The Only One

A/N: Sorry for the long period tween updates, I'm also working on my other Tatsuki/Orihime fic.




Chapter Three


“That makes me want Ichigo,” Orihime awed over the couple dancing five feet away from their table. A slow song was blaring over the speakers.


Tatsuki crinkled her nose as the guy’s hand wandered further south to grab ass. Was sex the only thing guys thought about? The female of the pair was gazing up at her partner with a look of utter adoration; while the guy was wearing a saucy grin proclaiming to the world that he’d just scored.


“I just want to dance,” Rukia kept her gaze on the dance floor with the hopes of spotting Renji. Had he decided not to come tonight? She’d kick his ass if she got all dressed up and he stayed home. This was her chance to get him to notice her as an attractive female.


“That guy over there is staring at you, I’m sure he’ll ask you to dance.” Orihime indicated towards a blonde sitting at a table three down. The other table had six males crammed around it and they were all downing beers. She wasn’t going to dance with anyone tonight, she’d come to be with her friends.


“I’d rather drink cyanide.” There was no way the short girl was dancing with anyone but Renji tonight. Rukia had her mind set! A feeling of dread curled in her stomach seeing the flash of bright red hair appear to her left. It was him; he was on the dance floor. Her heart did a hard tumble seeing he had indeed brought a date with him. He was wearing white polo shirt and brown khaki pants, his long hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck and his date was beautiful.


“Wow, what a bimbo.” Tatsuki could see their target, having spotted him seconds after her friend. The date was an overly-endowed brunette that had the audacity to wear paint for a dress. It looked like the girl would have had to either spray paint the dress on or butter herself first. Adding in that the top part was way too small, forcing the breasts to practically pop out of the top. “Fuck, she puts even Orihime to shame. I wonder if they are real.”


“No because if they were, they would have fallen out by now.” Rukia hated the date without knowing her. It was no wonder Renji wouldn’t look twice at her, if he had that clinging to his arms. She didn’t hate people with large breasts; she hated herself for not having any. She was lucky that an A cup could be used as a bra. Tatsuki had been blessed with a B and she didn’t want to think about what Orihime was sporting.


“Is that the guy you like?” Orihime took in the couple dancing together. The guy was really cute, but she didn’t like redheads. Hadn’t she’d seen him somewhere before? Was that the friend of Byakuya’s that had been at the house a few weeks ago? “She’s really pretty, is that his girlfriend?”


“Not if he has any taste,” that was Tatsuki’s opinion. So what if the broad had big tits. “She’s not that pretty. What would he want with someone like that? That dress had to cost a fortune, so it’s a waste of money. They’ll have to peel it off so it can only be worn once. The poor woman is going to have back problems before she’s thirty. Not to mention he’ll end up rolling over on them in the middle of the night. And she has a flat ass to boot.”


“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Rukia didn’t want to lose what nerve she’d worked up on the way here. How was she going to approach him if his bimbo was all over him? She had to get him to see her and acknowledge her to make this work. “How am I going to get him to talk to me? I can’t just go up to him and shove her out of the way.”


“Hmmm, leave that to me. Just don’t wimp out on me.” Tatsuki reached for the cold soft drink that Orihime was about to finish up. Glass in hand she slid out of the table and stepped onto the dance floor. She swayed her hips next to a dancing male, smiling the entire time. He called out to her and she nodded her head in passing. The cold liquid almost spilled as she spun around another couple making out. Another few steps put her right behind the brunette in question. Glancing to the side she watched as the date stopped mid-dance to start laughing at something Renji said. It was almost perfect; she used the brunette’s sudden stop to stumble back. The drink splashed over the rim, swirled and hit the overly large bust.


“Oops, oh I’m so sorry. Did it get on you?” mortification filled her words and she made sure to look down at the brown splotch on the designer dress. Tatsuki held back a smirk as the woman howled in fury before excusing herself to hit the bathroom. “Oh, I’m really sorry about that. I was dancing and she was just suddenly there. I hope I didn’t ruin her dress.”


“I’m sure it’ll wash out.” Renji narrowed his eyes at the small girl standing before him. “Wait, don’t I know you?” She did look familiar. Not the familiar as he’d known her all his life but like he’d met her before. She was cute enough but that’s not what drew his attention.


“Now that you mention it, I think we have met once. It was a few weeks ago at the Kuchiki residence. I’m one of Rukia’s friends, I’m Tatsuki.” She kept an innocent look on her face. “What a pleasant surprise.”


“Is she here?” He knew by her quick nod that she automatically knew who she was. What the hell was Byakuya thinking allowing his baby sister to come to a place like this? It left one conclusion; his long time friend didn’t know. Well he’d make sure she didn’t get into trouble and left before things got hectic.


“Right over there,” her finger pointed towards their table. Her friend was already standing up and beginning to walk in their direction. “Oh never mind, she’s coming this way. I’m going to go fetch another drink. Tell your friend I’m really sorry about her dress.”


“Sure,” he barely noticed the girl’s departure. His eyes blinked twice as someone that looked like Rukia came strolling towards him. His mouth twitched in amusement, while his blood heated up at the slim form gracefully coming his way. The top showed off what assets she did have and the skirt should have been illegal. There was no way Byakuya had let her out of the house wearing that. He’d been stunned months ago to see how much the girl he thought of as a little sister had changed. Seeing her decked out to catch a man had his stomach twisting in a hard knot.


Tatsuki winked at her friend as she went on by. She’d done all she could for now, the rest was up to Rukia. With luck the date would want to come start a fight over the ruined dress. This was one reason she wouldn’t date; you’d always have to worry about another female wanting your man. She wasn’t going to fight for a man, they weren’t worth it.


“You’re lucky she didn’t try to start a fight.” Orihime was already morning the loss of her drink. It was hot in here and their waitress had forgotten she was on duty.


“Nah, it was an accident. She shouldn’t wear something like that if she’s going to stop dancing on the dance floor.” The brunette sat back down and leaned into the cushion. Rukia had already struck up a conversation with the redhead and they were laughing. That was a good sign; it meant Orihime’s drink hadn’t gone to waste. “Is that another slow song?”


“Yes, it’s a shame we don’t have dates.” Orihime loved to slow dance but Ichigo didn’t. Her boyfriend could fight and dance circles around his opponents but couldn’t manage to hold her tight during a slow dance.


“Well, I’m sure if you ordered another drink you could find another female to attack.” The low but deep voice caused them both to glance up to the pair that suddenly stopped at their table.


“Ugh!” Tatsuki couldn’t believe their luck. What were the chances of them running into these guys twice in one weekend? Was she cursed? The teal head was jerking towards where Rukia and Renji were slow dancing. “Who asked
you?”


“No one,” but he thought it a perfect way to get their attention. Grimmjow took a sip of the drink he’d been nursing for a while. It had lost its appeal when he’d noticed the pair sitting over here all alone. After ten minutes and the two males had yet to make an appearance he decided they were here by themselves. It had been amusing to watch the brunette get rid of the other girl in order for her friend to make a move. “I have to say we’re pretty lucky.”


“I’d have to say we’re cursed.” Tatsuki didn’t want to deal with these two. The other male was just now coming to a stop behind his friend. Once again the dark one was silent and still, trying not to be noticed. She wondered how two people with two different personalities could get along so well.


“No need to be bitchy. We’re just here to have a drink and enjoy the atmosphere. Mind if we sit down?” Grimmjow didn’t wait for the girl’s approval; he seated himself on the edge and forced her to move over.


“Oh,” Orihime saw the other male looking at the booth. She’d have to move over or he’d be forced to stand or sit in her lap. The other had sat down so she might as well let him sit too. Her eyes went to the pale features and couldn’t help but notice how bright his eyes were. They were so green they looked alive.


“My, aren’t we rude,” Tatsuki couldn’t believe he’d practically rammed her ass over. Did he think his size should allow him to bully others?


“Thank you,” Ulquiorra thanked the girl for allowing him room to sit down. He’d been standing on his feet almost all day and it was nice to take a rest for a few minutes. Since arriving thirty minutes ago they’d done nothing but scope out the dance floor. He knew his friend was looking for someone to take home.


“So where is Kurosaki?” Grimmjow was mildly curious as to why the guy would let his girl go clubbing without him. Was the guy stupid? Many a male would try to take her home.


“Off with Uryuu, we came alone.” She didn’t see any reason not to be honest about it. So this guy did know who Ichigo was. Orihime noticed that the one sitting next to her was watching those on the dance floor. Would it be wrong if she asked him to dance? She wasn’t interested in him but she wouldn’t mind dancing. Rukia was in the arms of her redhead and she was stuck sitting at the table.


Ulquiorra heard the soft sigh being emitted from the female next to him. Why weren’t they dancing? At the moment it was a slow dance but since they’d spotted the trio only the smallest had gone to the dance floor. Did Kurosaki have the much of a hold on his girl that she wouldn’t dance without him? Some girls were like that. They would consider enjoying themselves as being unfaithful and the men enforced that decision.


“So how do you know Ichigo?” Tatsuki directed the question to the loud one, she didn’t know his name. She wasn’t about to ask because she really didn’t care.


“I don’t, but I know who he is. I hear he’s entering the match next month.” Grimmjow leaned back placing his arm over the back of the seat. It put it right behind the little woman but she either didn’t notice or didn’t care to remark.


“Is there one?” Orihime didn’t keep up with his matches or what he did when he wasn’t with her. She wasn’t too big on the fighting thing; that was Tatsuki. “Are you two entering?”


“Hell yes, I don’t think I want to miss a chance to test out your boy.” Grimmjow couldn’t wait to see what the star pupil had to offer. They never trained at the same time so he had yet to witness Kurosaki in action. Ulquiorra was also entering to ensure that they walked away with the prize money. He was training to be the best but he would admit that his friend was better. If he didn’t fight dirty then Ulquiorra would beat him. It had been over a year since they’d gone at it but he wasn’t ready to try again.


What did that mean? Orihime wasn’t about to speculate his need to fight against Ichigo. What she wanted was to stop sitting down. Her gut twisted nervously thinking about asking the larger guy to dance, he unnerved her. What would the other say if she asked? She wasn’t nearly as bold as Tatsuki or even close to Rukia but she didn’t like sitting here. She turned towards the dark haired one and took a chance. “Would you like to dance?”


“Shouldn’t I be the one asking?” Ulquiorra commented seeing the girl was directing the question towards him. Grimmjow didn’t look offended but merely smiled that it was him getting the invite instead. “Come on.”


She accepted the hand being offered as he stood up. The first thing Orihime noticed was how soft his hands were. Her palm was placed in his, the skin was incredibly smooth. If he trained then he had to take care of himself. Ichigo had rough hands for some reason.


Tatsuki wasn’t sure if she wanted to applaud her friend or chastise her for asking the strange male to dance. It had to be slightly boring sitting here watching Rukia up there having fun. There was no way she’d lower herself to dance with the jerk sitting next to her.


“So what’s your name?” He had no plans on leaving anytime soon so he thought he might as well know her name. Grimmjow watched Ulquiorra make his way onto the floor. He was stuck with the one with an attitude. It was okay, he didn’t mind if a girl had spunk.


“That’s none of your business.” Why would she want to tell him her name? Hopefully after tonight she wouldn’t be forced to converse with him again. “Fine, it’s Arisawa Tatsuki.”


“You can call me Grimmjow.”


“That’s not what I’d call you,” she blurted out without thinking. “Sorry,” that was a tad rude of her. It wasn’t fair that her friends were enjoying themselves and she was stuck dealing with the bigmouth.


“No problem Babe; so is it just me you don’t like or guys in general?” It would be a shame if she were a dyke. He had to give her points for the cute face. Up close he could see she really didn’t have much upstairs but he could live with a handful.


“Just you,” she knew his type and didn’t want him around. Bad boy was written all over him in bold letters. She’d be willing to bet he was the type to never get serious about anyone; a female was just a lay to him. A relationship wasn’t in her agenda either but that didn’t mean she wanted to be a notch. She wasn’t going to assume that he’d sat down to hit on her. It would be hard to forget how he’d been ogling her best friend. If she didn’t want a relationship then why was she suddenly envious? Perhaps she should consider dating but not anything serious. Going out and having a good time might be good for her.


“Great, so I’m special.” Perhaps he was wasting his time talking to her. If he was going to look for a quick evening with anyone he’d have to look elsewhere. She didn’t seem the type to sleep around easy. He’d have to use her for amusement then. Trying to seduce someone with principles wasn’t his thing. “Tell me, how well can you handle yourself?”


Orihime didn’t give a thought to her best friend as another slow song came on. The hand resting on her waist was appropriate enough, holding tight enough to keep them moving together. Her problem was how nice it felt holding onto his hand. Their clenched fists were lingering near his shoulder, leaving a couple inches between them. What would it be like if he were to hold her closer? ‘I can’t think that way. He’s a great dancer but I’m with Ichigo.’


Another few seconds passed before Ulquiorra went with the flow and drew her closer. Their bodies weren’t touching yet but only about an inch kept the contact at bay. It was rather tempting but it wasn’t his style. As things were often her breast would brush up against him on accident. He wasn’t out to try and seduce her. A girlfriend wasn’t something he wanted and he wasn’t going to trouble himself by messing with Kurosaki’s girl. The strawberry blonde didn’t worry him but it’d be a lot of grief for nothing.


“What are you called?” She was getting nervous without how close they were. They weren’t doing anything wrong but she felt herself flush at his nearness. Tatsuki would laugh if her friend knew how she was reacting.


“The name is Ulquiorra Shiffer, you?” he caught the scent of apples. It had to be coming from her. It was amazing the smell wasn’t covered up by all the bodies and smoke in the place.


“Orihime Inoue,” she left it at that. It was hard enough to resist the temptation of gazing into those large green eyes. She couldn’t help it; they were rather stunning. What kind of guy was he? So far he hadn’t really said much but that might be because he didn’t really know her.


His feet paused as the music shifted and the next song began to play. This one was an upbeat one that was usual done with provocative dancing. There was no need to question what she’d do, with a smile she thanked him for the dance and headed back towards the table.


Tatsuki was thrilled when the music started and Orihime chose that moment to return to the table. She wanted to dance and there was no way she would lower herself to ask the jerk. “Excuse me, can I get out?”


“Whatever.” Grimmjow slid out of the booth and let the girl get by him without much fuss. Did she have to take a piss or was this her way of getting away from his questions? He was interested in how well she could manage herself. He knew that there was a small women’s league that often competed but there was no way this little thing would enter. It took seeing most of those broads once and even he shit his pants.


“Orihime, will you dance with me?” Tatsuki didn’t give her friend time to protest at the invite. She had to get away from that table. With luck the two would leave or find someone else to bother. There was little chance that Rukia would leave anytime soon since her and Renji were still dancing together.


“Um okay,” she’d been hoping to take a seat but dancing with her friend wouldn’t hurt. The song was rather upbeat and fast, she could go with it.


“This I gotta see,” Grimmjow leaned back in the cushion. The girl was probably hoping he’d get bored and take off. He had other plans that didn’t include tucking tail and running. He already knew that the one belonged to Kurosaki but what about the little one? He had a feeling that she wasn’t taken, not even by the wimp with glasses.


His friend was looking for trouble again. The only thing Ulquiorra couldn’t figure out was which girl Grimmjow was about to set his sights on. The man enjoyed a challenge and liked to start trouble. The little one would probably be the most resistant to his friend’s charm so that would be a challenge. But the other belonged to Kurosaki and it would be a challenge for his friend to steal her away. Not to mention the trouble it would start with the other male. He just wasn’t sure if his friend would go through the trouble of wooing another man’s female.


From experience and knowing his friend, it was unlikely. All the tramps that the man kept company with were easy targets. A cheesy grin and no would turn to yes come and get it. So would Grimmjow go through the trouble of going after a girl that clearly despised his very presence?


“She has nice form,” Grimmjow ignored Ulquiorra’s confused look. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was watching the girls. Kurosaki’s girl was alright on the dance floor but he liked the way the little kitten moved much better. It was a real shame he usually preferred more curvaceous females. If he were to try and bed her he’d be scared of breaking her.


“Trouble,” Ulquiorra spotted it before Grimmjow. The brunette that had been dancing with the redhead first had suddenly returned and she didn’t look happy. Not that he couldn’t blame her, the one girl had spilt something on her on purpose in order to allow her friend to score.


Tatsuki stopped in her dancing hearing the loud accusations. The bimbo had returned and didn’t look happy about finding her date dancing with another female. Renji appeared to be trying to explain the situation and was failing miserably. Leave it to a male to complicate matters.


Orihime sighed in resignation. Just when she was beginning to enjoy herself shit had to hit the fan. She’d love to go out for one evening and it not end up in chaos. Chaos came tonight in a form of a very pissed off Rukia. The brunette took one look down at their friend before doing something really stupid. A loud slap filled the air, echoing with sharpness. That had to hurt, shame she hadn’t been able to knock their friend out.


Tatsuki was astounded at the woman’s stupidity. What was up with people provoking fights with people they didn’t know? The date realized her mistake the second Rukia’s fist collided with her nose sending onto the floor ass first. Blood spurted from the broken nose and the crowd reacted instantly. A male with an oddly spiked hairdo slammed his fist into the guy standing near him, claiming that the faggot was way too close. A female with pale blonde hair slapped another claiming the bitch had been ogling her man all night.


“Oh my,” Orihime was shocked at how fast the fighting was spreading. Shoving was causing others to become enraged and it spread like a wild fire. A hard body bumped into her suddenly and arms went around her waist holding her arms immobile. She’d learned self defense with Tatsuki but didn’t like to fight. Also the smell of alcohol had her wondering if the man even realized what he was doing. Why grab her?


“Orihime down,” Tatsuki shouted over the loud roaring of the crowd. She waited for the second her friend suddenly bent forward in the man’s hold. The drunk looked down in shock then stumbled back as a foot collided with his face. His hold loosened and he howled in pain, going to his knees. “Be glad I didn’t use my heels.”


“Hai, you shouldn’t grab people.” Orihime jerked back as another patron stumbled by with a bottle aiming at whomever he could hit. A loud crash indicated that he’d found a helpless table to maim. Things were getting out of hand, which meant it was time to get out of there. She was about to express her opinion when a hand suddenly grabbed her own in time to yank her forward and out of the way of two chicks clawing each other.


“Come on,” Ulquiorra quickly handed her the small purse. He brought a hand up to shove aside a male aiming to punch him. This was why he hated crowded places. The girl didn’t protest but followed behind him, she was practically buried in his back. The entire place was in an uproar and being arrested was the last thing he needed.


“Hey, let go of me.” Tatsuki yelled at the brute that suddenly found it necessary to lead her like a dog. She couldn’t make out his face but recognized the teal hair as he dragged her behind him in an attempt to get out of the fray. Why the hell was he bothering to make sure she got out unharmed? Not like she couldn’t take care of herself. Plus it was Rukia who had started the damn thing. Wow, he had a nice butt. A blush crept into her cheeks as her eyes strayed down to watch it. Was it as firm as it looked? The temptation to grab in the chaos was cut short as pain erupted through her skull. Out of nowhere a guy that had to be over six feet found it necessary to latch onto her hair as he stumbled drunkenly.


“Get the fuck off her,” Grimm scowled as the drunk turned at the sound of his voice. It felt good to notice how the nose cracked underneath his fist. He should have known he wouldn’t be able to make it out without throwing a punch. Not that he’d gone searching for someone to deck. The asshole immediately let go of the girl’s hair and fell to the floor.


“Owe,” Tatsuki didn’t have time to bitch about the treatment. She was being led towards the exit without fail. Good, she was tired of this place anyways. The only problem was that Rukia had her keys since she didn’t bring in a purse. Was her friend even done showing her wild side?


Orihime could hear Tatsuki swearing behind her and was glad that they both had gotten out. The cold air hit them and the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. It would take the authorities to get that fight broken up. Where was he taking her? Tatsuki’s car was in the other direction.


Ulquiorra knew he’d be pissed if the authorities got there before they could leave. Those assholes would stall everyone just to prove that they could. There was no way he was dealing with that tonight. He stopped in front of his bike and turned to the girl. “Come on before they arrive. Do you want to get fined?”


“Ah, no,” there was no way she wanted to mess with the authorities. Without worrying about whether or not he was trustworthy, she did the best she could to climb on behind him without exposing too much thigh. A blue helmet was handed back to her and she slid it on.


“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Tatsuki groaned seeing Orihime put the helmet on. This couldn’t be happening to her! The wailing sounds were growing louder by the second. That did it; she was going to kill Rukia! Grimmjow stopped in front of the blood red bike that looked exactly like the one she’d been admiring the other night.
Grimmjow nodded to Ulquiorra as his friend took off. What the hell was the girl waiting for? “Don’t just stand there, get on.” Another three minutes and they’d be detained. It wasn’t like he was going to attack her.


“Fine,” she snapped but climbed up behind him without much of a choice. Orihime had already left with the friend and there was no way she was leaving her friend alone with these two. Plus, there was no telling if she’d be able to find Rukia in the crowd in time to get her keys and haul ass before the authorities arrived. Just like his friend, he handed her the helmet to put on. At least he was smart enough to realize that she needed it more than him. She doubted any kind of impact could hurt that hard head.


“Hold on,” he grinned as she placed her hands on his waist. The evening might turn out interesting after all. He knew what direction to go; Ulquiorra would allow him to catch up. The girl held on lightly as he took off across the parking lot and hit the main street. The grip was enough to keep her from falling off but she couldn’t be scared, it was too relaxed. Good, he hated chicks that clung to him like he was going to kill them. He wasn’t that bad, he knew how to handle the bike.


Tatsuki suppressed the cry of elation as the bike shot forward picking up speed. The light was green so they went right under it and she could barely make out the distant light of the other bike. “Can you catch up to them?”


“Yeah, might want to hold on a little tighter though.” He knew she heard him over the soaring wind when her arms came fully around him and she leaned closer to his back. As soon as the grip tightened he swerved left to jump in front of a truck, cutting the driver off. A horn blew but he was quickly picking up speed leaving the truck behind.


Tatsuki clenched the cotton of his shirt as he sped past another vehicle. Her mind screamed in panic as they quickly approached two vehicles driving side by side. The taillight of the other bike was close but they would have to get by these two in order to catch up. She knew what he was doing before the bike swerved to the right putting them in the center of both lanes.


It took only three seconds to glide between the moving vehicles and ahead. She was sure that honking couldn’t be a very happy comment. At least he seemed to know how to ride the bike and she didn’t have to fear becoming road kill. She wondered how Orihime was holding up. Her question was answered as they came up beside the other couple. Her friend was holding onto the dark male but appeared to be just fine with the ride. But Tatsuki was sure the friend hadn’t been zooming in, out and between traffic either.


Orihime brought a hand up quickly to wave at Tatsuki. This was more exciting than she thought it would be, no wonder Tatsuki liked these things. The wind was sending the bottom of her hair thrashing in its wake but the helmet kept most of it off of her face. He also wasn’t complaining about her arms being around him, although she was consciously making sure to keep both hands from dropping south.


Where were they going? Tatsuki knew he wouldn’t hear her if she tried to ask him. Instead she had to hold on as both bikes shot through a yellow light and onto a ramp. This bridge would take them out of town and towards the islands. Her family and she had gone on many occasions when the weather was warm enough. There was an awesome place for public swimming.


The ride lasted for another fifteen minutes, taking them across the bridge and down a highway that ran through the small island. Most of the businesses appeared to be closed for the night. A left at an intersection and they were turning into a small housing area. Tatsuki was in awe at the homes they drove by. The smell of the sea assaulted her nose and she knew they were close to the ocean. The homes resembled beach houses but for the rich.


Another turn and she could hear the waves crashing in. The bikes slowed down to a snail’s pace and pulled into a parking space that already had a fancy sports car in it. They parked and turned off the engines, next to the other vehicle. The place had two stories to it and she could make out a staircase not far from where they were. She pulled the helmet off and glanced towards Orihime. “Where are we?”


“Home.”




Next Chapter: A bet and a decision. Please read and review.