Disclaimer: I only own the plot.
I decided to make another Ulquihime fiction. This will be a two-shot or three-shot story.
A bit OOC but still worth your time.
Please take a look too at my other fiction, My Love, My Sacrifice.
"Ulqui-chan, listen to this! The legend said if two people were connected by a single red thread, they destined to be together. Waaiiii so romantic!"
A girl no more than 6 years old continued to shake her bestfriend's body, not noticing that she had disturbed the boy from his nap. The boy in question grunted and furrowed his eyebrows, clearly annoyed by his bestfriend's antics.
"Hime, stop it! I am trying to take a nap here!" he demanded grumpily.
"Mou, Ulqui-chan is no fun," the girl pouted cutely.
"Well, if I am no fun at all, why are you still insist playing with me all the time?"
"Because Ulqui-chan is so cute! Waaaiiii!"
The girl, whose name was Orihime Inoue, pinched the ebony haired boy's cheeks then hugged him tightly. Ulquiorra just sighed. Sometimes little Orihime was too childish for his liking, but he couldn't deny that he thought she was kind of cute. He was just a year older than the girl, but he really thought as if he had been older by few years than the girl because of her too childish antics – or was it because he was way too mature for his age?
"Now, what do you want to tell me about?" he asked.
The girl released her hold from the boy and start chatting in delight.
"The legend! It was written in this book that if two people were connected by a single red thread, they destined to be together. Isn't it so romantic Ulqui-chan? Don't you think the legend is true? I wonder who is connected with me," the girl blushed.
'Red thread, huh? Now, where have I heard that before?'
"Well Hime, it's a legend so it's most likely not true," he saw his bestfriend frowned, "but it was mentioned that the red thread is invisible, we cannot see it, so there is a possibility that the legend is true."
His bestfriend's eyes sparkling instantly. Good. The last thing he wanted was to see the girl's sad face.
"Really, Ulqui-chan?"
He nodded hesitantly.
"That means I can be with Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime jumped up and down happily.
Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows.
"Wait a minute, who's this Kurosaki you're talking about?"
Orihime pouted. How could her bestfriend forget her dear Kurosaki-kun?
"Don't be mean Ulqui-chan, call him Kurosaki-kun! He is the son of our new neighbor, remember? Kurosaki-san – that is Kurosaki-kun's father – works as a doctor in his own clinic."
Oh, that boy. He remembered him. The Kurosaki family moved into their new house – which is on the same block with his and Orihime's houses – two weeks ago. Dr. Kurosaki had three children, a son and two daughters. The boy – he assumed this one was who Orihime dubbed as Kurosaki-kun – was the eldest of the three. Who was his name? Ichigo Kurosaki, wasn't it? He thought he saw Orihime's eyes sparkled when she saw him for the first time, but maybe it was just his imagination, though. In his opinion, the Kurosaki boy was not impressive at all, weak and seemed unintelligent.
Inside, Ulquiorra was fuming. How could this happen? Orihime was supposed to be his. He was her bestfriend! Where was the boy when Orihime cried like a baby when she wounded her knee because of some mean boy decided it was fun to push her? Or when he lost Tsubame-chan, which was her favorite Teddy? Or when she was stung by a bee? He was with her every single time! Did she forget that?
"What's good anyway about that Kurosaki boy?" he mumbled.
Orihime widen her eyes as if she had just heard the most ridiculous statement in the world.
"How could you say that?! Kurosaki-kun is perfect. He is cute, good looking, smart, prince-like….." Orihime couldn't stop mentioning good – she thought – qualities of her dream boy.
Ulquiorra couldn't help but thought that his bestfriend was in delusional. Cute, good looking, smart, prince-like? His mind flew to the boy who wore permanent scowl on his face. He rolled his eyes. Seriously, sometimes he felt he got abnormal girl as his bestfriend. Maybe Orihime liked him because their hair colors were the same. Should he dye his hair?
'Ridiculous,' he thought.
He was proud of his ebony hair. Besides, orange-haired would make him looked like a clown.
"You won't be with that Kurosaki boy," he stated calmly.
"Eh? Why not?" Orihime asked surprised.
"Because your red thread is connected to mine."
With that, Ulquiorra took a long strand of red ribbon from his pocket – he found it in his drawer this morning and decided he would show it to Orihime later – and grabbed her right hand fast, tied the red ribbon to her right pinky, and tied the other end to his own pinky.
"With this, we're connected," he smirked.
Orihime cried loudly.
"Ulqui-chan is a big meanie!" she sobbed.
How could he? She was supposed to be Kurosaki-kun's soulmate, not Ulquiorra's. Being his bride would be weird. She didn't want to end up with her bestfriend.
"Wait Hime, I was just kidding. See? This is red ribbon, not red thread like in the legend, so this means nothing," Ulquiorra tried to explain to her.
Orihime's sobs ceased. She looked at her pinky, untied the ribbon and threw it to him.
"It's not even funny!" she yelled angrily.
After that, she ran to her home. Alone.
Orihime didn't talk to Ulquiorra the next day.
"What's for breakfast?" a young woman with orange hair chirped as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Your favorite," the pale young man replied shortly.
Orihime Inoue, now seventeen years old, greeted him by kissing the man's pale cheek.
"Good morning, Ulqui-kun."
Ulquiorra Schiffer just grunted as he ate his breakfast. Orihime joined him later on the table.
"Do you have work today?" the emerald eyed man asked her.
"No. The bakery is closed today for renovation," she answered.
They continued eating in silence. After finishing their breakfast, they walked together to school. Yes, Ulquiorra and Orihime lived together in a small apartment. When Orihime was ten, both of their parents had died in a car accident. That night their parents had went to a reunion together and then on their way home the car was hit by a truck. No one survived. Ulquiorra, who didn't have any relatives left, was taken care by Sora Inoue, Orihime's older brother.
Sora was twelve years older from Orihime and had a stable job. He had decided to sell both of their houses – didn't want them to be trapped in sad memories – and moved the three of them to a simple apartment. They had lived happily together until three years ago, Sora got stabbed by a robber when he was trying to save an old woman from being robbed. Sora didn't make it. He had died even before his body reached hospital.
Since that day, Ulquiorra and Orihime had lived together. They were lucky because they got no problem with the money so they could continue their education and live well supplied, but they still got part-time jobs because they didn't want to depend on the money left by Sora and their parents. Orihime worked in a bakery while Ulquiorra worked in a workshop. Their relationship became closer than ever, but never crossed bestfriend or sibling-like boundaries.
"Ulqui-kun!"
The emerald eyed man who was enjoying his lunch peacefully almost choked on his own food because suddenly a well-curved-womanly body threw itself at him and hugged him from the back. He didn't even need to see who the culprit was because he already knew it.
"Get off of me, woman," he snapped.
Orihime just pouted and release her hold of him. Students who saw their interaction were whispering to each other. Well, not every woman could touch the emotionless-but-still-popular-because-girls-thought-he-was-handsome-and-mysterious young man, especially a kouhai. But, Orihime was an exception after all. Sometimes people misunderstood their relationship as lovers, but really they were not.
"Why are you here? This is senior's area," the man halfheartedly glared at her.
She looked at the seniors around them – who were openly staring at both of them – and flushed. Ulquiorra sighed before pulling her hand and led her to more secluded area.
'There went my peaceful lunch time,' he rolled his eyes mentally.
"Now, tell me what you need," he commanded.
"Well, can't I see you at school, Ulquiorra-senpai?" she asked playfully.
Ulquiorra just raised his eyebrow in response.
"Okay. I just want to tell you that today I will come home late," she informed him.
"And why is that? You said you don't have work today. Do you intend doing girl stuffs with your friends today? If that so, call me later when you're done so I can pick you up."
"No," Orihime responded quietly.
"So?"
"I…umm…I have a date with Kurosaki-kun today," she answered as trying her hardest to hide her blush.
Ulquiorra just stared at her. He knew she was making a move on Kurosaki after the man had a rough broke up with his previous girlfriend, Rukia Kuchiki, almost a month ago, but he believed this would be their very first date, and it reminded him that after this date, her relationship with that Kurosaki boy would change significantly.
Orihime was not asking for permission, no, she was just informing him, so he couldn't forbid her from going to the date. Besides, he had no reason at all. What reason did he have? That he didn't like Kurosaki boy? Well, he had made it clear already in their childhood years. That Kurosaki was a playboy and she would not be safe with him? Even Ulquiorra had to agree that Kurosaki was a responsible man. So what?
'Nothing except I don't like to see her with another man,' he thought.
But he couldn't be selfish. Sora entrusted Orihime to him years ago for him to be her guardian, not a boyfriend.
"Alright. I expected him to walk you home. Oh, don't forget that you have your curfew," he answered.
Orihime's eyes sparkled. She threw her body at him. Well at least this time not from behind.
"Thank you Ulqui-kun!"
Ulquiorra just grunted in response.
"By the way, why don't you just text me if this is the only reason for you to see me?" he asked feeling confused.
"Well, I need a reason to see you at school," Orihime perkily answered.
Ulquiorra sighed.
"Oops, I have to go back to my class. Kurotsuchi-sensei won't forgive me if I'm being tardy. See you at home later, Ulqui-kun."
He eyed her as she made her way to her class in hurry.
Home, the place where your heart was. In his case, his heart was definitely with her.
To be continued
I won't neglect My Love, My Sacrifice, but still I need to write this after being inspired by a manga.
Please leave me reviews.
