Valentine's Day he didn't get her a single flower.

Three o'clock he didn't call.

He wouldn't even hold the door for her when they went to a restaurant.

What hurt the most though is that their romance seemed to end. Their apartment was no longer the home they had first made love in. It was cold and quiet.

Ichigo woke up once again to an empty space next to her in bed. In the next room she could hear her husband typing away on his computer. She angrily punched the pillow before getting up. It didn't help though so she went through her normal routine.

She took a hot shower, put on a button up blouse, blazer, pencil skirt and a pair of wedges. She then pulled her long hair into an elegant bun and put on her glasses. She cooked an American breakfast: bacon, eggs, toast, fruit and coffee.

"Ulquiorra, breakfast is ready," she said with a tray in her hands.

"I'll eat later," he said from behind the door. Ichigo sighed and placed the tray on the floor.

"You promised we'd go out tonight."

"I just got word of a project due next week."

"You can't spare a few hours?"

"Every second must be put towards perfection." Ichigo left their apartment and rode the elevator to the garage. She instantly found the black and red Ferrari F12 Berlinetta he had bought her for her birthday. She loved the purr of the engine when she turned the key in the ignition.

At the moment Ichigo didn't care that she was going over the speed limit. There were no cars on the road and she just wanted to get to work.

"Good morning Itsygo!" Neliel, the Las Noches Corporation receptionist, greeted happily.

"Good morning Nel," she said back despite internally telling herself it was already as bad as it was going to get. Nel, being emotionally sensitive, instantly picked up on her distress.

"Having problems with your hubby?"

"It's not even a problem anymore Nel." Ichigo made her way to the elevator. The doors opened immediately and she pressed the button for the top floor. She tapped her foot against the floor impatiently. How she hated that her boss had to be on the top floor, so high up you could see over Karakura but it still wasn't nearly as high as the ones in New York. She was drawn out of her thoughts by the door opening on the top floor and she made her way into his office without knocking. Aizen looked up at her briefly, not surprised about her rude intrusion. He put down his pen and crossed his arms over his desk as she sat down on one of the chairs before him.

"What can I do for you Ichigo?" Aizen asked in that smooth voice of his but she knew he was never sincere with his smiles.

"I'm going to reapply to med school," she said abruptly.

"I'm surprised. Did Ulquiorra approve of your decision?"

"He can fuck himself and his work! I don't need his permission. I'm just telling you so you can change my hours if that happens."

"Not a problem." He waved her off with a single motion of his hand. She left as quickly as she arrived and got to work as the manager of the IT department. She spent a lot of her time reading since the IT department wasn't needed often, especially when she did her job perfectly.

Ichigo looked at the clock up on the wall, the hands reading three o'clock before turning her attention to the phone at her desk. It became a bad habit, especially when she knew he wouldn't call. Instead of sadness overwhelming anger welled up inside of her. She got up, grabbed her backpack and stomping out of her office.

"Yo Ichigo, where are you going in such a hurry?" Grimmjow, one of Ulquiorra's step brothers, asked her but she ignored him. "Slow down a minute." He yanked her back towards him by her arm. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm done Grimmjow. I can't take this anymore. Can drive me to the apartment?"

"No problem." He knew she always called the apartment she shared with her husband 'home' and that in itself told him she was about to leave Ulquiorra. He thought about taking her someone else and talking to her but she was stubborn and he didn't want her to get hurt by driving angry.

He followed her out to the garage. Once she located her car she tossed him the keys and got inside, slamming the door behind her. The drive was silent except for the music on the radio and the purr of the engine. Ichigo stared out the window the entire time. She barely noticed the sports store and she told him to pull over.

Grimmjow watched her jog into the sports store and waited only a few minutes for her to walk back out with a baseball bat. "The he'll is that for?" He was scared she would beat Ulquiorra with it.

"None of your concern but you don't have to fear for your brother's life." That did little to calm his nerves but he still drove her to the apartment. He followed her up and watched her pack a bag full of clothes. Ulquiorra must have heard her come in and stood by the door.

"What are you doing Ichigo?" he asked, his voice and expression masking his anger but she could see through it.

"I'm going to stay with my dad for a while, I'm cutting my hair, I'm going to med school I'm..."

"What bought this along?"

"Your bullshit! You've become so infatuated with your work you forgot about me! We don't sleep in the same bed anymore because you're always in your office! This is the first time I'm seeing your face in two days Ulquiorra, two fucking days! You don't kiss me, you don't touch me, you don't do anything with me anymore! I can't look into your eyes anymore without seeing that cold, empty bastard from high school.

"I just want to know why the fuck we got married. When we were dating and on our honeymoon, even a while after that, you were so loving and kind. But then Aizen hired you, gave you a demanding position and it feels like you just don't care anymore, like this marriage is a burden. Do you know how heavy this thing on my finger feels? My co-workers ask me why I don't wear it and I don't know what to say. Should I tell them that I'm living with a stranger or that my heart hurts every day because I feel betrayed by that stranger, that the vows we made died? Should I tell them I feel empty inside because I don't know whether or not you love me anymore, that my dreams of having little copies of you and I running around died with this marriage?"

Ichigo was breathing heavily, tears running from her eyes and down her cheeks. Both Grimmjow and Ulquiorra looked at her in surprise. Neither had any idea she was suffering so much inside. She always made herself the dominant female who took care of those in her pack. She radiated strength and kindness that drew people to her, good and bad. She hardly smiled but it was beautiful. It practically made her glow. It was as if she was an impenetrable wall yet that wall had crumbled from stress and heartache.

"I'm leaving Ulquiorra. You have no idea how much it hurts to be here right now." It was the first time either of them saw the deep bags under her eyes. They didn't look right on her face, especially when she was always so alert and performed her job perfectly. She didn't drink more than two cups of coffee a day, one with breakfast and one with lunch but she hadn't eaten all day or for the past week.

"Ichigo, please don't leave," Ulquiorra begged, grabbing her arm. "We can work through this." She snatched her arm back and cradled it to her chest as if his touch burned.

"Valentine's Day is coming up. Shape the fuck up by then or I'm filing for divorce." On her way out she went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the drawer. They watched in horror as she cut her beautiful orange hair at her ears and drop the remains to the floor. "Try and stop me I'm going to break something."

Ulquiorra dropped to the floor moments after the door shut, clutching at his heart. Grimmjow urged him back to his feet and over to the couch. He went into the kitchen to get his brother a glass of water.

"I screwed up Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said quietly.

"You fucked up real bad," Grimmjow added which earned him a fierce glare. "Look, since big bro screwed up it's up to lil bro to help you fix it."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Teach you the ways of romance. How do you think I got so many girlfriends?"

"You took them to bed and left them the next day."

"But I got them into my bed by using my godly charm." Ulquiorra shook his head in disbelief. "Look, just listen to me and you'll get your wife back. Besides, if you divorced, I might lose my sparring partner."

"You hit her?"

"She's not a porcelain doll. If it makes you feel better she punches like a horse kicks." It didn't make him feel any better but he knows well enough Ichigo shouldn't be messed with. "All you have to do is woo her, show her how much you care. Make her Valentine's Day one she won't ever forget but first start with small things."

Grimmjow somehow got his step brother to tell him all the little things he would do while he was courting Ichigo. Some of those things were cliché but others were so sweet he thought he would get sick.

Isshin was surprised to see his eldest daughter sleeping on the living room with a bag and a baseball bat on the floor next to her. What was more surprising was that fact that her expensive car was smashed, the windshield was smashed in, the metal dented and the tires slashed and he somehow knew it was she who did it. He looked at his daughter and frowned. She was a grown woman yet all he could see was a baby girl, his baby girl, angry and hurt. He could tell by the way she was breathing. Instead of calm and slow it was faster than it should be and more frequent.

He picked her up without much effort and carried her up to her room which he didn't have the courage to change. When he put her on the bed she opened her eyes and simply stared at him.

"What's wrong?" Looking into her blank eyes made him want to cry. His hyperactive personality was unable to surface, not when his daughter was in such distress. "Who hurt you?"

"Ulquiorra he…it hurts right here." She pointed to her heart. "Can I stay here for a little while?"

"Stay as long as you need." He wanted to say she could stay forever. He gets lonely with Karin and Yuzu in college and staying on campus while Ichigo stayed with her husband. Urahara and Yoruichi visit him occasionally but it didn't fill the hole that was left by only seeing his children during the holidays. "How much sleep have you missed?"

"Only three hours a night."

"Just go to sleep. Daddy's here." Ichigo closed her eyes again. Isshin stayed by her bedside until he was sure she was asleep. He kissed her on the cheek and closed the door behind him so he didn't disturb her.

She took a week off and stayed inside spending time with her father and helping out in the clinic. When Ichigo went out to her car to get to work she saw the damage she had forgotten she had brought upon it. Instead she took the train to work, hoping she wasn't late. The nearest station was about two blocks from the large building so she walked the rest of the way. Not used to the traffic of people she bumped into a lot of people but she was eventually forced to the ground. A passerby who just happened to be her cousin helped her up.

"Uryuu, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Work," he said and they both rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you drive that obnoxious Italian car of yours?"

"I wrecked it and not in a crash."

"I'm not going to ask." To anyone else it would have sounded like he didn't care about her problems but she knew he was only avoiding a bad conversation. "You should get to work."

"Yeah, see you Uryuu."

Ichigo went about business as usual, either reading or actually working. When she saw Grimmjow he didn't confront her about what went down the previous day but he was obviously happy, a smirk plastered on his face the entire time they talked. They both went to a small café near the building to eat lunch while someone took over Grimmjow's post. He ate pastries and drank coffee while Ichigo settled for a turkey sandwich and a few cups of tea.

"You look better."

"A full night's sleep can do that for you." She took a sip of her tea. "What are you up to?"

"What makes you think I'm doing something?"

"How about the fact that I have a higher IQ and I can read people better than a literature major can read a book?"

"You won't get anything out of me."

"Maybe but I have my eye on you."

"So does the many women in this café." She glanced around and saw, as he had said, women staring at him, faces red with dreamy looks in their eyes. "Let's go back." Ichigo smirked when the women glared at her. To make them even madder she hooked her arm into his. One of them even dropped a plate. "You're still married woman."

"I'm pissed but I'm not a floozy. Besides, you're not exactly the most appealing person."

"Look who's talking? You look like a tranny, but don't worry about it. You're still a handsome woman." That earned him a particularly painful punch to the arm. "Kidding, I was kidding."

"I do not look like a tranny. I just inherited my dad's shoulders."

"You have a fucking six pack!"

"It's not even that defined!"

"I can feel that shit through a winter coat!"

"Why the fuck are we yelling?!"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?!" The attention they drew made them quiet down. Grimmjow checked his watch and cursed. "Hurry up woman!"

"Don't call me 'woman' you asshole!"

"Fuck you! Get back to work!" He had the audacity to not only push her into her office but he went as far as to lock her inside.

"Grimmjow, you asshole! If you don't let me out I'll make you scream like the bitch you are!"

"Such strong language Ichigo. What would Aizen think if he heard them coming out of her mouth."

"I don't really care. Right now I want to beat you with a stick." She hated how Grimmjow could make her say every swear word under the sun. Her father would probably frown at her for using such colorful language before crying over the poster of her mother. Ichigo sat down at her desk and sighed. At least all of her yelling and cursing in the span of only an hour helped release some of her pent up anger. It was better than destroying her car though.

Her phone started ringing.

Ichigo nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard it and stared at the thing on her desk. She wondered who would call her.

"Hello?" she answered unsurely.

"Good afternoon Ichigo." She put a hand over her mouth to stop the gasp of surprise. Was this why Grimmjow was smirking all day?

"Ulquiorra." She didn't really know what to say.

"Is it that much of a surprise?"

"I nearly had a heart attack. Why are you calling?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing as well as apologize for my foolishness. When you walked out of our apartment I thought I had died on the inside. I had never realized I had caused you so much pain."

"Ulquiorra…"

"I'm not going to ask you to come back since you must still be upset with me but I want to make it right."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Look up." She lowered the phone from her ear and looked up to see her husband standing there with a rose in one hand and his phone in the other. He was wearing a black suit and a green tie that matched his eyes. It was awkward but he had a small smile on his face. She noticed a box tucked under his arm. He handed her the rose and the box. Inside were small heart-shaped onigiri, one of her favorite snacks. "Ulquiorra I…what's this for?"

"If I remember correctly you told me, and I quote, 'Shape the fuck up by then or I'm filing for divorce,' and I don't like the idea of losing you for any reason, especially not to my own folly." He slid a hand into his pocket and extended the other towards her. "It would be an honor if you would accompany me tonight."

Ichigo, also not wanting to lose what they had, grabbed his hand. He led her out of her office were Grimmjow and surprisingly Aizen were standing. Her cheeks turned red.

"Have fun Ichigo," Aizen said with an amused smirk before leaving.

"I hate my in-laws."

"I hate them too."

"Even after all the sappy shit I went through?" Grimmjow whined in good nature.

"Yes."

"Too bad you two are stuck with me. I plan to bug you for the rest of your lives but I'll leave you alone today." He winked at them before walking off as well. Ulquiorra next handed her a large bag.

"I also got this for you."

She unzipped the bag and this time didn't hold back the gasp of shock. Inside the bag was a dress. It wasn't, by any means, elegant but it was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It looked just like her car. It was a black long sleeved dress that hugged her form. The end was lopsided with the edges frayed. It was black but the inside and the edges were lined with red.

"Are you going to put it on?" Ichigo went back into her office, forsaking her work clothes for the dress. She came back out, not noticing she didn't have on any shoes. Ulquiorra handed her a pair of flat black sandals that zipped up in the back. He slid them on her feet and grabbed his extended hand. He urged her to spin before wrapping his arm around her waist. Ichigo, however, slid out of his grasp but grabbed his hand again.

"Take it easy. I'm still mad though not as mad as before." Ulquiorra nodded in understanding. He walked with her down to his acid green Dodge Venom and held the door open for her before getting in himself and starting the engine. He told her to keep her eyes closed, and she did, while he drove silently. He told her to open them again when he helped her out of the car and they stood in front of a high class restaurant. She had never been there before but her father had taken her mother there once while they were dating and once before she was conceived. He would tell her about how romantic those evenings were and how he wishes he could do it one more time. "You talked to my dad."

"He said we may enjoy it like Masaki and he did."

They ate and when they finished they danced. Neither were great dancers and both preferred more fast-paced music but they enjoyed the closeness they hadn't had in years. Their hands were intertwined, Ichigo's other hand and head on his chest and Ulquiorra's other hand on her waist. They simply swayed with the slow beat of the classical song being played. "This is more than I could ask."

"You mean so much to me but I was never good at expressing myself." She brought the hand at his chest to his cheek, brushing a strand of hair away with her thumb and smiling.

"You're doing a great job. I'm just so happy. I'm getting my husband back."

They stayed for dessert before leaving and he once again asked her to close her eyes while he drove. As they approached their destination Ichigo could hear screams of joy and music. When he told her to open her eyes she reveled in the sight of the small amusement park on the other side of Karakura. "This is where we went on our first date." She turned to him and smiled. "You remembered.

"I also remember someone liking stuffed animals and funnel cake."

They didn't go on any of the rides but they played a lot of games and won a lot of little prizes for each other though they ended up giving most of them to kids running by, only keeping two or three for themselves. Next they ate funnel cake. Ichigo tore into the powdered sugar-coated deep fried dough with a pleased smile on her face. Ulquiorra, not big on sweets himself, went for a bowl of ramen instead.

"This really has been the best Valentine's Day."

"I'm glad." He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The chilly air was finally getting to her. "Let's go home."

"I love the sound of that."

On the drive home Ichigo situated herself so her head was on his shoulder without the seatbelt hindering her. Once she was out of the car he picked her up bridal style and carried her all the way to their apartment. He didn't put her down until they were both in bed. He didn't plan on going any further but he couldn't help it when she pulled him down with her onto the bed, her lips tightly locked with his.

"Ichigo I don't think..."

"Please? I want you so bad I can't take it."

"You're sure?" Ichigo nodded slowly without hesitation. She started by taking off his jacket, tie and shirt before running her hands over his chest, feeling his heart beat faster at her touch. Her hands moved down his abdomen to the hem of his pants. She slowly slid them down and off along with his socks and shoes, enjoying the small groan of pleasure when they rubbed up against his growing erection. When he relaxed she flipped them over so she was on top and rubbing him through his underwear.

"Ichigo, I want to see you," he said between labored breaths. Ichigo took off her dress, bra and panties in a tantalizingly slow manner, gently rocking her hips against his. They fell to the floor along with the mental barriers she had constructed. She slid down his underwear and took him into her hand and started stroking.

The tip started leaking pre-cum and she couldn't help but want to taste. She licked up from the base to the tip, swirling her tongue around the head provocatively before putting the entire thing in her mouth. Ulquiorra moaned her name.

Ichigo released her mouth from around him and pulled him up to the edge of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Something new." She pressed her breasts together. "Just enjoy it." She settled between his legs squeezed his cock between her breasts. She moved up and down, keeping her eyes on him, looking for his reaction. Ulquiorra had his hands clutching the sheets, head thrown back in ecstasy. Soon he started jerking his hips in rhythm with her. She gasped in surprise when he lifted her from between his legs so she was in his lap. He captured her lips in a passionate kiss, one hand fondling her breast while the other made its way to her wet core. "Ulquiorra," she moaned.

He brought his mouth to her neck and sucked while pushing another finger into her. "Ulquiorra, please, put it in."

He shifter her again so her core was directly above his cock. Slowly he guided her down onto him. Ichigo wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him to her chest as she screamed in pleasure. He kissed and licked between her breasts and jerked his hips gently. They rocked together once they found a rhythm, moaning together with every thrust and every time she clenched around him.

Ulquiorra lowered her so she was on her back and spread her legs wider so he could get closer to her and deeper inside. "Ichigo, I'm going to..."

Ichigo cut him off by kissing him. He sped up until they both came undone with him emptying himself inside her and her tightening around him in a painfully measurable way. He collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. "I'm...I finally have my husband back."

"I'm sorry he left." Ulquiorra placed soft kisses down her neck and left arm, loving how she arched into him. When he reached her fingers she felt him slide something onto her finger.

"My wedding ring." Ichigo, for so long, left it at home and would look at it before she finally went to sleep after waiting up for Ulquiorra.

"Never leave home without it, never again." Ichigo pushed them to their side and intertwined their fingers. "I love you Ichigo."

"I love you too Ulquiorra." They engaged in another dance between the sheets before finally falling asleep together.

Ulquiorra, for the first time in a long time, woke up next to his wife. He wanted to relish in her warmth but the doorbell interrupted him. The sound woke Ichigo up as well.

"Who is it?" she asked as she yawned.

"I got it." On the way out of the room he put on his underwear and a pair of shorts before answering the door. Grimmjow pushed past him into his bedroom where Ichigo was trying to go back to sleep.

"Someone got thoroughly fucked," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo groaned, sitting up. She didn't notice but Grimmjow did.

"You might want to take a shower. I don't wanna watch Ulquiorra's jizz leak out from your pussy." Ichigo threw everything she could get her hands on at him until he was at the door and shut it in his face.

Grimmjow came face-to-face with an unhappy Ulquiorra who punched him in the stomach.

"Don't look at my wife anymore," He ordered.

"How is that possible? I work with her!"

"Figure it out."

Ichigo came out of the bedroom and dished out her own punishment for Grimmjow. While he was holding his ribs she leaned down and gave him a brief hug. "Thank you Grimmjow."

"It's no big deal. He turned into an asshole when he stopped fucking you." She decided to ignore the comment. "Just make sure I have nieces and nephews before I turn twenty-five."

"You're still young."

"I don't want kids."

"So you want me to suffer just so you can keep you frivolous lifestyle." She crossed her arms

"Nel and Harribel aren't going to pop out any babies."

"I'm not going to 'pop out babies' you man-whore."

"Bitch." They bumped heads, growling as they tried to push each other back.

"You better leave Grimmjow. You won't be getting anything if you stay here any longer."

"Really?"

"I'll pop one out just for you. You can even be the godfather." She rolled her eyes when he pat her on the back before running off, his presence replaced by Ulquiorra's.

"I just condemned our first child to Grimmjow." She thought about what she had said earlier and shuttered. "What have I done?! I just made him the godfather!"