The lights dimmed to a soft caramel haze and the velvet curtains opened to reveal a delicate auburn haired woman. The lights were upon her. Her heart was beating frantically like the fast-paced rhythm of a humming bird's wing. Her eyes were silently searching through the sea of nameless strangers for a certain scowl.

Her world came crashing down when she saw that his designated seat was mocking her with the cold emptiness it was holding. A lone tear trickled down her rosy cheeks.

'The show must go on.' She thought.

Orihime opened her lusciously pink lips. A beautiful melody carried out the back of the theatre. The orchestra strummed gently and pulsing in the background. Her alluring voice was tainted with melting sorrow and it touched the bottom of the heart of everyone who heard the tragic aria. Before she sang the last note, her eyes searched desperately one last time. There was not a single sign of bright orange to clash horridly with the dark ruby red coating of the seats. Everyone in the audience stood up to give the soprano a well deserved standing ovation. However, none of it mattered to her. He wasn't there for her.

Somewhere down the streets of Broadway, an orange-haired man was scowling inside a taxi. Ichigo Kurosaki was nervously checking the hands of his watch, again.

"Can't you go any faster?" He shouted to the cab driver. Today was the last day to hear the divine soprano sing the tragic arias in La Traviata at the Metropolitan Theatre. However, it seemed to Ichigo, he might not even get to hear anything altogether. If it wasn't for the fact that he was a resident doctor at the New York City Hospital, he would have been there for her at every damn concert she gave, no matter where it was.

"Sorry mister but can't do no nothin' wit' this goddamn traffic. It'll must be the snow." The cab driver lisped. Ichigo glanced out the window to see sparkly white swirling down. He groaned.

"You know what? I'll just take it from here on." Ichigo stuffed plenty of cash into the man's hand and jumped out the taxi without even asking for change. He made sure to wrap his cashmere scarf tighter around him to fight off the cool humid wind blowing against his flesh. He'd rather die than miss this last chance to impress his , once, beautiful classmate. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He was almost there. When he reached the entrance to the theatre, his patented scowl disappeared.' However, it returned as fast as it disappeared when a crowd immersed from the gold-ornated doors. It was over. The crowd was on their way out.

His world came crashing down when he realized he let her down…again. It was just one concert and he couldn't even make it. All he could do now was to make his way to the reception hall.

"Thank you everyone for coming. The flowers are lovely." Orihime cheerfully said, masking her distress. Chizuru engulfed her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Neh, you're lovelierrr." Tatsuki placed a well-aimed kick at her.

"BTW, you are lovelier than those flowers." Tasuki told her.

"Orihime, it was my pleasure to be here." Rukia smiled as she slid her hand around Renji's arm. "I should actually thank you! It was such a romantic first date ever."

"Ahem!' Everyone turned around to see who the voice belonged to. At the sight,Renji and Rukia jumped a mile apart from each other.

"Miss Inoue, your singing is remarkable and I would like the opportunity to hear it once again in the future." Byakuya's eyes were glancing daggers at a certain tattoo-adorned red head.

"But we're missing someone!" Rangiku chimed in. Everyone stared at her. Some in astonishment at her blunt remark, some in complete disbelief. "What? Just stating the obvious."

"Exactly." Toushiro replied icedly. Orihime's grey eyes lowered to observe the details on the carpet. Tears were wielding up. Suddenly the doors slammed open to reveal a flushed, sweaty and scowling orangette. His handsome face was red from the chill outside the Manhattan streets. His chocolate eyes bore into silvery ones, trying to send an apology. However, Orihime escaped the intense gaze.

"Looks like the good-for-nothing punk decided to make an entrance." Tatsuki glared.

"It seems like Kurosaki accidentally swallowed his watch or stuck it up somewhere invisible. No need to say where." Uryu stated. Renji, Chizuru and even Chad sniggered.

"Yes we do. The only thing that's stuck up his ass is this fork that I'm gonna decapitate him with." Rukia glared at Ichigo as well.

"Can you guys shut up about my ass for a moment?" Ichigo groaned.

"Of course. No one here really wants to talk about your ass except for our sweet naughty Orihime." At Rangiku's comment both orangettes flushed bright red.

"Look…Orihime, I'm sorry." Ichigo's voice strained out. He was beyond exhausted. Physically, from the running and work at the hospital and mentally, from his ordeal with Orihime. He really wanted to confess to her but he just about doomed any chance he got with her. He was about to walk out of the hall but a small hand laced onto his. He turned around only to be met with a pair of full fleshy lips. After gathering his senses together from the initial shock, he pulled her in closer.

"It's okay Kurosaki-kun. I forgive you. So, stay."

"I love you." Ichigo blurted out, in front of everyone. He was meaning to say this for a long time but things always got in the way. Not today. Glances were exchanged everywhere. "…marry me, Inoue. I love you." He got down on his knees and pulled out a robin-egg blue coloured box.

"No." Her voice hung in the air. Ichigo's heart stopped beating. He knew he should have made it on time but it was already too late for that.

"Inoue, I promise I'll make it on time for your next…" Her finger brushed his lips and immediately Ichigo fell silent like a muted wall. However, a smirk danced on her blush coloured lips.

"No silly. You called me Inoue. I won't marry you until you start calling me Orihime."

"Finally!" Tatsuki and Rukia hugged each other instead of Uryu and Renji, who were standing awkwardly and gapping at their respective girlfriends.

"I change my mind." Everyone stopped congratulating the new couple and a few from collecting their betting money to look at Renji. "…There's nothing stuck up in Ichigo's ass." Ichigo's gaze softened with a mixture of gratitude. "…But there's going to be something up Orihime's…" The rest of Renji's sentence was cut short as a short raven-haired woman pounced on him to punch the daylights out of him.

"Say 'ass', Renji, and your ass will be the one on fire." To everyone's shock, and irony, it was Byakuya rescuing the red head from castration by his girlfriend.

"Speaking of which, before we were so rudely interrupted, I should give this to you." Ichigo pulled out the ring, and slid it smoothly across Orihime's finger.

"Oooo. Kurosaki did spend a pretty penny, now didn't he?" Rangiku said as she nudged Toushirou on the head with her elbow. She meant to nudge him on the arm.

"It's beautiful, Kurosaki-kun."

"Now, Orihime, you have to start calling me Ichigo." He smiled cheekily before adding. "That's not a convenient name to call me…at night."

"Well, Ic-hi-go, there are other things I can call you…" Orihime smiled mischievously before adding. "…at night." They smiled and Ichigo pulled her into a sweet kiss. A small cheer erupted around them. It was the perfect ending to their opera.

My first Ichihime fic!

A disclaimer to any of the copyrighted stuff mentioned above! If I somehow got a hold of Ichigo and Orihime, Bleach would not be so much of a Shonen manga anymore.

Btw, I will be updating another Ichihime fic (a multichaptered one) so stay tuned!

AZLCIKOI