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Flashed up in my wildest dreams the dark red blood streams,

Stretching out like vast cracked ice...

The veins of you, the veins of me,

like great forest trees pulsing through on and in...

- Lifeboats

For a split second he does not see her. Gone. Left .why? But as his incandescent eyes scan the room he sees her sitting pathetically in the corner. Pitiful. Sorrowful. Her red hair is splayed out around her shoulders falling over her arms and knees. She has backed herself into the far corner of the room like a frightened little animal, like a fox. Holding her knees to her chest, her face hidden away from the world. Her form shaking uncontrollably. Quivering. still crying.

''Girl, cease these tears now.''

she starts at his voice, her face raising quickly. shocked. Humiliated. She blushes to be seen and caught in her state. Ashamed.His melancholy eyes regard her coolly, she hadn't heard him enter her room . So weak and tired.

The fox girl looks up at him, her eyes meeting his own. He wonders what she sees. Monster? Scary? Heartless?

Here she is so small and vulnerable, him towering over her. Those predatory eyes portraying no emotion but simply hunter. Predator. Prey.

Mine...if only.

He allows his eyes to study her face, fascinated by her expressions. The girls cheeks are coloured the most Delicious shade of pink the result of crying and embarrassment. Strange how these mortals cry water.

Water and fire. A salty solution that runs down heated cheeks. Cold and warm. Flushed from the force of crying.Wet and dry...A Paradox.

A mess of heat and disheveled hair. Blood pulsing life under her translucent pale skin. Tributaries of blood running within. The glistening tracks on her face a replica of his own permanent teal markings. So alike my own yet opposite.

He finds that he can't breathe his breath a lump in his throat, her thick scent overpowering him and causing his chest to become tight. can't breath. Can't think. Her scent so much stronger in this room. Everything stained with her, the walls the floor, her bed. Her scent is drawing me in. More. Taste. Take. Mine. Judas below becomes excited once again. Vulgar. so Innocent.

No, she was not his too take. He should leave now before he gives himself over to the fever. Ridiculous, He has never caved into such trifle desires, reminding himself of his pristine control he knows he won't lose control. I won't.He is better than that. These reassurances however do not stop the feral beast within him to rise up and battle for control. It has begun to prowl within, raising its head enjoying her scent, but wanting more. So much more. clawing painfully at his control. For once he feels disgusted at himself. Chaste. Im stained. Can't touch. I'll only taint her.

He cannot leave before he is sure she is not in any physical pain. He puts this concern for her due to duty, he was charged as her guardian and trys to convince himself that it isout of duty to Aizen-sama.Only duty

''Are you in pain?''

The tears fall slowly and noiselessly. Tempting. Tantalising.

She looks at the espada silently, not responding to his question. Irritating. She continues to stare at him intently, those eyes not flickering away, not turning away like others have. Annoyance flares within him. Is she challenging him? Challenging? A challenge to who will look away first, no human has ever dared be so obstinate, no human has lived to do so! But you. Different. only you. unlike others .Brave.

'' N- n-no..''

she stammers, answering finally and fueling the blush to her cheeks, her eyes downcast out of embarrassment from staring. Her eyes no longer looking at him now, he doesn't like it. Those eyes.

''Then why must you cry?''

self inflict pain. Cry till your dry. He does not know why he asks her such a question. I shouldn't care. but he cannot quench his interest in this girl. it persists.

She looks up once again her eyes meeting his, staring into his own captivating luminescent ones. Her thoughts are incoherent even to herself. Not a monster. so beautiful. Lonely too. Everything needs love. I don't want to be alone...I don't want him to be alone.

''B-because it makes me feel human, makes me feel like I still have something to live and grieve for..'' Ichigo,my dear friends I miss you.

she answers, laughing nervously at the end at having been so honest, so open.

He finds It strange how she can cry and laugh within the same sentence. Contradictions within contradictions

''You should rest, Aizen-sama requires you to keep your energy up... or I will be forced to make you rest''

He adds in hopes that it will at least frighten her into obeying. Doesn't flinch. So brave.

'' I can't sleep,... I don't like sleeping alone''

A blush stains her face from her words and how they may have been interpreted. Of course Orihime had been used to living alone ever since Sora had passed away but when rangiku had stayed at her house she had grown accustomed to having someone with her.

Leave now. Turn back. foolish girl. Don't tempt. It was the first time that Ulquiorra had ever felt conflicted. His thoughts and orders overlapped one another making the right decision unclear. confused at which to follow. My wishes. Aizen-sama had instructed him to comply to her needs, keep her energy up.Her wishes. duty. but his logic and reasoning told him that it would be dangerous to stay longer, he did not think his beast could stay calm enough for that. Aizen-samas . follow. obey .Her wishes.

'' Perhaps you could stay with me until I- I fell asleep?''

Her eyes looked into his own. Pleading Desperate. Lonely.Still crouched in the corner of the room. The white vestements draped around her like wings. White,... oposite to black.

He knows that he should say no, but then Aizen-sama wishes are her wishes too. To hold. To dream. To comfort. To feel.

She watches him closely expecting him to call her foolish, then turn and leave. However he closes his dark eyelashes, casting shadows under his eyes and in the light of the moonlight spilling in through her window he truly looks like he is crying. So sad,..it hurts.

After closing his eyes for a brief moment in an attempt to get a better judgement of the predicament he is in, he opens them and looks at the fire haired girl.

''As you wish''

Orihime could scarcely believe her ears, she had expected many answers but not one so, so kind even though it was still said in his beautiful icy monotone voice it seemed to have an undertone of something gentler.

The cuarto gracefully walked over to the girl who still had her knees clutched to her chest. She marvels at how fluid his movements are, like water or notes of music. Orihime had always wished to be graceful to be able to walk as fluidly as rukia did. He picks her up easily but gently. Weightless . Soft. Warm. Opposite. A squeals emits from her pearl lips in protest, embarrassment once again filling her thoughts.

But she is truly too tired to object, the sleepless nights taking their toll on her. Even her eyes feel warm and have begun to sting slightly. so sick of crying. His body is cold. Icy.it seeps through his clothes into her own form, but instead of recoiling from the temperature she finds it pleasant. cooling. Like ice on a burn.

The espada is careful in holding her. Not too tight. Breakable. He places her on the bed gently. So breakable. Weak. Careful.Turning to leave and deciding to go and stand or sit perhaps sit on the chair in the far corner of the room. Far from her. Safer. He feels her small hand grip his arm, grasping as if her life depended on it. Need.

His cold eyes turn on her and See's she is shaking uncontrollably once again, tears welling up in her glass like eyes. Frightened. Of me? Shaking forcefully while heavy full tears threaten to stain her face. Shaking. Need. Want. Comfort. He will not harm her. His feral beast has been controlled, tightly bound within the deepest corners of his will protect her, follow Aizen-samas orders to guard her and comply to her needs. Will not hurt. Will not taint her.

What does she want? her small frame continues quaking, till it seems it will shatter her. To stop her fears. Comfort. Frightened to be alone.

''I will hold you until you fall asleep and your tears end''

Her eyes widen, but she does not speak afraid that if she does he will disappear, only nodding her head gently.

He is hesitant for a second, not sure if he is comfortable to be so intimate, but it should not matter regardless, it is only duty. He continues to chant Aizen-samas orders, allowing him to go through with this. Only orders. Duty.

His marble arms slowly enwrap her frame. Not too tight. Like glass. It can shatter.She lies down while he sits weightlessly on the bed his arms holding and stilling the shaking girl.

Time moves fast.

Time moves slow.

Time stands Still.

Her body resting against his, her head lies on his lap with her hair entangled around their forms. It seems as if the very threads of her hair are entwining them together. The contrast of their white vestments against the red amber hair. The sun. While his arms held her, somewhere during the night the girls own hands had gripped onto his. Holding. .

She had finally fallen asleep in his arms. Strange. Never before.

He marvels at her as a child would perhaps hold a butterfly. Fearful to hurt it and scared of how fragile it is.

Now allowing his eyes to full admire her, no longer having to be careful for fear of being seen. The heat emitting from her body was intoxicating. So warm. Alive.He knew he would miss this heat when he would be forced to leave. Inevitable. A warmth never before experienced. Fluttering. A heart. Alive.

He looks one last time at the sleeping girl, her body feels as if it is vibrating with life beneath his fingertips. He has before wrenched a beating heart from his enemies chest. Silently relishing at feel of the organ beating in his palm till it stopped - Never had he held a heart within a person. Feeling its beat echoing through out her. Blood. coursing within. Taste. Mine.

The beast once again waking from it's dormant sleep begins to pull at his restraint, fighting and clawing, his senses become further heightened, realising fully how her scent has engulfed him. Take. Mine. To protect. No he could not stay longer, he would have to leave before the beast became uncontrollable.

Flexing his arms sub consciously tighter. Looking one last time at the sleeping girl. Her lashes adorned with remaining tear drops, Like diamonds.

He shifts her body from his and places her within the comfort of her bed. Already the loss of contact is somewhat...painful. Exiting through the chamber door it seems almost a lifetime ago when he had first entered this room, the first time she had arrived in Las Noches.

With one last look of the mortal girl he contemplates, Weak? No,...Merely fragile.

Thank you for reading!