I wrote in a word war and this is what came out. I tweaked it a little... Hope you like it. :P

Title: Green Eyes:
Time: Fifteen minutes.
Rating: K+
Summary: Orihime can't stop thinking about her captor and his final moments. UlquiHime.

The rain hit her window and she leaned back, watching it wash away the dirk and finger-prints.

Something soft and warm pressed against her leg and she looked down to meet the worried green eyes of her cat. Eyes like his.

She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip. It really wasn't the time to think about it. How long had it been? Five years.

She could remember his hand reaching for hers, the understand simmering just beyond his inhuman eyes as he turned to dust. And it was all because… Because she had cried out for help. Kurosaki-kun had killed him—No. No, because Kurosaki hadn't been in control.

She still couldn't think about it without her eyes burning, a promise of tears that would never fall. She hadn't cried for him then, she wouldn't cry for him now.

He had been her captor. She had been a victim.

But he had protected her even when he hadn't needed to.

No, she needed to stop thinking about that.

They were right about Stockholm Syndrome. It was something hard to stop. She wanted to think he had cared a little about her—Changed because of her. He wasn't a monster, her mind promised, just a victim of Aizen's cruel plans.

And death did always make people seem better in memory. More of a victim.

He had been a monster. He had killed.

But not like them.

A part of her wished for her to hate him and forget about it. Her compassionate nature wouldn't let her let go of that last image of him, though. The look of comprehension as he reached. The dust hitting her fingers as he dissolved before their hands could touch.

"Are you afraid, girl?" His words danced around her mind and she could only think of the hidden meaning swimming behind them. No, there were none. She was imagining things.

She had been the stupid human girl that wasn't afraid. That was all he had thought.

Why couldn't she get over it then?

"Mreow." Her cat complained, soft gray fur floating to her clothing. She gave him a weak smile and wondered why she bothered hiding it. He was a cat. Surely it didn't…

It hadn't mattered to him either but she always thought… And the betrayal when he appeared to find her healing the enemy—His enemy. Kurosaki was not her enemy though! He was her friend! Her… Her love interest!

And she had been more afraid of him than her captor.

She was so pathetic.

All she could so was heal, heal, heal—Throw a shield, give a smile, reassure the others. They claimed she was important, likeable, kind. But she wasn't. She was selfish.

When he had floated away, all she could think about was bringing him back. Of calling to him, rejecting the event, saving the enemy with enough power to kill her weakened friend. Her nakama would've lost if she had gone through with it.

"Are you afraid, girl?"

"What is a heart?"

"If I—"

The door swinging open jolted her thoughts to a halt and she turned, ready to throw on her false smile and greet whatever friend had come through.

Green eyes bore into brown.

"Orihime Inoue."

She shot up from her seat before stumbling back, her cat meowing in displeasure before stalking around the man—hollow—illusion at her door. She was going insane. She had seen it—Where were his markings? And the bones near his head?

And why was he wearing the black robe of a shinigami?

His eyes were still cold, calculating, waiting. Finally, he spoke again. "Are you... afraid, woman?"

She couldn't move, her heart hammering in her ears. Kurosaki-kun had—There was no way—Why—How—Were they still enemies? She couldn't tell the others, betray him. But if she didn't she'd be betraying her friends! Why was it so hard—

"It seems I've been sent to Soul Society. I… am a shinigami now. I was told to visit you."

There was no emotional embrace or sudden epiphany but there was a change in the air. Something heavy left her chest and the burning in her eyes finally dissolved into actual tears. They simply stood there, facing each other.

Slowly, her ex-captor brought his hand up.

She stepped forward then and placed her palm upon his, looked into his expressionless eyes, and gave him a soft smile. "Do you know what a heart is now, Ulquiorra-san?"

There was no reply but his silence was answer enough.