A/N: Who is up for a music filled angsty coming of age romance story!? Who is up for a story where Orihime is a serious strong lead and is more than just a derp all the time?! If you said yes to either of those questions this is your story! I'm excited to be writing this one I think you are all in for a good one! Please enjoy!

Summary: Orihime was a prodigy when it came to music. She could play anything, her favorite being her brother's piano. Her precious sibling died while she was in middle school, she gave up music after that. An invitation to a competition years later brings her back into that world... Surprisingly there were two pianist waiting for her.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama/Adventure/Friendship/Angst/Hurt/Comfort

Pairings: UlquiorraღOrihimeღGrimmjow

.oO Prologue Oo.

That sound was beautiful.

It soothed Orhime Inoue while drowning out the sounds of the violent arguments her parents had downstairs.

Her brother, Sora Inoue often played the piano for her.

The sounds it made changed her life.

But once her brother... Went away.

The notes didn't sound as sweet anymore.

Her fingertips trembled so badly...

She couldn't make those sweet sounds anymore.

.oO Lightning In My Fingertips Oo.

Her mornings always started the same, with Beethoven's ninth symphony in D minor. Orihime would jolt awake upon hearing the loud yet beautiful rendition that was set as her alarm. It was just another day for the second year highschool student. She sat up in bed letting a long yawn pass her full lips, she arched her back stretching her arms thoroughly.

Orihime was what you would call a genius in the most unlikely of places. Upon first glance she was nothing special aside from being extraordinarily beautiful. Her academics average, athletics a little below average, no notable after school activities. On paper she was just another highschool student, not a very impressive one at that.

Beneath the surface was something that was hard to imagine, especially in the case of such a ditsy girl. However she appeared on the outside, the truth was she was a genius among musicians. Everything she'd ever picked up she could play with a little practice. She had the magic touch to put it simply.

Her instrument of choice and what made her famous in elementary school was the piano. Orihime was the most skilled little pianist anyone had ever seen though in reality she was playing for one person. And when that person patted her on the head praising a performance... Orihime felt weightless, truly without a care in the world.

When she played the piano she felt like she was floating into orbit. Everything around her seemed so colorful like the notes she would play were lighting up the whole world. The hushed silence of the crowd as she picked up the pace of her piece. The feeling of each of her fingertips tapping the correct key in just the right manner to make the perfect sound.

It was what she lived for. Those few minutes on stage in front of the entire world, that pat on her head, those words of praise. They meant absolutely everything to her. As long as she had his touch and his words she could keep going despite the grueling schedule, despite the long nights, despite the endless memorization. She could do it, she did do it.

For him.

For her.

For music.

Then one night in middle school she got a horrible call. Orihime never liked phones, they made horrible sounds... It was only natural that sound carried the worst news she'd ever received. Her brother's car accident was fatal. A drunk driver had hit him head on, Sora didn't have a chance.

Orihime couldn't live with herself, she didn't get to say goodbye. The last thing she'd said to her brother was so horrible that she... Orihime didn't want to live and she couldn't. After that it was impossible for her to play the piano and without the piano it was impossible for her to truly feel alive.

The piano no longer made her feel like she was floating on air, instead it felt like she was sinking. Weighed down by something enormous, something that she couldn't shake off. That piano that used to feel so much like home had become a stranger to Orihime. After a while she'd given it up all together.

Without the piano in her life for a number of years Orihime was just doing her best to go day by day. And so far she was doing okay. Once she woke up she went through her normal morning routine before getting into her school uniform and heading out the door.

A distant aunt paid for Orihime's apartment and helped her out financially. Orihime hadn't seen her real parents since Sora had ran away from home with her once he was of age. The girl thought it was probably pity that led her aunt she'd never met to help her out like this. Regardless of the motive Orihime was grateful for the help she received.

Her days now were very normal... A little boring but that was okay with her!

Orihime just had to do her best to put her past behind her and move forward. One step at a time was all it took. Orihime was a very positive and bubbly person naturally though lately she'd been having relapses. Sitting in front of her dusty piano for hours without touching it...

That was fine though! Orihime was a sporty girl now a days! Even though she wasn't very good at any sports she had a lot of sporty friends! Tatsuki Arisawa came from behind Orihime just in time giving her a big pat on the back.

Tatsuki was Orihime's best friend, she was very precious to Orihime. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to get out of the slump after her brother's death without Tatsuki.

Tatsuki was rough, passionate, harsh but at the same time incredibly caring. The two of them usually walked to school together before running into another one of Orihime's sporty friends along the way.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She exclaimed seeing the tall student turning a corner in front of them. As usual a light blush colored her pale cheeks as she stumbled over her words looking for something else to say. Tatsuki told Orihime to relax, Rukia rounded the same corner with Ichigo greeting the two other girls.

Their group grew by two, the four of them would start their walk to school. Usually another big teenager named Chad would join them before they got to the front doors of the school. The school day started from there, Orihime went through the motions almost like a robot. It had been hard for her to fine excitement in her days lately. Sometimes Chizuru would grope her from behind, that was exciting right? No no, the word she was looking for was surprising.

Those were her normal school days. She'd just walk home alone while all of her other friends stayed after school for their teams or clubs. It wasn't that Orihime didn't want to join them. She just wasn't interested in being in the judo club or anything like that.

Her melancholy days came to an end suddenly when a letter appeared in the mail. Just the stamp on the front of the letter made Orihime's fingers start to tremble, goosebumps prickled her skin. How could this be? Was this a mistake?

The 14th Annual Chopin Piano Competition.

They contacted her. Orihime clenched her fists trying to control her quickening breathing. She hadn't touched the piano in years she couldn't figure out what this thing was for. And she was afraid to even open it... She was scared of what would be inside the letter. So there was only one thing she could really do, Orihime called Tatsuki over.

She felt more comfortable with Tatsuki, after all the ravenette always protected her. It is just a letter. That is what Orihime kept trying to tell herself. The panicked girl extended the letter to Tatsuki who took it.

"Please," Orihime started trying to keep her voice from sounding shaky. "Can you read it to me?"

"This is what you were so scared about?" Tatsuki glanced over at her friend who nodded. She was perfectly aware of Orihime's history with the piano, she was worried that whatever was inside this might hurt Orihime. Or maybe it would be just what she needed... "Okay."

Tatsuki tore opened the envelop pulling out a single sheet of paper and a few tickets. Tatsuki looked confused putting the tickets aside to read over the letter once to herself. She looked over the top of the letter at Orihime before beginning to read it out loud.

"Dearest, Ms. Inoue." Tatsuki paused taking a breath before continuing. "Due to your unprecedented achievements in the classical music world we'd like to invite you to our annual event. Not just as a guest, the committee would be honored to hear you perform. This will only be a preliminary round so please consider the opportunity. What have every confidence that you'll pass the preliminary round with ease, the whole competition could be yours for the taking. We surely wouldn't be surprised-"

"Stop reading please." Orihime mumbled on the couch across from Tatsuki. She pulled her knees up to her chest cradling them with her arms. A noticeable pout was on her face, she looked like a kid. Tatsuki smiled softly, some things never changed.

"I think it was rather nice of them." The ravenette spoke up rubbing the nape of her neck. "They even left tickets for your friends inside. And said you are more than welcome to come even if you don't perform."

"Yeah... That is nice of them." Orihime murmured while sniffling her nose, she was a very emotional girl. Maybe that is what made her performances so amazing.

"You should do it." Tatsuki said very seriously leaning across the table to get closer to her friend.

Orihime's grey eyes widened at her friend's suggestion, her overactive mind lit up like a firework. She tried to weight the risks, she tried to think of the positives. But in the end she came back to that day with her brother and what she said to him.

"I can't!" Orihime cried out shaking her head frantically.

"Inoue..." Tatsuki reached across the table gently placing her hand on Orihime's shoulder.

"I can't play the piano anymore..." Orihime whined trying to hold back tears. "It hurts, Tatsuki."

It hurts.

.oO1Oo.

"You haven't been practicing Orihime." Sora commented politely looking at the untouched piano in the corner of the living room. "A dusty piano is a pianist greatest sin you know?"

Orihime folded her arms looking away from him to ignore what he just said. The young middle schooler was acting a little rebellious lately but nothing Sora couldn't handle. After all it was normal for children to disobey their parents from time to time. These periods only lasted a few hours, he'd get that sweet little girl her knew back by dinner tonight.

"Orihime." Sora sighed walking across the room placing one of his palms on top of her head. "Aren't you going to see me off to work?"

"No!" Orihime swatted the hand off the top of her head. Now that was sort of out of character, she never rejected his touch like that. Sora arched a brow, a little bit of worry taking hold of his face.

"Are you okay?"

"No!" Orihime shouted again narrowing her grey eyes up at him. "I can't make any friends at school. None of them like the music I like, none of them understand who I am! When I show them I can play instruments they call me a machine. I'm not..."

"Orihime," Sora started softly. "Is this why you haven't been practicing?"

"I'm not your machine!" Orihime pointed an accusing finger up at her guardian angrily. "I don't want to practice for you anymore! I don't want to play for you anymore! I just want to be normal."

"What's so good about being normal-"

"You don't know anything about being normal!" Orihime continued to throw her childish fit. "You forced that piano on me! I hate the piano! I wish you never played for me."

"Is that so?" A sad smile curved his thin lips. It was enough to almost make Orihime apologize right then and there, guilt washed over her. Still she managed to hold her ground refusing to apologize. "I didn't know that." Sora turned to the door, he glanced over his shoulder before walking out. "I was looking forward to your next performance. I bought you a gift for it."

With that her brother walked out the door. Orihime thought she'd make it up to him later by making him a nice hot dinner.

Later never came. That was the last time she saw her older brother.

That night she found the gift he had bought for her, inside a neatly wrapped box was two beautiful blue hairpins. She clutched them in her hands so tightly her palms started bleeding. Her knees gave out and she hit the ground. Orihime had never sobbed so violently in her life.

.oO2Oo.

Tatsuki left after comforting Orihime, she still thought that her friend should do the competition. Orihime was happy that at least one person still believed in her, sadly that wasn't enough. Orihime needed to regain some confident in herself before she even considered dusting off that old piano.

Orihime sat alone that night in the bath trying to ease her mind. The water was warm and nice, Orihime tried to relax but she couldn't. So much was still on her mind, the piano, her brother, the competition.

Beethoven's ninth symphony started playing inside her head, she had the whole thing memorized from start to finish. Before she knew it her fingers started moving as if playing an invisible piano. Her fingertips tapping the water leaving ripples in their wake.

She started playing harder and harder as the sound continued on in her mind. The splashing of the water getting bigger with each note. She got lost in the notes dipping her fingers into the water where the right keys would be.

The more she continued this the more passionate she got. It had been so long, she missed this feeling. This weightless feeling, the silence of the crowd hanging on her music, the sound of her fingers pressing each key.

The piano!

Orihime opened her eyes back up after playing the entirety of the piece on her phantom piano. The water inside the tub had gotten cold and she was shivering. She couldn't decide if she was shivering from the cold water or the thought of playing the piano again. She put her hands in front of her to examine them, wiggling each finger as she did so.

Was it possible for her to be in that place again?

On that stage.

In that spotlight.

Floating into orbit.

.oO To Be Continued Oo.