disclaimer: disclaimed. the title belongs to william wordsworth.
note: au. set during byakuya's bday party. everyone is totally normal. no hollows, no shinigami, no arrancars, etc.
prompt: "love at first sight," a cliché yum!

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to begin,
begin

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"Shit," Ichigo bitterly mutters under his breath as he restlessly tugs on the end of his tie. After several attempts, he gives up, cursing between clenched teeth. "Fuck."

Leave it to Rukia to force him to go to her brother's birthday party against his will. Ichigo didn't have a clue as to why the raven-haired woman was so hellbent on him going to the party in the first place. To Ichigo's understanding, and the rest of Karakura Town for that matter, Byakuya doesn't even like him all that much.

"Oh, quit your whining!" Rukia snarls from behind him, moving towards Ichigo to adjust his tie. "It's just a birthday party! There's going to be cake, some dancing... It'll be fun!"

At this, Ichigo scoffs and rolls his eyes. If anything were to be fun, it definitely wouldn't be associated with Byakuya—even if it did happen to be his 26th birthday party. Most of the people attending would only be a handful of dull, middle-aged adults with nothing better to do with their lives, and the cake wouldn't even be made of chocolate. It would most likely be Byakuya's favorite flavor... vanilla. Not to mention, Ichigo has seen Rukia's dancing, and it isn't a pleasant sight at all.

Ichigo cringes at the last thought and decides to hold his tongue of a counter-remark. He doesn't want to add another injury to the long, long list already caused by Rukia.

"And besides," Rukia starts as she finishes adjusting his tie. She slightly moves back to observe her work. There is a playful smile on her glossed-over lips before she continues, "There is someone I want you to meet..."

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"Hime!"

Jolting from the sound of her name, Orihime subconsciously shifts upward, harshly hitting her head against the bottom of her desk. "Ow!" she whines, rubbing the back of her head, careful not to ruin her freshly-brushed hair.

"Hime!" the voice calls out again. This time, it is louder, and the wielder, Orihime's brother, stands at the door of her bedroom. "We're going to be—" Sora pauses when he takes in his sister's situation before slowly continuing with a raised eyebrow, "What are you doing under the desk, Orihime?"

"Ah, Onii-chan," Orihime softly breathes, crawling from under her desk. She stands to her feet and smooths out the wrinkles from her white cocktail dress. "I was looking for my pins for my hair, but I found them! See?"

Orihime thrusts her arm towards her brother and opens her hand, revealing a pair of bright blue, flower-shaped hairpins.

"Ah, I see," her brother says, a loving smile on his lips. He carefully grabs the hairpins from her hand, "Do you want me to put them in for you?"

Orihime's eyes widen in excitement before vigorously nodding her head, "Yes, please!"

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The party takes place in a high-rise building that offers a breathtaking view of Karakura Town. The decorations are neutral-toned, yet they give a subtle touch of extravagance and delicacy to the laid-back atmosphere. The soft sound of jazz music lulls through the expansive room, as well as lighthearted conversations and sparkling laughter.

Ichigo stifles a yawn from his lips as he swishes the brightly-colored drink in his glass a few times. For once in his life, he'd rather be at home studying for his English exam that was coming up than to be there doing absolutely nothing. On the bright side, he hasn't bumped into Byakuya since he arrived to the party which stemmed two possibilities: either Byakuya didn't show up to his own party, or he was trying his best to avoid Ichigo.

Ichigo shrugged after giving the two options some thought. To be fair, both scenarios saved him from an awkward exchange of words between the two, but nothing could be more awkward than standing next to Rukia for the past hour, looking like some sort of lost puppy, as she kept scanning the room like a complete maniac.

"You've been looking around since we arrived," Ichigo drones in annoyance, taking a sip of his drink. "Just what the hell are you looking for?"

"Quiet!" she harshly snaps, continuing to shift her glassy, gem eyes around the room again. "I'm trying to concentrate..."

This gesture only annoys Ichigo even more. "Concentrate on what? On being nosy? What could be so important to look at at this party?"

"Shhh!" Rukia quiets him once more, which cracks the small remaining amount of patience Ichigo had left. Before he can say a word, though, Rukia gasps.

"There she is!" Rukia shouts, her tone a mixture of happiness and relief.

"There who is? What the hell is going—"

"Inoue!" Rukia suddenly calls, cutting Ichigo off as well as a small crowd of chattering people nearby. She waves her hand to motion someone, "Over here!"

Inoue? Ichigo frowns and looks around to see who Rukia is calling, then—

"Ah, Kuchiki-san," says a feminine voice. Such a gentle sound, as if it belonged in a dream, Ichigo thinks. What really takes him off-guard is the wielder herself: a honey-eyed woman, all bare legs and long, long hair that reaches the curves of her waist, gently swaying as she moves towards them.

Ichigo suddenly realizes he is staring for a second too long, and he quickly feigns disinterest, eyes flickering elsewhere.

In that moment, Ichigo can't help but think: shit.

The woman's attention shifts to him, but Ichigo is careful not to make eye contact. She blushes, then faces back to Rukia, "I-it's nice to see you tonight!"

"You, too! Is your brother with you?" Rukia asks in a voice that is too high-pitched and sugary-sweet for her own good. Ichigo can't help but roll his eyes at Rukia's distasteful façade.

Orihime smiles before answering, "He's probably talking to your brother. You know how those two are!"

"How who two are, Orihime?"

Orihime jumps at the sudden voice, quickly turning around to find her brother behind her, as well Byakuya.

"Onii-chan..." she says, nervously. "I didn't see you there..."

"Hello, Inoue," Byakuya formally greets her, bowing. Orihime smiles and bows in return. Byakuya turns to Rukia, then reluctantly to Ichigo, "I see that you invited your friend with you, Rukia."

Rukia nods, "Yes, and he's very happy to be here to celebrate your birthday! Right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo flinches when he feels Rukia roughly grab his arm, a familiar gesture that Ichigo recognizes as Rukia's silent threat: "You better agree, or I will kill you." He lets his arm loose of Rukia's tight grip before grumbling, "Yeah, yeah. I get it... Happy birthday, Byakuya."

In return, Byakuya silently nods his head in appreciation, before turning to Sora, "We should be preparing to cut the cake soon. It's vanilla-flavored."

Sora's eyes widen as he check his watch, "Oh, you're right! Well, let's go see where that caterer placed it. Are you coming, Orihime? Byakuya said you can have the first slice."

Orihime's face brightens, "R-really? Okay!"

As she leaves with the two, she turns around and vigorously waves at Rukia, "Bye-bye, Kuchiki-san~!"

"Bye, Inoue!" Rukia returns with a bright, wide smile that shows nothing but pearl-white teeth. Her hand falls slowly back to her side, and the two stand alone once more, surrounded by the soft noise of piano and bass in the background.

"So," Rukia starts, cutting through the silence. "Inoue... She's pretty, don't you think?"

A blush spreads on Ichigo's face at Rukia's bluntness, and his eyes shift in another direction, "What the hell kind of question is that...?"

Rukia frowns at Ichigo's response, "What? You two have plenty in common! She's the same age as you, you both have the tendency to act oblivious in crucial situations, and your pare—"

Rukia is caught in mid-sentence, and the sad look in her eyes starts to make Ichigo feel uneasy.

"What is it, Rukia?" he asks in a concerned tone, but Rukia doesn't have the chance to answer when someone interrupts them.

"Strawberry-chan! Glad you could make it to the party!" A red-haired man shouts from a distance.

"Renji, I told you not to call me that," Ichigo growls through clenched teeth. His eyes slant before adding a threatening, "...Or else."

"Or else, what?" Renji taunts, raising an eyebrow as he places his hand on his hip.

"Or else," Ichigo starts, a smirk on his lips, "I'll start calling you Pineapple-kun."

Renji forces a chuckle, "Ah, look at Ichigo! He's finally coming up with his own comebacks!"

"You better keep quiet, or I'll shut your mouth for you."

"Oh, is that a threat?"

"No, dumbass," Ichigo says, sarcasm laced in his voice. "It's a heartfelt confession of my love."

"Will you two please knock it off?" Rukia shouts, shoving herself between the two. "You are both adults, for God's sake! Start acting like one!"

"Tch. Your boyfriend started it," Ichigo mumbles under his breath, folding his arms, eyes glancing elsewhere.

"H-huh?! You fool!" Rukia coughs in embarrassment, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Whatever you say, Rukia," Renji murmurs, crossing his arms and facing another direction.

There is a long silence between the three, and Ichigo sighs in annoyance as he glances down at his drink. All of this meaningless banter has made his throat dry, and his glass is as empty as it can be.

"I'll be right back," he grumbles to the two, heading straight for the punch table. Next to it is another table where a tall, three-tiered pearl-white cake stands, as well as the same long-haired woman from before. She sees him, too, and she smiles and walks towards him, making Ichigo subconsciously grip both the glass in his hands.

"Ah, Kurosaki Ichigo, isn't it?" she asks in a light, airy voice when Ichigo walks up to her.

Ichigo blinks, taken aback that she actually knew his name, "How did you know?"

She shyly looks down at the glass in her hands, her fingers tracing the rim, "Kuchiki-san told me about you."

Damn, that midget...

"Um, so," Orihime starts, nervously, "how do you know Kuchiki-san? Are the two of you close?" Suddenly, her eyes widen at her own bluntness, and she begins to wave her hands frantically. "Wait, I shouldn't be so nosy! It's none of my business, and I don't mind if you don't want to tell me—"

Orihime halts when she hears Ichigo chuckle lightly. A nice, heartwarming sound, she thinks, as she looks at him in slight awe.

"It's fine, really. Don't worry about it," Ichigo says, his voice softer, calmer. "We're classmates at Karakura High," he explains, casually shrugging his shoulders. Then, he adds in a playful whisper, "It's more of a curse than a blessing, to be honest..."

Orihime giggles, relieved that her prying isn't a bother. Ichigo slightly smiles in return.

"What about you?" he asks. "What's the story behind you and Rukia?"

"This is it," she tells him, waving her arm around the room, at the crowd of chattering people, "Our brothers are very close, so we always see each other at events like these."

Ichigo nods, filling his empty glass with more citrus-flavored punch. There is a small thread of silence between them, but Ichigo decides to break it.

"So, you're a second year, too, is that right?" Ichigo asks, making use of the information Rukia gave him to strike up a conversation.

"Yep, at Miyasho High, the top of my class!" Orihime says in a bubbly tone before frowning immediately afterwards. "N-not that I'm bragging or anything!"

Ichigo shakes his head. "No, it's great that you are top of your class," Ichigo tells her, slightly surprised by the gentleness in his voice. It's funny, he thinks; he's never been this nice to someone for as long as he could remember. His sisters, sure, and sometimes towards Tatsuki and Rukia whenever the two were cutting him some slack. There was something about Orihime's voice and presence that just pulls him in, enchants him. He can't describe how particularly, but he enjoys it, nonetheless.

"Your parents must be proud," Ichigo adds thoughtfully.

Orihime shrugs. "Oh, I wouldn't know. I don't really remember them that much."

Ichigo frowns, but he is careful not to pry. Orihime notices this, and she explains herself anyways. "My brother tells me they were very abusive, and when he was old enough, he ran away with me so I would be in a safer home."

"That's terrible!" he quickly says, angered by this information. He clenches his free hand and tries his best to remain calm, but it's hard when he is told that she, of all people, was treated in such a way. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

"No, no, it's fine, really!" Orihime assures, trying to ease the tense situation. She shyly glances at the glass in her hand before taking a sip and continuing, "You can't really help these type of things from happening, you know?"

"Well, I guess you could say we have something in common," he says. Orihime looks at him, head slightly tilted, strands of auburn hair framing her colored cheeks. He continues, eyes towards the ground, "My mother... she died when I was ten. And my father, having to raise three children, is constantly out of town for work."

She died because of me, he wants to say, but he decides to hold his tongue. Orihime didn't need to hear all the depressing details. She was too soft, too kind for that. He glances upwards at Orihime to find her staring back, and he notices that there is a sort of understanding in her eyes anyways. For once, Ichigo didn't feel so vulnerable talking about his past.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name," he finally speaks, leaning against the table.

Taken aback by the sudden change of topic, Orihime blinks in surprise. "I-Inoue Orihime," she tells him. "Like the princess!"

Fitting name, he thinks, as he eyes her drink. "Want more punch?"

Orihime glances down at her glass, noticing that it is nearly empty. "Oh, um! Yes, please!"

Ichigo grabs the glass from her hands, and their fingers just barely brush against each other. Even so, the soft touch still manages to bring sudden warmth in Ichigo's chest. He grabs the ladle and pours more punch in her glass with a slightly trembling hand. At this, Ichigo scowls and shakes his head in self-pity.

Damn, I'm screwed.

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The caterer finally comes out to cut the cake, and the room wishes Byakuya a happy birthday. The crowd insists that the 26-year-old man should give a heartfelt speech or propose a toast of some sort, but he passes up the offer. As promised, Orihime is given the first slice. When the caterer asks if Ichigo wants any, he denies at first, but Orihime insists that the cake is good, and of course, he takes her word for it. When Ichigo takes a bite, he's surprised at how good it tastes.

"Ah, I still can't believe you know Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime sighs, eating her third slice of cake. "What a small world!"

"Yeah," Ichigo agrees. "We've known each other since grade school. We used to go to the same dōjō and everything."

"Wow, that's so nice!" Orihime responds, but there is a sad look in her eyes. "I haven't talked to her much since junior high. We exchanged a few emails since then, but it just isn't the same. Give her regards for me, yes?"

"Of course," Ichigo says, eating the last of his first slice. As he chews, he couldn't help but get a little nosy, "How was she in junior high? Tatsuki, I mean?"

"She was real tough!" Orihime replies. "She would always fight off the bullies at school, especially if they were being mean to me. I told her that beating them up was totally unnecessary, but you know how she is! Ah, I even remember when she would always come over to my house and try the meals I cook when no one else would, even my older brother."

"Oh, do you like to cook or something?" Ichigo questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh! When I'm older, I want to own a bakery, and sell all sorts of things," Orihime muses thoughtfully. "Like different kinds of breads, cakes, and pies!"

"Really?" Ichigo asks, amused.

Orihime nods, "I also want to be a teacher and, oh—! An astronaut, maybe? Ah, I want to live five lifetimes so I can be able to do all these things..." Suddenly, Orihime slightly frowns. For some odd reason, she feels like there is something missing to her wish. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Orihime nervously giggles as she brushes a few stray hairs behind her ear, "I'm sorry for being such a chatterbox tonight... Maybe Kurosaki-kun wants to share what he wants to be in the future?"

Ichigo blinks at her suggestion, and takes a moment to glance out the large window in the room where the snow covered the bustling streets, and the flickering lights of the city can be seen. What did he want to be in the future? He never put much thought into it; not until his teachers will start nagging him about it in the spring.

"I want to be something that lets me protect people," he murmurs without impulse. Suddenly, Ichigo slightly frowns. For some odd reason, he feels like there is something missing to his wish.

"Oh! Like a... firefighter, or some sort?" Orihime asks, slightly tilting her head as her finger rests on top of her bottom lip.

Ichigo smirks, "I guess you could say that."

"Orihime," an older male calls behind her. From Ichigo's observation, this man was Orihime's older brother: tall and dark-haired with a deep, comforting voice and a smile that resembled much of his sisters. "Don't you have a scholarship paper that's due tomorrow? We should get going."

"Wha—? But I'm having so much fun!" Orihime whines, frowning at her brother. "And I just made a new friend. I don't want to leave Kurosaki-kun by himself..."

"No, it's fine," Ichigo says with a small grin. "I don't want to keep you from writing that paper."

"R-really?" Orihime asks. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Ichigo replies, nodding. He continues with a softer expression on his face, "It was nice meeting you, Inoue."

"Y-you too, Kurosaki-kun," she replies, her face a bright shade of pink. "Goodbye! This won't be the last time we meet, I promise!"

Ichigo chuckles, "Of course. See ya."

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When the two sleep that night, they find the missing piece to their wishes. Orihime dreams of five lifetimes with five different occupations in five different places. And in those five lifetimes, she falls in love with a certain hot-headed boy. Ichigo dreams of protecting the ones he love and how a certain flowery, wide-eyed girl with long hair are one of those people.

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Orihime was right. It certainly was not the last time they would meet.

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the end

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EXTRA:

"Ichigo, I saw you talking with Inoue all night! How did it go?"

"Oi, s-shut up, will ya?"

"Ah, look at Ichi's face! It's as red as a strawberry! He's in love~!"

"I-I said shut up...!"

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note2: AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER! lol pls excuse the typos etc etc etc! i will edit them in the morning when i'm not too tired haha! in the meanwhile, review for me? i'd love to know what you peeps think! maybe i should do more oneshots like these? who knows...! :D