The Challenge – Chap. 5
by Sariniste
Orihime opened her eyes suddenly. She was lying on a soft bed between fine white cotton sheets underneath a dark red comforter, in a large, elegant, high-ceilinged room with arched windows on four sides. Heavy maroon damask curtains were drawn on two of the windows, but the other two were open and early morning sun was streaming in across the tiled marble floor strewn with silk area rugs.
Her body flooded with despair and shame as she remembered the night before. She could not believe that she had willingly gone to bed with her kidnapper, the murderer and traitor to Soul Society, the enemy of her friends. She had always intended to save herself for Ichigo. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she berated herself, telling herself she was no better than her mother.
Then a warm arm draped itself over her body and turned her around. She came face to face with Aizen, his warm brown eyes, tousled hair with a single curl falling in his face, a soft smile on his lips, and to her dismay she felt heat in her loins at the sight of his handsome face. She closed her eyes and wept.
"Orihime," he said gently. "Orihime. Look at me."
Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. His face was full of concern. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. "Did I do anything to displease you?" There was a note of confusion and hurt in his voice that tore at her heart.
"No…" she whispered. "It's just…" She broke off, unable to speak.
"I thought… you were happy last night… you were enjoying yourself," he said in a low voice. There was pain, sadness, and just a hint of disappointment and anger in his eyes. "Did I do anything to hurt you?"
"No," she said again. In a rush she realized that she was being selfish, that she had not considered the effect her crying would have on his emotions. She felt a wave of compassion for him and reached out with both arms to take him into an embrace. He stiffened at her touch and she felt renewed sadness and guilt at her own lack of sensitivity. "I'm sorry…" she said. "I had a wonderful night with you… but it's just that it was my first time, and it was… unexpected."
He pulled away, a look of raw vulnerability on his face. "I thought— that perhaps you shared my feelings, Orihime. Was I wrong?"
"No," she said for a third time. "I do have feelings for you… I'm sorry if I made you think I didn't. I really enjoyed our time together," she said, trying to comfort him, and was pleased to see a spark of gladness appear in his eyes.
He took her in his arms. "Orihime. My princess, my goddess," he murmured into her hair. "I couldn't bear it if you didn't return my feelings, Orihime."
Her heart fluttered in confusion and guilt. She had thought he was cold, unfeeling… yet he could surely not be lying now? He would have to be a marvelous actor, if so. It must be true that he had feelings for her… and if it was true, then perhaps it was all right to give in to her own attraction to the man. She could not say she loved him, but she was clearly attracted to him, and she could not deny his attention was flattering. She sighed. She didn't know anymore what to do or feel.
There was a knock on the door. With a little squeal, Orihime slid down in the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. But Aizen sat up so the covers fell off of him, exposing his chest. "Come in," he called.
It was Loly and Menoly, carrying heavily laden breakfast trays. Menoly set hers on Orihime's side of the bed without a word, turning to go immediately. But Loly stopped, her gaze on Aizen, stricken. His gaze was locked on hers, a slight smile on his face. "Thank you, Loly," he said gently. "Please put the tray down." Aizen trailed his fingers idly through Orihime's hair as he spoke, his eyes never leaving Loly's face.
As though released from a compulsion, she moved forward and set the tray awkwardly on the bed, then turned to go. She had almost reached the door when Aizen said, "Loly," and she froze.
"Yes, Aizen-sama?" she asked as she turned, her voice cracking. He smiled at her warmly as he continued to caress Orihime.
"Please inform the kitchens that I shall want a special meal for lunch today."
"At once, sir." She gave a clumsy curtsey and blundered out of the room. Menoly followed her with an expressionless look on her face.
Aizen turned back to Orihime with a slight heat in his eyes. He reached for her and kissed her, at first slowly, then with more passion. She closed her eyes and let her world narrow to his kiss, returning it hesitantly. He made an appreciative noise deep in his throat and ran his hands through her hair, caressing the backs of her ears with his fingertips and making her shiver.
Abruptly, a chime sounded in the room, repeating three times. A look of annoyance crossed Aizen's face as he pulled back from Orihime. He rolled over and picked up a small device on the bedside table.
"Yes?" he inquired tersely, then listened. His brows drew together slightly and he gave a sidelong glance at Orihime. "Very well. On my way."
He put down the device and smiled with apology at Orihime. "I'm terribly sorry, but my presence is required on an urgent matter. I hope you'll forgive me." He drew her to him and kissed her again one last time, his tongue lingering inside her mouth, pressing his body against hers until she could feel his warmth up and down her entire body. She trembled under his touch.
He gave her a long look of deep regret, then slid off the bed and wrapped himself in a dark red silk robe. "Please enjoy your breakfast. The bathroom is one level up the stairs. I'll send Ulquiorra later to escort you back to your rooms." Then he was gone.
Orihime sat up in the large bed in the sunlit room which suddenly felt cold and empty, as though it had been only his presence which had infused it with life and warmth. Her clothes, including the new Arrancar uniform, were folded in a neat pile on a mahogany Chippendale chair beside the window. She put them on slowly, trying to come to terms with the confusion she felt, the mingled excitement and despair at her situation.
She did not want to love Aizen. Her heart already belonged to Ichigo. But her mind kept returning to his soft, deep voice, his passionate touch, the warmth of his body… and especially, the words he said. Were they truth or lies? She didn't know what to believe. But… she wanted to believe.
There was a tap on the door. Orihime called out, "Come in," and Ulquiorra entered.
He stood at the doorway, expressionless, hands in his pockets. "Come with me," he ordered, and turned to go. She followed him down the marble spiral staircase that led from the tower room to Aizen's private apartments, and then out into the high white corridors that led, maze-like, back to her room.
XxXxXxX
She remained alone in her room all that morning and afternoon with no further word from Aizen. At first, she worried about what she would do the next time he summoned her, going over scenario after scenario in her head. Then, as the endless hours passed with no contact with anyone other than the anonymous Arrancar who brought her lunch on a tray, she started to first long for Aizen, then for any company at all, and finally, to feel angry at his neglect. How could he say all those things to her and then just leave her alone in her room? She turned to look out the window at the unchanging night sky. It was even hard to tell what time it was. Was it already evening? She was hungry again.
She suddenly became aware of a presence in the room again and spun around. Ulquiorra was standing at the door with his hands in his pockets as usual, observing her impassively.
"I have an announcement," he said. "Your friends have entered Hueco Mundo."
She gasped. "Why…?"
He looked at her with what could have been mild surprise. "Why, you ask? They came to rescue you."
She felt as though her heart were splitting in two, and another wave of guilt washed over her. "They came… to rescue me?" They would not have come, she thought as her cheeks flushed, if they had known she had already betrayed them, that she had already fallen for their enemy.
"Indeed. But for you that should no longer hold any meaning. For both in body and mind you are already one of us."
"One of you…?" she echoed mechanically, lowering her eyes and blushing again. He knew what she had done last night.
"That's what your wearing those clothes means, does it not?" he asked.
There was a silence, then she bowed her head and said obediently, "Yes, sir."
He approached her and looked straight into her eyes. "I want to hear you say it out loud. To whom do your body and mind belong?"
She was falling, falling down an endless cliff into despair and shadows… but there was a dark, secret warmth deep inside. "They belong to Aizen-sama, and are for his purpose and use," she whispered, and with those words felt something crack deep within her. She knew she had made her decision, and she bowed her head. There would be no going back.
XxXxXxX
Aizen reclined in the huge marble bathtub full of warm water, watching a screen showing the surveillance video of Orihime's room. Loly knelt naked in the tub beside him, massaging his feet. She kept her eyes averted from the image of Orihime on the screen.
Aizen narrowed his eyes with satisfaction when he heard her declare her loyalty to him. He smirked and ran his hand carelessly through Loly's unbound hair. "She's lovely, isn't she?" he mused, his eyes on Orihime's image. Loly shivered, then ran both hands up the insides of Aizen's thighs, sliding forward through the water with a seductive smile, until she was half-lying on him, gazing up at his face with an expression that was half defiant and half beseeching. Aizen chuckled. He took her head in both hands and brought her face close to his as though he were about to kiss her. She closed her eyes and her lips parted expectantly.
With a slight flick of his reiatsu, she was thrown up and out of the tub to smack unceremoniously on the tiled marble floor, her knees and elbows banging painfully on the hard surface. She pushed herself up to hands and knees and stared at him, gasping for breath.
His face was as hard as the marble surrounding them. "I have no further need of your services tonight, Loly," he said coldly. "You are dismissed."
She was panting, still on hands and knees, dripping, her eyes blazing with desperation and agony. Then she struggled to her feet and ran out of the room, scooping her clothes up with one hand. Indifferently, Aizen turned back to the video screen. He watched, chin resting in his hand, for a few moments. Then his eyes became calculating and his lips twitched upward into a small, pleased smirk.