Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach.. Unfortunately. ;D

Enjoy. (:


It didn't come as much of a surprise when Aaroniero Arrururie died. In fact, no one really cared. He was an asshole anyway. But one would think that being an Espada, he could've at least dealt with a mere unranked shinigami. Or so, I thought.

I looked out through the window of my room and at the forever night sky of Hueco Mundo, several things on my mind. "Hey woman." My blood red eyes narrowed at the sound of the Cuarta Espada. "I happen to have a name, Ulquiorra. Besides, ever heard of knocking?" I asked, not bothering to turn.

"I'm going out. Look after Inoue Orihime's room on my behalf." He obviously ignored my earlier comment. I turned to glare at him. "Give me a reason as to why I should do that. I am not a part of your Fraccion; you have no authority over me. Besides, Aizen-sama placed her under your care and not mine."

The mask on his face did not betray any emotions. "By ranking you the 4.5th Espada, you are indirectly my partner as so Aizen-sama says. And thus, you shall assist me in my duties." I scoffed. "Whatever, Ulquiorra. I don't see the point in 'assisting' someone who doesn't even bother to speak my name."

Turning my back to the 4th Espada, I closed my eyes. I listened to the receding footsteps and sensed the fading reiatsu of his until they disappeared before I let out a loud sigh. Getting to my feet, I started my way to Inoue Orihime's room. This always happens. Ulquiorra asks - or rather, orders me to do something; I argue with him and refuse. He walks away and I end up doing it anyway.

I sighed again. This was stupid.. and infuriating. And to think it was all caused by a stupid, single emotion that shouldn't even exist in the book of my kind. Yes, I was in love with Ulquiorra Schiffer and not afraid to admit it. Hell, I'm a total sucker for him! But should Aizen-sama find out about this.. then that'd be a pain. Literally.

I poked my head through the room door of the orange-haired girl and as always saw her figure looking out the window. Not doing much, I just leaned against the wall by her door when all of a sudden, her head snapped up and her eyes widened in fear. "K-Kurosaki_kun..." she choked.

Then I felt it too; the fading reiatsu of one of the intruders and with it Ulquiorra's notably stronger one. Silently, I exited from her room, closed the door behind me and walked off. Finding him, I eyed him curiously. "What are you doing here?" Ulquiorra asked coldly.

"Curious," I replied. "About what?" he queried. I paused. "Wondered if you were injured," I continued in a monotonous voice. If he was in any way touched by those words, he sure as hell didn't show it. Evil bastard.

"Trash like him wouldn't be able to hurt me," he murmured before walking past me. "Ulquiorra." I grabbed his arm. His gaze went to where my hand held his before returning up to my face. "Promise me. If Kurosaki Ichigo lives, don't be an idiot and go off fighting him alone." I released my grip. Ulquiorra didn't answer. He just continued walking.

I watched as he slowly slinked away before turning around and walking off in the opposite direction. Hours later, I sat at my desk, drumming my fingers on the flimsy piece of wood. Aizen-sama and all the living Espada had left for Karakura Town, leaving Ulquiorra and I in charge of Las Noches.

My eyes lifted themselves slightly when my door was banged open and unnecessarily flung off its hinges. I looked at my intruder with mild interest. He was a tall guy with long red hair, tied up in a neat ponytail. Multiple tribal tattoos covered him.

I stood up and he took a step back, noting the obvious tattoo on my left cheek. "You're an Espada?" he asked. "What's it to you? Besides, it's ovbious isn't it? I guess one with that kind of hair lacks intelligence..." I muttered. An anime vein appeared on the shinigami's forehead. "Nothing's wrong with my hair! And I don't lack intelligence!" he lunged for me as he pulled out his zanpakutou.

"Hoero, Zabimaru!" he shouted, his sword transforming. I jumped out of the way to avoid the many blade segments. "Geez, no need to destroy the room." I grumbled, eyes on the damage he had made. "In stead of worrying about the room, shouldn't you be worrying about yourself?" he asked, swinging his sword towards me. I smirked, vanishing and appearing behind him.

His sword made contact with air while I built a Cero with my fingertips. "What the-?" Red-head turned before flash-stepping away to avoid my Cero. "Hey..That wasn't half as bad for someone who lacks intelligence and has weird hair." I commented as my Cero brushed past him by a few milimeters. "Damn it! I'm not stupid. And I don't have weird hair! Besides, you haven't seen nothing yet.." he lifted his sword and his reiatsu started building up.

I watched with wary eyes. "Bankai, Hihiou Zabimaru." In exchange for his sword, a massive skeletal snake appeared with its head, a size of a car. "What's your name, shinigami?" I asked. "Abarai Renji, fuku-taichou, 6th Division of the Gotei 13," he said, appearing behind the immense smoke, wearing some fur-coat thing.

Between you and me, let's just say it looks really weird. Even weirder than the fact that he's got pineapple hair... AND fake eyebrows. *snickers* "Chantelle Masqueradus, yoro-" I sonido-ed to my left, avoiding the head of his Bankai that crashed down next to me. "-shiku," I finished. Renji lifted his sword and sent it after me. For the next few minutes, we played tag.

"Hora, hora! Running away won't get you anywhere!" he shouted. "Good point," I whispered in his ear as I brought my hand forward. His eyes widened slightly as I stabbed into his forearm and pulled my hand out just as quickly. He turned around and was about to swing the snake towards me when I jumped out of reach, gathering reishi under my feet and standing on air.

"Damn you," the Red-head scowled, clutching his arm. I shrugged before pursing my lips. "Hey, I have a question. Why are you guys so determined on saving the girl? She's not even a shinigami although her powers are undoubtedly unique." Renji scoffed. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained to you."

I paused. "We aren't as dense about relationships as you think. In the first place, Vasto Lordes aren't as heartless as other Menos and Hollows. And after being turned into Arrancars we get our sense of logic back. We are after all, part human now," I said, my voice dropping several notes as my brow furrowed.

Pineapple-head too, paused. "She's a friend. We'd do anything for a friend." I nodded. "Even if it means throwing your life away to save her huh?" I asked. "Of course," he replied. I smirked. "Well, that's too bad.. 'Cause you're gonna have to die." I drifted back to the ground. "That's what you think. Hikotsu Taihou!" A large burst of spiritual energy built itself from the snake's mouth just as I lifted my hand, ready to perform a Cero.

A brilliant red energy formed at my fingertips and clashed with his attack causing a massive explosion that took out my room and a few others as well. I coughed a little blood out as I stood up from under a large piece of broken and smashed concrete. "You know what? That kinda hurt." I murmured, fingering the cut that laid itself on my cheek, the opposite side of where my tattoo was.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna make you hurt way more than that did." I could barely see the shinigami's silhouette through all the dust and rubble. And thanks to that I didn't manage to entirely dodge the damned head of the snake that came for me and took part of my arm in its jaw, pulling the rest of my body with it and bashing me into a wall.

Before it could fully sink its fangs into my arm, I unsheathed my zanpakutou. Twirling the gleaming katana in my hand expertly, I stabbed it into the snake's head and instinctively it released its hold on me and recoiled.

I stood unsteadily on my feet, wincing slightly as the pain registered. Ignoring the pulsing feeling coming from my arm, I placed my zanpakutou back into it's sheathe that hung at my waist, tied to the black sash of my kimono. "Now we're even." Renji stepped out from the dust, a determined look on his tattoo-fied features.

The corners of my mouth lifted slightly as I ran forward in an insane speed. "Not any more." My hand came to his neck but the attack was blocked by the hilt of his sword, creating a loud cracking sound. I pulled back and turned around; landing a swift kick in his face that sent him flying through walls bringing along with him the skeleton snake.

He landed in a tangled heap and I slowly made my way towards him, brushing my white kimono as I went. "Hado no 31, Shakkaho." I narrowed my eyes and stepped out of the path of the burst of red energy. Abarai Renji stood up on his feet and came for me, raising his zanpakutou that had reverted back to its Shikai form.

He swung it down on me and instinctively, I brought my sword up to block his. The mettalic silver of my zanpakutou caught the moonlight, illuminating the intricate carvings on its blade. Holding his sword locked mid-swing with mine, I balled my free fingers into a fist and directed it towards his face. Renji dislodged his sword and jumped back a few steps, avoiding my punch.

Segments of his sword flew at me and wrapped themselves tightly around my blade, rendering it useless from causing any damage. Twisting my sword in a different direction, I tugged it toward me, bringing him along as I powered a Cero-like Bala. The blast of energy hit him square in the chest, sending him into another wall.

He seemed to be unconscious. I raised my sword slightly. My zanpakutou was brought to a halt mere milimeters away from the shinigami's neck. My blood ran cold and a loud curse slipped from my lips. I lowered the blade in my hands. "Luck is on your side, Abarai Renji. I hope we won't meet again." I sheathed my zanpakutou before taking off at full Sonido speed.

The Cuarta Espada's reiatsu was fading, damn fast at that. I cursed once again as I reached the nearly collapsed dome of Las Noches. My eyes scanned the place frantically and when they landed on his motionless form, an unexplainable fear overwhelmed me.

Taking slow, unsure steps, I walk in his direction. My right hand clutched tightly at my left in attempt to stop it from trembling. I fell down to my knees next to Ulquiorra's immobile figure and hesitantly reached out for him. I touched his cold, pale arm.

"U-Ulquiorra?" I mumbed softly. It felt as though something was stuck in my throat. My attempts to swallow did not work. I called his name louder only to be replied with a loud, oppressive silence. "Damn it! Get your ass up, Ulquiorra!" the remains of his coat were grasped tightly in my hands.

Wet fluid started running down my cheeks, dripping onto his chest. "You absolute idiot! I told you... I told you not to go after that damned shinigami alone!" I said through sobs as I leaned my forehead against his chest. "Please... I don't care if the first word you throw at me is to go do Grimmjow's laundry or whatever.. just please... get the hell up.." I hit him with my fist half-heartedly. My sobs seemed to echo around me.

"You make too much noise, woman." A hand nestled itself in my black, shoulder-length hair. I raised my tear-stained face in shock and my eyes came into contact with familiar cyan coloured ones. "Ulquiorra..." I breathed, more tears spilling over.

Ulquiorra lifted his hand and slowly wiped away my tears. His hand remained on my cheek, covering the fresh cut there. "I do not understand. Is this what Inoue Orihime calls 'love'?" he asked quietly. "All I know is that, no matter what I do, thoughts of you infiltrate my mind and I have this constant need to always be by your side.

"Baka..." I whispered, leaning over and brushing my lips to his lightly. We pulled away minutes later. A small smile painted Ulquiorra's lips. One was on mine too. "I don't care what you say, Ulquiorra Schiffer. I love you and that's about all I really know."