HELLO! LONG TIME NO SEE. Sorry about that. I have been busy, if you have not seen my profile. I have been working on a collaborative ulquihime story over on Archive of Our Own, and it has been taking up a lot of my time. I LOVE IT, FYI, and if you like ulquihime AU fanfic, I think you will love it too. I'm writing it on that website under the name jkrobertson with my dear espada-iv, who also posts here as u/9915520/EspadaFour . The story is called Love Letters to a Song, and it's a sexy, modern day romance that uses lots of Bleach characters as just normal people doing normal things and all the drama that comes from their loves and friendships. I really hope you give it a chance and let us know what you think. You can also find links to LLTAS and all my other stories on my Tumblr Jkrobertson. Also there you can see some fantastic Growing Up Gifted fan art by LylithB, Espada-iv, and most recently relampagoblitz, who did a gorgeous depiction of Ulquiorra and Orihime's training ground make-out session!

Cultural Notes:

Yoshoku = Western-style foods, like pasta dishes, modified to suit Japanese tastes.

Kampai = Cheers

Osama= King

Chapter 41: Cold War

April 6th

It was the first day of their senior year of high school. Orihime was wearing her hair differently. Ichigo noticed. He didn't talk to her in the morning, but at the lunch bell, he paused at her desk and asked if she'd be joining everyone on the roof. She looked surprised but nodded.

He sat across the way and spent the majority of lunch time staring at her with a blank expression. He wanted to talk to her but he didn't know what to say or how to start. After two-thirds of the break had passed, he felt a nudge in the ribs. He looked up to see one of Chad's eyes poking through his bangs.

"You should talk to her sooner than later."

Ichigo nodded. He knew it was true. He stood.

"Inoue, can I talk to you a minute?"

Her eyes widened and her eyes shifted nervously. "Me?"

"Yes," he said, his eyes softening. She was still as cute as ever, despite her creepy boyfriend. "We need to talk. Just for a minute."

"Okay," she said and stood carefully, following him to the stairwell.

Once there, each took a position leaning against the opposite wall from the other, kind of looking down at their shoes. At first there was a long, awkward pause.

Then they both tried to speak at once.

"Inoue—"

"-Kurosaki-kun"

They both stopped and Orihime smiled awkwardly while Ichigo chuckled. He was first to speak. "Inoue, listen, I'm sorry I've avoided you until now, I just needed to figure out some things."

Orihime nodded but did not interrupt.

"Anyway, it's not your problem, but I think I ought to tell you that there are some things about me getting my powers back that are more complicated than I expected, and as a result, we can't get back together."

He watched as her eyes grew anxious. She wanted to interrupt him. Badly. He was glad when she didn't, because he knew it would probably break his heart either way.

He continued before she got up the nerve. "I know that it's no longer an issue, I mean, I know about you and him. And I'll be honest, I don't like it, and it's not because you're moving on, it's truly because it's him. So, just to be clear, we're not going to be hanging out as a group together, understand?"

She dropped her head and nodded.

Ichigo sighed in defeat. "That's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. What I really wanted to say is that we have a lot of close mutual friends. It would be a shame for our group dynamic to suffer because of what happened between the two of us. Besides, we were friends for much longer than we were dating. I hope we can be civil, if not go back to being friends the way we were before."

It was Orihime's turn to sigh. "You know we can never go back to how we were before, Ich- Kurosaki-kun. I never -wait, that's not true. I did always think of you as a very dear friend, but I also always had romantic feelings for you. That has changed. So no, we can't go back to how we were. But I think we can be friends," she said looking up to him with a hopeful smile.

He managed a half grin, squinting his eyes and scratching the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. "I, uh, I see. That is actually news, Inoue. I didn't know it had been going on for that long. Sorry I was an idiot." He paused and looked up to the door. "We should get back. I don't want them to think we're arguing or something."

She nodded. "Just one more thing, Kurosaki-kun," she said, then stepped up to him and put her arms around his waist, giving a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad you're back to yourself." After a moment, she stepped away and nodded. "Ok. Now I'm satisfied. You?" she looked up into his eyes. They were covered in shadow.

"Yeah, it's all good, Inoue."

xXxXx

June 6th

It was a night like any other, except it was a Saturday, and instead of being out with friends or on dates, Uryuu Ishida and Ichigo Kurosaki were zooming around Karakura exterminating hollows. It had become a bit of a standing engagement; a hollow would show up, and the two of them would race to see who could get it first. Then they would spend some time up on a rooftop somewhere complaining about life or their other friends; specifically, one other friend.

"I saw them together the other day again," Ishida said with derision dripping from his mouth. He sneered into the night sky like it had offended him. "It is enough to make you sick. He just parades around town with her on his arm like it's totally normal."

Ichigo groaned, as he did every other time this conversation started. "What can we do about it, Ishida, she's with him now. We have to get over it."

"How can you say that, she was your girlfriend! She went from you to that."

Ichigo stood up and stretched. "What do you expect me to do about it, Ishida?"

"Fight for her! Try to get her back!"

"If it bothers you so much, Ishida, why don't you fight for her?" Ichigo asked, sick of having this same conversation with him every other day.

Uryuu scoffed. "You know she never saw me in that light, don't rub it in."

"You never even tried, so don't blame her. Not that I really want you to try."

Uryuu shook his head, then paused. Another hollow had appeared in Naruki town. "Last one there buys coffee," he said before taking off in that direction.

xXxXx

August 31st

It was the first day back to school after summer holidays. Orihime said goodbye to her friends and ran to the school gates as fast as she could, right into the outstretched arms of Ulquiorra. He caught her and steadied them both, taking a quick glance at who might be looking before planting a quick kiss on her hairline and releasing her to hold her hand and escort her to work. He didn't particularly care that among those who were watching were Ichigo, Uryuu, Chad and Tatsuki.

Uryu and Ichigo were in front, and both made disgusted faces at the display of affection before them. Their frequent bitch sessions about Orihime and her boyfriend had made both of them somewhat bitter. Uryuu turned his head in Ichigo's direction, asking in a not exactly discreet voice, "So, do you think they are, uh, you know…"

Ichigo scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. "Probably, knowing her. She was always a bit of an eager beaver."

Not a moment later Ichigo yelped and staggered, as he felt pain in the back of his knee. "What the hell, Tatsuki?"

"Don't you 'What the hell, Tatsuki' me, Ichigo. Don't you go talking about my best friend that way!"

"Chad, can you restrain—"

"No," Chad answered calmly.

"And why not?" Ichigo spat. "They clearly have no problem showing everyone how 'close' they are. It's not our fault that they're so obvious about it."

"You listen here, Kurosaki. You are being a sad little prick, you know that? I happen to know that in fact, no they aren't. Ulquiorra is very good to her and treats her with respect, which is more than I can say you did. Orihime is much more reserved now than she was before anyway, thanks to you." She paused and took a breath, before continuing in a calmer voice, "You would know that she's not like that, Ichigo, if you didn't fuck everything up."

Ichigo was feeling sorry for himself and self-righteous. "Oh, is that what she tells you?" he yelled. He didn't care who heard at that point.

Tatsuki yelled right back. "No! You know, all she ever does is stick up for you! She still acts like you are some selfless hero. You should be grateful! Not standing here in the school yard calling her a slut because she moved on after you dumped her!"

Ichigo shrunk away from Tatsuki, the first seeds of shame starting to take root in his conscience.

xXxXx

That same day after Ulquiorra dropped off Orihime at her part-time job at the bakery, he received a text as he was walking toward the shoten.

It was from an unknown number. He tapped his screen and read:

Hey Security,

I don't know if you've heard, but a little birdie told me that it's Hime-tan's birthday in a couple of days. I wanted to make sure she wasn't disappointed again this year. Give me a buzz if you need any ideas, lover-boy.

XOXO- Hikaru

Hikaru? How did the hairdresser have his - oh yes, he had to provide his contact information when booking an appointment. Ulquiorra now had a standing appointment every fourth Tuesday.

He had another question.

Hikaru:

I was not previously made aware of said occasion. Please advise what is customary. I await your communication.

Regards,

Ulquiorra Cifer

He didn't have to wait long for a reply.

OOOOOOOOH! Security, sweetie, you are running out of time! You better just come over! XOXO

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. Why the hairdresser insisted on these stupid nicknames was beyond him. Despite it being the last thing he wanted to do at the moment, he turned and started toward the hair salon.

Five minutes later, Ulquiorra was being ushered through the storefront of Hikaru's salon by the hairstylist herself. Her deep, sing-songy voice welcomed him, "Well, hello, Handsome. Come in and have a seat; we have a lot of things to catch you up on."

"We?" he asked, looking around and seeing no one else present.

"Just me and you, baby. Sit here. Now listen, it's Hime-tan's birthday on the third. Last year her loser boyfriend forgot and it broke her heart. This year you've got to make it up to her."

"Why should I make up for the faults of Kurosaki?" Ulquiorra asked, not really following the Hikaru's logic.

"That's not what I mean. You just… listen. I'll tell you what to do. You do it. Otherwise you can give up on her and just stay here with me. That would be just fine," Hikaru purred while standing behind Ulquiorra, sliding her hands from Ulquiorra's shoulders down to his chest.

"Person, desist immediately!" Ulquiorra commanded as he stood up from his seat and stepped away from the hairdresser.

"Alright then, listen well..."

xXxXx

September 3rd.

Ulquiorra had learned what was customary from Hikaru. He had selected a gift and prepared a reservation. He had enlisted Tatsuki's help for the rest.

He was hoping this event might help his relationship with Orihime. It had grown stagnant. Recently they had fallen into a routine where he would pick her up from school and walk her up her part time job at the bakery near her house, holding her hand and sometimes sneaking a quick peck on the lips before watching her trot away. On weekends they would go shopping or out for coffee and they would always say goodbye on a doorstep, never inside. They hadn't done any training in months, except on the rare occasion that Tatsuki was free to come with. Orihime had set a firm boundary, and private interludes seemed to be on the other side of that line.

Ulquiorra was frustrated. He was irritated. He kept it hidden from Orihime, though. He didn't want to remind her of the ways Kurosaki had treated her, and he was respecting her decisions.

He was desperate for change and if he had to accept help to bring it about, he would, despite his misgivings relative to some of Hikaru's more ridiculous ideas. For example, he was expected to entertain the birthday girl and all of her friends, at his expense, no less. And he was expected to invite those pompous 'friends' of hers, Ishida Uryuu and Kurosaki Ichigo.

It was an outrage!

But it was expected, and if Ulquiorra Cifer did anything well, it was meeting or exceeding expectations.

xXx

At 6:00, Ulquiorra sat in a spacious private room of an inexpensive yoshoku restaurant. A sign hung on the wall wishing Orihime a happy birthday. A cake sat in the middle of the large table. Gifts from himself and other residents of the Urahara Shoten sat on a smaller table to the side. Now all there was to do was wait for the birthday girl, no, birthday woman - she was 18 now - to arrive.

He was about to stand and leave the room to see if anybody was milling around outside when a noisy group breached the entrance led by Tatsuki. A group of other kids he didn't really have any feelings for one way or another followed, and then came the individuals with which he had previously had meaningful contact. Orihime, first and foremost. He smiled at her surprised face and welcomed her to join his side with a small tilt of his head. She bounded over and sat beside him, saying "You did this? You didn't have to do this!" His cheeks colored and he felt satisfaction.

Following her were Chad, to whom he tipped his head in cordial welcome, and two others for whom he held no love: Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryuu Ishida. He fought the urge to sneer, instead focusing his attention on his woman.

Ishida and Kurosaki afforded him no such civility in return. Uryuu scoffed and found a spot in the corner of the room to sit and Ichigo joined him.

Hikaru came a moment later and took over the flow of the party, and directed the guests to take a glass for a toast, the grabbed Ulquiorra by the asscheek, causing him to jump to his feet. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

Ulquiorra scowled and looked at Hikaru with clear disdain. "What do you mean to accomplish?"

Hikaru rolled her eyes and flipped her pink hair. "You are supposed to give a speech, congratulating Hime-tan on her birthday. Go! Everyone is waiting," she said, before turning to the side and grumbling toward another guest, "I guess nobody gets looks and brains…"

Ulquiorra's eyes swept the room. His heart started to beat more powerfully, and he felt a lump rise in his throat. He swallowed down hard on it and raised his glass, mimicking what everyone else in the room was doing. "Ahem. It is Orihime Inoue's birthday. She is eighteen years old. Congratulations. That is all." Then he sat down and everyone waited for an awkward beat before someone said "kampai" and everyone started eating.

He looked to Orihime and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't know a speech was required. I hope you found it satisfactory."

She smiled at him and put a hand on his arm. "It was perfect. Thank you, you know I would have been happy-"

She was interrupted. Hikaru stood and bopped her over the head and called out a number, then went around the room doing the same. She was both taking a head count and assigning a number. When she returned to her seat, she gathered a bunch of disposable chopsticks and started writing numbers on them, once for each guest. When she had finished, she put all the chopsticks into a cup, number side down, then stood in the middle of the room.

"Attention, everyone! Now, you may all continue eating, but this is a party, not a banquet, so we will have some entertainment! Tonight's first activity is a game, called "Osama". If you don't know how to play, the rules are simple: One person is the king, or "Osama". Each of you has been assigned a number which corresponds to one of the chopsticks in this cup. I will be king first. I can choose one or two chopsticks from this cup, and then I can command whomever I have chosen to do anything I want. You cannot refuse! Is that clear?"

Hikaru proceeded to call numbers and order guests to do embarrassing things, like sing a song, or do a dance, or pass a breadstick from person A's mouth to person B's mouth; all kinds of things that make high schoolers squirm in discomfort. Then, finally, she pulled Ulquiorra's number.

"I'm number 4," he said dully.

There were sniggers from the occupants of the corner of the room. Orihime shot a venomous look toward Ichigo and Uryu.

"Oh, wonderful! It's Security's turn. Alright, I command for you to give Hime-tan a kiss!"

The occupants of the room gasped. Public displays of affection were not done.

Ulquiorra, not having been raised in Japan, much less not having been raised on Earth, had no cultural reference from which to frame Hikaru's command. He didn't know how scandalous this was. He had kissed the woman many times. What difference would it make to do it in front of other people?

He turned to his left to face Orihime, put his hand behind her neck, and pulled her toward him, pressing his lips on hers and kissing her firmly. He heard the sucked breaths and snickers. He didn't care. It had been some time since he had been able to do this. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

He was suddenly being pulled away by two sets of rough, angry hands.

He vaguely heard Orihime call his name as the door to the party room was slammed shut behind him. Uryuu and Ichigo did not stop pulling until they were outside in the alley behind the restaurant, where they deposited him against the wall of the next building.

"What do you think you are doing?" Uryu scolded in a screechy voice.

Ulquiorra dropped his brows and looked between the two boys in front of him for a minute, attempting to figure out just how stupid they were. He huffed and changed his expression to that of someone trying to explain something to a child. "I was kissing the woman. It is something I have done multiple times to the woman's and my mutual enjoyment. Do you have any other ridiculous queries or can we get back inside to my girlfriend's birthday party?"

"Your girlfriend?" Ichigo scoffed.

A small, smug smile pulled at the corners of Ulquiorra's lips. "Indeed. I was told you are familiar with the concept, shinigami."

Uryu was clenching his fists. He was livid. Stepping into Ulquiorra's space, he shouted, "How dare you touch her at all, much less do it in public!"

It was Ulquiorra's turn to scoff, "Says the boy who has been harboring a poorly concealed infatuation with her since before my death. I saw the way you looked at her on that dome. You're just too much of a coward to -"

Crack.

Ulquiorra's hand went to his jaw, where he had just been backhanded by the Quincy. His lip rose in a sneer and his reiatsu started to leak out of him in sharp, dark pulses.

Ichigo and Uryu's eyes widened, and Ichigo reached for the battle pass in his pocket as Uryu dropped a Quincy cross onto his palm. Neither of them ever expected to experience what they saw and felt next, and their confused expressions spoke for themselves as Ulquiorra's reiatsu was slowly being infused with Orihime's, even though she was nowhere to be seen.

This is new, Ulquiorra thought to himself and smirked, still not able to let go of the one-upsmanship he had been engaging in. "You see? She is connected to me," he snarled, the implication that she was not connected to them crystal clear.

Ichigo was the first to make the assumption, and his face contorted into a disgusted grimace. Uryu was not far behind. "Don't tell me that you have… Oh god, don't tell me that you, that you and her," Uryu whined, backing up as he did.

Ichigo was not as discreet. "You've been fucking her?!" he roared before lunging at Ulquiorra, hands reaching for his throat.

Ulquiorra dodged and weaved between the two young men, ending up behind them, his eyes narrowed in rage. How dare these two disturb the woman's party and throw baseless accusations around. He took a deep breath through flared nostrils, trying to calm down. It wouldn't do to have Orihime upset by him fighting.

Ichigo turned around, shaking his head. "You know, I shouldn't be so surprised. She was always pretty much begging for it. Better you than me, I guess. Slut."

That was it. Ulquiorra's gigai started to vibrate and the loose gravel on the pavement trembled as his reiatsu level began to increase uncontrollably. He pulled back a fist and shot it toward the shinigami's chest, only to be shot in the arm by a Quincy arrow.

Ulquiorra recoiled and hissed his displeasure as blood began to squirt out of the wound.

"Shit," Ichigo said, taking in the sight of the blood and starting to get nervous. Despite his hatred, he knew that Ulquiorra was under Urahara's protection and there would be consequences for this.

Uryu did not care at all. He drew back another arrow as Ulquiorra squared off on him, and just before he released it he was thrown back into the brick wall behind him together with Ichigo.

"Ulquiorra!" a frightened voice rang through the alley, and the golden barrier that had pushed back Ichigo and Uryu shrunk to a small dome encasing Ulquiorra's bloody arm. "What are you doing!" she cried, accusing the other two.

"Fuck this," Ichigo said, turning to leave and pulling Uryu along with him. Orihime watched them leave silently.

Orihime turned her attention back to her healing dome after Uryu and Ichigo were out of eyeshot, and kept quiet as she focused on healing Ulquiorra's gigai for a few minutes. When the skin had healed, she looked up at him and asked, "What happened?"

Ulquiorra looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, woman. I have disturbed your party."

She shook her head. "This was their doing, not yours. I can't believe they did that! He promised me he would try to be civil."

Ulquiorra flinched. "He is making promises to you?" he asked with a single raised brow. He was jealous.

"Well, more like telling lies, I guess," Orihime muttered, checking Ulquiorra's arm. "It doesn't matter. He told me he wasn't going to get along with you but I thought that he could keep it in check for my birthday at least."

Ulquiorra didn't like how sad she sounded. He took both of her hands in one of his and tipped her chin up to look him in the eyes. "It was the Quincy who really started this. I think they are a bad influence on one another," he said, giving her a lopsided smile. "They think we have, uh, been intimate." he admitted, looking to the side.

Orihime blushed and looked down at her feet. She didn't want to tell him what she was thinking. It was complicated. She decided to change the subject. "Maybe we should go back… People will think-"

"Are you afraid that people will think we have been intimate?" he asked, slightly hurt, but not wanting to make her feel anxious about it. "I can tell them they are all mistaken if you want me to."

"No, I'm not afraid of that. People will think what they want no matter what, it's just, I guess I don't like how Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun think they have any say in it."

That pleased him. He offered her an arm and said, "Let's get back to your party."

xXxXx

In the end, Ulquiorra decided not to give Orihime her birthday present at her party. He walked her home after the celebration was over and asked if he could come in for a minute, explaining he had a gift but thought it best not to spark rumors by giving it to her in front of her friends.

She agreed and closed the door behind him and went to the kitchen for a couple glasses of water and saw him sitting on her sofa with a small box in his hand. "Come here, woman," he said to her, patting the seat beside him.

She followed his instructions and sat, setting the glasses of water on the table before turning toward him.

He wasted no time. "Happy birthday, Orihime," he said, presenting her with the box.

She smiled and took it, opening the paper carefully and lifting the lid to reveal a startlingly familiar silver bangle bracelet. She cocked her head up and looked at him, "Is this…. How could this?"

Ulquiorra chuckled. "It's not. The bracelet I gave to you when I first took you to Hueco Mundo was made of spirit particles. This bracelet's similar appearance is coincidental. There is more though; look under the paper.

Indeed, there was a square of white tissue paper folded up under the bracelet, and upon inspection Orihime saw that it was connected to the bangle by a small pair of chain links. She tore the tissue paper to reveal a silver charm in the shape of a heart. She was speechless.

"I know what it is, you know; the heart. I know it's not Valentine's day boxes or this little piece of metal. I know it's not always the organ in your chest," he paused and took her hand, slipping the bracelet over her wrist and admiring it. "It's here in my hand, after all." He smiled at her after his little speech, mentally patting himself on the back. That was pretty damn smooth for a guy who'd only been alive for about a year.

Orihime's eyes misted over and she threw her arms around his neck. "I love it, thank you."

Ulquiorra did not go home that night.

Thanks for reading! I'm sorry this chapter spanned a long period of time and seems a little disjointed, but we've got to move along or this story won't go anywhere~! Drop me a note if you like, I love hearing from you! Xoxo JKRob