AnimeWriterTycoonGirl: Hello again everyone! Happy New Year (though it doesn't feel like anything special, it feels like one in the morning…..mostly because it is)! I do hope you enjoyed the nice long chapter I provided right before Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it of course). I intend on writing more and more now that my semester is coming to a close. Please try to be more aware of updates….though I have sworn off making due dates as I loathe letting you down when I am not quite ready yet. There will be no witty banter before I start this particular chapter, rather I wish to get right to the warning and allow you all to enjoy the story. That being said….
Today's warning will include: Implied Incestually Romantic Behavior, Swearing, Awkward Moments, Cute Flashback, and Budding Romance.
I bid you all a good reading and Happy New Year!
Amoris Oppositi part X
…..
Shiro found himself rudely awakened far too early in the morning (there just HAD to be a four-thirty in the morning didn't there?) when his bladder decided to wreak havoc. He sighed quietly; his twin still sleeping peacefully on the other side of the bed. The snowy twin pouted; how he yearned to spoon next to that warm and caring body of his brother….but right now he had much more pressing matters to tend to. Tiptoeing into the hallway, Shiro frowned groggily when he realized he forgot which bathroom was where. Sighing, he went to the end of the left hall. Ulquiorra said the bathroom was on the….right, wasn't it? Damn he sucked at directions….or was it his memory that sucked? 'Tch, I'm gonna piss myself if I keep wonderin' like this. Door numbah one it is then.' He thought, opening the door on the right…
….only to come face to face with a recently showered and very startled Ulquiorra.
"….." Neither boy could muster a word as they stared at each other in pure shock, any traces of sleep or need to use the bathroom long since forgotten by Shiro. Several seconds passed before Ulquiorra recovered first, turning beet red and tightened the robe he was wearing before pitching his just discarded towel at the shocked Kurosaki. "M-m-m-moron! Have you not the etiquette to knock before entering a bathroom?!" he whisper-shouted. Shiro yelped as the wet towel smacked him in the face. He blushed when he realized he could smell Ulquiorra's clean scent; a cool mint and green tea scent, and turned away from the raven haired albino.
"I'm sorry! I didn't think anyone would be up this early in the morning!" he murmured at the boy behind him. He heard Ulquiorra heave a sigh before the towel was tugged out of his hands. Assuming it was ok to turn around; Shiro cautiously turned his head around. Ulquiorra, now fully secured in his robe (emerald green of all things), had his back turned to him as he folded the towel before placing in in a hamper of sorts. He had pulled his shoulder length black hair into a bun, and Shiro couldn't help but find that really hot. But his favorite body part decided it had other plans….
He blushed again. "Uhh….Ulquiorra-san?" he asked, quickly adding the suffix in hopes of appeasing the raven head. Ulquiorra turned around expectantly. "The….uh….reason I was coming in here….I kinda need ta…." He gave the other male a pleading look, begging him to not have to spell it out. Understanding (and embarrassment) dawned on Ulquiorra's face and he rushed out of the bathroom, shoving the Kurosaki boy inside. When Shiro walked back out, relieved yet uneasy at the same time, he cleared his throat to get the younger heir's attention. "I'm really sorry about that. Uh….did ya need ta….use your lotions and stuff?" he shuffled his bare feet awkwardly; he could only praise whatever god was up there that he had actually worn sleepwear to bed and not just his boxers.
Ulquiorra shook his head, mindful that his fringe not shake any residual water onto Shiro. Both boys simply stared in opposite directions, unable to find anything to say to the other. Ulquiorra then shivered, and sighed. "I am…..going to go change into more appropriate attire. Please stay here in the meantime." He insisted. Shiro simply nodded his head, unable to get the scent of Ulquiorra's towel out of his mind. It took all but five minutes for Ulquiorra to come back wearing a loose pale pink long sleeve and dark denim jeans that were just short of skinny. His hair was still in the bun, his large green eyes darting here and there while he quietly chewed on his bottom lip and he looked…..absolutely adorable like that. Shiro gave a small smile.
"I like yer hair up like that. Ya look like yer studyin' or somethin'." He remarked. 'And on a mission ta overwhelm me with cuteness' he noted to himself as Ulquiorra looked away; a light pink hue dusted on his cheeks.
"I appreciate the compliment…..however odd it may sound." Ulquiorra muttered. "I do not feel comfortable prolonging this conversation here in the halls; surely we might inadvertently rouse one of our siblings if we persist." He pointed out, inviting Shiro into the study, not too unlike when he was talking to Ichigo yesterday, albeit for very different reasons. Shiro wasted no time getting himself comfortable in one of the plush chairs, barely stifling a yawn. "I ask for forgiveness for interrupting your sleep." Ulquiorra apologized quietly, averting his eyes down to the ground and away from the snowy male.
Shiro let out a strangled sound of shock; damn was this guy sensitive or something! Quickly, he attempted to gather his composure and waved his hands around frantically. "Nah, nah Ulquiorra-san! Ya didn't wake me…I…did tha all on my own." He admitted sheepishly. Ulquiorra's cheeks tinged pink once again and Shiro sighed. "Ya know ya…..don't have ta say yer sorry fer everything." He pointed out. Ulquiorra finally met his gaze again when a jolt of shock went through him; belatedly, he realized Shiro wasn't wearing his color contacts. The vivid brightness of his red eyes was shocking, almost as much as his own vibrant green orbs.
"Your eyes….." he breathed before he could process what he was saying. Shiro blinked several times before obtaining a weary expression, as though he was expecting an outburst or expression of revulsion. "They are….spectacular." Ulquiorra continued, transfixed by those gorgeous rouge eyes. Shiro smirked coyly.
"Hey now, ya can't go off sayin' things like that. It makes me feel all warm an' squishy inside." He cooed, much to the younger heir's embarrassment. The albino Kurosaki merely chuckled at his reaction. "Don't sweat it, I'm not used ta people admiring ma eyes. Usually, they look at me like some kinda freak, a demon even." He admitted softly.
Don't get Shiro wrong; he could be a total pain in the ass to his family and friends, and a monster to strangers and those he considered his enemies. But after a while the moniker tended to dig its sharp and insulting edges under his skin, and he often felt bad about him whenever meeting someone new. Very few people thought he was attractive, and even less thought his eyes were stunning either. Keigo, for example, cannot be in the same room with Shiro if he's wearing his glasses instead of his contacts due to the 'creepy bloody eyes' he had (although he rarely got away unscratched, courtesy of Ichigo, Tatsuki, and now Rukia). It was a major self-esteem killer, and one of the main reasons he wanted those unique ocher eyes instead. Ulquiorra nodded in understanding; his own markings were more than enough to cause others to ridicule him, and even fear him despite him never raising a finger to anyone in his school.
"I agree. Classmates of mine have had many of theories of how my eyes acquired their green coloring. I do not even wish to begin on the subject of their opinion of my skin." He admitted. Shiro blinked stupidly once again.
"Ya…..ya mean yer eyes ARE green?" he asked dumbly. Ulquiorra, having thought after the incident with Ichigo there would not be a repeat, merely gave the other albino a cold and inhospitable glare. As Shiro sputtered and tried to find his words Ulquiorra shook his head.
"You truly are only brawn in the family aren't you?" he muttered monotonously as he carefully swept aside a still damp lock of hair away from his face. As Shiro continued to try and regain his bearings Ulquiorra sighed heavily. "Yes, my eyes are naturally green. I had this discussion with your elder brother. I had high expectations he would elucidate this to you. It appears my hopes were but forgone. Shiro scowled.
"Oi….don't talk about my aniki like that. He ain't the fool here I was. So watch it rich boy." He snapped. Ulquiorra merely raised an eyebrow.
"I am not speaking unkindly of your brother. For that matter I was hardly even insulting him, merely observing he did not bestow you with the knowledge of the authenticity of my eye and hair coloring. I'll disregard the jibe at my standing for now, but do please attempt to curb your tongue. As I recall, it is still fairly premature in the morning for the rest of the inhabitants of the manor." He pointed out calmly. Shiro's eyebrow twitched; he was really starting to get pissed off with the raven haired boy's manner of speaking and how calm he was acting. He actually might prefer the aggressive one….the one he stole a…..
Shiro froze. Was that the reason Ulquiorra was acting so friggin' cold? Because Shiro managed to rile him upon their very first meeting and even brazenly stole his first kiss? It would make sense; he's made an obvious effort to not show much emotion unless everyone else was doing it first. But if he tries to point this out to the ravenette, there was a high chance the pale teen would refute his idea and close off even further. However, if he continued to try and ignore it, he would get more and more pissed off with the heir's behavior and talking habits. Shiro wasn't the brains in the family, hell; Ulquiorra just so kindly pointed that out, but he wasn't a total moron. He was just going to have to use his….unique intellect to trick the other into revealing more about himself. Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at the smirk that suddenly stretched across his companion's face; it was more than discerning, and he had an unusual feeling of trepidation for the near future.
Shiro snickered and waved his hand carelessly. "Sorry about tha' Chief; ya see it takes a simpleton like me a little longer ta understand fancy words like tha ones ya use all the time. Yer right though; it's still pretty fricken early ta argue." He stated calmly, balancing his head onto his right hand. "It would probably save us both a lot of time if ya just translated into somethin' I can understand." He drawled, leaning more comfortably into his chair.
Ulquiorra allowed himself to frown; this was a complete transition from the irritated albino only moments before. He was accurate in his assumption that something wrong was about to occur. "I disagree; you clearly display higher intelligence than your exterior divulges. It appears I was out of line to infer you were only interested in strength." He responded coolly. Shiro's smirk never faltered; good, he was falling fer it.
"Eh? Why change yer tune so soon?" he asked in a (quiet) sing-song voice. Perfect, Ulquiorra was going to fall into a false sense of superior confidence, point out his plan, and ultimately spill some juicy secrets without ever meaning to.
"You are attempting to swindle me into some sort of mental trap, allowing me false security." Ulquiorra replied, yet Shiro's smile never faltered; this was still all part of the game. "I assure you that while the scheme might have worked on others it shall not on me." He stated firmly. Shiro shook his head.
"Oh no; tha's not what I had in mind at all Ulqui-chan." He cooed, causing the other to frown at the unwanted nickname. "Ya see, yer playin' the smart card so I assume I was allowed ta show off a few smarts of ma own. After all, ya DID say I have a higher intelligence than I appear ta show." He pointed out languidly, getting himself more comfortable for the juicy secrets about to be spilled. "Ta tells ya the truth, if I was curious about somethin' about ya, I'd just ask. Ya know that's how the game works right?" he asked. Ulquiorra visibly relaxed.
"You make a very reasonable argument. Forgive me for comprising such superfluous assumptions about you." He softened his tone. Shiro shrugged.
"Think nothin' about it. Though, now that we've gotten this far without goin' at each other's throats, could I ask why ya speak so formally?" he asked. 'Step one: get them distracted' the snowy haired teen thought to himself. Ulquiorra blushed, causing him to falter. 'Ah shit, don't look at me like tha…it's too damn adorable!' he whined inwardly.
"I was…..not completely aware of this." He admitted, causing the red eyed teen to gape at him incredulously. "I assumed your brother and yourself did not normally adhere to such speech due to not being an upper class family. Several classmates of mine speak in such ways, as do the instructors." He explained sheepishly. Shiro blinked; that explanation actually sounded less like his normal speech….he must be already cracking him. Huh, that's was pretty fast…or maybe Ulquiorra wanted to open out about himself but didn't know how. Shiro gave the raven haired teen a soft smile.
"Tha' makes a hell of a lot more sense. I guess a lot of yer classmates would talk all fancy and shit an' you'd absorb it like ta knowledge sponge that ya are." He praised, causing Ulquiorra's blush to deepen. 'Step two: compliment them' he continued through his steps throughout the conversation. "Eh, but then I'm still confused; Grimmjow doesn't talk like tha' does he?" he asked, genuinely curious. Ulquiorra nodded.
"Grimmjow is…rebellious and tends to do whatever he wishes regardless of what others think of it. It's…..rather admirable, yet at the same time irrational and immature. Had he been from any other family, his behavior at school would have surely gotten him expelled." He explained, the blush on his face still not going away. 'Nii-sama…..how I wish I had your courage and confidence.' Ulquiorra thought inwardly, his eyes downcast. Shiro did not miss that look.
'Oh shit! I know that look…..it can't be…..' he thought, eyebrows rising into his hairline. Ulquiorra didn't notice as he was tracing a pattern on the table absentmindedly. 'Oh shit it is! Ulquiorra, do you….?' He froze. Something like this wasn't something you accuse someone of lightly. He had to force him to admit it. "Ya admire yer older bro don't ya?" he finally asked. Ulquiorra tensed. He continued, pretending he didn't see his rigid posture. "I mean, ya went on earlier about his fightin' abilities an' all that crap. An' he is pretty powerful; we were just foolin' around an' it still felt like I was hit by a truck!" he smiled innocently, causing the raven haired albino to relax. "An' it must be nice that he cares about ya so much ta willingly stay in school an extra year ta protect ya an' stuff. Ma brother would probably be finishin' college by now if I didn't hold em back." He teased.
"Yes…..he is a very respectable older brother. I was able to confidently express my own sexual orientation to father with his assistance. Perchance it was due to his own inclination to homosexuality as well, but he showed no indication of revulsion or disappointment in me when I confided it to him." He expressed, feeling a weight lift off his shoulder explaining his life story to but a mere stranger. Shiro smiled softly; he was getting really close, and the story itself was hitting dangerously close to his own.
"I felt ta same way when I revealed myself ta my own brother. I was scared shitless that he would hate me, being twins an' all we shared the same room…..so I thought he'd think a' me of a disease or somethin'…but he admitted he felt ta same and it took a huge weight offa me. Ya know what I'm sayin'?" he asked. Ulquiorra nodded, a small smile gracing his lovely features.
"Indeed. It is certainly incredible we are all homosexual. Chiefly for a pair of twins; that is exceedingly rare. How did your parents take to the news?" He pointed out; finally ending the pattern he was tracing and resting his hands into his lap, looking rather curious. Shiro blinked; this was a little off the road he was hoping for but by indulging it hopefully it would coax Ulquiorra into admitting what he was thought he was hiding.
"Well, it was definitely interesting ta say the least…." Shiro smirked, remembering that day only six years ago…
*~*~*~*~*~FLASHBACK~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ya really think they won't be mad at us nii-nii?" a much younger Shiro asked his elder twin cautiously. He felt bad enough that he was always different from everyone else due to his skin and eyes, and the funny way he talked. It would break his heart if his parents didn't love him anymore because he was too different. Ichigo flashed his little brother a confident smile that didn't reach his eyes but said nothing. He was just as scared as Shiro. But he had less to lose, Shiro thought sadly.
Ichigo was the good boy, the one everyone liked. They wouldn't hate him for being a little different. Shiro was too weird, people would say. And while his parents were never the ones to say anything about him being different, he knew, he just knew they probably wished he was more normal. With a gentle squeeze to his paler brother's hand, Ichigo led the both of them into the living room. Yuzu and Karin were already asleep, so they didn't have to worry about their baby sisters just yet.
Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki were watching the news while drinking some tea, looking a little tired after a busy day in the clinic. Masaki was the first to notice the little eleven year old boys and smiled warmly at them. Ichigo took a deep breath and dropped his brother's hand.
"Mom, Dad, we need to talk to you about something important." He said very seriously, a look of dedication on his cherubic little face. Shiro nodded his head in mirror seriousness next to him. The parents glanced at each other in mild surprise before Isshin turned off the television. That was something they would do when they actually listened to the boys; they would remove any possible distractions so they could hear the boys out properly.
"What is it babies? It's getting rather late; you should be getting ready for bed." Masaki said, but not sternly. Her boys were very well behaved, and if they were staying up late, it was for a very good reason. Shiro shrunk under both their stares, albeit kind and curious as they were. He really couldn't shake off the feeling something was going to happen when they told them. Isshin noticed his tension and stopped smiling, which only made the two of them even more nervous. Their dad never stopped smiling, and when he did, someone was in big trouble. "Shiro? Honey what's wrong? Did something happen today?" Their mother asked, getting up and gently looking him over for any bruises or marks. Shiro shook his head.
"Ma….I'm…..I'm.….I'm gay!" Shiro blurted out and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt his mother's hands pause and felt his heart sink. 'I knew it…I'm too different…..' he thought, a lump forming in his throat.
"I am too! I've never liked girls either and I know we never will!" Ichigo's voice rang out, causing Shiro's eyes to snap open. Both his parents were looking at them in…..surprise? They showed no sign of horror or anger. Masaki smiled again, threading her fingers through her youngest son's hair.
"Are you absolutely positive about this, boys? Perhaps this is something you should wait a few years before deciding something with such finality." Isshin asked, though he didn't sound very upset, just curious. They shook their heads at the same time. He sighed. "Well, Masaki, they've decided….at such a young age, they already know what they are it seems." He stated, looking very mature and calm for a very long moment.
It didn't last too very long.
"OH MY BEAUTIFUL BOYS, I'LL LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE!" he screamed, grabbing both of them and crushing them to his chest. The twins gasped and tried fruitlessly to squirm out of his iron-like grip. "I CAN FORGIVE IF YOU WON'T GIVE US BEAUTIFUL GRANDCHILDREN, SO LONG AS BOTH OF YOU ARE HAPPY!" He sobbed, much to their chagrin.
"Pop! Yer not gonna be happy if we're crushed ta death!" Shiro whined, causing their mother to lightly whack Isshin on the head to get him to let them go. The boys gasped for breath dramatically while their father pouted at his wife equally so. She smiled softly, used to her husband's antics.
"Honestly Isshin dear, you can be such a handful." She joked lightly before turning to her two sons. "And as for you two," she started, causing them to pale. While their pop was the one to agree so quickly, their mother had yet to say anything on the subject. "Well, what are you two waiting for? It's time to get ready for bed." She said softly, before placing a kiss on each of their foreheads. Ichigo smiled brightly, and Shiro blinked twice before hugging her around her middle.
~*~*~*~*~*~PRESENT TIME~*~*~*~*~*~
"….An' tha's pretty much how it went." Shiro finished. Ulquiorra could only smile at the look in Shiro's eyes as he spoke about his family. It seemed like such a picture perfect family; a strange silly father, a tender loving mother, and younger sisters to dote on. While he indeed met the silly father, he had a hard time seeing the tenderness in the mother now; so strongly her illness had consumed her, but the love was surely still there. His own revelation to his parents, and Momo, had been less than dramatic; in fact, Aizen waved them off thinking they were trying to vie for his attention (despite Ulquiorra never doing such things in his life). He parted this information to Shiro, who laughed.
"In the end, mother was the one to inform him we were, in fact, serious and he was disappointed in us for quite some time, assuming we were dissenting against his business by denying him heirs. In the end, however, he conceded we could adopt a child to continue the legacy and admitted he too wanted us to be happy." Ulquiorra stated calmly. Shiro's eye twitched; god Aizen sounded like such a bastard, putting his corporation in front of his sons. It's funny how neither of them seemed to want to get into the lawyer business either…..but that was a question for after he got his answer weaseled out.
"Yeah, but its thanks ta our brothers we were able ta get out our feelings. It's pretty embarrassing though; as soon as we came out Ichigo tried dating an' I nearly ripped ta kid's head off fer comin' near 'im. I bet Grimmjow was pretty lucky with ta boys right off ta bat." He pointed out, lounging in his chair. 'Here it comes….' He thought smugly.
And come it did. Ulquiorra looked incredibly distraught at the reminder of just how many guys Grimmjow has dated over the years. All the years he spent pretending to be aloof and uncaring of who Grimmjow brought home or even tried dating the ones their father 'sent' for them overwhelmed him in that instant. It stung deeply, and he couldn't properly attach his mask to hide his pain. The ravenette closed his eyes and frowned deeply. Shiro's face didn't change, but his heart throbbed for the guy. Ichigo at least tried to wait for his brother to find someone interesting before looking for someone himself to avoid an awkward situation. Grimmjow must be truly clueless to not see how in love Ulquiorra was with him. But in order to share his own feelings with Ulquiorra, he had to get him to SAY it.
"I mean, he is a pretty attractive guy, though we would probably butt heads too much about who's ta bitch in the relationship ya know what I mean?" he continued, pretending not to see Ulquiorra's anguish. Ulquiorra quickly composed himself into his perfect unfeeling mask before staring at the snowy teen.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, returning to his monotone pitch. Shiro knew he was getting close. Almost there…..
"I'm sayin' yer brother is pretty attractive. Don't ya agree?" he pressed. 'Come on, Ulquiorra…..just admit it already!' he pleaded inside. Ulquiorra looked off to the side, a glazed look coming over his eyes.
"Yes, many would deem him an exquisite model of desirability. Including…." He froze, almost admitting his feelings to this….this sly and manipulative stranger. Shiro propped himself upright in his chair. This was as close as a confession as he was going to get out of the teen.
"…..including yerself right?" Shiro asked calmly, all traces of joking and teasing gone from his expression. All noise stopped. If this place had ants, you'd be able to hear them marching. Ulquiorra's mask had broken completely as he stared at the red eyed teen in horror. Shiro's expression never changed, even as several, even dozens, of emotions flashed through Ulquiorra's eyes.
"You…cannot be serious." He began, a small crazed smile appearing on his lips. "That's immoral and….and….." his denial died on his lips when Shiro merely gave him a pointed look. "No….no….." he moaned out repeatedly, his back pressing into the chair.
Fear. Shock. Alarm. Anger. Sadness. Embarrassment. These were the most predominant emotions that flashed through those emerald pools that Shiro couldn't help staring into (even though his poor vision was causing him to strain in attempts to see all those emotions in the first place. Ulquiorra was wracked with more emotions in that instant than he has ever felt in his whole life. Not when he discovered just how different he was from other children. Not when he was bullied for being said different. Not even when the woman he considered his mother passed away. His whole body shook with anger and fear. Anger at being tricked into admitting his taboo love. Fear at what this bastard…this fool…could do with this knowledge. It would ruin him socially and reputational-wise. Worse, it would permanently destroy his relationship with his brother and remaining family. His brother…..oh gods his brother! Was he to find out he'd…! Ulquiorra's shaking arms wrapped around his body in a failed attempt of suppressing his emotions. Shiro wanted to reach out and assure the man he wasn't going to exploit his deepest, darkest secret but he could not; Ulquiorra needed the chance and time to properly vent his reaction. Looking into concerned filled eyes caused something to snap in Ulquiorra.
He pounced.
Shiro grunted as he felt cool yet trembling fingers close around his throat as they both fell to the floor. Damn, what was it with people and his throat? Not that it mattered; what mattered was getting Ulquiorra through his distressed frenzy with minimum bruising. He threw the teen off of him and onto the floor, effectively pinning him and avoiding any possible bruises to either of them. Ulquiorra growled and fruitlessly clawed at the teen. As far as noise went, both were still rather quiet. Whether Ulquiorra was still aware there were sleeping patrons in the house or not remained to be seen as he continued to try and emerge free of the human weight on top of him.
Soon, very soon, that anger dissipated and Shiro found himself looking down on a sobbing and absolutely broken Aizen heir. It pulled at his heart to see the normally proud, cold and immaculate Ulquiorra down like this. Was it weird that they've known each other for only two days and he already felt he knew the guy? Well, the whole sharing of secrets probably got them closer already so he supposed it was ok to feel a little personal to him. He was brought out of his musing when the ravenette clutched at his night shirt desperately; his eyes wide and full of tears and fear.
"Please…you cannot…..you cannot tell him! I'll give you all you crave! That sin….." he looked away for a moment. "That sin which is mine to bear, I beg you! Please! He cannot know!" he pleaded, the tears rolling down his face. Shiro had enough; the poor guy deserved some comfort. He gathered the sobbing heir into his arms and simply held him for several long moments, waiting for him to fall out of Stage Three.
The way Shiro saw it, his plan led to five stages that a victim would undergo. The first was anger, attempting to injure or even kill for being tricked into revealing their secrets. The second was disparity and depression, quickly followed by step three: bargaining. The fourth stage was confusion that would lead to the final stage: patience. When he told his brother of these stages, Ichigo joked that they sounded similar to the five stages of death and grieving. But they worked almost every time (few reached stage five, in fact he normally forced them back to stage three to get what he wanted from them).
However, he was not going to use such barbaric tactics on Ulquiorra. No…..he only wanted answers from him. He had no need for money or loveless sex (as many had offered before) and he certainly didn't want to make the guy not trust him. If anything, that's what he does want from Ulquiorra. He felt an instant attraction for the other albino, and he actually wants to try and make it work. Maybe he'd feel enough for this arrogant, holier than thou heir and get over his own taboo love. Hell, he could try and save Ulquiorra from his own sinful desire along the way. With such a goal in mind he forced the sobbing heir into Stage Four by stroking his hair softly and making calming noises a mother would give to a crying child, which is sort of what Ulquiorra had been reduced to.
The tactic worked, and soon the body racking sobs turned into quiet sniffles as the raven haired teen slowly pulled away from the warm and comforting body, staring at him with suspicion. Attempting to pull himself back together Ulquiorra glared at him harshly; however, it was hard to look menacing sitting on the floor with puffy red eyes and sniffling softly. So cute did he look Shiro had to bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling and looked the other way.
"I ain't gonna tell anyone ya know." He muttered, still not looking at him. He saw Ulquiorra move out of the corner of his eye (barely: damn vision…..) and put himself directly into Shiro's line of sight. He still looked disheveled, but his mask was almost completely repaired, as only hints of hurt and fear lingered in his pure green orbs.
"Why exactly should I take your word for it? You tricked me into….!" He caught himself before he could have another emotional outburst. Shiro sighed, and leaned back until his back hit the carpet.
"Cause I would never get yer trust after pullin' a stunt like tha if I did." He said plainly and rather honestly. "Tha, an' I understand what yer goin' through." He admitted, though he was waiting when Ulquiorra's mega-smart brain would catch on.
Ulquiorra frowned at his statements. What on Earth did he mean by understand? And what did he mean by when he said get his trust? He knew his worst, darkest secret, and when offered whatever he could possibly desire in order to stay quiet he merely wanted his trust? Normal humans did not function that way; they took whatever they could get away with. "Why are you doing this to me? I have access to more money than you could ever imagine, able to provide you with anything you desired, in order to stay quiet, and you want nothing?" he asked, the confusion clear in his eyes. Shiro assumed he was too focused on that to be concerned with what he meant by understanding him so it was easier to tackle one problem at a time.
"Please; I ain't interested in money. Ichigo ain't either; we don't like ta think we are controlled by material things or let it influence us. Plus, a more rational side would say yer dad would notice if a couple billion yen went missing." He offered with a soft smile. Ulquiorra blushed; in his desperation, he forgot his father had a keen eye on his many accounts. "Sure, I coulda used ta money fer my Ma ta gets her all better an' stuff, but it would still feel like stealing ya know? An' like I said, it would destroy any chance of ya trustin' me again. I want ta get ta know ya better Ulquiorra." He stated seriously, pulling himself upright and staring right into Ulquiorra's confused gaze. The ravenette's blush deepened.
"Why? I'm hardly worth the trouble. I'm but a semi-bastard child of a rich lawyer obsessed with his elder half-brother." He admitted sadly, eyes downcast to the floor. Although he noticed, as did Shiro, that he neglected to bring up his albinism. That talk with Ichigo had really given him a little more confidence in himself. Maybe…..that was something Shiro was trying to do as well, albeit in the worst possible way. Shiro frowned before taking the other teen's left wrist (gently) and forcing him to look at him once more.
"Ulquiorra...I don't think ya realize how much more ya are than that. Ya ain't no bastard child; yer pop's still a part of yer life an' then some. Yer incredibly smart and organized, an older brother, a member of high society, an' not ta forget; yer gorgeous." He said seriously. He should probably stop praising him; Ulquiorra was as red as a tomato. But he was a bad listener; even to himself. "I hated being an albino; I never thought tha' there could one out there who could pull it off so well, an' with yer unique eyes an' hair it just looks all ta better." He stated, watching with glee as the boy muttered incoherent words in dispute. "An' I'm gonna tell ya somethin': ya ain't alone when it comes ta yer sinful secret." He stated mysteriously.
That finally got Ulquiorra's attention as he stared at the snowy haired teen. "By what means do you mean 'not alone'?" he asked cautiously, trying to turn the tables by latching onto his wrist as well. This time Shiro had to share something about himself and he wasn't going to get away with only giving cryptic messages.
Shiro smiled sadly. "Don't cha know? I'm in ta same boat as ya." He admitted. Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "I've been obsessed with Ichigo ever since I could remember. An' no matter how hard I'd try….." he tried to explain but couldn't find the words. No, he wasn't going to cry; he was stronger than that and openly expressed his emotions unlike Ulquiorra, so he couldn't cry….
"…..you could never get over it without feeling out of place. Sick with yourself even." Ulquiorra finished, his eyes as wide as possible as he wrapped this information around in his brain. It made sense; he kept his secret very well, only someone else who knew what he was going through would be able to see past his defenses. "Shiro-san, you are very brave to try and fight this painful battle. However, I am not as strong." He confessed, removing his arm from Shiro's grip and wrapped it around his shoulder. "I…..I love my brother. It would be very unfair of you to try and harbor a relationship with me, despite both our siblings appearing to have an interest in each other." He explained, feeling his heart break even further. Shiro nodded, surprising him.
"I know tha'. But I'd rather try an' ignore the pain a' seeing them getting' closer ta each other. I have two loves in this world Ulquiorra; ma' brother an' ma' family." He disclosed, staring directly into the raven haired teen's chest. "But…..I'd like ta try an' make room fer a third see?" he smiled, causing the teen's blush (which had nearly disappeared) into coming back full force. "We share ta same pain. I'd like ta think we could get each other through it and hopefully…." He trailed off.
"…..try and…..make each other our fixation?" Ulquiorra guessed. Shiro smiled brightly and shrugged.
"Yeah, tha' kinda sounds nice. Whaddaya say, Ulquiorra? Ya wanna try giving this relationship a chance?" he offered his hand as he stood up finally. Ulquiorra looked up at him for several long moments before turning his gaze to the outstretched hand.
"…yes. I would like…I would like to forget." He decided, grasping Shiro's hand and pulling himself up. Ulquiorra then found his head pressed against the hollow of Shiro's neck (so short was he) as Shiro pulled him into a warm embrace. Shiro rested his chin on top of Ulquiorra's head as he smiled.
"I dunno a lot about relationships, but I know they usually start off pretty slow. I won't make ya do anythin' ya don't want ta." He said softly. Ulquiorra tentatively put his arms around the other albino male, nuzzling into his chest.
"Thank you. I undoubtedly appreciate it." He muttered. He allowed himself to be comforted in that warm embrace for several minutes before slowly peeling himself off the taller male. "The sun will be rising soon. You should return to the guestroom in the event that your brother spectacles your disappearance." He suggested, his face still a little pink from the close contact.
"Sure. Ah, an' Ulquiorra? Ya really should try ta dumb down yer words. We all know yer smart, and it would be easier on all of us if ya talked more…like yer brother or Ichigo. Just so ya can try fitting in a little more." Shiro suggested.
Ulquiorra wisely did not remark upon his own strange manner of speaking and nodded as they quietly made their way back to their respective rooms. Shiro watched him close his door before heading into the guestroom.
Ichigo was still asleep, though not for very long. He's was always the early riser, and he always tried to wake up on the weekends around seven, giving Shiro thirty minutes before his brother's internal clock went off. He tried to slip into the bed as quickly and quietly as possible, but he felt his brother stir and froze.
"Mmmhm…..Shiro? What are you doing up?" Ichigo mumbled, rubbing his eye slowly. Shiro blushed; both at being caught and at how damn cute his brother looked right now. He smirked.
"Heh, sorry ta wake ya aibou; had ta take a leak." He explained softly. 'A two hour long leak' he thought to himself, rather amused. Ichigo made a noise of acknowledgement before turning over and falling back asleep. As Shiro slid back into the bed, he wondered how this new relationship with Ulquiorra would turn out.
There was no pretending; he wasn't in love with Ulquiorra, and certainly the younger Aizen heir would say the same about him. They shared some pretty heavy secrets with one another, so it was surely going to blossom into something right? Maybe one day he could get over his love for Ichigo and transfer it to Ulquiorra, but that wasn't going to happen overnight. They got off on a pretty rocky start, but if Shiro kept his goddamn mouth shut, and Ulquiorra kept his mind open, they could probably turn out to be great friends and gradually turn into proper lovers. With that happy thought in mind Shiro went back to sleep with a big smile on his face.
…
Ulquiorra sat on his bed, feeling conflicted. He definitely didn't have strong feelings for the other albino, no certainly not. But the idea of loving someone else, someone who was not his brother, indeed had its appeal. To finally get over the self-inflicted anguish he caused himself whenever Grimmjow looked so happy or involved with someone else. The albino male was different, moreso than in just appearance. He is rambunctious and eccentric, uncouth and meddlesome, and yet he seems so…..enjoyable to be around. He is somewhat like Grimmjow in those aspects, he realized. He smiled softly, and tenderly touched the spot on his head where Shiro had rested his chin in that warm embrace.
Maybe a new relationship would be beneficial after all.
…
AWTG: Well, I hope all ShiOrra fans were pleased with this outcome. I sort of had I planned to have these guys make the first move towards becoming a couple and only just realized how much closer they would be if they revealed their deepest secrets to each other.
Ichigo: That was a pretty fluffy scene there too
AWTG: Yup! I just wanted to start off this New Year with a sweet beginning. Thank you everyone so far for all the support you have given me in the making of this story. I hope to bring you more chapters soon. Next time we will see if Grimmjow and Ichigo can finally play nice!
Grimmjow: *purrs* What if I don't want to play nice?
AWTG: That's enough Grimmjow. I have to talk to the audience.
I would love some reviews. Not just for my selfish whim of feeling like you guys love this story; that comes from everyone who follows this story (all of you are great!). If you actually read the author notes I would like for you guys to help me build this story along with interesting ideas. I want this to be a long story, about thirty chapters. That way you will all have your smutty chapters and fluffy ones too. I have a plot line in mind that I do not want to deviate from but I would love ideas for plot fillers in between. Such as, what type of dates will the boys go on? What kind of dramas can be put in? I'll clearly have the final say, but it's important to give the readers what they want as well as what I want.
I will say this; there will be a karaoke night, and it will be hilarious but that will not be for quite a bit. I will warn you I do not like to actually use lyrics in stories but will gives names so you can look it up on YouTube if interested.
That being said, I will wrap this up by telling you the next chapter will be a GrimmIchi one. How are they going to spend their first day together? Oh, you'll be surprised….stay tuned my friends.