Title: Against the Music

Summary: AU A passion for fashion and a talent that no one could surpass. It would seem that her life was perfect. Until, that is, she discovers that you should be careful what you wish for. IchiRuki

Shalan's Say: No idea where the hell this came from. My friend was telling me about this story she was reading and I started thinking about it so I decided to write this story… So… spring break just ended… and today is my birthday… 18 AT LONG LAST! This is my birthday present to myself.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach… or any ballets mentioned in this story.

Chapter: Cyberspace Romance Takes Two To Tango

&

She flexed and pointed her toes, watching the skin of her feet stretch over powerful muscles. Her blue eyes scanned the room for her digital clock. 3:12. In the morning it seemed time went slower than any other time in the day. She sighed heavily and threw herself back onto her bed. Her Sheherazad canopy bed was hung with beautiful scarlet silk and sheeted in the same, though it was barely slept in. She stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. She hated not having anything to do. "Damn…" she pulled her black Mac with her fingers and folded her body to open it.

"Good morning…" she pursed her lips as she looked at her background. The black pointe shoes were splayed artfully next to a mirror, the ribbons spilling across each other. "Now who is online?" She scanned her instant message list. "Buenos dias…" She clicked on a name that was online.

BellaBallerina: Good morning :)

There was a pause before she received a message. She folded her legs together and waited.

ShaxBoy15: Good evening you mean. What time is it there?

BellaBallerina: As if I care.

ShaxBoy15: Right I forget. You people don't sleep in France right?

BellaBallerina: Correctamundo.

She smiled softly before leaning her elbows on the pillow in front of her. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders as she pulled a piece of hair from in front of her face. She had waaay too much time on her hands.

ShaxBoy15 has invited you to view their webcam.

She paused, pursing her lips. "Dude… I don't do that stuff…" she lifted an eyebrow.

ShaxBoy15: LOL I'm not asking you to watch me masturbate. I have just always wanted to know what you look like.

She bit her bottom lip for a moment. Then typed her answer and shut the computer lid. It would have to wait for another time.

&

She rested her foot on the mahogany barre and pressed her forehead against her kneecap, her thoughts on her conversation this morning. She closed her eyes. How had it all started? Oh that's right. She had made up her mind that she was going to find something to do in all her free time she had gained two years ago… that was when the chat room conversation had started. From there they had exchanged IM addresses and began to talk. She sighed heavily before swinging her body upwards. It seemed like a never ending cycle. Maybe she should tell him that she couldn't talk to him anymore? Or maybe she should agree to his webcam chat just to see what he looked like.

"Thinking about our online lover boy?" She looked up as a cheerful voice cut through her thoughts.

"Shut up Nanao." She leaned back until her head touched the ground.

"You know he'd love to know about what you can make your body do…" the other brunette teased.

"You know he'd love to know about how I beat your face in…" she growled in reply from somewhere near her heels.

"Geez grouchy… why don't you just meet him?" Nanao reached her leg up and bent in to her knee as the other switched legs.

"Because he's a guy I met online…" That was the end of that. She delved back into her thoughts, distracting herself enough to nearly dissociate.

&

"Haaah…" he leaned back against his pillow and folded his arms behind his head. It had been nearly a year since he had met her online… at least he assumed it was a her… he could be wrong but the way she wrote seemed too… feminine… and with a name like BellaBallerina… there was no way that she wasn't a woman. He knew she lived in France but was Japanese and she grew up with her brother and sister-in-law. Other than that he didn't know too much. He could name her favorite song and her favorite color… not to mention her favorite movies by genre and favorite store among other things but as of yet they hadn't seen each other face to face.

"Your girlfriend not talking to you again?" The carrot top looked up as his best friend and co-worker stuck his head in.

"My girlfriend? She's not my girlfriend…" He stretched his long legs out from underneath himself and stood up. A hand tangled through his messy orange hair as he pulled on a t-shirt from a pile next to his bed.

"Of course she is… she's all you can talk about anymore…" Uryu chuckled and ducked as the carrot top took a swing at him.

"Shut up…" Ichigo ducked out of the room.

&

'BUZZ' Ichigo opened a bleary eye as he heard the sound from his computer. He slid his hand against his cotton sheets and dragged the computer towards himself.

ShaxBoy15: What is your major malfunction?

BellaBallerina has invited you to view their webcam.

She was going to hell for this… she knew she was. She closed her eyes and waited for him to answer. It would take a little while for him to answer since it was nearly 4 AM where he was.

ShaxBoy15 has accepted your invitation to view your webcam.

Her heart stopped as she read that. He was going to talk to her. The screen came up on her computer and the most beautiful man she had ever seen appeared before her eyes. His orange hair was messier than usual and flattened on one side by bed head. A pair of deep ocher eyes were sleepy and wide but set in a beautifully carved face. He had 5 o'clock shadow across his face but the rust hair only accented the high cheekbones and solid jaw line of his face. The creases of pillow marks were pressed into his cheek but he was none the less beautiful.

"Good morning…" He stretched luxuriously and she felt her jaw drop and drool practically drip down her face as she caught a glimpse of his upper body. He was muscular and lean with muscles rippling over every inch of his tanned frame. His arms were powerful with broad shoulders and a well defined collarbone between them. She couldn't believe she had waited this long to see him.

"Hi…" was all that her hormone ravaged brain could manage. And she cursed herself for it.

"Hi? Is that all I get?" He had known she was beautiful long before she had known about him. He had always figured that she was beautiful. But now, seeing her on his computer screen for the first time made his mind all that more susceptible to her. Her long black hair was pulled over her shoulder in soft, messy curls that made him smile softly. Her deep indigo eyes were accented by long black eyelashes and high cheekbones with a soft jaw and a gently curved neck. Her lips were full and red, something that sent messages straight to his own.

"Yeah sorry… It's late here…" Lame excuse Kuchiki. She nearly shook her head at her own stupidity.

"Pretty early here…" she glanced over his shoulder at the digital clock in his room. 4 AM.

"Oh…" she hung her head.

"It's alright, what's up with you?" He tilted his head. She had a soft tilt to her English… from speaking French he assumed.

That was how it had begun… and it would appear that the computer was the way it would end.