WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT (and extreme fluff uwu)
Once the kids were in bed, Ulquiorra went back down to the living room. He looked at his girlfriend. "It's a bit early, but did you want to go upstairs?" he asked.
"In a bit. I'd like to just hang out with you for a little while and unwind before we go up there, because I know what happens up there," she answered suggestively.
"Oh do you?" he asked, the playfulness evident in his tone. "Thank you for making a delicious meal and cleaning up." Ulquiorra sat down on the couch and stretched out his arms and legs.
"Thank you for cracking the whip and getting the kids to bed. Your scary face is much more convincing than mine," she said with a giggle, appreciating the view of his body he was giving her as he stretched.
Ulquiorra turned his head and looked at her. "I will be the same to all the children. When I say something is to be done, it's done."
"It makes you a very effective teacher and disciplinarian. However… As they get older, I hope you expect a bit more resistance, or you are going to be disappointed."
He scoffed. "I remember how difficult teenagers are. After all I had a mouthy redhead who refused to eat on my hands," he said with a smirk. Ulquiorra knew they were trying to unwind but the events that happened earlier that day were pushing to the front of his mind. "Orihime?"
She detected the shift in his mood. "What is it?" she asked, gentle concern evident.
"I'm worried about Yuko. She said she found out where I was located on the internet. I don't understand why she would want to come back when she's the one who walked away from me," Ulquiorra said. He shook his head. "She left me a letter when she dropped off Eriko, saying how she used me because I was a foreigner."
Orihime sighed. "Well, do you think she meant the contents of the letter? Or was it possible she was just trying to make it unlikely for you to go looking for her? Being foreign seems to be a strange reason to use someone, if you ask me, anyway. I don't know anything about her except from our brief interaction today."
"She's a hostess. Or she was when I last had contact with her. She sometimes sleeps with men for money. She used me to have sex," he said. Ulquiorra looked at Orihime for a moment. "Do you understand why I was wary of you in the beginning?"
"No. And I don't understand why she would use you for sex when she had men paying her to do it. It doesn't add up to me. Am I missing something?" She decided not to react to the potential insinuation he may or may not have been making.
Ulquiorra shook his head. "I'm not explaining this correctly, but she explained in this letter that there was someone with more money, better looks; someone who isn't emotionally closed off and cautious about people." He knew every word of that letter. It was etched into his head. "That's why I acted like I did. I already had a strong emotional connection to you. I didn't want to be hurt by anyone else."
Orihime's brow furrowed. "It sounds like she broke your heart, Ulquiorra. Did you love her?" she asked gently. She did not like the idea of some bitch stomping all over him like that.
"No," he replied. It was the truth. He had never loved Yuko. "It's stupid why I sound like that. I felt betrayed. I felt like a piece of garbage."
Orihime bit her lip and nodded, thinking about it. "Is it possible, do you think, that maybe she felt the same way? Like, maybe she loved you, but you didn't reciprocate, so she felt rejected by you? It might explain why she lashed out at you in the letter."
He dug into the pockets of his shorts and pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper. Ulquiorra handed it to Orihime.
She raised her eyebrows as she took it from him, feeling slightly uncomfortable with this. In truth, Orihime was a somewhat jealous person. She always had been. There was a part of her right now rearing up in protest at this note, as if it might snatch Ulquiorra's heart away from her. She knew it was irrational and locked it up tight, though, as she unfolded the letter and began to read it, instead of rejecting it from existence.
As she finished reading, she sighed heavily and refolded the note. "I think my hunch was right, Ulquiorra. She said so herself, in here. She pursued you for years. There are other people; more wealthy, more effusive, than you are. She chose you despite those things. She was probably very hurt when she left you. I'm not saying what she did was right; it was very, very wrong. But I don't think she did it because you weren't good enough for her. I think she did it because she wasn't good enough for you, and that killed her inside."
"She never said anything. Not that I would have cared. My heart was somewhere else," Ulquiorra stated. He let his head fall back onto the couch. "The fact that she left Eriko has made my heart a stone to Yuko. I can never forgive her."
"I don't think you should, either. She's unfit to be a mother. The mere fact that she would show up unannounced and show her face to Eriko, in public, no less, speaks volumes to the fact that she is not interested in what is good for Eriko." Orihime sighed. "And even if she was; even if she was ready to be a good mom, Eri doesn't want her in her life. I think Eri is old enough and that these circumstances are such that her wishes here should be weighted heavily."
Ulquiorra scooted over so that he was closer to Orihime and took her hand into one of his. "Eri wants you in her life, that speaks volumes." He looked at the letter she still held and then into Orihime's eyes. "Get rid of that for me… Please."
Orihime nodded. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Yes."
She set the letter on the table in front of them and put her hands near her heart. "Baigon, Lily, Hanagiku, I reject," she whispered and the three sprites sprung from the hairclips tucked into her shirt and began to reject the letter. It didn't take long; only about eight seconds; and it was gone. When it was over, she looked back at Ulquiorra and took his hand again. "I want to be in both of your lives," she said, giving his hand a squeeze. "We can worry about Yuko if she tries something again, but it doesn't do any good to sit around stressing about it. She might just go away now that she knows we're together."
"Hopefully. I'm not expecting much," he said with a wave of his hand as if to clear the air. "You know I don't know what to expect with this whole baby thing. I can do after Three comes, I know all about babies and what to do. I'm just not certain what to do while it's growing."
"Haha, you can leave most of that to me. I just have to avoid certain foods, too much stress, be healthy, stuff like that." Orihime said with a lazy sort of smile. "Oh, and don't let me carry anything too heavy near the end. Remind me to keep my feet up."
Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh don't worry. If I have my way, you'll be laying in bed all day while being pampered." He let his arms snake around her. "I will protect you, Kazui, and Eriko with everything at my disposal."
She snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. "I believe you," she exhaled through her nose with a happy sort of hum under it. "You're pretty strong under that gigai, aren't you?"
"Why do you ask? I assume I'm strong. I woke up with bat wings."
"I ask because I can't feel any spiritual pressure from you. That must mean you have the super duty gigai. Only the strongest ones need that. That or you're so strong that I can't feel your spiritual pressure at all, like Aizen."
Ulquiorra held up his hand, spreading his fingers wide. "I had a regular gigai. I burned through it within several minutes. Urahara gave me a different one that I had until March. There are switches in my hands that will allow me to release my spiritual pressure and leave the gigai."
Orihime brought her fingers up to feel his hands, detecting a ball-shaped insert inside, then threaded her fingers through his and let their joined hands drop to relax. "That is a convenient feature. "Why did you need a new gigai? The one in March?"
"Urahara said it was time for maintenance on my old one and I could have several upgrades done to it. He checked me out and Kurosaki tried to check me out but I was irritated that day," Ulquiorra answered. He looked down at their hands. He studied the way her fingers seemed to mold themselves to his. "They wanted to examine Eriko."
"Hmm," Orihime thought about that. "Eventually, it might be good, but I think that maybe," she paused. He wasn't going to like her idea.
His eyebrow rose and he waited for the woman to continue. "Well?"
"Hear me out before you make a judgment. I think it would be better advised to have Ishida-kun check her out. He has no affiliation with Soul Society. His ability to detect spiritual pressure is unsurpassed. He may not have access to Soul Society's research, but I think he's a safer choice."
The man's mouth twisted to the side. She was right. Eriko would need to be evaluated eventually. "I will consider this information and we will discuss this further when Eriko absolutely needs to be seen for such matters."
Orihime nodded. It was his decision, not hers. "I worry about both of them. I hope they aren't as reckless as I was," she said with a nostalgic smile, tilting her face up toward his. He looked slightly troubled, his brow set in a light scowl. He looked handsome. The index finger on her free hand rose on its own and pressed into the spot right between his eyebrows. "You'll get wrinkles," she murmured in a soft, lazy sort of way.
"I can always have Urahara smooth them out," he said with a smirk. "May I ask you something?"
She chuckled at his first remark and then replied, "Of course. Ask me anything."
"Do you want to move in with me?"
She hummed. "The selfish, romantic answer is yes. The realistic, messy, responsible parent answer is, yes, but probably in stages. I love my place, and Kazui seems pretty comfortable there. I don't know what I'll do with it. I could rent it out, maybe. Or maybe we can just keep it… It seems like a poor choice, financially, though." She shook her head at herself. What did she mean, we? Yes, they were planning to blend their families, but Eriko had said it; he wasn't going to be waiting at the end of any wedding aisles for her. Her finances and his would remain separate. "I guess I'll figure it out."
"What about the marriage thing? Are there any conditions for that?"
Well, then. Apparently that topic was up for discussion. "What do you mean? I was under the impression that you were not interested in that. Eriko was quite adamant about it."
Ulquiorra looked at her and nodded. "I always thought it was just going to be me and her. I heard Kazui and Eriko's argument. He thinks I should marry you. I don't think I'd be worthy. I'm a hollow in a skin suit," he said.
"I was married to a hollow before. At least partially. He was about as hollow as you are now, at least."
He nodded. "That makes sense. I do not want to push you into anything but it could be something we can consider, down the line. Right?"
"Certainly; of course. There is less uncertainty for the kids, more security for us… I'm not even touching on the emotional rewards. I think I would like to, when you're ready. It sounds weird to say that, though; like I'm rushing into it. But with Three on the way and how I feel about you… Do I sound crazy saying this? It sounds crazy. I can't explain why I feel the way I do, but I already feel committed to you, so marriage feels like the logical next step," she said, struggling to express how she felt. She was worried about what Eriko had said about Ulquiorra's supposed aversion to marriage. She didn't want to push him away. Still, he had brought it up. Maybe he was open to the possibility.
Pressing his lips into a thin line, Ulquiorra thought about what she said. "It might be too much for them at once. We should let them come to terms with everything before we pile something else on. It is a logical step, but I want to do this right. I would like to date you-court you-whatever kids are calling it these days. When I was a human the first time, we courted those we wanted to spend our lives with."
Orihime giggled. "What century are you from? You sound adorable. And funny. And I would love to be courted."
"Good, one of these days when we get someone to watch the kids, I will take you on a proper date. We will go to dinner and maybe the theatre or dancing," Ulquiorra paused for a moment. "I think I was born in the 1600's? I don't even remember that much about it anymore."
"Wow," Orihime mouthed, "That's…. unbelievable. And I have never been on a date like that before. Do you think I could pull off something that fancy?"
Ulquiorra nuzzled her cheek while nodding. "It's just a pretty dress or whatever women wear, right? I do have nicer clothing than what I've been wearing. It's so hot outside though."
"I know," Orihime groaned. "If there is one thing I really love about your place, it's that the air conditioning is exceptional," she said and chuckled. "Anyway, I would like to see you dressed up. I'm sure you make a pretty picture." Orihime smiled and let her mind wander, imagining him with a tuxedo, wondering what surprises lay in his closet. That made her remember Eriko's room. That reminded her of something that the girl had said, and her smile faltered a bit. "Um, Ulquiorra?"
"Hmmm," he hummed in a content manner. "Yes?"
"Eriko said something to me, it might just be her clarifying what she already thought she knew, but it might be that she has an opinion about us not getting pregnant. I don't know how to interpret it, but it makes me a bit nervous that she might not take the news very well when we tell her that she's going to be a sister."
That made Ulquiorra sit up and stare at Orihime. "What did she say? Why wouldn't she take the news well?"
"I'm not sure she won't, but I stopped in her room and asked if she had any questions about us, and she said no, she knew that we loved each other, but that there would be no babies. She pointed that tidbit out specifically."
Oh. Oh. Ulquiorra sighed. "I don't know how to deal with this. How did that even come up? Why did that come up?"
"When she, uh, saw us, that time, she asked if we were going to make a baby. I told her that there were ways to prevent that, and that we weren't going to. She seemed relieved at the time. Little did I know..."
He chuckled softly. "Yeah this wasn't on my agenda. None of this was in my plans. Strange how you humans alter lives," Ulquiorra said. "Eriko will get over it. There's nothing to be done about it now. I could tell her tomorrow, if you want. We could tell them both tomorrow. I don't know. On one hand I want to tell them everything, but they're so little still that they need time to get used to things. Everything that's about to happen are huge things to them."
"Yeah. And it's still so early in the pregnancy; a lot can go wrong. I don't want to tell them and then break their hearts… you know. I don't expect an issue, but we should at least wait until we've had an ultrasound."
Ulquiorra untangled himself from the redhead and stood, extending his hand to her. "Come, I want to relax upstairs with you. We can talk about other things in the morning."
"Ha, yeah right. You just want to get some, don't you?" she asked, raising a brow but taking his hand anyway.
"I wouldn't be put off by the prospect, but if you are not in the mood, I could hold you."
"Oh, I'm in the mood," she replied, smirking a bit. "Have you seen yourself today?" she looked him up and down and hummed in appreciation.
He bit the corner of his lip, liking her reaction to his appearance. Letting go of her hand, Ulquiorra grabbed the hem of the shirt he was wearing and pulled it over his head. "Do you like what you see then?"
She couldn't wait to get upstairs before she had her hands on him, starting on his defined abdomen and sliding northward to his shoulders. "Like is an understatement. You make the moon jealous."
"Probably because I'm paler than it," he stated, bringing his hands to her hips. "I am happy that you are in my life."
"So am I. I didn't think I'd ever find someone who I would want to touch me like this or help me raise Kazui. I love you. You have no idea what a pleasant surprise that is," she said, smiling and letting her fingers play in the hair at the base of his skull.
A grin spread over his face and Ulquiorra pulled her closer to him. "I-Same, I guess. I never thought I'd find someone for myself or to help with Eriko. Let's go upstairs now so I can ravish you."
Orihime didn't hesitate, nodding and stepping into him, pushing him back toward the stairs. "Your wish is my command, Ulquiorra," she purred, trying to act seductive, and not doing too poor a job at it.
He wanted to scoop her up and run up the stairs but he didn't. Ulquiorra led her to the second floor and then opened the door to the bedroom. He let her go inside first before he followed after her, shutting the door gently. "You never wanted to follow my commands as an Espada."
"What can I say? Doing your bidding for Aizen's purposes and doing them for your own are two very different animals. Plus…" she paused and shook her head. That was weird. She smiled, brushing it off. It wasn't important why that thought had pushed into her mind, it was probably just her brain filling in the blanks based on Ulquiorra's vague descriptions of their past interactions. She cleared her throat softly before continuing. "Plus, I'm sure, if the other Espada are anything to go by, your skin is a lot softer and your appearance a lot sexier this way. It's, uh, convincing." She chuckled as she unbuttoned her jean shorts and pulled her shirt over her head.
His brows furrowed for only a moment as she said that. Was she remembering? The thought to show her his helmet came into his mind but Ulquiorra dismissed it. There was a time and place for everything and there wasn't a place for bad memories at the moment. Ulquiorra turned his attention back to the woman who was standing before him in just her underthings. "You are gorgeous, every inch of you is perfect."
Her arms wound behind her to unhook her bra, and she pulled it off one strap at a time and set it on the dresser before she responded. "I'm glad you think so, although if you knew me back then I'm sure you're aware that age and childbirth have stretched the perfect out of me, if there ever was any," she blushed and chuckled but didn't try to hide herself from him. She wasn't ashamed of her body, but she knew it was imperfect.
"Hush," he said, moving closer to her. Ulquiorra didn't care if she had aged or whatever. She had always caught his eye and fueled his curiosity. "I'm glad you're going to be cohabitating with me soon. It means that I get to wake up to you every morning," he murmured before kissing her slowly. His hands drifted down her naked back.
Oh, this was nice. The door was closed. The kids asleep, and they could just take their time and enjoy each other. They only had to keep the noise to a minimum. She could do that. She put her hands on his hips and let them drift over the back of his shorts, giving his ass a quick squeeze before going up his bare back and using her arms to press her body into his. The intimacy was good. She wasn't it a hurry.
Ulquiorra let his blunt nails run down her spine in a ticklish manner. He liked this. He liked holding Orihime. He liked being close to her. "Is there something you'd like Orihime?" he asked in a sultry tone.
"I've already got it," she replied after releasing her lower lip, having successfully not giggled. "Although I wouldn't mind you losing the shorts. I wouldn't mind lying down with you either. I wouldn't mind kissing you all over. What about you? Anything catch your fancy?"
"Get on the bed," he said, stepping away from her. "I will undress and we can lie down and see where things go?"
She grinned and walked over to her side of the bed, pulling down the blankets and her underwear before getting onto it. It was warm, despite the air conditioning. She didn't feel the need to cover up. She rolled onto her side and propped her head up on one hand to watch him with a smile.
He looked at her questioningly before he slipped his thumbs into the waistband of the shorts and his boxers and slid them down his hips and thighs. Crawling onto the other side, Ulquiorra lay down beside the woman. "You're looking at me like I'm some kind of god or deity."
"You look like one. You act kind of like one. Besides, if we can't worship the ones we love, who else would deserve such treatment?" She scooted toward him until her legs tangled up in his. She enjoyed the way the hair on his legs felt against her smooth ones. She let the palm of her hand rest on his hip and slowly come up to rise over the surface of his strong arms, over his shoulder, to the side of his neck, and then down to stop over the numeral over his heart, wedged somewhat between the surface his chest and her breasts which made contact with his body just below that number. "You are one, in a way, anyway."
His breathing hitched as she touched him. Ulquiorra swallowed before he wrapped his arms around Orihime, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. "You're a goddess, then."
"Fine. I'll be your goddess if you want," she said softly and then kissed him with a light touch, both lips first, then the top one, then the bottom. She cupped his face and kissed his forehead and his nose, then his chin and his adam's apple. She kissed both shoulders and each side of his chest, each nipple, and then came back to kiss his lips, this time with a bit more pressure, before pushing up and looking down at his face, tossing her head to move all her hair to one side. "You are a gift to me," she whispered, sitting up further to look at how perfect he looked under her.
"Do you really think so?" he asked, lifting his arms to cup her face. Those same hands trailed down her neck to her breasts, which he caressed and fondled, thumbs brushing over Orihime's nipples. "I love you, Woman."
A soft groan left her throat before she could answer him, "Yes, I do really think so. I love you. I love you and I love how you're touching me right now," she said with a bit of a whimper, her eyes closing as she focused of the sensation of his hands on her. Her body moved further down his, and when her backside made contact with his growing erection, she didn't shy away, instead letting the soft surface of her ass slide side to side against it as she slowly shimmied her hips.
Hnnngh. Whatever she was doing was something that Ulquiorra had not felt ever in all of his years in the world of the living. He moaned before moving his hands down her body to her hips. "Do that again," he said. When she complied, the green-eyed man had to bite back a louder moan, only letting a whimper escape.
Orihime's eyes opened to watch his face as he enjoyed the feel of her skin against him. She kept this pressure on him for a few more minutes before she decided that if he liked that, maybe he would like to feel other parts of her body touch him that way. She raised her hips and moved further down his legs until she sat astride him, his cock nestled between her thighs. She rocked her hips up and down then, not that her sex had any contact with him at this point, but so that the collateral contact with the soft, plush skin of her inner thighs moved around him.
"Ohhhh," he breathed, drawing the sound out. This was mind-blowing, what she was doing to him. He rather enjoyed it as his eyes squeezed shut. "I've never done anything like this before. Orihime, mmmm, please."
"What do you want, Baby?" she asked sweetly, still keeping it up. She'd never done anything like this before either. This was much more about the experience as a whole than a potential orgasm, which most of her previous experience revolved around.
Pressure was building at the base of his spine as she moved on top of him. He didn't even know it was possible for this much pleasure to be wrung from his senses and he wasn't even inside of her. He wanted to be inside of her though. He also wanted this to continue. "I don't know-I want you to keep this up, to continue, but at the same time...Oh god. I want-I want to be inside you."
His words made her eyes darken and her core weep. She didn't waste time lifting her hips higher and positioning him under her before slowly letting the tip of his cock break through the seam of her pussy, then push into her inch by slow inch. She sighed as her sex made contact with his body, then she put her hands on his belly and began to move over him, her lips parted so that the sounds of fulfillment that wanted to expand through the room would leave her body in relative silence.
Bending his knees and bracing his feet on the bed, Ulquiorra moved with her, thrusting in and out of her body at a slow pace. He opened his eyes and looked up at the redhead with warmth. She was divine. His spine arched as a wave of pleasure hit him. "Woman," he murmured.
"Ulquiorra," she whispered his name, riding him until he was spent. He looked ruined for a moment, and she laid down on his chest to enjoy the sound of his breath and the heart pounding inside of his chest. "I love you," she whispered again.
"I love you too. Sorry," he huffed, putting his arms around her. Ulquiorra kissed the top of her head and sighed.
"Don't be sorry." She closed her eyes and smiled, happy to be where she was. She nuzzled her face to his chest and sighed, then a silent chuckle went out her nose. "It's silly, and I don't know why, but for some reason, just having you fill me is very comforting. It's kind of a strange thing if you think too hard about it."
He laughed. Ulquiorra laughed hard. Orihime was precious. "You've always been a strange woman. I think that's one of the things that captivated me."
"Thanks a lot," she said in a withering voice. "If that will be all then, your majesty, I think we should at least put our underwear back on and go to sleep. The kids will only afford us privacy so long as they're asleep, I would think."
"But what about you?" he asked. Ulquiorra tilted her face up and kissed her. "I was teasing, Orihime. Had you been like any other human, I would have dismissed you. I wouldn't have-I wouldn't be here now if you were a normal person."
She crossed her forearms over his chest and rested her chin on them so she could look at his face. "Why is that, do you think?"
"You made me find my heart. You made me break through my apathy."
She smiled at him. "Then thank goodness I'm a weirdo, because I wouldn't give up your heart for anything in the world."
Ulquiorra smiled at her. "Tomorrow I'm going to make you scream my name over and over-" he yawned, interrupting himself.
"Challenge accepted," she replied, also yawning. She got up and grabbed a sleepshirt from her stash of clothing in his dresser drawer and picked his boxers off the floor. She returned to the bed, passing him the undergarment and snuggling into his shoulder. "Goodnight, Ulquiorra," she said with another yawn. She was asleep before he had his underwear on.
Awww, and a very happy Valentines Day from us to you. Thanks for reading!
