A/N : Hi everyone! Gah, I need to finish my other fics, not make new ones D: Anyway, sorry for making you all wait, but I'd a few issues to deal with and that took a long time (and a lot of energy) so … But anywayz! Read and enjoy 3

Fairytale

She heard them. They were faint and swift but yet audible. They echoed through every hall and room in the empty palace. The marble floor gave them away. Inoue shifted uncomfortably

in her bed as she listened to the rhythmic taps in the hallway.

Footsteps.

His oh so familiar footsteps. He was coming. Inoue pulled the blanket over her head and sighed wearily. She was not in the mood for his lectures and insults. Yes, he'd hurt her sometimes. Not physically, but mentally. She didn't know whether he was aware of this or not and if he did it on purpose. He did the latter of course. He never did things subconsciously. But it'd hurt her when he'd spoken about her friends, saying there was no hope for them. It'd hurt her when he'd threatened her when she'd refused her meals. It'd hurt her when she'd slapped him. She didn't intend to do it, really, because she doesn't like to see people hurting but he'd overstepped his bounds that time.

Inoue heard that the footsteps had faded and stared at the door of her cell. She could almost see him right through the door as he approached it ; Hands pocketed, back straight, pale skin, tails of his coat trailing behind him, stoic expression on his face and beautiful green eyes taking in every inch of his surroundings. He had an eerie and frightening reiatsu, she'd to admit that. It was strong and weighed down on your shoulders like a giant was pushing you down on the ground. But he was so damn elegant at the same time. His movements, the way he spoke. He was just too perfect. Not to mention the brains he possesses, calculating and analyzing everything in this world before he marked it with his own opinion about it. And that would normally be 'trash'. Everything was just plain trash. He could bring your whole world down with just that one word. He could destroy you in the blink of an eye. And not just your body, but mentally too. He attacked you with words. First, he would figure you out ; your personality, your habits and so on, and then he would drag you down with his own negative and nihilistic lectures. But there was one thing he couldn't quite put his finger on. He couldn't see nor belief it hence he didn't understand.

Inoue's musing was interrupted when the cold and heavy door of her cell opened. She closed her eyes quickly and pretended to be asleep as the Espada entered the room. He stood in the doorway for a moment before he shut the door and approached the bed slowly. It shifted under his weight as he sat down on the edge, his upper body turned slightly so he could face Inoue. He narrowed his eyes for a split second before a soft and faint sigh left his lips and turned his head away.

"Woman. Stop pretending to be asleep. It's pathetic." Ulquiorra said. A blush crept up her face as Inoue cracked her eyes open and smiled sheepishly.

"Gomen nasai, Ulquiorra-san." She fiddled with her hands in shame as his unnerving, icy glare pierced her eyes.

"Ano, what are you doing here at this late hour, Ulquiorra-san?" Inoue rose to a sitting position. Ulquiorra averted his eyes from hers for a few seconds, as if he was considering his reply, before he reverted them and furrowed his brows.

"Woman…" He hesitated and rose up, only to sit down again with his whole body on the bed. His legs were under him and his hands rested in his lap, never fiddling nor moving. He stared into Inoue's eyes, taking his time. He was blessed with a thing called 'patience' anyway, unlike Inoue, who chewed on her lower lip and rocked back and forth impatiently.

"What is a heart?" He asked. Inoue's fiddling stopped and her eyes widened. He'd asked this before, in Aizen's throne room before Ichigo'd made his entrance. Inoue saddened at the memory. Ulquiorra and Ichigo'd a fierce battle that time. And Ichigo'd lost and retreated with severe grave wounds, screaming he would come back, kick Ulquiorra's ass, and take Inoue with him. Unfortunately, that had been two months ago. Inoue wondered why he didn't come and had started to fear the worst ; he was probably killed. When she'd asked Ulquiorra about him he'd just remained silent. Her question remained unanswered. Inoue sighed in distress.

'Just don't think about it…' Inoue closed her eyes, trying to think about something else. Her mind drifted off to her home in Karakura. It's been empty for almost five months now. There must be dust and cobwebs in every corner of her cosy, small living place.

"I find it hard to believe that you need to think for such a long time of an answer for my question, woman." Ulquiorra's voice broke her train of thoughts and she snapped her eyes open and stared at him with a dumb expression.

"Question?" Inoue blinked.

Ulquiorra refused to twitch.

Instead of doing so, he closed his vibrant orbs.

"Yes. I won't repeat myself." He said. Inoue put a finger to her lips and set her gaze on the ceiling.

"Ah! The question about the heart! I remember!...What about it?" Inoue gave him a dumb stare.

"Woman, you're unbelievable." Ulquiorra shook his head almost unnoticeable.

"Well, the heart is one of the mist vital organs in the body. It pumps blood thr-"

"I don't want you to tell me, I want you to show me. Where is it? Why can't I sense its presence?" A rude interruption, but Inoue understood Ulquiorra's curiosity and need to know about the heart and edged closer to him. He leaned back slightly and gave her a silent glare. A warning to not come any closer to him.

"I'm not going to hurt or molest you or something." Inoue muttered. Ulquiorra frowned.

"I want to show you." Inoue adverted her eyes from his', reached out and took the zipper of his coat between thumb and forefinger. She awaited his reaction but he didn't move a muscle, just kept staring at her. How did he do that? Staring people straight in the eye without adverting his', not even considering how rude it can be to stare openly at people like that. But what if he didn't do it on purpose? What if he was just…curious? Or perhaps he was just thinking about … well not much since he's a Hollow. An empty being. Guilt washed over her. He must be so lonely. She pitied him. Her enemy. A bloody Hollow. No, that's not right. He was human before he transformed into a Hollow, just like her brother. Could he remember his past life? What was it like? How did he look like? Was he in love? Was he happy? A weird sound escaped past her lips. Frustration. She didn't get the answers she wanted.

Inoue unzipped Ulquiorra's coat and slid it down over his shoulders, revealing a fairly muscled chest as the fabric slid down further until it fell on the mattress in a crumpled heap around him.

"Woman…" Ulquiorra growled and his expression darkened. Inoue swallowed visibly and placed her hand on his chest, right where his Hollow hole was located. The warmth of her hand penetrated his cold Hierro flesh and Ulquiorra grunted softly. Her fingers trailed along the edge of his hole.

"You…You're not whole." Inoue murmured as she let her fingers descend to his big, gothic four tattoo on his chest.

"That's what I told you all this time, woman. I don't have a heart. It's replaced with emptiness." Ulquiorra wrapped his fingers around her wrist and removed her hand from his chest. Inoue noticed his fingers lingered a bit longer around her wrist before he let go.

"Why? Has it something to do with the past? When you were human?" Inoue whispered, avoiding his sharp gaze. Ulquiorra watched her with what seemed interest.

"What makes you presume that?" Ulquiorra questioned. Inoue bit her lower lip and rested her hands in her lap.

"Well, every Hollow has been human in their past life. So I thought that past life affects their personality, looks etcetera, in their life as a Hollow. But I also believe that people in their environment can change those characteristics." Inoue stared through her eyelashes at Ulquiorra as she finished her little speech.

"Are you saying that I can obtain a heart?" Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed in the slightest. Inoue blushed and rubbed her forearm.

"I know it sounds ridiculous," She paused to take a deep breath "But I believe you can." Inoue stared him in the eyes and saw confusion behind his green orbs and smiled slightly.

"Woman," He started "We're not living in a fairytale." Inoue's eyes widened for a second, before she frowned and averted her gaze on the ground. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and stood up, grabbing his coat.

"I must go. I'll come back with your dinner within four hours. Until then, sleep." Ulquiorra ordered and put his coat back on and made his way towards the door.

Inoue's eyesight blurred as tears welled up. She wanted him to feel so bad. She wanted to give him a heart, but didn't how. A harsh sob left her mouth and Ulquiorra stopped dead in his tracks. She was on the edge of breaking down. She clutched her sheets as tears slid down her face.

She suddenly felt a presence looming over her and looked up to see Ulquiorra standing beside her bed. He leaned in and brushed a tear away with his thumb. Inoue finally broke down and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. Ulquiorra stood still and listened to her crying. He didn't try to remove himself from her grasp for he found it slightly interesting at how she reacted. He felt her hand grasp a strand of his hair and tug it slightly, and grunted.

Inoue sniffed and gently tugged at Ulquiorra's hair. His arms rested limply at his side. He offered her no comfort but didn't break the embrace either. She softly pulled him down on the bed and tightened her hold on him. She felt his body stiffen and realized they've never been so close before. Ulquiorra placed an arm beside her head and pushed himself up, but Inoue tugged him down again.

"Woman." Ulquiorra sounded displeased.

"Please," She begged "Stay with me."

"Why would I stay?" Ulquiorra's voice was low and slightly filled with malice and annoyance.

"I…I need you." Inoue whispered and Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly.

"Why me? I lack that what you seek. I'm empty." He spoke quietly.

"That's not true. You're not empty. You're just missing a piece of yourself that needs to be found. I can help you find that piece." And with that she summoned her Sōten Kisshun and positioned her hands in front of his Hollow hole.

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject." A golden oval appeared and covered the hole. Ulquiorra stared at her wide-eyed.

"Woman, what do you think you're doing?" He sounded angry.

"I'm filling up the gap between you and me." Inoue said. Ulquiorra's brow creased but then it hit him.

She was changing him into a human. A weak, emotional and pathetic being. She was taking away his dignity.

He growled and grabbed her roughly by the wrists and put her arms over her head. The golden shield disappeared and Inoue whimpered.

"You're forgetting your place, woman. And I will tell you once more: We're not living in a fairytale. You can't change me." Ulquiorra hissed. He rose up and left the room.

Inoue lay there for a few minutes, startled by his sudden outburst, before she wrapped her arms around herself and cried herself to sleep.