A/N: Here we are at long last! Let me just say that I am SO grateful for over 150 reviews! I feel so blessed! Sadly, we have arrived at the final chapter of LTM. This will serve as the 'where are they now' kind of ending. Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any other copyrighted material.
Lie To Me Chapter 25
On a cold, snowy December night, Orihime Inoue found herself reminiscing on her past. 15 years prior, on an evening very similar to this one Ulquiorra had proposed to her and made her his official life-long spouse. She even had a little certificate of proof, which she hung and framed on the wall above their bed in the master room. It made her giddy just to think about it.
She recalled how nervous he, the man who never betrayed his composure, had been as he bent down on one knee to ask her for the rest of her life to be spent with him. She'd never forget how he'd told her about the colors she'd illuminated in his life and how without her everything was as dull as it had been previous to meeting her.
She fiddled with the diamond encased on her ring on her finger anxiously. It was Christmas Eve, and they'd invited everyone over for dinner and early gift exchanges. She saw Ulquiorra's handsome reflection creep up behind her in the window she was zoning out through. She felt his hands slide around her and gently stroke the massive mountain-like hump of her belly.
"Why are you so uneasy?" he asked while pressing a soothing kiss to her neck. She fiddled with the blue flower-shaped hairpins holding up her auburn locks.
"Well I just want everything to go right you know? Sakura is almost 15 and Akio is just as good-looking as Grimmjow was, and I'm afraid Yuki will squash little May without meaning too." She fretted as Ulquiorra looked over her nervous complexion in amusement.
"You're beginning to worry the baby woman." He murmured softly, his pale hand rubbing circles over a specified portion of her stomach. She squeaked as she felt a little jab that hurt in a good way.
"He's getting more and more restless every day." She chattered pressing her own porcelain fingers over the spot.
"Ewwwww Mom and Dad are being gross again!" Ulquiorra stepped away from his very pregnant wife to deal with their eldest son, Yuki Schiffer.
Orihime laughed with one hand brushing away a stray tear and the other protecting her belly as Ulquiorra hoisted up their 9-year-old son, who looked like a miniature version of his father, over his shoulder. His raven hair was cut the same way and his skin was only a few shades darker. The only distinguishable difference in the two was Yuki's eye color, a stormy grey, which he'd gotten from her.
He flashed his silver orbs at her in dismay, but his struggling only made her cackle harder and Ulquiorra wordlessly flung their child into the cushions of the living room couch.
"Daddd…" Yuki whined flopping onto the ground in a dramatic manner, his facial expressions and personality mirroring Orihime's antics as well.
"You said they'd be here an hour ago!" he complained defeatedly, crawling towards Ulquiorra and wrapping around one of his father's legs.
Ulquiorra sighed and set to work prying his emotionally charged son off of him as their other child entered the fray.
"You did say that." Sakura chimed as she strolled towards the couch sitting down gracefully and crossing her legs in a sophisticated way. Orihime admired her daughter's looks, feeling somewhat proud because they shared so many traits.
Sakura earned her name from her short wavy locks that rivaled the color of her own. She had inherited Ulquiorra's unchanging stature and talked in the same manner. She had the body that Orihime had possessed when she was 14, which unfortunately to her father's dismay meant an overly curvaceous figure. The one thing that Sakura had that her younger sibling didn't was her father's piercing green eyes, which only added to her vibrant appearance.
"I cannot control the directionally challenged." Ulquiorra retorted eyeing his daughter's apparel in disapproval. He looked to Orihime for help and she only shook her head smiling softly. He turned away sighing and held Yuki's arm firmly as his son tried his hardest to run back towards Orihime.
The Schiffer's shenanigans came to an abrupt halt when a chime echoed throughout their home, signaling that company had arrived. Yuki raced to the door and opened it excitedly, his cheeks pink and flushed.
Rangiku Matsumoto strolled in, followed shortly by Gin who was holding little May atop his shoulders and out of Yuki's grasp.
Yuki jumped against Gin's side repeatedly trying to get to May who was only giggling at his meritless attempts. Orihime took note of her silver strands that had grown into a cute bob since the last time she'd laid eyes on the little girl. It was hard to determine which of her parents she took after more.
"Well I'll be darned Hime!" Rangiku exclaimed as she bustled toward the expecting woman, throwing her arms wide. She instantly put her hands all over the warm mass in Orihime's stomach and began introducing herself as 'Aunt Rangiku'.
Orihime smiled as she watched for entrance of the infamous Louise who walked into the mix last. Her bouncy blonde curls and fox-like grin captivated anyone who looked her way. She sashayed towards her own daughter and gripped her hands tightly. Louise was the miracle child of Gin and Rangiku who had beaten the odds and survived the terrible accident her Mom had been thrown into right before her emergency delivery.
Orihime recalled the long months after Aizen's death where Rangiku still remained unconscious and hooked up to tubes to keep her alive. Her and Ulquiorra had visited every day for the first month, then once or twice a week, and eventually they began losing hope as their appearances became scarce in seeing their injured friend.
Gin had been there every time. He had never left her side. He had raised their little girl for the whole crazy first year of her life. Feeding her, changing her diaper, and lulling her into sleep all by himself whilst holed up in a hospital sleeping every night in a cot off to the side. He updated Rangiku every day on Louise's progress. He took pictures of everything and kept the dream alive that she'd one day awaken to see all these memories she'd missed out on. Without his dedication, she really may never have come back.
The day she did, was so incredible it was still hard to believe the events that had transpired were real.
Orihime recalled walking into that room and seeing a vivacious Rangiku wide awake in that damned hospital bed. The strawberry-blonde had been shifted between cracking jokes and crying over the fact that she'd missed out on so much of their groups lives until the two people she'd wanted to talk to most appeared.
Orihime remembered mostly Gin's reaction when he saw Rangiku awake and breathing on her own again. He'd handed her their child without hesitation, tears rolling freely, and she cried and welcomed her little sweet baby into her life as Gin hovered beside them cradling them both with his arms. Rangiku had meticulously counted every finger and toe. She'd told all of them that even though she couldn't respond she'd heard every word they'd spoken to her the entire time. She thanked all of them for their support and mostly she thanked the man who'd been by her side every single minute of every day since she'd been there.
These were the things Orihime saw when she was in the presence of the hopelessly blonde Louise Matsumoto-Ichimaru.
It wasn't long before there was another hard bang! at the door and Yuki was scrambling welcome the next member into the Schiffer's dwelling.
Renji Abarai stepped in carrying lots and lots of wine bottles. He greeted Yuki pleasantly and then threw him over his shoulder like he was nothing whilst Yuki squealed in joy. Renji came around fairly often, he'd been a bit tied up with work the past few months so her pregnancy was sure to be a surprise to him. As he waltzed toward Orihime a blush began spreading across his face as he took in her appearance.
"Well…if I'd known you were…well HUGE I wouldn't have brought all this crap." He said embarrassed, setting the somewhat expensive bottles of wine on the counter.
Orihime laughed and waved him off trying to ease his awkward feelings.
"It's no problem! Ulquiorra doesn't really like it when I drink that stuff anyway, you just saved me some trouble!" she said cheerily as Renji neared her, wrapping his arms around her gingerly as if he was afraid she'd pop.
"I haven't seen you in a hot minute." Rangiku teased, batting Renji's arm playfully. He smiled largely and scratched the back of his head.
"You don't seem to have changed much." He replied.
Rangiku smirked and just as she was about to say something smart there was another loud bang at the door.
Ulquiorra took over answering the knock this time and as soon as the door was just a sliver open, in busted Nel.
She ran towards Orihime talking excitedly, her aquamarine curls flying behind her, switching between French and Japanese because she was so excited. This tendency often led to her sentences being confusing and incomprehensible.
When the boisterous woman finally calmed down enough she explained how overwhelmed she was that Orihime was pregnant once again.
"What will you name the baby Hime?" she asked clutching her hands protectively in her own.
Orihime looked for Ulquiorra who was skulking around Sakura, making sure that Akio Jeagerjacques didn't swoop in and steal her away from him. She sighed and rubbed her belly lightly, a thoughtful look emanating from her glowing features.
"We were thinking about Sora." She said smiling. Her friends looked at each other incredulously and then in unison shouted:
"IT'S A BOY?" Orihime laughed as they made many different claims about their own children. Signaling with their hands and making lude gestures as Nel went through explaining what boys do when the begin reaching puberty.
Suddenly the conversation took a drastic turn when rangiku wordlessly held up her hand that glimmered in the white light of the kitchen.
There on her finger sat a rock so big that it looked like it might break her finger just from its weight.
"Me and Gin are getting hitched!" she shouted winking at her lover over her shoulder.
Orihime and Nel encircled their friend congratulating her and giving her advice about weddings.
Eventually, Orihime zoned out of the conversation looking again towards her eldest daughter. She watched as Ulquiorra tensed as Akio trotted towards Sakura.
Orihime felt as if she was looking in the face of a ghost. Akio was tall and tan and had the same shockingly electric blue hair that his father did. Apart from the slightly more disheveled hairdo, Akio was Grimmjow reincarnate. Sakura's features remained motionless as they spoke. Both of them smiling as they caught up. Louise joined the mix and Orihime smiled seeing her daughter graced with friends like she'd had in high school. She too tensed up as Neliel's other child walked into the fray of teenagers.
Kagura and Sakura had been competing against each other since they could breathe.
They really weren't that far apart in age, but they both had an interest in the same types of things. Both were exceptionally good at science, both liked playing volleyball, and both seemed to share the unspoken rivalry of their fathers before them. They constantly bickered whenever they caught even a whiff of one another.
Kagura's slender form appeared before her daughter and Orihime wondered if she'd have to intervene. Luckily, Akio and Louise did that job for her as the two began trying to tear at each other's throats. Louise took Sakura towards one direction, and Akio took his sister in another.
Orihime giggled as her husband sighed in relief and then grimaced when he caught sight of her amusement in his grief. She mouthed 'relax' to him as he wandered towards Renji and Gin who were speaking of things she didn't care to ask about.
However, what Ulquiorra missed that his wife managed to catch was Akio's glance over his shoulder at Sakura, who was also watching after him. The two both quickly averted their eyes after making contact. Both of their faces had reddened inexplicably.
When it came time to open gifts, Orihime had grown exceptionally tired. There was nothing worrying her, and nothing left unsaid plaguing the corners of her mind. She smiled as she shifted leaned on Ulquiorra's firm shoulder.
"What are you thinking?" he whispered against her head as she was still grinning goofily.
She scanned over the faces of her friends and noticed the joy in each of their expressions. Here she was in a life she hadn't planned for herself and she was more content than she'd ever imagined. She rotated slightly so that her chin was resting on her husband's shoulder as she peered into his familiar gaze.
He was the reason that she had all of this. He'd loved her since the moment he'd seen her and that thought alone left her stomach filled with butterflies. He had given her the children she'd always dreamed about and he made such a good father to each of them.
She was alive because of a scrawny boy with glasses she'd merely been acquainted with in high school.
"I'm thinking…that I love you." He looked at her strangely, as if her words had been unexpected and then he leaned in closer to her making her feel just as happily dazed as he had the first time he'd given her that expression.
He was looking at her like she was the world and he was just some insignificant terrestrial being that rotated around her.
His lips caught hers and she was lost in his emerald depths as her stormy eyes fluttered closed.
Everyone else faded into noise as Ulquiorra cupped her cheek softly, pulling her in deeper. His kisses made her skin tingle like she was on fire and she craved the feeling of the flames he ignited.
She nearly whined when he pulled away from her just to stare at her half-lidded expression in pride.
"Come with me Orihime." He said deeply, as she followed the command wordlessly. Peering around to notice that no one had even taken hint of what had just occurred between her and Ulquiorra.
Orihime waddled after Ulquiorra as quickly as her body would allow until they reached the master bedroom. She blushed furiously, wondering what his motives for bringing her back here were.
Surely he could wait until the company they had were gone? She thought nervously. Somewhat aroused by the high stakes at risk in this situation.
"Orihime." He called out, rousing her from her thoughts. He gripped her hand and guided her to the bed where he gestured for her to beside him.
She lowered herself onto the mattress as graciously as her girth would allow for and looked to her husband expectantly waiting for him to make the next move but he didn't do what she'd expected.
"Close your eyes." He said and she wondered if maybe she'd insinuated the wrong idea in her over-active imagination.
She heard the creak of a box and then felt something cool slip around her neck.
"You may open them." He instructed. She looked down and twisted the small pendant on the silver chain Ulquiorra had secured around her neck.
The pendant was a small metallic figurine of an anatomical heart. She felt tears spring to her hormonal eyes.
"Ulquiorra…" she bear-hugged the man as he returned his wife's affection in a more refined manner. When she finally released him, he looked over her, and watched her twist the pendant around in her dainty fingers. He reached for a strand of her hair, which brought her focus back on him.
"You once told me that I held your heart in the palm of my hand." She nodded waiting for what he said next.
"You also once said that the heart is not something that is tangible, but something that is felt." He twisted the red strand in between his pale knuckles.
"However, I disagree with you woman." She gave him an odd look as she cocked her head to the side a little bit and moved in closer to him, fiddling with the wrinkles in his button-down.
"I simply feel that you should have the ability to hold a semblance of my own affections in your own hand." She chuckled at his notion and pushed her nose against his.
"Ulquiorra, I already know how you feel about me, you didn't have to do this." She said wrapping her arms around one of his.
"Of course I did." He assured her looking at her intensely with those all-knowing emerald eyes.
Ulquiorra pressed her forehead against hers and she returned his stare with her own powerful emotions.
She placed one hand over Ulquiorra's chest and another gripped her gift.
She felt the beat of his pulse and looked at the pendant before looking to the man she'd received it from.
She understood why he had to give her the necklace, and why it was so important to him that she comprehend it.
This symbolized something far more valuable than the sterling silver it had been crafted with. This symbolized love, and peace, and joy. This gift encapsulated everything she'd ever need to know to remind her of how much the man who held her now felt towards her.
Here in her hand…
She held Ulquiorra's heart.
A/N: Well dear readers, this is the end of Lie To Me. I have had an AMAZING experience writing this and I am again so thankful for the support and feedback from all of you over the progression of this fic.
I have one minor announcement. I have planned a small series about the backstory of Grimmjow and Nel that follows the plot of Lie To Me but is still a different story altogether. It will be titled 'Scars and Souvenirs' so keep watch for it if that is something you'd be interested in reading. Other than that, this story has come to an end.
If you have any parting thoughts, feelings, or etcetera, please leave them below!
Thanks again for everything you guys have done!