Dear Readers,
Another long wait, I know. I had my chapter completed a month ago, but my beta-reader is super super busy and can't get to it. Sooo, I figured I wouldn't make you wait any longer and I'd post it before it gets tweaked all the way. So, if you don't mind reading it before it gets perfected, then read on. Otherwise wait for the update. My next chapter is almost done and I'll be posting it right away as well. I don't want to stress out my Beta too much. Lol. So, without further ado, here is the next chapter! I hope you like it! Thanks for all the return readers! You rock my world!
Chapter 9
" We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end." -Benjamin Disraeli
The trip back to her room was awkward and silent. Orihime tugged nervously at the hem of her shirt as she watched Ulquiorra keep two steps ahead of her own pace. She could tell by his determined footsteps and stiff shoulders that he was upset. When they reached her doors, he stepped to the side without even a glance in her direction. In his own silent way, he indicated to her that he was going to leave as soon as she was safely inside.
Orihime stepped forward but froze in an awkward pause between Ulquiorra and her door. A knot tightened in her stomach and it made her feel sick. It was almost as if all the hard work she had suffered through to get to know him better was all destroyed, as though one mistake could void it out.
" Are you not coming in, Ulquiorra?" Her voice shook with the question, making her feel and look vulnerable, a trait she tried to avoid completely now. He did not turn to face her, but he gave her the luxury of a sideways glance. Looking at her, he could tell that she was suffering inwardly. Orihime appeared to have been torn apart multiple times from the inside.
" I have important matters to attend to." His response was clipped, and the cold tone he used made Orihime wince visibly. She remained in her awkward stance between him and her room with a forlorn look on her face. Ulquiorra couldn't help but stare at the pure form of disdain on her face. To him, it was beautiful. " I will return with your breakfast tomorrow. We can discuss details of our next course of action at that time."
Orihime felt her stomach lurch as she watched him turn to leave. The air between them wasn't right. She refused to let him leave while things felt that way between them.
" Wait!" She blurted loudly. Slender fingers closed around the Espada's wrist, and he instantly froze. An almost violent fluctuation in his rieatsu shook the entire corridor, causing plaster from the ceiling to rain down around the couple in small chunks. Orihime held her breath, too surprised by his reaction to do anything else. Obviously, the girl had caught Ulquiorra off guard. With wide eyes, he turned his head in a threatening way to face her and waited for an explanation.
Now very aware of her bold and careless actions, Orihime quickly racked her brain for words. " I-it's not what you think- what you saw today," her voice shook, but her gaze was strong. The vulnerability she had showed earlier was slipping away as she tried to convey her truth to him. It wasn't that she was afraid of Ulquiorra. She was afraid of losing everything she had built with him. The path to where she now stood in life was a bloody and difficult one. He was to be her King and she his Queen. She didn't want their already strange relationship to continue feeling this strained.
" What exactly is concerning you, woman?" he asked. He sounded insulted and bored at the same time. She didn't know which was worse. Unknown to her, he was neither. Instead, Ulquiorra was furious.
Ever since he had met Orihime, he had been pulled deep into a world he had never understood. Her very presence had twisted him around her tiny finger and kept him captivated. With her pure and loving heart, she accepted him for who he was. She chose to stay with him in Hell and remain his own personal light. However now, after seeing her with Ichigo, he felt defeated. It was a feeling he never wanted to survive again.
The seemingly strong bond they had shared now seemed imagined. Breathing became difficult as he recalled the sight of the woman in the shinigami's arms. " She doesn't belong in his arms…" He had thought when he intruded on the love scene. Ulquiorra couldn't bring himself to complete that thought now. The arms she belonged in were unknown to him. Obviously, Orihime felt like she was doing a great service to Los Noches by forsaking her life in Karakura, but he couldn't figure out why that bothered him so much. Wasn't this all just Aizen's plan? Months ago he looked at the whole situation with the intensions he despised her for looking with now. When did his feelings change? When did he ever have feelings? His thoughts were quickly silenced when Orihime spoke again.
" I didn't…I didn't chose to kiss him! I just… I didn't want you to think I felt that way about him…" Orihime knew by the way his entire body turned to face her that she had gained his full attention.
" What feeling are you referring to exactly?" He took a step toward her. Orihime swallowed audibly and her brow furrowed. " Love?" He almost laughed at the word.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, with great force, she was yanked forward into Ulquiorra's arms. A gasp escaped her lips as she stared up at him, complete shock shading her expression. His hand was firmly placed on the curve of her back, and the other around her wrist as though he were about to waltz. He held her stiffly, and it almost caused her pain. Orihime searched his eyes desperately for an explanation, but instead she found a clouded and confused look on his face.
Ulquiorra was angry. He wanted to teach her a lesson. He wanted her to know the emptiness he felt because of what she did. She needed to understand what he had been through. But as he held her in his arms, he didn't know how to continue. Just looking down into her innocent face made his breath falter. Without realizing, the hand around her wrist loosened and he found himself cradling the side of her head. His long white fingers tangled in her impossibly soft hair, exploring her in a way he had always secretly desired. A soft moan sounded from Orihime, and he felt a rush of adrenaline surge through him. Orihime's breathing became heavy, almost making it unbearable for Ulquiorra to remain so close to her. Her chest heaved, pressing her breasts into him, and the feeling of her against him nearly drove him mad.
The ghost of defeat crept up on him as he felt himself loosing control. The image of her betrayal entered his mind again and a bitter taste filled his mouth. A sneer replaced his curious expression and he leaned in slowly. His head lowered toward hers and he spoke. " If I so desired… would you allow me to kiss you?"
Orihime's legs almost buckled, and she lost the ability to speak. She didn't know what was happening. All she could do was stare into his eyes and wait for the next step. Her face was a deep crimson as she stood, wrapped roughly in his embrace. Ulquiorra took a final step forward, making any space between them nonexistent. He could feel her warm breath on his chin, but he did not falter in his plan.
" And if you allow me to kiss you…" he said, letting the grip on her tighten again, almost crushing her against his chest. " Does it mean you love me?"
This was it. She would hesitate. She would try to fight against his advances. He would win the battle, and she would know the truth.
However, to his everlasting surprise, her large silver eyes fluttered shut- a silent act of submission.
He froze.
Instead of proving a point he had somewhere in his head, she had effortlessly defeated him again. Not only that, she was waiting for him to kiss her. A tumult of feelings rushed through him, and he could honestly say he was frightened. He never even knew such sensations existed. As he looked at her, he realized quickly that he had gone too far. Almost violently, he dropped his arms from her. Orihime lost her balance and swayed drastically to the side. Her eyes snapped open and she searched his face for any explanation. Yet instead of an explanation, she found his despair.
" I wanted to prove a point… but I got carried away." Even admitting loss of control was foreign to him. The woman was getting under his skin, making him weak. His eyes closed tight as he pushed the negative thoughts from his mind. " Somehow my point was that it was not the act of kissing Kurosaki that demonstrated your love for him." His tone was calm, but disgust was evident in his voice. Disgust with the thought of Kurosaki or disgust with himself, neither one of them could tell. " It was the fact you showed yourself to him and to no one else."
Without another word, the new leader of Los Noches turned from Orihime and walked away, his coat tails flapping behind him. He did not stop until he was completely out of sight. Only then could he listen to Orihime's sobs and feel the complete guilt and remorse for his actions surround him in private.
With a wounded expression on his face, Ulquiorra leaned helplessly against the pale wall of his kingdom and listened to his future queen cry uncontrollably.
A half empty glass slammed against the counter, threatening to spill on impact. The drunken, blue haired Arrancar belched loudly before slumping back in his seat. With his newfound freedom restored, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez found himself completely restless and his boredom continued to grow exponentially. Without a mission on his agenda, he began to feel useless, and it was driving him insane. It also drove him to drink, which is how he ended up in a comically named pub called Sake and Spirits.
" Grimmjow!" A pudgy short hollow snarled from the other end of the bar.
A scowl replaced the bored look on the Sexta Espada's face. " Whaddya want, asshole?"
The hollow barked with laughter as he glided over to Grimmjow's chair. " I hear things in the palace have been getting interesting."
Grimmjow snorted and downed the rest of his drink with a loud gulp. " What of it?" He wasn't in the mood for small talk.
The hollow remained quiet for a second, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to make the already aggravated Arrancar even more upset. " The human girl is making quite an uproar in the Forest of Menos. She walks around Hueco Mundo trying to heal the land, helping hollows- trying to turn them toward her cause…" The hollow watched the Espada's expression. He seemed undisturbed by his remarks, so the hollow felt safe to continue with his inquiry. " We've heard things… things we argue over. Maybe you can settle the disputes." Grimmjow gave him a sideways glance, but continued to look annoyed. " I hear the green-eyed one keeps the human as a pet…Is it true?"
The memory of Orihime rushed through his mind, and he felt his grip on the glass tighten. The girl was troublesome, but he knew she had a good heart. It bothered him to hear the hollow talk about her like she was trash. The thought of trash brought back the memory of Ulquiorra, something else that bothered him. He was ruthless, stubborn, weak, and corrupt according to Grimmjow, and he couldn't figure out why Orihime chose to stay with him. Disgust began to rise within him when he thought about Ulquiorra locking away the girl for his own benefit. The woman deserved to have her life back, but instead she was tricked into remaining in the hellish desert he called home.
" Well?"
Grimmjow shattered the glass in his hand and grabbed the hollow by the neck. " If you ever talk about the woman again, I'll destroy you."
The hollow's eyes narrowed angrily, but he knew better than to fight an Espada over such a petty issue. The quarrel between them came to an abrupt halt when another hollow came crashing into the bar.
" I have news!" The messenger ran into a couple of tables before making his way to the back where a group of low-level spirits were sitting. " It's about the woman! She's marrying the Espada! They just decided!"
" Are we invited?" A female hollow cackled from the back of the group.
" Will there be alcohol?" Another erupted.
Grimmjow dropped the hollow from his grasp and stomped to the back of the room. Everyone in the joint fell silent as the rieatsu surrounding the Espada became intimidating. When he reached the table, he looked at the messenger with a look that sent horror through his veins.
" What did you just say?"
As the hollow stuttered through his announcement again, Grimmjow listened in complete shock. " That bastard is actually going to go through with it!" he thought indignantly. Perhaps there was more to Ulquiorra and Orihime than he had originally thought.
As he pondered the future of the strange couple, a mysterious hollow with two horns on his head slowly made his way through the now animated crowd. Once he reached the door, he gave one last glance toward Grimmjow before exiting into the darkness. The mysterious figure had a great distance to travel, but now he had news he was sure his master would want to hear.
The shadows on her ceiling stretched into strange shapes as the moonlight dripped into her bedroom. Orihime was unable to fall asleep and found herself studying the different shadows her room created at night. Despite being completely drained from being emotionally exhausted, her mind was still whirling around what Ulquiorra had said to her. She knew that her actions showed her love for Ichigo, but she also knew her feelings for Ichigo had lessened and been replaced with a different kind of love. She cared for him deeply. He was her first love, yet the feelings she had once felt for him now seemed immature and naïve.
As she matured during her stay in Hueco Mundo, she discovered an awaking in herself. She now had a much wiser outlook on love and life in general. The path she chose to take with Ulquiorra seemed promising, and recent weeks had given the future a more exciting light. However, the problem still remained between them, and Orihime didn't know how to fix it. She had obviously hurt Ulquiorra. She could tell by the light in his eyes that he had been wounded by what she had done. She also knew that pride was very important to him, and that had been severely damaged too.
With an exasperating sigh, she rolled over onto her stomach and stared at her soft red hair that contrasted against the white bed sheets. Her mind wandered back to the embrace they had shared earlier, and she felt her face begin to heat up again. She knew now there was some kind of attraction to the Espada. Never in her life had she felt so deliciously helpless. Her breathing became heavy as she remembered the way his body felt pressed tightly against hers. She remembered the crisp fabric of his uniform beneath her fingertips and how she could feel the muscles underneath. She remembered the smoldering look in his eyes as his lips came teasingly closer to hers. Orihime became restless and sat up in bed. Her heart was racing, and she wanted desperately to escape the heat that her thoughts brought her. Yet there was another feeling tugging at her core that she didn't want to escape.
" I need to see him."
She had to make things right. Orihime was determined to make him see the truth. She was falling for him, and now she understood she didn't want to stop.
Orihime kicked the covers from her legs and jumped off her large bed. With quick footsteps, she made her way to her door and found herself sprinting down the hallway to the room she had been taken to the night Loly and Menoly had attacked her. She was going to his bedroom.
Her heart leapt into her throat as she imagined him opening the door to her in her nightgown. Orihime considered turning around and changing, but when his door came into view she decided she had gone too far. She told herself he'd seen her in far more provocative situations, so it wouldn't be a big deal.
Her footsteps slowed drastically as she came closer, and the light that spilled beneath his doorway dimly lit her path. With a deep breath Orihime mustered up her courage and raised her hand to knock.
However, the door opened before she could even touch it. Ulquiorra stood on the other side, shirtless and visibly tired. He was rubbing the back of his neck, almost as though he had just been awakened.
" What is it?" his voice sounded irritated, but his expression seemed calm.
" I… I need to talk to you." Orihime's heartbeat accelerated until she could hear it in her ears. He was standing in front of her, half naked, and she couldn't stop the thoughts that ran through her mind. She'd never felt such carnal things for anyone in her life.
Ulquiorra stepped to the side, letting her walk into his room. His posture seemed to relax when she timidly entered and gave him a gentle smile.
Her eyes darted back and forth, studying what they saw. The room was lit by a couple candles, and she found the dark and empty feeling of the room the same feeling Ulquiorra gave her. Strangely, she found the feeling comforting. The dark covers on his bed were pushed into a bunch on one side. She had woken him.
" I'm sorry if it's too late," she suddenly felt nervous and regretted her spontaneity. " I can come back-"
As she turned to look at him, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. " It's fine. What do you need to say?"
He walked passed her and dropped his hand to his side, not stopping until he reached his bed. He sat down on the edge and looked up at her. The image he presented thrilled her. She'd never seen him in such a vulnerable position - slouching over on the side of his bed, half naked, looking at her curiously. A thought of her wedding night flashed through her mind, and she almost got a nosebleed.
" Ummm," she mumbled. She couldn't help but be embarrassed around him now with such thoughts bouncing around her brain. " I wanted to tell you…that…well…"
Now that she thought about it, she'd never figured out what to say to him. How was she supposed to show her feelings for him? How was she supposed to restore his pride and trust?
An idea came to mind, and she knew with the tired look on his face that it was better than nothing.
She swiftly crossed his bedroom, ignoring the way her silky nightgown accentuated her curves as she walked. She didn't miss his gaze travel her body quickly before returning to meet her eyes. She stopped in front of him, and he was beginning to look unsure of the situation.
" I wanted to show you…"
She extended her slender hand to him. His eyebrows rose, but he placed his hand in her own to humor her. His eyes bulged however when she placed his hand between her breasts, pressing it tightly against her.
" Do you feel my heart?"
Ulquiorra blinked, letting his eyes shrink back to their normal size before responding. " Yes." Now he was beyond curious as to what she was up to.
" It's not beating for Kurosaki-kun anymore. It beats for Los Noches. It beats for my new home," she was speaking so softly she was almost whispering. His eyes focused on his hand against her chest, and he felt a tug pulling within his own. He knew that her words reached deep inside him, touching a part of him that had never felt before meeting her. For the briefest instant, he thought he might have felt his heart thump heavily. It seemed as though she had won again. Defeat was upon him, but rather than despise it, he welcomed it. He was slowly losing his ability to resist her charms. Having a lack of control over the situation gave him a sense of freedom. Inwardly, he knew it was only a matter of time before he surrendered to the woman standing in front of him. She'd been relentless, chiseling at the wall he had built up around himself, and she had finally begun to break through.
His eyes traveled back to her face. His breath was lost when he saw the deep mysterious look in her silver orbs.
" My heart… It beats for you too, Ulquiorra."
As soon as the words left her mouth, a horrific panic set her mind on fire. She felt like she was drowning, and she was absolutely sure she was the most idiotic person the world ever let exist on its surface. But when she allowed herself to look back into his eyes, she found that he was not angry or amused, but bewildered. He did not speak, but searched her face as though he doubted her words. For once he didn't have a smart response to the situation, and she inwardly applauded herself for stumping him.
Now, feeling much bolder than she had before, she decided to make the next important move. She lowered his hand from her chest and slowly let go. A smile lit up her entire expression, stretching to her eyes. He looked confused, and pursed his lips as though he was going to speak, but she cut him off.
" Well, it's very late, Ulquiorra. I think I'll be going back to bed now."
Once again, she shocked the Espada into silence. With a slight bow, she quickly excused herself from his sleeping chambers and practically ran back to her own room. Once she had shut her door, she jumped up and down and spun in circles. Orihime was completely elated and she felt as though she were on top of the world.
Confessing her feelings to Ulquiorra validated them in her own mind. Now, she knew without a doubt that she was falling in love with him. She couldn't remember ever feeling so alive as she did in that moment. Once she got dizzy from her exuberant dancing, she dropped to the floor and laid back in the moonlight that stretched across her carpet. As her breathing slowed back to normal, she began to wonder what things would be like the next day. She felt her gut twist as she wondered what Ulquiorra was thinking about at that moment. Was he thinking about her? Was he happy? Was he disgusted? Was he elated like her?
With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself up and jumped into bed. She had confessed her feelings and left him to think about it. The ball was now in Ulquiorra's court, and that is just where she wanted it.
Special thanks goes to the amazing Reviewers! You really have no idea how much it means to me! Unless of course you are a fellow writer and then you completely understand!
Animefan1929: I know! _ lol Thanks for the review!
Shpootasticmagic: I'm so glad you enjoy the writing and you can see the images I'm trying to portray in your head! That's my favorite compliment!
Zoegirl221: Well, I hope you read the Manga! Unfortunately the Anime leaves out so much of the UlquiHime goodness! Trust me it's worth a read!
CrashCourse777: Yay! Thank you for reading!
Superfan8:It has not stopped! It will not stop! It will continue I promise! Lol :D
CallmeBaby'08': Thank you! I'm glad you liked that chapter. Hopefully this didn't let you down!
VenG: Awww thanks for continuing reading my story! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!
Ulquiarra: Ichigo and Orihime def. deserved closure! I agree! ^_^
BlumberBerry: Yes my mind is on their wedding night too. Lol. It'll be a fun thing to write! It's comin! ;)
BosBaBe: Thank you so much for your review! It made me giggle! I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but the next one is in production and almost ready for the public! Haha
Ryokokalinchan:Yay! I was hoping for the "oh noes" reaction when Ulquiorra walked in on the scene! Sorry for the wait!
Daheath: It is such an honor to me that you hold my fanfic so highly! THANK YOU! T_T You are awesome!
Ehmi: Yay! I'm glad you felt the tension and liked the idea! Hopefully we can keep the momentum now with these two. J
Anonesque: Yes, she does have a tendency to do stupid things. Haha.
Princessperp: Thanks for the review! And things are getting better! Never fear!
Yukira-kuchiki: Drama is always important don't you think? J
Nobody159: Well I certainly hope my chapters continue to get better as they progress! Thank you!
Well, as I said above, the next chapter is in the works and almost finished. This chapter will be redone as soon as the beta is done with it, so I'm sure it'll be much better by then. Frotu, however, is a very busy woman and I don't wanna pester her so I'll just put the unedited chapters up so I can keep putting them out quickly!
