Chapter Forty Six:

A Statue of Us

"Seren. Seren."

Her eyes flew open. "W-what?" She blurted.

An entertained smile graced Ulquiorra's lips. "You fell asleep upside down on the couch."

"I- oh whoops. I did." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "…Yeah. That was pretty… special…"

Then she did a double take.

"CR-CRAP!" She shouted, jumping away from him. "You're… SMILING! Who are you and what have you done with the REAL Ulquiorra?" She demanded.

He blinked at her- and then he- crumpled? He started shaking.

Seren cried and grasped her face. "Oh my god. I killed him! I killed the Ulquiorra clone!" She gasped, clutching her head. Was he- crying? Sobbing?

Then he stood up, and wiped a tear from his eye. He'd- he'd been LAUGHING? She was going to kill him!

"Don't scare me like that!" She shrieked. "I thought I'd actually killed you!"

"Nonsense," he replied, smiling. "It's the real me."

"How would I know that?" She demanded.

"Hmm, I suppose you'll just have to trust me," he commented dryly.

Seren blinked. Well then.

Ulquiorra straightened up. "I actually come with a message. Aizen-sama wants to see you tomorrow. He says he's got some questions to ask you."

"You DID rat me out didn't you!" Seren shrieked, pointing rudely.

Ulquiorra gave her a blank stare.

"… Well then…" Seren muttered, as she lay upside down on the couch, crossing her arms and feeling very much like a petulant child. "… Tomorrow. Okay. I don't think I have anything planned."

She could have sworn an entertained look flashed across his face.

"Okay, so of course I couldn't have any plans. I get it. I have no life…" she sighed dramatically. "Well then… what now?" She looked at him.

"Hmm… I don't have any missions tonight." He replied, sounding weary.

She blinked at him. No missions?

That meant they could have the whole night together.

Oh yeah. You thinking what I'm thinking? Rabaeth insinuated.

Shut up. She replied curtly. We're probably not even going to do anything interesting. I should just go back to Grimmjow's.

Don't get too convinced, Rabaeth snickered.

Seren was about to utter a sharp mental retort but then Ulquiorra's face softened, slowly, gently, oh so slowly, with a bare smile. It threw her straight off her tracks. Her thoughts froze in her mind. She watched, intrigued, mesmerized, as the corners of his lips widened and curved. Seren found herself automatically smiling back, slowly, warmly. She felt her eyes curve upwards into smiling half moons, and Ulquiorra's large eyes smiled too. His pale hand found hers, and they clasped their hands together happily. He sat down next to her.

"Ulquiorra," she breathed. Her back lifted her up, wearily, softly, so she could sit next to him. Then her back gently lent her back down, and she leaned against him.

Seren's head and thoughts slowed, relaxed. She felt it- warm, bubbling- happiness fizz and warm her from her heart. The golden happiness flowed through her like soda, bursting, bright, joyful. Her breathened quickened, shallowed. She blinked faster. Her heart plummeted to her stomach and back. For the first time in over a century, Seren was finally happy.

She savored the moment.

Oh, how glorious. All of her suffering, all of her trouble in Las Noches was worth this moment, this single, pricelessly precious moment.

Her head, of its own accord, drooped onto his shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered. Her eyelashes blinked in front of her vision, until she found them, too, drooping of their own accord. She felt the weight of Ulquiorra's head lay down to rest against hers too. There was a slight tugging at the ribbon tying her hair- it came loose- and her espresso tresses spilled around her like dark waterfalls. Her scalp prickled as he gentle pressed his face into her head, in an adoring press of his lips. The air was slow, silent, still, as if in reverence of the moment.

I could die now, she thought, and it would all right. Death, you can try and get me, but leave me this single moment. She started humming. It was a slow, beautiful song that she remembered from her life as a shinigami. She gently sang:

It was the song from the graduation at the shinigami Academy, when she and Kisuke had danced together. She could hear her voice, stubborn, low, as she argued with Kisuke. She heard his entertained chuckle, seemingly from the shadows even now.

The low, dim lights from the dance and the eternal night of Las Noches blended together.

Her beautiful purple kimono faded and blended into her white dress.

The flower clip and bun in her hair unraveled, to reveal her hair loose. Kisuke's scratchy, messy hair flowed into Ulquiorra's black. The peace and love of the night melted away into now, like cool snow turning to silky, liquid water.

The room was silent, still. The two people blended in it were statues, flawless, still, perfect. Their hands were laced together. They leaned against each other, raven and espresso hair interweaved, pale faces smooth, heads together. Happy, comfortable, their bodies close and hearts closer.

Anyone who walked into the room at that time would have noticed nothing but two happily dozing souls sitting next to each other.

Somewhere outside, a hawk and a raven took flight, wafting on Hueco Mundo's winds.