Chapter Two

Quickly, I opened my eyes and glanced at the person who had the gall to run into me.

His eyes were closed, pressed together in pain with a slight over coat of shock. Eyebrows were firmly pressed together and his mouth was set in a scowl.

The first thing I subconsciously noticed was the hair.

So that was why I saw the sun.

It was the brightest shade of orange I had ever seen. The sun itself as it was in the sky brightly glowing in a red sky - my favorite sky.

Dyed? It had to be. No person had this color of hair naturally. It was not possible. Then again, I was the poster child for things that were thought to be impossible.

Maybe he was a vampire. In his human life, he could have had a genetic oddity and when he was changed it transferred to his hair. Any place that would make him appear unique and more appealing.

I was awe - struck for a while, though it was actually more like a few seconds. Slow enough for me to stare, fast enough for him to not notice.

Years of Kuchiki politeness surfaced instantly.

I brushed myself off as I stood and glanced at the guy who was getting up. "I'm sor-"

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

Taken back, my jaw dropped.

I kept my eyes glued to the tall and tanned man. His face still had the scowl covering it. He was slightly slouched. Eyebrows pressed together he had a glare in his eyes.

His warm honey amber eyes.

"ME?" I loudly asked, banishing the thought in my mind. Obviously the thirst was causing me to have hallucinations. "YOU are the one who ran into me!"

"I ran into you?" he asked with indignation. "You were the one who wasn't paying attention to where you were going!"

"Yes, I was!" I yelled back. I was perfectly aware of where I was walking. I was conscious of my subconscious. Not a single detail went unnoticed past my eyes. "You were the one that was running! I was the one peacefully walking. You are the one who needs to apologize to me!"

He smirked mischievously, the expression touching his eyes. "You want an apology?"

I gave him a small, curt nod. Maybe this idiot did know some manners.

Maybe.

"Fine. I'll give you an apology."

He stood straight up; his tall, tan, toned frame towering over my petite, pale one.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you," I graciously said. "I accept-"

"Sorry you're so short."

Flames of anger spread across my face, my eyes widening at his words. The orange fruit did not just say that. My Kuchiki poise flew out the window.

"And I'm sorry you're a freakishly tall Orange Strawberry!"

Dead silence hung between the two of us, my words echoing in to the night. A steaming trail of anger radiated off the both of us, a few bystanders running past us as they sensed the tension in the air.

It's a good thing it was nighttime, no one would be able to notice two people disappear only for one to not come back.

His smirk shifted, teeth gritted angrily together. He brought his hand up, clenched together in a ghost white fist.

"What did you say?" he squeezed through his teeth.

Touched a nerve, did I?

A sly smile spread on my lips, glad I had gotten him riled up.

"I said: You. Are. A. Freakish. Tall. Orange. Straw. Berry." I enunciated. My hands were balled into fists, ready to strike. My entire being was itching for a fight. And with the orange getting on my nerves, it seemed more than likely to happen.

The Orange's face flamed red.

"And you're an abnormally short white blueberry!" he yelled.

Confusion colored my expression, the fight in my body evaporating momentarily. My Kuchiki mask was instantly in place, ready to make Orangey regret those words.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" I protested.

Who does this strawberry even think he is? And a white blueberry? What does that even mean?

"It makes a lot of sense to people who aren't short!" He folded his arms on his chest, his eyes narrowing onto me.

"You mean idiots like yourself?" I asked, "Because then it would make perfect sense for you to understand that lame excuse of a comment!"

Irritation colored his eyes. Satisfaction of mine reflected back at me from his own.

"Look, little girl," he said, satisfaction replacing his irritation, "why don't you go off and play with your little dollies and with some bowties in your hair-"

My right hand clenched tightly into a fist, my temper fever pitched.

"- go skipping off to the candy store and sing about the good ships with the lollipops and go home –"

At the boiling point, I swung –

" – because it is way past your bedtime - OOOOF!"

My fist triumphantly collided into his stomach.

His face turned ghostly white with his eyes wide with shock.

Success.

He groaned once, holding his stomach. His breath was shallow as he doubled over, teeth gritted in pain.

"How's that for a 'little girl'?"

He tilted his eyes at me, now at the same height level. He was livid with the fire that was now in his eyes, darkened with anger.

Hmm… How odd. He was the first person I had punched ever since I had changed. I knew I was stronger because of it, yet all he did was double over instead of plummeting to the ground and coughing up blood like others had before him.

Not that I was into fighting (a lot) or anything, but a Kuchiki always wins. Even to the point where blood had to be spilled-

Blood.

The reminder set my throat on fire. This baka had caused me to forget my main goal of sneaking out. I had to go find someone.

My attention turned back to the orange in front of me. I had to find someone. But he was not going to be it. I would never taste a drop of his blood.

"I'll give you this much, Strawberry," I said, copying his smirk, "you know how to take a punch."

With a wave good – bye, I turned and walked off.

The Orange was yelling something back at me; the sound of his struggle to follow falling short of my ears. My mind was focused solely on finding someone to drink from. That was top priority, finding the night life here was second.

Keeping my head down, I tried to find a scent I would like. Should I go spicy? Or sweet?

I turned into an alley when I picked up a scent. It made my eyes a little hazy, clouding my senses. That was the taste I needed.

There were footsteps coming my way, the scent increasing in the tight compressed space. There was only one light at the other end of the alley and I hid in the shadows.

The scent came from a male. He had his right hand in his jean pocket, the left swinging back and forth with each stride. His eyes were turquoise, hair the same shade. Everything about him screamed danger.

Well then, let's see who the true predator is.

I knew I came into his line of vision the moment I heard his pulse pick up and saw his pupils dilate slightly.

The fire in my throat grew, my face becoming one of desire.

The man stepped closer to me. His lips were pulled into a wide smile, pearly whites gleaming. His eyes narrowed, running over my body.

Normally that look would have caused me to punch his face in, but with the fire I had ablaze in my throat, I was going to ignore it.

This one time.

"Hello," he purred seductively into my ear as he closed the distance between us. His hands gripped my wrists, showing me who was in control.

Feeding time.

"Hello," I said flashing him my best smile.

A deer in headlights stood before me. His 'control' was gone. Now his blood was mine.

His body lost some of its' stiff posture. This man had no chance against a vampire's thirst.

When it came time to drink, everything about a vampire could intoxicate a human when the mind set was right. Some humans required more intoxication; others - like the ones who put up a tough persona - were more susceptible and required less work. I had accumulated too much of a thirst to bother with the chase.

His pupils dilated completely and his body fell forward. I grabbed his shoulders tightly and leaned against a building, his weight almost knocking me over.

His pulse was at a sleep state, calm and relaxed.

The light that was glowing in the middle of the alley was my next priority. I wanted no witnesses for this. With one hand secured, I bent down and gripped a pebble and flung it into the air. It collided with the light, popping it instantly.

The dark filled the alley, my body sighing at the welcoming sight.

I looked down at the blue haired man. Tilting his head up, I saw some scars that he had on the lower part of his chin. Some were healing up nicely, others were there to stay.

His throat was out, bare and ready. I pressed my nose to the pulse point and inhaled. My body shuddered in delight.

It was time.

With a deep breath, I opened my mouth. My teeth were sharpening as his scent caressed my senses. Smiling, I went in for the kill.

The moment my teeth pierced his skin and entered his veins, euphoria overwhelmed me.

Decadence.

His body twitched at the sensation momentarily then remained at ease.

My hands tightened on his back as I continued to taste his blood. It was clean for the most part, just a slight tinge of it indicating he had taken some morphine beforehand.

I needed that. Ibuprofen had no effect on me unless I took more than the required dosage which would not be a good thing since someone in the Kuchiki house always monitored my medicine intake due to Nii-sama's orders after an ex family member tried to off me right after my acceptance into the family. I was already feeling a headache forming from my earlier encounter with the Orange.

That loud mouth, uncultured, brash, strange hair colored Orange jerk!

Angrily, my teeth dug harder into the man's throat.

Great. The Orange wasn't even here and he was ruining this moment for me.

In his sleep state, he let out a small groan of pain.

Oops. I mildly loosened the grip I had on his throat.

This man would not be allowed to remember this. He couldn't. There would be no trace of me taking his blood for myself.

It was the only form of protection I had from being discovered. As for the bite...

Unless the teeth of a vampire were constantly piercing the same section of skin, the bite would fade once the victim was out of the intoxication stage. Another bonus was he would lose an hour of his memory prior to this. No recollection of me at all.

The moment I felt his heart begin to slow, I stopped. Unlike others, I was not a murderer. I only took what I needed.

I guess I'm more human than I thought.

I pulled my teeth out and licked the bite on his neck clean of any blood that I might have missed. I grabbed him and gently laid him on his side on the floor next to the wall. An old empty can of beer caught my eye. Reaching for it, I slipped it into his hands.

When he woke up, our encounter would be just a dream in his mind. A hazy, drug and alcohol induced dream. If a spectator found him, he would have the appearance of someone who had no self-control over their alcohol intake. There would be no questions asked as to why he was in that state.

With my index finger, I wiped my mouth and walked away.

The night was beckoning.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

I rolled over on my bed the next morning, still feeling full from the previous night. Despite my night owl nature, Kuchiki's still had to be up and early and I needed to catch my brother before he was about to do any business so I could obtain his permission to see Karakura.

I had snuck back into the Kuchiki manor around three or four in the morning, everything at the house at a standstill. The amount of blood I took from the man was more than enough, I shouldn't be feeling any hunger for several months. But I still wasn't safe. My mannerisms had to change. Including the ones where my quick reflexes would kick in.

Getting out of bed, I showered and then changed into some cropped jeans and a purple shirt. I had to keep up my appearances in the family. Also, my brother was letting me go out into town 'for the first time' this morning, and I wanted to be out as soon as possible. I made my way downstairs and I could hear my brother already on the phone on the kitchen table.

Byakuya was at the head of the table as he usually was in the mornings, a phone in his right hand. He had a plate of food before him on the glass. A cup of coffee was on the left.

"Very well, then." And he shut his phone.

"Good morning, Nii-sama," I greeted him with a bow.

He gave a slight nod and began eating something green.

I sat at my usual position, to his left a chair away from him. A plate of food was placed before me as was a glass of juice.

"Nii-sama," I glanced at him, waiting to see if he was going to turn his attention to me. "I am going to see the city after breakfast today."

Mentally, I scolded myself. He already knew that was today. I didn't have to remind him. Many in the family said I was always going to be inferior, looks like I was giving their claims reason.

"Fine, be back for dinner," was all he said.

"Hai. Thank you, Nii-sama."

I turned my attention to my plate and picked up my fork. I had only taken a couple of bites of the sausage offered to me when I heard the main door to the house open.

"We have an appointment with Kuchiki-sama," the person at the door said, probably to one of the servants.

"Very well. Follow me, please."

Three sets of footsteps echoed past the living room and went promptly into the hall, the door of my brother's office opening. Only two sets of steps shuffled inside.

"Please take a seat," I heard one of the attendants say. "I'll inform Kuchiki-sama you are here."

The door closed again and quick, quiet footsteps made their way to the kitchen.

"Kuchiki-sama, they are both here to see you."

I looked over to see an attendant bow to my brother.

Nii-sama gave a slight nod and rose.

The attendant quickly retreated, saying, "They are waiting for you in your office."

They? We just got here and Nii-sama already has someone here waiting to do business with him? Kuchiki Corp. business was never done at the house. Unless it was a phone call or a business dinner, clients never actually came to the house.

I was left alone at the dining table, focusing my senses in the direction of my brother's office.

Brother's voice was faint, indicating that he was on the far end of the manor. He paused and I could hear three other heartbeats besides his in the office.

"These are the best, top of the line." One voice rang.

Top of the line? It was a business meeting then.

"These are easier to wield," another voice added.

'These are easier to wield?' what kind of business meeting is this? What does that even mean?

My brother sighed. "Hmm." I could almost hear him nod.

"Are you alright, Miss Kuchiki?"

I was awoken out of my haze, aware that I had just been staring off into space.

The attendant's brown eyes peered at me with curiosity.

"Pardon?" I asked, gaining back my composure.

"Would you like some more, Miss?" she asked.

That was not the question she had asked me.

Staring through the lying attendant, I shook my head and rose. "I am finished." I declared, rising from my chair.

I walked into the living room, grabbing a magazine that had been lying on the coffee table. Flipping through it, the pictures were a blur. This was the only way to any exit from my brother's office. I had to get a visual of who these people were.

What were they even trying to sell my brother?

My brother's footsteps aimed to the door and the wind shifted as said door was pulled opened. My brother's footsteps emerged first, light and quick paced.

The second pair were not so light, but more commandeering.

The third, however, were brash and powerful.

Slowly – in my eyes, I saw my brother pop into the living room. I dropped the magazine slightly, my eyes peeking through the top.

Behind him, a tall man with striking red hair and tribal tattoos on his followed.

My brother's eyes turned to my face and I met his eyes. I placed the magazine back on the table and rose, Kuchiki etiquette kicking in again. I walked over to them and turned to the man at my brother's left and gave him a small bow.

"Kuchiki Rukia." I greeted him, a false smile on my face.

He gave a huge smile and awkwardly did the same.

Where's the third guy? His footsteps were right behind this guys'. And it's not as if he could go and look into the house. Brother did not allow non-familiar members that privilege.

I was barely allowed that right.

"Abarai Renji," he introduced himself.

Now I had a name to match the face.

"It's nice to meet you." I half complimented. It would be nicer if he was never here, or if we ever met. But that was none of his business.

"You too," he mumbled, his countenance slightly covered in a shade of red.

Abarai turned around as the third footsteps started to catch up to our location. My gaze followed his.

"And this is -."

Renji stopped when a hand briefly squeezed his shoulder.

My eyes widened as the third man came into view.

The honey amber eyes popped wide open and then narrowed.

He took another step, stopping behind Renji.

The man took a dominate stance. He smirked at me. The man had his eyes locked squarely onto mine and opened his mouth.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

They meet at last!

I edited their first meeting and the ending like seventy times before it ended the way I felt was right. I wasn't planning on releasing this chapter so soon, but I was in a good mood since it is October third, my favorite month and day.

So I decided to treat you guys early!

ChappyLove to: KrAzI JaY, Luvvvy, Zangetsu50, Jesseblackhawk, and pinky357 (You know why)

In case you want to know the guy in the alley,

RukesVictim#1: Grimmjow

RukesVictim#2: ?

You shall see.