Orihime awoke early the next morning in a jolt. The previous night flooded back to her vividly, shocking and unwanted images searing her memory.
Orihime lay in her bed, completely naked. At some point in the night, her nightshirt had been removed, and was shoved into the space between the mattress and the headboard. Her adorable teddy bear-patterned pants were nowhere in sight.
As for Ulquiorra, he was fast asleep. His head of inky black hair was buried in Orihime's voluptuous breasts, and his snow-white muscular arms were wrapped possessively around Orihime's midsection, trapping her firmly in place.
Her heart thumped frantically in her ears, pumping blood directly to her reddened face. She couldn't even form words for how she was feeling. The conflicting feelings rising in her chest brutally clashed. Should she feel happiness or anger at awaking in his arms? Was there something satisfying about being intimate with him, or something terrifying?
Orihime just didn't know. She didn't know where she was, how she got there, or how she felt about it. There's no way, Orihime decided, it must have been a dream. There's no way that I would…
Carefully, Orihime extracted herself from Ulquiorra's grip, trying in vain to ignore how soft his skin felt against hers. Once she was free, stumbling awkwardly off the bed, the redhead made quick work of finding and putting her pyjamas back on, and then darted from the bedroom without a look back.
Orihime had never felt like this before. Ulquiorra was systematically trespassing on all of her boundaries, and was gaining ground with each push forward. And the crazy thing was, she was letting him. Inoue Orihime, the teenage girl who survived Las Noches and the Great Winter War, whose strength and compassion had softened the heart of the stoic Cuatro Espada, was now choosing this particular time to give in and do what felt easy.
No. This wasn't right. They couldn't be doing this. Not now, not ever. She knew where her loyalties should lie. She knew just how much she stood to lose. If she let herself do this, she wouldn't just lose Ichigo. What would her nakama do if they knew about her and Ulquiorra? And Orihime was certainly not idealistic enough to believe that Soul Society would stand by on the sidelines…
But she wanted to protect him, didn't she? What choice did she have? She had fallen for him again, those entrancing emerald green eyes, that deep melodious voice. He drew her deeper and deeper into a beautiful, unfamiliar, dangerous world. A world of scintillating meadows and indigo anemones. A world bursting with life, and yet empty of everything but he and her. A terrifying world where she stood on unsteady ground, suspended with him somewhere between love, hatred and lust. And she loved every instant of it.
But unfamiliar was bad. She didn't have to guess with Ichigo. He was very clearly the good guy, no one doubted it. No one would think she was strange if she ended up with Ichigo, it would be perfectly understandable. Ulquiorra was, on the other hand, shadowy, amorphous. He walked the fine line between hero and villain, enemy and lover. She knew that the closer she got to him, the deeper she sunk into those reptilian eyes, the further she would fall into his ambiguous world.
Again and again she slipped into that place with him, their own isolated little bubble, where the outside world didn't seem to matter all that much. It was so easy to live with him in the moment, to forget outside rules and expectations. It was just too easy to be with him, for a moment to exist only as the light at his side.
Orihime loved Ichigo. She had already decided that she loved Ichigo, Ichigo and only Ichigo. She couldn't betray him like this. It wasn't too late. Her feelings could still be suppressed. Her loyalty to her friends and to the ways of her world came first.
Last night never happened. They had never touched, never caressed, never seen eternity in each others eyes. They had never wanted each other. The sleep-fogged memories were dreams. It was the only way. Orihime loved Ichigo.
Orihime stepped outside into the brisk fresh air of the autumn morning. The bright yellow sun tainted the clouds a light pink. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if the sunrise washed away all of her sins.
When Orihime felt calm enough to go back inside, she found Ulquiorra, still clad only in his underwear, reheating some leftovers. He turned slowly to face her with curiosity in his large emerald eyes. The air was still and quiet.
"Good morning, Orihime." The tension was tangible. Orihime smiled a big smile.
"Good morning, Ulquiorra!" The redhead skipped by him, heart-shaped face glowing with a phony joy. She made a show of opening the fridge and searching through it for something to eat.
"Here," Ulquiorra intoned, handing a plate of heated cucumber-sesame-hot sauce onigiri. Orihime took the plate, eyes wide. "You were outside for a while. Any longer and your food would have become cold."
"Oh, thank you, Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed, facial expressions exaggerated. She innocently looked up at Ulquiorra's scrutinizing blank eyes. "Did you sleep well last night?"
Ulquiorra took his own meal out of the microwave and followed Orihime to the table. He sat next to her. "I slept quite comfortably." He watched as Orihime busily began consuming her breakfast, devoting her complete attention to the task. "And you?"
Orihime stopped cold for just a second, before diving back into her food with renewed vigour. "I slept well," she commented nonchalantly.
As Ulquiorra ate, he contemplated his situation. He was absolutely sure that Orihime had been awake last night. Her odd behaviour left no room for doubt. The good news was that Orihime wasn't kicking him out. The bad news was that she was closing herself off with small talk and fake smiles. And that got Ulquiorra very angry. Where was the dynamic and infuriating willpower that he had grown to adore so much?
Ulquiorra watched Orihime finish her breakfast, the morning sunlight revealing glowing tinsels of gold in her deep orange hair. Silently, the alabaster-skinned man placed a skeletal hand on Orihime's knee. Beneath the wood of the table, slow and steady, the hand slid its way up the redhead's thigh. Above, both people pretended to be unaware. Orihime's face reddened beautifully and she bit her lip.
Tatsuki knew that today wasn't going to be a good day when she saw Orihime skip away from Ulquiorra's grabby hands. Orihime tried to be inconspicuous about putting distance between herself and Ulquiorra, while Ulquiorra tried very directly to wrap his arm around Orihime's waist. It was like they were playing a game of tag.
Catching sight of Tatsuki, Orihime's eyes grew large with hope, and she waved a quick farewell to Ulquiorra. She ran as if her life depended on it to the safety of where Tatsuki and her girl friends sat. Smiling, Orihime huffed a friendly 'Hello!', as her friends quirked a collective eyebrow.
"Trouble in paradise, already," Mahana questioned, laid back, supported by one arm behind her. Orihime took a seat, still smiling broadly.
"I never read that book," Orihime replied, her face revealing abashment. "I know I borrowed it from you, but I was just so busy that week…"
"That isn't what she means, Orihime," Tatsuki interjected, voice gentle but eyes serious. Something was funny here. "And you know it." Orihime's startled look morphed into fake confusion.
"S-Speaking of which," the redhead tried again, "did any of you guys do the English homework? I didn't understand anything…" Silence fell, and Orihime squirmed in discomfort. She felt every pair of eyes drill into her in puzzlement and concern.
Tatsuki spoke first, careful, and direct. "Orihime, did Ulquiorra do something to you?" Grey eyes widened.
"Why would you think that," Orihime questioned with a laugh, as she scratched the back of her head. "Ulquiorra's been the perfect gentleman!"
The friends all shared glances. They knew that tone. "Orihime," Tatsuki tried again, and it took everything in her for her to remain calm, "did Ulquiorra touch you?"
"Of course he didn't," the redhead replied, as if the notion were ridiculous. "What interest would he have in me? I was just his prisoner. His job, really. And he had a terrible job." To emphasize her point, Orihime crossed her arms and offered a firm nod. "Yes. That is right."
The group of girls stared, none really knowing how to begin to respond to that. Mahana made an attempt. "You know you're not making any sense, don't you Orihime? Even less than usual…"
"Hime, what are you talking about," Chizuru asked blankly, eyebrows raised in confusion. Orihime fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Well, you see," Orihime explained matter-of-factly, "people seem to think that I like Ulquiorra, but I don't. I like Kurosaki-kun. Kurosaki-kun is the only one for me."
"Really," Mahana replied, "I thought all that was over. I mean you and that Ulquiorra guy had some real chemistry." Orihime shook her head gently, as if she were correcting the statement of a young child.
"No, no," Orihime claimed, a blissful smile gracing her face. Beneath it seethed what felt like years of frustrations, "that's where you are wrong. Ulquiorra and I do not get along. He's mean and he's cold and he never listens to what I say. And he calls my nakama trash and he keeps embarrassing me and he always complains about the games I want to play and he hates my sense of style and he won't let me fight Hollows and he's intense to a fault and he actually likes the Conservative party and doesn't like Ayashi-sensei and says that Shoujo mangas are stupid and he wasn't even sad when V died –"
Orihime, who had started ranting, was eventually cut off by Tatsuki. "Orihime, you weren't saying these things about him yesterday." Orihime thought about that for a moment, staring wide-eyed at her best friend.
"Kurosaki-kun, overall, is much better," Orihime decided, her index finger raised to highlight the truth of her words. "He is kind and strong and courageous and has a funny face and… he never says any mean things to me." Orihime again nodded firmly.
Michiru raised her voice. "So you're in love with Ulquiorra?" All eyes turned to the docile girl, and Orihime spluttered incoherently.
"How do you figure that," Mahana asked, honestly surprised by her friend's conclusion.
"Well," Michiru stated as if it were obvious, a light blush on her face. "Orihime has so much to say about Ulquiorra, but when it comes to Kurosaki…"
Mahana laughed. "Hey, you're right!"
"B-But, I was only saying bad things about Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed as a defence. "I didn't say anything about how handsome he is, or how he's considerate and protective and strong and elegant and smart and how he doesn't treat me like a kid and has a funny face and–" Orihime stopped herself, dramatically bringing her hands to her mouth as she gasped.
"See," Mahana pointed out, "you do love him. Why are you trying to deny it?" Orihime looked severely disturbed, her hands still sealing her lips.
"She's obviously still hung up on Kurosaki," Chizuru commented, pretending to be disinterested. "But Hime's got no chance there; Kurosaki is all eye-ball sex with Rukia lately." Orihime looked even more traumatized.
"So," Tatsuki followed up, "this brings us back to the central issue. Why are you so upset with Ulquiorra?"
Orihime mechanically turned her trauma-filled gaze to Tatsuki. "There is no way that I could love Ulquiorra. No way," the redhead deadpanned, a little piece of her dead on the inside.
Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Why?"
Orihime was silent a moment, her absolute stillness Ulquiorresque. "There is no way that I could love Ulquiorra. No way." Silence fell heavy.
Mahana giggled. "I never would have thought that Orihime would fall for a guy like that!"
"Hey! It's not a done deal yet," Chizuru countered passionately. "I still have a chance!"
"I don't think you ever really had a chance," Michiru commented, then promptly shrunk to the size of a bean beneath Chizuru's glare of death.
Tatsuki sighed. Was Orihime acting weird just because she was becoming aware of her feelings for Ulquiorra, or was there something else? Obviously, Tatsuki still didn't trust Ulquiorra, and she certainly didn't approve of him getting all touchy on her best friend. But, Tatsuki realized, if Orihime really really loved Ulquiorra, and he wasn't pulling any funny business, she could live with the two of them being a couple… If she tried real hard… maybe…
As Tatsuki considered all of this, her wandering gaze took notice of Ichigo stalking alone towards the school, visibly seething. Concerned, she flagged him over. "Yo, Ichigo! Come 'ere!"
Perking up as he heard his name called, Ichigo caught sight of the girls sitting on the lawn. Still aggravated as hell, the Vizard strode over to his childhood friend.
"What's up," Ichigo asked flatly, managing not to sound too rude. Tatsuki looked him over with scrutiny, her eyebrows raised.
"What the hell happened to you," Tatsuki demanded, blunt as a whack to his head. "You look like you're gonna kill someone."
Ichigo's brow furrowed further. "I wake up this morning, and I find a note from her saying that she's gone back," the Vizard grits through his teeth, too angry to care if what he says sounds weird to Tatsuki's friends, who were pretending not to listen, instead focusing on the unmoving shell that was the remainder of Orihime's life. "I mean, she doesn't say why she's going or when she's coming back, or if she's coming back, and I'm just supposed to wait around for her here like an asshole."
Tatsuki frowned. "And she's never done something like this before?"
"She left a note before she was captured," Ichigo said in a dead sort of voice, looking in another direction. Tatsuki also diverted her eyes. She remembered that part.
Searching around his surroundings for a distraction, Ichigo's eyes landed right at his feet, where Orihime sat unmoving. Weird, Inoue's usually the first to say hello… "Yo, Inoue, you okay?"
"Never mind her, Ichigo," Tatsuki sighed. "She's going through… a transition." Confused, Ichigo crouched down, and stared into the haunted, disturbed and unblinking eyes of Inoue Orihime. The Vizard quirked an eyebrow.
"She's not reacting at all," Ichigo commented nonchalantly, waving his hand in front of the redhead's face. "Are you sure this is okay?"
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Tatsuki assured. "But just for good measure… Orihime, Ulquiorra is coming up right behind you."
Orihime immediately jolted from her stupor, and swung around with a startling anticipation in her eyes. "Ulquiorra, I want my flower –" The redhead stopped herself as she noticed that, in fact, Ulquiorra was nowhere in sight. Pouting in disappointment that, once again, her fantasy was only a fantasy, Orihime took notice of her friends gazing at her smugly with big smiles on their faces. Among them was a certain Kurosaki Ichigo, who's expression was more akin to incredulity. Tatsuki sighed, under her breath saying "what is she daydreaming about now…"
"What has Ulquiorra done to you," Ichigo interrogated, eyes bewildered and suspicious.
Orihime changed the subject. "Kurosaki-kun, what's your favourite baseball team?"
"That doesn't count, Orihime," Mahana interjected evilly. "If it didn't come naturally, there's no point in forcing it!" Michiru, Mahana and Chizuru laughed, the latter two in a cruel, evil way.
All Ichigo could say was "Hun?". Tatsuki shook her head sullenly.
"Stop bullying me," Orihime pouted, the disturbed look returning to her eyes.
The first class that morning was Japanese. By the time Orihime and her emotionally-abusive friends arrived in class, Ulquiorra was already sitting at his seat, silently flipping through the pages of the assigned novel.
"Well, Orihime," Mahana coaxed, her hands on the redhead's back pushing her forward, "there he is. Just go talk to him!"
"B-But… Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime pleaded. But there would be no mercy for her today. The group of girls arrived in front of Ulquiorra's desk. Disinterested, the arrancar looked up from his book.
"Orihime has a confession to make," Mahana proclaimed to the sitting teenager.
Tatsuki sighed. "You really shouldn't force her like this. Orihime isn't ready."
"Orihime will never be ready," Mahana countered, "unless we give her a little push." Turning her attention towards the redhead again, Mahana continued in a suggestive tone. "Don't you have something to confess to Ulquiorra?"
"But," Orihime murmured vacantly to no one in particular. "But I like Kurosaki-kun…" Mahana hit Orihime's shoulder playfully, saying "he's not supposed to know that!"
As Ulquiorra gazed into Orihime's clearly haunted eyes, he could say only one thing. "What have you done to Orihime?"
"Hey, it wasn't us who did this to her," Tatsuki countered matter-of-factly. "You're obviously the one who did something to confuse her."
Ulquiorra thought about that for a moment, blankly facing the group of girls. "I don't understand."
"Did you confess to her, or something," Tatsuki demanded, very much like the protective big sister she felt like.
"I have confessed many things to her," Ulquiorra easily admitted. Tatsuki smacked her forehead.
"Right, soul-eating creature from another dimension," the karate champ reminded herself. "Ulquiorra, have you confessed your love to Orihime?"
Ulquiorra's eyebrow furrowed in disdain. This was the second time someone accused him of loving Orihime since he arrived on Earth. "What would make you think that I love Orihime?"
"Well, for starters," Mahana interjected, "you're super possessive of her, and you get jealous whenever someone gets within a five-foot radius of her."
"And you're always touching her," Michiru added from safely behind Chizuru, who was watching the scene and silently weighing her options. Everyone immediately turned towards her.
"How does that mean that he loves her," Tatsuki questioned.
"It just means he's a pervert," Chizuru stated bluntly.
"Well, no," Michiru explained. "I mean, they say that the person who loves you is also most likely to kill you, like people who kill their spouses because they caught them cheating or something. So no matter what sort of bond it is, the people who have really strong feelings for someone, like love and hatred, express it through touch."
Silence reigned. Orihime looked like she had just seen Michiru kill a puppy. Under their blank gazes, Michiru tried yet again to clarify. "I don't mean that Ulquiorra hates Orihime, but he can't help himself from touching her, so that means… that he loves her…"
"Wow," Mahana commented, surprised. "Who would have thought that you knew so much about this stuff?" Michiru laughed awkwardly, and then all eyes turned to Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra considered what he had heard for a good minute. "Is what you say the truth?"
"Wouldn't you be the one to know," Tatsuki returned, her eyes probing. If this guy did love Orihime, then that would explain his reason for being in the Material World. He would no longer be a threat because he was an arrancar, and would instead be a threat because he was her best friend's creepy boyfriend.
"It is possible," Ulquiorra deduced. He knew he felt feelings of affection towards Orihime, an affinity, a fascination, for sure. Love, however, was a human concept he still didn't understand. Nevertheless, Ulquiorra could not simply dismiss the notion, because it seemed that with every minute he spent in Orihime's presence he was drawn deeper and deeper into the world of human experience.
Just then, the bell rang, signalling the start of class. Orihime mechanically sat in her seat beside Ulquiorra, who wisely judged that this would not be the best time to shake her from her daze. She must have been as confused as he was.
Orihime spent the next hour absently doodling in her notebook. Ulquiorra took notes for her.
Rukia gazed up at the clear blue summer sky, watching intently as a few thin slivers of cloud slipped by. It was a day just like any other in Soul Society. The warm breeze caressed her hair.
"I like the human world better than Soul Society," Rukia asserted suddenly. Beside her on the golden roof, Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow.
"What makes ya say that," Renji asked, as he wondered why Rukia was acting so strangely. Was it this 'new king of Las Noches' thing that had her so worried? Renji found it unlikely. She was a soldier, after all.
Rukia was silent a moment, her arms crossed beneath her head and her violet eyes still staring at the sky. "There are no seasons in Soul Society. It's always the same."
"Yeah…" Renji wondered if Rukia would get to what was worrying her on her own. He wondered if she was waiting for him to ask. In all honesty, he was at a complete loss.
The two sat in silence for a while longer. Still gazing up at the sky, Rukia spoke. "I think that I'm in love with Ichigo." Renji choked on his spit, coughing like a bad smoker.
"Oi, Renji, you okay," Rukia asked, rising from her reclined position to get a better look at her childhood friend. The Fukutaichou soon stopped coughing, his fist firmly against his chest as he cleared his throat.
"I knew that," Renji asserted, trying to salvage the vestiges of his poise. When he noticed Rukia looking at him confusedly, he clarified. "It's been kinda obvious for a while that you like 'em."
Rukia's big eyes widened. "You're kidding." Both shinigami were now sitting upright on the golden-coloured roof, looking upon the streets of the Sixth Division.
"Not even," Renji claimed. "I mean, what with the whole daring romantic rescue –"
"Oh, not you too," Rukia muttered, elbowing her friend in the ribs. "Kon said the same thing."
"Heh," Renji laughed, "But I'm serious, I saw it coming." Rukia let out a humourless laugh, and a comfortable silence fell on the two again.
Rukia lied herself back down again. Sighing, she realized that this was exactly what she had needed. Returning to Soul Society had been a good idea, she got to speak with Renji, she got to see Byakuya. Even if it was only to inform him of Ulquiorra's behaviour and arrangements in the Material world, and about what Ulquiorra had said about a new King of Las Noches, Byakuya's presence was as calming and reassuring as ever.
She felt like she could get some perspective up in Soul Society. It was so much easier to think clearly without Ichigo's constant stares of anger and anxiety. No matter how she thought of it, up here on this roof with Renji, there was no way for her and Ichigo to be together. Too much separated them, there existed too many barriers between their two world.
She reached a slender arm up to the distant sky, her delicate fingers clawing at the blue. There were barriers too strong to be broken, not meant to be broken…
"So," Renji started casually, trying to keep himself from smirking, "how far have you guys gotten?" He was surprised when, a moment later, he was not in pain.
"Renji," Rukia beckoned in a strained tone. Before the Fukutaichou could turn completely to face her, he found himself in a crater in the dirt. Looking up, he saw a very flustered Rukia, arms crossed over her chest and face red. "How could you even suggest something like that?!" Renji laughed evilly, and jumped up to join Rukia on the roof.
"Well, I mean, all this time that you've spent 'sleeping in his closet'…" Renji trailed off suggestively, smiling broadly as Rukia tried to overcome her embarrassment enough to hit him again.
"I-I said that I love Ichigo," Rukia stammered, "I never said that he had any feelings for me!" Renji's smile dropped from his face.
"He rejected you," Renji guessed, his tone slightly incredulous. What guy in the world was too good for his first love? He'd pound 'em.
Rukia hesitated. "Well, not exactly…"
"You didn't even tell him, did you," Renji questioned, crossing his arms menacingly and frowning.
"Well, no, but –" Rukia tried to defend.
"Then why the hell are you going around lookin' so depressed," Renji demanded. "If this keeps on, Byakuya'll think that they're torturing ya down there. And I'm not going all the way down to Karakura to haul out yer lovesick ass!"
"Hey," Rukia exclaimed, indignant. "Don't you think I have a reason for being so depressed?! There's no way that Ichigo could like me! And even if he did, I'm a shinigami, so –"
"Pssh –" Renji dismissed. "If Urahara could turn a shinigami int'a Vizard and a Hollow int'an arrancar, ya think he can't turn a shinigami int'a human?"
"I don't want to be a human," Rukia asserted. "What am I supposed to do, selfishly abandon all my duties and take a chance on a human teenager?!"
"Who said ya had ta abandon yer duties," Renji countered. "Ya know that there hasn't been a Hollow victim in Karakura in all the times ya guys spent there? Having two shinigami in Karakura all the time is increasing yer efficiency!"
"Okay," Rukia conceded. "But Ichigo's sixteen now. Even if he does like me, which he doesn't, and I stay with him in the human world, what do I do when he meets someone else in a couple of years?!"
"If he's really inta ya," Renji defended, "there won't be anyone else. And he's inta ya. I know."
"But –" Rukia started, pained eyes diverted.
"But nothing," Renji interrupted, loud and boisterous. "If you really love him, then there's nothing to talk about. So stop looking so freakin' depressed and –" The Fukutaichou shut up when he noticed tears in Rukia's eyes. How long had it been since he had seen her cry?
"Aw, come 'ere ya big baby," Renji lulled, wrapping his arms around Rukia. She pushed against his chest.
"I'm not 'a baby," Rukia defended weakly. "I'm just frustrated." Rukia breathed a deep sigh, clearing the tears from her throat and her spirit, and after a long moment Renji let her break his embrace.
"Thanks Renji, I really needed to talk to you about this–" Rukia started, gratitude in her eyes. She stopped however, when she felt her brother's reiatsu spike just below them. Looking down from the Sixth Division administrative building's roof, Rukia and Renji saw icy death in Byakuya's get-your-filthy-hands-off-my-sister glare.
"Fuck," Renji swore as he turned pale. Rukia just laughed. Maybe now would be a good time to head home.
Ulquiorra stayed behind after class. The classroom was empty and quiet, and the only sound he heard was the muffled murmur of the students in the halls. Ulquiorra was left alone to his thoughts.
Orihime still couldn't so much as look him in the eye. Had he gone too far? Had he pushed her over the edge? Ulquiorra didn't understand what was going on.
There was something unfamiliar inside him. A foreign presence deep in his chest that could not be ignored. An unheard voice that was growing steadily stronger, that reached a little farther each time. The entity was irrepressible, pervasive in every way. He felt swallowed by it, consumed by this overwhelming presence.
The presence whispered to him. It was soft at first, the guilt over making her cry, but was now growing uncontrollably stronger. The obsession with her every word, with her every expression, with every last hair on her head. The constant, ridiculous, concern over her well-being every minute of the day. The undeniable urge to hold her, to touch her in any way, to protect her in his arms. The all-encompassing desire to make her smile.
The alien presence lured him from the classroom. His body absently followed. It found her reiatsu, in an isolated hallway on the forth floor. It drew him to her.
The world was empty. Everything was grey. No order existed in his jumbled mind. He gazed at her from afar. She watched the rain.
Why was she shutting him out? Didn't she feel the same way towards him? Ulquiorra didn't understand. Didn't Orihime know that he was no longer in control? His body was no longer his; he existed only to be with her. The feelings in his heart were festering, overpowering him, and he couldn't hold them back any longer. He didn't understand why he should hold them back. Wasn't the ability to care deeply for someone what she had wanted for him?
Silently, Ulquiorra approached Orihime. Unaware, she continued to gaze absently at the downpour outside. He reached out towards her in a tender, innocent embrace. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, drawing her into him.
As they watched the rain, Ulquiorra wished that somehow his feelings would reach her.
"Che," the cruel being scoffed, as he entered his domain. He looked upon the barely-breathing form of his assistant sprawled lifelessly on the crimson-coated floor. "This thing can't do a damn thing."
Ulquiorra, Orihime learnt, could teleport.
Just when she would least except it, he would materialize out of thin air behind her in some remote location. She would feel his large, gentle hands cling to her. Although they held her firmly, his arms were hesitant, unsure, afraid. He wanted her to reach out to him just like he reached out to her. He didn't want to be shut out. He didn't want to be left all alone. Orihime felt it all in his embrace.
And yet, she could only stand there, frozen with indecision. Did she want to touch him back? Or did she want to push him away? Orihime just didn't know anymore.
Logically, the best way to avoid these encounters with her beloved stalker would be to stop wandering off on breaks and to simply endure the increasingly disturbing comments and pieces of advice her so-called 'friends' were offering her. But instead, after each class, Orihime would wander the halls, or walk off to the park adjoined to the school or to the roof, and seek solace in the brisk autumn air and the rich scent of wet earth.
Orihime was in the park, pushing herself slowly back and forth on the swing, deep in thought. Ulquiorra silently approached her, his heart worn thin from her repeated silent rejections.
She still hadn't noticed him even as he stood directly behind her. This time, Ulquiorra's grey-clad knees fell to the damp floor as he wrapped his arms around Orihime's waist. Because of the swing's height, Ulquiorra's mouth was perfectly at her ear-level. The redhead jumped in surprise, but didn't say a word.
"How long do you want to continue this, Orihime?" He received no answer. She was a block of wood beneath his desperate fingers.
"Your mindset is rather infantile, is it not," Ulquiorra questioned again. He needed an answer; he needed her voice. He needed to know that she was still by his side. He could feel Orihime's pulse increase.
"You think that you can pretend that nothing has happened so long as you do not see it as it happens." The willowy arrancar brought one hand to cover Orihime's eyes. Slowly, carefully, he pushed the girl against his shoulder, allowing her to lean against him. He cradled her in his arms.
"Is what you are feeling now not real," Ulquiorra murmured into Orihime's ear, voice deep, lulling, seductive, pleading. "Is what I am feeling now not real?" His arms wrapped more tightly around Orihime.
Ulquiorra's heart weighed heavily with disappointment when the redhead still would not utter a word, nor budge even a centimetre. Eyes sad, he broke the tender embrace, and brought both of his hands back into his pockets.
As he got up to leave, Ulquiorra spoke to the unmoving girl, his voice nothing more than a murmur carried in the autumn wind. "Orihime, the feelings in my inexistent heart were your gift to me. All I can do is follow where they lead me."
With those words, the arrancar set off on the winding road back to the school. Orihime was late for her next class.
"Ah, Kuchiki," a voice called behind her. Rukia jumped, turning quickly from the duffle bag on her bed, carefully concealing it behind her.
"T-Taichou," Rukia stammered. Ukitake stood at her door, smiling goofily. "Back from the Captain's meeting already?"
"Yah," Ukitake said lightly, pretending not to notice the bag. "I wanted the thank you for delivering the information to Byakuya."
"Uh," Rukia hesitated, "with all due respect, Taichou…" Ukitake just slightly tilted his head to the side. "You don't seem all too worried..."
Ukitake surprised Rukia by laughing lightly. "Well, Barragan and Halibel have passed, Stark doesn't seem like the type to cause trouble, and Ulquiorra is in the material world. Whoever this new 'king' is, it'll be someone that Soul Society can handle," the Captain's mouth turned downwards into a frown. "That is, if he or she is acting aggressively. There are still a lot of unknown factors."
Rukia asked her Captain the question she couldn't bring herself to ask her brother. "Taichou, what does the Soutaichou want to do about the Espada Ulquiorra?" The man shrugged.
"Well, you know better than most anyone that the Soutaichou isn't the most… forgiving of men," Ukitake said carefully, as he watched Rukia's eyes widen in fear. "But with our forces already spread so thin, I don't think he wants to risk going to battle again unnecessarily."
Rukia paused, her violet eyes, filled with resolution, were concentrated on her Captain's. "If the Soutaichou does decide to eliminate Ulquiorra, Inoue will stand against Soul Society." Ukitake's expression stiffened. "And if Inoue stands against Soul Society, so will I." Silence fell.
The Captain sighed. "I know." He understood what the implications would be if Soul Society made a move against Ulquiorra. If Orihime got between Yamamoto and Ulquiorra, so would her nakama. And then there were the remaining Captains, who were, at best, fickle and insane… Most-likely scenario: civil war in the Seireitei. Ukitake shook his head, turning back towards the door. He had a bad feeling about all of this.
"Oh, right, Kuchiki," Ukitake suddenly said, as if he had just remembered. He turned to face Rukia, who was standing at attention, with a kind smile. "Remember to pack lots of warm cloths. Japanese winters can get really cold."
"Wha-" Rukia spluttered, face red. "Captain!"
Ukitake raised his hand in a friendly salute. "Remember to visit often, Kuchiki!" With those words, the Captain closed the sliding door. He walked down the hall of the barrack with a goofy grin on his face, glad that Rukia was finally letting herself be happy.
The bell rang; another class finished. Orihime felt the eyes of her friends on her. Most perturbing, she found, was Ulquiorra's steady and needy gaze on her compared to Ichigo's annoyed scowl as he stared out the window.
"Are you okay, Orihime," Tatsuki asked from right beside her. Orihime stared down at her lap for a moment before slowly looking up to meet her best friend's worried gaze.
"I need to speak with you," Orihime sounded, voice slow and quiet. Tatsuki's eyes hardened in resolution as she took hold of Orihime's hand. As she did this, Tatsuki caught sight of Ulquiorra closing his eyes as he looked the other way.
Once the girls were out of the classroom, along with most of the other students, Ulquiorra took notice of Ichigo sitting just a few seats in front of him. He looked angry. Ulquiorra rose from his seat.
"You seem particularly irritated today," Ulquiorra noted, voice revealing nothing but complete apathy.
"Fuck off," Ichigo intoned. He was not in the mood to deal with anyone, let alone this asshole.
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "You are concerned over the shinigami Kuchiki Rukia?"
Ichigo turned towards Ulquiorra, eyes promising a beating. "I told you to fuck off. This has nothing to do with you." Ulquiorra just continued to stare.
"Perhaps not," the arrancar tonelessly agreed. "But I would be very displeased if your continuously foul mood were to worry Orihime." Ichigo, eyes burning, rose to his feet.
"Do you think that I fucking care what you think?" Ichigo was livid. He towered over the smaller man. Ulquiorra didn't blink. "This is all your fault anyway," the Vizard muttered dangerously before walking straight past Ulquiorra and stalking off towards the door.
The former Espada looked over his shoulder. "It is not my fault that you are unable to accept the shinigami's feelings." Raw fury exploded from Ichigo's eyes at Ulquiorra's words.
"How the fuck could I ever accept her feelings," Ichigo spat, his words pure vitriol. "She'd be better off with anyone else!" The Vizard clenched his fists to keep from attacking Ulquiorra, and just walked away. He scoffed. "Whatever. I don't care," Ichigo threw over his shoulder.
A moment later, Ichigo made a deep dent in an unsuspecting locker.
Orihime was back on the forth floor, gazing forlornly out the window as if her answers were written somewhere out there. Tatsuki stood beside her. They were silent for what felt like an eternity.
"I think that I'm in love with Ulquiorra," Orihime confessed suddenly. She tore her eyes off of the scenery to look into Tatsuki's eyes. "And I don't know what to do."
Tatsuki wasn't too sure what to say. She decided she needed more information. "Why do you think that you love him?" Orihime's shoulders visibly sunk.
"I don't know," Orihime got out, her tone just a little exasperated. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, we're so different from each other. If I think about it, we don't even get along very well. We argue, like, every day." Tatsuki nodded, listening intently. Orihime sighed in frustration. "I don't understand why I like being around him so much. I shouldn't care about him this much, but I do."
Tatsuki considered what she heard. "If you love him, than why are you holding back?"
"Because I thought that I loved Kurosaki-kun," Orihime replied, trying to meet Tatsuki's gaze. "I'm so confused. I mean, if I were the princess, then Kurosaki-kun would be the prince, right?" Orihime waved her hands around trying to clarify the story. "And that would make Ulquiorra the dragon. What was supposed to happen was that the prince defeats the dragon, and the prince and the princess live happily ever after.
"But that didn't happen at all! The prince saved the princess, and then the dragon came and saved the princess too! So then now the dragon is also a prince, or turns into a prince once the princess kisses him…" Orihime drifted off, looking back out the window. Tatsuki was silent.
"If you don't love Ichigo anymore, Orihime, don't feel bad about it," Tatsuki tried to assure.
"But I do feel bad about it," she looked her best friend in the eye. "The night that I left, I told Kurosaki-kun that I wished I could spend five lifetimes in love with him. I thought I was going to die, Tatsuki-chan," Orihime exclaimed, voice full of emotion. "And I just wanted to live and be by his side. But then ever since I came back from Las Noches, all I can think about is Ulquiorra and how I want to make him happy. I feel like it's me who's changed, and I don't know who I am anymore." Orihime fell silent.
"Orihime," Tatsuki said, trying her best to be supportive, "you're still you…"
Orihime was silent a while, gazing despondently out the window. "Can you imagine what Kurosaki-kun would say? Ulquiorra almost killed him… And Ishida-kun. He still doesn't like shinigami, so I don't think he'll ever be accepting of a Hollow… And Kuchiki-san is a shinigami…"
"They'll just have to deal with it," Tatsuki asserted. "I mean, I'm not too happy about this either, but no one's going to do anything to make you unhappy, Orihime." The redhead's head hung a little lower.
"I don't like making all of you guys worry," Orihime admitted. "I wish that there was some way that you guys could see that Ulquiorra's actually a really great guy…"
Tatsuki read her friend's look. "Orihime, you have to be happy. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."
Orihime's lip quivered. "But," She tried to protest, but had nothing to say. She sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing. This is so stupid. I'm putting a strain on everybody."
"Orihime," Tatsuki said, drawing her friend's full attention with her sagely tone, "if you love this guy, then don't hold back. I can live with the rest, but I can't live with seeing you unhappy."
"But…" Orihime murmured, shifting her eyes. "But he's an arrancar…"
Tatsuki took in the sight of her best friend, her sister. She shrugged, a frown on her face. "He looks pretty human to me."
The two friends locked eyes at that moment. Admits volumes of unspoken words, Orihime smiled in gratitude.
They stood in silence for a long while.