Ashes
by Her Pretty Smile
Synopsis: For months, she stays there. As time passes, she endures. And in all those times, when her only company is him, she thinks that he can still be saved. UlquiorraღOrihime. [Ongoing]
Warning: Unbeta-ed; may contain mistakes or any of the sort.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Ashes: Chapter I
SHE STARED AT THE never-changing shape of the moon in the forever-dark sky, her eyes glazed with loneliness and sadness.
It had been two months since she'd been here at Hueco Mundo. Lately, her appetite was diminishing, and she felt like her body was slowly giving out on her. Her skin had long since turned pale due to the lack of sunlight, and her hair was all messy because she had no hairbrush. Her room, though lavish, seemed empty and desolate to her like it didn't have even an ounce of life in it at all.
She wanted to escape. She really did, but it was impossible.
Kurosaki-kun...
Almost instantly, the door opened, revealing a certain dark-haired Espada with the flat, empty green eyes. He was carrying a tray of food with him which consisted of an assortment of fruits and a glass of water.
"Eat," he said tonelessly with a hint of a threat to his tone. "Do not make me force them down your throat."
She looked at him wearily. "I'm not hungry."
He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Have you taken a look at yourself?"
"...No."
"Then let me describe it to you. You are starting to look like me."
She blinked at the unexpected answer. "What...?"
"Pale skin, thin body... and empty eyes." He walked over to her slowly, taking a smaller-sized each from the tray as he did. "You are not taking care of yourself."
"Why should I?" She looked up at the moon again, a desolate expression making its way over to her face. "I have no reason to. I will still live anyway."
"By living, you mean starving yourself?" He shook his head slightly to himself, coming to a stop in front of her. "I do not understand you humans at all."
She gave a small smile at that. "I do not understand you either, Ulquiorra-san."
"I do not need to be understood, Inoue Orihime." He promptly placed the peach inside her mouth, paying no heed to her complaining gurgle. "Now eat. You tested me, so face the consequence of your action."
She attempted to vomit the peach out, but his fingers prodded the fruit further inside.
"My hand will never leave unless you close your lips," he stated flatly.
"Mmph!" she protested.
He merely looked at her with his unwavering stare.
She sighed, finally giving up. With resignation, she touched his fingers with her own, giving a silent message of her decision. He promptly drew his hand away, watching as she chewed slowly on the peach.
"Eat them all," he said tonelessly. "If I get back here and find the tray not empty, I will force them all down your throat mercilessly." He turned his back on her and started to walk away.
"Ah! W—Wait!" she called out after barely gulping down the peach in her mouth.
He stopped in his tracks and inclined his head towards her slowly.
She swallowed. "Th—Thank you... Ulquiorra-san."
"Hmph. Ridiculous." He turned his back on her once again.
She watched him walk away with a faraway look on her face.
-;-
"I'M COMING IN."
He opened the door and found himself looking at an empty tray and her sprawled across the couch, her eyes weary-looking and closed. Her mouth parted to take in occasional quiet gulps of air, and one of her hands hung limply downwards while the other rested below the side of her head, serving as a cushion.
He watched as she slept, noting the way she breathed a lot easier and the tiny bit of colour returning to her skin.
"You wouldn't have suffered if you had taken care of yourself," he said quietly as he took the empty tray in his hands. "Hmph. What a ridiculous way of coping up with your depression, woman."
When he went out the door, he did not notice that tears started to fall from her fluttering eyelids.
tbc