Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Odalisque ❯ Chapter 19 ( Chapter 19 )

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

 

 

 

Odalisque

 

Chapter 19

 

Rukia woke up around seven the next morning. It was unusual for her to sleep so late but she went with it anyway. She still felt like a pile of shit for doing what she did to her brother, despite the countless efforts of one Ichigo Kurosaki to try and convince her she did the right thing. Yet instead of wallowing in self-pity, which is what she had done last night, she became proactive instead.

 

The best way she knew to deal with situations like this was to simply preoccupy her brain with other thoughts. She needed to do something other than just sit around and examine how much of a crummy sister—and person—she was.

 

So she rose, showered, got her morning coffee, ate breakfast, and began to tidy up her already impeccable apartment. She didn't need to; she just wanted to do something that would distract her. Once that was finished—it took all of fifteen minutes—she sat down in front of her computer, her body still encased in her fuzzy bathrobe and her feet in her Chappy the Bunny slippers, and checked her email.

 

Most of them were just business related, spam, and funny pictures Momo had sent her. So this is what she does with all of her time in the office, Rukia thought as she examined one particular photo of a mouse holding up an entire elephant. One email, however, grabbed her attention.

 

“The dating service,” she breathed softly. She clicked on it quickly and listlessly skimmed over the fluffy embellishments. She was told of the extensive process, why it might have taken so long in her case, and how happy they were that they could have helped her find her “soul mate.” By the looks of things they sent her the profile of only one man. She read on further and raised her eyebrow when the email went on to say that if she wasn't satisfied with this match that she could request another, as there were nearly fifteen for her.

 

Fifteen? Rukia thought ruefully, Momo will be ecstatic.

 

She opened the email further and began to look at the first person they had chosen for her.

 

Apparently, his name was Aramaki Makizou, he worked as an assistant in a very prestigious defense attorney's office on the outskirts of Karakura, he was thirty years old, and he enjoyed French restaurants and traveling to exotic places. Rukia had to wince softly when she saw his picture. Obviously this man had watched one to many Burt Reynolds movies as his mustache was quiet weird looking. Still… he did look sincere and, ah, nice, enough… right?

 

Rukia sighed heavily and clicked out of the window. It was only the beginning of September, she glanced over at her calendar and rolled her eyes softly, she'd give herself a month. She had been given his email and knew that she should probably contact him at some point. Although she'd rather actually go on an actual date with the man first. As she heard once before, computer dating was fine… if you were the computer. She would rather have him looking directly at her and talking straight to her as they `dated.' That way she could evaluate him right off the bat. She could analyze his voice, his attitude, if he was sweating or not, if he was actually sincere, if his laugh was simply too irritating to bear, if he had any overtly gross habits, and whether or not he had actual table manners—because if he were to actually to marry into the Kuchiki Family that had to taken into account.

 

She wouldn't think about that though. She absolutely wouldn't. She quickly shut off her computer and moved into her room. She dressed much the same as she did yesterday, jeans, tee shirt, and sneakers. All the while she wondered if her brother would be conscious for any length of time today. Knowing Byakuya he probably would. She bet that if he were awake for any length of time that he might actually begin to demand that the hospital take his off some of the pain medications. If there was one thing Byakuya truly hated it was not being in command of his own mind.

 

Rukia packed a thermos filled with coffee into her bag and set off. The metro was more crowded, seeing as how it was nearly eight thirty, but she managed to get to the hospital in a respectable mood.

 

When she entered the ward where Byakuya was staying several nurses came up to her and greeted her. She nodded back at them and made her way to her brother's room. Her eyes widened just a bit when she noticed Dr. Unohana standing outside the door. She was scanning a chart as calmly as though she was reading a book. Her head would nod now and again and then a flip of another page would follow.

 

“Doctor,” Rukia called, gathering her attention.

 

She turned and smiled warmly at Rukia, who hurried up to her as quickly as she could. “Miss Kuchiki, how nice to see you again.”

 

Rukia wanted to skip all of the formalities. She was so fucking tired of them. “How is he?” She demanded in a quiet voice.

 

Dr. Unohana's smile was sympathetic but hopeful. “He's doing much better,” she said sincerely, “He's sleeping a lot but that's to be expected. He's also eating a bit. It's not solid food but we're getting there.”

 

“Really?” Her eyes widened exponentially and her mouth even threatened to drop. “What in the—”

 

“I was surprised as well,” the doctor said with a small shrug of her shoulders, “But he's improving so rapidly. I don't really know what happened but it's good.”

 

“Will he recover fully?” She asked breathlessly. Her hopes were rising too far for her own good but… but if he could…

 

“I don't know if it will be completely,” Dr. Unohana said, an edge of doubt coloring her words. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued, “He's going to need months of physical therapy and he might need to walk with a cane but other than that I'd hope for nothing less.”

 

“Byakuya will never walk with a cane,” Rukia snorted softly, “He's much too proud for that.”

 

“Well we all have our weaknesses.” The doctor shrugged.

 

Rukia peered slightly into the room. “Is he sleeping now?”

 

“He is,” was her answer, “We sedated him heavily because we want to keep observing him and his conditions throughout the day. He probably won't wake up for a while.”

 

Panic flashed through her body and Rukia's head whipped around to Dr. Unohana's. The older woman saw the strained look in her face and immediately placed her hands up, “He's just going to be sleeping, no need to worry about him slipping into a coma or anything.”

 

“Oh thank God,” Rukia exhaled energetically. She placed a hand on her chest and strove to calm the frantic beating of her heart.

 

“I must say,” the doctor said after a moment, her head trailing to the side and glancing inside of the room, “I've never seen anyone quiet as… tenacious before. Your brother is quite a trooper.”

 

“He is.” Rukia murmured, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. “He really is.”

 

*~*~*

 

“You're really quiet today, Ichigo,” Yuzu murmured, passing him a slice of spongy-yet-crunchy cake. “Are you looking for anyone in particular?”

 

Karin gave him a sideways glance and smirked playfully. “Yeah… looking for someone, are we?”

 

Ichigo scowled at his sister and shook his head. “Kind off, but not any half-naked women.” He bit into the sweet treat and grimaced, “She's not here today.”

 

“Because her brother was shot?” Karin interjected.

 

“Pretty much.”

 

Yuzu's eyes widened and she looked frantically between her siblings. “You mean the man in the paper yesterday, the one who was shot, he's related to the girl Ichigo has a crush on?”

 

“I do not have a—”

 

“That's the one,” Karin cut in. She smirked at her brother and nodded haughtily while he pretended to strangle her.

 

“Oh my,” Yuzu bit her lip and began to pick at a random string on the quilt. “I wonder if I should bake her something. I mean, I don't really know her or anything but… you can never have too many baked goods. Right?” Her face became pitifully hopeful as she began to mentally plan all of the foods she would give to this woman she had never met.

 

“I do not have a crush on her.” Ichigo clarified sourly. He turned back to his people watching and blandly watched his father wrestle with a very angry, and very large, dog. Good god, it looked like they were wrestling for the same chew toy.

 

He scanned the crowd and watched for any sign of Rukia's friend, Momo Hinamori. If there was anything new going on with Rukia and her brother, Momo would definitely know about it. Well, at least he hoped she would.

 

He just wanted her to be alright. Christ, yesterday she had looked so… broken. She could barely even look at him. Her eyes, which were usually so full of every spastic emotion under the sun, weren't even alive. She had been so hollow. It freaked him out to see her like that.

 

Maybe that was why he had hugged her. He had hated to see her so blank. At least after he had hugged her she had been a bit more alive.

 

Ichigo sighed heavily and shook his head. Although there must be something wrong with him if he had wanted to lessen her pain. He shouldn't be caring about her at all, yet here he was, kissing her, hugging her, and taking her to his favorite restaurant.

 

What the fuck is wrong with you? His inner mind bellowed. She's a bitch!

 

That might have been true, but the scary thing was that it didn't stop him from actually caring about her. He hadn't even slept with her yet. Ichigo sighed fitfully and ran a hand through his hair. This was so completely messed up. It went against everything he believed in. Everything he had always done. It was just… wrong.

 

“You okay Ichigo?” Yuzu asked him, she patted his knee warmly and smiled, passing him another piece of spongy yet crunchy cake.

 

“I'm fine,” he muttered, “I just need to find Rukia's friend. That's all.”

 

There was a slight pause before Karin raised one eyebrow at him and pointed out into the small field, “You mean that chick running towards us?”

 

Ichigo looked up and immediately winced. Yep, that was Momo Hinamori—soon to be Momo Hitsugaya—alright. Her hair was up in a bun, her face was pink, and her feet seemed to be bouncing her up and down as she power-walked over to where he was sitting. Briefly, Ichigo wondered if he should get up and shield his sisters from the craziness that was Momo. He knew immediately that she would get along just fine with Yuzu, but with Karin, well, he just wondered how many snide insults his sister could think up in the space of the five minutes he would be talking with her.

 

In the end he just stayed where he was, sitting stiffly on their tried-and-true picnic blanket. He watched Momo as she ran up to him, waved frantically—just in case he didn't see her the first time—and finally skidded to a halt in front of them.

 

“Ichigo!” She cried, slightly breathless from her jog over here. “Hi!”

 

“Hey Momo,” Ichigo said calmly and tersely. He noticed his sister evaluating this strange intrusion with equal amounts of distaste and welcome.

 

“Hello!” Yuzu cried happily, Ichigo looked over at her and saw that she already had a plate of goodies ready for her. She offered them happily and said, “Breakfast cake?”

 

Momo looked taken aback by the happiness in Yuzu's voice but then immediately shifted her eyes to the plate offered to her. Ichigo saw her jaw tighten at the sight of the deliciously spongy treat.

 

“Ah, thank you,” she muttered, her gaze still fixed on the plate of food, “But I just needed to talk to your brother for a minute.”

 

“You're the half-naked chick's friend,” Karin said snidely, “Right?” Her eyes shot between Momo and her brother and she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

 

The area between Momo's own eyebrows crunched together. “Half-naked chick? Wha—”

 

“Just ignore Karin,” Ichigo growled, moving to stand up. “You can pay attention to the nicer one, Yuzu.”

 

“Hello,” Yuzu chirped.

 

“Hi,” Momo turned her stare back to Ichigo and bit her bottom lip. “Have you heard from Rukia at all since yesterday?”

 

He shook his head slowly, “No, I haven't. The last I saw her I gave her a ride home from the hospital.”

 

The words that were about to come out of Momo's mouth were immediately stopped. “You what?”

 

“I… took her home yesterday?” He muttered, phrasing it more as a question than an actual fact.

 

A startled growl ripped from Momo's throat and she threw her hands up against her eyes. Ichigo scooted back just a bit—never get in front of an angry woman, no matter what the circumstance… especially if that woman is planning her wedding, it will just make it worse. Momo must have growled for a full minute before she huffed and ripped her hands away from her face. She wrinkled her nose and growled angrily. “You two are such idiots.” She grumbled.

 

“Here, here,” Karin said from the sidelines.

 

“Shut up Karin,” Ichigo snapped. He turned his attention back to Momo and shook his head. “No, I thought you'd call her or something.”

 

The look of anger immediately vanished from Momo's features. Ichigo had to regard the instantaneous transaction with equal amounts of surprise and confusion. How could someone's mood change like that? Either way, a guilty look passed over her face and she shuffled her feet. “Well… I, uh, had to meet with the cake designer for my wedding. I didn't really have… ah, much time.”

 

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Sure, if that was what she said.

 

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head, “I just thought that you'd get in touch with her is all. But she said she was going to stay at the hospital for another day then she'd come to work on Monday.”

 

“Oh… okay.” Momo murmured quietly. She looked down at the ground for a minute before biting her lip and sighing, “How was she… yesterday, I mean?”

 

Ichigo's mind flashed back to how she looked after she had impersonated her dead sister in order to help her older brother get better. Hollow. She had looked deathly and painfully hollow. It was like she had been stuck inside of her own personal nightmare.

 

“I took her for a sandwich and she felt better after that.”

 

Momo's eyebrow perked up and she fought to keep a small smile off of her face. What was with this woman and her moods? “You took her out to eat?”

 

Ichigo tried hard not to grit his teeth together, “Focus, Momo, focus.”

 

“Alright… alright…” she held up her hands in defeat and smirked. “If you insist.” Her face became more earnest. “But she was alright?”

 

“Momo, if your brother had been shot twice would you feel alright after only one day?” He demanded; he was actually surprised that he was taking such an active part in Rukia's defense, even going as far as to chastise the woman's best friend.

 

Momo's face was dark with shame and her mouth was pulled into a pout. Strangely enough though, Ichigo didn't feel at all guilty for saying what he did. Hell, he had been with Rukia more since the shooting than she had. So what if she couldn't really take it?

 

“I'll go see her later today.” Momo said in a quiet voice. She nodded her head once, as if affirming what she was already thinking, and then looked up at Ichigo. She smiled hopefully and then lightly punched him in the shoulder. “Who knows, maybe Rukia can take me to that sandwich place you two went to.”

 

His scowl became even more prominent, “Don't read too much into that Momo.”

 

Her expression, which had been splattered with guilt and shame only a moment before, was now happy, warm, and suggestive. She shrugged her shoulders and laughed lightly, “You two should just get it over with and screw each other. The sexual tension between you guys is, like, off the charts.”

 

“Whatever,” Ichigo muttered, shooting a swift glance to Karin and telling her telepathically to keep quiet, she only smirked and started humming. Ichigo groaned inwardly; Karin only hummed when she was cooking up some sort of diabolical plan. He quickly looked back at Momo; her face was shining with happiness all because of her `sexual tension' comment. However, Ichigo didn't really have the heart to tell her that he had already propositioned Rukia, and had been turned down flat. “Just go see your friend, okay?”

 

Momo's clever eyes didn't leave his face as she jumped up and down on her heels and giggled. “Alrighty then!” She turned to Karin and Yuzu and smiled, “Nice to meet you two!”

 

With that Rukia's best friend was gone, dashing down the hill with her shirt billowing out behind her. Ichigo could only assume that she was actually running to get away from Yuzu's plate of delicious-yet-fattening food, after all, she had a wedding dress to fit into.

 

Sighing heavily, he sat down on the blanket and pointedly ignored the stares he was getting from both of his sisters. He simply grabbed another slice of spongy cake, turned away, and tried to ignore Karin's constant humming.

 

*~*~*

 

Rukia stayed in the hospital until about six before she decided to venture home. The entire time her brother slept peacefully on the bed beside her chair and his machines beeped constantly. She read quietly, soothed by the steady and stable rising and falling of Byakuya's chest and the twitching of his limbs.

 

He looked much better though. He wasn't on his deathbed like he had been yesterday. His pallor had reduced just a tiny bit and, by the looks of things, there seemed to be a tube or two missing from his arms.

 

So after a long day of looking after her brother she took the metro home and quietly went inside her apartment. She decided that she should call Momo or something, just to tell her how Byakuya was doing. As she set her keys on the table she frowned softly and wondered why her friend hadn't come to visit her today. After all, it was kind of rude not to visit your best friend in the hospital when her brother has been shot.

 

She's probably just busy with the wedding plans or something. She thought half-heartedly.

 

Rukia sighed heavily and sagged onto the soft squishiness of her sofa. She was bone tired and she didn't know why. After all, her brother had slept peacefully, she had eaten regularly, and she even let herself indulge in a raunchy, bodice-ripping, sex novel. All in all it had been a very relaxing day.

 

Maybe it was just all this worrying. It was wearing her out. She shouldn't have been worrying all that much though. Byakuya was getting better so she really shouldn't be in fear of him dying anytime soon. Ichigo wasn't being as much of a bastard as usual, he was even being nice, and she had allowed herself to enjoy it. Momo was actually taking care of the wedding without as much of her input so she didn't have that cross to bear. Really, there was nothing truly wrong.

 

Then again, those thoughts could also be construed to: her brother was in the hospital, she wanted to bang her business partner so hard she wouldn't be able to walk for a week, and her best friend was getting married to a man who would probably monopolize all of her time for the next couple of years.

 

Sure, nothing to worry about, of course.

 

The phone beside her rang once and as a testament to her sluggish state she didn't even jump. She let it ring once more before she picked it up and answered, “Hello?”

 

“Rukia?” It was Momo.

 

“Yep.” Great lord, she didn't even say, `Yes, this is she' as was proper.

 

“I thought you were at the hospital!” Her voice came out a cross between a groan and a whine. It was a grine.

 

Momo growled angrily but stopped it halfway. “This is my fault,” she muttered grudgingly, “I should have come earlier.”

 

Yes, you should have. The comment was on the tip of Rukia's tongue but she reined it in.

 

“It's okay,” she said instead, “Byakuya just slept most of the time.”

 

“Oh, that's good.” Momo let out a small sigh of relief and said, “Okay, well, I haven't seen you in nearly a day so I'll just come over now… is that okay?”

 

Rukia really wanted to tell her no. Today had worn her out and Momo's over-bubbly spirit was probably not what she needed at the moment. But Momo did sound a bit like she was beating herself up about not visiting her at the hospital earlier today. She sounded almost wounded. It was as if she had felt so guilty about it that she just wanted to make it up to Rukia right now.

 

She shook her head softly; Momo and her guilty conscious.

 

“Sure, I'm just at home.”

 

“Do you want me to bring food?”

 

Okay, so maybe having Momo come over might not be such a bad idea after all. Her mouth watered instantly at the idea of pork lo mien from House of Wong's. Her stomach grumbled softly and she pursed her lips together.

 

“House of Wong?” She asked hopefully.

 

A fitful sigh came from across the phone and Rukia could almost hear Momo's stomach complain as well. “I guess I'll get the mixed vegetables… that's a low calorie count, right?”

 

“Absolutely,” Rukia answered immediately, not because she actually knew the answer to that question, but more or less because she really, really, wanted pork lo mien.

 

“The regular?”

 

“As always.”

 

“See you in twenty.”

 

Rukia's doorbell rang exactly thirty minutes later. Hungry, tired, and thoroughly worn out, she yanked it open to reveal a rumpled yet apologetic Momo standing on her threshold. She was holding the deliciously smelling bags in front of her like a peace offering. She definitely knew that Rukia, no matter how angry she was, wouldn't hurt a person who offered her food from House of Wong. To do so would be sacrilege.

 

“Peace offering?” She muttered, holding up the bags in defense.

 

Rukia studied her friend for several moments before she nodded once, curtly, and opened the door a bit more. Momo stepped inside and within five seconds, plates were out, forks were set on the table, and napkins were placed delicately over laps and couch cushions. Rukia, since she did feel guilty about Momo feeling so guilty—damn this was so convoluted—let them both eat on the couch.

 

Momo broke into her sauce-covered-vegetables and made a face like she had just speed through the pearly gates of heaven. “So,” she said with her mouth full of saucy broccoli. “Your brother is really getting better?”

 

“I think so,” Rukia said, noodles hanging from her mouth. “And Dr. Unohana thinks so too.”

 

“That's excellent.”

 

“He twitched a few times in his sleep,” she shrugged, slurping up more noodles and hunks of pork. “And he woke up enough for the nurses to give him something to drink.”

 

“The nurses?”

 

Rukia knew the answer behind that loaded question. “You mean, why didn't I feed him myself?”

 

Momo nodded silently.

 

“Look,” she bit down on another noodle and swallowed. “I love my brother, and I'm sure that deep down, he might feel some kind of affection for me but…”

 

“But…?” She prompted.

 

“But that doesn't mean he likes to be around me or look at me.” Rukia finished dryly.

 

Momo finished off her vegetables and moved on to the petit portion of rice. She munched on that silently and then sighed. “Well, at least he won't be picking a husband for you anytime soon.”

 

They both stopped chewing and looked up at each other at the same time.

 

Momo winced softly, “Too soon?”

 

“Little bit, yeah.”

 

She swallowed and crinkled her eyes apologetically, “Sorry.”

 

Rukia continued to stare down at her food and moved her utensils along her plate. The metal scraped against the glass and she listlessly swirled the noodles around her fork. Pieces of pork threatened to fall off the edge but she pushed them back before they could.

 

“Hey Momo…”

 

She paused and bit her bottom lip. Did she really want to do this? Tell her friend that she had actually gotten a response from the dating service? If she did… she knew that she'd be forced to go on a date with this Aramaki Makizou guy. This would actually be the point of using the dating service but… Rukia just didn't know if she was ready for it yet.

 

Or is it because you're waiting for someone else?

 

Rukia felt like stabbing herself in the throat with her fork. How dare she even think something like that?! She had already made the decision not to sleep with him. So she wouldn't. Never. Absolutely not. Even if he did have the best body she had ever seen and the biggest erection she had ever—gulp—felt.

 

Plus he had given her the best kiss of her entire life… twice.

 

He was off limits because she worked with him, he was off limits because he was an arrogant asshole, and he was off limits because he was Ichigo Kurosaki. No, he was definitely off limits… and it was more than simply because she actually wanted him. Her sexual desire towards him played a major factor in her decision making process. Since she actually, truly, felt a great desire for him she, obviously, had to abstain. Having him would probably be the best night of her life. Yet the repercussions would be horrendous.

 

Just another notch on his belt. She thought darkly. That's all she'd be. She knew him, she knew the type of person he was, and she knew that all she'd ever be to him was just a simple conquest. She'd only be making it easier if she actually acquiesced.

 

Eagerly acquiesced at that.

 

Momo was looking at her expectantly, she had even paused in her consumption of her sticky rice; she placed her fork on the plate and frowned softly at her friend.

 

In the end, Rukia chickened out. She knew that the information would be painfully obvious sooner or later. Hell, she'd probably end up blurting it out during lunch or on their Sunday runs, so she really didn't have to ruin the mood right now.

 

“Ah, how are the wedding plans coming?”

 

Momo's mouth opened immediately and Rukia leaned back in her chair.

 

Ready, set, go.

 

*~*~*

 

Rukia gave it two weeks before she finally caved in and told Momo about Aramaki Makizou. They were in the cafeteria eating their salads when she began to grow rather frustrated with all of Momo's comments about wedding—and how Rukia might never have one simply because she would never allow herself to get close to any man—so she spilled the beans. Quite on accident, of course, but hell, she was pissed. If she didn't want to get married then that was her business!

 

Momo, of course, had had a typical reaction. She stopped swallowing, promptly choked, cleared her throat, allowed her fork to clatter to the ground, gaped at her, widened her eyes, and sucked in a large breath.

 

“You what?”

 

“I got a response from the dating service,” Rukia said the word slowly and quietly, both trying to make sure that Momo understood and to also make sure that no one else would hear what she said. Come on, a dating website? How pathetic was that for a young, single, attractive, well-off woman? It was sad that's what it was.

 

“And you didn't tell me?” She whisper-screamed; Momo curved her fingers into claws and latched them onto the plastic table. Rukia only raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“I didn't tell you because I knew that you'd act like this.” Rukia waved her hand around the table and sighed. “All freaked out and stuff.”

 

“Damn right!” Momo cried, she looked frantically around the room and narrowed her eyes like she was thinking up some diabolical plot. “Come on!” She abandoned her food—wow, was this actually Momo?—and began tugging Rukia out of her seat.

 

“I haven't finished eating yet!” Rukia whined softly.

 

“I don't care.” She seethed. She kept on yanking her, harder and harder, until finally, Rukia caved in. She allowed herself to be practically dragged to the nearest elevator and, once they had reached it, shoved inside.

 

Momo got in and pressed the button to Rukia's floor. Then she rounded on her.

 

This was actually the first time Rukia had been slightly scared of her best friend.

 

“What's his name?”

 

“Aramaki Makizou,” Rukia answered immediately, all thoughts of being snide or difficult vanished when she saw that carnal look in Momo's eyes. “He's an assistant at a law firm near the outside of the city.”

 

“Have you contacted him yet?”

 

Rukia silently shook her head.

 

The elevator dinged and once again, Momo's hand was clawing its way into Rukia's jacket, and her muscles were bodily pulling her into Rukia's own office. She pushed Rukia inside and she stumbled half-heartedly against her desk.

 

Momo had already taken up her position in Rukia's chair, inside of her desk, had opened her computer, and was typing in her password.

 

“How did you know my—”

 

“Chappy the Rabbit,” Momo scoffed, “Yeah, that's real hard.” She pulled up the internet and began to type furiously into the search bar. “Hey Ichigo.”

 

Rukia whipped her head up and immediately felt her insides shrivel. Sitting at his desk, completely at ease with his surroundings, and munching on a hamburger and fries, was her business partner. The mirth in his eyes was evident as he casually observed Momo sabotaging Rukia's desk and computer.

 

“How's it going?” He asked, smirking lightly, as he pushed another French fry into his mouth.

 

“Just fine,” Rukia murmured, turning back to her desk and looking down.

 

His eyes were hot on her back and she swallowed, moving her head down just a bit in order to try and hide her face.

 

Ever since that night at the hospital things had been weird between them. Rukia shuddered softly when she thought about it. He'd actually say nice things to her when the occasion arose, he'd ask about her brother, and once he had even brought her this huge basket of baked goods. He told her that his sister had made it for her and that he was just the messenger but still… it was kind of sweet.

 

It didn't really help that she couldn't stop thinking about him. About his kisses or the way he hugged her. In the hospital he had comforted her when even Momo hadn't. He had taken her out to eat and held her hand to make her feel better. He had done all of those things just to try and be kind to her.

 

She kind of felt bad that she wasn't really doing anything to reciprocate other than reining in the sharpness of her tongue. She wasn't as mean to him as she usually was, granted, they still had their share of verbal spats every now and then, and she still threw things at him regularly, but other than that, well, things were just different. He had even gone as far as to try and keep some reporters away from her over the past fourteen days. By day six Rukia had gotten so tired to running into people on the streets who would assault her with questions, cameras, and tape recorders. Apparently, when she told this to Ichigo, he had called Tatsuki and asked her to call off the hounds. They had relented somewhat.

 

He was just being so nice to her. It was only making her decision to stay away from him harder. The kinder he was the more she let her guard down. The more she let her guard down the more physical attraction she felt. The more physical attraction she felt… well, the more business sessions she had with images of Ichigo fucking her senseless permeating her brain.

 

Oh but did she have very nice business sessions. Especially lately. Ever since she had seen what he looked like under that Italian tux of his; those rippling muscles, the pronounced pectorals, the ultra defined pack of abs, the sinew of his arms, and the fantastic cut of his solid back. Not to mention his enormously large erection as it pressed against her in a rhythmic, undulating, motion. Her legs wrapped around his back. His mouth on her breasts. His hands teasing her higher and higher until she was ready to—

 

“Okay, you're having a date with Aramaki Makizou exactly twelve nights from tonight. It's a Friday so if you two really hit it off you can do a little hanky panky and not worry about coming into work. You're going to a quaint little French restaurant called Fleur. You will meet him at exactly eight o'clock, you will wear that silky black dress that V's in both the back and the front and has a slit on the side.”

 

“You mean my hooker dress?” Rukia demanded. Her brain was still silently reeling from all of the information that Momo had forced on her in a mere three seconds.

 

“Hooker dress?” Ichigo chipped in from the other side of the room. “How come I've never seen this dress?”

 

“Take her on a date and you'll see it.” Momo replied, cool as a cucumber. She swiftly exited the program, stood, and smiled at both Rukia and Ichigo. “Remember, next Friday, eight o'clock, hooker dress.” She pointed a finger at Rukia and smiled menacingly, “Got it?”

 

“If I don't go?”

 

“I'll make emergency changes on the bridesmaids dresses to make sure you're wrapped in paisley and plaid, I'll change the dinner to make sure that its pineapple themed—because I know how you just love pineapples, and I'll ask my cousin Yumichika to be your date for my wedding. You remember Yumichika don't you? The one who always says things are beautiful and wears those feathers—”

 

“Alright!” Rukia shouted, pressing her hands up against her ears, willing Momo to stop the flood of terrible things that could happen if she didn't go on this date. She hated paisley and plaid, she detested pineapples, and she absolutely loathed Momo's cousin Yumichika. She had met him only once when he came to visit and couldn't stand to be in the same room with him for more than ten minutes. She even made up a story about having a pet cat at home that she needed to feed. “I'll go, just… don't do any of what you said you'd do.”

 

A small smile appeared on Momo's face. “Okay… but you know, Yumichika will be at the wedding.” She winked wickedly at her, “I'll make sure you two have a dance.” She turned towards the door but swiveled back at the threshold. “See you Ichigo.”

 

“See you later Momo.” He said. Rukia turned at the sound of his voice. It was a bit terser than it had been a few minutes ago with the hooker dress comment. He was still leaning back against his chair and his hands were still behind his head but his eyes, which had been playful and happy only a moment before, were sharp and bright and pointed directly at her. The door shut behind them and as soon as it did it felt like all the air was being sucked out of the room. It was thick and was almost palatable.

 

Rukia shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and sat down swiftly in her seat. “What the hell is your problem?” She demanded snidely.

 

He was silent for a moment before he leaned forward onto his desk and gripped his hands together. “Online dating… really?”

 

The condescending tone in his voice made her blood boil. She whipped her head towards him and narrowed her eyes angrily. “So? What of it?”

 

He looked at her like she had just grown three heads. “You're shitting me, right?”

 

Rukia could feel her teeth grinding together, “Are you actually going to contribute more to the conversation or are you just going to continue to insult me?”

 

“Fine,” he snapped, he stood up from his desk and in three strides had made it over to hers. Rukia shoved her body back into her chair and had even succeeded in pushing a little bit away before his hands came out and he wrapped his fingers around the arms of her chair. His head was only a few inches away from hers and his stare cut into her like a knife through butter. This position was meant to intimidate her but instead it brought back memories of the second time that they had really kissed. She told herself to keep her mind on his hands in case he decided to grope her breasts again.

 

“You, Miss Kuchiki, are far too intelligent, far too beautiful, and far too intense to ever go on an online dating website.”

 

“Those are compliments,” Rukia snipped, “Yet why do they sound like insults?”

 

“Because,” he continued patiently, “You're basically tossing away everything you have on some silly notion that you'll actually find the guy for you on some random website.”

 

“And why shouldn't I?” She demanded. “Why not if it might actually happen?”

 

He moved just a bit closer and this time, Rukia didn't bother shrinking back into her seat, she pushed herself upwards and touched her nose with his.

 

The left side of his mouth quirked up and he began to lean forward just a tiny bit. “Because you know, and I know, that you don't need romance, flowers, or chocolates. You need raw, carnal, hot, primitive sex… and lots of it.”

 

“And you can give it to me?” She whispered, teasing her lips against his.

 

“Hell yes,” he moved his head down and began to kiss her neck, his mouth fluttering against her pulse and his tongue soothing the tiny bite marks he made.

 

Rukia felt like melting. This felt so good. It had been so long. She moaned low in her throat and shifted her legs together. The throbbing between her thighs intensified and she dared to rub her legs once again. Oh God this felt fantastic.

 

But, thankfully, she still had a brain.

 

“You know what?” She sighed, her common sense kicking in once again. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back. “As tempting as that might be… I don't think so.”

 

He jerked back like he had just been stung with a cattle prong. “What?”

 

“Did I stutter?” She asked in a clipped tone. She pushed him further away but it was like shoving against a brick wall. “Like I told you before, I don't want to sleep with you, so get over yourself.”

 

He jerked back again. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly open, half in surprise and half in, wait… was that disgust? What did he have to be disgusted about? Was he disgusted with her? For not wanting to sleep with him and ruin her life? She glared at him while he stumbled back, although he did manage to look like he was trying to sit on the edge of her desk.

 

“Get over myself? He repeated in disbelief. His mouth was left hanging open and she shook his head in incredulity. “Honey, I think this needs to go the other way around.”

 

She narrowed her eyes, “Excuse me?”

 

“You heard me,” he said, “You're the one who's fighting against what you really want. I really don't get it but somehow you're making yourself into some sort of self-righteous martyr.” He scoffed, “Please woman, you think you're actually doing yourself a favor? You're just pissing yourself off and pissing me off.”

 

“You're pissing yourself off.” She spat back, crossing her legs and inadvertently making her pussy throb. “It has nothing to do with me.”

 

“There you go again,” he snorted, “Making yourself into that damn sex martyr. You think that by abstaining from having sex with me that makes you a better person. You think that just because I have sex when I want with women who are appealing to me that I'm the bad person and that my priorities are skewed. You're the one who's off.” He leaned forward and glared at her angrily. “By denying what you really want you're just making yourself more and more miserable.”

 

Rukia's brain fizzled with anger. She couldn't believe he was actually talking to her like this. Fire burned in her retina's as she thought back on the last two weeks. He had been so nice to her. She had almost considered him as something of a friend. And now he was calling her a fraud, a martyr, and a miserable person. She gritted her teeth together and narrowed her eyes into slits. His bright, honeyed-amber eyes looked straight into hers as her fingers curled into claws and dug into her chair's arms.

 

“How dare you? You sick, selfish—”

 

“Son of a bitch, right?” He shook his head and went back to his desk. He only shot her one more look before shaking his head and turning to his computer. “You know what? Forget it. You're not even worth it.”

 

Rukia was left speechless as he silently got to work.

 

You know what? Forget it. You're not even worth it.

 

That hurt.

 

*~*~*

 

Orihime Inoue walked slowly up the stairs to her apartment complex. Her heavy bags of groceries weighed down her arms and she huffed silently as she took the steps one at a time.

 

Today had been especially long. She had only seen Mr. Kurosaki three times. Once coming out of his office, once in the lunchroom, and once walking up to legal to get a few documents. She sighed fitfully and wiggled further up the stairs. It was always a long day when she wasn't able to see Mr. Kurosaki at least five times. She loved seeing that scowl of his whenever she could. His bright hair, his intense eyes, and his fantastic body in those wonderful suits.

 

Of course, she had seen less and less of him ever since that woman started working with him. She narrowed her eyes and finally came in front of her door. She hated that woman. She was monopolizing all of Mr. Kurosaki's time, she was pulling him into situations where he didn't need to be in, and she was even touching him when she had no business being three feet away from him.

 

Like that picture in the paper, she thought moodily as she shifted through her keys, trying to locate the proper one. Miss Kuchiki probably begged Mr. Kurosaki to come over to the hospital and see her. She probably set the whole thing up just to get some publicity. Orihime snorted, that would be just like her, using her brother's own very public tragedy for her own benefit.

 

She found the proper key and slid it into the slot. She didn't mind though. The merger would be over in a couple of months and by that time she'd have Mr. Kurosaki all to herself again. Ah, she couldn't wait to have that wonderful scowl of his back all to herself.

 

She pushed the door open and hummed softly. She was about to take a couple more steps forward when her heel-encased foot crinkled onto something soft. She frowned lightly and immediately placed her groceries on a spare table to the side. There, on the floor of her foyer, was a small, manila envelope. She turned her head to the side and frowned softly. She didn't know what the hell this thing was but curiosity won out in the end. Without a second thought she bent down and picked the thing up. She gently slid her finger under the flap and undid the metal clasp. She opened the envelope and fished inside. There were two small pieces of paper inside. One of them was stiff while the other was light. Now even more curious, she pulled the stiff one out first.

 

She gasped and nearly dropped everything she was holding. Her heart raced as she stared at the photo, her eyes bugging pitifully out of her head.

 

It was a photograph. It was grainy and black and white. Yet even under those circumstances Orihime could still make out everything that was inside of it.

 

Mr. Kurosaki was dressed in a tuxedo, he was standing inside of an elevator with Miss Kuchiki pressed up against him, her head was thrown back against the wall while his mouth was trailing hot kisses down her neck. One of his hands rested on her ass while another was on her waist, inching upwards to her breast. Miss Kuchiki looked like she was in heaven. Her legs were parted dramatically and, although Orihime could not see it, she knew that Mr. Kurosaki's very large erection was pressing into her.

 

She bit her bottom lip hard and jerked her head away from the picture. She didn't want to see it. She never wanted to look at anything so vile. Tears pooled in the bottom of her eyes and something even hotter raged in the pit of her stomach. She felt sick. She felt terrible. She felt angry. She felt… jealous.

 

It took her a moment to control her breathing and bring her heartbeat back to normal. Her stomach was roiling with pain at the thought of the paper clasped in her hand. She swallowed hard and turned her head away even further. The paper crinkled in her hands and she clenched her teeth together.

 

After a moment of controlled silence Orihime was calm enough to pull out the other piece of paper and looked at it. There was a message, written in letters cut out from magazines, it would have been creepy had she not already been seriously disgusted by the photograph. Orihime's eyes hardened when she read it.

 

Do you want Ichigo Kurosaki? I can help. Leave your answer on your door and we'll be in touch.

 

Orihime read over it twice before clenching her teeth together and storming into the kitchen. The photograph fell from her hand and onto the floor as she desperately searched for something to write with. She grabbed a piece of paper and a red pen. With a furious stroke she began to write. Once she was finished she stuffed the note into the same manila envelope and grabbed a piece of tape. With one smooth motion she opened the door, pushed the envelope onto it, and taped it to the wood.

 

She stared determinedly at it for one more minute before going inside and fixing her dinner. The message she had left had been simple.

 

Tell me what to do.

 

She smiled as she put away her groceries.

 

 

 

 

(A/N: Now we're really getting interesting. If you actually like Orihime well, then… ah, this story is not for you. And for those of you who don't remember, Aramaki Makizou is Maki Maki, Yachiru's mustache man!

 

Wow, I'm really amazed at the response I got for the last chapter. It was fantastic!

 

Ugh, I haven't had time to write in ages! I've been so busy! Aren't you glad I made so many cushion chapters before I left for college—which has been going fantastically by the way!

 

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED SO FAR AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW!!!)