Two-shot. I do not own Bleach, to my great misfortune. Apologies for any OOCness. I tried to get them to act as naturally as possible. Ulquiorra is my favourite Espada and I wasn't very impressed when he was killed off, even though I know he's the bad guy, so this is my part in keeping his memory alive :p
"I'm proud to report that we have a very talented student who quickly moved up the ranks, and graduated within a year. It has already been decided that he will join this squad as our fourth seat. Even though it's official, the Captain-Commander wants to keep a hush on things until he gets settled in. Right now only us captains know about it but I was so excited I had to tell you the good news, Kuchiki-san."
Rukia cringed at the joyful way her captain said it. She didn't see what was so exciting about this. Every year the Shinigami Academy had bright new talent. It was no surprise that their squad had been chosen to accept the new recruit. What was surprising was why Captain Ukitake would think she would want to know beforehand.
"Why exactly are you telling me this, Ukitake-taicho?"
"Well, here's the thing. He's not exactly…well, he's kind of unorthodox, if I may put it that way. Since joining the Shinigami Academy he hasn't been shown a lot of kindness. I was hoping that you would take him under your wing and guide him. Maybe give him some direction?"
Rukia crossed her arms over her chest and shot her captain a level look. At his vague description she was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with this new recruit and wondered why he had to foist this guy off on her.
"What's wrong with him?"
Ukitake closed his eyes and waved his hands in front of him, an anxious grin on his face. "There isn't anything wrong with him. He wouldn't have been accepted into the Thirteen Protection Squads if there was. Trust me."
"Then what's all the big fuss about? Why me?"
"I…" Ukitake rubbed a hand over his hair and sighed. "Kuchiki-san, this task was ordered by your brother. He said you were the prime person to watch over him since you knew him the best out of all of us, even if it was for only a brief period of time."
Unease started to grow in Rukia as she wracked her mind to try to find someone who she had only known briefly. If her brother had ordered it then it must be someone important. And didn't Ukitake just say it was to show this new guy the ropes? Yet now he was implying Rukia was to become a babysitter.
"Are you saying I know this person? What is his name?"
Ukitake seemed reluctant to divulge this bit of information which raised Rukia's suspicions even more. Her captain had always been honest with her and she didn't expect him to start lying now, even if it was by omission.
"Promise me you won't freak out. Remember, he would have been killed on the spot if he had been deemed as evil. Also, your brother was the one who suggested you as his superior."
Rukia's eyebrow was ticking. "Stop throwing compliments at me and just tell me who he is," she snapped, waving a fist at her captain. She really doubted she was going to like what her captain was going to say and his next words proved it.
"Ulquiorra Cifer."
Amazement had Rukia gaping at her captain. Had she heard him incorrectly? Had he really just said Ulquiorra Cifer? The same Ulquiorra that Ichigo had killed in Hueco Mundo over a year ago? No, maybe she was mistaken. Maybe Ukitake was talking about another Ulquiorra Cifer. Even as she thought it her brain rejected it. There was only one Ulquiorra Cifer. There only ever would be one Ulquiorra Cifer. And her brother had suggested her as the baby sitter?
"NII-SAMA!"
A few days later…
Rukia cast another glance at Ulquiorra. He was standing beside her on a building roof top in Karakura Town. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to accept his help on this assignment. She sure as hell didn't need it.
She had been the least happy person in Seireitei when Ulquiorra had been introduced to the 13th Squad. Not surprisingly, everyone had been wary of the emerald-eyed arrancar. Shinigami, Rukia mentally corrected herself. He was a Shinigami now.
Ulquiorra hadn't seemed the least bit like his former self, which raised Rukia's suspicions. What was he doing in Soul Society? How did he even get in? He should have disintegrated into nothing. Despite all the hostility being showered upon him, he had been nothing but the epitome of politeness. He had even done his paperwork without complaint, a rarity these days.
"Is something amiss?" he asked in a low voice.
Rukia jolted back into reality and, realising she had been staring at him, jerked her gaze away when his serpentine eyes swung her way, a blush heating her cheeks. "Forgive me," she murmured, her eyes downcast.
She could feel Ulquiorra's eyes on her for a moment longer before he swept his gaze away. "I can sense a hollow's reiatsu," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Shall we?"
He shunpo'd. Rukia sighed and closed her eyes in defeat. Working with this guy caused her to experience a never ending sea of wariness. She doubted she would ever be over his past ruthlessness until a substantial amount of time had passed. No one would. It still baffled her that the 13 Protection Squads had let him join them in the first place.
Rukia took off after him. She'd been warned to keep a close eye on him, Shinigami or not. His purpose in Soul Society was still being determined. Until he showed his true colours, if any, he was to be watched at all times. And, of course thanks to her brother, she had been the lucky one. She just hoped Ichigo wasn't around anywhere. She hated to think how that reunion would go down.
She found Ulquiorra in an open park, the setting sun casting dark shadows across the grass. She again took this time to study him. His skin was still tainted white though even that was fading gradually. His broken hollow mask was gone. His hair was as dark as night and just as wavy as it had been the first time she had seen him. His eyes were still a brilliant green, almost reptile-like in their indifference. He looked spades different in his black Shinigami robes, his zanpakuto hanging almost carelessly at his left hip. His left hand rested casually on its hilt.
Rukia knew she shouldn't be this fascinated by his turnabout, should be watching for the hollow, but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from him. Even though he was a Shinigami now there was something…dark and dangerous about him. Something that was skimming just beneath the surface. Something she didn't particularly like.
"Rukia."
Ulquiorra's monotone jerked her gaze up to his face. He was staring at her with an unimpressed look.
"I was given the understanding that you were good at your job and could handle things well in the field without any distractions."
His statement, though spoken without any real emotion behind it, raised her hackles. She ignored him and focused all her energies on locating the hollow. Her eyes strayed over the park in a quick glance, taking in everything at once, from the lizard scurrying up the tree at the far end, to the swing moving in the wind.
Suddenly she felt Ichigo's reiatsu flare up and silently groaned at her bad luck. She should have warned Ulquiorra to hide his own reiatsu, knowing that Ichigo would be able to sense it. He should have known this, probably did, and let his reiatsu roam all over the place to attract Ichigo here.
And there it was. His purpose in joining Soul Society.
Rukia whipped out her zanpakuto and pointed it at him. He stared down the blade levelled at his throat.
"What are you doing?"
"I know what you're after. I know why you joined Soul Society. It was all to get revenge on Ichigo, wasn't it? That was all it was ever about."
Ulquiorra stared at her for a long time before closing his eyes and walking away from her. "I don't have time for your foolish theories. Think what you will, but know that I am only here to take care of the hollow. If your over-active imagination condemns me before trial, so be it. I won't refute it."
Rukia's jaw dropped. She picked up a stone and threw it at him. It hit him on the head and though he paused he still didn't look at her.
"Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you."
Ulquiorra still had his back turned to her and she advanced on him. "If you're not here for revenge then why are you in Soul Society?"
Emerald eyes clashed with her violet ones. "I do not have to explain my motives to you."
Her eyebrow ticked and she balled her free hand into a fist. "You must! Do you think no one is wondering the same thing? I just have the courage to voice it."
"It's not courage. It's foolishness."
"Kisama," she snarled and slashed her zanpakuto at him. She expected him to dodge and she was ready for him. "Hadou no san ju san: Sokatsui!"
Blue fire spewed from her hand and engulfed Ulquiorra in its flames. But she wasn't fooled. For the fourth most powerful ex-Espada, this was merely a fly fluttering in his face. When the smoke cleared he was standing in the same spot, green eyes riveted to hers. He looked completely uninjured.
"I will not fight you," he said, enunciating each word slowly.
"Don't speak to me as if I were a child!"
"Aren't you?" he countered.
Chagrin caused Rukia enough hesitation for Ichigo to swoop in. He landed in front of her and pointed his zanpakuto at Ulquiorra. A fierce glare was in his eyes and his mouth was turned down into a harsh frown.
"I thought I sensed your reiatsu. Didn't I kill you?" he said, his voice calm.
Ulquiorra didn't even bat an eye. "You didn't."
Ichigo blinked and then gaped at him. "Eh?"
"You didn't kill me, even though I begged you to do it."
Rukia blinked at the flash of emotion that passed quickly through his eyes. She was stunned at the force of it. She was ashamed to realise she hadn't thought him capable of emotions. It was completely off-base, since he had at one point been human.
Ichigo was at a loss for words. Rukia could see that. He let the tip of his zanpakuto drop to the ground and scratched his orange head with his other hand.
"I see your ability to sense reiatsu is still worthless. I've been giving my reiatsu free reign since I got here and you've only managed to pick up on it now?" Ulquiorra said, eyes closing.
Ichigo's zanpakuto was pointed again at Ulquiorra's chest. "Don't insult me just because I didn't have the heart to kill you. No one in my position would have."
Rukia coughed delicately into her fist behind him. "I would have. He may have been an arrancar at the time but at least he wanted to go down with honour. That's not something a Shinigami would have overlooked."
Ichigo shook his fist at her, eyebrow ticking. "Stay out of this. You're not helping."
"You aren't helping! In case you haven't noticed, Ulquiorra and I are here on a job."
Ichigo blinked at her. Then he blinked at a stone-faced Ulquiorra. Then he saw the Shinigami robes. His jaw dropped. He was pointing at Ulquiorra with a stunned look on his face.
"You're…you're….you're…"
Ulquiorra arched an eyebrow. "Well, spit it out already. We haven't got all day."
"You're a Shinigami."
"No shit," Rukia muttered behind him.
Ichigo turned to shoot her a glare. "How did this happen? Shouldn't his body have obliterated into nothing?"
"You're asking me as if I know the answer," Rukia said in disgust, crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes. "If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be so suspicious around him."
"You don't have to say it like that."
Ulquiorra cleared his throat. "May Rukia and I get back to our job? We don't need the likes of you disrupting our mission so you can just run along home now, substitute."
"What did you call me, kisama," Ichigo growled.
"I called you what you are," Ulquiorra shot back without hesitation.
"He's got you there, Ichigo," Rukia said, hiding a laugh behind a fist.
"Again, you're not helping!"
A sudden screech put a stop to their bickering. All eyes were on the swings, where a huge hollow had materialized. It rose onto its hind legs and screeched again before dropping down to the ground with the force of an earthquake. Its hollow mask covered its entire face, and had eight tusks protruding around the edge. Red eyes glowed at them.
"It's huge," Ichigo breathed, staring at it in awe.
Ulquiorra stepped in front of him and swung an arm out. "Go home, kid. Let the adults work."
"Kisama –" Ichigo started.
"Is that the only word in your vocabulary?"
"Move!" Rukia shouted, using shunpo to escape the javelins it shot out of the tusks. She swung her zanpakuto up. "Mae, Sode no Shirayuki. Tsugi no mai, Hakuran!"
A wall of ice burst forward and rapidly made its way toward the hollow. She noted with satisfaction that it didn't seem to be in any hurry to move out of the way. Just as she was about to relax her stance the hollow quickly disappeared. Rukia let her zanpakuto drop an inch and in that split second everything changed.
The hollow appeared in front of her and she jerked back, raising her zanpakuto to defend herself. The creature roared in her ears and swung its head around and she barely had any time to dodge the sharp tusks heading her way. She rolled to the side but the hollow was persistent in its pursuit of her. Before she had time to react the tusks were descending upon her again. Rukia swung out with her zanpakuto but her blade fell upon air.
She blinked. And blinked again. She looked up into the reptilian eyes staring dispassionately down at her. She could feel his arms wrapped around her lower back and under her knees. He didn't look winded at all from carrying her around. He even dodged a particularly nasty attack from the hollow without batting an eye.
"Kisama, let go of her!" snarled Ichigo's irate voice.
"Since you're too thick-headed to comprehend my telling you to leave, why don't you make yourself useful and attempt to put an end to the hollow?" Ulquiorra replied in a deadpan voice.
"Damn you –"
"Ichigo! Do what he says," Rukia said in irritation, glaring at the substitute Shinigami. "And you, put me down," she added, turning her glare on Ulquiorra.
He released her legs and let her drop to the ground. She adjusted her robes and shot him a sidelong glance. "Thank you."
"Thank me later," he said, drawing his zanpakuto from out of its scabbard.
The hollow released another spray of javelins. Ulquiorra slashed his zanpakuto and sliced the javelins in half. Before the ones heading for Rukia could hit her Ichigo appeared in front of her and raised his zanpakuto to block the attack.
"Ichigo, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, eyebrow ticking.
"Saving you."
She kicked him from behind. He went down with a howl. "Who do you think you're talking to, Ichigo?" she asked, standing over him with a glare that would have made a lesser man cower.
"You let Ulquiorra save you," he snapped, surging to his feet.
"I didn't let him save me, he just did it."
"And I did the same."
"Baka, stop competing with him and focus on destroying the hollow."
As if to alert them to its stifling presence the hollow roared in agreement. Ulquiorra was staring up at it, zanpakuto barely grazing the ground, his left hand resting on the hilt of his scabbard. His robes fluttered in the slight burst of wind.
"Oi, Ulquiorra! Stop being so dramatic and kill the damn thing," Ichigo growled.
Ulquiorra closed his eyes and turned his body away from the hollow. "This isn't even worth my time. I'll leave this menial task to the mediocre." Then he opened his eyes and pinned Ichigo with a brilliant green stare. "I'm talking about you, in case you're too foolish to realise it."
"Teme," Ichigo growled.
"Ichigo!" Rukia snapped, sailing past him and swinging her zanpakuto up. She sliced off one of its tusks and it howled and swung its head around, nipping her in her side. She went down hard, blood starting to soak into her robes.
"Dammit, Rukia, why must you be so reckless?" Ichigo snarled, dropping to her side, his zanpakuto trailing the ground behind him.
"Why must you be so slow?" she shot back, wincing when she tried to stand. She went down into a crouch again at the tearing pain. "Why are you still standing here? Go after the hollow!"
Ichigo shot her a quick glance and she swore all she saw in his cinnamon depths was concern for her. It momentarily took her breath away. In all the months she had known him he had never displayed this amount of sentimental emotion directly to her. A slight blush heated her cheeks and when she glanced up again it was to find Ulquiorra's steady gaze on her. He hesitated for a few seconds before uncertainly extending his hand.
Rukia stared at his pale fingers for a long moment. When he stiffly started to withdraw his hand she realised she must have unconsciously affronted him. She quickly reached out and gripped his fingers. She saw the flash of surprise flare through his eyes before he shuttered them and helped her to her feet.
"Are you all right?" he asked hesitantly, his gaze trained on Ichigo and the hollow.
"I'm fine. Thank you."
An awkward silence followed and Rukia wished that Ichigo would just kill the hollow and join them already. She didn't really have a grudge against this new and improved Ulquiorra but there was something about him that made her nervous, and not in a good way.
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately."
At his sudden interruption of her thoughts it took her a while to grasp what he had said. His words caused her a slight amount of confusion.
"What do you mean? What have I been doing a lot lately?"
"Thanking me."
Ulquiorra shunpo'd and blocked a nasty attack from the hollow that could have seriously incapacitated Ichigo. For a moment Rukia was left speechless. She wasn't sure which she was more surprised at, the audacity of his words, or the fact that he seemed to have attempted a joke.
"Kisama," she growled with no real heat, ignoring the pain in her side and jumping to help Ichigo and Ulquiorra.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ichigo was yelling at the other man. "You just told me to take care of this. If you get out of my way I can do that."
"You're taking too long," Ulquiorra shot back. "And you're making more of a mess than cleaning it up. Move aside and let the professionals handle this."
"I am one of you," Ichigo snarled, eyebrow ticking. "And I think you're doing this on purpose just to annoy me."
"I would never resort to such underhanded techniques. You're thinking too much."
"Why you –"
"Enclose, Murcielago."
"You're still doing it!" Ichigo snapped. "Getsuga Tensho!"
Ulquiorra narrowly avoided the sweep of Ichigo's power. When the dust settled he turned dispassionate eyes to a stunned Ichigo.
"What is it?" he said in a low voice. "See a ghost?"
Rukia was listening to the interchange between the two Shinigami and rolled her eyes. Those two would get into a fight and ignore the hollow, which was becoming more agitated by the second. It stomped its front paws on the ground and roared again, throwing its head back. She gritted her teeth and lifted her zanpakuto.
"Tsugi no mai, Hakuran!"
Rukia knew it would dodge and she was ready for it.
"Masked with blood and flesh, under all creation, he has been crowned with the name of man. Through the gap of the thunder carriage's wheels, have this light break into six pieces. Carve twin lotuses in the wall of blue fire! Wait within the fiery abyss in the distant heavens! Bakudou no roku ju ichi: Rikujokoro!"
Six golden boards of light swept toward the hollow, locking into place around it. With a roar the hollow succumbed to the binding spell. It tried to lurch around unsuccessfully. She knew she was pretty good at kido and that the spell was sound so the hollow wouldn't be able to break free even if it wanted to.
Rukia cringed as pain shot up her side. She raised a hand and covered her wound but knew she had to finish off the hollow before she could spare it a glance. Before she could do anything Ichigo and Ulquiorra flew past her, going all the way up to the hollow's head and swinging both their zanpakutos down.
Both blades sliced through the hollow's head and down its body until they hit the ground. The hollow roared one last time before it began to disintegrate into nothing. The last thing Rukia saw before her vision blacked out was Ichigo and Ulquiorra glaring at each other and hoped they would supress the urge to do damage to the other.
"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted, running toward her. He dropped his zanpakuto and lifted her upper body into his arms. Perspiration beaded her forehead and she was muttering in her unconsciousness. "Wake up, dammit," he snarled. "You're not going to die on me."
Ulquiorra dropped down on one knee on the other side of Rukia and watched her face with unreadable eyes. He reached out a hand to her forehead.
"Don't touch her!" Ichigo snapped, drawing her closer into his arms, eyes wild with fear. "This is all your fault. If you had killed that damned hollow instead of passing your duty onto me this wouldn't have happened."
Ulquiorra ignored him which infuriated him even more. And then he spoke in a deadpan voice.
"It's poison," he said. "We need to get her to Urahara. I've been told to go to him if we ran into any trouble."
Ichigo had never been so scared in his life. He didn't even question Ulquiorra, just picked Rukia up into his arms, holding her close to his chest, and shunpo'd until he got to Urahara's little shop.
"Ossan!" he yelled. "Where are you? I need help."
"There's no need to yell," a deceptively soft voice spoke behind Ichigo.
He almost dropped Rukia in his surprise and turned to glare at the man with the green and white striped bucket hat pulled down low over his eyes.
"I told you to stop doing that," he snapped. Then he stepped closer. "Can you help Rukia? She was attacked by a hollow. Ulquiorra says she's been poisoned."
"Bring her inside," Urahara said, gliding into his shop.
Darkness greeted Ichigo as he followed the former resident of Seireitei. He didn't even stop to think where Ulquiorra had disappeared to. All his thoughts were focused on Rukia and the way her breaths were coming out in ragged pants. Fear seized his heart at the thought of losing her. He laid her down in the room Urahara directed him to.
"Please leave," he said in a soft voice. "Tessai and I will take care of her now."
As he spoke the bigger man walked into the room. His glasses flashed in the light and he made a shooing gesture at Ichigo.
"Please do as the owner asks," he said.
"I will not leave her," Ichigo snapped. "Don't ask me to."
Urahara nodded at Tessai and the other man literally hauled Ichigo out of the room and slammed the door in his face. Ichigo was about to blast his way through the door when Tessai's voice rang through.
"If you attempt to barge in here while we're trying to save Kuchiki-san's life, I will put a barrier around this room that even you can't break through."
Ichigo gritted his teeth but paced along the corridor outside Rukia's room as Urahara and Tessai worked to heal her. He couldn't even fathom the thought of losing Rukia. It was because of her that he was who he was. He had stopped using the debt excuse a long time ago. He couldn't imagine a world without her, even though she technically wasn't a part of it anymore. That wouldn't be living; that would be surviving.
"Rukia," he whispered.
He was so lost in his musings he didn't sense Ulquiorra appearing like a ghost from out of the shadows. Only when the Shinigami was almost on top of him did Ichigo jump back a step.
"Where have you been? Out causing chaos?" he snarled.
Ulquiorra ignored him and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes.
"I understand you're hurting," he started. "But you're not doing Rukia any favours by being –"
"How the hell would you know what's best for her? You were sent as a back up to protect her and you couldn't even accomplish that."
Ichigo's frustration ascended even higher when the former Espada just ignored his words. He needed a fight. He needed something to take his mind off what was happening in the room beyond his vision.
"I'm going to kill you this time," Ichigo said softly. "Outside. Now."
Ulquiorra opened his eyes and pierced him with a cold stare. For a long moment Ichigo thought he wouldn't even acknowledge him but the other man sighed softly and stood, the palm of his hand resting on the top of his zanpakuto, a habit Ichigo found increasingly annoying as it reminded him of his adversary's former occupation. Instead he turned and walked out of Urahara's house with determination in his stride, hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his zanpakuto.
Ulquiorra stared after Ichigo with dead eyes. He recognized the anguish and pain in the substitute Shinigami's eyes. He didn't completely understand it but he knew what it was. He was well aware that humans carried emotions such as those more strongly than any other being he knew of. He may have still been in the grasp of learning said emotions when his life as an Espada had been forfeit but he knew as much what the sentiment in Ichigo's eyes meant. He had seen them reflected often enough in Orihime's eyes.
He followed Ichigo outside, unsure about what was expected of him, yet knowing he wasn't supposed to kill the Shinigami. Not today, at least. Perhaps some distant time in the future, when Ichigo had better control over his sentimentality and had full authority of his powers. Ulquiorra knew in Ichigo's current state of mind he could easily defeat him. And then Ichigo would hate him even more.
To his consternation, what little he could feel, he found that he didn't want Ichigo to hate him indisputably. Despite his defeat in Hueco Mundo, Ulquiorra acquiesced that he had been the only one strong enough to actually make him want to draw his zanpakuto and engage in a satisfying battle until one of them emerged victorious.
But now, looking at how messed up Ichigo was, he couldn't raise his zanpakuto against him. He didn't know what was happening to him but he knew he'd started changing ever since he'd first had a proper conversation with Orihime. And he hated it. At one point he wouldn't even have hesitated to strike down Ichigo, seeing as how a challenge had been issued. Now he found himself thinking, what would Orihime do? He stared down at his zanpakuto, contemplating what to do.
"Attack me already," Ichigo snarled.
Ulquiorra faced down Ichigo's zanpakuto with no real zeal. But if Ichigo literally forced him into a fight, he would have no choice. As he suspected, the other man surged forward, zanpakuto in the air, ready to strike a blow. When it came Ulquiorra didn't even have to put much energy into it to deflect it. Ichigo was playing a very dangerous game. A half-assed move like that in a real fight would have gotten him a one way ticket to Soul Society. And he knew it.
With a roar Ichigo started striking out at him, one slash after the next, not stopping for a breather. Anger was his primary emotion, followed shortly by fear. He understood he was worried about Rukia. He himself felt a slight twinge if anything were to happen to her. As he deflected Ichigo's half-assed moves his thoughts turned to Hueco Mundo. He had never seen Ichigo behave this way when they had kidnapped Orihime. Sure, he'd been angry, but he had still been in control of his emotions. And yet when it came to Rukia the man was like a loose cannon.
Is that what humans called…love?
He wasn't sure and he wasn't about to find out. Ichigo's moves had gotten even sloppier and he was panting harshly. His hair was covering his eyes but Ulquiorra heard him muttering something as he slashed forward. He dodged, trying to hear what was being said. Ichigo's frequency was too low for even him to hear but he kept moving his head forward when Ichigo was open to catch a word, a phrase, something.
"Lose…" he heard Ichigo mumble. "Can't…"
Ichigo slashed downward and went down with his zanpakuto. Out of reflex Ulquiorra moved forward and Ichigo fell against his shoulder, zanpakuto dropping to the ground. Ulquiorra didn't move, standing there and letting Ichigo rest. After a second Ichigo moved away, his head still down, hair still covering his eyes. But his cheeks glittered like diamonds in the moonlight.
Ulquiorra recoiled when he saw the tears Ichigo hadn't wanted him to see dripping down his face. He looked so crestfallen and pathetic Ulquiorra wanted to run and hide. He was muttering something again but this time it was clear enough for him to hear.
"I can't lose her. I can't."
Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "She will be fine, Ichigo. She is a fighter."
Ichigo's hand came up to cover his face. His shoulders shook slightly but Ulquiorra pretended not to notice. He turned away to give the warrior some privacy as he would have wanted if their situations had been reversed. As if he would give in to emotions that easily. Haha, he thought. As he walked back into Urahara's little shop he heard a thud and spared a glance over his shoulder to see Ichigo on his knees on the ground, face tilted toward the sky.
"Rukia," he heard him whisper. "Rukia!" That was shouted to the heavens, his voice echoing in the silence.
Ulquiorra left him to his pain, still not understanding how much he valued the violet-eyed Shinigami. She was just another individual in this world full of them. What was one life for another? Nothing would change if she failed to recover. At least, not in his book. He supposed that made him cold and unfeeling but that was all he knew. He sat back down outside Rukia's makeshift room and closed his eyes. He hadn't gotten that far in his evolution so maybe he shouldn't judge.
It was near morning when the door slid open and Tessai stepped out. He stared at Ulquiorra, still sitting in the same position from the night before, before inclining his head. Then he walked out to find Ichigo, who hadn't come back in after he had left him outside. He supposed that nod meant Rukia was going to be just fine. And Ichigo had been acting like she wouldn't make it last night. How was he to know the depth of that feeling when he didn't fully understand it yet?
Ulquiorra stood and entered the room. Rukia was lying on a white futon in the middle of the room. Urahara was kneeling next to her his eyes watching her sleeping face for any signs of discomfort. He made his way to her other side and dropped to one knee.
"How is she doing?" Ulquiorra asked.
"She'll be fine. It took a bit more energy than I'm used to because of the poison but she's a strong little lady." Urahara glanced at him. He returned it. "I understand it is you who suggested Ichigo bring Rukia here. I commend you for your quick thinking. You probably saved her life."
"How do you know it was me?" A deadpan question in a deadpan voice.
Urahara studied him carefully. "Ichigo wasn't in a state to think, let alone act last night. Even I could see that. So thank you. For helping him."
"If Rukia had died I would have been the one to blame. I saved my own skin."
Urahara smiled at him beneath the brim of his bucket hat. "You act like you're still our enemy but the truth is that you understand human emotion more than you're letting on."
Ulquiorra inclined his head. "Think what you may. It doesn't matter to me. I saved Rukia for myself. There's nothing more to it."
Urahara smiled again and left it at that. Soon after Ichigo burst into the room and dropped to his knees by Rukia's side. Ulquiorra tactfully moved away and caught the meaningful glance Urahara sent his way. He ignored it, leaning against the wall by the sliding door. He watched Ichigo raise a hand and move a stray strand of hair from Rukia's face.
"Rukia," he whispered.
Rukia's eyelids fluttered and slowly opened. Her violet eyes were unfocused and even though both Urahara and Ichigo were bent over her Ulquiorra knew her eyes would come into focus on Ichigo. She didn't disappoint him. He felt a smidgeon of pride at his success and couldn't help but wonder that if he had had this knowledge as an Espada, the end game might have ended differently. Looking at Ichigo again he dismissed the thought. There was no one like Kurosaki Ichigo he had ever faced, and he doubted there would ever be. That kind of power only came once in a lifetime and he was proud to admit he had fought against that power, despite the fact that it had ended dismally for him. If he looked at it another way, he had been given a second chance. Or a third chance, the first being human and the second an Espada.
He watched the grin spread over Ichigo's face when Rukia called him an idiot and told him to breathe over something else. He noticed the relief and joy in his eyes. He also saw the way Rukia looked at Ichigo, like she thought she would never see him again. All this while he could feel Urahara watching him and didn't know what the man would take from this latest study. He didn't care. He continued to watch Ichigo and Rukia. They acted unsure around each other and he wondered if the threat of death actually put a new perspective on things. Probably, if Ichigo's reaction last night was anything to go by.
Then Rukia's gaze slid to him. And she smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed.
Ulquiorra inclined his head, an annoying new habit he had picked up on. Damn Tessai, he thought mildly.
But that just proved he was becoming one of them, and maybe one day, an equal in their eyes. He was loathed to admit how much he wanted that. His days as an Espada had been lonely and empty, and he had allowed Aizen to control his strings. No more. He found he enjoyed studying the way things worked in the real world, liked watching peoples' reactions to one another. It gave him a sense of peace, one he had never experienced as an Espada.
Ulquiorra felt at home, watching Ichigo and Rukia argue with each other playfully, seeing their smiles, hearing their laughter. Perhaps one day he would be able to join in, to laugh like they did, to smile as if nothing evil existed in the world, to break the emotionless habit plaguing him. That would be the start of a new beginning. He didn't know when that day would come, but he looked forward to facing it with the people in front of him. Although watching the scene before him play out maybe that beginning would come sooner than he expected.
Rukia hit Ichigo over the head with her fist, scolding him about being so useless when she had been injured. Urahara had just told her how Ulquiorra had been the one to suggest his place for her revival. Ichigo glared at her and was about to argue when an unfamiliar sound floated through the air. It was so unnatural, so unheard of, and yet so beautiful in a musical way, that everyone in the room came to a standstill. They slowly faced the source of the strange noise and stared in wonder. Then four things happened in unison. Urahara hid his smile behind his fan. Ichigo's jaw dropped open unabashedly. Rukia slowly grinned at this sudden turn of events.
And Ulquiorra's laughter deepened.
Proudly presenting: Ulquiorra Cifer :) I hope you guys liked this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Reference:
Episode 232 – Zanpakuto Rebellion – the chant that comes before the spell
Hadou no san ju san: Sokatsui – Way of Destruction No. 33: Blue Crash, Fire Down
Bakudou no roku ju ichi: Rikujokoro – Way of Binding No. 61: Six Rods of Light Prison