Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Odalisque ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any Bleach affiliates.

 

 

 

Odalisque

 

Chapter 16

 

Rukia looked up the moment Ichigo opened the door to their office. His eyes met hers within seconds and instead of turning away from their intense amber blaze—which was what she wanted to do—she met them head on. She only blinked once in the sixty seconds that he stood immobile. She could see it in his gaze though, he was running through every image he had of her, every part of the kiss they had shared was whooshing through his body. Every touch, taste, smell, and sound was being reviewed in his mind as fast as lightning. She saw him swallow convulsively and shudder once before he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

 

“Good morning,” he murmured softly, Rukia's brain took in his tone as calm and collected, with just a hint of something more carnal ghosting on the edges.

 

“Good morning.” She replied, careful to keep her tone clipped and sharp.

 

He moved closer into the room and stood only three feet away from her desk. “How was your Sunday?” He asked, careful to keep his tone conversational.

 

She tried to focus on her free cell game. “It was fine.” Rukia said just as lightly.

 

“Did you have dreams about me?”

 

The smugness in his voice made her want to throw something at him. She looked up sharply and saw that, except for maybe a small upward tilt to his mouth, he was being… serious.

 

“I did not.” She answered flatly. She tried to keep her gaze steadily on his. She didn't want him to know that she was lying. Too bad for her his mouth quirked up even more and he crossed his arms over his chest. He raised his eyebrow and seemed to be trying to subconsciously get her to confess.

 

Her insides burned softly and she stubbornly looked back to his computer. She didn't want him to know that she had gone home that night, removed all of her clothing, slipped between her silken sheets, brought her fingers down between her legs, stroked herself into a frenzy, and came with his name on her lips. When she came down from her ecstatic high she wiped the sweat off of her forehead and swore to herself never to do it again. She promised herself that she would never, ever, think of him while, ah, taking care of business.

 

Although she did have to admit that it had been the best business session she'd had in years.

 

He took another step forward, “Are you sure?” He asked, his voice softer than it had been a moment before.

 

“Very sure,” she snipped. She stared stonily at her computer and clicked up another card into the appropriate spot.

 

He was barely inches away from her. He had maneuvered so that her desk was no longer between them. She stiffened when she felt his warmth radiate from his body. She had to fight to suppress the shivers that were threatening to take hold.

 

She was glaring wholeheartedly at her computer screen when something warm and soft reached out and brushed against her cheek. Simultaneously, she jerked upwards and back, her chair almost slammed into the wall as her flaming cheeks were brought up to his. She stared viciously at him while a great big grin spread over his face.

 

“In your dream,” he began slyly, “Was I good?”

 

Okay, that's it you pompous cretin.

 

Rukia let a low, sensual, moan hum through her lips. She shifted her head over to his and slowly leaned back in her chair. His eyes followed her every movement as she uncrossed her legs and parted them as far as she could in her skirt. His gaze moved down to her legs but she brought it back up when she leaned down and her hand brushed against her calf. His stare flicked over to her fingers and she hummed gently as she pulled her hand up to her thigh. She brushed it against her knee and then started up again.

 

“In my dream,” she said in a low voice, lacing her tone with honey and sexuality. “I was standing in a hallway, wearing a white, silky robe that was far too short for me. I stepped into the room and there he was…” she let loose a heady, delicious, groan from behind her lips. She slid her hand up to her jacket and slowly pulled the buttons out of their holes. She leaned her head back against the soft leather of her chair and smiled.

 

“I took my robe off and I was completely naked underneath…” she peeked up at Ichigo and saw that his face was white, his hands were clenching into his crossed arms, and his little… friend was rather awake.

 

“I went to the bed,” she continued, tugging the top button of her shirt away, then the second, and then the third, just enough to show the delicate swell of her breasts. She could hear Ichigo panting softly. “And I put my mouth around him, and I sucked him… hard.” She giggled darkly, “I've always been told that I was good at stuff like that.”

 

“And?” He demanded hoarsely.

 

“And after he came in my mouth,” she whispered, leaning forward until her elbows were resting on the top of the desk and her cleavage was in clear sight of Ichigo's hungry eyes. “And after I swallowed everything he had to offer—” Ichigo choked, “I pushed him back on the bed, stroked him, and took him into me.”

 

She bit her bottom lip hard and let an animalistic moan rip through her throat. “But then he flipped me over and he slammed into me so hard.” She gasped and threw herself back into her chair, writhing as though she was having an orgasm. “Over and over and over again until I came. Oh fuck, I came so hard that I couldn't feel my toes. He was so good, he came hard… again.”

 

“He?” Ichigo squeaked, “I thought you said you dreamt about me.”

 

Rukia wiggled back into her previous position in her chair and chuckled darkly. Her hands went back up to button her shirt and her jacket, his eyes followed her through the entire process. “I never said I dreamt about you…” she smoothed her hair back into place and removed the fuzzy, orgasmic, sounds from her clear voice. “You just assumed it was you. And you know what they say about assuming.”

 

She felt him bristle on the other side of her desk.

 

“Besides,” she scoffed, “You're all show and no substance,” she looked up at him sharply and raised an eyebrow. “I bet you could never come twice.”

 

Rukia's head jerked back against her chair and her body wretched forward just a bit before it slammed back into the soft, squishiness of the seat. A gasp was ripped from her mouth as she felt both of Ichigo's hands plant themselves on her armrests. His muscled appendages brushed against her shoulders as his face moved until it was only centimeters away from hers. She could feel his hot breath on her lips as she stared, wide-eyed, into his blazing hot amber gaze.

 

“You've heard of the refractory period?” He demanded hotly, his head angling to the side, as if to kiss her.

 

She didn't answer.

 

“It's the time right after an orgasm where a man can't physically get it up.” He explained in a deadly, sexually-charged, tone. “It takes fifteen minutes for an average teenage boy to be able to get a hard on after he's had an orgasm.” He brought his lips down to his neck and Rukia gasped when she felt his tongue slide over her pulse. “Just to let you know,” he whispered, his lips fluttering against her milky skin. “I have it down to five minutes.”

 

Rukia's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

 

“And Princess,” he moved up to her ear and blew his hot breath into it as he spoke. “I can keep going all night.” He pulled back and looked her dead in the eye. “I just wonder if you'd be able keep up.”

 

The surprise began to wear off of her body, the shock of having him looming over her, talking to her like this, and looking at her with those damnably and lusciously sex-filled eyes was leaving her bones bit by bit. She swallowed once before looking back up at him and raising one delicate eyebrow.

 

“I can keep up with the best of them, Kurosaki.” She whispered, moving her head forward until her lips brushed against his. “I've been known to go for hours.”

 

“Been known?” He demanded, sliding his mouth against hers. “How often?”

 

“Oh now that's a little personal, don't you think?” She murmured smoothly.

 

“From what I can tell we've already jumped that particular hurdle,” he continued, bringing his tongue out to touch the fullness of her bottom lip. “What I'd really like to do,” he shoved his body just a bit closer to hers until she felt completely boxed in. “Is get a little more personal. I also think that we would benefit from a night where both of us displayed our particular talents.”

 

“Really?” She asked, careful to keep her voice steady.

 

Ichigo only smirked and twisted his head to the side. The power of his kiss was undeniable. It was hot and demanding and lustful and it seared through every part of her body. Her cheeks lit with flushed blood and her throat filled with moans when he pried her mouth apart and delved his tongue into her.

 

The light playfulness he had displayed earlier was gone completely. He growled like a beast as he plundered the softness inside of her mouth and ravished the outsides of her lips. His teeth would nip at her whenever she fought back. It was like he was trying to keep her in order, to tame her in this battle of wills. She wouldn't stand for it.

 

She reached her hands up and grasped the collar of his shirt. She tugged him down and surged back into the kiss. Her tongue wrapped around his and her teeth scraped against his lips as she grappled for the back of his head. Her hands wound into his hair and she let out a low, delicious, groan.

 

He must have been taken by surprise because for the first time she was allowed to take charge. Her tongue gently probed into his mouth while her hands wrapped around his neck and tangled into his hair. She tasted him thoroughly and felt like swooning. Behind the poignant flavor of his morning coffee was the spice of human maleness and the potent sweetness of sexual desire. Rukia shuddered and pushed herself further into him. His hands were still clutching the armrests to her chair and she took the opportunity she was afforded in his motionless state. Her lips curled into a soft smirk as she raised one of her legs and harmlessly pressed her knee into his crotch.

 

A vicious groan escaped Ichigo's mouth and she fought the urge to snicker. She ground her knee into his tented pants and increased the force of her delicious exploration. Ichigo growled low in his throat and lifted one hand from the armrest. She jerked in the chair and moaned into his mouth when she felt his strong hand grasp her breast.

 

Her mind raced to the night before, back to when she had stopped him from touching her. She had almost felt his skin against hers, almost felt the callous' of his fingers on the sensitive flesh of her breast… almost given in. Now here he was, touching her again, caressing her, and kissing her. Hadn't she promised herself that she would stay away from him? That his one kiss had been enough to fuel about a years worth of business sessions—even though she swore she'd never have them again? Yes… yes she had.

 

But this felt so good and it had been such a long time since… since… well, since she had felt like this.

 

So why not? For a minute, at least. She groaned again and pushed her delicate breast against his palm. Just a minute, nothing more.

 

With one final taste of him she dug her fingers into her hair and yanked him back by his fiery locks. She let her knee drop at the exact moment he let out a small yelp of surprise and blinked furiously. Rukia saw what was brewing in his burning honey eyes, she had seen it before—not many times, but she knew what it was.

 

Sexual desire.

 

For once, she was glad she could see such desires in the eyes of someone who she knew could actually act on it without feeling guilty or ashamed. Rukia blinked several times to clear her head of that thought. Great, one of the most fantastic kisses she had ever had and she was ruining it with thoughts of him.

 

Oh well, she thought begrudgingly, at least it stopped me from doing something stupid.

 

He blinked several more times before focusing his burning eyes back on her. She swallowed at the raw power inside of them and forced her expression back into her normal poker-face.

 

“Well, Ms. Kuchiki,” he said softly, squeezing her breast for emphasis. “What do you think?”

 

She steadied her voice and placed her hand on his wrist. “About what, exactly?”

 

“Displaying our talents.” He demanded; he didn't take too kindly to her currently trying to remove his hand from her chest. If anything, he squeezed again.

 

Rukia shook her head slowly and placed both hands on his chest. “Sorry Kurosaki,” she stated clearly, “I don't sleep with people I work with.”

 

He didn't budge. “Is this a new rule?”

 

“No,” she replied, “It's business one-oh-one. In order to have a successful business relationship with a coworker one must not engage in any sexual activity with them. By doing so both parties undermine the proficiency of their work as well as the integrity of their company.” She pushed him away again and this time, he relented.

 

“Did you just quote that?” He asked sourly and incredulously.

 

No, I made it up.

 

“Of course. It was in business Etiquette for the Highly Professional,” she lied ostentatiously. Oh well, he wouldn't know the difference anyway.

 

She began to straighten her clothing and cleared her throat. “In March of next year, Kurosaki, I will be in a new office in a new position working with new people. I do not want anything I do here to interfere with that.”

 

He looked at her in disbelief. “You're shitting me, right?”

 

“I am not.”

 

“You're saying you don't want to sleep with me?” He scoffed, once again, in disbelief.

 

She turned to him and raised one delicate eyebrow. The look he was giving her… like it was completely inconceivable for someone not to want to sleep with him. Rukia bristled slightly at the slight.

 

Sure, there was physical desire playing against her common sense, but she'd never—absolutely never—let anything like physical desire override her common sense. How could she even think of throwing away her entire future on something that would only last a few minutes? Or, well, perhaps hours given his description of his talents. It was still completely insane; if she were to sleep with Ichigo Kurosaki she'd be jeopardizing everything she had worked for in the past eight years of her life.

 

What's the big deal? Her irrational side whined, why the hell not?

 

Because she didn't want to be distracted. She wanted to keep her eyes on the prize, she didn't want a fling to come in the way of that, especially since it would probably be a fling she'd eventually regret. She could just imagine… years later, when she and he were still working for these companies he would only have to mention sleeping with her for her to be discredited by her peers and her superiors.

 

“I, will not say that I don't want to sleep with you, Kurosaki, because by gauging my physical reactions, I do.” She leveled her eyes with his and felt the need to squash the smug look of hope now crawling around on his face. “However, I will not sleep with you. Ever. That I can promise.”

 

He cocked his head to the side, “So you want to but you won't?”

 

“It's called self control.”

 

“It's called insanity.” He shook his head and moved around to his own desk. “Don't you ever do anything that could be considered spontaneous? Don't you ever do anything just because you want to? Just because there's that carnal desire lurking inside of you?”

 

The last time I did that I nearly upended my entire life.

 

“No,” she told him. “I don't.”

 

He slowly moved his head back and forth. He lifted his gaze to hers and allowed a small smirk to play on his pursed lips. Rukia could tell that he was angry… no, frustrated was more like it. He was frustrated with her. He hated that she was being so stubborn with her feelings. He hated that she was being so… methodical and logical.

 

“You're going to go back on your words, Rukia,” he said in a low, quiet, voice.

 

“Go back on my word not to sleep with you?” She clarified acerbically, narrowing her eyes and snorting at the same time. “I doubt it.”

 

“Doubt if you will, but I know you will.”

 

“Whatever Kurosaki,” she muttered, slightly disconcerted by the amount of finality in his tone. He sounded so sure… so positive that she would end up in bed with him.

 

In your dreams.

 

“We need to get to work on this file,” she tossed it to him. “We're giving a presentation to the board next Friday. We need to be prepared and we need to be efficient. No mistakes.” She eyed him angrily, “No more… distractions.”

 

“Aye, aye, captain.” He answered snidely before turning his attention to his computer and getting to work.

 

*~*~*

 

It was Monday night. Momo had come over to show Rukia fabric samples for her bridesmaids dress. She was currently sitting on the elegant and comfortable companion chair that Rukia had bought to match her crème colored couch. A glass of ice water was in her right hand, the fabric samples were clutched in her left, and her mouth was hanging open.

 

Rukia sat calmly in the center of the couch. Her gaze was steeled on her friend's face, which was currently white, and she told herself to breathe normally. Her hands were clasped in front of her, hanging lightly between her knees. She was dressed in an oversized tee shirt and a loose pair of ratty shorts. Normal bedclothes for her. She wanted to be as comfortable as possible when she told Momo this. After all, if she somehow found out about it without Rukia telling her then she'd have absolute hell to pay.

 

Momo's mouth opened. It closed. It opened again. It closed again. She blinked several times.

 

“Are you alright?” Rukia asked slowly.

 

“I—I—” she gasped, Jesus Christ, even her body was shaking a bit. “I don't know.” She shook her head several times, as if to clear it, and the leaned forward. “You kissed him?”

 

“I did.” Rukia answered. “Twice.” Adding it in as an afterthought.

 

“Twice?”

 

“Yes,” she confirmed, “Once in the elevator after the party and once this morning.” She paused for a moment before saying, “But then again… there was that time when I accidentally kissed him, on the cheek you know, and then he kissed my cheek in the early stages of the party. Then I kissed his cheek. How many times is that?”

 

Momo looked like an insect, one of those big bugs with the huge eyes. “That's… that like… five times!”

 

“More like three and a half,” she reasoned, “Two actual times and then three half times.”

 

“Still!” Momo exploded, the fabric samples dropped from her hands and she nearly upended her water glass in her unprecedented excitement. “Rukia! Oh my god! Do you know what this means?”

 

“That I kissed someone.”

 

“No! Well, yes, but no!” Momo scooted forward until her hands were grasping at Rukia's wrists. “You kissed him back, right?”

 

“Right.” She was trying to be scientific about this.

 

“So,” Momo's face was glowing in happiness, “You like him!”

 

“That's a bit of an overstatement,” Rukia muttered dryly, “I like the fact that he's got a nice body and has a penis as hard as a baseball bat.”

 

“That hard?” Momo raised both eyebrows as high as they could go. “Metal or wood?”

 

“You wouldn't believe… and wood, definitely.” Rukia murmured, remembering what he had said about his refractory period and going all night long. “Still, I'm not going to do anything with him. I swore it to him.”

 

“Loser.” Momo sniped lowly.

 

“What?” Rukia demanded, “Just because I don't want to ruin my future. What if, a few years from now, I'm in a business meeting with him, I say something he doesn't like, and he says something like… ah, `Oh, well, you weren't talking like that when I slept with you.'” She gave a terrible impression of Ichigo's voice and wrinkled her nose. “One night with him could ruin everything I've ever worked for.”

 

Momo looked at her sympathetically, “Honey, don't you think that he might just have a little more class than that?”

 

“No,” was her immediate answer, “I don't.” Her aura darkened and she shoved herself up from the couch. She flitted into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of zinfandel. She tugged the cork out viciously and offered a glass to Momo, she declined because she was driving so Rukia just poured herself a glass. “Guys like that just make women notches on their belts.” She called into the other room. “You should google him, his sexual history is longer than the Vietnam War Memorial… although not as sad.” She sighed and came back into the room with her glass, “Models, actresses, gymnasts, ballerinas, and even some of his coworkers; you name it and he's had his cock in it.”

 

“Not you.”

 

“Of course not me,” she snapped, sinking heavily into the couch. “I have a brain and not just a sex drive.”

 

Momo rolled her eyes theatrically, “But that's just it, Rukia, you don't have sex drive. You've been celibate for what… four years?”

 

“Three and a half.” She corrected dryly, letting the fruity taste of the wine slip over her tongue. “And I told you, I get by just fine on my own.”

 

“But Rukia,” she whined, “You need to have a sex life. Sex is a healthy part of you and you can't deny it.”

 

“I can if I want to.” She grunted, “Mind over matter.”

 

Momo pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes and sighed, “Hon, I can't go three days without having sex with Shiro… in some form or another.” She sighed pitifully, “Three years… I can't imagine it.”

 

“I get by.”

 

“What you need is to get laid.” Momo shook her head and stared down at the carpet, “But there's no convincing you, is there?”

 

“No.” Rukia gnashed her teeth together and took a large gulp of her wine, “You know… he even made a bet with me.”

 

“A bet?”

“Well,” she amended, “It wasn't exactly a bet bet, but he said… he said, `You're going to go back on your words, Rukia,' Yeah, as if.”

 

Momo just gave her a strange, calculating, look, before shrugging and picking the fabric samples up from the floor.

 

“I'm thinking silk, Parisian.” She offered it to her, “What do you think?”

 

*~*~*

 

The next two weeks passed by with grueling efficiency. Rukia worked to the bone, she took files home, studied them over and over, wrote up reports, kept Ichigo in the loop, and tried desperately to meet the quota she had set before they made their presentation. She worked like a machine, cutting lunch meetings with Momo short, delaying their time at the gym, and staying after for a few nights. She needed to make sure that they finished.

 

She had also buried herself into her work because she didn't want Ichigo to bring up the little… conversation they had had last Monday. Whenever it looked like the two had a moment where work was not an issue, whenever he gave her an across-the-office smirk, and whenever he felt the need to casually brush his arm against hers, she always walked calmly back to her desk, pulled out another file, and set herself to work… again. Rukia suspected he knew that she was doing. Throwing herself into her work was always the way she coped with things like this. When her brain was occupied by so much work thinking about sex really wasn't an option.

 

Oh sex… Ichigo hadn't made life easier on her either. He wasn't even really doing anything. He was just being… Ichigo. He would bend over her body when looking at files. He would smirk at her as though he was thinking naughty things. He would stand close enough that she could smell the delicately powerful scent of his aftershave. He would call her `Sunshine' in a voice that was made for sin.

 

Still, it wasn't like she could actually scold him for that. These last few days he had been working just as long as she. If it hadn't been for his dogged work ethic she was quite positive that they wouldn't have been ready to present to the board. So she couldn't really gripe at him for being at work with her most of the time. At least, not without him stopping work in general.

 

Rukia sighed as she smoothed over her best suit and skirt. She didn't want to think about this right now. Not when she was pacing outside of the boardroom. Not when her notes were being read over by Ichigo. Not when he was sitting lazily in a waiting chair. Not when there were about twelve men—yes, all men—in the room she was next to, talking and sipping coffee and waiting to pounce. Not when she was supposed to give a very large presentation to all these men, whose net worth's ranged from a few million to a couple billion.

 

“Relax Rukia,” Ichigo told her from his spot in the chair. “None of them are going to eat us.”

 

“Have you finished reading it yet?” She demanded, choosing to ignore his comment.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Have you reread it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are you sure you know all the material?”

 

“No.”

 

“What?” She shrieked, turning to him in a flurry of vengeance, panic, and anger.

 

He didn't even have the decency to look the least bit alarmed at her temper. “I was kidding!” He snorted, laughing slightly. “Geez, lighten up.”

 

Rukia continued pacing. Her severe shoes cut deliberately into the carpet and her heels—which should have been muffled considering the environment they were walking on—were still clicking. The secretary—an elderly woman neither of them had ever met before—was staring amusedly at her. Her mouth seemed to be in a tight line, as if to keep her from smiling at the sight.

 

“Easy for you to say.” Rukia exhaled, she pressed a hand to the top of her head and closed her eyes tightly. “All of those men in there are just waiting for us to trip up. Waiting for me to trip up.” She pressed one hand to her stomach and resumed her pacing. Ichigo's eyes followed her in amusement. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered, “I feel like I'm going to throw up.”

 

“Well don't,” he told her, leaning back and closing his eyes casually, “I'd hate to go in there alone.” He shrugged one shoulder and continued, “Then again, you'd probably just come in anyway with vomit running down your shirt.”

 

Rukia tossed her head to the side and shrugged as well, “Yes, actually, I probably would.”

 

The secretary let out a small snort but Rukia ignored it. She took a swift glance to the clock on the wall and groaned. It was only a few minutes before they were supposed to go in. Three minutes to ten. She was supposed to go in and give their presentation.

 

The phone on the secretary's desk buzzed and Rukia jumped slightly before zeroing in on the woman and staring at her as though she was a carcass and Rukia was a vulture. She picked up the phone and answered.

 

“Yes… alright.” The woman said in a sweet voice. She turned to the two of them, “You may go inside now.”

 

“Thank you.” Rukia said in a clipped voice and went straight for Ichigo. She snatched the folders out of his hands, brushed off any invisible marks he might have left, and twisted the knob to the door. She disappeared into the room and Ichigo followed.

 

Rukia felt like a kindergartener being sent to the principal's office because she had done something wrong. Her entire body quivered as she stepped into the huge office and took in what she saw. Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard. Twelve men, each one of them older, distinguished, gentlemen, sat in twelve chairs surrounding an oval table. The front two seats were left open, apparently for the two of them, while a slide projector and a screen were available for anything these men would have to view.

 

She set all of her files on the smooth, heavy, wooden, surface and forced her shoulders back a bit. Sitting at the very end of the table was Sosuke Aizen. He smiled warmly at her and then to Ichigo, who was only inches behind her.

 

“Gentlemen,” Aizen crooned, taking the attention of the room with only one measly word. “These fine people here are Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki.” He gestured to each one respectively and continued, “They are our top corporate lawyers and have been working on this merger since its conception. Please give them your attention as they explain what has been going on behind your backs.” He said the last part jovially enough and the entire room chuckled.

 

Rukia didn't even have the time to be insulted that she was mentioned second. She stepped forward and grasped the folders she had prepared. “Good morning gentlemen.” She declared with poise. Her nervousness was beginning to fade as her confidence in what she was about to say grew. All eyes were on her—she could surmise that it was for more than just plain old business interests—as she walked around the room and set a folder in front of each board member. Rukia smiled sweetly and made sure that each man got a whiff of the perfume she had put on this morning before she greeted each member by name. She had made sure to memorize all of them, just in case.

 

She came back to her original spot and stood like a statue. “What you have in front of you is a folder containing a detailed accounting of all the work my partner, Mr. Kurosaki, and I have been doing on this merger…”

 

Just like that, she was off. All of her nerves seemed to vanish the more she spoke to these men. All of them listened with a rapt attention that she knew only she could derive from such a room. They flipped with her through the folders when she told them about the projected earnings, the stock values, and how this merger would benefit their sector of the business world. The men nodded with her, asked her questions, and commented occasionally on matters associated with such a move.

 

When she was beginning to get hoarse, Ichigo took over. He spoke on the same subjects, interjected his own comments, and added a much needed level of testosterone to her presentation. She stood by and sipped her glass of water while he showed them the figures on the slide show they had created.

 

Rukia felt drunk with power. She loved this feeling. Absolutely loved it. She was in command of the entire attention of the room. She was high off of the respect they gave her. She was completely drinking in the nods, the comments, the grins, and the encouraging thumbs up that she would occasionally get from Aizen. It was intoxicating. She glanced up at the clock after a moment and raised an eyebrow. She had already been in here for nearly a half an hour. She hadn't even noticed.

 

Damn she was good.

 

“And if you see here,” she said, taking up where Ichigo left off, “The projected earnings in the next decade would—” The door creaked open and Rukia ignored it. “—Increase by nearly doubles, even triples—”

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Rukia turned her head in complete preparation to bite the skull off of the person who dared to interrupt her on her power trip.

 

Orihime Inoue.

 

Rukia felt like snarling and lunging at the damn bitch. Her vision darkened as she had a brief visualization of herself clawing out Inoue's eyes and slamming her knee into her spinal column. Oh yeah, try walking after that, bitch. She shuddered… oh she'd like to see Inoue writhing in pain. It would definitely set her straight. Get her out of the way and keep her out of any future board meetings that Rukia might have to attend. She could only guess that Inoue had done this on purpose. Whore.

 

Maybe she could try to make her disappear using a meat grinder.

 

Rukia blinked once and turned her head away. Wow. Even she was surprised at the violence of her thoughts. Was she really that upset she had been interrupted? Maybe she was just doing it because she didn't like Inoue. Oh well… it wasn't like Rukia would actually hurt her.

 

Maybe.

 

“Ms. Inoue,” Aizen said warmly and Rukia felt like gagging. Fantastic, now the big boss was all chummy with the secretary. How cliché was this? He wasn't even going to chastise Ms. Melon-Chest for interrupting their exceedingly important meeting. Bastard. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Actually sir,” she said in her mawkishly timid voice. Rukia scoffed silently, she could see all of the men in the room losing their focus on her presentation. Instead they were looking at Inoue's more… valuable assets. Rukia shot Ichigo a look of reproach but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring out the window, completely ignoring Inoue and everyone else. “There is a call here. It's for Ms. Kuchiki.”

 

She answered immediately. “It can wait.”

 

“I'm sorry, Ms. Kuchiki,” Inoue murmured, playing the wounded puppy while Rukia took on the role of the eighteen wheeler about to kill her. “But this is the second time they've called and they're being very persistent about it.”

 

“It can wait.” She ground out again, making sure to enunciate threateningly.

 

“Ms. Kuchiki,” Inoue said, her posture melted into a pose of caring eagerness even though Rukia could see the manipulative coldness that was lurking behind her steel gray eyes. “They asked me to get you immediately. They said it was very urgent.”

 

“Don't worry Rukia,” Aizen chimed in from the back of the room, grinning softly at her even though her mouth was open for another retort. “One phone call won't hurt. We'll resume right after that”

 

Rukia wanted to kill him too. Calling her Rukia like that in front of all of these professionals worth millions of dollars. Great, now she was off her power trip and back on the piece-of-ass wagon. All her respect was lost, just like that. Damn him. Damn Inoue. Damn that stupid phone call!

 

She gritted her teeth darkly and turned to stare at the phone on the table. Aizen, though trying to act like he cared, was probably just freeing up the floor so Ichigo could take things over. Get the woman out of the way for the big strong man. She gritted her teeth even harder and forced a smile onto her face. Christ she hated this.

 

“What line?” She deadpanned.

 

Inoue smiled happily and did a little jerky thing with her body where she jumped up on her toes and then came back down on her heels. Rukia noticed how every gaze in the room was locked on the way her breasts jiggled in response. “Two.” She replied happily, apparently glad that she had ruined Rukia's life for today.

 

Rukia clicked her way over to the phone and brought the receiver to her mouth and ear. She pressed the button for the appropriate line and waited for the connection. Inoue had not left. She sent her a scathing glare but received nothing but an empty smile and a cold stare. Rukia noticed that she had started the breast-jiggling thing again.

 

Great, just great, I try to appeal to their brains and she comes in and appeals to their dicks. Rukia growled angrily. Lovely.

 

“Hello. Hello?”

 

“Yes.” Rukia's attention went back to the phone. “This is Rukia Kuchiki speaking.”

 

“Ms. Kuchiki?” There was a slight pause and Rukia frowned when she heard a rather constant commotion seep in from the background.

 

“This is she.” Rukia allowed a soft crease to come between her eyebrows and she pressed the phone closer to her ear. “Hello?”

 

Another rustle of paper. “Is this the sister of Byakuya Kuchiki?”

 

“Yes.” Rukia sighed, now supremely irritated. “This is she.”

 

“Miss, I'm sorry to inform you of this, but you're brother has been shot.”

 

Rukia blinked twice, “I'm… sorry?” Her brother, really? Yeah right. Byakuya Kuchiki was practically made of steel. Byakuya wouldn't let himself be shot. He just wouldn't. It wasn't in his schedule.

 

“Your brother, Miss, he's been shot.”

 

This person was obviously kidding. They had to be kidding. This was just some sort of sick joke. Rukia raised her head and glanced once around the room, half expecting to see hidden cameras somewhere in the ceiling. Or maybe one of these businessmen would rip off a fake face and yell `You got punked!' or something. Maybe Inoue had set this up. She wouldn't put it past her. Maybe the bitch thought Rukia was encroaching upon her territory—Ichigo, of course—or something and wanted to scare her off. After all, she was the one who told her about the call. It was probably just a joke.

 

“Who paid you to tell me this?” She demanded, starting to get angry that this person would go so far for a couple hundred bucks.

 

Her eyes narrowed at that thought. Inoue probably didn't have a few hundred bucks to spare… but Ichigo did. Maybe he was the one who set this up. Maybe he wanted to get back at her for not sleeping with him. Now she definitely wouldn't put this past him.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Who?” Rukia ground out, rather embarrassed to be having this conversation in front of these million-dollar men, her boss, her coworker, and a woman she detested. “Who did it? I'll make sure they receive their proper punishment.”

 

“Miss… I'm, ah, I'm telling you the truth. Your brother has been shot. Twice. This isn't a joke. I promise.”

 

This person wasn't kidding.

 

Now the panic was starting to set in. Rukia could feel her heart beating faster inside of her chest. Her jaw was trembling slightly. Her eyes opened a bit wider. Her breathing was becoming labored. Her skin was tingling so badly it felt like it was on fire. Her face was turning as white as a sheet.

 

“Wha… what…? A-Are you… are you sure? Maybe it's the wrong per-person…” She choked as she trailed off into a whisper. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ichigo turn his head to her. Actually, the entire room now turned towards her. Most of the men had been watching Inoue and her breasts. But now, she guessed that she was more interesting. She placed her hand on the table for support. She needed the room to stop spinning.

 

“I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, Miss, but at about nine o'clock this morning your brother was shot twice while leaving his office building.”

 

Rukia's lips were numb. “Where?”

 

“On the street next to—”

 

“I know where his office is!” Rukia shrieked, making several men in attendance jump out of their seats. Ichigo stood from his position at the window and walked over to her. His hand hovered near one of her shoulders. It was as if he wasn't sure he wanted to touch her. “Tell me where he was—where he was…”

 

“Stomach and shoulder.” The person said. “We're trying to figure out if anything major was hit, organs and bones and such. He's in surgery right now at Karakura General. He's very unstable and he, well… he might not make it out. We just needed to inform you in case you wanted to come and—and… see him.”

 

“Oh God.” Rukia gasped, willing her heart to slow its frantic beating down. She felt like she was going to have a heart attack. “Yes… yes, of course. I'm coming right now.” She slammed down the phone before she could even hear the traditional `I'm very sorry' or the all too popular `goodbye.'

 

She was numb. Her brain was numb. She just couldn't process what she had just heard. Rukia's limbs were shaking terribly as she dove into the corner of the room and grasped her purse—why had she brought it in here? Oh yeah, extra pens. She stood and lunged for the door, practically knocking Inoue over in the process. It was as though she was wearing horse blinders. She couldn't see anything but the door, the knob, and the exit.

 

“Rukia!”

 

Her name was yelled by two men at the same time. Rukia only looked at one of them.

 

Ichigo was standing in the spot next to the phone she had vacated, frowning in concern and looking slightly fearful at her reaction to the call. His hand was still extended; he was stepping forward a bit, approaching her cautiously as though she might attack him. “What's going on?” He asked her, his voice was soft and clear… it was even kind of caring.

 

Rukia could feel her entire body trembling against the door. She didn't know if her legs would be able to take being still. It was either get moving or crumble. She had to get out. She had to go.

 

“Just turn on the news,” she told him, her voice was surprisingly hollow. “You'll see.”

 

She turned and left, practically running down the hall.

 

*~*~*

 

Ichigo stood in the spot where Rukia had been standing only moments ago. Hell, barely seconds ago. Everyone in the room had stayed in their respective seats, their eyes trained on the door, as if they half expected Rukia to come bursting through it again. They must have stayed like that for at least three minutes before someone coughed.

 

“Good God, what in the world was that?” Aizen asked; awe and incredulity was laced in his voice. He turned to Inoue. “Ms. Inoue, where in the world did that call come from? Do you have any idea why it would make Rukia leave in that manner?”

 

One man scoffed, “Women.” A few of his companions chuckled and Ichigo raised his head darkly. He felt like punching all of them.

 

Inoue, who was standing still in her spot, turned to Aizen and blinked prettily. “I believe it was Karakura General Hospital, sir.”

 

Ichigo took his attention away from those arrogant assholes and frowned at the phone. The hospital? Why in the world would the hospital call her? And why would she tell them to watch the news? What the hell was going on?

 

He stood stock still for a few seconds before he noticed something flitter on the edges of his vision. He glanced out the window and immediately raised both of his eyebrows. Rukia was down there.

 

Running.

 

He moved closer to the window and focused even more on her. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. She wasn't wearing her heels; instead, they were clutched tightly in her hands, swinging next to her body along with her purse. Her pantyhose were probably ripping on the concrete beneath her feet but she didn't look like she cared. She was bolting as fast as she possibly could down to the nearest metro station. Her hair was flying hard against her head and her arms pumped wildly in the confines of her jacket. Ichigo blinked down beneath them and frowned.

 

Something was really wrong, and surprisingly enough, that really didn't sit well with him.

 

 

 

 

(A/N: Okay, first of all, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME!!! I am in love with Byakuya Kuchiki, I salivate over him whenever I see a sixty second clip of him in any Bleach episode. I adore him!

 

But…

 

Ah, his character just makes this really convenient. But yeah, schedule oriented, pretty, loads of repercussions due to his death? Ah… ah… did I get any of you? To those of you who saw this coming from a mile away I applaud your fantastic skills of deduction. (Bows.)

 

Moving on: Why the surprisingly early update? Because life is good and I felt like it. Also, it gives me something other to do than watching the Twilight trailer forty billion times whenever I'm on the internet—I don't know why, I'm like addicted to the trailer. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has shown their support for this story! I appreciate every single review!

 

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!

 

P.S. Did you know that this fic is now more than 405 pages on word? And I still have about 100 to go. Geesh.)