Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Odalisque ❯ Chapter 24 ( Chapter 24 )

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

 

 

 

 

Odalisque

 

Chapter 24

 

Rukia gasped and dug her nails into the fabric of his pillow. Her lungs were burning with her constant desperate breaths and her mind was spinning from a lack of oxygen. Her lips were bruised and pink and there was even a tiny laceration on the edge; blood slid down her mouth but she swept it up with her tongue before it could get very far. Her thighs were numb as she lurched on the bed and her arms felt like they were on fire due to how much she was flexing them. All of these sensations brought utter torture onto her body.

 

But it was nothing compared to the torture Ichigo Kurosaki was currently inflicting.

 

She moaned in frustration and tried to pull herself up further against the pillows in a desperate attempt to meet his slow and sensual thrusts.

 

“Harder Ichigo,” she gasped; using what little oxygen she had left in her lungs for this one desperate plea. “Oh… fuck! Harder!”

 

The skin of his chest burned like a forest fire as it blazed against her back. His mouth was latched onto the juncture between her neck and shoulder, his teeth biting hard onto the tender flesh. She keened when she felt one of the hands under her body move south. His finger rubbed and teased her numb clit. She lurched and hugged the pillow even tighter. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe, she could just… feel.

 

“I-chi-go,” she ground out in broken gasps, “P-Please—h-harder!”

 

This time he actually obeyed. His body thrust into her with the force of a charging bull. She screamed into the pillow and tried not to think of the limp she would have tomorrow. She just wanted to think about tonight. Just tonight and the immense pleasure Ichigo was giving her.

 

She could hear him panting over her. His breath was fanning out in deliciously hot circles across her skin and she moaned when she felt goose-bumps rising on her back. His second hand—the one not torturing her clit—was busying itself with her breasts. His hand was wedged between her body and his bed sheets, attempting to please the mounds of her breasts even though she was lying so flat.

 

Rukia felt her orgasm coming on faster than she would have liked. Her pussy contracted and in one delicious scream she clenched around Ichigo's cock so tightly that she thought it was a wonder he wasn't stuck inside of her. Ichigo let out an animalistic groan and pumped into her several more times—apparently reveling in the tightness she offered—before lurching into her once more and giving her all that he had to offer—which was quite a lot.

 

He collapsed on top of her. His weight was tremendous but it was not unpleasant. Rukia felt his hot chest as it molded to her molten back. Both of them were heaving with the after-effects of wild, hot, screaming sex. He was still inside of her as well. His cock was throbbing insistently, as if it was dissatisfied with the current state of its prostrate owner. Rukia's cunt pulsated hard as she tried to steady her breathing. Her sweating face was pressed deep into Ichigo's pillows and she found that she was not only gasping, but also trembling.

 

After a few minutes in such a position, the sensation of being sandwiched between the bed and another human being was not something her body wholly welcomed. Ichigo was still above her and she groaned when she noticed he was barely moving.

 

“Ichigo,” she rasped, surprised at the hoarseness of her own voice, she wiggled slightly under his immense weight and ended up puffing out a large gasp of air. “Move damn it, you're fucking heavy.”

 

He still didn't make a single motion to get off of her.

 

Rukia groaned again and wondered if he was unconscious. How embarrassing, she'd have to taunt him about it later.

 

Using all of the strength she had left—which could have only been measured with numbers following a decimal point—Rukia twisted her body to the side and continued until all of Ichigo was flopped to the other side of his monstrosity of a bed.

 

“Gah!” He gasped, his body flailing to the edges as he slowly regained whatever he had lost—be it breath or consciousness. His panting—which had been quieter only a moment ago—was harder. It even matched the tempo of Rukia's own sputtered gasps. “Holy shit,” he breathed. His eyes were glazed and his mouth was open as he drew in several somewhat controlled gasps.

 

“Yeah,” Rukia gushed, her own treacherous body was making it difficult for her to get all of the oxygen she needed to her brain. Her mind was a fuzzy wasteland filled with the tingling sensations of sex. She brought a sweaty palm up to her head and slowly wiped away the drops of salty liquid from her forehead. Her hair was plastered to her scalp and beads were also rolling down her back. Rukia grimaced when she saw that the elbows supporting her were trembling furiously under the light weight. With a moan of irritation Rukia ended up flipping onto her back, her heated body exposed to the coolness of Ichigo's bedroom. She didn't even bother with modesty, she just laid there, naked as the day she was born, attempting to regain the feeling in her legs.

 

Ichigo wasn't any better. He was not a foot away from her in the bed and breathing even harder than she. He was completely naked and glistening with sweat. Rukia flicked her eyes over to him and ended up rolling them when she saw that his cock was still semi-erect and covered in all of her juices.

 

It took them nearly fifteen minutes before either one of them were calm enough to speak. Rukia still felt dazed by the entire experience but her brain was slowly coming around. Ichigo was the first to articulate what had just happened.

 

“You were particularly vocal tonight.”

 

Rukia exhaled slowly and placed a hand over her eyes. “Yeah well… if you hadn't been acting like such a girl I wouldn't have needed to tell you what to do.”

 

She could practically feel him smirking from across the twelve inches that separated them. “If you can ever find a girl who can fuck you like I can then please, bring her over, we'll have a three-way.”

 

“Selfish, unappreciative, bastard,” Rukia said even though there was hardly any conviction backing up her words.

 

“Whore.”

 

Rukia just sighed, she was too tired for this. “Am not,” she replied sleepily.

 

“Sure as hell moaned like one,” he pointed out. His voice got higher as he mimicked her in his next statement, “Harder Ichigo! O-Oh! Harder!”

 

“First of all,” Rukia told him flatly, shifting the hand over her eyes and pointing her fingers into the air. “I do not sound like that. Second of all,” she raised another finger, “You were doing your own fair share of moaning. Which, I feel I must tell you, makes you sound like a camel giving birth.”

 

“Do you actually know what a camel giving birth sounds like?” He demanded.

 

“I can imagine,” Rukia said dryly, she held up another finger, “And thirdly, as I said before, I wouldn't have had to say anything if you had been thrusting harder.” She shrugged her shoulders and replaced her hand, “But you got it right in the end… finally.”

 

“I wouldn't be surprised if my cock has a little bend in it after how hard I fucked you.” He said just as conversationally as if he had been discussing which brand of detergent works best on multi-colored clothing. “Do you want to check?” This time there was a grin in his tone.

 

Rukia sighed tiredly, “What time is it?” She asked.

 

“Who cares?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Then don't.”

 

“What the fuck is the time Ichigo?”

 

She heard him grumble a few curses softly as he turned his body to the side and squinted at his alarm clock. “Oh come on Rukia, it's only a little past midnight. We still have enough time for at least two more go-rounds.”

 

Sadly enough for Ichigo, though, Rukia already had her legs swung out on the other side of the bed. Her bleary mind was attempting to remember where she had left all of her clothing the night before. She frowned hard as she tried to think clearly.

 

Last night… it had been Saturday night, she and Ichigo hadn't made any plans but he had asked her after work on Friday if she was doing anything special. She said no—of course—and he had only smirked. Then, a few hours ago Ichigo had called, asked her if she wanted to come over, and—seeing how she had nothing better to do—had walked over to his apartment.

 

The doorman greeted her with a friendly yet condescending smile—Rukia ignored it, she knew that she made more money in a week than he did in six months—and Rukia had gone up to Ichigo's apartment. He had greeted her with a trademark smirk and a boner and had wasted no time in pulling her inside the apartment and throwing her on the couch. From then they had progressed to his hallway and then finally to his bedroom. In each location Ichigo had been far more dominant than he usually was. Normally, Rukia enjoyed being equal in bed, or even better, being the prevailing partner. However tonight, Ichigo's wild side had come into play and he had made sure that he was the one who was always on top… all night long. Thus explaining the small bite mark on her lip. Momo would have a field day with that one.

 

Rukia stood from the bed and took several steps away from it. She hadn't heard Ichigo try and make any significant moves off of it so she figured that he was still too exhausted to move properly. She groaned and stretched her tired and aching muscles. Her arms felt like they had been branded, her legs felt like jelly, her breasts felt raw, and her pussy felt numb. But that was to be expected, she guessed, because after all, having sex with someone as forceful as Ichigo Kurosaki had its ups and its downs. Soreness just happened to be one of the downs.

 

She was quite sure that Ichigo was watching her as she stretched—or at least watching her ass—so she made sure to keep her ears open in case he decided to ambush her into another round.

 

As casually as she could—and all the while staying the proper distance away from Ichigo—Rukia walked around his bed and made her way out into the hallway.

 

Stark naked.

 

The halls were still lit, seeing as how Ichigo wasn't one to remember such trivial things as turning off lights when he was in the heat of passion. They made Rukia's skin glow luminously as she tread back to the couch. One the floor beside the navy blue structure she found her panties and her bra along with her skirt and her tee shirt. She sighed and bent to pick each one of them up before going back into the hall and sliding into the guest bathroom she hadn't realized existed before.

 

It was a tiny thing; the bathroom that is, with only a toilet and a sink but it didn't matter to Rukia. She carefully grabbed a few handfuls of paper towels and wet them. After a moment she gently eased them between her thighs and began to wipe away the remnants of Ichigo's… ah, explosion.

 

She stayed silent as she worked, just in case Ichigo wanted to sneak up on her again—which he was prone to doing quite frequently. In the past three weeks they had been having their special arrangement he had managed to ambush her four times. Each time she was clearly too exhausted to have anymore sex but he only laughed, kissed her, and they ended up screwing on/in wherever she had been hiding.

 

Rukia did allow herself one tiny sigh as she cleaned herself. Three weeks this thing between them had been going on… three solid weeks. Most of the time they kept their little sessions detained to the weekends but there were a few times during the work week when the sexual tension between them had been so great that they had rushed to Ichigo's apartment directly after work to have afternoon forays that lasted well until midnight.

 

Rukia smiled wryly in front of the mirror as she disposed of the paper towels and began to toss on her clothing. Damn but it was fun having sex with Ichigo. All of the power, the hunger, the desperation, he possessed was incredible. And for her, having the ability to have him please her whenever she wanted it was addictive. Whenever she wanted him he was always right there to have. Like a delicious dessert tray that never seemed to run out.

 

Her wry smile became a bit more lopsided as she thought of it. It was strange really, whenever she was in the mood, it was like he could sense it. That, in itself, made him completely receptive to any amount of sex that would eventually incur. The times where he wanted it and she didn't were rare, hell, almost nonexistent. The only times she could think of were ones like right now, when she needed to leave or when she just couldn't bear the thought of limping even more.

 

All in all, Rukia thought it was a very nice compromise. Ichigo had even held up his bargain about the workplace. Not once did he ever mention banging her to any of his friends or coworkers—she would have known, she would have seen the looks if he had told. He kept his trap shut and for that she was grateful.

 

The only instances where he seemed to break his oath—only slightly though—was when he would stare at her too long, grin without provocation while looking in her direction, and stand too close to her whenever they needed to collaborate on a file. He wasn't technically breaking any of the rules by doing these things… he merely saw them as loopholes that he could go around.

 

Rukia stared at herself in the mirror and began to examine her appearance. She sighed heavily when she saw the rather obvious bite mark that had been left on her neck. She groaned when she thought of the makeup she'd have to cover it with come Monday morning. Or she could put some ointment on it tonight and hope that it went away in time. She checked the rest of her to make sure that there were no external signs to show what she and Ichigo had been up to. She grumbled when she noticed a few bruises on her arms and rolled her eyes silently. It was so much easier for Ichigo to cover things like that up than it was for her. Her skin was milky white and any bruises that she gained would show up immediately. And she bruised like a peach! Ichigo, on the other hand, had tan skin and hardly bruised at all. Plus, she only damaged him in areas that could be concealed, such as the occasional nail scrapes on his back.

 

It certainly wasn't fair.

 

Oh well, she thought ruefully, at least it's November, I can wear long-sleeved shirts and turtle necks all the time without anyone thinking it's weird.

 

With one final check of her appearance in the mirror, Rukia turned away and exited, only to find herself face to muscle with Ichigo's chest.

 

His hands reached out to grasp her arms. Rukia just closed her eyes and sighed, “Come on Ichigo, it's after midnight and I am completely bushed from that last time. Can't we just call it a night?”

 

His grip didn't less and she flipped open her lids in irritation. What she saw surprised her. Ichigo—contrary to her first belief—was actually wearing clothing. Lots of them too. He had on a pair of old jeans that looked butter soft and clung to his legs like glue—accenting everything that he had to offer—and a plain tee shirt with a medium sized jacket over top of it.

 

Rukia just blinked and turned her gaze towards his face. “What are you doing?”

 

He released her arms and tossed something towards her. She caught it nimbly and frowned when he started to walk away without saying a word. Glaring like a child, Rukia pulled open the soft thing he had given her and had to suppress a small gasp when she realized it was a jacket.

 

The jingle of keys met her ears when she walked dumbly out into the living room. Ichigo was standing near the door, the keys to his Benz twirling in the fingers of his right hand and a small smirk playing on his face.

 

She just stared at him, not comprehending anything.

 

“Like you said,” Ichigo began, his voice slightly mocking, “It's after midnight. I'd also like to add that it is November, it's cold, and I am not letting you walk back to your apartment looking like that.”

 

Rukia looked down at herself and frowned, “Looking like what?”

 

“Like you just had sex,” he pointed out clearly, “Trust me Rukia, there are tons of guys out there who see a woman like you and would go for it, no matter what the circumstances.”

 

“There are random men out there who can tell if I've had sex?” She repeated dubiously.

 

He just cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, “Rukia, from the way you look, a two year old could figure that out. Plus, lots of men out there could think you might be up for another go, even if you're not all that willing.”

 

“You mean rape,” she stated matter-o-factly.

 

“Exactly.”

 

“So your solution to such a problem is to…” she trailed off, staring at the keys in his hand.

 

“Drive you home,” he said simply as he opened the door. He threw her one last look and said, “Be sure to wear the jacket, it's bound to be cold outside,” before he exited.

 

Rukia, slightly irritated that he could be so callous about a thing as hideous as rape, followed after him begrudgingly. He was waiting for her outside and as she exited he shut the door and twisted the key into its lock. She waited for the resounding click before heading down the hall towards the primary elevator. Ichigo wasn't far behind her and she slid her jacket on while she waited.

 

When she stepped inside the elevator she pushed the button and stuffed her hands in her jacket. She had been over here enough to finally know her way around. This elevator would lead to the underground parking lot, the one next to it only went as far as the lobby, and always make sure to avoid nosy neighbors. Rukia had to cringe when she thought of one of Ichigo's neighbors. His name was Keigo Asano and he had the uncanny ability to know when someone has just had sex. Once, when Rukia was exiting Ichigo's building, she had passed Keigo—without even looking at him—and he had immediately gone to Ichigo and asked if he had gotten laid.

 

Poor boy must jack off into warm grapefruits. Rukia thought as she exited the elevator and headed for Ichigo's distinctive, black, Benz. Maybe that's why he's so intent on everyone else's sex lives… he doesn't have one of his own.

 

Ichigo beeped the car open and Rukia slid in, fighting off a slight shiver that came into her limbs as she realized just how cold it was. She didn't mind the cold really, actually, she preferred it. But after just spending countless hours locked in Ichigo Kurosaki's hot embrace everything else felt horrifically chilly.

 

Ichigo started his purring engine with a small smile and pulled out of the lot. Rukia settled in beside him and waited for the heat to finally kick in.

 

“So…” Ichigo said after a few minutes of peacefully silent driving, “Normally you're only that demanding when you have a lot on your mind.” He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Anything I can help with?”

 

She knew that he was referring to their work environment because he sure as hell wouldn't offer to help with anything outside of that. Rukia just leaned her head back against the soft cushions of his car and sighed, “Not really, it's just Momo.”

 

“Oh,” he said, as though no other explanation was needed. “I see.”

 

“She's been getting testier and testier about the wedding.” She informed him, filling in some of the blanks here and there.

 

“Well it's only three and a half months away.”

 

“I'm surprised you remembered,” Rukia admitted quietly.

 

“Please,” he scoffed, “The girl rams it down my throat every time I see her. She even gave me an invitation. Any idea why she would do that?”

 

Rukia didn't even look at him when she answered, “Maybe because you're screwing her best friend?”

 

There was silence for a moment.

 

“Oh…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Does that mean that she wants me to take you?” He demanded as he pulled into a spot a few yards away from her apartment complex.

 

Rukia turned her head to him and glowered, “I am perfectly capable of taking myself to the wedding, provided I don't have to dance with Momo's horrible cousin Yumichika.” Rukia recalled Momo's earlier threat and shuddered. “Don't feel obligated to go or anything. It's up to you.”

 

“Sure,” he muttered sarcastically, “I'm sure Momo will definitely see it that way.”

 

“Look,” Rukia told him, unfastening her seatbelt and twisting towards him. “I've already told her what we are. This no-strings-attached, only-when-we-want-to thing is clear to her. She gets it. However, she might not accept it right away. If you ever need to reinforce the idea on her don't hesitate.” She pulled her nose into a wrinkled frown and sighed, “Momo just needs to realize that we're doing this for our own pleasure, it's not like it's going anywhere.”

 

“Right,” Ichigo told her, his tone was one of conviction. There wasn't a shred of doubt to waver it. “Absolutely.”

 

“Good,” Rukia affirmed, her voice held a small twist as she said the word. She paused momentarily and wondered if she was waiting for Ichigo to say something.

 

Something what? Her mind annoyingly asked her. A contradiction? Please, keep moving.

 

Rukia shook her head, clearing her mind and effectively ended the conversation that they had been having. “Now,” she leaned over the center of his car and grabbed onto his jacket collar. “Kiss me.”

 

“You don't beat around the bush, do you?” He asked as raised one eyebrow, “Why should I do that?”

 

“Because I'm leaving,” Rukia told him, “And I feel like it.” She inched up a bit further until her lips were only a breath away from his. “So kiss me.” She whispered.

 

Ichigo needed no further instruction. His hands immediately left whatever they had been holding onto in the car and wrapped around her body. His fingers brushed her cheeks and his other arm wound around her waist as tightly as it could, given their position in the car.

 

His hot, masculine, lips, descended upon hers with a ferocious hunger. He wasted no time in pleasant foreplay but immediately nipped at her bottom lip and forced her mouth to open to his assault. Rukia groaned audibly as his tongue wrapped around hers, sucking her into his mouth and tasting every inch of her incredibly hot orifice.

 

She moaned fitfully when she felt his teeth scrape against her soft skin. Her body was starting to react to him and she shuddered softly when she felt the slickness between her legs grow. Her nipples puckered and her sexually exhausted brain began to recharge. Her hands somehow found their way into his hair and she gripped it hard. His nose was smashed against hers as he angled his head and drove into her from a completely different angle.

 

The arm around her back slid down enough so that his hands could cup and grope her ass. Rukia felt his strong fingers kneading into her buttocks with the intention of a furiously sexual man. She panted into Ichigo's mouth and wondered if her face was becoming blue from lack of oxygen. It just felt so good; she felt that breathing was only secondary to what Ichigo was providing her with right now. Oxygen could definitely wait if he was going to be kissing her like this for much longer.

 

The hand that had been caressing her cheek slowly slid down her neck. His thumb paused to press onto her pulse point and Rukia gasped when she felt the fluttering herself. It was like her heart had doubled its pace. Slowly, his fingers continued their way down her body until her breasts were within reach. She moaned and pressed them against his waiting palm.

 

Ichigo ripped his mouth off of hers and Rukia immediately flopped back into her seat. Her chest was heaving up and down with the desperate attempts her lungs made to try and fill with oxygen. Her eyes slid over to Ichigo and she saw that he was suffering from the same affliction. He brought one hand, shaking slightly, up to his face and then ran it over his eyes.

 

“Shit Rukia,” he said in a hoarse voice, she thought she could almost hear how hard his heart was beating. “If you don't want to end up back at my apartment then you'd better leave right now.”

 

Rukia blinked in dazed surprise and swallowed when she realized just what she had done. Her eyes traveled down his body and she had to try and suppress a grin at what she saw. Ichigo's cock was nearly fully erect. She could see the prominent bulge through the fabric of his jeans and fought not to snicker.

 

Maybe going home with him isn't such a bad idea.

 

She pushed that thought away the moment it appeared in her head and simply settled for smiling. She reached over the car seats, planted her hands on his thighs, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. She retreated before he could catch her and opened the door swiftly. “Night, Ichigo.” She said with a small smile.

 

“Night,” he grumbled in return.

 

Rukia walked to her door and waved at him as she entered. She knew that he would only leave once she was finally inside of the elevators. It was just something that he tended to do. It was as if he was making sure she was safe. She nodded to the night doorman and passed quickly through the lobby. She grinned smugly to herself when she thought of the state she had left him in.

 

Damn, one kiss and he's already up for it again? Now, that's what I call stamina.

 

She pressed the button to the elevator and went inside immediately. At this hour of the night she was practically the only one up. When she got to her floor and entered her own apartment Rukia breathed a soft sigh of relief. Tonight had been a long night—a pleasurable night, sure—but a long one nonetheless.

 

Briskly, she walked over to her phone and pressed the button to get her messages. She began to walk into her bedroom when Momo's voice appeared on the other end.

 

“Roo-key-ah…” she immediately winced at the sound of Momo's voice. It was nasally, weak, and sounded like it was coated in a thick layer of snot. There was a pitiful sound of a person blowing her nose into a tissue—at least, Rukia hoped it was a tissue—and then Momo came back on, “I'm sthorry Roo-key-ah, buh I got mah wintah cold todaee. You know I'll haave it fhor a wwhile sho I chan't come brunning tomorrow. Hope you enjouy yourschelf at Icheegoe's. I'm schtuck in bhed. Beetch.”

 

The message ended and Rukia couldn't help but laughing. It was a strange thing when Momo got colds. She only seemed to get one every winter and it always lasted about three days. No matter what precautions were taken, no matter how many bowls of soup were eaten, and no matter how many medications were forced down Momo's throat, she always had a major cold for three days out of the year.

 

“Momo,” Rukia sighed, wondering if maybe she should bring her some chicken soup from House of Wong.

 

Rukia deleted the message and shrugged. I guess I'll just go running by myself tomorrow. She thought as she began to slide off her clothing.

 

It was then that Rukia realized she was still wearing Ichigo's jacket. She held it in her hand, staring at it as though it was some kind of endangered animal. She swallowed softly and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes scanned her apartment for a moment before she slowly brought the jacket to her face, pressed it to her nose, and inhaled.

 

Her heartbeat quickened.

 

*~*~*

 

Her sides were splitting. Her head was throbbing. Her legs were aching. Her body was hot. Her chest was throbbing. Her fingers and toes were numb. Her entire form was shaking.

 

With one final burst of speed she launched herself through the last line of trees and exploded out into the early November sunlight. The cold air was whipping around her face and a few strands of hair were whipping around her cheeks. She sucked in a large breath and placed her hands on her knees. She bent her body and tried to breathe. Her entire body was shaking hard and she tried to rein it in.

 

But damn it just felt so good! Heaving a painful sigh Rukia stood and immediately began stretching her arms. The cold-weather top she was wearing stretched along with her and she groaned when her muscles pulled and her joints popped. She had run faster today than she had run in the past few Sundays. The speed had been incredible. She had barreled past almost everyone else on the trail. Tired runners stared after her as she sprinted past and dogs yelped in surprise when she flew by.

 

Rukia could only surmise that this was possible because Momo wasn't here to slow her down. Not that she didn't love running with her friend but now… alone in the woods with just her lungs and her feet… it was amazing.

 

Grinning like a child, Rukia walked over to the kiosk and slapped two dollars onto the counter.

 

“Miss Rukia!” The attendant crooned and she grinned in response.

 

“Good morning,” she said, still out of breath. “Just one today, Momo's ill.”

 

“Oh,” the man said as he handed her the fifty cents in change. “Well, tell her that I hope she feels better very soon.”

 

“Will do,” Rukia grinned, screwing the cap off of her water and chugging it. The nippy November air combined with the cold water sent goose bumps down her arms but she ignored them. She just felt so good right now. Rukia thanked the man once more and turned to leave…

 

When she found that her path was blocked by two young women.

 

Okay… this is creepy.

 

Both of them looked vaguely familiar but Rukia still couldn't seem to wrack her brain enough to figure out who they were. The one on the right had sandy blond hair, apple cheeks, a cutely curved smile, and bright eyes that seemed like they had the ability to make the clouds part on a gloomy day. The one on the left was a completely different story; her hair was the same length as the other one but it was a sooty color of black. Her mouth was turned down into a soft frown, her eyes glinted with a harder light, and her expression screamed surliness.

 

“Um,” it seemed to be like the only thing she could say. Her brow furrowed softly and she blinked a few times. Were these two lost or something? “Hello? Do I know you two?”

 

The blond one's hand shot out and grabbed hers immediately. Rukia jerked back a bit and wondered if she would be able to outrun them.

 

“Hello!” She chirped, her voice had a childish yet sincere ring to it and it made Rukia relax just a little bit. “My name is Yuzu!”

 

Awkwardly, Rukia began to participate in the flamboyant hand-shaking that this Yuzu person was forcing on her. The girl began to pump Rukia's hand even harder, like she would end up squirting water out of her mouth. “Hi… I'm—”

 

“Rukia Kuchiki,” the surly one chimed in, she didn't bother offering her hand—even though it wouldn't have mattered, the younger one was still dominating Rukia's entire appendage. “We know. Come on Yuzu, we told Dad we'd bring her back before big bro comes back and realizes what we're doing.”

 

“Right!” The blond one brought out her other hand and grasped Rukia's right arm in a type of death grip. Rukia would have cried out had the other one not given her a sharp look and a rather terrifying glare. Rukia stood silent and watched carefully as the surly one of the pair looked her up and down, nodded once, and then went back to walking.

 

She blearily blinked when she realized that the two of them were dragging her up a hill. “What are you—?”

 

“Shh!” Yuzu cried, obviously excited for some reason, if her constant bouncing wasn't already an indication. “It's a secret!”

 

Rukia just shut her mouth. Jesus Christ, what the hell was going on with these two? They were like that pair from The Shining… only creepier. The three of them trudged one by one up the hill; Yuzu still had Rukia's hand in a grip that could have broken steel. It was as if she was afraid the older woman would bolt if she let go. The surly one just kept her hands in her coat pockets and huffed up the grassy knoll.

 

Rukia, still very much disturbed by being handled this way—and by complete strangers no less!—she opened her mouth to say—scream—something when the three of them rounded the top of the hill.

 

“Oh.”

 

Now she remembered who they were.

 

Ichigo smiled down at her—it was a smile, not one of his normal smirks. What was wrong with him?—and jerked his ridiculously orange head back to the top of the hill. “It's the weekly Kurosaki Family Picnic Day.”

 

“Oh, you're family is here?” She asked calmly, crossing her arms over her breasts. She was wearing a sports bra and didn't want him to notice anything was, er, amiss, with her chest.

 

“Yeah, my crazy dad, my happy sister, and my sulky sister.” He pointed back up to the hill and waved a bit. Rukia followed his gaze and saw that only a little ways away there were three people sitting on top of a hill. One of them was a man in his mid to late forties and two young girls in their early twenties. One of the girls, she had short blond hair and a happy face—or at least, it looked happy from this distance—waved back to her brother. Rukia saw the grown man, Ichigo's father apparently, stare down intently at his son, jerk back in surprise, and then begin to jump up and down. Rukia blinked as she watched him start to run in small circles around his daughters. The girl with the dark hair seemed to be attempting to restrain him while the blond was waving her hands as though she was trying to make peace.

 

“They look… interesting,” Rukia stated blankly. She raised her eyes as his father was punched in the stomach by the dark-haired girl. He curled into the fetal position and both of Ichigo's sisters turned to them, staring openly.

 

“Interesting is an understatement.” Ichigo admitted disgustedly. “My dad is Isshin, the girl with black hair is Karin, and the one with the blond hair is Yuzu.”

 

“Got her Dad!” Yuzu practically shrieked, jumping up and down with her hands still attached to Rukia. “I got her!”

 

The man sitting on the other side of the quilt began to whoop and throw his arms into wide circles. “Fantastic Yuzu! I knew you could do it!” He hopped up from the blanket and grabbed Rukia's other hand. In one swift move he had tugged her completely down onto a side on the blanket. Rukia let out an oomph! of discomfort and she felt her butt bruise slightly at the way she was knocked down.

 

Before she could even say another word Ichigo's father—Isshin, if she remembered properly—and his sisters—Karin and Yuzu—were all on the blanket as well. Karin was staring out into space, Yuzu was filling a plate of goodies, and Isshin was—for some reason—staring at Rukia as though he was examining her scientifically.

 

Rukia panic was rising as she backed slightly away from these people and thought about bolting. Although this Isshin character looks like he could be pretty fast, she thought as images of her being tackled ran through her mind. So instead she just sat, waiting for someone to say… something.

 

“Here you go!”

 

Rukia jerked her eyes away from Ichigo's father and turned them to his younger sister. She blinked when a large plate of food—filled with everything from breakfast cakes, fruit, and even hot chocolate—was thrust into her hands.

 

“I hope you like coffee cake!” Was all Yuzu said before she started going on and on about how excited she was to finally meet her.

 

Rukia's panic meter was going higher and higher and she only whimpered in disbelief. She turned her head to try and find the only sane one in this family but found that Karin was just staring off into a crowd of dog-walkers while absentmindedly biting a sticky bun.

 

Her terror alert still rising at an alarming rate, Rukia twisted her head back to Ichigo's father, only to find his face less than an inch away from hers. She yelped and jerked back, all the while spilling hot chocolate onto the bare skin of her leg. She barely registered the fierce burn and instead tried to find some method of escape.

 

Isshin, however, found her free hand and held it in his. He studied her face for a moment more before clearing his throat and demanding in a very clear and slow tone:

 

“Are you pregnant?”

 

Rukia's mouth dropped.

 

“Because it's okay if you are,” Ichigo's father continued as if he was not holding a frightened woman captive. “I've been telling Ichigo for years now that he needs to find himself a suitable girlfriend and that he needs to knock her up anyway possible. Sabotaging the pills, holes in the condom, bareback, I don't care. That way I'd finally have myself some grandbabies. I mean, a man can't wait forever to have grandkids, you know? I just want to play with the little buggers before I start losing mobility to arthritis and all that old-people stuff. Not that I'm old though! I could lift an elephant over my head if I wanted to! But anyway, just so you know I'm not partial; a boy or a girl would be just fine. I think I'd love to have a granddaughter who looks exactly like you. That hair and those eyes! Aren't her eyes so pretty Yuzu?”

 

“They really are!” The younger girl chimed in helpfully, nimbly munching on a slice of coffee cake.

 

“I mean honestly, I wouldn't mind a boy. Especially if he turns out to have my nose and hair and mouth and ears and stuff. So long as he has Ichigo's hair. I think it's his hair that made him such a tough kid. Remember all those fights he got into over his hair Karin?”

 

“Yep.” She answered monotonously.

 

“Made him strong, didn't it? Just like his dad!” He puffed up his chest proudly and grinned like a lunatic.

 

Rukia was now absolutely positive that she had been kidnapped by deranged psychopaths. They obviously wanted her to join a cult or something and spend the rest of her days producing children and eating breakfast cakes. Why else would they be talking to her like this if they didn't want that to happen? She just wanted to get away. Maybe after this she'd get some sort of hypnosis therapy that could erase all of this from her mind. Yeah, that's what she'd do.

 

While Isshin continued to talk about grandchildren, all the while holding her wrist painfully captive, Rukia desperately tried to find a way out. It was then that she heard a blunt, familiar, voice rolling over her. She jerked her head in that direction and found herself praying that it was who she thought it was.

 

She saw his hair before she saw any other part of him. Her mind began to scream out in relief when she watched his head of outrageously orange hair bob up and down as he mounted the hill.

 

“Dad… why the hell did you want me to get these CD's? We don't have a stereo out here or anything so…”

 

Ichigo Kurosaki stopped when he reached the top of the knoll. His eyes widened, his face became tomato red, and the CD's clattered noisily onto the ground.

 

“What the hell are you doing?!” He bellowed.

 

His family's attention was not the only one that was garnered either. At least the entire park ended up turning their heads and staring in a mix of horror and distaste at Ichigo.

 

The only thought that passed through Rukia's mind was that Ichigo Kurosaki was her personal savior.

 

“We're just getting to know your girlfriend Ichi-nii!” Yuzu chimed in, holding up a plate she had already prepared for him. “Coffee cake?”

 

“She's not my girlfriend!” He yelled and stomped over to the four people sitting on the picnic blanket. He stared accusingly at Rukia and glowered, “Didn't she tell you that?”

 

“Dad wouldn't give her a chance,” Karin interjected dryly while still staring off into space. “He just jumped into asking her if she was pregnant.”

 

Ichigo's face, which had been so red a moment ago, was now completely white. He flipped his head to his father and clenched both his teeth and his hands together so hard Rukia was afraid something would break.

 

“You. Did. What?” He ground out, breaking the phrase into three separate sentences.

 

“Well I was only curious,” Isshin shrugged, his expression turning into that of a wounded puppy dog as he stared at his son. “I mean, if she is then I have a right to know.” He turned his head to Rukia and continued talking as if Ichigo wasn't there. “That's how I want it to work, you know, so when you find out you're pregnant just come to me and tell me first. I'm a doctor so I won't tell. Not even Ichigo. Hell, you don't even have to give the kid to Ichigo. Just make sure he—or she—is given to Grandpa Isshin! I'll take good care of the little bugger. It's what Masaki would want. Oh! Have I told you about Masaki? My beautiful wife, Ichigo's mother, she wants a grandbaby just as much as I do, maybe even more. Hm, I wonder if any of her features would be passed onto your kid. I hope so! I do love Masaki so mu—”

 

The next thing Rukia knew Isshin was on the ground and Ichigo was standing above him, absolutely livid. Rukia blinked down at the strange man and immediately saw blood trickling down from a small crack in his skull. He had been knocked out cold by only one of Ichigo's punches.

 

“Um.”

 

It was all she could muster.

 

She leaned forward and took a closer look. The guy didn't even look angry that he had been knocked unconscious! His face had this ridiculous smile plastered on it and he kept on giggling as though he was only asleep.

 

Is that even possible, Rukia thought. I mean, he was just punched unconscious, how can he still be so… happy?

 

A strong hand wrapped around her elbow and Rukia found herself being jerked upwards.

 

“Come on,” Ichigo growled before he began to stride down the hill towards the parking lot.

 

Yuzu called after them. “It was nice to meet you Rukia! Come back next Sunday and tell me what you think of my coffee cake!” Her voice began to fade the further and further Ichigo dragged Rukia away. They were past the kiosk in a matter of minutes and already on the trail back to the cars. As she stumbled along she realized that she was still holding her little plate of food.

 

Beside her, Ichigo was muttering angrily to himself. She could only catch a few snippets of what he was saying but she knew that he was pissed well beyond the seventh gate of hell.

 

“Can't believe they… the nerve! Gonna kill that bastard… early grave… knife… carbon monoxide… put him in his place… that's for sure! Karin and Yuzu… damn them… never eating… gonna strangle…”

 

Before she knew it she was in front of his Benz. He jerked open the passenger side door, flung her inside, and slammed it shut in one easy movement. Rukia nearly got her foot chopped off by how hard he pushed the door shut. She was nearly about to protest when she saw him angrily get inside of the vehicle. Steam was practically rolling out of his ears as he jabbed the key into the ignition, started the car, and peeled out of the parking lot.

 

He drove for several minutes in absolute silence, clearly ignoring everything from speed limits to pedestrians.

 

Rukia just sat dumbly in her seat, still holding onto her coffee cake.

 

A red light appeared before them and Ichigo slammed on the brake. Rukia lurched forward and inwardly cursed herself for not thinking of putting on a seatbelt. She glanced over at Ichigo again and fought to keep her face straight. Damn he looked furious. His cheeks were red, his eyes were hard and steely, and his fingers were constantly tightening and loosening on the wheel.

 

Before she could stop herself, words tumbled out of her mouth and into the car. “Geez Ichigo, what's the big deal?”

 

He whipped his head over to her and narrowed his eyes until they were only slits. “Did you tell my father that we were dating?” He ground out after drawing in several huffing breaths. He gritted his teeth and added, “Or that you're… pregnant?” He spat the word like a curse.

 

Rukia's face contorted with immediate anger and she clenched the plate in her hand tighter. “Of course not!” She screamed at him, her decibel level rising by the second. “I'm the one who made up the rules, remember? I wouldn't break them just to embarrass you!” She hardened her face to the point of peak diamonds, “And don't worry about me getting pregnant, Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm much too smart for that.”

 

“How do I know you didn't plan this?” He demanded, taking the car into another street with a loud squeal of his tires and completely ignoring her second comment. “I mean, where's Momo, huh? Why wasn't she with you?”

 

“She has a cold,” Rukia spat, truly furious that he would think she would do something so low and still fuming over his pregnancy comment. “I'm telling you the truth.” She flipped around in her seat and stared solidly at the traffic in front of his car. “Who do you think I am?” She demanded, “Inoue? I'm not going to set up some elaborate spoof with your family just so I can force you to declare me as your girlfriend. I don't give a shit about that. And trust me when I tell you, I was just as freaked out as you were when your dad started talking about grandkids.” She sent him a withering glare and gnashed her teeth together. “How do I know you didn't set this up? After all, it's your family.”

 

“I had no idea they were going to do anything like that.” He ground out, skidding to a halt in front of her apartment building.

 

“Well neither did I, Kurosaki,” Rukia spat, reverting to her old appellation just to piss him off, she pushed the door open and got out before he could say another word. Fuming, she held his car door hostage while she leaned her head in and snarled, “Maybe what you need isn't to have sex. Maybe you just need to learn to trust people when they're telling you the truth.”

 

Rukia took several steps back and slammed the door shut before he could say another word. She angrily passed the doorman and pushed through the grand entrance to her apartment building by herself. She walked through the lobby at a brisk pace, frightening one little child who was playing with a toy car. Furious, Rukia jabbed her finger into the elevator and waited for it to come down. Her wait was longer than she would have liked and she tossed her head impatiently while it came.

 

Something shiny caught on the edges of her eye and she turned back to the front door. Someone else had decided to leave and as the doors opened Rukia caught a glimpse of a shiny, black, Mercedes Benz, waiting on the curb.

 

She turned her head back to the elevator and felt her cheeks begin to burn.

 

He's just waiting to be calm enough to drive, she thought hotly, he's not waiting for me. Not at all.

 

The elevator dinged and she stepped into it, ignoring all the other passengers. In her left hand she still held the plate of food that Yuzu had given her.

 

She didn't see the shimmering black car pull away from the curb and go on its way.

 

 

 

 

(A/N: Ah, one of my favorite chapters! I just love writing Isshin sometimes. :D

 

A note to all my faithful readers out there: due to massive amounts of brain-squishing homework I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like. Chapters might be coming out less frequently; say, once every 1