Chapter 8
The Next Day
Was awkward, to say the least. I didn't really know
what to expect.
Would Ulquiorra now ignore me, toss me aside for
turning him down?
I really hoped not. Because even though he had basically
molested me, I
had kind of let him. [Oops.] But when he walked in, it
was completely
not what I had been expecting. He was holding a white
uniform that
looked a little like the one he himself was wearing. I
mean, white with
hints of black here and there. It was draped over his arm,
and when he
shut the door behind him, and I knew we were alone and
no one was
going to walk in or disturb us, my heart started racing and
I felt lightheaded.
"What's that?" I managed to get past my swollen tongue. He
gave me a
look. This look wasn't special in any way since as far as I
could gather, he
had about one facial expression. He held up the uniform. Lord
Aizen wishes you
to wear this, he said to me. As a part of your new life here, you
have been asked
to dress similarly to the Arrancar that inhabit Hueco Mundo.
Even as he
said it, I knew I hadn't been asked by Aizen. I'd been commanded.
And Aizen's orders
had to be followed. That didn't stop me from looking longingly
at my school
uniform – I never thought I'd say this, but I didn't want to give
it up. "What
about my uniform?" I dared to ask. I imagined that if Ulquiorra
had the physical
ability to screw up his face in disgust, he would do it. Give it
to me, he
ordered. It will be disposed of accordingly. For some reason, I
felt myself
blinking back tears. I shook my head and sighed, holding my hands
out for the
uniform. "Then can I please put it on?" I said, but he made no
move to give
it to me. Get undressed first, and then I'll hand you the
garment. I knit
my brows. [Surely he didn't just say that.] "W-what?" I
stammer, and
those green eyes bore into me. Surely you heard me. The
instruction was
not a difficult one. I swallowed hard and dropped my gaze,
lowering my
hands to my waistline and grasping the hem of my sweater
vest and pulling
it slowly over my head. It landed in a heap on the floor. Next
my fingers
went to the red bow at my neck, picking at the knot; finally
it slithered free
and fell down my body like a scarlet snake. I lowered my
hands to the
buttons on my shirt, but my fingers were shaking so badly
I could barely
grasp the slick surfaces. Do you need help? he asked me,
his voice almost
snide. But I shook my head quickly, keeping my face hidden.
A tear slid
down my cheek; my hands were shaking even harder now.
[Would Ichigo
do this?] Of course not. Ichigo was gentle, he was respectful.
Again, the
exact opposite of Ulquiorra, who held respect for no one –
with the possible
exception of Aizen. Finally my hands found the last button
and slipped it
from its confinement. I slowly slid the white fabric from
my shoulders,
hating the way my bra pushed my breasts together, hating
how big and
magnetizing they were, hating the way that Ulquiorra's eyes
were drawn to
the magnet. The material slid from my fingertips and when
it hit the
floor I looked up at Ulquiorra. He glanced at me, his gaze
burning. He
held my gaze, though; not looking down until more noise
grabbed his
attention. I fumbled with the zipper on the side of my gray
skirt, pulling
it down shakily, yanking it when it got snagged. I let it fall
and stepped out
of it, feeling ridiculous in my socks, shoes, and underwear. I
quickly scraped
my shoes from my feet, bending down to roll off my socks.
When I stood,
I clutched my arms around myself, curling my bare toes
over and over.
"May I…" I choked and restarted. "May I have my clothes
now?" I
whimpered a little, feeling my hair dancing across my back.
He nodded and
stepped forward, giving me the outfit. Somehow I found
the opening
and raised a foot to step inside, but hesitated. I glanced
at him, and
immediately regretted it. His gaze was burning again, staring
at my face,
then at my body. I realized too late that I was giving him
full access to
my cleavage and hopped quickly into the dress, which I
soon discovered
was just a pair of very loose pants and there was a whole
'nother top part.
I slipped this on also, letting myself relax a little now that
I was decently
covered. I then put on the belt, socks, sandals; yada, yada. I
looked back at
Ulquiorra when I had finished, watching the fire in his eyes
freeze just like
someone had doused it in water. "How do I look?" I asked,
smoothing the
skirt/pants. Like an Espada, he said, then paused. I waited for
the add-on
that I knew was coming. And I was right. But I liked you
better without
it. I frowned. "You like my World of the Living clothes?" I
asked, confused.
He shook his head. No. And just like that, he was gone. I stared,
confused, after
him, my emotions roiling like thunderclouds beneath my
skin. Because
even though he'd almost forced me to strip naked for his own
twisted reasons,
I still couldn't hate him. I did still love Ichigo. My heart
began aching
whenever I allowed my thoughts to dwell on him. But there
was just something
about Ulquiorra; and beneath his dark, almost perverse ways,
I was beginning
to think that…maybe I loved Ulquiorra as well as Ichigo.
