Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. That's that.

Finally, an IchiHime fic from me! I never thought I can get this done. Anyways, I am going to participate with the IchiHime month. I am not sure I can do the daily update for the fanfiction but I will try my best to finish them this month.

Oh gosh, I so love this two together right now.

Anyways, please review and please be kind.

Theme: Love at First Sight

He breathed in the welcoming silence as he walked along empty halls. His footsteps echoed loudly, the only sound that can be picked up in the corridor. At the end of it a large door presents itself, his destination. He paused for a while, adjusting his hold of his school bag, and then he continued to enter the door.

The moldy smell of dusty old books greeted him.

Giving the librarian a small nod, Ichigo proceeded to walk to his usual table. Scanning the room quickly, he detected only a few people were there. It was acceptable since it was already late in the afternoon and the school has been over for at least two hours. Only few diligent students remained, studying, eager to get their homework done for the day.

Well, unlike him, he was not there to study.

Every Thursday, late in the afternoon, in secret, he spent his spare time in the school's library. It was not what was expected for an individual who looked like a punk with an orange hair but he doesn't care. He liked the cozy and quiet ambiance the library provided. It was his escape from the hustle and bustle of his unremarkable life. Being a teenager with a demented father and two sisters, and a noisy friend like Keigo, he needed time to be his own.

Smirking slightly, he put his bag down on the sturdy table. He thought, it would be a scandal to his friends to know that a guy like him wanted to spend his time reading old library books. He can almost imagine a crying Keigo, how Ichigo had become a nerd.

Once he was settled in his place, Ichigo walked over to the nearest bookshelf and reached for the familiar book. Retrieving the old small black book with the golden letterhead, he scanned the pages for his bookmark; it indicated the last page he had read. He had been reading the book for the last few weeks now and hasn't gotten the time to finish it. He hoped that today he would have that time.

Turning blindly, his eyes completely engrossed in the book he doesn't notice that a person was directly on his path. Unfortunately, it was too late and he collided into someone, his upper jaw, taking a direct hit from what felt like a hard head. Strangled cries both from them resonated in the quiet library, making a few people to turn their heads towards him and the person. He then heard a loud "Shhh" from the frowning librarian, and he scowled back, unconsciously holding and dragging the person he collided with in the back corner of the bookshelf.

"Ano... I am sorry." said a small and timid voice.

Ichigo looked down at the voice and saw that he was holding a young woman by her elbow. She was looking upward at him, her eyes large and gray, reflecting her emotions on how truly sorry she was. Her hair was of soft auburn and few shades darker than his own. He blinked a couple of times, as he was completely awed by the beauty in front of him. He couldn't help but stare and noted that the red tint in her cheeks, made her more striking.

"Gomen... It was completely my fault..." She apologized again, her eyes flickering over to her elbow, where his hand was still bound.

His own cheeks heating up, he quickly let go and muttered a soft apology.

"Oh no, please don't apologize, see I was not completely looking when I reached for the book." The young woman replied and smiled at him. "I was bothered by the little blue men zooming around the library. You see they keep on moving some of the books here that I had to keep looking for the book I wanted. And Oni-chan asked me to do a book report on it..."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the girl. Did he hear her right? Little blue men? Listening to her long speech and rambling, he doesn't know whether she was completely mad or she was being completely adorable. None the less, he can't take his eyes of her animated face.

Clearing his throat, he asked. "Are you ok?" He finally asked her to calm her down.

"Ne?"

"Um... I mean your head, when you collided with me..." Ichigo mumbled, feeling his face flushed again.

"Oh that. Please don't worry about me. I have a hard head you know and I am quite sturdy." She declared a little loudly. Giving him a warm smile, he watched her eyes glistened and twinkled. As a show, she touched her head and knocked it a few more times.

He smirked at her actions and tried to stop her. "Oi, you don't have to do that." He grabbed her hand and then quickly let go as he felt a warm spark in her skin, his face still burning red. "Good… I mean… that's good you are ok…" He rambled on, as he felt like an idiot.

She then giggled and flashed him a smile that made his heart beat a notch faster.

"So, did you like it?" she inquired.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he was completely lost on what she was asking until he saw her index finger pointing at the book that he was still holding.

"No, Othello is a prick." He replied with a scowl and turned his eyes away from her. He also, doesn't need any reason to elaborate.

Another giggle and a smile from her. "Why read it then?"

"It is Shakespeare; he writes great tragedy." he answered, somehow his voice sounded with hidden meaning as he thought about his late mother.

Her smile faded and she reached for the book to grab it from him. "Actually, I like Shakespeare too, he makes great love stories. I love to believe that Desdemona stayed true to her love for Othello until the end." She said softly, almost wistfully.

Taken aback from what she said, his heart lurched at how soft and breakable she looked. With the window, streaming in a soft afternoon light, it reflected in her hair revealing more of her beauty. Her eyes staring down at the book, her fingers gently glided over the gold plated title.

"I guess I'll go now and leave you with your book", she said suddenly and turning to him. She handed her his book and she bowed slightly.

As she began to walk away, Ichigo realized that he doesn't want her to go just yet. There was something in her that he doesn't mind, and it was something welcoming that he quite cannot place. Quickly scanning his thoughts, he tried to think of ways that will make her stay.

"Um... Ichigo, my name is Ichigo." He blurted out a little out quickly.

The young woman turned to him and grinned. "I know your name already, Kurosaki-kun."

Once again, he was surprised by her. "Huh?"

"I am in the other classroom, beside yours. You see Tatsuki's my best friend. My name is Orihime Inoue"

She beamed at him, and he cannot help but cursed in silence at how and why he had not noticed her before.

Tatsuki… He was her childhood friend. How come he had not seen her before with her? He frowned at the thought just like what Tatsuki said to him, that he can be pretty much oblivious around him. Has he been that bored with his uneventful life?

But then, as he held her gaze, he can see the familiarity in her as if he had known her his whole life.

Something in him clicked and somehow he knew what he should do. The main protagonist in the story he was reading might be deluded and easily blinded but not Ichigo.

He realized he doesn't like tragedy.

With determine spirit and ignoring his thundering heart, he turned to her and gave her a slight smile.

Red-faced, he held out his book to her. "Would you mind then if we can... Um... If you can stay for a while? I would to learn more about love… what you think uh… from Shakespeare..."

He watched in fascination as Orihime's cheeks turned red as she flushed and blushed in front of him. She fidgeted slightly as she accepted the book from him.

Finally, she gave him a warm and radiant smile.

"I would love to."