Bath Time
I wrote this for blazblue-domo who sent me the link to the picture that inspired it.
Orihime and Ulquiorra were fighting again. Which in Las Noches had become a common occurrence. At first it surprised people when they heard they were fighting, but investigators soon found it boring. They fought silently. He would order her to do something and she'd refuse politely, but refuse none the less. It shocked people that the fourth most powerful of the Espada was being refused by the weak human brought there a month ago.
The first fight was over her eating, needless to say after his first threat he won easily. When she refused next time to put on her shoes at three in the morning for a walk he picked her up over his shoulder and carried her, it appeared he had won till he realizled she had fallen asleep over his shoulder and was dreaming of carrots by the time he had gotten her back to bed (he could tell because she was mumbling in her sleep about crunchy carrots). After that he waited till after she had woken up from sleep to make her walk around. The third fight was over training, he wanted to make her run around while he threw ceroes at her to make her faster. She won hands down when she went sobbing to Aizen with huge puppy dogs eyes filled with tears.
Now they were fighting over her taking a bath. The last time she had taken a bath she expected him to understand that she was a big girl and didn't need him to stay in her room and help her put on her clothes. When she came out and saw him holding her underwear out to her she screamed like a banshee and snatched them out of his hands before retreating to the bathroom and yelling through the door for him to get out. It was the only time in their fights that she had ever raised her voice or threatened him with violence. Grimmjow had been passing by and heard the commotion and came in to investigate but when she heard he had come in she started yelling at him too. It was the last time he ever went near her rooms when he heard them speaking.
Today he wanted her to take another bath after practice but make it cold so her muscles wouldn't cramp up, or so Szayel had told him. She flat out refused.
"I can't take a cold bath, it's not hot enough for that. Besides I warmed down after training, took the vitamins you gave me, and kept those shorts and tshirt on you gave me while you had my uniform washed. I just want to take a warm bath and get dressed," she said sitting on her couch pouting at her hands.
"Szayel says it's important for your health to do this," he said giving no room for protest. Her quiet sigh was the only indication of her annoyance as she continued to look at her hands.
"No," she said glancing up quickly to assess his expression but as usual it was impassive. He evaluated the situation; she was refusing to do something necessary for her health and arguing against them. It was possible Szayel was confused but he didn't want to look like an idiot listening to another idiot. Instead of giving her an alternative he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of feed and carried her to her bathroom. Her hitting his back was a mild irritation but he pulled back the curtain and started to swing her around to dump her in when she grabbed the front of his jacket and used her weight to throw him under her in the tub somehow. He sputtered as his body froze up in the water and immediately started making his teeth chatter. Szayel was so dead.
"Se-ee," she said sitting on his lap awkwardly in the water as her teeth chattered as well. He could actually hear her teeth clacking against each other as her jaw continued to move.
"I apologize," he bit out making sure he didn't stutter as she did when he talked.
"I've b-een taking care of myself for almost three years now, I don't need you to tell me what's good for me or not," she said more confidently as heat returned to her body as she absorbed his while she sat on him.
"May I get out now, I may have added too much ice," he said grudgingly.
"Not until you promise to ask me if I need something before trying to force it on me," she said stubbornly. She could feel her legs starting to cramp but she refused to move as she held him down in the tub.
"I will seek counsel before administering something perceived to be important for your health," he said itching to just throw her off but the likelihood of her hitting her head on something hard was high in the small bathroom.
"Alright," she said scrambling off of him as fast as she could and out of the tub. Shivering as he passed her she pulled the plug as quickly as she could and watched the water run out before turning to him.
"Now something we humans know that you hollows might not is that body heat is the quickest cure and prevention of hypothermia so come here," she said opening her arms and gesturing him to come into her embrace. Not needing a second gesture he wrapped his arms around her and sighed when her body heat warmed him up.
"This is just to make sure you don't get sick, understood woman?" he asked feeling a bit embarrassed that her embrace was making him warm for reasons more than her body heat.
She giggled before silencing herself and composing herself. "Understood Ulquiorra, this doesn't have to leave this room."
"Should it happen to escape I'll make sure the next person you share body heat with is Wonderweiss after he's consumed brownies," he threatened lightly.
"Understood," she said smiling because he couldn't see her expression. Once they were only dripping wet and able to stop shivering Orihime let go and stepped back.
"I should take a warm bath now, and so should you. Just leave my clothes out there and I'll get them when I'm done," she said awkwardly as he stood looking almost like a drenching wet puppy in the middle of her bathroom. He nodded once before turning and exiting her bathroom.
In half an hour when she walked out warm and completely clean to find her clothes waiting for her like she expected. She got dressed quickly in her warm uniform and sighed as she flopped down on her couch to stare up at the ceiling. She was almost asleep when her door cracked open and Ulquiorra slipped in. Before she knew what was happening he picked her up on her feet, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the living daylights out of her. Dazed and confused when he pulled away he looked at her confused expression with mild amusement.
"The only thing I didn't get to warm up earlier," he said simply before walking out again. Orihime stood there for a while after blinking at her door and completely stunned.
AN: Did that meet your satisfaction blazblue-domo? If anyone else read it as well, did you like it, if you did please hit the little button at the bottom and tell me so. Please no haters. Constructive criticism is taken however.
