Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo and whoever else actually owns it and I make no money from writing this. This story however is mine and is not to be replicated, reposted, or copied in any way without my consent. Thank you.
…
The Next Day, Part 1
.
Tatsuki felt herself regain consciousness slowly as her mind carefully reawakened from the glorious and oh-so-relaxing dreams she had been having. Her eyes snapped open and she shot up in a flash when she realized she wasn't lying on anyone, or by anyone, and her heart sped to unhealthy speeds at the thought that everything she had just went through might really have been a dream.
"Good morning sunshine," a deep voice said cheekily.
She had never been more relieved in her life, and she let a long sigh escape her before turning to the source of the sound. Ichigo sat on the chair next to her bed, fully dressed in his uniform and hers already pressed and ready to go on the nightstand next to her. She saw something strange pass over his face and arched an eyebrow confusedly, to which he turned his head away with the beginnings of a blush starting on his cheeks.
"If you want to get going anytime today you had better get dressed or else we may lose another day." He pointed carefully towards her while being sure not to look openly, even though his traitorous eyes couldn't fully peel themselves away from the sight of his naked wife-to-be, with only a bedspread haphazardly covering her nether-regions from his appraisal. She was sitting up though, and that meant they were fully allowed to ogle her wonderfully full breasts. Tatsuki seemed to realize this when she felt warm morning air on places she never usually had uncovered. She looked down at herself before looking over at Ichigo, and did the cruelest thing possible.
Hey, she thought to herself,
why should I be embarrassed? Nothing he hasn't seen before. Languidly stretching her arms above her head, the martial artist flopped back onto the bed as she kicked the sheets away to stretch her legs too, basking her completely naked body in the morning sunlight coming through her bedroom window. The light seemed to flow over the velvety skin that covered her iron muscles underneath and set it into an unearthly glow that made it shimmer like a precious jewel. Each motion and cat-like stretch was lit in the almost surreal light and accentuated the distinct fact of Tatsuki's usually hidden role as a woman. A beautiful, strong, woman.
Ichigo had long gone rigid—in more ways than one—and now he was clutching his knees in restraint, much to her amusement. She knew they probably shouldn't waste any more time, but in her personal opinion it would have been time well wasted. She dressed quickly, but in a way that stretched each any every limb and muscle as one who was completely and totally at ease with the situation around them, at some times even gracing him with views no person—let alone a man—had seen before except him. Somewhere in his mind he took great satisfaction in that, even though the more carnal desires in his long-repressed body had started bubbling to the surface again.
Finally, she stood before him in an identical shihakushou that had mysteriously been mended and held no trace of the cut that had sliced its top nearly in two. He guessed it had something to do with the health of the Soul Reaper wearing it because his always seemed to repair itself too, even when he was in the beginner stages of a Soul Reaper his uniform always repaired itself even though Rukia only healed his body. He left the question for another time. He hadn't gotten an answer even after all this time, so why question a good thing?
Still, standing before him confidently as she did now in her uniform, with her ragged black hair somehow falling around her head in its natural waves and spikes, deep black eyes looking at him with love and pride while her appearance and poise promised a threat to any danger…
…she had never looked more beautiful.
He couldn't resist walking over to her and molding her to his body one last time before they left. He pushed their lips together with gentle force and allowed a hand to trail through the ebony locks that were surprisingly soft for the spikes and waves they formed without any kind of unnatural interference. She was shorter than him, but not by much, and that made it easy for them to continue with delight even though she couldn't wrap her arms around him like she wanted to because of the giant sword wrapped in its own cloth on his back. She settled for putting her hands on his hips just as his other hand was doing to her.
How a calloused fighter's lips could be so soft she had no idea, but she could only thank whatever deity had deemed it allowable that she could be with him. He was exactly like she had first thought: a contradiction. He was rough but gentle, strong yet meek; he was everything and its opposite, and he was willing to do whichever he pleased at any given time. It was that sense of spontaneity that always kept her craving up, but just like the contradiction he was, he was able to do one thing continuously if he knew she liked it.
She had never met anyone more confusing than Ichigo.
He had never met anyone more confusing that Tatsuki.
It only made sense they would fit together. It helped that they were both fighters and the added sense of challenge one could offer the other at a moment's notice if they wanted to take a break from the normal romantic routine most other couples went through provided instant change from the norm. It went without saying that they would certainly never be bored.
These were things running through their minds as their lips met over and over, tasting and nibbling at the other set like it was the most natural thing in the world. When they broke for air they just stood there silently as Ichigo pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply. If this was a dream he hoped it never ended, but her smell made it gloriously clear that what was happening was not a figment of their imagination, but the beginning of something with endless possibilities. She smelled of musk, sweat, and pure passion. How he could recognize the last scent he had no idea, but it was a carnal aroma that appealed to every male desire he had ever had.
"I think we need to shower when we get out bodies back," he said quietly into her hair with a chuckle. Her zanpakutou wasn't nearly as large as his, nor was it situated on her back, and thus he was allowed to fully embrace her unlike her predicament.
She sighed comfortably as she rested her head on his shoulder and stayed still holding his hips. Yet another part of the contradiction that was Ichigo Kurosaki. He looked like he had been ready to jump her moments ago, and now he had just melted her insides with his kisses and held her like a lover completely satisfied.
"Shouldn't we be going?" She asked after a while, but her heart wasn't in it. She knew they needed to be going, but what she really wanted was to stay in that warm embrace forever. Even a tomboy needs a little physical comfort every now and then, and she could have almost fallen asleep standing in the hold that made her feel more safe than she had every felt in her life.
Ichigo wanted to say no to her question, he really did, but he knew her question held merit. They had awoken at dawn this time, so there was plenty of time to get to school, but he didn't want to lose the contact. He hadn't felt this way since his mother had been alive. The sense of trust and love coming from the woman in his arms made him want to hold on to her forever and never let her go. They both knew they belonged to the other, but the corporeal representation of that made him feel more alive than he ever had. Sadly, she was right. If they wanted to get their bodies back and shower before going to school they needed to leave.
Reluctantly, he let go of her and was relieved by her near-whine of loss.
At least I'm not the only one with the emotions of a mushy banana, he mused thankfully. He reached behind him and pulled Zangetsu from his back as it unfurled its sheath automatically like it always did. Tatsuki looked alarmed for a second before Ichigo turned and presented his back to her.
"Hop on."
She stared at him. "You can't be serious…"
A slender eyebrow arched gracefully. "We'll get there a lot faster if you ride on my back. Or do you know how to use Shunpo?" He asked smartly and received a punch to the shoulder as his answer, as well as a slightly embarrassed blush from Tatsuki. Then a solution seemed to hit him, and obviously it was a good one from the way his lips lilted back into a small grin. Wordlessly he re-sheathed Zangetsu and disappeared from her sight in an instant. This made Tatsuki's eyes widen at the thought of him leaving without her… that was until she was unceremoniously lifted into the air from behind and suddenly she was being cradled in Ichigo's arms not like a child, but like a bride. Another blush rose to her cheeks but she smiled up at him anyway.
"You idiot," she murmured.
Ichigo only smiled more.
"I'm not going to drop you, but you might want to hang on anyway."
With that they were off, soaring through the air out her window with grace and an overwhelming amount of speed. The scenery around them whipped by her vision and she was astounded by the seemingly slow steps Ichigo was taking, almost like he was simply bounding from one area to the next but the speed he was going at made the thought impossible for such a thing.
Reiatsu is a strange thing, plain and simple, she came to the conclusion in her head. She still had a lot to learn in that area, but she suspected learning would be a great joy if her fiancé and lover was the one to teach her. For some reason she couldn't stop the trembles of anticipation that coursed over her skin at the thought.
Rigorous training indeed.
She was almost being plastered against his chest from the force of the air pushing against them as they flickered from sight in one area to appear in another. To the outside world all they would see was a slight sign of movement before nothing could be seen, but to Tatsuki she felt each and every centimeter they moved at the breakneck speed with startling alacrity.
This is more fun than I thought! She realized with hyperactive glee. Another great advantage of this was the protectiveness she felt radiating from the man holding her. She had thought his heart would be hammering inside his body right now from the strain of going so fast, but it was almost exactly the opposite. His heart was going in a normal, slow, steady rhythm and it didn't seem in the least bit affected by the inhuman speed they were going. Maybe her bounding theory was closer to correct than she had initially thought.
Even as she allowed herself to revel in the feel of the harsh wind beating against them, she never took her eyes away from Ichigo's face. From her position she was able to see all of his skin from the slight V in his shirt to his hairline. She could see the tendons in his neck tense every once in a while and the way his chest moved in practiced motions, not like regular breathing, but more like a trained regimen he had forced into habit. Each breath was taken with caution and care, but that wasn't what had her notice at the moment.
She was too enraptured by the way his spiky hair had been shot back in the intense wind. It bounced with every movement and in rare occasions even darted across his eyes, but never once did he falter. The clouds above his head were passing by so fast they looked like mere strands of cotton pulled tightly over his head, yet his eyes never lost their focus.
She had had her misgivings about Ichigo carrying her, mostly out of her enormous sense of pride and the supposed humiliation that being carried would give, but instead she found that she enjoyed this act immensely. Crisp air, supernatural speed, and knowing nothing wrong could happen. What could be better than that?
Well… She thought incredulously. …
there is at least one
thing better. She resisted the urge to giggle like the schoolgirl she was instead of the tomboy she was supposed to be.
All too soon she felt herself be set carefully onto the ground and she looked up at him in surprise. "We're there already?" It was very hard not to sound like a whine.
Her lover chuckled softly. "Tatsuki, I circled the town five times before I stopped here. It looked like you were enjoying yourself so I didn't want to stop."
And with that, Tatsuki's embarrassment reached new levels.
Not once, not twice, but five
times! In that amount of time! She wasn't going to live this one down anytime soon, she was sure of that. In her own mind anyway. She rubbed the back of her head and grinned sheepishly. "Weeelll…maybe a little…"
Ichigo mirrored her grin right back at her. "I'll be happy to do it again if you want. Maybe I'll even kick it up a notch next time, I didn't want to start you off too fast."
Tatsuki's mouth promptly unhinged itself.
He can still go faster
! Now she couldn't wait until he taught her how to use shunpo. She was practically jumping up and down in her excitement, but one major factor doused that enthusiasm.
School.
Tatsuki groaned miserably and turned away to look up at the sign to Urahara's 'humble' candy store. The man did know how to run a store, she had to give him that. "Let's go get our bodies and get showered. I want to get school over with as soon as possible."
Ichigo only chuckled in response and followed her moping form into his old teacher's domain.
…
Their bodies were found with little difficulty. Ichigo had ran to the store in his human body to make sure he had a place to stash it when he jumped from it, and so it wasn't left at home, where someone like Kon could get a hold of it. He shivered, even though he now had a really,
really, good idea about what Kon found so great about the female species, he simply couldn't stand said plushy's blatant tactlessness about their feminine traits.
A womanizing stuffed animal. Just what the worlds needed.
They found a surprise sitting watch over their bodies though, and that was the reason aforementioned bodies had been found so easily. Kisuke Urahara and an unexpectedly
dressed Yoruichi Shihouin sat having breakfast at a table stacked high with food, a pile of food that was being rapidly lowered thanks to the unbelievably fast eating of the mocha-skinned woman. Ichigo and Tatsuki stood at the entrance in shock for a few seconds before Urahara decided it was time he acknowledged their presence.
"Good morning Kurosaki-kuuuuuuun!" He greeted joyfully. "And Arisawa-san too! You've finally remembered your bodies!"
Both Tatsuki and Ichigo turned red as tomatoes. There was no doubt.
They had been sooooo busted.
Yoruichi decided she could take a slight break from her bowl and lowered it enough for them to see a blindingly white grin on her dark-skinned backdrop. "Good morning you two, finally decided to pull yourselves out of bed?"
Both teens in question pushed the insinuating undertone of her voice to the farthest reaches of their minds. They were
not going to think for
one second that the two…extremely reiatsu-sensitive…ex-
captains…knew what they had been up to.
There was a long pause at that.
Nope, nadda, not a chance in hell. There was simply no way.
"Do you two want to use the shower before you join us for breakfast?" The Shihouin princess asked playfully.
No denying it anymore, no matter how much they wanted to repress it.
"You…know?" The black-haired tomboy questioned hesitantly. Just to make sure, she had to be sure. Yoruichi's fanged grin grew to inhuman proportions and they didn't need any more than that. They knew all right.
Oh shiiiii—take mushrooms, they thought in unison. There was nothing else they could say, or think for that matter.
Tatsuki didn't notice Ichigo's serious expression until he spoke up and brought her attention back to him. "Urahara-san, do I have any credit here?"
Under his hat, Kisuke's eyes looked up curiously. Ichigo never addressed him formally unless he wanted to be taken seriously without a shadow of a doubt. "Let's see shall we!" He pulled out his little bounty device and checked it exaggeratedly, with as much drama as they had come to expect from the man. "Espada killed, wars ended, and world-enders defeated and-or utterly destroyed… brings you up to a grand total of an unlimited credit at Soul Society's expense!" He announced triumphantly.
There was a heavy silence that settled over the room before Ichigo's lips slowly turned into a dangerous smile and Tatsuki almost fainted at the knowledge that had just been given. He really hadn't been kidding. They could actually live
very comfortably for the rest of their lives without having to work one day of it.
Nah, where'd the fun in that be? She thought happily. After all, one could not pursue their dream when it could also be considered a job.
"Well then Urahara-san, I'd like to put a request on that credit," the Shinigami prodigy murmured embarrassedly.
"Oh?" Both Yoruichi and Urahara asked simultaneously. It had been a year-and-a-half since Ichigo had defeated Aizen, and only now had he ever voiced any interest in his very well-off finances. They wanted to know what could make him tap into that credit.
"What would that be?" The still curious shopkeeper continued.
The young man sighed and gathered his resolve. "Two rings. I don't care what kind, they don't have to be anything fancy, but I need two rings."
Yoruichi started choking on her breakfast. She beat her chest repeatedly with one hand but Urahara had to give her a few pats on the back before she was able to breathe properly again. She looked over at the two teens with a small amount of rice sticking to her lip, and how someone so old could look so adorable they didn't really know. "You…you
what?" She reiterated.
Ichigo's characteristic scowl returned full-force. "I said I need two rings. Silver, gold, platinum, I don't really care. All I want is for them to be real." He was getting really irritated at having to restate it so many times. It was like they were questioning his decision.
Urahara was following Yoruichi's line of thinking. For once. "So Kurosaki-san, you want…rings?"
The vein in Ichigo's temple throbbed until it looked like he was going to have an aneurysm right there. "Dammit that's what I said the last two times! I need a couple of engagement rings! What can't you understand about that! I asked Tatsuki to marry me!"
Yoruichi's dark skin turned ghost white and she fell backwards to the floor with a loud
thump of unconscious flesh. Urahara sat
stunned beside his fainted lover for a second, something that never happened to the all-knowing shopkeeper, but then again Ichigo always made him do things he'd never anticipated himself doing. Right now though, the only thing running through his genius mind was miniature Ichigo's and Tatsuki's wreaking havoc on Karakura Town and Soul Society. The worst part of the daydream—or nightmare—was that each little Ichigo or Tatsuki copy was exactly like the ones he and Yoruichi had debated about the other day.
So it was either mini Byakuya Kuchiki's, or mini Rangiku Matsumoto's with tempers double the size. Then there was always the medium between the two, and he didn't even want to
think of the possibilities
that held.
The worst part of it all was that he knew no matter what kind of children they had, there would always be one thing in common: reiatsu levels somewhere above the stratosphere.
God help us all… Urahara prayed with a shudder.
Nevertheless, the seemingly unfazed shopkeeper stood up and started walking away, turning just enough for them to see one of his eyes before he disappeared from sight. "Okee dokey!" He exclaimed cheerfully, "I'll go see what we have! Now would probably be a good time to eat before Yoruichi wakes up and finishes the rest of iiit! Then you can shower and get going, I'm sure you want to get back to school todaaaaaaaay!"
And then he was gone.
Not likely, Tatsuki groused, but said nothing aloud. She was thankful for the madman's planning ability though. Everything he said did sound like a very good plan to follow. It was a lucky thing they had both still been in their school uniforms, so no changing would be needed after they showered. The last thing they needed was to go home right after dawn. Tatsuki had made the excuse she was going to sleep over at Orihime's for a while and since it was practically her second home her parents had had no qualms or questions about it. If they knew she was skipping school she'd be dead.
Not like that would really matter now. She snickered.
They both shrugged when the platinum-blonde man was gone from their view. "He makes some good points," Ichigo conceded and Tatsuki nodded in agreement.
They both hopped into their bodies and followed his suggestions.
Of course, they just couldn't resist poking Yoruichi's prone form with a stick just to see if she really was out cold or not.
Their answer? Oh yes.
Turns out she had fainted from the images that had merely stunned Urahara.
…
The engaged couple walked their way to school after the episode with Urahara and Yoruichi. They had managed to have their showers—separately of course, they both knew that they would never get anywhere if they took one together, no matter how tempting the idea was—and get on their way with time to spare. There was no change in attire for them, just the regulation uniform and vest that their school required. Well, no change that would be instantly noticeable. Tatsuki was walking beside her orange-haired fiancé with a seemingly never-ending blush on her cheeks and his face hadn't changed from the content smirk it had had when they left.
Both were likely because of the simple gold band cradled around their left hand's ring finger.
Even though she knew she had said yes and agreed with that decision with all of her heart, there was just something about the tangible presence of that promise on her finger that made her cheeks warm with happiness. Ichigo had had a discussion with her when he had given her the ring at Urahara's, and it was those same words that kept replaying in her mind as she lovingly played with the ring on her finger.
"
Tatsuki, I'm not going to shout our engagement from the rooftops, but I'm not going to deny it either. We can act like we usually do, but if someone spots the ring and specifically asks me about it, I'm not going to lie. Are you all right with this?" He was serious, as usual, and that was what made Tatsuki so happy. As far as he was concerned they both knew they belonged to the other and that was all he needed, but if he was asked he wouldn't hesitate to tell the truth. It didn't hurt that she could sense the pride in his voice when he had said that.
He was proud she was his. That alone made her blush.
She couldn't deny her own pride either, and she was just as proud of having him as hers.
The rest of the walk stayed in the same companionable silence.
…
When they entered the classroom the first thing that happened was their slightly disgruntled, but still overall cheery, teacher ran up to Ichigo and proceeded to smack a book on his head repeatedly. Misato Ochi's frustration was always comedic, and how the woman managed to teach so many classes on her own never ceased to amaze them. That, and question the school board.
"Kurosaki! Where have you been the past few days! I was beginning to think you didn't want to graduate! At least you got here today, and on time too!"
Ichigo's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at his teacher's actions and he calmly—maybe
too calmly—pointed his finger at the source of his pain, the stupid book, and began, "Ha—DOH!"
He had been in the middle of his sentence when another book came flying out of nowhere and bounced off his head like it had been its intended target all along. Ichigo was knocked to the ground naturally and he glared over at where the book had come from, where an innocently whistling Rukia waved naively towards their teacher, who waved back in confusion. Tatsuki was looking back and forth between the three in the same amount of confusion. She had no idea what was going on or what had just happened and the look on her face was priceless.
Not bothering to answer anymore, Ichigo gruffly got up and stomped his way over to his seat, where he plopped down angrily.
It wasn't a Cero at least. I could've done a Cero, just one teensy little Cero, but I had to go and try the one thing Rukia would recognize without a doubt! He paused in mid-thought.
Maybe that's a good thing, even a tiny Cero could destroy the school. He snickered after that. He had the power every student dreamed of: the power to blow up their school.
Right now he was seriously wondering why he didn't use those powers.
He looked behind him on impulse, where he found a short, dark-haired woman-demon giving him a death glare with her burning violet eyes. He gulped, not because he had any reason to be afraid, but because it had been ingrained in him from before he was stronger than her as a Shinigami.
That'd be the reason right there, he remembered with another gulp.
Rukia could be damn scary when she wanted to.
Maybe she had a reason to be, after all, she
was the one who had taken the time to try and teach him Kidou. It wasn't his fault he sucked at it. There was only one he could actually get working, and that was because the way it was formed was the simplest. Besides, his body was already well used to it, it
had gotten that same Kidou blasted clear through it at one point in time. White Lightning was certainly dangerous, and with
his reiatsu it packed a punch rivaling that of Byakuya's.
It was just one book, what was so wrong with wanting to incinerate it?
He discarded the thought, and just in time too, because the bell rang seconds after. Might as well get the day over with already.
…
Now halfway through the day, Ichigo Kurosaki was currently cursing the fact that he couldn't make the day go any faster. When he had first wanted to get the day over with it had been because he was angry and miffed and basically just mad with the situation in general. Now however, his reason for wanting the day over was something else entirely. He didn't know how hot it was going to be, but since the year was almost over and summer was approaching, it should have been expected.
It made him question the school's decision to hold off changing back to the summer uniforms, but hopefully that would come soon.
But no, if it was only the heat he wouldn't have really cared. He had been on the receiving end of a Cero, and those were hotter than the hottest day could ever
hope to be; the heat of the day barely affected him.
Tatsuki though, it seemed to be affecting. He had been minding his own business, semi-paying attention to the lesson, when he had taken his first glance over to where his love interest was sitting.
Big. Mistake.
Her skin was glossy with a fine sheen of sweat, and apparently her vest and shirt were getting rather uncomfortable in the heat, which was likely why she was tugging at its collar to try and alleviate the heat in her body. Even that hadn't been so bad, but he just
had to see the small beads of moisture drip down her slim neck and into said vest and shirt. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat and her hair had even lost some of its spikes because of the humidity, gaining enough water to actually weigh down her hair. Her intense ebony eyes were focused on the chalkboard with what he could obviously see was half interest, but then they just happened to move and lock with his.
He could have sworn he saw a small smirk form on her face. Maybe it was because he was doing everything but outright staring, or maybe it was because she knew instinctively what she did to him with the simplest of gestures. Whatever it was, he knew she had it and so did she. As if she had no idea what she was doing, she traced a finger down the side of her face and down her neck, where it pulled at the collar of her shirt again. How she managed to make it have a completely erotic feel, he had no idea. What he did know, was that she was now
teasing him.
She was supposed to be a tomboy, and yet she was
teasing him!
And for the love of all that was holy he was falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
What was even more infuriating was the absurdity of it all! He had lasted for seventeen and a half years without feeling the least bit of 'loving' feeling to anyone but his family, and once he had entered puberty even then he had been able to completely drown out any physical arousal. Pretty easy when you're a Soul Reaper and there are things out to kill you, but that had come later. But here he was, and his steel will was being broken down piece by piece, something that never would have happened before.
Why on earth did he have to fall for the one person who could make him feel like the horny teenager he was and not the moody, unapproachable fiend he had made his image out to be!
Dumb question.
That was
precisely one of the reasons he had fallen for her.
That, was why he wanted to get the day over with now. He was new to the whole realm of sexuality and as such, especially being the male he was, he could do very little to try and do anything in return without being able to touch her. He was gaining a good deal of knowledge about her body, and he did know certain ways to evoke the same reactions she could make so easily in him, but in order to do that he needed to be touching her.
Or so he had thought.
"Kurosaki!"
He was jolted out of his thoughts by his teacher's voice. He looked up in a daze to see Miss Ochi looking smugly at him…and there was a monstrous question on the chalkboard behind her. Math had no place in the life of a Soul Reaper, but if he wanted to stay where he was in the standings—surprisingly better now thanks to Uryuu—he needed to stay at the top of his educational game.
Should have been paying closer attention. Damn, if I let this get in the way of my Soul Reaper duties then I'm dead, I really have to learn to multitask. He groaned. "What?"
The young woman's eyebrow twitched from her position teaching the class. "You think you can miss so many days, why don't you come up here and show us if you've learned anything from skipping school?" She sounded way too smug for her own good.
Yes, thank God for Uryuu Ishida. They had actually found something in common other than the need to kill Hollows: their studies. It was also the only way they could keep skipping class to go fight aforementioned Hollows. They had worked together, Uryuu, Chad, and Ichigo, to get themselves into the top five, where Uryuu had never left his number one spot. It was thanks to that that the teachers didn't care where they went, as long as their grades stayed high. It was troublesome, but in the end it was worth it.
The thing was,
this particular teacher always liked to try and catch him off guard.
Troublesome indeed.
Shrugging in his usual non-committal style, he walked to the board with his hands in his pockets, but along the way he was reviewing the question he had to answer and deciphering the answer even though it looked like he was almost sleeping. The teacher followed each of his steps with her overconfident smile, but that was smashed and discarded into little bits of astonishment when Ichigo calmly picked up a piece of chalk and started scribbling all over the equation like it was second nature. By the time he was done the chalkboard was a mess of markings and doodles but the answer sat at the bottom in its unquestionable correctness.
"Su respuesta, ah gran Maestro," Ichigo drawled sarcastically. Nearly all of the class, including the teacher, almost fell out of their seats.
Since when did the Strawberry learn Spanish!
The befuddled Miss Ochi rearranged her glasses on her face and leaned further into the board, like the answer she was seeing on it was nothing but a smudge on her glasses. She coughed embarrassedly. "Well done, Kurosaki. If I may ask, what did you day just now?"
And when on earth did you have time to learn Spanish? She finished inwardly.
The orange-haired Vizard couldn't fully restrain the condescending smirk that Ogihci wanted so badly to send his host's teacher. "Dije que podría estar enseñando esta clase usted psicópata lento." Uryuu choked down the laughter that was threatening to burst out of his lungs and even Chad gave a small chuckle at what their orange-haired companion had just so mockingly told their teacher before he returned to his seat.
Being in Hueco Mundo for extended periods of time obviously nurtured the new skill, and hanging around with a born Spanish speaker and a know-it-all Quincy didn't hurt either.
"Are you mocking me Kurosaki!" She exploded in classic fashion.
"Quizá soy, quizá yo no soy. ¿No querría usted saber?" He responded lackadaisically with a proud gleam to his eyes.
This is fun! He thought with a grin that matched his teacher's once smug one.
"Speak to me in words I can understand or I'm sending you to the office!" It was a lame threat, but a threat nonetheless.
Ichigo put his hands out in front of him like he was trying to protect himself from the almighty uselessness that was his teacher's threat, but he acquiesced. "All right, all right, I'm sorry. I answered your question, now how about we return to class?"
For once in his life, fate had mercy on him.
"Okay, Kurosaki. Don't let it happen again."
Just then, the lunch bell rang. He had managed to waste quite a bit of time with that display. Only a few more classes to go.
…
There was an almost tangible sense of relief in the air as Ichigo sighed happily while they sat down for their last period of the day. The classes after lunch had been terrible so far, but he couldn't really care because he and Tatsuki had stolen away from everyone long enough during lunch to reassure themselves of their convictions with heated kisses that longed for more. Sadly, a school was still a school and they weren't
that confident yet.
Still, even though Ichigo did very well in this class because of his dad's training, there was one part of him that dreaded it for some as-of-yet-unknown reason.
Health class.
Worse yet, the person who taught it was none other than Miss Misato Ochi, their beloved homeroom teacher.
"All right boys and girls, today we learn about the female body!" She exclaimed happily. Most of the boys, especially Keigo, were delighted at this information while the entire female population of the class groaned.
Ichigo on the other hand, paled.
Yes, that would be the reason right there. He was comfortable around Tatsuki, he loved her and wanted to know her, but he had no desire to see any female body
other than hers. He already knew all the parts of the human body, male and female; he wouldn't be much of a doctoral candidate if he didn't, and so he saw no point in being in this class.
Maybe there's a Hollow somewhere? There was a valid reason for his hesitancy: he knew that with this particular teacher, this lesson would be one notch short of all-out pornography.
It was quite apparent that all the
other boys knew this as well. Thankfully, Chad and Uryuu weren't among the mindless people whispering 'yes's under their breath. There was one thing funny about the scenario though, and that was Chizuru was now really interested in school for once.
"Okay!" The teacher brought her rowdy students under control with her loud acclamation. She was the oddest teacher they had ever known, and her styles were different, but surprisingly effective. How so many of the other teachers always seemed to get sick was kind of odd, and Misato Ochi had since become the resident know-it-all of Karakura High. "Arisawa! Since this is your first day back after a long absence, why don't you come up to the front?"
Warning flags went up in Ichigo's head.
Tatsuki was confused, but she obeyed her teacher wordlessly. Much to her shock, the teacher instantly jumped in front of her when she was facing the class, and exclaimed, "This is the body of a woman that has trained her body to keep up with the male-driven world! Notice the strong muscles of the biceps and triceps, perfectly capable of doing anything a man does, maybe even better!" She had now grabbed Tatsuki's arm and was holding it out like some kind of mannequin's limb. Tatsuki herself though, was quickly becoming mortified.
Ogihci however, was in a downright uproar.
Get your filthy hands off my Queen you wench! Ichigo was trying his best to ignore him, but then the teacher went a step further.
And it was the cruelest, most undignified, thing possible. In fact, if Ichigo didn't know any better he would be tempted to think she was trying to get back at Tatsuki for missing even more days of school than he had. Still, nothing deserved
this.
"Asano! Why don't you come over here and hold her arm up while I go on?" She asked happily.
The feminine tomboy went as pale as a ghost and soon Keigo was holding up her arm, looking very much like someone that knew he was going to die should he make a wrong move. As to be expected, his lecherous nature came back when he felt her soft skin, something he hadn't expected she'd have at all. His corny smile was back full force and that was the ultimate proof that something was going to happen if he was allowed to stay in this situation. His death at Tatsuki's hands would be well worth it if the rest of her body was as soft as her skin.
Now the Hollow within was threatening to go Bankai.
What the hell are you sitting around for? He shouted in indignation.
Get their hands off her! For once, Ichigo was fully agreeing with the monster inside of him, but he couldn't use the methods Ogihci wanted, and that was what he was struggling against. He had complete control, but this time Ogihci was putting up one hell of a fight.
His right hand clasped to his face instantly as it tightened like a claw into his skin. His eyes were turning black, he could feel it. The thing that scared him more than anything had in a long time though, was that for once he wanted the same thing his Hollow did. Maybe he was subconsciously allowing it to gain control because Tatsuki was put in a compromising situation.
This is bad, really BAD! Meanwhile, another part of him was going,
MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE! His hand was in spasms over his face now, and people were starting to notice.
With great difficulty, Ichigo raised his other hand and got the teacher's attention. "Do you have a question Kurosaki?" She asked naively.
"
Ca-Can I p-
pleas
e l
eave?"
His friends were all well-aware of
what was happening, they just couldn't understand
why it was happening. They all knew his control of his Hollow had been absolute ever since he had destroyed the Hougyoku, so they were wondering why, and
how, it could be giving him trouble. What was also catching their attention though was the way Tatsuki's right hand was shivering by her side, like it wanted to do the exact same thing Ichigo's was doing. Ichigo was still shaking in his seat, and he couldn't even muster enough control to bring down his hand.
He missed one very important thing.
His ring had caught the light when he had raised his hand to ask his question.
The teacher looked at him quizzically and adjusted her glasses again, like she had to be sure of something. She coughed politely. "Kurosaki, if you're going to be embarrassed you're not meant for this class." Ichigo very nearly growled at her, but then she continued and knocked his train of thought completely off its tracks. "And I know you're not one to wear jewelry, but if you have to do it in class, please wear it properly." It was not meant as a condemnation, just a statement of fact that was supposed to imply his error, and Ichigo knew this. It took a few seconds for his previously struggling mind and soul to pick up what she was implying however.
…
In the world littered with blue skyscrapers, a white form of Ichigo smiled ruefully.
"Heh, no need to do anything now." He couldn't help but look at the sky longingly nonetheless.
"When are you coming back? Don't worry, we'll have their hands off you soon…" He cracked his knuckles maliciously.
Even if it was Keigo, there were some things you just
didn't do.
…
The young man under her gaze couldn't stop his face from reddening slightly at Miss Ochi's comment even though he knew in his heart he had nothing to be ashamed of. He lowered his hand out of instinct and was slightly surprised when it came down instantly, and he could no longer feel Ogihci pushing for rage. This allowed him some breathing room, and some space to try and do some damage control.
Sitting back like nothing had been wrong, he raised his left hand again and eyed it nonchalantly. "I like it where it is, what's wrong with this?"
By now every student in class, including his closest friends, were eyeing him curiously, trying to figure out what he was doing before and what their teacher had found so wrong on him.
Again, the teacher made another polite cough, like she was trying to spare him embarrassment if he found out what that particular placing meant. "Kurosaki, the ring finger on the left hand is meant for wedding bands and engagement rings."
A tense silence flowed over the students, but that was quickly disrupted by Ichigo's off-handed, "So?"
The teacher nearly fell flat on her face. "K-Kurosaki, are you saying you have a right to wear that ring there?"
Said person arched an eyebrow and looked at her like she was the stupidest thing he had ever seen. "And if I did?"
It took a few seconds for that statement to process in the minds of everyone present in the classroom, and even then no sound came out of any of their mouths. This was not something they expected to hear in class,
especially when it involved the romantically-inept Strawberry.
Then in an ear-shattering yell Miss Ochi screamed, "ALL RIGHT WHICH ONE OF YOU GIRLS IS PREGNANT?!"
Welcome to Health Class Hell 101.
Ichigo fell out of his desk so hard the
thud resounded throughout the room. Tatsuki was trying valiantly not to burst out laughing from the question that would have petrified—check that, it
did petrify—all the other female students of the class, minus only Rukia and Orihime. She had another problem to deal with though, and that was her inverted half screaming at the top of her lungs in very similar rage to her future husband's.
Get them the hell off of us! I swear if anyone's hands but our King's is touching us in the next five seconds I'm going to rip them off! What was even more amusing was her and Ichigo's friends had odd looks on their faces, and odd was putting it lightly. They were likely wondering just when Ichigo had gotten into a relationship, and more importantly, with
who.
She chuckled under her breath and her Hollow went quiet, like it had been silenced by an outside force. Emotions in reiatsu were easy for her to read, that was one of her main abilities, one Tatsuki had taken advantage of before her awakening to discern the reiatsu of everyone around her.
Her King had no intention of letting what was happening slide.
Ichigo bounced back to his feet and pointed at the teacher like she was a lunatic. "What the hell kind of question is that! Just because I'm engaged doesn't mean I got anyone PREGNANT!"
He had just admitted it in easily understandable terms, and not some joking retort as the tone had been earlier. All of his close friends: Rukia, Orihime, Mizuiro, even Chad and Uryuu, all fell out of their seats at once with varying degrees of yelps or grunts as they fell. The simultaneous display was hilarious, and for those few short seconds following as the group got up the class could laugh at something else for a change. It was particularly funny because seeing such a large man as Chad fall out of his chair was something for the Richter scale. Even Tatsuki wasn't able to hold back her laughter at her friends' display of surprise. Keigo though, wore an expression of complete and utter disbelief, and he had frozen in place holding Tatsuki's arm.
Uryuu was the first to recover his poise, as usual. "Ichigo, if this is a joke it's in bad taste," he said pointedly, as one would expect from the straightforward Quincy.
"My own friends too!" Ichigo cried in near despair.
It just had
to be the most loudmouthed teacher in the school that had to notice the ring first! It just had
to be her, the one frick'n person that would blab it to everyone right away! Ichigo was seriously considering finishing his spell from the start of the day.
Yeah, that would feel really nice around now. Maybe a little Cero or two…. Ogihci was in full agreement.
"Well then Kurosaki," Miss Ochi began as she wiped away the sweat still forming on her brow, "who, pray tell, are you getting married to?"
Tatsuki mimicked Keigo. She froze. Ichigo had told her he wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone if he was specifically asked about it. He had just been specifically asked about it. For some reason, one part of her mind was jumping up and down in glee.
Damn Hollow, she thought patronizingly.
It seems fate hadn't been merciful earlier in the day, it had just prolonged the time until the inevitable would come, because it was at that moment that Keigo—the person still frozen clutching Tatsuki left arm—realized he was holding her elbow in one hand and her hand in the other. And the hand had a cold metallic feel to one part of it.
Thawing enough to move, a shocked Keigo Asano looked down the arm in his hands until its view was held solidly on her feminine hand…
…where a band of gold caught the light when his hand moved from its place over hers.
Naturally, Keigo responded in the only fashion Keigo was capable of. He scurried away from her as fast as he possibly could and stood mortified as he pointed his finger at her like she was the devil incarnate. "SWEET LORD IN HEAVEN! YOU'RE ENGAGED TO ICHIGO!"
The class was silent.
The class was silent some more.
The class was silent even more than before.
This information was too much to wrap their heads around. The tomboy, the one person with absolutely no aptitude for physical affection other than bloody beatings was engaged to the Strawberry, the person that held absolutely no ability to love any human being in existence? Surely somewhere, Hell had frozen over.
This was all dispelled when the still standing Ichigo let loose a sigh of relief. "Well, now that that's done with, can we get back to class?" He seemed to be completely oblivious to the states of those around him. "Oh wait, just one second," he stated with dark humor as he stalked towards his now-cowering friend.
Keigo was clutching his knees shivering in the corner when Ichigo's form appeared before him and towered over him like the Grim Reaper himself. What added to the effect was the taller man had let his eyes transform and was now giving Keigo a view of the full, undiluted rage that had been boiling within him all the time said friend had been touching someone else's fiancé.
"
You touch her again with a grin like that and I'll remove your hands, got that?" He hissed lowly, to which Keigo whimpered and nodded his head rapidly. Ichigo stood up and stretched like nothing had been wrong. "Okay, let's get back to class!"
He turned back to the class to see that everyone in the room, from his best friends to his teacher, had all fainted. Only himself, Tatsuki, and Keigo were left in the land of the conscious.
Ichigo and Tatsuki looked at each other for a second before twin smiles broke over their faces and they ran out the door.
Looks like school let out early today.
No one noticed the thin line Ichigo's lips had become, or the distinct tightness of his jaw.
…
Author's Notes: Ah, editing.
Also, I don't speak Spanish so I used an online translator. So if anyone by chance happens to know Spanish and sees mistakes, I'm sorry but I didn't really know if they were right or not, I just trusted the translator.
Su respuesta, ah gran Maestro – Your answer, oh great teacher.
Dije que podría estar enseñando esta clase usted psicópata lento - I said I could be teaching this class you dimwitted psychopath.
Quizá soy, quizá yo no soy. ¿No querría usted saber? - Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Wouldn't you like to know?
That should be the translations. Go easy on me if they're a bit off. Thanks for reading!
