When the alarm sounded off at Orihime's house that morning, the song that began playing was not "Our World." Although this was the sort of thing that would strike a person as odd, Ulquiorra was of no mind to think about it. Not two seconds into the song, his hand had slapped down on the snooze button as he looked up tiredly from the bedcovers.
Orihime was still asleep, her arms huddled close to her and her body curved in towards his chest. Ulquiorra kissed her forehead before overcoming his lethargy and climbing out of bed. He looked back at the sleeping girl, red hair splashed around messily and pale shoulders drawn up to her jaw, and decided that she could use another few hours of sleep. He turned off the alarm.
Ulquiorra made breakfast for himself, a lot of it, because he knew that Orihime would be ravenous when she would wake up. She hadn't had a real supper the night before, what with the fair and… that other thing they did. He made vegetables with rice the way she had shown him, and left a hefty share on the table counter for when Orihime would wake up.
After pulling on his uniform and filling his bag with books for the classes of the day, Ulquiorra was ready to go. The Arrancar sat on the couch to wait until quarter to seven, and looked ahead blankly. Shafts of sunlight drifted in slowly from the east window, revealing little hairs of dust floating in the air.
Ulquiorra was bored already, which was odd, because for the first time in a few days, he wasn't late. He wasn't surrounded by sounds of constant bustling and laughter, and no one was offering him makeup tips.
Things were too quiet. It felt strange, somehow. Unnatural. His fingers tapped his palms gently within his pockets.
But he wouldn't wake Orihime. She was tired. He had kept her up late last night. He noticed for the first time how the walls creaked.
He should just go, before the temptation overpowered him. Restlessness brought him to his feet and he headed to the door despite the early hour.
It was then that Ulquiorra noticed something strange. A neat white envelop was sitting unassumingly on the floor in front of the front door. Frowning, Ulquiorra bent down and picked it up. It was addressed to Orihime. After a moment of staring at the envelope, he pocketed it, and was out the door.
Li Shuang's eyes sparkled as she made her way to the third-story classroom. In her slender arms she carried rolls upon rolls of posters, fully intending to tape each of them to the walls of the classroom. Li-laoshi thoroughly enjoyed her job, loved it, even. There was something about making other people uncomfortable that the teacher just thrived upon. So when she learnt that some unfortunate souls required her assistance, she immediately cleared her schedule and picked up a projector from the school supply room.
Opening the door to Ochi-sensei's Social Science classroom with a big smile on her face, Shuang relished in the surprised look on her fellow teacher's face.
"Good afternoon, Ochi," Li greeted with glee.
"Good afternoon, Li," Ochi-sensei replied, as she eyed the posters in the woman's arms suspiciously. "You really waste no time, do you?"
Li plastered an innocent look on her face, while mischievousness glinted in her eyes. "You said that there were students that needed my help, and as school nurse it is my responsibility to help the students in any way that I can."
"Well then," Ochi said with a small sigh, "thank you for your quick attention, Li-sensei." This was definitely not going to be fun.
Ulquiorra was not greeted with a warm reception when he arrived at school. The first class was Social Science, and Uryuu and Yasutora were eyeing him silently from their seats as if they were trying to figure something out. Ichigo and Rukia weren't around at the moment, presumably out fighting the Adjucas-class Hollow that seemed to be the norm now. Tatsuki took the initiative.
"Hey, Ulquiorra," Tatsuki greeted, calling him over as if she had known him all her life. Her girlfriends shot her a shocked look as Ulquiorra approached the girls. "Where's Orihime?"
Ulquiorra carefully formulated his answer. "I kept her up late last night, so she is sleeping in," the Arrancar explained dully. He extracted something from the interior pocket of his jacket, and held it out towards Tatsuki. It was an opened white envelope. "I found this on the floor. It is addressed to Orihime."
"What's it say?" Tatsuki asked, taking hold of the envelope. Ulquiorra was silent, so she opened the letter. "Inoue-san,
"Before I begin, I would like to inform you of the pleasure it was to have been able to offer you residence. You have been a kind and reliable tenant, and I feel very grateful for the last few months that you have spent in the apartment complex. I understand that you have moved frequently from place to place in the past, and I remember with fondness your heartfelt desire to settle permanently. I truly believe that you, like I, understand the value of family and home.
"I am afraid that this is why I have extended this correspondence. Your conduct as of late has led me to believe that you are becoming a detriment to the community and to the reputation of my husband's integrity as landlord. I owe it to our other tenants to uphold the highest standards of conduct, therefore it would be a great disrespect to them for your behaviour to be allowed to taint them.
"For this reason, on my husband's behalf, I would like to inform you that you must clear the premises by September 23rd, three days after the issuance of this letter of notification." Tatsuki was just about speechless, "signed, Tanaka Ria."
"What does it mean?" Ulquiorra asked, waiting patiently. Tatsuki frowned.
"It means you and Orihime are going to have to move out," she replied, still a little stunned. What was this, the second time in six months? And of all the stupid reasons to kick her out, it was because of a guy? What a load of bull.
"I understood that," Ulquiorra asserted. "I want to know why. What authority does this 'landlord' have to evict us?"
Tatsuki sighed, her brow furrowed in frustration. "The apartment actually belongs to this Tanaka guy, Orihime's just paying him to use it. He can kick her out whenever he wants." Ulquiorra's eyebrows drew together in turn, and he frowned.
"Thank you for your explanation, Arisawa," Ulquiorra intoned, taking the letter back with long fingers and folding it into the envelope. He walked away, back to his seat, eyes contemplative.
"They're seriously gonna kick her out just cause she's got a boyfriend," Mahana complained, keeping her voice hushed so that Ulquiorra wouldn't overhear. "That's ridiculous!"
"At least they gave a reason this time," Michiru added. "The last few times they just told her to pack her bags, right?" Tatsuki nodded.
"I wonder if my parents would let them stay over until they find another place," Tatsuki wondered. "I know it wouldn't be a problem if it were just Orihime…"
"Yea, no way," Mahana laughed. "As if any sane parent would let someone like Ulquiorra anywhere near their daughter."
"Ya don't know the half of it," Tatsuki muttered under her breath, eyes trailing over to where Ulquiorra was looking out the window. Abruptly, she rose from her seat and strode over to Uryuu, frowning.
"Yo," she greeted as she leant against the desk beside his, eyes still on Ulquiorra and frowning.
Uryuu noticed her stare. "What are you thinking, Arisawa-san?"
"I'm thinking," Tatsuki started casually, eyes still locked on Ulquiorra's thin form, "that it's really unfair that no one's willing to cut that guy any slack."
Uryuu nodded slowly. "Perhaps what we saw at the fair last night has convinced you of something?" he suggested.
"I think so," Tatsuki mumbled distractedly.
It was then that class was called to order. Ochi-sensei let out a sigh. "Yo, guys, we're going to be doing something a little different today." The students eyed their teacher warily. "Nurse Li is going to be back with the projector soon, and she is going to lead a Sex Ed. Session." High fives were shared all around.
Ulquiorra leant forward in his chair. When Ochi-sensei's eyes crossed his, he nodded in thanks to her. The teacher just smiled. A few moments later, Nurse Li was back with the projector, the student she had brought with her positioning it carefully on a front desk and plugging it in. Ochi-sensei shut the blinds.
A very excited Nurse Li faced the class of sixteen-year-olds. "Ah, I remember when I was your age," she started conversationally, leaning back on a desk as she measured up the batch of students. "Hormones raging like never before. Thoughts of sex rising uninhibited in your mind. Do you know what I mean?" she asked the closest person, who happened to be Uryuu. It was the first time he regretted sitting front-and-center in the classroom. Of course, he didn't answer.
"Of course you do. You all do, it's the age," she proclaimed. "Let me tell you something," she continued, addressing Uryuu again, slipping the first transparency onto the projector. "I don't like how most nurses handle Sex Ed. Sessions. They basically talk about this:" she read from the projector.
"One: the physiology of sex. Two: the repercussions of sex. Three: preventing such repercussions," she turned again towards Uryuu, who seemed just uptight enough to be her main target. "Do you know what I think? I think that putting things that way for the young impressionable student just adds stigma to the act of sex. Do you agree?" Again, no answer from Uryuu. Tatsuki withheld a laugh, not quite able to feel pity for the guy.
"Let me tell it to you straight, students: sex is great. It's okay to say it out loud, because everyone knows it. It feels good. It's supposed to, there's nothing more natural," the teacher raved. "That's not to say that you shouldn't be protecting yourself. Having sex is a lot more dangerous now than it was when I was your age. When I was growing up, sure you could get herpes, you could get all sorts of nasty sexually transmitted diseases. You could get pregnant, and you know no one wants to get pregnant and have an abortion. It's not a catastrophe, but it's not on your top 10 things to do in life, either."
Nurse Li looked around the class. If she hammered this enough now, she'd be able to move on to the fun stuff. "But when I was young, you couldn't die from having sex. Now, there's HIV/AIDS, and even though we've made strides in the treatment of this condition, you will still die from it. So for God's sake, use a condom. Its not hard to use, very reliable, and it won't take away from the experience." She took her basket-o-super-sensitive-condoms from behind her, and began making the rounds with it. She put one on everyone's desk, whether they wanted it or not.
"And you can even use it for oral sex. Girls, if you've got a cut in your mouth, and you're giving your boyfriend a blowjob, you can easily be infected with anything he's got. And guys, if you love her, protect her. Even if you don't love her," Li arrived at Ulquiorra's desk and threw him a condom. He looked at it in confusion, and then opened the small package.
"What does this do," Ulquiorra asked the retreating nurse, frowning at the sliminess of the lubricant. She looked back at him, happy for the question. This must be the guy that Ochi had told her about.
"That condom will protect you and your sexual partner from any sexually transmitted diseases you or she or he might be carrying, and vice versa. It keeps your sperm from going into her when you orgasm, therefore it will also ensure that she doesn't get pregnant." Ulquiorra considered this.
"I do not understand five points of your explanation," Ulquiorra stated. "This… thing is a condom, correct?" Li said yes. "And a sexual partner is someone with whom you have sex, correct?" Again, Li said yes. "What is sex?"
Li seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. "What is your name?"
"Ulquiorra Schiffer," the Arrancar replied. Yup, this was the kid.
"Well, Ulquiorra, sex is a biological function that enables multi-cell organisms to procreate," Li explained. She shuffled through her transparencies for a moment before finding the one she sought. Enlarged on the projector was the male and female anatomy. She motioned towards the picture. "The male sexual organ is the penis, and the female sexual organ is the vagina. Sex occurs when the penis enters the vagina." Ulquiorra's eyes widened.
"And this results in… procreation?" Ulquiorra asked dubiously. Li smiled.
"Yes, if the conditions are right and the male ejaculates into the female," Li explained, "than the female may become pregnant. Nine months after the act of sex, the female gives birth to a baby." Ulquiorra's mouth nearly dropped. The pieces were all falling together now… But…
"Doesn't it hurt the female to receive the male," he asked, thoroughly confused. Everyone in the class shot Ulquiorra a look, but he didn't care. Tatsuki wondered if maybe this was something she should be stopping.
"No, of course not," Li exclaimed. "Sex is highly pleasurable for both the male and female human, unless either goes out of their way to make the experience un-pleasurable. Although it is possible that…"
Ulquiorra was definitely confused. He cut off the nurse. "The acts of sex that I have observed were always physically painful and psychologically scarring for the submissive." The class reeled, not able to fully express everything that was wrong with that one statement.
"Then it was rape," Li stated, surprisingly unflustered. "In the case of non-consensual sex, when one person forces themselves upon someone else, the experience is never a good one." Ulquiorra thought about this a moment. "Were you ever the submissive in that sort of situation?"
"No," Ulquiorra answered. "I managed to avoid those experiences by bending to the will of the stronger willingly." Li raised her eyebrow, and looked at Uryuu.
"Is Ulquiorra… okay?" she asked.
Uryuu answered quickly, seeing no other way of explaining the situation. "He was a kidnap victim. He was just freed a few days ago." Li looked up at the very pale, very slender boy with the sad eyes. The poor kid. The rest of the class whispered amongst themselves, and Ochi-sensei's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Why had no one informed her?
"Sex is enjoyable when the two partners are engaging it in consensually," Li stated, "and especially when the two have a deep sexual attraction towards each other, usually accompanied by love."
But Ulquiorra was still thinking of something else. "Therefore, I can… have sex with a woman without hurting her?"
"Yes," Li agreed. "That's right."
"And she will not fear me afterwards?" Ulquiorra asked. "It will not break her?"
"No, it won't," Li answered. "As long as she wants it just as much as you do, she'll be fine."
Ulquiorra considered this. "How will I know if she wants to engage in sex?"
"She'll say it out loud," Li asserted, speaking not just to Ulquiorra but to the whole class. "Don't trust your interpretation of body language; wait for her to verbally say that she wants to have sex."
"What if she admits to wanting to engage in sex," Ulquiorra asked, "but she refuses to?" Tatsuki shook her head, happy Orihime wasn't here for this. The poor girl would have died from embarrassment already.
"Then you wait for the verbal conformation," Li answered, "or else it's rape." Ulquiorra nodded slowly. Li answered more questions from other students, and then eventually continued talking about the physiological aspect of sex for a while. She informed Ulquiorra of the nature of the erection and the reason that Orihime was always so wet between her legs and that her nipples would harden when he touched them.
When she felt like she had covered just about everything, hands on her hips, she sighed.
"Alright, now that we've gotten the boring stuff out of the way," Li continued, in a slow, conversational tone, "why don't we talk about something a little more interesting?" She was looking at Uryuu while posing the question. The teenager just closed his eyes in annoyance and embarrassment.
The teacher's smile just grew wider. "Now, who knows what kink is?"
At the same time, everyone in the room, with the exception of Ulquiorra, shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.
On the other side of town, Orihime was still in bed. Once again, she was dreaming of sunlight filtering through the trees, an arabesque of underbrush, deep skies and indigo anemones. One hand was hanging off the side of the small bed, the fingers stretching and retracting every few moments as if it were trying to grasp something.
"Ulquiorra…" Orihime murmured into her naked arm. She arched her back and sighed the name again. Even as the strong sunlight on her back stirred her from sleep, her vision was filled with emerald green eyes and a wildflower she just knew that she had to reach.
A few minutes later, Orihime had come to peace with the fact that, once again, the dream had ended before she was able to finish it. She had again been unable to reach his offering, unable to grasp what he needed for her to grasp.
She sighed into her mattress, just starting to open her eyes. It was then that she realized many things in an instant.
One, the sun was high in the sky. It wasn't six-fifteen in the morning.
Two, Ulquiorra wasn't in bed. And if he wasn't in bed while she was, than the only possibility was that he wasn't home.
Three, there was supposed to be a Biology test third period.
Orihime jumped out of bed, hands flying towards her drawer to pull out a uniform. Her eyes shot to the alarm clock. She had half an hour to get to school. She fell onto the bed trying to get her underwear on.
"Why did he leave without me?" Orihime moaned, pulling her socks on and brushing her hair frantically.
She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to grab an apple, find her coat wherever she had thrown it last night and be out the door. She found her coat folded neatly on the kitchen counter, beside a large plate of vegetables and rice, seasoned with custard and ketchup, just as she liked it.
She watched the plate with wide eyes for a long moment, as if the meaning of life itself was held within the green-red-yellow goodness. The frenzied look in her eyes faded as she tried to figure her life out.
Her stomach rumbled and Orihime took the five minutes to reheat the food in the microwave and to dig in. She tried to go over the Biology material in her mind, because she certainly hadn't studied the night prior, but her mind continually shifted back to him.
It wasn't just lust she felt towards him. It wasn't just that he made her feel strong. It wasn't just that he made her feel beautiful. It was more than the company, more than the sense of security. She wanted to make him happy. To make him so happy.
And she could think of one thing that was making him unhappy right now.
"Well, what do you think, Ulquiorra?" Tatsuki asked, approaching Ulquiorra after second period. She had finally convinced her friends, with the surprising help of Chizuru, to let her go talk to the sulking Arrancar alone.
"I think Orihime has been lying to me," the slender teenager replied gravely, eyes still gazing out the window. Tatsuki watched him in silence for a moment, and then sighed.
"You have to understand where she's coming from," Tatsuki reasoned. "In this world, girls don't just put out after knowing the guy for a week. At least, not girls like Orihime."
Ulquiorra was silent. "Why could she not have explained that to me, instead of letting me think that I wanted to hurt her?" Was he really so untrustworthy?
"I think she was afraid," Tatsuki considered, looking out the window with an air of nonchalance, sipping on a juice box. Ulquiorra turned to her with sad, heavy eyes. "Not of you, but of herself." Ulquiorra looked back out the window. Silence fell heavy.
"I don't know what to do," Ulquiorra admitted after a while.
Tatsuki took another sip of her juice, chewing on the straw. "Weren't you listening to the nurse? Just wait it out." The two retreated again into their thoughts.
"Ulquiorra," Rukia shouted, turning sharply around a corner and stalking towards him, determination in her step. Uryuu and Yasutora were at her heels. He should probably have dealt with that last Hollow himself, Ulquiorra realized. He turned to face the tiny shinigami.
"Yes?"
Rukia's eyes were on fire, and everything about her oozed fiery confidence. "You know something about this, don't you?"
"Know something about what, Kuchiki?" Ulquiorra asked, totally unfazed.
The shinigami's eyes narrowed. "About what's going on in Hueco Mundo. You know why all these Adjucas are appearing here."
"I believed we have already had this discussion," the Arrancar noted impassively.
"The one we purified just now," Rukia started, "he knew you. He said that this situation was your fault for not doing what you were supposed to do." Ulquiorra's eyes widened, shocked at the statement.
"So you think that I am an agent of some sort of conspiracy," Ulquiorra asked. Rukia nearly growled.
"I'd rather not think that," she admitted. "Not after seeing you and Inoue together. Tell me what's going on." The shinigami's arms were rigid at her side and her chin was raised high as she waited for his response.
Ulquiorra would have sighed. What chaos those idiots had caused. "There is no conspiracy, just a couple of trash causing problems in Hueco Mundo. With the demise of Aizen Sousuke and three of his top four Espada, there is a power vacuum that needs to be filled. Lower Espada now see their chance at supremacy, and are likely fighting viciously over it. Given what you have just said, I can only conclude that they expected me to bring Orihime back to Las Noches."
"Who?" Uryuu demanded coolly.
"It could be any number of people," Ulquiorra stated. "The most likely are Grimmjow and Nnoitra."
"Why would they think you'd bring Inoue back to Hueco Mundo?" Rukia demanded. Ulquiorra closed his eyes, just a little embarrassed.
"Both have commented on my obsession with her," Ulquiorra admitted. "They must have believed that this obsession would lead me to abduct her again. They could not conceive that I would put her safety over my own and stay here with her instead."
"Why do they want Inoue-san?" Uryuu asked, eyes wide. Where was Orihime right now?
Ulquiorra paused. "The most likely reason is that they have been heavily injured in the conflict such that each face extinction if they are not healed."
"What does that have to do with the Adjucas?" This story wasn't making any sense to Rukia.
"Both Nnoitra and Grimmjow, being heavily injured, would require a replenishing of their spiritual energy, leading them to consume a vast number of Hollows," Ulquiorra explained. "That the Adjucas are now fleeing in fear must mean that between the two of them, all other Arrancar created by Aizen Sousuke have already been devoured. They are already going out into the desert to seek lower Hollows who do not possess nearly enough reiatsu to heal their injuries." A jolt of repulsion ran through each of their spines.
"Wait," Tatsuki exclaimed. "Doesn't this mean that Orihime's in trouble?"
"I am keeping a watchful eye," Ulquiorra stated. "Neither Nnoitra or Grimmjow can pose a threat to her so long as I am protecting her. Besides, they might kill each other before one of them is desperate enough to come here to take her himself."
"Why would you keep this from us?" Yasutora rumbled, deep brown eyes just slightly narrowed. "Inoue is our friend."
Ulquiorra paused, watching the tall man with empty green eyes. "Because I have no reason to think that you would believe me." Ulquiorra and Orihime's nakama watched each other for a moment, sizing the other up. It was Ulquiorra who finally spoke.
"Another one has arrived." Rukia frowned, snapping her phone open and throwing a sharp glance over her shoulder as she ran towards the Hollow. She popped a soul candy in her mouth. A moment later, Yasutora's natural chivalry made him follow the petite shinigami, even while knowing full well she could handle the Adjucas just as easily as he could.
Ulquiorra, watching the two retreat, turned his gaze again to the window. It was a cloudy day, with sun pouring through in brilliant shafts of light.
"Where's Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked suddenly, realizing that she had no idea where he was.
"Apparently," Uryuu responded flatly, "Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san ran into Inoue-san on their way here, and Inoue-san wanted to talk to Kurosaki alone."
Ulquiorra's fists clenched in his pockets as something more painful then a sword stabbed through his chest.
"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime began, her eyes downcast as she trembled slightly. Nervously, the redhead wrung her hands, twisting, fiddling. "I need to tell you something."
A foreboding feeling dropped through Ichigo's gut as he laid sight on the nervous girl. Struggling, the Vizard remained casual. "What's up, Inoue?"
Orihime's hands became clammy; sweat moistened the auburn hair strands on her neck and behind her ears. Her grey eyes, turbulent as a rising storm, were pinned to the floor, already resigned. This was the only way, she kept assuring herself. Hesitantly, the redhead raised her voice.
"The truth is, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime swallowed hard, the reddened skin of her throat bobbing slightly. Her mouth was dry and she tore her bottom lip again as she bite down upon it nervously. Breathing in deeply, Orihime got the words out. "I love you."
Ichigo's jaw dropped. This could not be happening. This didn't make sense, it wasn't possible. Spluttering, Ichigo got out the first thing that came to mind. "Bu-But, what about Ulquiorra?"
Tears sprung to Orihime's eyes, and she battled to keep them from falling. Taking another deep breath, she gathered her courage and looked up to face her crush. She saw that he was uncomfortable. Ichigo's answer was written all over his face, but she needed him to say it out loud. It was the only way. It was the only way to know for sure. "Forget about Ulquiorra. Please tell me, do you love me back?"
Silence stretched on for what felt like hours. Ichigo's mouth moved silently, but he didn't know what he was trying to say. He had just realized his feelings for Rukia, and now this? It was too much, too much for him to hold, too much for him to think about. It didn't make sense, Orihime couldn't love him. This couldn't be happening.
Ichigo noticed a tear falling from Orihime's concealed eyes. This could not be happening. But Ichigo had to deal with it anyway.
"Inoue," Ichigo started, his eyes looking anywhere but the girl before him. "I'm sorry, but… I just don't feel that way about you." Hearing the soft words, Orihime's back curbed, as she brought her palms together, cradling them to her chest. Tears flowed freely.
"I'm sorry, Inoue…" Ichigo didn't know what to say. Awkwardly, he scratched the back of his head, unable to suppress the guilt of having to turn Orihime down. What was he supposed to do now?
Ichigo's eyes were brought back to the woman before him when he heard a soft mumble coming from her quivering lips. In what he hoped was a comforting gesture, Ichigo leaned forward towards Orihime, and brought his hand to rest on her shoulder. "What?"
"Thank you," Orihime repeated in a louder mumble, tears in her voice. A violent tremble overcame her. "I understand now."
"Hun," Ichigo voiced his confusion. Sobbing, Orihime looked up at him. She was no longer blushing, no longer showing signs of nervousness or embarrassment. Instead, she looked up at him with apologetic eyes, realization shaking her body from head to toe.
"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime started again, her eyes and tears proclaiming true repentance. The redhead held her arms tightly against herself, as if to force the shaking to stop. "I don't love you."
"What?" Confused, Ichigo leaned in closer to the woman's mumbling. Orihime was quivering like a leaf in the wind, and she was barely managing to keep herself standing. "Inoue, what the matter?"
Tears still streaming from her eyes, Orihime let herself drop to her knees on the pavement. Shuddering against Ichigo's worried arms, Orihime struggled to catch her breath. She had been right after all. That realization set free all the tension that had been building in her. Looking up at Ichigo, Orihime smiled beneath her tears. "I don't love you, Kurosaki-kun. I don't. I thought I did, once, but I don't anymore. I'm sorry."
Ichigo didn't know how to respond to that, and before he had a chance to, Orihime's grin got even wider, and she dove into Ichigo's chest, her arms encircling him in gratitude. Unsure what was going on anymore, Ichigo returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around the sobbing Orihime comfortingly. The trembling only got worse. "It's alright, Inoue…"
"Kurosaki-kun… I don't love you," Orihime murmured again, shaking under the weight of the statement. It was all clear as day to her now. "Thank you… Thank you so much for showing me… And I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Inoue…" Ichigo didn't know what to say. She was taking it back now? What was going on? He honestly couldn't do anything other than try to comfort her and make her stop crying.
Orihime let out a short laugh, which turned into a sob. "I know I'm being silly, but I can't help but feel like I've betrayed you." The girl's voice quivered, tears continuing to drench Ichigo's shirt as she clutched the fabric for support. Beneath Orihime's shaking and crying exterior, however, a single truth was being forged in her heart.
The two just sat there for a long while, Orihime sobbing in Ichigo's arms, until the trembling calmed enough for Ichigo to pose a question. "What's going on?"
Tentatively, Orihime looked up from Ichigo's shirt into the compassionate yet confused brown eyes of her former crush. A light blush tainting her cheeks as her eyes dropped again, the redhead loosened her clutch on Ichigo's shirt, and scooted over off his lap. Once she was seated firmly on the pavement, Orihime faced Ichigo again, as she dried her still-flowing tears with her sleeve. "I thought I loved you. But I don't, not anymore, at least." The girl let out another laugh.
Ichigo's eyes furrowed, not out of annoyance, but out of confusion. "Than why did you just confess to me?"
"I never thought that you loved me, but I needed to know for sure. As long as I wasn't sure," Orihime gulped, swallowing her tears. "As long as I wasn't sure that you didn't love me, I would feel like I was wronging you by loving him. I know it's silly and stupid but I always felt like I was supposed to be loyal to you.
"And I didn't even know anymore whether or not I loved you," Orihime continued, still trying to wipe away tears. "But I found the answer when you said that you didn't love me. There was no tearing, no pain. It wasn't at all like before… I realized then that I didn't care whether you loved me or not, because there's only one person for me."
"Who?" Ichigo asked, although he was sure he already knew the answer.
"Ulquiorra," Orihime smiled, the most radiant smile Ichigo had ever seen her wear. "I'm in love with Ulquiorra. I really am." And more tears of joy streamed from her eyes. Ichigo smiled an honest smile, so relieved that things had finally turned out right.
"Well, ain't that touching," a mocking voice descended from above, and with it, a familiar reiatsu. Orihime and Ichigo, eyes wide with disbelief, looked to the heavens and were met with an astonishing sight.
With roughly tied blood-soaked bandages covering his chest, dried blood crusting over his electric blue hair and a cocky grin to put to shame all others, Grimmjow's feet touched the ground.
"I think you owe me a favour, chick," Grimmjow said, a maniacal look shining from eager blue eyes.