Note: I wrote this for an IchiHime Fanfic contest in Deviantart. The theme is: Ichigo as Werewolf/Vampire and Orihime as human, and the setting is around 1800s. Well my setting is Meiji era in Japan (around 1868-1912) :P I am blind about Europe or America's history so I couldn't possibly write anything that set there that's why I chose Japan for the setting. My National History's score when I was at school was pretty good (actually I am a Rekijo) so my historical references is almost 99% correct (not 100% correct because I have to change few things for the sake of the story itself) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

.

.

.

Orihime Inoue sighed tiredly as she wiped the sweat on her forehead with the sleeve of her old kimono. It had been almost dinner time and she hadn't even had eaten anything since breakfast time. Not that she normally had something for lunch, but today she had work somehow harder and usual and though she had tried to ignore the sound her empty stomach made, it was kinda hard to ignore the ache she felt. She looked at the sky, it was going to be dark soon and she ought to hurry up going back to the clinic where she worked at. Her boss would be worried if she didn't come back soon from doing some errand.

She bought some tofu, just like what Ishida-san told her too, too bad the usual Tofu shop where they normally buy some tofu had been closed for today so she had to go to the other shop in the next town. She thought she could be back before sunset but apparently she forgot that it was not summer anymore, the day had been shorter and the night had been longer and darker during autumn. Plus, there had been rumor about young girls to be foud dead lately. She definitely needed to hurry.

Orihime half ran back to the clinic. People had started to close their shop and going back from work. There were barely anybody she met on her way back. She bit her lower lip and prayed that she could make it safely back to the clinic.

"Orihime! What took you so long! I am so worried!"

Ishida-san had been waiting in front of the clinic, her beautiful face was full of worry. She sighed in relieved when Orihime smiled softly at her, showing her the tofu she had just bought.

"Asagaya was closed today so I went to the next town to buy the tofu..." Orihime said cheerfully, happy that she make it before dinner time, "I am sorry I took so long."

The woman shook her head, "you make me worried! I would have asked Uryuu-san to find you if only he was home."

Orihime smiled gently. Ishida-san's only son was a student and going to have an exam be a medical doctor just like his father, he lived in another district, closer to his cram school, and rarely home, but whenever he got back home he usually would bring something for her. Orihime was so lucky that she could work for Ishida family. Because even though the head of Ishida household, Ryuuken-san, was a bit cold, they all were really nice to her.

"Now, let's get in, it is cold out here. You haven't eaten anything since morning, let's have dinner together!"

Orihime blushed and quickly shook her head, "oh no... thank you... I have to go home soon," she smiled shyly, "My cat, Kon, I need to feed him."

Ishida-san frowned and looked like she was about to say something to make her stay but instead she sighed and nodded, "Okay, I understand, please wait here, I have something for you."

The auburn haired girl had no chance to refuse because the older woman had gone into the house leaving the girl alone. It didn't take so long before the doctor's wife came back with something for the beautiful girl. It was some dumplings and rice cakes. Orihime muttered a thank you before she bowed politely and left. The older woman waved her hand and reminded her to hurry and be careful on her way home.

It was getting dark and Orihime saw noone else on the road at this time. It must be because of the rumor. Serial murder who killed young women...

Orihime bit her lower lip and tried not to think about the rumor. It was just a rumor. They said that the murder was not human... She frowned at the thought. Not human. That is absurd. After the Meiji restoration people started to be more open to the outside world. There was that thing, what was it again? A train? Yes a train. In this modern era why would people still believe in such a myth?

'They killed young women, suck their blood dry to gain eternal life...'

That was scary indeed.

'They had beautiful face, so it would be easier for them to tempt the young women before they kill them...'

Oh no... Orihime tried not to think about the rumor she heard this noon. No, no, no, she should think about other thing. Oh yes, Kon... Her cat, he must be really hungry right now.

Orihime turned left in an intersection. The only way to get home was walk by the river side. It was really dark, and the autumn breeze was cold against her skin. It was almost moon festival soon yet the night sky had been cloudy lately, blocking the moonlight. Orihime looked up to the sky. Could they see the full moon for the moon festival next week?

Suddenly she stopped as she realized that something was shining in the sky.

"What is—"

She couldn't finished her sentence because something fell from the sky.

.

.

.

Hurt.

Orihime opened her eyes slowly. Her back hurt really bad.

She tried to remember what had just happened to her. She was on her way home and something fell from the sky... She tried to catch it but she ended up losing her balance and fell to the river bank. Orihime blew some of dry grass on her lips. She hoped she didn't break any bone.

"Ugh..."

Something stirred next to her and Orihime quickly moved away from the mysterious figure laid next to her body. Her heart raced as she squinted her eyes to see the figure better. No use. It was too dark Orihime couldn't see his face. It was a man, right?

"...ngh..."

His deep voice confirmed it. Yeah, definitely a man.

There were so many things in her head at the time but Orihime decided not to think about anything complicated right now. She decided that she would help this man, whoever he was. She struggled to move that man and glad because despite being unconscious he still managed to stand, though had to lean on her. At least, she could take him home with her that way because there was no way she could carry him with her own strength.

Orihime could smell some familiar yet unknown scent from his body as she took him home. There were so many things in her head as she walked home and before she realized it, she had been home. Kon welcomed her as she dragged the man to the empty room which had been her older brother's room. She patted Kon's head before she prepared the futon and laid him on the futon.

"Miawww..."

Orihime giggled at her cat, "I know, I know, you're hungry... Wait for a minute, I will prepare something for you okay?"

She gave extra food for the cat. She felt bad because she had left the cat longer than usual today. She watched the cat eating his foods before she went back to the room where she had left the mysterious man. She lighted a lamp and put it on a small table in the corner of the room. Ever since her brother passed away in the restoration era, Orihime had left the room just like how he left it before he went to the war. She still had his clothes in the cupboard. Even after ten years, she had no heart to throw them away.

Orihime knelt down next to the futon. Now that she had lighted the lamp she could finally see him better and realized that he was bleeding.

She gasped at the realization and quickly left the room only to come back with some clean clothes and water to clean his wound. She put his sword next to his futon before she started tending his wound. His kimono was torn and drenched of his own blood. Slowly she took off his kimono and started to dress his wound. Working in a clinic made her knew what to do in this situation. She often helped Ishida-sensei to nurse some patient so she had seen naked body of a man countless time since she started working there so she should feel shy anymore looking at his bare chest... Right?

The beautiful young woman felt her face reddened as she dressed his wound. She had seen naked men before but never had she seen a body this beautiful before. Her brother was a warrior who fought for Meiji during restoration, he was a samurai and has quite toned body, but even his body didn't look as beautiful as this stranger's.

Her fingers were trembling as she touched his now dressed wound gently out od curiousity. Slowly she moved her finger down to his toned abs. It was so hard and she blushed at the thought.

Oh, no... I've become a pervert...

Orihime scolded herself. No, she shouldn't feel like this to a stranger. She didn't know who he was, what should she do if he was someone dangerous?

She licked her lips as she wiped his forehead gently with a clean towel.

He had such a beautiful face. Was he a foreigner? Ever since the restoration, there had been more people from overseas coming to japan. She had seen some foreigner on the street before but noone was this handsome... His hair was brighter than hers, but was he really a foreigner? She had bright hair too but she was not a foreigner, though she had been mistaken as one many times before...

Orihime swallowed. She wondered who this man was. How could he just fell from the sky like that?

She narrowed her eyes as she eyes the dressed wound. He carried a sword. Since few years ago the new government had announce that carrying any sword around was prohibitted. Was he a samurai? His wound looked as if he had been in a sword fight, but with whom?

There were so many questions in her head and suddenly she felt really tired. Before she realized it, she fell aslept.

.

.

.

"What are you doing here?!"

The turquoise eyes met his honey colored eyes. There were blood around his mouth as he smirked, the blue haired man tossed the lifeless body aside as he stood up. He could see anger in those honey eyes but it didn't scare him at all. In fact, it excited him. That man was furious and he liked it that way.

"I am having dinner, as you can see," he smirked as he licked his lips cleaned from the blood, "what? You look like someone had just fuck you in the ass, Kurosaki."

"Grimmjow..." The man called Kurosaki growled, "THIS is my area and you're not allowed to hunt around here, you know the rule!"

The man called Grimmjow laughed. Of course both of them know that he never followed the rule. He was Grimmjow after all, he could do anything he wanted and nobody could stop him.

"The rule doesn't bind me, I am ranked higher than you, you should feel honored, someone ranked as high as me willing to hunt in your area."

The orange haired man pulled out his sword and before the other man could say anything, he charged.

.

.

.

Prologue:

-Aki no Yoru, Hajimete deau, Ano Otoko-

秋の夜

初めて出会う

あの男

(I met that guy for the first time in an autumn night)