Chapter 20

Sueños Que Juegan ("Dreams That Play")

She knew she was dreaming. After all, there was no way she would find herself in her current situation. Lying on her back against some ambiguous surface, Orihime watched Ulquiorra above her. She knew it was him the moment she opened her eyes. His piercing emerald eyes, paper-white skin, and raven-black hair were features that could never be mistaken.

But she saw one big difference: every feature in his being was softened. He appeared to have a slight smile on his lips as he peered down at her. A gentle wave seemed to ripple through the air, warm and cozy, allowing Orihime to relax against Ulquiorra. There was something calming about being so close to him, and Orihime relished the feeling of their touching bodies.

This has to be a dream, she thought, her chest tightening with anticipation. Slowly, he brought a hand to her chin, caressing her skin softly and sending a chill through her body. Just as the thrill of his touch against her chin dissolved, her breath left her when his fingers slipped to her ear. What kind of dream was this?

Ulquiorra's hands went into her hair, tenderly massaging her scalp and setting her brain on fire with a heat that traveled down to her toes. His face neared her own until his lips met her pink cheek in a chaste kiss. When he pulled away, Orihime saw an affectionate gleam in his eyes that made her heart race against her chest. She had never seen such a look from him. Again, he brought his lips to her skin, this time closer to her mouth. His petal-light lips lingered a little longer. The tension in her body began to grow, and she wondered how she could release it.

Slowly, Ulquiorra brought his soft lips to hers, the kiss electrifying all of her senses. It seemed that time stood still as he kissed her again, slipping his velvet tongue into her mouth. She gasped only to have him fill her mouth again, exploring her mouth with his deft tongue. Suddenly, between his lengthy kisses, Orihime understood the mounting pressure in his body.

She was undeniably turned on.

The moment she realized this, Ulquiorra's hands began to roam over her body, his kisses becoming more fierce and impassioned. Her T-shirt was lifted, a finger flickered over her nipple, instantly hardening it. She shuddered from the mere shock of the touch, feeling the climbing heat between her legs mount to heights she never felt before. Uncharacteristically, she heard herself moan against his mouth as he continued to fondle her breasts.

Gradually, his hands slipped down to her bare abdomen, stroking the flesh and eliciting soft cries of pleasure from Orihime. She was surprised by how much she wanted this, by how much his touch stunned her body into a lustful hunger. Despite her inexperience, she didn't feel the least bit nervous or afraid of their shameless deeds. She knew she wanted him to keep touching her, caressing her, playing with her body until she couldn't take it anymore.

His lips became more passionate, demanding the flesh at her neck. Orihime could feel the heat of their bodies rise against each other with each touch, each kiss. Every inch of her body was burning with lust, and her breath came in short, husky moans while Ulquiorra took a sitting position behind her. His hands left her stomach and made their way south. When his fingers brushed the seam of her underwear, she tensed out of reaction but quickly relaxed as he nipped lightly at her ear.

She was so close to imploding, she didn't know what to do with herself. There was only feeling the sweet ecstasy of Ulquiorra's touch as his hands went under her panties. His soft fingers stroked the flesh between her legs, making her cry out with desire. Suddenly, a new burning for completion embraced her. His fingers moved in circles, slowly caressing her clitoris and making her whimper. She shuddered against each hot touch, his fingers working lower and lower until they slipped inside of her.

Orihime nearly screamed with pleasure. The fingers moved in and out of her, stroking the inside of her and creating a rhythm that sent her body humming. Her own breath was ragged, her heartbeat raging in her chest. The tension inside of her stomach was mounting, building against a big dam that was ready to burst at the seams. And Ulquiorra kissed her relentlessly, making her restless against him.

She was on the verge of climaxing, of losing her mind. The hum in her body was reaching a delicious crescendo, one that was destroying all of her senses. In the midst of her ascent, Orihime felt Ulquiorra's mouth against her ear, murmuring soft words.

"For being a virgin, you really have no shame," he commented suddenly, making Orihime bristle. Her eyes widened, and the climax that was within reach abruptly disappeared. "At least you're not just eye candy."

This wasn't Ulquiorra.

Yes, Ulquiorra could be rude, but the words he spoke seemed to be formed on the basis of sincerity. His honesty never held malice, only frankness. All he did was what he thought would lead to his survival, and his way of speaking was the same way. He didn't hold contempt towards her.

Orihime wanted to get away from him. The hands touching her suddenly felt disgusting.

"I was always a bad liar." Orihime's eyes widened in bewilderment.

This wasn't Ulquiorra.

This was Orihime Inoue.

"Woman!" Orihime felt someone shaking her by the shoulders. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find Ulquiorra staring down at her, concern in his green eyes.

"H-Huh?" Raising herself on her elbows, Orihime found that she was on the floor next to her bed, the covers tangled ungracefully around her legs. Ulquiorra knelt next to her, his hands still on her shoulders. The proximity made Orihime remember her heated dream, causing her to blush fiercely.

Instantly, the worried expression in Ulquiorra's eyes disappeared, and he removed his hands from her shoulders, putting some distance between them. "You fell from your bed during your sleeping. Were you injured when you fell?"

Orihime averted his gaze, unsure how to react to the real Ulquiorra. "No, I'm fine!" she answered a bit too loudly. She just wanted to punch herself.

"You were groaning as if something was hurting you," Ulquiorra told her, causing her whole body to burn up in embarrassment. Most likely, she was moaning from the pleasure made by the dream.

"I-I am fine!" Orihime forced out before laughing nervously. She untangled her covers and promptly climbed onto her bed. Just seeing him made her feel uncomfortable. His eyes, his hair, his voice—everything was a reminder of her dream.

"Woman," his voice suddenly said, bringing her out of her inner conflict. "Your phone is ringing." Her cell phone, which she left on the table, hummed in its vibration mode.

Orihime scurried over to the table and picked up her cell phone. "Don't tell me you plan on sleeping in?"

"Oh, Chizuru," Orihime answered, steadying her voice while trying to calm her heart. "I'm sorry! I just woke up!"

She heard a clicking sound from the other end of the line before Chizuru's irritated voice reached her ear. "Did you forget about today, too?"

"Huh?" Orihime drew a blank. What was she talking about?

"Today, we're supposed to go on a group date," Chizuru stated, obviously annoyed that Orihime forgot.

Orihime slapped her forehead, realizing that she had totally forgotten their plans. "I'm sorry! I forgot!" Truthfully, Orihime was slightly relieved she didn't remember. Group dates were only a recent thing now, and she didn't like the other boys ogling over her. Promptly, Chizuru began to fill her in on the details, but Orihime's eyes settled on Ulquiorra. Their eyes met only briefly before he stood up and stalked off to the toilet.

Though he said nothing, a question popped into Orihime's mind when their eyes met. As if by some foreign force, Orihime interrupted Chizuru's banter.

"Can I bring Ulquiorra?"

How she dragged him to the most random events, Ulquiorra couldn't understand. Somehow, she learned how to wield the power of persuasion, canceling his multiple refusals with only a pout and her big grey eyes. Half an hour later, they were walking towards the Karakura Shopping District, as Orihime explained. While they walked, crossing streets and passing people, Orihime chattered about the details of the strange ritual they were about to participate.

"Michiru is a little shy, so we agreed to do this group date." Orihime looked away, blushing slightly. "At least we'll all be in a group. I'm a little scared of the boys."

Ulquiorra shifted his gaze to Orihime's face. "Why are you not scared of me? I am a male as well."

Orihime's eyes widened before she turned her attention elsewhere. "Well, that's because…you're not like other boys." She smiled at him weakly, her cheek pink. "Even if you get irritated, you still seem to read my mind sometimes." She laughed like she suddenly remembered a humorous memory. "It's a relief to know that there's at least one person who doesn't think I'm strange."

Ulquiorra stared at her pretty face, a frown set on his lips. "Do you enjoy putting yourself down?"

"Huh?" Orihime's eyes widened.

Ulquiorra sent her a piercing glare, irritation building in his chest. "You should never relate 'strange' as being bad. 'Strange' is not a word for people who are interesting or unique." He understood his own words, but his comprehension of alienation came from a place deeper than he realized. It wasn't simply his life in Hueco Mundo that he could relate to such a feeling. No, it came from a place that was buried so far in his soul, he nearly overlooked its existence.

But he understood Orihime's thoughts, just as she said. For someone to acknowledge their uniqueness was what they both wanted. Still, he couldn't convey his true desire in words. He could only speak in a straight-forward manner that expressed how he saw her words.

Orihime tilted her head, seemingly confused by his speech. "But I know I'm strange," she began, her voice barely higher than a whisper. "It's like everyone is walking in a circle, and I'm walking on the outside of it. When someone steps out of it, they only take a step or two out, and then they're back in the circle again. But me, I'm on the outside. I've only come closer to the circle with my friends, but I'm still on the outside."

Ulquiorra thought about her metaphor, trying to picture her walking around her friends—Kurosaki, Tatsuki, the annoying girls—as life passed them by. It wasn't easy for him to picture things that didn't exist. He was still getting a grasp on intangible things in the Living World, so his imagination couldn't reach that far. Still, he could understand Orihime. Something told him that they were more alike than he expected.

"Ulquiorra?" He turned his attention to Orihime, who looked up at him with bright grey eyes. Her usual smile lit up her face, and the mood between them lightened. "I'm glad, though. When you're with me, I don't feel like I'm walking alone."

Her words tugged a chord in his chest. Looking into her eyes, Ulquiorra could feel something taking over his senses, like a mist forming around his mind. It was soft and gentle, as if the world had contracted until only they existed. Ulquiorra didn't know what to call this feeling, but it only happened when Orihime was around. And it was this feeling that made him to believe he could dissolve into it, like a throbbing void awaiting for him to enter its embrace.

"Orihime!"

The voices calling her caused both of them to snap out of their locked gaze and look at the person calling Orihime. The girl with her red glasses waved at them, obviously happy to spot Orihime. Three other girls accompanied her, and Ulquiorra recognized them as Orihime's quieter but equally-annoying friends. He put up his guard, certain that the red-spectacled girl would want to fight him.

His theory proved correct. The girl came up to them, embracing Orihime tightly as she sent Ulquiorra a threatening glare from over her shoulder. Though Orihime's face was red-hot from embarrassment, she gently removed the girl's arms and put some distance between them. "Eh, hello to you, too."

"So, we're meeting the boys at Tomato*," Chizuru announced, glaring at Ulquiorra the whole time.

"Chizuru…" Orihime's meek smile and fidgety fingers gave her anxiety away. But Chizuru ignored her, spouting on about the details of the group date while glowering at him. It was obvious to Ulquiorra that attending the group date was something only Chizuru was enthusiastic about.

Next chapter: Los Admiradores

Orihime and Ulquiorra goes on a group date...

*Tomato is one of the popular karaoke chains in Japan. You can rent a room by the hour and order food while everyone does karaoke. They have a good selection of Japanese, English, Spanish, and Korean songs.

A/N: I had to put in a group date! You can see it in a lot of anime and manga. Nowadays, it's becoming less common, but many Japanese kids are shy to ask for a date outright (aside from some really brave and gutsy people). You'll see a lot of group dates in shoujo anime and manga like Monkey High and High School Debut!