False Love

Chapter 12: Finding Her, Losing Her

Ryou was standing outside the door, for the second time that week. Waiting for his Ichigo to open up. He was excited and scared and maybe just a little bit crazy. "But that's entirely all her fault," he thought.

After some terrifying minutes, Ichigo finally opened the door, a smile gracing her lips, "Ryou."

He immediately closed the space between them and crashed his lips onto hers and almost as quickly pulling back, "Why don't you just move in with me?"

"What?" she looked startled.

"I don't mean… I meant, I have plenty of space, spare bedroom, and once my house is done, I'll have even more, I just mean until you figure things out, maybe you'd….. maybe?"

"I.. Ry…." Ichigo started, "Yeah! Yes! That would be amazing!" She laughed.

"Yeah?" Ryou grinned pulling Ichigo close to him.

"Yeah," she smiled, letting him pull her into another kiss. Ryou nibbled on her bottom lip and she moaned. He started kissing her neck, nibbling, and moving slowly to remove her robe.

"Wait…," Ryou stopped, "You aren't wearing anything under this again?"

She smirked, "I was being optimistic."

Ryou grinned, "You're full of surprises, like always, strawberry."

Ichigo squealed as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Laying her down, he began nibbling her neck, as his hands roamed through her body. Ichigo left out a soft sign, feeling completely enamored with his warmth. Ryou took his time, exploring her body slowly, making her writhe and moan. Her body completely consumed by sensations wanting to go faster but also wanting to make everything last.

Afterwards, they fell asleep in each other's arms after whispering sweet nothings into each other's ear.

Ichigo woke up to the sun lightening Ryou's features. His skin almost glowed to the rising sun, his long lashes and the gentle, calm look in his features reassured her. She was going to move in with him. Live with him, smile with him, have cranky morning coffees with him and joke and laugh with him. She was going to do it. And she was going to do it right now.

She couldn't wait any longer. She removed herself from the bed slowly, and dressed. She was going to pack and leave Masaya and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her.

With one last kiss on Ryou's lips, Ichigo left with a purpose to her steps.

Ryou awoke an hour later, still groggy he let his arms roam the bed, trying to find the warmth he expected had shifted away from him, but when he realized the bed was empty he sat up with a jolt.

"Ichigo?" he called out. When he didn't get an answer he searched the room and bathroom. There was no note, but her clothes, keys, and purse were all gone. "Did I scare her away?" It was the only reason he could come up with, with her sudden disappearance. Still he hoped he was wrong, and jumped into the shower. "Maybe she went to get breakfast or coffee."

Thirty minutes later, when she didn't show back up, he decided to try calling her, but got no response. Just her voicemail.

"Ichigo, it's Ryou. I don't know what happened, but if I did anything wrong just tell me. Call me back and we can talk about it," he sighed hanging up and leaving.

When he got home, he took another shower and changed. Somehow he felt dirty and disgusted with himself. "I pushed her too much, it was too fast. I fucking ruined everything. I always ruin everything," he thought. He knew he might be taken it a bit extremely, but everything was a bit extreme when it came to Ichigo and he never thought her as flight risk. Maybe flakey and clumsy, but she was always steadfast in her decisions. She was always there when it counted and she didn't waver. Had he misjudged her? Had she really changed that much?

He walked back downstairs to the kitchen, and preparing himself a cup of tea.

"Ryou?" Keichiro said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he said finally noticing Keichiro standing in the kitchen with a concerned look in his face.

"What's going on?"

"What? Nothing." Ryou answered quickly.

"Ry, seriously? You were out for the last two nights and now you come back looking like someone died, just tell me what's wrong already. You're going to eventually anyway," Keiichiro said sighing deeply.

Ryou shook his head and frowned, "I was with Ichigo last night…"

"And?"

"And we had an amazing night and I asked her to move in with me and she said yes and when I woke up this morning she was gone. No note, won't answer my calls. I don't know what I did. I don't know what's going on. Why would she just leave?"

Keiichiro nodded and took a seat on a bar stool in front of the breakfast bar, "Ryou, everything we know about Ichigo tells you she wouldn't just do something without reason. I'm sure she left for a reason, she's in a rough situation and just maybe she can't answer the phone right now? Didn't you tell me before, she seemed to need to contact you when he was gone. Maybe she's home and can't tell you what's going on because he's there? Isn't it possible?"

"Of course it's possible. I know all that, I know, but she could've left a note, sent a text, anything before she left, but she didn't. She just left and now I don't know what to think. I don't know anything. Maybe I pushed her, maybe she doesn't want to leave him, maybe I'm just a complete idiot for thinking she and I could ever be together."

Keiichiro reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Or maybe you're doing what you always do."

"What the hell does that mean?" Ryou snapped.

"Ryou, you always do this. You always look for something wrong, for a reason to be unhappy and I get that for a long while there bad things seemed to happen a lot, but it's not like that anymore. You can be happy, you can allow yourself to be happy and have faith in people. I'm sure Ichigo will contact you when she can if you give it some time and, if she doesn't, we'll march ourselves right to her apartment and see what's going on. Just be patient, I'm sure things will work out the way their supposed to."

Pushing his cup away, Ryou put his head against the counter, "You know if you're wrong, I might have to hurt you."

Keiichiro smirked, "In a few hours you'll be eating those words and saying "You were right, Keii"."

Ryou laughed and got up, "I might as well get some work done for now."

"Alright," Keiichiro grinned, "I'll make you breakfast it'll be like old times."

"You're too young to start reminiscing, Kei."

"Yes, yes. I'll call you down when breakfast is ready!" Keiichiro called out.

"Yes, mother!" Ryou answered back laughing.

Ryou had been checking his phone all day and it was 6-freaking-p.m. already and still nothing.

"What if something's wrong? What if that son of a bitch did something?" With that train of thought he sprang up from his desk chair, grabbing his phone and dialing her number. Over and over again, but all he got was her voicemail.

Frustrated he dialed the second person he could think of that could help him.

"Hello, Ryou. How are you?"

"Minto, I need your help," Ryou said exasperation running through him.

"Yeah, anything. What's going on?"

"It's Ichigo, we spent last night together and this morning she left without saying anything. I haven't been able to reach her."

"I'll try calling her now, but what'll we do if she doesn't answer?"

"If she doesn't answer you then I'm going over there. This isn't like her," Ryou answered, "And if that fucking bastard did anything to her I'm going to kill him."

"Right, in other words, you need us there to stop you from doing in anything stupid, we'll meet you there if she doesn't pick up."

"Fine, just call her," Ryou ordered.

"Yes, sheesh, now I know why Ichi always thought you were so bossy, I'll call you back soon," she answered hanging up right after.

Ryou sat starring at the phone for 5 minutes before he finally heard it ring. Picking it up, before he could even say hello, "She didn't pick up, we'll meet you there. Don't go in if you get there before us and make sure you bring Keiichiro with you," Zakuro barked at him and hung up.

Ryou ran back downstairs, "Keiichiro?!"

"Retasu called me already, let's go," he answered keys in hand.

"Right," Ryou responded heading out the door, "Let's go."

Arthur's note: Oh no! Ichigo!