Chapter 27: Window Shopping

"Will you go on a date with me?" he asked her.

She had agreed to said date. She had worn the same old oatmeal wrap sweater. Same old jeans. Same old boots. It felt new, though. This all felt new. This time Ulquiorra had asked her out. It was about a week and a half after the one she had asked him out on.

The week that followed that date at the arcade had been much like the ones before, except that Ulquiorra was always at the shop when she came in for coffee. They exchanged smiles and longing glances. They stole kisses in the back room. It was a big improvement over the prickly feeling Orihime had experienced while Rangiku had been working the early shift.

So Ulquiorra took off early and they decided to go window shopping. They started at a sweets shop and had a little something to bolster their energy, then took off hand and hand, dropping into one shop after the next. It was fun learning about the kinds of things Ulquiorra appreciated or got excited about. She kept watching his eyes light up as he explained such and such kitchen tool to her at the kitchen goods store, or the serious expression on his face when he talked about the superiority of one product over another in an electronics shop.

She kept smiling, and she couldn't wipe the stupid look off her face if she tried, as they continued to walk through the chilly streets, stopping in a candle shop this time, after stopping at a spice shop. Orihime had her arm threaded through the crook of his elbow as they browsed the selection. "Oh, smell this one! I will give you three guesses what it's supposed to be," she said, holding up a glass tumbler filled with medium brown wax. Her hand covered the label.

"Uh, um," he took a sniff of it and then shrugged. "I have no clue. I know food scents, not whatever this is."

"Oh, come on, take a stab at it. Even if you're wrong, it will be fun," she pleaded.

"Hmmm, it smells manly? I guess? Um… earthy? Woods!"

"Good. See, you're not too far off. Honestly? It smells a lot like you. How much is this?" she muttered the question under her breath, turning the tumbler over and then raising her eyebrows. She put it back on the shelf without a word and tugged in another direction. "There's food-scented ones over here, you want to guess those?"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow and looked at the name of the scent. "What's wrong with that one?" he asked as he followed her.

"Nothing. It's perfect," she said.

"Do you want it?"

"Well, yeah, but as Aunt Kathy always says, 'If wishes were horses, beggars would ride'." It's not that she couldn't afford it, it just seemed so extravagant. Her old frugal habits were hard to let go of.

Oh. She was worried about the price of it. Ulquiorra would offer to buy it, but she didn't seem like the type to accept gifts even if she was with someone. Well, Grimmjow had bought her an iPad, but that was in the past. There was something about her that screamed she was begrudgingly accepting of his generosity. He'd come buy it for her later. "Ah. Okay, what's the next scent?"

This time she held up a red one. "Only one guess this time. If you get this wrong, then I was all wrong about you," she teased in a deadpan voice.

"Hmmm, it's crisp. There's a slight floral scent… Smells like the beginning of a harvest… Apples? Macintosh?"

She raised her brows in an appreciative way and revealed the label, which read, "Marvelous Macintosh".

"Are you for real?" she asked.

Ulquiorra smiled, showing his teeth. "I told you. I know food smells," he said. "Try again?"

"Okay," she said, smiling and nodding, tapping her chin with a finger as she glanced around. "Ah ha!" she said, her eyes narrowing on a clearance rack. "Close your eyes for this one," she said, bringing two candles over. The first was candy corn. The second? Pumpkin Spice.

"That is a nasty basic bitch latte. It's too sweet. There's too much cinnamon and nutmeg. It's cloying and too much artificial vanilla."

"Ding ding ding!" she cheered. "Okay, round two. You get this one right and you win."

Ulquiorra grabbed her wrist before she could get away from him. "Are you ever doing to drop that?" he asked with an innocent look on his face.

"Drop what?" she asked, baffled, but in an amused way.

"Orihime… The pumpkin spice woman," he said, now frowning.

"Oh." Honestly, she hadn't had that one woman in mind. "You know, I haven't thought about that in ages. This is more of… I don't know. I feel like it's our inside joke," she said, blushing a bit.

Oh shit. He totally read the situation wrong. "I'm sorry. I thought… It's not important. You know when you smell a bad cinnamon scent and it hangs in your throat for a while? That's how Pumpkin Spice and October sits with me," he replied and kissed her slowly and deeply. "Sorry."

She gave him a secret kind of smile after he broke the kiss. "Don't be. Well, do you want to test me? Or tell me what I smell similar to?" she asked as she leaned into him again for a second before looking down the wall of colored wax.

"Oh no… I have one more round left and if I win… I get a prize, don't I?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Oh, right. Okay close your eyes here's the other one." She lifted the multicolored candle up.

"Vanilla… some fruit… I'm not sure of that one," Ulquiorra said.

"Ha ha!" she laughed triumphantly. "I've stumped the master?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Open your eyes," she said.

Ulquiorra did and then blinked. He looked down at his girlfriend who wore the biggest smile on her face. "You know… I was going to buy you that candle if I won and you were going to accept it," he said. "What did I miss?"

She scoffed. "Well, that is crap," she teased. "This is crap, too," she said, revealing the candy corn candle with its orange, white, and yellow layers. "Ugly and unpleasant."

"Ugh… no wonder it threw me off. Okay my turn!" He looked around the store and then found the flower scents. He had her face the other direction as he sniffed the candles. "Here, smell this," he said.

She came over and closed her eyes, taking a deep sniff, blowing it out, and then another. "Um… it smells like… roses a bit? Also, like… fresh. Like clean but not soapy." She took another sniff. "Oh wait, is that "rain" scent?"

"This is what you smell like to me," he said. Instead of putting the candle back, he kept it in his hands. "Does this place have baskets to put candles in while you shop?"

"Yeah, they're by the door," she said, smiling at him. "Are you getting one?"

Ulquiorra nodded. "I'm getting this one. You're that fresh and clean scent but there's also a hint of flowers around you," he replied as he walked over to where the baskets were kept. He picked up one and put the teal colored candle in it. Then he walked over to the scent she had picked out for him and put one of those candles in it. "Are you ready for your three candle challenge Miss Inoue?"

"Yes, lay it on me, Mister Cifer."

He wouldn't focus on just one scent category; instead Ulquiorra went over to the food and drink scented candles first. He plucked a dark purple one from the shelf and gave it a sniff. It smelled like a blueberry mojito. "Here," he stated.

"Hmmm," she said, taking a sniff. "Spearmint and some kind of berry?" she sniffed again. "Blueberry mint.. Blueberry mint… and sugar… Oh! Blueberry mojito!"

"Ding ding ding, round one goes to you," Ulquiorra said, borrowing her phrase. "Hmmm, Oooh!" He looked at a bright yellow candle that was in the floral scent section and took her over there. It said Honeysuckle and Sunshine. He took a tiny sniff and about gagged.

She took a scent and her nose wrinkled and she pulled her head away. "Whoa. That smells like… Um… Ladies who wear too much perfume."

"Right? What's the notes though? What can you smell besides hookers and old women?"

"What do you know of hookers?" she asked, twisting her lips into a sassy smirk. "Let's see, then…" This time she used her hand to waft the fragrance to her nose instead of sniffing it directly from the jar. "Um… Sweetness, like nectar. Some kind of amber or musk? It doesn't go well with the sweetness."

His hand uncovered the label and he showed it to her. "I know nothing of hookers but my uncle is a...connoisseur of high end escorts. Or he used to be when I was around him during the summer months."

"Wow… Classy," she said, then her eyes drifted toward the ground. "Not that I can say much about that."

Ulquiorra put the candle back and then tilted Orihime's head up. "Hey, you don't need to bring yourself down just because of your past or your mother. You mean the world to me. I'm falling in love with you."

Her eyes widened. Did he just say-? Her cheeks flushed. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.

His eyes went wide, too, as he realized what he said. The cat was out of the bag now. He had just admitted to her and to himself what he was feeling. It wasn't bad, just different. "C'mon, let's pay for this and we can talk in the car. Would that be okay?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, her voice a bit unsteady and very quiet. She followed him to the register, and as they waited, she put her hand in his elbow again, and found herself inching closer and closer. She couldn't believe this.

He gave her a hint of a smile as the line moved and when they got to the register, Ulquiorra put the basket on the counter.

"Ohh! Good choice! Humidor and Waterflowers. Such great smells. Your lady has great taste," the woman said as she rang the candles up.

"Thank you, I know she does," Ulquiorra replied.

She bit her lip. She could barely contain the feelings that were welling up in her. She used her other hand to hold onto his arm too. She probably looked like some kind of clingy date, but she didn't care. He said he was falling in love with her. She didn't say anything about it first; he had said it on his own without any prodding from her.

When he was given the price, Ulquiorra just handed over a bank card. He didn't blink or flinch. The cashier put the candles in separate bags and bid them both goodnight. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she said. She was more than ready.

The two left the candle shop and Ulquiorra guided them to the car, which he unlocked and started remotely as soon as they were in range. He opened Orihime's door and then went around to the driver's side. He didn't say anything as he put the two bags in the backseat.

"So?" She would let him go first. She didn't want him to feel like he had to say something based on her reaction.

"So, yeah." He looked over at her with a red face. "I've been falling in love with you. Before we even started this. Before you broke up with Grimmjow. You're the reason why… Halloween."

"Halloween?"

"You're the reason why I didn't go home with one of your fake friends," he stated, fidgeting with the ends of his scarf. "I wanted to kiss you so desperately that night. I didn't though. I had to respect your relationship."

She got lost in memories of that night. How he had followed her into the ladies room. How she had been so jealous when he talked to her friends. How she felt guilty later when she went home with Grimmjow, knowing that if Ulquiorra had kissed her, she probably wouldn't have stopped him. "Ulquiorra, I…" she leaned over the center console and kissed him, using both hands to frame his face.

That was a first for him. He felt like he could have turned into a puddle. Her kiss was gentle. It was tender. There was passion behind it though. He leaned towards her and into their liplock. He pulled away, his heart beating rapidly. "I-I-" Ulquiorra swallowed and shook his head. He couldn't find the right words to say anything to her.

He looked so sweetly terrified. It made her heart melt. "Ulquiorra," she said the word like she was hugging it. "You can tell me anything, remember?" She leaned into him again for another embrace and breathed his scent in. That candle was nice, but the real thing was so much better.

"I started having feelings for you before Halloween. They came to the surface that night though," he murmured into her hair. "You had Grimm, though. Ran told me that you came into the shop with one of your friends and she overheard you say that Grimmjow wasn't treating you right. I wanted to punch him. So… yeah… I have feelings for you. Deep feelings that I tried to hide then because you were in a relationship and I didn't want to scare you. But you knew how I felt about you. I told you. Those feelings are still there after all that time has passed."

She pulled back to look him in the eyes. She stared for a long time with big, round, soft eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, Ulquiorra. I'm not. You… You got under my skin a long time ago."

His brows furrowed. "But this," he said. "We've been slow in starting this and… I'm scared, Orihime. I've never felt like this with anyone else. I've never… I don't know what to do. I don't want to screw up."

She smiled at him. He still looked terrified. She kissed his lips softly and sat back up. "Can I tell you my side of things?"

The man nodded. "Absolutely."

"Well, I noticed you the first time I came into Coffee & Sadness. I couldn't believe that there was a shop that was named after my blog. When I went inside, it was spring. I think it was back in mid-May; during finals last year. Do you remember what the special was then?"

"May is banana and peach month. Peach iced tea was the popular thing and banana rum bread," he said staring at her. "Izuru picked that month."

"Yep. And when I came in that morning, you weren't behind the register. Ian was. You were on your break. I asked what was good and he said get the special, so I did. I took a seat near the doors and had a bite of that bread, which was good, by the way. Very good. But I felt a little out of place there. It felt like that place was too good for me; too cool. Too quality. Too Pottery Barn, even though I love Pottery Barn. Anyway, I couldn't relax, until you came in from break, smelling like tobacco and cloves and looking like this cool, untouchable guy. It was the smell that got my attention, first. It made me feel at home. Then I just watched you."

"I like Pottery Barn," he said with a small laugh. That was embarrassing to admit. "I'm not cool. I'm not trendy. I'm boring, Orihime. You've seen me in action. I tried to remain unaffected by you. I know I was a dick to you."

"Yes, you were," she said, chuckling a bit. "But despite that, once I let my dark side show, you always stood on my side of the line. Do you know what I'm getting at? We both stand on the quietly subversive side of things. You never failed to join me in that, and it made me feel close to you. Even though you were a jerk and, for the longest time, I was convinced you were gay, by the way. It was right around that time that I started actually dating Grimmjow.

"Rangiku told me you thought I was gay. We both laughed about it. I didn't understand that. I eyefucked you whenever I could. Even after Grimmjow found out that I wanted you… I continued to do it," Ulquiorra sighed and leaned back against the driverseat. "I don't think you noticed when I watched you. Just seeing how you would smile or mumble something under your breath. And your dumb friends were oblivious to it. That made me laugh."

She giggled a bit. "Yeah, you got me. You are the only one who gets me all the time. You have an exceptional sense of humor. And funny people are not boring. Funny people are smart and sad. Funny people are Coffee and Sadness."

"Do you want to go back home or to my place? We can do something else, if you'd like. Right now I just want to hold you and talk without everyone else around. If you want to be out, that's okay too."

"Let's go to your place. We can talk some more and I'd rather be comfortable while we do."

After they arrived at Ulquiorra's apartment, Orihime decided to wait until they got comfortable to drop the news. She watched Ulquiorra disappear into his room and change as he always did, while she got herself situated on the couch. When he came back out, she patted the space beside her. "I have some news," she said, deciding to just get it out of the way.

Ulquiorra did as she suggested and sat next to Orihime. When he was comfortable, he turned and looked at her. "News?" he said.

"Mr. Kuchiki told me this morning that my New York tour date has been set… for next weekend," she said, grimacing. The following weekend was Thanksgiving. They hadn't talked about it, but she was kind of presuming that they would spend time together. It had only recently occurred to her that he might have extended family obligations.

A frown crossed his face. "New York? That's a big step for a book tour. And it falls on Thanksgiving." He sighed. "I guess I'll be eating alone again this year." Ulquiorra gave her a smile but it was fleeting.

She pouted. She didn't like to see him unhappy. "You could always come with me, if you could get out of work," she offered feebly. She knew he wasn't that flexible usually.

The idea was tempting. It was more than tempting. "I don't know. I'd have to talk to Rangiku, Izuru, and Ethan about it. You know how much I like to avoid conversation with her. If you're doing this book tour, you need to focus, instead of me distracting you. What about-What about Christmas? You'll be going on break from school right?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll have my final exams about two weeks before Christmas, and if all goes according to plan, I'll graduate on the eighteenth. Then I'll join you in the ranks of Northwestern graduates," she said with a small smile. "Do you have plans for Christmas?"

Ulquiorra looked up at Orihime. He frowned deeper before shaking his head. "No. I never have plans. I don't put up a tree or anything. Aizen wasn't big on holidays. Most I got from him was a card with money in it." Ulquiorra looked at Orihime with a raised brow. "Why?"

She shrugged. "It's just that it's coming up. Maybe we can have dinner or something, if you're not busy or anything. I don't have any other plans," she said casually, not getting her hopes up.

"You want to spend Christmas with me?" Warmth filled his eyes and Ulquiorra gave a nod. "Spend Christmas Eve with me, too."

"Really?" she asked, turning to see his expression. When she saw it, a grin cut through the slight tension on her face. "I'd love to."

He nodded again. "Good. I guess this means I have to put my Christmas tree up. You'll help me with that after everything is done, right?"

"Sure! I haven't done a Christmas tree in years, either. This will be fun," she said, still beaming at him.

"I don't have any decorations for it. It's just a tree and some lights. Ornaments are… distracting. Of course, I could..." Ulquiorra glanced at her and then blushed. She probably wouldn't want to go back to Highland Park. "We could celebrate it in my childhood home instead of the apartment. We could play house up there."

She raised a brow at him. "Would you want to? I mean, do you consider it home? I always thought you were supposed to be home for the holidays," she said, singing the last part to the tune of the song by the same name.

Ulquiorra considered her words for a moment. "You're right. It's not home to me. So you'll come over on Christmas Eve afternoon or something? We'll spend Christmas together? What kind of stuff do you want to eat?" He asked nervously. He'd never spent a holiday with anyone he had feelings for. "Of course, you're going to have to help with food. I demand it."

Orihime laughed. "Okay, no promises on quality, though. I can make some excellent lean cuisines or we can just split a bag of Doritos. I'm not that picky. Although…" her eyes drifted off to the side as she imagined some of her childhood christmas fantasies. "We could do real food for real grown people. I would need a few days to practice, though."

"How about duck or lamb? Roast beef?" He was just throwing ideas out there. "We can have finger foods on Christmas Eve and a movie marathon. Have to watch A Christmas Story and all those other classics, even Home Alone." Ulquiorra gave her a smile before he leaned over to her and gave her a slow and sweet kiss. When he broke it, he rested his forehead against her shoulder.

She would have melted based on his smile alone. The kiss and this closeness… She knew that this thing budding between them was going to be big. It deserved the time they had been taking to let it grow. She leaned her head down to rest lightly on his. "It sounds perfect. I will make some finger food and you can make some and we can surprise each other for Christmas Eve. And if we are watching a million movies, we had better start early."

"Just show up in your pajamas in the morning. We'll figure it out," he laughed and sat up. "I would like to spend more time with you, but I know how close you are to graduating and missing class would be unproductive."

She nodded. "Yeah. It's really close, and now I have to go to stupid New York. Oh, and there are stops on the way. Ohio, Indiana, and a couple around here so I won't be done with this part of the book tour until the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so the time I have available between now and finals is getting really cut short," she said with a displeased face.

Ulquiorra took her hand and started stroking her palm with a finger. He sighed. "You're doing things with your life, Orihime. You have a great opportunity. When you get back from your tour, we will celebrate our first Thanksgiving together, okay?"

"Maybe Thanksgiving for your birthday?" she proposed.

The grin was slow to spread over his mouth. Ulquiorra gave her a nod. "Sounds like a plan. I wonder how pumpkin cheesecake would taste."

Her brows flashed at him. "I think I might lift my pumpkin spice embargo for that.

A/N: Thanks for reading! How do you rate the progress in their relationship?