In the empty sleeve of hall in the lonely world, empty eyes stared out onto falling rain. What was she still doing here? She was a shinigami. What place was there for her here? She should return to the place she belonged.
Eyes dim and shoulders slumped, the old soul allowed herself this moment of weakness. She knew she was worrying everyone, she knew she was worrying him, but she couldn't pretend. She knew that it was futile to fake a smile for him. He knew her too well. Rain softly pattered the window.
"I suppose that I should be thanking you."
Ripped from her melancholy, Rukia turned around to find Ulquiorra standing across from her, hands tucked casually in his pockets. Green reptilian eyes scrutinized the shinigami's every move. In turn, Rukia drew herself to full height, the misery deliberately wiped from her face.
"Where is Inoue," Rukia questioned, her voice not kind, but not threatening either.
"She is in the washroom," the arrancar responded. He could not have this conversation while Orihime was here. There were some things Ulquiorra just didn't want her to know. "The coast is clear."
"I did my best," Rukia said after a moment. "They don't want to trust you, but they'll realize soon enough that you mean no harm."
Ulquiorra held himself back from raising an eyebrow. He needed to calculate his reactions. "How can you be so certain that I mean no harm?"
Rukia smiled softly. "Because I'm just like you." Madly in love.
Face a mask, Ulquiorra thought he understood. Just as he was attracted to Orihime, Kuchiki Rukia was attracted to Kurosaki Ichigo. The poor girl. "How unfortunate."
Rukia smiled just a little, her voice tinged with regret. She never lowered her eyes from Ulquiorra's. "Yah. Watching you and Inoue together, I'm jealous."
Ulquiorra almost pitied the poor shinigami. "As I said, unfortunate." The two fell into silence.
Pushing aside her feelings, Rukia returned to the situation at hand, speaking in a forceful commanding voice. "Ulquiorra, do you know why that Adjucas came to the Material world today?"
The arrancar's glare intensified, but Rukia didn't back down. "Yes."
The shinigami's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Ulquiorra waited a long moment before answering, the air becoming heavier with each passing second. Finally he turned around, intent on heading back to where Orihime was surely already chatting with her girl friends. His voice was ice, hard and cold. "It is because you and your nakama failed to be thorough in your conquest. Las Noches has a new 'king'."
At that precise moment, down the flight of stairs, Ichigo's heart was pounding furiously, his worse nightmare confirmed.
All afternoon, there was a light drizzle. Orihime spent much of the day gazing forlornly out the classroom windows. For the first time, the grey turbulence of the sky was mirrored in her eyes. What was it that she had said about the rain?
After the everyday eternity of the school day had ended, the reunited friends loitered around outside the school gates, umbrellas of various colours in hand. As Ulquiorra had promised, none of Orihime's nakama had been harmed in the fight against the Adjucas, and Orihime was glad.
Her friends, on the other hand, where significantly more stressed. Rukia was still conflicted and depressed over her unrequited love for Ichigo, and her gloomy silence made her unapproachable. Ichigo was still inexplicably enraged over Rukia's unrequited love for Ulquiorra, and was particularly irritable. Uryuu and Tatsuki were still severely anxious over not being able to watch over Orihime once she returned home. Therefore, the extent of the conversation was Tatsuki and Uryuu pleading to be able to accompany Orihime home (and, in Tatsuki's case, stay the night), and Orihime reassuring them that she and Ulquiorra would be fine on their own.
Throughout all this, Yasutora had to hold himself back from shaking his head; so many problems that could be so easily solved through communication. The burly man blissfully ignored the tiny voice in his head that shouted 'that's the pot calling the kettle black.'
After a few minutes of circular argument, Ulquiorra finally approached the group, looming heavily behind Orihime. His presence immediately earning him attention, the arrancar glared at everyone in the loose circle as he ran his fingers through Orihime's hair, leaning in to take in the delicious scent. Ulquiorra's eyes landed on Uryuu, who raised his chin just slightly at the challenge. "Do not follow us. We will be busy."
"Ulquiorra!" Orihime blushed furiously, although she made no move to remove him. The willowy teenager's eyes turned to hers, and she saw a devious glint she did not like at all. Without another word, Ulquiorra took her hand in his and dragged her off down the street to their home, and undoubtedly to certain doom.
Ulquiorra and Orihime made their way home in silence. Ulquiorra held his schoolbag in one hand and the bright yellow plastic umbrella in the other, his eyes roving over Orihime's still features. Was it out of the ordinary for her to be so quiet?
The pair had just turned the first corner, barely out of sight from Karakura High, when a familiar voice called out to them from the alleyway up ahead. "Such a beautiful day for a stroll…"
Urahara Kisuke, sporting his suspiciously cheerful face, emerged from the shadows of the alley, twirling a standard black umbrella casually. Orihime's face lit up in a smile immediately, while Ulquiorra furrowed his brow. "Urahara-san!"
"Good day, Inoue-san," Kisuke greeted pleasantly, bringing his free hand to his hat as he bowed to the lady. His sharp eyes, shaded beneath his favourite hat, then drifted to meet Ulquiorra's, as his voice carried a tone just a little more serious. "And good day to you, Ulquiorra-san."
"Thank you so much for everything, Urahara-san," Orihime ventured, just a little shy. "If it wasn't for you, Ulquiorra could have been in serious trouble!"
Urahara didn't reply for a moment, his shaded eyes glowing with remorse. The former Captain allowed the smile to slip from his face. Orihime could only look up at him in confusion, her expression growing more and more concerned as spans of charged silence slipped by. Finally, slowly, the shop keeper reached up to remove his hat, holding it against his torso respectfully. The man bowed.
He spoke, his slow, deliberate tone as repentant as his tumultuous eyes. "Inoue-san, I am truly sorry for what I have put you through. I suspected all along that Aizen would take interest in your abilities. For that reason, I tried to protect you by removing you from the conflict. Not only was this was tremendously inconsiderate of me, but it did not protect you." The shop keeper paused. "I completely failed to protect you. I am deeply sorry, Inoue-san." Silence fell heavy, as Orihime composed herself. Ulquiorra was a grim statue of white stone.
"That's okay," Orihime chirped suddenly, offering her brightest smile to the still-prostrated man. Surprised, Urahara's eyes darted up, his face looking very open and vulnerable without his trademark sunhat. Orihime's eyes burned with sympathy, her voice velvety, kind. "I think that, overall, it was a good experience! I learnt a lot about who I am and what things mean to me. And if I hadn't been kidnapped, I never would have forged a connection with Ulquiorra." Urahara could do nothing but accept the disarming sincerity, his exposed eyes shifting from Orihime to Ulquiorra, then back to Orihime.
After a few moments of silence, Urahara brought his green and white striped hat back to rest on his head, once again obscuring his face. "Thank you, Inoue-san." His eyes pierced through to Orihime's with fervour. "I promise that I will make this up to you."
"Umm… Ulquiorra…" Orihime began tentatively. She fought the part of her that told her to keep quiet and pretend as if nothing was wrong. Ulquiorra's venomous green eyes met hers.
The two were on their way home after Ulquiorra's first (real) day of school, and Orihime had been strangely quiet. This had worried the arrancar because Orihime had been supplying a steady flow of conversation throughout the entire day. She had had no qualms filling in his silences and actually seemed to relish in the undivided attention that he gave her. The former Espada had readily participated in the dialogue, and Ulquiorra would often even bring up another topic of discussion, counting on Orihime's talkativeness to take them from there.
Which was why Ulquiorra didn't really know what to do when Orihime suddenly fell silent. It was a long walk back to their home, and for once the arrancar didn't appreciate the extensive stretch of quiet. He could only think that it meant that something was wrong.
Under the questioning stare of her beautiful yet intimidating roommate, Orihime raised her voice again, fighting the urge to drop the subject. "Your cheek is swollen…"
Ulquiorra diverted his eyes forward. Inwardly, he cursed his vulnerable human shell. The arrancar's voice came out indifferent. "That is correct." Orihime dropped her gaze, hanging her head in shame.
"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra… Tatsuki did that to you, didn't she?" The girl's voice resounded with guilt. She shouldn't have thrown him to the wolves like that, she should have stayed with him, protected him...
Orihime felt Ulquiorra's hand grip hers, his bony white fingers intertwining with hers. "That is correct. But you should not regret it."
"Why not?" Orihime tugged on their interlaced fingers, causing Ulquiorra to look back at her with surprised eyes. "You didn't deserve to be hit! You didn't do anything wrong!"
Ulquiorra glared emptily, his eyes speaking as effectively as any words. "Ok, so you kidnapped me, but that was because you were ordered to! It wasn't your fault, it was Aizen's!"
Ulquiorra's empty glare altered slightly. "I mean, yah, you said some mean things, but that's all in the past! I mean, no blood no fowl, right?"
Once again, something imperceptible in Ulquiorra's eyes shifted. "Well, there was Kurosaki-kun, but it's not like you killed him, right? Your mercy redeemed you!"
Finally Ulquiorra spoke. "Do you think that I can do no wrong, or are you just an impossibly optimistic person?"
Orihime's beaming smile was blinding, her chin raised high and her eyes playful. "A little bit of both!" Ulquiorra cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Moments later, the two arrived at their small, second story apartment. Once again using the key left beneath the doormat, Orihime opened the front door, and in an extravagant motion welcomed Ulquiorra to his new home.
The second Orihime stepped through the threshold though, her smile dropped from her face. Her once-vibrant living room looked… barren, lifeless.
"Ew," Orihime stated cutely, her face crunched up in a disgusted expression as she tried to move the couch back to its rightful place. As the redhead struggled comically to get the heavy couch to move, Ulquiorra took the chance to wrap one arm around Orihime's waist, pulling the startled girl up against him from behind.
"U-Ulquiorra!" The arrancar's grip tightened, and in one swift motion he lifted the girl's feet completely off the ground. The next second, Ulquiorra was reclining casually on the couch, with Orihime seated awkwardly on his lap, the man's arm still holding her firmly in place.
"Do you not remember our agreement?" When Orihime gaped, babbling incoherently, Ulquiorra produced a piece of perfectly-folded paper from his pocket, handing it over to Orihime.
"O-Oh, yah… I remember…" Orihime stumbled, her voice shaking. With trembling hands, she took the sheet and tried to concentrate hard enough to read it. "But could you please let go of me…" His eyes mocking, Ulquiorra promptly buried his face in Orihime's fiery tresses, bathing in the warmth of her body, the scent of her hair. The hand that wasn't holding the redhead in place (albeit with soothing, exploratory strokes) made its way to her knee, working its way upwards, testing the girl's boundaries. At the same time, Ulquiorra brought his chest flush up against Orihime's stiff back, his nose and lips tickling and teasing Orihime's rose-tinged neck and jaw.
"U-Ulquiorra… you can't…" Orihime stumbled, the meaning of the kanji she was staring at eluding her completely. The arrancar snaked the arm around her waist beneath her shirt, stroking her flat stomach and running his fingers along the edges of her skirt and bra teasingly.
"Yes, I can," Ulquiorra contradicted, his voice low in her ear, the warm breath against Orihime's skin triggering a sudden shudder. "I am not breaking any rules. We are not in the wrong." Ulquiorra tried to calm the girl down; her breaths were coming in shallow gasps as her body simultaneously tried to push itself closer to his chest behind her and to his roaming hand in front of her.
"Wh-What do you want, Ulquiorra," Orihime managed to get out, a fire burning uncontrollably beneath her skin. This wasn't how it was supposed to be…
The tear-streaked teenager considered the statement a moment, both his hands edging closer to the forbidden territory that was calling to him like a siren's song. "I want to feel every inch of my skin against every inch of yours."
Just as he said this, deep voice seductive, he carefully brought a finger under her bra. Slowly, millimetre by millimetre, his tentative finger advanced through the path of her cleavage, but could go no further because of Orihime's spectacularly enormous breasts. And so, Ulquiorra began to work a path around them, slowly circling the redhead's right breast.
Just then, a loud, annoying blare that resembled the wail of a spoiled child rang through the flat. Ulquiorra remembered what that was; Orihime had explained to him everything he would ever need to know about phones when he had innocently asked her during a break why so many students were talking to themselves.
Frustrated at being interrupted, Ulquiorra gently moved Orihime off his lap and onto the couch, where she just sprawled out, staring at him with wide, wild eyes. A few long strides, and Ulquiorra had swiftly picked up the receiver, remembering to act natural. It was probably one of Orihime's friends calling, and he knew that if he acted at all suspicious, they'd all be over in an instant and there would be no rid of them.
"Hello." Perfect monotone, as usual.
"Ulquiorra? Where's Orihime," Tatsuki demanded, obviously on edge over being so far away.
Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder at the heavy-breathing, very horny, teenage girl, and wisely judged that he shouldn't let her take the phone. "Orihime is in the bathroom at the moment. Why?"
"I want to make sure she's alright, do ya got a problem with that?"
"No, not at all. I will ask her to call you back when she is finished," Ulquiorra replied, eager to end the conversation.
The girl on the other side of the line paused. "Alright, but I swear if anything happens to Orihime I will make you pay."
"I will keep that in mind. Goodbye." Internally, Ulquiorra sighed. He hated being civil with trash. It was the only way, though, and as Ulquiorra once again turned towards the couch, he was very sure that his efforts would be rewarded.
Unfortunately for Ulquiorra, however, Orihime had, ironically, disappeared into the bathroom. From beyond the door, he could hear faint panting and the running of the tap. Ulquiorra said the only thing that came to mind. "Are you feeling well?" Immediately, the bathroom door swung open, revealing a very shaky-looking Orihime.
"How can I be feeling well when you keep doing these things to me?" Orihime's eyes were just a little crazed as she eyed Ulquiorra accusingly. As soon as the words left her lips, Ulquiorra's eyes furrowed in concern.
"Did I hurt you," the arrancar questioned in genuine worry. Before he could panic too much, however, Orihime let out her frustration in a sigh.
"You're not hurting my outside, you're hurting my inside." Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow, obviously wondering what that was supposed to mean. Orihime sighed again and walked over to the couch, calming herself, with Ulquiorra on her heels. They sat down next to each other. "Ulquiorra, have you ever found yourself wanting to do something that you knew was just wrong?"
"Yes," Ulquiorra replied, aloof. "I wanted you."
Orihime mustered a smile through her blush, a smile which turned dim as she started speaking. "Than don't you find that… you're only making things harder for yourself by coming closer to what you desire?" Sadly, the redhead remembered her last night on Earth before departing to Hueco Mundo. "That it only makes it hurt that much more when you don't get it, but no matter what you do, you can't give in, because you know that if you do there's no way that you could live with yourself?"
"Yes," Ulquiorra agreed. Orihime raised a brow, her heart weighing poignantly in her chest.
"Than why do you keep doing this," she asked, authentically intrigued, desperate for an answer.
Ulquiorra diverted his eyes, turning his head to the side in thought. Eventually, their eyes met again. "I continue because I would suffer through anything to hold you in my arms."
Something in Orihime's mind blanched. Before she knew it, she had thrown her arms around Ulquiorra, gripping onto his sturdy being. The arrancar, afraid of the unexpected reaction his words stirred, looked down at the crown of orange hair below him, unsure of what to do. A moment later, when Orihime's vice-like grip on his shirt loosened slightly, Ulquiorra brought his pallid hands to Orihime's thin shoulders and gently peeled her from his chest.
Ulquiorra was afraid, and intrigued, by what he saw. Orihime's brilliant grey eyes were alight with sparkles. The girl spoke, her voice tinged with rueful awe, a quiet laugh on her lips. "Ulquiorra, you're just like the prince from a fairy tale. And you're also like the dragon." Sighing, Orihime pushed against the confused Ulquiorra's chest, lying him down beneath her. Before he could say anything, the redhead lied down on top of him, her head resting against his chest as her eyes dimmed and stared off into space. "You've got me from both sides, and I'm not strong enough to fight my way out of it."
Unsure what Orihime meant by any of this 'fairy tale' analogy, Ulquiorra could think of only one thing to say. "You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for."
Orihime smiled into Ulquiorra's chest, the sound of rain pelting the window a lullaby. "I don't think so. I'm finding this much too easy to get used to." Ulquiorra remained alone in his bafflement as Orihime wrapped her arms tightly around Ulquiorra's neck, snuggling her nose into his pale throat.
"Orihime," Ulquiorra intoned, as he returned Orihime's embrace. He sensed something was off about her, something that was concealed beneath the surface of her words and actions. "What is going on?"
Orihime waited a long time before answering, and Ulquiorra thought she might have fallen asleep. "I'm trying not to give up, I'm trying to resist, but I feel like for every step back, there's two steps closer. And there's nothing I can do about it."
"I do not understand, Orihime."
"That's the thing. You can't understand, because it doesn't make sense. This isn't how it was supposed to be, but everything is working against me. I find myself looking for green leaves in seas of orange," Orihime murmured, almost mournfully. Something inside her was breaking.
At this point, Ulquiorra was too confused by Orihime's words to formulate a response. He only held Orihime tighter against his slender body, hoping to provide some level of reassurance. The light filtering through the blinds was a heavy shade of grey-blue, drawing both to the edge of unconsciousness.
"And the worse thing is, Ulquiorra," Orihime added slowly, the rain consuming her senses. "This is what I've always wanted, all along. To reach someone who was far away… But it's so different then how I imagined it…"
Seconds, hours later, Orihime's eyes fluttered open. She saw Ulquiorra's face, unguarded and relaxed in light sleep. His ashen cheek was resting against her forehead, his black lips agape as if to kiss her brow.
He was beautiful. In all the ways Orihime had never expected, he was beautiful. Nothing else mattered in that moment. She felt so warm in his arms. Something felt right to her. For a second, in her sleep-filled eyes, she saw only him.
A brushing of flesh against his lips stirred Ulquiorra from sleep. He felt Orihime draw even closer to him.
"You know, it's actually really cosy here," Orihime said in a pensive tone. Ulquiorra hummed in agreement, stroking her back affectionately. Both knew that it would probably be best to awaken, to separate, but both were reluctant to move.
"Ulquiorra," Orihime began, her voice wispy. She heard a hum from Ulquiorra's throat beckoning her to continue. "It doesn't feel like we're doing anything wrong, right?" She heard another deep hum. A few moments later, the girl's eyes fluttered open again.
"And, I mean, it's not like we're total strangers… We've been through a lot together," Orihime murmured into his chest. There was a moment of silence, both teenagers drifting in and out of awareness.
"It's a strange bond, so it only makes sense that we have a strange relationship, right?" Ulquiorra rumbled his agreement, even though nothing Orihime was saying was registering in his mind.
"So… in that context, it isn't weird that we do things like cuddle, right?" Orihime sighed, the hot breath warming Ulquiorra's neck. In response, he held her even closer, both his arms encircling her as if she would float away if he didn't. Orihime let out another contented sigh.
"No, it definitely isn't weird."
Satisfied by the ingenious, although transient, conservation of her sanity, Orihime fell into a very light sleep. She was suspended on the bridge between wakefulness and the abyss, surrounded by everything she never knew she would want.
Until the phone rang. Startled from sleep, Ulquiorra let out a quiet groan as Orihime slowly stumbled to her feet, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "…Hello?"
"Orihime! Why didn't you call back," Tatsuki asked, relieved.
"Oh, Tatsuki-chan! I'm sorry, Ulquiorra told me you had called, but I accidentally fell asleep on the couch." Suddenly intent, Orihime walked across the room to where she had left the portable phone. Once the other phone was hung up, the redhead made her way to her room, lying tiredly on her narrow bed.
Tatsuki paused, suspicious. "Where is Ulquiorra?"
"He's still on the couch," Orihime said dismissively, as if the fact was unimportant. "You'll never believe what he said, though! He was all serious and stuff, with that agonized look in his eye, and he said 'I would suffer through anything to hold you in my arms.'! Isn't that sweet," Orihime gushed, overcoming her tiredness, totally forgetting that she shouldn't be so happy over someone who wasn't her crush telling her this.
Tatsuki paused again, trying to form the question delicately. "Orihime, you know you're a knock-out… Have you considered that Ulquiorra might just be trying to… well, sleep with you?" This time it was Orihime who stayed silent. She clutched the phone like it was her lifeline, pressing it into the shell of her ear.
"Well, there's that… But, there's a lot that I need to tell you, Tatsuki-chan, things I couldn't say in front of the others." Orihime's voice became nothing more than a murmur as she felt the significance of her next words weighing on her. "It has to do with my feelings for Kurosaki-kun… and for Ulquiorra…"
Tatsuki sighed. So Orihime was less dense than the others thought she was. She was already beginning to question her feelings for Ichigo. "Alright, do you want me to come over?"
"No thanks," Orihime beamed, as Ulquiorra stalked lethargically into the bedroom. "Ulquiorra's stressed enough having to be around everybody at school, so it doesn't seem fair to make him stand his guard at home, too." Looking over, the redhead stared, mesmerized, as Ulquiorra removed his humidity-damp shirt.
All while staring at Orihime hungrily, the arrancar prowled over to the bed, where he tried to forcibly take off her shirt. Struggling to keep her massive breasts concealed beneath the thin grey fabric, Orihime quickly ended the conversation.
"I've actually got to go, Tatsuki-chan. I'll see you tomorrow!" Ulquiorra rolled his hips against Orihime's, and she managed to cut the line just before she was overcome by a deep gasp. No one had ever touched her like that before.
"Ulquiorra, stop," Orihime screwed her eyes shut, telling herself that this was all just another erotic dream. After all, she had had many dreams like this before already. Only, all the erotic dreams she had had before were mechanical, cold, compared to what Orihime was experiencing now.
"Everything is alright, Orihime," Ulquiorra murmured, as he pulled the dark comforter over their bodies, hiding his weakness. "I just want to hold you." Orihime, her resolve crumbling, allowed Ulquiorra to force her shirt off. He lied down on top of her, and the feeling of her skin against his was magical. Orihime sighed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Three."
She held her breath in the darkness, praying to the Almighty that the threat would pass her by.
"Two."
The voice sounded again, shaking the hard-earned sense of readiness she had been trying to build up.
"One."
She felt the danger approaching, encroaching upon her, as she held back the urge to run for her life.
Barely audible footfalls drew closer and closer to her location, and a cold sweat broke out on her brow. A full three seconds later, the closet door opened, and glowing emerald eyes glared at her. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Orihime could only helplessly look on in horror as her opponent intoned those dreaded words. "You're it."
Orihime held back the agonized moan of defeat. This time, she had stowed away in her best hiding place, the out-of-the-way closet that held her washer and dryer. Ulquiorra should never have been able to find her so quickly. She, in contrast, had taken at least a minute or two each time to find the hidden arrancar in her small apartment.
Unmoving, Ulquiorra stared down at the girl that was sitting in the foetal position upon the washing machine. Watching her agonize dramatically over her continuing defeat made him feel the need to point out the ridiculousness of all this. "Orihime, I fail to see the point in this 'hide-and-go-seek in the dark' game. If I could detect your presence immediately from anywhere in Las Noches, why shouldn't I be able to find you in your three-room apartment?"
Orihime's eyes widened impossibly as she pointed to Ulquiorra accusingly, visibly shell-shocked. "You cheated?!"
"Cheated? I was merely using all of the tools at my disposal," Ulquiorra countered impassively, feeling rather foolish talking into the darkness of a closet. His weak human eyes could barely even make out the glistening of Orihime's offended grey eyes.
"That's cheating! Of course I'd be able to find you right away if I sensed your reiatsu," Orihime exclaimed in indignation. "You're supposed to seek me out, not my reiatsu!" Ulquiorra continued to glare, marvelling silently at how an intelligent girl could be so stupid.
"Enough of this," Ulquiorra stated finally. "It is late and you must sleep." The arrancar felt warm arms encircle his neck, as Orihime used his body to help her get her feet to the ground in the dark. Ulquiorra carefully brought his hands to her round hips, helping the redhead down. Electro-magnetism at work.
"Is it really that late," Orihime asked, straining her eyes in the dark. She broke away from Ulquiorra and, reaching her hands out in the dark, tried to move towards the bedroom without tripping on something.
"It's past ten o'clock. We have been playing this game for the better part of an hour," Ulquiorra responded as if she owed him something for the trouble. Honestly, however, the arrancar greatly enjoyed this game. It seemed that, while playing this particular game, the groping of forbidden areas was forgiven because it was 'accidental.' Of course, Ulquiorra had boldly and tactfully taken advantage, causing his mouth to grow dry, his body to grow hot, and a certain member of his anatomy to jerk to life yet again. Although the feeling was confusing, Ulquiorra decided that he didn't dislike it.
Together, Orihime and Ulquiorra brushed their teeth. It was a very odd feeling for Orihime, because she hadn't lived with anyone for such a long time. To have a permanent, solid rock that would stay by her side was more than she had ever hoped of having again. Suddenly, her long-time apartment felt more like a home.
As Orihime got under the navy-blue bedcovers, she thought about what it would mean to have Ulquiorra in her life. Earlier that day, the two had done extensive planning on the redecoration of their home. Although her friends had all trivialized it when she had told them, Orihime was dead set on her plan. She was going to use Sora's substantial life insurance to pay for the renovation, knowing that he would be happy to know that she had found someone that she could depend upon. Idly, the redhead wondered what her brother would think of Ulquiorra. Orihime watched with a tired smile as he neatly folded their cloths for tomorrow, so that not a single wrinkle would set in.
There was something essentially pleasant about living with someone else. Even more than having someone to talk to and stave away the loneliness, Orihime enjoyed how they could do anything together. They argued a lot, but were also quick to put disagreements behind them. It didn't feel uncomfortable while they both silently did homework, Ulquiorra memorizing textbooks at blinding speed. They cooked together, cleaned together, and Ulquiorra, despite his cold, incredulous stares, never failed to bend to her will and play with her whatever game she wanted to play. Orihime refused to acknowledge the part of her that told her that, while children's games were fun, it was much more fun to play adult games with Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra, clothed only in his white boxers, closed the light. Orihime held her breath as she felt the unfamiliar dip of the bed and the slender, muscular arm snaking around her midsection. She heard Ulquiorra's deep exhale as he relaxed beside her. Even though his eyes were closed, obviously intent on sleeping, Orihime continued to gaze at his beautiful, delicate face in the darkness.
"Ulquiorra," Orihime murmured softly as she brought up a tentative palm to cup his snow-white cheek. She felt the slender man's chest rumble in response. "You'll… never leave me, will you?" Orihime let the words slide out, not bothering to question what she meant by them, not bothering to understand the words beyond their immediate, literal meaning.
Ulquiorra opened his eyes and somehow a familiar scene played out before him. That familiar scene from the movie they had watched together… He brought his lips gently to Orihime's, hoping to convey the significance of this action. He gave no thought to the possibility of expulsion, and eagerly breathed in Orihime's sweet gasp of surprise.
When Ulquiorra pulled back a moment later, Orihime was staring at him, looking like she felt threatened. The arrancar explained. "You are the only one that can reach beyond my mask. I will never leave your side." Ulquiorra felt tears against his neck as Orihime nestled against him, her arms wrapped around his chest gratefully. In return, he held her tightly, making it very clear that, if he had his way, he would do nothing but hold her for all eternity.
About forty-five minutes later, Ulquiorra was brought to fuller conscious by a passing car that was playing particularly loud and distasteful music. Still half asleep, the arrancar turned to the redhead in his arms, his eyes absently examining her every feature. She was delicate in her sleep, breathing deeply and rhythmically in and out, as her chest rose and fell. Her brow relaxed and her silk hair in beautiful disarray, Ulquiorra traced with his fingers the shell of her ear, her small nose, her full lips, her delicate eyebrows.
Having memorized every line and texture of her face, Ulquiorra's hand moved downwards, fully exploring the warm thin throat. He ran his fingers absently across Orihime's collar bones, and the delicate hollow above them. Satisfied, the pale hand moved lower, fingers going up the teardrop of the girl's large breast, then back down. Surprised at the feel of it, Ulquiorra took grasp of the bubbly mass, squeezing and massaging curiously.
The arrancar was pleasantly surprised when Orihime let out a small moan as she wriggled in her sleep beneath him. Encouraged that she seemed to be enjoying this also, or, at least, not waking up in a fury and throwing him out on his ass, Ulquiorra kneaded the soft flesh harder. He noted in confusion that his own heart rate had sped up along with Orihime's.
Suddenly, Ulquiorra felt something strange from within the thin fabric of Orihime's night shirt. There seemed to be a small ball of flesh protruding from her breast. Curiously bringing the ball between his fingers and applying pressure, Ulquiorra was rewarded with another moan, louder than the last. His curiosity tripling, the pale man lifted Orihime's shirt to reveal the full, bra-less glory of her breasts. Sleep long forgotten, Ulquiorra continued to play with the weird pieces of flesh on Orihime's breasts as he searched his brain for some sort of explanation as to what these pleasant little things were.
Deciding it wasn't important, Ulquiorra was eager to find out what other mysteries Orihime's body held. The arrancar ran his long, skeletal fingers along Orihime's abdomen, exploring and playing with every square centimetre of the masterpiece that was Orihime's body. He mapped out how she reacted to every touch.
Ulquiorra hesitated when he reached her panty-line. It was a slippery slope from here; if he wasn't able to control his carnal instincts, he could end up enforcing his superiority upon Orihime. He had seen enough of Orihime to know that she would not survive the humiliation and shame of being the dominated. And even if she did, Ulquiorra would never want her to be like Grimmjow's posse: subservient, with the desperate will to follow orders ingrained in the psyche.
Still, Ulquiorra pushed forward, sliding down the loose-fitting pants, and revealing a glory that Ulquiorra could only marvel at. He had never seen a female's womanhood before. Lifting Orihime's leg to get a better look, Ulquiorra traced the lips and the mound carefully before bringing his finger down in through the wet folds.
Thoroughly enchanted, by the heat, by the smell, by the feel, Ulquiorra eagerly explored ever line of flesh, when suddenly he felt Orihime move beneath him. Her hips rose against his hand, begging for his attention, and out of fear Ulquiorra pulled back. He paused a long moment, as Orihime whined in her sleep at the loss of contact.
This isn't safe, Ulquiorra thought. I cannot endanger her like this. Facing the reality of his straining hard cock, Ulquiorra rose from the bed and exited the room, intent on clearing his head.
Her whines becoming more frustrated, dream-Orihime wondered why Ulquiorra had stopped touching her. She had felt him leave the bed, and had waited in anticipation for a long time now. Trying to cheer herself up, dream-Orihime decided he must have gone out to get whipped cream, or something.
Whipped cream, Orihime realized. Whipped cream. With Ulquiorra. Who had been touching her.
Her arrancar roommate. Who would henceforth be sharing a bed with her. Uh oh.
Bolting upright in her bed, Orihime tried to get a hold of herself. Her shirt was up over her chest, her pants were pooled around one ankle, and Ulquiorra was nowhere to be seen. Orihime dove back onto her bed, wrapped herself in her covers, and frantically pulled her cloths back on. She held back the urge to hit herself over the head with something.
After a few minutes of obsessive self-scolding, Orihime was surprised that Ulquiorra hadn't returned yet. Was he hiding from her? The question intrigued Orihime, as the realization dawned that he should be hiding from her, because in less than twelve hours, he had already broken their agreement. Several times, in fact. Orihime realized that she was supposed to be very angry.
Gathering all the anger she could muster in her current exhausted, horny state, Orihime found Ulquiorra's reiatsu in the bathroom. As she approached the door quietly, ready to explode on him, Orihime found that the door was left ajar, a column of light against the darkness of the apartment. Suddenly, a moan broke through from beyond the threshold. A heated moan that sounded too much like "Orihime."
The redhead, intrigued despite the ball of dread in her gut, crept over to the door as silently as she could. Bracing herself against the sudden intake of light in her eyes, Orihime blinked until a picture of the inside of the bathroom formed before her. She was shocked by what she saw.
Ulquiorra was sitting on the tiled floor, his back against the side of the bathtub as he leant his head back in pleasure. One of his pale hands was wrapped tightly around his fully erect penis, and the other was clenching the wall of the bathtub as if his life depended on it. Another heated moan erupted from Ulquiorra's throat as he moaned Orihime's name.
As for Orihime, she could do nothing but watch. She knew that she should be repulsed, disgusted that Ulquiorra was on her bathroom floor, jacking off while thinking indecent thoughts about her, but she just couldn't muster it. She hated to admit it, but there was something so entrancingly stunning about him at that moment. His face was contorted in pleasure, his body was slick with sweat and his breath heaved his chest up and down heavily. He was unlike Orihime had ever seen him, not a trace of his usual cold and composed allure. Ulquiorra had never looked more alive to her than at that moment.
Unable to budge, Orihime watched as Ulquiorra stroked himself as he chanted her name. His movements grew more and more frantic until finally he came, shooting out cum even whiter than his skin all over the place. He was on cloud nine at that moment, the blissful euphoria on his face as if he had found Nirvana. A moment later, when he came down, he looked around him and was confused to find white substance all over the place. Ulquiorra reached for a towel, and Orihime took it as her cue to make a run for it.
Managing to get to her bed without making too much noise, her heart racing wildly, Orihime tried to calm herself down and pretend as if she were asleep. Ulquiorra could not know that she had just witnessed that, and it was worth letting him get away with touching her to keep the whole thing a secret. Orihime's mind reeled as she tried to process what she had just seen, what she had just experienced.
Orihime quickly pulled down her pants and lifted up her shirt, careful to bring everything back to the state they were in when Ulquiorra had left. Then, the redhead forced herself to sleep, trying not to be affected by the slow, deliberate steps of Ulquiorra as he walked back into the room.
As if nothing had happened, he got under the covers and wrapped his arms possessively around Orihime, snuggling into the warmth of her breasts. A moment later, he was asleep, leaving Orihime to wonder just what she had gotten herself into.