A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see. Sorry for the delay. It was my birthday last week (I'm finally 18, huzzah!) which might have more relevance in some countries than others, but essentially I'm all growed up down here. So since I've been feeling festive, I decided to get cracking and update.
Concrete Jungle:
Matsumoto Rangiku squirmed against the hold of her captor. She wasn't sure how it had happened - she was a trained warrior after all, people shouldn't have been able to sneak up on her so easily. She could only conclude that her grief had consumed her until she was no longer aware of her surroundings.
It had been foolishness on her part - she had wandered away from the others. How could she resist? The ruined castle above them was the place where he had spent the last months of his life. She wasn't sure what she was looking for as she walked the desolate hallways, slowly filling up with sand. She only knew that she was searching for something that would somehow make the emptiness in her heart disappear...
She had gone too far. Strong arms had locked around her from behind, the sheer strength of her captor preventing her from doing anything to escape. A hand clamped down over her mouth and cut off her scream.
Her captor had escorted her in this manor from the castle, on the opposite side from her Captain. She tried to get her reiatsu up, to warn the others, but found it was impossible. Her captor was stifling her completely. The only sound he would make was the occasional grunt as she struggled against him. Rangiku was a big girl. Most men would certainly be unable to hold her down for so long.
It was this that made her realize she was in trouble. Her captor had suppressed his reiatsu totally and completely, and yet, he effortlessly restrained her. They sped across the dunes of Hueco Mundo.
It was only after they had traveled far enough away that her Captain's presence faded from the edge of her mind completely that she was released. Rangiku didn't hesitate. Haineko was drawn and swinging down on her captors head before a second was up.
The palm of his hand stopped her blade. The man before her was covered in dark cloth, his face hidden beneath a low cowl. She could see only the bottom of his chin, revealing light stubble, as if the man hadn't shaved for a few days.
A tired voice spoke. "Shinigami-san, I'd prefer it if you didn't do that...I'm not really in the right shape to fight you yet..."
Rangiku was taken aback, narrowing her eyes and pressing her sword into the flesh of his hand, willing it to draw blood. What kind of person admitted to that sort of thing? "Who are you?"
The man slowly gripped her sword and lowered it to the side before raising his other hand and scratching his chin in a casual manner. It made a noise as his nails caught on his stubble, but Rangiku's attention was caught by the large burn on the back of his hand. "To be honest," he said, "I'd prefer not to say just yet."
She scowled. The man kidnapped her and now he wanted to be vague? "Then what do you want?"
He sighed. "I don't really want anything...There's actually someone who I know wants to see you. He's been very stubborn about not doing so...seems to think you're better off without him, but..." his lips turned down into a frown. "I don't really agree with his logic. If the person you love is still alive, you should spend as much time with that person as possible. No matter what..."
Rangiku was struck speechless as the man fell into silence. He couldn't possibly be saying what she thought he was saying. And yet, who else could it be? She knew she was being reckless, trusting some stranger who had so easily overpowered her. But something about him seemed sincere. When he spoke of loved ones, he seemed almost nostalgic.
Or perhaps it was her own desperation giving her reasons to trust this strange man. Whatever it was, she sheathed her sword and seized the front of his robe. "Please," she cried, "Take me to him!"
Orihime woke up when Ulquiorra shook her shoulder. She blinked up at him, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and uncurling her stiff limbs. He stood next to her, shrugging on his long grey coat, looking out the window. She followed his gaze and gasped as she saw the skyline of San Francisco. She struggled to comprehend how they had left home in the middle of the night, and yet the sun seemed to just be setting behind a massive bridge spanning a channel of ocean. Orihime cooed in wonder, scrabbled to kneel up on her seat and pressed her face against the window, unbothered by the squashing of her nose, and held her breath to prevent fogging it up.
The city was huge, so much bigger than Karakura. With the sun just disappearing over the horizon and the sky beginning to darken into a deep purple, the city had already been lit up. The sparkling lights illuminated the Golden Gate Bridge, and reflected in Orihime's eyes as she gazed out in wonder. It was a sight more beautiful than anything she had ever seen before. Tears sprung into her eyes at the sheer glory of it.
"It's amazing, Ulquiorra-san!" she cried, leaning back and giving him a wide grin. She received only a noncommittal grunt in response as Ulquiorra had already turned away and was busy leaning over the still unconscious Nel. Orihime could only see his back, but she knew Ulquiorra was inspecting the woman by the way his long fingers gently pried open her eyelids. Orihime then tilted her head and frowned, noticing something for the first time.
"Where's Grimmjow-san?"
As if to answer her, Orihime heard the sound of a toilette flushing and a moment later Grimmjow slouched into the room, hair wet and a towel around his shoulders.
"Oh, there you are!" Orihime said brightly, "Good mor- err, good evening!"
Grimmjow eyed her balefully, as if wondering what on earth she had to be so chipper about. Orihime turned back to the view, swinging her legs energetically behind her as she did so. "Isn't it cool?"
Grimmjows lack of a response didn't put a damper on her good mood. Orihime wasn't sure why, but she had woken up quite happy, all things considered. Even though she had technically been kidnapped, something about the whole ordeal, especially now, just felt like an adventure to her. The kind she had always wanted to go on.
After all, she reasoned, it wasn't like she had anything spectacular waiting for her at home. It was her final year of high school and even if she managed to get back in time to pass, her chances of earning a scholarship were all but nil now that she had missed so much school. And given that her financial support was due to end once she left high school, without a scholarship her prospects for the future were dim indeed.
She would never be able to afford university. Her dream of opening a bakery would require quite a bit of start up money that would only be acquired through years of saving. So what did she have to look forward to at home? Living paycheque to paycheque every month while all of her friends moved on to a better life?
She sighed at the bitter thoughts. She had never belonged in their exciting lives. She didn't have the power or the money to ever keep up with them.
But Ulquiorra...well, he wasn't giving her a chance to keep up with him. He was dragging her along whether she liked it or not. And, even if it was to a great extent against her will, a tiny part of her felt that it was nice to be wanted. Her friends had tried to push her out of their affairs. Ulquiorra was insisting that she be involved.
Who said she had to be depressed and angry just because she hadn't been given a choice to be here? She was where she was and frankly, it was more exciting than anything back home. Back home she would be struggling to survive, to buy food, to pay the rent. Here, at the mercy of her captor, her life was out of her hands. And strangely, that felt like a great weight off her shoulders. She had been self-reliant for so long that it was nice to not have any responsibilities.
Her friends were alive and safe. They really didn't need her anyway. So why shouldn't she allow herself to be whisked away on this adventure? Ulquiorra had promised that he wouldn't hurt her so long as she behaved, and he had even indicated that he would allow her to have fun in this new city! Yes the situation was a bit twisted, but for so long as Ulquiorra did nothing that went against her moral code, she would have no reason to rebel against him and in theory, they would all get along just fine. They might even become friends!
She giggled at the thought of calling Ulquiorra and Grimmjow her friends. It seemed out of place, even in her idealistic mind. But still...it was a nice thought. She still wanted to go home one day, so maybe if she got on Ulquiorra's good side, he'd return her once he was done with...whatever he apparently needed her for.
She gave the man a sideways glance. That was assuming he had a good side. And if he did, how would someone get on it?
Orihime winced. Was she actually considering manipulating him? That seemed like a foolhardy plan at best - she just wasn't cut out for that. If he ever sensed her intentions, she'd be in serious trouble. Not to mention, she didn't like the idea of playing with someone's emotions like that. Grimmjow had said that Ulquiorra felt something for her, and while she couldn't say she hated him, she certainly didn't reciprocate. He was far too cold and scary for her taste, and he seemed to go out of his way to challenge her or put her down. She liked good, kind men, with a sort of adorable gruffness to them. The closest that Ulquiorra came to fitting the bill was that he could be incredibly abrasive. She could never care for a man like that, a man so detached and even cruel. So would she really be okay with acting like she could and using him?
But what other choice did she have? She had no other way of fighting him, after all, and as much as she could convince herself that this was all fun and games for the time being, she highly doubted that Ulquiorra's plans for her were innocent.
She just didn't know...
As they descended, Ulquiorra pulled her out of her musing to tell her to strap in. The landing strip was on a secluded field just outside the city, situated behind a large building.
When they exited the jet they were met with the sight of a black limousine. Orihime's eyes bulged at the sight, almost tripping out of the jet and face planting into the concrete. Ulquiorra's firm tug on the collar of her coat from behind her prevented this and she descended with only slightly more grace before hurrying over and smacking her face against the black tinted windows, unbeknownst to her, giving the driver inside quite a scare.
"Amazing, Ulquiorra-san! You're totally loaded, aren't you?"
Ulquiorra calmly led her away from the driver's window and to the back seats, where he opened the door and unceremoniously shoved her inside. "Consider them 'company assets'," Ulquiorra told her as he slid in next to her and crossed his legs.
Orihime nodded and craned her neck to watch Grimmjow stuffing Nel onto the seats behind them before sitting down next to Ulquiorra and shutting the door. Inside the limousine had three rows of black leather seats, each wide enough to sit four people. Ulquiorra seemed to signal wordlessly to the driver via the rear-view mirror and they slid easily over the tarmac. She leaned past his side to wave at the two men who exited the jet after them, forgetting that they would be unable to see her from the outside. Ulquiorra observed her energetic waves from the corner of his eye, but made no comment.
Orihime sat back as they pulled off onto a winding side road that eventually brought them onto what appeared to be a sort of freeway. She could smell salt in the air, and occasionally caught sight of the ocean to her left. She watched in awe as they approached the city, the massive skyscrapers and city lights seeming intimidating and magnificent to her. It wasn't long before they had surrounded them, and she was unable to see their tops without sticking her head out the window, no matter how she craned her neck. Other cars would rush by or creep past depending on the traffic, and she would sometimes amuse herself by observing the various American people she would see inside. How odd that their lives continued to fly by when right next to them beings from another dimension had trespassed onto their land.
She caught sight of many pedestrians on the sidewalks, making their way into restaurants or nightclubs, or the occasional store that would remain open for the night. After the sheer size of the city had exhausted her eyes she sank back into her seat and turned to find Ulquiorra watching her. She blushed, wondering how long he had been staring for.
"It's big," she said simply, watching the lights from outside play over his face. Grimmjow, like her, seemed occupied with staring out of the window, leaving a whole seat of space between himself and Ulquiorra. It was noteworthy though that Ulquiorra was right next to her, close enough for their arms to touch if she shifted just a little bit. It wasn't like he was on top of her or anything...but he was definitely closer than he needed to be.
It was so weird...just something as normal as being in a car with him made her head spin. She could smell him...the hospital scent had faded a lot, had been replaced with the freshness of soap and Ulquiorra's usual scent. Everyone had a unique smell. She had always thought it had to do with what different people ate. Tatsuki-chan ate a lot of meat and carbs and had a strong, musky smell, especially after training for a long time. Orihime had never found it to be unpleasant though. Ulquiorra's scent was far less obvious, trace odors of skin and that masculine twist that all men seemed to have. She could see the city outside reflected in his bright green eyes, was so close she could watch his pupils dilating and expanding as light and shadow danced over him. He had never looked more alien, nor more human.
Rather than feeling the need to move away, she was struck with the overwhelming urge to hold his hand. Her eyes flickered down. They were casually entwined on his lap, and she noted the way his two index fingers remained straight, their tips pressed together and pointed forward. It was interesting, she thought, how Ulquiorra sat with his legs crossed.
Hesitantly, she reached out, refusing to meet his eyes lest she lose her nerve, and hooked her finger over his, trying to coax his hand closer to her. She half feared that he would pull away, but instead, he obligingly untangled his hands from one another and allowed her to do as she pleased. She slipped her fingers between his and lowered their hands between their hips, for some reason not wanting Grimmjow to see. It was embarrassing, but Orihime was a creature who relied on touch. In this bright, overwhelming new world, she felt desperate for something to anchor her. So she boldly pressed her palm into his, once again turning to stare out the window. She avoided his eyes, too afraid to want to see his expression.
He had reached out to her once before, after all...It wasn't so strange that she felt the impulse to do the same to him now. She of course, did not take into her account her utter inability to focus on anything else. His hand was long and slender, with a large palm that dwarfed her own. It was smooth and firm, but not really soft. While not hot, it was warm, unlike hers which she could feel becoming sweaty from her nerves.
She was holding hands with Ulquiorra!
Her heart began to race. She hadn't really meant anything by it - it had just been a wayward impulse that she had followed. But now that she thought about it, it meant a lot! In the dark, secretly...she had even gone so far as it hide it from Grimmjow. If it were truly an innocent gesture she wouldn't have bothered. And they had been doing it for a long time now, almost ten minutes. The longest ten minutes of her life. And he had yet to let go or tighten his grip or even twitch in her grasp. Was he even paying attention? Had he perhaps forgotten? Impossible, how could he?
She could no longer resist the urge to look. She turned to glance at Ulquiorra through her lashes, a heavy blush now colouring her skin. He was looking straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to her distress, green eyes taking in the road in front of them. He didn't seem bothered at all. His other hand rested flat over his knee.
She forced her nerves to still. So what if she held hands with Ulquiorra? No one was there to see or judge her. If Grimmjow saw he might tease her, but he wouldn't condemn her or anything...the only people who would do that were far, far away now. Ulquiorra himself clearly didn't care, and it made her feel happy and strangely...smug. That wasn't an emotion she felt often, but she couldn't help but feel like being allowed to touch him was a great privilege that he would only give to certain people. He had said she was the least annoying person he knew. Did that mean 'I like you' in Ulquiorra-speak? She doubted he'd let someone he didn't like hold his hand. Which meant...well, she wasn't sure exactly, but it felt like a good thing.
So in typical fashion, she smiled to herself, put the matter to rest and thought no more of it as she continued to hold his hand the remainder of their journey, oblivious to the eyes that turned to observe her the moment she looked away.
It took them approximately half an hour's drive through the city before their driver pulled up in front of a tall building, with what she counted to be at least ten stories. The driver got out as if to open the door for them, but Grimmjow was quicker, shoving it open and stepping into the evening air eagerly. Ulquiorra's hand slipped out of hers as if it had never been there to begin with and he gracefully slid out after Grimmjow. Orihime hesitated for only a moment before following them out.
Her boots touched the pavement outside and she stared up at the building before her.
It was obviously a new structure judging by the modern design. Tall, grey and well-maintained, it was actually a fairly attractive sight with the warm yellow glow that escaped from several windows. Every floor had a room with a balcony it seemed, and she could see potted plants and deck chairs on the lower levels. On its right was a wall stretching out for some time before the next building appeared, and Orihime guessed by the trees she saw that there was a large garden or perhaps a communal pool behind it, judging by the loud splash she heard. On its left the road continued up on an incline and she could hear music and laughter coming from one of the neighboring buildings. She could also detect the heavenly scent of fried chicken coming from somewhere in the area. The air smelled of cigarette smoke and food and something entirely unfamiliar to home.
Directly in front of them, several wide steps up led to a pair of revolving doors, beyond which she could see a well-furnished lobby area. A security guard stood to the left, watching the three of them with interest.
A tall Japanese man who looked to be in his late thirties exited through the revolving doors and descended the steps to meet them. He strolled briskly up to Ulquiorra and held out his hand. Orihime watched with interest as Ulquiorra shook it firmly before returning his hand to his pocket.
"Eric," he greeted coolly.
"Ulquiorra-sama. I trust you had a pleasant flight." The man, Eric, spoke Japanese in a no-nonsense tone of voice and had the air of a veteran disciplinarian about him. He also seemed to understand Ulquiorra, because he pressed forward without waiting for a response. "Everything has been prepared, sir. Most tenants know nothing about your arrival, and I didn't see the point in informing them. It would only put unnecessary attention on you. They will become aware of you in their own time. Should anyone become a bother to you, inform me and I will ensure that they are taken care of."
Ulquiorra nodded. Eric turned to Grimmjow and bowed formally. "Grimmjow-sama." Orihime grinned. Eric was a sharp one - he showed Grimmjow respect without putting his hand in danger. Grimmjow scoffed at the formality and averted his eyes. Unbothered, Eric turned to her and, clearly not deeming her as much of a threat, offered his hand.
"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he said formally. Orihime blushed and shook his hand enthusiastically.
"Inoue Orihime, sir! A pleasure to meet you."
He gave a small smile and then spoke in English. "If you'll follow me."
"A moment, Eric," Ulquiorra said, also in English. He nodded to Grimmjow, who rolled his eyes, but turned to rummage in the car, dragging Nel out by her ankle and slinging her over his shoulder once more. Orihime eyed the security guard nervously, but the presence of Eric must have kept him in his place because the five of them entered the building together without protest.
The interior of the lobby was of clean, eggshell tiled floors and dark, wood paneled walls. Dark leather seats sat along the sides with the occasional potted fern for decor. Behind a smart, ebony reception area sat a bored looking young woman chewing on a stick of gum.
"Eriiic," she whined, "Are you done yet? This is booorring. I don't get how you can do this crap all day..."
Her blue eyes livened somewhat when she caught sight of Ulquiorra. She grinned. "Oi, who's this now? You've been holding out on me, Eric, you bastard. How many times have I told you I'm looking to be set up?"
Eric's flinty eyes softened somewhat. "How many times have I told you that I will never condemn a young man to your incessant nagging?"
The woman popped her gum and chuckled. She leaned over the counter and extended her hand. "Hiya. Hannah Pemberly. I live in 6A, but Eric's had me stuck down here all day while he prepared for you guys."
Ulquiorra stared down at her hand in silence, and sensing Hannah's growing annoyance, Orihime stepped forward and shook it emphatically. Americans sure did like their hand shaking.
"I'm Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you Hannah-san," Orihime stuttered out in her clumsy English. Hannah blinked at her for a moment before letting out a long squeal.
"Oh my God, you are so cuuuute!" Hannah seemed barely able to contain herself, "And so pretty too! No wonder Mr. Pale over there was so rude! I bet he's your boyfriend, huh? And you guys are moving into the Penthouse too! Ugh, I'm so jealous I could kill you!"
Orihime hesitated. Hannah spoke very quickly and it took her a while to work through everything she had said. She looked to Ulquiorra for assistance. His eyes had already drifted away from the conversation.
Eric took the hint to head for the set of elevators to their left. Beside the elevators, running next to the wall, was a set of stairs leading up. Orihime was grateful they wouldn't be climbing them. She gave Hannah a small bow before following after the others. Hannah watched them leave with interest.
When Hannah noticed Grimmjow behind the others, as well as Nel, she frowned. "Hey, is that chick okay?" she called.
The elevator doors closed and Hannah sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. What a weird bunch of people.
The inside of the elevator was made of dark mahogany wood. From appearances, there seemed to be twelve floors in total, including the Penthouse. Eric brought out a set of keys and inserted one into the keyhole on top of the panel of buttons. Beside the keyhole, a large round button with the letter 'P' on it lit up. Orihime felt her stomach jump in excitement.
"Miss Pemberly is a good person," Eric said on the ride up, "But very nosy. To prevent any unfortunate developments, I would avoid her if I were you."
Orihime wasn't sure if she was imagining the tinge of protectiveness, no - of threatening - that seemed to lace Eric's perfectly calm words.
The elevators opened up into a short wooden corridor with a tasteful cream carpet. A few paintings lined the walls, but Orihime didn't get the chance to examine them as they were led down to corridor which turned to the left and up to a wide wooden door. Eric inserted another key, this time large and brass, and the door swung open. They stepped inside.
Orihime gasped at the sight that met her. Even Grimmjow let out an impressed whistle.
It seemed to be several rooms packed into one massive room, with no walls between them. The floors and furniture were dark wood and the fabrics of the chairs and couches were a delicate cream. The room seemed to be made of glass walls, showing the city extending all around them and the ocean to their right. To their left was obviously the kitchen, with black marble counters and shiny silver appliances. A large rectangular island and barstools separated the kitchen from a set of wooden stairs leading up into the middle of the ceiling.
Behind the stairs, an entire portion of the wall had made way for a flat screen TV, with couches and a red and black Persian rug in front of it. Between the TV and the kitchen was a closed door. On their right was what she assumed to be the dining area, with a large table and chairs. Outside, she could distinctly make out a barbeque grill and table and, unless her eyes were deceiving her, a small round pool.
Eric opened the door next to the kitchen, revealing what he referred to as the 'downstairs bathroom'. It featured the same dark brown and cream theme and sported both a shower and bath.
Upstairs, the landing stretched out to include another set of couches overlooking the apartment from behind the glass panel railing. Beyond that was a corridor, leading to three rooms. At the first door, Eric stopped and turned to Grimmjow. "Orihime-sama and Nel-sama's room." Grimmjow cocked a brow at that, and sent Ulquiorra an odd look, but didn't say anything. Eric opened the door and the blue haired Espada slouched inside.
Orihime took a peek in and found a room just as lavishly furnished as the rest of the place. Two double beds sat on opposite ends of the room, each looking sinfully comfortable. On the right hand side the glass wall showed a gorgeous view of the city. On the left, a door led to another bathroom. Grimmjow dumped Nel on the bed to the right, for which Orihime was secretly glad - she thought the view was lovely, but the height scared her. She stepped over to the bed on the left, brushing her hands over the luxurious brown satin sheets. Another TV was embedded in the wall directly across from the door and she spotted a remote for it on her bedside table. There were two dressers in the room, seemingly one for her and one for Nel. She followed the other out as they left, ready to continue the tour. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's room was very similar to hers. It was the third room that baffled her.
It was by far smaller than the others, though still not cramped. Every surface seemed to be covered in some kind of monitor or console, meaning it was coloured mostly black and silver. Ulquiorra and Eric had a hushed discussion in English, but Orihime could make neither heads nor tails of most of the words they were saying, and she suspected that this was intentional. There seemed to be many wires and buttons that she didn't understand, and she was only brought out of her daze when Ulquiorra stepped in front of her.
"You will stay out of this room from this point onwards," he said. Orihime grimaced. It wasn't a request.
"Okay," she answered meekly. Ulquiorra nodded and the four of them exited.
Eric handed Ulquiorra a set of keys and then bowed. "If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call downstairs. The kitchen is fully stocked, but room service is available if you dial 100 on the landline." He gave a short bow before disappearing downstairs. Orihime watched Ulquiorra shut and lock the door to the mysterious third room. The sound of Eric closing the front door came from downstairs.
The silence barely had time to settle before a loud thump and a cry came from Orihime's new room.
A/N: I really struggled with this chapter, since it's very much a transition scene which meant I had to juggle with not letting the pace lag and also keeping it un-rushed and interesting. It was also a pain in the ass to write all the descriptions about their new 'home', but I figured you guys would want to get a good idea about where they're living now for future chapters. It didn't contain much dialogue, which peeves me off, because I love writing dialogue, but I can promise that the next chapter will have oodles of nonstop character interaction.
Let me know what you think, dearies! Your reviews bring me much joy.
