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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87205 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
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Growing Quickly

Diaemus, his mother decided, was growing at an amazing rate. He was barely two months old and he was already crawling and flapping his wings. Her son was also a clingy little guy. His hands could grasp onto almost anything with a near death grip.

Orihime quickly discovered that she didn�t need to worry too much about him letting her know he was hungry; he would simply crawl over and use her clothing as a ladder to get to his milk. The amount of blood he drew didn�t grow too much either as he fed more frequently. Surprisingly, he wasn�t shy about feeding from his father either.

It was the most bizarre thing Orihime had ever seen and she had made a mental note to get a book on vampire bats to study. There was very little information on them, but what was there did explain that vampire bats were very family-oriented, social creatures and that any member of the wing could request food from another. Apparently, the sharing of blood amongst kin was common in a bat colony.

Orihime sighed and picked Diaemus up as he tried to crawl past her. So far none of her friends had come by to visit yet. She wasn�t too surprised. They were probably waiting for Ulquiorra to give them the go-ahead before intruding and Ulquiorra was the sort of person who would �neglect� to do so until they asked him.

Well, that was enough of that. She couldn�t wait to show her son off to her friends, even if he was already able to crawl. When Ulquiorra walked through that door she was going to make him turn around and march right back out to let everyone know she wanted visitors.

Diaemus settled on her lap and flapped his wings. Ulquiorra had told her he did this to exercise and strengthen them, just like any winged creature would instinctively do.

�That�s my boy, work those muscles. Soon you will be able to fly just like your father!� she encouraged him.

Of course, the thought of him flying did make her worry. She hoped he wouldn�t climb too many bookshelves to jump off of in his quest for flight. The mental image alone nearly gave her a heart attack.

Encouraged by her words, he flapped his wings harder and his tail shifted about, widening and narrowing as he flexed the leathery appendage. His green eyes narrowed and he crouched down in her lap, still flapping his wings until a small breeze formed.

�Excellent,� Ulquiorra�s voice came from the entrance to the living room.

Orihime yelped in surprise and lost her grip on her son. Diaemus took the distraction to leap from her lap before she could catch him. The floor really wasn�t that far away and he glided poorly to the ground and landed just as badly.

�Diaemus,� she called alarmed.

Her son turned about and stubbornly crawled his way back to her and up the couch to settle in her lap once more. She checked him over for any sign of injury while he did his best to fend off her searching hands and set about flapping his wings again.

�Birds call it branching. It is to be expected from one his age,� Ulquiorra noted as he entered the room to join them.

�He could have been hurt,� she complained.

Diaemus was still trying to set himself up for what she suspected was going to be another leap from her lap.

�Such an insignificant fall could not harm him,� Ulquiorra pointed out.

Orihime sighed and forced herself to stop fussing over their son. Ulquiorra was right. Diaemus could throw himself off of the couch all day and probably not even get a bruise. He had definitely inherited his father Heirro.

�It�s a mother�s instinct to worry,� Orihime defended herself.

�Apparently so,� he agreed.

Diaemus turned his attention to his father as Ulquiorra stepped in front of them. After a moment of silent communication that left Orihime completely baffled, Diaemus grasped onto his father�s clothing and climbed up to perch on his shoulder.

He remained there with ease as Ulquiorra walked across the living room before turning to face her.

�Failure is not an option,� he said, giving his son a sidelong look that said he expected the command to be obeyed.

Diaemus nodded his little head and started flapping his wings and adjusting his tail.

�Wait!� Orihime protested, starting to rise to fetch the child back. �Ulquiorra, he�s way too young to be doing something so dangerous.�

�Remain where you are,� he ordered her.

Shocked, she settled back onto her place at the couch while Diaemus continued to eye the distance between his parents, working his wings and his tail. Orihime felt herself trembling with apprehension while Ulquiorra hardly seemed phased by either the potential for injury or the fact his son seemed to be taking his time to make the leap.

Finally Diaemus must have felt he was ready for he launched himself from his father�s shoulder and glided unsteadily towards her. Orihime caught her son as he landed haphazardly in her lap before turning his attention to his father.

�Well done,� Ulquiorra congratulated his son.

Diaemus nodded and puffed out his wings in pride at the compliment from his father while trying to get his mother to stop smothering him.

�It is past bedtime,� Ulquiorra noted.

Diaemus seemed to sulk at that, but didn�t protest as he was picked up and brought to their shared room. Orihime put her son to bed and watched as he curled contently up in the nest of bedding before tucking his wings around him in the manner of a blanket.

�You did well today, Diaemus-kun, even if you gave me a heart attack,� Orihime smiled at her son and kissed the crown of his head.

He yawned sleepily and settled more comfortably between his wings while she pulled the sheet up to cover him.

Ulquiorra had claimed the couch and seemed to be dozing lightly. She had heard the alarms this morning so she knew he had been fighting today. She curled up next to him and sighed as he pulled her into his embrace.

�He is growing up so fast, even faster than Ajuga-chan,� she complained softly.

�It only feels that way because he spent more time in the womb,� he responded. �And you are comparing him to a human child again,� he added displeased.

�Well I am human, so it�s only natural,� she snapped back irritably.

Silence settled in the room for at least a minute.

�I want to see my friends,� she declared firmly.

�I am not stopping you,� he pointed out.

�Until they hear from you, we both know they won�t stop by and risk intruding. I want to share Diaemus-kun with them before he grows up too much.�

�I will let them know,� he sighed softly in annoyance.

�Thank you,� she turned about in his grasp and kissed him softly.

He gave her a squeeze but didn�t demand anything more. She guessed it was Diaemus�s presence that held his instinct to breed again with her at bay. They already had one child to care for; until Diaemus was a bit older and could �fend for himself�, that instinct to breed would remain curbed.

�I am tired,� he commented, startling her momentarily.

�Mmm, so am I,� she agreed, nestling closer to his warmth.

�We should retreat to bed,� he added.

�A good idea,� she agreed, and felt her eyelids droop a little.

He held back a frustrated sigh, but she still caught it.

�It is difficult to do with you on top of me,� he stated flatly.

�Somehow I doubt the Great and Powerful Ulquiorra-sama is being pinned down by a Meek and Weak human girl,� she teased.

She felt more than heard him growl in annoyance, then let out a squeal as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder with ease.

�Very well, Onna, if you wish to be that way,� he commented.

�Ulquiorra, put me down,� she complained as the blood rushed to her head.

�You wanted to be difficult, now you shall suffer the consequences,� he deadpanned as he carried her to their room.

�Ulquiorra�� she warned.

He continued to ignore her until he dropped his shoulder and she landed on the bed with a thump.

She righted herself and glared at him. Diaemus hardly even shifted at their presence and continued to sleep with nary a murmur of discontent at the bed being bounced.

�It is time to sleep.�

�I am not tired,� she huffed, crossing her arms like a stubborn child.

�If you were interested in other bed-related activities, so be it,� he noted, stripping off his uniform.

She growled at him as she removed her own clothing and shifted on the bed to make space for him.

�Not with Diaemus-kun around,� she said firmly.

�Then I suggest you sleep,� he replied, crawling into the bed to join them.

�There is no winning with you, is there?� she groused.

�It took you this long to discover that?� he asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

�Oh, just go to sleep,� she muttered irritably, finding Diaemus and bending her body around him.

Her son was quick to adjust to her body heat, moving closer to curl up next to her but still remained cocooned under his wings.

�At least he doesn�t try to hang from the ceiling,� she thought gratefully, amused at the mental image that quickly came to mind before she too nodded off.

Tatsuki was the first to stop by after Ulquiorra assured her that he had informed her friends they were permitted to visit. The news her friend bore was heartbreaking and Orihime almost had to ask Tatsuki to physically restrain her from going to Jushiro to help him.

�When did that happen?� she asked in horror.

�Two weeks ago.� Tatsuki answered grimly. �Karin-chan has taken over running his Division again, leaving Nanao-san to run their Division alone. I have been helping Nanao-san the best I can by keeping an eye on Hana-chan and Ajuga-chan, but both of them are practically glued to Jushiro-san�s side and won�t leave.�

The dark-haired woman shook her head, mouth pressed into a thin angry line before she continued.

�At least his nightmares seem to have ended, but it will be another week or so before they dare to take the bindings off and see if he will retain any sight at all. I even heard that Starrk-san had a talk with Aizen about it, although the whole thing is being kept hush-hush. The only reason I know anything about it is because Lilinette-chan was bitching about it to Jushiro-san when I walked in.�

�So no one will be able to visit for a while,� Orihime sighed dejectedly.

She was getting tired of being locked up in the house and wanted to get out. She knew Ulquiorra suffered far fewer of the �protective instincts� that Grimmjow had been subject to, but she was still hesitant about taking Diaemus out of the house just yet.

�I could bring Hana-chan and Ajuga-chan over. I am sure I could peel them away from Jushiro-san�s side long enough for a visit,� Tatsuki offered.

�That�s alright. If I was blind I wouldn�t want to be left alone.� She sighed again. �I will ask Ulquiorra when he gets home tonight if I can visit them,�

�That would work better,� Tatsuki agreed as they watched Diaemus climb back up onto the chair and once more flap his wings in preparation of another short glide to the floor.

He had learned quickly that anything higher had his mother in a dither, so the chair and a pile of pillows a few feet away made up his practice field.

�He sure is growing quickly,� Tatsuki noted.

�Apparently it is a Hollow thing, since Hueco Mundo is not the most child-friendly environment. Most Adjuchas don�t live longer than ten years,� she noted sadly. �It�s a desolate place, full of sand and rock and little else, trust me. I�m surprised anything lives there.�

�That would definitely make the ability to grow up quickly important,� Tatsuki sighed.

�So, how are you and Tesra-san doing?� Orihime asked, changing the subject. �Are there any children in your future?�

Tatsuki rolled her eyes in reply to the obvious enthusiasm in her friend�s voice.

�We are doing fine and no, I do not see children any time soon, regardless of what that quack Szayel may want. I still find it hard to believe that an Arrancar turned out to be the perfect match for me. A chance meeting. So gay�� she muttered.

�I think it�s romantic,� Orihime sighed wistfully. �You�re trapped in a dangerous ring of enemies and out of the shadows steps a white figure who loudly proclaims �Release her!� Once the enemies have been vanquished, he escorts the victim home where he leaves her honour intact, and before long they fall helplessly in love.�

She giggled at the fairytale image that her mind had conjured. Tatsuki, in contrast, had a look of disgust plastered on her face.

�That�s not how we met.�

�Close enough,� Orihime said in defence of her version of things. �And that is exactly what I am going to tell your children when they ask me how you two met one another.�

�Right,� Tatsuki rolled her eyes at the supposed threat. �I think I might just have to kill you now��

Diaemus, once he�d determined that his mother was thoroughly distracted, took advantage of the opportunity to sneak up the bookshelf. He�d decided that the chair was just too low to the ground to get any real gliding practice in.

He froze when he noticed his mother�s friend�s eyes had drifted his way and she raised one dark eyebrow at his daring, but surprisingly, she didn�t point out his position to his mother.

Confident now that the newcomer was an ally who understood his needs, Diaemus finished his journey to the top of the large bookshelf and perched there carefully. This would be his highest leap to date and he wanted to plan his descent with equal consideration.

Once he�d finally settled on a trajectory, he leaped and snapped his wings open. Only now did his mother notice his endeavour and tried to rise from her place on the couch to catch him, but her friend snagged a shoulder and held her in place.

Diaemus continued his glide, out of the living room, ending his flight with a tumble onto the kitchen floor. Landing was something he still needed to practice. As luck would have it, he ended up at his father�s feet. He had known his sire was coming and had hoped to land far more elegantly to try to earn a little praise from the Arrancar.

�Your landing needs work,� his father noted, but there was also a bit of amusement in the green eyes that looked down on him.

�Diaemus!� His mother scowled and scooped him up. Diaemus braced himself for the scolding.

�What have I told you about climbing higher than the couch?� she demanded, her voice containing an edge of hysteria.

�Calm down, Orihime-chan, he�s fine.� Tatsuki came up behind her and put the same hand on her shoulder that she�d initially used to keep Orihime from intercepting her son in mid-flight. �Ulquiorra-san,� she greeted the Espada, inclining her head in his direction.

�He could have hurt himself, or crashed into a wall or� something,� Orihime argued stubbornly, squeezing the boy a little more tightly than Diaemus thought necessary. He began to squirm a little in protest at being held so closely.

�He is going to have to learn how to fly sooner or later,� Tatsuki pointed out.

�Later is fine by me!�

�Orihime,� Ulquiorra stated firmly, in an attempt to settle things.

She snapped her mouth shut, cutting off whatever else she had been about to say, and turned her grey eyes to his. Pain radiated from them with a large amount of fear. Not of him, but for their son. Finally, Ulquiorra closed his eyes, shook his head and when he opened them, seemed to have come to some kind of decision.

�Diaemus,� he turned his green eyes to their son.

Diaemus looked up at his father expectantly.

�Do not attempt higher flights in the house.�

His son nodded his head in understanding.

�We will build a place outside, someplace more appropriate for him to practice.�

Orihime sighed in relief at the suggestion and actually looked thoughtful as she considered the benefits of it.

�Well, I might as well head out, don�t want to intrude too much,� Tatsuki excused herself.

�Thanks for stopping by Tatsuki-chan,� Orihime called out.

�Any time,� Tatsuki waved as she left, closing the door behind her.

�Can I take Diaemus out?� Orihime asked.

�Now?�

�No, tomorrow. I want to see how Jushiro-san is doing,� she admitted.

�You may take him,� he agreed. �But you will in no way attempt to heal the punishment dealt to him by Aizen-Kami,� he ordered firmly.

Orihime nodded her head sadly in agreement as she felt the slight jerk on the Claim that assured she would do as told. Her sadness only increased as he did it and she handed him their son before walking away without another word.

Ulquiorra looked after in in confusion, for he could tell that she was suddenly very upset with him; the sting of how hurt she felt came through clearly to him through the Claim. He let out a frustrated sigh, wondering what he could have possibly done this time to make his human mate upset.

If it was one thing he had learned it was that leaving her alone often fixed the problem or at least, didn�t make it worse, so that is what he decided to do. He took Diaemus outside to their yard and stood a short distance away from the fence.

Diaemus didn�t need a second invitation to settle on his father�s shoulder and flap his wings. Without any trace of fear he launched himself and glided across the lawn to touch down on the grass, going headfirst into a somersault and landing upside-down in the grass. Once he�d recovered, he wasted no time climbing the fence and returning to crash near his father, wings askew. He shook the rough landing off and once more climbed up to his father�s shoulder and looked at him expectantly.

�You need to tip your wings to gather more air for an upright break.�

Diaemus nodded and once more launched himself. His landing was still rough, but he thought he understood now and scrambled up the fence quickly before making the return trip, this time remaining upright as he landed.

�Better. You are beginning to understand, as expected of my child.�

He preened, basking in the glow of his father�s compliment and quickly scaled the fence for another flight.

It was much easier out here where there was more space and no walls or other pesky obstacles to crash into. There was an actual air current to ride out here as well, which helped as much as it hindered, but at this lower level the currents were far more manageable than they would be higher up.

Actual flight wasn�t something Diaemus had practiced much as of yet. First he wanted to make sure he was actually going to be able to land without breaking his neck. He continued his trips back and forth until his hunger became too insistent to ignore even as his landings grew much smoother.

He looked at his father expectantly and without a word Ulquiorra used a fingernail to slice a nick in his wrist. Diaemus was quick to latch on, the enzymes in his saliva making sure the cut remained open long enough to get enough nutrients to sustain him for now. His mother would feed him again in about an hour when he could gather the rest of the nutrients he required to survive.

Until then there was no excuse for laziness. His father expected the best from him and Diaemus was determined to give him exactly that.

To sleepy to write more. Thanks for the reviews. /pass out.
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Prize of Victory