AU [Ichigo K., Orihime O. and other pairings]
Don't own Bleach or any of its characters
CHAPTER 1 "Let the wedding season commence!"
It was June – the start of the wedding season. This would be a busy one for Ichigo and his friends. Now in their mid-to late 20s, a lot of their college friends were starting to get getting married. The group consisted of Chad, Uryu, Mizuro, Keigo, Tatsuki, and Rukia. They went to the same high school and some of them went to the same college in Karukara or nearby in Tokyo. This group of friends stuck together through it all.
You see, they had been invited for a total of five weddings over the course of the summer, starting the first weekend in June.
The first invitation came from Toshiro and Momo. Toshiro was 24 and Momo was 26. This did not come as a surprise to anyone. They were childhood friends that became closer, especially in college. Toshiro picked up the pieces of Momo's broken heart after her boyfriend Aizen broke it off with her. Momo and Aizen had been going out since she was a freshman in high school and Aizen a senior.
Ichigo was the best man at this wedding, which surprised everybody. No one saw that coming, but Toshiro didn't have many close friends – actually many close male friends. Ichigo was a sparring partner of Toshiro's at the neighborhood dojo and Rukia was friends with Momo. And that's how everyone got to know each other.
The wedding was in Yokohama, a few short hours from Karukara. Mizuro's family had a large home there where most of everyone in the group was staying. Ichigo and Chad, who didn't or forgot to check on where everyone else was staying, opted to book hotel rooms where the wedding was taking place.
Toshiro and Momo opted for a Western wedding ceremony and held both the ceremony and reception at a hotel. The ceremony was held in the outdoor garden of the property. It was a beautiful day and not a cloud in the sky.
The ceremony was going to start in a few minutes. Ichigo stood there in deep thought standing next to Toshiro. He thought about his dad's constant nagging of having grandchildren. Ichigo thought about how it wouldn't be bad getting married – hell, he always saw himself settling down someday and having two or even three kids running around. He also thought about the many girls he's dated over his life – well, not really many, about four – and how they never worked out.
Although he would never admit it, he wanted a love like his parents had. He remembered his dad and mom telling him and his sisters that when they first met each other, they just knew they were meant for each other. According to his dad, his mom was the sun, his world. And when she passed, he never even thought about dating again.
Sighing, he went back to that thought, "How many girlfriends has he had now?" About four? Five? And they were all lovely women - they were. Well, five if you counted Senna twice – they had gotten back together again six months ago staying together until last month.
Before that, they dated for about a year and a half in college. They were together a total of two years - the longest out of Ichigo's relationships.
He was brought out of his reverie as a he heard a crash, he looked up to see a flower pillar knocked down at the end of the aisle and a waterfall of long auburn hair falling on the ground. A few guests had already surrounded her, making sure she was alright and helping put the flower arrangement back into place. The young woman quickly got up, brushed down her floral dress and waved her hands in protest that she was alright.
Ichigo was trying to suppress chuckles or at least trying to quiet them down at this incident with a hand held over his mouth. When the small crowd cleared, he was able to get a good look at her. His held his breath, his hand still over his mouth as their eyes met. Orihime quickly noticed him across the hall - his bright orange hair and his amusement, hand over mouth. He was trying to suppress his laughter. In the few seconds, he took in all of her, her big light brown eyes, thick dark brown lashes, blush stained face, plump lips down to her heavy chest and down her petite but curvy figure. "Who's is she?" he thought.
Down at the end of the aisle, the girl lightly gasped and quickly looked away from him clearly embarrassed. Then music started and the incident was quickly forgotten as the procession started.
He looked for her at the reception. Orihime was doing the same standing in a corner of one of the large doorways in the back peeking - eyes scouring the room hoping to get a glimpse of the best man. She was sure, he probably brought some beautiful date - a girlfriend or wife.
Orihime was the cake and dessert maker. It was wedding season and she was doing a wedding every weekend over the next two months. She had gotten close to Momo as she was very involved in the cake design and picking out the rest of the dessert options that would be served at the reception. And so Momo extended an invitation to Orihime to attend the ceremony.
Orihime had said she would stop by a few minutes at the beginning of it as she had her hands full with dessert preparation. So after that fall, she had found a seat in the back, laid low, and stayed until Momo joined Toshiro at the altar then she slowly and carefully made her way out back through the ballroom and to the back towards the kitchen.
In the corner of the ballroom, Rukia stopped beside Ichigo, "Hey! Hello? Earth to Ichigo…"
"Oh sorry, Rukia. What's up?" replied Ichigo, not even bothering to turn his head to address her. Rukia looked at his light of sight to an auburn-haired woman peeking at the crowd of guests as she stood at one of the back doorways where the servers were going in and out from. She was now outfitted in a chef's jacket looking much different from when Ichigo first saw her. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she work dark blue jeans. Uruyu came to stand by the two and smirked, "Love stuck are you, Ichigo?"
That shook Ichigo out of his daze. "What the hell are you guys talking about? I'm just thinking about what I have to say for the best man speech."
"What? You didn't prepare one already?," Uruyu replied with shocked eyes. Then a bit of silence.
Rukia also seemed in a bit of thought looking up contemplatively at her orange haired friend and sighed. Uruyu shook his head at that. He knew that Rukia had been harboring a long-time crush on Ichigo, but she never said anything to him or anyone. He was perceptive and knew that Ichigo, as dense as he was, would never notice the signs Rukia was giving him and Rukia being stubborn would probably never tell him. But then again, Rukia and Ichigo always bickered and she always hit and scolded him so he guessed he would give Ichigo a break at the way Rukia showed her feelings.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Ichigo mumbled. Uruyu lightly smiled, "Maybe," as he looked at the woman Ichigo was staring at.
Quietly Rukia responded, "Her name is Inoue Orihime. She's the pastry chef that made Toshiro and Momo's cake and whatever is on the dessert course."
"Doesn't she have her bakery in Karakura and known for her wildly unique flavor combinations?" Uruyu asked. Rukia just shrugged.
Ichigo looked to his friends as the dinner bell rang, "Well, let's find our seats."
It was going to be a long wedding season.