Sorry for the nice people that had reviewed this before! Its not meant to be offensive but when I say 'turn the page' I really mean it and so this is what I did! This is NOT meant for Ichi/Ruki shippers. Have nothing personally against the pairing, but the plot of this story really hurts them and sensitive people that love them MAY not want to read this or its companion piece 'Salvation' if you still read it and want to go off on me, then remember this... Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing and so is expressing it. I have a right to write whatever I want to, just like you have a right to love or hate it. Just try not to convince me to think like you. I'm too old to be convinced that easily.

Warnings: Mentions of strong sexuality, no lemon.

Tatsuki knew that Orihime had encountered Hollow again. It was written in her body language as they walked over to her apartment. The girl walking by her side had a heavy depressing air about her, her eyes downcast, her chin down to her chest so that her hair would cover most of her face and not forgetting to mention the state of her clothes. Her uniform, though perfectly in place, had brownish dust staining the sides of her blouse and her skirt was wrinkled as if someone had gripped on to it. Then there was the smell of mingling sweat. Tatsuki wasn't all too familiar with sex, but she wasn't altogether ignorant. Orihime smelled strongly of male sweat.

Should I say something? What was she supposed to tell her friend? That she didn't like her 'boyfriend'? That she knew that they had screwed or done something together on school grounds? Just the fact that Orihime hadn't told her much about the Hollow left her without anything to start a good argument. Had they even had sex? Did he rape her to get it? Nothing and more nothing. All Orihime had told her about that bizarre incident was that he had kidnapped her from her apartment, tied her up in a dirty abandoned place and 'touched' her.

Will she tell me if I ask her?

Right before their afterschool clubs had finished exactly at four pm she had left early to search for Orihime at the classroom designated for handicrafts. Once there, Ishida, who was rushing out, told her in one breath that he was going to look for Orihime down in the basement storage chamber for their club. When she had demanded why, he had blushed and muttered something about a rise in Hollow reiatsu that came from there.

Tatsuki had panicked and ran with him to the ground floor. It hadn't taken them long to find the small door to that room. Everything had looked too normal. The door was closed, there was silence in the long narrow hallway that lead to the tiny storage at the end… She had felt dumb for being paranoid, regardless of how Ishida kept blowing it out of proportion at least in her eyes.

Unfortunately, the moment she had reached that closed metal door with him, she knew that he had been right in his assumptions. An ominous pressure that brushed her skin permeated the room beyond that door. It felt like thick, slowly moving air that made your skin sting, yet somehow, when they both, worried for their friend's safety had opened the door they had found a nervously laughing Orihime trying to clean up a huge mess on the floor.

Needles, cotton stuffing, cloth, beads, and yarn littered the ground of that room like a chaotic colorful ocean. Orihime could be clumsy sometimes, but not enough to knock everything in a room. That mess had signs of violence and when she felt compelled to shoot a quick glance at the mysteriously clean table against the wall, she saw that the dust on it had streaks, like something had been thrashing and rubbing firmly on it, cleaning it up. It had the clear shape of someone's back.

How could she be so…? Orihime wasn't hysterical or crying. There were no bruises on her skin and her clothes, though dirty, weren't torn. She looked perfectly healthy. The only thing off with her behavior was the sadness that slowed her movements and silenced her usual enthusiasm.

They weren't that far away from the apartment building and the streets were nearly empty of students since most of them were probably inside their houses. Tatsuki eyed her from her peripheral vision and mentally prepared herself. No one was willing to tell her anything and her friend was gradually falling apart before her eyes with every passing day. Why wasn't anyone doing something?

"Orihime-chan…", she began slowly when the small apartment building came into view. Hearing no sound of acknowledgment, she glanced at her and saw that she was still in her little world; her ginger hair shielding her probably melancholic expression.

"Orihime-chan," she repeated again more firmly and finally Orihime looked at her in questioning surprise.

"Yes, Tatsuki-chan?" her tone was soft, barely audible.

Stopping so that she would also come to a stop, Tatsuki looked at her gravely, making sure no anger entered her face. Orihime usually became shuttered and nervous when there was strong aggressiveness around her. That had been Ichigo's mistake in talking to her. To get her to talk about something painful the first thing that had to be done was making her comfortable.

Quickly lining up carefully created questions in her mind, she closed her eyes. This was a very intimate and awkward subject. Both of them usually talked about school or food, well Orihime was the one that always brought food up in the middle of a conversation and Tatsuki just laughed and sometimes played along.

This is serious.

"Did you see him again?" the words rushed out in one huff. She was already too uncomfortable in asking this. Opening her eyes she hoped that she didn't have to wait long for an answer.

Crossing her arms under her full breasts, Orihime's cheeks had a red telltale tinge.

"Please, Orihime… I promise I won't be mad." Tatsuki mentally swore that as well. She had already upset her friend by attacking Ichigo and didn't want to gain more of her distrust.

Be patient… I don't know all that's going on.

"Ye-Yeah…"

Her heart thundered in anger, but she held firm.

"A lot more has happened, hasn't it? More than you told me?" Orihime's face contorted, showing the threat of tears before she finally nodded.

That sick twisted-!

The Hollow was taking advantage of Orihime's obvious naivety. Her friend didn't know much about boys. In fact, she had never even done out on a date due to futilely hoping that Ichigo would pay attention to her. It hurt Tatsuki that now she had been thrust into a sexual relationship before truly understanding true companionship. That Hollow was only taking from her.

"So Ichigo was right…", she breathed in through her nose, her body stiff at the revelation". H-How many times?"

"Twice…"

"Oh." The conversation was going into uncharted territory of their friendship. Her face was flushing hotly in embarrassment.

Don't push her too much or she'll shut down.

"Today in the storage room was the second time?"

Orihime's eyes widened. "Yeah…"

Sighing at how her friend allowed herself to be used, Tatsuki dared to say exactly what she thought of the situation. "Orihime-chan… This has to stop. I know that… you have feelings for Ichigo, but letting his Hollow-"

"This…! This doesn't have anything to do with Kurosaki-kun!" she was interrupted by her friend's exclamation.

Clenching her teeth, she said steadily, "I know…"

"No, you don't!" Orihime surprised her by yelling, "I… I don't even feel anything for him anymore", Tatsuki stared at her in shock, "at least not like before…" her words faded as she rubbed her arms against a nonexistent cold.

Denial. Orihime was camouflaging her trauma by faking wanting that lusty monster. Tatsuki couldn't see it any other way. Her friend didn't really know what to want. She was too used to having others steering her major decisions.

"Orihime-chan… I know he's forcing you to have sex…"

Orihime sniffed loudly, wrapping her arms tighter around herself.

"He-He was forcing me at first," she whispered in a small voice",but only because he could tell that I wanted to… do it."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Tatsuki whispered fiercely, "No! You couldn't! He's… abusing you!"

"How could you know what I want?" Tatsuki gasped at how Orihime snapped. "I want him! He's just… different." the last came out meekly as if she were trying to convince herself.

"Okay…", Tatsuki panted, biting down on her need to yell while trying to find another argue point. " I think that you really need to be with a human guy that cares for you. You're obviously confused-"

"No, I'm not-!"

"Orihime-chan-!"

"He just has a different way of doing things!" Orihime defended on the brink of tears. "He's never really forced me to do it. The times we had…", her cheeks reddened brightly, "been together, I wanted him. That's why Kurosaki-kun was so mad at me! He saw us!"

"You're just replacing Ichigo! Don't you get it?" Now she'd had enough. It was time to open Orihime's eyes.

"He's not replacing anyone! I'll admit that he can be mean sometimes, but he's made me realize that I've always done what everyone expects me to! Now that I doing something for myself everyone is attacking me!"

Now Tatsuki was stunned speechless as Orihime gave her a long tear-filled glare before walking angrily to her apartment building. All she could do was stare dumbly at her quickly retreating back.

That Hollow…

Orihime was changing drastically. Tatsuki should have felt some pride at the fact that she had gotten a backbone but it bothered her how that bite had begun building up in the first place. And what disturbed her most was that Orihime had seemed honest and overly determined.

Tatsuki couldn't help almost believing that she was telling the truth about her feelings.

Shaking her head, she continued her trek home further down the street. Her friend wouldn't want to talk to her or anyone for a while, but at least now she knew more than before.

They had been together again. Ichigo had come to that realization upon coming back to consciousness in the shower. The Hollow had the habit of washing off the remnants of his time with Inoue right before returning his body, so finding himself there wasn't so surprising.

Bastard.

He hadn't been allowed to see a thing this time.

Ichigo scoffed as warm water rained down on his head, running down in trails over his naked body. For some reason the Hollow liked his privacy or simply didn't want him to see Inoue in general. It was irritating that his body was being manipulated and he didn't know how it was being used.

How long have I been out?

His lower back ached slightly and he scowled. Apparently hehad been in a frenzy, probably having no time to take things easily. His Hollow, he had noted, had stamina while fighting, never panting, or tiring. When possessing his body for sex he pushed it more than necessary in his excitement. It was exhausting.

Looking down at his body, he eyed the part the Hollow had used on Inoue. It was dormant now, lying limply with water dripping from its tip.

I wonder if she sees him or me when they're together? Is that why she does it?

Annoyed at the thought of her seeing something else other than him, he palmed himself. Wincing, he skimmed an index finger over the sensitive hole at the head that tingled on contact. The sex must have been recent for it to be so sensitive to the touch. It almost hurt passing his finger over the tiny opening.

"Ichigo?"

As if caught committing a crime, he released his limp cock immediately at hearing Rukia's voice just outside the shower.

"Yeah?" his voice came out in a croak. His vocal cords were having a hard time readjusting. He actually felt quite disconnected from his body.

"Are you okay? I mean… you have been kind of off today?"

I bet I have with that bastard strutting around.

"I have?"

"Well, yeah. You went off on Inoue and then in class-"

"Wait a minute! In class?" His Hollow had gone far enough to go to class?

"Don't tell me that you don't remember what you have done for the rest of the day", Rukia's tone was dubious and dry.

"I…", Crap. He couldn't just tell her the truth. He was certain that if she ever found out she wouldn't understand.

She let out a drawn out sigh. "You acted strange… and the way you looked at Inoue… I don't know. Is there something- anything you want to tell me, Ichigo?"

He gulped nervously. Though he hadn't approached Inoue sexually, he was still guilty of some things. The Hollow was a part of him and then there was the fact that he had been thinking too much about their friend. Those thoughts weren't exactly the normal friendly type, but on a totally different scale. Some late nights he even dreamt of her and doing the things the Hollow had obviously done. It sickened him since it was an undeniable truth. He desired what his Hollow had with her.

"Ichigo?"

"No. There's nothing." he barked a dry laugh to sound convincing, but the harsh cough-like sound was almost sarcastic, "You worry too much!"

"Only because you make me."

Stiffening at her low solemn words, he finally turned off the water. Absentmindedly grabbing a towel hanging over the shower curtain bar to begin drying off, he then stepped out.

Rukia eyed him when he did and he blushed. Though they had taken their relationship to the next level, he was still shy around her when alone, especially with the fixation she had for his body. They weren't overly active with one another, only doing it when they had time. Exorcising Hollows, school and just life in general made it hard for them to have time together. At the end of nearly every day either one of them was just too tired to bother. He could almost count in both hands how many times they had done it since becoming a couple.

Having her blatantly staring at his nudity didn't arouse him like in the beginning of their relationship. It just made him feel awkward and even… annoyed.

What's the matter with me?

Pushing such thoughts aside, he began to dry his wet chest while she watched, leaning her back against the closed bathroom door with both arms crossed. He recognized the heavy mistiness in her eyes.

She wanted sex.

I just don't want to.

"Ah, Rukia…," he didn't finish and clenched his jaw in frustration. He couldn't tell her to stop staring at him hungrily. Closing his eyes, he turned his back to her to dry his privates briskly. He couldn't wait to get out of that stuffy little bathroom and away from that sexually charged gaze.

"Geez, Ichigo! What happened to you?"

"Huh?" puzzled, he looked over his shoulder.

Her wide furious eyes were staring somewhere down his back.

"Explain," she ordered stiffly through her teeth, before meeting her sharp eyes with his.

"Explain what?" he glared at her in annoyance.

"You have scratches all over your ass!"

Blanching, he blinked at her. "I don't know-"

"Cut that shit out about not knowing!" she shouted angrily while pointing at rear. "Who did that?"

"I said I don't know! Quit being such a bitch and back off already!" he shouted back and her mouth snapped shut. The anger and suspicion had her petite frame trembling.

I don't need this shit.

Clearly pissed off, Rukia turned around, opened the door of the bathroom, and quietly left. Her small bare feet barely made a sound when she walked down the hallway back to his room. He suspected that she would either go back to the Soul Society or sleep in his closet until she cooled off. Either that or she would just break up with him first thing in the morning.

Ichigo simply didn't care anymore as he finished drying himself off. Maybe all they needed was some time… His thoughts were skewered and he couldn't tell whether it was him or his Hollow influencing his desires. Something in the back of his mind said that he really did want Inoue, while another part of him said that he couldn't because he loved Rukia. It was all so confusing.

If he had cared for Rukia, he wouldn't have been so cold when she had left. And to tell the truth… He didn't feel any remorse at all. At the moment all that he felt was some relief at not dealing with her accusations and interrogation that had looked as if it was going to turn fierce if he'd let her continue.

Whatever is going on needs to be fixed… I need to… talk to Inoue.

Orihime stepped out of her bathroom wearing long loose cotton pants and an oversized t-shirt. Two days had passed since she had last seen the Hollow, Ichigo, or even Rukia. It was as if they all disappeared. She wondered about it, asking herself if perhaps an emergency had occurred in the Soul Society, but seeing that her and the others hadn't been called for assistance, it was obvious that something else was happening.

Sighing, she walked slowly to her living room. The small coffee table there was completely covered in schoolwork. The teachers had piled on both the homework and schoolwork on all students since the school year was almost over. The closer they got to the end of high school, the more work they had to do. A lot of students were angry over this, but she didn't mind. It was good to do something at home other than feeling depressed and thinking about how strangely her friends had been acting around her lately.

Sitting down Indian-style on the floor, she grabbed a pencil to begin but all she did was stare blankly at the fill-out sheets and stack of textbooks lying on the small round table. Her mind had gone empty, which wasn't unusual. Sometimes when she thought too much, that happened. Her mind would just take a vacation until she thought of something else. Unfortunately, this mind freeze only worked in helping her forget about school, not making her social problems disappear.

Tatsuki kept her distance from her. Orihime couldn't blame her since shewas the one that started eating lunch alone and taking different routes to school to avoid her altogether. She was sure that her friend thought she was giving her the cold shoulder because of argument they had days earlier.

All she wanted was some time and perhaps… for Tatsuki to stop looking for a way to make her think the way she thought. For once, Orihime had realized just how others influenced her way of thinking and it saddened her that for years people had been doing it. How could she have not seen it? Were all of her friends this way? Controlling her perception of what was considered right or wrong? She hoped not. In spite of it all, she still cared for them. Even Rukia and Ichigo were valued friends.

Uryuu wouldn't stop watching her when he thought she wasn't looking. His eyes would always have a calculating light, as if he were measuring, searching for something that others couldn't see. He was still nice to her, well at least as nice as he could be, but he skirted around anything that didn't have to do with school as if afraid to scare her off.

As for the others. They acted closer to normal. She had been asked why her and Tatsuki weren't talking, but when she had just laughed and said something about being too busy they hadn't believed her, though they stopped pressuring her for answers. Everyone in their classroom was curious about what was going on. Ever since they had entered high school both her and Tatsuki had always been together…

So lost was she in her little world that she almost didn't hear the sharp steady knocks on the front door. The knocking continued for a couple of moments as her mind stayed blank.

"Inoue? I know you're in there… but we need to…!" the male voice was recognizable, even though her closed front door dulled it out.

Blinking repeatedly, she furrowed her brows in confusion, her eyes finally focusing on the door.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Making a face, she stood up from the floor and left the forgotten schoolwork to head towards the door. Smoothing her shirt over her belly, she mentally prepared herself to face her friend. It had been days since she had last seen him and frankly, she was quite nervous about seeing him face to face. She didn't sense Rukia anywhere around him and then there was what had happened at lunch that one day. What if he went off on her again? She didn't like having people angry at her and always tried to keep people from being so and lately that was all she was getting.

Anger.

Reaching the door, she gently placed her hand on the doorknob and licked her lips before asking softly, "Kurosaki-kun?" She just needed a confirmation that he wasn't mad at her. Otherwise she would prefer to talk to him through the door. She knew that she was being childish; it was that she didn't want to go through the pain of his animosity again.

"Inoue? I…", she heard him silently mutter something under his breath. There was no way of telling what the mutter was, but she was certain that it was a curse word.

"What are you doing here? It's almost eight", she said lamely, her face close to the door so she could speak lowly.

"I-I know. It's just that I really need to talk to you… about the other day. I know that I was a jerk and that you might be scared of me right now and I want to… clear things up."

"Oh?" he sounded sincere and nervous in his admission.

Nodding to herself, she finally unlocked the many locks on her door while keeping one hand on the main doorknob that was used to open it to the stairwell.

I can't stop shaking!

Somewhat annoyed at how easily frightened she was, she opened the door and couldn't help but gasp when she saw Ichigo.

He looked like a mess. His street clothes were wrinkled and there were bags under his eyes. The whites surrounding the warm amber orbs she used to love were bloodshot.

"Kurosaki-kun? What happened to you?" she breathed, putting a hand to cover her mouth to stop any other exclamations of shock. He appeared to have slept out in the street!

"Um, ah… I haven't been sleeping very well", he shrugged one shoulder and smiled at her tiredly.

Removing her hand from her mouth, she whispered loudly, "Then you should go back to your house and get some sleep! And where is Kuchiki-san?"

Instantly she regretted asking about Kuchiki because as soon as the shinigami's name left her lips Ichigo winced as if the name brought pain.

"She-she's been busy with some stuff," he said, avoiding her eyes.

Not believing him, she asked herself if it was a good idea to let him in. He didn't look particularly dangerous… though his state of mind was a different matter. There was something sad and rather freakish in his evasive eyes. Something that said that he had come there as a last resort.

Deciding, she bit her lip anxiously. She couldn't just let him stand outside all night.

"Would you like to come in?" she tried to use to false cheer and it completely backfired. Her voice had come out squeaky and trembling.

"Sure", he nodded, still not looking at her, his eyes staring blankly at her bare feet.

"Okay…", she turned and walked further into the apartment to let him inside. Her ears picked up the sound of him closing the door, and luckily there was no sound of a lock being turned. It became clear that all he wanted to do was to talk.

She almost sighed in relief. His Hollow had locked the door that one time they had gone into her apartment…

"You're nervous," he stated behind her.

"Ah, yeah," she admitted and smiled faintly over her shoulder before pointing at the coffee table full of papers and books. "I was doing some things for school."

"Geez. If that's all the stuff Ochi has piled up in the last two days then I'm pretty much screwed, huh?" a dry chuckle left him.

"Guess so, but it's not that hard. It's the same stuff we've been going over for the last year", she widened her smile a bit before walking over to her abandoned spot on the floor. Ichigo didn't need to be told twice that she expected him to sit down somewhere around her so they could talk about their little 'problem'.

"So…?" she shifted side to side waiting for him to begin, her legs folded underneath her primly, her back straight. How she acted alone and around others always contrasted. It was uncomfortable having him there so late at night without Rukia. It didn't seem right.

"About the other day…," he began slowly, his bloodshot gaze meeting hers briefly before they looked off to a space behind her",I'm sorry."

Her heart skipped a beat before renewing its beat at a furious tempo.

"It-It's okay, Kurosaki-kun. You had every right to be mad."

"No. It isn't," he argued softly. "What you do with your life is none of my business. I-I judged you without having a right to," his eyes looked at her for a split second. "I was just… worried." A muscle twitched in his cheek as he looked down at the paperwork on the table without really seeing it.

"I understand", she nodded. Anyone would be worried if their friend was consorting with a Hollow and she supposed that Ichigo would be the one suffering the most. It was his body and inner Hollow going to her. A lot of things were being risked by her and the Hollow's behavior, most of all Ichigo's relationship with Rukia. Looking down at her hands that she had clenched in fists over her lap, she whispered, "You had every right to be upset. We've been using you to be… together."

He breathed in heavily through his nose at her words.

"Does that mean… that you like being with him that way?"

Paling at his words that had a hostile edge, she nodded. She couldn't lie to him about it. He would just end up being hurt more if she hid everything.

"If you don't want… us to be together, I'll stop seeing him." she couldn't bear looking at him and was happy that her eyesight was glued to her white-knuckled fists.

"What do you see in him?"

"Huh?" she shot her eyes up. His face had hardened and his eyes had an unusual accusatory sharpness.

"What do you see in him? Is it the sex? Is it me? Because if it's me that you want I'll do it."

Her jaw dropped in amazement and her eyes rounded.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she swallowed, trying to get over her shock. A week before she would have been elated at his words… "You don't have to do that… He doesn't hurt me or anything, so you don't have to offer yourself", hotness crawled on her cheeks, "to protect me".

"I'm not doing it to protect you!" he snapped and she jumped, not liking how his attitude was changing. "I'm doing it because you're all I think about!"

"I-I think that this conversation is over, Kurosaki-kun," close to a nervous breakdown, she rose up from the ground. She just didn't want to listen to him anymore. His words hurt more than he thought. They hurt because she no longer wanted him and now that he desired to be with her it was too late.

He glared at her hatefully and for a moment she was truly afraid of her friend. The glare in his eyes wasn't normal and completely lacked in its usual warmth. He always had a soft tender look when his gaze was on her. It wasn't a loving look, but more of a look that someone would reserve for a person they felt affection for. The glare he wore now was just pure anger.

"Why do you want him?" he refused to stand up.

"I-I don't know! He's just…" He's not you. She decided to keep those words to herself. The Hollow fascinated her because he was the opposite of everyone around her. He pushed her to do things that other would look down on and to be thrilled while doing it. When around him she felt as if she could give in and allow herself out, even if their connection was mainly sexual.

No one else could make her feel that way. It was obvious. People were too used to sheltering her.

"He's rough, isn't he?" his voice trembled slightly in emotion and she stiffened. There was no way she would answer that. Ichigo and the Hollow may be parts of one another but that didn't mean that she had to give Ichigo details. Those things were just too intimate. Even telling Tatsuki how many times they had been together had been difficult.

"Kurosaki-kun… I think you need to find Kuchiki-san and talk to her. She might be worried about you not being at the clinic right now and… and this is something that we shouldn't talk about." She couldn't help but feel that the Hollow was watching and hearing everything being said through Ichigo's bloodshot eyes and that made it all more discomforting. Like he was always present but in hiding.

I wish he were really here.

Blushing at her thoughts, she looked down at the floor. The sound of Ichigo standing up reached her ears but it brought some relief. She was sure that he would leave.

"Rukia has nothing to do with this…" he whispered.

Wrapping both arms around herself, she didn't say anything about that. Rukia had everything to do with it because she was in a relationship with Ichigo. The girl had no idea what was happening and Orihime was certain that she was going crazy with many questions about Ichigo's behavior.

I don't want to hurt them because of this… I just can't help it now that everything is so complicated and Kurosaki-kun isn't helping things. Why can't he just go? I'll… I'll find a way to forget about Hollow-san if he just leaves.She highly doubted forgetting about the Hollow, yet if erasing him from her thoughts helped in righting things again, she would do it. All of the anger and confusion surrounding her for the past week was tearing her apart.

"Inoue…", she shivered as his tone softened. " Orihime…"

Slightly surprised at the sound of her name, she looked up at him to see him staring at her with a desolate sadness.

"I don't like having you scared of me."

She nodded in agreement, expecting him to say something else or at least turn around to leave the apartment, but what he did next had her frozen in shock.

Her legs were stiff and immobile when he approached her. Her eyes grew large and her pupils dilated in horror, puzzlement, and anticipation. All of the emotions swum in her wide gaze.

"Kurosaki…?"

Both of his hands grabbed her shoulders gently, his tall frame just a couple of inches from her body as he looked down at her. His eyes still held melancholic abyss, but now there was both determination and insecurity shining in their depths, mixing and distorting that depressing emotion.

"I was so blind…"

She gulped, knowing what was coming next but not sure of if he were bold enough to do it.

This is not right! I don't want him to-

His hold on her arms drew her stiff body closer so that his lips could touch hers. Her lips didn't move or encourage his due to the shock of having him kissing her at all. The body that slightly pressed hers was strong, yet supple. Not like chiseled stone. The lips slowly brushing hers were softer and not persistently sexual.

He wasn't the Hollow. Orihime was too stunned to even become aroused by Ichigo's advances or even push him away for that matter. The hands holding her shoulders moved to run down her back. She shivered at what he was trying to do as one of his hands began to slowly lift the back of her shirt so that the other could caress the satiny skin of her lower back underneath it. His hands were almost tickling her skin…

Not him! Not him!

Opening her lips to tell him to get away only allowed him to dip his tongue inside, a groan leaving him. Even the groan was wrong. His smell wasn't icy hot like the Hollow, his voice wasn't the same, and his body wasn't hard and unyielding. The advances weren't thrilling and consuming her. No, Ichigo's caresses were gentle and shy. Not confident and purposeful.

She wept soulfully inside. She just didn't want him anymore! Her body was rejecting him, not recognizing anything about him or even finding him remotely sexually attractive.

Unable to take the revelation of her changed feelings, she found the strength to yank her face to the side, releasing her lips from his probing tongue.

"I just can't… I'm sorry, but I just can't!"

"Are you watching what your actions have done to Ichigo and that girl you insist on pursuing?" Zangetsu's voice kept grating on Shirosaki's nerves. He would punch the old man if he could.

However at the moment, he was too busy watching through the King's eyes, seeing how he dared to touch her, to jump on his constant companion. How that bastard King cradled his lil' him like brittle glass and kissed her like she was going to run away if he showed too much aggression had him glued on the spot.

"Creating chaos is losing its charm, isn't it, Hollow?"

"SHUDDUP!" he barked over his shoulder at the tall dark-clad figure standing behind him also watching what was happening.

"Does the truth hurt?"

Shirosaki's eyes trembled for a moment at how the zanpakutoh's words made him doubt. He didn't know what to fucking believe or expect after seeing through the blue glass of the window at the sideways building. It had been days since he had seen his lil' hime and that was what mainly kept him from resurfacing. He needed to be around her for longer periods of time in order to come out to 'play'. Not having her spirit energy influencing the King had weakened him considerably.

"You need to face the facts. You are doing more harm in warping her emotions-"

"I ain't warping shit! She doesn't want him anymore!"

"If that is so, then why did she so easily tell Ichigo that she would stop seeing you if he so wished?"

He scowled, his lip curling up in annoyance at the chest pain he felt at Zangetsu's question.

"Why are you even talkin' to me? Why dontcha just go float around like you always do and fuck off already?" he snarled furiously waving a harshly dismissive hand his way before turning his raging bright gold eyes to the scene unfolding in the glass.

The zanpakutoh soul chuckled at his outburst and Shirosaki felt his fury grow. He didn't really know why he was so pissed off. This shit was bound to happen. He had sensed Ichigo's confusion and had heard a great deal of his errant thought. The King had begun to yearn for Orihime in a obsessive way.

A dull heaviness that he hadn't noticed there before, disappeared from his chest when his lil' hime jerked away from Ichigo and pushed him away. He didn't stop to wonder why his shoulders sagged as if a weight had been lifted off them at the sight of her rejection.

See? She doesn't want him! He should have felt smug and would had been gloating at how she turned away from King and walked towards her apartment door to make him leave, but the nagging words she had said earlier still pierced his brain. Jabbing and twisting it until he wanted to scream and break something or someone. He was even strongly contemplating jumping on Zangetsu to let some of the rage out.

"If you don't want… us to be together, I'll stop seeing him."

Is that what she wanted? To have him leave her alone and not come back? He didn't understand half the shit happening.

He couldn't understand because if it hadn't been for her he wouldn't have come out in the first place.

From the very beginning, ever since he had been born in that silent monotone world, she had been calling out to him. Her soul did it in mournful screams whenever she had looked and spoken to Ichigo. She had called him into being. A dark unconscious part of her had been strengthening and drawing him out. She couldn't just turn around and act as if she hadn't done it.

That secret yearning had been what kept him from killing her in Hueco Mundo when he had completely taken over his King. She had been so deliciously afraid, just like he knew she wanted to be. Everything he did was because she silently asked for it. He, being a Hollow, could see the darkness within and had read her as easily as an open book.

She was wrong in thinking that he was easy to get rid of. He was still going to go to her. It was already ingrained in him to seek her out and possess her. To ask him to stop would just shatter him. He was certain that she had that power.

I only exist for her. She has been begging for me for years.

"You seem rather upset, Hollow."

"I think I told ya to shut up!" he spat, not tearing his eyes away from the glass playing out yet another part of Ichigo's life.

"Your hands… they're bleeding. You might want to ask yourself exactly what you want from this girl. What do you desire to accomplish out of all of your games"

What the fuck is he talking about?

Making a disgruntled face, his eyes shot to one of his hands that had clenched into a fist over his thigh. Blackness was seeping into the white cloth of his hakamas. His blood. Black blood, not red like that of Ichigo or his lil' hime. Just black filth that stained everything it touched. He had been digging his nails so roughly into the palms of his hands that he had made them bleed.

"Do you know what you should do?"

Shirosaki's already placed scowl became more pronounced.

Fuck them. The hell with what they thought about what he was doing. He didn't see anything wrong with it. Both him and his lil' hime wanted each other. It was natural, at least in his point of view.

They could all fuck themselves. I ain't gonna stop until she's completely mine.

Posted this single chapter up as a oneshot because someone underaged that can't get into aff asked for at least something to help her understand some of the background of my Ichi/Tat Salvation (sequel to Reflection). This 'oneshot' is actually an excerpt since the whole story itself is too strong by FFnet guidelines. This is chapter 14 in that particular story. If you guys are interested in the whole story, go to my profile, otherwise just consider this a oneshot. This couple (hichi/hime) definitely need more fics on them! I guess you can consider Reflection and Salvation a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kind of thing. I might even do a long oneshot for the very slight pairing of Uryuu/Yuzu that appears on Salvation. hehehehe