A/N: Well hello everyone! How was your week? Good? Well if not, hopefully this can make it better! Enjoy :)


~Lifetime 2: Music~

Ichigo closed his eyes as he played the piano, his fingers swiftly moving through the keys. He knew this song by heart, the melody etched forever in his mind. But no matter how many times he played, it never ceased to amaze him how she would perform. The way her voice would gradually crescendo, then drop back down to breathy whisper. The way her eyes would shine, those striking ashen orbs that seemed to pierce through his heart. And who could forget her smile, which seemed to save even the darkest room, and bring it light?

While he was thinking about her bright smile, the stage lights gently dimed for her arrival. Ichigo ended his current song, and softly started playing her arrival song.

The curtains opened with a loud swoosh, andGasps from every patron of the audience were heard from each corner of the small club. Wolf Whistles blew out, hands clapped, feet stomped as all the men laid eyes on her. Looking up from the keys, Ichigo nearly felt his eyes pop out of his sockets. He nearly played the wrong note, but he barely caught himself.

Ichigo had every reason to be distracted. She usually was beautiful and gorgeous... But tonight, she was breathtaking. Her long, auburn locks were pulled back on one side with a large, fresh magnolia flower. Her doe-grey eyes seemed to mesmerize anyone who dared to look in them, making them fall under her spell. Her sparkling white dress showed every curve of her stunning physique; running your eyes up and down her body was like getting lost in a maze.

She slowly sauntered to the microphone, her eyes smiling as she basked in the appraise from the audience. Each sway of her hips earned another great response from the crowd.

'At this rate, she won't even need to sing' Ichigo thought absentmindedly, still following the rhythmic sway of her body.

She finally reached the mic, and all the rowdiness from the audience died down instantly. All the lights dimmed in the small night club, save the one spotlight directed at her. Raising one elegantly gloved arm, she motioned at Ichigo to begin playing once again. After mouthing, "Which song?" Ichigo frowned in confusion asshe smiled before turning her attention to the audience, never answering his question.

"Good evening gentlemen, I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves so far."

Yells and claps where the response to her question, and she chuckled softly. Waiting for the applause to die down, she continued,

"Well, I have a special song for you all." Placing a hand over her heart, she kept on,

"This is a song that my fellow pianist and I just came up with a couple of days ago."

Ichigo's eyebrows shot up as she continued talking. She couldn't be talking about that song, could she?

As if reading his mind, she finished by saying, "…The song is called My Funny Valentine. I hope you all enjoy it."

Backing up from the mike a bit, she gently cleared her throat. Silence filled the club as she gathered herself, preparing for yet another stellar performance. Stealing a quick glance at Ichigo, she batted her eyes twice, signaling him to begin after two counts.

Ichigo was nervous; they had come up with this song while messing around in rehearsal a few days back, and she wanted to play it now? He knew there was no point in auguring with her; after all, her name was Orihime: weaving princess. Weaving because her voice seemed to weave through your mind, making you a puppet to her desires.

Cracking his knuckles, Ichigo began to play the first measure, quickly losing himself in the intricate melody. When the second measure began, Orihime began to sing delicately, as if she would break the words. Her voice was as light as a feather as she gently sung the first verse:

"Behold the way our fine feathered friend, his virtue doth parade; thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend, the picture thou hast made.

Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair conceal thy good intent. Thou noble upright truthful sincere, and slightly dopey gent."

Pausing briefly, she breathed in some much needed air. Continuing on to the next verse, her voice gradually became stronger.

"You're my…funny valentine. Sweet comic, valentine.

You make me smile with my heart.

Your looks are laughable; unphotographable.

Yet you're my favorite work of art."

Ichigo felt himself drawn in too the sheer pureness of her voice; it wasn't sultry, or seductive even. Yet it had something that managed to captivate anyone who listened. It never surprised him how he always seemed to lean into her voice, no matter how many times he heard it before.

"Is your figure less than Greek?

Is your mouth a little week, when you open it to speak?

Are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me;

Stay little valentine, stay.

Each day is valentine's day."

She ended the last note on a high pitch wail; and it seemed to break the trace she had put everyone under. Ichigo let the last note on the piano linger, letting it fade to silence. After about a beat of stillness, mad applause came from the audience. It was deafening. Ichigo found himself wincing from the loudness, and he glanced back at Orihime to see if she was having the same reaction. Of course, the weaving princess was smiling that super-white smile, making her whole body lit up and shine. Standing up from the piano bench, he found even himself smirking a little.

She bowed a couple of times, yelled out happy "Thank you!"s to the audience, and started to walk off stage. Ichigo held out his hand for her, and she graciously took it and smiled at him. Ichigo smiled back too, and proceeded to guide her backstage. The heavy curtain dropped behind them, barely blocking out the sound from the still going applause.

He guided her through the madhouse that was the backstage; pass the lingering musicians, pass the chatty dancers, until they finally reached her dressing room. Opening the door for her, Orihime gave him a thankful smile as she proceeded into her safe heaven. Promptly upon entering, she headed straight for the couch, letting out a blissful sigh as she fell upon it.

Ichigo chuckled from the doorway, amused at her display. Orihime looked up from her comfortable position, looking at Ichigo with her doe eyes.

"Ichi-kun?"

Sighing, Ichigo ran a hand through his spikey orange locks before replying,

"Yeah Hime?"

Orihime sat up from her previous position, and started fidgeting with her hair. Orihime was such an enigma; on stage she had a confidence that seemed to radiate. However, once the stage lights were gone and the microphone was far from her reach, she was very, very shy. She blushed every time he called her name; she seemed to give him sideways glances when she thought he wasn't looking. But he was always aware of her, always knowing when she was being sly and what not. He continued to muse about Orihime and her tendencies before her sweet voice broke through his thoughts.

"I- I wanted to tell you something. Could you close the door please?"

Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo gave her a questioning look. Feeling his stare, Orihime avoided looking back at all costs. Seeing as she wasn't going to comply, he gently closed the door shut. Walking over to the sofa, the pianist took the singer's hands within his own, waiting for her to talk.

Blushing madly at their hand contact, Orihime took a deep breath, calming herself. When she was ready, she began to speak rapidly.

"Well, thesongmentalottomeanditwasa boutyou."

Blinking, Ichigo just stared at her, trying to comprehend what she just said.

"Come again?" He said, leaning forward so he could listen better.

Looking down at their conjoined hands, Orihime felt calmer. Glancing at Ichigo, she began again.

"The song…well, it was, it was about…"

Staring into his eyes, Orihime finally finished.

"It was about you."

It took Ichigo a minute to process what she just said. The song…it was about him. The song was about him! THE SONG WAS ABOUT HIM! He was having a tidal wave of emotions at Orihime's confession. So all those sideway glances, all that blushing at stuttering… it was because she had feelings for him.

Breaking the contact, Ichigo cast his eyes downward, feeling oddly ashamed. Out of all the men she had, crawling on their knees for her, why did she pick him?

"Why?" Ichigo said huskily, "Why me?"

Orihime actually giggled at this. That took Ichigo by surprise; then again, she was full of surprises.

"Oh Ichi-kun, like I said before, the song is about you!"

Squeezing his hand, Orihime gave him a small smile, and finished her statement.

"Your funny, yet you're so sweet. Your looks are laughable because you always have that scowl, and I really hope someone does take a picture of you."

Orihime laughed as she looked at Ichigo's expression, it was quite priceless. After calming down, she kept on.

"But best of all, you do something to me that no one else has ever done before."

Pausing as if to add effect, she took her free hand and placed it over her heart.

"You make me smile with my heart."

Laughing at his shocked expression, Orihime leaned into him, wrapping her lithe arms around him. Ichigo was frozen solid for a second, but quickly responded to her hug. It made him ecstatic to know that she had the same feelings as he did. Speaking of which…

"Hime, I have something to tell you too."

Orihime lifted her head up, her eyes filled with curiosity. Ichigo felt his heart clamp up at the sheer cuteness, but he proceeded to tell her what was on his mind.

"I've had feelings for you since the first time I saw you preform here. It was you that made me give up my gig at Soul Society and play here. Hell, the name Halcyon Days seemed familiar to me somehow."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo finally said the things he always wanted to say to her.

"Hime…I love you."

Now it was Orihime's turn to be rendered speechless. She couldn't believe that he had the same feelings for her. It made her so unbelievably happy she couldn't control her actions.

In the spur of the moment, the singer kissed her pianist. And the pianist was stunned…so much so that he fainted.

Orihime didn't realize what she did until he hit the couch with a soft plop. Panicking, Orihime did everything in her power to wake him up. She was about to run out to get help when her boss suddenly opened the door.

The infamous Uruhara Kisuke, founder of the Halcyon Days club stared at his protégé over the top of his fan. Raising an eyebrow, he looked from his blushing singer and to his fainted pianist.

The flustered girl tried to explain, but she kept tripping over her own words. Finally, Uruhara simply closed his fan, and gently hit the girl in the forehead while saying,

"Now, Orihime-chan, you weren't too rough with the man I hope?"

And with that, Orihime promptly fainted.

Shaking his head, the owner of the club softly closed the door, hoping not to disturb the two, er, fainters.

Thinking to himself as he walked to his office, an interesting thought crossed Uruhara's mind. If the love potion he made was that good, maybe he could make that petite dancer Rukia fall in love with that red-head guitarist, Renji. Oh yes, that would be very interesting indeed. Smiling to himself, Uruhara Kisuke walked into his office, the door closing with a click.

There was work to be done.


A/N: Well, how didya like it? There's only one way i can know... review! :)