The warmth of the bath water felt incredibly refreshing as the steam began to rise in the air. Orihime inhaled a relaxing breath as she reclined in the marble bath that was fit for a queen. This was the first time she had actually been granted permission to bathe in an actual bath tub. The tepid water was just right as she ran her fingers through her long, luscious locks while humming to herself.
Ulquiorra stood outside the door to the bathroom, finding it best to not wander inside. He leaned against the door, listening intently to the girl's harmonious tune. He had figured that taking a bath in seclusion would do her good; she had always hated showering in the unisex bathrooms.
"All the girls give me weird looks while all of the guys leer at me…It makes me want to cry," the girl had told him a few days before. From that moment on, he decided it would be best to take her to his own private bathroom where she could cleanse herself in peace.
Each of the Espada had their own room with an attached bathroom. As to why they actually had bathrooms, Ulquiorra was uncertain. Neither he nor any other of the Arrancar could actually relieve themselves. Their dead bodies were unable to perform such useless human acts…However, bathing was necessary for any Hollow-like creature so Lord Aizen presented each of them with a glorious bathroom. There was a toilet (which no one ever used), a sink, and a spectacular bathtub in each bathroom. Should they choose, the Espada would have the option to take a shower with the rest of the population living in Las Noches. Ulquiorra had always chosen to take a quick shower in the public restroom…It was far less of a hassle then preparing the bath water. Not to mention the fact that he could never find the time to just sit idly in a tub and bathe…
The Fourth Espada sighed gently as he unzipped his jacket slightly in order to expose his gaping Hollow hole. It was aching around the edges again…Nowadays; it seemed to do that every time the woman was around. Even though she was in the other room, Ulquiorra could still inhale her scent as if she were standing right next to him.
"Hurry up, woman," Ulquiorra told her from outside her door. "Aizen-sama expects you in his room shortly."
They had just finished their cooking "adventure" in the kitchen. If Ulquiorra had realized just how happy cooking would have made her, he would have taken her days ago. He had never seen the girl's face light up so drastically once she entered the kitchen. Her eyes sparkled in amazement at the kitchen appliances while she found herself speechless over all the food that remained in the cabinets. She seemed to have such a hard time on deciding what she should prepare for herself…In the end, she chose the most bizarre of ingredients. Although Ulquiorra wasn't an expert on food, he was certain that pickled plums and chocolate sauce did not belong together. He was also certain that the ingredients known as ketchup, wasabi, pretzels, and strawberries were not intended to go into an omelet together. Just how many brain cells did that woman have?
Even so, the girl had happily prepared her uncanny feast and gobbled it down in almost one bite. She offered him a bite of her omelet but he had declined politely. "Hollows don't eat human food," Ulquiorra had told her. Although, he was sure her food could be considered inhuman.
Orihime had just shrugged lightly and happily finished all the food herself. She would just have to find another victim to suffer through her cooking another day…
After they had left the kitchen, Ulquiorra immediately took her back to his room so that she may use his bathroom. As to why the girl was so startled about being in his room puzzled Ulquiorra greatly. Once she stepped inside, her cheeks began to glow a reddish color as she fidgeted nervously with the sleeves on her dress. Her eyes kept darting around the room as if she were expecting danger to pop out of nowhere at any given second.
"Why are you so uneasy about being in here?" the Espada had asked her. Orihime just simply shook her head, waving her arms in front of her in a dramatic gesture, "Oh, me? I'm not nervous! I'm not nervous about being alone with a boy in his room at all! Even though there's a bed in the room, I'm not freaking out at all! Not at all!" She had exclaimed in a melodramatic way as her squeaky voice rose into a crescendo.
The girl was always far too obvious for her own good.
"Woman, if you believe that I am going to try anything of the sexual nature, you are misguided. Don't you think that if I wanted to sexually abuse you, I would have done so already?" Ulquiorra had told her calmly as he pointed towards the bathroom. "Get cleaned up and be finished in ten minutes."
As Ulquiorra continued to ponder on the previous events of the day, he found himself sighing again. Perhaps he was the one that was misguided. Before the girl had entered in the bathroom, her cheeks flamed a darker color as she slowly trudged towards the bathroom. She had looked so innocent, so endearing with that childlike blush planted on her cheeks. So apparently she had been worried he was planning on trying something lecherous to her. How predictable…
Orihime continued to lounge in the bathtub, hoping she could at least enjoy a few more moments in the tub…She sighed lightly as she brought her knees up to her chest, embracing herself tightly. Somehow, it just didn't seem fair that she was able to enjoy a nice long, bath while her friends were out there fighting for their lives for her sake.
This past week, Ulquiorra had been the only thing on her mind. She no longer spent her time praying for her friends' safety while staring out the window. These days, all she ever did was daydream about her new "crush". She couldn't help but feel guilty that they were no longer the center of her thought process…
Even when she ran into Nnoitra Jiruga, she was too amazed by the fact that Ulquiorra actually read romance novels when she should have been lashing out at Nnoitra for seriously injuring Chad. Not that her Katen Zesshun would have been very effective against the Fifth Espada…
Not only was Orihime's heart enslaved by the Fourth Espada but her mind was as well.
"Did you not hear me, woman? Time's up—get dressed," said a monotonous voice from behind her.
Orihime instantly squealed and wrapped her arms around her knees even tighter, trying to cover herself up to the best of her ability even though her back was facing him. "U-U-Ulquiorra-sama! I didn't hear you come in!"
"Of course you didn't. You were too busy daydreaming, as usual," Ulquiorra replied as he leaned against the doorway, staring at her bare back that was facing him. "Now, stop dawdling and hurry up."
Was it her imagination or did Ulquiorra seemed annoyed with her? "Um, I'm ready to get out but could you please turn around?" Orihime asked quietly, her cheeks flaring up slightly in embarrassment.
"I do not see why you make such a fuss over such trivial matters. I have no desire to see your naked body nor do I possess any perverse feelings towards you," Ulquiorra stated bluntly as he continued to stare at her, his eyes unwavering. He was lying, of course. What man couldn't bear any perverse towards the girl? She was the epitome of perfection. He almost regretted that he had deemed her as trash at one point…
Orihime sighed lightly as she hesitantly stood up, using her arms to cover up her chest as much as she could while keeping her back turned to him. He was right—there was no way he could ever acknowledge her as a woman. To him, she was just a prisoner. She would be flattering herself if she actually believed that he would feel anything "indecent" towards her. There was no point in trying to cover herself up anymore…If he was incapable of lusting after her then there would be nothing to worry about.
Ulquiorra watched her with concentrated eyes, silently startled over the fact that the girl's attitude towards him watching her change had completely changed. She was no longer modestly trying to conceal her "private" areas as her arms fell limply to her sides.
Orihime bent over to unplug the cork in the bathtub, allowing the water to drain out of it. Ulquiorra got an excellent view of her rear end, causing him to feel a strange sensation beneath his waist. He internally cursed himself as he could feel himself hardening, all the while hoping that she wouldn't notice it.
The girl took one step out of the bathtub as she reached for a towel hanging on a towel rack, water cascading down her bare flesh. Ulquiorra found himself stunned beyond all reason as he realized that his breath had completely caught in his throat.
The girl began to dry herself off with the towel, trying to wipe away every drop of water upon her figure. Orihime knew very well that Ulquiorra was staring at her…but it just didn't seem to matter. He could never feel for her the way she was feeling for him—love and desire. She wasn't even sure if he even acknowledged her as a friend.
And yet, he did so many nice things to her; for her. No heartless robot would do such kind things to someone they considered trash. Ulquiorra must have at least thought of her as a friend in some way…
The pale Espada found himself taking a step towards her quietly as his gentle footsteps didn't even make a ghost of a sound. Orihime just continued to dry herself off, not even noticing that the Espada was now only a foot from her. The girl finally realized he was directly behind when she felt light fingertips trace down along her spine tenderly, causing goose bumps to rise up drastically.
"W-What are you doing, Ulquiorra?" Orihime cried out as she sharply turned around to face him, a deep, crimson color forming on her cheeks.
The girl always seemed so much more charming when her cheeks were stained with blushes. Her expression reeked of confusion and disbelief as Ulquiorra brought up his fingers once again to glide along her skin delicately. He traced along her jaw line slowly as his eyes locked upon hers.
"You were teasing me, woman. I am only teasing you back," he replied in a husky tone as brought his fingers down along her throat. Orihime was too astounded to even move from his temperate touch. She wasn't sure if she was paralyzed from his tantalizing touch or from his alluring words.
Ulquiorra let out a soft sigh as his fingers made their way down towards her chest. He could feel her heartbeat thumping loudly as if it wanted to pound its way out of her chest.
"The heart…" he found himself whispering as his eyes continued to fixate upon hers, "If I wanted to, I could rip it out with my bare hands. I could crush it in my palm until there is nothing left of it."
A gasp escaped from Orihime's lips as her eyes widened exceedingly. Ulquiorra skimmed the girl's flesh lightly with one of his black-painted fingernails, drawing a circle around her chest area with his nail as if he were tracing a hole.
The girl was silent. Too silent. She wasn't screaming or begging for her life. In fact, she wasn't even crying. She must have been too frightened to even move…
"Are you afraid of me, woman?" Ulquiorra asked quietly as he placed a bit more pressure with his fingernail, ripping the top layer of her skin ever so lightly.
Orihime didn't even cringe as she stared up at him with hopeful eyes, "No, I'm not afraid."
Ulquiorra's hand instantly fell to his side his eyes never left hers. His eyes, however, did enlarge with the upmost surprise at the girl's response. He had just threatened her…and yet she was still unafraid of him?
"I know you'd never hurt me, Ulquiorra," the girl continued softly as she looked away from him, not wanting to meet his gaze any longer. "I know you're not just being nice to me because Aizen-sama ordered you to. I know that even though you'd never admit it, somewhere deep down inside of you, you care for me. Even if it's just a little…"
Ulquiorra found himself withdrawing from her, taking a few steps away from her slowly as if she were a deadly snake about to strike out at him. The area around his hole was burning tremendously as if he were on fire. Was the girl casting some sort of spell upon him to make him feel this way? Why did she have so much power over him?
"What if Lord Aizen ordered me to hurt you?" Ulquiorra found himself inquiring as he clenched his fist rather tightly.
Orihime brought up her arms to cover her immensely large breasts as she could detect tension filling up the room. "I think…that you would only hurt me if you knew it would somehow benefit me. You would only hurt me to save me, I think."
The girl's answer was puzzling and illogical. How could hurting someone benefit them in any way? If he were to develop any plans of saving her, hurting her wouldn't help the cause.
"What if Lord Aizen ordered me to kill you?" the Espada asked, wondering what her response would be.
The girl had to think for a second as she embraced herself securely and comfortingly, "I think…that you wouldn't do it." Although she hesitated for a moment, Ulquiorra could tell that she actually believed in what she just told him.
"And what makes you think that, woman?" Ulquiorra said as he took another step away from her. His hole was scorching hot, causing his breath to get caught up in his throat for a moment. He was in a tremendous amount of pain, yet he refused to let it show upon his face. "You sure are being confident for someone in a horrible position. We Arrancar are far superior to you. Lord Aizen owns you and your very existence depends on his will."
Orihime shivered lightly as her long locks fell over her shoulders, sticking to her damp flesh. "I don't know…It's just that, well, I can't believe that you don't have a heart. If you care about me somewhere deep down then I don't believe that you would be able to dispose of me should Aizen-sama order you to do so. I'm not sure exactly why I believe this…but I do."
He needed to leave. He needed to leave right at that very moment. If the girl said anything else, he might just get consumed by the pain tearing at his chest. Even so, his mind fought against his body's urges. "Tell me one more thing, woman. Should I ever strike out at your friends, would you ever strike back at me? Should I kill your beloved Ichigo Kurosaki, would you want to kill me in return?" It was very hard for him to keep the urgency out of his voice while replacing it with an impassive tone. The girl was very confusing but he knew one thing was for sure—nothing would ever stand in the way of her feelings towards her friends. The girl was merely only suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. When it all came down to it, there would be no way she would choose him over her friends or her freedom.
"That's a very hard question…" Orihime whispered as she brought her up her silver eyes to look at him. "But even if you were to ever hurt Kurosaki-kun, I could never find it in my heart to harm you."
The girl was too nice for her own good. She may claim that she would never hurt him now, but her mind would surely change should the time ever come. "And why is that, woman?" Ulquiorra questioned as his fists stiffened even more.
Orihime's heart raced even more as she found herself walking towards him. With every step she took, he took one more away from her. Orihime desperately wanted to know why he kept retreating from her but she decided against him. Ulquiorra had completely backed himself up against the stark white wall, finding his only option of escaping the girl would be to use his Espada-like speed. He wouldn't flee from her just yet—he needed to know her reasoning as to why she would refuse to lash out at him.
"I could never hurt you because…" Orihime began as she reached out her hand gently, mimicking his same motions that he did to her just moments earlier. She looked at his exposed Hollow hole from where he had unzipped his jacket earlier. "Because I love you." Her fingertips traced the outline of his empty hole tenderly and affectionately as her eyes stared at it with intensity.
He had nothing more to say to her at that very moment. "I will return in ten minutes. I expect you to be fully dressed by then," Ulquiorra told her in a bleak voice.
And then in a flash, he was gone. He had completely vanished.
Orihime stood there with her hand outstretched, fingers tracing along thin air where Ulquiorra had once been standing.
"Ulquiorra…" she whispered softly before allowing her arm to drop back down to her side.
The fourth Espada had used his incredible Sonido to teleport himself directly outside of Las Noches. The sands of Hueco Mundo's desert seemed to stretch on for miles and miles from where Ulquiorra was standing. He leaned against one of the walls surrounding the empire of Las Noches as he inhaled the fresh, Hollow-like air.
What was that woman doing to him? To make his chest ache like that was just simply unheard of. And then for her to actually touchhim there—without permission, no less! The girl was growing some guts and he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
She had looked so amazing in her nude state. Her voluptuous body made him as stiff as a board. He had felt as if he was paralyzed by her aphrodisiac form; something that no one else could make him do.
The girl was right—if Lord Aizen did in fact order him to kill her, he was unsure if he'd actually be able to carry out his master's wishes. It was the sad truth and he just needed to learn to accept it.
Because I love you.
The girl's words kept ringing through his ears like a chiming bell. Did Orihime really mean what she said? Did she actually love him?
"Stockholm Syndrome," Ulquiorra muttered to himself, "is the only reason she could develop feelings like that for me. It is pointless to meditate on this any further."
Even so, he just couldn't get the image of her out of his mind. Ulquiorra laid a hand atop of the gaping hole within his chest. When Orihime had stroked the edges around it lightly with her hands, he felt that the burning sensation that was flaring up within him was enough to consume him right then and there. And yet, at the same time, it was a comforting feeling—a feeling that could almost overthrow the pain should he allow her to keep touching him.
I love you.
He couldn't seem to shake off the girl's words that flowed through his mind like a coursing river. What was the exact definition of love? What did it mean to love another and be loved in return? He never had use for pathetic human emotions such as love nor had anyone ever loved him before, as far as he knew. For the girl to say such taboo words was almost forbidden to him.
One should never say things they don't mean.
Orihime had completely clothed herself in the long, flowing white gown that Aizen had presented to her as a gift. It complimented her figure perfectly, even more so than her usual white uniform. As to why Lord Aizen knew her exact measurements by simply looking at her, Orihime would never know.
The girl combed through her long, golden-red hair as she gazed distractedly in the mirror. Did she actually just confess her feelings to Ulquiorra? Did she actually just tell him that she loved him? With a heavy sigh she set the comb down.
How humiliating…Ulquiorra probably thought she was insane or something for saying something so bizarre to him. What was the point of telling him how she felt? It's not that he could reciprocate the feelings. He was an Arrancar—a Hollow.
Even so, she meant every word that she said. She did indeed believe that he wasn't completely heartless and that she did in fact love him. Maybe she was being too cocky when she assumed that he cared about her deep down but she fully believed that, too.
"Time is up. Let's go," said an all-too-familiar voice from behind her.
"Hai, Ulquiorra-sama," Orihime whispered softly.
They walked through the consolidated hallway in silence, neither of them daring to say anything to one another.
Orihime's cheeks were beginning to flush with embarrassment as she could feel Ulquiorra's piercing eyes glancing at her every few seconds. Did he feel uncomfortable walking next to her? Or maybe he thought the dress looked strange on her today…
She remembered quite vividly the first time she had worn the white strapless gown that Lord Aizen had presented her with. Ulquiorra had actually embraced her before she placed it on her and he had even gone as far as to compliment her when she had it on. Thinking back now, his actions towards her were probably just another order by Lord Aizen.
Ulquiorra desperately desired to know what was going through the girl's mind at that very moment. She seemed so ashamed to be walking next to him. Perhaps she was embarrassed by her previous confession? That only confirmed it more to him that the girl didn't mean what she said.
"Do not be so timid when in the presence of Lord Aizen. If he speaks to you, answer back with the utmost respect. Do not fidget nor look down," the Espada told her, breaking the silence.
"Yes," Orihime answered quietly as she continued to look at the floor. She knew how to act around Lord Aizen...At that moment Ulquiorra was making her more uncomfortable than Lord Aizen ever did.
They finally made it towards Aizen Sousuke's throne room after several long minutes of silence. Ulquiorra knocked on the door as he politely said, "It is I, Ulquiorra. I have brought you Orihime Inoue."
Moments later the large double doors opened, allowing access for Ulquiorra and Orihime to enter. As usual, Aizen was perched upon his throne with his chin propped neatly in his hand. "Ah, so good to see you again, Orihime-chan."
There was that silky smooth voice again. Orihime always felt that Aizen-sama was trying to undress her with those leering eyes of his...
"Shall I wait outside until your meeting is over?" Ulquiorra asked politely as he bowed with the highest amount of respect.
Aizen thought for a moment as he stood up from his chair. He tapped his chin lightly with his index finger before grinning slyly, "No, you may wait inside while we enjoy our meeting. Besides, I'm sure Orihime-chan feels so much more comfortable around you."
Ulquiorra contained his astonishment at his master's request by bowing politely once more, "Yes, my Lord."
Orihime's gray eyes flickered with shock at Aizen's words. What did he mean by that? Did Aizen hear their previous conversation in the bathroom? Surely not... Or perhaps he could see Orihime's feelings towards the Espada reflecting in her eyes? Either way, something about the entire situation unnerved her. What was Aizen planning?
"So tell me, Orihime-chan," the older male said aloud as his eyes never left her nervous form. "Are you enjoying your stay here in Las Noches?"
The ginger haired girl fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dress, a small lump forming in her throat, "Why, yes, Lord Aizen. I feel very comfortable here..." It was a lie. She still hated her miniscule room the size of a matchbox and the thick air of Hueco Mundo would always weigh heavy upon her frail body. Even so, not everything in Hueco Mundo left something to be desired. Her eyes fell upon Ulquiorra nervously before gazing back down on the floor.
"I am glad to hear that," the brown haired male stated as he took a step towards the unnerved girl. Aizen outstretched his hand lightly as his fingers graced her chin lightly, forcing her to look up at him. "I only wish I could make your stay even more comfortable."
Ulquiorra flinched lightly in his place as he watched his master touch his prisoner softly. No emotion flashed upon his face; yet, his chest ached deeply.
Aizen noticed Ulquiorra's slight aggravation towards the whole scene. Nothing would get past his eyes. Ever. "Do you not agree, Ulquiorra? Our princess needs to be pampered a little bit more, does she not?"
Orihime was too frozen to move as she felt Aizen's face draw closer to hers. His face was only a mere centimeter from her ear, allowing her to feel the ex-captain's warm breath upon her flesh. The girl was too startled to move and too frightful to say anything as she felt tender lips press against the flesh of her earlobe.
"Yes, my Lord. As you wish," Ulquiorra instintcly said as he watched in horror the scene unfold before him. His jade eyes widened ever so lightly as he felt his lips part softly in an inaudible gasp. His fists clenched tightly as his eyes never left his master and his prisoner. For once in all of his existence, he felt like raising his fist against Sousuke Aizen. No--he wanted to raise his sword against him.
The burning in his chest was becoming unbearable as his throat began to go dry. What was this feeling called? Hatred? Angst? No. That wasn't it...
Jealousy. Ulquiorra Schiffer was actually feeling jealousy towards his master. Intense jealousy was eating away at the hole in his chest as he watched Aizen flick out his tongue to glide along Orihime's jawline.
Orihime gasped lightly before withdrawing away from the taller man, a look of of uncertainty crossing over her face. Did Lord Aizen just do what she thought he did? Did he actually press his lips against her ear and then lick her? The girl's cheeks were burning brightly from embarassment as she took yet another step away from Aizen.
'Just as I thought,' Aizen thought to himself, 'Ulquiorra is seething with rage towards me. He really does feel something for the woman.'
With a sly smirk, Aizen waved his hand in a dismissive motion, "Ulquiorra, take Orihime-chan back to your room and then report back to me immediately. We have a few matters to discuss." The man then turned his back on his minion and the girl as he headed over towards his favorite chair to perch down upon it once more.
"As you wish, my Lord," Ulquiorra stated before heading towards the door.
Orihime stood there dumbfoundely, a blank expression upon her features. What was going on? Did Aizen-sama demand to see her just so he could tease her? And what important matters did Aizen needed to discuss with Ulquiorra? The girl gulped lightly before bowing in respect towards the king of Las Noches before following behind Ulquiorra.
The pale Espada abruptly exited the room while clenching his jaw tightly.
'This is it,' he thought to himself, 'I shall receive my order.'
Author's Note: WHOOOOOOOOOOOO IM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! I'm SOOOO sorry everyone for the delay! My laptop completely died on me and I thought I had completely lost this chapter ;-; I didn't feel like rewriting it so I waited until my computer was fixed to finish writing it! And then I had finals, boy problems, and money issues so writing hadn't been my main priority....but I am BACK IN BUSINESS ^_^ Thank you guys for being so incredibly patient! I'll be updating a lot more now that it's summer but just know that your reviews make me update a lot faster ;D (And I mean it this time! Now that my lappy is fixed ^^) So look forward to the next chapter: The Order! :D