Waking up with Ulquiorra was nice. Very nice. Embarrassing, yes, and cause of a great blush, but it was still nice. He was so peaceful in sleep, face relaxed for once, unguarded.
She wondered how often he slept and let people see that face.
"Do you plan to stare at me all morning?"
In all honesty, she had planned on that. Well, until he woke up. "N-no." She squeaked, her blush burning under her skin. She had to wonder if there would ever come a time where he failed to make her blush.
"Get up and get dressed, woman. We have things to attend to."
"Oh, right. The war…" The winter war was over, so what did that make this one? The spring war? Spring, a time of rebirth and peace. Nothing like the harsh and cold winter. But then, the seasons never really change in Los Noches, did they? The atmosphere was always as harsh as winter.
Spring. She wondered what it was like back in her world, where the people were alive. She thought about how the flowers would be in bloom, and the grass green, and the birds singing in the trees.
She realized that she really did miss it there.
"You are unhappy." He noted. "But this war is with that fool, Nnotora. He is trash. There is nothing for you to worry about." He closed his eyes then, fully intent on going back to sleep. After all, he had practically none ever since she had died. He could never make himself sleep on the couch for too long; it was just too vulnerable a place to sleep.
She nodded slightly, her head moving against the pillow. She slowly let go of his hand, uncurling herself from the ball she had slept in. Her slumber had been peaceful with him lying next to her. Any dreams she had were pleasant, unlike the nightmares that seemed to have been plaguing her sleep as of late.
With a small yawn Orihime sat up rubbing her eyes, back braced against the bed's headboard. She stretched her arms up over her head, humming lightly to herself as she felt her muscles waken.
"Are you ready to get up?" She cheerily asked the man lying next to her, face all smiles.
"No."
She blinked, surprised. "… But, um, aren't we needed in-"
"Hush, woman." He softly commanded. "Let me sleep."
"Oh… okay." She watched him for a second, trying to figure out what his deal was. He was… tired? Espada got tired? "I'm going to get up and get ready."
"No." He growled out. His arm went out and snaked around her waist, drawing them closer together. "You will make far too much noise." And with that declaration, his head sunk into her lap.
Orihime's face turned beat red, eyes going wide. She looked down at Ulquiorra, his arm possessively wrapped around her as he used her as a pillow. His breathing regulated soon after he made himself comfortable, showing that he was perfectly content to be sleeping on her.
Gradually her blush receded, until she was just staring down at him again. She looked at the dark tendrils of black silk splayed out over her white nightgown, and then at the face that was just as pale as the cloth she wore.
Sure he was asleep, she tentitivly lifted a hand from her side and put it on top of his head.
He didn't stir.
She put the other hand on her back, a tender smile blooming over her features. When he again did not move, she began to run her hand through his hair, brushing it out with her nimble fingers. She found her heart soften and then melt for the man as she ran her hand through his hair, watching him breath slowly.
"What are you doing?" He asked after some time, still acting as if he were asleep in all aspects but that of speech.
"Just…" She wasn't surprised that he was awake. "Loving you."
"Thank you." He breathed over her, breath hot even through the material of her nightgown. "But please do so when I am not attempting sleep."
"Does it make it hard to sleep?" She asked in surprise. When she was little and had been unable to sleep, she would seek out her brother. She would place her head in his lap, and he would pet her hair. That always had her out like a light, sleeping peacefully.
He sighed, a slight bit of irritation in his voice. "You are a morning person." He stated gravely. "I, however, am a creature of the night."
"It's always night here." She pointed out.
He sighed again, cracking an eye open to look up at her as he spoke. "What I am trying to say is that I appreciate the fact that you are awake and happy, but I am not happy simply because it is early, and that I wish to sleep. You are warm, you are soft, and I am feeling rather uncouth. So if you continue to run your hands over me in such a manner as you are now, I will not be responsible for the actions that my primeval morning self takes. As of now, I myself would rather lay here with you and simply sleep."
And after that speech, he gently tugged her down into his arms, burrowing his head into the side of her neck with his arms wrapped around her.
Despite her embarrassment at what he had said and what he was doing, Orihime couldn't help but think she didn't mind sleeping in for once.
Of course, right when he had fallen asleep, Ulquiorra bolted up in bed.
She flailed, startled, and looked for him in alarm.
"There is a shinigami near Los Noches." He spouted, already half way across the room. "Get up and dress yourself, woman." And with that he was out the door.
By the time her feet hit the floor Ulquiorra was shoving her clothes into her hands, dressed, heading for the bathroom. He closed the door, and she hurriedly dressed.
When she was done she knocked once on the door, which he opened not even a millisecond afterward. She was let into the bathroom, he existed, and he let her know she had one minute before he would leave her.
A twenty second tooth-brushing, a brush once through her hair in all of thirteen seconds, and a three second gulp of water later she was out of the door.
"Good." Ulquiorra said, as he had been standing by the door. He grabbed her hand without a moment to spare, and away in a dizzying flash of shun po they went.
Fastest ready time in her life.
"Stark and Lillenet are out fighting the enforcements that have breached our borders." Was the first words the pair heard once they flashed into the meeting hall. Halibel was the one speaking, her voice aimed at the appeared two, Grimmjow, and Nel. "Nel, I ned you to-"
Poof!
"Miss Bell-Bell! Nel is a wil' kid again!"
Halibel groaned, glaring at the ceiling. "Yes, I see that." She looked behind her. "Mila Rose, take Nel to her room. Watch her and come to get me as soon as she's back to normal."
"Okay." The dark-skinned woman lounged forward and scooped up the drooling child in the pile of clothes, hurrying out of the room.
The other two fracìon stayed behind Halibel, fading into the background where they had been before, both quietly bickering about who was the most attractive.
"Okay, well that is inconvenient." Halibel growled. "Someone find Yammy and-"
"You sent him out to fight." Sun Sun softly reminded her. "With Stark."
The blond scowled. "That's right. In that case," She looked back up, obvoisly not liking the choices that were left. She didn't want to leave Los Noches exposed, and having her best fighters gone was a bad idea. She needed to keep two major offense and defense powers, at least… "Orihime and Ulquiorra, you will stay here." But someone had to intercept the shinigami that had appeared out of no-where. And that left… "Grimmjow."
"Huh? What?"
If he screwed this up… "Go intercept the Soul Reaper. See why they're here. If you don't have to kill, then don't. And for all our sakes, if it's Ichigo Kurosaki or any of his group, take them back here instead of fighting. Is that understood?" The woman had been informed of their shaky alliance of sorts with the vizard and his friends, and she had enough to worry about without Grimmjow messing that up.
The sexta espada grinned, elated at the possibility that he might get to fight his rival again. "I aint promising anything!" He chuckled. "Ah, but what the hell? I'll go see who's at the door!"
And with that weird exclamation, he left.
Halibel looked a little dismayed. "He better not screw this up." She muttered. But even to herself it sounded like a hopeless moan more than a threat of sorts.
"What is it you would have myself do?" Ulquiorra calmly asked. He was ready for war, as always. He could care less about it, but he wouldn't let Orihime be put in danger, or their current home.
"Ulquiorra." Halibel sounded relived just saying his name, happy to have someone who she could actually depend on in her presence. "Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do right now. I want you and Orihime to go train for a while. If what I have heard is true, you do not yet know the extent of her powers?"
Orihime spoke for herself, briefly looking over at Ulquiorra to make sure he was okay with it and finding he was. "That's right."
Halibel nodded, glad to see some clam amongst the chaos. "Understood. Now go, I have work to do." She didn't sound rude when she said it, despite the words being so. She was simply stating the cold truth. She was a busy woman.
And with that, Orihime was introduced to the underground training facilities.
.
Yay! Finally, more Ulquihime! Next chapter will be them, too. I mean, they training! Bound to be some romance. It's like they were shoved into a closet together with orders to playfully fight each other, you know? XD Anyway, I still love reviews... I think I have an unhealthy addiction developed. Please, help me through this, and supply me with more! (Random reviewer in back: That's not how it works... idiot...) Me: *twitchy smile* Oh?