AN: As promised, an early update! There's going to be a lot of conversations here. And there are parts here that are slight Ichihime but this is an Ulquihime story after all. I wouldn't put it not unless it's necessary for the plot. So yeah. Hahaha anyway, thank you for the reviews! I hope you R & R this as well :D
Orihime had been nervous. They have been walking for quite a while now. Although her lie was pretty obvious, she can't bring herself to believe that an intelligent man like Ulquiorra would be buying it. Something was up on his sleeve and that thought alone worries her.
"So…Yuuki, is it?" Ulquiorra asked teasingly, sparing a look at the frantic auburn-haired beauty
"Y-yes?"
"Have you ever done something crazy?"
Orihime moved her head to the side.
"Well I've mixed red bean paste with chocolate cake one time and I can't say it's all that bad."
Ulquiorra suddenly stopped walking and sat at the center of an empty road. Orihime remained by his side, wondering what he was doing.
He laid down facing the sky and tapping the spot beside him almost as if asking Orihime to do the same.
"No. Something like this." He simply said.
Orihime looked hesitant at first. She couldn't help thinking that any minute now, a car might drive by and they'd be on their way to their next destination which was heaven, a place she wasn't ready to visit just yet.
Eventually, she slowly sat down and looked over at the calm Ulquiorra. There was something about him that she simply can't say no to. He was compelling, almost as if he could tell a story even with only just that look in his eyes.
Ulquiorra closed his eyes. He remembered feeling like this, that any moment might be his last. When he was a child, there was no certainty if he would ever wake up again to live and see the day and though he might have been living a normal life now with a peculiar family to somehow call his own, he would never forget that part of him. The emptiness he felt, the tear scars on his face and his strict principle of not just simply letting anyone in, no matter how comfortable he already looked like with Hallibel and the others.
Orihime had remained silent. She slowly laid down and peaked over at the pale-skinned man beside her. Eventually, she felt at ease.
"A woman like yourself doesn't seem like the type to bend the rules."
Orihime hummed hestitantly. Sure, she was a goody-two-shoes but Ulquiorra didn't seem like the type to break the norms as well. He looks like a guy who wouldn't bother standing out of the crowd. He was effortlessly noticeable even without trying.
"Does it scare you, woman?"
"What do you mean?"
"To know that any moment now, a car or better yet a truck would come rushing in and tonight might be your last?"
"W-well…"
"To know that you would be dying alongside a complete stranger in the cold stillness of the night?"
"Well, I haven't…I haven't loved fully yet."
"What good does love bring when you know that death's knocking right at your door?"
"To love fully is to have no regrets. I…I want to be able to pass on, knowing that I have lived and loved someone deep enough. You know, I just...maybe when the time comes and a car does come rushing in, I would have pushed aside that someone, even gladly embracing death knowing that he is safe."
"Your logic is preposterous."
"Love doesn't have to make sense."
"It is contrary to belief. The main purpose of living is surviving. Why must one risk his life over someone else's because of this thing called love? It is absurd and I refuse to accept this reasoning of yours. It is delusional."
"But I have friends that love me! My brother…he was…he loved me so much…"
"To love is to feel, to feel is to hope. To hope is what brings one to his' own demise. Your brother led himself to his death. There is nothing to blame but himself. He would have still lived if he thought more practical than taking a leap of faith for an illogical thing such as love."
Orihime couldn't help it any longer. How dare he say something so rude about what she had believed in her whole life? The reason why she is still here, the reason why she is breathing is because the people around her have showed nothing but genuine love towards her. Though her parents might not have done so, Sora was always there loving her more than himself. He sacrificed everything, even skipping meals in order to work and bring home something for Orihime. Even her friends, Tatsuki, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu and Chad would gladly trade their lives for her safety and so will she.
She rose up using her elbow and looked at the man beside her. How could he be so cold and so mean? She couldn't help this feeling any longer.
"You say that because you're a jaded billionaire prodigy who's got people kneeling before you, wishing to get a ticket to your concerts just to hear you play music and get a glimpse of your face. You say that because people save a portion of their allowance just to fall-in-line with hundreds of others, wishing to get their hands on your new books! You say that because you are Ulquiorra Cifer, a man who thousands of people wish they wake up as are. You don't understand these things because you take them for granted!"
Ulquiorra couldn't hide his shock for a while. He closed his eyes and let go of the polo that his right hand has been grasping on.
"What happened to Yuuki, Orihime Inoue?"
Orihime, though anticipating that her cover would blow soon, didn't expect that it would be this fast. So he was playing her all along. This got her even more fired up. She sat up and hovered over him, snatching away his dirtied polo and taking her hairpins. Suddenly, Ulquiorra grabbed her hips and turned her over so that he was on top. Orihime couldn't help but blush at the current situation. There they were, in the middle of the road and Ulquiorra was above her, his hips over hers. It was a good thing that it was pitch dark and no one was-
Ichigo had been driving his car around the vicinity. He checked the bar a hundred times in search for Orihime, but failed. He then decided to take the car to look for her. If something were to happen to her, he was to blame. Damn, he said to himself. Orihime, afterall, wasn't just an ordinary woman. He couldn't deny it, she was beautiful and naïve and there are tons of guys who would die just to get her in bed.
It was then that he noticed two figures on the ground. He couldn't quite make it out but his car was fast approaching and if he doesn't take any action, whatever or whoever that is might turn into scrambled eggs!
Orihime could only watch in horror at the car that was heading towards their way. She thought about everything that happened to her life and what she still wants to achieve. She wants to become a psychologist, have her own family with the man of her dreams, she wants to grow old with them and she wanted to put up a restaurant of her own someday. She wasn't ready for this. She only closed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact to happen….
Hmmmm, that's odd, she thought. The next thing she heard was the car door opening and then closing then Ulquiorra standing up from his previously awkward position.
"THE FUCK MAN!"
Orihime opened her eyes to see her enraged childhood crush face to face with a half-naked Ulquiorra and her very unfortunate position where her skirt is pulled a little too high for her liking. She swiftly rose up and dusted herself off as she watched the scene in front of her.
Ichigo suddenly raised his fist and hit Ulquiorra right at his abdomen. Orihime could tell that it was pretty painful, considering that Ulquiorra had literally fallen to the ground, coughing up some blood.
"THAT'S FOR STUPIDLY LYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING."
Ulquiorra had just stood up when Ichigo had yet again punched the pale man. This time it landed straight on his face.
"AND THAT'S FOR TRYING TO RAPE INOUE YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Orihime blushed slightly at this remark. She didn't know whether it was because Ichigo was being protective of her or because he had thought such nasty things about her and Ulquiorra, thinking that he was a rapist.
Ulquiorra, despite feeling a little dizzy from Ichigo's attacks, remained calm and composed. He kept his silence, looking straight at the carrothead's eyes.
"Kurosaki-kun! Please stop this! It's not what you think!"
Orihime ran over to where Ichigo was, stretching her hands out, almost as if to say that she wouldn't allow him to hurt Ulquiorra anymore.
"Inoue, I was so worried!"
With that, Ichigo had pulled her closer into an embrace. Ulquiorra could only stand there, watching at how cliché the scene looked like.
Orihime had remained still. She was a little surprised at how Ichigo had reacted. Also, she felt a little awkward having to hug him in front of Ulquiorra when he had no idea what actually happened. She shyly patted his back and he released her from his hug. She smiled and blushed slightly, thinking how sweet it was that Ichigo has done for her.
"I thought for sure Tatsuki's gonna kick my ass!" Ichigo scratched his head, grinning awkwardly.
Orihime's smile had faded away. If it weren't for that sentence, she was sure that she could finally write on her diary that her love for Ichigo was not so unrequited after all. She sighed, thinking to herself that Ichigo will always be Ichigo, her overprotective friend who won't look at her other than a sister that constantly needs to be watched over.
Ulquiorra cleared his throat just to get the attention of the two. He rubbed the sore spot on his face where Ichigo had punched him earlier.
He stretched out his hand to Orihime, handing her his white polo shirt yet again.
"I expect it clean and pressed at my desk on Monday."
Orihime reached for the polo and Ulquiorra turned around and started walking away.
"WAIT!" Orihime shouted.
Ulquiorra stopped walking and peaked towards her, waiting for what she's about to say.
Orihime didn't exactly know what to say. It was like some part of her just wanted to call him. It was like she didn't want him to leave. She stood there, searching for the right words to say but Ulquiorra wasn't one to wait.
"If that is all, I will be going now to retrieve my drunk brother from the bar."
She could only watch as Ulquiorra started to fade away from her line of vision. It seems that every time he departs, there are so many things she wants answers to, even if she doesn't know the questions. It's weird yet compelling at the same time. He was so mysterious. He was-OK WAIT. Did he say what desk he wants the polo on this coming Monday? She sighed. It seems that they're always on a goose chase but they keep running into each other coincidentally.
"Yo Inoue! Inoue-san?"
Ichigo snapped his fingers in front of the dazed auburn-haired woman. Orihime suddenly noticed Ichigo in front of her. She smiled innocently, apologizing for day dreaming again at such unfortunate times. Ichigo laughed lightly, knowing full well how Orihime is. They went to the car and Ichigo started the engine.
"He's acting such a smartass, isn't he? I hope he didn't d anything to hurt you, no?"
"No, really, I'm fine." Orihime chuckled lightly.
Ichigo gave her one last reassuring smile and started driving.
"It's late. I better get you home before your curfew."
Orihime sighed. This date with Ichigo wasn't what she expected but here she is, sitting beside him in his very own car. He's a couple of inches away and they are finally alone. He had hugged her and finally paid her attention. However, why is it that instead of feeling her heart jumping with joy that Ichigo had come to her like a knight in shining armor, her thoughts still keep going back to this certain pale-skinned and ebony-haired man? Why is it that she keeps thinking of what he said? He's such a cold person yet she is drawn to him, no matter how opposite their personality and ideas are.
Ichigo had noticed Orihime's anxiety. He lightly tapped her hand as a reassuring sign that there is nothing to be afraid of.
"Just who are you, Ulquiorra Cifer?" Orihime silently whispered to herself as she slowly felt sleep overcome her.
Hey Mom
Why didn't you warn me
Coz about boys is something i should have known
They`re like chocolate cake
Like cigarettes
I know they're bad for me
But I just can't leave 'em alone
So I walked under a bus
I got hit by a train
Keep falling in love
Which is kinda the same
I've sunk out at sea
Crashed my car, gone insane
And it felt so good
I want to do it again
-Buses and Trains, Bachelor Girl
