Chapter 1: Paradigm Change

I'm just retarded. I don't really like this pairing, but…heh, why not.

Disclaimer: Not f----ng mine.

The silence reverberated off the white walls. It encompassed everything in the small little room Orihime was in. And, slowly, but surely, it had swallowed her too.

Two months had passed since she had been captured and brought to Las Noches. Though the small window in her room gave way to sunlight, she still felt very much like she had been plunged into a deep darkness, a midnight vision. She felt hypnotized, but hypnotized by horror and silence.

Two months had drastically changed Orihime. Her glossy hair lost its shine and body, and now hung limply down by her waist. Her skin was pale, she was very thin, and was bearing a sickly appearance. Not that anyone there, in the citadel, really cared, that she looked anorexic. Partly was her own fault. Orihime refused to eat, and only ate when she thought she would die. That was the only thing keeping her alive. She was, indeed, pining away at the clutches of the silence and darkness she was deep in. Every single day, of those two months, she would sit and look out the window, as if expecting her friends to come and save her.

But they hadn't yet. And she was losing hope the way she was losing life-- slowly, but surely.

Orihime became very bored in the blank room, and only wrung her hands. She had begun that habit about a week into being kept in her cell. The first two weeks, Orihime was still herself. Asking her guard, Ulquiorra, random, childish questions, and poking and prodding him-- he had quickly put an end to that-- and, she was entertained. But now…both of them refused to talk. Orihime avoided Ulquiorra's acidic gaze and stared at the white floor. When you ask a question…whether it's to yourself, or to the person in front of you…are you supposed to get silence as your answer? Orihime had been wondering this for some time now. She hadn't talked in days. Then she heard a noise-- she was all too familiar with it-- the sounds of her door opening, and Ulquiorra's quiet, smooth footsteps coming into her room, breaking the silence.

"I brought your food."

Orihime noticed. The scent that filled the air nearly knocked her out. How she longed for something to enjoy. But, she would not take it. Not from him, not from Aizen.

"I don't want it." he whispered. Her eyes focused on her pale hands, wrapping around each other.

Silence from Ulquiorra.

"You're sadder than usual today, woman." Ulquiorra observed hardheartedly.

Orihime had grown used to his icy, brisk way of speaking. But even so, his tone made her hair bristle.

Orihime didn't reply.

Ulquiorra came closer to her, so he was standing right in front of Orihime. Orihime tried to hide the fact she was almost shivering, and refused to look up into his jade eyes.

"Woman, eat."

"I don't want to."

Ulquiorra bent down so he was eye level with her. Orihime couldn't ignore him this time, seeing that was only about six inches away from her. She suddenly became colder, only because of him. Another thing he wondered was that, why is he the only Arrancar that seems to lack warmth in such a drastic measure?

"Very well, then." Ulquiorra said, standing upright and leaving her food on her white couch. "I won't leave until you eat."

"Then I'll die."

Ulquiorra sighed softly.

He sat down about a foot or two away from her, and got the plate of food. He shoved it onto her lap. Orihime stared at it for a while. Ulquiorra saw her fists clench and unclench, and her frown deepened. Though he hid it well, Ulquiorra was quite amused with the human. Especially when she was angry. Orihime sat there for a long time. She made a move with her hand to pick up her fork, but no. She didn't pick up the fork. Orihime took the plate in her hands jerkily, held the plate above her head, and using what little strength she had, threw it hard across the room. It splattered and shattered on the opposite wall, leaving a stain that strangely resembled blood. Orihime, after seeing that she had just thrown what kept her alive away, burst into tears and began sobbing uncontrollably into her hands.

Ulquiorra scooted away from her. An expression of mild surprise swept over his face.

"I told you to eat. What is troubling you?" he asked. His voice held no concern; it seemed he was expecting the usual answer about not having her friends with her.

"Everything!" she cried.

Ulquiorra stood up. He didn't reply, just watched the pathetic girl racking with a sort of nostalgic grief. He didn't know what to do with her.

"I'll get you some more food."

"No!" she shrieked. "I don't want to die yet! Aizen will be mad at me!"

"I'll be back."

Orihime jumped off the couch and blocked the door from him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't! Ulquiorra, please, no! I don't want anything!" Orihime screamed.

Ulquiorra studied her, ignoring the fact she had just called him by his first name. Gasping for breath and crumpling in front of the door, was the girl that just a month ago would've been eating and asking her questions about candy. It was a little disturbing, if looked at from a normal person's point of view. This display struck no emotions in Ulquiorra, but his curiosity had piqued a little. Humans were so complicated; he knew he'd never come close to understanding one.

Orihime raised her tearstained face to Ulquiorra's statuesque one, and held his eyes briefly before returning to wringing her hands. Tears soaked them. Ulquiorra sighed quietly, and bent down to see her better.
"Woman. What is troubling you so?"

Orihime couldn't reply; she shook her head viciously instead.

"Fine. I'll wait until you can speak."

Ulquiorra sat there quietly with an unnatural amount of patience. It must've been an hour or so before she regained the ability to speak. Yet he didn't mind, and simply waited. He wanted an answer, but how good of an answer he would get Ulquiorra did not know. Orihime's wails became soft sobs, and her eyes no longer were a faucet of tears. They still leaked tears, but she could at least talk. She raised her face, and looked at Ulquiorra warily. Ulquiorra returned her look with his typical icy stare.

"What is troubling you? I noticed it when I first walked in. You're much sadder that usual."

Orihime sniffled.

"My surmise is that you miss your friends, like you always do."

"That too," she squeaked. "But that's not the main issue. It's too…too quiet in here! I never get to do anything, it's so dead! You're too dead! Until today, I hadn't talked for a week."

Orihime held back sobs. Once again, tears fell into her lap thickly. She was only partially aware of Ulquiorra flicking them off her face, with a different look on his face that she had never seen before.

"Continue," he said quietly.

"Well, I feel empty. Hollow, like you." At this, Ulquiorra scowled lightly. It wasn't an angry look, either. "There's nothing here. Or here." Orihime pointed to her heart, and bit her lip. "I can't live like this. Am I in a pool of black or in your actual citadel? Is it just me…or is this place truly hell?"

Ulquiorra blinked.

"It depends on how you look at it, Orihime." Orihime had never heard him say her name before, and now that she had heard it, she'd always remember it. The way he said it…was that…with love? Or was she just hallucinating? She brushed her thoughts away, and turned her attention to Ulquiorra. "For you, one who has been surrounded by friends and living pleasantly, this is much like hell. But you have lived through hellish times, before. I recall you telling me about your brother? Dying, and turning into a Hollow, no? Attacking you."

Orihime nodded. So, he did listen…

"And surely this place must remind you of those times, where you were left alone to care for yourself. You were quite young, and those incidents leave large marks that never heal completely, and will become infected when touched well enough. Las Noches opens up your wounds, Orihime. They're becoming infected, because no one can seal them up, there's nothing here to keep your thoughts off the emptiness inside you. The sorrow your wound kept inside is staining your happiness. Am I right?"

Orihime, her mouth hanging open slightly, nodded. She was fully conscious of Ulquiorra wiping more of her tears away.

"You never wanted to return to this, and here you have no one…" Ulquiorra looked down, and saw she was wringing her hands again. He quickly pulled them apart, and held them in her lap. But not forcefully. Orihime was tempted to hold his tightly. She did.

"You don't have anyone here…but me."

Orihime looked up, and saw that Ulquiorra's typically apathetic and unfeeling expression had softened. He didn't smile, and was very serious about what he was talking about. But his eyes held something else in them, but whatever it was, Orihime could not put her finger on it. It made her cry all over again.

"Orihime."

"I'm sorry, I can't stop…"

"It's not that. If you ever need a shoulder…you can use mine." he said in a voice just above a whisper. His words rang through her mind. It was what occupied the silence now. Was he serious? Orihime stared at him.

Ulquiorra was serious. His firm expression said it all.

"Ulquiorra…can I call you that?"

"Yes."

"Can I…?"

Ulquiorra sighed. "If you must."

Orihime couldn't help it. This was the first time anyone had been so nice to her since before she left for Hueco Mundo. And, it felt good to throw her arms around Ulquiorra and sob into his shoulder. The familiar feeling she had felt before, two months ago, came rushing back to her in huge waves. She felt so much better clinging onto Ulquiorra's strong, cold frame. Ulquiorra, as she expected, was very stiff and hard when she had collapsed onto him in tears. But he stayed to his words, and didn't move until she had calmed down a bit. It was then she felt her hair being pulled back.

And then the two found each other in an awkward situation.

Orihime didn't want to pull back. Ulquiorra did, but broke the embrace gently, by taking her hands in his and putting them down by her side. Orihime pulled back eventually, blushing.

"Don't expect that of me every day, woman." he said coldly, standing up.

Orihime stared at him. She hadn't ever seen anyone stand so seriously with a wet patch on their shoulder, or ever with such an emotionless and taciturn expression. He left Orihime in awe, and left her smiling.

Ulquiorra hadn't even opened the door to leave when she stopped him.

"Ulquiorra?"

"Yes, woman?"

"Thank you."

Ulquiorra's eye stayed on her for a bit longer, and then he left without a sound.

Orihime wasn't going to fight it. She knew that he had made her day.

Psh. I'm so mental. I only wrote this because…well…Ulquiorra's teh pwnsomest, and Orihime is sweet. Hope it wasn't OOC. Oh well. Review or die. JK JK JK JK.

OH! Tell me if you want to me continue it, because, if you do, I certainly will! JUST LET ME KNOW!