A/N: I wrote this in the car yesterday on a 16-hour drive. In the backseat were my little sister and my cousin, and I swear to God they talked about farts the entire way. Welcome to my life.
So what do you guys think about the new image manager thing? Cool, ne? Now I'll have to find some images to put as covers :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. And now on with the story ~~
"Oh, hang on Lilinette-kun! I dropped the soy sauce ~!"
Ulquiorra was rooted in place, his heart roaring in his ears. His face was locked on default, his eyes staring straight ahead as he wrestled with himself not to run in there and snatch her up and run away with her.
He felt something bump into his foot and looked down. The bottle of soy sauce was resting on the ground near his sandal. Mechanically he bent down and closed his fingers around the bottle, gripping it in his hands. Lifting his vision, he saw a delicate pair of feet stop just in front of him, and, startled, he straightened quickly. His head collided with the bottom of someone's chin, and he heard a yelp as the person bounced back.
Ulquiorra straightened his spine and his eyes fell on her. Her cheeks, stained red with embarrassment; her hair, tousled from her brief run; her eyes, wide and startled; her lips, stretched to form an 'O'. His gaze landed on those perfect lips, and a shiver of desire ran though him. Quickly he brought his gaze to those sparkling gray eyes.
"A-ah! Gomenasai gozaimasu!" she stuttered. Ulquiorra did not speak, simply gazed at her, drinking in her features. The hand with the bottle on soy sauce swung by his side, forgotten.
"A-ano...?" she questioned. "Excuse me, stranger-san, can I please have my sauce back...?"
Stranger-san.
It caught him off guard, but the phrase drilled a hole into his chest, shocking him at the pain. Wordless, he raised his hand and deposited the small bottle into her own two hands, brushing her palm with the tips of his fingers. He let his hand linger for a moment too long, and she uncertainly drew away from his cold touch.
"Arigato..." she said tentatively, unsurely, as he let his hand fall back to his side. A strand of hair fell in front of her face, and his hand twitched, itching to tuck it behind her ear.
Stop this. Do you wish to cause her death? Now you know she does not remember you. You must leave now before you do something you regret.
Without a single word, Ulquiorra turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the bewildered Orihime behind him.
Emiko and Daisuke followed him, equally confused. "Who was that, Ulquiorra-sama?" Emiko asked, glancing behind her.
"No one of importance." Ulquiorra's irritation for his two Fracción that he didn't even want had returned. He just wanted to go to his room and think about her and press the fingers she had touched to his black and white lips like a teenage human boy.
"Ya sure?" Daisuke wheedled.
"Yes." Ulquiorra couldn't stop the frustration from slipping from him.
"Yare, yare, I was just asking, Ulquiorra-sama."
"You sound like Ichimaru-sama," Emiko giggled, and poked Daisuke's back.
Again Ulquiorra took note of her use of 'sama'. Why did Ichimaru and himself deserve this when Aizen did not? It didn't make sense to him. Part of him was curious about what Aizen must have done to her to cause her to be so disrespectful to him? It must have been something bad, if she was willing to risk death or worse from him. But the other part didn't want to fraternize with them, didn't want them to think he cared about their pasts.
"Ano, Ulquiorra-sama, where are we going? I'm still hungry, you know," Daisuke whined. "Can't we just go back to the kitchens?"
"Do not expect me to feed you. If you cannot fend for yourselves that is a problem. I am not your father, nor are you a human baby that cannot fend for itself. If you are hungry, eat."
Abruptly, both Emiko and Daisuke broke into fits of giggles. Ulquiorra stopped and turned to look at both of them.
"What amuses you?" he demanded, which made them laugh harder. Positive that they had heard, and averse to repeating himself, Ulquiorra waited in a stony silence for one of them to answer.
"You talk...so funny...Ulquiorra-sama!" Daisuke gasped between giggles. At his words, they both collapsed in laughter again.
Ulquiorra didn't have the energy to be irritated by their antics. Instead, he pocketed his hands and turned without a word, letting his coattails swish behind him as he walked away from his Fracción.
The laughter stopped suddenly. There came a flurry of quick, pattering footsteps and he felt hands on his shoulders. "Aw, Ulquiorra-sama, don't be a party pooper. You're so booooring..."
"Anómino-neechan? Is that you?"
Ulquiorra looked up, and saw who Emiko was talking to. Approaching down the hall were Barragan's Fracción, Ggio Vega, as well as the blind Arrancar with the circlet who he remembered from - from that day...
Ggio nudged her, whispering to her, and her milky eyes widened. "Emiko-neechan? Is it you?"
"Yeah, it's me." Emiko tugged Daisuke's hand, and they ran up to Anómino and Ggio, letting the girls embrace. "Are you with Daisuke?" Anómino asked, and Emiko nodded cheerfully.
Ulquiorra hung back as his Fracción talked to the two newcomers. He studied the Arrancar girl who had assisted in ripping his dear Orihime away from him. She seemed frail, quiet, timid, and a little nervous and intimidated by his presence - the polar opposite of her sister, who was rude, brash, and irritating around him.
She didn't seem to be the type to wish ill upon anyone. Ulquiorra suspected that she was following the direct orders of Aizen.
On the other hand, Emiko had mentioned that she was waiting on Orihime...
He approached the group before he even realized what he was doing and stood between his Fracción and Barragan's. "Excuse me, Anómino," he said. "I was wondering if I might have a word with you. Privately."
"Um..." Anómino's sightless eyes shifted around nervously. It was obvious that she did not want to. However, she could not refuse, so she shakily nodded and followed Ulquiorra away from the group.
When he had gotten out of earshot from the other three, he turned, ignoring Daisuke's ogling stare. "You are the Arrancar in charge of Inoue Orihime, correct?" he asked her, and she nodded slowly.
"Yes, Ulquiorra-sama," she murmured almost inaudibly. She is afraid of me, he realized with a jolt.
"I will not harm you," he reassured her, and she looked up, surprised. "How is she? Ori - Inoue, I mean?"
Anómino lowered her head guiltily.
"If I speak of her to you, Ulquiorra-sama, Aizen-sama will punish me," she whispered. "He will be so very angry. And you know what he can be like when he is very angry."
"If he finds out, you can tell him it was me. Tell him I forced you to. Just please, how is she?"
Anómino shivered, and began talking very quickly. "She believes that all the Arrancar here are her family. She addresses Aizen-sama as Chichi and all the Espada as her aniki."
Ulquiorra kept his face blank as he registered this information. So she called Aizen Chichi. His heart plummeted.
"She does not remember me at all then."
Anómino shook her head. "Gomen, no, Ulquiorra-sama. My power is absolute. She has no trace of memory for you."
"Is there any way she can regain her memory?"
"Usually the memory returns when I decide to lift the spell. But this time is different. Aizen-sama locked the process so it needs his authorization to be lifted. I am so sorry. I don't like this any more than you do, sir."
"Thank you," Ulquiorra said curtly, and nodded to her - not that she could see it. He turned abruptly and walked away, hands pocketed.
"You two are dismissed for the day," he said flatly to his Fracción. "I am going to retire now."
He strode away from their boggling gazes as quickly as he could without breaking character, which was much, much harder than usual.
Just like everything in his life.
**!**
Back in his room, Ulquiorra quickly and neatly removed his hakama jacket and white sandals and lay down on his bed in just his pants and socks. He raised his hand up perpendicular to the bed and splayed his fingers, examining them where his fingers had brushed hers.
Ironic, that just a couple of days ago he was taking her kisses like spare change. And now he was relishing the brush of her fingers like it was a million dollars.
Stranger-san.
He lowered his hand and pressed his fingers to his mouth, closing his eyes and imagining he could still smell the trace of her there.
**!**
My sweet Orihime,
I saw you yesterday in the kitchen. You dropped a bottle of soy sauce and I picked it up for you. I didn't speak because I didn't want to ruin the moment. All I wanted to do was look at your sweet face for what might be the last time. But then you called me Stranger-san and I gave you the bottle and left.
You touched my fingers.
How I miss your touch, Orihime, always innocent and gentle and so loving. Pure like a lone rosebud in this wasteland desert.
After I saw you, I saw your friend Anómino. The blind one. The one who erased me from your mind. She told me that you think of Aizen as a father figure, as someone who cares deeply for you. Orihime Inoue, this delusion is so far from the truth it's almost funny. Aizen cares nothing for you. Nothing. I cannot stress this enough. He cares for no one but himself. He is trying to drive a stake between us. He is trying to turn you against me to punish me further. Please heed my warning, Onna. I am the one who loves you, and he does not want this.
Although, if I see you again, I don't know what I'll do. The longing for you is almost too great. I miss you more than you know.
-Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra laid the pen down on the desk and folded the letter carefully in on itself, leaving it on his desktop. It was still early the next day, and he was about to go and give Halibel his new letter when a knock came at the door.
Ulquiorra stowed the letter in his jacket and rose, reaching for the handle of his door and pulling it open. A frown appeared on his face when he saw Grimmjow standing there, looking disheveled. Large bruises-like shadows mottled the teal markings under his eyes, his blue hair was even more disarrayed than usual, and he basically looked like complete and utter shit.
"I kissed her," he said dully.
Ulquiorra's eyes widened.
The two men stood silently looking at each other, one dull and sick-looking and one with a shocked look on his face and a betrayed light in his eyes.
"Can I come in?" Grimmjow said eventually.
Ulquiorra stepped back silently and Grimmjow walked slowly into the room before flopping face down on Ulquiorra's bed. Ulquiorra stood with his hands in his pockets near the bottom of the bed, his expression back under control.
"Explain yourself," he ordered the blue-haired man.
"Long story short: she wanted me to train her. I said I would if she could fight me off. Then it just kind of happened."
"I want the long story now, or you get Ceroed to ash," Ulquiorra said, his voice tight.
Surprisingly, Grimmjow didn't argue.
"Well, I went to her room because Aizen wants all the 'aniki' to get to know each other. It's revolting, the way he makes us all act around her. She honestly believes we're all one big, happy family. I just feel bad for Ggio and Anómino, cause they have to keep it up all the time. Anyway, while I was there, I offered to train her. She seemed interested, so I told her if she wanted she'd have to fight me off first. Then I..." On the bed, Grimmjow physically shuddered. "I forgot that she doesn't remember getting it on with you, so I kissed her. A lot of times. She was fightin' it, though. She eventually bit me and it hurt like hell. So I backed off. I explained how it was like a real battle, and she seemed to get it, but then..." Again Grimmjow shuddered on the bed. "She seemed...I don't know, upset, and then I remembered that she thought that was her first kiss, and she started crying, and I just..." He trailed off helplessly.
Ulquiorra was lost for words.
"So I kissed her again, but not as rough, and told her to pretend that was her first kiss instead of the other one. Not that it was, though, her first kiss was definitely yours," he added dully.
Ulquiorra was rooted to the ground. It wasn't fair! It. Wasn't. Fair!
"Do whatever you want to me," Grimmjow mumbled into Ulquiorra's pillow. "Do whatever you want. I deserve it. I fucking deserve it for taking fucking advantage of her."
Ulquiorra turned away.
"I've been losing sleep over this, man," Grimmjow confessed. His fingers twitched. "I tossed and turned all night. I look like shit."
"I'm not going to do anything to you," Ulquiorra said quietly. Behind him he heard Grimmjow's head lift from the pillow in surprise, but he didn't turn around. "As long...as long as she's happy, it's okay. She's not mine to look after anymore."
Grimmjow was thankfully quiet.
"But." Ulquiorra turned around and met Grimmjow's azure gaze. "If she ever kisses you, or anyone else for that matter..."
He let the sentence hang, and Grimmjow seemed to understand.
"Let's get outta here," he said.
**!**
She looked so beautiful.
Ulquiorra stopped in the entryway, his eyes fixed on her. She was seated on a small pillow next to Aizen's throne, raised so high above everyone else. Chatting happily with him while he smiled amusedly and watched everyone below.
She was wearing a pure white kimono with black hems on the sleeves, a black obi, and a pure black circle over her heart. On her head rested a dainty circlet with a milky stone set in the center.
"She looks pretty good, but you want to keep moving," Grimmjow muttered from behind him, and Ulquiorra was brought back to earth with an unpleasant thump. "Don't want to attract Aizen's attention."
"Konnichi wa, Ulquiorra-samaaaa~"
Grimmjow began to laugh loudly as Ulquiorra was glomphed by his Fracción Daisuke. Ulquiorra tossed the annoying man off as Emiko approached, also laughing.
"Please refrain from touching me," Ulquiorra commanded.
"Hai!"
Ulquiorra looked around. Aizen had called a meeting, and so most of the Arrancar were just milling around in the room, with Aizen and Orihime up there lording it over everyone.
"Nii-san! Konnichi wa!" a melodious voice floated above their heads. Grimmjow looked up, and Ulquiorra followed his gaze to see his auburn-haired princess waving at the man standing next to him. Aizen said something to her, and she nodded excitedly. A random Arrancar lifted her down from the throne and deposited her at Grimmjow's feet.
Ulquiorra held perfectly still, aware that Aizen was watching him carefully for a reaction. Well, he was not going to give one. He would stand completely still and not think about her mesmerizing face with its pink lips and flushed cheeks. He wasn't going to think about how that white kimono hugged her body in all the right places or how her hair seemed to set her on fire. He wondered if it was still as soft as it used to be.
No, he wasn't going to think about any of that.
"Nii-san!" she yelled, just as she jumped and moved to wrap her arms around his neck. Grimmjow didn't even turn, but instead bent playfully, causing Orihime to miss. Her face morphed into shock and fear, but just as she was about to fall face first into the ground he straightened, and flipped her onto his shoulders quickly and effortlessly.
Ulquiorra's stomach twisted painfully, but he couldn't look away from the girl.
"Nii-san! Put me down! I'm going to fall!" she squealed as Grimmjow playfully jerked forwards, causing her hands to knot into his bright blue hair.
"Baaaka. Do you seriously think that I'd ever let you fall?" he asked with a smirk. Orihime giggled, then seemed to notice them and recognize them from the day in the kitchen.
"Oh! I remember you!" Orihime sais, smiling at them from her perch. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself properly last time, hajimamashite! I'm Inoue Orihime, or," Orihime paused and touched a finger to her chin thoughtfully, thinking aloud. "Is it Aizen Orihime, since that's what Chichi's last name is?"
Ulquiorra's breath caught in his throat. It was one thing to hear about it, but here, listening to Orihime's devotion to that man straight from her mouth was something completely different altogether.
"Oh! So you're Orihime! Wow! Pleased to meet you, I'm Emiko! That's my friend Daisuke, and this is Ulquiorra-sama!" Emiko said cheerfully, waving up at Orihime.
Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow, and their eyes met. Grimmjow seemed to see the request Ulquiorra was asking him, and nodded once slightly. Take her away from me, please, before I do something I regret. Take her away before she ends up dead.
"Konnichi wa Daisuke-kun, Ulquiorra-kun!" Orihime said happily. "Ne ne, Grimmjow-niisan, are they your Fracción?" she asked curiously, pulling Grimmjow's hair lightly.
He laughed, then began to walk away, Orihime swaying above him. "Later, Emospada!" he called over his shoulder as he walked away from them, still chortling, with Orihime perched on his shoulders, the latter wacking Grimmjow's head, nagging him to focus his attention on her.
Ulquiorra watched them walk away. Orihime looked back one time, but after that she focused on Grimmjow as he carried her away.
Ulquiorra looked up at Aizen to see that the man had been watching the entire interaction with his same little smile, and inside his pockets, Ulquiorra's hands curled into fists.
So what do you gais think? R&R!
Nifty: Boring...