Chapter 2

Orihime rested her chin on the palm of her hand looking around the library. The students were pouring in and out, chatting, studying, browsing the net, and doing absolutely nothing. She's just finished her project and there was still an hour left before the class. And with nothing left to do, she was bored out of her mind. When the assignment was announced, Orihime was really looking forward to doing it, but Ulquiorra seemed weary and tired.

I wonder if he had any problems with it.

At that moment she wanted to ask if he needed help, but Orihime quickly changed her mind thinking that it would not be welcomed. Since the semester started, Ulquiorra was strangely reserved around her. Unlike his attitude in Las Noches, he never talked to her anymore, never asked her any questions, and it seemed like he was trying to avoid her most of the time. At first, Orihime thought that maybe he had trouble adjusting; maybe it was just a matter of time, but no matter how much she tried to be nice to him, to make him feel comfortable, his behavior towards her never changed.

She studied the people around her, and then her gaze stopped on a figure walking a short distance away. Their eyes met and she managed a faint smile motioning for him to come and sit next to her, but Ulquiorra only gave her a curt nod and walked into the opposite direction.

Orihime bit her lip gathering her courage, then picked up her bag and ran after him.

"Hey you." she said sinking into a chair across the table from him.

"Hi." Ulquiorra answered without lifting his eyes from his book.

"Did you finish the project?"

"Yes."

"Did you have any trouble with it?"

"No."

She gave an exasperated sigh feeling herself getting annoyed. Ulquiorra was purposely rude to her and she was already fed up with it. Taking a text book out of the bag, Orihime threw it loudly on the table. But, Ulquiorra did not so much as flinch.

"Ok, then! Let's hear it." She said opening it up, "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare / As any she belied with false compare.(i) What did I just read?"

Ulquiorra finally raised his eyes to her. "You read about love."

"What is love?" she persisted.

"A feeling of attachment you humans like to romanticize in your stories." he answered dispassionately.

Orihime shook her head in disbelief.

"You really are amazing," she said leaning forward, "You talk about things, that you know nothing about, as if you've been experiencing them your whole life."

Unbeknownst to her, the close proximity did not remain unnoticed by Ulquiorra. He moved back in his chair studying her, his gaze roamed from her hair to her face to the top with a V-shaped neck exposing a subtle cleavage. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that she was doing it on purpose. But despite Orihime's looks and playful attitude, she was still clueless about a lot of things, especially the effect her presence had on him.

"Then tell me." His face was unreadable, and it was hard to tell whether he was serious or not. But despite her doubts, Orihime wanted to believe that he was genuine.

"Love is not just an attachment," she said, "It's affection, concern, passion, sexual attraction, desire to be with that person."

"It sounds complicated."

"No!" she giggled, "You see…."

"Orihime!" a voice interrupted her.

Orihime turned her head and waved. Soon, a cheery brunette approached their table and eyed Ulquiorra with interest.

"Who is your friend?" She asked looking at Orihime.

"This is Ulquiorra." Orihime said then pointed at the brunette, "And this is my friend, Rei."

"Oh! Ulquiorra, what an exotic name!" Rei smiled at him seductively, "It's a pleasure to meet you! Are you guys dating?"

That last bit almost made him cringe. Ulquiorra stuffed his books into his bag and got up.

"I am going to class."

"Aw, what a shame." Rei perked her lips in disappointment.

But he did not pay any attention to her. Without saying good-bye, he glanced at Orihime for the last time and turned to leave.

"Oh my god, who is the hunk?" Rei demanded as soon as Ulquiorra was gone.

"Just somebody I know." Orihime answered hesitantly.

"He isn't your boyfriend, is he?"

"No!" she said quickly, "No, he isn't, why?"

"Because he is gorgeous! Do you mind if I try him out?"

"You shouldn't. Ulquiorra isn't sociable and he is…" she paused,"…new in town."

That was a bit of an exaggeration since Ulquiorra has been living here for the past two years, but her friend's eagerness made Orihime a bit worried. Rei was pushy when it came to men and got excited every time she saw a good-looking one. But Ulquiorra wasn't just another guy she could twist around her little finger and use for her pleasure. He was different from everyone and Orihime knew very well why. He wasn't nice, or kind, or patient. He wouldn't be able to comfort her when she felt down, to support her when she needed help, or to love her. He was like a rock, cold, hard, and emotionless. And little had changed about him since her experience in Las Noches.

Rei narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Are you sure you aren't interested in him? Because if you are…"

"I am sure." Orihime insisted.

Falling in love with him was treading into a dangerous territory that Orihime did not want. Despite noticing his physical looks, convincing herself that they could be nothing but friends was the best choice for everyone. Ulquiorra was still a mystery to her, and a dangerous one, even after they've known each other for so long. Yet, understanding why Rei wanted him was easy. It wasn't just her, but a lot of girls found him attractive. Ulquiorra was well built, had nice skin, striking features, and long dark hair. To her greatest surprise, instead of being insulted, girls blushed at his unapproachable attitude and continued chasing after him, making Orihime wonder what was so special about him. He wasn't the only good-looking guy at school after all. But it didn't bother her as much as his treatment of her, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to know why he kept giving her the cold shoulder.

The encounter at the library was more than he wanted, granted he would have to spend two more hours sitting next to her, having her talking to him, asking questions, and smelling her perfume. Ulquiorra did not understand what was wrong with him. She was just a woman, and that's exactly what he tried to convince himself of back in Las Noches. A human woman who ignited feelings and desires that he did not recognize, throwing him completely into the unknown. He went through hell and beyond dying, becoming a hollow, an Arrancar, and then Aizen's servant. He fought and killed opponents that were bigger and stronger than him. He bled and suffered the kind of despair that nobody had ever seen even in their worst nightmares. Yet, here he was completely overpowered by a woman. And it wasn't just any woman, but her. It was always her. She managed to get to him, undo his resolve, and breach his defenses in just a matter of days. He should've told her to leave as soon as she approached him, or he should've left himself. Yet, as if falling under a spell, he stayed and indulged her in a conversation about something he had no use for, pretending to be only mildly interested. And what was worse, Ulquiorra actually cared to know what she had to say. Inoue Orihime smiled and chatted with him like they were friends, and little did she know what went on inside his head, what he thought, what he felt, and what he imagined.

Right that minute, Ulquiorra wanted to reach out, grab her by the shoulders and shake her. He wanted to shake her until everything fell off and she was bare, vulnerable, and afraid. He wanted to wipe that smile off her face, to see the panic in her eyes, and have her whisper his name in fear. Back in Las Noches, he tried everything to make her be afraid of him. He threatened her with violence if she did not eat, he told her that her friends would die, he fought Kurosaki Ichigo right in front of her, and he killed him, yet she never shattered and never looked away. Perhaps, if she was afraid of him, Ulquiorra would've seen her differently, like one of the many faceless victims he met in his lifetime. But no matter what he did to her, she looked him bravely in the eye and did not break. And right now he saw the same familiar defiance behind the carefree smile that he wanted to destroy. Only then would he be able to regain his control that she kept taking away, a wisp of a girl who made him hate and envy her at the same time. And with each passing day his envy and lust were growing into something big and incomprehensible, promising to spill over and consume him at any moment.

He envied her because of her ability to live through all of the horrors, tragedy, and death that they had experienced together. He envied her because she was able to get over Hueco Mundo and move on, but he couldn't. He couldn't adjust to this life and put his former existence to rest, and he couldn't get her out of his mind and view her just like everyone else. There was always something special about her that made him want to crawl out of his skin and howl at the moon. She was not his, but Ulquiorra felt disgusted every time he saw her flirting with other men for reasons that he could not even begin to comprehend, making him want to snatch and lock her up away from everyone.

The last class finally ended and everyone started heading out of the room. As soon as he stepped outside, he came face to face with the woman whom he met in the library.

"There you are!" Rei beamed at him. "My class ended early so I decided to wait for you here. Do you guys want to grab something to eat?" she looked at Orihime coming up to them.

"Oh, I can't." Orihime said, "We have a test tomorrow so I need to review." then she turned and waved at one of the male classmates.

Ulquiorra felt his stomach twist at her excessive friendliness with other men.

"As you wish." was all he said.

"Don't you need to study?" Orihime asked, being taken aback by his answer. She was expecting him to decline, or simply walk away, but he agreed without question.

"No." Ulquiorra answered seeing the look of disappointment on her face. Even if it was only for a moment, even if it was fleeting, he felt satisfied. "Let's go." he turned to Rei and started walking away.

Rei caught up with him and unceremoniously grabbed him by the arm, turning around and winking at Orihime. Ulquiorra did not even bother pulling away, and continued walking with his hands in his pockets. She was a complete stranger, a nobody, yet, he seemed to treat her with more familiarity and tolerance, and it made Orihime's heart sink.

Her cell phone rang snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Inoue, this is Urahara, come to my shop as soon as you can. There is someone here who wants to see you."

Half an hour later she was standing in his living room and waiting. The door opened and a woman came in smiling at her. Orihime looked at her, her expression changing from surprise, to disbelief, to, finally, relief.

"Nel!" she yelled running up and pulling her into a hug. "It's been such a long time! How have you been?"

"Great!" She laughed, "It looks like I will be going to the same school with you guys."

"Oh really? That's amazing! And where will you live?"

"Over there!" Nel pointed through the window at the house across the street. "With the rest of them."

"Oh…" Orihime's face fell, "It means I won't be able to visit you very often."

"Hey, cheer up." Nel said touching her chin, "Surely, it's not as awful there as you imagine. Or did they do something to you?"

"No, they didn't. It's just…" she paused looking out of the window, "Why would Ulquiorra hate me? I didn't do anything to him. No matter how much I am trying to be nice and friendly, he keeps avoiding me for reasons I don't understand."

"They are very proud," Nel answered, "Their pride and identity as the Espada was all they knew. So, after being stripped off that power and thrown into a completely different life made it hard for them to accept it."

"Do you think Ulquiorra hates me because I brought him back?"

"I don't know for sure. All I can advise you is to talk to him. Ulquiorra might be proud, but he is not irrational."

Four days later Orihime stood in front of the big house trying to gather what little courage she had left. For the past couple of days Ulquiorra completely ignored her and always went somewhere with Rei, who kept magically appearing as soon as their classes ended, and leaving Orihime no opportunity to talk to him in private. Coming here was probably not the best idea, but she could not think of any other way. School was the best place where it was safer for everyone, but anything was better where Rei wasn't around.

Finally putting her fears aside, Orihime slowly raised her hand and rang the bell.

"Hey, chick, haven't see you around." Grimmjow said as soon as he opened the door.

"Is Ulquiorra home?" she asked reluctantly.

"Yeah, he just got back from a date with some broad."

"Date?"

"The fuck do I know? Go and ask him yourself!"

Orihime wearily climbed up the stairs and walked through the corridor stopping in front of Ulquiorra's door. She held her breath listening to the muffled sounds coming from the inside, praying that he would not kick her out as soon as he saw her. And as if sensing her presence, the door opened, and he stood on the other side staring at her.

"May I come in?" Orihime asked timidly. "I need to talk to you."

Ulquiorra hesitated for a moment then stepped aside letting her in.

"What do you want?" he asked closing the door behind him.

"So, you were on a date, huh?" Orihime asked trying to manage a nervous smile.

"That's what you humans call it." he answered in a monotone.

"Rei is your girlfriend then. You must like her a lot."

"Indeed." He said tonelessly coming up to stand in front of her."Did you come here to inquire about my private life?"

"It's not that. It's just… you are new to the whole dating thing. And I thought you needed an advice. You know….how to…"

"I don't."

Orihime could've sworn she saw a flash of annoyance on his face.

"But, I thought Arrancar did not date."

"They don't."

She gave him a puzzled look. "Then how do you know how to…" then abruptly stopped feeling herself blush.

"I've done it before."

Her blush deepened. "I'm sorry, I thought that Arrancar did not need to, because…"

"Just like humans, Arrancar have sex to satisfy their physical needs. If that's what you were implying."

"You don't mean that you and Rei already…?"

"That's none of your concern. Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

"No." she said looking down at her hands. "I came here to talk about us."

"Meaning?"

"I was thinking about it a lot, and I couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation. So I had to ask you in person." she paused, "Why do you hate me?"

"I do not." he lied.

"Then what is wrong? Back in Las Noches you always talked to me about things that had nothing to do with your mission. You came, you asked me questions, and right now you barely look at me. I thought that back then, despite the circumstances, you might've even liked me a little. And now I don't know anymore. Was I wrong?"

Ulquiorra did not answer right away. He kept staring her, his eyes searching hers, but did not say a word. And the longer he kept silent, the edgier she got.

"Is it because I brought you back?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Why did you bring me back?" He asked quietly.

"I told you, I did not think you deserved to die that way."

"So, you pitied me."

"No! When you died, I just…I just… I couldn't get you out of my head. No matter what you did, I could never bring myself to hate you. And I don't know why. There must be something wrong with me."

"I killed your friend right in front of you, the man you imagined yourself to be in love with, and you still did not resent me after that. There is something wrong with you."

Orihime realized that it would not be easy to get through to him, Ulquiorra was proud and stubborn. But she never thought that he would be so unyielding, yet there was no turning back now.

Without thinking, she brought her hands up to his chest looking him straight in the eye. "I am sorry we had to go through all of that on the dome, but I am not sorry that I brought you back. If you resent me because this is not what you wanted, then I hope that one day you can find something that you might love and finally forgive me."

She felt him exhaling sharply while his hands slightly touched her waist. "The next time think of the consequences before you do something like this again." then his hands fell to his sides, "Now, get out."

"Ulqui—"

"Get. Out." he repeated more forcefully.

Orihime took a step backwards not bothering to hide her hurt. Ulquiorra did not even want to give her a chance, letting his own feelings of resentment completely cloud everything else. She silently picked up her bag and walked towards the door only to stop and glance back at him. Ulquiorra did not turn to look at her. He stood rigid where she left him waiting for her to exit.

"I'm sorry." he heard her whisper and then the door shut behind her.

A few seconds ticked after she left, then he put his hands into his pockets and went to stand by the window watching her exit the house and head out on the street. If Orihime stayed a moment longer, he didn't know what he would've done. Usually calm and collected, Ulquiorra felt his whole body stiffen as soon as she touched him, immediately cursing his inability to reject her. It wasn't about the fact that his skin burned, or that his heart raced, or that he was hard. It was about what he wanted to do to her and it made him sick. As soon as Orihime touched him, Ulquiorra wanted nothing more but to push himself inside of her, and keep thrusting until she called out his name. He wanted to hear it from her lips, her moans, her submission, completely stripping her off that pretense and virtue that she wore for everyone to see, and leave nothing behind but her nakedness for him to devour.

He never had these kinds of thoughts about anyone, even the Arrancar that he had freely in Hueco Mundo. Sex did not involve any emotions and feelings of attachment, and most importantly, his desires never turned into an obsession about one single person. Life as an Arrancar was simple and primitive. He never did it more than once with one partner, and had whoever he wanted and whenever he wanted it without holding himself back. But this girl completely took his will and common sense, filling his head with thoughts that he never believed he was capable of, and leaving him wanting and burning with raw lust that kept pushing him to the edge.

(i) Excerpt from Shakespearean sonnet 130