Chapter 26
Armadura ("Armor")
"Wow, it feels like we've gone on a vacation!" Orihime kicked off her shoes and padded across her kitchen floor. Though they were only gone for a night and a day, Orihime felt like she had lived seven days. She was exhausted, but part of her felt strangely relieved. The events that took place had taken away her sleep in exchange for something greater. Many of her questions about Ulquiorra's existence were answered, and the decision from Soul Society already arrived so that they wouldn't have to wait anxiously anymore. As patient as Orihime felt, she was impatient about life-changing decisions.
Somehow, Ulquiorra had changed her life.
She was the same girl who liked the same food and things, but she felt a little different. Especially after their one night together—and to the dismay of Ulquiorra, surrounded by her friends—Orihime could feel that a bridge had been crossed. She never expected Ulquiorra to kiss her. And the way they talked to each other, it was almost like a dream. Wasn't that what couples did? Kiss and whisper about their feelings at night? Just thinking about it set her skin on fire.
"You are blushing again," Ulquiorra noted in a stale tone, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she found herself saying, causing her to blush some more. She tried to smile her embarrassment away. "We didn't eat dinner yet. Want to eat now?"
Ulquiorra's green eyes roved over her face as if searching for the right answer. Finally, he muttered a soft "yes" before he walked past her and made his way for the toilet. Once the door closed behind him, Orihime relaxed slightly. She felt a little self-conscious now that they had lain in the same bed, though only for a short time, and they had shared the kiss. Orihime wondered if things were going to change some more.
She sighed. I don't want to think too much about all this, she decided, walking to the bedroom. She didn't feel like ruining a perfectly nice Sunday evening. Orihime went through her closet—only to realize that all of her clothes were dirty. Some smelled pretty bad, and others had obvious stains from unpleasant food encounters. Since Ulquiorra came to live with her, she made an extra effort to keep their clothes laundered. However, the past week seemed to be a busy one, and she ended up forgetting about it.
Only half of her brother's clothing hung in the closet. Although they belonged to Sora*, Orihime was certain that he would let Ulquiorra borrow them if he were alive. Ulquiorra was about the same build as Sora, except Ulquiorra was a little bit shorter, so the clothing fit him neatly.
Orihime stared at the white shirts hanging on the black hangers. They were obviously too big for her, but it worked in her favor. She just needed something to cover her body until she washed clothes. It wasn't like she planned on going outside for everyone to see. Plucking a button-up white shirt from the hanger, Orihime quickly undressed and donned the loose clothing before gathering up an armful of dirty clothes.
As she made her way for the bathroom, a pink underwear with teddy bears fluttered to the floor from the pile in her hands. Orihime disregarded it, making a mental note to pick it up later. Once inside the small laundry room outside of the bathroom, she tossed the clothes into the washer, put in some detergent, and slipped back into the kitchen.
The sound of the toilet flushing and the sink water running met Orihime's ears. Immediately, she remembered the dirty underwear on the floor, and to her surprise, it happened to lie in the path of the toilet. She made a dash for it, hoping to scoop it up before Ulquiorra exited the toilet.
The door opened, and like a secret agent, Ulquiorra quickly stalked out of the toilet towards the bedroom. Before Orihime could reach her used undergarment, Ulquiorra's pale foot landed on it. With frightening speed, Ulquiorra slipped on the article of clothing, his body falling backwards towards the floor.
"Santen Kesshun!" The pins in Orihime's hair transformed into two fairy-like creatures, Baigon and Hinagiku, swiftly making a barrier underneath Ulquiorra's tumbling body. He landed on the orange shield safely, and Orihime breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness!" The fairies guided Ulquiorra to the floor and gently released him before returning to their dormant pin forms.
Ulquiorra, slightly surprised from his fall, climbed to his feet and glanced at the floor curiously. Orihime's eyes widened as he bent over and picked up her dirty underwear. He held it in front of his face, turning to face her with a piercing stare. "This belongs to you."
Orihime's skin flared red with embarrassment. "Thanks!" She grabbed her underwear and made a beeline for the washer again. Shoving the underwear into the washer, Orihime thought she could die from humiliation. Why did the most embarrassing things happen to her? Were invisible forces waiting for the perfect moment to ambush her with embarrassing incidents?
The doorbell rang, pulling her out of her mental turmoil. That's strange, Orihime thought, peering shyly out of the bathroom. Ulquiorra still stood in front of the toilet, his emerald eyes watching her with interest. "The bell is ringing."
"Oh!" Orihime suddenly remembered her attire—or lack of attire—as she gazed down at the white button-up shirt with a hem that stopped below her crotch. Blushing, Orihime aimed a meek smile at Ulquiorra while she hid her lower half of her body behind the wall. "Ulquiorra…could you answer the door for me?"
After a brief moment, Ulquiorra slowly turned and headed for the front door. Orihime sighed in relief as she heard the sound of the door unlocking. Though she didn't expect him to accomplish the favor, Orihime wasn't surprised by his obedience. Ulquiorra was becoming kinder—something she really needed him to be at crucial times like then.
"Huh? Ulquiorra?"
From her view, Orihime watched Tatsuki quickly enter the apartment and, depositing her shoes at the entrance floor, the dark-haired girl approached the bathroom, a bag hanging from her arm. Orihime's eyes widened, immediately realizing that her friend was going to scold her. As much as she wanted to hide, Orihime had already been spotted. Without any time, she ducked into the bathroom only to have Tatsuki's voice stop her.
"I can see you, you know. Now come out from the bathroom." Following her friend's order, Orihime slowly emerged from the room, her head bowed in defeat. Now she was sure she had some kind of embarrassment curse on her.
Tatsuki's gasp gave away her thoughts instantly, causing Orihime to wince. Orihime felt like she was caught red-handed with some devious act. But, no, she was only dressed in an oversized shirt that belonged to a man, and no doubt, Tatsuki would regard her appearance strangely.
"No! You didn't!" Tatsuki's hands grasped Orihime's shoulders, making her lift surprised grey eyes to look at Tatsuki. Concern and disbelief were laced in Tatsuki's stare, her eyes roaming over Orihime's face for an answer. "You guys didn't…didn't…do it, did you?"
Orihime wanted to fall over. Why did her friend always think she would give away her virginity so carelessly? She was a good girl, wasn't she? "No, we didn't," she answered softly, reddening beneath the accusation.
"Oh, thank goodness," Tatsuki replied, releasing Orihime's shoulders and glancing in Ulquiorra's direction. "I'd get really mad if you hurt Orihime in any way." The comment was directed at the raven-haired man, but he simply looked past her with disinterest. Tatsuki gritted her teeth, a dissatisfied clicking sound passing through her lips. "But I guess that's stupid to say now."
"Tatsuki?" Orihime stared at her friend with wide eyes.
Tatsuki returned her gaze to Orihime, apprehension flashing over her dark orbs. The moment ended, and the worry immediately disappeared like it never existed. Tatsuki looked away. "Forget it." Her voice was barely a whisper, but Orihime caught the remark. Still, it seemed that Tatsuki wanted to drop the strange tension built from a few words. Tatsuki held out a small, white bag towards Orihime. "I figured that you would forget washing clothes, so I bought some stuff for you."
Curiously, Orihime took the bag and looked inside. To her surprise, a few pairs of new panties sat inside of the bag. Blushing fiercely, Orihime smiled weakly at her friend. "Eh, thanks…"
"Anyways, it looks like you're kind of busy, so I'll just see you later," Tatsuki announced, holding her hand up in a sign to leave.
Orihime's smile faded and she gave her friend a concerned glance. "Tatsuki…" The other girl stopped, looking back at Orihime with expectation. Orihime wasn't sure how to express her concern openly, but she knew that Tatsuki would be patient enough to wait. Thankfully, Orihime felt her determination was stronger than her initial fear. "Do you know about…about Ulquiorra?" It was scary to talk about Ulquiorra now. She was afraid that the apprehensive sensation in her stomach wouldn't go away every time she thought about Ulquiorra's possible disappearance.
As usual, Tatsuki released a sigh before giving Orihime a soft smile. "I expected something like this," she supplied, her eyebrows knitting upwards in concern. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I do understand you. When someone comes into your life, you hold them dearly. He is no different." Tatsuki turned her gaze onto Ulquiorra, who stood to the side. "You understand this too, right, Ulquiorra?"
Orihime peered at Ulquiorra with expectant eyes. His green eyes flickered over her face, taking in the strange silence that settled around them. Something in his emerald orbs made Orihime hold her breath, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want this moment to arrive, but they were already being faced with the reality of the situation. "I understand, yet, there is little that can be done about my present situation."
The knot in Orihime's stomach tightened.
"Hope is not something I can blindly believe in," he added, pinning Tatsuki with a piercing stare.
Tatsuki gritted her teeth again before turning towards the door. "Somehow, I knew you'd say that." Orihime walked over to the entrance, trying to undo the uncomfortable knot, but there was nothing that would loosen it. She stopped short of the entranceway, and to her dismay, Tatsuki's broad, confident shoulders sagged like a weight being placed on them. "Even though I want to say something, do something, I know that it isn't in my power to change Orihime's mind."
With that, Tatsuki pushed open the door and disappeared onto the apartment landing, the door closing behind her with a loud click.
"I think that's Tatsuki's shortest visit to date," Orihime commented, a soft laugh passing through her lips. With her head lowered, Ulquiorra could only make out her lips. Her orange hair framed the sides of her face, causing a shadow to fall over her face. Slowly turning, she began to move towards the bedroom, her shoulders sagging.
Despite the soft laugh, Ulquiorra comprehended the shallow side of Orihime. Even though she tried to fill in the unnatural tension with a soft laugh or smile, he saw right through her. He saw the pain that ached within her body. After all this time with her, Ulquiorra had expected her to free herself of such a response to pain, but things did not always go the way he wanted them to.
As he observed her, Orihime avoided eye contact, her feet taking her slowly to the bedroom. "I wonder what's on TV right now," she said, the false positivity penetrating each word. Every step she took seemed to suck away her energy until she reached the bedroom, and quietly, she shut the door behind her. Ulquiorra stood in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the blank door.
The time they spent at the Urahara Shop had affected her more heavily than he anticipated.
"Inoue, be careful," the older Soul Reaper warned, peering at Orihime from under the brim of his green-striped hat. "The more you force your spiritual energy, the less controllable it will be." Ulquiorra watched as beads of sweat began to appear on Orihime's skin. "Remember: pretend that your spiritual energy is a ball."
Ulquiorra, Orihime, Urahara, Rukia, and the other two dolts stood inside the underground rock domain beneath the Urahara Shop. Though Rukia, Kurosaki, and the red-haired idiot kept their distance, Ulquiorra chose a place where he could see Urahara and Orihime's faces clearly. Ulquiorra was uncertain of what would yield from Urahara's suggestions, but he found nothing ill-intentioned from the Soul Reaper's advice. Still, he wanted to keep an eye on Orihime.
With her eyes closed and her arms spread apart, Orihime stood completely still before Urahara. She did nothing else, but Ulquiorra could feel something build within her body. Her spiritual energy began to grow inside of her, and just as Urahara described, it seemed more like an invisible ball twisting and rolling rather than spiritual energy.
"Concentrate on the shape of the energy. You feel those waves around your spiritual energy, right? Try to make those waves disappear, like you're smoothing them out." As the ball grew bigger, the erratic waves that formed around it began to subside.
Although he despised Soul Reapers, Ulquiorra admitted that Urahara was a patient teacher. It was their sixth time doing the same drill, and with each failure, Urahara managed to press Orihime further, guiding her with simplistic instructions. Already, Orihime's ball of energy had grown to five times the size from the first attempt.
Ulquiorra could feel the ball waiver before the waves reemerged around the ball. Orihime grimaced, gritting her teeth, as she tried to control the spiritual energy again. Her arms quivered underneath the strain of control, even as the ball began to unravel. Like strands of string, the spiritual energy uncoiled and expanded before they completely dissolved. Orihime fell to her knees, panting heavily.
"What're you doing, you bastard?" The sound of squeaking footsteps filled the rocky space. A tan-colored stuffed animal appeared behind Urahara, an eyebrow lifted in irritation. Urahara glanced over his shoulder at the talking toy before ignoring him to help Orihime. "Hey!" The toy jumped onto Urahara's shoulder, tugging at his ear with his felt paws. "Don't touch her!"
Urahara swatted him off his shoulder, causing the toy to fall ungracefully onto his back, dust floating up from his fall. Ulquiorra didn't know what to make of the stuffed animal, but he decided it was harmless, only annoying. Orihime thanked Urahara as the talking toy climbed to its feet. Seeing Orihime, the toy launched itself at her, screaming loudly, "Orihime!"
The disturbed look in Orihime's expression allowed Ulquiorra to step in between her and the toy. Catching it by the head, Ulquiorra flung it to the ground. Squeaks followed the toy's descent into the dirt until it sat up and pointed an angry paw at Ulquiorra's towering form. "How dare you get in between me and the Valley of the Gods! I'll show you!"
The toy crouched in another stance, one Ulquiorra found disinteresting, until a shadow fell over his body. Rukia's foot landed on the toy's face, smashing him into the ground. "Kon, leave them alone, or you'll regret it," she stated fiercely, grinding her sandaled foot into the dirty fur.
A muffled sound gurgled from underneath her foot. Finding his answer sufficient, the raven-haired Soul Reaper removed her foot, releasing Kon. Tears appeared in his black eyes. "Nee-san, you're so mean," he remarked in a hurt tone. Ulquiorra wasn't sure how this creature came into existence, but it seemed rather useless. He decided it was better to ignore the stuffed animal.
"Inoue, can you try again?" Urahara asked Orihime, peering at her with concern. She nodded.
"I don't get it!" The annoyed toy was back at Urahara's feet. "Are you trying to make another soul or something? Why don't you just give her a Soul Candy?"
Urahara sent Kon a soft smile. It seemed he wasn't perturbed by such an annoying creature. "We're not trying to create another soul, Kon. We're just trying to pull out Inoue's other power from her body."
Kon scratched his little head, confused. "Why don't you just make some special pill for her like you normally do? It's not hard for someone who has ten fingers!" With that, Kon waved his small, useless paws in front of him. A thought struck him before he turned to face Urahara with a hopeful expression on his furry face. "What about Soul Candies?" He crossed his arms, an air of arrogance surrounding him. "See, I can be just as smart."
Urahara merely smiled. "We're not trying to separate a soul from a body. We're trying to bring someone from the dream plane to this plane. If Orihime is awake, her other power can't be activated." Urahara patted Orihime on the head, earning a smile from her. Ulquiorra thought she seemed more like a lost kitten than a human. "Now Inoue has to concentrate on controlling her spiritual energy."
"But…but—" The toy waved its short arms, but Urahara and Orihime quickly ignored his pleas and returned to their prior stance.
Finally, Rukia grabbed Kon by the ear and pulled him to her eye level, glaring at him. Even as she did this, Ulquiorra thought how dignified she remained. "Kon, stop asking useless questions," she warned seriously, causing the stuffed animal to stop squirming in her arms. "Urahara has already given Inoue different kinds of candy to try to get her power to show itself. Nothing has worked. The only option left is to ask the power to come out."
Kon began to struggle in her hand again, violently swinging its arms. "But why does Orihime have to work so hard? Why is she doing this?"
Rukia brought her eyes to Ulquiorra. Something akin to concern flickered in her dark orbs, but it flitted away with her answer. "She wants to save someone."
Again, Kon halted his actions and sagged in her arms as if in defeat. "'She wants to save someone'?"
Ulquiorra held her gaze, fully comprehending the meaning behind her words. Every bead of sweat on Orihime's skin reflected something that no one could deny. She wanted to save him.
"You're doing well, Orihime," Urahara commented, sounding far away. Ulquiorra turned his attention to Orihime, the ball of energy coiling within her body growing again.
Ulquiorra pulled himself out of the memory and peered at the bedroom door. It was still closed, and the sound of laughter from the television filtered into the kitchen. Quietly, Ulquiorra walked up to the bedroom door and opened it, peering into the room cautiously. The television blared from the corner of the room, but Orihime didn't sit at the small table in front of it. Immediately, Ulquiorra felt that something was amiss in the bedroom.
"Woman?"
A breath hitched from the closet followed by a strange sound. Crossing the room, Ulquiorra noticed a few boxes stacked neatly against the wall. Slowly, Ulquiorra pulled the closet door open. Crouched in a darkened corner of the closet, Orihime looked at Ulquiorra with wide, tear-filled eyes. While clutching her bent legs against her chest, the tears streamed down her reddened cheeks.
A pang of pain riveted through Ulquiorra's heart, and he found himself lowering his body towards her. The agony in her heart was finally expressing itself, and he knew he was responsible. Although he hated seeing her crying, he was slightly relieved. The pain she was experiencing was too much to bear, too much to bottle up inside of her small body, hoping it would dissipate under her willpower.
Her soft sobs escaped her beautiful lips as her grey eyes searched Ulquiorra's face. "Ulquiorra…" She tried to wipe away the fresh tears that sprang to her eyes, but more tears tumbled down her pretty face. "I'm sorry…I'll stop crying soon…"
Ulquiorra brought a hand to her wet cheek, earning a gasp from Orihime. He felt her shiver against the touch, her eyes closing for a moment as if to relish his touch. He wanted to communicate to her, tell her it was fine to open up, but he himself couldn't bring himself to say anything. Wiping away more of her tears with his thumbs, Ulquiorra only settled with staring at her beautiful face.
"Everyone…everyone keeps saying the same thing," she whispered, meeting his eyes with a pained expression. It hurt something inside of Ulquiorra to see her in that condition. He just wanted to take it all away, whisk it away. She continued speaking, her sobs becoming louder as she clutched his arms tightly. "And I know they're right. I know that you'll hurt me." Tension began to build behind her inner turmoil, growing bigger while she let her true feelings spill out in her tears and words. There was nothing stopping the tension's onslaught or the sobs that rocked her body. Already, the quiet agony had grown beyond means of controlling it.
"But I can't help it. I just want you…I just want you next to me." Ulquiorra brought his body further into the closet space and embraced Orihime in his arms. He felt her quiver underneath the weight of her emotions. "First my parents, then my brother, and now you… Why does everyone I care about leave me?" The pressure behind her tears swelled, intensifying alongside Orihime's speech. "Why do I have to carry all this pain all by myself? Why? Why?"
Ulquiorra hugged her closer, trying to absorb some of the agony that plagued Orihime's heart. He didn't know that this kind of storm existed within her body. She always smiled everything away, and he knew that she did this to cope with anything painful, but he never guessed that this pure inner sorrow ran so deeply inside her soul. It was his understanding that his eventual departure from her life caused her to break down, and all the grief that filled her was swept forward simultaneously.
Inside of his human heart, Ulquiorra despised himself for bringing Orihime's darkest anguish to the forefront. He wasn't brought to the Living World to torture her with sorrow. He wasn't going to accept such a despicable side of himself. He wasn't going to let Orihime fall alone into a pit of suffering.
Ulquiorra let her cry until her sobs died down. He set his hands on Orihime's shoulders and pushed her back, garnering another gasp from her.
"Orihime, I am sorry."
Meeting her eyes, Ulquiorra watched a melancholy expression cross the grey color in her eyes. There was something beautiful about her unguarded emotions. He wasn't one to deserve such a stare, and he knew it. Still, it didn't stop Ulquiorra from collecting his courage and slowly leaning closer to Orihime, closing the distance between them.
She didn't resist. Instead, she melted into Ulquiorra's lips as they pressed softly against her moist cheeks. "I am truly sorry." Gently, he kissed her other cheek, the taste of salt on his lips.
He could feel her shift against his body until her lips were pressed against his in a tender kiss. The surprise quickly melted away as Orihime's warmth filled Ulquiorra's senses. His skin, his sense of touch, seemed to throb with a heat, a sensation, that could only be eased by Orihime's touch. Flushing their bodies together, Ulquiorra felt that his flesh was on fire. Their lips joined together, Ulquiorra tried to steady his clouded mind. Something was pressing against his rationale, pushing it to the recesses of his mind in exchange for the blissful feeling residing in Orihime's lips.
He opened his mouth wider, realizing that he could explore her mouth more thoroughly while maintaining their passionate kiss. The heart in his chest beat so hard, he could hear it in his ears. This action—the action of kissing—was different from their first kiss. It seemed deeper, like he was losing himself to something more powerful than any power he ever felt.
Though he wanted to give himself completely to the power that was nearing him, he used the withering strands of his control to ease his lips away from Orihime's mouth. Orihime panted softly, a dark tint painting her cheeks. She peered at him with clouded, confused eyes, her thoughts running rampant across her guise.
"Ulquiorra…" Realization began to grip the tips of her grey orbs, her gaze steadying. "I know I look so confused and flustered. But I…" At this, her eyes waivered and she dropped her head.
"When I heard the decision by Soul Society, I didn't know how I felt. But when I started training with Urahara, I started to see it. Every time I tried to control my spiritual energy, the feelings hidden in my heart also came out. Even my best friend saw right through me."
Orihime raised her head, her eyes meeting Ulquiorra's eyes in an intense gaze, one that imprinted in Ulquiorra's mind.
"I love you."
Ulquiorra's eyes widened.
"I love you as a special person in my life. Even if I'm heartbroken in the end, I love you."
Ulquiorra felt stunned by her frank words. She was the last person he had expected to admit what she felt, but he understood her willpower. If she put her mind to it, Orihime Inoue could do anything.
"Orihime Inoue," he began, placing his hands on her shoulders again. On the night they spent together, on the futon in the darkness, even in her training sessions with Urahara, he comprehended the feeling deep in his heart. He couldn't let it fall away like a needless heap of trash. Just as she exposed herself, Ulquiorra needed to do the same.
"I love you as well."
Next Chapter: El Caballero Nuevo
Orihime thought her new power had disappeared, but it hasn't.
*Sora is Orihime's older brother. He died in an accident when Orihime was younger, and later, became a Hollow in the first manga volume and the third episode of Bleach.
A/N: This chapter was tough to write. I think I've had an overload of reading FAKE manga and watching the Rooftop Prince K-drama. Ironically, both of these can apply to what I'm writing now, so you might see the ties in this chapter. Anyways, it's getting to a point where the ending of this story is within sight. This fanfic is actually turning in a direction I didn't expect. Thank you to everyone who's been along for the ride thus far. Don't forget to review! Reviews keep me inspired!