I am updating this story again; I don’t know how anybody read it and like it before. I have add it a lot, so please read.

Disclaimer: Bleach ain’t mine

Parallel Lives

Chapter 1

Meeting

By Janina

Beta by Tituba

Rated: R for mature themes, some strong language and sexual situations.

Make a note to leave the office after rush hour. That was what Kuchiki Rukia thought as she pinched the bridge of her nose and waited in an interminable line of cars. Rush hour in Tokyo was a bitch; line after line of cars populated the highways, and said lines move as fast as a turtle. Couple that with the honking and cursing of people and it was hell. Her hand reached out and she turn on the radio in a feeble attempt at drowning out the horrible noises from outside. She needed a vacation...bad.

The sound of a honking car behind her made her jump and she realized that she had placed her head on the steering wheel and that the line had been moving without her knowing. She quickly sped down the highway, driving out of it and on to less populated streets that took her home faster and with less hassle. Her hand whipped out her keys to open the underground parking lot and she drove inside. Rukia sighed while she stepped out of her car and walked towards door that led to the elevators. Her boot clad feet clacking on the pavement of the parking lot. Her nose wrinkled at the terrible smell of gasoline and the perfume that came from inside the building, it burn at her nose and she pressed her sleeve on her face. Her small forefinger pressed for the elevator and she waited.

Finally, the elevator came and with another sighed Rukia pressed the penthouse button on the panel. She pressed her back on the wall of the elevator for support and took out her water bottle and an aspirin from her purse. Fatigue was killing her, that and other emotional problems, she mused as she swallowed the pills. The elevator doors dinged and Rukia sighed in relief as stepped out of it sluggishly. Clumsily, she searched for her keys and nearly screamed when she wasn’t able to properly open her door.

Once inside she dropped her car keys on the coffee table and shrugged off her heavy jacket. It was starting to get cold and it was only mid September, she thought as took off her heels and pulled her hair out of the tight bun on top of her head. Work today had been dreadful; she had two major cases coming up and more where on her to do list. May be she was overworking herself.

She sighed, aggravated and turned on her television. The cheery commercial that was on droned out the silence, Rukia sat down heavily on her couch. She took a look around her apartment and her eyes tightened. She felt lonely. Maybe she had been single for too long? She had just turned twenty-seven and her birthday had been spent in the office, working like a maniac trying to get the workload done. Her face fell, she missed having someone to come home to.

It hadn’t been long that she had broken up with her long-time boyfriend and already she hated the silence. For a long time she had though that she would be with him forever, but apparently her boyfriend, Abarai Renji, had other plans. Their break up had been unpleasant, leaving her with a bitter aftertaste. She felt tire and drain from all the commitment she had made.

Many times the thought of calling him had crossed her mind when she had been at her weakest, but when she remembered his angry words her hand had always retreated back to her side. She looked at the phone now and her stomach grumbled. She wasn’t exactly in the mood to cook. Her small hand picked up the phone and she ordered pizza. Her called was brief and to the point, her voice muted. She sighed as she hung up and called downstairs letting the doorman know that she was expecting a delivery. Her tire feet walked her to her bathroom and she took the time to shower and change in to more comfortable clothes.

She felt lonely and miserable, what else was new. She had a good career, brilliant if she said so herself but she was missing a family. She had wanted one so badly with Renji, but he had always made it clear that he didn’t want children...or marriage. She was drowning in her sorrows when she heard the door been knocked on. Her head snapped in attention and she got up. Walking towards the door, knowing it was the delivery of her food. Her hair stuck to her and she pushed it away annoyed. Her hand was trying to dry out her hair when she froze in place as she opened the door.

Violet eyes met amber.

Ichigo stared back and gulped. The hand that held the pizza shook and he was sure that his jaw was slacked in awe. He was staring at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. They stared for a long time; so long Ichigo could have sworn that he stopped breathing. Rukia snapped out of her embarrassing silence when she realized that she had been staring too long. Her cheeks felt hot as she looked away.

“How much?” She asked him casting her eyes towards her wallet in an effort not to stare.

Ichigo flushed slightly but he cleared his throat “10.50.” He answered simply as he continued to stare.

Rukia got out her money hastily and handed it to him, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. It took a full five second for Ichigo to realized he was being handed money, he was flustered and in his haste to take hold of the bill he also brushed her fingers. He pulled his hand away quickly; it felt like he had been burned. Rukia took the pizza from his hands and step away to close the door but her eyes never left his. She slowly closed the door, his eyes where fixed on hers.

Ichigo sighed dejectedly when she finally closed the door. He turn towards the elevator incase she watching out the peephole, he didn’t wanted to look like a stalker. His palms where sweating and he was sure he had made of fool of himself. He thought as he boarded the elevator. He sighed again as he pressed the button for the main floor and the elevator doors slid shut.

He was such a loser, he could have flirted or at least said hello. Instead he just stared at her like the idiot he was. She must think I'm retarded, Ichigo thought to himself as he climbed into the car provided by the pizza store. His shift was over for the day. He drove to the pizza shop and kept the car and then walked home from there. It wasn't that much of a distance and soon he was opening the front door of his house and taking off his shoes. Ichigo checked his watch; it was 10:30 pm.

He walked up the stairs into his room and changed in to his pajamas. Before going to sleep the face of the woman he met earlier flash before his eyes. Her beautiful violet eyes where burned in to his memory. He drifted to sleep thinking he was an idiot for not managing to at least strike a conversation with her. He didn't even know her name.

Ichigo had been lucky enough to have gotten a summer job at the pizza store near his house. He had been walking by the store late one June afternoon when he saw the sign being put up. He had wasted no time in applying and the store manager had hired him right away, he had said that he like his disposition.

It had been a good thing that he could drive; it was a good thing because it kept him busy. Ichigo didn't like been idle, but now that he was supposed to be getting ready to take entrance exam's for college and university, he didn't know if it was a really good idea to keep working. He debated over it as he took his seat and let the lecturer drone on.

In another part of the city Rukia was also letting a meeting drone on. She took careful notes and did her best to participate but her heart wasn't in it. She felt disconnected from everything and she look bore as her brother talk about new addition to their firm. She doodled in her notepad, not something that a lawyer in a very prominent firm in the city should do, really.

Rukia sighed as the meeting ended and she got up from her seat to go to her office, her intern was close beside her. Inoue Orihime was doing her internship so she might practice to become a lawyer and she been closely watch over by Rukia. She smiled at Rukia and chattered about her fiancée, Ishida Uryuu, and showed her the ring for the thousandth time. Rukia smile stiffly, she was annoyed, she had gone through a recent break up and she felt that Orihime might be rubbing in her obvious happiness just a bit too much.

“Kuchiki-san what about you and Abarai-san?” She asked and Rukia bit the inside of her cheek. Orihime had just hit below the belt.

“We aren't going to get back together. Renji and I have grown apart.” Rukia said coldly as she averted her eyes to her work.

“What about somebody else?” Orihime pressed on.

“No, I’m single for now. It's not easy to move on from a five-year relationship Inoue-san.” Rukia said as she finished typing a document in the computer and printed it. The printer smoothly printed the document and a prolong silence settled between them. Rukia sighed a sigh of relief; she didn’t really want to talk about her fail love life. Now if only could Inoue stop talking about it and work she would be happy.

“You need a new and exciting relationship with a different man.” She continued and Rukia tried her best to ignore her. “And maybe a fresh new look too. You always wear such constricting clothing.” Orihime commented as she filed the new documents for tomorrow mornings trial.

Rukia blinked and looked down at her herself; she was wearing a silk shirt and a black pencil skirt with black pumps. But these were her serious lawyer clothes. She felt she had to wear her silk shirt buttoned up all the way up to her neck and black skirt that where long past the knee to look proper for her job. She quirk her lip the side, she did look like she was forty dress the way she was. Maybe she did need a new wardrobe, something fun and flirty… Orihime continued to ramble on and on about new fashions and haircut ideas, but Rukia tuned her out.

Rukia stared at the computer screen with a sad expression on her face. She should have been married and have at least one child at her age. She had always thought that she would marry Renji but instead she broke up with him. Rukia closed her eyes, at one point in her life, being Renji's wife had been her dream. Now she didn't know what she wanted.

“Kuchiki-san, aren't you going to eat?” Orihime asked suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. Rukia looked up and suddenly found herself in the food court with a garden salad in front of her.

“You seem really space out.” Orihime said, sounding truly concerned.

Rukia sighed, suddenly feeling the need to confess. “I am upset.” She began. “I was expecting to be married at this age and have at least one child.” Rukia said glumly. “But instead I break up with my boyfriend and he moves out. I just feel really old and alone.”

Orihime look at her friend, seemingly genuinely concerned. “You are not old Kuchiki-san and you will find the man for you. If you say you only mourn being alone then that means that you’re over Abarai-san and ready for a new relationship.”

Rukia looked, startled at her words but found them to be true. She was over Renji, in fact, the break up had affected her only because she felt lonely. She was in need of a new, fulfilling, relationship. Rukia ate her salad thoughtfully and then decided she was over such boring food as this and bought herself a spicy taco. This is it, she thought to herself, I need to make fresh and exciting choices. No more boring Rukia.

“Hey, Ichigo, look here! It says that younger men who go out with older women tend to be more responsible and get their priorities straight earlier.” Asano said as he shoved the magazine towards Ichigo.

“What kind of crap are you reading?” Ichigo said as he pushed the magazine away. “Are you still reading that girls magazine?” He said as he turned to the side in an effort to ignore his friend.

“But its true, older women are fun. They aren't as troublesome as the younger chicks. Younger girls just want a heck of a lot of commitment.” Mizuiro said, inputting his advice. “I should know.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes and continued to eat his sandwich. He noticed that the sandwich wrapper was purple and it reminded him of the eyes of the woman he had met a week earlier. He stared thoughtfully at it. Her eyes seem to stare right at him. He was lost in his own little world when Asano shook his shoulder.

“Hello! Earth to space cadet Ichigo!” He called and Ichigo blinked, he was still at school. “Man, you were so spaced out.”

Ichigo shrugged and got up just as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. He kept his half-eaten lunch and started to walk to his class. Tatsuki, his ex-girlfriend caught up with him.

“What's the matter?” She asked him.

“Nothing.” Ichigo answered doggedly and left to find his seat. Tatsuki knew something was up. That was the line he always gave her when there was something brewing just below the surface. It had also been the line he gave her when he had been thinking about breaking up with her.

Tatsuki sighed, despite the fact that she and Ichigo were no longer together she still loved him. But still, he had come clean when he broke up with her, telling her he didn't want to continue a relationship with her and that he didn't feel as strongly about her as she did about him. The one consolation she had was that there really had been no one else.

Ichigo tried to pull his thoughts together, oblivious to Tatsuki’s intense stare from across the room. He was irked that he couldn't place a name to the ethereal eyes that haunted him, even in his dream. He attacked his math work viciously, angry that he hadn't spoken to her when he had the chance.

Rukia dropped the courier's bag onto her couch and walked to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and found nothing but soda and a jar of pickles. She sighed, closed the fridge, and found the pizza place phone number staring back at her. Rukia glared at it and suddenly she snatched it from its magnet and took the phone. As long as she was being daring she might as well get the name of the young man who had deliver pizza to her last time.

To be continued...

A/n: Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter! More to come soon!

One thing the whole thing with Keigo and Mizuiro is pure stupidity on their part. Just something I wanted to put there but you might say I try my hand at foreshadowing in a very lame way.

Please leave reviews. They make me happy.