A/N: No updates for the next few weeks... On vacation! =)

The salty sea breeze felt good against his cheeks. With time, his eyes adjusted to the quiet darkness of the night. There may have been stars out, but above the metropolis, only the brightest of them could ever be seen; tonight, there were none. Being indoors and breathing recycled air all day, every day, these kinds of moments were his only reprieve. However, Byakuya did not often get to come to the beach. Spanning half of the city's coastline, it was constantly crowded with tourists and residents alike. If there was anything that he disliked more than air conditioning and stale air, it was the mindless chatter of crowds, especially children. Even in the wee hours, the beach was not deserted. He could discern the shadows of a few couples making out under the trees. In the distance, there were some drunken stragglers laughing in the water. He sighed. It seemed that silence was not only golden; it was mythical.

Again, his thoughts strayed to that chance encounter with that odd psychiatrist. He had been back to the same coffee shop twice since last seeing her, but he never did bump into her again. What a coincidence that she happened to know that idiot, Ichigo, too. When Rukia had met him in her first year of her undergraduate studies, he had disliked him then. The boy was impudent and loud. Now, years later, seeing him again, he thought that he would have matured, but apparently, he was still the same, perhaps just taller. He scowled, remembering how he had touched him so casually. Frowning, he wondered about his relationship to Orihime. Truthfully, he had no idea why he even wanted to see her again. After all, if he really wanted to, he could simply book another appointment. What was it about her that made him think about her? That, in itself, stupefied him.

Standing up, he brushed the sand from his trousers and rolled up his pant legs. Peeling off his socks, he stuffed them into his pocket. Carrying his shoes, he made the short hike up the only cliff attached to this part of the beach. Few people bothered with the cliff because the waters just below were too rocky and dangerous for jumping. When he could not find solitude in the sands, the summit of the mossy bluff was his last resort.

He tossed his oxfords aside and stepped right up to the edge. The wind blew harder and colder at this height. Blending into the night, his hair lifted off his shoulders and billowed around him like a curtain, shielding him from his stresses and the world that he did not feel like he belonged in. He could feel the firmness of the cool surface beneath his feet. He inched further out, his toes gripping over the ends of the boulder. Instinctively, he raised his arms, palms facing forward, maximizing his body's surface area so that he could embrace still more of the darkness. He closed his eyes and relished the nighttime chill and tranquility.

"Please! Don't! Everything will be okay!"

Byakuya's eyes snapped open at the shrill voice calling from behind. Surprised, he stepped back and whirled around to find a petite woman reaching out her hand toward him. When she caught his eye, she jumped and appeared to shrink back into her spot. They recognized each other almost instantaneously.

"What did you think I was doing?" He raised an eyebrow at her, miffed by her erroneous supposition.

"I-I... Y-You... I..." She scratched her head and chuckled nervously when she had no response for him.

"I wasn't going to jump." He did not bother to hide the irritation in his voice.

"I'm sorry. Really! I didn't know it was you, and from the back, it looked like-"

"What are you doing here?" He cut her off curtly, displeased to have his peace interrupted, but more so, he had not anticipated her of all people.

"I, um, come here sometimes."

"It's late. You're by yourself. How reckless."

"Me? You were the one who was standing on the edge of a rock doing the Titanic!"

"The... What?" He wanted to counter, but unfamiliar with the classic blockbuster, he did not know how to.

"Titanic? Jack? Rose? Never let go? Oh, wow..." She watched his face go from annoyed to confused, before returning to impassive.

Byakuya had no idea what she was referring to. He also did not quite care. Narrowing his eyes at her, he realized that she was pleasant to look at. He surmised that she probably had many suitors. Even in the dark, her long auburn locks glowed amber. Her eyes were grey like his were, but unlike his own, hers were warm and kind. She clearly had an appealing figure, but instead of flaunting it, she was modestly covered up in an oversized sweater and jeans.

Orihime blushed when Byakuya's intent gaze swept over her, sizing her up. It was not salacious. In fact, he had a look of mild curiosity as he eyed her, as if deciding whether or not she was a threat. Bumping into him was the last thing that she thought was going to happen. It had been a late night at the office; she was behind on some paperwork and the session with her last patient had been emotionally draining, even for her. Coming to the beach had been an attempt to reset, but for whatever reason, it was busier than she had anticipated. That was when she remembered the spot atop the cliff. Especially at this hour, she had not expected to find anyone else up here. Perhaps an occupational hazard, she was quick to leap to conclusions when she had seen his figure. Now, fully grasping their freak encounter, coupled with his unfamiliarity with Cameron's classic, she could not help but laugh aloud.

"What's so funny?"

"You. This. I don't know. I think I'm just tired." She wiped away a tear from the corner of one eye, giving him a big smile.

"That makes two of us." Facing away from her, he sat down, dangling his legs over the side of the escarpment.

"May I join you?" She moved beside him, not waiting for his answer.

For a long while, neither spoke. After a while, Orihime leaned back onto her elbows to stare up at the sky. Byakuya cast a sideways glance at her. He had not been prepared to see her again. Yet, again, they had chanced upon each other.

"You're not going to try to do your quack-thing on me?"

"No. Why would I?" She clasped her hands behind her head and lay down completely.

"Isn't that your job?"

"You're not my patient."

Byakuya considered her reply. It was technically true; he had not signed the patient agreement form and they had not actually finished the initial session. Then, this made her a stranger. No, she was an acquaintance since Ichigo had formally introduced them. He could not place it, but this knowledge of their relationship (or lack thereof) put him at ease.

"Are you not going to confront me about what I said about you?"

"Mr. Kuchiki," she turned to face him, "you're entitled to your opinion."

Byakuya's eyes widened, caught off-guard by her response. Did she actually think that he thought that about her? Suddenly, he felt bad.

"I must apologize. I never meant those words. My sister wouldn't leave me alone. I don't need a therapist. I just needed her off my back. So, I'm sorry." Not used to admitting fault, he was not sure if he had apologized adequately.

"It's fine. I'm not mad. But, why do you think she wants you to see a psychiatrist so badly?"

"She thinks there's something wrong with me. And there is. But, I don't need a doctor to tell me what it is."

"Oh? What's your self-diagnosis?" She cocked her head at him.

"I have a broken heart," he said, looking her straight in the eyes, completely serious.

Expecting some bogus answer, she was taken aback by his earnest response. She blinked back at him, momentarily at a loss for words. This poor man, she thought. She wanted to help him, but...How?

"You know, psychiatry and therapy have a bad rep, but it's really just a place for people to go where they can talk and work through some hard times."

"I think I prefer this instead," he said, not looking at her. Letting his eyelids drop, he turned his face back towards the water.

"Yeah, this is nice," she agreed, smiling.

They remained quiet for the next few minutes, enjoying each other's company and the stillness of the night.

"So... You wanna talk about it?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"You trying to doctor me?" He frowned at her.

"We've already established that you're not a client. Then again, I guess I owe you some time since you overpaid your last session." She gave him a playful smile, pointedly making a jab at his last appointment when he had walked out after two minutes, but paid the full hour's compensation.

"You charge too much." He was grinning as he said this, but turned away from her, she never got to witness it.

She laughed, not insulted.

"I used to come here a lot... With Hisana," he paused, before adding, "I proposed to her here."

"My brother, Sora, used to bring me here..." Her voice cracked as it trailed off.

Byakuya opened, then closed his mouth. He had expected her to grill him with follow-up questions about his late wife. Instead, she was opening up to him. This woman was certainly intriguing.

"Why don't you come here with him anymore?"

"He passed away."

"I'm sorry," he said automatically. He realized that she had also had to deal with loss.

"So, believe me when I tell you that I know how you feel. You think you have to hold on to this grief because you're holding on to the person, but that's not healthy-"

"I don't care about healthy. My love for her is undying."

"Grief is not love. Overcoming grief doesn't mean you've stopped loving someone. You'll always have your memories. You are supposed to keep them in your heart and live a happy life so that your loved ones can watch over you and be at peace."

"That's your interpretation."

Orihime glanced over at him, sensing his growing vexation. She hesitated before speaking, but decided that ultimately, he needed to hear her words.

"If you want to love her properly, then fix your heart. You said that it's broken. Doesn't Hisana deserve to be treasured and loved by a whole heart?"

She got up and patted her bottom down.

"Do you have your phone?" She held out her hand.

Reluctantly, he fished it from his pocket, unlocked it, and then passed it over. He watched as she punched in something before giving it back.

"That's my direct line. If you ever want to talk, use it," she paused, before playfully adding, "I won't even charge."

He watched her disappear down the side of the bluff, smirking at her last comment. He was glad that he was not her patient. This was so much better.