Title: Love & Memories

Author: codegal

Rating: R

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Bleach.

Summary: Orihime has been having reoccurring dreams of a faceless stranger, but as the dreams continue, she comes to find that maybe they're not just dreams.

Author's Notes: This is a collab fic with my dear Masq who helped me figure out the storyline and such for this as my original Tanabata fic wasn't working for me, so… this is something I wrote in lieu of that fic (which will most likely never get finished XD). Please forgive any incompleteness that the fic may have, it's highly due to the fact that I only got started on this thing several days ago. XD A special thank you to Eloni for helping me refine a few bits. And yes, this is yet another title stolen from a song. XD

…

In the beginning…

"And this would make my daughter happy?"

"Yes, Father. Please grant me this wish."

"You are fully aware of the consequences that will take place once you are granted this wish?"

"Yes, I am to have all of my memories erased so as to assume human form on earth."

The Sky King sighed, saddened that he would be separated from his beloved daughter. "Because this is what you desire most, I shall abide by your wishes. You shall live as a human on earth, without any recollection of your past life. Be happy, my dear daughter, I shall look over you."

"Thank you, Father."

…

She moaned as he entered her sharply, their breaths quick and choppy as she clung to him, her legs coiling around his waist. His hands stroked her breasts, her thighs, before sliding beneath her bottom, lifting her higher to better receive his thrusts. Harsh groans tore from his chest.

"Tell me you love me."

"I do… I do, I love you so much."

He groaned as he thrust harder. "Tell me again."

"Ah… I love you!"

Orihime jerked awake, her heart pounding loudly in her ears, her face heating as she sat up in bed. "Not again," she moaned, struggling with the twisted sheets as she tried to free herself from the tangle she was in. Finally managing to free herself, she drew the single cover sheet up to her chin, the dawn air chilly on her heated skin, dewed by a slight sheen of sweat. She placed a hand to her chest, taking deep, even breaths so as to calm her racing heart.

Why was it like this?

She pulled her knees to her chest, laying her head on them as she sorted through the dream. Like some of her previous dreams, they had been of an intimate nature, her body taken by a faceless stranger that she couldn't seem to see quite clearly. His features were always skewed, but his voice would resound clearly in her mind as he took her with passion, as he brought her to completion time and time again. She bit her lip and clenched her thighs together, the resounding throb of her loins echoing the memory of her dream.

Rubbing her face tiredly, she glanced at her alarm clock, the red numbers telling her that it was 5:30am. She sighed, getting out of bed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep and headed to the bathroom, intent on a hot shower, hoping it would clear the cobwebs shrouding her mind.

As she stood under the hot beating water, Orihime found herself reflecting on the dreams again. They had started roughly a few months ago out of the blue. It had been a normal day, she had gone to work as per usual, returning home at 6pm, making dinner and reading a few chapters of the book she'd been hooked on for the past several days before turning in for bed. That night, when she had first dreamt of the faceless stranger, it had seemed quite real. Every touch, every kiss, had brought her to a shattering release, and she had jerked awake with a sob, her hand going to her loins, feeling the evidence of her recent climax.

She had tried to shrug it off as a weird occurrence, of a suppressed dream sprung from the inner desires of wishing for companionship in her life, of wishing for someone to fill the gap of loneliness in her current life; and she had partly succeeded, save for the fact that the dream had reoccurred the following night, as well as a few other nights following that. The dreams were so vivid in their sexual explorations that Orihime had to blush at some of the things that she dreamt about. She'd never before thought of herself as a loose woman, in fact, had never been with a guy for that matter. The furthest she'd ever gone was to make out with a work friend that had left her feeling very uncomfortable, and yet, she couldn't apply those same feelings to the dreams. No matter how wild the dreams were, Orihime couldn't shake off the sense of rightness in coupling with this particular faceless stranger.

And her dreams weren't restricted to just those sexual encounters; some nights, she dreamed of moments when she and the faceless stranger would just hold hands, watching the stars, or moments where they would laugh over silly things, spending time together in general. And each dream made her heart ache, made her want to reach out and hold onto this faceless stranger, her entire being craving for his presence.

She leant her head tiredly against the tiles of the shower stall, wondering if she had indeed lost her mind or was firmly on the way to losing it. These dreams weren't normal, were they? She couldn't go out with any of the guys that she had previously been interested in prior to the dreams because she would always compare them to the enigma of her dreams, and always, they would fall short. How could any man compare with the one in her dreams? And it wasn't just her love life that was suffering, but her work as well. The sleepless nights and her preoccupation with the events of the dreams were wreaking havoc on her concentration at work, making her miss crucial details on projects and a few deadlines that had it not been for her outstanding reputation, she would have been dismissed from her job.

She felt a bone-deep tiredness, wanting nothing more but to crawl back into bed and sleep for a couple of hours, causing Orihime to debate between whether or not she should call in sick and have an easy day of rest at home. But her sense of responsibility wouldn't allow for that, and Orihime resolutely cut off the water, making the decision to head to work.

An hour and a half later, Orihime decided to leave early so she could stop by a coffee shop on the way and pick up some coffee and a bite to eat, wanting to treat herself after yet another trying morning. Stepping out of her apartment, she turned to lock the door behind her, the sound of jangling keys to her left drawing her attention. Looking over, she noticed a man she had not seen before exiting from his apartment, an apartment that had previously been vacated. She mentally shook her head at herself. It was always part of her custom to welcome every neighbour on her apartment floor, a practise that she had observed since a time long ago when an elderly neighbour had baked Sora and her some cookies as a welcome gift. Making a mental note to pick up some groceries later tonight, she locked her door and dropped her keys into her handbag, waiting patiently so she could catch the attention of the stranger.

She didn't have to wait long.

He turned in her direction, his brown gaze flicking towards her, giving her a once over. She smiled at him, murmuring a cheerful 'good morning' and holding out her hand to him. He smiled back, the expression slightly awkward, as if he wasn't used to smiling much, his hand gripping hers in a firm shake. Orihime froze as shivers ran up her arm, through her body, and she looked down at their joined hands, flashes of that same calloused hand stroking her body flitting through her mind. Eyes widening, Orihime lifted her gaze to the stranger, transfixed as his lips moved, the deep sound of his voice bursting through the thick atmosphere that was pulling at her, suffocating her as he returned her greeting.

She weaved where she stood as she stared at him in shock, in horror. It was him. It was the man of her dreams. She needed to get away, needed to run to safety, but her legs felt like jell-O, and she couldn't seem to move. A distressed sound burst from her lips, and she had one last hazy look of the brown-eyed stranger before she turned and ran.

…

"You shouldn't be here."

"I had to come, I had to see you."

He shook his head and willed himself to stay strong. No matter how much he wanted her, he couldn't let this continue, couldn't risk her suffering the consequences were they to get caught. He turned away from her, determined to end it here having etched the features of his beloved's face in his mind.

A rough cry sounded behind him, and he swallowed thickly, his fists clenching as he knew she was crying, knew that he had made her cry again, so soon after his promise to take care of her. He continued walking; he figured that keeping her safe came before his feelings for her. She may cry and call him a bastard, but at least she would be safe, and that was all that really mattered.

The sudden feel of her arms wrapping around his middle, the soft weight of her body as she pressed against him, as she held onto him tightly had him stopping in his tracks.

"You promised. You promised to look after me."

He closed his eyes, not saying a word in reply.

"Can't you even look at me? Are you that ashamed of me?"

He turned within her embrace, clamping his hands tightly on her shoulders as he shook her, his face fierce as he snarled at her. "How can you say that? I've never been ashamed of you!"

"Then stay with me," she whispered softly, tears filling her eyes. He groaned helplessly, covering her mouth in a possessive kiss, his arms bodily lifting her so as to fit her better against his body. His mouth slanted over hers again and again, and he muttered feverishly, "I can never stay away from you…"

Orihime jerked awake again, trembling as she remembered the lingering pleasure he had brought her. She sat up in bed, placing her arms around herself as she rocked slightly back and forth, wondering if she hadn't gone crazy. There was no doubt about it, the man that lived next door to her was the same man in her dreams, in fact, tonight, his face had replaced that of the faceless stranger, a face that she had been unable to see no matter how hard she had tried to make out his details in previous dreams.

She put her head in her hands. Why was she dreaming about him? And why were the dreams reoccurring? She had picked up a few books on dreams several weeks ago in an effort of trying to discover why she was having those dreams, but the only thing she could really find were that dreams were somehow repressed memories. It had confused her; how could those dreams be repressed memories when she was fairly certain she had never met or seen the previously faceless stranger before?

She felt suffocated in her apartment, the sudden need for air driving her to her feet. Donning on her thick robe, she stepped out of her apartment, taking in some fresh morning air, her bare toes curling in the early morning chill. She breathed deeply, that fresh morning air, and was starting to feel somewhat normal again when the sounds of a door opening drew her attention. Just like a repeat of yesterday morning, Orihime stood frozen to her spot as the man from her dreams exited his apartment door, dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. She gave a nervous smile as he turned and faced her, his eyes widening as he took out his headphones.

"Good morning!" Orihime greeted cheerfully, inwardly wincing at the falseness to her tone. She bit her lip, searching for something to say.

"Uh, s-sorry about yesterday," she stammered, her face heating as her gaze turned downward. "I didn't mean to run away from you like that."

He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's OK."

Silence reigned for a few moments, and Orihime struggled for something to break the ice. "Going for a run?"

He shifted his weight onto his other leg "yeah, usually do every morning." His eyes narrowed as he stared at her intently, his piercing gaze making her rub at her face in a self-conscious manner. He frowned.

"Have we… met?"

Orihime's heart started to pound furiously, her body trembling as her anxiety started to get the best of her. What could she say to him? We probably met in our dreams? For all she knew, she was the only one having these dreams. She laughed nervously, one of her hands coming up to rub the back of her head. "I d-don't think so. I mean, I don't even know your name, for that matter."

He seemed to relax with that, his frown smoothing somewhat, returning to the customary scowl he seemed to wear. Awkwardly, he held his hand out for her. "Name's Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki."

The familiarity of the name reverberated through her, and she stared dumbly at his hand for a few moments. How did she know him? Why was he so familiar? Realising her lack of response, she hurried to grasp his hand, giving it a firm shake. "Orihime Inoue."

She lifted her gaze to his, noticing the slight lifting of his hard mouth. "Princess, huh?"

She blushed, nodding, "Weaver Princess to be exact. I… don't know why my parents named me that." She gave another nervous laugh. They stood together awkwardly for a few moments before Ichigo spoke up.

"Um, I gotta get going. I'll see you around." Inserting his headphones back into his ears, he waved a goodbye and turned to run down the stairs leading to their apartment floor. Orihime waved back and headed back inside with shaky legs. She'd just made one important discovery today.

His name was Ichigo Kurosaki.

…

The early morning shafts of light filtered through Orihime's blinds, shocking her awake. She sat up in bed, her brows furrowed. She hadn't had a dream the previous night; in fact, she had slept completely undisturbed the whole night through. As realisation sunk in, Orihime gave a squeal of delight, jumping out of bed and getting ready with vigour.

She supposed she could take the dreamless night as a positive sign for the day. Smiling to herself, she finished getting ready, brushing out her hair before grabbing her handbag and keys. She glanced at her watch as she stepped out, and the scratching sounds of a key turning in a lock next door to her had her cheering with delight inside at being able to catch him this morning as well.

"Good morning, Orihime," Ichigo spoke from behind her. She turned and flashed him a smile, returning the greeting.

It was already the last couple of days of summer, the time passing pleasantly with the both of them drifting closer together. It wasn't anything monumental that Orihime could gush to her girlfriends about, but she felt it was at least something, a fragile bond between the two of them that had the potential to blossom. And the way that he laughed at her stories when they hung out together, whether it be at his apartment or hers, or the way he listened intently when she was sharing problems at work, made her think that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't the only one feeling this way, though not really having any previous experience with relationships made it hard for her to read the situation properly.

"Uh, listen, are you free tonight?"

Orihime's eyes widened, and she bit her lip before answering. "Yes."

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. "Well, a friend of mine gave me tickets to the new Bad Shield movie. Since I have two, I was wondering if you wanted to watch it with me tonight?"

She smiled at him, nodding, unable to formulate any words. He grinned in return. "That's great. Well, I'll see you later tonight then."

Overjoyed, she nodded again.

…

Bad Shield had turned out to be an enjoyable movie.

Ichigo and Orihime had exited the cinema laughing over their favourite action scenes, arguing light-heartedly about which character was better and such. They strolled through the streets towards home, taking their time as they took in the rush of the nightlife, the lights, the mild summer night weather.

A sudden shout from behind had the couple turning, and Ichigo grabbed Orihime's hand to pull her out of the way of a businessman rushing through the crowd. Once the path was clear, Orihime thought that Ichigo would let go of her hand, but he continued to hold it as he resumed towards home, and Orihime followed, her heart pounding as she stared up at his proud profile, her gaze tracing over his hard features, memorising his face.

She wanted this, she realised. Wanted to go on looking at him, wanted to keep her hand in his forever, wanted to continue being by his side.

The night came to an end all too quickly.

They had reached their respective apartments, and Ichigo reluctantly turned loose of her hand, a fact that Orihime hadn't missed. They stood together on the balcony, like they'd done so many times before, each struggling to find something to say to the other. Orihime was the first to break the silence. "Thanks for tonight. I enjoyed myself."

Smiling, she opened the door to her apartment, intent on stepping inside but was stopped in her path when Ichigo's hand encircled her wrist. Turning, she opened her mouth to ask what the matter was, but the look of hunger on his face stopped the flow of words that had sprung to her mouth, and all she could do was wait with abated breath. He leant in towards her, and her eyes slid shut helplessly, her breath stuttering between her lips before his mouth covered hers in a gentle kiss. It was non-demanding and sweet, and Orihime couldn't help but sigh into his mouth, her hands lifting to rest against his chest.

His arms wrapped around her tightly, and he used his tongue to slide along the bottom of her lip before slipping in to taste the very essence of her, causing her to moan with pleasure, her fingers grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as their tongues did battle. Several moments later, the kiss ended, and Ichigo rested his forehead against hers as they fought for breath. It was a few minutes before either could speak, before Ichigo could whisper "good night", turning to his apartment, leaving her with a parting grin.

Heart still racing, Orihime stumbled into her own apartment, falling onto the bed, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it tightly, her face buried in it as she relived the earlier sensations of their first kiss. She wanted to do it again, wanted to feel more of his kisses, wanted to spend more time with him. She thought of the weekend ahead, and of the things that they could do together.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

…

Orihime hurriedly put on her gown, giggling as Ichigo laid kisses on her bare shoulders, on her neck. "Stop it, I need to get back home before anyone notices I'm gone," she protested half-heartedly, his lips sending shivers down her spine.

Grinning, Ichigo laid back on the bed, placing his arms behind his head, blissfully naked. "Be careful on your way back. Your hand maid sent me a note earlier cursing me for my inattentiveness in such matters."

Orihime smiled as she brushed through her hair. "I can just imagine. Tatsuki gave me a similar lecture earlier as well. I will have to remember to give her an extra day off for all the trouble she has gone through."

Finished with her hair, she turned back to her lover. "How is this?"

He rose from the bed and strode towards her in a few strides, Orihime's gaze travelling appreciatively over his powerful form. He lifted her chin before leaning down, kissing her mouth hungrily as if they hadn't just finished making love. "You're beautiful as always. Now, go, before someone starts to miss you back at the palace."

Orihime turned on her side as the dream shifted, mumbling incoherently.

She snuck in through the servant's entranceway, hurrying through their quarters to the back stairs that led to her chambers. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed how utterly still and quiet everything was, but her mind was still on the few hours of bliss that she had shared earlier, and the fact went by unnoticed.

Knocking once on her door, a sign that her hand maid had devised for Orihime to use to notify her of her return, she waited a few moments before entering her room, her mouth opening to happily thank Tatsuki for covering for them once again. She came to a stop as she noticed her Father standing by her window, his back to her. She swallowed nervously, her heart beating with trepidation.

"F-father? What are you doing here?"

He was quiet for a while, and Orihime trembled as she waited for his answer. It wasn't long in coming. "At this very moment, while we speak, the Royal Guard Ichigo Kurosaki is being removed from his headquarters and taken to Central 46 to have his fate decided."

Her eyes widened at that, a wordless sound erupting from her lips as she stared in shock at her father's back. "What is the meaning of this? He is not a criminal, he has not done anything wrong!"

He whipped around to face her then, his eyes narrowed in anger. "He dared to touch my daughter! His objective in life first and foremost is to protect you, to protect me, to protect the Royal family and he failed in that objective! Guards who fail in their objectives are to be removed and stripped of all their honour, those are the rules!"

"Ichigo is a kind person, he takes his duties seriously, he doesn't deserve any of this! Please, father!"

He turned away once more. "There is nothing that can be done."

Orihime jerked awake on a sob as the rest of the memory played out. The sudden urge to see Ichigo, to hold him in her arms again, to know that he was safe prompted her to her feet, and she rushed for the front door. She fumbled with the lock for a minute before her trembling fingers managed to get it undone. Wrenching the door wide open, she stumbled through the opening.

…

Tears ran down her face as she stood before her father again, as her memories returned to her fully. "Why? Why couldn't you have just left me there?"

The Sky King sighed regrettably. "Because you had regained your memories."

"And that's wrong?"

"I couldn't allow for that to happen. If you regained your memories, then you would have given yourself away to the interlopers of that world, and who knows what kind of dangers would have befallen you then? I couldn't take that risk, not with the good of the realm laying on my shoulders."

"Twice now, father. Twice you have managed to take away the one thing that I have held most dear."

The King sighed tiredly. "It is for the good of the Realm."

…

Almost a year went by and the Sky King watched with increasing anxiety as his daughter became despondent, a shell of her former self. Gone was the cheerful and exuberant girl that had a ready smile for all in view, gone was the infectious laugh that had filled him with joy, gone was the Princess that he had once known.

In her place was a withdrawn woman, who moved about only by instruction from her handmaid, who no longer cared for her well-being. He clenched his fists tightly, frustrated at the whole situation. He couldn't bear it anymore. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Protecting her at all costs, keeping her safe was supposed to make her happy, was supposed to bring joy to the Realm. And yet doing this had turned her into someone he did not know. This wasn't the daughter that he loved!

The King shook his head. He was going to set things straight.

…

"Orihime, may I speak with you?"

She raised dull eyes to meet his gaze for a few seconds before they slid away, looking back down at the floor. "Yes, Father?"

"I, ah, decided to grant you your request."

He was met with silence. Clearing his throat, he continued on as if unperturbed by her lack of interest. "I spoke with the advice counsel and we came up with a solution that we found quite suitable for the situation at hand. Provided that you are accompanied by guards both to and fro, we believe that it is quite acceptable for you to see Ichigo once every year."

The King watched nervously as confusion played across his daughter's face. Would it work? Would this bring back his Orihime? "I'm giving you a chance to see him again, Hime."

The light that had previously been extinguished returned to his daughter's eyes, and the hope soared within the King as she raised tear-filled eyes to his, a misty smile breaking through her despondency. "R-really?"

"Yes, but as I mentioned, only once, to minimise the risks to not only yourself but also to the realm. We will grant you one full day where you can do as you wish. In return, all I ask is that you return to the Orihime that I know and love." The King finished gruffly, turning to hide his face.

Arms wrapped around his middle as his daughter hugged him tightly, as she cried with joy. He smiled at that, patting her hands, pleased that he indeed was getting his Orihime back.

"When can I see him father?"

"As soon as you want. I shall assemble a contingent of guards to escort you."

"Is tomorrow too soon?"

"It shall be done. Will this be the set day for your yearly visits?"

"Yes, the 7th of July. It was the day we first met."