Allure
Title: Allure
Rating: NC-17 (mature themes, language, and sexual content)
Pairing: IchiRuki
Summary: Based on the swimsuit spread.
=====
Rukia watched in amusement at the flustered expression of the man in front of her. Sweat glistened against his skin as his trembling hands drew closer to the woman before him, muttering inaudible words.
"Ishida-kun, will this take a while?"
The man stared up, his face a complete shade of crimson as he smiled nervously while fixing his glasses. "Ah...ah, no Inoue-san. I-It's just...ah, well, putting the button back on your...your..."
He waived his hand nervously towards the pink top she wore to cover her rather well endowed chest before turning back to his sewing material. "Well, wouldn't it be better if you took it off so I could fix it rather then while its on..."
Both Rukia and Inoue raised their brow as Ishida turned around, a look of horror on his face. "I-I mean not take it off here, but go in the changing room and...and..."
Inoue giggled slightly as he continued to stutter through his sentence as a soft knock on the door turned their attention there. A small head peeked through and stared hesitantly before his eyes lingered to the Rukia. “Aahh, Kuchiki-san, may I speak to you for a moment?”
Rukia stood up and sighed. "Yeah, Hanatarou, I’ll be right out. Ishida, I'm going to make sure everyone else is ready while you fix Inoue's...swimsuit," she smirked as the boy turned his head down in defeat. She closed the door as she listened to Inoue going on with random conversation and smiled before turning to the small man next to her.
He nervously shuffled his feet while trying to hold the various equipments in his hands. Before Rukia could offer to help, he quickly shook his head and pointed to the office on the other side of the building. “Ah, Urahara-san is asking when the photo shoot will begin since we are behind.”
He squeaked nervously when she crossed her arms, her brow rising in annoyance. “Tell him that we will begin as soon as the photographer decides to grace us with his presence. I have been calling him all morning, and he isn’t picking up. I’m his assistant, not his babysitter, so tell Urahara-san that if he wants it done, he calls himself.”
Hanataro nodded quickly and made his way to the office.
When his figure disappeared, Rukia made her way to the door to the right and entered to find a man talking animatedly to two very bored looking women. The man looked up as Rukia entered and smiled. "Ah, Rukia-san, I am almost finished! I was just giving these ladies some very much needed fashion tips that I know will do wonders for them."
The woman to the right rolled her eyes as the other ignored the man completely. Rukia maintained her calm composure, even though her patience was beginning to wane and turned to the man. "Yumichika-san, just hurry and finish fixing up their hair so that we may get on with the shoot. Urahara-san has already irritated me for the past hour on how late we are."
The man looked at her with a slight annoyance. "Well, one cannot rush beauty, as you know. It takes time to look as beautiful as me."
Rukia gritted her teeth before turning and walking to the door. "Yes, well finish up and get the girls to the designated area. If not, I won't be the one coming here to tell you again."
She closed the door and rubbed her forehead, realizing the oncoming migraine that was about to make her already hellish day worse. A door closing nearby made her turn and found Ishida walking towards her, his face still red but not as bad as it was when she was there. "All done?" she smiled innocently as Ishida glared while fixing his glasses.
He handed her a coat as they made their way to where the shooting was to take place. The moment the door opened, Rukia clutched onto her coat as a fierce wind brushed past them. Her teeth chattered as they made their way down the stairs and through the thick snow that had fallen last night. "What the hell was Kurosaki thinking when he chose this, of all places, to hold the shoot," she growled as they made their way past a few more trailers.
Ishida shrugged as he walked beside her. "Why don't you just ask him yourself?" he muttered as he motioned towards a man standing in the distance, seemingly arguing with one of the employees. Rukia nodded and made her way towards him, her eyes narrowing at the man as he turned his attention to the two of them. A slightly cocky smirk appeared on his face as he watched the fuming woman approach, "You two look like Eskimos, you know that?"
He yelped as Rukia smacked him on the head and put her hands on her hip. "What else are we supposed to look like when you pick such a cold place to have a SWIMSUIT shoot?! What were you thinking, Kurosaki?!"
The smile faded slightly from his face as he walked up to her and put his hand on her head, which he knew infuriated her. "This was not my idea, Kuchiki. What I'm told to do, I do. If you have a problem with that, talk to the higher ups, got it?"
Rukia snarled as his smirk appeared again. Turning, he chuckled lightly as he walked away while Ishida held onto Rukia before she could do anymore damage on the orange head. "I hate him," she growled, pulling her arm out of Ishida's grip. "Why do I always get stuck working with him?!" she muttered. Ishida sighed and shook his head. "That is a question I ask everyday myself..."
Rukia smirked as they made their way to the small building nearby where set was being prepared. Another cold breeze crept past her as she rubbed her arms for added warmth. I won't be surprised if I become a human icicle here, she thought ruefully as she watched Ishida make his way to the models that were now walking towards them. Ichigo too made his way past her without acknowledgment and walked over to the model whose name was Inoue. Rukia's cheeks flustered a bit as they conversed animatedly, and turned to stare vacantly at the camera as she tinkered with its angle idly.
“Idiot…” she muttered, her eyes turning to watch his back again.
“Kuchiki-san, are you alright?” Rukia turned to find Ishida standing behind her, his eyes wandering to where she was looking. She could sense he was uncomfortable as well with the scene before them but shrugged.
“Nothing, Ishida. Everyone ready?”
The man nodded and clutched his coat, finally tearing his eyes away from the two. “Yeah, but there is a problem…” He pointed to a young man in the distance who was walking towards them. Rukia squinted in order to be able to see the man better, but still was not able to recognize him.
“That is our client Ulquiorra Cifer. Apparently one of the models can’t make it, so he is a bit peeved. Seems she caught a flu last night.”
“Wonder why…” Rukia muttered, clutching her coat tighter as another icy cold blast swept past them. A smirk appeared on her face as the man made his way to Ichigo. “Oh this I have to see…” she muttered.
As she made her way to the two, she could hear some of the conversation that had already taken place.
“Well, I am sorry to hear that, but we will just have to work with what we have,” Ichigo said simply, shrugging as he turned to completely ignore the man.
Rukia was surprised to see the man still maintain a blank face as he placed his hands in his pocket. “I do not believe you understood me correctly. I wished for there to be four models in these pictures. Not less nor more then that. I don’t care what you have to do, but I will not settle for anything else.”
Ichigo sighed in irritation and turned to him. “Well, where are we going to get someone at such a short notice in the middle of nowhere?!”
Ulquiorra raised his brow and turned to see Rukia approach them. “How about her?”
“Hm?” Rukia stopped midway and stared in surprise as both heads turned to her.
Ichigo’s brow rose, and if it were possible, his scowl became more prominent. “Her?” he asked in disbelief.
Rukia glared at the tone in his voice as Ulquiorra turned to him. “Yes, her. While she may lack the necessary physique required, she is adequate enough to be in the shoot.”
Rukia crossed her arms, looking down subtly at her small chest with a pout.
“No.” Ichigo’s sharp voice brought her attention back to the two men in front of her. “She is my assistant and she is required to be behind the scenes to work.”
“Well do you have any other person then? If not, I do believe we have no other choice.”
“No there isn’t anyone, but that doesn’t change things.”
Rukia tapped her feet on the cold snow. “Don’t I get a say in this?!”
“No.” Both retorted in unison before continuing their glaring competition.
“What?! Why not?!”
Ichigo continued to glare at the man before rounding on her. “Because I said so!”
Rukia gaped, standing as high as possible as she stared at the man, her hands on her hips. “Excuse me?! Who gave you the right to order me around?!”
Ichigo snorted, his arms crossed in front of him. “I’m the photographer.”
A small cough turned their attention to the man next to them. “If memory serves me correct, I am the client who is paying for all this. So I say she does.”
Ichigo scoffed. “She won’t even fit with the others! You said so yourself!”
Rukia gaped at him, her face tinged with both a mixture of the cold and anger.
“Is that so?” her voice trembled. “Fine…” she turned to Ulquiorra. “I’m in.”
“Oh hell you aren’t,” Ichigo muttered vehemently as Rukia rounded on him. “Watch me. If you have a problem with this, you go talk it over with the higher ups!” she snarled, poking his chest with her finger before walking away in a huff. She didn’t even look back when he called her name, instead focused on getting out of there before she killed him.
“Uh…Kuchik-san…”
Ishida followed behind nervously as she threw open the door in anger. “Can’t do it because I don’t have the body for it?!”
“Kuchiki-san…”
“I’ll show him...Ishida!” she yelled, startling the man right behind her into knocking into her.
“Kuchiki-san…” he sighed, irritation evident in his tone. “Do you realize what you have just done??”
“Yes, and you are going to help me make sure that idiot regret his words…”
A sweat dropped on the man’s head as she stood up, a grin and a determined look on her face. “I can do this!”
x.X.x
"I can't do this."
Rukia dared a glimpse at herself in the mirror and swallowed hard. Granted she had worn a bathing suit on several occasions before, but she wondered whether these pieces of cloth could even be considered one. It was a bright yellow two piece and seemed to cling to every curve of her petite form. She adjusted one of the straps before clinging to the white fur coat that was to be used for the shoot, hoping to maintain whatever little modesty was allowed.
From behind, she heard a snort from the annoying designer as he put away the rest of the suits she had tried on. "Well, if you can't, just tell Kurosaki that he was right."
A pang of annoyance hit her with his words that indeed, she would have to admit to Ichigo that he was right - and she absolutely refused to ever admit that to him. In her anger, she had not even considered the implication of agreeing to do something like this. Now that she was alone with her thoughts, the whole idea was ridiculous. She was nothing like the other models that were going to be in the same picture, and she could not help but think of how out of place she would be. Even Ishida had a difficult time finding an appropriate size for her on such a short notice from the collection that was sent to them.
Her eyes lingered on the door, realizing that it was probably the last chance she had to get out of this. But...he would win. She knew she would never live it down...hell, he wouldn't let her live it down. Ishida watched her with amusement, knowing fully well what she was considering as he casually made his way to the door. "Should I let Kurosaki know you changed your mind?" he asked as he adjusted his glasses.
He was met with a cold glare as she shook her head. "No, tell him I will be there in a minute."
He nodded, leaving her in her room again. She took a deep breath before blowing a strand of a stray lock of hair from her eyes. Walking to the door, she opened it with as much composure as she could muster.
There was a collective amount of whispering when she stumbled into the set, her cheeks tinged with a mixture of the cold and embarrassment as she felt so many eyes on her. She could ignore all of them, except for pair of piercing amber eyes that had been watching her the moment she entered. While the usual scowl was present on his face, she could not help but feel something else behind his eyes. For the first time, he was unreadable to her, which unnerved her slightly as she passed him to join the other models. Inoue smiled as Rukia walked timidly towards her while the other two watched without a word.
While the last amount of preparation was being done, she could feel him walking towards her. Ichigo surveyed her for a moment more before finally moving and grabbing his camera. Rukia watched as the girls made their way to the stairs where the first few pictures were to be taken and followed behind, biting her lips nervously as she stood between them.
"Eh..."
Ichigo made his way towards them and began providing instructions on what he wanted. He would shift the others around, and Rukia waited with an annoyance as he completely disregarded her while doing all this. She crossed her arms and coughed slightly before he finally turned to her, his brow rising as he grabbed her arm without a word. "Hey," she growled as he put her next to Rangiku, turning her slightly so that her back faced the camera. His hands, which were surprisingly warm, cupped her chin for a moment before turning it slightly so that her face was towards the camera. For a moment his hands lingered there before he turned quickly, resuming his position.
For the most part, the shoot went pretty smoothly. Although Rukia did feel out of place for most of it, she was glad that there were no remarks made about her being there. If anything, she received very appreciative glances from those who found it admirable that she had stood up to the all mighty stubborn Kurosaki Ichigo. Not to mention a few even were shocked that she did manage to stand out quite well from the others with her look. After the first slight hesitation, she could not help but feel herself slightly getting comfortable in front of the camera. Everything was going fine…except for one exception.
Ichigo.
He seemed normal enough while barking out instructions to the others…but it was the way he was around her that confused her. Throughout the shoot, she could feel his gaze constantly on her, even when he was supposed to be concentrating on the other models. She could practically feel the piercing look prickle the hair on the nape of her neck. Yet his gazes were nothing compared to the lingering feeling his touch would leave on her skin whenever he corrected her pose.
Several more shots were taken, each of which she grew more confident in proving herself…to them…to him…
She blinked when she realized what she had been thinking. Why would or should she honestly care what he thinks?
Well, since you put yourself into this predicament to prove a point…
Rukia scowled at her own inner voice before the sharp tone in Ichigo’s voice turned her attention to him.
“We aren’t doing mug shots, Kuchiki. So pay attention.”
If it was even possible, Rukia’s scowl deepened as he raised his brow. Yet their client was watching closely, so in a last ditch effort to try and smile, she thought of anything that would be pleasant for her…namely anyway she could kill the idiot. Yes, those thoughts did seem to lift her mood as she forced the small crooked smile she could muster. For some reason, whether it was the way she was forcing herself to remain cool or that he could read her thoughts, a small smirk crept onto his features for the first time since they first began. Rukia’s face flushed slightly as his eyes stared directly at her before placing the camera in position for another round of shots.
After what seemed like an eternity, they were told to pack up. Rukia took in a deep breath, relieved that she had survived through everything. She didn’t think she could take anymore of the looks the other models gave her, squatting Yumichika’s hand whenever she tried to fluff her nose with more powder, or the gaze of Kurosaki Ichigo.
Though she was pleasantly surprised when she was complimented by Ulquiorra on giving a ‘decent’ performance. Figuring that was something rare anyways from the man, she took it politely and excused herself. Her eyes lingered on Ichigo, who was now no longer looking at her but instructing the others to clean up the remaining equipment. Before she could speak to him, she was quickly ushered back to the dressing room to change. By the time she finally got away from Ishida and Yumichika, he was gone.
xXx
The rest of the day had passed with no other incidence. Except for the fact that Ichigo was practically ignoring her. She sighed and just let him be, knowing it was useless to try and get him to talk when he was being stubborn like this. She didn’t even get what was his problem. It would have been more understandable if he was his usual snarky self, but this silent type unnerved her.
After completing their last shoot for the day, everyone made their way out of the studio. As Rukia walked towards the door, she heard him call her name for the first time since that day. Turning, she found him standing in front of a table opening up some pictures from one of the shoots. Walking curiously over, her eyes widened when she noticed the familiarity of the pictures. When he handed her one of the copies, she gasped when she realized it was from the swimsuit shoot. He finally pulled out a larger size of one of the poses, indicating that this would be the one that would be used by their client.
Rukia took the picture, and frowned slightly when she realized she was nearly hidden behind one of the models. It was the pose that had her back towards the camera, and only a view of her face showing.
“Well, what do you think? Ulquiorra actually loved them very much. But this is the one he picked from the lot.”
Rukia shrugged, handing it back to him. “It is fine…” Though she did feel hurt at the choice, she couldn’t really argue with his decision. After all, the rest of the pictures where she was shown more prominent, were laughable at best to her. For some reason, knowing this…and wondering whether Ichigo saw this too, got to her more then she wished.
“Oye, Rukia, what is the matter?”
“Hmm…nothing.”
An awkward silence ensued as he surveyed her while she shifted through the other pictures. “You know you look fine, Rukia…”
Her head shifted suddenly to him, her brow raised as he avoided her gaze. Though she did notice a slight tinge of pink on his cheek. Was…was he trying to be…nice?
“Who are you, and what have you done with Kurosaki Ichigo?” she muttered.
Completely caught off guard, he snickered as she smiled. “Maybe this is the real me?”
Rukia rolled her eyes. “Not likely. This is the first time in what…the two years we have known each other?”
Ichigo chortled. “Yeah, yeah. But seriously, Rukia, this is the best of the shots.”
Looking at him in disbelief, she shook her head and stuck her tongue at him. “Why, because you can barely see me?” she teased.
He watched her as she began walking towards her bag. Crossing his arms when she turned to him, he smirked as he leaned against the table. “No…because a big chest is not always the biggest sex appeal. Especially not to me.”
Rukia smirked. “Is that so? Then what is that?” She asked, indicating to the pictures. “You could have fooled me. From how cozy you were getting with the models, I would have guessed that would have been.”
She had expected him to get angry, but was surprised to see his grin widen. “Why? Jealous, Kuchiki?”
Rukia felt the heat creep up on her face and was sure she was turning a deep crimson red. Shaking her head, she bent down and grabbed her bag. “Whatever, Kurosaki. As if I would be jealous of them fawning over you…”
She turned to the door, opening it just slightly before it slammed shut. Looking up in disbelief, she realized a hand hovered over her, keeping the door closed.
Turning her head slightly, she realized Ichigo was standing right behind her, nearly boxing her in. She frowned as she noticed he had that same unreadable expression that he had that day. But he was so close to her…so close, that she felt herself push against the door more for some space.
“For me, the eyes can be the most alluring quality in a woman,” he whispered. He gazed at her intently, and she could feel her breath hitch when he moved closer. The smirk that was already on his face grew as his head descended slowly until it was inches in front of her. She swallowed, realizing that she could not move back anymore. His hot breath now teased her lips, as they stared at each other. “It’s the reason I liked this one out of all of them. And of course…the slight pout of your lips.”
He smirked, his lips inching closer until they lightly traced against hers. She trembled slightly as he continued to tease her, his mouth moving slowly to the edge of her lips, along the jaw line…until it was settled near her ears. It was when she felt him nip softly at her soft neck that she gasped. Her eyes shut immediately as he returned towards her soft pink lips, placing butterfly kisses along her jaw line. But it was when his lips met hers that she felt a slight groan beginning to resonate from the back of her throat. It was a soft, hesitant kiss…almost as if he was trying to find out if she wanted the same thing.
And she did.
Her lips finally responded, and she could feel a smirk appear on his face as he shifted his head slightly to deepen the kiss. She could feel the knot in her stomach as his hand slowly cupped her cheek, pulling her face closer to him. Her own fingers somehow managed to grapple the tight crimson shirt he wore, pulling him towards her. The soft kiss that started had already begun to change into something far more. She heard him groan softly into the kiss when she entangled her fingers into his fiery lock of hair, reveling at how his arms had quickly encircled her as he pressed her against the door. His warm tongue had already invaded her mouth without her realizing it, ravaging every bit of her as her tongue tangled with his.
She could feel herself losing breath, but it was nothing to the pounding in her heart that seemed to match his own. Their body moved in rhythm as he grinded into her. Unable to take anymore, she ripped her mouth away from his possessive grasp and took in deep breaths to steady herself. But he…he was certainly not finished as he began placing hot, open mouth kisses on her neck. She groaned as she shifted her head to the side to allow him more access. His hands meanwhile had reached her small breasts, fondling them as she cried out in pleasure. She heard him say her name with such a passion that it left her breathless as his lips resumed their assault in her mouth when he thought she had caught her breath. Yet his hands never left her breasts as he continued to knead them in his hands while his lips continued to kiss her fervently. When he finally reluctantly pulled away from her, he leaned his forehead against her as they attempted to catch their breaths. She looked at him, amazed at how intensely he was looking at her. A shudder ran through her spine when he licked his lips as he grinned. She knew…even if the words were not spoken…what he was asking. She could already feel herself getting wet just by looking at his hungry look and knew that it was too late to back out now.
Not that she would have even if she could…
As if to answer that question, she grasped the light jacket he had been wearing and tore it off of him in one fluid motion. It was all that was needed before he grappled her wrist and pushed her towards him. Their lips collided as she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist with his help. He locked the door to the main door and began walking the other way. She could not even tell where they were going, and even Ichigo himself was a bit clumsy as he held onto her possessively.
It was when she felt herself being lowered that she pulled away in gasps, noticing that he was placing her down on one of the lounge sofas that were on the side of the studio. It was definitely not one of the most comfortable spots to be for what they were about to do, but hell, she could care less as he hovered over her. She raised her arms when his hands reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it off in one swift motion and throwing it to some corner of the studio.
His mouth quickly latched onto the sensitive skin of her neck and sucked diligently as she panted, his pelvis grinding insistently with her. She was already so close to coming just from this, but it was the feeling of his thick length against her leg that caused her eyes to widen. Oh, she didn’t even need to see it to realize how…difficult this might get. But Ichigo didn’t even seem to share her thought as he tugged at the last remaining garment that hid her form from him. She stifled a curse as he ripped her bra after an unsuccessful attempt at opening the clasp. The bastard couldn’t even wait for her to help him…
All thoughts of anger swept away the moment his mouth clasped around one of her breasts. She cried out as he continued to suckle on her tender flesh while his hands slowly worked on the buckle of her pants. In moments, they too had been tossed along with her shirt as his fingers slowly resumed their torturous exploration from the center of her breasts to where she was aching the most. His name barely escaped her lips when she felt one of his callous fingers slip deep inside her. She groaned, arching her back as he slowly pumped his finger into her. She rose to meet his every movement, and cried out as he continued to resume suckling her neglected breast.
In moments, her entire body trembled as she came. She gasped as he pushed her damp hair off her face that was not covered with sweat. She continued to shake as Ichigo pulled himself away, and stared at her. Her eyes lowered to meet his, and it was all that it took for him to pull himself to her. But before he could, she cocked her brow and stopped him. “Not fair…” she muttered, grabbing his shirt and yanking it up. He chuckled and assisted her in removing the annoying piece of garment. She stared at the rippling muscles as she traced each contour with her tiny fingers. A Cheshire grin appeared on his face as he captured her lips again while her hand slowly descended lower to unbuckle his pants. After removing the last remaining bit of clothing, she lowered her gaze to confirm her suspicion. This was not going to be easy. Ichigo noted her gaze and the look of hesitation in her eyes and chuckled. Nipping playfully on her lips, he boxed her again with his strong arms and readied himself. She sighed into his kiss, her fingers now stroking his thick length as he inched closer before completely slipping inside her tight folds.
A soft cry was all she could muster as her breath was swept away from the feeling of him deep inside her. Her trembling continued as he kissed her and soothed her with his tender whispers. She could feel her heart pumping in her rib cage as he pushed himself deeper into her. There he remained still for a moment as they caught their breaths. She bit her lip when he slowly began to slip out of her, but could not stop the cry of pleasure as he thrust back into her. His slow motion was quickly changed into sudden and powerful thrusts which Rukia attempted to match. The effect was almost mind numbing as their bodies gyrated in rhythm, sweat glistening on their bodies as they moved fluidly together. His name continued to slip from her as her fingers clung to his broad shoulders.
Within moments her entire body shook as she came again, with Ichigo following just moments later. She gasped as he continued his thrusts until he collapsed on her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he left a trail of soft kisses from the dip of her navel to the valley between her breasts, and finally to her awaiting lips. He kissed her tenderly for a moment before their energy was really spent. He rested his forehead against hers, making sure not to put any of his weight on her. She watched as he stroked her cheek gently, removing the strands that clung to her face away. Her fingers continued to trace every curve and muscle as she felt complete exhaustion from their little exertion.
“Idiot…” she breathed as he rested his head at the crook of her neck. She felt him shaking slightly as he chuckled and placed a soft kiss on her neck. Her fingers swept through his hair as they calmed their breathing.
“Ichigo?”
“Hm?”
“Why didn’t you want me to be a part of the group anyways?”
She waited for a response, her head angling slightly to see the expression on his face. But his mop of hair covered his face, and he held her too tightly to move.
“I…don’t know. I guess I knew it was something you weren’t comfortable with anyways. And…you honestly didn’t need to do anything to prove yourself to anyone. So…”
Rukia smiled and kissed his forehead. He grunted before the room was silent again. He finally snorted and shifted his head to look at hers, the cocky grin back on his face. “But you know, I do have to agree that the pictures were not quite up to standard. Maybe we can have our own photo shoot to get better pictures, eh?”
Rukia punched him playfully. “In your dreams.”
He chuckled before pulling her up. “Anyways, I think it’s not such a bad idea. I think no one would noticed if we borrowed one from here for some rehearsal?” he grinned.
Rukia rolled her eyes and pushed him aside as she grabbed her clothing. “No way.”
She bit her lip to stop the giggle from the pout on his mouth. After dressing and making sure the place looked…somewhat like it did before, she turned to him and found him staring at her.
“How about the red piece?”
“No…”
“The blue one?”
“Let’s go, Ichigo…”
“No, you are right. I think the purple one would match your eyes.”
“…”
“Purple it is.”
She smirked, shaking her head as she unlocked the door. Her eyes shifted suddenly when her fingers were suddenly entangled with his own. Grinning, he tightened his grip on her fingers and pulled her towards him as they left the studio.
Rating: NC-17 (mature themes, language, and sexual content)
Pairing: IchiRuki
Summary: Based on the swimsuit spread.
=====
Rukia watched in amusement at the flustered expression of the man in front of her. Sweat glistened against his skin as his trembling hands drew closer to the woman before him, muttering inaudible words.
"Ishida-kun, will this take a while?"
The man stared up, his face a complete shade of crimson as he smiled nervously while fixing his glasses. "Ah...ah, no Inoue-san. I-It's just...ah, well, putting the button back on your...your..."
He waived his hand nervously towards the pink top she wore to cover her rather well endowed chest before turning back to his sewing material. "Well, wouldn't it be better if you took it off so I could fix it rather then while its on..."
Both Rukia and Inoue raised their brow as Ishida turned around, a look of horror on his face. "I-I mean not take it off here, but go in the changing room and...and..."
Inoue giggled slightly as he continued to stutter through his sentence as a soft knock on the door turned their attention there. A small head peeked through and stared hesitantly before his eyes lingered to the Rukia. “Aahh, Kuchiki-san, may I speak to you for a moment?”
Rukia stood up and sighed. "Yeah, Hanatarou, I’ll be right out. Ishida, I'm going to make sure everyone else is ready while you fix Inoue's...swimsuit," she smirked as the boy turned his head down in defeat. She closed the door as she listened to Inoue going on with random conversation and smiled before turning to the small man next to her.
He nervously shuffled his feet while trying to hold the various equipments in his hands. Before Rukia could offer to help, he quickly shook his head and pointed to the office on the other side of the building. “Ah, Urahara-san is asking when the photo shoot will begin since we are behind.”
He squeaked nervously when she crossed her arms, her brow rising in annoyance. “Tell him that we will begin as soon as the photographer decides to grace us with his presence. I have been calling him all morning, and he isn’t picking up. I’m his assistant, not his babysitter, so tell Urahara-san that if he wants it done, he calls himself.”
Hanataro nodded quickly and made his way to the office.
When his figure disappeared, Rukia made her way to the door to the right and entered to find a man talking animatedly to two very bored looking women. The man looked up as Rukia entered and smiled. "Ah, Rukia-san, I am almost finished! I was just giving these ladies some very much needed fashion tips that I know will do wonders for them."
The woman to the right rolled her eyes as the other ignored the man completely. Rukia maintained her calm composure, even though her patience was beginning to wane and turned to the man. "Yumichika-san, just hurry and finish fixing up their hair so that we may get on with the shoot. Urahara-san has already irritated me for the past hour on how late we are."
The man looked at her with a slight annoyance. "Well, one cannot rush beauty, as you know. It takes time to look as beautiful as me."
Rukia gritted her teeth before turning and walking to the door. "Yes, well finish up and get the girls to the designated area. If not, I won't be the one coming here to tell you again."
She closed the door and rubbed her forehead, realizing the oncoming migraine that was about to make her already hellish day worse. A door closing nearby made her turn and found Ishida walking towards her, his face still red but not as bad as it was when she was there. "All done?" she smiled innocently as Ishida glared while fixing his glasses.
He handed her a coat as they made their way to where the shooting was to take place. The moment the door opened, Rukia clutched onto her coat as a fierce wind brushed past them. Her teeth chattered as they made their way down the stairs and through the thick snow that had fallen last night. "What the hell was Kurosaki thinking when he chose this, of all places, to hold the shoot," she growled as they made their way past a few more trailers.
Ishida shrugged as he walked beside her. "Why don't you just ask him yourself?" he muttered as he motioned towards a man standing in the distance, seemingly arguing with one of the employees. Rukia nodded and made her way towards him, her eyes narrowing at the man as he turned his attention to the two of them. A slightly cocky smirk appeared on his face as he watched the fuming woman approach, "You two look like Eskimos, you know that?"
He yelped as Rukia smacked him on the head and put her hands on her hip. "What else are we supposed to look like when you pick such a cold place to have a SWIMSUIT shoot?! What were you thinking, Kurosaki?!"
The smile faded slightly from his face as he walked up to her and put his hand on her head, which he knew infuriated her. "This was not my idea, Kuchiki. What I'm told to do, I do. If you have a problem with that, talk to the higher ups, got it?"
Rukia snarled as his smirk appeared again. Turning, he chuckled lightly as he walked away while Ishida held onto Rukia before she could do anymore damage on the orange head. "I hate him," she growled, pulling her arm out of Ishida's grip. "Why do I always get stuck working with him?!" she muttered. Ishida sighed and shook his head. "That is a question I ask everyday myself..."
Rukia smirked as they made their way to the small building nearby where set was being prepared. Another cold breeze crept past her as she rubbed her arms for added warmth. I won't be surprised if I become a human icicle here, she thought ruefully as she watched Ishida make his way to the models that were now walking towards them. Ichigo too made his way past her without acknowledgment and walked over to the model whose name was Inoue. Rukia's cheeks flustered a bit as they conversed animatedly, and turned to stare vacantly at the camera as she tinkered with its angle idly.
“Idiot…” she muttered, her eyes turning to watch his back again.
“Kuchiki-san, are you alright?” Rukia turned to find Ishida standing behind her, his eyes wandering to where she was looking. She could sense he was uncomfortable as well with the scene before them but shrugged.
“Nothing, Ishida. Everyone ready?”
The man nodded and clutched his coat, finally tearing his eyes away from the two. “Yeah, but there is a problem…” He pointed to a young man in the distance who was walking towards them. Rukia squinted in order to be able to see the man better, but still was not able to recognize him.
“That is our client Ulquiorra Cifer. Apparently one of the models can’t make it, so he is a bit peeved. Seems she caught a flu last night.”
“Wonder why…” Rukia muttered, clutching her coat tighter as another icy cold blast swept past them. A smirk appeared on her face as the man made his way to Ichigo. “Oh this I have to see…” she muttered.
As she made her way to the two, she could hear some of the conversation that had already taken place.
“Well, I am sorry to hear that, but we will just have to work with what we have,” Ichigo said simply, shrugging as he turned to completely ignore the man.
Rukia was surprised to see the man still maintain a blank face as he placed his hands in his pocket. “I do not believe you understood me correctly. I wished for there to be four models in these pictures. Not less nor more then that. I don’t care what you have to do, but I will not settle for anything else.”
Ichigo sighed in irritation and turned to him. “Well, where are we going to get someone at such a short notice in the middle of nowhere?!”
Ulquiorra raised his brow and turned to see Rukia approach them. “How about her?”
“Hm?” Rukia stopped midway and stared in surprise as both heads turned to her.
Ichigo’s brow rose, and if it were possible, his scowl became more prominent. “Her?” he asked in disbelief.
Rukia glared at the tone in his voice as Ulquiorra turned to him. “Yes, her. While she may lack the necessary physique required, she is adequate enough to be in the shoot.”
Rukia crossed her arms, looking down subtly at her small chest with a pout.
“No.” Ichigo’s sharp voice brought her attention back to the two men in front of her. “She is my assistant and she is required to be behind the scenes to work.”
“Well do you have any other person then? If not, I do believe we have no other choice.”
“No there isn’t anyone, but that doesn’t change things.”
Rukia tapped her feet on the cold snow. “Don’t I get a say in this?!”
“No.” Both retorted in unison before continuing their glaring competition.
“What?! Why not?!”
Ichigo continued to glare at the man before rounding on her. “Because I said so!”
Rukia gaped, standing as high as possible as she stared at the man, her hands on her hips. “Excuse me?! Who gave you the right to order me around?!”
Ichigo snorted, his arms crossed in front of him. “I’m the photographer.”
A small cough turned their attention to the man next to them. “If memory serves me correct, I am the client who is paying for all this. So I say she does.”
Ichigo scoffed. “She won’t even fit with the others! You said so yourself!”
Rukia gaped at him, her face tinged with both a mixture of the cold and anger.
“Is that so?” her voice trembled. “Fine…” she turned to Ulquiorra. “I’m in.”
“Oh hell you aren’t,” Ichigo muttered vehemently as Rukia rounded on him. “Watch me. If you have a problem with this, you go talk it over with the higher ups!” she snarled, poking his chest with her finger before walking away in a huff. She didn’t even look back when he called her name, instead focused on getting out of there before she killed him.
“Uh…Kuchik-san…”
Ishida followed behind nervously as she threw open the door in anger. “Can’t do it because I don’t have the body for it?!”
“Kuchiki-san…”
“I’ll show him...Ishida!” she yelled, startling the man right behind her into knocking into her.
“Kuchiki-san…” he sighed, irritation evident in his tone. “Do you realize what you have just done??”
“Yes, and you are going to help me make sure that idiot regret his words…”
A sweat dropped on the man’s head as she stood up, a grin and a determined look on her face. “I can do this!”
x.X.x
"I can't do this."
Rukia dared a glimpse at herself in the mirror and swallowed hard. Granted she had worn a bathing suit on several occasions before, but she wondered whether these pieces of cloth could even be considered one. It was a bright yellow two piece and seemed to cling to every curve of her petite form. She adjusted one of the straps before clinging to the white fur coat that was to be used for the shoot, hoping to maintain whatever little modesty was allowed.
From behind, she heard a snort from the annoying designer as he put away the rest of the suits she had tried on. "Well, if you can't, just tell Kurosaki that he was right."
A pang of annoyance hit her with his words that indeed, she would have to admit to Ichigo that he was right - and she absolutely refused to ever admit that to him. In her anger, she had not even considered the implication of agreeing to do something like this. Now that she was alone with her thoughts, the whole idea was ridiculous. She was nothing like the other models that were going to be in the same picture, and she could not help but think of how out of place she would be. Even Ishida had a difficult time finding an appropriate size for her on such a short notice from the collection that was sent to them.
Her eyes lingered on the door, realizing that it was probably the last chance she had to get out of this. But...he would win. She knew she would never live it down...hell, he wouldn't let her live it down. Ishida watched her with amusement, knowing fully well what she was considering as he casually made his way to the door. "Should I let Kurosaki know you changed your mind?" he asked as he adjusted his glasses.
He was met with a cold glare as she shook her head. "No, tell him I will be there in a minute."
He nodded, leaving her in her room again. She took a deep breath before blowing a strand of a stray lock of hair from her eyes. Walking to the door, she opened it with as much composure as she could muster.
There was a collective amount of whispering when she stumbled into the set, her cheeks tinged with a mixture of the cold and embarrassment as she felt so many eyes on her. She could ignore all of them, except for pair of piercing amber eyes that had been watching her the moment she entered. While the usual scowl was present on his face, she could not help but feel something else behind his eyes. For the first time, he was unreadable to her, which unnerved her slightly as she passed him to join the other models. Inoue smiled as Rukia walked timidly towards her while the other two watched without a word.
While the last amount of preparation was being done, she could feel him walking towards her. Ichigo surveyed her for a moment more before finally moving and grabbing his camera. Rukia watched as the girls made their way to the stairs where the first few pictures were to be taken and followed behind, biting her lips nervously as she stood between them.
"Eh..."
Ichigo made his way towards them and began providing instructions on what he wanted. He would shift the others around, and Rukia waited with an annoyance as he completely disregarded her while doing all this. She crossed her arms and coughed slightly before he finally turned to her, his brow rising as he grabbed her arm without a word. "Hey," she growled as he put her next to Rangiku, turning her slightly so that her back faced the camera. His hands, which were surprisingly warm, cupped her chin for a moment before turning it slightly so that her face was towards the camera. For a moment his hands lingered there before he turned quickly, resuming his position.
For the most part, the shoot went pretty smoothly. Although Rukia did feel out of place for most of it, she was glad that there were no remarks made about her being there. If anything, she received very appreciative glances from those who found it admirable that she had stood up to the all mighty stubborn Kurosaki Ichigo. Not to mention a few even were shocked that she did manage to stand out quite well from the others with her look. After the first slight hesitation, she could not help but feel herself slightly getting comfortable in front of the camera. Everything was going fine…except for one exception.
Ichigo.
He seemed normal enough while barking out instructions to the others…but it was the way he was around her that confused her. Throughout the shoot, she could feel his gaze constantly on her, even when he was supposed to be concentrating on the other models. She could practically feel the piercing look prickle the hair on the nape of her neck. Yet his gazes were nothing compared to the lingering feeling his touch would leave on her skin whenever he corrected her pose.
Several more shots were taken, each of which she grew more confident in proving herself…to them…to him…
She blinked when she realized what she had been thinking. Why would or should she honestly care what he thinks?
Well, since you put yourself into this predicament to prove a point…
Rukia scowled at her own inner voice before the sharp tone in Ichigo’s voice turned her attention to him.
“We aren’t doing mug shots, Kuchiki. So pay attention.”
If it was even possible, Rukia’s scowl deepened as he raised his brow. Yet their client was watching closely, so in a last ditch effort to try and smile, she thought of anything that would be pleasant for her…namely anyway she could kill the idiot. Yes, those thoughts did seem to lift her mood as she forced the small crooked smile she could muster. For some reason, whether it was the way she was forcing herself to remain cool or that he could read her thoughts, a small smirk crept onto his features for the first time since they first began. Rukia’s face flushed slightly as his eyes stared directly at her before placing the camera in position for another round of shots.
After what seemed like an eternity, they were told to pack up. Rukia took in a deep breath, relieved that she had survived through everything. She didn’t think she could take anymore of the looks the other models gave her, squatting Yumichika’s hand whenever she tried to fluff her nose with more powder, or the gaze of Kurosaki Ichigo.
Though she was pleasantly surprised when she was complimented by Ulquiorra on giving a ‘decent’ performance. Figuring that was something rare anyways from the man, she took it politely and excused herself. Her eyes lingered on Ichigo, who was now no longer looking at her but instructing the others to clean up the remaining equipment. Before she could speak to him, she was quickly ushered back to the dressing room to change. By the time she finally got away from Ishida and Yumichika, he was gone.
xXx
The rest of the day had passed with no other incidence. Except for the fact that Ichigo was practically ignoring her. She sighed and just let him be, knowing it was useless to try and get him to talk when he was being stubborn like this. She didn’t even get what was his problem. It would have been more understandable if he was his usual snarky self, but this silent type unnerved her.
After completing their last shoot for the day, everyone made their way out of the studio. As Rukia walked towards the door, she heard him call her name for the first time since that day. Turning, she found him standing in front of a table opening up some pictures from one of the shoots. Walking curiously over, her eyes widened when she noticed the familiarity of the pictures. When he handed her one of the copies, she gasped when she realized it was from the swimsuit shoot. He finally pulled out a larger size of one of the poses, indicating that this would be the one that would be used by their client.
Rukia took the picture, and frowned slightly when she realized she was nearly hidden behind one of the models. It was the pose that had her back towards the camera, and only a view of her face showing.
“Well, what do you think? Ulquiorra actually loved them very much. But this is the one he picked from the lot.”
Rukia shrugged, handing it back to him. “It is fine…” Though she did feel hurt at the choice, she couldn’t really argue with his decision. After all, the rest of the pictures where she was shown more prominent, were laughable at best to her. For some reason, knowing this…and wondering whether Ichigo saw this too, got to her more then she wished.
“Oye, Rukia, what is the matter?”
“Hmm…nothing.”
An awkward silence ensued as he surveyed her while she shifted through the other pictures. “You know you look fine, Rukia…”
Her head shifted suddenly to him, her brow raised as he avoided her gaze. Though she did notice a slight tinge of pink on his cheek. Was…was he trying to be…nice?
“Who are you, and what have you done with Kurosaki Ichigo?” she muttered.
Completely caught off guard, he snickered as she smiled. “Maybe this is the real me?”
Rukia rolled her eyes. “Not likely. This is the first time in what…the two years we have known each other?”
Ichigo chortled. “Yeah, yeah. But seriously, Rukia, this is the best of the shots.”
Looking at him in disbelief, she shook her head and stuck her tongue at him. “Why, because you can barely see me?” she teased.
He watched her as she began walking towards her bag. Crossing his arms when she turned to him, he smirked as he leaned against the table. “No…because a big chest is not always the biggest sex appeal. Especially not to me.”
Rukia smirked. “Is that so? Then what is that?” She asked, indicating to the pictures. “You could have fooled me. From how cozy you were getting with the models, I would have guessed that would have been.”
She had expected him to get angry, but was surprised to see his grin widen. “Why? Jealous, Kuchiki?”
Rukia felt the heat creep up on her face and was sure she was turning a deep crimson red. Shaking her head, she bent down and grabbed her bag. “Whatever, Kurosaki. As if I would be jealous of them fawning over you…”
She turned to the door, opening it just slightly before it slammed shut. Looking up in disbelief, she realized a hand hovered over her, keeping the door closed.
Turning her head slightly, she realized Ichigo was standing right behind her, nearly boxing her in. She frowned as she noticed he had that same unreadable expression that he had that day. But he was so close to her…so close, that she felt herself push against the door more for some space.
“For me, the eyes can be the most alluring quality in a woman,” he whispered. He gazed at her intently, and she could feel her breath hitch when he moved closer. The smirk that was already on his face grew as his head descended slowly until it was inches in front of her. She swallowed, realizing that she could not move back anymore. His hot breath now teased her lips, as they stared at each other. “It’s the reason I liked this one out of all of them. And of course…the slight pout of your lips.”
He smirked, his lips inching closer until they lightly traced against hers. She trembled slightly as he continued to tease her, his mouth moving slowly to the edge of her lips, along the jaw line…until it was settled near her ears. It was when she felt him nip softly at her soft neck that she gasped. Her eyes shut immediately as he returned towards her soft pink lips, placing butterfly kisses along her jaw line. But it was when his lips met hers that she felt a slight groan beginning to resonate from the back of her throat. It was a soft, hesitant kiss…almost as if he was trying to find out if she wanted the same thing.
And she did.
Her lips finally responded, and she could feel a smirk appear on his face as he shifted his head slightly to deepen the kiss. She could feel the knot in her stomach as his hand slowly cupped her cheek, pulling her face closer to him. Her own fingers somehow managed to grapple the tight crimson shirt he wore, pulling him towards her. The soft kiss that started had already begun to change into something far more. She heard him groan softly into the kiss when she entangled her fingers into his fiery lock of hair, reveling at how his arms had quickly encircled her as he pressed her against the door. His warm tongue had already invaded her mouth without her realizing it, ravaging every bit of her as her tongue tangled with his.
She could feel herself losing breath, but it was nothing to the pounding in her heart that seemed to match his own. Their body moved in rhythm as he grinded into her. Unable to take anymore, she ripped her mouth away from his possessive grasp and took in deep breaths to steady herself. But he…he was certainly not finished as he began placing hot, open mouth kisses on her neck. She groaned as she shifted her head to the side to allow him more access. His hands meanwhile had reached her small breasts, fondling them as she cried out in pleasure. She heard him say her name with such a passion that it left her breathless as his lips resumed their assault in her mouth when he thought she had caught her breath. Yet his hands never left her breasts as he continued to knead them in his hands while his lips continued to kiss her fervently. When he finally reluctantly pulled away from her, he leaned his forehead against her as they attempted to catch their breaths. She looked at him, amazed at how intensely he was looking at her. A shudder ran through her spine when he licked his lips as he grinned. She knew…even if the words were not spoken…what he was asking. She could already feel herself getting wet just by looking at his hungry look and knew that it was too late to back out now.
Not that she would have even if she could…
As if to answer that question, she grasped the light jacket he had been wearing and tore it off of him in one fluid motion. It was all that was needed before he grappled her wrist and pushed her towards him. Their lips collided as she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist with his help. He locked the door to the main door and began walking the other way. She could not even tell where they were going, and even Ichigo himself was a bit clumsy as he held onto her possessively.
It was when she felt herself being lowered that she pulled away in gasps, noticing that he was placing her down on one of the lounge sofas that were on the side of the studio. It was definitely not one of the most comfortable spots to be for what they were about to do, but hell, she could care less as he hovered over her. She raised her arms when his hands reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it off in one swift motion and throwing it to some corner of the studio.
His mouth quickly latched onto the sensitive skin of her neck and sucked diligently as she panted, his pelvis grinding insistently with her. She was already so close to coming just from this, but it was the feeling of his thick length against her leg that caused her eyes to widen. Oh, she didn’t even need to see it to realize how…difficult this might get. But Ichigo didn’t even seem to share her thought as he tugged at the last remaining garment that hid her form from him. She stifled a curse as he ripped her bra after an unsuccessful attempt at opening the clasp. The bastard couldn’t even wait for her to help him…
All thoughts of anger swept away the moment his mouth clasped around one of her breasts. She cried out as he continued to suckle on her tender flesh while his hands slowly worked on the buckle of her pants. In moments, they too had been tossed along with her shirt as his fingers slowly resumed their torturous exploration from the center of her breasts to where she was aching the most. His name barely escaped her lips when she felt one of his callous fingers slip deep inside her. She groaned, arching her back as he slowly pumped his finger into her. She rose to meet his every movement, and cried out as he continued to resume suckling her neglected breast.
In moments, her entire body trembled as she came. She gasped as he pushed her damp hair off her face that was not covered with sweat. She continued to shake as Ichigo pulled himself away, and stared at her. Her eyes lowered to meet his, and it was all that it took for him to pull himself to her. But before he could, she cocked her brow and stopped him. “Not fair…” she muttered, grabbing his shirt and yanking it up. He chuckled and assisted her in removing the annoying piece of garment. She stared at the rippling muscles as she traced each contour with her tiny fingers. A Cheshire grin appeared on his face as he captured her lips again while her hand slowly descended lower to unbuckle his pants. After removing the last remaining bit of clothing, she lowered her gaze to confirm her suspicion. This was not going to be easy. Ichigo noted her gaze and the look of hesitation in her eyes and chuckled. Nipping playfully on her lips, he boxed her again with his strong arms and readied himself. She sighed into his kiss, her fingers now stroking his thick length as he inched closer before completely slipping inside her tight folds.
A soft cry was all she could muster as her breath was swept away from the feeling of him deep inside her. Her trembling continued as he kissed her and soothed her with his tender whispers. She could feel her heart pumping in her rib cage as he pushed himself deeper into her. There he remained still for a moment as they caught their breaths. She bit her lip when he slowly began to slip out of her, but could not stop the cry of pleasure as he thrust back into her. His slow motion was quickly changed into sudden and powerful thrusts which Rukia attempted to match. The effect was almost mind numbing as their bodies gyrated in rhythm, sweat glistening on their bodies as they moved fluidly together. His name continued to slip from her as her fingers clung to his broad shoulders.
Within moments her entire body shook as she came again, with Ichigo following just moments later. She gasped as he continued his thrusts until he collapsed on her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he left a trail of soft kisses from the dip of her navel to the valley between her breasts, and finally to her awaiting lips. He kissed her tenderly for a moment before their energy was really spent. He rested his forehead against hers, making sure not to put any of his weight on her. She watched as he stroked her cheek gently, removing the strands that clung to her face away. Her fingers continued to trace every curve and muscle as she felt complete exhaustion from their little exertion.
“Idiot…” she breathed as he rested his head at the crook of her neck. She felt him shaking slightly as he chuckled and placed a soft kiss on her neck. Her fingers swept through his hair as they calmed their breathing.
“Ichigo?”
“Hm?”
“Why didn’t you want me to be a part of the group anyways?”
She waited for a response, her head angling slightly to see the expression on his face. But his mop of hair covered his face, and he held her too tightly to move.
“I…don’t know. I guess I knew it was something you weren’t comfortable with anyways. And…you honestly didn’t need to do anything to prove yourself to anyone. So…”
Rukia smiled and kissed his forehead. He grunted before the room was silent again. He finally snorted and shifted his head to look at hers, the cocky grin back on his face. “But you know, I do have to agree that the pictures were not quite up to standard. Maybe we can have our own photo shoot to get better pictures, eh?”
Rukia punched him playfully. “In your dreams.”
He chuckled before pulling her up. “Anyways, I think it’s not such a bad idea. I think no one would noticed if we borrowed one from here for some rehearsal?” he grinned.
Rukia rolled her eyes and pushed him aside as she grabbed her clothing. “No way.”
She bit her lip to stop the giggle from the pout on his mouth. After dressing and making sure the place looked…somewhat like it did before, she turned to him and found him staring at her.
“How about the red piece?”
“No…”
“The blue one?”
“Let’s go, Ichigo…”
“No, you are right. I think the purple one would match your eyes.”
“…”
“Purple it is.”
She smirked, shaking her head as she unlocked the door. Her eyes shifted suddenly when her fingers were suddenly entangled with his own. Grinning, he tightened his grip on her fingers and pulled her towards him as they left the studio.