Orihime awoke to the sound of a phone buzzing incessantly beyond her room. She fell back asleep as soon as it stopped, but was once again roused with the chiming of yet another call. It was 5 o'clock in the morning.
'Is that Ulquiorra's phone?' she yawned while she climbed out of bed, 'Seems odd for him to miss a call.'
Upon leaving her room and finding the device ringing persistently on the kitchen table with a third call, she noticed that her dark-haired roommate was nowhere to be seen. She peeked around the corner at his closed bedroom door and looked for signs of life, but it seemed Ulquiorra had stepped out and left his phone behind.
At the fourth dial, she couldn't help but take a peek. The caller ID read 'Trash Manager'.
'Manager?' She mentally skipped over the 'trash' bit, "It must be important if they're calling so much instead of leaving a text," she said to herself, "I'm sure Ulquiorra won't mind if I take a message…"
She picked up the phone, but as soon as she swiped to answer–
"What took you so long to answer your phone?!" an angry, masculine voice yelled.
"S-sorry!" She fumbled, pulling the phone away from her ear momentarily while she lowered the volume. "U-Ulquiorra stepped out and must've forgotten his phone. I can take a message for him…"
"Who is th– Never mind! Tell Ulquiorra that the location for today has changed. Write this down–"
Orihime scrambled to find a pen, quickly pulling all the kitchen drawers out until she found one. "O-okay! You said… Shibuya…" She quickly jotted down the address on the back of her hand, pinning the phone between her ear and shoulder. She repeated it back to confirm that she had written it correctly.
"Alright, gotta go. God, this is a pain in my as–" the caller hung up.
She finally felt that she could breathe once the overstimulating call had ended.
"Woman."
"A-ah! You surprised me!" She clutched his phone against her chest and placed her other hand over her adrenaline-stricken heart.
But her heart had no chance to recover.
Ulquiorra had returned from what she assumed was the gym because of the towel and water bottle he carried. He wore a very tight, black mock neck compression shirt that hugged his thin waist, followed every dip and curve of his muscles, and rode up just slightly above his hardened lower abdominals. Her eyes trailed down to his heather gray sweatpants that were struggling to maintain a hold on his hips and even more to contain the bulge of his–
"You have my phone," a deep, masculine voice sliced through her perverted thoughts, pulling her out of a trance.
"Y-y-yes!" She scrambled trying to hand it back to him, "I mean– I– you–"
Ulquiorra placed his things down on the table and his hands reclaimed their usual position inside his pockets, causing the fabric to tighten and accentuate the shape of his crotch. He knew it would do that, of course, despite the unchanging, stoic expression he outwardly displayed. But it was obvious what Orihime's eyes had settled onto since his arrival. He inwardly smirked when his female roommate responded to his subtle tease with an intense, red blush.
"Get a hold of yourself, woman. It's getting quite annoying."
"R-right," she cleared her throat awkwardly and averted her gaze, "I woke up because your phone was ringing nonstop so I answered thinking it might be something important."
He raised an eyebrow, urging her to continue.
"They didn't tell me their name but they said the location changed…" Orihime said unsurely as she handed his phone back to him, "Err… manager?"
She showed him her hand where she wrote the information and he closed his eyes, sighing. Without another word, Ulquiorra turned on his heel and headed towards his room when Orihime reached out to grasp at the hem of his shirt. He stopped in his tracks.
"Wait, Ulquiorra," Orihime said in a small voice, her eyes boring into the back of his head, "Do you want to… talk about what happened Saturday night? Is it something I did? Is it because I said we're frie–"
"No." He interjected, pulling away from her.
Orihime winced as he slammed his bedroom door shut, her hand still reaching out from where he had just stood.
This day was supposed to be Orihime's first day back at the daycare. Unable to go back to sleep with her mind still anxiously reeling with thoughts of her green-eyed landlord, she was not in the mental space to be taking care of young children.
The day after he returned from his night out, he had barricaded himself in his room and refused to come out. She tried to coax him into eating something, but her efforts were only met with silence. Eventually, she had to give up. The possibility that he was upset with her was unsettling so she felt the ever present need to rectify the issue. After giving him some space, she thought he would be ready to explain what had happened, but he seemed far from it.
Determined to not leave her friend to wallow in solitude, she developed a plan during the rest of her hours spent in bed waiting for Ulquiorra to leave for work.
…
"Sorry, Urahara-san!"
Orihime bowed deeply, careful to not tip Grimmjow upside-down in her arms.
"My, my. What's the matter, Inoue-san?" Kisuke motioned with his fan for her to raise her head from where she stood at the entrance of his daycare.
"Something came up that I absolutely must prioritize," she bit down on her lip as she said this.
"Orihime-chan?" A feminine voice called from within the building.
"Is that you, Nel-chan?"
A certain teal-haired woman stepped out from behind Kisuke.
"Orihime-chan!"
Nel was fully intending to propel herself into Orihime's arms, but managed to halt on one foot just before crushing the azure-haired baby in her arms, "Oh? Who do we have here?"
"His name is Grimmjow!"
Nel gestured for Orihime to pass the baby to her and she immediately smooshed her face against his chubby cheeks, "Oh my gosh. He smells so nice!" she inhaled deeply, nuzzling her nose into his soft hair. The child mewled in response, hardly complaining at the sudden presence of a new female figure.
Kisuke, who had been standing back to allow the girls their reunion, prompted, "You won't be with us today, Inoue-san?"
Orihime shook her head and gave him an apologetic smile, "No, but I promise I'll work tomorrow I just…" she shuffled her feet, unsure if she should disclose what she was about to do. Kisuke hid a smile behind his open fan and hummed to himself in amusement.
"Is it about Ulquiorra Cifer-san?"
She blushed, averting her eyes to the ground. It was embarrassing for her to admit out loud that the reason she was skipping a day of work was for a boy, but she was just so anxious. It was in her very nature to be empathetic so whenever she saw someone in distress, it made her feel the same way.
He nodded knowingly, "We can look after Grimmjow-kun for the day."
Nel squealed with excitement, squeezing the baby in a tight hug just enough to make him grunt in discomfort.
"Thank you, Urahara-san!" Orihime hurriedly bounded off the porch and turned to wave at the three, "I'll be back!"
Kisuke and Nel exchanged inquisitive looks, synchronizing an exhale once the auburn-haired girl left their line of sight.
Witnessing the beginnings of a blossoming love was sometimes awkward as much as it was exhilarating.
"Go get him, Inoue-san."
…
Seven train stops and a quick purchase at a nearby cafe later, Orihime stood in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Shibuya prefecture. Swarms of people avoided colliding into her as she stared upwards in the middle of the pathway, gaping at a towering structure that the address on her hand led her to. It seemed to be a multi-complex office building, but unfortunately for her, Ulquiorra's manager must have accidentally forgotten to tell her the floor and unit number, so she had to resort to inquiring with the front desk.
"How may I help you?" The lady greeted her cordially.
"Umm, you see, I'm looking for someone, but I don't exactly know where he's at," Orihime laughed lightly, sending her an apologetic look before continuing, "His name is Ulquiorra Cifer? Does that ring a bell?"
The woman's face lit up like an excited teenage girl as quickly as it fell into a middle-aged woman's scowl, "Yes, do you have business with him?" She spoke tersely through gritted teeth all of sudden.
"W-well, no… not exactly–"
"I'm afraid he doesn't take visitors."
"Oh, err… well, can you just call him at least?"
The receptionist exhaled loudly in exasperation, an annoyed expression evident on her face.
Unbeknownst to Orihime, the front desk lady had dealt with enough of Ulquiorra Cifer's admirers. They always came in with some sort of excuse like providing lunch but never with an invitation. After various dramatic scenes involving broken hearts and downright stalking incidents, Ulquiorra made it clear to all the employees that he would no longer be accepting visitors. The front desk lady was pleased to comply with his demands if it meant decreasing competition since she also had a crush on the dark, handsome, and mysterious man like the many other women in the building.
So, when a certain naturally gorgeous, auburn-haired woman walked in asking to see the man of her dreams, she couldn't help but release a menacing aura.
"Just letting you know for your sake, ma'am," she responds nonchalantly as she holds the phone up to her ear and dials a number, "He's probably not going to say yes."
Orihime laughed lightly with mild irritation at her tone but shrugged it off.
"Yes, this is reception," the lady spoke into the phone, "There is a girl looking for Ulquiorra Cifer-san–" she pulled the phone away from her mouth, speaking directly to Orihime now, "Sorry, what was your name?"
"Orihime Inoue."
"An 'Orihime Inoue'," she relayed into the phone. The receptionist motioned to Orihime to give her a minute while she's put on hold. A few seconds later...
"Yes? Sorry, can you please repeat that?" The receptionist's eyes grew wide with surprise once the call had resumed, "Y-yes! Right away, sir!" Ending the call, she got up from her seat and came around to Orihime's side while gawking at her with an incredulous expression, "Follow me please."
Orihime couldn't help but feel a smug smile tugging at her lips as she squared her shoulders and followed after her.
The receptionist escorted her up the elevator and through some halls, her shocked expression transforming to a dagger-like glare that was occasionally directed over her shoulder at Orihime. The young nanny nervously avoided making eye contact, feigning interest at the various offices and studios they passed by.
"Are you the one who answered Cifer-san's phone this morning?"
Startled by the sudden confrontation, Orihime looked at her as she replied, "Yes, I am. H-how did you know–"
Orihime was cut off by a rush of chaotic footsteps and voices heading towards them from both the front and back. She turned around to retreat to where they came from, but was immediately ambushed by a crowd of overly-excited female office workers.
"Hey! Are you Cifer-san's new girlfriend?"
"How come you answered his phone for him?"
"What's your name?"
"Who are you to Cifer-san!?"
"W-we're just friends!" Orihime attempted to pacify the crowd, but her answer only riled them up further. The front desk lady was nowhere to be seen, having long since escaped to leave her to fend for herself. The group from the other side had caught up, also demanding answers from the young woman.
"Friends?!" one shrieked.
"Ulquiorra Cifer-san doesn't make friends!"
"How long have you been seeing each other?!"
"You must be the reason why he doesn't contact any of us anymore!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Orihime's cry was in vain.
Overwhelmed by insistent interrogations coming from every direction, Orihime bowed her way out of the crowd, "Sorry! Excuse me! Sorry!" As soon as she wedged her way out, she ran for it. Not knowing exactly where she was going, she rushed into the nearest, unlocked space once she lost sight of the mob.
The room she found herself in seemed to be a small broom closet so she turned off the light, went to the corner, and hunkered down, but before she could even relax, the door had reopened and shut just as quickly as someone else entered the space. With her eyes still adjusting to the darkness, she could make out what looked to be a slightly taller figure leaning against the wall, not even a foot away from her. She held her breath and remained still thinking it would be awkward to reveal herself to someone who thought they were alone until the figure released a deep, baritone sigh she had grown familiar with.
"Ulquiorra? What are you doing he– mmph!"
He rapidly closed the short distance between them, clamping a hand over her mouth as he spun her around and held her tightly against his form.
"Remain silent," he whispered harshly into her ear.
His hand muffled her startled gasp when she heard more voices from beyond the door.
"Where'd that girl go?!"
"I want to ask her what her relationship with Cifer-san is!"
"Where's Cifer-san? I just saw him…"
"Oh my God! Are they together right now?!"
"Is she the reason why Cifer-san hasn't been returning our texts?"
"I have so many questions!"
"Keep looking for them!"
They waited with bated breaths until the crowd of footsteps faded. Ulquiorra's hand was still cupped over Orihime's mouth, her back pressed tightly against him. Just when they thought they were in the clear, Orihime tensed when she heard another pair of footsteps outside the door and lost her footing due to the awkward angle and cramped space. She reflexively leaned further into Ulquiorra for support, enveloped by the heat of his body. Her irritated companion let out a low hiss of discomfort from her weight.
A few more seconds passed and Ulquiorra lowered his hand from her face as they unanimously sighed in relief. The reprieve didn't last long though as she felt his hot breath skim over her bare neck. Before she could move away, she felt his fingers drag upwards her sleeve, his head lowering slightly to press his nose into her hair. Her eyes grew wide. Was he… smelling her?
Orihime stiffened when she felt him shift over, his warm lips grazing the shell of her ear while his fingers slid down her arms to rest at her hips. Heat erupted from her core and she stifled a whimper, reflexively tilting her head to the side as he angled his chin even lower, his nose brushing against the side of her neck.
He was close. So close. She could feel his heart thumping against her back. She worried for a moment that he could hear hers. His hands pulled her in by the hips and she had to raise a hand to her mouth to bite down on a knuckle when she felt the full length of his erection pressing into her rear, throbbing with need. Need for her. His desire sang to her and her body responded in kind. Her knees began to tremble; she shut her eyes tight, desperate for control over her raging lust. His gentle touch was stimulating something from within her that she was afraid she couldn't control.
"U-Ulquiorra, we can't… do this here." She was surprised at how raspy her voice came out.
"Then where should we… do this?" he murmured huskily against her neck.
Before she could respond, the door had abruptly swung open and the lights turned on.
"There you are Cifer-sa– ah?"
Orihime immediately pushed herself off of Ulquiorra, sending him ungracefully to the floor like a sack of rice, knocking the wind out of his lungs with a small 'oof'. The man standing at the doorway, glaring down at Ulquiorra, was a few inches taller and had straight, chin-length black hair. A pair of rectangular glasses sat upon his sharp nose; silver-blue eyes pinned down the other male sprawled on the ground as he crossed his arms over his chest with judgment.
The man frowned in disappointment, "Cifer-san, didn't we talk about you messing around at the workplace?" he chided.
"N-n-no, this isn't– I'm not–!" Orihime sputtered, red-faced and flustered, her mouth jumbling over words and waving her hands in the air in a panic. She absolutely had no intention of getting Ulquiorra in trouble at his workplace.
"Don't misunderstand," Ulquiorra stood up, patting his clothes neatly into place as he explained, nonplussed, "This is my roommate. It seems the chaos you've created has also driven her into this closet."
The bespectacled man narrowed his eyes at him.
"Well, I apologize for that but when it comes to you, you have quite the paparazzi. It's difficult to hide anything from them. Especially in this building we frequent." He paused, sighing before asking, "A roommate? Since when did you get one of those?"
"Over a week ago."
The man lifted a finger to reposition his glasses while giving Ulquiorra a skeptical look. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets, his frowning expression showing no signs of deceit. The taller man hummed to himself with intrigue.
Orihime had remained silent during the brief exchange, quietly observing the interaction between the two dark-haired men with a mix of curiosity and amusement. So when the blue-eyed stranger turned to her direction, she was startled out of her reverie and quickly brought back into attention.
"So what brings you here, Miss…"
"Inoue. Orihime Inoue," she bowed slightly toward him. He returned the gesture.
"Well, what brings you here, Inoue-san?"
She sheepishly shows him a brown paper shopping bag, "I brought lunch for him. He hasn't been eating lately so I wanted to… umm…," she blushed, fretting over her choice of words with the spotlight on her. "I brought donuts for everyone, too! I didn't know how many coworkers he would have, though, so I only bought a dozen…"
"I see," he replied, refraining from rolling his eyes at his fellow coworker. He was all too familiar with the inconveniences of Ulquiorra's womanizing habits and the lengths women would go for an ounce of his attention. This girl must be no exception. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, Inoue-san, but Cifer-san won't be free for a while longer. If you'd like, you can wait."
"Oh, that's perfectly fine!" she laughed lightly, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, "It's my fault for coming unannounced after all. Here you can take the donuts with you."
While watching the two exchange words with smiles and laughter, Ulquiorra's mood soured. But then he immediately sobered up realizing this was his opportunity to sneak away for a bit of privacy after the morning drama. He turned on his heel and didn't even walk two steps past his colleague when a finger hooked onto his shirt collar, forcibly preventing his escape.
"Ulquiorra Cifer-san." The taller man ground out every syllable of his name like a mother about to lecture their troublemaking son.
Ulquiorra turned his head around slowly to face him. His coworker released his collar and crossed his arms over his chest, a vein throbbing at his temple in irritation, "Don't think you can avoid this photoshoot, Cifer."
Wait, what? Photoshoot? Orihime blinked, her eyes darted between the two dark-haired men, "Photoshoot? Ulquiorra, are you a celebrity or something?"
"Oh? He hasn't told you what he does for a living?" The confusion melted off his face to give way to a more congenial, almost customer service tone as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose once more, "Oh! How rude of me! I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Ishida Uryuu. I'm Ulquiorra's modeling agent."
"And manager," Ulquiorra added blandly, "He's a masochist who loves working to an unhealthy degree."
Uryuu shot him a glare, "The same goes for you, Cifer."
"Modeling?!" she nearly screeched, her jaw suddenly heavy on the ground. She gave Ulquiorra a long look.
The guy wasn't impressively tall – about average height. However, he was handsome and constantly exuded a mysterious and sexy aura. He had clear, pale, porcelain-like skin that both men and women could only dream of achieving on their best days. With a thin waist and angular muscles, his silhouette was almost androgynous. Coupled with high cheekbones, a chiseled jaw, and vivid emerald green eyes... It all made sense to her.
Ulquiorra gave her a contemptuous look, her stare prompting his need to clarify, "I'm a simple commercial model, not a runway model."
"A very popular one at that," Uryuu added with pride.
"I'm surprised you aren't one yourself, Ishida-san!" Orihime commented innocently, "You're tall and handsome!"
Uryuu's cheeks turned a faint pink as he chuckled, somewhat shy, "That's very kind of you, Inoue-san, but I'm afraid I have a bit too much stage fright for it."
"No way! That's a shame–"
Ulquiorra scoffed, interrupting their idle chatter. Uryuu gave the auburn-haired woman a rueful expression before he checked the time on his wristwatch.
"I'm sorry to end this so abruptly, but we really must go, Inoue-san. Cifer-san has wasted enough time."
'Even though he's the one flirting,' Ulquiorra mentally quipped, irritation bubbling from underneath his calm demeanor.
Ulquiorra let out a small grunt in complaint as Uryuu pushed him out of the broom closet. He had not been looking forward to that day's assignment and the morning drama accompanied by the presence of his female roommate at his workplace only dampened whatever enthusiasm he would have had. He felt the beginnings of a headache forming at his temples.
Uryuu peeped his head back into the closet, his attention directed at Orihime who remained standing there awkwardly, "There's an available green room just around the corner on the right where you can wait. I'll come get you when Cifer-san is on break."
…
"Okay, good job, everyone! Take five!"
Ulquiorra released a deep exhale as he relaxed his posture and made his way towards his manager standing next to some cameras. Uryuu held out a water bottle for him which he gladly took.
"Any idea how much longer?" Ulquiorra asked.
Uryuu shrugged and rolled his eyes, "You know how the director is. Kurotsuchi-san has another 'vision'," he air-quoted, "and is determined to see it through. It's unfortunate how famous his work is, otherwise, I wouldn't be tolerating his shenanigans."
Ulquiorra fidgeted with his collar as Uryuu spoke, his absentminded gaze wandering throughout the studio.
"Is this about that girl, Orihime Inoue-san?"
Ulquiorra's wide green eyes snapped to him upon hearing her name, but he quickly regained his stoic composure before replying, "No. I'm just ready to go home." But then after a few seconds, he followed up with a question, "Is she still there?"
Uryuu took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, sighing, "Yes, but I suppose I can have her observe. She's been waiting long enough."
"That won't be necessary."
Uryuu lifted an eyebrow, watching the pale man before him uncharacteristically shuffle his feet, his darkened lips forming a thin line.
"What? It's not like you're modeling underwear this time." Uryuu put his glasses back on and narrowed his eyes, further scrutinizing the man before him, "Wait. Don't tell me you actually care for this girl?"
Ulquiorra's brow furrowed, "No. She simply has responsibilities at the house that are of higher priority than being here. I would, however, like to ask her why she had come unannounced."
"Good," was all his manager-agent replied to his excuse.
Ulquiorra frowned — the intonation of Uryuu's curt response had not gone unnoticed. Without another word, his manager had gone on his way to retrieve the woman before Ulquiorra could make any more excuses to not bring her to the floor. A nearby voice beckoned him to come back on set, ending the short break.
Returning to the set, Ulquiorra couldn't shake off his glimpse of Uryuu's eager smile that he caught right as he turned away from him.
…
Orihime had been waiting in the green room for what felt like hours when Uryuu reappeared.
"Sorry for the long wait, Inoue-san." He gave her a soft smile and checked his watch, "It's well-past lunch time, but I hope you aren't too hungry. This project is taking quite a bit of time."
"That's okay!" Orihime shook her head and looked at him with renewed determination, "I can continue waiting for him however long it takes."
Uryuu sighed. He had heard that line countless times from various women in the same predicament. It was a shame a woman of this beauty had fallen prey to Ulquiorra's monstrous, disturbing habits.
Though, somehow, Ulquiorra's roommate seemed to be an exception because he allowed her in. And the way his usually placid demeanor changed when it came to the young woman was intriguing... Ulquiorra almost seemed more animated. More… emotional?
"No need." He handed her a form, "You just need to sign this Non-Disclosure Agreement and I can take you to where he is."
Orihime blinked up at him in confusion, but signed it nonetheless, her curiosity trumping any reservations towards the offer. Shel didn't mean to be an inconvenience, but it would be dishonest if she said she didn't want to see Ulquiorra in action.
"Just as a forewarning though,the director, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, has a bit of an… eccentric taste when it comes to his editorials. Though this one is relatively mild."
Orihime nodded, unsure of what to think of the tip.
They walked out of the green room and into the studio,But when once she passing the myriads of cameras, the overly-bright stage lighting, and bustling crew, but when she was able to settle her eyes on the man she was searching for, she felt Uryuu's warning was a massive understatement.
At the center of the stage stood Ulquiorra, posed provocatively on a lone wooden chair; pale and unmoving like a marble statue at an art exhibit. He wore a loosely-fitted business suit – his baggy pants nearly hanging off his hips and his white button-down shirt completely open, exposing every alabaster muscle from his neck down to the waistband of his pants. A black untied tie draped loosely over his shoulders. In his hand was a gorgeous glass bottle of cologne whose brand Orihime didn't recognize. Dark, ebony locks of hair messily strewn over his emerald eyes, reminiscent of post-sex bedhair. Except for his half-lidded gaze, the rest of his features remained impassive, but he still exuded raw, masculine allure.
"He looks magnificent," Orihime whispered aloud, mesmerized. She clasped her hands together, excited to see her friend at work.
Uryuu chuckled beside her, crossing his arms over his chest, "Interesting, isn't it? Did you know that appealing to the female gaze essentially boosts sales for male-targeted products far better than other methods? Kurotsuchi is a genius. Albeit an insane one."
Ulquiorra's gaze momentarily wandered mid-pose and landed on Orihime to which he immediately faltered and nearly fell out of the chair before he caught himself.
"Tsk!" A man, who was wearing a bright, yellow onesie with a face covered in black and white paint, clicked his tongue in clear annoyance, "Again!" His sun-shaped hoodie did nothing to warm the atmosphere.
"That's Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Uryuu informed her in a whisper, "He's a major commercial director for big name brands. He's Ulquiorra's one-way ticket into fame." Orihime nodded in acknowledgement, taking another curious glance at the eccentric man.
A few more pictures were taken in quick succession with swift, yet crisp transitions from pose to pose. Mayuri barked out harsh commands every so often at which Ulquiorra would flawlessly execute. Orihime could tell he was a natural at his job.
After another hour of photos and a promotional video, they had finally called for a short intermission. To Ulquiorra's embarrassment, Orihime bounced over to him, clapping with glee.
"Good work! You're so amazing, Ulquiorra!" She cheered as she handed him a cotton towel.
Ulquiorra took it with hesitation, averting his gaze as he dabbed the sweat off his neck and being careful to not disturb the light layer of makeup they had applied to counter the glare of the bright lights on his pale skin. He looked to the side where some of the female crew were huddled together, whispering furiously with each other while shooting menacing glares in their direction.
He motioned towards the paper bag hanging from Orihime's arm.
"Let's go somewhere more private."
…
They had returned to the green room where Orihime was in earlier. Even though Orihime lived with Ulquiorra, being alone with him in a different setting made her feel a little jumpy. The atmosphere was palpable as they silently snacked on their sandwiches and pastries. Maybe it was because he was currently sitting across from her on a sofa with his steely-eyed glare boring holes into her. She could only keep her eyes on her food lest she burst into flames from making eye contact.
"Where is the child?" He finally asked, only for the off-chance that the woman did him the favor of relieving him of the spawn. Not that he had any expectations she would.
Orihime jumped in her seat at his voice, nearly dropping her donut and struggling to recover. Ulquiorra sighed at her antics, unamused.
"I dropped him off at Urahara-san's," she said as a matter-of-fact before shoving the entire donut into her mouth and swallowing it all in one breath. "Perks of being a daycare worker."
"And why are you here, woman?" He asked monotonously.
Orihime put her scraps away and cleared her throat, preparing for the inevitable. .
"We need to talk. About what happened last weekend. About what you said… It's been bothering me. I can't live with you if you…" her voice began to quake as it trailed off, "...if you hate me."
"I don't… dislike you," he replied, not entirely sure of how he felt about her at that moment.
Orihime's eyes widened slightly at the hesitation of his word choice and she began to nervously chew on her bottom lip. She willed herself to sound more confident, "If there's anything I need to do or if there's anything I can do–"
"There isn't," he answered quickly, eyes downcast as he took another bite of his sandwich.
How could he confess to her that he was unable to provide her the answer she's looking for because of his inability to put such novel emotions into words? It was moments like this that made him feel infantile. Immature. When it came to the woman, every experience was new. Every emotion… intimidating.
Hate? Dislike?
Yes, he might have agreed with that in the beginning, however, the emotions now gnawing at his insides were far more complex than that. Resentment towards her throwing his easy life into chaos. Longing to satisfy his sexual needs – a desire so strong, it made him physically ill from just the thought of attempting to quell it with anyone but Orihime Inoue. Frustration in being unable to do so even with her being at arm's length. Anger towards himself for holding back; for caring. Protecting her from the likes of him.
Ulquiorra's internal struggles had not gone amiss from Orihime's perspective. She could see it in his eyes; that refusal to connect with her for more than a second, the hard set of his dark lips and knitted brow. She shook her head slowly, denying his answer.
"You don't have to tell me now, but I'll be there for you when you're ready." She paused, quietly inhaling and exhaling knowing she was about to ask something bold, "You don't have to answer if you feel like I'm pushing the boundaries but… are you having withdrawals?"
Ulquiorra locked eyes with her and that was when she truly saw the deep, purple indents underneath his eyes as proof of his troubled sleep.
"I can't help you in that department," she continued, sparing Ulquiorra the opportunity to answer, "but… I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make your days easier so you can rest."
"I doubt there is anything you can do, woman," he deadpanned.
She smiled cheekily at him, "Have dinner with me. And Grimmjow. Every night. If work allows, of course."
He sighed in exasperation, "If your plan is to mentally exhaust me into unconsciousness–"
"No!" she flails her hands around and huffs, "Let's just start there, okay? Promise? There's nothing like sleep after some good food and company. And afterwards, let me try something. They tell me I've got 'healing hands'," she says as she opens and closes her fists in the air in a grasping motion.
Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow questioningly but eventually nodded in agreement, curiosity driving him to discover what she had in mind.
He would ask, but he couldn't deny the perversion invading his imagination at the opportunity presented, and was aware that by making the woman voice it, it could cause her to rethink and retract the offer. Her previous statements had only implied that she wouldn't have sex with him but perhaps there were other activities she had in mind that she wouldn't find as… improper between friends.
"If work allows," he muttered, masking the eagerness in his voice.
…
After "lunch", Orihime had no reason to stay so Uryuu and Ulquiorra helped her sneak past the crew and out the building to avoid any more unwanted drama.
It was about mid-afternoon when she arrived back at Kisuke's to pick up Grimmjow. Nel and Kisuke adored him, eager to watch over him again whenever Orihime needed some relief.
She arrived home exhausted from running around with little sleep but the young nanny couldn't rest just yet. By the time she got Grimmjow settled in, fed and took Yammy out, put Grimmjow down for a nap, freshened up, and made dinner, Ulquiorra had returned home before she could sit down.
"Welcome home!" She took off her apron as she walked towards him at the genkan, "What would you like to do first? Shower? Dinner? Or–"
"Shower," Ulquiorra cut her off before she could finish the cliche and immediately went to his room, shutting the door and locking it behind him.
Orihime giggled mischievously. She wasn't planning on saying the last part anyway.
The live-in nanny decided to take it easy by preparing curry rice. Once Ulquiorra returned, they talked about the rest of the work day and how his manager/agent, Uryuu, wouldn't stop pestering him with questions about Orihime. As well as the countless women who made it difficult for him to leave work with his sanity intact. Grimmjow, fully enjoying the additional company during meal time, playfully clapped in his bouncer next to their feet, kicking at Yammy whenever he came too close to lick at his toes.
Ulquiorra had just begun to take their dirty plates to the sink for him to wash when Orihime received a call.
'Rukia-chan?' Her mind began to race.
Orihime's heart couldn't help but squeeze painfully in her chest, and whatever conversation she was having with her dark-haired roommate came to a hard stop.
What could she be calling her for? Seeing the woman's name again brought up unwanted memories. Despair pierced through the enchantment that was her makeshift family, shattering the dream into a million pieces and bringing her back to the harsh reality that she had lost the one man she had truly loved and she was alone to pick up the pieces. And the woman she had lost him to was now requesting her attention.
She didn't hate Rukia. Orihime didn't hate anyone. But the wounds from her messy breakup were fresh. Though she had experienced many unfortunate events in her life, her pure and undying love for Ichigo was still an open, bleeding wound that had yet to heal. And unlike her late brother who will never come back to life, she still held the delusion that she could and would still dedicate her life and her loyalty to a married man for as long as they both lived.
She promised five lifetimes.
Ulquiorra noticed immediately that the atmosphere had become tense and heavy, but more importantly, he saw anxiety withinOrihime's eyes as she stared blankly at her unanswered phone.
The raven-haired roommate turned the sink off, dried his hands, and pried the phone out of Orihime's trembling fingers.
"Yo! Orihime-cha–"
"You've reached the phone of Orihime Inoue."
Orihime jolted forward, caught off guard hearing her full name in Ulquiorra's sultry, baritone voice.
"Haa? And to whom am I speaking with? I would like to speak with Orihime Inoue!" The demanding feminine voice on the other end of the line came off to Ulquiorra as a tiny grandma trying to act punk.
"The woman is…" Ulquiorra's gaze slid over to the woman next to him who was frantically gesturing with her hands to give her the phone, "One moment."
"I-It's okay, Ulquiorra! I can talk to her!" Orihime whispered fiercely. Ulquiorra handed the phone back to her and she muted the receiver with her hand while she breathed in and out slowly to help calm her nerves.
"This is Orihime."
"Orihime-chan! Long time no talk!"
Orihime threw in a light laugh, balling her free hand into a fist in an effort to control their trembling. "It has been a while, hasn't it, Rukia-chan?" Ulquiorra had decided it might be best to give her some space now that she had started conversing and resumed cleaning up the kitchen.
"Ichigo told me you guys bumped into each other the other week and talked about getting together and catching up, but you haven't called!" Rukia's voice held an edge of disappointment, "I apologize if this isn't a good time…"
"Not at all, Rukia-chan! I just got a little carried away and forgot to call, that's all," her voice was coming out raspy. Desperate to maintain her act, she sipped on her glass of water.
"Carried away with… Oh, right! Congrats on becoming a mother!"
Orihime spit out her water, spraying it all over the table. Ulquiorra threw a judging glare over his shoulder before shaking his head and returning his attention to the sink.
"Y-y-yeah about that, Rukia-chan… Grimmjow isn't my baby."
"Wait, what? Hey!" Orihime could tell Rukia had pulled the phone away from her face in the next moment to yell at Ichigo for telling her the wrong information. She heard a dull thunk and a 'yowch!', a few curses between the two. "Sorry about that. I guess Ichigo was quick to make assumptions, huh?"
"No worries! It's my fault for not correcting him right away…"
"Then that lad who answered your phone? Is he your boyfriend?"
"Umm..." Orihime's voice drifted off as she looked over at her roommate, currently elbow deep in suds with his back towards her.
"...Yep!" She winced, immediately regretting it.
The auburn-haired woman wasn't a liar and yet here she was, pathetically saving face because she didn't want Ichigo to find out how low she had fallen.
"I thought so! Ichigo said he's not good news, though, but I'm willing to bet he's the one that provoked him. How did you folks meet? Why do you have a baby together?"
"I-It's a long story… I can tell you all about it when we meet, how about that?"
"Sure, when is a good time for you?"
"Hmm… I'm free this Saturday."
"As am I! Good! Sounds like a plan."
After the two women said their goodbyes, Orihime hung up the phone and sighed. A huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.
It certainly felt strange to Orihime to act like they were old friends again. The short-haired, petite woman was not only an old classmate and friend, but she was now the wife to a man she still loved. But she supposed it was for the best. It was a part of moving on… right? Forgive and forget? As much as she loved Ichigo, she was glad that it was Rukia.
The reality of the situation began to sink in and the gloom loomed over her with a vengeance.
She barely had the nerve to answer the phone and speak normally. How was she going to hold up a facade of indifference in-person? If the newlywed couple did so much as anything with a semblance of affection– she might just faint.
And now she had to fake a relationship with her roommate? They could barely maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds and, not to mention, she didn't even ask Ulquiorra if he'd be willing to help her out! It would only confirm Ichigo and Rukia's suspicions if he didn't comply and prove himself worthy of her.
Her head began to spin. Orihime wasn't cut out for things like lying and pretending.
"Woman."
That's right. Ulquiorra Cifer. He was a rock. He could be her rock to lean on.
"U-Ulquiorra!" She stood up with force, knocking her chair back. She grasped his slender wrists, her sparkling brown eyes locked onto his, "Be my rock!"
"...Huh?" Ulquiorra furrowed his brow.
Orihime shook her head, "I mean, I need you to come with me when I meet with Kurosaki-kun and his wife this weekend."
"Absolutely not." The young bachelor had yet to completely give up on attempting to satisfy his sexual urges with weekend one night stands.
"Please?" She begged, her hands tightening around his wrists ever so slightly as she leaned in, closing the distance between their noses. His skin where she had made contact began to tingle and he was feeling an unfamiliar heat stirring from within, "Plus, I'd like for you to apologize to Kurosaki-kun for being so rude when you met him?"
Ulquiorra scoffed. First of all, he didn't view his defending of the woman as rude. Second, the orange-haired male deserved it.
He leaned back and tilted his face away from hers, the familiar scent of vanilla making him crave something sweet.
Determined, Orihime let go of his wrists, placed her hands on both sides of his face, and forced him to look at her, "Ulquiorra? Please?"
Ulquiorra's green eyes grew wide as she held his face with such delicate intimacy.
And he immediately folded.
"Fine."
Double dates and apologies be damned. He was no match for the woman's soft touch; those liquid pools of caramel that were her eyes melting and molding him easily to her will. She had no idea how much power she held over him. And he had no idea why.
"Um, and one more thing," Orihime strategically left the other request out until he agreed to come along, "You're going to have to pretend to be my boyfriend. Just for this date!" She added quickly, watching Ulquiorra's face fall with disdain, but to her surprise, her roommate didn't put up a fight. He closed his eyes and sighed, irritation evident in his response.
"I won't be touching you." He stated, his eyes narrowing with displeasure. Meaning no hand-holding, no kissing, no embracing.
"That's okay!" She blushed, realizing that touching was, in fact, what couples do. Fortunately for them, they were in Japan and it was just as appropriate to not publicly display signs of affection. She just needed him to play along whenever the time came.
With that settled, Orihime cheered, releasing Ulquiorra's face to pick Grimmjow up and do a victory dance with him. The auburn-haired woman paused mid-spin and turned to Ulquiorra.
"It's a little early for bedtime now, so I guess I'll see you later?"
Being the first to bring up their previous agreement, she bashfully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but she wasn't one to back down on her offers. Besides, after agreeing to help her out again, she definitely felt indebted to her landlord and soon-to-be faux boyfriend for a day.
Ulquiorra looked at her with mild surprise, his nostrils flaring with subtle intrigue, and nodded once, having just finished drying and putting the dishes away. The woman seemed confident her 'healing hands' would cure him of his insomnia.
The rest of the evening passed without incident. Fed, bathed, and settled warmly in his crib, Orihime switched the baby monitor on and left the room, closing the door soundlessly behind her.
Ulquiorra was already sitting on the living room sofa having spent most of the after dinner hours getting ready for bed and browsing aimlessly on social media. He was dressed in lightweight sweatpants and a normal-fitting oversized white shirt.
However, though as unsuspecting as his attire was, Orihime's nerves were aflame.
The arrangement suddenly felt strange and a bit awkward for her. Here she was as a single woman in her early twenties, childishly presenting herself in Kurumi-patterned pajamas to her very handsome, very single roommate.
Almost two weeks ago, she came headfirst into the situation without any hesitations or regard for the kind of man Ulquiorra was. She felt like an exception to his circumstances. It was as if, up until this moment, she never considered Ulquiorra a man despite his forwardness, sexual history, and her attraction towards him – similar to how someone would find a celebrity attractive, but never once entertain the idea that it could become something more. She had somehow managed to detach herself from that reality, dismissing every event as some sort of silly joke or a bad habit of his.
But seeing him at work was a stark reminder that he was very much a man. A man whom she shared a roof, a child, and domestic household responsibilities with. A man who had touched her and repeatedly made her core weep with want.
A playback of his bare and broad chest, glistening with body oil, came into her mind's view and her skin grew hot. She thought about those forest green eyes, heated and dark, messily framed by ebony bangs. Ulquiorra was an object of desire for countless women, and that object was sitting in front of her, one step away from fulfilling her own fantasies. Fantasies she once reserved for a certain orange-haired boy, but now… Was her loyalty wavering?
Orihime swallowed a hard knot that had formed at the base of her throat while she found the resolve to sit beside her roommate and break the silence.
"Do you have a-any social media accounts?" She didn't mean for her voice to squeak.
Without taking his eyes away from his phone he replied, "I do, but only in name. Uryuu Ishida manages my accounts."
"Oh…" She figured Ulquiorra wasn't the type to care what others thought of him so it made sense he wouldn't want to put the effort into maintaining his public image outside of work hours.
But she was only feigning interest in the subject. The young woman was still reeling with lust, her mind occupied with the memories of being in the janitor's closet with him earlier that day. Her breathing became shallower as she remembered his heated breath on her neck and his fingers lingering on her waist.
"Woman, snap out of it."
Orihime's eyes snapped open. When did she close them?
Ulquiorra's face hovered mere inches away from hers, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, "Am I to begin doubting your capabilities, woman?"
Instinctively, Orihime turned her head away from him, slamming her teeth down on her bottom lip and ruthlessly gnawing on it in distress. She covered her reddened face with shame.
'Oh my GOD, I'm so turned on!' she internally screeched.
Ulquiorra leaned back and sank into the cushions, sighing with displeasure. He wasn't sure what had made the woman so nervous. They were no longer strangers. They were friends – as the woman quite often put it. It wasn't the first time they shared a couch together either.
It had been a little over a week, but their relationship had naturally come to this point. Orihime was a naturally caring individual — almost stubbornly so. To many, it would seem they are going too fast, too soon, but Orihime had no inhibitions when it came to fulfilling her self-appointed duties and Ulquiorra wasn't one to be dictated by something as mundane as a relationship timeline.
He was about to get up from the couch when the woman reached out for his shirt sleeve and pulled him towards her with enough force to cause him to lose his balance. To his shock, his head landed roughly sideways on the soft cushion of her thighs.
"J-just stay there."
Ulquiorra tried to turn his head to look up at her, but even though his view would be obstructed by the massive mounds that were her breasts, Orihime shoved his face back to prevent him from looking anyway. She thought her nerves would be easier to manage if she didn't have to make eye contact with him, praying that the heat and smell of her arousal would remain unnoticed by her roommate.
Of course it wasn't.
With the side of his nose pressed firmly against her thigh and obscenely close to her core, Ulquiorra had a front-row experience to the manifestation of her excitement. It all clicked into place in his head when he could feel her scalding heat against his ear and hear the rapid pulse under her pajamas.
And then his body began to react against his will.
He mentally cursed himself, instantly regretting all of it. From the moment he agreed to allow the woman to touch him, to being born as a lecherous man.
Tension built up through his body and he couldn't help but squeeze his thighs and ball his hands into fists, willing with all his might for the hardening of his cock to cease. But no matter how much he demanded his body to move and reject the position, it refused to listen.
It was the running of her gentle fingers through his hair that sent a toe-curling shiver down his spine that spurred him to say something.
"Is this something friends do?" He asked through gritted teeth.
Damn. Of course. How could he expect anything more than innocent petting from someone like her? The fact he had even entertained the idea that she would touch him erotically was laughable. Ulquiorra wanted to punch a pillow and berate himself for his lapse in judgment.
"I think so," she shrugged nonchalantly, "Tatsuki-chan would do this for me whenever I have a headache."
Ulquiorra remained doubtful but gave into her ministrations anyways. There was absolutely no way he could sleep with the woman touching him like this and with his relentless erection painfully stiff and throbbing.
But when he felt her exhale softly as her movements fell into a rhythm, he too felt the tension leave his muscles. Those delicate fingers skimmed down to the nape of his neck, over his collarbone, and back up to tease at his scalp. Ulquiorra succumbed to her touch, his head laying more heavily on her lap as he relaxed. Days of sleepless nights had finally taken their toll on him, blanketing his consciousness like a veil.
As minutes passed, all previous signs of arousal faded from the young couple.
"I can still smell that cologne," Orihime murmured quietly. It was different from his usual mint and lemon aroma. It reminded her of how a forest would smell after it had rained.
But Ulquiorra couldn't respond, having fallen into a deep slumber.