WARNING: MATURE CONTENT
Chapter 4: A Snake in the Grass
Sunday's gig went smoothly. Ulquiorra and his other two bandmates did an interview in the morning and then a theatre show that night. Monday was a small acoustic radio show in a park and then a show at a place called The Bat Bar.
Maria thought it was hilarious.
Ulquiorra did not. "I see no similarities between me and bats." They were sitting in a cafe on Monday afternoon, waiting for a late lunch and for Orihime to turn up. Ulquiorra had warned his girlfriend that his mother was there and it was up to her whether she wanted to come meet the woman or not. "Honestly..."
"Oh, Ulquiorra. Sometimes you bring me a lot of joy."
"And others?"
"Other times I think I should have-"
Ulquiorra scoffed. He did not want to hear this, especially coming from his mother's mouth.
Orihime picked that moment to enter the cafe. Despite her small size it was hard to miss her in the short, gauzy white sundress she wore, her long auburn hair falling over her back and shoulders in loose waves. She also had a big, somewhat floppy brown hat on with sunglasses, giving her an air of mystery. She turned heads.
After she was a couple steps inside, she removed the sunglasses and looked around for Ulquiorra. When she finally spotted him she grinned and waved, weaving her way through the tables scattered throughout the cafe. When she reached them, she greeted them with a sunny, "Hi," then stood at the end of the table, awaiting introductions.
Maria raised an eyebrow as she looked over the young woman. This must be the infamous Orihime. She turned her head towards her son. "Well?" she asked.
Ulquiorra rolled his eyes as he stood and pulled out a chair for Orihime and kissed her on the cheek. "Orihime, this is Maria Cifer. Mother, this is Orihime Inoue or Vega Strife."
Orihime smiled politely at the woman. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Cifer." It was a clear mizz , not miss or missus .
The blonde woman smiled back. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much from Nanao and Nemu about you. Sadly, my son doesn't talk about you with me," Maria said. "Please join us. Sit down Ulquiorra. You're not going anywhere."
The green-eyed male sighed and returned to his seat while glaring at his mother. He grumbled quietly to himself, occasionally making small audible snide remarks to the woman.
Orihime raised her eyebrows marginally. This was a new dynamic; one she didn't much care for, from either party. "Well, it comes as a surprise that either of Ulquiorra's assistants would have much to say about me, since I've met neither of them. Are they part time private eyes?" she asked with a chuckle. She was making a joke, but she wanted to know the answer anyway.
"Do you want to meet Nemu? She's expressed interest in meeting the person who inspires Ulquiorra," Maria replied with a smile. This only made Ulquiorra grumble louder and start huffing.
Orihime put a hand on his thigh and squeezed gently, without looking away from Maria. "If circumstances permit, I wouldn't be opposed," Orihime answered as if it was not a very interesting proposition, but one she would indulge the stylist nonetheless. She sighed after her answer and let her eyes wander. "What is a stylist doing at South by? Seems a bit excessive. Is she into finding new acts?"
Ulquiorra was going to answer but his mother beat him to it. "Nemu filled in for Nanao. Nemu agreed because she needed more time to analyze the members of OIV to cultivate their appearances for their upcoming tour."
Orihime chuckled silently at that and set her chin in her palm, smiling. "How dedicated." She wasn't going to let this woman get under her skin. Orihime had no illusions that this lunch was anything more than an opportunity for Maria Cifer to intimidate her. She was mentally prepared.
"Can we get back to what we were discussing before you decided to laugh at something stupid, Mother?" Ulquiorra asked. He didn't want this thing to turn into a cat fight.
"The bat thing? You looked like a little bat with the big eyes and ears when you were a baby. I just think it's funny that Koma booked Obscuras IV for a show called The Bat Bar," Maria said. "Of course, you had weird eyes as a baby. All I saw when you opened them the first time was nothing but irises."
Ugh. Of course she was going to turn this into a time to embarrass him. "No, about my schedule. It seems like a big deal that I've been doing at least one interview or two shows a day. Why? I'm no one."
"Wrong. You've just hit a million subs on YouTube. Also, I think your Instagram is about to hit a million. We want to get your name out there. We want to see you succeed. There is the fact that you need to prepare yourself for what's to come. Before this week, how many times have you performed live?"
Orihime squeezed his thigh again at the mention of the subscriber counts. "Congratulations," she murmured to him with a smile. She knew the answer to Maria's question, but it wasn't her place to supply it.
"Thank you," he said to Orihime. His mother had to have known he never really performed in public before the show with Vega IV. "One time," he answered.
"What if you were to go on tour, only to find out that you couldn't perform live? That you either sounded terrible or choked up?" Maria took a sip of her lemon water.
This made him sigh. His mother was right, but still, it irritated him. "Why are you here?" Ulquiorra asked. "Orihime's right. With all these Espada Records people running around, it seems excessive."
Maria's eyes shifted to the redhead and then back to her son. "We're taking an interest in our artists. The same thing will happen at Coachella and any other really big music festival our people are performing at. Don't worry about it, though. The only other music festival you're doing is in Ohio and it's part of the tour. You would know this if you paid attention during all those meetings. You didn't pay attention because of your-"
"Okay. Okay. My head is on straight now. I don't need a lecture about how I mentally checked out for three months."
Orihime pursed her lips. He really had no idea, did he? And his show Saturday night had not gone well. Maria and the label were right to use this week as an opportunity to put him through a practice run before his tour started. Maybe a few small shows in LA would have been a better starting point. On the other hand, it was as if they were doing an audit, using the festival as an opportunity to see which acts were performing and drawing audiences and which were not up to snuff. Her eyes turned to Maria and awaited elaboration.
Maria looked at her son with a serious expression. "Espada is sinking a lot of money into you. You're going to perform an actual concert on Thursday. It's not an arena or an enclosed venue, but you'll be performing in front of a large crowd in a park."
Oh shit. "I suppose this was covered in a meeting?" Ulquiorra asked.
The blonde nodded. "I vouched for you. If you don't do well, my job is on the line," she said.
Double oh shit. Ulquiorra sighed. He had done this to himself. He's the one who decided not to deal with reality or the three-month break up between him and Orihime. Reaching under the table he grabbed his girlfriend's hand and squeezed it. "Anything else I need to know?"
Orihime stepped into the conversation. She knew he was getting stuck in his head. "You'll do fine. The only difference performing in a small venue and a big one is you need more energy to spread your love to the people in the back of the crowd. You can be charming. I've seen it," she said with a smile and returned the squeeze to his hand.
Ulquiorra wasn't too sure of this.
Ring. Ring.
"Hello?"
"Nemu, darling, it's Sousuke."
"Oh, hello Mr. Aizen! How can I help you?" The stylist was standing in her hotel room looking at sketches she had put together for Obscuras IV as a band. She was trying to decide whether she should totally fuck over Ulquiorra or not. It didn't seem fair to the others if she did that.
"You're working with Ulquiorra Cifer?"
Nemu sighed as she let Aizen's silky smooth voice wash over her and shivered. "Yes, I am," she said, almost hypnotized by his words.
"I know he's at South by Southwest. By any chance is Orihime Inoue down there?"
The woman's name broke her of the spell and the her face morphed into a look of distaste. "She is down here. Ulquiorra has met up with her several times, though they're supposed to be separated."
"Could you do something for me? I'm in a terrible bind at the moment and need someone of your caliber to help me."
She could totally help him. After all, Aizen had helped her many, many times. Every time he was in Los Angeles, he made Nemu feel like she was a queen. "What can I do?"
Ulquiorra had another show that night. Orihime hung out in the area beside the stage, obscured by curtains. She had come with Ulquiorra and avoided contact with his band manager and mates. Just knowing she was there helped him perform without incident.
When the show was over, Orihime snuck out and took the rental car back to the hotel while Ulquiorra stayed with the band for a bit and planned to get a ride back with them later. He had not been able to get her her own room; the hotel had been booked up for months before the festival. Orihime had his keycard, and came up to the room with a bag full of snacks and drinks, unlocked the door, and let herself in. The room was not empty.
"What the fuck are you doing in here?" the redhead demanded as her eyes landed on the older woman with black hair.
"Oh!" Nemu turned around quite surprised at who entered the room. That wasn't Ulquiorra. "What are you doing in here? I am in here to discuss options for Ulquiorra's attire for Thursday."
"You couldn't do that in the morning? It's pretty creepy for you to be just hanging out in his room with our stuff in it without letting us know. He's not planning on being back for awhile; he's with his band and manager hanging out at the venue." Orihime was not having this. This woman had no boundaries. She needed to be put in her place.
"No, this needs to be addressed now," Nemu stated. "You're not even supposed to be here with him. You're distracting him and making him lose focus."
"He seemed laser-focused tonight with me there. I think you're just upset that he's happy. No more sad puppy for you to glom onto. Do you even think about your professional reputation? You used to be the person, or so I've heard. Now you've sunk all your time into one relatively no-name client that you allowed to become skeletal and that you barely do anything to style. I dunno… seems like career suicide. Anyway, you just realized that his look needs to be addressed? Just now? Where are the clothes, then? How do you mean to style him, naked? What have you been doing these past three months? Just trying to seduce my boyfriend?"
Hmph. Nemu crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't seduce him or try to. He was the one talking about us having sex. He wanted to see if I was a boring fuck. He's the one who made out with me at LAX when he came back from Ohio. I'm the one who's had to suffer through his temper tantrums and his clingy affection. Not you."
"Huh, does Espada Records know that that's what they're paying you to do?" Orihime asked, her chin jutted out at a superior angle. She wasn't letting Nemu's words get to her in the slightest. Not now, anyway. "By the way, you are not special. He trashed his dad's house before he left too. He was clingy with his former "best friend". Get over yourself."
"I'm quite aware that I'm not special. I never expected to be special to him. Let's talk about you, though. Bouncing from his father to a former friend of his. The gifts he bought you. The songs and the messages. Nanao has access to all of that and she's read it. Did Ulquiorra tell you what happened right before we came out here? Did he tell you how he undressed in front of me?"
Orihime smiled and rolled her eyes. "Yes, he did. And what's the big deal about the gifts and the messages? Seems kind of judgy for someone who plops down next to a client in her underwear in a steam room. As for Ulquiorra's dad?! Gross. He is a father to me . He let me live with him and his boyfriend because I had no place to live. I worked in his coffee shop. It was completely innocent. I only stayed at Shu's place for a couple of days after I had to leave Ulquiorra's dad's house because his boyfriend didn't want any kids there anymore. I had my own room. I don't actually know why I'm telling you this because it's none of your business," she laughed, "it's just all so ridiculous that you would even care, much less bring it up like it somehow excuses your unprofessionalism."
Nemu smiled. "He told me to join him. He's the one who crossed the line of professionalism with the kisses and the cuddles."
Orihime mouthed the words, "Oh my god," as Nemu continued to go on. "I know what he did. He told me. The fact of the matter is he does not owe you professionalism. He is the client. You are the professional. Get your act together, lady. You're losing it."
"I have pictures of us you know. Pictures he allowed me to take. Pictures of him sleeping beside me. Pictures of him holding me. Don't tell me to get my act together. It is together. I would suggest that you watch yourself. Wouldn't want to make a fool of yourself," Nemu said as she walked to the door.
"You are a hopeless nutcase," Orihime muttered under her breath, following her to the door to lock the deadbolt. "The only fool here is you, Nemu. Get your head checked."
The stylist scoffed. "He called you a whore you know, a hooker. It makes sense since he has you in his room. Are you that hard up for money that you need his?" Nemu opened the door and walked out into the hallway, slamming it shut behind her, not wanting to hear the redheaded bitch's reply. That almost didn't go as planned. She had almost gotten caught.
Orihime was fit to be tied. She was pleased that she managed to keep her cool in front of Nemu, she thought while locking the deadbolt, but she was fuming. She decided to let Ulquiorra know what happened before the psycho next door could.
- Nemu was in our room when I got here. We got into it. Threatened me, said I should "watch myself". Also kept talking about all the stuff you two did together and bragging that she has pictures of you two sleeping together and whatever. Says you wanted it and talked to her about having sex with her. Says I'm a whore. Said that I "bounced between your dad and Shuhei". What the fuck? She is butt-fucking crazy. I locked the deadbolt so let me know when you're almost here.
Ulquiorra didn't know what to say. Some of the things were true. Nemu had a couple of pictures of them laying down. She had promised that they were going to be used to show Nanao that he was okay and relaxing. He had given her permission. But... He was getting taken for a fucking ride again. There was no way he was going to let that crazy stylist tear apart his relationship with Orihime.
- I'm gonna get my keycard from her when I get there. I'm pissed off. This is totally unacceptable from someone like her. I'll knock four times when I get back. I think we're almost there. Aaron drank too much and started getting sick.
Orihime was still livid when she got his message, pacing up and down the length of the hotel room, growling and sneering at the furniture. She felt vindicated at his words.
- Good idea. Sorry dude drank so much tho. That's gross. I'll wait for 4 knocks.
When they pulled up to the hotel entrance, UIquiorra jumped out. "Koma, which room is Nemu in?"
The band manager got a concerned look on his face. "Uh, she's in the room beside yours… Why? Ulquiorra!"
He took off running into the hotel not bothering with the elevator. Somehow he hoofed it up all those stairs and was out of breath by the time he reached his floor. He had to walk slowly down the hall and he knocked lightly on the door next to his on the left side. No one answered. He moved down to the door on the right side and tapped lightly.
Ulquiorra wasn't surprised when he saw Nemu open the door. "Give it," he snapped, stomping through the door.
"What?"
"I SAID GIVE IT TO ME!"
"Give what?"
Ulquiorra was furious. "I know you were in my room. Everytime I leave and you're not around, I bet you're in there going through my things aren't you?"
The stylist started pouting. "But some of those things aren't yours. You know she's not supposed to be here. She distracts-"
"Bitches like you distract me. You make me fucking nervous. Give me the keycard to my room. If there's a problem, my girlfriend can take care of it," Ulquiorra snapped, holding out his hand. "Why the fuck did you say anything to her? Why were you in my room? Are you trying to drive me to kill myself, Nemu? Because that will absolutely happen if I don't have Orihime in my life somehow on friendly terms."
"You have issues that you need to talk to Doctor-"
"Don't try to be my mom. Just don't. Okay? I know how Maria is. I know how my dad's boyfriend is. I never had a mother figure in my life and I don't need one now! Give me the fucking keycard, Nemu." He was so angry that he was shaking, small tremors going through his body. "Do it or I'm gonna call the cops. You have no right to that key and you know it. You've lied to me since the beginning of this business relationship."
Nemu turned around and walked towards her purse which was sitting on a table. She cautiously extracted the card and then handed it to him once she reached him again. "Just remember what you did and what you said. It'll come back to bite you on the ass."
"Get fucked, Nemu." With that Ulquiorra turned around and walked out of the hotel room, going down to his own. He knocked four times and waited for Orihime.
Orihime had heard a good deal of what was said next door. There was an adjoining room door between the two rooms and she had opened the side to hers and Ulquiorra's room so there was very little sound barrier. She was near the door when Ulquiorra knocked and opened it a moment later. "Wow, are you okay?" she asked as he entered the room. She let him come in and she locked the door behind him. The door to the adjoining room passage was still open.
Ulquiorra handed her the card and then walked into the bathroom. He left the door open as he splashed water onto his face. "I'm fine," he said, holding onto the counter as the water dripped back into the sink. "Why do you ask?"
"I could hear almost everything you guys said," she replied, standing near the entrance of the bathroom but not crowding it.
"I'm fine, Orihime." He straightened his spine and reached for a towel, wiping the water away. He then walked into the room and saw that other door. He had questioned what it was, but never said anything out loud. "What's that?"
"It's an adjoining room door. The other door opens to Nemu's room, but you need her key to open it. She could have used your key to get through these this whole time."
Ulquiorra let a hiss out as he walked over and slammed the door shut, making sure there was no way the crazy bitch on the other side could get through. He even jammed a chair under the doorknob. "Okay, it's kind of creepy that she's on the other side of that door and she's been able to listen to us do our thing, but whatever. We need to address your text message."
Orihime nodded and sat on the end of the bed, biting at the edge of her thumb. "One thing that didn't occur to me to tell you in that text was that she had a camera in her hands when I walked in. Like one of those small digital cameras people take on vacation. She put it in her pocket and then started arguing with me so I got distracted. I don't know what she was getting pictures of or if she was planning on taking pictures of you or what, but it's worth mentioning."
He sighed. That would have been useful to know before he went in there yelling at Nemu. "Yes, Nemu has pictures of me and her together. She said she was sending them to Nanao for verification that I was okay. This was before you came back into my life. Whenever I got drunk I would bring up the sex thing with Nemu, but I never went through with it. I was still hung up on you and couldn't do it because I knew how I felt about you. You're not a whore. You better not have bounced between my dad and Hisagi or we have big problems. I know you wouldn't do that though."
Despite saying that he couldn't do it, hearing that he had discussed having sex with the other woman felt like a sharp stick in the gut and it showed on her face. "Yeah… um, your dad is like… like the dad I wish I had, and you know about what happened with Shu," she said in a semi-detached voice. Her thoughts were swirling.
"We were broken up, Orihime. I wanted to do it to see if I wanted it. I didn't want it. I don't want anyone else but you. It wasn't like Nemu and I had heart to heart conversations about it. It was mostly me making lewd, drunken statements to her," Ulquiorra said. "I love you. I want you. I don't want some crazy middle-aged woman who thinks she can manipulate me."
Orihime nodded and looked up at him and back down to her shoes. "I know. Still stings, though," she said in a small voice. She never had to test her feelings for him. She always knew how she felt.
Ulquiorra sat down on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Are you going to have a problem with this?" he asked.
"What?" She was confused. "I'm just being open." Now she was starting to feel defensive.
He looked over at her. "I know you are, but I'm asking if you're going to have a problem with this. We were fine when I left Ohio before Thanksgiving. I don't want anything like that to happen. Orihime, she means nothing to me, while you are everything."
"Okay. But let's not forget that everything was not fine before Thanksgiving. I got carried away, but there was still a lot of repressed brokenness between us then." She took a breath and shook out her shoulders. "This is different, because you're right, we were broken up. It doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to hear it though. I mean, I didn't consider moving on with Shu or anybody else… It's a bit of an ego blow more than anything, I guess. I'll get over it."
"I'm not telling you to get over it. I'm not asking you to get over it. It happened when I was drunk, except the sauna conversation where I firmly turned her down. I want nothing but honesty between us," Ulquiorra stated.
"Me too. Is this what she meant when she told you to remember what you did and said that would bite you?"
"Probably," he said. Ulquiorra sighed and pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes. "I don't know."
"What do you mean? You don't remember? I mean, I'm starting to worry that every time you drink there runs a risk of a repeat of what happened with she-who-shall-not-be-named."
Shaking his head, Ulquiorra wasted no time in answering her. "I think she meant the kisses and I was the one to bring up us having sex the first time it came up."
"I see. Well, regardless of what she meant, she seems to have it out for us as a couple in a big bad way. I asked her about whether or not she gave any thought to her career and her answer was just ridiculous. She said you crossed the line of unprofessionalism first. It's like she lives in an alternate universe. You could have begged her to fuck you; it doesn't change the fact that you're the client and she provides the service. She stopped caring about professionalism from the get-go, from the sound of it. I mean, if she was a masseuse and you asked for a happy ending that would just make you a solicitor. If she provided one that would make her a hooker. Different roles…"
Orihime flopped backwards onto the bed and released a unvoiced growl, closing her eyes and pressing her palms into her temples. "I am just so angry at her. I have a lot of reasons to hate a lot of people but I don't. But her… It's closer to that word than anybody else has ever come."
Ulquiorra laid down beside Orihime and held her close for a moment. "It's okay to be angry. I'm angry at her too, but I can't punch her."
"I don't suppose I can either, huh?" she asked without expecting a response.
He chuckled in her ear before he rolled over onto his back and brought her with him. "I find it hot that you want to defend my honor, Veggs," Ulquiorra said as his hands travelled up her sides.
She was pleasantly surprised at his response, honestly. She'd half expected him to defend Nemu, at least to a degree. A smile spread across her face despite her foul mood and she said, "Well, it's only fair, right? Plus, I can't abide potential usurpers."
Ha, it was bold of her to assume that Nemu even had a chance with him. "They can try, but I don't think there is anything that will push me away from you. I'm here to stay. I've learned my lessons. I'm taking them to heart," he said pulling her down to kiss her.
She let him kiss her, and she returned it, but after he pulled back with a self-satisfied smirk she had to ask the question, "You have? And which lessons are those, if I may ask?" She dipped her head back down and kissed his cheek, letting her nose settle into the crook of his neck while awaiting his answer, just to take the pressure of her gaze off of him.
"To never take you for granted. To listen to you. To be wary of people like Nel and Nemu. Don't assume things," he replied to her. "I love you."
She sat up on him and smiled. "Those are good ones. Any others?" she asked, rolling her hips over his in an excruciatingly slow manner. His reaction to this situation was starting to turn her on.
Uh… Uh… She was asking him to think now while she was doing this? Ulquiorra licked his lips then swallowed as he watched her. "Not that I can think of at the moment-Hnnnngh," he groaned as she hit a particularly sensitive spot. "You know, I can just imagine you kicking Nemu's ass. It's kind of hot."
"Oh yeah?" She asked with a little smirk. "And how would that go?"
"You winning. Nem slinking away with her tail between her legs. Us riding off into the sunset."
"Ha. I bet she has no scruples. It'd be an unfair fight. I'd have to be on my toes. Anyway, besides feeding your fantasy machine, anything you want to do tonight?" she asked, walking her fingers up his belly and chest until her breasts were pressed against him, then bopped the tip of his nose and watched his eyes.
Ulquiorra's eyes crossed for a moment as he watched her tap his nose. He had to blink to get them to straighten out. "Besides the obvious," he said, smiling at her. "I really don't think there's anything I want to do. Unless..."
"Unless?" She raised an eyebrow at him. He wore a devious expression.
"Unless you want to give me head again," Ulquiorra replied.
Orihime rolled her eyes, but smiled. "And what would give you the idea that I'd ever want to try that again?" It had been a point of contention during their breakup.
He held up a hand and put the other one as close as he could to his heart. "I solemnly swear I've forgotten all classical conditioning when it comes to that activity and I promise to take cues from you?" Ulquiorra blushed for a moment. "We don't have to. We can cuddle or I could-you know..."
"Hmm? I assure you I don't," she said, sitting back up to look down at him. She couldn't decide whether he was being cute or clever.
Orihime was going to make him say it, wasn't she? His face continued to grow hotter. "I could go down on you," he mumbled.
Orihime grinned at him. He was cute. "Why don't you get cleaned up a bit and we'll see how it goes? I've got something to show you, anyway."
Immediately Ulquiorra perked up and he pushed himself up with his arms. "Yeah? What do you want to show me?"
"I'll show you when you come out. Hurry up!" She pecked his lips and hopped off of him, eyeing her bag. She'd brought something that he hadn't seen yet.
He had never moved faster than he did scrambling off of the bed. He stripped off his shirt, shoes, socks and pants before stuffing them all into the mesh laundry bag. Ulquiorra smiled over his shoulder at Orihime before he peeled his boxers off his hips and down his thighs. "Wanna join me?" He asked turning around to face her with his hand covering his groin.
She considered it. She was going to say no, but then the idea of a wet, naked Ulquiorra appealed to her. "Actually, Yeah. Let me just hide my surprise and I'll meet you in there."
Hide her surprise? His eyebrows raised. "Why can't you just tell me what it is?"
"It won't be nearly as fun. C'mon, get in there!"
Ulquiorra sighed dramatically and then walked into bathroom to start the shower. It didn't take long for the room to become steamy.
Orihime stripped down and grabbed a small bag and brought it with her to the bathroom, opened the door and asked, "Hey Hotshot, steamy enough for you?"
"Ha, ha. What about you Mrs. Hotshot? Things hot enough for you?" he asked from the other side of the curtain.
"We'll see," she said as she pulled the curtain back enough to slip into the shower behind him. "Need someone to scrub your back?"
Ulquiorra nodded but he kept his back to her. It was all he needed to see her and pounce. They'd probably end up falling and hurting themselves. "If you wouldn't mind," he said handing her the bottle of body wash he had brought with him and the washcloth. "I'll return the favor."
She squirted some of the soap onto the cloth and rubbed it in until it lathered, then started up near his hairline. "This stuff smells awesome. Let me know if you have any itchy spots and I'll give it a good scrub," she said with a smile in her voice as she moved the washcloth in small circles on his back.
His head dropped and he let out a small groan as she hit a tense spot on his back. Ulquiorra reached out and put his hands against the tub wall and let Orihime do her thing, humming and letting out little sounds to let her know that he appreciated what she was doing.
She kept going, careful not to miss any spots, getting his ass and then kneeling down to get his legs before putting her arms around him to get his front, not stopping until she got under his chin. "Your feet and package you can do yourself, I don't want to cause a loss of balance," she said, grabbing a handful of water and using it to rinse a spot on his shoulder so she could kiss it.
Ulquiorra had never, ever, had another person wash him since he'd moved to Ohio when he was young. He'd been independent at an early age. Feeling Orihime's wet and slippery body against his, moving the way she was, had brought forth an animal inside of him. His green eyes looked down at his cock which was standing at attention, twitching with need. He could wait. "Do you want me to wash your back?" he asked in a tense voice.
"No, another time, though. Why don't you finish up and leave me to get ready and I'll meet you out there in a bit?" Orihime was anxious to show him her secret, and she didn't want it getting spoiled by him getting too excited now. She could hear the tension in his voice.
"I'm going to need a fucking cold shower," he grumbled and fiddled with the knobs, hissing as the water turned to a cooler temperature.
"Hey! I won't take that long, geeze. Just go dry off." Had he forgotten she was in there, too? "You can stay ready; I will take care of it."
He had a boyish grin on his face when he turned around to face Orihime. "What? Can't stand a little cold water?" Ulquiorra asked, taunting her. Orihime scowled at him. "Fine, fine. I'm going and you can make the shower as hot as you'd like."
She smiled and grabbed another hand towel, not waiting for him to get out before starting to wash herself. After he had left, she quickly rinsed of and got out, toweling off any water that had gotten into her hair. She would be wearing it up tonight. She didn't need the fruits of her labor sticking in the long strands. She piled it all up on her head in a high ponytail and then pulled out a Bad Habit. It was a short one-piece made entirely of black lace, with a black ribbon belt that criss-crossed around her back and tied around her neck several times like a choker. There was a wide expanse of bare skin from the choker to nearly her navel. It was stunning. She put on some mascara and rosy lipstick and cracked the door open. "You ready for me?"
After he left the bathroom and was dried off, Ulquiorra laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't too sure what Orihime had in store and he really didn't like surprises. Just as long as she didn't come out of the bathroom brandishing some kind of weird sex toy, he should be fine. "I've been ready, Slowpoke."
She came out and stood in front of the bed, looking him over, and giggled. "You can look, you know."
"Should I?" He asked, lifting his head. His eyes widened as he took in the small woman's outfit, rather lack of one. She was standing in front of him like a gift waiting to be unwrapped. "Oh hell," Ulquiorra breathed.
"No good?" she asked, twisting around to check her butt. Had she put it on crooked?
Ulquiorra sat up on the bed, with his mouth open in shock. "Is this the surprise?" he asked, face turning pink. He had no reason to be blushing. He'd seen her a million times in lingerie, but this was extra special, if this was his surprise.
"This is the surprise. Now, I want you to promise," she started, taking slow steps toward him, "that no matter how excited or enthusiastic or whatever trigger you feel, you are going to relax and let me do my thing, okay?"
He nodded. "I promise," Ulquiorra said. He reached out to Orihime, wanting to run his hands down her body; just to feel how she felt in the lace. For some reason he really liked these one piece bad habits. "I promise to be cool about this."
She smiled and put a knee on the bed, letting him touch her. "Well, I hope you're not too cool. That would be discouraging to me," she chuckled a bit, biting her lip and looking down at his dick, then looking back up at him with a blush.
A long slow breath left him as Ulquiorra ran his hands from her thighs up to her chest. His teeth raked over his bottom lip as he stared up at her. "I kind of want to rip this off of you and just have my way with you, but I did just promise to behave, and I already have to replace one pair of panties that I ruined..." Ulquiorra trailed off as he pulled Orihime down for a kiss.
She hummed into his mouth. He was behaving rather well. He deserved a reward. She kissed him a bit more and then pulled back, turning to let him see the back of the one piece, pulling her hair off her back to give him a good glimpse before getting down on her knees and turning toward him again. "So, I want you to sit up for me, right here on the side of the bed. We might move you back a bit later, but for now, can you do that?" she asked from her position on the floor, hands on her thighs as she looked up at him.
Another nod as he moved into position, his feet hitting the floor. Ulquiorra looked down at Orihime, "What are you going to do?" he asked. He couldn't take the suspense any more.
"You know what I'm going to do. Well, maybe you don't. Just hold onto the blanket and try to relax," she said,putting her hands on his knees and sliding them up his thighs until she reached his cock. With her right hand she let the base of it rest at the junction between her thumb and forefinger, as she let her fingertips comb up through his pubic hair, making sure there was nothing that would get caught before she got down to business. When she was satisfied, those fingers curled around his shaft and gently pulled along its length toward the tip, while her left hand cupped his balls gently. When she was sure he was comfortable and nothing she was doing was hurting him, she crawled a bit closer on her knees, looked up at him again, licked her lips and kissed the tip while continuing to stroke the length.
As soon as Orihime scooted closer to him, Ulquiorra had a death grip on the bedding. When her mouth hit the hot skin of his cock, he let out a whimper. He had promised that he would remain calm for this; that he would behave. He had to let go of all the other times this had happened to him. Orihime was Orihime, and no one else. "Veggs, I love you," he murmured.
A bloom of affection spread through her chest and arms and she smiled, gave his penis another kiss and then looked up at him and replied, "I love you, Ulquiorra," before bathing the dome of his cock with her tongue. She used the pink tip to wet the entire surface before using the flat of it to lap along the small slit on top. Orihime continued to stroke him as she did this, then finally, after her tongue started to really feel him heat up, she closed her lips over him.
"Hnnnngh," came the whine again. He could feel the shivers running up and down his spine as her mouth enclosed over him. It was an intense feeling. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Before, with Nel, he would tune out or treat the teal-haired woman roughly. This was… There were absolutely no words in Ulquiorra's vocabulary that could describe how this felt. He could do this. "Fuck," he murmured as he slowly lifted a hand and gently placed it on her head.
Orihime paused for a moment, keeping him in her mouth but taking a slow, careful breath, just in case he lost it and started a repeat of what had happened the last time she tried this. After she exhaled, she began to move her head up and down, making sure to use her tongue to drag along the underside of his cock, giving special attention around the ridge near the top. She used her right hand to continue to stroke what length she could not reach with her lips, and her left hand began to slowly manipulate his testicles, just barely putting any pressure on them, while the tips of the middle and ring finger of that hand pressed softly on the skin behind them. This was not just a blowjob. This was her worshipping his body; making the most of what skills she had picked up and trying to slowly apply them to him, making love to him with her mouth and hands.
His lungs seemed to stop working. Breath stuttered and his brain threatened to shut down. "Jesus," he moaned and threw his head back. He couldn't finish a coherent thought. He knew what he wanted to say, though.
She continued her slow pace but increased the intensity, adding suction inside her mouth and tension in her lips, and slightly increasing the pressure with her left hand. She wanted to have him nearly broken before she started her homestretch.
"Oh," he said, feeling how her mouth was wrapped around him. He loved the sensation. The shivers going down his spine were still there. Ulquiorra felt like he could release the fistful of fabric that he had in his hand. He reached down to cup Orihime's face as she moved. "It's okay. I've got this."
She didn't stop as long this time, only pausing a moment before continuing, but looking up at him with those huge, dark eyes of hers, and using them to smile at him as she hummed a bit, increasing her speed. Usually, not that she gave a lot of oral, but usually when she did she focused a lot on technique and reading cues, not so much on emotions. This time was different. She felt so much love and affection while she did this. It was a first for her. She scooted just a bit closer and took him just a bit deeper.
Just the way she was looking up at him was enough for him to want to lose control. On the other hand, he wanted to hold this off for as long as he could, just to get more of it. "Vega, you're so good at this," Ulquiorra said, before his head dropped back. He could feel the tension start building in his stomach and thighs. "Won't be long."
That's what she wanted to hear. She ramped up the speed and intensity until she was nearly sucking at his cock like it was a straw, not too hard, but using the muscles of her tongue and throat to create a more sensory-rich experience, while using her left hand to massage the spot behind his testicles and gently squeeze and release them. She could feel him throbbing in her mouth and she could taste the bitter precum he was leaking. This was going to be good.
"Orihime," he moaned. Ulquiorra could not control himself as his hips started to move and he began to chant her name like it was a sacred incantation. "Fuck, Orihime." The words were loud enough for the neighbors to hear at least. The pulse that ran down his body caused his arms and legs to twitch as he started to come in the redhead's mouth.
She almost lost him. She could feel that he almost went to that other place, but she had managed to get him to finish in time. He filled her mouth and she swallowed once before allowing the rest to pool inside of it and dribble out of the corners of her lips. She kept moving, at a much slower pace, until she felt the rigidness begin to wane. It didn't take long at all. When it was over, she carefully slid him out of her mouth and set him down, holding her mouth slightly open and letting his cum stretch out in shining silver ropes from her lips down to where a small pool was forming on her breasts.
His breathing was still erratic as he came down from that sexual high. Ulquiorra fell back onto the bed, totally devastated by that activity. He could feel how rapidly his heart was beating and how his body was still trembling. "What did you do?"
Orihime reached for several tissues on the bedside table and cleaned her face off, discreetly depositing what was left in her mouth into it before balling it up and putting it in the wastebasket. While she was dabbing off her neck and body, she answered, "I went down on you. You told me you used to do this all the time; well not exactly like this. I'd high-five you for keeping it together, but you almost didn't make it to the finish line in time and you look kinda… tired." She giggled a bit,and when she felt clean, she came to sit on the bed beside him, looking down at his flushed face and smiling while moving some hair out of his face. "How do you feel?"
How could he explain that Nel going down on him never felt like that? How could he convey that it was never that pleasurable and always felt like a chore? "That was intense. That was soul shattering. It was-I can't even tell you how it felt. I just know that I want it to happen again and pray that it doesn't kill me. As for how I feel?" Ulquiorra shook his head and put an arm over his eyes. He couldn't say anything without emotion clouding his voice.
Orihime saw his brow tighten before he covered his eyes, and it made her worry. "Are you alright? Ulquiorra, please don't shut me out," she said, her hand on his chest near his shoulder and her own lips starting to pout. It would be just her luck that they would do this and he would love it only to realize that he agreed with the rumor-mongers and thought she was a slut for doing it. She had only done it because she loved him and she wanted to show him that she did.
"I'm okay. Just getting caught up in what I'm feeling," he said, a tad calmer. Ulquiorra lifted his arm after a moment and looked at her. "Thank you, Orihime, for doing that. I-I love you. With you, doing anything sexual it isn't a pain in the ass. I want to do it. With-you know-" he waved a hand as if that would indicate who he was talking about. "With her my mind was elsewhere. I was solely focused on you."
She smiled tentatively. "That's a good thing, right?" She didn't expect him to be super articulate at the moment, but he seemed only able to express incomplete thoughts.
Shaking his head again, he finally sat up and kissed Orihime. "My brain is a mess, Woman. I enjoyed it. I liked it. How about you? Everything live up to your expectations?"
"Um, you come a lot," she said, and chuckled. She let her own words echo around her head and she thought they were silly, so she laughed a little harder. Then, grinning at him, she said, "I rather enjoyed your reactions, though. That was gratifying."
Ulquiorra chuckled with her and at her statement. "Yeah I guess I do," he said with a grin. "You know, I'm out of commission for tonight. There's nothing left. I just want to cuddle up next to you and sleep."
Orihime rolled her eyes. "Okay, Grandpa," she said with a chuckle. "I'm going to go clean up, so I'll say goodnight before then because I kind of expect you to be sleeping by the time I come back."
"Just wait, I might attack you in the middle of the night," he said before giving her a kiss.
She gave him a hug too and snuck off to the bathroom. She let the shower get warm and she took off the bad habit. Her mind drifted off to Nemu. What the hell had she been doing in their room? Why the camera? What, had she been trying to prove that Orihime was staying there? So what? Anyone with half a brain would have been able to figure it out without photographic evidence. The more she thought about it, the more worrisome it felt. She sighed and tried pushing it from her mind as she stepped into the hot water.
She got herself off in the shower and cleaned up, then toweled off, brushed her teeth, and put on a more modest nighty; one without lace and ribbons and actually covered her ass. When she came back into the bedroom, as expected, Ulquiorra was asleep. She climbed in under the covers beside him and closed her eyes. Sleep didn't come easily.
A/N: Thanks for reading! How do you think Aizen and Nemu know each other? Have any ideas what he has in mind? Let us know!