Hey guys! Hope you all had a merry x-mas! This is a belated present for all of you! :)
Enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and any used character!

Succumb to Temptation

Chapter 2:

Fifteen minutes had passed since Urahara had left but nothing had changed in a particular room occupied by Toushirou and Ichigo. Okay so almost nothing had changed.

After Ichigo's announcement and Urahara's departure Toushirou had shifted into a cross-legged position, facing the girl. He leaned back with his upper body propped up on his stretched arms. Gray pants fitted him perfectly and the champagne-coloured sweater, which covered a white chemise and a striped tie the male students usually wore, with slightly too long sleeves suited the captain. Some might think the white haired man looked better clad in a school uniform than in Shinigami attire and his white haori.

The strawberry's hands were holding the white cup with tea. She never took a sip but needed the porcelain to occupy her hands with. Her nerves were on fire knowing the white haired man was starring her down, waiting for a detailed report of her plan. Teal eyes studied her intently, sending shivers down her spine.

´If I tell him...he will probably kill me...`she thought to herself, jumping up when Toushirou's voice reached her ears, breaking the silence.

"Would you please answer my question, Kurosaki." the man stressed her surname in an impatient way.

"Your question?" Ichigo repeated, glancing over her left shoulder towards him. "Yes, my question. What's with this plan of yours, you mentioned earlier? I'm not eager to attend school but sitting around and waiting endlessly isn't in my preference either." Toushirou stated. His sharp tongue expressed a hint of annoyance. A sigh escaped him because of the lack of reaction coming or better said not coming from the human.

"Ok, ok." she began. "You'll think my idea is stupid, dumb and...whatever but well...nothing else would cross my mind." She turned to the left, her hands resting on her lap now. With her eyes glued to the ground the orange haired girl continued. "Aizen ordered his minions to watch me. I could sense them unconsciously. I think they care a lot more about my Shinigami abilities than how I spend my human life though." She took a deep breath. "So what if I stop fighting hollows since Urahara ordered me to do so for the next few days? I'll go on with my normal life. Going to school, meeting friends...and stuff like that; never using my powers. At least not until they lose interest in me."

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. The others and I, we can handle the appearing hollows without you." Silence took over them and the impregnated atmosphere weighed heavy on Ichigo's stomach.

´Here it comes.` the girl thought nervous, daring to look into the captain's sceptical expression.

"But why would you tell this idea solely to me? I can't see myself given a special role-"

She raised a hand to cut him off. "That's not all." A light blush crept up her neck. "What's even more uninteresting than a normal student?" she couldn't hold his gaze any longer.

´Am I stupid or what?` she questioned herself irritated. Chocolate brown eyes watched the only door in the room highly fascinated.

"I don't understand what you are talking about, Kurosaki." Hitsugaya showed his irritation by knitting his fine-shaped white brows.

"A human girl being in...in..." she began stuttering around. Why was it so hard to say a simple word like that one?

"Just spit it out already!" anger and impatience were back on the surface.

"In love!" the girl shouted. She squinched her eyes shut and stopped to breathe because she was afraid and embarrassed to no end. Ichigo's face gained the colour of a real strawberry. Minutes passed by, in the girl's position they felt like years. There was silence until someone laughed. Brown eyes opened hesitantly at first before fear was replaced by anger. "What's so funny?" the girl barked, fighting back tears. The captain's reaction wasn't what she had been expecting. ´He's laughing at me!` she thought hurtful.

"A girl in love only thinks about one person, neglecting duties, and homework. She doesn't care about anything else...I think." she added the last words after a short pause.

Toushirou's laughing ceased down and ended because of the seriousness in the orange haired girl's voice and face. He sat there, watching the wavering rage die down. The red colour was still present in Ichigo's face, even deepening because she didn't know what else to say. Suddenly the orange berry jumped to her feet. "Forget it! This is stupid, I'm going home!" she breathed out and quickly turned to leave. "Stop right there." the man commanded and the female student obeyed automatically. She stood there -held back by a relative small hand around her wrist- not moving an inch.

Toushirou could see tears of frustration and embarrassment that threatened to fall from Ichigo's eyes. Why did he have to feel like he had unwittingly kicked a puppy?

"Sit down, Kurosaki." the captain said in a calm, soothing manner, pulling her back down and letting go the moment she sat on the floor again.

"Give me a minute to think about this." With one hand under his chin Toushirou really considered her idea. "Maybe this could really work out with a well played act..." he muttered under his breath. "But why me and not Abarai or someone else?" he asked her. His teal eyes were searching for an answer in a pool of warm chocolate. He wouldn't admit it in front of anybody but the girl's choice made the short captain feel strange, in a good way. Although he denied it every time; Hitsugaya carried a bit of a complexion about his height inside of him. No wonder when everyone around him in the gotei 13 was older and taller than him.

"As much as I like Renji as a friend, he's an idiot and always acting like a child." Ichigo simply shrugged explaining her choice. "Yumichika is too occupied with himself and Ikkaku...we are talking about Ikkaku here!" the strawberry rolled her eyes.

That made the corners of Toushirou's lips turn upwards in amusement. "You are right about them but I'm a Shinigami, too. Wouldn't a human be a better choice and a lot more unsuspicious?"

Ichigo had thought the same thing in the beginning but she knew the Shinigami would never leave her out of their sight and if the enemy caught them observing the girl, now that would risk the whole play. And what was she supposed to tell the human boy about her reason for acting to be in love. Letting him know, the captain couldn't deny the orange haired girl was kind of right.
"What do you think? You gonna do it, captain?" Ichigo asked aloud waiting for an answer.

In the huge and massive, white castle of Souske Aizen –somewhere located in Hueco Mundo- mentioned king of the vast and desert like world waited in his throne room. The dim lighted room occupied nothing but Aizen's pompous throne with its artistic form. The man, who had been once a captain in Soul Society, sat where only he was allowed to sit down. He rested his head on his right hand, while his calculating brown orbs focused on the white double door on the opposite side of the room. The king with dark brown hair was waiting for two of his children -who belonged to the strongest Arrancar, also known as Espada,- he had sent on a short mission to the human world.

Ulquiorra had been going after the same observation target for weeks now, so only Grimmjow's part was of short duration.

Aizen was very interested in the gathered information Ulquiorra would brin. His black haired, fragile looking subordinate never disappointed him. That was why Aizen basically ordered Ulquiorra to fulfil most crucial missions. Grimmjow was sent as the fighting part because he needed to get out. Just like a bored kid he tended to mess with anyone who crossed his path and Aizen didn't like broken walls or loudly fighting children in Las Noches.

The door opened and an impassive looking Ulquiorra entered the almost empty room, followed by a pissed Grimmjow. Aizen saw immediately that the blue haired Arrancar looked dishevelled and how a nasty wound adored his exposed torso. Blood leaked out of it and stained the white floor.

Aizen sat up, straightening his back and greeting his two sons. "Well hello my lovely children. How did your mission go?" A sadistic smile played on his lips.

The pale Espada nodded. Halting several feet away from his master's throne, he raised an arm towards his left eye, a motion that would allow his master to see what Ulquiorra himself had seen during the battle.

"Wait for a moment, Ulquiorra. Before you show me everything I suggest our little Grimmjow here to go see Szayel and let him treat his injury." Aizen announced. Grimmjow gritted his teeth; shooting a hateful glare towards the other two man, but none the less the blue cockatoo turned around and left. He hated Aizen's guts but he couldn't cross the fear he felt when brown cold eyes focused on him.

"Continue." the amused king spoke up, nodding his head to emphasize his words. The Espada did as told; his pale hand grabbed his green eye and ripped it out. Surprisingly there was no spilt blood and the dark haired Arrancar didn't show any sign of pain he might, no he probably should have felt. Stretching out his arm, Ulquiorra crushed his own eye and silvery dust streamed out, scattering in the air.

Meanwhile, Aizen still sat on his throne but this time his eyes were closed. Different pictures appeared in front of his inner eye and in every single one there was the orange haired girl he had seen from face to face over a year ago. There were a bunch of scenes that were not of any interest to him, but none the less the brown haired man noted how the girls figure had slightly matured. Her black attire had tightened around her chest, her striking hair had grown and her fighting abilities held a smooth dance like flow. ´Urahara has trained her well.` he thought excited. With the passing scenes filling up his mind he recognized a growing veil of exhaustion casting over her. Constant battling and psychic manipulation took their cost on even the strongest and talented fighter -the human girl was no exception here-, and Aizen was sure the substitute Shinigami couldn't beat an Espada like Grimmjow or any other halfway strong Arrancar in her condition.

The time had come for the most important part of Ulquiorra's observation to infiltrate his inner world. A dead bird; nonrelevant. Ichigo being attacked by the blue haired hollow, but not being able to dodge him; mildly interesting but also disappointing. The girl evoking her Bankai? That was a turn on. Aizen had been told, at his time in Soul Society, that the girl had gained access to her Bankai form and that it deferred to a Shinigami's usual change. Thus seeing this first-hand fascinated the king of Las Noches immensely. His eyes took her whole being in, lasting on every changed detail, contrasting before with after. When the small tulip came into his view the man who always knew everything about the smallest things was irritated.

"What is the meaning of this?" left him in a whisper. A few more moments passed by, the fight had ended and his eyelids lifted, revealing cold, brown orbs.

"Unfortunately you didn't get to see what I wanted to confirm." the master said, a dry, disappointed tone accompanied his comment.

"My humblest apology, Aizen-sama. It appears that Kurosaki Ichigo isn't of any value for us." Ulquiorra bend down. A thick black brow went up, when Aizen started to cackle amused.

"Oh I think you don't understand which information I was waiting for as a result, my dear cuatro Espada." He paused before deciding what should be done next. "You will continue the observation until you get a glimpse of the ability and power I know lies within her."

"But Aizen-sama..." Ulquiorra tried to change his master's mind.

A flash of harshness crossed Aizen's features and his sharp words which followed suited his expression

perfectly. "Do you doubt me, Ulquiorra?" There was no way Hueco Mundo's lord would allow a mere pawn of his game to lecture him. The young looking man kneeled down, showing his obedience towards his master. The peasant's action allayed Aizen's wrath slightly. With an indicated smirk and some last words he dismissed Ulquiorra. Sifting through everything Aizen had been shown and musing over a small flower-riddle he would enjoy solving, the most manipulative man on this earth smiled and felt a relatively strong urge to get the orange haired human girl into his almighty hands.

Ulquiorra Cifer was on his way to his personal room. He needed a little time to sort out his thoughts and what exactly his master's last words meant. Maybe a shower and a calming tea could help him before he would continue his mission the next day. Under the crystal clear water falling from above sly words clouded his mind.

"The moment you lay your eyes upon it, you will understand what I am searching for."

´What did I miss...?`Emerald eyes closed, isolating him from any distraction. The chances of a miscalculation or misinterpretation of Ulquiorra's analysis was virtually zero. ´She can vanquish pitiful hollows, rather strong menos and adjuchas but she couldn't land a single lethal strike on Grimmjow.` There was nothing that Ulquiorra had missed, was there? The running water stopped and a soaked pale body stepped out of the shower, one arm grabbed a white towel to dry every inch of wet skin. The used towel was stuffed into a hidden basket in the bathroom. Ulquiorra, in all his naked glory, walked over to his dresser, taking his usual clothes out and putting them on. His plan had changed. Incited by Aizen's words the black haired Arrancar had decided to return to the human world once he was done with his preparations.

Taking his first step through the summoned garganta, Ulquiorra Cifer's mind was focused, eager to find the answer of one single and nagging question: "Kurosaki Ichigo...what are you hiding from me?"

Three days had passed by since Ichigo's last fight -the one with Arrancar Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez- had taken place in Karakura Town's park. The female student felt better, her cuts didn't sting anymore, her rips still hurt a bit but she could rest and relax and that was a relief. As promised to her boss the orange haired girl didn't participate in anymore battles and her work at Urahara's shop was on hiatus. The only responsibilities Ichigo had at the moment were doing homework; help a little bit in the household and the Kurosaki clinic. Her little sisters had gotten mad at her, thinking the oldest Kurosaki daughter probably had gotten in another meaningless fight she usually got into. Once, Ichigo remembered, Karin had asked if the strawberry had bad karma for being constantly involved in such chaos.

The older sister was thankful her family had no clue what the teen's hitherto unknown spiritual power had gotten them into one night and that without Rukia's appearance they all would have been killed by a damned hollow, named Fishbone D a year and a half ago.

Besides doing the dishes Ichigo wasn't allowed to help the fraternal twins. Especially Yuzu banned her older sister from any other work at home since her and Karin knew Ichigo was hiding scarring cuts and pain behind her smile. So the strawberry was happy when her father had asked her for some help at the clinic, a good way to get away from boredom. Of course the twins weren't amused and protested against Isshin's request, but the old man had cut their whining off with his parental authority he rarely let come to the surface.

Although the tall man often played the fool, Ichigo was sure her father knew what boredom, no work and too much mothering did to his oldest daughter, this being the reason why he had asked for her help originally. Her old, loving dad seemed to know what his baby-girl was going through, Shinigami duties included. He never believed her upcoming excuses of brawls, though several times.
Ichigo was really involved in fights with other teens; one resulting in her friendship with the scary but quite Chad. Ishhin's eyes always changed into an empty state when Ichigo lied and the worry that dared to crush him when his girl had gone missing for days -never knowing where she had been- didn't vanish until the moment she returned, thankfully safe and sound, into his strong but useless arms. Ichigo hated herself for what she did to her family since day one of her other life, so she enjoyed spending time with Isshin during his serious work time. It helped relieve some of her guilty conscience.

Like her sisters Orihime was part of the worrying squad. The first thing her close friend had done during lunch break on Monday had been sending a text, questioning why Ichigo hadn't come to school. The strawberry had thought about lying but a second message followed the first, shorter one. It said Ichigo shouldn't even try to do so because Orihime was there with Rangiku and captain Hitsugaya when the man had separated from them to go look after the unrecognized reiatsu they all had sensed near Ichigo's. So in the end the orange haired girl told Orihime half of the truth. She announced that she had fought a quite strong opponent who took his heels in the time Toushirou had come over; that the reason she skipped school was because she felt exhausted and needed some rest. Her message had ended with the words: I'm fine and good night! XXOO

The kind-hearted student hadn't replied anything, allowing her to get some sleep even Orihime knew the strawberry needed.

And now that Ichigo was in school surrounded by all her friends -from both worlds- Orihime felt content with a healthy looking Ichigo beside her and with the knowledge that the Kurosaki girl wouldn't participate in fights in the near future. She had promised, right?

"So how are your sisters doing?" the female student with darker orange hair asked with a smile. Ichigo's answer consisted of a simple shrug. "They are growing. Father is crying because he thinks he's losing his little girls. I'm telling you the old man will never grow up." the berry muttered.

"He loves his daughters, that's why he acts this way." the curvy girl countered sternly. Inoue never liked it when her friend with similar hair colour behaved like her father was a burden she didn't want to shoulder. And Ichigo knew she was acting like a bitch in those moments. At least she had a family she could go home to; Orihime couldn't.

"I know and I'm sorry, Hime." Kurosaki tried to soothe her friend's indignation with the usage of her nickname. Seeing the returning smile the orange haired girl knew she had succeeded.

An almost unnoticeable vibration on Ichigo's foot made the girl look down at her beige, dirty school bag. She pulled her phone out of her bag and opened the message she had received. She didn't recognize the displayed phone number but read the text nevertheless; it said: Meet me at the back staircase, now.

"Who's this from?" someone's voice sounded in her ear. Alarmed the orange haired girl swirled around in her seat, meeting mischievous brown eyes she knew well.

"I don't know what you are talking about, idiot." she said stonily but the twinkling mischief didn't fade. "Don't play dumb. Tell us who's the lucky or should I rather say unlucky guy who got himself involved with you, the almighty Kurosaki?" he walked through the raw of tables till he was standing in the front of the class. "I pity him."

´Oh Keigo, you dumbass. She is going to kill you.` all students in the big room thought, imagining his bloody corpse flying through a broken window. Fortunately for Keigo, Ichigo's jaw dropped before the girl just stood up, took her stuff and walked out of the door without glancing back at her so called friend.

"Stupid Keigo! What's wrong with you and your minus growth brain?" Orihime shouted over to the boy. Irritation along with disapproval resided in Orihime's big eyes.

Out of the classroom, Orihime looked around in search for her friend.. "Ichigo! Wait Ichigo!" the girl grabbed her classmate by the shoulder, stopping her.

"Don't listen to Keigo, he's an idiot." Orihime said cheery. Worried gray eyes watched the orange haired girl -who should be gloomy- laugh hard. "Aren't you sad?" Inuoe asked slightly confused.

"Of course I'm not! You said it yourself; Keigo is acting like a bastard that's all." She brushed a tear –out of sorrow or laughing no one but her knew- and continued. "You should go back to class now, Hime. Mr. Yuki doesn't like lateness, especially in combination with his lecture."

"What about you?" Orihime questioned, although she already knew the answer she would get in a moment. "Naaaah! I'm not up for trigonometry today." Ichigo smiled, turned around and waved. Wandering through the empty floor Ichigo made her way over to the back staircase, thinking of how to get back at Keigo. ´I will make him cry blood!` she promised.

With a dark expression covering her features the girl looked outside of the large windows. On the roof of the nearby building she spotted the man who dared to show himself every time Ichigo turned around. It seemed that the raven haired Arrancar was slacking in his precise way of undiscovered observation or he just didn't care anymore. Brown eyes formed a link with shallow green, before her orange head snapped to the front. A few feet away from her the person she had assumed to be the one behind the unknown number stood, awaiting her.

´It's show time.`

"Hey." a coy smile adored full lips when Toushirou's and Ichigo's eyes met. The captain nodded salutatory, his calculating eyes roamed over the girl's figure then their surroundings.

"Are they here?" he asked her, words spoken out lowly.

"Yes." she answered in the same way. It was then that their pair of eyes met each other again.

"Where?"

Ichigo swirled around like a happy child; her face showed what her action indicated. He followed her a few steps, facing a window of the hallway while the girl pushed her back against cool glass. "He's on the roof of the building opposite from here." the substitute Shinigami whispered; he was smart enough not to look up at the hollow.

"Whatever honey!" she spoke loudly. "I'm honoured to have your phone number. I have heard many girls in school would murder to get it." she joked.

"That may be true but only few get the chance to save it to their contact list." he smirked with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She danced around him, allowing her skirt to swing.

"Why me, dear captain? What's so special about good, old Ichigo?"

´Are you really going to play that game?` Toushirou thought, but said what she wanted to hear either way. "My girlfriend should be able to contact me whenever she feels like it." the white haired man replied, catching the girl by her waist. "Or maybe you don't want that." His face was so close and his teal eyes were captivating. Their current closeness was too much for Ichigo, she needed some distance to tenth division's captain, so she pushed him away. "I'm happy you bothered yourself with this. And knowing Rangiku, it took some time till she gave you my number without getting the details. Poor woman is going to burst out of curiosity." the strawberry giggled humoured. Ichigo had noticed how the lieutenant, provided with bigger breasts than Orihime and herself together, had started several attempts of going over to the orange haired substitute; but was stopped by her captain every time.

"I had to do what I had to do." Toushirou stated, his smirk turning downwards. Ichigo wanted to distract her partner from his upsetting thoughts so she offered to go get something to drink, which the white haired man approved of. The couple walked to the next vendor, enjoying the taken free time.

Orihime felt better when her orange haired friend was back for their next lesson. Though her friend kept looking outside of the window -focused on one point- Orihime couldn't spot from her seat.

The day flew by fast and Ichigo went on with doing her thing. Not once paying attention to their teachers, who mostly ignored Ichigo -the delinquent half the school entitled her.

Art education, second last lesson for the day, began. And because their teacher was absent due to some contagious disease, Kagine was assigned to watch them. The task given to them by the muscled teacher was "Just draw whatever you have on mind and stop bothering me." So art harboured many possibilities of distraction from a pair of green eyes constantly focusing on her.

´How is it possible for a guy to never get distracted by anything around him? And why is he so unfazed, so cold?` she contemplated. It wasn't the first time her mind wandered over to the solitary man who followed her wherever she moved.

´He's acting like my freaking shadow...` Ichigo compared, with a chill running down her spine. ´Why not give him a taste of his own medicine...?` the malicious thought infiltrated her mind.

According to her new decision she began drawing. The orange berry wasn't talented but people usually distinguished what she drew; so he too would understand what exactly she would. With black charcoal flying over her table, the untouched paper turned into a close-up of a black and white face that held no emotion in it.

Both of Ichigo's hands were tinted in dirty black when she let go of her work for the first time ever since the first draw of lines. It was Orihime's keen call –the girl stood in front of Ichigo's table- which had woken her from her trancelike drawing session.

"This is amazing! Do you know that guy, or did you cook him up? He's cute."

Ichigo never replied to her friend's question. Chocolate brown eyes looked at the well drawn portrait. "What the-" she suppressed the curse that was about to escape her plum lips. ´When did I colour them...?` she asked herself silently, while green eyes continued to watch her from below. "Oh fuck it!" she shouted angry, lifting the paper and tearing it apart. It felt horrible to be watched twice by the same deadpan pair of orbs.

"Hey! Stop it!" Orihime screeched shaken but it was already too late. "What's gotten into you? It was really good!" she uttered disappointed.

Again Ichigo ignored Inoue's question. "It was trash." the berry declared, standing up and walking over to the waste bin. Without a hint of hesitation she dumped the crumpled pieces and left the room. She needed to go to the girls' restroom and wash her hands clean. ´What a stupid idea! How could a picture affect a heartless Arrancar?` she sighed letting the water run., taking the blackness with it.

The girl would never be corrected about how wrong she was. The hollow had been stunned when he understood what exactly his target put so much intent work in. His pictured face wasn't flawless but well done. Seeing the human destruct what she had created out of nothing had caused a heavy knot to gather in the pit of his stomach. The formed knot weighed even more when her pink lips called him indirectly trash.

Done with the cleaning, Ichigo returned to her class. No one dared to look at the frustrated girl in fear of their health. Soon enough Miss Ochi's lecture would begin. "This is absurd. I've become a living absurdity." she mumbled defeated. Absurd was a word that often crossed the student ever since she was held by that man, or wasn't it abnormal that she dreamed of her enemy every night. There wouldn't be a problem if the substitute Shinigami had been dreaming of him getting kicked in the ass. But her dreams consisted of an abomination. An abomination leaving her flushed and yearning for something that would never be granted satisfaction.

"What's up with her?" the brown haired student, who had come to apologize to Kurosaki, asked the darker orange haired girl.

"What do you want, Keigo?" Orihime hissed, taking her frustration out on the poor boy. "Can't you see that our diva is sealed off in her little world?" she huffed turning towards Tatsuki.

Being ignored by both girls sucked so Keigo had left as fast as he had come over.

Two-shaded lips were placed upon soft skin, kissing every inch of human silk they could reach. A loud moan escaped sensual lips. Ichigo turned around in his embrace, looking slightly up to meet beautiful, emerald eyes that reminded her of the same-named jewellery stones. Her arms crawled up his bare chest -touching muscles he usually hid under his jacket- wrapping them around his neck. They needed to feel more, touch more of each other. Without as much contact as possibly established they felt incomplete.

Lost in caresses the girl noticed their new position on her bed just when her back touched the mattress. It felt like an eternity when the dark haired man guided his lips upwards and met hers in a heated kiss. The kiss ended with their requirement of oxygen.

"I- I need..." she spoke up winded. He was there with an unvoiced chuckle on his lips. She forgot to try again to put her thoughts in words when she gazed up into his eyes. Her reflection in brilliant green orbs filled his universe; she knew it and was fascinated by his passion.

"I need more of you, -" the girl uttered, her brown eyes widened. It was the first time she wanted to call his name but she couldn't do as she wished. ´His name! I don't remember his name!` her panicked brain screamed. She moved her lips, a second attempt to say his name, but the spot his name should have been filled by was blank.

Hovering over her lips he moved painfully slow to meet them.

"Kurosaki..." he whispered tenderly. And because he liked to show her that he knew her name, he repeated it again and again though his tone changed from gentle to mad. His features shifted according to his angry voice. The fact that his mood had switched for no acceptable reason -besides not knowing his name that was- confounded her.

"Kurosaki, please answer the question...are you even listening?" Nothing but soft whispering among the rest of the students filled the room.

The teacher's patience was wearing thin. "Damn it, Kurosaki!" The young woman aimed precisely at the unmoved student and threw her chalk, hitting the girl's forehead and getting her attention back into this world, from wherever the teenager had been moments before.

"Wha-" Ichigo touched the spot where something had hit her; looked at the white piece of chalk and then around, noticing how her classmates were laughing at her, except for Orihime, Tatsuki, some of the disguised Shinigami and her angry teacher Miss Ochi.

"Well, I'm happy you found your way back to our lecture. Now I'll ask you once again. What's the difference between gratis and libre?" the woman with glasses demanded fretted.

Without hesitation the student answered her teacher. "Both words are meanings of the adjective free. The difference lies within their correct usage. Gratis means free of charge or at zero price. It's used in many licences for free products that are supplied without payment, though the product itself holds some value in it." She paused. "Whereas libre-" her teacher cut her off, sighing. "That's enough. Ishida explain the rest." Like her teacher the orange haired girl didn't listen to what the dark haired boy said; Ishida could easily answer the teacher's request without any trouble. Miss Ochi worried about the fact that Ichigo never tried to do more than what was needed to pass classes, though both of them knew the strawberry could do so much better and gain top scores. On the other hand, the orange haired girl, who knew the second part of the answer well enough, didn't feel the need of paying attention. To her it was of more importance to keep her mind together and stop pondering over meaningless dreams.

What was good about this subject called homo faber? Students tended to like it because they usually got good marks with little effort. But Ichigo wasn't interested in good grades and she never liked arguing or philosophising about things.

´As if anybody in this class besides Ishida will get to a point in their later lives where they will have to think about product licences and such. Not going to happen guys...` she kept her feet to the ground. The strawberry always did, at least that was what Orihime had said after healing her friend's wounds almost two weeks ago.

The orange haired student knew her buxom friend watched her intently, searching for an answer for her strange behaviour but she ignored the piercing gaze and looked outside of the window, again. Her mind choose its own way to follow, if she could blend out everything that caused her headaches just for a moment...

´That would be enough.` she thought, lying her head on her table, not caring if Miss Ochi would see her and start scolding the student again.

Quickly the lesson went over and with the ringing bell people got up and left one after the other.

"Hey Ichigo?" a tender hand shook the addressed girl's shoulder and woke her up. Startled the orange covered head shot up.

"Y-yeah? What's wrong?" glazed chocolate brown eyes spotted Orihime withdrawing her hand. "Class is over...I thought I should wake you up before leaving." Worried, big eyes watched Ichigo's mind work up the told information. The strawberry stood up and stretched. "Thanks, if it weren't for you I would have slept through until tomorrow morning!" Ichigo laughed embarrassed, it had been some time since the girl fell asleep during a lecture. "You are fine. Just...watch out. I think Miss Ochi isn't amused." the girl with slightly darker hair whispered before waving towards the woman in front of the room and exiting.

When Ichigo's gaze met the teacher's she felt a little bit anxious. Why had the door been build near the blackboard? There was no way Ichigo could possibly escape the ponytailed woman.

Miss Ochi spoke up. "Kurosaki, I need to talk to you." A smile graced her face but in Ichigo's sight the curve of thin lips was ominous.

´Speaking of the devil...` she sweat-dropped, picked her back up and walked over to the desk her teacher was seated at.

"Look, Ochi. I'm-" Ichigo began. But her choice of words dispelled the woman's smile and turned it into a deep scowl. "It's Mrs. Ochi for you and save your breath! I don't want to hear your shallow apology, Kurosaki." At first harsh, the female teacher's expression changed to a resigning one. "I know that you don't care about your grades but I do, Ichigo." Motherly warmth filled brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. "I can see the potential that lying within you in many other subjects than just gym class...and I will not allow you to graduate from this school with average results. I want you to leave your bored attitude behind and start giving your best, ok?"

Ichigo answered with a nod, since the lump in her throat hindered her from speaking up. "That's good. Now, I want you to write three big essays till the end of this term." the woman explained calmly.

"These will be the topics." A small sheet of paper was handed over to the strawberry:

#Conflict between personal identity and social role

#Determination of Dasein by coincidence or destiny

#Misguided life

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly. ´The hell? That's not fair!` Why was she told to do extra work her classmates wouldn't have to do although she succeeded in answering the woman's question earlier on? That was wrong, right? She voiced her thoughts out; nothing could change the resolution of her teacher though. The brown haired woman just cut her student off; with the disapproving frown back on the surface she lectured the student. "I'm well aware that you are capable of answering my questions. But I surely don't approve it when the student I just chided turns around and sleeps through the rest of my lesson!"

Silence took over the room. Ichigo knew her teacher was correct about that one, even so she wouldn't accept this task that easily. Huffed with the older woman Ichgio opened her mouth. Fortunately for the berry a third person intervened in the conflict of teacher and student before her tongue got the chance to say what wouldn't have granted a good end between the two parties.

A thin arm slung itself around the strawberry's waist surprising her. "If I may interrupt for a moment..." a smooth voice began. "What if both sides made a compromise? Ichigo will do the resigned task with some help of her friends if needed." Ms. Ochi took in the way the white haired boy's arm dragged the two students closer together and the reddened face of the orange haired girl.

´I never heard of Kurosaki and Hitsugaya having a relationship...` she mused. ´That's new.`

"Fine. But I want the main part done by her and not by you, got that?" Ochi announced in a serious tone. The male occupant bowed in affirmation, he took Ichigo's hand in his and dragged the girl along and out of the teacher's sight. The red coloured face deepened significantly and the ponytailed woman caught that too. Her reaction was a genuine smile.

´She's acting like a real teenage girl at last.` crossed Mrs. Ochi's mind. In less than two seconds a head of orange hair re-emerged. "Say hello to your husband from me, Mrs. Ochi. I never thought the rumours about you and Sensei Kagine were true. He's a little bit freaky, you know." With that said Ichigo winked at the woman and as fast as she had re-emerged the girl disappeared, this time with a humoured giggle escaping her. "Brat!" the woman guffawed after her student.

The newly formed couple walked through empty halls. There wasn't even a single student on school grounds and Toushirou as well as Ichigo were happy about that. It was their first day of performing the plotted act and Ichigo already wished she had stayed home. Escaping for one more day from this disastrous plan seemed like paradise in the girl's eyes. The uneasiness building up inside the young hindered them both to act normal to a certain degree. Never did Toushirou expect from the girl to break the invisible barrier between them so fast.

"D-do you...uhm wanna hang out at my place?" she stuttered. Her head was turned to the left, whereas the white haired man was located at her right. Nervous, about the others response she just continued babbling on. "We could do some brainstorming for the essays...scrub that! I'm sure you don't want to." Ichigo paused for a moment, rethinking. "How about videogames or...argh! I don't know!" Hitsugaya couldn't see the problem the girl felt confronted with. To counter the strawberry's sudden tension he took her hand into his, in an instant her eyes darted over meeting intelligent teal ones. Heat flooded Kurosaki's face once again.

Drawing soothing circles with his thumb, Toushirou's lips turned into an assuring smile. "Just spending our time together is enough for me."

´Bastard, knows how to play his role perfectly!`

Their walk continued in comfortable silence until they arrived at Ichgo's home. High School was over for today and so was elementary school; Isshin would be at the clinic. What about the Kurosaki youngsters though? Ichigo hoped Karin had decided upon playing soccer with her friends and maybe Yuzu was with the head of the family. The strawberry would find out how wrong she was while entering her home.

"Ichigo! Lunch is ready. Do you want some?" Yuzu called from the kitchen.

"Thanks Yuzu, not now!" the older sister answered back, pulling Toushirou behind her and up the stairs.

"But it will cool down soon!" the younger girl pouted audibly.

"Later! I have stuff to do, so don't disturb me!" she shouted, before closing the door behind the captain and locking it. Inside the safe room the orange haired girl exhaled. Who would have thought that hiding her boyfriend could be this nerve-racking? No one knew how long they would have to hold the act up. It could last a few days or several weeks. So maybe introducing Toushirou as a good friend she decided on dating wouldn't be too bad, would it? Her family knew and liked him –ok so Karin knew the white haired boy and admired him for his great soccer skills- they would behave and leave them alone, right? ´No, they wouldn't. Not in a million years.` she thought grimly, imagining the way Isshin would rip the door off of its hinges and demand one of her sisters staying in the same room with the high schoolers. Maybe she was exaggerating but the old man would attack poor Hitsugaya, no doubt about that.

´Safety first!` was the corollary.

"Hey Kurosaki, are you alright?" teal eyes kept the orange haired girl under view. His pale hand was on her shoulder, a comforting gesture being emitted by the well known ice prince.

The girl shook her head, freeing herself from disturbing thoughts. "I'm good, I'm good." she smiled thankful. Watching the man -who under normal conditions didn't show a spark of sympathy and never tried to soothe another person's inner riot- in the attempt of doing the opposite had something heart warming.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Ichigo asked her guest. The response was a bit surprising. His hands took hers and said "Let's just sit down."

´Again with holding hands?` the room owner asked herself; closeness between her and people not being her sisters or Orihime wasn't something the girl was used to. Normally she would kick that person's ass for touching her. But now that Hitsugaya played Ichigo's gentleman like boyfriend, in compliance with her wish, she couldn't shoo him away, could she?

That was a simple request the berry could accomplish without trouble, or so she thought naively. Sitting around was okay, even doing so in silence was no problem but the human contact established by linked hands combined with aforesaid circumstances made the oldest Kurosaki daughter feel unsettled in the four walls she called her own; her sheer will not to jump up and run out of the room made her hair stand up on end.

´Relax, relax, relax.` she repeated in her mind like going through a mantra again and again, causing the white haired captain to let out a gentle laugh. Toushirou felt flattered that he had such an impact on the human girl in front of him. The white haired boy didn't feel very confident in this situation, too. But he would ignore his inner chaos and just go with what felt right. The constant reminder telling him that this was a mission he had taken on -an act he had to play and nothing real- was pushed back towards oblivion when his face moved slowly towards hers. An amused pool of teal caught the widening of Ichigo's chocolate brown eyes and Toushirou could literally read Ichigo's thoughts written all over her shocked face. ´This is a joke, right? He won't...`

´How could she notconsider kissing as a part of the plan?`

He saw how her resolve of avoiding him crumbled down little by little till nothing was left; he was also there when Ichigo's resistance vanished and interest mixed with excitement took its place. The orange haired girl closed her eyes, anticipating the sensation of cold lips against her own. Ichigo expected them to be chilly, they held the same icy colour of fresh fallen snow like the rest of his body, but they weren't cold. Smooth like frozen water yes, but no such temperature.

Toushirou was slightly disappointed when the windows to the human girl's soul were hidden behind creamy coloured eyeslids but the touch of her plush flesh more than compensated for the loss. The first kiss shared between them had ended as fast as it had been initiated. It lasted a little longer than a peck and carried the same innocence and tenderness.

´That was nice...` Ichigo thought surprised, being separated from the school uniform wearing Shinigami. With her eyes still shut Toushirou let go of the girl's hands. He wanted to see them, more than anything else he wanted to see if a new set of emotions had settled in those mind-blowing orbs. His free hand moved up to her cheek, softly touching it. With his small action he achieved the desired effect. Warm, chocolate brown presented itself to the world and the captain was taken aback by the swirling surge of emotion he had to face.

Whatever he had in mind didn't matter anymore. He just had to dive in for another kiss of this goddess who embodied everything he wasn't. Warmth, emotions and even a coloured being. The man's lips pressed down on the female student with a forcefulness and greed she hadn't experienced before in reality.

In that instant, Ichigo found herself dragged back into a déjà vu, with two fundamental differences. The first was that in her dreams mostly Ichigo was the one to force herself on her partner, not the other way around. And the second? Toushirou's white hair had turned into raven-black; it fell down on the much paler face, framing darkened green eyes. It wasn't Hitsugaya Toushirou who had pushed the strawberry down on her mattress. No, it was the introverted, calculating Arrancar.

Unsure of where exactly the orange haired girl was standing or lying she started kissing back, clinging to the champagne-coloured sweater. Toushirou wouldn't care if she could manage to bore holes into the fabric with the vigour she performed. To him the most important thing was the intensity behind her actions and the intoxicating impact her kiss had unforeseen brought with it.

´Oh goooood!` the substitute Shinigami needed air, wonderful essential air. She tried to push him back, a muffled "W-wait." brushing against the captain. He allowed her to take heavy breaths but continued his way down her jaw and neck none the less. He took his time to kiss every spot that needed his attention; noting the light salty taste her skin had taken over, while Ichigo –with a deeply flushed face- mewled. The disguised Shinigami was at her collarbone now. Licking and nibbling the same favourite spot with no end. His work would surely leave a mark and although Ichigo should care because later on she would need to hide it from other people's eyes, she didn't and Toushirou (oh what a surprise) didn't either.

He never noticed the changed surroundings but the girl did. The atmosphere; it was the sudden coldness near them that had gotten her regard. She looked up and saw him. Was she losing her mind again or why did she see her dark haired stalker standing on the outer side of her window. There was no spark of emotion in the emerald pair of eyes watching her and the captain, but a tension she couldn't put into words flared up inside him with her lips mouthing a single name: Ulquiorra.

It was unbelievable. Now of all times her unconsciousness brought up the name of the man who had haunted her not just all day long but during her restless dreams too. Why? Why did that happen, she couldn't understand!

The Arrancar, in his white outfit, hadn't left his target through all day. He had seen her sit in class sketching and dozing off. He had been near her when the girl had met with the white haired man she was making out with right now. And it was all more than just uninteresting to him. There wasn't a trace of what his master had told him that got him so fired up in figuring out. At least it was uninteresting until her swollen lips parted to breathe his name out. Yes, he was behind a solid glass panel. And yes, he couldn't possibly hear her because it was a movement and no sound she emitted. But he felt, he saw. Oh screw it! He knewit was his name that slipped through her pink lips. No rational thought existed that could make the sudden tension inside of him plausible, still Ulquiorra had felt it rush through him.

The eye contact was broken by the shutting of the chocolate brown pair. Ichigo''s mind couldn't agree upon whether it was more alarming if she imagined her enemy standing outside of her window; watching how her and Toushirou went through their make out-session, or if he reallywas there in such dangerous closeness. She took a deep, slow breath. Once, twice. Her eyelids fluttered open and revealed a shaky brown colour. He was still there, rising a brow. His cat like eyes weren't on her, not directly so to say. They were occupied following the Shinigami above her and his doing.

´Peeping pervert!` she thought her face flushing up tenfold. Luckily the idea to look down on her crossed her relatively clouded mind. Ichigo shuddered when she detected and -for the first time since seeing Aizen's minion appearance- felt Toushirou's heated hand crawling up her leg and under her skirt.

´What the hell?` her brain screamed. ´Scratch the gentleman!` She was okay with kissing -either in a slow or fierce way- but thiswas going too far!

"Stop right there!" she shouted, using the sharpest voice she could bring up. To be better safe than sorry, she pushed the white haired man away from her, causing him to fall out of the bed and crashing hard on the floor. Amusement sparkled in green eyes -no one else noticed- and died down.

"What's wrong?" Hitsugaya said. He ignored the pain in his back and looked over to the girl. She was sitting up in a rather dishevelled shape; her hands pulled down her sweater and straightened her skirt into its original state.

´Oooooh...!` he mouthed but nothing was voiced.

"I'm so sorry! I went too far, oh my god! I never meant to go-" He choked on his words, turning his head around when he caught something from the corner of his eye for a mere second. A white and black clad had been man at Ichigo's window.

"Was that one of Aizen's-" he asked alerted. The girl opposite from him nodded, knowing what he wanted to say. Before he could ask another question, both he and Ichigo sensed a bunch of strong reiatsu in one place. "Shit! You are staying, Kurosaki! No fighting, remember?" was the last thing he spoke before he left his gigai and hurried over to the point his comrades were also headed towards. The orange haired girl was left behind in her room.

"Oh Kon! Where the fuck are you?" Ichigo bolted through her house in search of the golden lion plushy. She had been in her sisters' room but he hadn't been there. Maybe Yuzu was playing with him in the living room. Eventually she was correct and found him in her sister's hug.

"What's gotten into you?" the small girl asked alarmed. What reason could there be for her seventeen year old sister to scream after the plush toy?

"Yuzu, listen! I need Kon for a moment ok? You'll get him back in two minutes, I promise!" the orange haired girl said energetically, one hand already reaching out for her sister's toy.

"What do you want with him? You are acting weird, Ichi!" the girl shouted back at her oldest sister, pulling away.

Both Kurosaki sisters paused for a moment, exchanging an inner battle. Taking a deep breath Ichigo sat down beside her baby sister, she never wanted to frighten.

A warm, assuring smile lighted the berry's face up. "Hey, everything is fine. I just need you to lend me Kon for a moment. I think he has a present for you." While talking, the older teenager ruffled Yuzu's short soft hair. "You trust me, don't you?" Ichigo demanded to know in a non-pressurizing way.

"Of course!" the youngest Kurosaki daughter beamed happily. It was heart breaking how Ichigo needed to lie again, so that she could help her friends but what else was she supposed to do?

With the plush toy stuffed under her arm she went up to her room.

"What do you want me to give her?" Kon asked the substitute Shinigami. The girl would allow him to inhabit her body as long as she had to be absent. Replacing the human had turned into one of Kon's specialities he had no trouble performing.

"This." she said, opening the top drawer of her desk and taking out an old, but never worn, frilly pendant her mother had given her a long time ago. It was too girly for the dark haired twin, so Karin wouldn't get mad at her older sister if she handed it over to Yuzu, who loved pink and frills. In a few years when the youngsters would head towards the end of middle school Ichigo would make to both of them a special present, she kept secret for now. Not even Isshin knew that his oldest girl had taken a few things from her mother's belongings before they had given them away to charity. Being young or not, Ichigo had claimed responsibility for minimizing her father's pain. He loved Masaki's pictures, which filled their home but the possibility of touching her things and smelling the never fading scent of his wife's perfume -she used to apply- was too much for his mental health and crumbling heart. So it was the little girl's endeavour to persuade her mourning father in giving most things away.

The stuffed animal took the small pendant carefully into his paws. "This is a present from your mom, isn't it? Are you sure you wanna give it away?" although he acted most of the time like the biggest pervert the artificial soul had a perceptive side Ichigo found loving.

"It's okay. The thought of wearing it has never crossed my mind." she began explaining. "And I know Yuzu will love it." A smile graced her lips but never reached her earth-coloured eyes completely.

"I have to hurry!" she exclaimed in a rush. "Take care of them, ok?" the girl's soul separated from her human body, of which Kon took over.

"Don't worry." he said with her voice, winking playful and sticking one thump up in the air. With a "Thank you!" uttered the girl in black clothes left through the window of her room.

Sooooooo, what do you think of this chapter I call Sir Mammoth the second? =D
I wanted it to contain the upcoming confrontation-scene between Shinigami and Arrancar...but it got too long. Just wait till the next update on february (exams are going to start soon...) if something is unclear to you send me a PM.
Until then fare well my dear readers! Wish you all an happy new year!
Btw, did anyone notice that in some way Ichigo accomplished to give Ulquiorra some of his bitter medicine (hint-trash-hint)?

-Joko over and out-