HEY GUYS. THIS IS A NEW STORY. IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET THIS STORY UP AND RUNNING WITH ALL THE THINGS I HAVE TO DO. BUT I LOVE WRITING MORE THAN ANYTHING SO HERE IT IS. I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IT! LOVE BLEACHEE!

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! THEY MAKE ME HAPPY AND I ALWAYS LISTEN TO OPINIONS! :)

Chapter 1: Exposed

He traced small circles on her back with his finger, slowly. It left a small lingering feeling that she loved to feel whenever he touched her skin. Ichigo could feel Orihime's bare breasts against his chest as they held each other in bed, relaxed.

Her own hands gently rubbed against his chest, supporting her head as a pillow.

She took slow breaths, and the cold air that escaped her lips hit his muscular tan chest.

"Ichigo… are you going to leave now?" Orihime whispered in the darkness.

Ichigo moved his head to look out her bedroom window which showed a beautiful moon in the sky. His eyes reflected the white moon for a moment before he turned to look down at her.

He used his hands to lift her chin and turn her gaze onto him. He smiled at her.

"Yeah… but I still love you." He whispered back.

Orihime let out a small sigh of relief before nuzzling her head back on his chest. She closed her eyes, and rested on him, hearing his heart beat.

Both Orihime and Ichigo slept in the bed, with the bed sheets at their waists and they basked in the ambience. This was normal for them; to make love in the middle of the night. No one knew about their relationship. It was their little secret.

Ichigo had to go now. He always left after they had their time together, and it killed her to see him go. But he had to… he didn't belong there with her.

"Why? Why can't you just stay with me for once? Stay. No one will care-"

"Everyone will care, Orihime! It's been 6 months since you lost your memory of what happened that night. But everyone else still remembers what happened. I'm sorry. But you know why we can't be together. Besides, Uryu might be back any minute." Ichigo whispered.

He caressed her cheek as a small tear fell down her face. Her small pink lips trembled.

"It's not fair… why does everyone get to tell me who and who I can't love?" Orihime said softly.

"Shh. It's okay, baby…just go to sleep." He told her calmly.

"Will you still be here when I wake up?" She asked. But Orihime already knew the answer. Asking him to stay would be too much.

Ichigo didn't respond. He just held her for as long as he could, and gently running his finger through her long amber hair.

After a short while, Orihime fell asleep and Ichigo carefully slipped out of the bed, leaving her peacefully. He slipped on his clothes, being careful to not make any noise.

She mumbled in her sleep, saying the most ridiculous things.

"More v-vanilla… and tell the sh-shark to let… the strawberries d-dance…" She mumbled, licking her lips in her sleep.

Ichigo covered his mouth, trying to keep himself from waking her up with his laughs.

He was about to leave when a small squeak sounded behind him, making him spin around.

It was just Orihime's light snore. It was more like a gasp or a squeak. Ichigo smirked and leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead. He pushed back her long bangs off her face.

Orihime's hair was a rich shade of amber red. It flowed in waves to adorn her glowing, fair skin. Her eyes, framed by long lashes, were a deep ashen grey and seemed to bring happiness everywhere. A straight nose, full lips, and adorable dimples- he had the most perfect girl by his side.

But no one could know.

If anyone knew he was here, or doing this with her… he'd be dead. It wasn't fair. Life had a way of spitting in Ichigo's face whenever he wanted something to protect. But this was his punishment. He was now an…

"Arrancar, you have a lot of fucking nerve showing your face around here!" Someone harshly whispered behind him.

Ichigo could recognize his voice. It was hard, cold, and deadly- but it had softness to it underneath. Ichigo tensed but still turned to see Uryu Ishida in the doorway staring at him in disgust.

"Shh… I don't want to wake her." Ichigo warned. "Let's take this outside."

"You don't tell me what to do. I'm not going anywhere. What the fuck are you doing here with her! She belongs to me now. You had your chance." Uryu hissed. He stepped forward threateningly and tried to grab Ichigo.

Ichigo let out a deep growl from within himself, and Uryu immediately drew his Quincy bow, aiming at Ichigo.

"She doesn't belong to anybody!" Ichigo menaced. He tightened his fists.

"Fine, she may not belong to me, but she sure as hell isn't yours. You bastard! After what you did, you deserve to die; to no longer exist!" Uryu said through clenched teeth.

Blue tipped arrows targeted Ichigo. All he could do was stare back at them. Uryu looked at him with his dark blue eyes through his square glasses.

"Go ahead. But I love her. And you'll be the one who'll have to tell her what happened here tonight. She's not stupid. Orihime will know what you did." Ichigo whispered loudly.

Uryu clenched his teeth harder. His bow quivered as his resolve to kill his old friend wavered. No matter how much he hated Ichigo, he couldn't do this to Orihime. The girl he loved has been through too much.

A small drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face and Uryu let out a deep breath of anger.

"Outside, now." Uryu agreed.

Both of them disappeared out the room, just as Orihime opened her eyes to nothing and silence.

Later...

"What the fuck are you doing here, Kurosaki?" Uryu yelled.

They both stood on the roof of a news station in the midst of Karakura Town. The night was young and the city was alive. But both young men knew that no one would look up and see them standing in the air.

"It's none of your business, Uryu. I came to see her, that's all." He replied. Ichigo remained stoic, his facial features unchanging.

"You have no right after what you did to her!" Uryu screamed at him, fury running through his veins.

"You think I don't know that!" He lashed back, his eyes turning slightly yellow. A dark reaistu emanated from his own body, but he pulled it back.

He calmed himself, while Uryu stood back in defense mode. Uryu held his arms out in front of him, ready to shoot an arrow if necessary.

Ichigo held up his hands in front of him. They shook as he stared at them in anger.

"I hate what I've become. I hate it. I hate what I did and what I've been doing now. But I can't help it. Do you know why?" Ichigo asked.

Uryu just stared back at him.

Ichigo raised a finger, pointing to his head. "It's all because of the hollow inside my head; because that fucker finally found a way to make me listen to him. He turned me into an Arrancar. Now I have to live like one, feeding off souls. It's disgusting."

He held back tears, the fury and frustration was eating away at his insides.

"Don't blame him, Kurosaki. You brought all of this on yourself. That day 6 months ago, you hurt her, and now she can't remember. But when she does, I promise you that she'll want you dead." Uryu warned him.

"So are you going to shoot me, Uryu? Or will you let me walk?" Ichigo asked.

"I now know your little secret. You've been sneaking around with her behind everyone's back and now everyone will know. You'll never be able to again. But trust me; the Soul Society will execute you if you get anywhere near her again. I'm letting them know you were here. Their hunt for you is closing in, Ichigo." Uryu told him.

A small breeze blew between them, increasing the tension between them. Uryu's next answer was the difference between Ichigo leaving in peace or having to kill his own friend.

"So is that a yes or a no?" Ichigo asked again.

Uryu's jaw hardened. Ichigo had been his best friend for years. And one night changed everything between them. But for old times' sake, Uryu would let this slide.

"If I see you again, I'll shoot you." Uryu said, with a small scowl.

"Thank you, Uryu. I won't forget this… old friend." Ichigo said warmly. Ichigo waved his hand in the air, and immediately, a black Garganta opened up behind him.

Ichigo turned to face the dark hole. There it stood, black and menacing. It was just a gap between this world and the next. It was like a cavernous moth just waiting to gobble up anyone who dared enter it.

It was hard to believe that this hole in the sky led to a place Ichigo hated once. Now it was the road home.

Ichigo walked forward and let the darkness close behind him, leaving him inside.

It wasn't until Ichigo left that Uryu let out the breath he was holding the entire time. Ichigo was an enemy, and Uryu couldn't forget that.

"Orihime… what are you doing? When you remember, this will only cause you pain and suffering. Why are you doing this to yourself?" Uryu asked no one in particular. Standing on the edge of the building, he looked down.

A busy street crawled with life beneath him. Uryu bit his lips. He had to do his duty. The Soul Society needed to know where Ichigo Kurosaki appeared… and what he's done.

Meanwhile...

The Garganta closed behind Ichigo as he stepped out onto the pale dusty sand of Hueco Mundo.

He could feel the dark reaistu's around him, lurking behind trees. Hollows surrounded him, hidden but in plain sight.

The smell of blood and crushed bone filled the air. Ichigo knew where it was coming from and what it meant… the other hollows had been feeding on each other. They're trying to get stronger; it was all they know.

Ichigo sighed, running his fingers through his orange hair. 'What's left for me, then? What do I do when I'm the strongest there is?'

He walked slowly, with no real direction. He just paced along the sand trying to collect his thoughts.

Uryu's words replayed over and over again in his head, bothering him and the fact that it was true didn't help either.

~"…That day 6 months ago, you hurt her, and now she can't remember. But when she does, I promise you that she'll want you dead…"~

She'll want you dead.

That was the troubling part about it. Ichigo couldn't take back the things he did even though he desperately wants to. Now he had to live with his mistakes as an Arrancar that fed off the souls he once protected.

His friends are hunting him down, and the place he once protected, the Soul Society, has him as their main target for being a "traitor". Even Karakura Town has become a feeding ground for him.

Ichigo scoffed at the idea. He knew that they were just scared that he'd one day attack them and leave them in ruins… and he could if he wanted to.

But the worst part about his punishment for the terrible thing he did to the girl he loved was that when he became an Arrancar, his soul and that of his hollow fused together, making them one person. Instead of being the voice in his head, it was actually a side of his personality.

"Fuck…" Ichigo cursed blatantly.

It wasn't fair. But he deserved this life… for what he did to Orihime exactly 6 months ago.