"Hey," Aracelis asked quietly, breaking the silence, "why does Baraggan look so annoyed by you all the time?"
Ulquiorra stopped reading midsentence, his grip on the book subconsciously tightening. She… she really didn't remember. He already concluded such, but her confirming it… He didn't know what to think about that fact. Resentment? Anger? He could not find a name for whatever it was he felt towards her forgetful nature. Clearly it was better that she didn't remember, yet he still felt bothered.
Baraggan, as well as Ggio, their distaste of him had been entirely her fault.
He sensed her spiritual pressure nearby, her fighting a number of others of varying degrees of strength. Even over the great distance he could see the glow of cero fire on the horizon. He had grown curious enough to go investigate who the woman decided to fight in such a display. It's not like he had much else he could do anyway… With how he lost so many senses and no longer needed to feed, he had no purpose. Finding the strange hollow and watching her battle seemed a worthy distraction.
As he flew nearer to the battle he noted a change. She had begun to rapidly weaken as though she had been gravely injured. He found himself subconsciously flying faster. In seconds he arrived to the battlefield to see several Adjuchas left alive, dozens of lesser hollows fading away with death. A saber-toothed tiger lunged at Aracelis only to have her kick it under the chin to send it distance away. She clutched at her thigh, her bone visible, the large gash pouring out blood as it slowly mended. Her face was cut up and bruised as well. Underneath her usual mad grin she appeared to be hiding pain. The way she gasped for air showed her exhaustion. He watched as more of the hollows ran at her to be knocked away in the last second. She did not appear to notice him above her, nor did any of her attackers. They were too focused on killing each other.
Suddenly Aracelis tripped and fell to the ground. The saber cat rushed forward to finish her off with sharpened teeth. Her speed had diminished with her injuries, and she just had time to punch the hollow in the face only to be hit from behind by a cero from another of the hollows. He saw her mouth open as she likely screamed as she was sent rolling in the sand. When she came to a stop she made no move to rise to her feet. She was unconscious.
In that moment Ulquiorra was sure she would die.
He used sonido, appearing in front of her before a massive hollow with sharpened nails reached for her. In a blinding green light the creature met its end. While his arrival stunned a few of the hollows, the saber cat stepped forward, his mouth opening and closing as he yelled out words Ulquiorra could not hear nor understand. Instead of staring blankly at the hollow, he reached down, grabbing the limp woman by the back of her tattered, blood-covered shirt.
The saber ordered the remaining hollows to charge all at once. Ulquiorra raised a clawed hand, pointing a finger at the group before a cero blasted them into oblivion. The saber backed away a few steps, recognizing that Ulquiorra was far stronger than itself, that nearly all of its allies had fallen, but not leaving. While the hollow debated attacking him, Ulquiorra raised Aracelis up high enough to adjust his hold to grab her around the waist. As the saber let off a cero Ulquiorra flew away unscathed with Aracelis in hand.
Once they were a distance away from the battle, he dropped her to the ground and walked a few feet away. He did not understand why he hadn't just left her. The pathetic woman had lost. She should have died because she had been weak. Yet he knew that he did not wish her to die. She was the only one he could understand at this point because of her human features. She was the one thing that kept him from complete isolation right now. If she were gone, than so was the only one that could perhaps understand him.
After a few hours her body twitched before she pushed herself off of the ground to shakily stand. Her wounds had healed by then. She didn't turn to him until after she stretched. When she faced him, she crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Hey, Ulquiorra. Why are you here?" she asked, careful to exaggerate her lip movements so he could understand. She tilted her head to the side when he did nothing to respond. "Bored or something?"
He could only stare at her. She was… she was more fragile then he thought. She didn't appear to remember being attacked. Or… or that he had saved her. If he hadn't arrived, she would be dead. He… he didn't want that. She was so different from the other hollows. She wasn't mindless and set on solely death and destruction. She wanted companionship. She was… she was a speck of white amongst all the darkness in Hueco Mundo. Like him. His pure white color and her pure intentions, they were similar to each other despite being different to everything else. She had somehow found a purpose beyond devouring and killing. He… he wanted to understand what that was because he needed a purpose. He would take up her cause if he could only figure out what it was. He wanted to believe that the world they lived in held some sort of meaning. She seemed to have found a meaning in this madness. If it didn't, if she were wrong, then there was no reason for anything. Living or dying, it wouldn't matter in a void world.
He didn't want to believe that it all meant nothing. Not yet. Not while he had her.
When he was brought to Las Noches, Ggio had recognized him immediately. Baraggan had lost a number of hollows in that operation, so the Second also felt resentful for the loss. The old king of Hueco Mundo held a lasting grudge against him for the battle, for saving Aracelis who had apparently been a thorn in his side for continually rejecting being subjugated into his army.
He should have noticed that that battle had been a prelude hinting at what was to come. Her tripping, the decrease in spiritual pressure, the lack of instant regeneration, and the way she so easily fell unconscious, they had all been the parasite's work. It had been trying to take control from her, perhaps because she had been expending an exorbitant amount of spiritual energy with her wild ceros. He should have noticed that something had been wrong with her. He could have avoided injuring her had he only noticed something so blatantly obvious.
It was better that Aracelis did not remember him saving her from death even as a Vasto Lorde though. She did not need to know how he protected her even back then. It would only make her believe he cared about her from that time onward. He didn't. He had been trying to figure out what to do, nothing else. She had meant nothing to him. Ulquiorra reasoned that he could have left her to die back then if he had a different purpose beyond observing her oddities in search of some sort of answer. He only stayed with her afterwards because she might have been killed by another hollow if he wasn't there to protect her. He recognized her as weak, as something fallible that would inevitably die in the world they dwelled in. In the end, however, it was his presence that almost became her death sentence.
He despised thinking back on these memories. There was a reason he spent his time in the tree repressing them. Damn that weed for bringing them back to the forefront of his mind. Being preoccupied by memories of the past served no purpose at all, yet how they continued to distract him.
Although he was willing to make a compromise. There was one way of sharing this with her that would prove beneficial for him if she agreed. Implementing this plan meant he would have to be the first to give in and go over to her. Not that he hadn't already thought of doing such considering she still lay half clothed. Why continue a silly farce when he could go run his hands over her bare body? Cleary the latter held more purpose than playing a ridiculous game with her.
At that, he quietly closed the book and set it back on the pile. He grabbed her shirt so it would not fall to the floor when he left the chair behind. When she had tossed it at him earlier, the shirt had still been warm and he found her scent comforting in its familiarity… Not that he had purposely smelled it; she had thrown it on his face. Before standing he stole a glance at her still unaware form. Her back was exposed to him. His eyes followed the curve of her spine from her shoulders to her lower back, stopping with the band of her pants. The way the moonlight from the open window created a dim highlight over her dark skin made her all the more alluring. Beautiful, even. That word seemed an accurate description, although it was certainly a term he rarely used considering 'aesthetically pleasing' was a pointless trait to observe. If he had been one of lesser self-control, he would have long given into her attempts to get his attention, he was sure. Especially when she decided to toss her shirt at him. He had really hoped she had been uncovered when she had done that. Had she been, she would have had his full attention immediately. Obviously that had been her goal. He had only refused because she had been teasing him, so he returned the treatment.
He silently rose from his chair, deliberately not making a noise as he walked towards her. She likely thought he had ignored her question and fell to silence. Once at the side of the bed she saw his shadow on the wall, but he did not give her time to react. He crawled into bed next to her, snaking his left arm around her waist, pulling her closer before he rested his hand just above her stomach. She sputtered wordlessly as she gripped the pillow to her chest tighter.
He lowered his mouth next to her ear. She really shouldn't have mentioned liking the sound of his voice to him. Better, that she got a sense of arousal with the mere sound. It was so easy to use that against her. "Would you like your shirt back?" he quietly asked, just in case she had regretted her rash decision to throw it at him.
She awkwardly laughed a few times. With how warm her skin felt, she most certainly had begun blushing. "N-no." Her tight hold on the pillow slackened as she tried to turn her body to look at him. "I would enjoy… if you…" As her words failed her, she placed a hand over his, gently urging him to move it upwards.
"Is that so?" he muttered, quite pleased by her reaction. He slid his hand up until it rested just under her breasts to earn a shaky intake of breath from her in anticipation. For a second he considered dropping his idea in favor of giving her body his full attention. "Now, you mean to tell me you do not remember being the cause of Baraggan's irritation towards me?"
"No? I have no idea what you're talking about, Ulquiorra." Her fingers wrapped around his hand, trying to convince him to keep moving upward and forget the conversation. "Are you going to tell me?" She sighed when he kept still, annoyed with him already. "If not, then just-" She squeaked as he moved his hand between her breasts, teasingly near cupping one. He could only hope he didn't upset her too much now, because he really would enjoy playing with her rather than merely teasing her- and himself by not allowing himself what he wanted.
"If you allow me to use Solita Vista, I will show you exactly what had happened."
"Seriously?" she groaned before letting out an exasperated sigh. He imagined he had earned an eye roll from her as well. "You're going to do this now? You couldn't just feel me up without trying to work in some sort of ulterior motive?" He didn't respond to her irritation, expecting it. His attempts to coerce her never did end well. Not that he would desire the opposite; he wanted her to tell him off when he was blatantly being manipulative. She didn't need to put up with him. He didn't understand why she did. "No, Ulquiorra, I don't want you to tear out your damn eye to show me something you could just as easily tell me."
"I do not understand your aversion to it," he said plainly. "I can regenerate the eye easily enough. Your concern is unnecessary."
"Yeah, I know you can," she admitted, but her voice still filled with concern even if she recognized that fact. "It's… It's just that it has to hurt, or at least be uncomfortable to do. I can't imagine tearing out an eye; the thought alone freaks me out and seems like a form of torture if you ask me. And I don't want to make you do that, especially when you could just tell me. And even if it's something really weird or outrageous, I'd believe you. I don't need to see proof to believe you."
He was at a loss for words for a moment. She trusted him far too much. He lied to her so often. She shouldn't believe what he said with such adamancy. His word, it didn't mean as much as the conclusions she could draw for herself from what she had witnessed. And all of this because she… Because she didn't want to have him feel even slight discomfort? It was ridiculous. The benefits of using Solita Vista clearly outweighed the miniscule amount of pain that accompanied using it. Her concern wasn't warranted at all. She needn't care that it hurt him to use it. It made no sense that she felt troubled by him using it other than that silly human empathy of hers made her feel such concern. His wellbeing should mean nothing to her. If anything, she should want him to be injured as some form of retribution for all of the mistreatment he continually inflicted upon her. She should hate him, not… Not whatever it was she felt for him.
"How touching," he flatly stated, mocking her for her feelings. Perhaps then she wouldn't care about him. "If you weren't so critical of this ability, I could directly answer your questions in a concise manner. I could answer your earlier question. I could have easily shown you your resurrección. Does the non-existent discomfort Solita Vista causes me bother you to such a degree that you would deny yourself this knowledge?"
"Yes, it does," she snapped. "I told you it bothers me, and I mean it. Just drop it, okay? I'm not going to agree to letting you use it." She paused, her grip on his hand tightening. "And please, please don't show me by force, okay? I… I understand if Lord Aizen demands you to use it, and I won't stop you from using it if I happen to be there." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Just… If it's only me… Please don't use it."
"I won't," he promised before he could think it over. If she was this upset by the mere idea, than he would not want to see how hysterical she became if he actually went through with forcing her to witness the ability in use. He did not understand why it bothered her to such a degree, but he would not push the topic any further than this. He'd probably gone too far already. And, if he really wished to show her what her resurrección had looked like, he did have another method at his disposal. It was just such a useless skill… She would likely fawn over it if she knew. Nelliel had been such a pain when she had found out. Aracelis would be so much more annoying, but she really would enjoy seeing her resurrección for herself…. It would also assist him in learning more about the parasite if she could note differences in her form in more detail if he provided an example for her to view. Yes, there was an actual benefit to showing her instead of him doing it out of 'kindness.' "If you behave, perhaps I can find another way to show you your resurrección."
"Another way, huh? I'll be a good little subordinate for you then," she muttered, failing to hide the bit of curiosity that leaked into her bitter tone.
The reason why Barragan detested him would remain a secret from her, because he did not wish to explain his reasoning for protecting her then. Sharing that memory would only have been useful if he could use Solita Vista for her; otherwise it was a needless display that would further confuse her and wrongly convince her that he cared far more than he did.
"Hey," Aracelis said after a moment of silence. "Did you know that you're really terrible at bedroom talk?"
"Quiet." The statement had struck a nerve. Sure, he had been allowing her to initiate most of what they did together, but that was merely to figure out what she liked. Okay, fine, he had been learning what to do because any of the limited experience and knowledge he had was the basics of such activities. Not foreplay. About all he knew involved some rather intimate touching, and now didn't quite seem the time to be sticking his hand down her pants- perhaps later she'd be receptive to such a thing, though. He figured he had hidden this lack of knowledge well enough, but that stupid remark annoyed him. He didn't want her even joking about him being incompetent in bed. That actually did hurt his ego a bit… "That had not been my intention," he defended despite it being wholly unnecessary.
"Really? Had me fooled," she teased, before adding sincerely, "I didn't mean anything by it." She turned her body so she was leaned into him, almost flat on her back, all to look at him with mischievous eyes. A smile had returned to her face. "Had talking been your only intention, though? I do have to wonder if you had something else in mind…"
Her grip on his hand loosened, and she completely let go of the pillow. Then she knocked the pillow away from her and to the side. Despite doing this herself, her skin got warmer, her cheeks gaining a slight flush. His eyes drifted from her face. While she had attempted to cover her breasts with her slender arm, not all could be hidden, breasts squished together and up by her efforts. And the way she grabbed herself… He would rather that be his hand.
He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. Very carefully he shifted his position as not to break the kiss until he had managed to slip one of his knees between her thighs, his left hand moved to tilt her face, his right hand on the bed next to her head. As they took a moment to breath, he pulled away. He leaned back, trailing his hands down her sides until he reached her hips. There his right hand continued down until he stroked her inner thigh through her pants, dangerously high, almost rubbing against her.
"Ulquiorra," she breathed, closing her eyes to focus on the feeling. Eventually she took the cue to part her legs so he could sit between them. He pulled her closer, flush to his knees, returning to running his hands over her bare torso. When she let out a quiet moan he bit his tongue to keep quiet. Feeling aroused, with how his body reacted without his consent, still bothered him somewhat. She had no idea what she did to him. That didn't stop him from continuing to massage her hips, however. No, he wanted to hear her make that sound again.
Aracelis reached her hand out desperately to gain his attention. He glanced back at her face, deciding to tease her for a moment before giving in to kiss her once more like she wanted. Aracelis pouted, the look somehow endearing to him. Her impatient little frowns were certainly something she only aimed at him. Everyone else got her scowl or her mirroring his blank expression. He crawled on top of her, Aracelis wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him closer. With her body against his, he felt another rush of heat as his blood decided it was needed elsewhere. As his lips met hers, she pulled her arm out from under him to wrap both of them around his neck. Her fingers traced over his mask remnants before she knotted them into his hair once more. Despite himself, he moaned quietly at all the attention. He found her pulling his hair to be bizarrely enjoyable, although he never admitted that fact to her. She figured it out on her own when he couldn't stifle all sounds from escaping himself. While she slid her tongue into his mouth, he considered how much he regretted not taking off his shirt before this. For whatever reason, she made him nearly sweat with how hot she made him. Even battle didn't do this to him. He was also missing out on the full effect of having her bare chest pressed to his. Apparently her body found the room chilly, or she was turned on by what he was doing with her. Before he had a chance to reach for the zipper of his shirt, her fingers left his hair to grab for it. She struggled with a look of utmost concentration on her face, only getting it down to his collarbones.
"Do you need some assistance?" He found it amusing when she dropped her hand down in defeat. He allowed her enough room to cover herself back up with her arm.
"Yeah," she said with a slight laugh. "I'm… I'm struggling here." She ginned before pushing herself up, whispering into his ear, "I'd generously reward you for your help, Ulquiorra." His stiffened when she slowly licked his ear. Then she let herself fall back to the bed, her chest bouncing slightly with the movement. He wondered how aware she was of her movements, and how they were really testing his control. His body would not allow this to go on much longer without showing his desire outwardly. The smug grin hinted that she knew full well what she was doing.
He sat up, reaching for the front of his shirt. In one effortless move he had it unzipped. "You struggle with odd things," he stated, removing the fabric before unceremoniously tossing it to the side where he had long since abandoned hers. Right now, being overly neat wasn't appropriate- even if it did bother him slightly to have something out of place. She slowly looked him over with half-lidded eyes, gaze trailing down his chest and to his stomach. He didn't entirely understand what she so enjoyed about him, but had figured out she fixated the most on his muscles- discounting her apparent enthrallment with his eyes. She also seemed to like his backside considering how she grabbed it enough… He'd have to get her on top of him so he could return her handling properly. "I believe you mentioned a reward for assisting you," he said, pulling her out of her fixation, the sound of his voice making her eyes shoot to his face. He returned a hand to her hip before rubbing his hand down her thigh at an agonizingly slow pace.
"Y-yeah, I suppose I do…" Aracelis looked off to the side nervously as she bit her lip. Her hand twitched as she hesitantly tried to will herself to move her arm. She slowly began to slide her hand off of her breast, showing more and more skin, almost revealing her... When she scowled suddenly and froze her movement, he got confused enough to stop his anticipatory gaze to look at her expression. It was a look reserved for someone she found truly annoying. He didn't think he had done something wrong…
"If you are apprehensive to-"
"No, no," she quickly spat out, glaring at him before glancing away again to add, "I want you to fondle the hell out of me." He was glad she was looking away because he knew he'd widened his eyes at how blunt she had been. If he wasn't burning up already, he would have felt his damn face betray his surprise- she had mentioned that his 'blushing' was adorable. He found it humiliating to be reduced to such an idiotic creature. Blushing was only acceptable from Aracelis. It was bad enough that he had given into carnal desires like some beast. Sex was pointless, he knew this, yet here he was on top of her. Her tone also confused him because of how frustrated she sounded. He'd happily oblige the request to touch her if she didn't appear so bothered. It was just such strange behavior from her. "I just… I don't know… Got nervous? I mean, you are really attractive. And you never really say if you think I am, and I just sort of wanted to hear you say so before I… ah… stripped down for you completely. Because I guess, I don't know, that for a second my brain," she hissed, "decided I'm not that great and that you were just screwing with me, but I knew that was wrong, but it still distracted me, which pissed me off because I'm trying to do you, and it was just talking over me again, saying that it would be a bad idea, which made me mad because I want you, like I'm really turned on right now, so sex would be great, and I-"
"You are attractive," he interrupted, seeing she had lost her train of thought and would ramble incoherently if she continued for much longer. Not that he minded hearing her say that she wanted him to such a degree. Actually, hearing more would have been entertaining. Perhaps he shouldn't have stopped her. She stared at him for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face, seeing that he seriously meant his words. "I would not be trying to copulate with you if I thought otherwise." That was the honest truth of the situation. He didn't know why he decided he found her attractive, but he did. Obviously that meant he wanted to sleep with her, because what else would it mean?
"There's that Ulquiorra charm," she muttered, holding back a laugh. "Thank you, though. I… I like compliments from you." She averted her eyes, licking her lips to wet them like this was the most opportune time for such actions. He almost leaned down to kiss her… "So, um," she started again. Aracelis shifted a bit before she lifted her arm off of her chest slightly, it still blocking his view. "Getting back to your reward for assisting me in my time of great need…"
Aracelis let her arm fall to her side, face darkened by how red her cheeks had grown. She turned her head, trying and failing to subtly watch his reaction. He let his eyes leave her face for he finally got a chance to look. Her breasts, while not large, were enough to cup his hand over if he so desired- which he did. Rounded and without perceivable flaws, he decided they were likely quite attractive by any standards. He thought they were. And with her nipples erect… He gave in and cupped his hand over one, earning a shaky breath from her as she closed her eyes. Her skin was in fact soft, and so warm. After a second he moved to hover over her, supporting himself by planting his left hand beside her head and laying on top of her. He gave a gentle squeeze with his right hand, Aracelis sighing happily as she looked back at him. He grabbed her a few more times, squeezing and caressing her as he enjoyed the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips. Then he moved his hand over slightly, rubbing his thumb over her nipple a few times. He knew they were sensitive from the way she reacted when he touched them through her shirt, but otherwise he was just guessing at what to do pathetically enough.
"Ulquiorra," she whispered quietly when he stopped. "Please keep doing that, and maybe…" He glanced to her face to see her biting her lip nervously. She mumbled her words so terribly he couldn't even make out what she had said through lip-reading. Whatever she wanted him to do apparently embarrassed her. By now, however, she certainly noticed that he followed her lead most of the time. She knew he would do what she asked because it would please her. He had already selfishly forced her into this arrangement, he wasn't about to disappoint her in bed by ignoring her needs. He should, considering that then she wouldn't like him as much, but the thought of using her body for just his own pleasure bothered him. She didn't deserve to be used like that… Additionally, he figured she wasn't one to do anything particularly perverse with her sense of modesty. That suited him well enough.
"Speak clearly," he ordered, losing patience when she didn't repeat her words. He wanted to know what she wished of him, not more of her avoidance. Embarrassingly, his control wouldn't last forever with how aroused he was, and a premature release wasn't something he wanted her to witness…
"Pinch my…" she trailed off sheepishly, mouthing her final word. Her face was bright red trying to explain her desires. He wished he could be frustrated, but she was leaving her body fully vulnerable to him, and he couldn't blame her for being hesitant in this case. Not when she was at least trying to speak her mind. For all she knew, she would say the wrong thing and he would get up and leave her. Dealing with her fear of rejection was bothersome, but he wouldn't want to upset her… Such an irritating concern he had developed towards her. "And," she continued quietly, "with your mouth… maybe… um… lick a bit… and nip some."
He stared at her for a moment, confused with the request. She wanted him to bite her nipple? Is that seriously what she was trying to tell him? He wasn't some child suckling off of her. That was the only damn action that popped into his head. Would she really find pleasure in it? It sounded more painful than it would be pleasurable considering the sharpness of his teeth. But, then again, he liked her biting his skin and pulling his hair, so perhaps she would gain some sort of sexual gratification out of a bit of discomfort. Foreplay confused him. He knew he should have brushed over it and just had intercourse with her, but the way she touched him was so enjoyable. He hadn't wanted to deprive her of the same pleasures. Even if that meant seeming somewhat of a fool for not knowing what to do…
Just as she opened her mouth to probably dismiss her request as ridiculous he pinched her. She moaned unrestrained as he keep the pressure on it, shifting beneath him in some form of satisfying pain. He didn't even care as she rubbed up against him, the extent of his arousal becoming obvious to her. He had given up on trying to hide it. No point in it seeing as how he intended to take her now. She had been allowed plenty of time to think better of this, but it appeared she fervently wanted to have sex with him for some unfathomable reason. He lowered his mouth to lick her other nipple a few times, releasing his hold on the left to just fondle her breast so it didn't become too painful. Her hand found the back of his head as she tried to urge him to keep going. When he hesitated she moved her hips against him. There was no holding back his groan as she kept grinding against him. She only slowed when his mouth covered her nipple, tongue circling before he grazed his teeth over it. When he lightly bit down her breath hitched, whining softly as he pinched her left again. She fisted her hand in his hair to hold him there, encouraging him to do more.
After a few moments of repeating the actions, shifting attention from one breast to the other, he lifted his mouth away to trail kisses up to her collarbone, then to her neck as he found a particular spot near her throat. After sucking on the skin he bite down with enough force to leave bruises, yet not cut through her more delicate skin. She breathlessly whispered his name in response. Admittedly, she had shown him this. She was the one that first kissed and sucked on his skin until she found an area just sensitive enough that her biting became insanely pleasurable. He had copied her, much to her apparent enjoyment. He questioned her sanity for allowing him to bite her neck when, if he desired, he could tear her throat open with his teeth alone. She couldn't puncture his hierro, nor even leave a bruise, but he could kill her if wished to. Her trust just baffled him to no end.
He pinched her again as he bit down on her neck, her reaction to arch her back to press herself into him again. There was no stopping the moan from escaping as he was becoming slightly uncomfortable with how much he wanted her. He couldn't take much more of this and he hated it. He despised that she could so easily reduce him to a creature controlled by bodily urges to the point he was losing his rationality to the chaos of desire and lust for her. More so, he detested that he was reveling in the feel of her arms around him, the way she moaned and shifted beneath him in pleasure, the sound of his name as she breathlessly called for him, and the warmth that radiated from her bare skin. Above all else, he enjoyed being close to her and the fact she seemed… happy… with him right now. He hated that his sole focus wasn't fulfilling any carnal desires he felt, but on her comforting presence and her happiness. Hate was the only thing he could think to call this strong feeling accompanying this fact with how unquestionably irrational it was to him.
She pulled at his hair to gain his attention. Her lips were parted, begging him for another kiss he willingly gave her. As he ran his tongue over hers, she pushed against his shoulder, trying to get him to roll over. When his lips left hers, he let himself fall to the side, pulling her on top of him. Aracelis sat on his stomach for a second before leaning down to give him a light kiss that barely brushed his lips. While she leaned over him, he ran his hands down her sides until they rested on her hips, his thumbs rubbing circles on them as his eyes roamed over her bare torso from the new angle. Eventually she sat back again, moving to sit on his thighs, weight on her knees more than him. A hand rested on his hip. She brushed her hair out of her face with her free hand, tucking a lock behind her ear as it kept falling in front of her eyes. For a few seconds she just looked at him with a small smile before her attention wandered to his chest and downward. Then suddenly her expression slipped back to worry.
"I…" she said quietly when she noticed he caught the expression. "I, um, wasn't really sure if you… If you found me attractive enough to… to actually…" Her face flushed, and, while her words failed her, her gaze made it obvious.
"You doubted that I would find you sexually appealing enough to the point of being unable to get an erection?" That was what she chose to concern herself with? She worried that she wouldn't be able to please him? She should have concerned herself with the opposite. Perhaps he should have been more liberal with the compliments towards her figure like she wished, he just wasn't entirely sure how to honestly. Telling her she had rather average features that he somehow found appealing probably wasn't the answer. Reassurance was what she thrived off of though. "I assure you that your body has quite the effect on my pe-"
"Ul-Ulqui- Ulquiorra," she sputtered to interrupt him, avoiding his eyes. "Do you need to say it so bluntly?" she muttered. After a few seconds of fidgeting she hesitantly looked back at him. "But, yeah. Every other time we were messing around, I didn't really feel your… um….," she lowered her gaze again, "so I thought that maybe..." For someone who appeared quite familiar with sex and had no problem groping him upon a whim, she grew embarrassed far too easily when discussing such matters.
"I had actively avoided such contact," he admitted if only to further assure her he found her appealing. "I had not intended to have sex in those moments. Allowing further stimulation would have been pointless."
Her eyes widened when she recognized the meaning behind his words. "S-so right now y-you seriously want t-to?"
"Yes," he answered flatly. This conversation ceased being productive. "Do you desire otherwise?"
"No," she almost shouted. "Oh, no, I want you."
"Then continue," he all but ordered, 'impatient' or 'eager' accurate words for how he felt. "I suspect you wished to be on top of me for a reason beyond commentating." Certainly she hadn't just wished to express doubt about herself- such thoughts usually interrupted whatever else she had planned. If anything she had had the look of wanting to do something that would surprise him in some manner.
Her smile returned, now more resembling of a smirk. "Perceptive as usual," she mumbled to herself before draping herself over him, doing nothing to avoid his groin pressing to hers. In fact, she rocked her hips against his a few times, making him clench his jaw to keep quiet. Immediately he wanted their pants off to move to the next phase of this act. After capturing his lips briefly, she began trailing light kisses from his jaw to his neck with a hand resting on his cheek. As her tongue ran along the skin of his throat, he slid his hand off of her hip to grab at her backside. She paused kissing his skin to hum in apparent amusement that he would grope her instead of the opposite. He better understood why she kept doing that to him now… Admittedly he would prefer her clothes off for a better feel.
Eventually her lips moved from his neck to lay a few kisses on his collarbone before she pushed herself up, hands resting on his pecs. With how she leaned forward, she had pushed her breasts together, displaying them rather appealingly from the angle. Slowly, she traced a finger along the four tattooed to his chest, a content look on her face as she beheld the rank with admiration. Then she lightly set her hand back down to run them both from his chest to his stomach, feeling every muscle as she went. He closed his eyes, not wanting her to grow embarrassed and stop, as her fingers delicately felt over his abs, following the lines of his muscles downward. His jaw clenched in an attempt to hold back a groan, the sound becoming a growl, as one hand continued well past his waist. Even through the fabric, her touch drove him insane. He could only imagine how her fingers would feel wrapped around his bare skin, stroking him… All other thoughts left his mind as he could only feel her hand rubbing against him.
It took a monumental effort to break out of the trance he had fallen into. He didn't completely come to his senses and put an end to this superfluous activity that had somehow snapped his control over his own body, though. Instead he grabbed her wrist, hand shaking as he forced himself to pull her hand away even if he had been enjoying the attention. Just as she opened her mouth she suddenly found herself on her back, pinned beneath him, wide eyes staring up at him as he leaned down to meet her lips in a needy kiss. With her arms around his shoulders and a hand on the back of his head, she pulled herself to him as he lay almost on his side. His right hand felt down the side of her body, fingers curling around the waistband of her pants, brushing her skin underneath the fabric. Her hold on him tightened as she pressed her lips into his. He took that as silent permission to continue. His hand slid under the fabric, Aracelis quickly letting out a small moan as he stroked her. This was something he at least had an idea about considering it was anatomy related; Arrancar's internal organs may occasionally vary in location to humans due to differing physiology, but genitals were another matter, especially for Arrancar granted near perfect human forms. Like her. Her kisses grew rougher as she desperately pulled at him. When her lips left his, her breathing became shaky as his fingers moved against her. He was really surprised that she did seem aroused, still not understanding why she found him appealing to such a degree. She whined quietly when he continued teasingly fondling her without taking it a step further.
"Ulquiorra," she complained, her voice sounding strained and almost desperate. When he ignored her unsaid request Aracelis moved her hips, only to have him pull his hand enough away that she wouldn't get what she wanted. "Ulquiorra," she growled, apparently getting quite angry with his teasing her. Obviously she didn't understand she had been doing the same to him and he was only returning the favor. "Ulquiorra Cifer, seriously."
"Do you require something of me?" He found it amusing when she banged her head into the sheets in frustration. It would be a bonus if she verbally answered with what she desired, but he intended to do it either way. After a bit more stimulation, if she wasn't already aroused enough, he was fairly certain she would be ready for him. As excited as his body was to commence this, he didn't want to cause her more discomfort than necessary.
"You are such a jerk," she mumbled, perhaps catching onto to what he was doing. "Keep teasing me and I swear-" A gasp escaped her, cutting herself off. After a moment the initial surprise wore off, and she relaxed to his touch, allowing him free reign, two fingers exploring her. Soon enough she let her eyes slip closed, sighing happily in pleasure at the feeling, the occasional little moan leaving her mouth as his fingers found a particularly sensitive area.
Following what was likely a few minutes or so, he was satisfied that she could handle him actually penetrating her with more than just his fingers. Perhaps another time he would be willing to simply use his fingers to get her off, but he intended on consummating this strange agreement he had forced upon her- not having sex at this point would show that he held more than just a physical interest in her, which was the opposite of what he wanted. She whined plaintively when his fingers left her, and pouted when he retracted his hand from her pants entirely. He was sure she was about to complain before he roughly tugged at her remaining clothes, pulling her pants half-way off of her, the bare skin of one thigh visible. Just as she moved to actually assist in disrobing, both glared in mutual anger. His jaw clenched tightly as he tried to hide the depth of his irritation. With how tightly he fisted the fabric of her pants, it was surprising it didn't tear.
"You're not going to stay, are you?"
"Unfortunately," he growled, quickly catching that his anger at being interrupted had shown, "I cannot." This couldn't have waited? For days the entire Espada had been able to sit about, uninterrupted, not tasked with anything other than to wait for further orders. Of course that had change now. He couldn't do one thing at his own leisure without something going wrong. Loly, the little worm, often served as a personal messenger for Aizen, particularly when he only wished to see one member of the Espada. No reason to bother Aaroniero to use his ability to fetch one hollow. The creature was nearing their quarters- she had escaped notice far longer than most considering how focused he had been on Aracelis. He… He almost felt irritated at Aizen for this interruption though.
"I'm going to kill her," Aracelis hissed in exasperation. "I'm going to dismember Loly and smash her head into the ground for this." She chose to direct her anger at the messenger rather than the Aizen for once. It was a good call, because he didn't really feel like chastising her at the moment. "Are you sure you can't just stay for a little bit longer to finish up?" she nearly begged as he crawled over her to stand. As soon as he stood next to the bed, Aracelis sat up, fingers catching the fabric of his pants in a tight hold. He waited for her to speak, not quite understanding if she meant to keep him there through this or what. Looking down at her blushing face hinted that her intentions were less than pure. "If… if you want I could…help with," her gaze redirected to his uncomfortable, and now unnecessary, erection, "your problem. I think… I think I know how to… to um… use my mouth, or in the very least my hand to…"
"You…. You would perform oral sex for me?" He could feel his damn face get warm at her suggestion. She had just taken him off guard because he hadn't really considered her doing such a thing with him. Although, from the way she kissed, she seemed quite skilled with her tongue and lips… "Not now," he quickly spat out after being taken aback by imagining her actually doing such. Imaging how her lips would feel on him only added to his current predicament. He would like to have more time than what was allotted to experience such a thing, as rushing didn't suit him.
"Not now, huh?" She rolled her eyes at him, the last time he had said that being her proposition to join her in the shower- which had yet to happen. He'd make them happen soon enough. After releasing his pants from her hold, she shifted almost uncomfortably. "So, um, maybe when you come back we could continue? I'm… I'm really horny now, so I'll be really pissed off if you leave me like this for too long." She awkwardly laughed, attention to the floor after admitting what she apparently thought was a secret.
"I could tell you were aroused when I had my fingers in you." Wide eyes darted to his face before quickly returning to the floor at his blunt remark. "I do not know when I will return," he said a moment later after retrieving a new set of clothes to change into after a quick shower before Loly got any closer to the tower. Hopefully in that time he could regain control of his body one way or another. He would not be letting anyone aside from Aracelis see him in such condition. Admittedly, now that he was thinking with a bit more clarity, he could feel that at some point he had begun sweating a bit. He found it unpleasant to be covered in any amount of filth. As for Aracelis's scent all over him from such close contact… He didn't mind it. May that be, he still would need to bathe to get rid of the scent least some hollow with any sense of smell be able to figure out what he and his Fracción had been doing together.
"Go proposition Aisslinger and Demoura to spar with you after showering." It would keep her busy, and perhaps alleviate some of the frustration she felt at having been so thoroughly teased. He would also still need to gauge her ability before initiating his other plan; having his way with her was far less important than making sure he didn't kill her after all. Now would be a good time for her to train, as it seemed Aizen had a task for him to complete in the near future. There would be no leaving Las Noches if he had a mission to accomplish. Perhaps he would come fetch her after his meeting, test her ability some, and pick up where they left off with this if she didn't come to her senses.
"So, not going to continue this at all?" Aracelis did nothing to hide the disappointment in her tone or on her face as she sulked. He really underestimated her interest in this matter. With her attention on the floor and his prolonged silence, she sighed, figuring that meant he wouldn't be. Before she could have a moment to blame herself for what she would perceive as having disappointing him, he went to her and tilted her chin so she was looking at him with wide blue eyes.
Following a soft kiss to her lips, he said, "I will not tolerate any interruptions next time. I assure you," he nearly growled, "I am frustrated with this as well. I wish to have sex with you, and I have every intention of doing so." He straightened his back, dropping his hand back to his side, content with the smile that had returned to her face with his words.
"I'm going to hold you to that, Ulquiorra." Aracelis stood up, leaving barely any space between them. She leaned forward to give him another little peck on the lips. "And, just so you know," she began, her cheeks darker as she flushed once more, "your growling is really sexy." While he looked at her blankly for both the odd wording she chose –the human slang always confused him a bit- and the compliment towards a bestial noise he'd rather not have made, she fished her shirt off the ground where he had abandoned it.
"You are a strange woman."
"I know," she said cheerfully as she slipped her shirt on, zipping it and fiddling with it before she seemingly remembered her pants were in need of adjustment. Quickly she pulled them back into place. "See you later?" After giving a barely noticeable dip of his head, she grinned happily before walking past him to obediently fulfil the tasks he had assigned her.
As he walked to the shower, he tried and failed to see what she saw in him. He didn't understand why he wanted her in any way, either. Aracelis remained an irrational mess that confused him to no end. She always had been. Perhaps he should be the one reevaluating their 'relationship,' that he never wanted to begin with, before he fell further into her irrational tangle of emotions.
…
Maybe after sleeping with her once… or few times… he would consider trying to push her away again. He couldn't imagine that this arrangement would remain stable. Her emotions had a way of intensifying with time. Eventually she would demand more than what he was willing to give. At some point, she would get bored of him, right? Surely she would understand that happiness wasn't something he could provide her with. That there had to be someone better suited for her. Eventually, she would see that.
Ulquiorra knew she would eventually leave him again, by choice or by death. There was no point in pretending otherwise. He'd much prefer her to choose to leave him then the alternative, however.
A/N- Bet you see why I wanted to change the rating, hm? I didn't want to cut this out, because I think it plays into their relationship dynamic and his thoughts on the matter and how he treats Aracelis (and how awkward he is of course). And the moments where Aracelis got a bit upset/doubtful were most certainly caused by Mirro's vehement opposition to this entire thing- he's still trying to stop this from happening. You can guess Mirro is having a moment cuz he sees that what he is trying to convince Aracelis of is the exact opposite of what Ulquiorra is doing. Also slipped in some more of the past from Ulquiorra's pov too, some of which mirrors what he thought as he watched her 'die.'
Thank you to ClassDummy101 for following, and to everyone reading!
haipa-chan- Surprise! Awkward sexy time has been provided and thusly interrupted. I swear, that's the last time too. Their dying to have at it by now. Even Ulquiorra only has so much restraint after all. And Ulquiorra is of course going to be very blunt and awkward, much to Aracelis's amusement and embarrassment; he hasn't a clue what romance is. Not that she can be seductive either, she just grabs and touches because saying things is much more embarrassing. Definitely be getting to her pov next chapter, of course, which Mirro can share his woes during. He is certainly pissed off, that's for sure. He'd "Mirro out" if he didn't take this as a personal challenge to what is his, and, well, the fact if he leaves Aracelis, Ulquiorra will most assuredly kill him for what he's done- and Ulquiorra doesn't even know everything yet. Glad last chapter did end up on the fluffier, more relaxed side because they needed a break from trying to kill each other or everyone else. Despite not responding much, Ulquiorra does quite enjoy her rambling about things she finds interesting- he always had. The chaos of canon is not a time for idle chatter. Which is what interrupted them, as Aizen is interested in abducting Orihime at this point. Thanks for reviewing again!
SilverThornz- I saw a few other authors that thank everybody, and liked the idea because you all really do motivate me to keep going with favs, follows, views, and reviews, and occasionally provide some great ideas. I know, catching up to an ongoing story is like, 'oh, um, I guess I have to wait now. Okay then… two minutes… so is it updated yet?' Glad I got you hooked, though. I'm happy to hear that you're liking how I've depicted Ulquiorra, and that Aracelis is working well. So thank you for reviewing!
Lunar Loon- Man, your absolute loathing of Mirro never ceases to make me giggle! I'm sure he'd be shaking if he could hear beyond that blasted fourth wall. He'll only get worse, and that is a promise. If I wanted one character to be hated it was him, as he is a bastard through and through. I'm happy last chapter got you some feels, and thanks for reviewing!
TheShyScorpio- Oh, wow, such a long review, thank you! So much to comment on… I'm glad their awkwardness has played out as cute, because they most certainly are horrendous at seduction. And Mirro, I'm happy to hear that you see him as an interesting character despite most of his appearances being rage-filled rants. He does come off as jealous, doesn't he? He's very possessive, because Aracelis is his, as in he owns her, and Ulquiorra is really worrying him. Not only because he could kill him if he leaves Aracelis' body, but because Mirro has a better understanding of Aracelis's behavior and mental state than even her- he knows her past, what to say to trigger different responses even if she doesn't really know why certain things affect her- and he knows Ulquiorra likes her more than he lets on. That's why it's so important he screams at Aracelis so she believes otherwise. He is losing control of the situation and he is not happy. Definitely will explain their past and develop him a bit more, of course. Orihime certainly serves a role in addition to canon, as she is about to be the one human in Las Noches with any sense of emotional connections. Oh, and I definitely was trying to show that they were more comfortable and open with each other last chapter which definitely helped Aracelis not feel as insecure under Mirro's manipulation. Ulquiorra kinda just lets her shower him in affection, too, because it makes her happy and he doesn't really mind her clinging to him. A compromise, he reasoned, and most definitely not anything more. And, well, not having sex after saying that's all he wanted would really prove he had been lying. I'm glad the slow pacing is working, because when I started to really plan out chapters I knew it would be long, but I just really wanted to develop Ulquiorra's character more than the series- and with him, that takes time. Honestly, I feel like in the series, they pulled the 'last minute development to make their death more impactful' thing, and I just, I really wanted to add more depth and reasoning to how Ulquiorra got to that point. It is a job to keep in character with a romance, lol, but it certainly plays to his apparent wanting to understand the heart though. I'm actually really happy to hear that this was worth re-reading already, and that it made sense enough to give you more of an appreciation for it! Thank you for the compliments too, I will certainly be aiming to amaze!