To Whom You Are Loyal 7

"Welcome home, dears!" Mrs. Taka exclaimed as Orihime and Ulquiorra stepped out of the taxi and carried their bags up the sidewalk. She captured each of them in a vice grip hug and smiled. "I hope you two had a good time."

"Oh," Orihime blushed deep red ans smiled awkwardly, "yes. We had a great time. Thank you both so much for getting us a room at that gorgeous hotel."

Mrs. Taka held her hands up. "Don't thank me, dear. You should be thanking my husband. He's the one who planned the whole thing."

"Where exactly is Mr. Taka?" Ulquiorra asked. He scanned the yard in one long sweep of his eyes. "I see he has not mowed the grass since we left."

Mrs. Taka stared down at her hands. "Oh, well, you see there was a little accident. He decided not to listen to me and ended up throwing his back out trying to start that stupid lawnmower. I swear. If he had a lick of sense in his head, he would be as competent as a garden hose."

Orihime covered her mouth and tried to stifle a laugh. "That's...unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Has he gone to a doctor to see if it can be fixed?" Ulquiorra asked dully.

"Well, no. He doesn't like going to doctors very much," Mrs. Taka explained. She looked him up and down. There was something different about him, and it wasn't good.

He seemed like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. His eyes were dull, there was a slight slump yet erect twist in his upper back and shoulders, and his voice had been completely monotone whenever he said anything. It wasn't exactly how you would expect a young man to act after sleeping with his new bride for a week straight.

"Where is he?" Ulquiorra asked politely, but still emotionless.

"Oh, he's in the living-room, Ulquiorra, dear," Mrs. Taka replied. "If you want, you can go in and see him. He hasn't moved from the couch in three days."

Ulquiorra bowed his head slightly. "Thank you." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked down to the landlord's apartment.

Orihime watched as he disappeared into the dark confines of the Takas' apartment and sighed. He had been acting strange all day. He was always tense and his eyes never stayed in one spot for more than two seconds, there was an air of unrest emanating from him, and any emotion he had was somehow siphoned out of him. He had seemed so alive last night, as well as the rest of the week. What could have happened in twelve hours to cause such a dramatic mood shift?

Mrs. Taka stood next to the distressed red-head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright between you and Ulquiorra, dear? You both seem a little on edge."

"Well, I don't know," Orihime sighed. "I'm fine, but Ulquiorra's been acting a little strange today. It's weird. He was so lively last night. I just don't know what could have happened in less then twelve hours that could have caused him to change so drastically."

"He was lively last night, huh?" Mrs. Taka held her chin between her thumb and index finger. "How often have you two been physically active in the past week?"

Orihime blushed bright red and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "Every night," she whispered.

Mrs. Taka cupped her ear. "Speak up, dear. I'm afraid my hearing's not as good as it used to be."

"Every night the past week," Orihime replied a little louder then added, "for most of the night."

"Well, I must say that I'm slightly surprised by your stamina and resilience," Mrs. Taka laughed slightly. "But I think I might know why Ulquiorra's so stressed."

"Really?" Orihime exclaimed and stared at Mrs. Taka with sparkling eyes. "What is it?"

There was a gleam of mischief in Mrs. Taka's eyes. "Orihime, are you pregnant?"

Orihime could feel her eyes pop out of her head and join her jaw on the sidewalk. "No! Well, at least I don't think so. It's only been a week!"

"It doesn't matter if it's only been a week," Mrs. Taka informed matter-of-factly. "It only takes a split second for an egg to be fertilized. The only reason why young girls like you don't think they can be pregnant that first week is because they don't feel any of the symptoms."

Orihime stared down at the walkway. Could she really be pregnant? It had only been a week, but it had been a week of constant....activity. There was a slight chance that she could be.

"My guess is that Ulquiorra possibly thinks that you're pregnant and doesn't quite know how to take it yet," Mrs. Taka disclosed.

"I hardly doubt he thinks I'm pregnant," Orihime said a little more forcefully than intended. "He wouldn't be acting like this if he did."

Mrs. Taka flinched slightly. "I'm sorry, Orihime. That's just my opinion. You don't need to be so offensive."

Orihime clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god, Mrs. Taka, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sound hostile. I don't know what came over me!"

"It's alright, dear," Mrs. Taka smiled. "I know you didn't mean it. Perhaps you're right and Ulquiorra's just stressed over something else. Maybe his boss called him and gave him his two weeks notice. Who knows?"

Orihime stared at the Takas' apartment door. "Mrs. Taka?"

"What is it, dear?" Mrs. Taka replied, turning her head.

"How did you find out you were pregnant?" Orihime blushed slightly. This was so embarrassing. She wasn't pregnant, so why was she asking this?

Mrs. Taka closed her eyes and hummed. "Well, I didn't figure it out until about the second or third week depending on the child. With my daughter it was the second week in, and I realized that I was pregnant with Lieutenant when I was maybe three weeks in. Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?"

"Oh, yeah, just one second," Orihime dug through her purse and pulled out a small, wrinkled sheet of paper and a blue pen. "Here you go."

"Thank you, dear." Mrs. Taka took the pen and paper and started writing. "What I suggest is that you wait for another week before you fly off the handle and start making arrangements for a child you might not be harboring in that cute little physique of yours." She handed the paper and pen back to Orihime. "If you feel two or more of these symptoms over the next week, I would suggest going to the doctor or taking an at home pregnancy test."

Orihime took the paper and read over the list of symptoms written in barely legible print:

Implantation Bleeding
Delay/Difference in Menstruation
Swollen or Tender Breasts
Fatigue
Nausea or Morning Sickness
Headaches or Backaches
Cravings

She suddenly felt sick. No wonder women got so paranoid about being pregnant. A lot of these symptoms were normal, everyday, things. You could have the flu, be close to your period and crave chocolate constantly, or just have aches and pains from doing rigorous activity and someone could think you were pregnant.

"Um, thanks," Orihime said hesitantly, and slipped the list into her purse. "How do you know so much about this stuff?"

"Honey, I've only had two children," Mrs. Taka laughed, "but it doesn't hurt to have a Doctorate's degree in nursing either."

Orihime blushed in embarrassment. How could she have forgotten that Mrs. Taka had two kids? She had only told her a thousand times and repeated it no more than two minutes ago.

She grabbed her suitcase and bowed. "Thank you for the information, Mrs. Taka. Please excuse me, I have to bring these bags up to the apartment."

"Oh, here, let me help you, dear," Mrs. Taka said, taking two of the lighter bags which happened to be Ulquiorra's. They walked up the stairs leading to Orihime's small apartment and talked about completely random, yet important, subjects.

Ulquiorra stepped into the Takas' living-room and saw Mr. Taka lying on his stomach on the couch. His clothes were wrinkled, his face was covered in three day old stubble, and his eyes were sunken in due to pain induced insomnia. "You look horrible."

Mr. Taka looked up pathetically from the couch cushion and smiled. "I feel horrible."

He painfully pulled his hands up so he could rest his chin on his arms. There was an audible crackle coming from his spine as he did so. "When did you get back, Ulquiorra?"

"Orihime and I returned just a few minutes ago," Ulquiorra informed. "Your wife told us about the lawnmower incident and how you refuse to go see a doctor. I thought I would come and see if I could help."

Mr. Taka sighed deeply. "That woman, I tell you. If I didn't love her to death, I would tell her to mind her own business."

"She is only concerned about your condition," Ulquiorra said dully. "I can see why. You are a mess."

"I guess I do," Mr. Taka chuckled slightly. "But how do you plan on helping me? You don't know anything about being a doctor or a chiropractor, do you?"

"You would be surprised," Ulquiorra replied. When he was a mercenary, he had to deal with dislodged shoulders, knees, back bones, and other miscellaneous aches. He had gotten to be fairly good at twisting things back into place.

He walked over to the couch and rested his knee on the small of Mr. Taka's back. "Try to put your arms at your sides."

"Like this?" Mr. Taka slowly moved his arms by his sides so his palms were facing up. It sounded like someone was stepping on bubble wrap.

"Perfect," Ulquiorra pressed his palms together and placed his hands in between Mr. Taka's shoulder blades, "breathe in."

Mr. Taka inhaled deeply and let out all the air in one rush of air..

Ulquiorra applied pressure to his hands and knee when Mr. Taka exhaled. It sounded like a sheet of ice breaking free from an iceberg as the force popped the old landlord's spine back into alignment.

"Gah," Mr. Taka exhaled in shock and felt his back as Ulquiorra stood up straight. All the pain twisting his spine was gone. It was a miracle.

Mr. Taka stood up off the couch and bent over at the waist. "I don't know how you did it, Ulquiorra, but you fixed me. Thank you so much."

"It was nothing," Ulquiorra stated dully.

Mr. Taka looked him up and down. "What's wrong, Ulquiorra? You seem a little off today. Is everything okay between you and Orihime?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes in bliss at the thought of his new bride. "We are fine. I am just having a personal problem."

"Oh," Mr. Taka patted his shoulder, "don't worry, Ulquiorra. It happens to the best of us. Why, I remember the first time I tried to make love to Kaede. I couldn't get it up for the longest time."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened and a slight pink tinted his cheeks in embarrassment. "I-It is nothing like that! Believe me. My sex life is just fine. I am just having a problem with an old employer of mine."

"What kind of problem?" Mr. Taka asked curiously.

"It appears that he has been 'watching' me for a while," Ulquiorra informed. "He wishes to meet with me tomorrow. I do not want to convene with the man in any way, shape, or form. But if I do not, I am afraid of what he may do."

"Then call the cops on the jerk!" Mr. Taka exclaimed. "This ex-employer of yours sounds like a real scumbag! He has no right to be 'watching' you! You don't have to meet with him."

"I doubt the police would be able to do much," Ulquiorra replied. The only thing any law enforcement could do is get killed.

"Oh, so he's one of those big shot, tycoon assholes who have a bunch of lawyers? I hate men like that!" Mr. Taka stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They think they can do whatever they want because they have power. Well, don't you worry about it, son. If you do go and meet the prick tomorrow, I'll stand behind you every step of the way."

A small smile formed on Ulquiorra's lips. If only the old man knew what was really going on, he might not be so willing to help him then.

"Now then," Mr. Taka went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of Pepsi, "why don't we have a little talk, Ulquiorra? You know, man to man."

Ulquiorra took one of the bottles and stared at it skeptically. "Talk about what?"

* * *

Ulquiorra stepped into his and Orihime's apartment some hours later, after spending some time talking with Mr. Taka about random topics, and found Mrs. Taka and Orihime sitting on the couch, laughing, and discussing things that he had no desire to comprehend. It was just getting dark outside and the second both women saw him they were dead quiet.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer," Mrs. Taka scolded in a mother-like tone, "where have you been? Orihime's been worried sick about you!"

Or at least Orihime was quiet.

"I apologize," Ulquiorra said dully. "I was discussing important matters with your husband, Mrs. Taka. His back is better now."

"It is?" Mrs. Taka exclaimed. "Oh, thank you, dear, you have no idea how happy that makes me!"

"I can only imagine. If you'll excuse me," he walked over to Orihime and kissed her lightly before smiling slightly against her lips, "I have to make a phone call." He exited the living-room and entered the kitchen, leaving the two women alone.

Orihime felt a blush creep up her neck as her eyes widened. That was the first time Ulquiorra had even looked at her since last night. Now he was kissing her and smirking at her like he had the first night they had been together. What had he and Mr. Taka talked about that caused such a drastic mood swing?

Mrs. Taka nudged her ribs and smiled teasingly. "I think someone's getting a little playful."

Orihime blushed deep red and stared down at her lap with a slight smile. "Maybe he just had a nice talk with Mr. Taka. I'm just happy that he's out of his slump. I don't know what caused him to change so suddenly, but I'm glad he's back to normal."

"Or as normal as a lustful man can get," Mrs. Taka giggled mockingly. She stood up and gave Orihime a sweet smile. "I best be going. Remember what we talked about, dear."

"I will, Mrs. Taka. Be careful." Orihime waved as she watched the old woman leave her apartment.

She stood up and stretched before walking back to her room to unpack. Her back was slightly sore from sitting so long. She needed to move around.

Ulquiorra picked up the phone and dialed a five digit number. It rang two times before an automatic voice answered.

"The number you have dialed is not valid," the computer said. "Please hang up and try your call again."

Ulquiorra hung up and redialed the same five numbers and adding two more. This time there were three rings before the automatic voice answering picked up. He repeated the process until he dialed a full, ten digit, number.

The phone rang five times and went to voice mail. "Hello, you have reached Lied Arduro. I am sorry that I am not able to meet with you at this specific moment. Please leave a message and I will try to contact you whenever I am able."

"It's Ulquiorra. I need to talk to you as soon as possible. It is of the utmost importance." Ulquiorra hung up with such force he nearly broke the phone.

Lied never missed anyone who tried to contact her by this means of communication. It was not a phone, but her own mind. The fact that she was unable to commune with him meant that something was wrong.

Orihime finished unpacking and noticed a small group of bags sitting in the bottom of her closet. "What's this?" She picked up one of the paper bags and set it down on her bed.  There was something black enclosed within the bag.

She reached inside and pulled out a piece of soft, silky, black cloth. Her eyes widened as a fresh blush colored her cheek. It was one of the outfits Mrs. Taka had bought for her at the lingerie store.

A drop of sweat rolled down her face as she stared down at the skimpy article of clothing, if you could call it that. The tags were still on it. Should she take it back? That would be the smart thing to do, but something in the back of her mind was telling her to put it on.

She quickly ducked into the bathroom. It was just lingerie. What harm could it do?

Ulquiorra sighed as he walked back to Orihime's bedroom. He was suddenly tired. Everything that had happened this past week had certainly taken it's toll on him. All he wanted to do was curl up next to Orihime and go to sleep.

He entered the bedroom and raised an eyebrow. Orihime was nowhere to be seen. She must have been in the bathroom.

He slipped off his shirt and socks and flopped down on his side of the bed. The familiar scent of strawberries emanated from the purple comforter. He had talked Orihime into changing the blanket color to anything besides pink. Purple was not much better, but at least it was not hot pink.

There was a soft sigh from the other side of the bathroom door. Ulquiorra sat up and got out of bed to see if everything was alright; only to step on a paper shopping bag he remembered Orihime carrying out of one of the stores Mrs. Taka had brought her in before the wedding.

He picked up the bag and emptied it of it's contents. "What is this?" There was a black, leather vest, leather pants, and something that looked like a human version of his old dog collar inside. They all appeared to be his size.

He stared at the vest skeptically and slipped it on. It fit him pretty well. The only problem was that it would not zip closed.

After the vest was on, he changed into the black, leather pants. They were not the most comfortable jeans in the world, but if Orihime had bought them they must have had some significance to them. However, he did not plan on putting on the collar. He had worn collars for too long to have any urge to put one on just for fun.

Orihime looked at herself in the mirror, from what she could see the piece of lingerie didn't look too bad. It was black and looked like a lacy bikini instead of something she would expect to see in adult films. She was actually surprised how comfortable it was too.

"If only I could get a better look," she sighed slightly. She suddenly straightened up and clapped her hands in delight. "That's right! I have a full body mirror in my closet!"

She opened the door and practically sprinted into her room before crashing into something and stumbling backwards. She looked at what she had ran into and felt her heart stop. Ulquiorra was standing in front of her; wearing black, form fitting, leather pants and a black, leather vest that wasn't zipped up, revealing his chiseled pecs and abs. She was surprised her heart was still beating.

Ulquiorra turned towards Orihime and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. She was wearing a black, skintight bra covered with lace and a pair of transparent, black shorts that barely covered her crotch. He could not help but stare helplessly at her.

"Orihime, what-" He did not get to finish his question for Orihime had pinned him against the wall and kissed him intimately. She pulled him over to the bed with an unbelievable strength and situated herself on top of him.

This was going to hurt in the morning.