Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 17

Chapter 17: Pure Innocence

 "Rangiku-san.." Orihime called quietly.. Her observer and companion for the day, looked up from her place. Both girl's were sitting adjacent to each other on the floor. Orihime had finished her given meal over an hour ago already, but Rangiku had yet to leave the premises despite her time being up. Out of all the volunteered vice-captains, Rangiku was the one who spent the longest periods with Orihime. Retsu didn't mind, and neither did the other vice-captains. She was closer to the girl after all.

 Now she was idly enjoying her smuggled sake as she spoke with Orihime. "Yeah?" Orihime was fiddling with her fingers, rubbing her nails that were slowly beginning to return to their normal condition. "Are the other Shinigamis mad with me?" She asked. It was the most unexpected question she could possibly ask, Rangiku almost choked on her sake. "Why would you even ask that?" She inquired. Orihime looked away. "I can hear them sometimes... Whispering.. Or maybe yelling. Because it's so loud I can hear it from here... They're saying.. that I'm a traitor." It wasn't a question. It was a dead-on straight, fact.

 As her friend, Rangiku wanted to say no, but she knew all too well what her mind said. Ever since the word about Retsu's observation regarding Orihime's hinted relationship with Ulquiorra got out, Seritei, had done nothing but judge and gossip among themselves. And while Rangiku wanted to deny their claims, she couldn't prevent herself from believing them on a certain point. "Orihime, no.... No that's not true.. Don't you dare believe what they say. They're fools to think that..." Rangiku said steadily. Orihime smiled sadly.. "That's the same thing he said..." She replied. Rangiku raised a brow.. "Who?" She asked. "Ulquiorra.." Orihime said without much thought.

 Rangiku shifted uncomfortably in her  place. "Really? He said that to you?" Rangiku asked in masked disbelief. Orihime nodded. "He tells me many things that are quite unbelievable." The sunset-haired girl whispered, pressing her palms together. "Like how he told me that Gin loves you so much.." Orihime said, immediately shocking Rangiku. "What?" She blurted. How could the Arrancar had known that? Did Gin tell him while they were in Huedo Mundo? And could Ulquiorra had just unconsciously told Orihime? "Really? Huh.. That's pretty unexpected.. Did he tell you that while you were in Hueco Mundo?" Rangiku asked wtih slight sarcasm. Orihime, however, replied quite seriously. "No. He told me last night."

 Now Rangiku's smile was gone. How far was Orihime gonna play on with that? "Okay. You can stop joking now, Orihime-chan." Rangiku said, but Orihime persisted. "He was in your room last night. He said that you talked in your sleep." Rangiku's eyes widened in shock. She automatically stood up, looking down at Orihime in somewhat anger. Perhaps she had stayed long enough. "He says that you should be careful.. Your Captain just found your sake stash under his desk." Orihime added further. With a slight shiver, Rangiku exited the room, quite unsure of what just happened. "I can't believe I'm thinking this, but she's crazy."

 She walked a short distance from Orihime's room, before glancing over her shoulder. "Could her innocence have been slightly affected while she was in Hueco Mundo... With that Arrancar?"
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 "W-where are we going?" Orihime asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. Ulquiorra sighed from in front of her. "You've been asking that since we left your room. And like I answered to the previous times, you will know when we get there." She has no idea why she's noticing it, but for once he didn't call her 'place' a cell.

 They reached the outside of Las Noches a few minutes later. Orihime shuddered at the cold breeze. "You are cold?" He inquired. Orihime nodded slightly. "Just wait a bit longer. It's not that far." He said. Orihime couldn't help but notice how softer his voice was. They walked for a while, slightly getting farther away from the dome. Orihime looked back for a second to look at the large structure. While she was wondering how incredible the simple architecture was, Ulquiorra spoke up. "We're here."

 They both stopped, and Orihime faced forward now. They were at least a good kilometer away from the dome. "What's out here?" She asked, looking around and finding only unending dunes. Suddenly, she felt Ulquiorra grab her wrist. He said nothing, and began to... phase through the sand. The sand began to slowly turn into dark glitters as the prisoner and captor slowly sank through the desert floor. One second they were floating, and in the next they were standing again.

 "HUh!" Orihime gave a loud exclaim at what she saw. There was water. A small spring of beautifully, sparkling water collected itself, in a small circle of what looked like flowers. It was a peaceful oasis in the place of enemy territory. "How beautfiul." Orihime thought. She was about to look at Ulquiorra, to ask him why he had brought her there, but he beat her to it. "I found this place a few days ago while I was taking a walk. It appeared to be an old part of Hueco Mundo that was overgrown and covered up by sand throughout the long years of endless Hollows coming and going."

 The longer Orihime looked at the place the more she fell in love with it. And the longer she stared at it, the longer Ulquiorra stared at her. It was a long moment of unaware staring, before Ulquiorra woke from the trance to say: "You may go if you wish." Orihime looked at him incredulously. What was he trying to do? Why was he... Then Orihime's eyes sparked when she realized why. A by-stander wouldn't have known it, but Orihime was no by-stander when it came to Ulquiorra.. He was apologizing to her.

 Ever since that day  when he had found and saved her from Loly and Menoly's mercy. He was apologizing for lacking in his duties of protecting and looking after her. Orihime hummed quietly and walked up to the spring. She looked back to Ulquiorra momentarily. "Is it okay if I washed myself here?" She asked. If she wasn't looking closely, she wouldn't have noticed how Ulquiorra's eyes widened for a moment. He gave a small sigh. "Go ahead." He said indifferently. Sighing happily, Orihime reached up to the zipper of her coat and slowly drew it down. She didn't even felt bothered with the Arrancar standing a few feet behind her whose eyes were fixated deeply on her back, as the coat fell off her shoulders.

 She walked into the spring unconsciously, taking a few of the flowers with her as she made her way to the center. Her hands caressed the water softly, sending small glittering waves of ripples through the spring. And all the while, Ulquiorra was staring at her. The moment Orihime removed her coat, Ulquiorra couldn't tear his eyes away. The longer he looked, the more he was transfixed. Her ginger hair was glimmering with the water; her cream shoulders outlined with the small bits of moonlight that shone through the sand dunes. She looked like a hibiscus in the middle of a desert.

 Orihime was busily cupping water and gently splashing it to her face, when suddenly she felt a cold hand against her back. She gave a startled gasp before Ulquiorra hushed her. "Be quiet, Orihime.. I sense a Reiatsu nearby." He whispered. Orihime's face heated up. She could choose between the temperature of the spring, or the temperature of Ulquiorra's hand on her back. But she chose the most likely reason. "You said my name.." She said quietly. "What?" Ulquiorra whispered back.

  "My name.. You said my name, Ulquiorra.." Orihime said, clearly astonished. Ulquiorra was thankful it was her back facing him, or she would've seen his eyes widen for probably the fourth time that day. As far as he knew, he had no idea what he had been doing at all. From taking her to a hidden oasis in Hueco Mundo and afterwards. It was only when he had dared approach her, dared touch her, did he finally come to his senses. And yet he still had no idea what was and what is.. The only thing he was truly certain of was the warm flesh of the girl as his hand still lay on her back. "And so what if I did?" He said finally, albeit with difficulty.

 He felt the shiver come from her as he spoke. "Say it again.. Say my name..." Orihime whispered, slightly tilting her head to the side. Ulquiorra didn't notice his hand clench slightly on her back as he whispered: "Orihime.." He waited for a while, then he said it again, ang again, and again. Every single time the name rolled off his tongue, the girl let out a soft sigh of contentment, and he found himself sighing, more quietly along. Because like the girl herself, it was just as addicting.