Title: Ulquiorra's Heart
Anime: Bleach
Rating: M (for graphic sex)
Pairing: Ulquiorra/OC
Summary: Can Ulquiorra learn to love? Aizen thinks he can, and puts it to the test.
Disclaimer: Bleach and all its characters, metaphysics, and philosophy belongs to Kubo Tite. Everything else is mine.
I always enjoy a challenge. Lets see how human I can make Ulquiorra. May turn into a mini series if you love it enough.
She had come without warning, announcement, or invitation.
She had slipped past every defence without taking a single life.
She had won over Aizen Sousuke and Ichimaru Gin and had begun making herself at home almost before the door had closed behind her.
She was Seline Hanatsuki and Ulquiorra Scheffer found her irresistibly intriguing.
She wasn't a human. Weak witless animals that consider themselves to be victims of their own fate.
She wasn't a shinigami. Shinigami have thoughts like duty and protecting mankind.
She wasn't a Hollow. Hollows were mindless creatures that engorged themselves on death.
She wasn't a Bound. The Bound were cursed and carried thoughts of revenge.
She wasn't a vaizard. They too had thoughts of revenge and a tight little clique, which she wasn't a member of.
She wasn't an arancarr. That was all too certain.
He didn't know what she was. He couldn't understand her. Couldn't describe her in any concrete words. Anything he didn't understand he had to study till he did. But this was becoming close to an obsession.
Not that most people could tell. Cold, calculating Ulquiorra never showed much emotion beyond mild annoyance or interest. But it was true that he had become more distracted lately. And followed Seline around almost constantly. If a fellow arancarr noticed his stalking he replied simply that he didn't have to justify his actions to them.
One time Gin had been loitering in the hallway and watched passively as, at first Seline, then Ulquiorra walked past him. He had moved ahead to another spot so that they would walk past him again and Seline had made a humorous comment about Gin following her. He had brushed it away with equal humor and she went on her way but now Gin was focused on Ulquiorra.
"Yare yare, what brings ya t' this particular hallway?" The silver haired ex-captain drawled with that annoying grin on his face.
"Ichimaru Gin, if you already know what I am doing, why do you bother to ask?" The fourth espada replied coolly, hands in his pockets.
"I wanna hear ya say it." Was his response. "But what is so very fascinatin' 'bout our guest that has ya followin' her like a pet?"
"She interests me."
The gears turned in Gin's mind and he worked out the fact that he hadn't responded to the insult, nor was he denying what he was doing. Which meant he wasn't doing it on orders and he cared more about the project than about Gin's meaningless jabs. His smile widened. "Oh, I see. Yer in love with her."
Unfazed, the arancarr closed his eyes calmly. "Nonsense. Love is merely a collection of chemical responses and emotions that cause a person to behave irrationally. It is impossible for me to love."
"If ya say so." The former shinigami waved as he tuned around to leave. "ja na, lover boy." And there was a flick of a pinkie just before he turned the corner.
Ulquiorra reminded himself that Gin was just as irrational as most, and sometimes more so. His words meant nothing and were to him as the prattling of an idiot. She was just interesting to watch is all.
Seline didn't seem to have any set schedule. She did as she liked, when she liked. She didn't even go to sleep, wake up, or eat at the same times. She trained with the warriors, she researched with the scientists, she also created artworks of various kinds. He knew about art, but had never seen the appeal in telling truth through lies. Even Aizen-sama has been unable to teach him poetry, because he always said what was there, nothing more. What could be the use in studying so many different things? It was more efficient to specialize.
But if she had, she would be boring, Ulquiorra realized. He didn't even seem to notice that he didn't want her to be boring. He wanted her to keep him intrigued and confused.
And he was even starting to notice the little changes in her mood that led her to do certain things that noone else noticed. He considered this a breakthrough.
So did Sousuke. He didn't need Gin to bring it to his attention. After all, nothing happened within the walls of Las Noches without him knowing about it. But he did appreciate Gin's looking into the matter and his take on the fourth's motivations. He approached Ulquiorra a week later.
"You've been following Miss Hanatsuki around for a month now." The King of Las Noches said without prelude. "Have you discovered anything interesting?"
"Only that she is annoyingly complex and difficult to deal with. Other than that, nothing that would interest you." Ulquiorra had a small, barely perceptible bow when he said that, indicating that he meant no offence.
Aizen seemed to widen that small smile in amusement. "No, please. Tell me what she does that is so annoying."
"She studies a wide variety of needless, unrelated topics. Like art and war and science. She got past our defences and hasn't even explained how. And she seems to hold most of the rest of your kingdom in thrall under some spell I haven't been able to detect yet."
Was that a tremor I heard in his voice? Aizen thought to himself. "Ulquiorra, would you say that I hold this place in thrall by a spell?"
"No Aizen-sama" Was the instant response. "But we are loyal to you. She holds no loyalty. And if they have become loyal to her instead then they must be disposed of like the garbage they are."
"Hm, you say this and yet no suggestion to get rid of the source of the supposed problem."
Ulquiorra blinked, a little surprised at himself for not thinking of it. "Does Aizen-sama wish Miss Hanatsuki to be disposed of?"
"No, that won't be necessary. I do not fear an uprising. Though she may hold them in thrall, they are still loyal to me. And besides, according to Ichimaru, you're in love with her."
The pale arancarr became more ridgid, if that was possible. "Aizen-sama. You know he says worthless things. You know it is impossible for me to love. It could never happen. She is a curiosity is all."
"In that case, I have a mission for you." The green-eyed Ulquiorra looked up at him with his full attention. "You will go to Seline and you will ask her directly, to teach you or show you why she does what she does."
"Sir?"
"Those are my orders, Ulquiorra. You are dismissed." And Ulqiuorra bowed and they parted ways.
He was trapped. He felt trapped. There was fear. Why was there fear? Ulquiorra searched his own mind for the reasons why he'd feel so threatened by this mission. He found no answers and so attempted to banish the sensation of fear as he walked down the stark white corridors to her quarters.
His internal notebook of her habits and moods led him to believe that this is where she would be. Perhaps reading. He knocked politely. "Come in." rang the response from inside. Well, one of his assumptions had proven true.
He pressed the button on the side of the door and it slid aside. He stepped in and stood there, letting the door close behind him. The young woman was indeed on her couch, reading a book, with soft music playing. He started to feel better, knowing that he had guessed correctly what she would be doing. It was a miniature victory of logic over his increasingly hard to understand emotions.
Seline looked up as the arancarr entered and smiled before placing a bookmark and setting it down. She stood and approached. Ulquiorra just stood there. "So. You've finally decided to come face me rather than follow me around."
He wasn't surprised that she knew. Everyone knew. "Yes. If you noticed me following you, why didn't you do anything?" He recalled the banter she had shared with Gin and a few others that had tried to follow her around as well, yet she had never approached him about it.
"I knew you would come to me in your own time. All the others did."
Ulquiorra quickly recounted all recorded first contact encounters. And, other then her initial invasion into Las Noches, she had never approached anyone until they approached her first.
He looked her over. He noticed her long dark wavy hair, her blue-grey eyes, her trim toned body with all its curves. He noticed that they were the same height and that her voice always had an undercurrent of laughter. What strange things to notice. He thought to himself. He nodded once. "I'm here to ask you something." Though he honestly wondered what an upfront question would prove. Most creatures never returned the favor with an upfront answer.
"Yes? What are you here to ask me?" Her eyes sparkled and she swayed slightly, sending the skirts of the white arancarr outfit she adopted swirling around her legs.
"Why do you do what you do? You never focus. You're always doing one thing or another, seldom related to what you were doing previously. You're odd and confusing and the others fawn over you like you were their queen. Who are you?"
She giggled. "Such an up front question. I'm Seline Hanatsuki. But you knew that. And they're not fawning over me because of some misplaced loyalty or a spell, we're just friends is all."
"Friends..."
"mmhm. And the reason I do so much and can be their friend is because of love."
"Love?"
"Yes,"
"Love is a worthless emotion. They are all weak for falling to such base feelings."
"No they're not, Ulquiorra. I do what I do because I love learning and knowing, I love doing things and I love making friends and having friends. And I love you too."
Ulquiorra closed his eyes, this was the last thing he needed to hear. "You're a fool. I can't believe I spent so much time trying to figure you out and this is the answer you give."
"I know you love me too."
"Stop saying worthless things. I can't love."
"If the other arancarr can, then so can you, Ulquiorra." She was very close. Closer than comfort now. But The fourth espada had such control that he still didn't move or show expression no matter how uncomfortable he was. "Aizen sent you here on a mission didn't he? That's the only reason you came."
"Yes."
"What is your mission?"
"To learn about why you do what you do. For you to either teach me or show me..."
"Then let me show you." She interrupted. Ulquiorra was about to think to himself about how rude that was to cut someone else off, when she cut off the thought with a tender kiss to his pale lips.
He froze. He didn't move now except to watch her. He was dumbfounded. He had no idea what she was trying to do and what she hoped to accomplish.
Seline brushed fingers though his dark hair and kissed a few more places on his face before she began to unzip his coat. She kissed down his exposed neck to his shoulders where she began to suck and nibble softly, making small bruises.
Ulquiorra closed his eyes and began to analyze these sensations. Compute the information his body was sending him. This was intended to be pleasurable. Humans and animals sometimes communicated emotion through touch. And despite Ulquiorra's iron control, his body was reacting.
She slipped off his coat and ran her hands over his body. While his skin was the color and appearance of cool marble, it was warm to the touch and even felt more like smooth leather than polished rock. His lack of response didn't dissuade her. She was determined. He was under orders so he wouldn't run away either.
Seline kissed around the perimeter of his hollow, the three inch hole he had, located between his throat and his heart, and her hands slid down to undo his hakama. Ulquiorra didn't have shame, or modesty. He had a vague sense of style and an understanding of decorum that allowed him to wear what he wore. But he wasn't at all embarrassed when his pants dropped, leaving him naked in front of her.
She cupped his cheek with a hand and kissed him again, leading him to flutter eyes open a little uncertainly. Once she knew she had his full attention again, she began to remove her dress. It was a simple design with a zipper down the side. She unzipped it and slipped it off easily. She had full, pert breasts and smooth skin, though that wasn't something Ulquiorra usually noticed.
The young woman took his hand and tugged gently, indicating for him to follow. He jerked a little at first, hesitant to move, but then he followed her slowly to her bed. She indicated for him to lay down, which he also did hesitantly, but at this point he was more curious than annoyed or confused. She quickly climbed on top of him, straddling his hips, and kissed him again, deeper, lingering. He still refused to kiss back, but the rest of him responded without his consent.
Urging him on, Seline dropped a hand between his legs and fondeld gently, but the sudden surge of neural information made him reach out and grab her wrist in a steely grip. "Relax," She said, only slightly startled by his quick movement. "I'm not hurting you."
He let go and lay back down. It would have been easier if she had been hurting him. Pain he understood. Pain he could deal with. Every warrior, every arancarr, every Hollow was intimately associated with pain. But Ulquiorra was far out of his element now. He didn't know how to deal with this sensation. It was causing dangerous changes in blood-flow in his body and he felt fear again.
"Just relax." She repeated and fondeld his scrotum and carressed his length, making Ulquiorra twitch slightly and his blood pump faster. He closed his eyes and tried to maintain that state of cool awareness, but it was hard to remain cool when your body temperature was rising.
When he was finally fully hard, after much careful stroking, she rose up a little, adjusted their position, then slid herself over his hardness, making his head tilt back and a soft moan escaped his throat. She purred to herself, enjoying his texture and size. He wasn't too large like Gin or Grimmjaw, and he wasn't diminutive like Apollo or Luppi. He was a normal, average size, which fit her perfectly. She began to ride him carefully, watching him experience these things with a sort of grim amusement. It was akin to torture, doing this to him.
Up and down, a steady rhythm. Ulquiorra, desperetly clinging to what little control he had, and Seline, enjoying herself far too much. The pleasure was intoxicating him and their breaths got harder as she sped up. He didn't like feeling inebriated, but he couldn't deny that what she was doing did feel good.
Once he stopped resisting, the pleasure became that much more intense and she sped up again. Up and down, up and down. The rhythm pounded into him and suddenly he felt his body tense up then release a flood of warmth through his whole body. He breathed heavily as from great exertion and felt just as drained, even though Seline had done all the moving. He felt the woman move over him. Felt her press against him and stroke his cheek then kiss him again.
Something had happened. Something that all the analysis of the biological and psychological data could not explain. He was upset by that, but somehow strangely content. He had enjoyed himself. He had experienced something that his logic didn't understand. He was contradicting himself but he figured that, somehow, it didn't matter. This was the way Seline lived. He had his answer, and he wanted to know more.
They climbed out of bed together and wordlessly dressed themselves. Ulquiorra still wore that impassive mask of emotionlessness, but when Seline stroked his hair, his eyes closed and his breath became softer. She smiled and let him go and he returned to Aizen to announce the completion of his mission.
"You've learned what you needed to learn, Ulquiorra Scheffer?"
"I have, Aizen-sama."
"And why does she do what she does?"
"Love, Aizen-sama. She loves what she does and she loves all those around her. And I would like to learn more, if I may."
"You have my permission to learn all you want to learn, Ulquiorra." After the fourth had bowed and left, Sousuke could be heard chuckling to himself.
The next day, there was a change in Ulquiorra. He went back to his normal duties and didn't stalk anyone anymore. the more dense among the arancarr assumed that this meant he has gotten over whatever curiosity he had and was finally back to normal. The smarter ones knew better.
He became more polite, less demeaning. He expressed real opinions rather than stating facts. In very rare moments, one could even see indications of emotion in his eyes and gestures.
But mostly, people noticed, that every few days Ulquiorra would enter Seline's quarters and wouldn't come out again for some time.
And Aizen just laughed with Gin chuckling right beside him.
A/N: Gin's pinkie flip refers to the japanese myth that lovers who are destined to be are born tied to eachother by a red string on their pinkie. It has become more colloquial since and simply means that one is attached whether they admit it or not.
'Yare yare' means 'my my'
'Ja na' is short for 'dewa mata' and means 'until later'