Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, any of its characters, and by now, I wouldn't doubt a copyright on this particular disclaimer either.

This is a sequel to my previous story, "Like Brothers."

Enjoy.

Like Strangers

...

1

The Chase

...

The world spins counter-clockwise, each full rotation 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 47 seconds long. The moon chases after its relatively lazy spin and thus appears to change faces in a cycle at the length of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 02.9 seconds. This pursuit between the two bodies is what causes the "phases" of the moon. Ulquiorra remembered when there was only ever one "phase." It was a perfect crescent at all times, just as it would be in three days. Touching the cool glass of the window, he closed his eyes.

Too much like Hueco Mundo.

A near-perfect crescent, just like the last time he had been here, meaning it had been a month already. Captain Hitsugaya sighed as he roamed the streets in his gigai, looking for the address written on the paper in his hand. D- Urahara. His handwriting was near illegible. How that man ever made it as a captain was beyond him.

It was early in the night, only an hour past sunset, but even so Hitsugaya had expected his brother to be at Urahara's. Where else would the ex-Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer/Katashi Hitsugaya be? Apparently, at the place indecipherably recorded on that note. At least, that's what Urahara had told him.

Just when he was beginning to give up, a large building loomed up in front of him. It matched the description Urahara gave perfectly. He glanced at the name. A bookshop. As he stepped inside, Toshiro Hitsugaya wondered what on Earth Katashi was doing at a bookshop this late at night.

The cool air conditioning greeted him, something Hitsugaya was extremely grateful for. Quickly, his sharp blue-green eyes began to scan the store. It was useless trying to find the elder by his reiatsu due to Ulquiorra's gigai. The store was unusually crowded for this time of the day, Hitsugaya thought, and he began to curse his brother for having such a common hair color.

"Hitsugaya, be careful!" a deep male voice shouted.

Hitsugaya's head whipped around to see who was yelling at him-and that of all things-when he finally spotted a slim figure at the top of a rolling ladder. The man who'd spoken was by the base, glaring up to the person on the top. Toshiro then realized that the man hadn't been talking to him, but to the climber. To Katashi.

Toshiro strode to the other end of the store, where the pair was. The loud-mouthed one looked to him and immediately tacked on a more pleasant face. "Hello," he said, "do you need help?"

"No," Toshiro answered.

"Then you might want to step away from the ladder," the man warned. "Our newest recruit up there might fall on you."

"May I remind you that not only does my balance happen to be impeccable," Katashi shouted down, "but that I can easily hear you." He pulled something off the shelf and began to descend.

"Hey, kid," the man beside him said, "shouldn't you be with your parents or something?"

Toshiro's eye twitched. Luckily, years of practice enabled him to keep his cool. "I'm actually waiting for my brother."

"Oh, where is he?"

Hitsugaya jabbed a thumb up the ladder Katashi was coming down. The man looked startled. He glanced between the two of them before calling, "Hey, Hitsugaya, you have a visitor."

Ulquiorra jumped down the last step and nearly threw the book at the man's head. He turned around and gave a small half-smile. "Hello, Toshiro."

"You work here?" the younger brother asked in surprise.

"The conditions of this world would make it impossible for me to continue residing here without some form of income," Ulquiorra responded. "Also-"

"Ulquiorra!" a female voice called. The two looked over to where a red-head waved happily. Toshiro noticed that she wore an ID badge like Katashi.

"Inoue works here as well?" Toshiro inquired.

"She also needed a job in order to survive," Ulquiorra answered, walking her way. Toshiro followed.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Orihime exclaimed upon seeing Toshiro. "I didn't expect to see you here. Wow, it's been a month already?"

"Did you need something?" Ulquiorra interrupted.

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" she answered. "I was going to ask if you would help me shelve these books, but since you're busy, I can just do it myself."

Ulquiorra glanced over at the large collection of heavy-looking volumes. "Nonsense, woman. You'll strain yourself."

She made a face at the name. Ulquiorra ignored her and began picking up a small stack. He turned to Toshiro. "I'm sorry, my shift has not ended yet. The store closes in an hour. You can either wait here or you can meet me back at Urahara's."

Quickly glancing between Katashi and Orihime, Toshiro said, "I'll go wait back at Urahara's."

"I will be back soon," Ulquiorra promised.

"Alright," Toshiro agreed. "By the way, you signed up using your old name?"

A faint hint of amusement shone in Ulquiorra. "No," he said, "not quite."

Ulquiorra held up the badge. Hitsugaya read it out loud. "Katashi-Ulquiorra Hitsugaya-Schiffer."

"I took Captain Kyouraku's suggestion," the pale man informed. "This way, there will be no suspicion should anyone call me by either name."

"You always were a good planner," Hitsugaya noted. "I'll see you later, then."

"As will I you," Ulquiorra responded.

As he left, Toshiro turned around one last time to see Ulquiorra and Orihime talking as they moved books. He thought that just for a second, he saw the traces of a genuine smile being hidden underneath his brother's mask. Then, the man from before-who Toshiro later discovered to be the manager-came by and started ordering them around. Toshiro exited through the door, a faint smirk lingering on his lips.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled. "Stop hogging all the Hollows!"

Said carrot-top turned to her right after the last one dissolved. "It's not like there aren't enough," he grumbled. "There sure have been a lot of them lately."

"Of course there are," Rukia said. "With Aizen gone, no one forces control over them anymore. The first thing they're going to do is make a break for the World of the Living."

Ichigo scratched his head uncertainly. "If you say so."

Rukia suddenly paused and looked off in another direction. "Captain Hitsugaya is close by," she noted.

"What, and the kid didn't even stop by to say hello?" Ichigo drawled.

Rukia scowled at him.

"It's been a month," Ichigo pointed out. "I bet he's here to visit Ulquiorra."

"That's strange," Rukia mumbled.

"Why is that strange?"

"No, not that," she replied. "I just sensed Captain Ukitake's reiatsu."

Ichigo smirked. "I guess it's going to be a big family reunion then."

Toshiro strolled across town, not particularly feeling like going back to Urahara's at the moment. He could feel Ichigo and Rukia fighting off in the distance. The more subtle hums of the other residents' reiatsu flickered all around him. It seemed like half the town was affected by the strange phenomena. In Karakura town, being spiritually aware was like the plague. He stopped and closed his eyes for a minute, just to take them all in. The three other Arrancar who had also taken up residence here-Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka-were on the other side of town. Kurosaki's friends were scattered about, but the Quincy seemed the closest to him. The last was a tiny fire burning up ahead. He opened his eyes and noticed the sign for the Kurosaki clinic. Karin.

His feet swiftly guided him past the building, but he soon found himself being stopped by a loud voice shouting, "Hey, Toshiro!"

He looked up to see Karin waving madly at him from the window.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Or don't you have school tomorrow?" he retorted.

"Please, it's vacation," she said, rolling her eyes. "What are you doing back?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business," he pointed out.

"Jeez, I was only asking," she retaliated. "No need to be so cold."

"I hope you see the irony in that," he answered.

She wrinkled her nose. "You know, we never got to finish our game. You just left without even saying goodbye."

He shrugged. "I had other matters to attend to."

"You know, you talk awfully old for someone my age," she observed.

Irritation instantly showed on his face. "I told you, I'm not a kid."

"Then how old are you?" she asked.

"Probably as old as your grandfather," he replied.

"Whaaat?" she exclaimed. "No way!"

He shook his head at her. "I have to go now."

"Oh, are you going back to that place where all the other Shinigami are?" she wondered.

"No, I will be here for several more days before departing for Soul Society again."

She nodded. "Then maybe I'll see you around."

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

Karin frowned. That was his answer to everything.

Toshiro entered Urahara's shop and froze in the doorway. "Captain Ukitake?" he blurted.

The white-haired man smiled gently. "Eh, hello Toshiro. I'm surprised you did not detect my reiatsu."

"My mind was preoccupied and admittedly you hide it very well," Toshiro answered. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't come to see my two favorite nephews?" he teased. His laughter was cut off by coughing.

"You do realize Katashi and I aren't technically even related to you, right?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes, of course," Ukitake replied. "I simply think that those times were so amusing."

Toshiro scowled and Ukitake ruffled his white hair lightly. Ever since he started remembering his past, Toshiro had noticed that Ukitake tended to come up quite often. Once their father died, Ukitake made it a point to help the family as much as possible. He would visit often and take care of Toshiro and Katashi when their mother was not well enough to do so. In fact, they'd become so used to his presence that the lines between "Mr. Ukitake" and "Uncle Ukitake" had started to blur and the latter title for him had become somewhat of a running joke. Toshiro remembered he would often tease that they were his favorite nephews, as he had been playing the role of the kind but sickly man with no family, yet who could give his whole life to the two boys as if they were his own.

After admitting that he remembered that, Toshiro had become subjected to the continuity of the joke. Ukitake had already acted like family before Toshiro remembered, but it was coming on stronger now. At least the man had enough sense to tone it down in public. Although here, out in the open, he had no qualms about calling him Toshiro and ruffling his hair. The only reason Toshiro could not argue was that if he called him Hitsugaya like normal, there would be difficulties distinguishing between him and Katashi. Thus, Toshiro allowed these minor transgressions.

Ukitake spoke up again. "To answer your question, though, Soul Society thought it might be a good idea to send me as well in case anything happened."

"Ah," Toshiro said. "Katashi said that he should be back in an hour."

"Yes, Kisuke was just telling me about his new job," Ukitake mentioned. "I heard that Miss Inoue is also working there."

"I saw her there, too," Toshiro replied.

"I bet they make quite the team," Ukitake said.

Toshiro looked at the man suspiciously. "I guess so."

"Well," the older captain announced, standing up, "I best be going then."

"I thought you wanted to see Katashi?" Toshiro inquired.

"I do," he answered, "but I do believe you need to see him more than I do. I can always stop by tomorrow. I would not want to intrude. Oh, also, Kiske told me to inform you that he, Yoruichi, and Tessai would all be absent for the next few hours."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow at this.

"Well, goodbye!" Ukitake called, stepping out the doorway and into the night.

Ulquiorra thought that he must be either crazy, mentally damaged, or both. Then again, there was always the possibility that he was simply turning more….Old reflexes made him hate to use the word in reference to himself. He had to force it out.

Human.

He pulled one hand out of its pocket to stare at its soft, fleshy surface. Yes, it was highly possible that he was becoming more human by the minute. The metallic ring dangling around his neck reminded him that there was still a Hollow deep inside him, but its cries were fading. In the whole month he had resided here, not once did he feel the insatiable hunger for souls. Human food was enough, although he didn't have his taste for it back yet. He wondered how Orihime was so enthusiastic about it, always insisting that she would find his favorite.

Ah, the woman. Ulquiorra was beginning to believe that maybe her real power was not to challenge the gods in rejecting their doings, but to defy them by transforming what they had created. Ulquiorra's straight-faced and emotionless remarks had given way to hints of feeling, however how slight. Most might not even notice, but Orihime was learning to read them. As much as she was learning, she was also teaching. It was the same subject she'd started in Hueco Mundo: the heart. She used the term often and tried to make him understand the concept he had only begun to brush upon.

His lips twitched upward at the thought and he immediately clamped back down on the smile. Then, he realized there was no one here to pressure him against it. Aizen no longer controlled him. There was no need to shut down all his emotions and expressions anymore. So, as a test, he let the action take over. It felt awkward and wrong on his face. He let it drop.

Ten minutes after he'd walked Orihime to her house-like he did every time they had shifts together and sometimes when they didn't-he arrived at the Urahara shop. Toshiro's reiatsu hummed softly inside. Opening the door softly, he found his younger brother collapsed on the couch. A certain softness edged its way into his eyes.

For a minute, Ulquiorra just stood there and watched, letting old memories play out in the background. Toshiro squirmed and mumbled something. He'd been turned into a restless sleeper. However, Ulquiorra was pleased that he was asleep at all.

Deciding that the reunion could wait until tomorrow, Ulquiorra crept past and moved into the kitchen. There was a note on the table from Urahara. The owner and his companions would not be back for a few hours. Beside it, there was another note from Ukitake to him, stating that he had also been sent along. Ulquiorra was in the process of digesting this information when small footsteps padded across the floor. A sleepy-eyed Toshiro stood in the doorway.

"Katashi?" he asked.

"You really are too light a sleeper," the elder brother replied.

"I must get it from you," Toshiro retorted.

"So you remember that much?"

Toshiro looked at him seriously. "More every night."

Ulquiorra clenched his hand inside his pocket. "…I see."

"You make that sound like there are some things you don't want me to remember," Toshiro yawned.

Ulquiorra walked past Toshiro, ruffling his white hair along the way. His hand paused for a moment. "Do not think too hard on it."

Toshiro turned around to face Ulquiorra's retreating back. The swift strides and hands buried deep in his pockets forced Toshiro into a vision of flapping coattails and half-helmets made of bone. The younger brother's expression showed comprehension.

"I'm not a little kid anymore," Toshiro stated.

"I know," Ulquiorra answered. "You have grown much in these years."

"Then realize that trying to protect me against my own memories is not necessary."

Ulquiorra's gaze drifted to the floor forlornly. "I never said it was a question of necessity."

"Katashi…"

"You look tired, Toshiro," Ulquiorra noted, still not turning around. "We can talk in the morning. Goodnight."

Toshiro froze in his spot and gazed at the empty space. His fingers clenched around the doorframe. Pain stabbed at his heart. He wondered how often Katashi felt the same thing.