-Late December-

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* "So, where are we going?" I finally asked. Classes had come to an end and it was winter vacation.

"To my residence" he replied, keeping his eyes keenly on the road. "I have been living on campus."

I thought for a moment. "You must miss your family."

"I reside alone."

Afterwards, it got a little awkward. We were quiet for a long time so I just held onto his hand. "I have a confession" he said all of a sudden.

For some reason, hearing those words made me really happy. "What is it?" I asked earnestly.'He trusts me.'

He hesitated for a moment. "My father and mother departed this life near the time of my birth and that is all I have known." I didn't expect that...but I listened nonetheless.

"…Existing was difficult; I committed thievery and rummaged to survive. Whenever I had the opportunity, I would slither into schools to achieve my knowledge and I became invulnerable through excessive training. My childhood was unacceptable but so was society; desperation causes humanity to do such irrational things."

I felt his hand tremble but I held it firmly. "My younger brother, his name was Jack Jaegers but he preferred the nickname 'Grimmjow'. It was given to him by 'The Espada' also known as the 'Deadly 10', a notorious gang he was once part of that ruled the slums."

"We were not related by blood but he was the one person I considered family. He and I possessed the same motive; the determination to leave the streets. We equally gained greatness together but in the end, he triumphed more so than I."

"…He took back what was mine from the trash that beat him nearly to nothing. I found him lying in a pool of his own blood." He was suddenly lost in his thoughts. "We won…"were his final words. In return, I told him he was a fool …He laughed until death."

I was crying.

He kept his eyes forward. "I have taught myself to harbor such emotions but I comprehend it well… a sensation so despair." He parted his hand from mine and brought it to his face. With a finger, he traced a teal stream.

'Oh, I understand now… waterless tears and floral hairpins.'But I was glad we could endure it together.

He parked into an enormous driveway. When we got out of the car, I was in absolute wonder. "This is amazing!" It was fancy for a 'farm house', very Victorian in design.

When we entered through the doors, it felt like I stepped into a fairytale castle. "Make yourself at home" he said as he walked passed me.

I quickly took a tour of the house and it was fit for royalty. 'Or should I say a king?'"Have you had a thorough exploration?" he asked from downstairs.

"I'm the queen of the world!" I shouted from the top of the stairway.

He sighed with a hint of elation in his eyes. "Come, I want to show you the forest."

As we were treading through the deep snow, he took me by the hand and guided me to the back of the house. When we approached a fenced-off area, he brought his fingers to his lips and whistled.

From afar, a majestic, black creature was coming towards us from its private stable. "Cero" Ulquiorra introduced as the horse galloped closer. It stopped before him and brought its muzzle up to his hand. "I admire him quite so" he said while stroking it. The horse neighed quietly, welcoming his master home.

All of a sudden, he grabbed my hand and slowly brought it towards him. "W-wait, Ulquiorra!"

Cero quickly backed away from my sudden outburst. "She is an acquaintance" Ulquiorra said, reassuring him. As I gazed into his large, russet-colored eyes, he observed me with caution. I was hesitant too but then he gradually closed the space between my hand and his snout. Ulquiorra looked a little surprised but he was pleased in the end. "He acknowledged you fairly quickly."

I looked back to the horse and smiled. His coat was so soft and it tickled my fingers. I noticed a gray, crescent moon-shaped birthmark in the middle of his forehead. Steadily, I rose my hand towards it and gently stroked it with a finger. As I did, he closed his eyes in contentment. "You're so handsome" I complimented, stroking the mark once more.

After Ulquiorra fully harnessed Cero, he took a hold of the saddle and straddled him effortlessly. With one hand on the reins, he brought his other hand towards me. "I don't know about this…" I said uneasily.

"He insists" Ulquiorra encouraged. In response, Cero neighed and nodded his head.
I gave myself a minute before I took his hand and he pulled me up, seating me in front of himself. As I comfortably placed both my legs on each side of Cero, Ulquiorra wrapped an arm around my waist. It was cold but I could feel the warmth fill my cheeks.

With a flick of the reins and a brush of his heel against Cero's side, we left soaring through the snow-covered fields. *

"This is incredible, Ulquiorra!" she exclaimed.

As her laughter bellowed in the wind, her hairpins glistened along with the snow powder waves that rose from Cero's hooves. We rode until we were alongside the river that flowed through these parts. We settled shortly after to allow Cero to rest. While I blanketed him, she was breathless as she stood by the riverbank.

"I've never felt so alive!" she shouted with her hands towards the sky as her voice echoed through the mountains.

"I can't believe I missed!" she cried from behind. As I molded my own, I turned to challenge her. However, she had disappeared in an instant and everything was still.

I was able to avoid her effortlessly but I still approached with vigilance. Then another was released and fortunately, I bypassed just in time. However, this attempt was unusual; it was neither from the side or even the ground; it was an aerial attack.

I looked upwards and on a branch of a towering tree; the radiance of auburn infused in the sunlight. While perched, she was sitting with an imposing grin. 'You astound me, woman…'With the snow sphere clutched in my hand, I rushed to the tree across her. With the ease of agility, I settled on an equally elevated branch.

As I crouched into a stance, she was taunting me with the white orb settled in the center of her palm. "Are you ready, Ulquiorra?" she said with pride in her eyes.

I stared back with equivalent tenacity. "I will display no mercy."

* "I got you good" I bragged.

"Boast all you want, woman. In the end, I was victorious." Ulquiorra had wrapped Cero's blanket around us as we continued through the forest.

While the sun was setting, the temperature was dropping rapidly. "We are nearby" he said as I shivered into him. The night sky was clear and the air was freezing. The moon and the stars made the snow shimmer as the shadows began to take over.

Suddenly, I could hear the calm waves of an ocean. "A-an a-abandoned l-lighthouse?" I stuttered as the structure came into view.

I removed some of our belongings from the saddle and carried them inside. 'It's so warm in here'I thought, relieved. Ulquiorra took the rest while guiding Cero in as well.

With a lantern in one hand, he led him to the railing of a long winding, stairway. After he blanketed Cero and fastened the reins, he gave him a gentle pat before placing a foot on the first step, telling me to follow him.

As we walked up, with my hand in his, every step we took seemed to lead us to another world. While I continued through this daydream, he suddenly stopped. He stood there for a moment before turning to face me. Then he cupped my chin and lifted it towards him. He bent forward to kiss me and I tiptoed back. "Happy Belated" he whispered through his lips.

Now, I was confused. "But it was three months ago."

"It still remains within this year."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, intrigued now. Instead of an answer, another kiss was what I got. But it was good enough for me.

He slowly opened a wooden door to reveal hundreds of stars dancing from the ceiling. As we stepped into the room, it was a dazzling display of the cosmos. "Did you do all of this?" I gasped. As I spun on my toes, the stars revolved above me.

"Grimmjow assisted, slightly" he said humbly. The light from the lantern began to illuminate the room and made the stars shine. "I have a passion for astronomy." He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "The universe holds endless possibilities."

As I kept my head towards the stars, he slowly turned me around and guided one of my hands to his shoulder. Then he placed a hand on the low of my back while holding my free hand with the other. As we got close, we began to move…

He gently placed his lips against the top of my forehead. I held my breath and closed my eyes to the rhythm of his melody…

Before the first time he saved me, the first time he cared for me, the first time he held me, the first time his lips met mine… I didn't need this kiss to remind me again.

I already knew that I had fallen deeply in love. *