"We're here Kurosaki-san," Ulquiorra muttered, shaking her shoulder gently. Ichigo had fallen asleep on the drive to his house; she hadn't slept at all that night.
"Thanks Ulqui," she mumbled yawning as she got up, pleasantly surprised by the cottage style home.
"Call me Ichigo, none of this Kurosaki-san crap."
"I thought it was Shiro?" he asked, smiling slightly, Ichigo smirked bumping into him lightly. Ulquiorra nudged her back, leading her up the trail to the door.
"Are you sure you're okay with staying with me? Jaegerjaques-san seemed pretty upset when you rejected his offer." Ichigo scowled at the image of Grimmjow standing there with his arms crossed as she rejected his offer and walked off with Ulquiorra. He actually looked ready to kill someone.
"I'm thankful Ulquiorra, I wouldn't have it any other way." And she wouldn't, Ulquiorra had a peaceful presence and she needed that right now. Ichigo knew Grimmjow had his intentions in the right place but she didn't need the lecture she was sure he had written down somewhere about her being safe around the men. A frown worked its way on her face at the thought of it, Ulquiorra giving her a worried glance as he unlocked the door. The inside of the house was just as quaint as the outside; he lived a really simple life at home but the looks of it. It made her wonder why he had joined the army in the first place.
"The guest room is just down the end of the hallway, the layout of the house is pretty simple so I don't think I really need to show you around. Don't worry about anything Ichigo, what's mine is your's okay," he explained, walking off to what his room. Ichigo smiled walking down the hall, the bathroom and toilet were on the right, and his room to the left and the spare room at the end of the hall was hers for the time being. The room was very beautiful with a bay window seat that let in lots of light; the room itself was a dark ruby red with dark wood furniture. A queen bed with a matching bedside table and draws, it had everything she needed.
"Is the room to your liking?" Ichigo jumped at his voice, flinching away from him. The action surprised her and him; he looked at her worried wondering if Gin was the reason behind it.
"Sorry," she muttered dropping onto the bed, "I love the room though." Ulquiorra sat next to her, hugging her tightly. She relaxed against him. After what happened she probably would only ever really be comfortable around him, Grimm and her brother.
"What really happened with Gin Ichigo? Grimmjow looked really worried when you left with me," he asked, nothing but concern for her in his tone.
"Gin was drunk off his arse and found me in the gym, he thought it would be a great idea to try and rape me. We fought and just when I had given up in storms Grimmjow like a knight in armour and he beats the shit out of him, saving me. He stayed with me the entire night and really didn't want me to leave his sight, he was that worried, but he did and then Shiro called. My father had set a trap for me at mine if I happened to return home and was staking out Shiro's place in case I showed up there. With everything that happened I snapped and broke down, it was all too much and now here I am with you. Grimmjow's worried about my mental state right now, he doesn't want this ruining my life." Ulquiorra sat there his green eyes wider then normal as he just stared at her, shocked by what had happened to the poor girl in the last few days.
"How are you still allowed to stay in the army? Ichigo you should leave before anything else happens, go back to the life you had before," he pleaded she wasn't safe there. A growl tore from her throat as she shook her head.
"I am not leaving, my life was worse before all this. I was a doormat, a girl who let people use her and trample all over her. My father controlled almost every aspect of my life; I was simply making the motions before. Ulquiorra I have never felt so alive before, I don't think I can go back to that life," she muttered, falling back on the bed. Ulquiorra sighed, patting her head.
"Okay, I won't say anything about it anymore, I can see how much this upsetting you but if you want to talk about anything I will always listen," he said, green eyes filled with worry.
"Thank you. I think I like Grimmjow."
"What?"
"I, ya know like him, like, like like him. Oh god I sound like a child," she muttered, shoving the pillow over her face, hoping the bed would swallow her whole.
"This is unexpected, when did you develop a crush on him? Is that why you were picking fights with him since day one?"
"No I did that because I was trying to force a change, after a while I found it fun to tease him but we got along really well for the most part. Then everything happened and I found myself looking at him in a very different light, I mean I always found him attractive but his attitude was a huge turn off and then…" she trailed off remembering how he was with Starrk. He was a good man.
"I think that maybe you love him Ichigo, you should tell him how you feel. It's very clear that he cares deeply for you." She scowled at him, opting to face plant into the bed and grown.
"Then what? We start dating! That's never going to happen Ulquiorra; we'd never be able too not with the both of us being in the military. Sides he's just taking pity on me and I'm just a stubborn fool in his eyes," I growled out punching the mattress in annoyance.
"I'm just one of the men to him nothing else."
"Say what you will Ichi but I believe that man feels the same about you as you do about him, he wouldn't be this worried if he thought of you as just another solider." She groaned, rolling her eyes at his words. Nothing was going to change her mind right now.
"Lets save this for another day."