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Jan. 25th, 2010 04:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
queenofchalicesTitle: The Devil's Plaything, Chapter 9 - Reconciliation
Series: Bleach
Rating: R
Warnings: AU, het (IchiHime, lots of other pairings eventually), blood, guts, testosterone, ANGST.... yuri.
Spoilers: This is AU. We don't need spoilers, where we're going.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to a lot of Japanese people, namely people like Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. You'll notice how none of those are me. The LiveJournal format that you'll probably be reading this in (if you're one of my friends) is rough draft and is subject to revision. Consider this a 'sneak peek'. If something sits the wrong way with you, let me know. This will probably (never) be updated weekly, until I eventually drop it like every other project ever. Not responsible for epileptic seizures or allergic reactions. May contain eye-and-brain-bleeding levels of radioactive ANGST and/or peanut products. Please sit a reasonable distance from your computer screen.
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"Matsumoto, humans aren't pets."
It was a simple enough observation, Ichigo thought. He watched as the white-haired boy's eye twitched in irritation. Idly, Ichigo thought he'd develop an ulcer by the time he was twenty.
"But Captaaaaain!"
Ichigo wanted to run over and shove the pouty older woman off of Orihime. Something about this situation made him uncomfortable; he might not know much about being a demon, but he was smart enough to know that there was something about Orihime that other demons liked a little bit too well. Instead, he just stood there awkwardly, sending the auburn-haired girl an apologetic look.
Orihime looked just as uncomfortable as Ichigo felt. Her eyebrows were arched in a helpless expression of embarrassment, and her mouth turned down in a small frown. Her face was washed with bright pink; whether it was from getting caught sneaking around or from the way Matsumoto was hugging her, Ichigo couldn't tell.
The head of house's frustrated sigh broke Ichigo's attention from the overly friendly blonde demon before him.
"We're busy, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, raking his fingers through his short, white hair, "Why don't you give her a tour of the house while we discuss things with these two?" Ichigo couldn't help but think he was trying to get her out from underfoot. And yet, he couldn't help a small feeling of disappointment; he knew this wasn't the time or the place, but he really did want to talk to Orihime and make sure she was alright. And yes, part of him even wanted to know for sure that she wasn't angry at him. His stomach did a weak little flip at the thought.
"Ah-!" the busty blonde exclaimed, pale blue eyes lighting up her whole face, "Captain is so smart! Come on, Orihime-chan - I'll show you the dining hall and the bathrooms! They're really nice!" She released the younger girl's neck and shoulders from her grasp before taking her hand and leading her away. As she went, she cast an apologetic glance over her shoulder at Ichigo; it only lasted a second before the both of them disappeared down the stairs. Well, hopefully they'd be able to talk after this business was done.
"Now that that's out of the way," the white-haired boy grumbled, "I'll take you to meet some of your housemates."
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The sounds of water echoed throughout the huge bathhouse that Rangiku had led Orihime to. The auburn-haired girl looked wide-eyed around the spacious room, marveling at how different it was from the rest of the house. She had expected something more Victorian, perhaps a claw-footed bathtub with gold faucets. What she found instead was a huge Japanese-style wash room big enough for several people at once with several large tubs set into the floor with all different temperatures of water. The room was covered in pale blue tile, tasteful potted plants in strategic places along the walls. There was even a lavish waterfall along one wall.
Rangiku ran ahead, spreading her arms in welcome as though the entire room belonged to her.
"Ne, ne, isn't it wonderful?" she asked, failing to contain her excitement, "I had the Captain build it for us so we'd have a nice place to relax after training!"
For a moment, Orihime forgot her nerves and just took in her steamy surroundings. It was wonderful and briefly made her embarrassed by her own tiny tub at home. Then she thought of how amazing it would be to actually get to use a bathroom like this. Would Ichigo go to one just like this when he was done today? For a moment, she pictured him reclining against the edge of one of the large tubs in front of her and a bright blush snaked across her face.
"I-It must be wonderful to get to use it," she stammered, her embarrassment peeking through. As soon as she said it, though, she felt ashamed. Rangiku would think she was whining and she definitely didn't want the older woman to feel sorry for her.
Instead, the blonde began to take her shoes off.
"What are you talking about?" she asked with a warm smile, "You can use it too, you know. You are Ichigo's girlfriend, right? That means you're practically family!" Orihime's face felt as though it was on fire.
"M-Me?!" she sputtered, hiding her face behind her hands, "N-no way, we're just friends!" Rangiku looked somewhat disappointed as she dropped her stole onto the bench she'd placed her shoes beneath.
"Really?" she said, pulling the straps of her dress down to reveal her well-endowed chest. Orihime was so mortified by the conversation that she hardly even registered that the older woman was stripping. "That's too bad. You'd be cute together! Have you asked him about it?"
"I-I couldn't do that!" Orihime squawked, "It's illegal, right? A-And besides, Yamamoto-sama said I should stay away from him!" Rangiku looked at her for a few seconds, blinking in confusion. Then she started laughing. Orihime could even see little tears in the corners of her eyes. She was beginning to feel extremely silly.
"Wh-what's so funny?"
"Oh, him," Rangiku said, wiping her eyes, "Don't listen to him, Orihime-chan. He's old and stuffy and I'm sure that cane he carries is lodged somewhere it shouldn't be half the time. Plenty of demons have human girlfriends on the downlow. Although that's usually Incubi and not Wraiths..." Orihime blinked in surprise at this revelation; hadn't Ichigo gotten in trouble just for being around her?
"But... Kurosaki-kun got in trouble because of me..." she continued feebly. At this point, though, she felt like she was making excuses in the face of Rangiku's overwhelming mirth.
"Oh, that wasn't because they thought you were dating," Rangiku said, walking over and enveloping Orihime in a squishy hug, "They thought he'd Marked you -- ahh, they thought he'd bitten you. We actually aren't supposed to do that. Human blood is bad for us." Orihime blushed as the taller woman's naked breasts enveloped her; she thought about correcting her on the human bit, but wasn't exactly sure what to say, so she let it drop.
"O-Okay," she replied, the regular color returning to her face, "If you're sure it's alright..." Hugging Rangiku, she realized, was rather nice. She was soft and smelled nice and it had been a very long time since anyone had comforted her physically like this. As she thought about it, the last person to give her such a soothing hug was probably her brother, before he died.
"Of course it is," the blonde said, dropping a small kiss on top of Orihime's head, "Now get of out those clothes and come take a bath with me!" Orihime blushed furiously as the blonde demon released her and began to slide her dress over her hips.
"I-I can't, that's--" she stammered as Rangiku's dress slid down to reveal a stringy pair of black lace panties, "That's too much, Rangiku-san! I can't impose like that!" As the older woman added the discarded dress to her pile of clothes and went after her panties next, she gave Orihime a grin.
"Don't be silly," she said cheerfully, "You look like you could use a bath and we have to find some way to kill time while Hitsugaya-taichou is indoctrinating those two!" As soon as her panties were added to the clothing pile and her hair was secured atop her head, she stepped over and started undoing Orihime's school necktie.
"I-I haven't taken a bath with anyone since I was a little kid," she admitted weakly as the older woman stared on the row of buttons on her blouse, "But I guess it's okay since we're both girls..." Rangiku smiled and let her take over the unbuttoning of her shirt as she placed an expressive finger beside her face.
"Exactly!" she chirped, "It's totally fine!"
Satisfied that Orihime was going to undress and then join her, Rangiku turned and made her way to one of the tubs with steam rising off the top. Orihime watched her gather a bucket with scrubbers and different bath soaps and the like on her way over to the water. Just as Rangiku stepped in, Orihime was shedding her school skirt. In another few seconds, she was completely naked as well, tying her hair up on top of her head. She had to resist the urge to run over to the amazingly large tub; if she were totally honest with herself, she really did want to see what it was like to take a bath in something that huge.
As she made her way over to the tub, she covered her breasts with her hands, remembering something of her modesty. Rangiku did no such thing, though; she plopped down into the water just as easily as if she was fully clothed.
"What are you being shy for?" she asked up to the younger girl happily, "Come on, come on!" Orihime did as she said, stepping lightly into the water. It was almost hot enough to scald, but she liked hot baths, so that wasn't a problem. It was certainly hotter than the hot water heater in her apartment gave her.
"Ahh-!" she exclaimed, sinking down to her breasts in the deliciously hot water, "It's really nice!" Rangiku grinned, squeezing a sponge in Orihime's general direction.
"See? What did I tell you?" she said, smiling, "It's even better to take a bath with another person, though! Here, turn around and I'll wash your back!" Orihime obliged, turning her back to the older woman. Another second passed before she began happily scrubbing her back.
"Uwah, you're really good at this, Rangiku-san!" Orihime chirped, turning to look over her shoulder at the other woman.
"I love baths, so it's only natural that I'd be good at them," she replied firmly, as though it was the most sensible thing in the world. For her part, Orihime sighed; the hot water and sponge on her back were soaking her tension away. After the day she'd had, it felt nice to relax.
"Well, that part's done," Rangiku said cheerfully, "Now lift up your arms!"
"My arms?" Orihime parroted, confused.
"Up, up!" Rangiku slipped her hands underneath Orihime's arms, causing her to lift them. Before she could protest, the older woman was swabbing her breasts with the wet sponge. It was almost as if she was giving extra attention to the pert pink nipples that were starting to stand out against the sponge.
"Your breasts are so cute," she cooed, cupping them with a little squeeze, "I've wanted to see how they compare to mine since I first saw them!" She seemed to be weighing them with her hands for a moment before moving on to caressing the nipples. They stiffened beneath her hands, causing a blush to spread across Orihime's cheeks.
"R-Rangiku-san!" Orihime squeaked, the other woman causing her to squirm as she rolled the little pink pearls between her fingers. It was the oddest sensation, more intense than when Chizuru grabbed her at school during the day. It was even doing funny things to her stomach, and lower.
"It's alright, right?" Rangiku giggled, "You look like you need to relax. Besides, you do things like this, don't you?" When Orihime shook her head nervously, Rangiku looked scandalized.
"Never? Not even a little?" she asked, voice full of awe, "Not even by yourself?" Orihime's cheeks burned as the older woman gave her another firm squeeze.
"N-No," she admitted hesitantly, "I don't even know how... how to do things like that." She turned her head to see the blonde pouting at her.
"That's so sad," Rangiku said, voice all full of sympathy, "Don't worry, Orihime-chan! I'll teach you!" She pulled the younger girl back against her generous breasts with a splash, allowing one hand to travel down to her stomach and lower.
"R-R-Rangiku-san!" she sputtered, face burning brightly more from Rangiku than from the hot water in the tub, "A-Are you sure this is okay?!" Rangiku's face suddenly got very serious.
"Okay?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit offended, "It had better be more than okay! I have a reputation to uphold!" Orihime squeaked as the older woman's fingers slipped down through her unruly auburn curls and into the cleft at the junction of her thighs.
"Reputation?" she asked dubiously, "What kind of reputation?" Rangiku simply smiled warmly and gave Orihime another gentle squeeze.
"Well, I'm a Succubus, so this is kind of my calling, you know?" Orihime blushed fiercely as the older woman's fingers found purchase against the soft, warm skin between her legs. Her head swam with this new information; wasn't this what Chizuru was always compared to? Rangiku was different than what she expected a Succubus to be, though; she was warm and almost motherly, even comforting with her touch.
"Y-You are?" she asked hesitantly as the older woman drew her back against her chest and slowly began moving the fingers on her hand that had trailed lower. Orihime gasped as she felt the pads of Rangiku's fingers press against a small bundle of flesh and nerves; the pleasure shot through her veins, warming her just a bit more than the water around them.
"Don't sound so surprised!" Rangiku said, pouting as she moved her fingers, "Here, let's start here!" She pinched the quickly hardening knot she'd been toying with until then, causing Orihime's hips to involuntarily move towards her hand.
"This is your clitoris," she explained, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger for effect, "It feels really good when I touch it like that, ne? You can come just by playing with it enough. Did you know that?" Orihime shook her head, maybe a little too quickly.
"I-I don't... know what that's like," she admitted quietly, suddenly very embarrassed by her inexperience. Rangiku was once again scandalized.
"You've never..." Before she could finish the sentence, determination lit her face. "That's it! I'm going to give Orihime-chan her first orgasm!"
"Ran-Rangiku-san!" Orihime squeaked, her body red more from embarrassment than the heat of the water. It was true that she had no idea how to even begin to have an orgasm; she figured that was something she'd figure out one day in the far future, probably when she was married.
"Just relax, okay?" Rangiku said comfortingly, still moving her fingers in a way that made Orihime's hips move on their own, "You can't do it if you're scared or tense. And anyway, it's better to learn how to do it like this now, so it'll be more fun when you and Ichigo finally do it."
Orihime wanted to be deeply mortified. She really did. But the combination of the hot water, the motion of Rangiku's fingers, and the pressure she was now putting on her nipple made it hard for Orihime to think. Even worse, the image of Ichigo reclining in the bath flitted back into her mind, but stronger this time. Guiltily, she allowed herself to imagine it was he who was touching her now, pulling her back into his solid chest and cradling her wet, naked body against his. Just as she was imagining what his fingers must feel like, Rangiku spoke again.
"Haaaah?" Rangiku said slowly, her voice dripping with barely subdued mirth, "Amazing! You relaxed right away! Here, I'll show you something special!" Not taking the pressure off Orihime's clit, Rangiku slid her longer middle finger between the slick folds of the younger girl's skin, causing her to gasp in mild surprise.
It wasn't so much the feeling of the other woman's finger intruding into her most private area that got to Orihime as it was what she did with it a second later. Curling that finger around, Rangiku pressed gently into the moist roof of Orihime's passage. That spot was particularly sensitive; Orihime couldn't help but respond by pressing closer to the demon's hand. As Rangiku stroked her again, a tiny noise escaped her lips, somewhere between a moan and a pant. Rangiku only seemed to take that as encouragement.
"It feels really good, ne?" she asked, pressing her finger a bit more firmly into the flesh, "This is your G-spot. If you feel some pressure down there, just relax into it, okay? Once you let it go, it’ll make you feel even better!”
Orihime nodded, closing her eyes tightly and concentrating. She really did feel pressure down where Rangiku was stroking, but how would she know how to let it go? Or when? She concentrated as hard as she could, and before she knew it, she was even holding her breath and clenching her fists.
“Oiii,” Rangiku said, giving her clit a tiny pinch, “You’re not relaxing! You’re straining! Just let me do the work, okay? The rest will come on its own.” The pinch caused Orihime to start a bit; she definitely hadn’t been expecting that. By the same token, though, she couldn’t say that it had hurt, either; in fact, it sent a pleasurable little jolt up into her stomach, causing her to clinch just a bit. But it definitely did what Rangiku had intended for it to do; she slumped against the older woman, her body less tense and more defenseless.
“S-Sorry, Rangiku-san,” Orihime said with just a tinge of embarrassment, “I was trying really hard.” The older woman smiled as she continued her ministrations. As she relaxed into them, Orihime did find that she enjoyed them just a bit more.
“Don’t apologize,” Rangiku cooed, “Just relax and let it happen, okay?”
Orihime nodded and leaned back into Rangiku’s masterful fingers. Her breathing became deeper and heavier as she felt herself getting drawn more into the experience; she was starting to feel the sensations from Rangiku’s fingers better, moving her hips in time with her strokes as she did. There was a warmth spreading down between her legs, and up into her stomach. It allowed her to feel every movement Rangiku made better, the sensations lighting up her nerve endings like a candle. Her breath even began to come out in sharper puffs, to the point that she was making small, sharp gasping noises.
“You sound just like a little bird,” the blonde breathed into her ear, causing a tingle to race up Orihime’s spine, “I want to just eat you all up!”
Something thrilled in her at that statement. Maybe it was the tone of Rangiku’s voice or a tiny bit of pride at being thought desirable. Or maybe it was the hint of danger there; as a Succubus, Rangiku certainly possessed the strength to do whatever she wanted to Orihime and make that statement a reality. Either way, she felt her head grow fuzzy again as her body grew warm from the inside out.
It started as that warmth, coming from her belly and spreading outwards. As it traveled with her heartbeat through her body, Orihime felt her muscles constrict around Rangiku’s finger, a small gush of liquid escaping around it into the surrounding water. The pleasure that followed was intoxicating, making her feel as though her whole body were expanding to melt into the water itself. When her daze lifted and she looked up to Rangiku again, she could see the older woman smiling warmly at her.
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" she chided with a smile, "Did you enjoy it?" Orihime set her mouth and nodded firmly.
"U-Uhn! V-Very much, Rangiku-san!" she said eagerly, the warmth from her body fading back into the warmth from the bathwater.
"Rangiku-san!"
Orihime covered her breasts reflexively and jumped away from Rangiku, splashing water over the side of the tub as she did so. As she looked towards the door, where the voice was coming from, she noticed that Rangiku seemed completely unfazed by the interruption.
"Oh, Hinamori!" she said cheerfully, reclining easily against the side of the tub, "Why don't you come join us?" The black-haired demon placed her hands on her hips and gave Rangiku a frustrated look.
"I thought you might be up to something bad," she said, chiding the older woman, "Just what are you doing with that human girl?" The way she said it, Orihime thought she must know very well what they had been doing. In response, her face colored brightly.
"It's skinship, skinship!" Rangiku said, waving a hand dismissively beside her face, her voice losing none of its jovial lilt, "You should try it sometime! Otherwise, you're going to get wrinkles from being so stressed all the time!" The girl Orihime had heard referred to as Hinamori looked taken aback for a second before leaning forward with a light scowl on her pretty face.
"I... I will not! I'm younger than you!" This didn't seem to faze Rangiku in the least.
"Ah-! Maybe you should ask Hitsugaya-taichou if he'll take a bath with you!" she suggested with an easy smile, "It might help him grow a little! Oh! Or maybe you'd rather have Kira take a bath with you instead?" Orihime wasn't sure what part of that statement was most embarrassing, but she noted that Hinamori's face was definitely as red as hers now, possibly even more so.
"Ra-Rangiku-san! Stop being a pervert!" she yelled, pushing the ruffly skirt of her dress down with her hands, "Stop trying to hook me up with one of them!"
Orihime watched the good-natured argument continue, Rangiku purposely riling the other girl up while Hinamori haplessly took her bait. She certainly felt a bit awkward as she sat naked in the tub, waiting on them to finish. After some time, Rangiku waved her hand to draw the argument to a close so she could continue with her bath.
"And anyway," Rangiku finally said dismissively, "Close the door, you're letting the warm air out!"
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Ichigo had stood patiently through the introductions to his new housemates. He and Chad had been introduced to the Master-at-Arms, Hisagi Shuuhei, and the Yeoman, Kira Izuru upstairs in the drawing room.
Hisagi was stern-faced and stoic, speaking no more than what was required of him. With an unruly shock of black hair framing his face, Ichigo had been surprised to find he sported both scars and a tattoo of the number 69 on his face. Part of him wanted to be impressed at the way the man had seemed to elevate the art of being an aloof badass to an art form; the other part just wondered what on earth would've possessed someone to get a tattoo on his face.
The other man, Kira, was a bit more sociable than his sempai, if not a bit more awkward as well. Whereas the other man exuded an air of easy confidence, Kira seemed a bit more self-conscious. Straight blonde hair fell in a point before his left eye, obscuring it entirely few view. Even behind the plank of hair, though, Ichigo could see that the man had a kind, if somewhat apprehensive face.
Both men had accompanied them to the training room below the main house itself, along with Hitsugaya and Rukia.
Unlike the other rooms in the expansive mansion, this one seemed closer to a traditional dojo and closer to what Ichigo had been expecting when he arrived. Racks of shinai and bokken, as well as free weights, heavy bags, gloves, and face masks lined the mirrored walls in orderly rows. The floors were heavily polished hard wood; he was suddenly grateful for the pair of house shoes he'd been given upon entering the house. There was no telling what the angry little white-haired kid beside him would've done had he scuffed that perfectly polished floor with the sneakers he wore to and from school.
Somewhere along the way, Ichigo had noticed they'd lost the girl who had let them into the house, Momo. He thought he heard her murmur an apology before vanishing to go look for the blonde that had absconded away with Orihime. Something about that made him uneasy, though. Maybe it was that he was worried that something bad could happen to her without his knowledge. Or maybe it was that he was anxious to put their day of tension behind him. Either way, the muffled sounds of familiar female laughter floating through the walls simultaneously soothed his nerves and pricked him with just a bit of jealousy.
As he'd been absorbed by his thoughts, Ichigo hadn't noticed that Hitsugaya had walked over to a set of traditional sliding doors on the far end of the training room until he heard him knock on them. His eyes snapped up to the shorter boy, watching in confusion as he pulled the door half-open with a snap. Ichigo briefly thought his eyes were deceiving him as he saw the utter darkness swirling beyond the door. It wasn't a normal closet, that was for certain.
"Two of you, come out now," the white-haired boy commanded in a firm tone. As if on cue, two small creatures emerged from the darkness of the artificial closet, bouncing into the dojo one after the other.
The first one to enter the room looked for all the world like a miniature lion. Ichigo regarded him with a curious scowl, one eyebrow cocked into his spiky orange bangs. The small creature peered back at him defiantly, almost as if he was daring Ichigo to say something about his appearance. Before he could, however, the lion spoke.
"OI!" it blurted out roughly, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in surprise, "Is this some kind of joke? I wait for years to get a master, and this is what they gave me?" Somehow, he just knew this insult was directed at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ichigo shot back, causing Rukia to roll her eyes at his outburst. The lion bounced over to stand before Ichigo, looking balefully up at him with his paws on his hips.
"What do you think it means?" the lion continued, "It means I've never seen such a puny, uncool excuse for a demon before! How am I supposed to have any fun in the human world with a stiff like you for my boss?" Before Ichigo could stomp the obnoxious lion within an inch of his life, however, he noticed the other creature that had emerged from the sliding door behind him.
It somewhat resembled a turtle, but all its features were more elongated, thinner. Ichigo could've sworn it was even wearing a necktie of some sort. And unlike its feline counterpart, this tiny creature didn't argue or fuss; in fact, Ichigo had yet to hear it even make so much as a peep. It strode right towards Chad without pause for anything else that may have been in its path.
"These are your new familiars," Hitsugaya said matter-of-factly before closing the sliding door again, "All the new recruits get one when they enter their house. Familiars, introduce yourselves."
"Nova," the turtle said simply, giving Chad a small bow. Chad responded in kind, a small dusting of pink scattered across his nose. Ichigo realized he probably thought the small creature was cute.
"Sado Yasutora," the deep voiced giant replied, bending over to help the little turtle up into his hands. Ichigo's attention was torn away from the two kindred spirits by a loud, grating noise from his feet.
"Oi! Oi oi oi!" the lion was bellowing, drawing Ichigo's attention back to him, "I'm Kon! But that's Kon-sama to you!" Ichigo's eye twitched; first Rukia, now this guy. These demons were determined to surround him with the most annoying people imaginable, weren't they?
"That's a stupid name," he replied evenly, scoffing at the familiar.
"I'll have you know, it stands for King of New York!" Kon said with a huff, "My second cousin, twice-removed, is related to the King of America!" That settled it; this was definitely a conspiracy against Ichigo's sanity. As he buried his face in his hand, the small lion turned his attention to Rukia.
"Nee-san!" he said, looking up at her with teary eyes, "Where have you been all my life? Why couldn't you have been my master instead?" Before Ichigo could even say anything, though, Rukia's small foot came crashing down into the lion's head.
"I pity you, Ichigo," she said evenly, twisting her ankle a little to rub the creature's face into the hardwood floor, "I think you got a defective one." Ichigo couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction as the small feline squeaked underneath Rukia's heel.
Suddenly, the door of the training room burst open and three pairs of stockinged feet tromped into the room.
"Captain~!" Rangiku's sing-song voice carried through the room and echoed off the mirrored walls. Ichigo thought he might have imagined it, but Hisagi's ears seemed to get a bit pinker as the blonde walked in.
"Just in time, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, turning to his lieutenant, "We were just wrapping u-- Matsumoto, what are you wearing?!" Ichigo's eyes flickered from Hisagi's pink ears to the blonde behind them. When he saw it, his jaw dropped.
The busty blonde was barely wedged into a fluffy pink bathrobe that just dusted the tops of her thighs. The top was also loosely fastened, showing off her impressive cleavage. She also had a matching pair of fluffy pink slippers. Ichigo noticed that Hisagi was suddenly holding his nose as he turned the other way. For his part, Ichigo wanted to run and hide; what the hell was with these demons?
As his eyes left Matsumoto's barely-dressed frame, though, he noticed that Orihime and Momo were with her. Orihime was smiling serenely, dressed in her school uniform with a pair of fuzzy slippers on, her hair pinned neatly in place as usual. There was something different about her from when he last saw her; she no longer looked sad and distracted, but instead looked healthy and happy. In fact, the change was so pronounced that he couldn't help but nearly stare openly. Part of him was relieved that she looked so much more relaxed than the last time he saw her, but part of him - a rather large part, were he to be honest with himself - was curious how that change had happened.
"Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said, hands on hips with a frustrated expression on her face, "You won't believe what I ca--" Matsumoto's hand silence her before she could say any more, though.
"Now, now, Hi-na-mo-ri~" Matsumoto chirped, pulling the smaller girl back into her bosom, "Not in front of the guests!" Before the angry black-haired girl could protest, however, something small and furry launched itself at them.
"Nee-san!" Kon cried in delight, flying through the air towards Matsumoto's bathrobe-clad chest, "Nee-san, surely you can use another fami--" Matsumoto smiled as she batted Kon back towards Ichigo, where he collided with his master's solid chest.
"Oh, Ichigo!" Matsumoto chimed, "You got your familiar! That makes you one of us now, ne? Congratulations!" Ichigo held the unruly lion by his scruff, a look of distaste on his face.
"Yeah, congratulations," he murmured, "Of course I'd get stuck with the deviant familiar." But as he lowered the irritating familiar, he noticed Orihime smiling at him.
"I think he's cute," she said, smiling serenely. Ichigo blinked once in surprise before the lion started struggling in his grip.
"Nee-san, you're so kind," Kon said desperately, trying to jump to Orihime next, "I could be your familiar instead!" Ichigo visibly bristled, his teeth clinching together as he shook the familiar by his scruff.
"You're my familiar, so suck it up and get over it," Ichigo ground out, opening the flap of the bookbag that was slung over his shoulder and shoving Kon roughly into it. He latched the flap closed over Kon's protests before turning his scowl back to Orihime's amused face.
"Ignore him, he's a jerk," Ichigo mumbled, looking off to the floor in a hurry.
"Well, if there's nothing else you want tonight," Hitsugaya said, drawing their attention back to him, "You're free to go on your way."
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"That was a lot of fun!" Orihime chimed as Ichigo trudged down the chipped sidewalk behind her, "Rangiku-san is really nice, too..."
The difference from the time Orihime showed up at the mansion to the time they left was like night and day. Ichigo couldn't help but feel a little jealous as he walked her home; what did Matsumoto have that he didn't? He knew he should just be thankful that Orihime wasn't avoiding him anymore, that she was smiling again, but he couldn't help still feeling shut out.
Without thinking, he came to a stop beneath a streetlight, watching Orihime's back as she swayed down the sidewalk away from him a few steps before she stopped walking as well. She turned slowly, her auburn hair falling over her shoulder and down her back as she looked back at him.
"Kurosaki-kun?" she asked softly, turning back to move closer to him, "What's wrong?" Ichigo gave her a weak smile, hoping his expression wasn't worrying her.
"It's... It's nothing," he lied, "Hey, when... When we were at school today, you... You weren't angry with me, were you?" Well, he figured that was the best way to put it; accusing her of avoiding him probably wouldn't go over well. Instead, Orihime's face softened into a sad smile.
"No," she said gently, stepping beneath the streetlight with him, "It wasn't your fault. It's just..." She froze, mouth half-open for a second before her eyes flitted down to look at her hands. She fidgeted a bit as Ichigo waited on her to continue.
"It's just that Abbadon-sama told me that I shouldn't get involved with you and Sado-kun," she continued softly, not making eye contact, "So... So I thought I should try to stay away." Then her amber eyes flickered back to his, a warm expression lighting them. "But Rangiku-san said I was being silly, and that it's okay if you have friends that... aren't demons."
Ichigo ran his hand through his hair, sighing at Orihime's confession. So that nosy old man had said something to her when he pulled her aside. He felt a flash of protectiveness; who was he to tell Orihime who she could and couldn't be friends with? That was her decision, as well as his.
"Inoue," Ichigo finally said with a sigh, "We're not going to leave you behind, alright? Me and Chad will still watch out for you, even if... even if we're not like you anymore." Orihime looked as though she might cry. She was hiding it well, though, Ichigo thought, as she gave him a strained smile.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun," she said quietly, smiling up at him even as little tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes, "You don't... You don't have to put yourself out on my account, though. I-I know I'm kind of clumsy and--" Ichigo rolled his eyes as he started walking again.
"Dummy," he said softly, addressing her without turning around, "Don't argue with me. We're going to watch out for you whether you want it or not. I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you ever again. Got it?"
Even though he couldn't see it, he could tell that Orihime was smiling even as she wiped her cheeks.
"O-Okay!"
Ichigo smiled at the sound of her voice, walking slowly to give her short legs the opportunity to catch up to his long ones.
"Now hurry up," he said, avoiding her eyes as she ran to his side, "Those shows you like are on, so we have to get you home."
Series: Bleach
Rating: R
Warnings: AU, het (IchiHime, lots of other pairings eventually), blood, guts, testosterone, ANGST.... yuri.
Spoilers: This is AU. We don't need spoilers, where we're going.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to a lot of Japanese people, namely people like Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. You'll notice how none of those are me. The LiveJournal format that you'll probably be reading this in (if you're one of my friends) is rough draft and is subject to revision. Consider this a 'sneak peek'. If something sits the wrong way with you, let me know. This will probably (never) be updated weekly, until I eventually drop it like every other project ever. Not responsible for epileptic seizures or allergic reactions. May contain eye-and-brain-bleeding levels of radioactive ANGST and/or peanut products. Please sit a reasonable distance from your computer screen.
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"Matsumoto, humans aren't pets."
It was a simple enough observation, Ichigo thought. He watched as the white-haired boy's eye twitched in irritation. Idly, Ichigo thought he'd develop an ulcer by the time he was twenty.
"But Captaaaaain!"
Ichigo wanted to run over and shove the pouty older woman off of Orihime. Something about this situation made him uncomfortable; he might not know much about being a demon, but he was smart enough to know that there was something about Orihime that other demons liked a little bit too well. Instead, he just stood there awkwardly, sending the auburn-haired girl an apologetic look.
Orihime looked just as uncomfortable as Ichigo felt. Her eyebrows were arched in a helpless expression of embarrassment, and her mouth turned down in a small frown. Her face was washed with bright pink; whether it was from getting caught sneaking around or from the way Matsumoto was hugging her, Ichigo couldn't tell.
The head of house's frustrated sigh broke Ichigo's attention from the overly friendly blonde demon before him.
"We're busy, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, raking his fingers through his short, white hair, "Why don't you give her a tour of the house while we discuss things with these two?" Ichigo couldn't help but think he was trying to get her out from underfoot. And yet, he couldn't help a small feeling of disappointment; he knew this wasn't the time or the place, but he really did want to talk to Orihime and make sure she was alright. And yes, part of him even wanted to know for sure that she wasn't angry at him. His stomach did a weak little flip at the thought.
"Ah-!" the busty blonde exclaimed, pale blue eyes lighting up her whole face, "Captain is so smart! Come on, Orihime-chan - I'll show you the dining hall and the bathrooms! They're really nice!" She released the younger girl's neck and shoulders from her grasp before taking her hand and leading her away. As she went, she cast an apologetic glance over her shoulder at Ichigo; it only lasted a second before the both of them disappeared down the stairs. Well, hopefully they'd be able to talk after this business was done.
"Now that that's out of the way," the white-haired boy grumbled, "I'll take you to meet some of your housemates."
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The sounds of water echoed throughout the huge bathhouse that Rangiku had led Orihime to. The auburn-haired girl looked wide-eyed around the spacious room, marveling at how different it was from the rest of the house. She had expected something more Victorian, perhaps a claw-footed bathtub with gold faucets. What she found instead was a huge Japanese-style wash room big enough for several people at once with several large tubs set into the floor with all different temperatures of water. The room was covered in pale blue tile, tasteful potted plants in strategic places along the walls. There was even a lavish waterfall along one wall.
Rangiku ran ahead, spreading her arms in welcome as though the entire room belonged to her.
"Ne, ne, isn't it wonderful?" she asked, failing to contain her excitement, "I had the Captain build it for us so we'd have a nice place to relax after training!"
For a moment, Orihime forgot her nerves and just took in her steamy surroundings. It was wonderful and briefly made her embarrassed by her own tiny tub at home. Then she thought of how amazing it would be to actually get to use a bathroom like this. Would Ichigo go to one just like this when he was done today? For a moment, she pictured him reclining against the edge of one of the large tubs in front of her and a bright blush snaked across her face.
"I-It must be wonderful to get to use it," she stammered, her embarrassment peeking through. As soon as she said it, though, she felt ashamed. Rangiku would think she was whining and she definitely didn't want the older woman to feel sorry for her.
Instead, the blonde began to take her shoes off.
"What are you talking about?" she asked with a warm smile, "You can use it too, you know. You are Ichigo's girlfriend, right? That means you're practically family!" Orihime's face felt as though it was on fire.
"M-Me?!" she sputtered, hiding her face behind her hands, "N-no way, we're just friends!" Rangiku looked somewhat disappointed as she dropped her stole onto the bench she'd placed her shoes beneath.
"Really?" she said, pulling the straps of her dress down to reveal her well-endowed chest. Orihime was so mortified by the conversation that she hardly even registered that the older woman was stripping. "That's too bad. You'd be cute together! Have you asked him about it?"
"I-I couldn't do that!" Orihime squawked, "It's illegal, right? A-And besides, Yamamoto-sama said I should stay away from him!" Rangiku looked at her for a few seconds, blinking in confusion. Then she started laughing. Orihime could even see little tears in the corners of her eyes. She was beginning to feel extremely silly.
"Wh-what's so funny?"
"Oh, him," Rangiku said, wiping her eyes, "Don't listen to him, Orihime-chan. He's old and stuffy and I'm sure that cane he carries is lodged somewhere it shouldn't be half the time. Plenty of demons have human girlfriends on the downlow. Although that's usually Incubi and not Wraiths..." Orihime blinked in surprise at this revelation; hadn't Ichigo gotten in trouble just for being around her?
"But... Kurosaki-kun got in trouble because of me..." she continued feebly. At this point, though, she felt like she was making excuses in the face of Rangiku's overwhelming mirth.
"Oh, that wasn't because they thought you were dating," Rangiku said, walking over and enveloping Orihime in a squishy hug, "They thought he'd Marked you -- ahh, they thought he'd bitten you. We actually aren't supposed to do that. Human blood is bad for us." Orihime blushed as the taller woman's naked breasts enveloped her; she thought about correcting her on the human bit, but wasn't exactly sure what to say, so she let it drop.
"O-Okay," she replied, the regular color returning to her face, "If you're sure it's alright..." Hugging Rangiku, she realized, was rather nice. She was soft and smelled nice and it had been a very long time since anyone had comforted her physically like this. As she thought about it, the last person to give her such a soothing hug was probably her brother, before he died.
"Of course it is," the blonde said, dropping a small kiss on top of Orihime's head, "Now get of out those clothes and come take a bath with me!" Orihime blushed furiously as the blonde demon released her and began to slide her dress over her hips.
"I-I can't, that's--" she stammered as Rangiku's dress slid down to reveal a stringy pair of black lace panties, "That's too much, Rangiku-san! I can't impose like that!" As the older woman added the discarded dress to her pile of clothes and went after her panties next, she gave Orihime a grin.
"Don't be silly," she said cheerfully, "You look like you could use a bath and we have to find some way to kill time while Hitsugaya-taichou is indoctrinating those two!" As soon as her panties were added to the clothing pile and her hair was secured atop her head, she stepped over and started undoing Orihime's school necktie.
"I-I haven't taken a bath with anyone since I was a little kid," she admitted weakly as the older woman stared on the row of buttons on her blouse, "But I guess it's okay since we're both girls..." Rangiku smiled and let her take over the unbuttoning of her shirt as she placed an expressive finger beside her face.
"Exactly!" she chirped, "It's totally fine!"
Satisfied that Orihime was going to undress and then join her, Rangiku turned and made her way to one of the tubs with steam rising off the top. Orihime watched her gather a bucket with scrubbers and different bath soaps and the like on her way over to the water. Just as Rangiku stepped in, Orihime was shedding her school skirt. In another few seconds, she was completely naked as well, tying her hair up on top of her head. She had to resist the urge to run over to the amazingly large tub; if she were totally honest with herself, she really did want to see what it was like to take a bath in something that huge.
As she made her way over to the tub, she covered her breasts with her hands, remembering something of her modesty. Rangiku did no such thing, though; she plopped down into the water just as easily as if she was fully clothed.
"What are you being shy for?" she asked up to the younger girl happily, "Come on, come on!" Orihime did as she said, stepping lightly into the water. It was almost hot enough to scald, but she liked hot baths, so that wasn't a problem. It was certainly hotter than the hot water heater in her apartment gave her.
"Ahh-!" she exclaimed, sinking down to her breasts in the deliciously hot water, "It's really nice!" Rangiku grinned, squeezing a sponge in Orihime's general direction.
"See? What did I tell you?" she said, smiling, "It's even better to take a bath with another person, though! Here, turn around and I'll wash your back!" Orihime obliged, turning her back to the older woman. Another second passed before she began happily scrubbing her back.
"Uwah, you're really good at this, Rangiku-san!" Orihime chirped, turning to look over her shoulder at the other woman.
"I love baths, so it's only natural that I'd be good at them," she replied firmly, as though it was the most sensible thing in the world. For her part, Orihime sighed; the hot water and sponge on her back were soaking her tension away. After the day she'd had, it felt nice to relax.
"Well, that part's done," Rangiku said cheerfully, "Now lift up your arms!"
"My arms?" Orihime parroted, confused.
"Up, up!" Rangiku slipped her hands underneath Orihime's arms, causing her to lift them. Before she could protest, the older woman was swabbing her breasts with the wet sponge. It was almost as if she was giving extra attention to the pert pink nipples that were starting to stand out against the sponge.
"Your breasts are so cute," she cooed, cupping them with a little squeeze, "I've wanted to see how they compare to mine since I first saw them!" She seemed to be weighing them with her hands for a moment before moving on to caressing the nipples. They stiffened beneath her hands, causing a blush to spread across Orihime's cheeks.
"R-Rangiku-san!" Orihime squeaked, the other woman causing her to squirm as she rolled the little pink pearls between her fingers. It was the oddest sensation, more intense than when Chizuru grabbed her at school during the day. It was even doing funny things to her stomach, and lower.
"It's alright, right?" Rangiku giggled, "You look like you need to relax. Besides, you do things like this, don't you?" When Orihime shook her head nervously, Rangiku looked scandalized.
"Never? Not even a little?" she asked, voice full of awe, "Not even by yourself?" Orihime's cheeks burned as the older woman gave her another firm squeeze.
"N-No," she admitted hesitantly, "I don't even know how... how to do things like that." She turned her head to see the blonde pouting at her.
"That's so sad," Rangiku said, voice all full of sympathy, "Don't worry, Orihime-chan! I'll teach you!" She pulled the younger girl back against her generous breasts with a splash, allowing one hand to travel down to her stomach and lower.
"R-R-Rangiku-san!" she sputtered, face burning brightly more from Rangiku than from the hot water in the tub, "A-Are you sure this is okay?!" Rangiku's face suddenly got very serious.
"Okay?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit offended, "It had better be more than okay! I have a reputation to uphold!" Orihime squeaked as the older woman's fingers slipped down through her unruly auburn curls and into the cleft at the junction of her thighs.
"Reputation?" she asked dubiously, "What kind of reputation?" Rangiku simply smiled warmly and gave Orihime another gentle squeeze.
"Well, I'm a Succubus, so this is kind of my calling, you know?" Orihime blushed fiercely as the older woman's fingers found purchase against the soft, warm skin between her legs. Her head swam with this new information; wasn't this what Chizuru was always compared to? Rangiku was different than what she expected a Succubus to be, though; she was warm and almost motherly, even comforting with her touch.
"Y-You are?" she asked hesitantly as the older woman drew her back against her chest and slowly began moving the fingers on her hand that had trailed lower. Orihime gasped as she felt the pads of Rangiku's fingers press against a small bundle of flesh and nerves; the pleasure shot through her veins, warming her just a bit more than the water around them.
"Don't sound so surprised!" Rangiku said, pouting as she moved her fingers, "Here, let's start here!" She pinched the quickly hardening knot she'd been toying with until then, causing Orihime's hips to involuntarily move towards her hand.
"This is your clitoris," she explained, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger for effect, "It feels really good when I touch it like that, ne? You can come just by playing with it enough. Did you know that?" Orihime shook her head, maybe a little too quickly.
"I-I don't... know what that's like," she admitted quietly, suddenly very embarrassed by her inexperience. Rangiku was once again scandalized.
"You've never..." Before she could finish the sentence, determination lit her face. "That's it! I'm going to give Orihime-chan her first orgasm!"
"Ran-Rangiku-san!" Orihime squeaked, her body red more from embarrassment than the heat of the water. It was true that she had no idea how to even begin to have an orgasm; she figured that was something she'd figure out one day in the far future, probably when she was married.
"Just relax, okay?" Rangiku said comfortingly, still moving her fingers in a way that made Orihime's hips move on their own, "You can't do it if you're scared or tense. And anyway, it's better to learn how to do it like this now, so it'll be more fun when you and Ichigo finally do it."
Orihime wanted to be deeply mortified. She really did. But the combination of the hot water, the motion of Rangiku's fingers, and the pressure she was now putting on her nipple made it hard for Orihime to think. Even worse, the image of Ichigo reclining in the bath flitted back into her mind, but stronger this time. Guiltily, she allowed herself to imagine it was he who was touching her now, pulling her back into his solid chest and cradling her wet, naked body against his. Just as she was imagining what his fingers must feel like, Rangiku spoke again.
"Haaaah?" Rangiku said slowly, her voice dripping with barely subdued mirth, "Amazing! You relaxed right away! Here, I'll show you something special!" Not taking the pressure off Orihime's clit, Rangiku slid her longer middle finger between the slick folds of the younger girl's skin, causing her to gasp in mild surprise.
It wasn't so much the feeling of the other woman's finger intruding into her most private area that got to Orihime as it was what she did with it a second later. Curling that finger around, Rangiku pressed gently into the moist roof of Orihime's passage. That spot was particularly sensitive; Orihime couldn't help but respond by pressing closer to the demon's hand. As Rangiku stroked her again, a tiny noise escaped her lips, somewhere between a moan and a pant. Rangiku only seemed to take that as encouragement.
"It feels really good, ne?" she asked, pressing her finger a bit more firmly into the flesh, "This is your G-spot. If you feel some pressure down there, just relax into it, okay? Once you let it go, it’ll make you feel even better!”
Orihime nodded, closing her eyes tightly and concentrating. She really did feel pressure down where Rangiku was stroking, but how would she know how to let it go? Or when? She concentrated as hard as she could, and before she knew it, she was even holding her breath and clenching her fists.
“Oiii,” Rangiku said, giving her clit a tiny pinch, “You’re not relaxing! You’re straining! Just let me do the work, okay? The rest will come on its own.” The pinch caused Orihime to start a bit; she definitely hadn’t been expecting that. By the same token, though, she couldn’t say that it had hurt, either; in fact, it sent a pleasurable little jolt up into her stomach, causing her to clinch just a bit. But it definitely did what Rangiku had intended for it to do; she slumped against the older woman, her body less tense and more defenseless.
“S-Sorry, Rangiku-san,” Orihime said with just a tinge of embarrassment, “I was trying really hard.” The older woman smiled as she continued her ministrations. As she relaxed into them, Orihime did find that she enjoyed them just a bit more.
“Don’t apologize,” Rangiku cooed, “Just relax and let it happen, okay?”
Orihime nodded and leaned back into Rangiku’s masterful fingers. Her breathing became deeper and heavier as she felt herself getting drawn more into the experience; she was starting to feel the sensations from Rangiku’s fingers better, moving her hips in time with her strokes as she did. There was a warmth spreading down between her legs, and up into her stomach. It allowed her to feel every movement Rangiku made better, the sensations lighting up her nerve endings like a candle. Her breath even began to come out in sharper puffs, to the point that she was making small, sharp gasping noises.
“You sound just like a little bird,” the blonde breathed into her ear, causing a tingle to race up Orihime’s spine, “I want to just eat you all up!”
Something thrilled in her at that statement. Maybe it was the tone of Rangiku’s voice or a tiny bit of pride at being thought desirable. Or maybe it was the hint of danger there; as a Succubus, Rangiku certainly possessed the strength to do whatever she wanted to Orihime and make that statement a reality. Either way, she felt her head grow fuzzy again as her body grew warm from the inside out.
It started as that warmth, coming from her belly and spreading outwards. As it traveled with her heartbeat through her body, Orihime felt her muscles constrict around Rangiku’s finger, a small gush of liquid escaping around it into the surrounding water. The pleasure that followed was intoxicating, making her feel as though her whole body were expanding to melt into the water itself. When her daze lifted and she looked up to Rangiku again, she could see the older woman smiling warmly at her.
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" she chided with a smile, "Did you enjoy it?" Orihime set her mouth and nodded firmly.
"U-Uhn! V-Very much, Rangiku-san!" she said eagerly, the warmth from her body fading back into the warmth from the bathwater.
"Rangiku-san!"
Orihime covered her breasts reflexively and jumped away from Rangiku, splashing water over the side of the tub as she did so. As she looked towards the door, where the voice was coming from, she noticed that Rangiku seemed completely unfazed by the interruption.
"Oh, Hinamori!" she said cheerfully, reclining easily against the side of the tub, "Why don't you come join us?" The black-haired demon placed her hands on her hips and gave Rangiku a frustrated look.
"I thought you might be up to something bad," she said, chiding the older woman, "Just what are you doing with that human girl?" The way she said it, Orihime thought she must know very well what they had been doing. In response, her face colored brightly.
"It's skinship, skinship!" Rangiku said, waving a hand dismissively beside her face, her voice losing none of its jovial lilt, "You should try it sometime! Otherwise, you're going to get wrinkles from being so stressed all the time!" The girl Orihime had heard referred to as Hinamori looked taken aback for a second before leaning forward with a light scowl on her pretty face.
"I... I will not! I'm younger than you!" This didn't seem to faze Rangiku in the least.
"Ah-! Maybe you should ask Hitsugaya-taichou if he'll take a bath with you!" she suggested with an easy smile, "It might help him grow a little! Oh! Or maybe you'd rather have Kira take a bath with you instead?" Orihime wasn't sure what part of that statement was most embarrassing, but she noted that Hinamori's face was definitely as red as hers now, possibly even more so.
"Ra-Rangiku-san! Stop being a pervert!" she yelled, pushing the ruffly skirt of her dress down with her hands, "Stop trying to hook me up with one of them!"
Orihime watched the good-natured argument continue, Rangiku purposely riling the other girl up while Hinamori haplessly took her bait. She certainly felt a bit awkward as she sat naked in the tub, waiting on them to finish. After some time, Rangiku waved her hand to draw the argument to a close so she could continue with her bath.
"And anyway," Rangiku finally said dismissively, "Close the door, you're letting the warm air out!"
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Ichigo had stood patiently through the introductions to his new housemates. He and Chad had been introduced to the Master-at-Arms, Hisagi Shuuhei, and the Yeoman, Kira Izuru upstairs in the drawing room.
Hisagi was stern-faced and stoic, speaking no more than what was required of him. With an unruly shock of black hair framing his face, Ichigo had been surprised to find he sported both scars and a tattoo of the number 69 on his face. Part of him wanted to be impressed at the way the man had seemed to elevate the art of being an aloof badass to an art form; the other part just wondered what on earth would've possessed someone to get a tattoo on his face.
The other man, Kira, was a bit more sociable than his sempai, if not a bit more awkward as well. Whereas the other man exuded an air of easy confidence, Kira seemed a bit more self-conscious. Straight blonde hair fell in a point before his left eye, obscuring it entirely few view. Even behind the plank of hair, though, Ichigo could see that the man had a kind, if somewhat apprehensive face.
Both men had accompanied them to the training room below the main house itself, along with Hitsugaya and Rukia.
Unlike the other rooms in the expansive mansion, this one seemed closer to a traditional dojo and closer to what Ichigo had been expecting when he arrived. Racks of shinai and bokken, as well as free weights, heavy bags, gloves, and face masks lined the mirrored walls in orderly rows. The floors were heavily polished hard wood; he was suddenly grateful for the pair of house shoes he'd been given upon entering the house. There was no telling what the angry little white-haired kid beside him would've done had he scuffed that perfectly polished floor with the sneakers he wore to and from school.
Somewhere along the way, Ichigo had noticed they'd lost the girl who had let them into the house, Momo. He thought he heard her murmur an apology before vanishing to go look for the blonde that had absconded away with Orihime. Something about that made him uneasy, though. Maybe it was that he was worried that something bad could happen to her without his knowledge. Or maybe it was that he was anxious to put their day of tension behind him. Either way, the muffled sounds of familiar female laughter floating through the walls simultaneously soothed his nerves and pricked him with just a bit of jealousy.
As he'd been absorbed by his thoughts, Ichigo hadn't noticed that Hitsugaya had walked over to a set of traditional sliding doors on the far end of the training room until he heard him knock on them. His eyes snapped up to the shorter boy, watching in confusion as he pulled the door half-open with a snap. Ichigo briefly thought his eyes were deceiving him as he saw the utter darkness swirling beyond the door. It wasn't a normal closet, that was for certain.
"Two of you, come out now," the white-haired boy commanded in a firm tone. As if on cue, two small creatures emerged from the darkness of the artificial closet, bouncing into the dojo one after the other.
The first one to enter the room looked for all the world like a miniature lion. Ichigo regarded him with a curious scowl, one eyebrow cocked into his spiky orange bangs. The small creature peered back at him defiantly, almost as if he was daring Ichigo to say something about his appearance. Before he could, however, the lion spoke.
"OI!" it blurted out roughly, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in surprise, "Is this some kind of joke? I wait for years to get a master, and this is what they gave me?" Somehow, he just knew this insult was directed at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ichigo shot back, causing Rukia to roll her eyes at his outburst. The lion bounced over to stand before Ichigo, looking balefully up at him with his paws on his hips.
"What do you think it means?" the lion continued, "It means I've never seen such a puny, uncool excuse for a demon before! How am I supposed to have any fun in the human world with a stiff like you for my boss?" Before Ichigo could stomp the obnoxious lion within an inch of his life, however, he noticed the other creature that had emerged from the sliding door behind him.
It somewhat resembled a turtle, but all its features were more elongated, thinner. Ichigo could've sworn it was even wearing a necktie of some sort. And unlike its feline counterpart, this tiny creature didn't argue or fuss; in fact, Ichigo had yet to hear it even make so much as a peep. It strode right towards Chad without pause for anything else that may have been in its path.
"These are your new familiars," Hitsugaya said matter-of-factly before closing the sliding door again, "All the new recruits get one when they enter their house. Familiars, introduce yourselves."
"Nova," the turtle said simply, giving Chad a small bow. Chad responded in kind, a small dusting of pink scattered across his nose. Ichigo realized he probably thought the small creature was cute.
"Sado Yasutora," the deep voiced giant replied, bending over to help the little turtle up into his hands. Ichigo's attention was torn away from the two kindred spirits by a loud, grating noise from his feet.
"Oi! Oi oi oi!" the lion was bellowing, drawing Ichigo's attention back to him, "I'm Kon! But that's Kon-sama to you!" Ichigo's eye twitched; first Rukia, now this guy. These demons were determined to surround him with the most annoying people imaginable, weren't they?
"That's a stupid name," he replied evenly, scoffing at the familiar.
"I'll have you know, it stands for King of New York!" Kon said with a huff, "My second cousin, twice-removed, is related to the King of America!" That settled it; this was definitely a conspiracy against Ichigo's sanity. As he buried his face in his hand, the small lion turned his attention to Rukia.
"Nee-san!" he said, looking up at her with teary eyes, "Where have you been all my life? Why couldn't you have been my master instead?" Before Ichigo could even say anything, though, Rukia's small foot came crashing down into the lion's head.
"I pity you, Ichigo," she said evenly, twisting her ankle a little to rub the creature's face into the hardwood floor, "I think you got a defective one." Ichigo couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction as the small feline squeaked underneath Rukia's heel.
Suddenly, the door of the training room burst open and three pairs of stockinged feet tromped into the room.
"Captain~!" Rangiku's sing-song voice carried through the room and echoed off the mirrored walls. Ichigo thought he might have imagined it, but Hisagi's ears seemed to get a bit pinker as the blonde walked in.
"Just in time, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, turning to his lieutenant, "We were just wrapping u-- Matsumoto, what are you wearing?!" Ichigo's eyes flickered from Hisagi's pink ears to the blonde behind them. When he saw it, his jaw dropped.
The busty blonde was barely wedged into a fluffy pink bathrobe that just dusted the tops of her thighs. The top was also loosely fastened, showing off her impressive cleavage. She also had a matching pair of fluffy pink slippers. Ichigo noticed that Hisagi was suddenly holding his nose as he turned the other way. For his part, Ichigo wanted to run and hide; what the hell was with these demons?
As his eyes left Matsumoto's barely-dressed frame, though, he noticed that Orihime and Momo were with her. Orihime was smiling serenely, dressed in her school uniform with a pair of fuzzy slippers on, her hair pinned neatly in place as usual. There was something different about her from when he last saw her; she no longer looked sad and distracted, but instead looked healthy and happy. In fact, the change was so pronounced that he couldn't help but nearly stare openly. Part of him was relieved that she looked so much more relaxed than the last time he saw her, but part of him - a rather large part, were he to be honest with himself - was curious how that change had happened.
"Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said, hands on hips with a frustrated expression on her face, "You won't believe what I ca--" Matsumoto's hand silence her before she could say any more, though.
"Now, now, Hi-na-mo-ri~" Matsumoto chirped, pulling the smaller girl back into her bosom, "Not in front of the guests!" Before the angry black-haired girl could protest, however, something small and furry launched itself at them.
"Nee-san!" Kon cried in delight, flying through the air towards Matsumoto's bathrobe-clad chest, "Nee-san, surely you can use another fami--" Matsumoto smiled as she batted Kon back towards Ichigo, where he collided with his master's solid chest.
"Oh, Ichigo!" Matsumoto chimed, "You got your familiar! That makes you one of us now, ne? Congratulations!" Ichigo held the unruly lion by his scruff, a look of distaste on his face.
"Yeah, congratulations," he murmured, "Of course I'd get stuck with the deviant familiar." But as he lowered the irritating familiar, he noticed Orihime smiling at him.
"I think he's cute," she said, smiling serenely. Ichigo blinked once in surprise before the lion started struggling in his grip.
"Nee-san, you're so kind," Kon said desperately, trying to jump to Orihime next, "I could be your familiar instead!" Ichigo visibly bristled, his teeth clinching together as he shook the familiar by his scruff.
"You're my familiar, so suck it up and get over it," Ichigo ground out, opening the flap of the bookbag that was slung over his shoulder and shoving Kon roughly into it. He latched the flap closed over Kon's protests before turning his scowl back to Orihime's amused face.
"Ignore him, he's a jerk," Ichigo mumbled, looking off to the floor in a hurry.
"Well, if there's nothing else you want tonight," Hitsugaya said, drawing their attention back to him, "You're free to go on your way."
____________________________________________________________
"That was a lot of fun!" Orihime chimed as Ichigo trudged down the chipped sidewalk behind her, "Rangiku-san is really nice, too..."
The difference from the time Orihime showed up at the mansion to the time they left was like night and day. Ichigo couldn't help but feel a little jealous as he walked her home; what did Matsumoto have that he didn't? He knew he should just be thankful that Orihime wasn't avoiding him anymore, that she was smiling again, but he couldn't help still feeling shut out.
Without thinking, he came to a stop beneath a streetlight, watching Orihime's back as she swayed down the sidewalk away from him a few steps before she stopped walking as well. She turned slowly, her auburn hair falling over her shoulder and down her back as she looked back at him.
"Kurosaki-kun?" she asked softly, turning back to move closer to him, "What's wrong?" Ichigo gave her a weak smile, hoping his expression wasn't worrying her.
"It's... It's nothing," he lied, "Hey, when... When we were at school today, you... You weren't angry with me, were you?" Well, he figured that was the best way to put it; accusing her of avoiding him probably wouldn't go over well. Instead, Orihime's face softened into a sad smile.
"No," she said gently, stepping beneath the streetlight with him, "It wasn't your fault. It's just..." She froze, mouth half-open for a second before her eyes flitted down to look at her hands. She fidgeted a bit as Ichigo waited on her to continue.
"It's just that Abbadon-sama told me that I shouldn't get involved with you and Sado-kun," she continued softly, not making eye contact, "So... So I thought I should try to stay away." Then her amber eyes flickered back to his, a warm expression lighting them. "But Rangiku-san said I was being silly, and that it's okay if you have friends that... aren't demons."
Ichigo ran his hand through his hair, sighing at Orihime's confession. So that nosy old man had said something to her when he pulled her aside. He felt a flash of protectiveness; who was he to tell Orihime who she could and couldn't be friends with? That was her decision, as well as his.
"Inoue," Ichigo finally said with a sigh, "We're not going to leave you behind, alright? Me and Chad will still watch out for you, even if... even if we're not like you anymore." Orihime looked as though she might cry. She was hiding it well, though, Ichigo thought, as she gave him a strained smile.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun," she said quietly, smiling up at him even as little tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes, "You don't... You don't have to put yourself out on my account, though. I-I know I'm kind of clumsy and--" Ichigo rolled his eyes as he started walking again.
"Dummy," he said softly, addressing her without turning around, "Don't argue with me. We're going to watch out for you whether you want it or not. I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you ever again. Got it?"
Even though he couldn't see it, he could tell that Orihime was smiling even as she wiped her cheeks.
"O-Okay!"
Ichigo smiled at the sound of her voice, walking slowly to give her short legs the opportunity to catch up to his long ones.
"Now hurry up," he said, avoiding her eyes as she ran to his side, "Those shows you like are on, so we have to get you home."
