24 Stepping off the Deep End

Though the bath was way too small for two people, Ohta and Rukia managed to fit inside, the latter washing the former's back with a tense, clearly anxious look on her face. It wasn't the first time she had scrubbed someone else's back, but she felt like she had crossed a dangerous line by asking Ohta to let her accompany him...

Breaking the tense silence, Ohta asked, "Are you trying to scrub my scars away? I'm starting to get friction burns..."

"Ah..."

Retracting the rag from Ohta's back, Rukia nearly apologized but stopped herself. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, she began scooping water from the tub, allowing it to trickle down Ohta's muscular back as she said, "You never did tell me how you got these scars..."

"That's not entirely true," replied Ohta, adopting a smile as he added, "I told you I used to crush gangs in and around Karakura, remember? These scars are the receipts issued for inexperience..."

Tracing her fingers along a cut running from Ohta's right shoulder to the center of his back, Rukia's brows creased. She felt compelled to chastise him for his recklessness, but as it was a matter from the past, she didn't have the wherewithal to do so. After all, the Ohta she had come to know was far removed from an inexperienced youth...

Catching Ohta more than a little off guard, Rukia abruptly asked, "That dark-skinned woman from your sketchbook, Yoruichi...the two of you have slept together, haven't you?"

Though genuinely surprised by the sudden inquiry, Ohta didn't hesitate to nod, answering, "Yeah...but it's complicated. You could say she's trying to entrap me, but it's nowhere near that simple..."

Exhaling a clearly exasperated sigh, Rukia remarked, "I thought as much." with an annoyed look on her face. "Ever since a few weeks ago, there has been a notably 'amoral' smell in your room, particularly around your bed..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta remarked, "Her personality is rotten, but she's a remarkably beautiful woman. If I had passed on the opportunity, I would have regretted it every time I saw her."

"Then what about this situation?" asked Rukia. "Am I also an 'opportunity' you wish to capitalize on?"

"I've said this before..." said Ohta, causing Rukia to wince as he declared, "But you're not exactly my type..."

Quickly clarifying before Rukia could run out on him, Ohta added, "But appearances aren't everything. In terms of personality and temperament, you're leagues ahead of Yoruichi. Every interaction I have with her is just us butting heads. With you, I can relax and let down my guard..."

Startling Rukia quite a bit, Ohta leaned back, entrusting his weight to her as she became statuesque, her eyes swimming around in their sockets as panic and confusion overtook her. She was wearing a thin bathrobe used for public bathing, but the front came undone as Ohta leaned against her.

To demonstrate his point, Ohta remained silent with his eyes closed and a relaxed smile adorning his face. Rukia was flustered for quite a while, but instead of attempting to push him away from her, she eventually exhaled a sigh and flatly remarked, "This position is uncomfortable. At least let me straighten out my legs..."

Before rising to a seated position, Ohta suggested, "If you want, we can swap positions outright. You washed my back, so it's only fair that I wash yours."

"Before that, there's something I want to ask you..." said Rukia, angling her head to stare directly at Ohta as she asked, "What's going to happen when we get out of this bath...?"

"That's entirely up to you," replied Ohta. "I'm fine if you want to remain friends, but if you want more than that, you'll need to make things clear. I'm a fairly simple guy. Unless you go out of your way to trouble or annoy me, I'll do just about anything you ask..."

Narrowing her eyes, Rukia challenged, "So, if I were to ask you to leave that woman, would you?"

"I can't separate from her completely, but I can stop having sex with her," replied Ohta. "Her Shinigami powers serve as the foundation of my own, so the two of us are inseparable in that regard..."

"I see..." muttered Rukia, her voice faint and expression becoming serious and deliberative. It annoyed her how casual Ohta was being, but she was more annoyed by the prospect of him continuing to sleep with Yoruichi. It could be her competitiveness, her dire situation, or the fact that Ohta was the first boy she had a crush on, but she didn't want to yield him to the far more attractive woman...

"Become my boyfriend..." said Rukia, her expression and tone firm despite her heart feeling as though it was about to burst from her chest.

Exhaling a soft chuckle, Ohta replied, "Sounds like fun..." before rising and adjusting his position to face Rukia. She averted her eyes and instinctually pulled her robe closed as he did, but he didn't tease her for it. Instead, he narrowed his eyes into a smoldering look and mused, "You suddenly look a lot more beautiful..."

Feeling that things were developing a little too quickly, Rukia was tempted to rise from the bath and summarily excuse herself. However, as she was the one to suggest becoming a couple, she had effectively cut her path of retreat...

Seeing through Rukia's thoughts, Ohta's smile became more amused as he mused, "Relax. I won't suddenly pounce on you just because we're a couple. We'll move forward when you're ready. For now, let's just relax..."

Though she was initially relieved by Ohta's words, a frown marred Rukia's face as she asked, "Are you sure you're just not in the mood because I'm not your type...?"

Raising his brows, Ohta asked, "Are you seriously holding a grudge, or are you trying to goad me? Don't make me carry your scrawny ass to bed and keep you there till morning..."

Swallowing hard, Rukia's frown deepened into a resolute glower as she said, "Fine...but if I find out you slept with that woman behind my back, I'll never forgive you..."

"Does that include if she's in her cat form?" asked Ohta. "Because I kind of got used to her sleeping on my chest."

"..."

Though she felt inclined to say no, Rukia briefly considered the matter before answering, "That's fine...just no sex. If you do, the two of us are finished..."

Nodding his head, Ohta asserted, "It's good to establish clear boundaries. Correspondingly, if I ever found out you were sleeping with another man, I'll kill or seriously injure him. I'm not the jealous type, but I always get my dues..."

Preempting Rukia's response, Ohta abruptly rose to his feet, startling her immensely by picking her up by the pits of her arms.

"W-What are you doing!? Unhand me right this instant...!" exclaimed Rukia, primarily out of reflex.

"Nope," replied Ohta, promptly throwing her over his shoulder as she said, "Every action has consequences. You goaded me into carrying you to the bed, so that's what I'm doing."

"It was a figure of speech! I didn't mean you could literally carry me over your shoulder...!" shouted Rukia.

"Yeah, but I want to..." replied Ohta, carrying the frantic Shinigami out of the bath and tossing her unceremoniously onto the bed. She drew away from him when he did, curling up and holding her soaked robes closed, so instead of pursuing her, Ohta adopted a wry smile and said, "You're going to make me feel like a criminal if you look at me like that..."

Realizing what she was doing, Rukia rose to a seated position, adopting an apologetic frown as she said, "You surprised me..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta remarked, "Spontaneity is the spice of a healthy relationship. As I said before, I'm not going to suddenly pounce on you. Even if you egg me on, I know when to stop..."

Emphasizing his point, Ohta turned away from Rukia, asking, "Want some more cocoa? I also have tea, but only black."

"..."

Taking a moment to fix her robes and adjust her bangs, Rukia muttered, "This isn't how I imagined my first time going..."

Briefly stopping in the midst of pouring hot water into the hot cocoa mix, Ohta had to suppress the urge to ask if it was truly Rukia's first time. No matter how prudish they were, he struggled to imagine how anyone could preserve their virginity for a hundred and fifty years. Rukia might not be a bombshell, but she wasn't unattractive. It didn't make sense for her not to have 'any' experience...

("Eh, their loss...") thought Ohta, finishing the cocoa preparations as he said, "Well, if there was something specific you had in mind, just tell me. Unless it involves dressing up as a cartoon rabbit, I'm down to do things your way."

"Just what kind of woman do you take me for?" huffed Rukia. However, in the not-so-inner depths of her mind, she imagined Ohta wearing a rabbit costume and letting her cuddle him...

"Mine?" asked Ohta, staring back at the petite Shinigami sitting in seiza atop his bed.

"..."

Feeling nervous again, Rukia averted her eyes to avoid Ohta's gaze. She was the one to ask him to become her boyfriend but hearing him refer to her as 'his' made her feel anxious...

"Am I wrong...?" asked Ohta, walking over to present a cup of hot cocoa to the increasingly demure-looking Shinigami.

"No..." replied Rukia, her voice barely a whisper. Then, summoning her courage, she gazed up at Ohta, asserting, "I'm yours so long as you're mine..."

"Then we belong to each other," appended Ohta, setting the cocoa aside since Rukia made no attempts to grab it. He then sat next to her, causing her to tense until he pat his lap and said, "Put your head down. It'll help to calm your nerves..."

Staring at the towel wrapped around Ohta's lap, Rukia remarked, "It might have before. Now, I'm not so sure..."

Smiling in amusement, Ohta asked, "Should I wear my Shinigami attire...?"

Shaking her head, Rukia's expression became even more resolute as she expressed, "No. If we continue delaying things, I'm not sure I'll ever have the confidence to move forward..."

Punctuating her words, Rukia unfastened her robe, revealing her lithe and athletic body. Her breasts looked like they would barely fit the palm of his hands, but her slender frame was more toned than Ohta was expecting, a sign that she took good care of herself...

"It's your turn..." muttered Rukia, feeling a little self-conscious with Ohta staring at her breasts.

"Are you sure?" asked Ohta, warning, "There's no turning back once this towel comes off..."

Furrowing her brows, Rukia responded to Ohta's words by getting off the bed and positioning herself in front of him, lowering herself to her knees before removing his towel of her own accord. Her intention was to show her determination, but her entire body tensed when she saw Ohta's penis up close.

"It's...bigger than I expected..." remarked Rukia.

"You'll be fine," assured Ohta, punctuating his words by caressing Rukia's head. She frowned slightly when he did but didn't tell him to stop as she tentatively grabbed his penis and began experimentally moving her hand up and down.

Curious to see what she would do if left to her own devices, Ohta eyed Rukia with amusement and appreciation as she brought her nose to the tip of his dick, sniffing it before swallowing hard and giving it a few licks. She clearly had the requisite knowledge, so while Ohta wasn't particularly satisfied, it was entertaining watching her try and put it to use...

Severely overestimating herself, Rukia tried to take Ohta's entire dick into her mouth, triggering her Gigai's gag reflex. She didn't throw up, but she heaved and coughed a few times, prompting Ohta to telepathically pull over the cup of hot cocoa, saying, "Take a drink and then take things nice and slow. We have hours until I need to go on patrol, and sex usually only lasts a few minutes. No need to rush..."

Though she frowned slightly, Rukia accepted the cup of cocoa and took several sips before returning it to Ohta, stating, "I'll do better this time."

Adopting a narrow-eyed smile, Ohta replied, "Sure, and once you're done, I'll return the favor. Look forward to it."

Staring wide-eyed at Ohta, Rukia wanted to say there was no need for him to service her, but most of the thin books she read had the males do precisely that. Thus, while the thought of Ohta bringing his face anywhere near her privates made her nervous, Rukia gave a curt nod, responding with an overly serious, "Understood..." before returning her gaze to his dick, staring at it as if it were a powerful adversary she had to overcome...

...

..

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(A/N: Keep in mind that this doesn't preclude Yoruichi or any of the other girls as the FL. I want to make things more realistic this time, and it's a simple fact in life that most relationships don't work out. Ohta will ultimately end up with one woman, but that doesn't mean he will only have a single relationship throughout the series. If that interests you, please consider becoming a patron or throwing power stones my way. So long as there is an active comments section and interest in the novel, I'm prepared to release upwards of 500 chapters O 3 O...)