A/N: Hello there! Welcome to my first – but not my last – UlquiHime fic! I just had to get this out of my system – if it stayed longer… Well, you don't worry about that, but here it is! I hope you enjoy it. It was inspired by an adorable artwork called "This Love" by Rusky-Boz. If you haven't seen it already, do have a look and give her some more love? :3

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anything copyrighted mentioned in this story.

This Love

She often recalled those dry, dull days before he came to live with her. Sometimes she would smile in embarrassment at them and sometimes she would cringe at them, but she might not forget the days before Ulquiorra Cifer had appeared on her doorstep…

Inoue Orihime was relieved to be on her way home after another long day at school. Being a senior was certainly something to live up to, especially after probably the biggest event of her life had taken place at the height of winter. She supposed it had taken its toll on the others as well; Ichigo had shed his stress of being a substitute Shinigami and was normal – she could not say 'again', because he had never been normal to begin with; Uryuu was a good student and was the one most likely to blend in, except Ichigo's responsibilities were now his; Sado was exactly the same – he always had been. But there was a quiet over the group that saddened Orihime. Sado was always quiet, but she could feel that nothing was the same anymore. That chapter of their lives was now closed, and Orihime could admit to herself that she longed for it.

As her pink flats padded over the rain-stained pavement, she recalled what she really longed for. If only she could… Oh, but what could she do? He was now gone forever. Never to come back.

It had been a miserable end to the Winter War – at least, for Orihime it had. She had not been able to fully experience the joy of victory over Aizen Sousuke; she was not able to feel it like she should have. All it did was solidify the fact that she should not have considered using her powers to rescue the Cuarta Espada – but she refused to accept it as fact. His gesture meant something more – she was sure of it – and anyone other than herself was unable to understand. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes to sleep at night, she would dream of his ghostly pale hand reaching for her. And other times, she would reach it, only to find that her eyes had sprung open and she was grasping the dry air of her lonely apartment.

But these dreams were nothing compared to the gaze that made her hurt with regret.

His eyes had finally settled out of the gleaming gold and dark green and into something she had not seen before. Yes, it was his normal eye colour, but… At first she had taken a moment to comprehend it – the characteristic green of his irises were there, tainted only by thin black pupils, and yet… The icy, hard stare he usually placed upon her was not there. There was something in his eyes she had never seen before. It was… such a tender look.

And this made her hurt even more, for if she had helped him, he might have been able to communicate the true message behind that expression – and spare her these conflicting feelings. But mostly, he could have at least had a chance. She should have rescued him, she thought, and because she did not she blamed herself for his demise. It gnawed at her mind to think that a simple decision could have given someone life, but she had taken too long to make it. And now it was too late.

Orihime hugged her brown paper grocery bag closer to her chest, biting her lip. She took a deep breath, distracting herself by trying to remember what assignment was due next week. "Biology? No, it was History, wasn't it?" she wondered aloud as she continued to her apartment block. Her grades had risen slightly higher, even while she was trying to settle back into the daily school life and keep herself from bringing up a Gigai or Kidou spell during a normal conversation with Kunieda Ryo. Hm, sometimes she got the feeling that that wealthy dark-haired girl did not like her very much…

It was things like these that could distract her from reality.

Walking further down the sidewalk, she almost dropped the grocery bag when someone called her name. She turned and saw Tatsuki jaywalking across the street to get to her, and following behind were Chizuru and Michiru – until a car tore past, hooting furiously at them, convincing them to remain on that side. Orihime smiled weakly as Tatsuki approached her.

"Orihime," she greeted with a nod. "Where are you off to? I was going with those two over there to get lunch – come with us." Tatsuki nodded over her shoulder and was about to tow Orihime away, but was stopped.

"No, no, that's fine, Tatsuki-chan." Orihime smiled nervously. "I was gonna have lunch at home. Don't worry about me! You should go – thanks for offering, but I'll just be in the way."

"Oh, uh… okay." Tatsuki scratched her head uncomfortably. "…Want us to walk you home?"

"Nope! I was gonna stop and do some grocery shopping anyway – you go ahead. I'll see you at school, okay?" Orihime closed her eyes in a pleasant smile.

Tatsuki eyed the brown grocery bag worriedly. "You all right, Orihime?"

Her eyes popped open – did she seem that off today? "Yeah… I'm just a little tired, is all."

"Are you sure?" asked Tatsuki uncertainly.

Guilt prickled inside her chest at the concerned expression on Tatsuki's face. Orihime swallowed. "Aha."

After a moment Tatsuki sighed, giving up. "See you tomorrow, then."

"Bye!" Orihime gave her a small wave before spinning around and hurrying in her original direction.

Technically she was going to have lunch at home; some simple rice cakes that were nestled inside the grocery bag she carried, therefore there was no need to burden anyone and freeload. These days she tried her best to make sure her friends were not dulled down by her. Orihime could feel that she was not the same person anymore – but that did not mean she wasn't perfectly fine, or at least going to be. She had not been home for the entire winter and was still easing back into her old, routine life. Nothing too serious.

Oh, but her food tastes were not the same anymore… She was not eating with the same kooky tastes as before – the rice cakes in the grocery bag were excruciatingly plain. It secretly bothered her that she no longer had an appetite for banana and peanut-butter pie. It was like the aftertaste she got from brushing her teeth and eating cereal with milk straight after; her stay in Hueco Mundo had been the brushing of the teeth, and her return to Karakura Town was the eating of cereal and milk… There was just that slight bitterness left in her mouth, and it was changing her ordinary taste of things. Eventually, that taste would wear off… right?

It was late at night. There was no light in the room save for the television tossing colourful, constantly changing images onto Orihime's sleeping figure upon the sofa. Her mouth was parted with a dot of drool smudging the corner, blanket ruffled from tossing and turning, hair surrounding her head as if she had been blasted by an airplane propeller.

That was when she felt it.

Her grey eyes shot open and she bolted upright, chest heaving. She allowed herself to calm down, letting her racing heartbeat ease. But there was still that feeling, that pressure. It was not the dull ache in her chest after thinking up all sorts of conclusions for it, but rather a smothering, invisible weight in the atmosphere. When she reached her hand up to rub her head, she found that her forehead was moist with sweat. Funny… she had not felt particularly sweaty or even felt her forehead dampen. Drawing her legs close to her chest, she craned her neck to peer out of the living room window – and nearly yelped when she thought she saw the sky roll and bend. Now she was definitely creeped out, especially when her gaze was practically dragged from the window and down to her left wrist, upon which a silver bracelet was clasped. Ah, no matter how much she tried to remove it, it would not budge. A frown on her face, head tilting to the side, she unconsciously drifted a finger of her other hand across its surface.

And she was met with a jolt. Without pondering the matter any further, she got up from the sofa and silently made her way to her room, mind purposefully elsewhere…

Well, there was only one more period of school left for the day, so there was no harm in Orihime having popped out a little early. She was standing on the wooden bridge in the park with her blazer sandwiched between her body and the railing she was leaning against. It had been two weeks since that peculiar night and nothing had come of it. But she knew what it meant, for she had felt it before and suspected that she might feel it again. There had been an arrival of sorts that night, but she cautioned herself when it came to thinking about who – or what – could have arrived.

Taking walks such as the one that had brought her here was soothing, helped her clear her head. So long as she was moving along, preoccupied, nothing could hurt her… maybe. But now she decided that gazing down at her reflection in the water like they did in Hollywood chick-flicks could get rather boring. And so Orihime peeled away from the wooden railing and began the journey home, her school shoes clopping along the oak of the bridge; then gravel; then concrete… And she had not paid attention to how long she was walking for, but she was now at her apartment building, footsteps stopping as she stood in the elevator, being carried from the bustling street to her floor.

Much to her dismay, the apartment seemed achingly quieter. She missed the days when she would dance around the bright place with her iPod attached to her ears, playing the music so loudly that it blocked out any sensible thought. It was a little bit strange to be able to think clearly and rather averagely. Her imagination was still akin to a dried-out well, her mind the endless dark depths. Every time the bucket reached in for some water, nothing could be found… She sighed.

However, she was going to make sure today would be different. The only way to get rid of the toothpaste taste was to try some new flavours, and whether that was metaphorically or physically, Orihime did not care. Her batch of red bean paste was done, sitting in a petite glass bowl on the kitchen counter. There was a knock on the door that caught her attention as she was leaving the kitchen to turn the television on, and she paused by the coffee table with the paste bowl in one hand. She gazed longingly at the rice cakes on the coffee table until the knock sounded again, and she stifled a groan as she went to answer the door.

"Coming!"

Orihime flung the door open, spent a quarter of a second glancing at the visitor, and simply turned on her heel to go and put the paste down. She didn't want to drop any on the visitor, for it would be unpleasant and a waste of ingredients and her time… But she stopped in mid-stride, completely frozen from head to toe; when she turned around to lay her eyes on the visitor, the bowl of red bean paste slipped from her fingers and fell to the carpeted floor with a thump, some of the contents lazily slopping over the rim.

At the front door stood Ulquiorra Cifer – former Espada, her former captor and supposedly diseased.

Orihime gasped. Was she seeing things? Was this an image conjured up by her mind? Was someone playing a horrid joke on her? Because it was not funny – not at all.

She heard a breath of air leave him in a soft sigh as she felt her expression relax out of the shock. Taking a wary, shaky step forward… she realized that it was him, and the silver bracelet down at her wrist seemed to give an assuring ring of affirmation. Oh, please may she not be imagining things! His mask was missing, tear streaks present, and he was dressed in human clothing. Either way, she would have noticed him anywhere. Those emerald eyes looked directly at her, though not with the same overwhelming coldness that they previously had. No, there was something in them that she could still sense, even after such a long time. And because of that knowledge, there was no hostility.

Her lips trembled into a relieved beam as he opened his mouth to speak and tears helplessly filled her eyes-

"Woman?"

Orihime was jerked from her reminiscing, eyes detaching from the red bean paste stain in the area between the front door and the living room. The door was open, letting in the chilly winter air. This framed her view of Ulquiorra, much like a photograph. His back was to her while he leaned against the railing, one foot crossed in front of the other, staring at the soft pieces of white drifting from the sky. The snow was very late this year – perhaps it would be heavier later on. Hm, that meant that she could wear her gumboots…

"Yeah?" she answered, pulling her jersey tighter around herself as she drew closer to stand by his side, stepping over the Christmas-themed welcome mat and resting her hands lightly on the bar of the railing.

His green eyes were zipping to various places in the air before them, curious. "What do you call this phenomenon?"

She smiled at his profile, not making it obvious that her heartbeat had picked up a tad. "It's snow," she replied, looking ahead.

"Snow…" he muttered to himself. "I believe I've heard of it."

"Haven't you seen snow before?"

"Not in reality, considering I don't exactly remember life before Hollowfication, and… Hueco Mundo is a desert."

She blushed and laughed. "Right. Sorry."

This was followed by a few moments of silence in which Orihime watched the delicate snowflakes, and Ulquiorra watched her. Her smooth, auburn hair lifted up and out of her face ever so slightly as a nimble breeze drifted by, letting him clearly see the wonder, the childish delight, in her grey eyes. She licked her smiling petal lips, cheeks flushed from the cold… He had come to know her as an eccentric person in the year since he had experienced his second chance – his rebirth. Inoue Orihime was clumsy, surprisingly talkative, good-natured and prone to blushing and expressing unbridled joy… Proven, that long time ago, when she had thrown herself at him with tears blooming in her eyes, nattering on to convince him to stay with her as compensation and asking countless questions while she was at it. It was interesting – how human she was, how real and earnest her existence was, how much he favoured her behaviour and personality. But she was also strong and perseverant, albeit without realizing it. He found this blend of characteristics harmonious and rather soothing, to the point of contentment whenever she was present.

She shivered and hugged her arms to her chest. "The snow is beautiful this year," she breathed.

"Quite," he agreed, not tearing his gaze from her.

"So this is your first snow, right, Ulquiorra?"

"Correct."

"Before we leave for Urahara-san's Christmas Eve party, how about we have a snowball fight?" He watched excitement get the better of her as she babbled on. "Or we can build a snowman! I used to love those when I was little – I think I even made a snow bunny once…"

Ulquiorra stared at her in absolute horror; she faced him questioningly. "The name of that activity implies that I have to throw snow at you, or at least fight you with that form of precipitation," he said slowly. "Now, woman, you may have no qualms with such primitive behaviour but I, on the other hand, find it inappropriate and aimless. I have nothing against you either, so what reason would there be to fight? And this snowman you speak of… How do you intend to bring it to life? Do we have to take another's life in order to-?"

Orihime interrupted him with an amused giggle. "Of course not! Everyone has snowball fights. It's not rude." She ignored his remark about the strange traditions of humans and went on. "I'll show you later – the snowman, too."

He sighed and surveyed the snowflakes again. "I certainly hope that you are right in your schemes."

"Sure am!"

Another giggle left her as she pictured Ulquiorra out in the snow, sticking a carrot-nose onto a wonky snowman. Unconsciously, she leaned her head to the side and onto his shoulder, a content smile on her face as she slipped her arm through his. She felt the heat crawl to her face, contrasting with the freezing air, when she realized what she had just done. But she had stopped shivering, feeling with a surprise that Ulquiorra was actually very warm despite his current lack of a thick coat or jacket. She wondered how he maintained his body heat – he couldn't be as embarrassed as she was. She let out a sigh, eyelids drooping; she felt so comfortable and warm and nice, and she liked the way her heart was beating.

But nothing could compare to its speed when he, almost reluctantly, lifted his arm away from hers and around her to rest below her shoulder blades.

Her emotion was so light and happy and… Oh, if only he knew. If only she could tell him with the confidence that Ichigo had told Rukia with. Somewhere inside, Orihime hoped Ulquiorra knew just how much. He knew a lot of things about her after all they had been through together. They had lived together for almost a year now, side-by-side, in a close proximity that could not prevent them from interacting and developing. She wished it could have been easier to simply come out and say it. She did not fear him, so why should she keep it from him after having discovered these feelings? In this moment, she wanted to tell him. Today, even. The thought started to nag at her mind – oh, how her tongue would betray her! The urge was overwhelming… She just had to let him know…

"I love you," she whispered into the material of his thin cardigan.

And just like that, it was over. The warmth at her side vanished as though she had fallen into a tub of ice cubes, and she whirled in time to see him emerge from the apartment, now clad in a jacket. Swiftly, he made his way to the end of the hallway and paused only at the corner to say: "I'll be back later," and continued on, leaving the shivering red-head alone and stunned.

An ache throbbed in her chest, rattling her frame. She clutched onto the railing, steadying herself, suddenly overwhelmed by dizziness. A single tear dripped from her eye – but she did not notice it; she was taking long to register what had just happened… And when she did, she felt more alone than she had in a long time. In a split-second, such a pleasant feeling had been frozen to an icy chunk… She was right in comparing Ulquiorra to snow, but perhaps he could not melt. But she hoped he would, for she still had faith. He had become more human – ah, but that didn't mean he returned her feelings, she realized with a stinging dismay. She choked back a sob, and suddenly Orihime did not want to look at the falling flakes.

There was something about the company of Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck that lifted Orihime's spirits, if only a little.

The surge of reiatsu had been so large that one night because all of the Espada and their Fracción had been reborn, now free from the effects of the Hougyouku, given a second chance. In order to avoid any possible problems, something of a peace treaty had been established, and life had gone on quite calmly. And the green-haired woman, having come to Karakura, was enjoying life as though she were a human; the Espada were all still Arrancar, of course, but the few that had wanted to reside in the World of the Living had each utilized a permanent Gigai to effectively survive. The most evil they were capable of was buying too many pastries.

"Now, Hime," she was saying, flaky bits falling from her mouth and into her lap, "I'm sure he doesn't hate you." She gulped down the last of her cream puff and licked each finger on her right hand. "Give him some time. Want a pastry?"

Orihime blinked and then smiled meekly. "No thanks."

"Are you sure? I've got plenty!" Nel all but thrust the box into Orihime's face.

Orihime timidly pushed the box away. "Thank you, but I'm not hungry, Nel-chan."

"Suit yourself…"

"Honestly, Nelliel," came the cool voice of Tia Harribel as she strode into the living room. "I told you to eat in the kitchen."

"Sorry, Tia." Nel grinned cheekily. "Want one?"

Tia's nostril twitched. "No thank you. Now please take it elsewhere." Nel rolled her eyes and stood, involuntarily letting the crumbs fall onto the carpeted floor, making in the direction of the kitchen. Tia huffed and massaged the bridge of her nose. She and Nel – as well as her three Fracción – were sharing the big apartment, splitting the rent, just as they had agreed upon first arriving; both Tia and Nel had previously held position of Tercera Espada, and therefore had a kinship. But it did not mean their personalities could not clash. "I really wish she were neater…" Tia kneeled down to individually pluck the crumbs from the carpet.

"Why don't you move out?"

Tia paused. "It would get lonely, listening to my former Fracción bicker all day. I prefer company like hers, now that I have it."

"That's really sweet, Tia-san."

Her eyebrows rose for a moment as she continued gathering the crumbs. "Mmm. Anyway, Orihime, I heard that you are troubled with Ulquiorra?"

"Oh, well, I wouldn't say troubled… uh…"

"What happened, exactly?"

"I… First, promise not to laugh, Tia-san."

Tia stared at her, expression plain. "I won't," she said after a long pause.

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"I told him…" Orihime took a deep breath. There was nothing to be ashamed of. "I told him that I love him."

Tia looked taken aback. "Oh my…"

Orihime's cheeks reddened. "I know, it's stupid-"

"It is not stupid as long as it is true," interrupted Tia. "And I doubt a young woman like yourself would lie."

The younger girl sat up straighter. "Yeah, I am telling the truth."

"Then you should listen to my advice." Tia's green eyes were fixed on hers, threatening to pierce her with their sharpness. "Ulquiorra has always been a… rather complicated being, and I have known him for longer than you can imagine. I would suggest being subtle, maybe wary, before trying anything. I agree with Nelliel – he will adjust with time, but if forced…"

"He shouldn't be forced, should he?" Orihime spoke quietly. What if she had been forcing him? Was she too pushy? Oh, if only she could hear what he had to say without things being awkward…

"But don't let that put you off." Nel had returned to the living room, and was standing by the coffee table with her arms folded over her chest. "I've been seeing changes in him since coming here. Changes for the better, and I think it's because of you, Hime." Nel smiled and drew closer to place a hand on Orihime's shoulder. "If you are that special to him, and if he is that special to you, I don't see how it can't work! Let him cool off, don't force anything… But don't lose hope, Hime, okay?"

Yes, there was something refreshing about Nel's presence. "Okay."

It was nine o'clock that night when Orihime heard the door open and click shut, the sound of a person walking about the living room familiar. So he finally came back… It was perfect timing, since she was still getting ready for the party. Her outfit consisted of a thick wisteria winter dress that had frilly white under layers; a belt to loop around her waist; a thin scarf and matching red gloves; and thick white stockings with cute gumboots that matched her dress. She was dressed perfectly for the weather and the Christmas mood the party would have, and couldn't help twirling in front of the mirror to see how her frills would lift and spin.

After applying a light layer of makeup and stepping out of the bathroom, Orihime felt whether her hairpins were in place as she went towards the bedroom. Before she could go inside, Ulquiorra stepped out of his own room – 'the spare room', before he had occupied it – dressed in normal charcoal slacks and shoes, the wrists of his maroon gloves just visible above the lips of his pockets, and wearing a white coat that matched the skin tone he used to have while still an Espada. "Are you ready to leave?" he asked.

"Almost. Say, aren't you gonna be cold?" Orihime eyed his neck, only his turtleneck sweater coating it; he wasn't wearing a scarf.

"My body is more resilient than a human's," he answered, making for the front door. "We'll leave now, then."

"Right." Orihime dashed into her bedroom and snatched up two gift bags – one large and bulging while the other was small – before following his path to the door.

And after the front door was shut and locked behind them, the two were on their way to the Urahara Shop.

Orihime walked behind Ulquiorra, eyes wandering around and taking in the snow-topped buildings, the dancing flakes, the distinct sound of laughter coming from various apartments and houses as their shoes crunched along the pavement. Her eyes would momentarily flicker to his rigid back, and she would hold back a sigh upon sensing more strongly how distant the atmosphere was. This routine carried on all the way to Urahara Kisuke's shop.

Orihime moved to stand beside Ulquiorra as he knocked, and was answered almost immediately as if Kisuke had been watching for their arrival. The eccentric shopkeeper grinned widely. "Ah, Inoue-san, Ulquiorra-san, welcome!"

"Hello, Urahara-san," Orihime greeted. "Sorry we're late-"

"No, no, you're right on time." He stepped out of the way, taking the parcels from Orihime, and let them into the shop; it was warm and toasty, pleasantly drier than outside. "May I take your coat, Ulquiorra-san? You wouldn't let me take it when you stopped by earlier-"

"No, thank you," said Ulquiorra shortly.

Orihime let Kisuke's comment slide and tittered lightly, trying to usher Ulquiorra along. "In the basement, right?" Ulquiorra had always had a strange regard for Kisuke, almost as if he were suspicious of him, and the blonde man took joy out of teasing him.

"Yep – I'll be down in a minute." Kisuke paused. "Good luck, by the way, Ulquiorra-san," he said with a wink.

Ulquiorra's eyes, fixed on Kisuke, narrowed, and as Orihime pushed him away, his neck craned more and more to keep the other man in sight. Finally, as Ulquiorra was climbing down the ladder to the basement – the training ground – after Orihime, he said, "I don't trust that man. His intentions could be to slaughter us, and I don't even have Murciélago with me."

From below him, Orihime raised her eyebrows. "I don't think Grimmjow or Tia-san or Nel-chan brought their swords."

"That would be an incredibly dimwitted move on Tia's part. Nelliel has the tendency to forget things such as these since returning to adult form. And Grimmjow… well, there is nothing more to say."

Orihime giggled. "Don't be mean to him. He's finally got the courage to move on with Nel."

Ulquiorra's brow furrowed in a rare change of expression, though Orihime couldn't see it. "I cannot comprehend how Espada have developed romantic relations, especially with one another. It's out of the ordinary."

"…Oh." Orihime looked down as her feet touched onto the ground. Stepping away from the ladder, she wondered if he knew that he had let her down. But I shouldn't just call it quits, should I?

The ceiling represented a sky, as always, but it was now in a mode to make it appear as though it were nighttime, stars twinkling here and there. The rest of the lighting in the room had been dimmed down in accordance with the night sky, and the only light was from the stars and a large bonfire in the centre of two towering rocks a distance away from the ladder; the rich orange colour given off seemed to glow amongst the inky sky, and Orihime could feel its warmth all the way from where she stood.

Not far from the fire, picnic blankets were laid out, and upon them sat Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru and the Modsouls. A silhouette in the human shape of Shihouin Yoruichi was standing directly beside the fire; hand on hip, yelling at the top of the boulder. Eyes moving in that direction, Orihime noticed for the first time that the Espada were seated atop the two tall rocks. Yoruichi appeared to be shouting at Nnoitra, whose vein was throbbing in his forehead as he retorted, teeth bared. An intoxicated Szayel was lying on his stomach next to Nnoitra, giggling at them with his bottle dangling over the edge. On the opposite boulder, Starrk and Tia quietly conversed, Grimmjow amusedly watched Nnoitra losing the argument, and Nel smiled down at the group seated on the floor.

"Are the other Espada not here?" Orihime whispered to Ulquiorra as they went closer. Even though they were reformed and technically no longer Espada, they were unconsciously referred to as such; this went silently acknowledged but was not minded by many of them.

"It seems so. They must have remained in Hueco Mundo – Baraggan would have, at least."

Orihime chose to sit next to Tatsuki on one of the picnic blankets; she insisted that Ulquiorra sit wherever he wanted, but he instead settled for leaning against the rock where Grimmjow sat cackling at Yoruichi's final insults to Nnoitra before the arrival of Kisuke.

"Hello, kiddies," he said cheerfully as he stood beside Yoruichi, interrupting Nnoitra's brewing curse. "Having a good time, huh?"

Multiple people opened their mouths and began to blather at him all at once. Orihime turned to Tatsuki, who had stopped speaking to the red-head in favour of petting the small head of Noba, who was in stuffed animal form. "Tatsuki-chan, what's up with you and Noba?"

Tatsuki regarded her with a dreamy look. "Nice Modsoul, is all."

Orihime's eyes widened. "…Do you like him? 'Cause, well, he is a Modsoul, you know."

"Who cares what soul he is? Size, shape, personality… I know I don't care."

"Tatsuki-chan…" Orihime coaxed.

Tatsuki lifted her nose and looked away, crushing Noba tightly between her hands. "He makes me feel like a woman."

Orihime's lips squiggled into a silly grin. It was adorable that Tatsuki was engaging with her more feminine side! But Noba had always given her the shivers, even if he did look like a green turtle in need of a good hug most of the time. But it was kind of weird… Oh, she shouldn't be the one to talk, though. Ulquiorra was a different kind of soul; different size, different shape, different personality… And she didn't mind in the slightest. She quite liked it, actually. Still did even if he-

"Now before we bring out the food, we'll be showing you something… colorful. After that, there'll be a chat with Soul Society. I know Kuchiki-taichou's waiting to see how Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san are doing." Kisuke smiled at the blushing pair. "Congrats, you lovebirds, you!"

"Shut up, Urahara," hissed Rukia.

"Aw, how cute – they're shy," cooed Yoruichi, propping her elbow on Kisuke's shoulder. "We'll look away during the fireworks if you wanna kiss."

"Fireworks?" Nel chirped. "I love fireworks! …But I have yet to see any in real life…"

"That will be fixed shortly, my dear," said Kisuke. "Now, everyone, please shut the hell up and enjoy the fireworks display!"

Yoruichi yanked Kisuke with her off to the side, next to the picnic blankets, where Kisuke pressed a button on a remote he had produced from his pocket. Almost instantly, it felt as if the whole training area was shaking and shuddering. Grimmjow let out an unholy word as he nearly lost his balance, and Orihime thought with a small smile how Ulquiorra would be wishing to have Murciélago with him to take down Kisuke's supposedly cunning plot. But what came next was an unexpected beauty.

The stars detached themselves from the high ceiling, soaring around loosely like jets. As sprinkles of gold started to shoot up into the sky from various places in the dark training area, the stars zoomed into the centre of the sky, colliding with one another and creating a flurry of Christmas colours. Keeping with the unspoken tradition of what fireworks were meant to do, the stars continued to erupt after collision, throwing around hot, bright dots like confetti. With a gasp and a sound of wonder from at least everyone present – including Nnoitra – they saw that some of the sparks given off remained in the sky to form the shape of a Christmas tree, the lights twinkling sweetly down at them. At that, Keigo promptly burst into tears and began applauding, Tatsuki forced to awkwardly pat him on the back just as a few more fireworks relating to Christmas were released – the sparks forming a snowman, grinning elves and a few others.

Orihime only realized how widely she had been smiling when there was a tap on her shoulder. She could not turn her head around fully for there was a mouth at her ear giving a few discreet words: "Meet me upstairs now, woman."

Her lips now forming a small 'o' of surprise, she whipped her head around in time to see Ulquiorra ascending the ladder. She frowned and made to get up when a hand on her elbow stopped her. She looked into Ichigo's brown eyes, feeling no other thrill than that of happiness for him and Rukia. "Yes, Kurosaki-kun?"

"What does he want you to do?" There was a faint scowl on Ichigo's face.

"Nothing." She smiled brightly. "He wants me to meet him upstairs for a bit."

Ichigo's expression shifted to uncertainty. "You sure you don't want us to come with you?"

Orihime gently edged out of his grip to kneel on one knee, showing that she was ready to go to Ulquiorra. "Aha. He won't do anything bad. He can be a real gentleman if you get to know him."

"Gentleman? Inoue, we've all heard him call you 'woman' most of the time. That's not what a gentleman-"

"Kurosaki-kun, thanks for being concerned, but I don't mind that he calls me that." She nodded to herself. "He's only used to it, is all. He… doesn't think little of me at all," she said, her bright smile watering down to a content one. It was true, of course…

Ichigo sighed and shared another uncertain look with Rukia, who had been listening the whole time. Finally, Rukia rolled her eyes at him and broke the gaze, looking at Orihime with a daring smile. "Don't worry. I know you and Cifer have an understanding – I don't think he's a bad character anymore. Right, Ichigo?" She elbowed her boyfriend painfully in the chest, a sugary grin on her face as he hissed with pain. "Go ahead, Inoue."

Orihime nodded once and stood, mentally thanking Rukia who – along with Nel, Rangiku and occasionally Tatsuki – had been privy to many conversations about "that strange Arrancar" and how he was functioning as a human.

Even though he was probably going to break her heart, she went swiftly up the ladder, zipping up the rungs, wanting it to be over as quickly as possible. She found that all of the presents were sitting on a shelf; she located the smaller gift bag she had brought along, hastily pulling her present for Ulquiorra out of it. She might as well try to soften the blow when it happened. A deep breath and she slid open the door, stepping out into the cold, snowing night.

There he was with his back to her, staring up at the sky. "Woman," he began slowly, the wind quieting his voice further, "I have something to tell you."

Orihime moved closer, a sick feeling coiling in her gut. She came to a stop beside him and he turned to face her. "W-What is it?" She shivered as a snowflake fell onto her bare cheek. He opened his mouth, but she interrupted him. "Here's your present, Ulquiorra!" She closed her eyes and smiled sheepishly as she shoved the green scarf into his gloved hands. "I knitted it myself," she squeaked. "Y'know, 'cause you never w-wear a scarf… Ugh, yeah, it's stupid – I-I'm sorry – it's fine if you don't like it – maybe, uh…"

"Woman," he interrupted, and she opened her eyes to find that he had wound the scarf around his neck. "Stop your babbling. It is perfect."

"Oh."

"And I have something for you too." He lifted a hand as though he were about to take out his eye again, but instead a silver necklace with a single black jewel clinging to the chain hung from his fingers. "Allow me."

She bit her lip and refrained from fidgeting as his hands went around her neck, beneath the curtain of her hair, to clasp the necklace in place. "Thank you – it's lovely," she said, forcibly not meeting his gaze. She could feel his breath even against the wind as he sighed and drew his hands away. But she did not expect what happened next to happen at all as soon as she was brave enough to look up.

There was no time to react before Ulquiorra's lips descended on her own, trapping her in a sweet kiss. In the time since she had stepped outside, many snowflakes had fallen onto her face – but she could have sworn they turned to water after she started to blush. Orihime had no choice but to melt against him, her hands resting against his chest on the front of his coat and his hands light on her neck as he gently kissed her again. She felt as though she was gliding on a wispy cloud in the middle of a sun-stained sky, blissfully warm despite the cold. And that feeling remained even when they pulled away to look at each other, his forehead against hers, his eyes as soft as his words:

"It is difficult for me to say it to you," he whispered, "and I despise that about myself. But I hope I was able to show you." A pause, and the emotion in his eyes was enough to make her own grey pair water. "Before, I was unable to respond to you immediately – I was confused about what this feeling was inside of me, and that annoying shopkeeper thought he could help me," he admitted, to which Orihime giggled. "But if there was anything this taught me, it was that I would have to show you myself, and most of all, that I do not have to fear this…" He removed one of his hands and placed it against his chest, as she had often seen him do when he thought that she was not looking.

Orihime knew what he meant without him having to finish his sentence. "I know, Ulquiorra," she said, voicing her exact thoughts, and it was all she could think of in reply. They moved their heads back fractionally, and as soon as they did, part of Ulquiorra's new scarf was blown forward and around her neck, joining them together. She laughed, leaning her head against his again. "Merry Christmas!"

He clasped her hands in his, indulging in a rare, light smile. "Merry Christmas, Orihime."

A charming blush lighting up her cheeks, she beamed. It was definitely going to be a merry Christmas, and she knew it was one that she would never forget…

Just as she knew that he did not have to fear this love.

The End

A/N:

Yes! At last, this fic is complete! :DDD

I got the idea for this, like, last year around November, but I only wrote it now… It might be blocky in some places, especially with the manga being updated and all that. '^.^ It was thought up before the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc was actually published, so nothing matches up! XD Oh, and I know that there's a song that relates to the artwork… but this here was only inspired by Rusky-Boz's scene. ^.^

Thank you so much for reading! It means a lot, after having been busy with it for such a long time.

~SuperSonic Violet