JC: I have two chapters of my new UlquiHime fic ready and now I'm working on the promotional fanart of it. I'm almost done with the lineart, then I'm off to colouring it. I'm finally on chapter 14 of this story. This will probably end in Chapter 20. Sorry, I don't intend to make it long because it'll be dragging. I've promised some UlquiHime moments here and you're gonna get them. Read and Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, but maybe just in my dreams. XD I support Ulquiorra's return, Kubo-sensei.
Love in the Mask
Chapter 14: Behind the Cruel Green Eyes
The chamber she and Ulquiorra took refuge in had been draped in cashmere and silk and adorned with white furniture and a marble chess set. As she turned to face him, he closed the door and slipped his hands into his pockets, surveying her through heavy-lidded eyes. "Did I not tell you to return to your world? Why must you disobey me, woman?"
Warned by the wary edge in his voice, Orihime shrugged. "I came here to rescue Tatsuki-chan and I'm not going back without her."
Abandoning his post by the door, Ulquiorra brushed past her to get to the table. He brought his hand on top of the white queen. "The whereabouts of your friend is currently unknown, but I can assure you that she is not in the vicinity of Las Noches," Ulquiorra said.
Orihime gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. "Then where should we go look for her?"
"I will go look for her in your place. You will not endanger yourself by staying in Hueco Mundo any longer." When her eyes only widened further, he sighed. "The Quincy had managed to stall time by trapping Cielo in another dimension. You should use this chance to return." His emerald green gaze flicked over her silver orbs. "Cielo desires your power. She will stop at nothing until she gets what she wants."
"You seem to be on her list as well," Orihime said, clasping her hands together. "I have a lot of questions I want to ask and I doubt you'll give me any answers. I'm willing to wait until you're ready to talk. In the meantime, I'll go search for Tatsuki-chan."
He took a one step toward her, then another. "Stubborn, woman." He lifted one hand to her face with a seductive tenderness that made her shiver. "You will only get yourself killed."
Recalling Cielo's words in her mind, Orihime lowered her head and closed her eyes.
"Cease with the lies," Cielo said dangerously, drawing the blade against the sensitive skin of her neck, causing a small cut. Blood oozed out slowly. "You would not have gone through all the trouble to save her if you did not love her. You tried to drive her away by acts of indifference. You left her in the human world and even sought help from the Quincy to take care of her. You did so many things just to keep her safe, to protect her from me and yourself. You lust everything about her, Ulquiorra. This passion is what drives you to go to great lengths for her. But you also feared for her. You were afraid that you will hurt her because of those desires."
"I've gotten way stronger than before," Orihime said firmly, meeting up his cold gaze. "You don't have to worry about me, Ulquiorra."
He backed away from her, slipping his hands back into his pockets. "You never get scared easily, do you, Inoue Orihime?"
He was right. She was not scared. She was ready to face anything in order to save Tatsuki. She smiled at him, using her best smile.
"I have no choice now, do I? Not when you're sure about yourself. But you do pose as an unprecedented situation for me." He turned on his heel. "Perhaps it's time I told you exactly what is going in between me and Cielo Cifer."
A spark of amusement was lighted in her eyes. "Is she your ex-wife?" she asked curiously.
Ulquiorra immediately glared at her, his expression etched with exasperation. "Put a halt to your overactive imagination, woman, and listen to what I have to say," he said, and Orihime stiffened and let out an awkward laugh. "Cielo Cifer is one of the original Arrancars, one who reached the peak of evolution without aid from the Hougyoku. Her powers were vastly enhanced when she was found by Aizen and she was quickly enlisted into his army as the Fourth Espada."
"The Fourth? Just like your previous rank."
"Yes, that's right. She was the fourth most powerful Arrancar among the original Espada."
"Her Zanpakutou… It's similar to yours."
Ulquiorra's frown deepened. He turned away from her, toward the window. "To be more precise, my Zanpakutou's design was based on hers, even my whole existence…"
"Do you mean—?"
"She soon developed a dangerous ability where she can imitate, devour and absorb another being's powers and techniques. When Aizen realized that potential, he experimented on her, made her even stronger. Her spiritual power kept on increasing as time went by, and later on, when she could no longer contain all that power, her body split into two entities."
Orihime drew in a deep breath to steady her voice. "And the other entity is you, isn't it?"
He gazed into the cold floor. "Yes, I was a part of her before. Even so, my powers in the past paled in comparison to hers," he informed her, his voice suppressing the riled emotions burning in his chest. "She had always been diligent and impressive. She enlisted me as her Fraccion and trained me."
"Then why is she dead set on taking revenge on you?"
He turned to her, his melancholic expression unchanging. "Although she separated a part of herself to contain her powers, she could not stop it from rising to greater levels. Aizen saw her as a threat and decided to isolate her from others. Eventually, Aizen wanted her eliminated."
Orihime touched her fingers to the tear marks on his face, wishing she could erase the painful memories from his heart. "And Aizen used you to do his dirty work, didn't he?"
He drew nearer, his shadow falling over her. His voice was husky, perfectly pitched, enough to lure any woman to delight. "The first time my hands got tainted in blood was the day I killed Cielo by piercing my blade through her chest." Bracing his hands against her shoulders, he lowered his head, brushing his cheek against hers.
His flesh should have been cold, but it was warm, burning with unnatural fever that threatened to set fire to her heart. As his parted lips grazed the flesh behind her ear, a shiver of excitement raked through her. "Ulquiorra…was that the day you threw away your heart?"
"Yes…But you've entrusted me with a heart and I intend to keep it," he murmured, positioned her even more intimately into the cradle of his body. He pressed a kiss into the nape of her neck. "Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. I truly regretted it, but it was necessary for your protection."
"Ulquiorra…" Orihime's voice was husky and thick. "I…" He kissed her neck. Soft biting kisses made her ache. And all the while his fingers kept moving, kneading her soft flesh, she moaned in pleasure. Her head was spinning. Her eyelids felt heavy.
"I swear I will not let her harm you, Orihime," he whispered into her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine.
"Ulquiorra…" Her eyes glistened with tears. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, smiling and crying at the same time.
His strong arms lifted her off her feet. They stared at each other for a moment and then Ulquiorra's mouth was on hers, hard and hungry and demanding. It was a demand she answered, her lips parting under his, her tongue seeking his as she kissed him back, her urgency matching his own. The more he kissed her, the more she craved for him.
He pinned her against the wall, locking her wrists in his hand, lifting them above her head. A shaft of moonlight lit the room with an otherworldly glow. He gazed down at her. "I hold your heart, your body and your soul—everything belongs to me." He claimed her lips once more as he slid his hand along the length of her leg. His fingers inched under the skirt, pushing it higher. When he caressed the sensitive skin of her thighs, Orihime shivered in response.
"I'm yours and always will be, Ulquiorra," she muttered under her breath. When his fingers stroked her, she drew in a shaky breath. She felt flushed. The blood inside her body seemed to burn through her veins like liquid fire.
Their kisses grew wilder, more intense by the second. Their bodies burned as strong as the heated passion in their hearts. The hot spiral of tension and fervor wound tighter and tighter until it sprang loose, sending wild waves of shuddering, clenching satisfaction through them.
Reluctant to surrender her warmth, Ulquiorra pulled away from her, leaving her breathless and flushed. "You should rest," he told her, turning his back to her and slipping both hands into his pocket. "I'm sure that you've exhausted half of your strength in your battle against the Numero."
The memory of Loly's death made her wince. True to a fault, she never held a grudge against the girl. Loly did not deserve to die like that. Cielo was cruel. Her sinister eyes were nothing like Ulquiorra's. Though she feared for his safety, she knew that Ulquiorra and Cielo were destined to cross blades in the battlefield. It will be a battle to the death.
"Yaaahh…That was intense," Urahara said, fanning himself while sporting a goofy grin on his face. He was seated on a big rock with one leg bent and against his chest. His fellow ex-captain was on his knees, a few paces from him, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. "But you did a great job, Tessai-san."
The bearded man took a deep breath before lifting eyes to his friend. "The barrier I set up almost broke due to their immense spiritual pressure," he said. "I almost collapsed. Those Arrancars never cease to amaze me."
Closing his fan, Urahara hopped off the rock. "You know, they almost died during the process, especially Grimmjow-san," he said, tapping the fan on his shoulder. "Nonetheless, they were determined to release the seal. They knew the consequences and yet they still did it. Orihime-san is that important to them."
"Do you think it's wise for them to sneak into Hueco Mundo at the state they're in? They've exhausted their powers. It would have been better if they had rested for a while," Tessai said, crossing his muscular arms over his well-sculpted chest.
Urahara heaved a sigh. "Well, there's no use stopping them. Besides, I think they'll be fine." He spun around on his heel and pulled out his Zanpakutou. "Now then, let us go join Kurosaki-san and the others. Until the problem in Hueco Mundo remains unsolved, we have no choice but to keep those hollows at bay."
Glancing out the window on a whim, he realized it was time to head out.
The ethereal beauty on the bed, sitting in silence, inspired emotions in Ulquiorra Cifer, and he continued to wonder if he could really protect her from Cielo Cifer.
In an attempt to control her powers, Cielo split her soul into two, leading to the creation of his existence. He remembered it clearly now—the past that was long forgotten—and he knew he was born with a heart. But he was forced to dispose of his heart. Aizen had him kill Cielo because she was becoming a threat to him. His hands were first stained with Cielo's blood and he could never wash it off. He found it puzzling for her to be alive after all this time. He thought he had killed her. He saw her turning into nothing more than ashes before his eyes. And yet she came back alive and stronger than she was before.
The night before his discharge from the medical room, he had met Cielo Cifer again. The first thing she did was point a blade at him. She spoke of revenge and desire for power, and claimed that she will make him suffer, that she will torture him and rip his body and soul apart. Her eyes were deadly, cold, and fierce, and he had felt the murderous aura seeping out of her body. Ulquiorra showed no fear in front of her. He kept a level-head and remarked her every threat as if it was nothing more than an immature ploy. However, when Cielo made mentioned of Orihime Inoue, Ulquiorra realized the difficulty in keeping his calm, though he was successful in maintaining an indifferent expression in front of her eyes.
Cielo knew how important Orihime was to him and made plans to use her. Because of that, he tried to push Orihime away. He tried to maintain distance. He tried to send her back to her rightful world. But the girl simply refused to part with him.
Several hours of searching on foot earlier had led him to a place deep within the Forest of Menos. There was an old mansion hidden behind a barrier of illusion. He was about to venture into the mansion when he sensed Orihime Inoue's spiritual energy along with the Quincy's. Inwardly, he was enraged and disappointed at the Quincy. He made him swear that he would protect Orihime at all cost, but he placed her in danger by bringing her to Hueco Mundo. The Quincy should have stopped her, even if Orihime begged him to. He should have refused. However, Ulquiorra knew it was wrong to place all blame on the Quincy because he had his own faults as well.
Orihime's hands continued to brush her silky hair while she walked toward him with natural grace. Her potent feminine scent overpowered his senses. The small face surrounded by flaming orange hair, her two sparkling silver eyes that were almost blinding, and her slim, curvaceous body—everything about her was simply alluring, pure, and divine.
Taking his hand in hers, she stammered with a sad expression on her delicate face. "Should we get going?" she asked in a low, soft voice.
He had told her everything about Cielo, about his past, and warned her of the danger. But the woman gave no hint of fear. She was willing to put herself on the line to save her friend and she made a promise to herself that she will protect him as well.
"We still have time before Cielo returns."
"I can sense Ishida-kun's presence. He's been looking for us."
"We cannot waste time by looking for that Quincy." He saw a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Do not worry so much. The Quincy is akin to your ability to sense spiritual pressure, especially if it belongs to someone close to him. He should be able to sense you as we go to the forest."
Orihime looked up at him and smiled. "I'm surprised you sought Ishida-kun's help to take care of me."
"Asking a mere Shinigami for help never crossed my mind. The Quincy was a wise choice, though I find it disappointing that he actually agreed to escort you here. I specifically told him to keep you from harm's way."
"Don't get mad at him. He's just being a caring friend, that's all," she said cheerfully. Ulquiorra was becoming more and more human, she mused. Seeking for other's help was a good sign for him. And she was pleased when he told his little tale of how he tried to stop Cielo from murdering the people the other day at the park.
To be continued…
JC: Sorry, no action here, only some sweet moments between Ulquiorra and Orihime. It's hard keeping them in character, but I don't want them to be OOC to the highest level. Grimmjow and Nelliel are on their way to Hueco Mundo. Ishida's still looking for Orihime. However, the two of them are ready to depart for the Menos Forest to look for Tatsuki. I gave you a dose of who Cielo is and what her relationship is with Ulquiorra. Yes, she was a former Espada, one of the original ones. Of course, all of these are made up by me and not associated with the canon storyline. I think I'm enjoying writing about Cielo Cifer. Please review! No Flaming!