Toshiro let himself be led now by Ulquiorra as they began in the direction opposite to Toshiro's house. Did this mean that Ulquiorra was really going to let him go to his house? He couldn't tell which butterflies were from nerves and which were from excitement as his stomach fluttered. It seemed like Ulquiorra was really going to try to be true to his promise, like he was really going to try to be there for Toshiro. The thought brought a small smile to his lips.
Ulquiorra was wondering why Toshiro wanted to see his apartment but decided not to question it as he felt… guilt? That must be it, for Toshiro's condition and that he hadn't been there to monitor him. Toshiro's hand was warm in his and he couldn't bring himself to let go, Toshiro had made his bed and he was going to have to lie in it now.
After about twenty minutes of complete silence, they came to a stop and Toshiro looked up to see a four storey apartment building that looked way nicer than anywhere he had stayed before, it looked more like a hotel to him. He took a proper look around the area to see that they had exited the low end of the city completely and that they were now in the edge of the middle class area. "You... live here?" He asked looking up at Ulquiorra in the dim street lighting.
Nodding a little, Ulquiorra led Toshiro inside and into the elevator up to the fourth floor. He unlocked the first door on their right and motioned for Toshiro to enter first. "This is my apartment." said Ulquiorra as he closed the door behind them.
The layout was open, with the back wall made of ceiling to floor glass and the bed was set off to the side on a raised up platform. There was a huge glass and steel desk on one side of the huge open space that was covered in blue paper and what looked like floor plans. Toshiro went over to them in curiosity. "Are you an architect or something?" He asked impressed by all the drawings he saw before him.
"Yes, that is my latest project." Ulquiorra said and watched him from the couch in the lounge area. "Why did you want to come here?" He asked, getting right to the point instead of bothering with small talk. "I thought you would hate me after what you said before."
This floored Toshiro. "I… I guess I… I didn't want to give you the opportunity to run away like last time." He mumbled softly and kept his back to Ulquiorra, pretending to paw over the papers on the desk.
"I didn't run. I just didn't know what more to do. And I said I would not run away this time, does my word mean nothing to you?" Ulquiorra replied. What a strange boy Toshiro was. So insecure and unsure of everything around him, this was why Ulquiorra had to protect him –so that he wouldn't get himself in trouble with all that worry.
"That's not it, your word means everything to me, and that is why I couldn't bare if you were to break it…" Toshiro said and turned going to stand in front of where Ulquiorra sat. "Tell me, did you feel anything when I kissed you, anything at all?" He said. He needed to know if he was wasting his time trying to turn Ulquiorra into something he was not. If Ulquiorra felt nothing, then what point was there in his being here? Toshiro wanted more than just someone to protect him. If he had to choose between Ulquiorra's protection and his affections, he would rather have the Ulquiorra's love.
"Yes." Ulquiorra stated right away, though Toshiro's look of surprise showed that mustn't have been what he was expecting as an answer. "Is that wrong?" He asked as he gazed up at Toshiro, studying him intently as he awaited his answer.
"N... No… It's just a surprise that you would say it so easily. Does that mean that you… Because I…" It seemed that Toshiro was having a hard time organising all his thoughts before he spoke to Ulquiorra. It was kind of cute the way he was blushing and stuttering nervously as he attempted to confront Ulquiorra about his feelings.
Ulquiorra tilted his head to the side a little as he watched Toshiro trying to finish his sentence. "You what?" He asked, extremely curious to know how he intended to finish that sentence. Was Toshiro going to offer him another one of his confessions? Something deep down, made him almost hope that was it.
"I know you said I shouldn't… But... But I love you Ulquiorra, and I want you to love me too." He said and looked away; embarrassed he had really just said that. He may have stopped Ulquiorra having a place to run, but there was nowhere for him to run and hide here either.
"I don't know how… you have to teach me." Ulquiorra said softly and reached out to hold Toshiro's hand as he had before. His hands could wrap right around Toshiro's as Toshiro's hands were so small to match his size. What was this feeling? He couldn't fathom it. "I feel… something… I don't have words… I can't describe it." It seemed that Toshiro wasn't the only one having trouble constructing full sentences now.
Toshiro's embarrassed and shy expression became a soft understanding one. He moved closer until he could straddle Ulquiorra on the couch, setting his knees on either side of Ulquiorra's legs and wrapping his arms around his neck. He knew what Ulquiorra was trying to describe and he knew the best way to help Ulquiorra understand was to show him. He leaned in and kissed Ulquiorra softly, and as he was met by no resistance, made the kiss firmer and more passionate. He twitched slightly in surprise as he felt Ulquiorra's hands at his back, holding him to his chest in a gentle embrace as Ulquiorra began to mimic the movement of his lips. So gentle… How could he never have done this before? Toshiro thought to himself and smiled slightly into the kiss as he deepened it slowly. He was having the time of his life right now -nothing had ever been more perfect to him than this moment.
The confidence of Toshiro's movements had taken the forefront in Ulquiorra's thoughts and he had forgotten about trying to control his feelings. Now he let the sensations flow freely in his body and just let himself do what instinct told him to. It felt like a weight was lifted off of him even though he had never realised he had put such a strain on himself keeping them supressed all these years. Maybe… Emotions aren't such a complication after all. He thought as he kissed Toshiro with more of a sense of urgency now. There was two months of not seeing each other to make up for, and it seemed that Ulquiorra was prepared to do anything Toshiro wanted tonight to try to atone for leaving.
Toshiro could tell Ulquiorra was more than willing and he broke the kiss for a few seconds so that they could both catch their breath. He glanced up toward the bed and then back to Ulquiorra, blushing hard. "Do you mind if we moved to the uh... bed?" He murmured just above a whisper and pulled back just enough to gauge his reaction to the request. Sure, it might be a little fast, but to Toshiro it had been years of waiting and wanting after what was now within his reach.
Ulquiorra wordlessly scooped Toshiro up, carrying the frosty haired boy in his arms just as he had those months ago, and laid him out on the bed. He hadn't expected it considering the passion Toshiro had exhibited only moments ago, but Toshiro fell asleep almost as soon as he was set down. After so many events today he had worn himself to his limit it appeared, but Ulquiorra didn't mind. It was only the first day of many to come, what was the rush? They could save some experiences for another night; this just gave Ulquiorra the chance to get used to having another person sleep in his bed beside him.
With a tender smile that almost seemed alien to a person who was known for his inability to show how he was feeling, Ulquiorra pulled the covers up over Toshiro's slim frame and then slipped into the bed beside him, holding him close to his chest and closing his eyes to sleep. Even though there was a storm of emotions in his heart, Ulquiorra felt completely at peace.