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Strawberry and the Bee	By : LeonTasume Category: Bleach > General Views: 11356 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: In no way do I own Bleach, nor do I make any profit from this or any other story. If I did, there would be more pervy goodness.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
Third chapter in a week! Not bad if I say so myself. lemme know what you think!

Chapter 9:

"Ōmaeda…what do you want this time?" Sui Feng sighed and crossed her arms; barring her private time with Ichigo, today just wasn't her day.

"Taicho, I came to request that my position be returned to me. I deserve to be by your side instead of that…upstart ryoka." Ōmaeda steeled himself for this; he had to appear as professional as possible, especially if he wanted to impress his love. Sui Feng closed her eyes and inhaled slowly before speaking.

"Denied; One, it was out of my hands the moment Ichigo bested you in combat. Two, I acknowledge the fact that you do have tactics and skill, but you choose to waste that skill on unnecessary things, and three, you have done nothing to prove that you deserve the position, while that "upstart ryoka" has done everything and then some to prove that he does deserve it. If you want it back so bad, train harder and quit being so lazy." Sui Feng glared at Ōmaeda, knowing this wouldn't be the last time he would pull a stunt like this.

"What changed Taicho? I know before he even got here you despised him. Hell, you used to focus more on Yoruichi-sama, and now all I hear is about you treating him with respect, respect that should have gone to me…I've even heard you are sleeping with him." Ōmaeda knew he was pushing her buttons, but to a tactician such as himself, he needed to take a risk to get what he lost, and maybe more if he played his cards right.

"I treat him with respect because he earned it Ōmaeda. Yes I hated him, but that was before I understood him; and where…did you hear THAT?!" Sui Feng's voice turned icy as she spoke. She would deal with Ōmaeda first, then with whoever figured out that she and Ichigo were in fact an item.

"I overheard Rangiku telling her friends about it after your meeting. She said she heard Ikkaku say something about it, and that it clicked for her. You know how she is with gossip. This is why I take what she said seriously; for the most part, she only gossips about things that are true." Ōmaeda knew he was lying, he never saw Rangiku, but he had to keep upping the ante...if this didn't work, at least he still had his backup.

Sui Feng never let him continue that train of thought. With a mighty right hook she punched him square in the jaw and sent him flying, knocking him over the hedges and into a wall.

"Get….get out of here Ōmaeda. And don't you dare come near me unless I order otherwise." Siu Feng's voice was low and icy. She shook her head and walked into her room, only to hear a knock a few moments later.

"Enter."

"I heard a commotion and saw Ōmaeda heading away from here holding his cheek…did something happen?" Ichigo knew something did, but he wanted to make sure everything was fine first, so he cautiously entered Sui Feng's room and waited for her answer.

"…You know damn well what happened." Sui Feng's tone was still as icy as before.

"What? How could I know what happened, I just got back from the meeting with Renji and the others." Ichigo raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Ōmaeda! He told me that Matsumoto overheard Ikkaku of all people, talking about us! He knows! Ōmaeda was the last person I wanted knowing about us!" Sui Feng's voice rose as she spoke each word. Her emotions becoming unstable, feeling like she was dealing with losing Yoruichi all over again.

"Ikkaku? He couldn't tell anyone even if he wanted to. He passed out after his seventh bottle." Ichigo scratched his head, remembering that he and Renji had to drag him to the fourth division hospice, just to make sure he slept off the alcohol in a safe spot.

"Then how did he figure it out?! Matsumoto was asking about us earlier! She couldn't have figured it out unless someone else told her. That only leaves you!"

"I'm telling you, she didn't talk with Ikakku, or any of us for that matter. And they wouldn't tell anyone. They promised." Sui Feng wouldn't hear any of it. Too much emotional turmoil had her in hysterics.

"Get out of here Ichigo…before I throw you out." Sui Feng was holding back her tears. She thought he was different, she thought he wouldn't make her feel like this.

"If that is what you want, then ok, I will get out of your hair for now." Ichigo sighed and turned to leave, but before he closed the door behind him, he looked at Sui Feng, and opened his mouth once more.

"For what it is worth Sui Feng, I love you. I'll try find out what is going on. When you are ready to talk with me again, let me know." Ichigo wanted to say he loved her in a better more romantic setting, but felt that it was needed now more than any other time. He closed the door silently behind him and left the compound.

Upon hearing Ichigos words, tears flowed down Sui Feng's cheeks

'Why did I yell at him like he was worthless? I never get this emotional over anything, why did I let Ōmaeda's words affect me so much? Why?' Sui Feng didn't know what to think. Her heart felt warm yet torn at the same time.

"He was telling the truth, you know that right?" Suzumebachi looked down sadly at her weilder.

'I know he was…I couldn't help but feel angry though… Ōmaeda knows about us, I don't know how and I blamed Ichigo for everything. How am I going to make it up to him?' Sui Feng suppressed a sob as she felt shame wash over her. Everything was so much easier before Ichigo came along and turned her world upside down. She didn't want to let go of him though. She suffered too much loss to do it again.

"…" Suzumebachi wished she knew what would help, but she could only offer advice, and this was not her area of expertise.

Ichigo entered the Rukongai district closest to his division's barracks. He found a spot not too long ago in it, there was an open field with a few boulders scattered at its edges, and it overlooked the Seretei, a good seat when one needed to think. However this time, he found he was not alone. He found a large very muscular man striking a boulder with his fists, and was turning it to dust. After a few moments the man punched it one last time and the former bolder became pebbles and smoke.

"I wasn't aware I had an audience. Come, stay a while and chat with me. Not many people come here." The mountain of a man turned around, showing he was older, crew cut red hair with a streak of grey running through it.

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your training." Ichigo politely bowed and was considering finding another spot to think.

"Nonsense; Sitting and chatting with someone could help clear your clouded mind. You are obviously troubled by something. Tell me about it and this old man might be able to help. I am Natit, by the way." He held out his hand to Ichigo, who took it in a firm handshake. Ichigo noted the man nearly doubled Tessai in mucsle size.

"I'm Ichigo. I guess talking about it would help…how could you tell I was thinking about something?"

"The way one walks and their general attitude tells a lot about them. So tell me, what troubles you?" Natit grinned in a friendly manner, as Ichigo sat on an untouched boulder.

"It's kind of a personal issue…but I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk about it; see, there is a girl I like, and I guess I am her first real relationship in a very long time…she wanted to keep it a secret, for all the right reasons mind you, but someone found out… someone we didn't want to know about us and now she is beyond mad. I tried talking with her but she is so stubborn. I love that about her yet it drives me nuts." Ichigo ran his hands through his hair repeatedly trying to figure things out.

"That right there is the biggest issue every man faces. Women; can't live with them, can't live without them. In your case you have a stubborn woman, both a good and a bad thing. You have to know when to give and take. And you can't just be equally or more stubborn. Like the boulder I was punching, you can't just strike randomly. Find the perfect angle, then strike; more likely than not, that stubbornness will crumble when you do so. In your woman's and any woman's case, compassion would seem to be the best angle to use. It would take her off guard, and may even calm her down, but do it at the right moment or it will blow up in your face." Natit looks towards Seireitei as he speaks to Ichigo, who looks at his hands as he listens.

"Compassion huh? How will I know when to use that?"

"Use compassion with her all the time, and use varying degrees of it. Never keep it from her, otherwise something can and will go wrong. Her negative stubbornness eventually will crumble away. Don't expect any instant miracles. Just keep doing what you have to in order to keep it together. All things require a varying degree of patience; without it you go nowhere quick." Natit picked up a stone from the former boulder and crushed it in his palm.

"Just like my strength, I may possess a lot of it, but I don't use it to its fullest all the time. Such a thing would be foolish and wasteful."

"Do not hold on so much that they would be crushed, but not loose enough for them to be dropped…" Ichigo mumbled out.

"So you have heard that too. That little parable applies to anything in life. To strength, to passion, to anything you can imagine. I think you knew the answer all along, it just needed guidance." Natit grinned again and picked up his gear.

"…One last nugget of wisdom; never let the sun go down on your argument. Finish whatever it is you end up fighting about before your day ends, and reconcile with one another. Head back to your woman Ichigo, and never let go." With that he walked out of sight, Ichigo stayed in his seated position for another few minutes, his gaze shifting every so often, before he stood and slowly made his way back to Seireitei.

Sui Feng was sitting on her bed, closely holding the stuffed lion that had until recently, resided in her curio of black cats. Tears had long since dried on her cheeks, leaving near invisible tracks along her face. She inhaled the scent that was about the toy, reminding her of Ichigo. Lost in her own thoughts she barely heard the knock at her door.

"go away…" Even that answer was barely audible. But the knocker didn't seem to listen, instead her door opened slightly, and curious eyes peeked through.

"It's me Sui Feng….Matsumoto." When she didn't hear Sui Feng respond, she opened the door further and let herself in. She sat next to Sui Feng, who didn't move or speak.

"I heard about the little fight you had with Ōmaeda. He was blabbering something about how you changed. When I asked him…he told me you and Ichigo were together…I guess that answers my questions from earlier today huh?" Matsumoto's normally chipper attitude was muted.

"So…you didn't tell him about Ichigo and me?" Sui Feng didn't look up, but still inquired for the truth.

"Tell who, Ōmaeda? I didn't even see him until a few minutes ago, after our meeting with the other girls I went to Gin's grave. And before you ask I don't even know where Ōmaeda is going off to…did he have something to do with…well with this?" Matsumoto gestured to Sui Feng and the position she was in.

"To a point, yes... and no, but I put myself here…I blew up at Ichigo…I thought he messed up, told the wrong person about us, who in turn would have told you, and I thought you told Ōmaeda." Sui Feng still didn't look up, too ashamed to look at anyone.

"Oh hun, even if I was told about it or had figured it out, I wouldn't have told Ōmaeda. Had I figured it out, I would have only told the WSA, we both know if we tell them to they can keep a secret better than anyone…sans Yachiru who we would have to bribe. And since Ōmaeda was the one who started this, I will make sure he meets up with Haineko. No one makes my friends cry and gets away with it….my question is how did he find out?" Matsumoto hugged Sui Feng, who weakly returned the gesture felt tears welling up again.

"I don't know…but I messed up." Sui Feng felt tears flowing again, and pulled away from Matsumoto as to not get her wet with tears.

"You mean with Ichigo? I'm sure he will understand if you apologize. The both of you are new at the whole relationship thing; stuff like this is to be expected. Just remember to realize when you are wrong, and don't be afraid to tell him when he is either." Matsumoto smiled and wiped one of her friend's tears away.

"Plus, the make-up sex will be great I'm sure. When that happens you gotta tell me all about it." Matsumoto's grin grew wider as a flush appeared on Sui Feng's face.

"W-what!?"

"Hey, it's not every day that the lone wolf commander of the second squad hooks up. And it's not hard to see Ichigo has become quite the catch…where I few years younger." Matsumoto sighed and smiled a bit…and was pelted with the plush that Sui Feng was holding onto until recently.

"Don't you dare Matsumoto!" Sui Feng would have thrown something else, but the lion plush was the only thing at hand.

"I'm kidding. I know… knew his father, too much time between here and there to even consider it. Plus now I know you love him; so neither of us has to worry about anyone stealing him from you." Matsumoto laughed and winked at Sui Feng. She handed the plush back to Sui Feng, who cradled it in her arms again. A comfortable silence settled over the two of them, before Matsumoto hugged Sui Feng again stood up from where she was sitting.

"Talk to me whenever you need it. I'll be there to listen. I better get going though, heaven forbid Toshiro catches me doing something other than paperwork. Take care of Ichigo, and don't beat yourself up over a lovers quarrel too much. Everything will be fine." With that, Matsumoto took her leave and after the door clicked shut, Sui Feng spent a few moments absorbing what her friend told her, then got up from her position on the bed and made her way to the shower. She felt exhausted and a shower seemed like the best reprieve at the moment.

As Sui Feng was prepping herself for said shower, Ichigo saw Matsumoto leaving the second squad barracks, she simply game him a thumbs up and a wink before she went on her way, leaving Ichigo confused. It didn't take long for him to recover from said confusion; he shook his head and resumed his path back to Sui Feng's room.

He was hesitant; mostly because he wasn't sure if he really should approach Sui Feng so soon after their argument. He didn't know how long it would take for her to cool down, before they got together he knew she had both a very good memory and held onto a lot of things before letting go. Hence her long attachment to Yoruichi and her distaste for failure; On the other hand he had to follow Natit's advice, he can't leave her alone in her time of need, and they need to fix the situation. Steeling himself for whatever scenarios his mind let him come up with, he finished his walk to Sui Feng's room, and knocked on the door. He listened for a few moments before he felt for her reiatsu. He felt that she was inside, but that was about it.

"Guess I got to take the first step." Ichigo closed his eyes, breathed deeply and opened his eyes again, before opening the door only to find the main room empty; Sui Feng's bed empty save for the lion plush that she left there. Ichigo walked over to the plush and picked it up. Feeling a slight dampness to it, he held it closer and took in its scent. To him, it normally had a slight musty scent, as it was old, and though the inside fluff was replaced when Ishida repaired it; most of its old cloth was still there. This time he smelled a bit of saltiness to it. The only thing he could think of was Sui Feng, crying as she held the doll. He had never figured out how she got it in her room, but never bothered to ask, as he never saw it as something that was worth bringing up. Seeing it as it was now, it would appear is if Sui Feng had developed feelings for him before they even got together, and it was her way of being near to him without saying anything to him, and now she used it as something to comfort her when he wasn't there… at least that was his thought process anyway. He put the plush back where he found it, and looked around, his eyes scanning the room for anything else out of the ordinary, aside from a wastebasket full of tissues, nothing was amiss. His ears, on the other hand told him that there was running water, and that Sui Feng must be in the bathroom showering. He stepped in front of the bathroom door, and raised his knuckles to knock on the door, hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the door. The response was near immediate.

"Who's there?" he could hear the defensiveness in her voice. Ichigo imagined Sui Feng holding Suzumebachi in a crouched position in the shower, ready to strike through the door if he didn't answer. Said thought brought both a blush and a smile from him.

"It's me. Look, I know we are going through a bit of a rough spot…but I want you to know I'm here for you. No matter what." Ichigo didn't dare open the door, respecting a woman's privacy was one of the major things he was raised to do.

"I can barely hear you through the door Ichigo, open it and get in here." Sui Feng's voice was a little louder than his, as the door was fairly thick and the sound of the shower muffled most noise from outside.

"Are…are you sure?" Ichigo didn't mind doing such a thing per say, he was more shocked to be asked that than anything.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. Now get your ass in here before someone else barges in." not wanting to anger her, Ichigo did as he was told, and quickly locked the door behind him before turning to Sui Feng, who's form was blurred due to the fog and the smoked glass screen separating them.

Upon hearing the door click shut, Sui Feng listened for Ichigo to start talking. She hadn't expected him to return to her so soon after their fight. He kept surprising her, his actions speaking just as loud as his words.

"What I said before, it's true, all of it; I know we hit a bit of a snag because of Ōmaeda, and he will pay for messing with us, but that doesn't mean that changes anything between us. I will be here for you no matter what, because what I said before I meant. I do love you Sui Feng, and nothing is going to change that." Ichigo kept his gaze to Sui Feng's head, assuming that her eyes were looking at his through the glass.

"I understand…and…I…I love you too, Ichigo." The words felt foreign on Sui Feng's lips, but it brought a feeling of completion to her heart. Seeing as he didn't say anything, she continued.

"I want to apologize for yelling at you. I didn't gather all the facts, and lashed out at you in my anger. I know you told me the truth, but I was blinded by what Ōmaeda said. He will pay, but let me be the one to handle that….I also have a few things to tell you, that you probably should have known once we started…well…this….us." Sui Feng knew it was now or never, while she was bearing her heart to Ichigo, he may as well know everything about her, so she could see if he would accept all of her.

"First, Sui Feng isn't my real name. It's a code name handed through my family for nine generations through the Onmitsukidō. The name I had before all this, my real name, is Fēng Shāolíng. There is no one else who knows this name… My siblings all passed away in the line of duty, as did my parents and their parents, leaving me a technical orphan. Yoruichi-sama was the only one I considered as family for the longest time." Sui Feng paused for a moment, trying to Gauge Ichigo's reaction. Damned glass wasn't making it easy to read the silence though.

"Second, the way I treated you before you got her, it wasn't out of hate for you. It was out of misunderstanding. I watched you after the fact, from Kurotsuchi's recordings of your fights. All I saw was someone who didn't understand anything. Then I got to meet you. I hated it at first as you could tell, but then you proved to me that you were more than a blockhead with a big sword. You are a kind man who treats everyone as they should be. You believe in a fair fight, even if it means you getting hurt more than others. You take responsibility seriously and don't slack off, even when off duty. You uphold the very thing us Shinigami should fight for. I'm sorry for misjudging you; I want to know more about you; as you grow as a man, as a Shinigami…and as the one whom I choose to be with." Sui Feng fell silent for a bit, trying to gather her courage for the final confession. Before she got the chance to, Ichigo opened the glass door separating them, and stepped into the shower with her and hugged her. He didn't care that his clothes were getting soaked, all he knew is that he wanted to hold her, and morals be damned, he wanted to hug her now, regardless of her state of dress.

"Thank you for sharing that with me Sui Fen-… Shāolíng. It means more to me than you know. If there is anything you want to know about me, all you have to do is ask…And I forgive you, we got off to a rough start, but I think we can make it." Sui Feng hugged him back for a moment before pulling back and looking up at him.

"There….there is one last thing."She moved her eyes from his and looked down. Not sure how to say it.

"oh? And what is it?" Ichigo cupped her chin, and had her look up to him, though her eyes averted as soon as hers met his.

"It's…about the first night we spent…together, in the ice." Sui Feng knew she had to say it now, though it dint help the butterflies in her stomach from fluttering up a storm.

Ichigo thought about that night, and a small smile came to his face, but didn't say anything, he wanted to hear her, and could feel that this was something that was weighing heavily on her shoulders.

"When we had our moment…it was my first time…I know I didn't act it but it was… but this isn't about that, it is about after…when Unohana-Taicho examined me." Ichigo's smile faded at that, he was glad they shared their first time together, but that isn't what took the smile from his face.

"What did she say?" the question felt heavy as he asked it. A part of him was worried about her, hoping nothing was seriously wrong.

"She told me I wouldn't be able to go on missions in a few months." Sui Feng was dancing around the question at hand and she knew it… She knew Ichigo would get it out of her eventually, but that didn't help her become nervous when talking about it.

"Is… is it serious? Anything we can do?" Ichigo was worried for sure now, the way she was talking, he heard so many talks like this before in the clinic, and too few of such conversations were good.

"It is serious…you will have to take over a lot of the missions in that time, even lead the squad for a short time too. At least until I recover."

"Wait…recover? How serious are we talking here? You don't suddenly stop taking missions, hand them to me, then recover." Ichigo's poor brain was racked. What in Hueco Mundo could do that? Most diseases were out, as most were either life threatening or debilitating at the very least. After a few moments his thoughts got him nowhere, and Sui Feng looked at him finally.

"What I mean is, I will recover, and I will resume my duties, but we will have to find someone to help us."

"I'm sure the third seat could help. He is usually pretty good at doing most things."

"His kind of help would be useless with this Ichigo. I guess I should quit beating around the bush. The reason I need to halt my missions isn't because of anything bad…it's just something that I never expected to happen to me. That rotten luck of yours has something to do with it too I suppose…."She smiled, in a way Ichigo never imagined he would see her smile, she looked at him and kissed his chin, as that's all she could reach at the moment.

"Ichigo, I am with child…your child, we are going to be parents." Sui Feng almost whispered this, but Ichigo heard it loud and clear. She placed his hand in hers, and had it touch her stomach in an all too familiar way, the way his mother did when she was pregnant with Yuzu and Karin. The shock on his face was apparent, and his mouth was opening and closing, trying to find the words.

"Let's get you out of those clothes while you process this, no point of being in the shower while wearing clothes." Sui Feng smiled softly, and started undressing Ichigo, who had yet to move from his position. He let her do as she needed, only moving when necessary.

"I…I'm going to be…a dad?" Ichigo didn't know what to think. Part of him was scared, wondering how he would provide for them, how he would protect and raise them. The idea of being a father at this age for him was not unwelcome, but it was definitely not expected. He sat down on the stool that was in their shower stall.

Sui Feng simply nodded, hummed a positive response and started scrubbing his back for him after she tossed his wet clothes into a basket; she would take care of those later.

"How are we going to do this? Not saying I don't want to…but to provide for them, to protect them…heck raising them. How are we going to do it?" He was baffled to say the least, too many thoughts running through his head at once, all focused on the same subject. Little did he know, the last few days she had been asking the very same questions.

"I think…we take it one day at a time, like we do with us. As for providing for them, we have more than enough money via the Onmitsukidō and through our regular duties. Protecting them we will do together as well as with whomever we choose to be their caretaker and guardian after all, we won't be here all the time, especially when we need to go on missions." Sui Feng was just as nervous as he was, if not more so.

"I do have one question though…how do you feel about this…about us?" Sui Feng knew Ichigo would step up to the plate when he needed to, but she wanted to make sure he wasn't just doing it out of honor. She knew he loved her, but this was something of a game changer. After a few moments of silence, Ichigo spoke up, his confidence having returned to him once more.

"The same way I answered when you first asked that. I don't regret a moment of it, and I'm here with you. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Ichigo grinned, and pulled Sui Feng into his lap.

"I'd be a fool to let go, and you just gave me more reason to love you, more reasons to protect you; even if you don't think you need it, I will protect you no matter what." With that, Sui Feng pulls him into a kiss.

"I know you will Ichigo." She kisses him once more, deeper this time with intent of showing him how much she loves him.

WELP! That's a good spot to end methinks. Three lemons in a row would be asking a bit much ne? I could have gone on but to give our lovebirds a bit of privacy I gave them a break from their newly minted M rating. After all, a pregnancy reveal is pretty hefty. Next time I'll turn the lemons back on, promise! Don't forget to review!
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Strawberry and the Bee