Chapter 6

"Are you quite finished with the small talk?"

A resolute step and he came to a full stop looking down at her with what seemed like his usual sternness. But his eyes told otherwise. There was nothing usual in the flames hidden there, seizing the moment, calculating their next move. Orihime stood both mesmerized and terrified as her mind wondered what kind of malady could've caused this.

Carefully she stretched her arm forward. "What is the matter? Are you feeling alright?"

"In a manner of speaking." Ulquiorra answered dryly.

"What does that mean?" she asked trying to calm her misgivings. His strange game of words confused her. Are you unwell?

"Are you meaning to tell me that you don't know?"

Mistaken by the message in his vague response her mind settled to make the first move and she boldly stepped forward to meet his previous advance. Ulquiorra frowned at her audacity, but Orihime did not notice. Silently, she came face-to-face with him and placed one palm on his forehead, another on hers.

"Strange, you don't feel hot." she declared innocently.

Her invasion sent a jolt through him making his eyes slightly widen in surprise. But Orihime was pleasantly preoccupied with the task at hand, completely oblivious to the outcome of her action.

The woman had no idea what she was treading on. And he meant to put a stop to this atrocious bravery before the strings of his resolve started to get undone. Wordlessly Ulquiorra took his hand out of his pocket and slowly brought it up to grab her wrist but quickly let go as soon as she moved it down to her side.

"You are not sick." Orihime announced after her hand was released.

Indeed. Should I attempt to strangle you until you get to the point?

His silence made her worry once again. Orihime looked to the side biting the corner of her lower lip in nervous apprehension. He wasn't speaking or even moving, but just stood there devouring her with his gaze, waiting for something inexplicable to happen.

But she was the one who asked him to talk. Perhaps he wanted a clarification?

"I was really hoping you would be there after we…" she stopped as a blush crept on her cheeks. "Because it was my first time!" she continued rapidly, "And when I found out that you were gone it made me feel…." her eyes quickly returned to his, "Why didn't you call me for so long? Surely you still didn't think of me as badly as you used to?"

The corner of his mouth curved into what could've been a grin. So, she thought of him, it sounded like she even missed him, and now she demanded an explanation in return. Ulquiorra couldn't help feeling arrogantly satisfied over this curious development. However, this was still nearly not enough to compensate for all of the inexcusable delay.

"Ulqui-?"

"Do you honestly believe I would hate you and still come to your bed?"

"Well, I don't know!" she answered haughtily, "I thought about it a lot, because it didn't make sense. But then you just disappeared and I didn't know what to believe anymore. What were you thinking leaving me like that?"

Ulquiorra fought the impulse to shove her against the wall and erase every shred of doubt about his intentions, to make her lose every last bit of sanity as his skillful hands punished her entirely and made her regret this wait. But, instead, he swiftly moved forward making her jump at his sudden action and step backwards only to have her back hit the wall. His eyes were transfixed on her face, watching, remembering, drinking in every detail that he had missed since he left her - her mouth, her lips, her eyes, her radiance and warmth, everything about her that prompted the well-familiar ache inside his chest. And then that started to surface, something that was present even before the realization of love, something that he tried to suppress for so long as he knew it would be his undoing, it almost was before. And now it was kicking, and screaming, and begging him to release it to the surface. But clinging to what resolve he still possessed, Ulquiorra did not touch her but stopped just an arm's length away.

Perhaps he should've been clearer when he saw her last and made sure she knew the implications of their encounter. Instead, he absurdly relied on a belief that he stirred some emotions within her that would lead her back to him. But, the woman still inexcusably hesitated, and he was done waiting. This transgression could not be tolerated any longer, not until she told him what he wanted to hear, not until she crushed the doubts that have been poisoning his mind since their last meeting. Like little bugs, these thoughts crawled into his head stirring unwanted feelings, eating at his self-control, unraveling a hidden menace.

The right person wasn't him, and he still hadn't forgotten. However, before he made his demands known, some clarification was in order.

"Woman, did I ever show any signs of contempt when we were together?"

Orihime stared at him in puzzled bewilderment. But he remained unyielding to her wide-eyed countenance, watching her every move, waiting for an answer. And a second later she shook her head "no".

"But," she exhaled sharply, "when I came to talk to you that one time, you seemed angry by the fact that I revived you and even told me to leave. But then we…" she paused in embarrassment, "…and after that you didn't even call me and I didn't know what to think anymore!" Another awkward pause followed, "When we were together it didn't seem like you hated me at all, it seemed that maybe you even started to…" … like me. She couldn't bring herself to utter the words under his rigid stare.

"Say it." he ordered. Surely his feelings couldn't have been any more obvious to her perceptive nature.

"I am not sure. I don't want to be presumptuous. What if I am wrong?"

Ulquiorra showed no inclination to answer the question. He wanted her to say it, her to acknowledge it, her to accept it. Perhaps it was wicked of him to subject her to such methods, but he had waited for far too long to have it any other way.

The prolonged silence and his close watch indicated insistence that she could no longer ignore.

Orihime straightened her composure putting her troubling thoughts in order. "I could be wrong," she started carefully, "But is there maybe, possibly, a chance that you might like me? Or am I crazy for thinking that?"

"No, you are not." he answered quietly. "But you are mistaken to believe that it ends with like."

She blinked twice before his response registered. Mistaken to believe that it ends with like. Did he mean there was more? Another four letter word appeared in her mind but she did not dare to say it.

Ulquiorra noticed a puzzled frown appearing on her face and his expression hardened. Did the woman still question him?

"Are you meaning to tell me that you…that you…love me?" the four letter word was said in a whisper riddled with uncertainty.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "You seem to be shocked by this revelation. Why?"

Orihime gave a soft sigh. "Because I never thought that you could possibly…" she stopped for a moment to let it settle in, "Does it mean that you never really hated me?"

"I am surprised you would still ask me that question. Have I not made it obvious enough that it was not so?"

"Perhaps." Orihime said averting her eyes as the recollections of his previous actions started to surface, when he told her to leave his room and then never showed up after spending the night at her apartment. And then she remembered her hurt, frustration, and the troubling thoughts that refused to leave her alone. It was so cruel of him to do this when she was only trying to find out what was wrong. "But, you do not treat the people that you love this way. I've done nothing to you, and you hurt me, deeply, and made me believe things that were not true. And after we… I started thinking that just maybe it wasn't true, and then you disappeared making me doubt you again."

With those words she grabbed her bag and turned away to leave, but Ulquiorra was quicker. Before Orihime took another step, she felt a strong hand grabbing her arm and yanking her backwards. A second later she was pressed against him, breathing into his neck, feeling his increasing heartbeat echoing hers.

"Stop." He said in a hashed whisper releasing his hold and gliding his hand down her back to her waist.

Ulquiorra knew why she was angry. His earlier treatment of her was less than kind, yet at that time he deemed it necessary. She was getting under his skin faster than he could control it and he did not know how to stop it. The only way to keep her at bay was to push her away and to make her believe that he wanted nothing to do with her. Feigning indifference wasn't difficult, she was still naïve, and it worked like a charm. But then, everything suddenly started to change between them and he no longer wanted to be without her. Yet, the woman still remembered it and now she demanded atonement.

As you wish.

Orihime stood motionless against him, his chest rising and falling against hers, one hand was on her waist and another moving around her back in a soothing motion. Was this his way to make amends? His mouth was close to her ear, his breath on her skin sending tiny goose bumps down her neck, and then she felt his hand slide up to her nape squeezing it slightly in a gentle caress, and the remains of her anger chipped away. So this was his love — powerful, dangerous, unpredictable. Yet, he knew no other way. Her common sense told her to run, as his passion would probably consume her. But her heart told her to wait, to accept his challenge, and to show him that love was kind. Then, her reason threatened that he was just a replica of a man who wasn't a man, but the heart bellowed with absolute finality that he was a man like no other. And no matter who he was, his love was absolute and it was all for her.

"Do you regret it?" he spoke softly into the silence and she knew that the question held a deeper meaning than just inquiring about that night. Her feelings were still in question.

"I do not." she responded with all honesty through the flood of her jumbled emotions. And it was the truth.

Yet, something was still amiss. "But what about Rei?" Orihime added with reluctance.

She felt him release a shaky sigh then finally pull her away from him with her back now against the wall.

"There is nothing between us. I have no feelings for her and she has none for me."

"But you were dating."

"A superficial fling with no attachment. And we haven't spoken in over a week."

Somehow she knew that he would not bother making excuses. "That is a little cold, but I'm glad that she wouldn't get hurt. I would hate that." Orihime said with relief.

Ulquiorra did not answer, and she lowered her head suddenly feeling very nervous. He would inevitably bring that up soon enough.

"I want all or nothing." there was a resounding finality in his voice that left no room for negotiation.

And here it was. Orihime looked up fixing her eyes on his chest trying to avoid meeting his probing gaze. There was this look again that waited, expected, demanded her to speak, to utter the three little words that had enough power to humble even the proudest of the Espada. But not yet, she was still not ready to jump, not until she sorted through the cobwebs in her heart.

The feeling was strange, exciting, and a bit frightening. There were no words to express it, no definition to describe it. Everything was a giant mess of longing, desire and uncertainty. Yet, she welcomed this, but it was still too new to be attached to a label. And despite herself, Orihime wanted it to be him to help her clear through the disarray of her emotions and set her mind into focus.

"Don't be angry." she spoke in a gentle voice, "I just….it's hard….I don't know if I…."

"Enough."

She flung her eyes to his in question. His expression was frozen in a stiff frown as he looked down on her.

"Please, I didn't mean to…"

Orihime did not finish as he pressed his palm to the wall next to her head and brought his face close to hers.

"I said, enough." he seized her with his stare, "No more."

And he truly had enough. Expecting her to feel the same was too much to hope for, but Ulquiorra remembered that night and what she did, and how she felt, and everything else blurred into a shadow. If he had to, he would burn her in agonizing lust if it meant she would see no one else but him, a petty and shadow desire based on that one twisted memory of the conversation that they had about the one and the shackles of that emotion that spelled out his fate, all for this woman. This woman, who, ever since he met her, had a strange influence on him where he acted on impulse and desires rather than his untainted judgment. This woman, for whom he crashed and burned and fought and died, and forsook his duties and loyalties to his one master. All for this woman. This insufferable, amazing, beautiful woman who managed to push him to the brink of despair and then pull him out of it with just a touch of her hand.

"It is you." he murmured brushing his cheek against hers, "It is always you." he nuzzled her skin breathing into her neck. "Why does it always have to be you?"

He did not really expect an answer as the question was mostly directed at himself. She was beautiful, but there were plenty of beautiful women all around him. She was smart, but they were smart too. Women were everywhere and a number of them would've jumped at an opportunity to be with him, especially these human women who were so easy to manipulate. Yet, Ulquiorra did not notice any of them except for her. Ever since he first laid eyes on Inoue Orihime, there was something special about her that he couldn't quite explain. She had unusual powers and incessantly talked about her friends. Other than that, what could have possibly attracted him to her? It must've been something in her words, in the way her eyes softened when she spoke about her loved ones, or in the gentle look she gave him when they said their good-byes on the dome. And he was pulled against his will, reason, goals, completely consumed by her – her light, her love, her heart. And after she brought him back, it was still her. It was always her.

Orihime released a soft moan as her trembling hands came around his neck, tugging at his hair, pressing against him, breathing into his ear. He felt like something exploded inside as soon as her body moved against his. Ulquiorra took his hand off the wall and grabbed the back of her neck putting light kisses along the contours of her jaw, feeling her draw in sudden breaths at the new sensation. She purred, she moaned at the sweet torture he was delivering to her skin. Bringing his head back up he looked at her again. Her eyes were closed with a blissful smile dancing on her lips. The woman was practically melting in his arms without a care for the consequences of giving him such freedoms. Was it completely inconceivable for him to believe that there was something in her heart that prompted such a reaction? He knew lust, but pure lust lacked passion, it did not arouse emotion, it was fleeting and weak and just as quickly slithered away as it was satisfied. And even if she did not love him yet, Inoue Orihime's heart still fluttered, and yearned, and craved for that mysterious something that only he could provide. And it was reason enough for him to stir and twist and breath life into this sleeping entity as long as it was his to claim at the end. If he had to indulge her every whim, he would do it, if he had to drive her to the edge of sanity, he was prepared to if it insured that she would stay by his side forever. Because this was Orihime, the woman who inspired a new dream when he was consumed by despair, the woman who gave hope to his desolate existence. The same woman who now arched and moaned and grabbed at him the more he let his expert mouth wander.

He pulled her up against the wall letting her legs embrace his hips. They looked at each other, faces only a whisper away, until she cupped his face and planted a kiss on his lips, on his cheeks, on his chin. And it began. His body, mind, and soul roared, chanted, and repeated the three precious words hoping and pleading that somehow they would reach the deep recesses of her heart and return them to him in full. His fingers dug into her thighs pressing her harder against him, and then her mouth finally found his again inviting him in, lacing her tongue with his, twisting her fingers in his hair, pushing, and pulling, and throwing them both into oblivion.

Orihime groaned and flung her eyes open at the sudden increase of his movements. But Ulquiorra quickly silenced her surprise with slow torturous kisses down her neck, making her shock dissipate into raspy sighs of quiet bliss. She shivered, she burned, she lusted for everything about him as his body ground against hers, his mouth delivering excruciating wonders to her flesh, his hands firmly on her thighs, his heat pouring into her and carrying his love with it. And she felt it, tasted it, and locked a piece of it in her heart.

Whoever said that love was blind was truly wise. But she wasn't only blind, she was also cruel. Cruel, calculating, and merciless. Even the hardest of men could not escape from her claws. She toyed with his resolve, manipulated his deeply hidden emotions, and completely usurped his self-control leaving nothing but greed, greed and lust for the one. There was no self-preservation in love, no limit to how far she would go, no sanctuary. Surely that spelled out a man's doom, but despite her vices, love was also exquisite and graceful. And she carried a hint of hope for those who were looking. Love had the face of an angel, hair the color of sunset, and deep oceans of gray looking right at him. Her kisses were sweet and intoxicating, her words were like a soft lullaby, and her touch was a taste of heaven. Love was her.