Hello everyone~
I'm so sorry this took so long, but I suffered a bought
of writer's block and my life got kind of hectic.

Anyway, here is your smut~! Enjoy!


The Mind Knows Reason, but the Heart Knows Bliss

Chapter Eight

Written by Illuminate the Shadows


Birds chirped in the branches of the sakura tree outside the open window. Sunlight filtered in through the thin curtains, falling over a softly snoring figure.

The serenity was interrupted by the chime of a doorbell. Sitting up sleepily, the man stretched and yawned. Scratching his messy blonde hair, he stood and shuffled to the front door of the shop. He opened it, and was promptly startled awake.

A moment of silence, then; "And to what do I owe this... Pleasure?"

"I'd like to discuss a certain matter with you."

"Then, by all means, come in!" Urahara opened the door wider to allow the man to enter, and then shut it behind him. "The last remaining Espada. The Cuarta, right? Ulquiorra Cifer?"

"Indeed." He turned around, fixing the former shinigami with an emerald gaze. "I was hoping you could be of assistance. But, there are some things you need to understand first."

"Well, why don't you tell me over a cup of tea?"

Ulquiorra blinked slowly. "Tea sounds... Pleasant."


"So, you see, he's staying with me-... Us."

Chad gazed at her with his one visible chocolate eye, the other hid by his lengthening wavy hair. He shrugged his wide shoulders. "I don't know, Orihime-san. What if he is still dangerous?"

Orihime looked down at her lap, smiling faintly. "He's not, Sado-kun. He protects me."

His voice was a low murmur. "... I trust you, Orihime-san. If you think he's on our side, then I believe you." He shifted in his seat. "Besides, if he wanted to hurt you or abduct you again, he would have done it before I returned, when you were unprotected."

"But I am protected," she said softly, still smiling the faintest bit.

"I understand. So, tell me about your job."

"Oh, the little café is so cute," Orihime beamed. "We make mostly pastels and tea and hot cocoa. Of course, I don't do any of the baking... Not yet! I'm just a waitress." She smoothed her skirt. "It really is nice. The girl who works in my shift is nice too."

"That's good to hear." He stood and made his way to the kitchen, getting himself a glass of water. "Orihime-san, where is Ulquiorra-san going to sleep?"

Orihime hesitated, and then raised her gaze to him. "... My room."

Chad's eyes immediately snapped up to meet hers. "... You can't be serious. Orihime-san..."

"I know, I know, Sado-kun. Please don't lecture me..." She looked down at her floral skirt again, seizing her bottom lip between her teeth. "I know I'm making the right choice. My heart says so."

"But... Kurosaki?"

"... Kurosaki-kun is with Rukia-san now," she said softly, avoiding his gaze. "Ulquiorra helped me realize that he will never feel for me what I feel for him. I think it's good that I've moved on, Sado-kun."

"I... Suppose so." He frowned slightly.


"It's really quite simple."

Emerald eyes were fixed on the blonde man. "You're saying that I am courting her?"

Urahara took a small sip of tea, and then set his cup down on the table lightly. "I'm saying you're an animal. You have animal characteristics; basic instincts. It's nothing against you; it's the way Aizen created your kind. You've taken Orihime-san as your mate. She is a young female of ideal breeding age, and your instincts are only telling you what they would do naturally."

Ulquiorra was gazing down at his untouched cup of tea. Urahara thought he could detect a hint of worry in those jade depths. "... What of this gigai? Is it possible to perform such actions while occupying it?"

Urahara tilted his head. "Hmm, good question. Yes, I suppose you could. The body, however false it is, still has all the same functions as a human body. But, it represses your reiatsu, which usually plays a crucial part in intimacy... Although, that is between two shinigami. I've researched hollows enough to know their reiatsu links for a brief second during mating as well. My studies have never stretched to the prospect of hollow and human."

"I understand." Ulquiorra met the man's gaze once again, seeming to chase away all concern and uncertainty. "If I fulfill my basic needs, will such urges cease?"

"I'd think so. The part which is animalistic within you simply wants to claim her as yours. Of course, domesticated humans do that in a different way... Sex isn't always the seal, marriage usually is. But, to that part of you, 'mating' with her is the deal-sealer."

The arrancar nodded. "Thank you. Could I, perhaps, leave my gigai here and retrieve it tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll take care of it."


Ulquiorra was very aware of how the younger human society viewed sex. He knew that the girl would be surprised. Perhaps she would even be frightened. She claimed she wasn't afraid of him. But would she be frightened of him, in a stage of Segunda Etapa, where he could rip her limb from limb? In such a Resurreccion, he could quite possibly overwhelm her with his reiatsu and smother her. He realized he would have to conceal most of his spiritual pressure as to not make her uncomfortable, not to mention destroy the whole city around them. When Aizen had been in power, he hadn't allowed any of the first four Espada to release their zanpakuto within Hueco Mundo, for fear it would obliterate the place. With his Segunda Etapa, Ulquiorra knew he would have to be careful.

It was a pleasant change to walk down the sidewalk and not receive a single odd glance. None of these people could see him without a gigai. He made his way back to Orihime's apartment and knocked on the door lightly with his knuckles.

The door swung open, and he was greeted with two wide aqua eyes.

"... Ulquiorra-kun!"

Her scent washed over him as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging her body to his. Instinctively, his right arm came around her lean waist. She smelt like vanilla, as did the room behind the open door. She was baking something.

"You just missed Sado-kun. He went to visit Ichigo..." She attempted to pull back, but his arm held her tight. Puzzled, she tilted her head back to look up at him.

Could this person; this woman, be a reason for him to continue to exist? His arm left her waist as he cupped her face with pale hands. Her ginger hair fell around her face. She had changed a great deal since they first met. As had he. Still, they retained some sort of understanding; some type of connection that he could not explain with words. A connection that he disregarded at first, when his loyalties had lie opposite hers. But now, she was all he had of his past. Aizen was gone. All other Espada dead. Hueco Mundo destroyed. Everything he had come to know had disappeared. Except her.

She knew the glazed expression in his eyes well. He was deep in thought. She remained still in his grip, her face lit by the soft glow of the lantern beside her apartment door. His reiatsu was different, she noted. He wasn't in his gigai anymore. How funny, she thought, she would look to someone passing by who could not see Ulquiorra.

She watched intelligence flood his eyes, and that thousand-yard stare became focused on her once more. "I do not understand how you are able to tolerate me after all that occurred." His voice was a low murmur, almost husky.

Her eyes were on his nose. She suddenly felt a bit shy. "I guess sometimes love works in funny ways."

"... Love?"

His voice held a tone of wonder that turned the corners of her lips slightly upwards. "Yes. Love..."

He could not explain the elation that followed her words. He was becoming more human that he was comfortable with. He recognized it as something he would have to accept, in time. Such emotions were foreign to him. He would have to stop analyzing each and every spark of feeling, or else go insane. He wasn't sure how humans dealt with such irrationality.

"Sado left, you said?" he murmured as she moved inside. He followed and she closed the door.

"Just a few minutes ago, you just missed him... I told him."

"How did he take it?"

"He was... Well, he trusts me. So he was okay with it. I think." She seemed troubled. Ulquiorra didn't like it.

"How long will he be with Kurosaki?"

"Oh I don't know," she said softly, moving into the kitchen to open the oven slightly, looking inside. "An hour, maybe two."

The muffins were rising nicely. She shut the oven, its warmth ceasing to radiate upon her face, and turned around. A soft squeak fell from her lips as she bumped into Ulquiorra, who was standing just inches behind her. She giggled, placing her hands on his abdomen. "Ulquiorra-kun, don't scare me like that..."

Her smile was chased away the moment she looked up into his eyes. There was something else there – something that wasn't amused. Something more intense. It nearly frightened her. She wasn't afraid of him, though, she reminded herself. She blinked slowly, eyes flitting to his hand as it rose to brush a stray strand of hair from her face.

He struggled between being blunt with her and simply going with the flow of things. If she knew his condition, would she be more willing to comply? Or would that just ruin the atmosphere that was being created? He truly didn't enjoy such indecisiveness. Analyzing the look in her eyes, he believed she would be willing. Because she loved him.

His hand traced down the outline of her body, fingers absorbing the pattern of the lace that separated their skin. He yearned to touch her directly; somehow he knew her skin would be soft, like satin, and flawless. His fingertips played lightly along the curve just below her breast, and they followed the outward curve to her hip. She had certainly grown since their first encounter. True, her body had been well-developed then as well. But then, she had only been a young girl in a woman's body. Now she had grown into that shell. She was that woman.

She had always found herself very shy when it came to intimacy. Even when she imagined such things with Ichigo – the man whom she was once zealously in love with – her face would flush and she would become terribly embarrassed. Because of this awkwardness, she had barely taken the time to explore her own body. But now, with the small of her back pressed against the counter and his lean frame pressed flush against hers, she felt more excitement than shame. It was different with him. She was different with him.

"Are you afraid?" he murmured. His face was buried in the junction between her shoulder and neck. A small shudder rippled up her spine, causing her hand to tighten around the fabric that covered his abdomen.

"N-No."

"Do you trust me?"

"... Yes."

She was all too aware of his wandering hand tracing down to the lacy hem of her nightgown. The fabric slid across her milky thighs effortlessly, as did his hands as short nails trailed up soft skin. His lips, soft and cool, pressed gently to her neck, trailing up to her jaw before capturing her lips with his own. She was so concentrated on his tongue tracing along her bottom lip that she didn't even notice his hand creeping further up her thigh until his fingertips brushed the smoothly-shaven skin. The kiss was interrupted temporarily as she gasped, lips parted. His touch, although cool, burnt her like fire, igniting a passion within her that she didn't know existed. She needed him closer.

As she pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt, he wasted no time in nudging her panties aside with his fingertips. A soft rush of breath escaped his lips at the scent of her obvious arousal. He had barely touched her, and she already seemed nearly ready for him. He didn't want to keep either of them waiting.

A sharp intake of breath followed the insertion of his finger. She was slightly taken aback by his impatience, yet it also stirred that animal within her. Her hand became fisted in the white sleeve of his button-up as another finger joined the first. It felt oddly good, and although she was completely new to such an experience, she found herself wanting more. Fortunately, she needn't say a thing. The connection that the pair possessed aided her in even this situation.

He could tell what she wanted by the look in her eyes. They spoke just as plainly to him, just as if she had spoken the words with her lips. His hands came around her body to grip her thighs, lifting her off the counter. Effortlessly, she thought, despite the leanness of his figure. Although, she had already known he was quite exceptionally strong. She crossed her ankles behind the small of his back, arms coming around his neck as he carried her out of the kitchen. Only when she felt the hardness against her inner thigh did nervousness bubble up inside her. Her breath caught in her throat as he sat upon the couch with her in his lap. He recognized the anxiety immediately.

"Do you still trust me?"

She hesitated in her answer, producing a new feeling of apprehension that he had never experienced before. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to him, she raised those silvery-aqua eyes to his face.

"... Yes."

His fingertips tucked her ginger hair behind her ear before he kissed her cheek lightly. "Relax." His voice was but a whisper against her skin as he adjusted his position beneath her. The animal within her stirred again, and she wanted him inside of her.

Words couldn't describe her reaction when she felt his tip press into her. Her tongue became trapped between her teeth. Her body felt flushed; burning hot, yet his touch was contrastingly cool. It was passion. It was desire. It was wanting and longing and yearning. He was the frigid night and she was a hot summer's day. The balanced each other.

She was wet – deliciously so, and snug and warm. If his mind hadn't been compromised, he would have scolded himself for such thoughts. But his instincts seemed to have taken over, and all sense and rationality that he had worked hard to maintain during his years as a hollow had flown out the window. He was nothing but pure animal now. Feral. And his instincts were urging him to make her completely his.

He moved his hips and she twitched at the slight twinge of pain. She was not surprised – she had expected it to hurt more than it did now. She shuddered as he rocked his hips up into her, his tip buried somewhere deep within her. There was nothing but pure lust in his emerald eyes.

He couldn't bear the torture anymore. Laying her back on the cushion of the couch, he pushed into her impatiently. Her hand fisted in the blanket draped over the back of the couch, back arching to accommodate him. She hadn't anticipated it to be like this. She had always pictured herself as shy, covering herself, fearful of revealing her body to someone else. But intuition had taken over, and she felt no need to hide herself from him. He stayed upright, cool fingers gripping her milky thighs as his eyes swept greedily over her exposed skin. Her breasts bounced slightly with each thrust into her willing body. Her cheeks were flushed delicately.

Eventually, he leaned down to allow himself more leverage, and as he thrust deeper and harder, she clung to him. Her nails clawed at his lean shoulders and back, and he groaned at the animalistic act. She muffled the involuntary noises spilling from her lips with his shoulder, arching her spine as she tried to get more of him.

The thought of maneuvering into a different position crossed his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the warmth of her body, even for only a few seconds. She writhed beneath him, nails digging into his shoulder blades, only further aggravating his desire. He felt as if he was nearing his peak.

Then, he did something she didn't expect him to do. Holding himself up with one arm, he leaned back to capture her lips with his own, slowing his pace simultaneously. She whimpered at the loss of friction, reciprocating the passion of his kiss. She didn't want to be anywhere else, with anyone else. Just him. Just them.

His lips left hers to press against her temple. One sharp thrust emitted a shrill moan, and he resumed his fast pace. Fervently, he moved harder; faster. Her lips parted, brushing his neck just below his ear, and he receiving the warning of her nails nearly breaking his steely skin before he felt her contract around him. The additional tightness drove him over the edge, and a final groan spilt from his lips as he finished within her.

The afterglow washed over her like a warm, fuzzy blanket. Spent, she allowed her eyelids to droop for a moment. She winced slightly as he left her body, and wished they could have stayed that way. When she opened her eyes again, he was holding his weight above her, watching her. She was dumfounded as to how he wasn't exhausted. Her legs felt useless.

"S-Sado-kun will be home soon..."

"I see. We should move from this couch, then."

"I don't think I can walk..."

"Shall I carry you?"

She smiled lazily. "Can we take a shower?"

He pushed himself up from the couch, still stark naked. She stifled a giggle as he slipped one arm under her legs and picked her up.

"As you wish, On'na."