Music to my Heart (A Bleach/Ulquihime fic)

Chapter 9

This story belongs to Cerice Belle at FanFiction.net. I am only publishing it in order to share it with more people. All credits go to her.
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So sorry this has taken ages! I've had exams, lots of exams, and then I went away in the holidays and now I've had more exams and been sick! And I had no motivation. Buuut it's back! Weee! So I really hope you enjoy this chapter and that it was worth the wait. And the next one will be up much sooner :)

I got a beta as well! Yaay! Thank you so very much to Smylealong, by new beta. You go girl!

Song:Count On Me - Bruno Mars

The next day, it was raining. Perhaps it was an omen of something to come, thought Orihime, as she walked to the school library that afternoon. Many people would say it was a bad omen, but to her, it was a good one. She always loved the rain, she would run out in it and let it soak her face whenever she was feeling down, and watch the shining drops fall from the sky, like shooting stars, or a waterfall, or even the lights of a UFO coming down to take away some poor, unsuspecting victim. But her favourite part, was after the rain had stopped. When everything was new and clean. It all glistened like it was reborn, like the rain had washed every bad thing away; every blemish, every mistake, and it could start again. She loved waiting for that moment to come, standing in the rain, eyes closed, letting it wash over her and through her sunset hair. And that was how Ulquiorra Cifer found her as he walked over to the library, practically carrying a black umbrella.

He stopped and stared at her, yes, it was that woman all right, not some other nobody he could ignore. He sighed and walked up to her.

"What are you doing woman?" he asked her coldly.

She turned her face to him, eyes still closed, "Hello Ulquiorra. I'm just enjoying the rain, isn't it beautiful?"

"It's wet," he said bluntly, "And my socks are starting to get soaked."

"Oh don't be such a spoil-sport, it's so refreshing," she laughed lightly.

He glared at her, "We're not here to be refreshed, we're here to create a presentation for some stupid assignment, and I've got better things to do than to wait out here for some crazy woman standing in the rain."

With that he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the library, ignoring her squawks of protest. He let go once they were inside, and put his umbrella by the door. Orihime rubbed her arm ruefully.

"Don't you like the rain Ulquiorra?"

"No I don't," he replied, walking into the main room, looking for a spare desk. "It's cold and wet and the only thing you gain from it is a cold."

"But don't you think it's beautiful how it connects with people, even for a moment? And the way it cleans everything away, and leaves it sparkling and new," she sighed, clasping her hands together.

"I have no idea what you're talking about woman, and frankly, I think you're ridiculous," he said, finding a spare desk with a computer and putting his things down on it.

She shook her head with a small smile and plopped down next to him, plonking her things rather loudly next to his, and earning a glare from the librarian, Mr Sasikabe. The two logged onto the spare laptops there and lounged back in their chairs as they waited for the slow computers to register. Orihime ran her fingers through her hair, detangling knots that had formed from its contact with the rain, humming a song as she did so. Ulquiorra made the mistake of looking at her as she did that, it was almost captivating the way her slender fingers brushed through the sunset glow of her hair, the rain drops falling out of it, sparkling with light from the synthetic lamps above them. She caught him looking at her and smiled as he turned his eyes away quickly.