Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Odalisque ❯ Chapter 29 ( Chapter 29 )

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

 

 

 

 

Odalisque

 

Chapter 29

 

In the distance, Ichigo heard the doorbell sound.

 

His body jerked then he swiftly got up from his place near the end of Rukia's bed and padded across her carpet to the hallway. His pants brushed against his legs as he moved as quietly as he could. He sighed softly when he came to the door and peered through the small peephole. His eyebrow rose as he viewed the person on the other side.

 

He quickly undid the locks and pulled the door open.

 

The moment the block of solid, rectangular, wood was removed an instantaneous and sharp gasp radiated through the hallway.

 

“Hello Momo,” Ichigo said casually, his voice still softer than normal.

 

Her mouth was open and her eyes were bugging out of her head. While she remained momentarily retarded, Ichigo's eyes moved over her and took in her entire appearance. She was dressed the way she did when she went to work with a few changes. In her left hand she held a dripping umbrella and in the other she held a plastic bag laden with food.

 

Ichigo cocked his head to the side and nodded at the bag, “Chinese?”

 

Momo's eyes blinked twice and she seemed to snap out of whatever trance she had been put in. She shook her head softly, stared dumbly at him for another moment, and nodded. “House of Wong. Rukia's favorite.”

 

“Oh,” Ichigo mused, he reached out and took the bag from her hands. Her arm seemed to relish the loss of the intense weight and she flexed the muscles happily. Ichigo tilted his head to the inside of Rukia's apartment and shrugged, “Come on in.”

 

Momo immediately took a step inside but then paused. “Wait… Ichigo, where's Rukia?”

 

Ichigo moved into the small kitchen and placed Momo's food onto the counter. “In her room, sleeping.” He answered simply, “So keep your voice low.”

 

She nodded her head once and then moved to shut the door as quietly as she could. Ichigo watched her as she shuffled into the room practically on her tip toes.

 

“She's sleeping?” Momo whispered, moving into the kitchen as well as seating herself in one of the bar-like chairs. The moment she settled in she raised her left wrist and looked at her watch. “But it's only five o'clock.”

 

“She was rather tired,” Ichigo stated quietly, “I mean, I don't know what the hell happened to her at lunch today but…” he looked up at Momo and immediately found her guiltily staring at the floor, “She just looked so out of it.”

 

“So she came home.” Momo said, she was nudging her toe against the counter sullenly.

 

“Yes.” Ichigo put the Chinese food boxes into the microwave so they wouldn't congeal in the refrigerator.

 

“And…” Momo elongated the word until it was a few syllables. “You… followed her?”

 

“I did.” Ichigo nodded, turning around and leaning his back against the counter. He stared at her with a very clear `do not ask' face.

 

Momo, however, didn't let up. “And now she's asleep.” She rapped her fingers against the counter and raised an eyebrow, “Did you drug her?” She sarcastically demanded after several minutes of tiresome silence.

 

Ichigo sighed in irritation, leaned his head back, and rolled his eyes to the top, “We had sex. Lots of it. She passed out during the final round.”

 

Momo started choking, on what he had no idea, but she was choking—loudly too. He immediately came over to the other side of the island and patted her ruthlessly on the back. She grunted angrily and swatted his hand away. She closed her mouth and coughed a bit more before looking up at him with watery eyes. Ichigo took a few steps back and frowned at Rukia's best friend. He instantly regretted telling her that last bit.

 

“She passed out?” Momo whisper-screamed, her hand pressed hard to her chest. “What did you do?”

 

Ichigo glowered at her, “That I won't tell you.” He crossed his arms over his bare chest and glared at her, “At least, not until you tell me why Rukia came back from lunch crying.”

 

Momo's scandalized expression dropped immediately and she pulled her pink bottom lip between her teeth. She looked down at the ground and swallowed hard. “She was… she was crying?”

 

“Damn near it.” Ichigo grunted.

 

“Oh.”

 

He raised his eyebrows, “Oh? That's all you have to say?” He shook his head and growled, “Damn it Momo, what the hell happened at lunch?”

 

She sat silently in her seat for several seconds before drawing in a deep breath and shaking her head gently. When she looked up at him it was with an expression of determination coating her features.

 

“Ichigo,” she said, her voice was soft and pliant. She looked to the side and began to fiddle with a stray spoon that had been left on the otherwise impeccable counter, “I need… I need to tell you something.”

 

“About?” He demanded.

 

“About Rukia.” She muttered.

 

Ichigo moved to stand near the counter and leaned slightly over it, his body pressing into the hard and cool marble. “What about Rukia?” He said in a voice that was barely anything more than a menacing growl.

 

Momo looked up at him and gulped lightly. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing a bit quicker than usual.

 

“About her heart.”

 

Ichigo immediately took a step back. “Momo, if this is some sort of plan to get us to—”

 

“Oh shut up will you?!” She hissed lowly, sending sparse glances into the room where Rukia was asleep and then turning back to glare at Ichigo, “This has nothing to do with how you two feel about each other. That's none of my business,” she swallowed hard and looked to the side, “I know that now…” She looked up and sighed, “No, this is about Rukia's heart, what was done to it, and how I hurt her this afternoon.”

 

Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly and he nodded once. He moved to the other side of the island to sit across from Momo. She swallowed once before she drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

 

Ichigo settled into his chair and leaned his elbow against counter.

 

“You ready?” She murmured.

 

Ichigo nodded, “Yes.”

 

Momo set her hands in her lap and fiddled slightly with her fingers.

 

“I've known Rukia since I we were both freshmen in college.” She started, “When we were roommates for the first year we hated each other.” She smiled softly and shook her head, reminiscing. “She was so regimented—up every morning at five, running, breakfast, classes… she barely went to any parties. She barely drank—and even when she did it was that fancy-schmancy wine stuff. She didn't have any boyfriends. She focused only on her work, and—of course—what her brother demanded of her, academically.”

 

Momo drew in a breath and continued, “I, on the other hand, partied a lot, I got drunk a lot, and I had a lot of boyfriends.” She closed her eyes for a moment and whistled lowly. “Yes I did… we were polar opposites of each other.” Her grin grew and she let out a small chuckle. “But we grew to like each other. I don't know why, we just kind of clicked, you know? Yin and yang, Rocky and Bullwinkle, salt and pepper… that kind of thing. And after a while we were really good friends. We decided to room with each other the rest of the years while we were at college.”

 

Ichigo nodded and listened intently to what she was saying.

 

“When we were juniors,” Momo continued, “Rukia met Kaien Shiba. He was a teaching assistant to her advanced business teacher so he basically taught the class.” She shook her head and looked off into the distance, “He was so handsome… believe it or not he looked almost exactly like you. Well, except his hair was black and his face was a bit longer. He wasn't as cut as you are either.” She gave him a sideways glance and grinned, “And he didn't frown as much.”

 

“Can we move on please?” Ichigo ground out, his hands clenched into fists. If there was one thing he was not really enjoying it discussing Rukia's previous flames.

 

“Sure, sure,” she waved her hand and inhaled. “Anyway, Rukia fell for him and I'm pretty sure he did the same. They stayed later in class, they met for coffee, and sometimes they even went out to dinner.”

 

“That doesn't sound like a lot.” Ichigo muttered, seething inside.

 

Momo pursed her lips together and cocked her head to the side, “No, I guess not… but I think you have to understand something about Rukia…” Momo put her finger to her mouth and tapped it slightly, as if choosing her words carefully.

 

“When it comes to love… I guess Rukia's one of those old-fashioned types. She can't have fling after fling after fling. It's gotta be the real deal for her or else she only considers it a one-time thing. What you guys have is so unusual for her. It's just… not Rukia.”

 

She sighed and swirled her finger on the countertop. “Ichigo, Rukia loves fiercely. It might not be out on her sleeve all the time but she does. Christ… she loves. She really does Ichigo. I mean, if you look at her from the outside you wouldn't know that she was in love but if you get her talking… her face will light up, she'll smile, and her eyes will just… shine.”

 

Ichigo ran through each mental image of Rukia and wondered if he had ever seen her eyes shine. He instantly shook his head and growled at the very thought of such a consideration.

 

“But then… one day,” Momo sighed, “Kaien's wife came into the classroom.”

 

Ichigo stiffened when he thought of what Rukia might look with a completely broken heart.

 

He shuddered.

 

“Rukia ran away and he followed her,” Momo whispered, “He caught up with her and he told her that he could explain. She told him no and that he went on to say that he had entrusted his heart to her.” She laughed hollowly. “Right after she found out that he was just using her he told her that he had entrusted his heart to her… who does that?”

 

“Someone who wants to die,” Ichigo growled.

 

Momo just raised her eyebrow at him.

 

“Go on.” He muttered sourly.

 

“Rukia… I've never seen her so dead. She just stopped. She stopped running, she pretty much stopped eating—except then I forced her—she stopped laughing, the only thing that she really did was go to classes. She was practically destroyed. I mean, I've had boyfriends who I liked before and when they broke up with me I was sad, I cried, I ate chocolate, I gained weight, and then I wanted to get back at those guys so I lost the weight, flirted, and got a new boyfriend. That was my cycle.” She shook her head, “But Rukia just died inside. She threw herself into her work, she barely spoke, she didn't notice any guys, and the only times she really met with anyone of the opposite sex was when she wanted to get laid. But those were few and far between.

 

“It took her so long to get over him but… she finally did. I think she only finished getting over Kaien when I forced her to sign up for the dating website a few months ago.” Momo muttered.

 

Ichigo nodded and then drew in a deep breath. The pit of his stomach was roiling with anger as he thought of the man who had made Rukia die inside.

 

A man that looked like me, he thought balefully. He blinked his eyes rapidly as he wondered if maybe that had been the reason why Rukia had been so hostile towards him in the beginning…

 

He also wondered if that was the reason why she had ended up finally sleeping with him.

 

I'll find a picture, Ichigo thought darkly, I'll find one and make sure. We can't look that much alike. We're two completely different individuals. He hurt Rukia… I didn't; we're nothing alike.

 

He was brought back to the present when he looked over at Momo, still sitting on the stool and chewing on her bottom lip.

 

“So what did you do?” Ichigo demanded quietly, still aware that Rukia was still asleep in her bedroom. “Or, what did you say to her today to make her so upset?”

 

Momo expelled a puff of air from her lungs and pouted her soft mouth. “I said so many horrible things to her.”

 

“What kind of things?” Ichigo said, his voice quieter and deadlier.

 

Momo looked to the ground and blinked several times. It took him a moment to realize that there were tears misting in her vision. He immediately leaned back a bit from her and tried to steel himself against any feminine issues that Momo might be having sometime soon.

 

“I told her…” Momo lifted her head and bit her lip, tears were dusting her eyelashes but at least she wasn't crying. “I told her that she hadn't seen anything and that her love of Kaien had just been a little flirtation. I told her that she had only hit the tip of the ice berg and that I had seen much worse many more times than she had. I told her… I told she hadn't known what it was like to really be broken hearted.” She sniffled slightly. “Or something like that.” Her miserable head dropped to the ground and she closed her eyes. Ichigo watched as a tear fell down her cheek and dropped onto the floor below.

 

He would have cared that she was crying if it hadn't been for what she said two seconds ago.

 

“Why would you say something like that to her?” Ichigo demanded in a growl. “If you knew about her past then why the hell did you say something like that to her?”

 

Momo slid her eyes to the side and shook her head. “I'm not going to tell you.”

 

That left Ichigo reeling. He blinked several times before feeling his teeth clenching hard. He breathed in deeply and narrowed his eyes at Rukia's best friend. Or, so called best friend anyway.

 

“Why not?” He demanded, his hand curled into a fist on the counter.

 

Momo lifted her eyes and glared at him determinedly. She shook her head once and slid off the side of her chair. Ichigo sat unmoving in his chair and watched her go with steady yet angry eyes.

 

Momo gathered her purse, clicked open the lock on the door, and turned the knob in her hand. She paused for a moment, leaned forward, and pressed her forehead against the cool wood.

 

“When she wakes up,” she murmured, “Don't tell her I was here. She wouldn't want you to know what I've told you. Just say you ordered out. If she asks how you knew her favorite food there are circled menus in the drawer by the refrigerator. Eat with her, talk to her, and just… be with her, okay?” She turned her face to Ichigo and looked at him with mournful, heavy, guilt-laden eyes. “Just make sure she's okay and don't say anything about knowing her past. Just don't.”

 

Momo and Ichigo stared at each other for a minute longer before Ichigo raised his head and nodded once. Momo nodded in return and slipped out of the door. She closed it softly behind her and Ichigo heard the lock click as she used her keys from the outside.

 

He was left sitting on the small chair at the counter, his hand in a fist, his breathing slightly hard. He ran over every single detail of Momo's little monologue within his mind and wondered what the hell that man had done to Rukia to make her love him so passionately. What had he done to her to make her so devoted to him that she would stop functioning… just for him? Just because of him? Did she really love like Momo said she loved? Powerful and solid and true? Did she?

 

He shuddered when his mind filled with images of Rukia lying in bed, eyes open, staring lifelessly into the ceiling, gave him chills like nothing he had ever felt before.

 

Getting up from his seat, he silently padded over to Rukia's bedroom and sat down in a chair opposite her peacefully sleeping form.

 

Tonight he would do what Momo said. He wouldn't leave her right now.

 

Not even as she slept.

 

*~*~*

 

Rukia's mind was swimming in a foggy haze. The weight of her thoughts was extremely heavy as she tried to focus the blurry daze of emotions, numbers, and phrases all running through her cranium. Somehow, a small moan escaped her throat and she tossed her head to one side. The weight of her skull against the pillows seemed overwhelming. She wanted to open her eyes but she really didn't think she could. Hell, she didn't know if she could even think at this point!

 

Another moan made its way from her throat to her lips and immediately she felt something soft against her face. She leaned towards it, not exactly knowing what it was but not disliking it either.

 

She let a small sigh flow through her nose and her mouth and she shifted slightly against the pillows. Her hand came up to rest by her cheek and she felt something else brush against it. Her fingers curled involuntarily around the object and her lips moved up slightly.

 

“Rukia…”

 

She heard her name as though it was being called to her from underwater. With snail-like movements she groaned and tossed her head to the side again. She didn't want to get up. She was so heavy.

 

Suddenly, the warm thing on her face disappeared and she felt is come towards her cheek. The second one, which had already been on her cheek, made small, round, movements against her face. She smiled at the feeling yet still resisted the urge to open her eyes.

 

It was then that she felt something even softer than the objects on the side of her face. They descended upon her mouth and pressed against her lips. She sighed happily against whatever the hell it was and whimpered softly when they left. They were so warm… she wanted them back.

 

“Rukia,” the voice was closer and not so distorted now. It seemed as though it was directly beside her ear. She felt something soft press against her mouth once again, her name thrumming in her ears as it descended, the rubbing on the side of her face was getting stronger, warmer, and faster.

 

“Wake up Rukia,” the voice whispered, the softness pressing against her mouth once again.

 

It was then that Rukia knew what was going on.

 

She opened her eyes blearily and immediately saw that Ichigo was directly above her. His hands were on either side of her face, rubbing small circles with his thumbs, while his lips placed butterfly kisses on her mouth.

 

She sighed happily and this time raised her head just enough so meet him when he came down for a small kiss. Her lips closed around his and held for a moment before she allowed her head to fall back onto the pillows.

 

Ichigo didn't move to kiss her again. Instead, he simply hovered above her, his delightfully orange hair radiating in the soft glow of the hallway. She looked up into his face and blinked when she saw that his normal scowl wasn't completely in place. Its absence made his face look so much more… supple, happy, or maybe just more content. Though, whatever the expression on his face, she didn't care. She smiled up at him and languidly began to stretch. Her naked body moved against the silk sheets of her bed like water flowing over smooth pebbles. His form hovered over her as she slowly pulled all of the kinks and sores out of her body. She rolled her neck, arched her back, stretched her legs, extended her arms, and curved her body in as many poses as it took to get the feeling back.

 

“Hello,” she murmured, her voice thick and husky from sleep. She blinked up at him and saw him staring at her face. She was quite surprised that he didn't stare at her as she stretched—as she would have thought he would have done—but instead, his eyes stayed riveted on her face. She smiled at him and reached a hand up to rub it along his rough cheek. “What time is it?”

 

Ichigo's lips quirked up into a grin and he raised one eyebrow. “Seven thirty four.”

 

Rukia stayed boneless in the bed for one more moment before she bolted upright, her head narrowly missing Ichigo's skull, and shoved him off of her.

 

“What the hell? We're so late! Ichigo we need to be in the office by eight or else we'll not be able to finish the file and all we have to do and—”

 

Rukia continued with her constant stream of babbling as Ichigo simply sat on the bed. His expression was unreadable and quiet as he watched her race around her room—completely naked—while pulling open drawer after drawer in an attempt to find the shirt, the panties, the bra, and the skirt that she needed.

 

Rukia made a dive for the bathroom. “Why are you just sitting there? We're going to be completely dead it we—”

 

She stopped dead, several articles of clothing falling from her hands as she stood facing Ichigo, her eyes trained on the alarm clock near the side of her bed.

 

She blinked twice before frowning and turning to Ichigo. “P.M.? Seven thirty four p.m.? Ichigo, what's… going… on…?”

 

Ichigo sat patiently on the bed, his expression still one of complete mystery as Rukia stood in the center of the room, clutching a now-wrinkled pencil skirt and staring blindly at the clock. Her entire body seemed frozen in time as she thought back to what had happened earlier today.

 

Ichigo hadn't spoken to her… Momo had yelled at her… Memories of Kaien… she had gone home… Ichigo had followed her… Ichigo had fucked her… Ichigo had… Ichigo had…

 

“What… happened?” She asked, her voice quiet even in the stillness of the room.

 

Ichigo sighed, stood up, walked over to her, which meant he towered over her, of course, looked her dead in the eye and spoke as clearly as he could, “You passed out.”

 

Rukia immediately took a step back. “I did not.” She spat out instantly. Her mind was whirling with the implications of such an accusation. Of course she hadn't passed out. Kuchiki's don't pass out—especially not during sex—it wasn't in their nature. No, she hadn't passed out. She never would have allowed herself to do so.

 

Then why was everything so fuzzy after Ichigo had finally thrust himself inside of her?

 

“No,” Rukia said slowly, shaking her head and backing up just a bit more. She clutched her skirt to her chest and continued to move her head back and forth. “No, that's not possible, I wouldn't pass out.”

 

“You did,” Ichigo said as though he was just commenting on the weather. His arms were crossed over his bare chest and he was watching her with an expression of complete and utter calmness. Calm did not work with Ichigo. Power, yes. Hunger, yes. Strength, yes. But calm? No, not on Ichigo.

 

“B-But—” Rukia's mind was on overload as she tried to comprehend the fact that she had actually fallen unconscious while having sex… with Ichigo.

 

He raised an eyebrow at her and nodded to the kitchen. “Come on, I ordered Chinese. You like lo mien noodles, right?”

 

Rukia just looked at him dumbly and blinked.

 

His face broke out into a grin and he nodded towards a bathrobe hanging on her door. “Put it on so I won't have to spend the next two hours waiting for you to regain consciousness.”

 

“But I didn't—” Rukia started. She paused and shoved her words back into her mouth. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to think of what had happened after Ichigo had pressed her against the wall. She remembered being taken into the bedroom and having him… having him…

 

Rukia's eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped. “Oh my god. I did pass out.”

 

“Yeah,” Ichigo's voice floated in from the kitchen, “You did. Now come on, the food is getting cold.”

 

Speechless as all get out, Rukia numbly reached for her bathrobe and slipped it over her body. Silently, she moved over to the mirror and checked her appearance. Other than a few strands of hair out of place she looked completely… content. The color had returned to her cheeks, the pallor in her lips was gone, her eyes were sparkling, albeit dully due to her fatigue, and her body felt warm and pink, as though she had just stepped out of a bubble bath.

 

Smiling softly, she ran her fingers through her ebony locks and loosened the neck of her robe slightly. Her footsteps gently pattered against the carpet as she moved from her room to her kitchen.

 

Ichigo stood under her soft lighting wearing nothing but a pair of pants and his skin. Rukia paused and leaned against the door jamb, silently watching him as he pulled out plates from the cabinet and found silverware in the drawers. A small smile arched her lips as she studied him. He poured the now steaming food onto respective plates and placed the forks on the outside.

 

He still didn't notice her as he walked over to her small table and set the plates down. It was only when he sighed in frustration, muttered, `what's taking her so long,' and moved to go back to her bedroom did he actually notice she was watching him.

 

“Rukia,” he murmured. His voice was low and she shuddered because it felt like it was running over her skin. She looked up at him, smiled softly, and casually moved away from her spot on the doorframe. She walked towards him with purposeful steps and that same smile still gracing her lips.

 

His mouth formed a small grin as well as she stopped in front of him and brought her eyes down to his collarbone. His breathing increased slightly as she bent forward and pressed a kiss against his warm, beautifully-smelling, skin.

 

Her tongue slowly emerged from her mouth as she stroked him. Her lips had found a small scar marring his chest and she touched it gently. Her tongue ran the entire length of it before she moved forward just a little bit more and pressed her body against his.

 

His arms wrapped around her tiny waist as he let her continue with her slow exploration. Her hands reached up and placed themselves on his warm pectorals. She sighed gently as her fingers rubbed into him. His breath became choppy as she pressed wet, open-mouthed, kisses onto his sternum. Her small fingers swirled around his nipples and she sighed as she blew hot air on her line of kisses.

 

“Rukia,” Ichigo growled, his voice husky and warm. His arms tightened around her waist and she smiled into him when one of his hands started to snake down to her bottom.

 

“Yes?” She whispered, her fingers plucking playfully at his large brown nipples.

 

He bent his head and pressed his forehead against hers. She tilted her head back and brushed her nose against his.

 

“If we don't stop,” he panted softly, “We'll never get to eat.”

 

Rukia smiled and then arched her feet up until her mouth was directly beside his ear. She slowly placed her lips around his earlobe and sucked lightly. He shuddered under her fingers and groaned. Using a sultry and smoky voice she knew he couldn't resist she whispered, “I promise I won't pass out this time.”

 

His arms tightened around her even more. Her entire body pressed against his and her hot breath laved his ear.

 

“Rukia,” he groaned, burying his head into his neck. “Let's eat first. We have all night for that.”

 

He sighed and gingerly removed his head from the warmth of her neck and shoulder. Smirking lightly, he bent his head and pressed a swift kiss to the seam of her lips. Rukia immediately opened to him and curled her arms around his neck. He pressed into her and she pressed into him as their tongues mingled. The kiss was slow and heated. Neither one of them seemed to have the desire to change their sizzling touches into the ones of heated passion that they usually had.

 

Rukia's fingers tangled in his hair and she tilted her mouth to the side to allow for easier access. His strong lips caressed hers and his tongue danced slowly inside of her mouth.

 

Rukia sighed as she felt something stir inside of her. It was a feeling that was… strangely warm. It started in the pit of her stomach and slowly spread to the tips of her fingers and her toes. Tendrils of sparkling, silken, beautiful heat pooled inside of her chest and began to wrap around the beating organ at the center of her being.

 

She gasped into his mouth and felt her knees become weak as the warmth continued to spread. She felt like she had been put on fire. Her skin began to heat and her mind fuzzed over until the only thing she could think of was Ichigo's lips on hers. The muscles in her arms contracted as she tugged Ichigo's head closer.

 

Her mouth became hungrier and hungrier as the warmth spread throughout her entire body. She dug her hand up into his hair and she pressed herself completely against him. Her body tingled with heat and she felt like it had been engulfed in flames. Her skin tightened as she moved one of her legs so it draped over Ichigo's buttocks.

 

His hands were no longer around her waist but at the sides of her face. He was gripping her head with a force that made it impossible for her to do anything but kiss him as passionately as she could.

 

Her body locked around his as she and he ravaged each other's mouths.

 

As they kissed, another strange sensation overcame Rukia. Her heart, which had been dutifully thumping inside of her chest, now felt the twinges of the same heat which had encased her entire body. It chipped away at the hardened, icy, shell that had formed over the years and began to worm its way inside. She gasped at the sensation and nearly cried out when she felt her heart begin to shudder with new and pulsating life.

 

Her heart… it was… alive.

 

She jerked away from Ichigo and unfurled her leg from around his waist. His hands loosened from her face as she stumbled backwards.

 

“Ah!” She squeaked, her voice slightly hoarse from having most of it stolen by Ichigo's prying tongue.

 

He cried out as well as his hands came out and fumbled towards her. She flung her arms onto his and grasped them tightly in order to keep herself from falling. Another squeak escaped her mouth as she pulled herself against him. Her breathing was rapid and hard as he steadied her against his chest.

 

“Shit Rukia,” he gasped, a hint of a laugh on the edges of his voice. “What the hell was that?”

 

“Sorry,” she muttered, her lungs heaving against him and her head pointed downward. She was staring at the ground and trailing the patterns on the woodwork with her eyes. Her entire subconscious was completely focused on what was happening inside of her chest. Her heart, to be more precise.

 

She didn't know what the hell was happening. It felt like something was flaking off of the thrumming organ. Chip by tiny chip the flesh, the veins, and the muscles of her shuddering heart were being exposed. Their red, pink, and blue essences were flushing inside of her. Her heart seemed to speed up. It was pulsating, throbbing, and pounding in the center of her chest.

 

She shook slightly against him as she turned her head upwards. His eyes were bright and burning into hers and she gulped at the intensity that she saw.

 

Was it… was it him? Was he the one who was making her heart do these strange and ridiculous things? Why was it feeling like this? What was going… what was going on?

 

“Ichigo,” she whispered, her voice still raspy.

 

He simply let loose a small chuckle from his throat and nodded towards the cooled food on the table. “Come on, I won't have you fainting from hunger on me.”

 

“I'm not hungry,” Rukia said blearily, the strange sensations of her heart still giving her much to puzzle over.

 

“I don't care,” Ichigo snickered, taking her by the hand and tugging her towards the table. He pulled out her chair and she sat in her seat, still slightly dazed.

 

He sat down in his respective seat and pushed her plate of lo mien towards her. His mouth curled into a smile as he picked up his fork and began eating.

 

Rukia looked down at her plate and frowned softly, “Wait… how did you know what I liked? This is my favorite dish.” She sniffed it appreciatively. “And it's from House of Wong's too! How did you—?” She whipped her head to his and stared at him with bewildered eyes.

 

Ichigo just smirked, “You have menus in one of your drawers. There were dishes circled. I thought they were your favorites so I got them.” He eyed his Hunan chicken and vegetables and quirked up one eyebrow. “And I decided that I wanted this one.”

 

Rukia blinked at him. “Oh.”

 

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “Common sense, thy name is not Rukia.”

 

“I have common sense,” she sputtered. “I just… ah… didn't use it just then.” She shoved her fork into her meal and brought it up to her lips. “So you just decided to go traipsing around my apartment while I was… asleep?”

 

Ichigo's smirk turned into a grin. “Yes, by the way, you have a very nice collection of thongs. How come you wear those granny-panties all the time?”

 

Rukia regarded him dryly. “I wasn't wearing them today.”

 

“I know.”

 

Ichigo's ridiculously smug grin was enough to make her want to throw noodles at him.

 

Instead she just grinned, sat, and ate with him in silence.

 

*~*~*

 

Two hours later, Rukia was lying silently with Ichigo. Her head was on his naked chest and her entire body was molded to his. One of her legs was thrown over both of his and her knee was lightly brushing his flaccid manhood. Rukia's fingers were lightly dancing on his chest, drawing out abstract patterns and strange symbols.

 

One of his hands was wrapped around her. His fingers were lightly tracing over her spine. The other hand was lying limply at his side.

 

Their bodies were covered in a thin sheen of sweat and their chests were rising and falling faster than was average.

 

Rukia's eyelashes brushed against his skin as she blinked. She felt so peaceful, so warm, and so content.

 

Suddenly, Ichigo shifted underneath of her. She groaned softly and placed her hand more solidly on his chest. He sighed and ended up leaning back against the pillows.

 

“I have to go home,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head gently.

 

“Why?” She groaned, shifting her leg around and rubbing it against Ichigo's nearly constant erection.

 

He brought his hand down to still her leg and she frowned at his uncanny sexual perception. Who was he to subvert her stimulation trickery? He should want to stay here and continue to fuck her brains out.

 

“Tomorrow is Thursday.” Ichigo whispered, rubbing his thumb against the length of her thigh. “It's not a weekend.”

 

Rukia shook her head and sighed once again, that explanation being all she needed by means of an excuse. After another moment she put more power into her limp limbs and took her head from his chest, removed her leg from his grasp, and took her hand from his abdomen. She slid as far away from him as her bed would allow and clutched slightly at the sheets underneath of her body. The chill that pervaded her limbs now that his body heat was gone was almost palpable.

 

Ichigo stayed for one more minute inside of her bed before gently taking himself out and sitting on the edge. Rukia allowed herself to stare at his gorgeous body as he lifted himself and began to pull on his clothes.

 

There was no a single aspect of him that didn't seem to please her eyes. All of his body was rigged with beautiful muscle—from his strong legs to his defined abdomen to his cut arms. Everything about him was power, muscle, and stealth. Her eyes drank their fill as she watched him cover himself.

 

He turned back to her once he had all of his clothes—sans his jacket—on his body. Rukia was still lying on her bed, naked as the day she was born, with a few scraps of silky fabric left to cover the most erotic parts of her.

 

Ichigo grinned down at her and then leaned over, capturing her lips in a seductively sweet kiss.

 

“See you,” he whispered as he turned away. “Don't forget to lock the doors.”

 

“Okay,” Rukia whispered against him. She desperately wished that he would stay, if only for an hour or something, but she knew that it would be best for the both of them if he left.

 

Rukia watched Ichigo walk towards her bedroom door as it he was in slow motion. Suddenly, all of the events of the night came crashing towards her in one swift blow. Her mind whirled as she thought of how Ichigo had acted that night she went to the theater with Renji, of how he had been for the past few days, and how he had barely spoken to her. She fast-forwarded until this afternoon. His possessiveness, his heat in bed, his ruthless mouth as he plundered her again and again… all of it made her stomach jump and churn.

 

Before she could stop herself her mouth open and she blurted, “I didn't sleep with him.”

 

Ichigo froze immediately, his hand on the frame of her door. His head swiftly turned towards her and his face contorted into more than his usual frown.

 

“What?” He murmured.

 

Rukia cleared her throat and sat up in her bed, aware but not overly vigilant of her current state of undress, “I didn't sleep with him. Renji, I mean. We parted ways after we saw the movie. I never took him home. I've never taken him home, actually. We've never been anything but friends.”

 

He was staring at her with inscrutable eyes. They looked at each other for several more moments before Ichigo nodded once and murmured, “I… I think I knew that.”

 

Rukia's eyes widened slightly, “You… you knew?” She shook her head and frowned, “But I don't understand… if you knew then…?”

 

“I think,” Ichigo began, his voice low and smoky, “I think that I knew you wouldn't. I just… I guess I was just angry.”

 

Rukia stared at him, dumbfounded. “But… why?”

 

He looked down at the ground and shook his head. “I'm not sure, Rukia.” He looked up and stared at her with unreadable eyes. They gazed at each other for several breathless moments before he said, “I'm just not sure.”

 

With that he turned towards the door and left. Rukia listened until she heard him grab his jacket, open the front door, pause, and then walk outside.

 

The moment she heard the final click of the latch Rukia's newly awakened heart thudded darkly and felt extremely bleak.

 

It was then that she realized what the feeling inside of her chest was.

 

 

 

 

(A/N: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

Oh, and don't forget to review!)