Disclaimer: Hrm, dun own… BLEACH by Tite Kubo, blah blah blah. Or Shadow Of Love by Olivia, yadda yadda yadda…

Me: Lookie lookie, another story by Aya! Smiles. Hrm, probably shouldn't be making another story what with Absolving Darkness still in the works BU~T I just couldn't pass up the idea of making and Orihime and Ulquiorra pairing after looking up SOOO many pictures. Review and let me know what you think, yeah? Also this is a FanFic based off of a song that I fell in love with listening to just once called Shadow Of Love by OLIVIA 'inspi REIRA (TRAPNEST), her real name is Olivia Lufkin. I have adored her for such a long time and this SONG is too amazing! HEARTS~!

NOTE: READ THIS! Okay, I know what happens and what doesn't happen but I am going to change this to suit how I want the story. Yes, Orihime has seen both of Ulquiorra's release forms. The fight with "Ichigo" will not end the way it was said to have ended, just read and you'll know what I mean.

Shadow Of Love

Chapter 1: Catching My Breath

Orihime stood before the open window with a look of worry on her face. Exhaustion, anguish, fear and pure frustration were more of the many emotions flying across her face like a bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo. Her eyes were red and puffy, sure signs that she had shed tears for a long period of time. This time however, her tears were not for her once strawberry hair colored crush. Her salty waters that poured with the purest of emotions were due to the person, rather "creature" lain upon her bed in her apartment.

Orihime chanced a glance in the direction of the unmoving figure that was spread flat out upon its back on her neat bed. There were no blankets covering the obviously male figure and she felt another tear stray down the still visible path along her cheekbone to her jaw line where it trickled to her carpet with the slightest 'patter' noise. A strong breeze rolled in through the still open window and Orihime closed her eyes as her hair flapped and waved around in the harsh billows. When she opened her dark grey eyes they appeared darker, almost black, with the emotions running rampant within her and the tears that continue to build. Without having to touch her hair it fell back into place once the wind died down.

For the first time in hours Orihime took a tentative step towards her bed. When she took the first step the second one followed, then the third and the fourth. Within a total of seven steps she was standing before the bed and looming over the creature with too many thoughts to process properly. Her turmoil was on the brink of driving her insane. What really would drive her over the edge above all was the state of the 'thing' before her. She knelt down onto her knees and carefully folded her skirt from home underneath her as she was touching the carpet. With her head just a few inches above the creature she reached one hand forward cautiously.

Upon touching the figure she nearly flinched at how cold it was before she recalled it was always so. With a sigh she drew her hand back and placed a hand on either side of her head, just barely touching her hair pins. With a worn and tired voice she called upon her faithful followers to help restore more of the broken body before her. "Souten Kisshun, I reject!" Quickly two small petals of her flower pins flash before two small figures are floating away from Orihime's head. Shun'o and Ayame formed an oval-shaped barrier over the pale male on Orihime's bed. The two didn't bother in questioning their master as they could feel her anguish as she held her hands over the figure being healed from the purity still in Orihime's heart.

"He won't die… Right?" Orihime questioned her two followers who turned to the distraught female before looking back to their task. They shared a quick glance but never removed their out held hands, much like Orihime's. When Ayame couldn't find the heart to speak Shun'o took it upon himself to do so.

"It's hard to say at this current time Orihime-sama. His condition," He paused here for a moment as he did and overview, "it does not look good." He finally submitted to telling the truth without having to be too forward. Orihime felt her heart clench, she knew, she did. That didn't mean she wasn't going to try. She could remember with foggy blotches how this male ended up in her home on her bed.

FLASHBACK

Ichigo had gone into his second stage of Hollow and Orihime wasn't scared at what she saw so much as she was fearful for the safety of the ones she cared for. When Ichigo's Hollow decided to attack at random Orihime feared for everyone even more. The angst that had lain dormant in her heart came to light as Ichigo turned to Ishida with his zanpakto. Orihime had just barely enough time to call out her friend's name before everything started to flash before her eyes.

"ISHIDA-KUN!" Then, frame by frame she watched as an injured Ishida couldn't defend himself. Then, Ulquiorra was taking stab for stab as Ichigo's Hollow went berserk with battle lust. Orihime called out once again, this time it was to someone she had never thought to stop and call a friend. "ULQUIORRA-SAN!" Tears were running currents that seemed relentless. Before more damage could be done Orihime called out to Ichigo and was surprised momentarily when he stopped and his mask was broken.

With an opening now available Orihime pressed forward to the fallen Arrancar. When he looked up with his vibrant yet emotionless green eyes Orihime nearly hesitated. She continued to press forward when she heard him speak. She stopped dead in her tracks as he spoke to her while her hand was still outstretched towards his fallen form.

"You're not afraid of me?" Orihime would have scolded the part Hollow creature but she was too far in her despair. She merely shook her head as tears flew left and right from the movement. Orihime moved towards the male and quickly called upon her healing abilities.

"Souten Kisshun, I reject!" The tiny fairy-like creatures were already working on fixing the major wounds before they turned to their mistress.

"Orihime-sama," Ayame started, "we have healed him enough to be moved. We see your other friend is injured. Should we heal him with the rest of our energy that we can spare?" Orihime blinked a few tears away before she turned her head to look in Ishida's direction. With a quick nod she turned back to Shun'o and Ayame.

"Yes, thank you." Orihime hesitated as she stared at the fallen Arrancar still in his second release form before standing and running towards Ishida, but not before she chanced one more glance at Ulquiorra. After Orihime did what she could for Ishida she stood and turned towards Ichigo. Orihime has her hands clasped together before her chest. She had a request but still thought it was too much to ask of her friend and classmate. "Kurosaki-kun…" She started and looked to the back of his head before turning her gaze to her boot covered feet.

"Yeah…?" His response was quiet but there none-the-less. Orihime tightened her hands and pulled them closer to her chest. Her resolve came back with a simple glance at Ulquiorra and she turned a bold gaze to the back on Ichigo's head.

"Please, Kurosaki-kun, can we bring him with us? I can't leave him here. He'll die if we leave him. H-He's been kind to me…" Orihime's voice started to die as she continued, finally she got one more sentence out that was no more than a whisper in volume, "I can't let him die." Ichigo peaked over his should at the shorter female. His eyes for a moment drifted to the unconscious Arrancar. With a huff he turned his stare to the empty sky.

For a moment Orihime thought he was going to leave the fallen part Hollow. Orihime felt her heart clench until she saw Ichigo's shinigami garbs flapping in her direction as he walked towards the pale immobilized figure. Orihime watched as Ichigo lifted the winged figure over his shoulder and she had a momentary thought of commenting on how rudely Ichigo was handling him but it died before it could roll onto her tongue. Ichigo was helping one of their biggest enemies and here she was about to complain on the manner the assistance was given. She had no right, especially since she was the reason the Arrancar was getting help at all.

When a riff opened to allow them to go back to the world of the living Orihime stayed close behind Ichigo and Ulquiorra, they ended up in Urahara's shop. Ichigo turned to Orihime and question and she shook her head as she made to exit the shop. The silent question between them was whether to leave Ulquiorra at the hatted ex-shinigami's. The answer was all Orihime could manage with her heart, mind and soul in turmoil.

The walk to Orihime's single room apartment was silent and nearly felt dragged out. Orihime's thoughts were occupied with trying to assort her feelings towards the recent developments but were cut short when she was standing before her door. She turned the knob and thought little of how it was left unlocked the entire time she was 'away'. Orihime stepped in and stood to the side to allow Ichigo entrance with Ulquiorra. Some time along the way Ulquiorra changed back to his original form on Ichigo's back. This worried Orihime greatly but she knew that she couldn't do anything to help the injured male until they reached her place.

Ichigo placed Ulquiorra on Orihime's bed only due to her indication. He wasn't gentle when putting him down, he'd have left the man on the floor, heck back in Hueco Mundo if not for the female beside him. When Ulquiorra was on Orihime's mattress he turned to his friend that he went through so much trouble to rescue.

"Are you sure about this?" Orihime just nodded her head as she stared at Ulquiorra. "You want me to stay?" She shook her head and Ichigo was making his way out of the window he just opened. "Be careful, Aizen is still at large." Orihime nodded as she never deterred her gaze. When the window was empty and Ichigo was leaping across the night sky of Karakura town she made her way to the open window. That was how she was found when her emotions finally released and her tears had free reign.

END FLASHBACK

Orihime stared harder at the figure on her bed, somewhere in her mind she hoped it would heal him more. When Shun'o and Ayame returned to her, completely drained, she sighed softly as she reached a hand out. She lightly touched her fingers to the pale flesh of his face. She ran her fingers down his markings that looked like black tear lines. When she trailed her fingers back up the line to the eyes she stopped and pulled away with a startled gasp. Her other hand was brought to her mouth as she was greeted with the one thing she never thought she'd ever see again.

A hand was wrapped loosely around her wrist that was caressing Ulquiorra's face and she was also staring into the most alluring green of eyes that seemingly shone in the darkness of night. Orihime managed a single whispered word, though the one word was said with so much emotion it could strangle the most uncaring creature.

"Ulquiorra-san…"