get her stuff later. "When do you need to get back to work?"

"On Monday, why?"

A sly grin grew on Ichigo's lips and he caressed her hair out of her face. "I'm thinking of renting this room for another two nights and return on Sunday, so I can have you all to myself a while longer…"

The way his voice dropped made her desire shiver awake again."Oh…?" she whispered, moving to sit up and reaching for the clasp of her bra and taking it off.

Ichigo nodded and sat against the back of the sofa while she moved to straddle him. "And we can go visit the old imperial city…"

"Or just stay in our room…" she whispered back while dropping butterfly kisses on the side of his neck and jaw.

"We could go visit the local restaurants…?" he suggested, clearing his throat and sucking in his breath through his teeth now that she was grinding her near naked body against his.

Orihime grinned and kissed him on his lips lovingly. "Or we can just stay in our room?" she repeated huskily, taking off her garter belt and dropping it over the couch's back. Her hips were swirling on top of his and she smiled contentedly when his hands landed on her hips and guided her gyrating movements with his gripping fingers.

They breathed together for a few moments while she worked her hips and moist folds to awaken his arousal again. She latched her lips onto the side of his throat and took suckle there wantonly.

"Or we could always go shopping…?"

Orihime sat back up with an annoyed sigh, scowling at him reprimandingly. "Really," she stated sarcastically, watching his eyes twinkle with mischief.

"Or..." he whispered, observing her eyes go closed and her mouth fall open in pleasant surprise when he guided his renewed erection to her entrance and slipped right in. "We could always stay in? Order in... make love until neither of us can think straight...?"

She could only nod hastily, having no breath to answer him anymore.

He chuckled and dropped a kiss on her left nipple. "Sounds like a plan, then..."

They made love many times over that night before she eventually told him about what she'd discovered about the soul of their silent born child from Urahara and what this knowledge meant for the new life that she was carrying inside of her.

Ichigo had been right and they would need to make the necessary preparations as soon as they got back to Karakura.

Their baby's life depended on it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>So. Much. Smut.<strong>_

_**And we're not even done. Lmao**_

_**Thank you for your ongoing support of this piece!**_

_**The next chapter for Accursed will be up by the end of the week, I need a breather after writing so much smut for my three ongoing projects lol.**_

_**Be sure to check out my NSFW Ichihime (smut) OTP challenge that I'm doing in collaboration with SingingButterflyRose.**_

_**Catch you all on the next one!**_

_**-MistressBlaque-**_


	21. The Downpour

**_21. The Downpour - Raindrops pt4_**

* * *

><p>That early December night was characterized by the big strikes of lightning that cleaved through the cloudy skies at the beginning of the evening.<p>

The air felt heavy with rain, predicting a deluge very soon.

She was hurrying her way home from the library and casting a dreadful glare at the skies, wishing for it to not start raining before she got home because she did not have an umbrella with her, having given the only one she owned to Tatsuki the night before.

"Oh come on," she whined at the first drop that landed on her shoulder, making her break into a run.

Lately she had come to resent the idea of rain when before the thought of rain had filled her with hope and desire. She'd come to look at the phenomenon differently now; it filled her with regret and melancholy more than anything else.

Orihime shook her head to dismiss the depressing tone her thoughts were about to take and concentrated on getting home before it started to rain in earnest.

It'd been a month since she last saw Ricart, and almost two since she last saw Ichigo.

It hurt to think of him now.

They hadn't talked since that night and although she'd tried many times to gather the courage to go up to his house and talk to him, she never had; her shame over what happened kept her from taking the necessary steps to a possible reconciliation.

She couldn't face him, she couldn't find any courage to do so. What could he be thinking about her and her choices now? How was she supposed to fix what she messed up so badly? She had yelled at him; told him that she never wanted to see him ever again...

Orihime stopped in her tracks and sighed, hating the fact that she'd let her mind go to those dark places again. It was in those moments that she felt like crying the most because she regretted the way things had gone and the words that she had said.

And she knew that even though she'd really cared for Ricart at one point, she'd enjoyed his attention because it took her mind off of the one she'd really been thirsting for; the one who never really went away.

She felt despicable and like she maybe deserved what had happened that night last October. She hadn't been honest to Ricart and she hadn't been honest to Ichigo.

And now she'd lost both of them in one hit.

Orihime took in a quivering breath and lifted her face up to let the thick drops of rain fall on her morose expression, letting them function for the tears that wouldn't come.

She felt like such a failure.

All he had wanted to do was to protect her that night and she sent him away like you would a criminal, forever shattering those bonds of trust she'd come to cherish so deeply.

Even if he had that other girl, she still wanted to have him in her life. He gave her life meaning; she'd never been more happy than when she got to hang out with him and the rest of the gang. And even the gang wasn't the gang anymore; Chad was still in Mexico; Uryuu, Tatsuki and her were in college and Ichigo worked full time when he wasn't exorcising Hollows with Renji and Rukia or gone to the Soul Society... They barely had time for each other anymore anyway.

And it'd been quite a while since the last Hollow attack that had required the presence of the entire team.

The rain was cascading down by then and she didn't care about getting wet anymore; her skin felt as numb as her insides felt cold.

Lifting her head up when she arrived at the foot of the stairs leading to her apartment complex, she noticed something on the lower right edge of her vision, making her turn her head to look.

In a dark corner beneath the stairs was a little girl, she couldn't have been older than seven years old. Her petite body sat scrunched close to the ground as she wept in fright, her soft green hair tousled and smudged with dirt.

"Are you okay?" Orihime immediately wondered, preparing to walk around the concrete steps of the stairs to approach the child. "Are you hurt?"

She could hear the sobs that made the small shoulders of the girl shake now, along with words she seemed to be repeating over and over.

"He's going to eat me… He's going to eat me… He's going to eat me!"

Just then a loud explosion sounded from behind her and the gust of wind along with the tremors that traveled in the air from the blast made her hair flail to her right, the quake that followed making her fall to the ground with a shriek when she lost her balance, dropping her backpack containing her books. Her Shiten Koushun instinctively erected itself in front of her and the girl who was pressing her back against the wall with a panicked expression, her soul link shining in the middle of her chest as it heaved in fright.

The eerie, horrific cry of a Hollow then echoed through the rainy night.

Orihime stood up again and turned around with a determined expression on her face, getting ready to fight.

From between the apartment building on the other side of her street materialized a gigantesque Hollow, it's grotesque body making her gasp in disgust and put her hands against her nose because of the offensive, rotting odor it exuded. Its mask was partly broken, as if it had been cleaved by a sword before.

"Oho? What do we have here? New playthings to toy with?"

Orihime took a protective step back towards the cowering child, holding her hairpins against her chest with one hand while the other was stretched away from her defensively. "Not another step!" she said sternly.

"Oooh," the Hollow cooed, moving ever closer and chuckling darkly. The writhing, wriggling mass of dark colored, fleshy, worm-like appendages covering its blob-like body accelerated in its movement, making her feel queasy. "Pretty, pretty! Smells good… and it wants to play! I'm so lucky today."

Another wave of the repulsive odor hit her nose and she felt herself get lightheaded. "What _is_ that…?" she whispered, her vision blurring rapidly as a wave of nausea hit her and she stumbled back. "Oh God, no..."

"How does it taste, my lovely?" the Hollow cackled, now towering above her. "How does it taste?!"

Orihime gritted her teeth with a grunt when the first hit against her shield felt like a physical strike and she fell onto one knee. She lifted her her head again with a scowl when her shield vibrated and buzzed as it prepared to deliver the retaliating strike.

The monster was caught off guard when Tsubaki's attack tore a hole through the upper half of its body and it howled in agony, disappearing into the void a moment later.

"We have to go!" Orihime told the young spirit, grabbing her by a hand.

"Did you kill it?" the girl gasped, letting Orihime pull her up into a standing position and following close behind her when they broke into a run towards the end of the street. It was raining even harder by then.

"No," she breathed, taking a brief moment to reorient herself in the darkened and rainy streets, wanting to take the them to the nearest area she knew that would be devoid of people. She could barely see where she was going; the visibility was that bad. "I only hurt him; he'll be back. Come on!"

She lead them down the second street on her right, having decided to take them to the banks of the Karasu River.

Before they could reach it tough, the Hollow materialized in front of them again, giving Orihime just enough time to erect her shield again.

However, the force of the unexpected blow still knocked them back, making them hit the asphalt with yelps of pain.

She'd felt something snap inside her right arm when she landed on it.

"He's coming back, miss! Miss, he's coming back!"

Orihime crawled into a sitting position with some difficulty, biting back a yell when white hot pain shot through her broken limb. "Run away… just run away," she gasped, wincing. "I'll hold him off as long as I can. You need to find my friend… he's a Shinigami… He'll get you to where you need to go."

"But, miss-"

Orihime shakingly managed to stand back up on her feet, a reassuring smile on her face. "Get going," she told her, turning around to face her opponent again. "He won't get you, I promise."

The girl's carmine eyes filled with tears, but she nodded and turned in the other direction, breaking into a run soon after.

Understanding all too well that the surprising element of her Shiten Koushun was gone, she patiently waited for the Hollow to come closer to her, hoping to put up her shield again in time to redirect the assault effectively.

She braced for the attack when the Hollow charged at her, only to gasp in surprise when it dematerialized again. Orihime pulled up her shield behind her and stumbled backwards when one of the tentacles hit it again, making her fall to the ground once more.

Another horrific yell resounded through the rainy night when her second retaliating attack hit it square in its mask, albeit not hard enough for it to break.

"You bitch! That's it! Come here!" It cried, blindly moving forward in search of her while a few tentacles held on to its masked face.

"No!" Orihime yelped when one of its tentacles wrapped itself around her left ankle and began to drag her over the ground. "No!" she cried again, this time with determination. "Tsubaki!"

The offensive spirit appeared once more and cut through the appendage keeping her hostage.

As the monster once again expressed its pain and anger, she saw a familiar pair of sandals run past her.

"Tough luck, pal. Neither of us die that easily. Goodbye."

Orihime sighed in relief when the Hollow disintegrated after its mask had been completely shattered by Ichigo's main blade. She sat up with some difficulty, holding onto her broken arm still. She looked into the direction she felt him to be because the heavy rain made it difficult to see where he was.

"Fuck."

A sound akin to a blade being thrusted into the ground then hit her ears and her instincts immediately discerned that something was wrong with him. Orihime scrambled onto her feet and ran to him, her expression turning to worry when she saw him kneeled on the floor next to his largest blade, leaning against it and bleeding from multiple lacerations on his body, panting heavily.

"Kurosaki-kun," she tried hesitantly, her brows drawing together when he vomited to the side and fell backwards. "Kurosaki-kun!"

She was by his side in an instant with Shun'o and Ayame already creating a dome around the both of them to heal his battered body and her broken arm.

"I must be dreaming…" he murmured drowsily when next he opened his eyes a little, a small smile gracing his lips. "Are you okay? I never got a chance to…"

She was shaking her head, refusing to listen to whatever he had to say. She didn't want to hear it; she was on the verge of tears already because of his pitiable state and she needed to concentrate to heal him as fast as she could. Obviously the poison he'd inhaled from his previous fight with the Hollow had spread and she knew from experience that healing a body from toxin was a whole lot trickier than just fixing a physical injury."You're badly hurt, Kurosaki-kun, please remain still. Please," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Ichigo's eyes softened and he smiled a little. "Inoue… I…"

"Not now…" she begged, shaking her head again, pulling her soaked hair behind an ear and biting her lower lip to try and keep it from quivering with held back emotion. "Please…"

"I can't stop thinking about you," he told her, blinking his eyes rapidly against the raindrops that fell relentlessly into his eyes. "I only realized when you left… Back then, I-"

Her left hand was now trembling as it hovered above him and she closed her eyes. "Kurosaki-kun…"

"I'm sorry for everything, Inoue."

That made her finally break down and she sobbed quietly. None of this was his fault… she was the one who let that man break her, let her believe again that she wasn't worth anything… let everything that Ichigo and the others had done for her go to waste. "Don't say that…" she whimpered in a small voice, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to hide from his inquisitive gaze. "You haven't done anything wrong… I'm the one-"

His wet right hand then came to enclose her left wrist and she looked up at him. "Stop… I was supposed to protect you and I once again failed you by not telling you what needed to be said."

Her next breath was inhaled in a quivering gasp and she couldn't but stare at him for the longest of time while the rain incessantly poured onto them. "Kurosaki-kun…"

"I need you to be with me, I can't think straight when you're not around me…" he confessed, taking in a quivering breath against the next wave of nausea that hit him, his hand letting go of her wrist.

She let her eyes go over the wounds that were now closing themselves, briefly wondering how he could've let the Hollow attack him so many times. He was known for his impressive reflexes, and even if his movements were impeded by the poison, he shouldn't have been battered like this…

Orihime lifted her teary eyes up to his again, her gaze filling itself with guilt and deepening regret. Even if they hadn't become more than just friends, they were supposed to have stayed at least that; friends. How could she have forgotten about this? How could she have let her rejected feelings destroy everything they had built together with their friends?

He needed her, and even if it hadn't been in the way she had wanted for him to; she never should've let her selfish need supersede his. She now saw that it only distracted him from his mission, that her being in love with him wasn't something he needed.

Someone once told her that she was important to him, that her friendship with him made him fight better, that it gave him purpose and focus.

And she had thrown all of that away because he hadn't wanted to give her the attention she wished for.

And therefore she left him... to fight all alone.

She truly was the worst person alive.

"Inoue…?" Ichigo pressed after a few moments of silence had passed. "Please say something-"

Orihime closed the eyes she had directed to the ground and scowled, angry at herself. "I can't do this to you…" she murmured, biting her lower lip and hugging herself now that her right arm had been healed. "I can't… I'm sorry..."

"Inoue… are you listening to what I am saying?" he softly said, catching her attention again. "I want to be with you. The thought of you with someone else drives me crazy."

Her eyes went wide at that and she blinked through the rainfall, the thick drops of water running down her face making her even more appealing to him. "Kurosaki-kun…" she whispered, her heart beating faster now.

Of all the times she had fantasized about him saying it, this was not how she had ever thought it would go.

She gulped and opened her mouth to say something but hesitated, hating herself for having to do this to him, but wanting to be straight with him all the same. "I'm… I'm not ready…" she admitted. She was too broken still, felt too unworthy and disgusting for what she had done. "I'm so sorry…"

He only ever smiled at her and shook his head reassuringly, understanding where she was coming from. She had a great deal of healing to do, they both did. But in the meantime, he would make her a promise; one he had no intention of breaking for as long as he could still draw breath.

"I'm not going anywhere."

She looked down at the hand that he was holding up for her to take and hesitantly put one of hers in it, the warmth of his touch bringing back the familiarity that she had so missed, making more tears well up in her eyes. "Will you give me some time…?" she asked softly.

She felt too insecure to return his affections confidently, knowing that she'd need time to sort through all of her feelings and to forgive herself so they could build up their relationship once more.

He nodded. "Take as much time as you need; I'm not going anywhere."

Orihime chuckled tearfully and nodded back, holding onto his hand with both of hers gratefully, letting the rain mingle with her tears.

It was then, in the downpour that their hearts bound together, heaven and earth mingling and connecting.

United, at long last.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Busy busy busy...<em>**

**_A big thank you goes to fellow author Brokenangelwings83 for proofreading this chapter!_**

**_Thank you for your ongoing support of this piece, I hope you enjoyed. If you have questions, shoot in the comments!_**

**_The next 'Ashes to Ashes' chapter will be the last, as will the next 'raindrops' chapter be for its arc._**

**_Do check out my 30 days nsfw otp Challenge for Ichihime I'm currently working on with SingingButterflyRose. We update every Monday and Friday! You can find my prompts on here, but for my partner's you'll have to visit my tumblr page (link is in my bio!)._**

**_I had some artwork done for Accursed, you can check it out through my profile, just click on the link to my DA profile in my biography._**

**_Alrighty then, up next in my updating schedule is Accursed!_**

**_Onto the next one!_**

**_-MistressBlaque-_**


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Bleach, Drama, Romance