Okay, so it's official! I'm going to update every Wednesday and Saturday! Thank you to all who voted. I hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry it's so short, but I sort of had to write it last minute... yeah. Anywho, here it is!
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"They just keep coming!" Orihime called, holding her shields up as another explosion blew up to the right. The enemy had finally figured out getting past her shield was all but impossible- so they had taken to trying to blow up the sides of the barely-intact gates to Los Noches.
Ulquiorra nodded his agreement, as he was standing just in front of her, firing cero through her shield and out to the thousands attacking. He had found that things could pass through if Orihime allowed them- and it was especially easy if you were on the same side of the shield as Orihime herself.
At one point Ulquiorra looked over at Orihime, thinking to himself that soon they would need to take a rest. The woman was strong, yes, but she had never had to keep her shields up for so long with so much attack. That, and she hated watching living things get destroyed. He could tell it was taking all of her willpower not to throw down her shields and race out to the enemy in an attempt to heal their wounded.
It didn't make her weak- it made her even stronger in his opinion. It took a lot to be able to care after being hurt so much. A weaker person wouldn't mind seeing them die. She was strong enough that she could, and he greatly admired that about her.
She was strong.
"Onna." He said suddenly, watching as she flinched when another arrancar went down.
She looked over at him in asking. "What is it?"
"We will take a break in another ten minutes." He said, looking again at her troubled eyes. She wasn't meant for the battlefield- she should have been inside, marveling at the kitchen that had just been constructed the day before, running around and babbling nonsense as she attempted to cook something.
She blinked, but then suddenly looked a little weary. "I-it's okay, Ulquiorra. I can still fight. I'm okay, really, I'm not weak at-"
"It is because you are not weak that we will take a break."
She blinked again, rabidly, obviously startled. "O-oh. Okay."
She turned back to her shields, watching as moor and more troops poured forth, trying to get past her defenses just to be taken down by her counter part. It was clear she was relieved, both because they were stopping and because of what he had said to her.
He had one minute 32 seconds left on his mind when suddenly everything on the field seemed to stop. Then, without any indication as to why, every single soldier still alive turn and ran, all at the same time.
Orihime's eye went wide, her mouth dropping open. "What… what's going on?"
"Stay here."
"What are you?"
She looked over at where he had been standing to find that he had shunpoed away, his flash step quicker than her eyes could follow. She reached out with her heart, sensing the air around them, and found his spiritual pressure on the air. She looked up at the head of the gates to see him standing there, all those meters away from the ground, watching as the enemy fled through his narrowed viridian eyes.
She didn't have to wait a moment longer until he was back at her side. "Come, woman." He said, brusquely walking back towards the palace. "They are gone."
She hurried to catch up with him, allowing her to link their hands together when she caught up, though he did raise an eyebrow at the gesture. She just smiled, cocking her head to the side.
She was so happy.
"Were do you think they went? And why?" She asked, revealing in the feel of his cool skin against her own.
"They went back to where they came from. I do not know why."
"Oh."
For a second she was quiet.
"Ulquiorra-kun, do you-"
"It is Ulquiorra." He corrected her. "Not Ulquiorra-kun."
She sighed. "Okay, Ulquiorra." Then she paused, a thought suddenly coming to her. "Hey, wait. Why do I have to call you by your name all the time, but you just call me onna? I have a name, you know." She suddenly huffed, sticking out her bottom lip and letting their hands fall apart so that she could cross her arms under her breasts. "It's Orihime."
"I know."
"Then why don't you call me that?"
For a moment, he didn't answer. The silence stretched on so long that for a second she thought he was going to ignore her, because surly he heard her.
She sighed, looking up as they entered his bedroom, opening her lips to ask him again. Before she could, he turned sharply on his heal, looking at her as he spoke.
"Your name," He began, stepping forward one pace so that he was standing directly in front of her, her back pressed against the door that had slid closed on it's own. "Is not common trash to be thrown about so carelessly."
"Wh… what?" She blinked, her cheeks starting to heat up. He was really close… and his eyes were darkening, doing that shadow-thing that she had daydreamed about so many times.
"Your name is precious." He paused, leaning forward more, until his lips were barely a breath away from her ear. "Did you not know this, Orihime?"
She felt her breath stick in her throat, her whole face going tomato red with embarrassment. She shouldn't have been so worked up over him just saying her name, but the way he said it…
She peaked up at him, still blushing madly, and smiled. "Oh, uh, thank you, um, U-Ul-quiorra." She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't know."
His hands left his pockets and then rose so that he could brace them on ether side of the door, looking at her intently. "Everything about you is something valued. Do not forget that."
She didn't say anything, for once finding she had no words. She was confused. But she knew what he was saying. But she didn't? It was all so confusing!
"Especially your name." Now he was leaning nearer, his nose delicately brushing over the tip of her own. His eyes flickered down to her mouth, his breath warm against the skin there. "And your lips."
She felt her heart leap up into her throat when his lips lightly made contact with her own, her stomach quivering as butterflies were sent flying all through her system. She smiled into the kiss, suddenly not so embarrassed now that it was actually happening, and wrapped her arms up around his neck.
He pulled back suddenly, though, to her disappointment. His eyes narrowed, and then his aura grew dark. "What is it?" She asked, looking up at him in confusion.
He looked back down into her eyes, suddenly looking very lost and full of sadness. "He's here." Ulquiorra said, and though his voice was its usually monotone, she could just barely detect something akin to sickness in his voice. "For you."
She felt her brow furrow, confusion bubbling up inside of her like a spring. "Who?"
"The shinigami boy."
Orihime felt herself start, and then sent her own senses out. And yes, there, in the distance she could feel Ichigo's spiritual pressure, along with Rukia's.
Suddenly it felt like it had back then, when she had been waiting for rescue, and had fleetingly realized that she didn't want it anymore. She realized that maybe even back then she had loved him. And now he was here to take her back to the human world, away from Ulquiorra, just like he had last time.
Ulquiorra gently moved her away from the door, placing her in the exact spot he had last time he had left her cell on his way to intercept the intruders. She felt dejavu overwhelm her senses, and then watched again as he opened the door to leave.
She didn't want him to leave, though, she wanted him to stay with her. She wasn't hesitant this time, she wasn't unsure. She didn't want history to repeat itself in anyway. No.
She wouldn't let it happen again.
"Wait."
He stopped, turning to look at her over his shoulder, wearily.
"Don't go out there." She said, eyes brimming with tears. "Please… not again. I… I don't want you to leave. I don't want to leave…"
His eyes softened, and as he closed the door, Orihime could have sworn he wore what may have been the shadow of a smile.
"Ulquiorra?" She blinked away her tears, emotions declining from their rapid rise.
"Hm?"
"Would you…?"
He heard her question before she asked it. "I will stay, with you, woman."
With a booming smile springing to her face, she launched forward and wrapped her arms around him, her face snuggling into his chest. "… Thank you."
It didn't take him quit so long as it had used to adjusting to the hug that time. He returned it, smoothing down her hair, analyzing her with mild curiosity. "It is no bother."
"Ulquiorra?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
He didn't even hesitate to respond. "And I you, Onna."
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Again. Sorry it's so short, but I have places to be tomorrow. Early. I'm waking up at 5 am, and I think it's time I admit I'm not a morning person. At. All. So yep. I hope to see reviews, as always, I'm very much addicted to those things. I will reply to all the previous ones over the weekend! Thank you all again!