A/N: I really suck at updating you guys. I'm so sorry for making you guys wait so long. School is hectic nowadays you know? However, I'm happy to inform you all that Thanksgiving break started on Wednesday, and lasts until Monday. During that time, I'll try to type up a storm so I can at least have the next chapter up sooner, but no promises. I wanted to say, thank you all for the lovely~ responses, didn't expect to receive many.

OH!

And I'm letting you all know that I will be bumping up the rating next chapter. Don't worry, there's nothing you should be scared of. However, I'm scared that I'm overstepping the boundaries for a T rated fic. SO I'M BUMPING UP THE RATING BECAUSE I'M A NERVOUS POTATO NUT! I'll give you warnings if any... scenes... decide to pop up out of no where.

OH!

Last thing, I believe I started a new IchiHime story called Of Protectors and Princesses. Check it out for me if you haven't, why dontcha?

Long authors note, Jesus Christ.

I'm not even going to state the disclaimer because obviously my name isn't Kubo. I'm Plue.

Chapter 3: Awkward Thoughts and Blushing Faces

Ichigo couldn't focus enough to save his damn life. It was hard enough that he had trouble concentrating on a normal day, but now they had a naked person sitting in front of the whole class.

And this naked person was good-looking!

Her auburn hair cascaded down her back like a sunshine waterfall. Her skin was pale, creamy and flawless, and for some reason, he wanted to touch it. Her stormy gray depths people called eyes were wide, staring at the wall in utter embarrassment. Her arms were long and thin, but not frail looking - did that even make sense? - and her fingers were small with perfect fingernails to match. From what he could tell, she had wide hips and a skinny waist, and when she was standing, long, toned legs that looked like they belonged in a magazine.

And her chest was huge!

Ichigo blushed and looked back at his easel holding his paper - which was still blank by the way. The chick was pretty damn beautiful from what he could tell. She had a body that many girls envied and men desired. How did his teacher manage to find her? In all honesty, when Ichigo saw the assignment, he pictured they would be getting an old woman or a male. He did not expect getting a woman his age!

But you really can't complain, his subconscious interjected. She's pretty damn hot.

I realize this! he countered back, effectively shutting it up.

A half hour left, and he still had nothing on his paper. Shaking his head to clear it, he tightened his grip on his pencil and started to outline her body. He'd worry about painting it later.

Ichigo glanced up and moved his pencil, sketching her lower back and the sheet covering it. It was dangerously low... If she made one move, the thing would fall and possibly reveal her bottom... Ichigo blushed.

The hell was he thinking?!

But that eye contact they had...

Even though mortification was shining in them, as bright as a diamond, he clearly saw something flash in them - interest perhaps? Whatever it was, it sure got him hooked. Were her eyes always that big? Was she a naturally bashful person or was she aggressive at times? Was she aggressive with men? Would she be that way with him?

His grip on his pencil tightened before he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and inappropriate thoughts - he didn't even know where the last one came from. He wasn't a pervert unlike Keigo - whose paper was blank as he drooled over the skin on the model's back. Ichigo was better than this! His mother - definitely not his father - raised him better than this!

With new found modesty, Ichigo took a look at his paper. So far, he had her body and hair outlined, which was pretty good considering he only did that in about fifteen minutes. He didn't say it looked good, but it was done. The curves were a little uneven. The hair was a tad shorter than reality. Her arms were not proportional at all, in fact, they were way off. She was missing a leg - wait, never mind, he just drew the cover a bit longer on one side.

Ichigo sighed. It was a hell of a lot better than what he usually did. Usually he would just sketch anything and paint over it later with random colors. The dog he painted last week was deformed and its fur was sticking out at all angles, and purple. Somehow, Keigo managed to steal his black and switched it with a deep purple. It was too late when he noticed, and he managed to get an average grade and a good scolding about imaginary creatures.

A clap kicked him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see the model scrambling to get the sheet around her body again, the teacher standing in front of her.

"Okay class!" she hollered. "You have tomorrow to finish this assignment. If I see that no one looks close to being done tomorrow, I'll see if Inoue-san -"

Inoue.

"- will be willing to come back the day after, but only for half of the class period. Now you can either put your paintings here," the teacher tapped on her desk, "for me to hold so you don't lose or crumple them, or you can hold onto them, but bring them back tomorrow. Pack up, you have five minutes."

Ichigo started cleaning up his materials and putting them in his duffel bag. That name... It sounded awfully familiar. He remembered hearing of an Inoue somewhere, but he wasn't sure where. Shrugging, Ichigo shoved the last of his paint into his bag just as the bell rang, signaling for the students to get the hell out of there and back to the dorms. The orange haired man waited by the door for his friends and they all filed out to the courtyard.

Once there, Keigo. Wouldn't. Shut. Up.

"Oh dear LORD!" he cried dramatically. "DID YOU SEE HER? I know you saw her! BUT DID YOU REALLY SEE HER?!"

"Yes Keigo, we saw her," Ichigo said irritably. "We have the same class, remember?"

"SHE WAS LIKE A MODEL! Sure she modeled for the class, but it was like she was an actual model!"

"No model is that bashful, Asano-san," Ishida coolly replied, pushing up his glasses.

"Poor girl looked like her face was about to catch fire," Renji added with a smirk.

"Hn."

"But her BODY was that of a model! Her hair was so~ long! Her legs were so~ toned! HER BOOBS WERE SO~ HUGE!"

A well placed punch later left Keigo moaning in pain on the ground and Ichigo's fist steaming. It was about damn time, he was starting to get a headache.

"I'm going to head to my dorm. We're still going to the movies later?" he asked. Earlier that week, Keigo had asked - blackmailed - he and the rest of the group - Mizuiro included - to go see that new action movie out. While they all wanted to relax, Keigo started whining, yelling and crying, making them all accept almost immediately to calm - shut up - the brown haired boy.

In an instant, Keigo was up and bouncing around. "Ichigo remembered! He somewhat cares!" he cried.

"Please quiet down Asano-san, we're getting stares," Ishida said, but Keigo wasn't listening. He was still running around, shouting that Ichigo 'did have a heart'. Another punch later, he was on the ground as Ichigo walked away, muttering a quick 'see you later' before he was out of sight.

With a sigh, Uryu helped the fallen stand up as Chad gathered his spilled materials and put them in his duffel bag. As the giant grabbed the painting with that days assignment date on it, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Asano," he started.

Keigo hummed.

"Is this your drawing?"

Keigo brightened. "Yeah! It's pure skill, isn't it? I should become an artist one day!"

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"You might want to try harder tomorrow." With that, the giant left, leaving Uryu and Renji with a depressed Keigo. Renji looked at the painting and burst into laughter, and Uryu could only sigh.

"I don't get it. What's wrong with my masterpiece?" Keigo whined, poking the grass dejectedly.

"The problem is Asano-san," Ishida said, handing the brunette back his project, "that you painted an orange stick figure."

Orihime threw on her clothes faster than the speed of light. Her hair was fixed, her shirt was straight, but the blush would not leave her face.

And she would have to do this tomorrow, and possibly the day after?!

Orihime groaned and covered her face, shaking her head. The whole time she was sitting up there, she only had one thought.

Please don't let this blanket fall!

It was sitting loose on her hips the whole time, and she was afraid that if she even took a deep breath, the sheet would fall and reveal her bottom. Oh, she couldn't have that, so she made sure to stay perfectly still, take even breaths and not make a sound.

Orihime rubbed her arms and stomped her feet to make them wake up. Sometime during the class, her legs fell asleep and her arms started to cramp up from staying up so long. She wanted to put her hands down, but she couldn't change the position for fear that the students wouldn't complete the arms and the teacher would scold her.

The auburn sighed and grabbed her purse, leaving from the bathroom she was suddenly shoved in. It was a long day and she felt like she needed a nap, possibly to dream of her finally defeating the little blue men and turning the ocean back to its original color of green, since they lived in all parts of it, making it blue. Then the people would thank her by giving her lots of red bean paste and lots of banana's to go with it.

Not noticing her surroundings, she bumped into someone with a really hard chest, knocking her straight to the ground.

"Sorry."

Oh, it had a deep voice too.

Orihime looked up and blushed furiously. It was the boy with the orange hair from the class! He had his hand outstretched, ready to help her up, and a red face. Good, she wasn't the only one who was embarrassed.

He was still waiting.

"Ah!" she cried, grabbing his hand and allowing him to pull her up. Once she was standing, she quickly adjusted her bag and looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. She already did that once today. "T-Thank you sir!" she squeaked, blushing in embarrassment once more. Why was she so nervous?!

Oh right... She was practically naked in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry for bumping into you!"

Ichigo scratched the back of his red neck. "It's alright. You weren't look-"

Before he could finish his sentence, she was sprinting down the hall. Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets and continued his walk in the opposite direction. It was by chance that he ran into her again, and by her behavior that time, it answered one of his many questions. She was a naturally bashful person. Now he knew not to assume things so quickly, but it was written all over her face that time. The utter embarrassment was practically forming her head when she looked at him. He didn't know if it was because she had posed nude in front of him or because she posed nude in front of him. Oh wait... that was the same thing, thus making it because she had posed nude in front of him.

Ichigo ran a hand over his face with a sigh and a scowl. Why was he thinking so much? He was supposed to be saving this for his major classes and Keigo. He shouldn't be wasting it on a simple girl who bumped into him.

But was it weird seeing her in clothing? Had he really gotten used to seeing her covered by a sheet so quickly? Was it because he was gaping at her the whole class period?

Ah shit!

He needed a nap.

Ichigo glanced back just in time to see a curtain of auburn hair disappear around the corner. Her name was Inoue, and that sounded awfully familiar. The name sounded off multiple alarms in the back of his mind. Sirens, dogs barking, people screaming, gunshots, everything. The name tugged at his brain harshly, almost threatening to slam his head into the wall with the force. Or maybe it was the headache.

Damn... He really needed a nap.

A/N: With that, Plue is done! Hm. Not my most exciting chapter nor my most detailed. Ichigo was probably OOC too. Damn. I'm disappointed in myself. PEOPLE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO THROW PINEAPPLES AT MY HEAD! I'll end up eating them later when I write a good chapter. BRING ON THE PINEAPPLES!

Regardless of the bad chapter, thank you for reading and let me know what you think. And remember, this rating will go up next chapter, so look in the M section in about 2 weeks to see if it's there.

Plue out!