Never before had such an eerie silence befallen Las Noches as Ulquiorra and Orihime walked down the long, narrow hallway. The girl was fidgeting nervously with her long, reddish locks, tangling them in her fingers as if it would suffice as a distraction.
"Ulquiorra, take Orihime-chan back to your room and then report back to me immediately. We have a few matters to discuss."
Aizen's voice had been calm and collected as usual. Usually, their 'matters to discuss' often had to do with the continuous problem of the intruders. Several Arrancar had already been defeated by them, causing quite a bit of a nuisance for Sousuke Aizen. However, Ulquiorra knew better than to think that the matters they were going to be discussing today had anything to do with Ichigo Kurosaki and his teammates.
No. This time, it would involve Ulquiorra himself and the girl.
Orihime's silver orbs glanced at the pale Espada next to her, a dry lump forming in her throat. It could have just been her imagination but the usually poker-faced Espada looked angry. No, his eyesbrows were not furrowing nor were his fists clenched. His face seemed to be blank, yet, an atmosphere of anger swirled around him like a wavering hurricane.
Orihime wanted to apologize. She would have never expected for Lord Aizen to be so touchy-feely with her. And in front of Ulquiorra, no less! She felt incredibly guilty even though she knew it wasn't her fault. Aizen was the last person she wanted to touch her. If only it could have been Ulquiorra's lips upon her earlobe...Now that would have been delightful.
"Woman," broke out Ulquiorra's monotonous voice through the silence, "You will remain in my room until further notice. Do you understand?"
Wait. His room? Orihime gave Ulquiorra a puzzled glance before asking out, "Why can't I go back to my own room?"
There was a moment of hesitation before the Espada answered her shortly, "I do not know. Lord Aizen requested that I take you to my room; therefore, you shall remain in my room."
Why would Aizen want her to be in his room, of all places? Lord Aizen was a confusing man, that was certain. With a small sigh, the girl watched as Ulquiorra opened the door to his room while nodding his head for her to enter. Orihime obliged and walked into the room with out another word. Ulquiorra closed the door, leaving her alone in a room full of darkness.
Fear and uncertainty began to well up in Orihime's chest as she leaned her back against the door, fighting against the tears that so desperately wanted to pour out.
"Kurosaki-kun...I'm sorry for ever betraying you," she whispered to herself quietly.
"Thank you for obeying orders so quickly, Ulquiorra," Aizen began as he sat propped up in his throne, eyes focusing on the Espada that had just entered the room, "There isn't much time."
Ulquiorra bowed in respect as he often did before placing his hands back into the pockets of his white hakama. If he had possessed a heart, it would have been palpitating out of his chest insanely. The look in Aizen's eyes was unmistakable-he had a sinister plan swirling around in the dark depths of his brain.
And Ulquiorra was going to be apart of it.
"I'm assuming Ichimaru has already told you of a particular mission I wanted you to complete," the ex-shinigami captain stated as he stroked his chin lightly in thought. He always went straight to the point.
Ulquiorra's green eyes slowly widened as he bowed once more in respect, trying to hide away any form of emotion upon his features, "Yes, my Lord."
Ulquiorra's response was exactly what he had wanted to hear. Aizen stood up from his seat as he sauntered over to his minion, a malicious smirk playing upon his lips. "Then tell me exactly everything he said."
The fourth Espada flinched lightly as his eyes locked on the floor. Aizen was clearly toying with him. Or perhaps Gin was the one who had been toying with him? "Ichimaru Gin told me of a story where a human was impregnated by a Hollow. He also told me that it is possible that Orihime Inoue could bear a child with extraordinary powers-"
"Very good." Aizen said simply, completely cutting off his minion. "Now, I'm assuming you know what you must do, Ulquiorra."
This is it, Ulquiorra thought to himself. I will receive my order.
"You must find a way to impregnate Orihime Inoue. If you are incapable of such a task, I will have Starrk complete it for you. The rest of the Espada are too weak to provide a strong enough heir," Aizen stated as he turned his back to the man before him.
An heir? Ulquiorra looked up at his master with a bewildered expression. What did he mean by that?
The dark haired male looked at the Espada from over his shoulder, that taunting smirk still upon his handsome face. "I see I have confused you. Allow me to explain..."
The imprisoned princess sat on the floor in Ulquiorra's room with her back pressed the door. She had brought her knees up to her chest as she embraced herself softly, resting her chin against her knees. It felt like it had been hours since Ulquiorra's meeting with Aizen. What could possibly be taking so long? What 'important matters' were they discussing?
The girl sighed for the hundredth time that day. Her life was getting more and more complicated with every passing moment...She was still in shock that she had actually confessed to Ulquiorra. She actually told Ulquiorra Schiffer that she was in love with him! And she had been naked, too! The embarrassment was just too much...She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks at the very thought of it.
Orihime used to always fantasize about the day where she would actually gain enough courage to tell Ichigo exactly how she felt. Most of the scenarios included her telling him after he had successfully rescued her from the evil claws of Sousuke Aizen. It often included a teary reunion with her flinging herself into his arms, telling him exactly what he meant to her. Other daydreams included him actually confessing to her! The very thought of a love confession would send her spirits soaring.
Until she realized that she was no longer in love with Ichigo Kurosaki...
Perhaps it was a good thing that her feelings changed. After all, Ichigo had never once shown her any romantic interest. He always seemed to be too focused on Rukia Kuchiki...It was just a fact she had learned to accept. Even so, she had never been able to blow out the candle of hope that burned in her chest every time he would smile at her.
If only Ulquiorra would smile...His smile would probably cause the Earth to rattle from its radiance. Oh, just thought of him smiling caused her heart to race once again!
"Ulquiorra...I don't know why I love you the way that I do," the girl whispered to herself through the darkness. It was true. She wasn't sure of all the reasons why.
That was the tricky thing about love. One can never choose who or why they love some one. But one thing would never change...
Ulquiorra did not-could not-share the same feelings as her. It was obvious by the fact he disappeared quicker than a bolt of lightning once she confessed. Oh, how embarassing! He could have at least said, "You are a fool, woman" or "I feel nothing for you."
But no. He had to run from her as if he was afraid she was going to pounce on him and attack him. At least a proper rejection wouldn't have been as painful...
As if right on cue, the door to Ulquiorra's room opened, tearing Orihime from her thoughts as she fell over backwards.
"What are you doing, woman?" the impassive Espada asked as he looked down at her in suspicion. Orihime laid on her back on the floor, looking up at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Oh, Ulquiorra! You're back!" She exclaimed before sitting up quickly. "Sorry, I was leaning against the door and kind of fell over..."
"That's not what I mean," he said sternly as he stared down at her. Her cheeks were drenched with tears and her eyes were completely red and bloodshot. She had been crying...
The redhead rubbed her eyes before giving Ulquiorra a goofy grin, "Oh, uh, sorry! I didn't realize I was crying..." It was true. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that tears had been falling from her eyes uncontrollably. How mortifying for him to find her like this...
Ulquiorra's piercing eyes never left the girl's form as he could feel the pain near his hole again. Why did it always hurt every time he saw her cry? The pain near his hole felt different from seeing her tears than the pain he felt when she had traced her fingers along it.
Perhaps it was not pain at all when they shared their "moment" in his bathroom earlier that day. Perhaps it was something else...
Not that it mattered for he knew if his hole ached the way it did when he saw her cry, the pain would never subside for he would be her sole reason for crying very soon.
"I won't be alive forever, Ulquiorra. I will fall to the hands of my enemies eventually and I have learned to accept that-just as you have accepted the fact that I will one day get rid of you when you no longer serve a purpose to me."
Aizen's cold words stung him like a poisonous snake. Never before had his master spoke of defeat or even the possibility of it.
"However, I can not let my plans go to waste. They will still live on after I am gone. That is why I need an heir. Why do you think I wanted you to bring Orihime Inoue to Hueco Mundo so desperately? Her powers are incredible but they are not all-powerful. However, if her powers were to mix with the strength of an Arrancar, the result would be incomprehensible."
"I don't understand," Ulquiorra had told Aizen truthfully in response. None of it was making any sense.
"I am surprised at you, Ulquiorra. However, you will soon see just how incredible the girl's powers are. If I could create a being with the strength of an Arrancar that possessed the power to defy fate, then that creature would have the ability to erase even Soul Society's existence all together. The balance of nature would simply cease to exist. Even after I'm gone, to be the creator of such a creature would be magnificent. With powers like that, it could even erase death itself."
To think that Orihime Inoue possessed such powers was inconceivable. Ulquiorra had believed her only purpose was to heal injuries and restore the Hogyoku to its natural state. Could her DNA mixed with his possibly create a being that could make even God shudder in fear? It was impossible. It was unheard of.
And yet Sousuke Aizen seemed to believe it with his every being.
"Of course, you will be in need of the power of the Hogyoku. It is only a speculation, however, to belive that the child would be able to destroy Soul Society in its entirety. I could even be satisfied if the child was able to slaughter several shinigami captains...However, it is never a bad thing to believe in impossible possibilities."
Ulquiorra had shuddered from the thought of such an insanely powerful creature. And he would be the parent. To think that he and Orihime Inoue would be the proud parents of an abomination...
"Take the girl as your own. I was hoping she would completely give herself to you willing, Ulquiorra, but if that is not the case then you must take her by force. I want the girl's innocence stolen by tonight. I know you will not fail me, my faithful servant."
That had been the end of the conversation. Ulquiorra had so many questions he wanted to ask but found it best to wait. How would it be possible for a child to be born from a parent that wasn't even alive? Exactly what would the child be capable of? Why didn't Lord Aizen make Starrk the first choice as her mate instead of him? How full-proof was this plan? And more importantly...
...would Orihime Inoue actually die during childbirth?
"Um, Ulquiorra-sama? You're sweating," piped out a soft voice right next to him.
Ulquiorra sharply turned towards a very concerned Orihime. Her eyes were full of worry as she brought her hand up to his forehead tenderly. "I didn't think Hollows could sweat...Are you running a fever?"
The Espada quickly jerked back away from her touch as if she was going to bite him. He hadn't even realized that he had begun to break out into cold sweats by just the thought of everything...It was extremely unlike him. It was not exceedingly rare for an Arrancar to produce bodily fluids such as sweat or tears, yet it was rare for him.
Aizen's words were putting him under a great deal of stress. Ulquiorra Schiffer never felt stressed.
"And you were the one crying a moment ago. I am incapable of running a fever. Do not concern yourself over me, woman," Ulquiorra coldly told her as he walked past Orihime to enter into his room.
He understood clearly now why Aizen had wanted the girl to remain in his room. His room was on the other side of Las Noches, seperated from all of the other Espada's rooms.
Nobody would be able to hear them should they engage in sexual activity.
"I can't help but worry about you..." the girl admitted shyly as she looked down at the floor. She could feel her heart thumping loudly against her chest. This was the first time they had actually engaged in a decent conversation since Orihime had confessed to him earlier that day...
There was so much she wanted to tell him-so much she wanted to ask him! She wanted to hear him say exactly how he felt about her. She wanted to know the exact thoughts that were going through his mind when she told him that she loved him, even if his answer were to cause her a great deal of pain.
She just had to know.
"Ulquiorra-sama?" Orihime asked quietly as she watched Ulquiorra close the door behind him.
He didn't reply as he simply locked his jade eyes upon hers.
"About earlier today...in the bathroom...what I said..." Orihime began, finding her cheeks to burn brightly from embarrassment.
When he didn't respond, she was about to continue only to find that she was unable to speak from something cold and hard pressing against her lips.
In seconds, Ulquiorra had her pinned against the wall, his rock-hard lips mashing against hers in a possessive manner. Orihime was stunned, to say the least, to find herself in such an awkward position.
She found herself unable to pull away and yet the kiss didn't seem to possess much feeling in it at all. She couldn't tell if she wanted him to kiss her harder or if she wanted to pull away. She didn't seem to be the one who had a choice in the matter since he was the one to pull away from her seconds later.
"You are a foolish woman," Ulquiorra said in a husky voice as he withdrew his head away from her, "You love some one who will only bring you pain and suffering. If you are too ignorant to realize this now then you will by the end of the night. I will make sure of it..."
Orihime stood there with a blank expression on her face as she watched Ulquiorra pull away from her. "Ul-Ulquiorra..." the girl found herself whispering quietly.
"But first, I need you to come with me," the Espada coldly replied as he took a few steps away from her. His face remained completely void of any emotion as his eyes fixated upon her. "I said that you would realize it by the end of the night. However, as you can clearly see, it is still daytime."
Puzzled by his words, Orihime glanced towards the window hanging high in Ulquiorra's room. Outside the window was a clear view of the night sky and the pale moon that always hung over Hueco Mundo. Was Ulquiorra actually trying to make a joke?
The girl's silence caused a sigh to form in Ulquiorra's throat as he opened up the garganta behind him. "Even after remaining in Hueco Mundo for months, you have been unable to fully grasp the concept of time. In any case, come with me, woman."
The black hole opened up widely as Ulquiorra outstretched his hand towards her tenderly. Orihime was still in shock from the impact of his cold-hearted kiss. The kiss he had given her was not full of love or adoration like she had expected her first kiss to be like...
"Ulquiorra...I...I can't go with you," the girl rejected softly as she could feel the heat rising up to her cheeks once more. What was she to him? Was she a prisoner-just a toy? How dare he play with her feelings like that! He couldn't kiss her the way he did and then expect her to follow him across the dark depths of the world so blindly.
"It was not a request," the ivory skinned male said in a stern tone.
The feeble girl just looked at him sadly, feeling an aching pain gnawing at her chest. "I don't want to go anywhere with you...until you tell me how you feel about me."
Ulquiorra stood there with a bamboozled expression, as his hands dropped nimbly from his pockets and to his side. What did she want him to say? Did she want him to tell her that she was the only thing that filled his thoughts every waking moment? Or that she was the only thing that clouded his dreams each time he slept? Or did she want to know that she was the only being that had ever stirred his soul to the point of suffocation?
He would say nothing of the sort. What would it matter? He was going to be the one to rip her of every last drop of innocence. He was going to the be one to shatter all of her hopes of being rescued. He was going to be the one that made sure that each of her friends suffered an impeccable death for attempting to rescue her. He was going to be the one that would bring her last tears to fall from her eyes.
He was going to be the one to bring her to her death. What did his feelings towards her matter?
"I told you...It was not a request."
With that said, he reached out his hand to grip the girl's shoulder in order to drag her rather roughly towards his rock-hard chest. Orihime didn't even have a chance to scream in protest as the garganta engulfed her in darkness once more.
It wasn't fair! Why did he have to push her around so much? Orihime struggled against his chest as they were purged into absolute darkness. Her attempts were wasted; however, due to his tight grip that was seizing both of her arms.
Before she even had a chance to realize that there would be no escaping him, the garganta opened up just as quickly as it had closed. Instead of finding herself still in the remnants of Las Noches, bright sunlight flashed upon her face as Ulquiorra urged her forwards.
All of her words were caught up in her throat once she took in her familiar surroundings. The sound of waves crashing against the shore filled her ears as she felt soft sand beneath her boots.
He had taken her to the beach once again.
Ulquiorra watched the girl's face instantly relax once she realized where he had taken her. He took this moment to release his tight grip on her arms and pull away from her while sealing up the garganta behind them.
Her golden hair fluttered in the wind behind her as her gray eyes stared tranquilly at the ocean. Never in a million years did Orihime think that he would have brought her to this glorious place once again. "Ulquiorra, I don't understand," the girl whispered softly as she never took her eyes off the sea before her, afraid it might vanish from her sight should she look away for a mere second.
"What is there to not understand? You enjoyed this place the last time I took you here. Does it displease you this time?" the Espada asked flatly as he shoved his pale hands into the pockets of his hakama.
"It's not that. It's just...I don't understand you," Orihime mumbled as she brought her hands up to her chest, folding them neatly together. "You don't care about me. You don't feel for me the way I do for you. You are incapable of feeling love...And yet, you always try to bring a smile upon my face. If you don't care about me, then why did you kiss me? Why do you make things so complicated?" Her voice was quivering as she continued the watch the waves roll upon the shore.
"If I am not mistaken, Orihime Inoue, it is you that makes things complicated," Ulquiorra simply replied as his black cropped hair bristled slightly from the wind.
Much to his surprise, the girl whipped her head around and raised her hand, slapping him roughly on the cheek as hard as she could. The sound of her palm colliding with his cheek echoed softly in the deserted beach for a moment, only to be muffled out by the sound of the waves.
"STUPID! IDIOT! JERK! YOU'RE WORSE THAN KUROSAKI-KUN!" the usually soft-spoken girl shouted out as she reached out her hand to slap him once more against his cheek. Ulquiorra would have none of it, though, as he grabbed her wrist in midair.
"Stop treating me so kindly if you feel nothing for me! You and Kurosaki-kun are the same! He never loved me and yet he always reached out to me! He always tried to make me feel special-to make me feel like I was apart of the team! I was so stupid to believe he actually wanted me to be his girlfriend at one point when Kuchiki-san is the only person on his mind!" Orihime ranted out, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. She had so many bottled up feelings that were overflowing from her heart like an overflowing cup.
Ulquiorra could only watch as the pitiful woman bared her soul to him.
"And you...You only do what Lord Aizen says! I'm such a fool for believing that everything you did was of your own will! I take back everything I said! You're just a cold-hearted jerk! I'm not a child anymore...I'm not stupid enough to believe that Kurosaki-kun has a place in his heart for me anymore. I don't want him to humor me anymore...And now all I want is for you to stop humoring me as well. Please, stop treating me so nicely!"
Orihime's orange hair fell over her face as her shoulders drooped forward. She was so ashamed of her random outburst since it was just so unlike her. Even so, she was at her breaking point. After being locked up in a cell for such a long time, she simply needed to get a load off of her chest.
"I'm tired of having people lie to me...I'm tired of people pretending that I'm important to them. You're my enemy, Ulquiorra. Please stop treating me like I'm your friend. At first, all I wanted was a friend-even if it was all just a lie. But now that I'm in love with you, I just can't handle it...I want you to treat me like your prisoner since that is all I am to you..." Orihime's voice kept cracking as tears continued to pour down from her eyes. She felt so pathetic standing there like a fool. Never before had she felt so weak-so useless to the world.
Ulquiorra was at a loss of words. He was never good at comforting people. In fact, he had never really tried. The emotions of others had never affected him before. He had never cared if anyone was upset or frustrated before-it was never of his concern.
And yet, seeing Orihime's pained face caused his chest to ache again. All he wanted was to see her smile with that radiant glow of hers.
"Orihime," Ulquiorra began, addressing her by name, "I cannot and will not lie to you anymore."
Orihime slowly looked up at him through blurred vision from her tears, wondering if she truly wanted to hear what he had to say to her.
"The first thing I shall tell you is this-you cry far too much. I understand that you are going through a lot but your constant crying is beginning to grow on my nerves," Ulquiorra told her bluntly. That much was definitely true... "Furthermore, every time you cry, I feel a burning sensation in my chest that is unpleasant. If you truly cared about me as much as you say, then I suggest that you cease your tears."
Orihime stopped crying for an instant only to give him a blank stare. What was he talking about? He was the one that had made her cry and now he was telling her that it was annoying? But what did he mean by saying that her tears caused his chest to burn unpleasantly?
"Furthermore, you need to stop putting words in my mouth. That is an even bigger nuisance than your crying. You do not know how I feel towards you so you have no right to accuse me of anything. As for Kurosaki-kun, he probably does not like you because you depend on him too much or because you cry too much," the Espada continued to reply as he released his grip on her wrist. He reached for her chin instead as he held it tightly in place in case she tried to look away from him.
"That's...so mean of you to say..." the girl whimpered softly, trying to fight against the tears that were clawing at the corner of her eyes.
"However, I must say this: Ichigo Kurosaki is a fool," Ulquiorra said as he leaned in his face closer, "for you are far more valuable than any treasure found in this world. He is a fool for not returning your feelings."
With that said, the male pressed his black lips against hers only far more gentle this time. Orihime's eyes widened in his surprise as he softly kissed her, completely taken back by his words.
None of it mattered anymore. Ulquiorra didn't care what would happen in the future-the only thing on his mind was Orihime. Even if they were to be torn apart later on, he simply wanted to focus on the present.
Orihime was about to lean into his kiss before the Espada abruptly pulled away, "I never did lie to you, Orihime Inoue. I just simply never told you how I felt about you-you just assumed everything on your own."
"But Ulqui-" Orihime was about to protest until she felt his cold lips claim hers once more in another gentle kiss. Only this time she felt his arm snake around her waist as he pulled her closer to him in an embrace.
For an extremely long period of time, neither of them exchanged anymore words as time completely froze around them.
Author's Note: Sooooooooooooo...what do ya'll think? ^-^ Ulquiorra kissed her! YAY! Sorry it's taking me so long to update these days ^^;;; Even so, I hope you'll bear with me and continue reading My Master's Voice :D In the next chapter, there will be STRONG lemon. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! ^-^ Although, I'm sure you're all uber excited about it XD As usual, read and review and let me know if I made any mistakes! Thankyuuuuu ^_~