Swimming Pool: III

                 swimming pool

        ∞ negative creeper ∞

               standard disclaimer implied

                               I'm the last one on the dance floor

             As the chandelier gives way


Orihime had just gotten out the shower and was currently lounging on the couch with a cupcake she had been saving for such a relaxed occasion, when there was a knock at her door. She groaned slightly on account of her relaxed mood being ruined. On the other side of the door stood, her close friends, Chad, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryuu, and Tatsuki.

"Hey, guys." Orihime greeted as she took a bite out of her cupcake. She left the door open for them as she walked back toward the living room.

"Where were you last night?" Tatsuki yelled following after her friend with a look of worry written across her face. The others trailed behind their fuming friend wary of her actions. Orihime looked at them confusion evident on her face, until it clicked in her mind.

"We waited for you all night, but you never showed up." Uryuu voiced calmly. Orihime thought back to last week when she was invited to the Omega house party. Ichigo, Chad, and Uryuu invited her, Rukia, and Tatsuki since they are a part of the fraternity.

"Where were you?" Tatsuki repeated.

"At a party." She answered vaguely hoping they would accept her response.

"What party?" Rukia asked evenly.

"I'm sorry! I forgot that you guys invited me, and then Nel came and made me go to the Sigma party, but I didn't really want to go but she made me go anyway, but as soon as we got there she ditched me and then they threw me into the pool," she stopped to exhale only to continue further, "And I almost drowned but Ulquiorra-kun jumped in saved me, and he let me stay there last night and then he dropped me off this morning. Because I think Nel already left and went home because her car isn't outside. And I really forgot I'm sorry!" she finished.

Her rant left them all in a stunned silence still processing the excessive information.

"You went to the Sigma party?" Rukia asked.

"You almost drowned?" Tatsuki screamed.

"You spent the night there?" Ichigo inquired. Chad and Uryuu stayed silent still processing the events.

"I'm really sorry-" she repeated only to be cut off when she felt another pressed against her front, knocking her sweet treat to the ground. Tatsuki had spent the previous night worrying; she waited outside the house and asked everyone if they had seen her. When she was nowhere to be found Tatsuki left the party, drove all the way to Orihime's dorm only to find she wasn't there either. It took both Ichigo and Rukia to get her to go home and calm down.

After, everyone managed to calm down they all sat in the living room and after Orihime cleaned up her wounded cupcake; they resumed their natural way of speaking with each other.

"So Orihime, whose Ulquiorra?" Rukia asked with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, I met Ulquiorra last night at the party. He's kind of dreary, but he's really nice." she said beaming.

"Ulquiorra... That name sounds familiar." Ichigo said thinking out aloud.

"And how would you know anyone at a Sigma party?" Rukia questioned.

"True, maybe I'm over thinking it." he said dropping the topic all together.

"Yeah, and he invited me to his Mother's wedding! I always wanted to go a wedding." she continued.

"A wedding? My dad's getting married soon?" Ichigo said aloud.

"Ah! It must be the season of love! It is so beautiful." Orihime rejoiced.

"You're going to a wedding with some guy you just met? That sounds kind of... suspicious." Tatsuki mused aloud somewhat worried.

"No, I don't think he would do anything like that." she countered softly.

"Well, we will trusted your judgment." Chad spoke for the first time since arriving.

"Thank you." she said with a smile.

                        !

The week literally flew by for Orihime. During the week, she had many exams so the majority of her time went into study while the rest of her time went into looking for a dress. When it was brought to her attention that she didn't have anything appropriate for the wedding, she panicked. She called Nel to ask her if she would go shopping with her to buy a dress, but Nel never answered the phone. Orihime became a little worried after that, because Nel alwaysanswers her phone.

Instead she asked Rukia and Tatsuki to go along with her, when she told them about Nel; they both said she shouldn't worry and to stop chasing after her. Because all Nel does is cause trouble. So Orihime put it in the back of her mind, assuming Nel lost her phone or maybe she just forgot to pay the bill. After she stopped worrying, she enjoyed the shopping spree with her closest friends and found a dress she loved with a pair of comfortable heels to match. And she beamed for the rest of the day as she was anxiously awaiting Sunday.

Ulquiorra on the other hand, was dreading this day. His routine did not change in the least, he attended class as usual and studied as usual. He already had a tux the only thing he really had to do was stop by at the local dollar store to pick up a tie.

Sunday morning Ulquiorra awakened at exactly seven-thirty. Being late was something his beaten into from a young age. After showering and making himself presentable, he checked the time and it was already twelve minutes past eight. He decided she should be ready and he set off to leave.

When he left his little piece of sanctuary known as his room, and descended the stairs he was greeted with a high pitch whistle and the snickering of his fraternity brother, Szayelaporro.

"Looking sharp, Schiffer." Szayelaporro acknowledged as he sipped his coffee. Ulquiorra walked passed him into the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee for himself, not really concerned with the pink-haired man.

"I'm so tired. I can't believe I let Yylfordt talk me into pulling an all nighter just because he failed his exam." he complained.

"Szayelaporro." Ulquiorra called.

"Yes?"

"I do not remember asking you for that information." Ulquiorra deadpanned as he glared at the bespectacled man.

"You know Schiffer with that attitude, you'll die alone." he said with a devious smirk planted on his face as walked away in a jolly mood.

"And what is wrong with that?" he asked in the empty kitchen. He looked down at his black coffee no longer in the mood for the bitter beverage. He poured it down the drain before walking out the door.

He arrived at her doorstep at eight-thirty. After knocking, he waited, and waited, and waited until his mood dropped even farther. He glanced down before his eyes caught the shining of metal peeking from beneath the doormat. He bent over to pick up what he concluded was a spare key.

He wondered if it would be okay to go in uninvited and then thought that if she was unable to hear him pounding on the door she was probably still asleep. His mood became increasing dark after the ran across his mind. So he thought nothing of it as he inserted the key into the lock and pushing the door open.

He observed his surroundings briefly before trailing down the hallway. At the end of the hallway was a white door covered with pictures and ornaments decorating it. He assumed that it was her room and went to open the door before he stopped and knocked.

"Woman, Are you awake?" he said remembering his Mother's warnings of walking into someone's bedroom unannounced. He was greeted by only silence, aggravated he pushed the door open without another thought.

And just as he expected, she was stretched across the mattress, mouth open and asleep. He glared down at her and her lack of elegance. Annoyance being one of the common things that happen in Ulquiorra life, he let out a small sigh and reached down to grab her arm and pulled her up.

Orihime was enjoying a beautiful dream where her and her friends were pirates and they captured Candy Island, and she remembered biting down on a gooey chocolate chip cookie. That is until a hand was brought down on her forehead tilting her head back, fearful of losing her sweet treat she bit down harder on the cookie.

"Woman." she heard the familiar voice of Ulquiorra bringing her out of her dream state. She caught sight of Ulquiorra glowering down at her with his deep green eyes and had the taste of blood in her mouth.

"I am not your meal, release my hand." he said as his frown deepen. Orihime released her death grip on his hand slightly still in shock that she bite him.

"I'm so sorry," she said slowly as she watched the blood flow from his hand. "I'll go get the First Aid kit." she said moving quickly toward the bathroom.

"No need. This is only a minor wound. You should be getting ready or-." he responded before he was interrupted by her placing her hand on his shoulders and lowering him to sit on the edge of the mattress.

"Minor wound or not, it is still an open wound that could become infected. So wait here until I return with the First Aid kit." she scolded him before walking away. He must admit that the change in her demeanor surprised him. So far his impression of her was that she was just another naïve and bubbly woman. But he remembered their conversation at the party as she professed her belief in an emotional heart, and how she never wavered against any of his words.

"Here it is!" she exclaimed as she left the bathroom with the First Aid kit present in her hands. She sat next to him while she sat the box of medical supplies on the other side of her. She reached out her hand to him, but he only stared at her hand like it was a disease. Slightly annoyed herself with his small act of defiance, she grabbed his more firmly than she should have with an injured person.

He watched as she poured a clear liquid on his hand that he soon deduced was rubbing alcohol on account of the stinging sensation that spread throughout his hand. She let go of his hand so she could screw the top back onto the bottle and placed it back into it's container. She then pulled out a tube of ointment, before squeezing out a sufficient amount directly onto the bite marks left on his hand.

He felt her warm hands rub the ointment around his hand leaving a greasy layer over the wound. She placed the white tube back into the box and pulled a roll of wrapping bandages.

"These bandages are excessive." he refused as she started to unwrap them.

"These are the only bandages that will cover all of the wound." she said as she started to wrap the bandages around his hand.

When she finished wrapping his hand she retreated into the bathroom to put away the First Aid kit. Ulquiorra had demanded she prepared herself for their departure, but Orihime only waved him off as she started to prepare herself breakfast. Much to his dismay, he found himself sitting across the table from her watching her eat her cereal and wondering when he became so lenient.