9 Reunion

In the morning Orihime showered and dressed for school. This morning was particularly hard after the previous nights dream. The sight of the little boy in her arms with that dark raven colored hair was in her mind's eye that whole morning, and while walking to school.

She tried to concentrate on her lessons but found if difficult. She ended up staring at her desk, doodling in her notebook, and staring out the window. The teacher called on her a few times and finally got agitated when she never had the right answer. This pattern continued for the whole morning. When it was time to break for lunch, she took her lunch to the yard in front of the school. She sat alone and ate very little. The sun and the warm breeze of spring made her feel happy and quiet for a short time. She thought about Ulquiorra and their time together. The way he looked while fighting Aizen. What did it mean, his new form? The bell rang and she reluctantly returned to class.

The teacher had a lecture and droned on for who knows how long. After some time the teacher stopped but Orihime payed no mind. She stared out the window for a while watching the trees swaying with the breeze. The teacher was saying something about a new student, about how he was older. He had been away or something and was a little behind. The inattentive girl looked down at her notebook again and began to doodle on a fresh sheet of paper. She wasn't interested in a new student, it was the same old nonsense she thought as she scribbled.

The girls around her started to whisper to each other and giggled to one another. She heard one of them say that the new guy was cute. Another said something about thinking that he was Goth. They continued for a short while about his looks and style. Largely Orihime decided to ignore the comments. She continued to doodle aimlessly on her sheet of paper that was now quite full of scribbles.

"Class this is our new student. He has been out of the country for a while and been mostly self taught. Everyone please help him to feel welcome. Could you introduce yourself, please." Ms. Ochi concluded and turned the classes' attention to their new classmate.

The distracted girl continued to look down at her paper. Taking no note of anything around her. She didn't even notice Ichigo, Rukia, Chad and Uryu gasp simultaneously.

"My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer. It is nice to meet all of you." a familiar voice rang out through the classroom.

Shocked at hearing that voice again she stopped her doodles. She wasn't sure if she wanted to look up. What if she was dreaming again? What if she is so out of her mind now that she wanted to here what she thought she had heard? Deciding that she had imagined it she laid her head in her arm without looking up. She started to cry into her elbow. Convinced now that she was loosing her mind.

"Take that empty seat next to Orihime Inoue." the teacher said and began the lecture again.

"Hi," that same familiar voice rang in her ears again, "Orihime."

Did she dare to look up. What if it was a fantasy? She felt that she would break down if it wasn't him. She gave into her curiosity, and slowly lifted her head to look at the person talking to her.

When her gaze was lifted to the face of the person in front of her she couldn't breath. Her heart skipped a beat. Jumping from her seat she hurled herself onto the man that stood by her desk.

"Ulquiorra." she screamed at him.

Everyone stopped including the teacher at the scream and violent reaction in the center of the aisle. Girls began giggling and whispering. Boys started to whisper too. With out a thought to her actions Orihime kissed Ulquiorra hard on the lips. The whole class gasped at this inappropriate behavior.

When she pulled her face back, although not releasing her hold on him, she blushed and was crying.

"It's really you." she squeaked as she sobbed. "It's really you."

He smiled bemused at her reaction to seeing him, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her so passionately that the class began gearing and whistling at the pair.

"This is not a good first impression, Mister Schiffer." the teacher yelled over the whistles and cat calls of the class.

"Both of you, go cool off in the hall."

The two relinquished their hold on one another and smiled. Orihime licked her lips and blushed. The two went into the hall. For the rest of the period they stood in the hall at some small distance from one another, although still holding hands. Orihime was blushing the whole time; while Ulquiorra stayed cool as he always was. From time to time they would turn and look at each other. She would giggle and blush deeper, and he would smile. The two where so happy just standing there. Together.

After school they left for Orihime's apartment. Even though a flurry of thoughts faced through her head; her mind finally felt at peace. There where so many questions that she had for him. It would not be right to ask these questions out in the open so she decided to waited for home. While walking with Ulquiorra, holding his hand in hers, she thought about his kiss and the warmth of his skin. He was the same as she remembered even though his looks where somewhat altered. He still could make her burn just by touching her. The joy in her heart was brimming. Without warning her thoughts turned dark and despairing. The worse things started racing through her mind. Ulquiorra noticed the change immediately. He stopped her and pulled her in close to him. His body was so warm and he smelled so good that it began to make her lightheaded. He leaned into her ear and whispered softly,

"I'm not going to leave."

She relaxed in his arms and hugged him. Looking at his face she could see the conviction of his words in his eyes. Those intoxicating green eyes closed in on her, and he was kissing her again. The world began to spin and she felt dizzy. He picked her up around the waist to support her and calmly stated,

"Let's get you home."

It didn't take long for them to get to her apartment; even though she couldn't really remember how they got there. The trip home was a blur to her, but she didn't care. They came in and set down there books and bags. Orihime went to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked from the small kitchen.

"Yes, please." he was smiling at how cute she was.

She returned shortly with a kettle, two cups and some cookies. She placed the tray on the table and sat down at the table across from Ulquiorra. She poured tea for both of them; while he only smiled.

"So," she started the conversation, "What happened to you?" and she started sipping on her tea.

"After Aizen was killed?" he asked.

"Yeah, you just left, and I haven't seen you or heard from you for a month now. Then all the sudden you show up out of nowhere." she was a little angry while repeating these memories.

"I know." he lowered his head. "I thought that you where in love with Ichigo. Because of the way you too held each other after the fight was over. I hate to say this, but I was jealous. I've never felt that before, and I didn't know how to deal with it." he looked up again.

"I didn't want you to be unhappy; so I thought I should leave."

"You changed me, Orihime."

"You saw for yourself that I have changed. Even my powers have changed in their own way as well. I had to discover what this new person was. I suddenly had a new range of emotions and sensations that I had to sort out."

"Leaving was the safest thing for you." he had an urgency in his voice as he said this.

"For me?" she was confused at his reasoning.

"I had to be sure that I could control myself in every way before coming near you. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Orihime." the seriousness had returned strongly this time.

"You wouldn't hurt me," she set down her cup and took his hand. "You never have."

"Confused me on occasion I admit, but never hurt me." she giggled.

He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand.

"So, where did you go for this soul searching of yours?" she asked and picked up her cup again.

"Well, I went to Urahara." he grimaced as he said this. Knowing full well that she would be angry to know that he was there.

"How did I know." she said flatly and sipping on her tea again.

"What? Your not upset that I was there the whole time." this time he was surprised.

"No, I missed you terribly, and my bigger concern was not being with you again. Urahara is a smart man and knows more things then anyone else I know. It only made sense that you would go to him. I was angry that he wouldn't tell me where you had gone." her stoic form was impressive, he thought she would be angry about this.

"You where my first priority." he said to her "when I figured out what had happened to me, I was then reluctant to come back to you. Because of Ichigo. I thought you loved him, but when Urahara told me of your visit with him it changed my mind." he smiled again.

"Yeah?!" she blushed when she recalled the memory of that visit.

She had gone to Urahara's shop looking for Ulquiorra again. She was beyond upset this time and was determined to get answers from him. The two sat at his table with a cup in front of her although she did not touch it. Insisting to the man over and over that he tell her where Ulquiorra had gone. He continued to persist that he didn't know. She knew him better then this. Finally, she broke down in sobbing tears and pleaded that she know, and that she needed him. Explaining that Ichigo was her friend and always would be, but that she needed Ulquiorra. Despite the tears and pleads the shop keeper still insisted that he didn't know the location of the arrancar. She left feeling more despair then she ever had.

"By that time I had figured out my change, and what caused it. I figured I could take the necessary steps to return. Urahara was very helpful in that. He had put me up for about a month already and that was more then he should have done." he paused to sip some tea.

"So, do you know 'what you are'?" she asked with obvious curiosity in her voice. "And how did it happen?"

"Well, let me tell you how it happened first."

"Do you remember that evening in Los Noches when Rukia was almost killed?" he asked her.

"Yes, of course." she blushed about the whole thing and looked down into her cup.

"The thing you don't know about that day is what happened earlier." he began, "I had a bad habit of coming into your room early in the morning to watch you sleep. You were so interesting to me that I made a regular occasion of it. Well, that particular morning I came in, and you were sleeping as always. When you rolled over I noticed that you were crying in your sleep, and you had tears on your face. My curiosity peaked and I brushed them from your cheek. It felt warm and soft, but I noticed there was a strange energy in it." he paused again and took another drink before continuing.

"That morning things started to change and by that afternoon things were very different. Then I brought you your meal that evening and you refused. I lost my will power at that point and I...." he trailed off as the memory pained him.

They both sat for a short time thinking and drinking there tea. When his was empty he set down his cup and continued his story.

"To complete the whole thing, when you brought me back, again you were crying again and they fell on my hand then. When your tears combined with your healing powers it completed the transformation." she looked more confused then informed.

"Completed the transformation?" she asked.

"When I first came into contact with your tears, my soul, my heart, started to return. Then when you combined your tears and your powers the rejection went further back then just my hollow form. You see." he paused as the look of realization came over the girls face.

"I am human now."

"Human." she repeated. A smile grew on her face at the thought.

"As human as say, someone like Ichigo or you, or any of your friends." he smiled.

"Do you have any memories from when you were human before."

"No, it's like starting over."

"Wow." she said, stood up and walked into her bedroom. "I'll be right back, I'm going to change really quick." she said as she closed the door.

Human. She thought as she took off her uniform and changed into jeans and a tee shirt. The idea was amazing. She was continually learning new things about her powers. This was the most incredible thing yet. She rejoined Ulquiorra in the living room.

"Do you have a place to stay then?" she asked picking up the cups and kettle.

"No, not yet." he stood to help her.

"How about you stay with me then?" she smiled.

"What about your other two guests?" he smiled back.

"They wont care. Their gone half the time anyway."

They put the dishes in the sink and turned toward each other; Orihime leaning against the sink. Ulquiorra took her hands in his. Again his body heat was consuming her senses. He looked at her hands for a little while then brushed her hair away from her cheek. He cupped her face in his warm hands and he leaned in and softly kissed her. The same whirl of sensory overload took her again. It felt so good that she didn't want it to stop. He pulled back, but still cupped her face. She opened her eyes to look at those beautiful emeralds of his. The softness in his expression made the girl melt.

"I will stay if you want me too." he whispered before kissing her again.

Her arms twinned around his neck and his around her waist. They kissed and embraced each other until the outside world was gone to them both. After some time of kissing and fondling that had moved from the kitchen to the couch the two surfaced for air. Orihime was flushed in her cheeks and panting from her overwhelming passion. On the other hand, Ulquiorra was cool as he ever was; although bore an expression of passion and contentment.

"Do you need to get anything from Urahara's shop." she asked breathless.

"Just a few things." he replied "Maybe I should go get them." he added.

"No, I want to go with you." she yelped.

"I promise to return." he assured her, caressing her cheek.

This was a bit hard for him to bare since she seemed very agitated at the thought of him leaving her sight. Finally, he got her to relent and consent to him going on his own, with the promise of returning quickly. He left behind his stuff from school and departed. Deep down she was mad at herself for letting him go again. What if he didn't return, was the only thing that ran through her mind. She began pacing the living room, and did so for a while before moving to the window. The sun was warm and bright, so she opened the window and let in a breeze. It was slightly cool and refreshing. She closed her eyes and thought of her departed love. His face came to her minds eye. She felt her sanity slipping away from her at the thought of him not returning again. Before she could faint she sat on the couch and put her head in her hands, and began crying. The sobs racked her body painfully. After a while she decided to go lay down. Sleep took her easily as it had over the last month. No bad dreams came to her and she felt this was a good thing. However, she was crying in her sleep and couldn't stop it.

Ulquiorra returned with a few things and had changed his clothes. He was surprised that Orihime was not waiting for him in the living room. He called her name and started to search the apartment. It didn't take long before he found her asleep in her room. He smiled until he saw that she was crying again. His heart ached for the woman. Sitting on the edge of the bed he brushed the tears from her cheeks as he had before. She stirred at his touch. Without opening her eyes she placed her hand on his, and sighed deeply. Bending over to her he kissed her cheek. She turned to face him; to catch his lips with hers.

Opening her eyes to look at him she clutched his face and deepened the kiss. He was overcome by her ardor and twisted his arms under the small of her back and under her shoulders. He leaned in on her so their bodies were pressed tightly against one another. Ulquiorra parted his lips and licked her upper lip. She quivered at the sensation that was burning deep in her stomach. He moved to place soft pecks on her jaw and down her neck. The burning grew and spread making Orihime feel feverish and exquisite. The two twisted in each others embrace while expressing their love for each other. Desire gave way and the two were entwined together under the sheets. Their mutual love and passion flowed. Each giving and receiving with such ardor and engulfing passion that it was beyond compare. They continued in this way for hours.

When they were finally spent they lay together fingers laced together holding on to one another. Ulquiorra lay on his back, his left arm wrapped around Orihime and the right with Orihime's lacing his finger in and out of hers. She lay sideways facing him with her head on his chest playing with his fingers. She never felt happier. Things now seemed complete in her life. The man she loved was with her, and there was no looming danger of any kind; none that she knew of. Her despair was gone and joy returned to the girls life again.

The silence was broken when Ulquiorra grasped her hand tightly and looked down at her. The passion in his eyes was overwhelming and he kissed her forehead, and said,

"I will never leave you again." he kissed her once more,

"I love you, now and forever."

The End

Thank you to everyone that read my story. I hope that you all enjoyed it. A big thank you to all those that sent me a review. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me your opinions. I will be adding a new story shortly about Toshiro, if anyone is interested. I may also write a romantic sequel to this one. Thank you all for your support.