DISCLAIMER - see chapter one
That morning Yoruichi noticed that Ulquiorra wasn't up as usual. He was always up at six to train with her, but today she hadn't heard his door open, and it was already ten past six. She had put off going up so far in case he was in the middle of changing, however her impatience was beginning to get the better of her. With a sigh she got up from her place at the table downstairs and walked up to his room.
When she slid the door back with a thump she had been ready to shout him into action, however she froze as she took in the sight before her. Ulquiorra was lying on his back sound asleep, his face delicate and peaceful as he lay there, and lying half across his chest and clutching his T-shirt was Ururu in her white flannel pyjamas, also sound asleep. The pair looked so adorable that Yoruichi's eyes softened and she couldn't bring herself to wake them up,
"I guess I'll let you off training for today." She said quietly as she leaned on the doorframe with her arms folded, taking in the piles of notes across the floor. She wasn't surprised he hadn't woken up. Lately he had been staying up most of the night trying to appease the girls of his class. She and Urahara had listened as his mobile rang and he paced his room sometimes at two in the morning, which left him with an average of three hours' sleep by the time he was finished with the calls.
With a sigh she headed downstairs, ultimately deciding to give herself the day off training too as she sat down at the round table boredly, knowing that no one else would be awake for a while yet. Thinking this she was surprised as she felt a pair of arms wrap playfully around her shoulders. She grinned as she looked over her shoulder at the Shopkeeper, who smiled as he nuzzled her gently before pulling back, leaving his hands on her shoulders as he massaged the tender skin beneath her black tank top.
"Kisuke…" She sighed contentedly as she leaned her head back on his chest as he knelt behind her. These moments were usually quite scarce, both of them having numerous odd jobs to do during the day that kept them apart. She enjoyed the time they did get to spend together though, even if it was mostly just sleeping.
"I expected you to be out with Ulquiorra by now." The older man said as he pressed his thumbs more firmly against the lithe woman's shoulders, enjoying the way she moaned and arched her delicate back in approval. At the moment he found himself rather frustrated that her top was in the way of her bare skin, but he wasn't going to push his luck, plus the fact Renji was sleeping in the next room, though the look on his face would be a thing to behold I'm sure…
"I thought I'd give him a break…Looks like there was a storm last night." She added, grinning as she remembered the peaceful look on Ururu's face as she lay in Ulquiorra's gentle arms. She had never expected Ulquiorra to be the comforting type, at least not so soon after his transformation.
"How was Ururu? Have you seen her yet?" Urahara asked warily as he moved down Yoruichi's back, feeling her muscles loosen slightly at his experienced touch. He often used to do this for her after training, her muscles sometimes cramping since she never used to stretch down. She had been an impatient young woman, always on the move. Luckily she had grown out of that impatience.
"Hai, she's in Ulquiorra's room…seems she spent the night there." The cat-like woman replied with a smile as she looked up at the blonde man, whose warm eyes peered down at her from beneath the rim of his hat. It always touched her the way he cared for his two human children, even though they weren't actually his own. She had often wondered at one point what it would be like to have children, however her duties as a Shinigami had always prevented her pursuing that course. Now that she was older she didn't much mind it. She looked out for their human companions and Soi Fon as if they were her children, though Soi Fon is more a sister…
"What are you thinking?" Urahara asked as he leaned down so that the tip of his nose brushed hers, the younger woman grinning up at him with warm amber eyes. For as long as she cared to remember Urahara had been able to read her like a book, so it didn't surprise her when she looked up to find his warm eyes on her.
"Nothing much." She replied, as usual when they got near this topic of discussion. She let out a small chuckle as she heard a stumble upstairs, guessing that Ulquiorra had finally woken up and realised the time. "Hey! Ulquiorra! I'm letting you off for today!" She called, hearing a slight shout in response before the door to the shower went and Ururu hurried downstairs, still in her pyjamas as she hurried to the kitchen to start breakfast a little earlier than usual. As the small girl entered Urahara pulled back and moved to sit beside Yoruichi, both of them keeping their unspoken agreement not to show too much affection in front of the others. There wasn't any particular reason for this, it was just more fun that way.
"Ulquiorra-san, were you up all night again?" Urahara asked as the Espada came running down the stairs dressed for school, bag and books in hand as he stopped by the table. At first Urahara didn't think Ulquiorra had heard him as he began shoving his books into his bag, his tired green eyes looking at his watch, which would read seven thirty by now.
"Most of it yes…Ururu, I'll be going now." Ulquiorra called, the small girl hurrying out with a plate of toast as he slipped into his shoes and slung on his backpack. "Arigato." He added with a smile as he took the two slices of toast and hefted his violin case before leaving the shop, waving to Ururu as he went as he noticed her hovering in the doorway.
The day was cool, making him grateful for the high collared jacket he was wearing as he walked along. The streets were quite different since the rain, the puddles and darkened path making it look more melancholic than usual, though it was nothing compared to Hueco Mundo. Looking up the sky was still overcast, heavy grey clouds turning overhead and it was then that he felt it, a Hollow…
Ulquiorra froze, his eyes darting around calmly, but all he could see were the tumbling clouds above and the quiet streets all around. Where is it? I know it's close…I can feel it…He thought as the weak reiatsu washed over him. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the reiatsu rushing down towards him, pitiful…
"You're mine Human!" The huge monstrous being cried in a deep gravely voice, which was also husky and phased because of the mask. Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder emotionlessly, his green eyes staring straight into the glowing amber eyes of the huge hollow, its body rolling out like a centipede with hundreds of thin legs. As the Hollow bent down, its head flying towards him ready to devour. Ulquiorra's eye's thinned very slightly before he hopped away.
"You believe you can defeat me? You? The weakest trash that has ever dared to set foot in this dimension!" Ulquiorra exclaimed, his voice slightly raised and harsh, but not particularly vicious or condescending. The Hollow watched the human boy fly through the air and changed its direction, the large masked jaws snapping at the teen. Ulquiorra frowned slightly and kicked away, rebounding from the Hollow mask. As he landed on the floor Ulquiorra put his hands in his pockets, glaring over his shoulder at the Hollow, which looked down at him in frustration,
"Stay still Human and it'll end quickly!" The Hollow declared. Ulquiorra couldn't help the sudden rush of adrenaline as he turned to the Hollow with a smirk, the creature pausing as it felt the crushing, and horribly familiar, reiatsu suddenly radiating from the human before him. Of course since it was a familiar reiatsu he knew that the boy wasn't really human at all.
"So, you finally realise your mistake." Ulquiorra observed as he raised his right hand and held his fingers pointed outwards to the huge beast before him, "Unfortunately it is a lesson learned too late." The Espada added as green bolts of Cero formed around his fingers. He watched with a rush as the Cero erupted from his fingertips and into the unfortunate Hollow before him, the smirk never leaving his lips. Ulquiorra hummed indifferently as the Hollow disintegrated before looking at his watch. "I'm going to be late!" He observed innocently as he hurried off in the direction of Orihime's apartment, unaware that he was being watched.
Orihime's eyes snapped open at the gentle knock at the door. She looked around the living room frantically as she noticed the light grey sky outside her windows and groped for her alarm clock. The screen was flashing with zeros. Of course! There was a storm last night! Stupid Orihime!
"Hold on!" She called at the next slightly louder tap. Getting to her feet she hurried into her bedroom and grabbed her white dressing gown, returning to the door as she fastened it over her matching night dress. As she opened the door she found Ulquiorra, whose eyes shifted away from her in something akin to embarrassment. "Ulquiorra-san! Please come in!" She invited in a mixture of shyness and surprise. The Espada nodded and accepted her invitation, stepping into the living room to see her sleeping things were still out.
"Gomen, I should have called before coming over." He apologised as he watched her flit around trying to tidy a little, pushing magazines out of sight, folding her futon and organising her papers on the small round table. Ulquiorra hesitated before slipping his shoes off and going to help, kneeling beside her at the table. "You do remember asking me to come over?" He checked at her confused expression,
"Ah! Of course! The electricity went out!" She remembered suddenly, her mind still a few paces behind since she had been up shivering half the night buried beneath her covers. She looked across at Ulquiorra to see him giver her a warm smile accompanied by a dignified nod. "Question eight!" She remembered as she flicked through the notes, Ulquiorra's mask back in place as he looked over her shoulder.
"A simple puzzle." He replied, going on to explain it to her, watching as she nodded and gazed at the book in determination. He felt a small smile cross his lips as he watched her work, her nose slightly scrunched up as her grey eyes stared at the page. He had to admire her persistence as she worked, though he already knew a lot about her faith and determination from their time in Hueco Mundo.
"Is this right?" She asked, watching the graceful young man at her side lean over her small shoulder to flick his deep green eyes across her neat writing. As he looked at the page she took her time in observing him. The only oddity in his appearance were the deep green tear track marks that ran down his cheeks, otherwise he looked like an average schoolboy.
"Indeed." He replied as his green orbs shifted to her, their eyes locking for a few moments and both of them frozen in surprise. Ulquiorra hadn't been expecting to find Orihime staring at him so intently, while Orihime was just stunned by his deep green orbs. As the moment stretched out a light blush coloured Orihime's cheeks, and she felt too embarrassed to say or do anything. She felt that breaking the moment would draw attention to it, but not breaking the moment would also make things awkward. "Your skin is flushed…" Ulquiorra observed, Orihime's blush deepening as he raised a gentle hand and pressed it against her forehead gently.
"It's just a little hot in here." Orihime replied as they froze once again, a knock at the door bringing them back to the here and now. Orihime jerked back from Ulquiorra's touch just as he dropped his hand and got to his feet. Orihime hurriedly stood with him and followed him to the door, "You're not leaving already, are you?" She asked as she looked up at him and opened the door without looking,
"Hai. It would not be beneficial to be observed entering the school grounds together." Ulquiorra replied, feeling a small reiatsu spike as he slipped into his shoes. He help up a hand and blocked the punch thrown his way without looking, "Ohayo Arisawa." He added as he released her fist and slung on his backpack, Orihime quickly wrapping her arms around the energetic girl who wanted nothing more than to dropkick Ulquiorra where he stood. "I shall see you in class." The Espada added before leaving,
"Arigato Ulquiorra-san!" Orihime called after him as he walked down the steps, the boy lifting a hand to tell her he had heard, but making no effort to look back. Orihime paused a few moments before turning to Tatsuki sheepishly, the sporty teen waiting expectantly for a satisfactory answer. "Ulquiorra-san kindly agreed to come over on his way to school to help me again." The redhead excused as she invited Tatsuki inside.
"This morning? The way he talks he's been here all night…Why's he so uppity about being seen in the school grounds with you if there's nothing going on?" The black haired girl asked firmly. Orihime blanched at this. She had been hoping to keep her troubles a secret from the other girl, especially since it involved Ulquiorra. Orihime stammered a few moments before excusing herself and running to the bathroom, where she shut the door quickly before starting a shower. Gomen Tatsuki-chan…this is something for me to deal with…
Orihime sighed as she peeled off her dressing gown and pulled her long nightdress over her head, unveiling her large breasts before sliding out of her white panties. The water was hot and steaming as she stepped beneath the flow, grimacing slightly as her body adjusted to the hot temperature. She took her time beneath the spray, shaving her delicate legs slowly and running her fingers over the soft smooth skin.
She then lifted a bottle of light pink body wash and a sponge, which she used to work the creamy substance into a thick lather, rubbing it all over her shapely body before allowing the cascading water to rinse it from her delicate limbs. Her hair was next, and she used an all in one shampoo and conditioner to wash the fiery strands, massaging the white cream into a lather before rinsing it out, facing up into the spray as she did so. Her grey eyes opened at a knock on the door,
"We're going to be late!" Tatsuki's voice called from the other side, Orihime quickly climbing out and replying that she wouldn't be long. Without pause she set about brushing her teeth, standing naked before the sink to allow her skin to dry naturally, though she swept her long hair up into a white towel. By the time she had finished her teeth she was almost dry and slipped into her dressing gown before hurrying through to her bedroom, where her clothes waited.
"Gomen! I'll be out soon!" She called over her shoulder as she shut the door, the dark haired girl waiting patiently on the folded futon beside the table. Inside her room Orihime rushed around, pulling on her underwear and brushing her long hair before stumbling into her uniform and blow drying her hair. Checking her delicate turquoise flower clips in the mirror Orihime hurried out to the living room, where Tatsuki joined her as she hurried to the door.
"I'll be training again at lunch…You'll be okay right?" Tatsuki asked as they hurried towards the school. Orihime smiled, impressed with how hard Tatsuki always worked on her fighting; she was so dedicated. I wish I could be as strong as Tatsuki-chan…then she wouldn't worry about me all the time…
"Of course! Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Orihime replied with a bright and encouraging smile. Tatsuki gave a grin of her own as they approached the school. Orihime's smile always calmed her nerves, though she did often worry about the redhead. She hadn't been spending as much time with Ichigo and the others for obvious reasons, so when Tatsuki was in training she often worried that the redhead was off by herself.
"What? Chizuru's not here again?" Sakura murmured as Orihime and Tatsuki took their seats, Ulquiorra already lost in another book. He had finished the physics book now and was already half way through a book on astronomy. Ichigo was turned sideways in his seat for the moment talking to Keigo, while Mizuiro was half way through a text on his phone. Ishida was waiting patiently for class to start while Rukia and Sado were whispering quietly.
"I hear she's got really bad tonsillitis…I hope she's okay…" Tokoto muttered in reply. Orihime sighed as she pulled her books out. She was worried about Chizuru too, the girl had been absent for a few days now and class was quite dull without her. Across the row Tatsuki seemed to be thinking the same thing. Chizuru could be a royal pain in the ass, but she was still a friend.
"Alright class! Rearrange the desks, it's time for art class!" Sensei announced as she entered. Ulquiorra looked up in confusion as the students got to their feet and began shifting the desks around. "Schiffer! Come up here for now." Sensei ordered as she caught the boy's confused expression. Ulquiorra took his book to the front and watched as his desk was moved into part of a square. There were six squares, four with four people seated around them and two with only three.
"Over here Ulquiorra-san!" Sakura cried as the occupants of the two incomplete tables turned to look at him. At their gazes Ulquiorra seemed a little uncomfortable, feeling that either way someone would be upset.
"No here!" Miaka insisted from the other table, where Orihime was sat beside Tatsuki with the dark haired Miaka opposite. Ulquiorra found himself hesitating as he looked between the two groups, though ultimately he thought it unfair that he should force himself on Orihime, and Tatsuki wouldn't be impressed with him at their table either.
"Go and sit opposite Inoue." Sensei decided with a sigh, getting more and more fed up with the hormone ruled girls of her class. Ulquiorra nodded and sat at the table with his book as Sensei handed out paper, pencils, chalk and paints with water and brushes. He didn't bat an eyelid as she returned to the front of the class and proceeded to drabble on about art.
Ulquiorra had read plenty of books on art, which he could appreciate. He liked the beautiful images, some of which had symmetry and some of which were delicate while others were harsh, dark and chaotic. He had looked at all kind of pictures in the books and seen how they had been constructed, as well as the general opinions of them at the time.
"Schiffer, what are you doing?" Sensei asked as she paused by the table, holding up a hand as the green eyes looked up at her. She knew the answer that was on his lips before he even opened his mouth, "I can see that you're reading, but this is art class." She replied quickly as she folded her arms and looked over her glasses at him, watching as he lowered the book slightly,
"I have read broadly on the subject." He replied simply, Sensei sighing as she crouched down beside him. The class was fairly loud by now, so none but those around the table had heard her question Ulquiorra. Orihime paused in her drawing to look across at the exchange, feeling Tatsuki's burning glare from her right.
"That's not what we do in art class! Art is where you express yourself through pictures, and you can't do that by reading a book." She added triumphantly, glad that she had finally had the chance to actually teach Ulquiorra something that he didn't seem to know. She smiled slightly as his usually firm brow creased in thought as he looked across at her, his green eyes both deep and intense.
"You wish me to…draw?" Ulquiorra asked finally as he looked at the blank sheet of paper hesitantly, Sensei nodding as she gently took Ulquiorra's book from his hands and closed it, deciding to take it to her desk and keep it out of the way of the paint. It would also stop Ulquiorra getting bored and reading instead of working. "What should I depict?" The boy asked as he looked up at her calmly, his arms folded across his chest,
"Well, the title is 'home sweet home,' so draw for me what home is to you." She instructed, Ulquiorra nodding distractedly. Sensei smiled as she got to her feet and looked at the other three girls at the table, "Give him a hand if he needs it, okay?" She instructed, the girls nodding in reply, though Tatsuki did so grudgingly. Orihime watched as Ulquiorra stared at the paper with a blank expression, the girl on his left looking at him with a bright smile.
"So what are you going to draw Ulquiorra-san?" Miaka asked, her big brown eyes gazing at him adoringly, a look that Ulquiorra neither understood nor cared to work out. He remained silent for a while, unsure himself what he was supposed to draw. 'Home sweet home' hm? Well…if it's home we're supposed to draw…
"Home." Ulquiorra replied simply as he reached down and took one of the sharpened pencils, his hand delicately poised above the page. Orihime waited as Ulquiorra froze, his expression blank for a moment before his hand began to move slowly, elegant lines gradually appearing on the sheet.
"Orihime." Tatsuki whispered, pulling Orihime back to herself with a blush. Looking at Tatsuki she found the brown eyed girl glaring slightly in disapproval. The redhead quickly dropped her gaze to her own mostly blank sheet, where she had started trying to draw herself.
As the lesson went on the pictures gradually began to take shape. Orihime smiled as she looked down at her picture in satisfaction, though of course it wasn't perfect. She admitted herself that she was no artist, but it was good enough. It was a picture of her sitting in her living room with Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Ishida and Tatsuki. She had wanted to fit more of her friends in, but she just hadn't had the time. Looking across to Tatsuki she saw that she had drawn a dojo full of people wearing white kickboxing uniforms with various coloured belts.
"What's yours Ulquiorra-san?" The somewhat annoying girl to his left asked as she leaned over his arm, where he was still adding in the finishing touches. Sensei crept over, quietly hoping to find that she had stumbled across something that he wasn't good at, however she was disappointed. Ulquiorra had drawn a beautiful pencil sketch of an open desert at night with a dead trees framing either side. The only odd thing about it was that the crescent moon had been drawn backwards and there were no stars in the black sky at all. Orihime stole a glance at it as Sensei collected it up and blanched. To her that image was a nightmare, but it didn't really surprise her that to Ulquiorra it signified home.
As she shifted her gaze to Ulquiorra she noticed a slightly melancholic expression slip cross his usually stoic features for a moment. No one else caught it, but she had seen it and once again felt guilt tug at her stomach. She blushed as she locked eyes with him, his eyes looking more like his former self than ever.
"Alright! Move the desks back and you're free for break!" Sensei announced, breaking the hold Ulquiorra's eyes held over Orihime. Ulquiorra helped to shift the desks back and sat down with his book open, the girls of the class flocking to him like a harem, sitting around on other people's chairs and desks. Orihime sighed as she dropped her bag beside her chair, where a girl was sitting facing Ulquiorra as he read.
"Hey! Buzz off!" Tatsuki ordered as she stepped to Orihime's side, the girl on Orihime's chair looking up with a scowl, as did the girl on her desk. "You heard me! This is Orihime's seat!" The sporty girl added with a frown, the two girls glaring at her but quickly moving. They knew not to cross Tatsuki when she was in a bad mood, and right now she found herself feeling extremely pissed off.
"Tatsuki-chan! I-it's okay! I-I don't mind…" Orihime trailed off as she frantically tried to calm the situation, since the group of girls seemed to be thinking that if they all teamed up Tatsuki wouldn't stand a chance. Orihime paused and stepped back as Tatsuki glared and walked over to Ulquiorra, who hadn't looked up at any point during this short argument. Orihime, and the girls watching, gasped as she reached out, grabbed Ulquiorra's shirt and pulled him up roughly, the Espada looking at her in confusion,
"Is there a problem?" He asked at her clearly displeasured look. He glanced at the girls around him, a few of them stepping forward with looks of indignation, stopping as Ulquiorra put his arm out. Tatsuki found herself looking up at him as he stood at his full height with his back straight, moving his hands to his pockets. Orihime hadn't seen him look so much like his old self since his arrival, the coldness in his eyes sending shivers down her spine.
"Yeah there's a problem! Since you came here you've done nothing but create problems for Orihime! Why don't you just get lost?" She shouted as she pulled on his shirt, Ulquiorra making no move to stop her as she yanked him around. Orihime grabbed Tatsuki from behind and tried to pull her back, for once feeling upset because of her friend's over protectiveness.
"Tatsuki-chan! Tatsuki-chan stop!" She cried as the sporty teen balled her fist and pulled it back to punch Ulquiorra, pausing as she felt Orihime grab her elbow. She looked over her shoulder to find Orihime with tears running down her cheeks, her breaths coming in short gasps from their struggle. Grudgingly she released Ulquiorra, who was also staring at Orihime, his eyes slightly softer than before, "I didn't mind it…why did you have to…It's not his fault! Just leave him alone!" Orihime shouted before leaving the room, Rukia quickly getting off Ichigo's desk to follow as Tatsuki stood stunned. Orihime had never shouted at her before.
"I will return shortly." Ulquiorra informed the girls, who were too stunned to react as Ulquiorra calmly left the room. Tatsuki felt her fist clench and shake, her nails digging into her palms before she finally cursed under her breath and went to her desk, ignoring the questioning glances sent her way.
"Inoue?" Rukia called softly as she stepped into the empty hall, most students either in their classrooms or outside by now. She walked along the corridor and turned the corner, finding Orihime standing against the wall wiping her eyes while she sobbed. "Inoue…" Rukia said comfortingly as she walked over to the taller girl and put a hand on her shoulder gently. She felt Orihime jerk in surprise as she wiped her eyes and looked back with a forced smile,
"Kuchiki-san…" She said with forced cheer, her façade dropping as she realised it would be impossible to trick Rukia at a time like this when she was clearly still crying. Rukia smiled and slid down the wall with the redhead until they were sitting side by side on the hard tiled floor, both enjoying the silence for a few moments,
"So what happened back there?" Rukia asked in a way she hoped wasn't prying too much. Rukia knew she wasn't good at offering comfort, but seeing the redhead as she was she found it harder not to try. Orihime sighed and leaned further back on the wall, looking up at the long tube light above, the dim light covering her vision.
"I just…got frustrated…Since I came back Tatsuki's been more clingy than ever. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, but at the same time…" Orihime trailed off as she glanced at the petite girl beside her, Rukia giving her a warm smile of understanding. She had felt a similar feeling with Ichigo and Renji in the past, particularly after Aizen forced his hand into her chest. Even after the injury healed they still insisted on protecting her like the stubborn men they were.
"You don't need it anymore." Rukia finished, knowing herself that Orihime had come a long way in the past few months. Since she had been to Hueco Mundo she had more determination and strength. She didn't need someone to come to her rescue for petty things anymore.
"Mm." Orihime agreed with a nod, "But that's not all…It's the way she treats Ulquiorra…I know I'm the last person you'd expect to defend him, but…he's not the same as he was before…I can tell more than anyone…He deserves a chance…and I hate it when everyone blames him and say it's his fault that he's here, because it's not! I just feel like it's…my fault…" She trailed off awkwardly, Rukia pausing as she reached out to touch the girls shoulder. As she reached out she heard someone coming, and judging by the weight of the steps she suspected who it was,
"I will never understand you humans and your emotions." Ulquiorra said as he stepped around the corner. He had heard the end of Orihime's confession and felt it his duty to point out the flaws of her argument. He looked down at the two girls, Rukia swiftly getting to her feet and excusing herself, though part of her urged her not to leave the redhead alone with the ex-Hollow.
Ulquiorra hesitated a moment before taking Rukia's place on the floor at Orihime's side. As they sat a silence fell between them while Ulquiorra puzzled over what he could say to relieve Orihime's self blame. It certainly wasn't her fault that he was there, if anything it was his own fault for being so active during the war. He shifted his gaze to the lightly blushing girl beside him, his green orbs warming slightly,
"I have told you before Inoue, you are not at fault. It was the Shinigami's decision to bind me in this manner, and my own immense power that drew their attention. You played no part in my capture, however I am…" He trailed off as he tried to figure out the feeling swirling in his chest. He wasn't quite sure. It was a warm feeling, but at the same time it made his cheeks heat in something akin to embarrassment. "I feel…grateful…elated even, that you would trouble yourself over me." He finished with some difficulty.
Orihime turned her surprised grey eyes to Ulquiorra's warm green orbs, his expression so open with a warm smile. She blushed as he turned towards her, still taller than her even though they were sitting down. She leaned back slightly as he leaned forward, a gentle hand reaching out to run through her soft orange locks, her blush deepening as he leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
"Arigato, Inoue…" He said as he pulled back with the same warm look. She sat frozen to the spot as he got to his feet and held his hand out to her, still trying to figure out exactly what had passed between them. It was like a tender kiss without actually kissing…She thought, her cheeks a deep shade of red as she hesitantly took his proffered hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
They remained that way for a few moments, Ulquiorra doing nothing more than holding her hand and looking down into her wide grey eyes. Gradually he leaned down, his face closing in on hers as his eyelids slid lower until his green orbs were almost hidden. Orihime remained frozen, unsure what to do as he came closer, his light scent washing over her.
"U-Ulquiorra…" She said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as he leaned closer, her eyes wide as she felt his light breath on her lips. There must be less than an inch between us…She thought nervously, her lips quivering slightly as the distance gradually closed between them.
The bell rang out through the corridor loudly. With a gasp Ulquiorra pulled back, his eyes snapping wide open as he looked down at Orihime with slightly reddened cheeks, her own just as flushed as she looked up at him. They both looked away in embarrassment, neither willing to talk about what had just occurred. With a light cough Ulquiorra turned away, looking back over his shoulder quickly,
"We should return to class." He said in a neutral tone as the light blush faded from his pale cheeks. Orihime nodded and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand, making sure all traces of her tears were gone before catching up to walk silently beside Ulquiorra.
