Hello all. It's me again, with another little piece that I've been working on. Actually, this one here came as a request from "Jin the Wind Master." Jin, if you're reading this, then here you go buddy. I know, I know, you all wanna see more PKOTS, but seriously guys, I need to work on something else along with it, or I'm gonna get bored with it, and, like my good buddy Kenju keeps saying, it's gonna turn into a Fourty Foot Monster, and I'm not gonna want to go up against it then.

For now though, I hope you guys enjoy this. I think that I may have botched it up a bit, especially with the way that I planned for it to go, but that's up for y'all to decide. Also ladies and gents, give credit where credit is due; my good buddy Kenju (also known as Tobi the Good Boy) wrote a part of this fic closer to the end, where Ichigo has to show Isane just how she is truly strong... but now I'm giving things away. Onward my faithful readers, onward!

Disclaimer: Bleach. Not mine. There. Read.

Aizen had been defeated.

That was the news running rampant through the divisions of the Gotei Thirteen. His army was gone, he was in custody, and if the Central Forty-Six had anything to say about it, the former captain of the Fifth Division would never see the light of day again. With the biggest threat to the Soul Society neutralized, there was only one thing left that needed to happen in the Seireitei.

"~Hisagi-kun!~ ~More sake!~" Rangiku sang across the way before wrapping herself back around her guest. "Come one Shiro-chan. Won't you have a drink with lil' ol' me?"

Celebration.

Yes, Aizen's defeat had brought along with it paperwork, orders, and future precautions against both his possible escape, and the possibility of a repeat by someone else. However, there was also the great sense of relief that came with it as well, and because of it, the denizens of Seireitei knew it was party time. P-A-R-T. Why? Because they gotta! At least, most of them were sure that they had to. Matsumoto Rangiku was a primary among them.

Thus, the current inter-division bash. Somehow, someway, Rangiku, Shuuhei, Renji, Kira, Ikkaku, and Yumichika had managed to acquire a rather large amount of sake and food, and then gotten word out to all of the Seireitei. The Eleventh Division training ground, its barracks, and its courtyard had been turned into a gathering place for most of the Seireitei, and various groups of people sat gathered, drinking, eating, and having a rather good time. Most of them anyway. Toshiro Hitsugaya was looking rather non-plussed, turning a rather cool eye on his lieutenant.

"Matsumoto, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't drink?" It was just barely a question. His answer came in the form of a bottle of sake being forced between his lips, and a generous amount of warming sake being poured down his throat. He barely managed to keep himself from choking on the liquor as he forced the bottle from his mouth. He coughed and sputtered for a moment before he glared at his subordinate. At least she'd actually managed to get some down his throat. "Dammit, are you trying to kill me?"

"Taicho, you need to loosen up a little." She took a healthy swig from the bottle. Judging from the flush in her cheeks, she'd already had many like it. "The war's over, and Aizen's been sealed up. The paperwork can wait a while before it gets done, and no one's in danger of anything right now…not even the injured."

For the barest moment, Hitsugaya averted his eyes, a guilty look plaguing the teal depths. He knew she was right, but dammit, Momo was still in the Fourth Division because of him. He refocused on Rangiku. Even if she hid it well, he knew how she was actually feeling as well. Ichimaru Gin was dead. Before, he would have thought that a good thing. As they had learned of his near killing of Aizen though, and with how things were now, he wasn't too sure anymore.

"Besides Shiro-chan," she said, his eye twitching at the nickname, "even Ichigo and his friends are having a few drinks." She leapt forward onto him, smothering his head between her breasts, feeling him stiffen up. "So c'mon and r'lax with me!" He peaked out from between her breasts, she watching him expectantly. He knew he wasn't getting out of this, so he only pulled his head out far enough to breathe. He didn't need to suffocate through all this.

And she did have a bit of a point. Even the Ryoka were in the Soul Society for this event of events. Considering that Ichigo, the Seireitei's champion, was their unofficial leader, of course they were. And just as Rangiku said, all of them were actually having a bit to drink. But then, "a bit" might have been the wrong words to describe how much they'd all consumed, even Orihime. Gathered together in one particularly crowded part of the courtyard, they were all rather drunk. And as all of their friends were discovering, each of them were much, much different with a little alcohol in their systems.

At some early point in the party, Chad and Kyoraku had had that drink the Captain had offered back when they first met. With a toast to each other's health, they'd shared their first drink on good terms. That one drink turned into two, then three, and on an on and on. Sipping the night away, they easily worked through two jars between them, the flush of alcohol clear on their faces. One would be surprised to find that when he was drunk, Chad liked to flirt, and he did it well. If Kyoraku hadn't gone to find his Nanao-chan, he would have been sending jealous glances to the half-Mexican boy, and the three lovely young ladies cuddling close to him. Even now he flexed an arm, receiving giggles and light blushes from each of them.

Orihime, despite normal behavior, had drunk plenty herself. Let it be noted that when drunk, Orihime got clingy and even more talkative. This was something that Rukia was getting to know rather well, as she was the one that Orihime had grasped onto almost immediately. Being rather out of it herself, Rukia was pretty much fine with it. Although, anyone listening to the conversation would either be extremely lost or extremely scared. Tidbits of conversation were picked up. There were things about galactic pretty boys, and mobile suits with high heels and plumes, and Rukia's Chappy print panties…

…How did Orihime know what kind of panties Rukia wore? Many a male mind were trying to figure that one out, even as Rukia cupped Orihime's breasts, letting out drunken, jealous mutterings about how she wanted tits like that. Many thoughts stopped as unconsciousness descended upon them.

Uryu was unique. Apparently he was a high functioning drunk, as coordination was not something affected about him when he drank. Even drunk, he could still walk and move with all the poise that a Quincy was expected to have. Inhibition and judgment… those were different stories. Entirely. Another fact about Uryu that people were finding out. He could dance.

…Correction. He could dance beautifully and fluently, with all the balance and flare of a professional dancer. The fact that his partner was flexible and skilled enough herself to keep up with him helped to make the show that he put on all the more wonderful. Even in his drunkenness, he was making a note to ask Yadomaru Lisa out on a proper date.

Meanwhile, Ayasegawa Yumichika was making sure to ask where he learned to dance so beautifully.

As for Ichigo… Getting him to drink had been rather easy. All that it had taken was Ikkaku and several members of the Eleventh challenging him to a drinking contest. He'd refused at first, but the calls they made on him of being a lightweight and a coward were the quickest way to get him to go along. In fact, the contest had gone on for a while, and people discovered one thing. Despite all his strength and power…

Ichigo Kurosaki was capable of getting very, very drunk.

Of course, it still took a little bit for it to actually happen. Considering that the sake they were drinking was a particularly potent brand, it was pretty surprising. One by one, the Eleventh Division officers dropped like dead flies. Of course, the sober members of the Eleventh that were witness to the contest were shocked when Ikkaku finally dropped. They couldn't actually recall a time when he hadn't been able to drink someone under the table, aside from their captain and Rangiku.

Now with the contest over, Ichigo sat back against the wall with a groan. 'Okay… that was stupid.' The was the only real coherent thought he could form for the moment. He shut his eyes, taking deep breaths as he ran a hand slowly through his long orange hair, trying to make the world stop spinning. He brought a knee to his chest and set his arm on it, trying to keep very still.

He leaned his head back forward slowly, watching a snoozing Ikkaku and company. He just barely managed to keep the world from swimming. Then again, it was swimming pretty good without the need for movement. Watching his opponents on the floor though, he was pretty sure that they had the right idea. The best thing to do now was sleep it off. That was his intention when he leaned his head back again and let his eyelids slip closed.

Unfortunately, Renji wasn't going to let him do that.

"Well Ichigo, color me impressed." The substitute Shinigami was very aware that Renji still sounded rather sober. Bastard. "Never actually seen anyone drink Ikkaku under the table before." There was the idle sloshing sound of liquid in a jar, and a breath being let out. "I figured a lightweight like you would have dropped immediately."

Ichigo opened his eyes again. The world still had a nice bit of spin to it. He turned on his friend, his vision lagging behind and an unsteady hand pointing at the redhead's face. "You're lucky I'm so out of it right now Renji." There was a noticeable slur for every word spoken. "Otherwise, I'd be kicking your ass." He brushed some of his long hair out of his face, scowling despite his drunken flush.

"Yeah yeah, I've heard that all that shit before. Now get up. This is a party! Socialize, ya friggin' lush." He grabbed Ichigo by the arm, helping him off the ground and onto unsteady feet. Those proved his undoing when he fought with Renji's grip and slipped. The next thing he knew, he was kissing concrete. Renji had a good laugh over it before helping his buddy up again. "That's what you get, ya idiot," Renji said, wiping a little tear from his eye. This time Ichigo didn't fight him as Renji shouldered him over to the rest of the party.

When Renji sat him down again, Ichigo still had a bit of a noticeable sway to him. After a few good swerves of his upper body, he simply forfeit the fight to stay upright and let himself drop onto his side. He expected to slam his head on the stone, but was pleasantly surprised when he fell into someone's lap. Whoever it was let out a squeak of surprise. "I-Ichigo-san!"

His name brought a glance upward at the person's face. He was greeted by the sight of shorter silver hair, a decently sized set of breasts, and a rather pretty flushed face. If he had been sober, he would have sat up immediately, apologizing profusely and embarrassed out of his mind. Given the effect of the alcohol in his system though, he didn't. If anything, he made himself more comfortable. He noticed that her face flushed slightly more at that. Had she had a bit to drink, or was she embarrassed? He honestly couldn't tell.

He ran a hand through his long hair, chuckling a bit. "Sorry, but your lap is really comfortable."

The flush on Isane's face receded a little bit, and she did something that most had never seen or heard her do before. She giggled. One of her own hands joined his in his hair, lightly stroking the fiery orange strands. "It's alright." She had a bit of a slur as well, but nowhere near as bad as some of the others. Ichigo still couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or not. She looked away, smiling somewhat shyly and her cheeks lighting up a little warmer. "Y-you can s-stay if you like. I don't mind."

Ichigo chuckled a little more, the hand in his hair lightly covering hers and squeezing. "Arigato… ano…" He recognized her face, but he couldn't place her name. "Gomen… I don't know your name."

The silver haired lieutenant gave another shy smile. "K-kotetsu Isane."

He grinned a little more. "Arigato, Isane-san."

The night proceeded a little more calmly after that. The two of them chatted quietly, listened to everything around them, laughing or blushing at the little jokes about them being an item, and against their own judgment, indulged in a little more to drink between the two of them. In that entire time, Ichigo never really moved from Isane's lap, and Isane did nothing to make him. For the most part though, they were both rather quiet as they enjoyed the company of the other party goers.

It was probably because they were so quiet that no one actually noticed when the two of them slipped off together, a slight sway in each of their steps, a drunken smile on both of their faces, both of them hand in hand… And a small kiss shared before disappearing completely.

As soon as Ichigo opened his eyes, he realized that he was staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. He realized something else very quickly.

Heavy drinking hurt…or at least the aftermath did.

He shut his eyes almost immediately after opening them, bringing his hands to his face and clutching at the orbs and his head. The room was lit decently, and any kind of light simply hurt right then. Behind his eyes, he felt his brain throb against the confines of his skull in pain. He sat up and swung his feet over the bed, trying to suppress the wave of nausea that flipped his stomach upside down. He bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees and trying to keep his guts in.

"Never again…" he muttered to himself, un-sticking his tongue from the roof of his mouth. He took a few deep breaths to calm his upset stomach. "Never a-fucking-gain." He took a few more breaths before he took a hand from his face, turning a bleary eye on his surroundings. One thing was certain. It definitely wasn't his room in the Thirteenth Division. Which begged the question… Where the hell was he? His vision clearing a little, he could make out the form of a dresser, a small table and pillows, and a tea set. Other than that, there wasn't much. Wherever he was, it was rather Spartan. Even the room lent to him in the Thirteenth was more furnished than this.

Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he looked towards the floor. He noticed several black garments laying there. His first assumption was that they belonged to whoever normally resided here. He spotted some hakama, a couple of shirts, his boxers…

At the last one on that list, Ichigo's mind ground to a halt. He stared at that particular piece of cloth a for a moment before her turned his own eyes on himself, the two orbs widening almost comically. He was naked. He'd apparently gotten drunk enough to strip out his clothing completely before bed? Taking a closer look at himself though, Ichigo became rather puzzled, especially when he looked at his crotch and thighs. There was something red… Ichigo's pained mind went to work almost immediately again. Was that…

"WHAT THE HELL?" The realization that there was blood on him made him jump. Of course, when he jumped up from the bed, his first idea was to turn and see just how much more, if any, blood was on the bed. If there was some on him, there was most likely more, right? Instead of more blood, he took in a sight that almost made his blood drain from his face.

Ichigo's yell and subsequent movement had woken Isane from one of the best sleeps that she'd had in a very long time. As soon as she'd cracked her eyes open and taken in his shocked form though, she bolted upright in the bed, clutching the sheets to her chest and her own shocked look finding her face.

For a moment, neither of them said anything or did anything. They both silently observed each other, their faces still written in shock. Spotting the blood on his thighs, Isane almost immediately pulled back the covers. There was a small amount on the bed, and from what she could see there was also a bit on the inside of her thighs. Meanwhile, Ichigo had been making the connections in his head. Both came to the same conclusion, and visible reactions to the situation were finally beginning to show themselves.

To anyone who would have been watching, if not for the seriousness of the situation in the minds of the two involved, it would have seemed almost funny. Just as Ichigo's body seemed to drain of all of its color, Isane's own body filled up from the feet up and turned her skin a shocking shade of red. A small amount of smoke almost rose up from under her hair.

It took a few minutes for Ichigo to unstuck the tongue from the roof of his mouth again. Whatever pain he'd felt from drinking was gone now, or at least it was feeling much less important. He quietly reached down for his clothes. He didn't even bother to put them on, just pick them up and tuck them under his arm. If he had been in his right mind, he might have. Unfortunately, his mind was still swirling with thoughts on their actions. When he finally managed to speak though, the words that he spoke came out almost strangled.

"I… I'm sorry." He turned and hurriedly made his way out the door. Isane watched him go quietly, and when he was gone, she swallowed, bringing a little moisture back to her throat. The shocking color of red did not recede from her skin, and if anything, it intensified to the point that her hair actually did begin to smoke. For a very long time, Kotetsu Isane did not move, choosing to remain still in shocked mortification.

Rukia Kuchiki was currently cursing the invention of alcohol.

It's not that it was a bad thing, but the fact that the aftereffects of drinking it made one feel so horrible that they'd like nothing better than to remove their brains with a melon-baller to make the pain stop… Yeah, there was reason enough to hate it.

Of course, the embarrassment that came with it wasn't much better.

No less than half an hour before, Rukia had woken up to near suffocation. At the hands of one of her best friends, no less! Okay, so not her hands… Rukia grabbed fistfuls of her hair in frustration with that realization. How the hell had the two of them ended up in that position? How had Orihime ended up in her bed? Why had the redhead been naked? Better question, why had she been naked? The fact that she couldn't remember a decent amount of the night before actually started to bother her.

She vaguely remembered the beginning of the party. Then there had been sake, and food, and laughing. Then nothing. She had a few recollections of some very comfortable pillows, more laughter, a few small surges of jealousy, but other than that, nothing. Oh god, had she and Orihime…?

No. She was certain of that. There was no indication of that. Rukia took a really deep breath to help calm her nerves, and winced again as the hangover sent another jolt of pain into her cerebrum. A flash of a rather drunken Ichigo passed through her head, and she let her eyes widen. Screw the hangover. That could wait. How could she have let herself miss the sight of a drunken Ichigo? The blackmail material would have been golden! Her mind was working again. Maybe if she found him quickly enough, she could have found him in an embarrassing… She let her thoughts trail off as she spotted a familiar mop of orange hair in the corner of her vision.

Well, so much for plans of deviousness against the aforementioned strawberry. Although, she had to admit, looking at him as he was now, he didn't look like he was doing all that well.

Rukia wasn't surprised to find him sitting on a step in her division's courtyard. She knew for a fact that Ukitake had offered Ichigo and his friends each a room for the duration of their stay in Seireitei. Although, the fact that he was hunched over, clutching his head, and murmuring unintelligibly under his breath was a surprise for her. This was actually new for him. She'd seen him sulk before, she'd seen him brood before, and she'd seen him worry before. This was new though, in that he seemed…horrified? If what she could see of his face was accurate, he looked like he'd seen a gho… She trailed off with that statement in her head as she realized just what she'd been about to think. Regardless, what was he so upset about?

Meanwhile, inside his head, Ichigo was having a bit of a war with himself. But then, it wasn't so much a war as it was him trying to come to terms with the experience he'd just had. 'Dear fucking Kami, what did I do?' His hangover had long been forgotten after he'd left Isane's, so for the moment, he was thinking clearly. His thoughts were a little muddled, but he was slowly answering his own question, and coming up with answers he didn't really like.

He'd slept with her. They'd had sex. There was no way that he could truly deny that fact. The evidence was overwhelming. The fact that he'd allowed that to happen at all was something that he was really having trouble contemplating. Seriously, he wasn't the type of guy to do that type of shit, and he knew it.

The boy took a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly as he tried to calm himself down. He raised his head up, a hand brushing his lengthy bangs out of his face before he settled his chin in the palm of said hand. He stared blankly ahead of him, not really focusing on anything but his thoughts. It wasn't as if he'd never contemplated the idea of sex. He was a human teenager after all, and what teenager didn't think about sex at some point or another. Of course he figured that it was something he'd experience eventually.

He hadn't expected this though. In fact, he'd never even contemplated something like this. He wasn't the type to take advantage of a girl under the influence of alcohol. Maybe it had been the alcohol that had made him do it? He didn't know. He'd never been well and truly drunk before, so he didn't know how the inebriating compound affected him. If not for the booze, then none of this would have happened.

Ichigo ran the hand he was resting his chin on over his eyes and through his hair again, before bringing it back to lightly massage his temples. That was it. It had been the alcohol. Any attraction that he'd felt, and any consequential actions that came of it, could be blamed on the booze. It had been an accident. A one time thing that he would never let happen again. The booze was to blame, and the booze could be blamed on Ikkaku and Renji. If there was one thing that he could make sure of, it was that they'd both be getting their asses kicked the next time that he saw them…

"Ichigo?" The fact that the boy nearly jumped a foot into the air sitting was testament to how far he was buried in his thoughts.

"Shit!" He let out an exasperated breath when he managed to calm his heartbeat. "Rukia, don't frickin' scare me like that."

"I scared you?" She almost seemed to laugh at the idea. "I should be the one who was scared. I've never actually seen you that deep into your thoughts before." She took a seat next to him. "What were you thinking about? Something good?" If there was anything that she had expected to see, it wasn't the rest of the color draining from the blood vessels in his face. That meant one of two things to her: It was either something bad, or he'd been found out about something good, and he didn't want her to know about it. Of course, before she could even ask what he was thinking about again, she was interrupted.

"Oi Ichigo! Rukia!" Both of them looked to the right, surprised to see Renji out and about. Then again, they both weren't really surprised either. So long as Renji managed to get all of his work done when it was needed, then Byakuya didn't mind what his Lieutenant did. The fact that he tended to roam about his division in his pajamas was tantamount to that fact. Thankfully, he was in uniform now. The fact that he looked pretty good, even after a night of drinking himself silly was something that both of them wanted to strangle him for. Ichigo was for different reasons, but the point still stood.

"Renji! What are you doing here?" Rukia question was valid. It wasn't often that he actually made his way to her division. Usually, it was either the Sixth or the Eleventh.

"I'm just checking up on you guys. You both just disappeared last night." The fact that both of them sprouted a heavy blush when he said that made him raise an eyebrow. It raised a little higher when they both looked away from him. "What's up with you two? Did you guys end up fucking or something?"

That fact that they were both up and angry looking seemed to suggest that was the case. "We did not have sex!" The denial on both of their parts only helped to cement the facts for him.

"Hey, it's none of my business what the two of you do together. I only hope that you managed to remember protection." He waved a dismissive hand when he said that, but it seemed to have the opposite reaction. At least for Ichigo. If anything, he looked all the more ornery. That was perhaps the reason he managed to whack Renji in the jaw. The fact that he didn't dislodge the redhead's head from his shoulders was a miracle. The words that escaped his mouth shocked both Renji and Rukia though.

"Rukia wasn't the one I slept with, you ass!"

Ichigo paled horribly as soon as the words were out of his mouth and he went rigid as all hell. A pin could have dropped, and it would have made a resounding gong in the silence. Renji actually looked surprised, despite his bruising cheek. He'd actually been joking about all that. Ichigo looked back at Rukia. She looked a little livid. And she had her notebook in hand… wait a minute. Where the hell had that-?

THWACK. "Ichigo, you hentai!" It was almost amazing to see; the most powerful being in all of Seireitei getting smacked by a notebook, and actually feeling it. The fact that the one doing the smacking was about half his size made it all the funnier. She proceeded to hit him several more times.

"Ow, OW, now dammit, stop hitting me!" He managed to rip the notebook from her grasp.

"You deserve it! Taking advantage of some poor girl while she's drunk!" That one struck a guilty nerve. "You animal! Maybe it's a good thing Orihime was with me last night!"

That one made Rukia stop and turn red. Both Renji and Ichigo just stared at her for a moment, their eyes very wide. Their minds worked a mile a minute before a little stream of red ran from their nostrils. This time, Rukia pulled out an even thicker notebook. This time, Ichigo didn't bother taking the book. Instead, he just took his lumps. When she finished with them both, her notebook steaming, she was a lot calmer. She still looked a little pissed with them, but that was to be expected.

"Hentai," she said quietly, clapping her hands together to get rid of a little dirt. Then she rounded on Ichigo, still looking rather livid. "So Ichigo, who was it?"

"What?" The fact that his voice went rather high pitched at the question didn't help him at all.

"Idiot. She asked who you slept with." Renji just had to add his two cents. "Actually, I wanna know too. Who was it?"

He looked between the two of them, one looking curious and the other like she was gonna hit him again. Silently, he begged every god he knew for help.

Unfortunately, it seems the gods had a sick sense of humor.

"Hey Kurosaki!" Of course the two third seats of Rukia's division would find them. It was their division too. Kiyone Kotetsu had been the one who shouted. "Did you and my sister have fun? Looked that way when I saw you two last night!"

Ichigo didn't help when he rounded on the diminutive third seat. "Isane-san's your sister?" And once again, the rest of the blood fled from his face as he looked at his two friends in front of him. It was surprising that he wasn't whiter than paper already. They both looked rather surprised at that news.

Sentaro snorted. "Of course she's her sister! Can't you tell from looking at them?"

"Jackass, how the hell can he tell when we look nothing alike? Huh, you ass-faced baboon?"

"You both have the same face, don't ya, you flat-chested midget!"

"Say that to my face, you triangle-headed ape!"

"How? You're too short to-" There was a resounding slam as Rukia's thicker notebook made contact with Sentaro's face. He keeled over and didn't get up again. Of course, she rounded on Ichigo again. Now her look was questioning.

"You slept with Kotetsu Isane?" The orange haired boy looked a little apprehensive before he bowed his head and gave a little nod. Now point in trying to hide it now. Kiyone saw the nod and looked rather surprised.

"You slept with my sister?" The question was innocent enough, but it seemed to land on the proverbial bulls-eye in his chest and stick. He nodded again and looked at her. He was rather surprised to see she didn't look all that angry with him. He was downright shocked though when she nodded and said, "Good. It's about time."

That brought both Rukia and Renji's eyes to her, both of them with an eyebrow raised. Kiyone's response was to shrug. "What? I'm just happy for her is all." She looked between the two of them. "I mean, you two know what she's like, right? I was just starting to think that she wasn't going to find anyone for her."

Ichigo's interest was peaked as he heard that. Just what did she mean by that? Surely someone as pretty as the woman that he'd seen in that bed could have had anyone that she wanted… couldn't she?

"What's she like exactly?" He couldn't stop himself from asking, or the tiny blush that dusted his cheeks when he averted his eyes from her stares. "I don't really remember much about last night. I figured we talked for a bit, but…" He was actually a bit ashamed to admit that he couldn't remember much. The fact that he could even remember the Lieutenant's name was a miracle. They didn't really hold it against him though.

"Well…" Renji started. "It's just that she's not all that sociable. I mean, she has a good personality and everything, but she doesn't really go out or anything. She doesn't really like to drink all that much either. Hell, I think the only reason that she was at the party at all last night was because some of the S.W.A. thought that it would be good for her."

Rukia actually looked a bit embarrassed. "We DID think it would be good for her." She sent a withering glance at Ichigo. "Although, none of us thought she'd end up as someone's sexual partner."

"You mean like you ended up as Orihime's?" Ichigo had to admit, the pain that came from that little quip was well worth it. He recovered quickly though. "I get the not going out thing. I don't like it much either, but she does date…" He trailed off at all of their looks. "She does, doesn't she?"

"Not really, no," Kiyone said. "She's had a few, and I did actually see her out once or twice on a date, but not with the same guy. I don't think any guy is really all that interested in her." She stopped to think for a minute. "Besides, she's really self-conscious about herself. She worries about her looks, her height, her personality, everything." She looked at him again. "Actually, now that I think about it, you're the only guy that she's ever really opened up too."

That single statement was enough to make Ichigo's mind begin to race. Him? He was the only guy that she really opened up to? Why? It's not like she was bad looking in any way. In fact, Ichigo himself thought that she was actually very pretty. From what he could remember from the night before, she was rather sweet and kind, and her laughter kind of reminded him of tinkling bells. Rather beautifully sounding, actually…

And then his actions from earlier in the morning came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. He couldn't help the palm that met his forehead as he leaned forward, more than a little bit ashamed of himself. He'd just up and left her there, laying in that bed, with a muttered 'I'm sorry' as he went. Oh God, how that must have looked to her. If anything, it was probably like any of the men had shown no interest in her. Then again, it was probably even worse than that. He'd actually shown an interest in her. They'd actually done something intimate together! And he'd just up and left, looking like he'd done something horribly wrong. He could barely imagine just how much that had hurt her.

Now Ichigo felt like a royal heel. "Shit." He removed his hand from his face and looked at the three above him. "She's the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, right?" They all gave him a collective nod before he was up. "Thanks." After that, with a burst of Shunpo, he was gone before any of them could say another word, his mind occupied with figuring out a way to make it up to her.

After he was gone, Renji just turned back to Rukia, grinning rather maniacally. "By the way, you never said just what happened between you and Orihime." That maniacal grin turned downright lecherous. "Did you have fun?"

Let it be said that Renji was never all that smart when it came to shit like that. Kiyone was gone as soon as Rukia pulled an easel out of thin air. The screams of agony that followed would forever be remembered by every occupant of the Seireitei.

In the Fourth Division, Isane was just beginning her next set of rounds. It was her standard duty to make sure that all of the patients were comfortable and all of their needs were being met. There was actually very few people in the Fourth right now, so there wasn't really all that much for her to do. Given her currently distracted state of mind, that was probably a good thing. What had her so distracted?

Ichigo Kurosaki.

Even at the thought of his name, Isane's face lit up as brightly as a Christmas tree, bright red with embarrassed mortification. What had happened was not something that she had ever thought would happen to her. In fact, in her own mind, she knew that it never should have happened to her.

Isane wasn't the type of girl to do that sort of thing. She didn't like to go out and drink like all of the other Lieutenants and officers did. In fact, She enjoyed staying in most of the time, especially when a good book was involved. What's more, she really didn't like to drink either. Alcohol just wasn't her thing. Sure, there was the occasional small bit when attending a formal ceremony of some kind, but even then she only sipped a single saucer, and that was it.

What's more, she usually didn't go out on dates either. In fact, she usually found herself to be really awkward on dates in general. She'd had one or two dates in the past, but neither of her dates for either one really seemed to click with her. What's more, things had seemed a little uncomfortable as well. She wasn't surprised at all that they hadn't asked her out a second time. They probably didn't want to date anyone who was taller than them anyway. And besides, it wasn't like she was all that good looking either. Or all that strong. Or all that intelligent. Or entertaining. Or anything that she could think of.

Isane winced a little as she walked, a hand coming to press at her lower abdomen as she made her way into the courtyard of her division. That's why she'd been so mortified to find herself in bed with Ichigo. Why would someone like him want anything to do with her? After all, he was the hero of the Seireitei, one of the strongest Shinigami out there. He was handsome and kind, and he could do so much better than her. He could…

"Isane-san!"

Isane shook her head to clear her thoughts of Ichigo. She needed to stop thinking about him. She was already starting to hear his voice again…

"Isane-san!"

Wait a minute. That voice wasn't in her head. Isane's head whirled around, and her eyes widened a little. That mop of orange hair and the large cleaver on his back was unmistakable. Ichigo was here! In the Fourth! And he was walking right to her!

Isane actually felt herself start to panic a little bit, a little sweat finding her brow. What was he doing here? Why was he looking for her? The thought that he was looking for her made an idea pop into her head. Surely he wasn't here to talk to her, was he? What possible reason could he have to talk to her? Better yet, what would he say to her? Oh god, oh god, she couldn't even think about it. She needed to get away. She needed to run, she needed to hide, and she needed to do it now!

Isane was off like a shot before Ichigo even had a chance to blink. She didn't use Shunpo to run from him, but he still found himself rather impressed with her speed. That in mind, he did what any man on a mission would do… He took off running after her. Unfortunately, as soon as he did, he was immediately stopped. For as soon as Isane passed through the doors into her division, Unohana appeared in the doorway, smiling serenely. Ichigo came within a hair's breadth of crashing into the woman that many dubbed the 'Captain Mom.'

"Kurosaki-san," she spoke lightly, "Surely you weren't thinking of running through my division, were you?" The way she smiled and the look she gave him was the same one he'd experienced before, which mad the boy break out in a cold sweat.

Ichigo barely managed the strangled laugh that left his lips. "O-of course not." The words were a bit choked and high pitched. He glanced past her. "I was just looking for Isane-san. I needed to talk to her about… something."

"I see." Unohana glanced back behind her, seeing her Lieutenant hiding around the corner at the other end of the hall. Even from that commendable distance, Unohana could see the tinge of red in the girl's facial features, and the very quick shake of her head saying that she didn't want to talk to him. She turned back to Ichigo. "I am sorry Kurosaki-san, but as this is the Medical Division, only patients and division personnel may be allowed inside."

Ichigo looked ready to protest. "But-!"

"Only patients and division personnel may be allowed inside," Retsu repeated just as serenely and just as calmly. The smile on her lips and the look in her eyes though… Ichigo barely managed to get out a response before he turned tail and left in the other direction. Once he was a fair distance from the Fourth though, his mind went back to contemplating what had happened, both between the two of them, and just then.

She actually had run from him. Now he just felt all the worse for what he'd done. And the look that she'd given him when he approached. She'd looked horrified when he approached her. Had he really made that big of a mistake? Then again, seeing the rather cornered and nervous look that had appeared on her face, he had to assume that what Renji, Rukia, and Kiyone had told him wasn't just the end of it.

Walking away from the Fourth, he cupped his hand under his chin, calmly thinking about it. However, he was unable to come to any conclusions without speaking to her directly. He glanced back in the direction of the Medical Division. He needed to talk to her, but if he had to guess, then he would guess that she would hide in that division for as long as she could to avoid him. Unohana was likely to keep him from getting in as well. He actually shivered as he thought about it. Powerful or not, he would not mess with Unohana. That woman scared him a little, and since it was her division, her word was law.

Ichigo actually stopped when he thought that. Her word… He snapped his fingers and took off running. Towards the Eleventh Division.

The few onlookers to the current situation Ichigo was facing left them wondering if perhaps the boy wanted to die. Maybe Aizen wasn't strong enough to do the job, so he had to go a step further and truly make someone want to kill him.

"Kurosaki-san, perhaps you can explain to me just what end you had in mind by putting a majority of the Eleventh Division into my division?"

The people who knew Unohana Retsu were pretty sure that she would be the one to put the orange haired Shinigami into the ground. That cheerfully smiling face may have been there, but the edge in her voice was as clear as day. For good reason it seems.

As she was speaking, a large number of injured Shinigami officers were being carted past her and Ichigo. All of them had bruises and were bleeding in some way or another, most from lacerations, a few from the mouth, and pretty much all of them were unconscious. There wasn't a single one of them who didn't have at least one broken bone. Despite the obvious tension between Ichigo and the Fourth's lovely captain, a few of the division members couldn't help but snicker at Yumichika when he passed by.

How Ichigo had managed to give him the afro hairstyle was beyond them. It was still funny though.

Meanwhile, Ichigo himself was looking both ashamed and very, VERY nervous. One hand rubbing the back of his neck, he fidgeted on the spot as he tried to look anywhere but at Unohana's smiling face. He was pretty sure death would come to him if he did. He mumbled something unintelligible when he pointed his face to the ground. A small drop of blood dripped from the single cut he had over his left eye.

Unohana raised a delicate brow. "Pardon?"

Ichigo lifted his head and sighed, actually meeting her face, but not meeting her eyes. "You said only patients were allowed in…" he said, rubbing his neck a little more, "…so, I tried to make myself into a patient."

Unohana processed what he'd said for a moment before realization hit and she spoke up again. "You attacked the entirety of the Eleventh Division and Abarai-fukutaicho in hopes of being injured so you could gain access to my division." Renji was wheeled by just as she spoke. He was scorched, singed, a little bloody, swirl-eyed, and grinning rather ridiculously, despite his unconsciousness.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied meekly. "I thought it would have been according to plan, but it didn't fair that well." He blushed and muttered, "I didn't even use my Bankai." Unohana only raised her eyebrow at that one. Of course, that didn't stop her from asking what she was sure she already knew.

"And tell me Kurosaki-san, to what end did you hospitalize the Eleventh to hospitalize yourself?" She knew, but she wanted to hear it anyway.

It was almost like divine intervention. Just as she asked Ichigo the question, Kenpachi was being wheeled by. He looked worse than the rest of his division combined. Bruised, bloody, broken, and smiling like a frickin' loon. Then again, the only reason he looked worse than anyone else was because he'd just kept going back for more. In fact, he'd been the only one to actually cut Ichigo. As soon as he saw Ichigo though, he chuckled. He was more than a little happy.

"Thanks for the fight Ichigo," he laughed, still grinning. "Now go find your girl."

Unohana watched the man go quietly, then turned back to Ichigo. He wouldn't look at her again, and he was blushing up a storm. The woman stopped and thought about it again. He'd taken on an entire division in hope of just getting in here. It was a testament to his stubbornness and determination. The fact that he did it just to talk to her Lieutenant as well…

"You will wait in my office for now, Kurosaki-san." She said it quietly, but still gained his attention. "I will send Isane along as soon as we have settled in the injured." She gave him that look again, making him sweat and flinch horribly. "Just let it be known that if you do anything untoward to her, then you may find yourself confined to a bed as well." She walked away slowly, but turned back to him for a moment. "And Kurosaki-san…if you do anything like this again, you may find your situation to be even more dire." She smiled pleasantly, but it almost looked like she wished to kill him. "Am I clear?"

Ichigo actually swallowed his tongue at that, but nodded anyway. Hopefully she didn't know what he'd already done. If she did, then he could kiss his ass goodbye right now. He let a breath out when she walked away and settled into a chair in the office. Considering that they were still wheeling in patients, he had no doubt that he was in for a bit of wait. That in mind, he simply dosed in his chair, resting a cheek on his hand as he nodded off. It wasn't too much longer before he was fully asleep. It was only because of this that he missed Isane's initial entrance much later.

When she'd shown up at her Captain's office to meet him, she was flushing and nervous. The only reason she had followed through was because Unohana had told her to. Up until she got to the door, she could only wonder just what he wanted to say to her. Thus, her nervousness. However, she was surprised to find him asleep upon her arrival, sitting up in a chair. "…Ichigo-san?" She said his name quietly, approaching him slowly. Before she knew it, she was mere inches from him, quietly observing his face.

She found that he looked rather calm now compared to earlier. She felt herself flush at the memory of how he looked beneath his robes, realizing that the loose clothing hid a figure most woman would have wished their boyfriends had. Every part of him had been chiseled and hard, angular and sharp. Just as his face was now. His scowl was missing, and his muscles were relaxed. She almost couldn't place him as someone so strong, or so revered for his deeds. She found herself reaching out to touch his skin, lightly shaking as her hand caressed his cheek. He felt so warm…

Ichigo's eyes opened with no warning. Isane couldn't miss it though, being only a few inches away from him. Their eyes met, and almost immediately, Isane's features colored scarlet. "G-Gomenasai!" She turned to try and run, but barely made it a foot before Ichigo grasped onto her forearm. He stood, squeezing the appendage just enough to get her to stay.

"Wait, Isane-san!" She refused to look at him, and tried half-heartedly to get out of his grip, but she remained in place. He could even feel her shaking slightly in his grip. "Please. Could we talk?" She turned to him, but she still refused to meet his face. In fact, she blushed almost ridiculously even as she nodded her consent.

The two of them took a seat quietly, neither one trying to meet the eyes of the one in front of them. In fact, both seemed rather focused on their hands. Isane's hands had found their way to her lips, covering them over as she clenched them lightly, her eyes never leaving them. Meanwhile, Ichigo was hunched over in his seat, wringing his hands in front of him as he looked at the floor. He almost wished that he had Zangetsu with him right now, just so he could cut the awkward silence out from between them. He almost smacked himself in the head as he thought that, because he knew that it would be no help. And considering that it didn't seem like Isane was going to get things rolling anytime soon, he figured that he might as well.

"Isane-san," he said, finally managing to look at her. She nearly jumped when he said her name, but she managed to look at him this time. He did have to admit, she was rather pretty before, but the blush just made her look adorable. "Listen, about last night… I…" He lightly scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes, still a bit nervous and rather embarrassed. "I'm sorry about what happened. Honestly, I didn't mean for anything to happen like it did. It's just… I've never really drank before, and I've never been drunk." He chuckled a little. "Things just got a little out of hand."

He opened his eyes to meet hers again, but he frowned as soon as he saw the look on her face. The blush was gone, and if he had to guess, he'd almost say that she looked… disappointed?

"It's alright, Ichigo-san." Isane seemed very preoccupied with the floor now, for some unfathomable reason, but he still managed to spot the saddened smile that spread across her lips. "I know you didn't mean for things to turn out the way that they did." She looked up at him now, the sad smile still in place. Her eyes caught his for only a moment before she looked away again. "After all, you could probably have any girl in the Seireitei that you wanted, and it's not as if I am all that attractive."

That brought Ichigo's thought process to a screeching halt. Not all that attractive? Just what the hell was she getting at? She was very attractive! Before he could even contemplate her words a little further, Isane had continued to speak.

"I mean, why would someone like you want anything to do with someone like me? I'm no good. I'm far too tall for as a woman, and I'm not all that interesting." Isane's words seemed to dig at Ichigo's nerves, but he kept listening. "And I'm not all that strong either. I don't even know how I managed to get my position as a Lieutenant. I'm not all that good at Zanjutsu or Hakuda, and I can't travel all that far when I use Shunpo either." Isane let out a tiny sigh, a small tear coming to her eye. "I really am no good." She met Ichigo's eyes again, still smiling a sad smile as she spoke. "I am sorry, Ichigo-san, if I caused you any trouble last night. I'm sure that you would have rather had your first sexual experience with someone more suitable than me."

Ichigo had listened every word that she said and took in every little move that she made, and he found himself somewhat angry. This was more than just a lack of confidence. If he had to say anything, then it was likely that Isane had never been given any type of reinforcement, be it positive or negative, about herself. Had nobody ever bothered to tell her that she was pretty? He certainly thought that she was. She was tall? He didn't mind if a girl was a little taller than him. In fact, what did that matter? And her personality? From what he could see now, she had a wonderful personality. She was just a little bit awkward around people. Who wasn't?

Then she says that she's not strong. Why would she say that? One doesn't get to be a Lieutenant of the Gotei Thirteen without being capable of doing the job. He didn't doubt that Unohana saw her as capable of the job. If anything, the Captain Mom probably encouraged her to be the best at everything that she did within the division. So everything that Isane was saying about herself was most likely coming from her own lack of confidence and self-esteem. Ichigo almost sighed. This was going to take much more than just an apology from him.

Isane was up and almost ready to leave, until Ichigo grabbed her by the shoulder and twisted her around. Her really needed to get her attention, and make sure that it stayed on him, lest she try to think otherwise about what he was saying to her. That in mind, he did the one thing he never thought he would do when he came here.

He kissed her.

He felt the poor girl go rigid both in his hands and beneath his lips. If his eyes had been opened, he had no doubt that he would be staring into her own widened orbs. He held her there, his lips locked with hers for several seconds before they parted. Isane was frozen to the spot, and he idly noticed that she was just a hair taller than him. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't seem to move her mouth. Instead, Ichigo could only smile at her.

"Isane-san, I have no idea what you're talking about." He grinned almost like an idiot as he said it. "I think that you're very pretty." He could see the blush that traveled to the roots of her hair. She looked away from him, a hand coming to her lips.

"You shouldn't lie to someone, Ichigo-san, no matter what your intentions."

"But I'm not lying," he affirmed, his grip on her shoulder growing just tight enough to regain her attention. "Listen, I am sorry about what happened last night, but not that it happened with you." Her cheeks heated with a brighter blush than before. He couldn't stop his own when he realized what he'd said, but he didn't stop his words. "Still, when I came here, I wanted to apologize to you and see if I could make it up to you."

Isane looked away again, even as she noted that she was just a little bit taller than him. And that he looked oh so good. "You don't have to do anything, Ichigo-san." She fidgeted under his touch again. "I wouldn't want you to go through so much trouble for someone like me."

And there were those confidence issues rearing their ugly head again. Forget just making things up to her. He needed to show her that she had no reason to look down on herself like she did. How to do it though was… Ichigo almost smacked himself in the head when he thought of it, it was such an obvious thing. What better to show a girl the feelings that you were trying to express to her than that.

"Isane-san, if you aren't doing anything tonight, then would you like to go out on a date with me?"

To say that Isane's reaction was funny would have been like saying that the ocean was a little damp. At his question, the poor girl sputtered, blushed again, wrung her hands together, and all but fell over in shock. Ichigo just watched with a raised eyebrow, trying his level best not to burst out laughing at her expense. Isane recovered quickly enough though.

"I-I-I'm sorry Ichigo-san," she began, still fidgeting ridiculously. "B-but I have a lot to do-."

"Her night is completely free, Kurosaki-san." Both were surprised to see Unohana at the door, smiling softly. "You should accept Isane."

"But-but Taicho, I-!"

"I do hope that you enjoy yourself." The woman walked off, all smiles as she left the two behind. Ichigo felt a sweat drop develop as he watched her go. The woman could be really scary and cruel when she wanted to be. Meanwhile, Isane just seemed to slump a little bit. She turned back to Ichigo, straightening up even as she pressed her fingertips together in nervousness.

"I-I guess I'll accept your invitation…" She looked from him, to the floor, and back again. The blush was back. "Ano… what did you have in mind, Ichigo-san?"

Ichigo could only stare blankly for a moment before his eyes turned away in thought. He brought a hand to his chin. Just what would they do on a date together? He had no idea. It wasn't like he was as familiar with the Soul Society as all of Shinigami friends were, so he had no idea what there was to do there. He was very far out of his element here. Couple that with the fact that he needed to give Isane a little confidence boost in the process, and he was basically looking at a disaster.

And then the answer hit him in the face, and he almost hit himself. How could he be so stupid? He was in Isane's element, and to help her out, he needed to get her out of places that she was comfortable with, and into places that she wasn't comfortable with. That in mind, there was only one place that he could actually take her. He put on a little grin and turned his eyes back on the silver haired lieutenant.

"Isane-san… have you ever been to the world of the living?"

Several Months Later…

Peace, quiet, and stillness. These were three words rarely used when Ichigo was involved, but right now they fit perfectly. Staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling, his mind was, for once, not plagued with worries or problems waiting to be dealt with.

No, his mind was focused on one thing and one thing only.

Feeling the silver haired goddess snuggling closer to him, mumbling a string of barely understandable gibberish (he distinctly heard the words 'warm' and 'teddy bear' among them), he could feel his lips curling into a small content smile. Goddess. The look on her face when he called her that still bothered him, but it was also responsible for his current sense of satisfaction.

How they ended up together was far from the typical, but in his mind that only made it all the more special. And, while his experience with girls was limited, he was far from being completely clueless (a fact many would argue for generations). He had become very adept at reading a person's expressions and their reactions. Such was important when in battle for one's life, but it also had its more practical uses.

When he had told Orihime she was cute, her reaction told him that she lacked confidence in herself but was aware of her attractiveness. When he called Rukia beautiful, her reaction told him that she was well aware of that fact but wasn't used to others informing her of it. Then there was the time he let slip that he thought Yoruichi was (in his own words) 'damn sexy.' Her reaction told him what amounted to 'and your next discovery will be what? That water is wet?'

Yet when he called Isane a Goddess after she had shyly revealed herself to him in all her natural glory, her reaction felt like someone running a dull rusty sword through his heart (an experience he had unfortunately become well acquainted with). She covered herself as best she could with her arms and turned away from him. Not in fear, not in embarrassment, but in disappointment and regret. When she retrieved her simple flannel nightgown and turned to leave, he knew he had to make his move.

Her reaction told him two things. The first thing was that, apparently, no one had ever so much as called her attractive in any form. How he had forgotten that was beyond him, since he had figured that out back when their relationship first started. The second thing was that she herself thought she was the farthest thing from attractive as one could get, let alone a Goddess.

So, being the hardheaded and direct person that he was, Ichigo made it his mission to educate her on just how she was indeed a Goddess, just as worthy of the title as Yoruichi. With a micro burst of Shunpo, he was behind her before she was able to take a single step away from him, his strong arms encircling her waist, trapping her arms at her sides as his chin came to rest on her shoulder.

He felt her shudder, and knew she was about to cry, marking this as one of the rare occasions he ignored logic and deeper thought, instead summoning up as much pure and raw emotion as he could before he spoke.

"You are a Goddess Isane-chan, in every way," he whispered in her ear before tenderly kissing her cheek.

Feeling her breath hitch and a tiny tremor pass through her body, he kissed her again, this time at the base of her jaw before following it with a trail of kisses down her neck.

She wavered for a moment before shaking her head and letting loose a sharp gasp.

"No I'm not, I'm not even-"

Not about to let this poor girl… No, not girl…this young woman before him continue to wallow in her self pity (something he took the Olympic gold medal in several times) he growled softly before biting down on her collarbone. It wasn't enough to break the skin, but it surprised her enough to stop her self destructive rant in its tracks.

Knowing that he now had her attention, he spoke.

"Then tell me, how would you describe a Goddess among humans?"

It took her several moments to gather herself, but slowly, gradually, her higher thinking was able to kick in.

"Strong, intelligent, elegant, respected, beautiful…"

Feeling her breathing shudder several times, he knew she was trying to crawl back into her cave, something he was not going to allow.

Making a nonplussed sound of deep thought, he began moving his arms, lightly stroking her abdomen and hips. She twitched uncomfortably and tried to wiggle free, but his superior strength held her in place, if only because he knew she wasn't trying her hardest to actually get away.

Moving his hands from her sides to her trim stomach, he began running his fingers over her well developed abs, tracing their outline with his fingernails. He continued doing this for a short while until she actually began to notice it.

He watched as her head every so slightly lowered and followed her gaze with his own eyes. Once he was sure that he had her attention where he wanted it, he moved his hands back to her sides as he rubbed her stomach and waist. Honestly it was taking every ounce of self control he had not to jump her at that moment, but he knew this was no the time to be acting on the whims of his other head.

After a few more seconds he tried to grip her sides, pinching lightly around her midsection for any 'love handle', but just as he expected there was little if anything to actually grip. Being a Lieutenant was hard work, and since she was Lieutenant for the Fourth division she rarely had time to rest her feet. Add to that how frequently she had to lift, carry, move around, or hold down patients and you had a workout regimen that was on par with the Elevenths.

He also knew she socialized very little, meaning she never went out drinking with friends, and she ate mostly porridge, rice, and steamed vegetables. So, combine hard work ethic with healthy eating habits and you end up with a very fit and athletic body.

Moving his hands up her arms past her navel, he felt her shudder. Diverting his hands at the last moment so as to prevent them from brushing against her breasts, he ran them up across her back to her shoulders where he began to massage them. It only took a few seconds for her to react, a long deep moan escaping from her throat as his fingers gently dug into her muscles.

Not her shoulders. Her muscles. It was not sharp hard bone that met his touch, but taunt firm muscle, born of hard labor that he was massaging. Pushing down and forward so as to push her away from him, he smirked when she instinctively pushed back against him without a second thought.

After a few moments he then moved his hands down her arms, gripping tightly as they went down in a mock attempt to mold her arms in his hands as he lifted them out to her sides. Again, as expected this did not happen. Her arms were not soft malleable flesh one could shape in their hands as a potter would moist clay. No, like her abdomen and shoulders he was met with firm muscle, liquid metal that flexed and pushed back against his iron grip.

From his vantage point on her shoulder he could see her eyes following his hands as they ran across her arms, the slight look of confusion on her face that told him she herself never realized her own strength.

Taking in a deep breath as he nuzzled against her neck, he wasn't surprised to find her scent to be a heavy one, not feathery and dainty like one would expect a girl, with not a trace of perfume or scented soap. Her scent reminded him of training and battle, the slight hint of sweat from hard work.

Running his hands back to the tops of her shoulders, he then began his decent. Rough calloused hands gripped and massaged her firm back down to her abdomen again before running to the sides of her hips. Smirking, he lowered himself to one knee as he moved his hands from her hips to her backside.

A squeak broke the silence as he gave her a ass a firm squeeze, one cheek in each hand. She turned slightly and looked down at him from over her shoulder but he ignored her in favor of continuing to massage the hard muscles in his hands.

It wasn't that she was lacking 'junk in the trunk' as Keigo would put it, but as with the rest of her body there was a distinct lack of body fat. Deciding it was time to move on, he moved his hands back around to her legs, and as with her arms earlier he tried to mold them in his hands. Just as with her arms, there was nothing to mold. Hard and very well defined muscle covered every inch of her unbelievably long legs.

Reaching her feet, he figured that he had proven his point and rose, sliding his hands back up her body (along with another squeeze to her perfectly molded backside) until once again his arms were encircling her waist and his head resting on her shoulder.

"I think that just about clears you of the strength requirement, don't you?" he asked with his usual serious voice. Feeling her nod, he began to smile, a smile that was going to grow much larger as the night went on.

"One down, four to go."

Seeing the look of confusion in her eyes, he shook her head.

"You said it yourself; strong, intelligent, elegant, respected and beautiful are what make a woman a goddess. I'm not going until I prove to you that's exactly what you are." Pausing for a moment he continued. "So, why don't you tell me again, how many Kido is it you can perform?"

For a moment her face was the same slightly mournful expression it always was. But then he could see it, a tiny spark flickering in the back of her deep crimson irises as a single tear made its way down her cheek. A tear of unbridled joy.

That had been hours ago. He had not hesitated in his responses, and the happy look that she had given him then brought a feeling of warmth to every part of his heart. As she lay against him now, snuggling deeper into his warmth (still making small mutterings about him being a "warm teddy bear"), he made a little vow to himself. He would make sure that he could bring that look to her face, no matter what he said to her.

She was his Goddess. She was his lover. She was his sweet Isane, and he would see to it that he made her the happiest girl in existence. No matter what.

Little did he know of Isane's dreams. The girl's muttered gibberish was innocent enough, and so were the mental images that went with them. Although, the context of the dreams was needed to truly understand them. She dreamed of more wonderful nights like this one. She dreamed of holding him as close to herself as she could for the rest of her life. She dreamed of nights in his embrace, days in the sunshine with him, and, if everything went how she wished it, a lifetime as his bride. But for now, her dreams indicated one thing above all else.

Isane was happy. She was happy, and Ichigo was the one who made her feel that way. She would hold onto this happiness with Ichigo for a lifetime, and if it came down to it, she knew that she'd fight with everything she had to do it. No matter what.

And that's that. I hope that everyone enjoyed it, despite the fact that I feel like I botched it somehow. Anyway, I'm still working on Panther King at the moment, so sorry guys. Hopefully it'll happen soon. If not, then I'm sure that I'll have another one of these little gems. Currently, I have about four of them in the works along with PKOTS, including a part 2 to Lion's Loss. For now, we'll just see where things go from here, and hope that Real Life doesn't interfere too much... (Curse you Murphy's Law)

Anyway, I'll catch y'all later. Don't forget to leave a review now, ya hear. See ya Space Cowboys. Bye for now! SnK.

Update: the lemony version of this story has been moved to my DeviantArt account. My screen name there is PanteraIchigo.