AN: I was at first an IchigoxRukia fan but somehow, I also wanted to try some crack pairings and since I like Ulquiorra, I always wanted to create a story for both of them. I guess I don't mind any guys paired to her just as long as Rukia is the lead lady. Anyway, this would be my second UlquiorraxRukia pairing, second to Heaven Sent and while I am trying to work on that one, I'm also working on this one. I am not the type who focused only on one story at a time which explains why I don't update as soon as possible. So sorry about that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Wish I do and Ulquiorra would be alive.

Summary: Rukia was married to Ulquiorra but she is living with another man.

The deafening silence greeted him with deadly cold as he entered the house but the man seemed used to it. Emptiness and loneliness had been his companion for quite some time now. Setting the suitcase down on the glass table, he sat on the couch heavily and heaved a deep sigh.

Everyone among their circle of friends have been wondering how his marriage with Rukia fell down with a great thud. Everyone was saying they used to be a happy couple, sharing laughs and tears together. But for some reason, the spark which they both had for each other just suddenly faded away. No one knew the root of it. In fact, not even him could know the root of all this.

Ever since she started living with that man, Ulquiorra did nothing to go after her. It was what she wanted so who was he to stop her, he justified. Instead, he had drowned himself into expanding his already multi-billion company. He traveled here and there. He bedded some girls here and there. Fidelity had been lost from his list of virtues already.

But if he were to be honest to himself, he would admit why he loved traveling a lot. He never wanted to come home here – to set foot on this house which he had built for her. Their memories together are too strong here. Yet ironic how their memories here as well consoled him in his moments of loneliness. It was as if he could still feel her presence around – enveloping his already hollowed soul.

But then again, illusions always come to an end and the hateful knowledge and painful reality would crush down on you and you end up feeling hollowed than ever.

Ulquiorra shook his head lightly. His head throbbed from migraine and stress and add the fact that he just came from a conference abroad. He needed a drink and a long sleep. So standing up, he headed up towards the mini-bar when he heard a sound from upstairs. Not really curious, he only shrugged.

He sat on the stool for quite some time and toyed with his wine. Not one who is used to feeling this kind of emotion, Ulquiorra does not know how to deal with his loneliness except for some drinks and heavy work. The two had been his best companions for quite sometime now and he took comfort from there. Even if it's just temporary.

Drinking the wine straightly, he tilted his head upon someone's presence.

She was there. She was standing there like the beauty that she was. Her two hands were holding a big luggage. She was standing at the base of the staircase and was looking at his direction with something he could not define. "I came to take my things," she finally spoke casually and motioned for what was in her hand.

Ulquiorra set the glass down and whirled to face her fully. Nothing seemed to have changed about her. She's still small yet sexy, her hair still designed the way he remembered it. "I see," he muttered.

Feeling the awkward silence, Rukia started to move again when he spoke once more. "Are you happy with him?" he asked softly.

Surprised, Rukia stopped to look at him, warmth spread across her face for a fleeting moment before masked with her coolness that everyone admired from her. "Y-Yes," she stammered and wanted to hate herself for that.

He merely nodded and whirled, his back on her now as he poured himself a wine. "I better go," she spoke hastily, knowing that he would not say anything more. "I…" she swallowed hard. She does not know the right words to say to him.

"You don't have to say anything," he spoke. "If you want to annul this marriage, you have my cooperation."

She blinked. He always had the uncanny ability to at least know what she's thinking. The words which she found so difficult to say were too easy for him to speak.

"I'll send my lawyer to you then," she finally found her voice once more. "So…I'm sorry it had to end this way."

His answer was his silence. Getting no more answer from him, she headed towards the door when he spoke once more. "Do you want me to drive you to him?"

She wondered how he could easily handle this. Of course she was not expecting him to actually stop her or beg her to stay. Ulquiorra had never been like that. But somehow, at the deepest corner of her heart, she had somehow hoped to get resistance from him yet he was still the one who suggested the annulment part.

"Kaien would be coming to fetch me," she indirectly declined the offer.

He nodded once more. "You better talk to your brother though. You never set foot on the Kuchiki estate ever since…" he trailed off and Rukia could take it from there. After her affair with Kaien was revealed, her brother had been acting cold towards her and in fact, even the Shiba clan had been acting cold towards their eldest heir.

It was shameful they say. Their actions were too shameful that they were the first nobles in their respective clans to actually break tradition with infidelity. Kaien was already engaged while Rukia was already married.

"Perhaps when I have the courage to talk to him," she said softly. While her family had acted indifferently towards her after finding out what she did, Ulquiorra was different. He never showed any reaction apart from slight surprise. And he even acts civil towards her – something which she gives him credit for. Forcing a smile, Rukia faced Ulquiorra for a full minute before she looked away with an unfathomable look. "I'm really sorry it has to end this way. I hope you find another one more suitable than me. Orihime perhaps," she suggested while tasting bile in her mouth. "She had always loved you, you know." Turning her back she stopped again as her hand reached the knob. "And someday…I hope you can forgive me for what I did…for the pain I caused and for the humiliation you had to suffer around everyone."

She finally opened the door when she heard Kaien calling outside. It would only be a matter of time before everything between her and Ulquiorra would finally end. The moment she would step foot on this house, she knew that there would be no turning back.

"Take care of yourself," she said regretfully and finally left the big house as she walked towards the waiting man. She felt heavy inside for reasons unknown but when she saw his smiling face as he waited for her, her worries abated and she smiled as well.

"Ready to go?" he asked after giving her a chaste kiss.

She nodded and looked back at the house one more time. "Yes."

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Ulquiorra threw the glass on the wall the moment he heard the car speed away. For the first time since he learned about her affair, anger rushed through him and yet surprisingly, he does not feel angry towards her. He's angrier to himself. He's really a damn fool for not even asking her to stay.

He knew that once she would step out of the house, things between them would end and whatever memories they have together would only be good as gone.

He bunched his fist and hit the counter just as his mobile rang. "What is it?" he asked grudgingly

"Hey, I heard you're back," one of his best friends, Nnoitra, spoke from the end of the line. Ulquiorra surmised he is in the bar or something since he could hear the noise around.

"Ah," he answered lazily. "What's it you want? I'm tired and I want to sleep."

Nnoitra chuckled from the end of the line but the one who spoke next was not him. "Why don't you join the fun for a while, Ulquiorra?" Grimmjaw suggested. Now while Nnoitra was one of his best friends, Grimmjaw is his foster brother. They were both adopted by the same man but decided to carry their own surnames in memory of their parents who died. It so happened that both their parents died from a plane crash. They were just ten then.

"Fun had never been in my list of priorities," he countered with a raise of a brow as if Grimmjaw could see him there. "I've got so much stuff to go over with Grimmjaw so leave me alone."

There was a momentary silence that passed and Ulquiorra was about to turn the mobile off when he spoke again. "That's why she left you."

Surprised, he was not able to say anything more while Grimmjaw waited from the end of the line. It's not like he supported Rukia's decision but somehow, he knew how it started and he felt sorry how the marriage of the two broke suddenly.

"Ulquiorra?" he asked, making sure his brother is still on the end of the line.

"What do you mean?" he asked dangerously now. Grimmjaw glanced at his friends and sighed.

"I'm pretty sure you guys would sort this out. Just talk to her and see – "

"She wanted an annulment," Ulquiorra stated firmly, his statement cutting Grimmjaw's. The latter could not hide his surprise. He had somehow hoped that Rukia would still go back to her husband but it seems the gap that suddenly separated the two had gone so wide already.

"I'll come over," he said in haste.

"Don't bother. I'm fine here. I want to finish something I started some time back," it was obvious that he does not want to talk to anyone especially when it concerns his relationship with Rukia.

"But – "

"Do not bother me," he spoke with emphasis and the line went off. Grimmjaw stared at Nnoitra's mobile with a concerned look – one which is rarely seen from him who is more used to scowling.

"So, what'd he say?" Nnoitra asked as he leaned on the chair, his one arm wrapping around a lady's shoulder.

"Nothing," Grimmjaw shook his head. He glanced at his other foster brother. The three of them grew together with Toshirou as the youngest to come by. Despite their differences, the three loved and cared for each other. Even though they looked indifferent towards each other sometimes, they still hold each other at high regards.

"So, is it bad?" Toshirou asked, noting the meaningful glance from him.

"Somehow," he nodded.

Grimmjaw poured his glass with wine and was about to drink it when his eyes spotted someone. Well, the guy is so conspicuous around the crowded bar. He was definitely the only one with orange hair and his friend with red. He remembered who he was. He gave Toshirou a nudge and the latter gave a look as well.

"Wasn't that Ichigo?" Toshirou asked.

"With Abarai."

"Do they always have to hang out together? If not for the fact that the two are married already, I would have guessed one is gay," Nnoitra said in a way of joke which the two did not take. It seems Kurosaki took notice of the shouting blue and silver hair around the corner so he motioned for Renji and both actually approached the three.

"It's a small world, don't you think?" Ichigo started. He's not really friends with these guys but somehow one factor brought them together. He used to be Rukia's boyfriend in early high school until middle college before he broke up with her and ended up with Tatsuki. It was only a few years later when he heard that she was already going steady and is happy with someone named Ulquiorra Schiffer, the man who returned from abroad and who happened to be Rukia's best friend and childhood friend,

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Toshirou acknowledged casually. "Join us."

"Heck Toshirou – " Grimmjaw pursed his lip and did not continue his complain.

"I see you guys are having fun without Ulqiuorra around," Ichigo noticed. He had just returned home as of last night and decided to go back abroad after his sister's wedding to someone he is yet to meet. Karin just demanded his presence but never told him until last night that she is to wed someone.

"The guy is tired," Nnoitra drawled.

Ichigo nodded. "How are they?" he asked casually.

"Who?"

"Rukia and Ulquiorra."

Grimmjaw raised his brow. "Are you trying to mock us?" he asked. He always had a certain dislike towards this guy for reasons unknown.

Ichigo stared at Grimmjaw with a confused look before turning to Toshirou who was just sitting primly there, oblivious of the lady beside him. "What does he mean?"

"Haven't you heard? Rukia is no longer living with her husband but was staying with someone named Kaien Shiba. I'm pretty sure you heard about the name of the clan since you've been involved with Rukia before."

Ichigo gave a mere nod before turning his attention back to Grimmjaw. "Sorry. I had no idea about that…"

"Why are you here by the way?" Nnoitra asked. "Aren't you supposed to be living abroad already?"

Ichigo scowled at him before leaning on his chair as well while Renji helped himself with some wine. "It's not your business to know," he shot at him. "But to answer that, I came for my sister's wedding."

"Oh? You've got a sister?" Grimmjaw asked with slight surprise.

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. Apparently, she's getting married next week and I had no idea who the guy is. Would you believe the girl just demanded my presence without telling me why?" he chuckled.

"You don't seem to like the idea of your sister getting married," Toshirou pointed out.

Ichigo shrugged. "Not really. It's just that I don't even have any idea about who the guy is…"

"There's Chad already," Renji called Ichigo's attention as he pointed towards their friend who stood beside the four-eyed Ishida. Ichigo stood up.

"Well, nice chatting with you. Our friends are here already," he said as he jerked his thumb towards the two waiting men.

The three merely raised their brow. Just when Ichigo was about to leave, he spoke once more. "I'm sorry about your brother and Rukia."

"It happens," Grimmjaw answered.

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Stark read the contents of the paper before quietly signing it, after which, he faced the quiet man in front of him. "Are you sure?" he asked for the third time while Ulquiorra was busy fixing the papers as well.

"Yep."

Stark regretfully glanced at the paper once more before turning to the man. "It's regretful that you have to withdraw from this partnership when we were all having a good profit here."

Ulquiorra shrugged. "It's settled. As of today," he said and studied the other faces in front of him apart from Starrk. His brothers, Starrk and Barragan. "The partnership is dissolved. I already sold my interest to Toshirou."

"When do you plan to leave then?" Barragan asked the younger man. He knew that even with selling his interest in this partnership, the guy had no problem with money since he is a sole owner of a multi-billion company, something which he actually put up with his own effort and paid off after almost ten years in operation.

Placing the remaining documents in his file case, Ulquiorra glanced at the one who asked. "I'll wait until Toshirou's wedding," he answered. His brothers have no idea of his plan just yet and he does not want to tell them about it anyway. They'll only make a fuss out of it.

"What does he mean, leave?" Grimmjaw demanded.

"Nothing that concerns you," he answered rudely and headed towards the door. "If you'll excuse me, I still have to talk to my lawyer about something."

Heading out of the head office, Ulquiorra decided to ride the lift in hope to meet up with Harribel earlier. She stood as his lawyer now. She had already expressed her deepest regrets for seeing his marriage end so suddenly.

His face darkened though when he spotted the person there. Small world, he thought while deciding whether to step in or not at all. The man looked surprised as well but managed to conceal it with a smile.

"Ulquiorra," he acknowledged coolly. "Won't you come in?" he suggested and the said guy had no choice but to step in. awkward silence ruled the elevator as both men merely stared ahead of them as if they could see the outside of the lift. Not being able to tolerate the silence, Kaien turned to him. "Did Rukia talk to you about – "

"Yes," he cut him off. "She did."

Kaien nodded before facing the man once again. He extended his right arm. "I promise I'll take care of her."

Ulquiorra stared at his hand for a full minute before meeting his eyes. "Are you trying to mock me here?" he asked dangerously.

Kaien sighed and raised his hands. "Sorry…I did not mean to. But you see, I was hoping we could be friends despite all of this."

The elevator reached the ground floor already and Ulquiorra stepped out first before facing him. "I don't fancy the idea of being friends with you," he said rudely. "Bui for the sake of my wife, I'm only being civil."

Kaien frowned before chuckling. "She's about to become my wife," he pointed out after noticing the emphasis Ulquiorra placed upon his claim.

Ulquiorra always prided himself for being calm and collected but somehow at that moment, he had wished he could lash out at this guy who shamelessly talks to him about Rukia becoming his wife when her marriage still remained legal.

Instead, he spun on his heels towards his waiting car. "Don't ever hurt her," he muttered and left Kaien scratching his head. "Or I'll come hunt your head." The guy felt stupid to let the girl go.

Ulquiorra entered his car and sighed as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "Where to?" asked Wonderweiss, his personal bodyguard.

Ulquiorra shut his eyes and leaned on the back seat. "Anywhere." Pain throbbed inside his chest as the car sped away. There is nothing for him here anymore. He had lost the one person he had wanted in his life. Knowing that…Ulquiorra could not help but reflect on the past.

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