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The Silence Between	By : KaiBlueOtaku Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3307 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The talented Tite Kubo is the owner of Bleach, and all its characters. I am merely borrowing them to tell my story. I own only my plot and ideas. I receive no financial compensation for my writing.

Chapter List
- 4
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DISCLAIMER: The talented Tite Kubo is the owner of Bleach, and all its characters. I am merely borrowing them to tell my story. I own only my plot and ideas. I receive no financial compensation for my writing.
WARNINGS: Mildly sexual situations, bloodplay-ish situation, graphic violence/gore, food(?) porn, Dom/sub,URST (Unresolved Sexual Tension), language.
A/N: To Rini Yamori: I hope this chapter is what you had in mind when you made your ‘special request.’ I hadn’t planned this scene, but I thank you for the suggestion, because it helped me to draw things out some more still between my boys. I’m enjoying their unraveling altogether too much, I think.
WWWWWWWWWW

                Nova woke in the most comforting embrace he had ever known. The safety and peace he felt ran soul-deep, and he sighed, closing his eyes and resting in the moment. He felt Ulquiorra stir behind him, and pull Nova against him in his sleep. The Mod Soul was a little shocked to feel something firm jutting into his backside, but then smirked shyly, making no attempt to move away. Even for an unexpected erection pressing into him, he didn’t want to move away from this gentle contentment. Truth be told, the thought of it was half giving him one of his own, and he drew his knees up to hide it a bit.

                Ulquiorra stirred, gave a gasp, and began to shift away, but Nova’s hand caught his, holding it tight. “Please,” he whispered, almost inaudibly, causing Ulquiorra to abort his escape attempt in order to hear the softly spoken words over the rustling of the bedclothes. “Stay.”

                Ulquiorra sighed, relaxing into the mattress again, though sliding his hips back slightly. Nova was disappointed by the loss of the sensation, which initially had been startling, but had quickly become quite intensely enjoyable, and he shifted again into the Espada, reaching his hand back and resting it on his hip, stilling him. “Please,” Nova repeated, almost pleading, “Stay.”

                Ulquiorra let out an airy chuckle, and nestled into his companion, head against the back of Nova’s, breathing on the back of his neck. He watched as the skin prickled there, standing up on end from the stimulation of the breath, and Ulquiorra leaned in, resting his nose just behind Nova’s ear, gently nuzzling against it.

                The noise that left Nova’s mouth was unintelligible as speech, but its intent was clear enough as an expression of pleasure. Ulquiorra smirked slightly, intrigued by this, and rather enjoying himself the response the contact was causing. He gave a hot, slow exhalation to the place, and felt Nova shudder under his ministrations and arch his back, squirming in that way that Ulquiorra delighted in so much.

                Nova moved to roll away. “I should… Shower… You need to hunt…” His words were airy, barely strung together into coherent thought, and cut off abruptly when Ulquiorra’s hand closed firmly around his wrist. Very firmly. Nova made a choking sound, and turned his head back to look at the Espada.

                Ulquiorra’s pupils looked nearly blown, they were so dilated. He leaned in close to Nova’s ear, and in a scorching breath he whispered in a reprimanding tone, “No. Stay.”

                Nova moaned and craned his neck, eyes rolling back in his head, feeling electricity sparking across his back, his breath catching in his chest, coming shallow and erratic. Ulquiorra smirked, drawing his arm around the Mod Soul’s chest, pulling him tightly back against him, still restraining his wrist. He nuzzled Nova’s ear more, relishing the little whimpers that the simple action elicited. His tongue snaked out and ran across the back edge, drawing a low moan from Nova, who bucked his hips slightly, then relaxed into the mattress, panting. “What… What are you… Going to do?”

                “Whatever I choose,” Ulquiorra murmured, tongue exploring the convoluted folds of Nova’s ear as the Mod Soul whined piteously. Ulquiorra paused and felt the quivering of Nova’s strained body in his embrace. “Unless you wish me to stop.”

                Nova made another unintelligible noise, but shook his head, so Ulquiorra smirked faintly again, and continued, now working his tongue down Nova’s neck, teeth grazing as the Mod Soul pressed back into him frantically, almost delirious. Ulquiorra bit him lightly and Nova cried out in ecstasy, tears slipping down his face to dampen his pillow. He was overwhelmed. He felt as though is heart would burst out his chest. He thought he was probably going to die any second now, from it all just being too much for his brain to process.

                And then, quite suddenly, it stopped. Ulquiorra pulled back, planting a soft kiss on the Mod Soul’s neck, then just lay still. His hand released Nova’s wrist and came up to stroke his hair tenderly, in the most soothing way. Nova’s hitching breaths began to calm eventually, and he melted again into the comforting embrace.

                “Are you alright?”

                The question had roused him out of a light, dreamless slumber he had drifted into without having realized it. He moaned affirmatively, and then his mouth fell into synch with his brain, and he gave a murmured reply of, “Yeah,” while he struggled a bit to make sense of it all. He rolled over to face Ulquiorra, who watched him with that usual detached curiosity of his. “Why?” was all Nova was able to get out, his thoughts still feeling scrambled.

                “You were enjoying it?” The question was met with a choking sound, and Nova blushed furiously, glancing downward and away in response. Ulquiorra nodded. “Then that was reason enough, was it not?”

                Nova looked up at him, searching the green, feline eyes. It felt like the answer was yes, but somehow, it seemed there was something more there he wasn’t grasping fully.

                Ulquiorra’s hand fell to Nova’s cheek, and he stroked the soft plane there, reaching up and running fingers through that red hair as well, drawing a black-nailed fingertip down his jaw. “You enjoy being commanded,” the Espada whispered in a distant, observational manner. “Being controlled. I, on my part, enjoy fulfilling the dominant portion of that. It is a pleasant arrangement then, in this way, between us.”

                Nova pulled back a little. What was he saying? This strange interaction was just some sort of ‘arrangement’ to him? Wasn’t there something more to it? Didn’t it make him feel the way that Nova felt?

                Ulquiorra could read the apprehensions on the Mod Soul’s face, and he moved swiftly to put them to rest. In a flash of motion too quick for Nova to follow, he found himself flat on his back, straddled, arms pinned above his head. Ulquiorra leaned in closely, nose to nose with Nova for a moment, watching the doubt and fear flicker in his pale green eyes, crushing the Espada painfully. He lowered his head slowly alongside of Nova, covering him in the comforting press of his body, resting his head on the pillow, mouth next to Nova’s ear. He pressed his hips into Nova gently, grinding his still-hard erection into Nova’s. “Do not doubt the pleasure I experience from this,” Ulquiorra admitted, feeling Nova’s body tremble and slacken submissively beneath him. “It is as much as your own.”

                Nova nodded, breathless. He wanted more- things he had never considered before- but Ulquiorra lay still until he finally rolled off, turning away. “Go. Shower,” he said severely, seeming to Nova to be in some kind of emotional pain. He wanted to reach out and comfort the Espada in some way, but didn’t want to be too forward.

                In the end, the desire to comfort won out over his instinct to follow the direction, and he lay back down, putting his arm over Ulquiorra’s chest, holding him tightly. He felt the Espada stiffen in protest, but Nova pressed his hand to Ulquiorra’s chest, fingertips very gently stroking there, over the place where his Hollow hole would be located. This seemed to soothe him, and he sighed, leaning back into the embrace.

                They lay this way for some time, and finally Ulquiorra patted Nova’s hand and sat himself up. “I do need to hunt today,” he asserted. “Perhaps you will wish to shower after?”

                Nova nodded, realizing the prudence in this. He might get sweaty chasing after Ulquiorra, and would need to clean up. He didn’t want to be a stinky, sweaty mess for their tea with Urahara. He was dreading that somewhat, feeling a churning feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew there was something the shop keeper wished to address, and while Nova wasn’t entirely sure what it was, he had a sinking suspicion that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.

                He ducked into the shop and grabbed one of the gokkon tekko from the shelf, returning to his room. He pulled it on and looked to Ulquiorra. “Ready?”

                With a nod, Ulquiorra felt the gigai fall away from him. The sensation of it was always pleasing to him, and he felt as though he were not so confined, that he could finally breathe again. He stood, glancing back at the gigai lying in the bed, looking for all the world like a corpse. It was a little eerie, truth be told. Ulquiorra looked up at Nova. “I will wait outside for you,” he said, referencing the fact that Nova still had not changed out of his pajamas yet, and headed toward the front yard of the shoten.


                Nova was not more than a few minutes behind him, stretching his shoulders as he came onto the porch, limbering up to keep pace with the fleet-footed Espada. He gave a silent nod and burst into motion behind Ulquiorra, who took off at the signal, eager to expend some of the energy he had pent up from their little encounter this morning. He was distracted, not as focused as usual on his surroundings, preoccupied with remembering the events from earlier, so when a Hollow leapt out in front of him and slashed at him, it landed claws directly on his chest before he snapped to full awareness.

                Hands moved decisively, the crack of a broken neck ringing out, and the thing fell dead all the same, but Ulquiorra was a bit shaken. He stood over the creature, trembling slightly and panting, more from shock than from actual exertion. Nova was at his side in another moment, and gasped at the torn and bloodied front of Ulquiorra’s uniform. The chest of the garment hung in ragged shreds, revealing his Hollow hole as well as the number ‘four’ tattoo on his left pectoral, which had just been missed getting grazed by the deep gashes that ran across his chest on a diagonal.

                Nova reached out a tentative bare hand and ran a finger near the slashes, stopping at the edge of the hole. Ulquiorra made a sound, something a little breathy and squeaky, and Nova looked up in shock, afraid he’d hurt the Arrancar.

                Ulquiorra stood stock still, breathing labored, eyes fixed on the finger that was paused so delicately on the edge of the large hole in his chest. Nova smirked a little, and slid his finger along the edge of the hole, eliciting a pleasured hiss from Ulquiorra, who staggered slightly, gasping, and went down on one knee. Nova knelt beside him on the empty rooftop, high above the city, surrounded by nothing but sky.

                The Hollow that lay dead nearby was erased from both their minds as Nova’s hand again reached for Ulquiorra’s chest, fingers brushing the ragged wounds, which were already beginning to close. He stopped again at the rim of the hole, and watched Ulquiorra’s breathing become shallow and erratic again, his eyelids flutter, then he fixed Nova with a defiant look, almost daring him to go on.

                Nova’s fingertips gently slid around the edges of the perfect circle in the center of the Espada’s sternum. Ulquiorra leaned back on his elbows, stretching one leg in front of himself, and tipped his head back, pursing his lips, eyes closed, brow furrowed as he struggled to make sense of the miasma of emotion that flooded through him with the physical sensation.

                A shudder passed through him as he felt fingers exploring the ridges of his bone helmet, even while the other hand continued its slow probing around the edges of the hole. Fingernails scratched experimentally at the hard surface of his broken Hollow mask, causing him to twitch and tremble. The fingers worked their way across the helm, stroking the bone, fondling the base of the horn, then creeping toward the tip. From Ulquiorra’s response, Nova was able to discern that not only was the entire bone mask incredibly sensitive, but it seemed to increase in intensity as he neared the tip of the horn. Panting, Ulquiorra opened his eyes, glaring at Nova ferociously, expression dripping with hunger.

                The look worn by the Mod Soul took him off guard, though. There was a softness, almost a pleading there, that seemed to beg, Let me gift you in return with pleasure. Ulquiorra sighed in relaxation and lay back against the tile of the rooftop, closing his eyes again, his response being all the more permission Nova needed to continue.

                A strangled cry tore itself from the depths of his being as Ulquiorra felt something completely sublime and foreign to him. His eyes shot open and he realized Nova, who had removed his mask, was leaning low over his chest. He is… Licking? Licking my Hollow hole? He gave a choking sob, writhing breathlessly beneath the probing tongue as it explored the edges of the hole, black nails clawing in futility at the tile of the rooftop as he drowned in a sea of ecstasy.

                He finally collected himself enough to give a husky order of, “Enough…” Nova sat back, smiling in a way which Ulquiorra was unable to quite determine as being either shyly demure, or slyly coy. There was a bit of blood on his lips from the healing wounds, and Ulquiorra watched him, panting, trying to put himself back together. That had been… Unexpected, to say the least. Quiet, submissive Nova, taking the lead like that… Ulquiorra could honestly admit to himself that he’d enjoyed it, as well. Not what he’d want all the time, but as a change of pace… He looked the Mod Soul over. “There is blood on your lips,” Ulquiorra told him, voice shaking more than he realized it would. Nova’s hand reached for his mouth, but Ulquiorra caught his wrist, yanking him down toward him. Nova was caught off balance and sprawled forward, gasping, catching himself on an outstretched palm, hovering over Ulquiorra, face to face.

                The Espada reached his free hand up and tangled his fingers in Nova’s hair, fisting tightly against his scalp, moving his head exactly where he wanted it. Ulquiorra opened his mouth and stretched out his tongue, swiping it against Nova’s blood smeared lips, which parted in a gasp. Nova quivered, body struggling to remain upright as all his muscles felt like jelly. When Ulquiorra had finished, he pulled Nova’s head away, releasing him and sitting up. They sat in silence for a few moments, neither of them looking at the other, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Ulquiorra stood. “I need to get this back to the shoten and butcher it before more time passes,” he said softly, indicating the Hollow, and Nova nodded. Ulquiorra lifted the Hollow by its back legs, slinging it over his shoulders like some kind of demonic backpack, and began the trek back to the shop, Nova following a few steps behind.

                The silence was a little different today. It had a slight unease to it, which felt almost more like an air of unfulfilled longing, combined with a wistful reminiscing. Ulquiorra glanced back occasionally at Nova, who still had not put his hood back on. He was grinning dreamily, fingers pressed to his lips, adrift in whatever ideas were ambling so pleasantly through his head as to plaster that placid smile on his face.

                Back at the shoten, Ulquiorra deposited the Hollow around back. He knew the average customer wouldn’t be able to see him butchering the creature, but also that most of the customers to the shoten were not to be considered ‘average’ by any measure of the word, and he would just as soon do the messy job out of sight. Nova had followed him, slightly checked-out of reality again. “Nova,” Ulquiorra called, snapping the Mod Soul out of his trance. “Will you shower while I deal with this?”

                “Oh… Yeah,” he replied absently, and ambled inside.

                Ulquiorra found a length of rope hanging on the porch and tied it around the Hollow’s back feet, tossing the free end over the low-hanging branch of a tree, and hoisted the thing aloft. He then reached to his side, where his sword materialized. He hadn’t needed it lately, and so he hadn’t found cause to call it forth, but it would be immensely helpful in butchering the Hollow.

                Unlike a Shinigami’s zanupakto, the sword of an Espada would not purify the soul of a Hollow or send it to the next realm. His sword, like his uniform, was a manifestation of himself, and his inherent power. He touched the ragged, bloodied strips of fabric that hung from the front of his robe and snorted in displeasure. He was still fairly weak, as evidenced his nearly non-existent hierro, the hardened layer of reiryoku which normally would have covered his skin in an invisible protective shield strong enough to deflect a Shinigami zanupakto bare-handed, let alone the claws of a low-level Hollow such as this. He drew his sword and slashed it scornfully across the throat of the beast, watching the dark blood splashing out onto the hard-packed dirt. The thought flitted though his mind that perhaps he should have used a basin of some sort to have collected the blood, along with the guts, but most of the blood was on the ground already, just a slow drizzle coming now, so he shrugged and went into the house to find some plastic from the kitchen to wrap the meat, and a few sacks to carry it all in.

                He supposed that either the guts would dissolve on their own by morning, or maybe some lesser Hollow would come sniffing around to scavenge them. Thinking better of it then, he lowered the creature and slit its belly, packaging up the guts as well. Maybe he could lay a trap with them later, he decided.

                He made quick work of the carcass, leaving not much left other than the mask and claws and some skin by the end of half an hour. He ate the heart while he worked, as well as the liver, preferring those fresh over frozen. He placed all of the wrapped meat into the sacks, and hauled it inside the shoten to the shop keeper’s laboratory, placing the bags in the chest freezer there. He didn’t want anyone to make the mistake of pulling his dinner out of the kitchen freezer, and preparing it for themselves.

                Ulquiorra went to the bedroom and climbed back into his gigai, then went looking for Nova, who he was quite sure would be out of the shower by now.

WWWWWWWWWW

                As Nova stepped out of the shower, he realized someone was in the bathroom with him. Assuming it was Ulquiorra, he pulled the towel over himself modestly and turned to realize he was wrong.

                Very wrong.

                “Drop the towel,” Urahara ordered, eyes narrow and deadly serious. Nova gulped, panic stricken, only clutching the towel tighter at the shop keeper’s words. Kisuke frowned, crossing his arms. “I need to inspect your gigai. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

                Nova shook his head in mute terror, and Urahara sighed, lifting his cane. “Suit yourself,” he said as he pushed the tip of it against Nova’s chest.

                Blackness.

                The next thing he knew, he felt fingers in his mouth and he coughed as his Soul Candy Pill was forced back down his throat. The shop keeper withdrew his hand, shaking his head. “Honestly. That could have been easier. It’s not like you even had anything to hide, Nova.” He stood and went to the door. “Get dressed, and come to the sitting room to have tea with the rest of us.”

                Nova sat alone, shaking on the bathroom floor for quite some time. He held the towel over himself, and felt the hot sting of tears threatening at his eyes. What the hell was that all about? he though angrily to himself. And why do I feel so violated?

                Sniffling to himself in quiet rage, he finally put his clothes on and pulled his hood over his damp hair, then wrapped his arms protectively around his midsection, as if that could change anything that had just transpired, and went out into the sitting room where Urahara, Tessai, and Ulquiorra were already seated around the table.

                Ulquiorra’s eyes narrowed the instant Nova walked in the room. Behind a curtain of damp red bangs, he could read something disturbing in his averted eyes, and his closed body language. Nova came to the table and kneeled beside Ulquiorra silently, closing his eyes as though in pain.

                “What has he done to you?” Ulquiorra hissed, enraged, but Nova only shook his head. The Arrancar pinned the shop keeper beneath the wrath of his emerald glare. “What have to done to him?” he demanded, louder than he’d intended. Urahara regarded the pair from behind his fan, under the shadow of his bucket hat. Ulquiorra brought his fist down on the table. “Damn you!” he shouted, then realized he was completely out of control and drew a deep breath, calming himself. He gave Kisuke a cutting look, still waiting for his answer.

                Urahara glanced at Tessai, who gave him a small nod. He folded his fan, holding it in his fists, clasped together in front of him on the table. “How have you two been spending your nights?” the shop keeper asked surreptitiously.

                “Sleeping,” Ulquiorra snapped tersely. “Again, I demand to know what you did to him?”

                Kisuke scrutinized the boys, and cleared his throat. “You two are playing a dangerous game,” he warned, and the room went silent. Nova looked up, confused, and Kisuke caught his gaze. “Do you still have the ability to say no, Nova?”

                Nova’s pale green eyes widened, and he glanced at Ulquiorra, who looked just as perplexed as Nova did, but Urahara reached across the table with his fan and turned Nova’s face back toward him. “Don’t look to him to answer for you. You have no idea what you’ve just told me by that, do you?”

                Nova shook his head, slightly frightened by the shop keeper’s words.

                “Can you still tell him no?” Urahara repeated seriously.

                “Of course,” Nova insisted, but his downcast eyes betrayed his hesitance and self-doubt in that answer.

                Urahara hummed unhappily, and sighed. “Look,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re both adults. I can’t stop you from the choices you make. But if you’re going to be engaging in any rough play under my roof, you’ll be doing it safely.”

                Ulquiorra shook his head. “I do not understand what you mean by this.”

                “Master and slave,” Urahara said slowly, pinning each of them in turn. “Or master and pet, as the case may be.”

                Ulquiorra scoffed. “I see him as an equal, not as a slave or a pet. Unlike everyone else.” He felt Nova glowing with pride next to him at hearing those words, and hearing Ulquiorra stand up for him in such a way.

                “Dominance games, willing submission, bondage,” Urahara continued. “I’m not judging the two of you for any of this, mind you. Hell, Tessai and I dabble in it a bit ourselves from time to time. When you’ve been together as long as we have, you have to keep things spicy, you know?”

                Nova choked, horrified to learn far more about the personal life of his host than he ever knew that he didn’t want to know. He was positive that his face was nearly as red as his hair, at this point. He bowed his head toward the table, his ears burning with heat as he listened to Urahara continue.

                “’Safe words’ aren’t always safe,” he told them. “The submissive partner can enter a trancelike state where they are unable to speak or respond coherently, and so can’t ask for the dominant one to stop the rough play.” Ulquiorra and Nova exchanged a knowing glance, then Nova looked away, eyes hazing over distantly. Kisuke nodded, pointing with his fan. “Aha, I see. Alright, so you’re already familiar with this.” He turned his attention to Ulquiorra. “It’s your responsibility to watch him carefully for signs of this, to check in with him regularly, make sure he’s still alert, and to stop if he’s not, do you understand?”

                Ulquiorra nodded, but only partially understood what Urahara was speaking of. He always was alert to Nova’s mental state, and had noticed immediately that day of the first hunt when Nova had ‘checked out of reality,’ as it were. But Ulquiorra wasn’t entirely clear what the admonition to ‘stop’ was in reference to.

                Nova, unfortunately, was completely aware… And completely dying of embarrassment. Chad had touched briefly on some of these subjects the other day, during their conversation on the water tower.

                Sex. Urahara was talking about sex. And not just regular sex, but some weird, kinky type of sex. And implying that Nova and Ulquiorra were involved together in it.

                Nova was horrified at the thought that Urahara, the man who was essentially his father, believed that he and Ulquiorra were having… What, exactly? Some kind of violent bondage sex? He understood now why Urahara had forcibly inspected his body; he had been looking for visible marks- signs of abuse.

                “He wouldn’t hurt me,” Nova blurted out, interrupting whatever Urahara had just been explaining, but which Nova had been too spun up in his own thoughts to be paying attention to.

                The shop keeper folded his arms. “I’m listening,” he said with a nod, conceding the floor to Nova.

                “He wouldn’t hurt me,” Nova repeated, softer this time. “When I… ‘Went away’ the other day, mentally… He brought me home, and took care of me. And when I panicked, he calmed me. He stayed with me until I came back around.” Nova turned tearful, adoring eyes to Ulquiorra. “You wouldn’t hurt me,” he whispered.

                “Never,” Ulquiorra asserted, holding his gaze for a long moment until Nova sighed, seemingly satisfied, and cast his eyes downward. The Espada turned to Urahara. “Is that what this is about, then? You believe I would do him harm?”

                “Perhaps not intentionally, but these sorts of things can get quickly out of hand if proper precautions are not taken,” Urahara replied. “I don’t want to see him hurt. He’s like one of my children, after all, in a way.”

                Ulquiorra nodded, finally understanding. “I would never harm him,” he reassured the shop keeper, looking him squarely in the eye. “Yes, I dominate him. I suspect you saw as much yesterday, prompting this conversation.” Urahara inclined his head in a non-committal fashion, and Ulquiorra continued. “But never with intent to harm him. His care and wellbeing are of my utmost concern. I would protect him at all costs. Once my strength has returned fully, I will do so.”

                The shop keeper looked dubiously back and forth between the two of them a few times, and then shrugged. “Alright then. Just… Be careful, okay? And if you do get to playing rough, learn your limits, and don’t leave marks on him.”

WWWWWWWWWW

                Nova couldn’t look Urahara or Tessai in the eyes the whole rest of that day. Every time, he would get visions of leather vests and riding crops, and shudder, turning away. That was decidedly the sort of information a person never needed to know about their parent-figure, he concluded.

                Ulquiorra wanted to hunt again that evening, as it turned out, even with all that fresh meat in the freezer. “That is emergency backup, for unfruitful nights,” he asserted. “I prefer to have it fresh, and I am sure the local Shinigami will not protest to my activities.” Nova could not argue with that logic, considering that essentially, Ulquiorra was doing their job for them.

                They went deeper into the city this time, instead of toward the edges of town. Nova was surprised at the number of smaller Hollow that were to be found around the town. He assumed that the Shinigami’s soul pager must only alert them to the sudden appearance of any larger, more powerful Hollow, whereas the smaller and weaker ones were generally not much of a concern, and considered too little of a threat to be bothered with.

                This worked just fine for Ulquiorra at this point, because these were exactly the size of Hollow which he was able to handle at his current power level. His strength was returning daily now, and it wouldn’t be long before he would need larger, stronger Hollow to feed from, instead of these paltry stragglers he’d been surviving off of.

                Ulquiorra found a vaguely frog-shaped Hollow, eating a much smaller Hollow down an alleyway. This one was bigger by a sight than the other ones he had killed, but it was distracted by its own meal, and didn’t know what hit it as Ulquiorra dropped from the rooftop above, driving his sword through the beast’s spine. He cut into it and began removing his usual choice bits, and Nova settled comfortably on the landing of a fire escape, waiting for him to finish his meal.

                “Ah shit, not you again…”

                They both looked up at the end of the alley to see Ichigo standing there, lowering his sword in disappointment, soul pager held in this other hand. He stuffed it in his pocket and stowed his sword on his back with a huff. “I’m going to have to talk to Urahara about fixing my soul pager to ignore your specific signature, you pinged tonight as a powerful Hollow, I thought I was going to have my work cut out for me.”

                Ulquiorra blinked at the Shinigami. “I am a powerful Hollow, Kurosaki Ichigo,” he asserted.

                The orangette rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah, but I mean, you’re not a threat.”

                The Espada stood, liver in his hand, blood dripping down his arm. “I take it that you went to speak with the shop keeper.”

                Ichigo recoiled at the sight of the bloody organ, and averted his gaze. “Uh, yeah. Just don’t cause any trouble, ok? As long as you keep up like you have been, nobody is going to complain. Honestly, you’re making my job easier by picking off the little guys that I don’t get alerts for, so I guess I should be thanking you for that.” Ichigo glanced over at the Mod Soul perched on the fire escape, and gave him a brief wave. “Hey Nova.” Nova nodded in acknowledgment, and Ichigo began to fidget nervously as he noticed Ulquiorra had disregarded his presence, and had begun to eat the liver. The Shinigami made a retching sound, and turned his back. “Yeah. Um, I’ll see you guys around,” he said, an uneven queasiness in his tone, and then was gone in a few skillful steps of shunpo.

                Ulquiorra smirked. “I was concerned he would wish to stay and make small-talk all evening.” He glanced to Nova, who snickered.

                “You were trying to chase him off?”

                Ulquiorra shrugged, taking another bite and swallowing before he answered. “You know that I prefer your company over that of others. Vastly so.”

                Nova blushed and glanced down shyly. Ulquiorra thought that response in him would never get old; it was so demure and submissive of him, and incredibly erotic, even though he knew it wasn’t intended that way.

                “Nova…” Ulquiorra paused, trying to parse out how he was going to phrase the thoughts that had been churning in his mind since their conversation with the shop keeper this morning. Nova seemed to sense where the conversation was headed, and instantly tensed. Ulquiorra looked up and sighed in disappointment, then said nothing, rooting around instead in the Hollow’s body cavity for the heart, and settling into a morose silence while he ate it.

                He was surprised to feel a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Nova standing behind him. He crouched down to bring himself to the eye level of the Espada and let out a sigh, pulling off his hood. Ulquiorra was shocked at this; he hadn’t even been asked, and already Nova anticipated the need for being open and transparent. “Look, Ulquiorra,” Nova started. “Is this about… Earlier? With Urahara, at the shop?”

                “Yes,” Ulquiorra said, setting the half-eaten heart down and turning his attention fully to Nova. The significance of this gesture was not lost on the Mod Soul; he deeply appreciated that he was being chosen over the instinctual need for food at this moment.

                Nova sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Do you even understand about sex?” he asked, wincing, as though the words were causing him physical discomfort by merely speaking them.

                “Of course,” Ulquiorra replied, somewhat indignantly. “Did you think I would be ignorant of such things?”

                Nova was taken aback. Not so much by the brisk manner in which he was being spoken to, but by the realization that, unfortunately, Ulquiorra’s presumption was entirely correct; on some level, he had suspected that Ulquiorra was naively oblivious to anything sexual, and he was embarrassed to realize he had made an assumption that only served to prove that it was he himself who was the naïve one. “I’m sorry,” Nova offered sadly in consolation. “You just never… I mean, you didn’t seem like you were really aware of any of that… Of what you were doing to…” Nova pulled up short there and gave a shaky exhalation instead of adding the final word to that sentence, which already felt too much like an admission of guilt.

                A bloody hand caught his chin, forcing his gaze up to meet Ulquiorra’s. The Espada regarded him cautiously. “You think that I am unaware of the responses you have to my acts? That I cannot smell the very pheromones you emit in your arousal? That I have missed the meaning in a single pause, a glance, a lowering of your eyes?” Ulquiorra gave a soft hum of incredulous disbelief. “Have you so quickly forgotten this morning?”

                Nova blushed and glanced away. “I… I don’t really understand, though. I mean, what do you want from me?” The bare honesty on his face as he looked up was nearly painful for Ulquiorra.

                “I want you to be happy,” Ulquiorra said simply.

                “No.” Nova shook his head, biting his lip in frustration. “I mean… If you know about sex… Where’s all this leading, Ulquiorra? What do you want from me?”

                The Espada sighed, nodding, finally seeing the direction Nova was going with his questions. He gazed deeply into the soft, minty green eyes that searched him, so needful. “I will not take anything you do not offer me, Nova,” he whispered softly. “I will never hurt you. Never force you. Do you understand?”

                Tears brimmed in the Mod Soul’s eyes, and he nodded silently. Nova turned and retreated to the fire escape, and Ulquiorra finished eating, then looked back to Nova. He was leaned against the railing, one leg dangling down between the bars, staring up at the sky far above the alley, silent tears streaming down his face.

                Ulquiorra went to him, laying his hand on the Mod Soul’s leg. Nova sniffled and wiped at his face with the back of his hand, but did not look at Ulquiorra. “Nova,” the Espada called quietly, but Nova shook his head and turned away to face the building, hitching a ragged breath.

                In a few easy steps of sonido, Ulquiorra was on the fire escape, so close to Nova that the Mod Soul could smell the blood on his breath. He quivered and shut his eyes, lips pressed together, refusing to look at Ulquiorra.

                “Nova…” The Arrancar took his chin gently in his hand. “What is upsetting you?”

                “I… I’m not sure, even,” Nova admitted, wiping at his eyes again. “Do you know what he did to me today?”

                “Urahara?”

                Nova nodded, and Ulquiorra remained silent, waiting for the explanation. “He wanted to check my gigai. For ‘marks.’ Like you’d been hurting me. I didn’t understand why at first, so when I resisted, he just knocked me out of my body and did it anyway.” His arms had come up again to encircle his midsection protectively. “I felt so… Violated, I guess. I mean, he can say I’m like a child to him, but there’s the crux of it. He doesn’t see me as an equal. None of them do.” His tearful eyes met Ulquiorra’s. “Nobody but you.”

                They sat without speaking for several minutes, then Ulquiorra pushed between Nova and the railing and climbed in behind him, covering Nova’s arms with his own. “I was not there to protect you. I have failed you,” Ulquiorra whispered regretfully in his ear, forehead bowed against Nova’s messy red locks.

                “No!” Nova cried, leaning harshly back into the embrace, reaching a hand to squeeze one of Ulquiorra’s arms tighter around him. “No, that’s not what I’m getting at, not at all.” He sighed and turned his head, rubbing it timidly against the face that was pressed against him, causing Ulquiorra’s nose to passively brush against his ear. The Espada took the cue, and began to nuzzle there, causing Nova to shudder and relax a little into the enfolding comfort that surrounded him. “It’s… I mean… Maybe I want more than just this.” Nova’s head bowed in embarrassment as Ulquiorra drew back a little. “Sorry. I just… Shit.” The pain in his chest was unbearable, and he began to pull himself to his feet, but was yanked back into the Espada’s lap, landing sideways with a gasp.

                “Why do you resist your urges?” Ulquiorra demanded, causing Nova’s breath to catch in his throat as the feral green gaze fixed on him. “I know well enough what it is that you want. But I will not force you.” He brushed sanguine wisps out of the Mod Soul’s eyes, laying fingertips tenderly on his cheek. “When you are more sure of yourself. I will always stop if you wish it, you have but to speak the word. But you are so easily coerced, Nova,” he murmured with a smirk, mouth close to Nova’s as he spoke, and the Mod Soul breathlessly parted his lips in hopeless want, wanting to capture the Espada’s mouth more than anything in that moment. Ulquiorra gripped his wrist and fingers tightened as he whimpered, beginning to find himself lost in that distant place again. “Unless, of course, you would prefer that I take it by force…”

                Nova panted, eyes fluttering and rolling back in his head as he made indistinct vocalizations and checked out again. Ulquiorra gave a meager chuckle and repositioned the Mod Soul against his chest, standing and carrying him back to the Shoten.

                Urahara spotted them in the hallway just outside their room and frowned, approaching quickly, fishing a small flashlight out of his pocket. Ulquiorra was still wary of the shop keeper, especially considering the information that Nova had just shared about having been essentially assaulted, but he could somewhat understand this man’s motive. It seemed to be much as his own; simply the interest of Nova’s wellbeing, though they clearly had different methods of achieving that goal. Urahara pulled open one of Nova’s eyes and flashed the light into it a few times, then stuffed the light back in his pocket.

                “How long has he been like this?”

                “A few minutes.”

                Urahara nodded. “You brought him straight back here?”

                “Of course.”

                “What were you doing?”

                Ulquiorra was somewhat annoyed, realizing that the man was taking advantage of Nova’s current incapacitation and his own blunt honesty to ask a question that Nova would have been horrifically embarrassed to answer, but shrugged it off. “Talking,” Ulquiorra said, and then, almost as an afterthought, added, “about sex.”

                The shop keeper cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. “Either he’s more sensitive than I would have suspected, or you’re something special if you can send him there just by talking,” he said, nodding to the semi-conscious Mod Soul.

                Ulquiorra pushed the door open with a toe, and deposited Nova gently on the bed beside his own gigai, then crawled into it, glaring up at Urahara from beneath the blanket that covered them both. “What is this distrust you have for me?” he asked quietly, so as not to disturb Nova, who was resting blissfully. “I would never harm him.” He pushed himself up on an elbow and wrapped the other arm around Nova’s chest, drawing the slender man to him protectively. “I will not force anything on him. You think we are doing things which we have not.” He looked down at Nova, who turned toward him, nestling into the warmth of his chest. “He is not ready yet.”

                Urahara watched the two of them briefly, then pulled the door closed. Ulquiorra lay down and embraced Nova comfortingly, closing his eyes, allowing himself to breathe in the familiar, soothing scent of this young man.

                The door slid open again, and Urahara came in, setting a few bottles of water and a chocolate bar on the bedside table. “For when he wakes up,” he explained, then retreated to the doorway and watched them again for a few moments. “For what it’s worth, Ulquiorra, it looks like you’re doing a fine job so far.” He shut the door, and footsteps retreated as Ulquiorra sank again into the luxurious contentment of having Nova in his arms.

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The Silence Between