AN: This idea came to me some weeks ago, and I just had to write it out. After much debate, I decided to post it on , what with Valentine's Day being so close. This is not only my first Ulquihime fic, but my first Bleach fic in general, so Ulqui may or may not be a bit OOC. And yes, in this fic, Ulquiorra didn't die, and left Aizen to join Ichigo and the others, and got a gigai. One more thing-to any Ichigo fans reading this, I'd like to apologize in advance for the way Ichigo acts in this story. Well, I hope it's not too horrible, and that you like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of it's characters. I already have tons of my own, why should I babysit 100+ others?
He stared ahead, twirling a finger listlessly around the rim of his glass. Ulquiorra Schiffer was not a drinker. He could not understand humans' dependency on this foul substance, and he doubted he ever would. Anyway, even if he had wanted to drink himself into a stupor, his mind was too full of thought to do so.
"Hey, come on Ulquiorra, lighten up!" Kisuke Urahara said cheerfully. "She said yes!"
"I know." Ulquiorra said flatly. Secretly, he wondered if proposing to the girl had been the right idea. She was happy, and that should've been enough. Should've being the key word. After the battle with Aizen, Orihime had suggested that Ulquiorra join them. Of course, Ichigo and the others had protested, but she was adamant about it, so that he wouldn't be imprisoned and possibly killed by the Soul Reapers. Over the past couple years, after getting a gigai, Ulquiorra had grown quite used to living in the World of the Living. He had gone to highschool, and then college, with the others, helped them in their fights, and even started a relationship of sorts with Orihime.
Orihime-the girl was really something else. She was the first one to trust Ulquiorra, the first to befriend him, the first person ever to love him. Even now, she helped him to uncover more and more of his heart. So, after years of dating, it was logical what the next step should be, at least, it should've been, from what he had learned from being in the World of the Living.
"I-I just don't know if it was a good idea." Ulquiorra said finally.
"Well, let me ask you a question," Urahara said wisely. "Do you love Orihime?" Ulquiorra started to open his mouth to answer, but the door flew open abruptly. Ulquiorra's, Urahara's, and Tessai's heads all whipped around to survey the newcomer.
"Hmm?" Urahara said. "Ichigo?"
"So, how did you do it, Ulquiorra?" Ulquiorra blinked.
"Do what?"
"How did you trick Orihime into saying yes to your proposal?" The orange-haired man questioned. "Because I know that there's no way she'd agree of her own free will. What did you do to her?" Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo wordlessly for a few seconds.
"You're drunk." he said tonelessly. Urahara noticed the bottle in Ichigo's hand, and saw that Ulquiorra was right. Ichigo sneered.
"Cocky bastard." he said. "Who do you think you're trying to fool? You didn't even start calling Orihime by her name until about a year of being here, and now you expect me to believe that she wants to spend the rest of her life with you?" Ulquiorra just continued to stare at Ichigo, his temper rising, and Urahara could feel a storm beginning to brew.
"Okay Ichigo, you've obviously had too much to drink." he said, chuckling nervously as he stood up. "Why don't you just get home and..."
"No!" Ichigo shouted violently. "I won't allow this! I won't let Orihime give her heart away to a man who doesn't have one!"
"Kurosaki, you're beginning to make me angry." Ulquiorra said, his normally calm voice rising an octave or two.
"Seriously Ichigo, you're making a scene." Urahara said, his face beginning to flush. "Let's just get you out of here..." Ichigo pushed the shopkeeper away roughly, then ran at Ulquiorra, who rose to his feet just in time to get punched across the face. Ichigo tried to punch him again, but Ulquiorra caught his fist and started to fight back to defend himself.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Tessai roared, stepping between the two. Ichigo glared at the huge man angrily.
"Why are you defending him?" He demanded. "He may be on our side now, but he's still a hollow! Nothing will ever change that!" Ulquiorra responded by striking Ichigo roughly on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Ichigo's body went limp, and he started to fall forward before Tessai caught him.
"He'll live." the former Espada said. "Hopefully by the time he comes to, his senses will have returned." Urahara saw a flicker of something in Ulquiorra's eyes.
"Hey, Ulqui, you okay?" Ulquiorra didn't answer. Instead, he turned and left, taking care to pick up Ichigo's empty bottle, which he had dropped on the ground during their struggle.
"Man, I feel like such an ass." It was the next day, and Ichigo had sobered up considerably. Now he sat on the floor in Urahara's shop, staring across at Ulquiorra.
"You did make quite the scene last night." the black-haired man replied. Ichigo sighed.
"I'm sorry Ulquiorra." he said, and he meant it. "I was drunk. Plus, Orihime has been one of my best friends for a while, and well, you-I mean, we were..."
"I understand what you mean." Ulquiorra said. "You and I were enemies once. I don't blame you for not trusting me." Ichigo gave a nod.
"Times have changed, though. You're one of us now. You've been a great help throughout the years."
"But you still don't completely trust me, do you?" Ulquiorra questioned. The smile faded from Ichigo's face. "You don't have to answer." Ulquiorra said. "I wear this gigai to pass myself off as a human, but no matter what, the fact remains that I am an Arrancar, and therefore, a Hollow, that which the Soul Reapers dedicate their lives to fighting." Ulquiorra turned his green eyes to Ichigo's brown ones.
"You may not believe everything you hear from me, Ichigo Kurosaki, but believe me when I say that I love Orihime Inoue more than anything in the world. She taught me to find my heart, and to love, and, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't even be here now. I value her more than any other person in the world."
At that moment, the door opened and Orihime herself stepped into the shop.
"Ulqui!" she said, her eyes full of worry as she walked over to her fiancee. "Are you alright? Ichigo, you didn't hurt him too bad, did you?"
"There is no need to worry, I am fine." Ulquiorra answered, grabbing her hand to reassure her.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted, Orihime." Ichigo said, ashamed. "I was drunk, you know..."
"It's okay, Ichigo." Orihime said. "I'm just glad Mr. Tessai stopped you two before you could do some serious damage to each other."
"Orihime," Ulquiorra started suddenly. "Will you tell him, or shall I?"
"Tell me what?" Ichigo asked as Orihime sat down on the floor with them.
"Well-" Orihime started nervously, her eyes on the floor. "Ulqui and I were talking, and I was wondering if...if you would be the one to give me away at my wedding."
"Of course, Orihime." Ichigo said, a warm smile crossing his face. "I'd love to." Urahara then walked in on all three of them, followed by Tessai, who was carrying a tray full of hot cups of tea.
"Sorry gang, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." he said, his usual jovial smile on his face. "So then, I would like to propose a toast to the happy couple." He raised his cup, and Ichigo, Orihime, and Ulquiorra likewise raised theirs, clinking them together before starting to drink. And, just like that, all of Ulquiorra's doubts were gone. He loved Orihime, and he wanted to spend every day of his life from now on with her. He had never been more sure of anything in his life. Despite himself, he allowed a smile to cross his lips as he sipped his tea.
AN: Aww, isn't that sweet? So, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know in your reviews! Oh, and one more thing, no, Ichigo is NOT in love with Orihime in this story. He's just acting more out of a big brother-type kind of love. Well, that's it for now. Happy almost-Valentine's Day!