He says it all the time. He says it's orders. He says it's duty. He says it's obligation or loyalty. He believes he's not kind. Not good. But she knows there's goodness in him and he has been kind to her. He said he would force feed her and shove the food down her throat if she refused to eat. But he never did. He never would. He never wanted to. He would never yell at her or hit her no matter what she does or says. In fact, he's protected her far more than duty has ever obligated him to. He wouldn't let another Arrancar come anywhere near her let alone harm her. She felt safe with him. Like she was at home.
Laying on her immensely large blue couch, in her very empty, white room, Orihime allowed these thoughts to consume her head and her heart. She was entranced by them. She knew, of course, that he was forbidden to feel the same way about her. He was her caretaker: the one assigned to keep her alive as long as she is needed. Nothing more. But she wanted to hope. She wanted to wait for him. To wait for the darkness to find the light and let it shine upon him. For Ulquiorra was the darkness and she the light. She wanted to brighten his world. She wanted to make him smile. To make him feel loved, safe and at home. She knew he wouldn't let her and she knew she might not even be able to if given the chance. But she wanted to try. Just for him. She wanted it so much.
Just as her thoughts threatened tears to fall from her eyes, she felt his silent footsteps approach her door. She stayed still, not making a sound, anticipating the familiar controlled knocking on the wood. But none came. She wondered if he was going to let himself in without a knock this time.
Then it dawned on her; it couldn't possibly be time for dinner yet. Even though time was impossible to tell in her huge, empty room, she couldn't have had her lunch that long ago. She still remembered how he waited by the door to finish her meal. She remembered how he smelled, how he looked at her, the way he stood there a few minutes longer than usual. He just stayed, listening to her, answering her questions and even asking questions when he didn't understand something she spoke of. She never saw anything outside of her room but something told her that he wouldn't even think of talking with anyone else the way he did with her.
Pulling herself out of the pleasantly vivid memory, she practically moaned his name in a voice she didn't know she possessed. Her eyes, locked on the door, widened in shock as she realized she'd said it aloud. But no sounds came from the door for a few moments. Just when she came to the conclusion that he must not have heard her, she heard a tiny, almost inaudible, knock at the door followed by a small click and the door opening. In panic at the idea of him finding her with thoughts from earlier that afternoon still lingering in her mind, she quickly shut her eyes, calmed her expression and pretended to be asleep. She knew how well he could read people. He would certainly be able to see right into her mind.
She heard the door open but no footsteps come in. He was still standing at the door. She presumed. She wondered what he was thinking. How he was feeling. It was almost always impossible to decipher his true emotions behind the rock-hard façade he bore so strongly. He still claimed he didn't have feelings. That Arrancar were bread without human emotions for convenience's sake. But she was certain that if she opened her eyes now, she would see something consuming his features. Anything. She, honestly, had no idea what she'd find but her curiosity and strong desire to see him now was overwhelming. She could feel his eyes on her but she wasn't sure how long she could restrain herself from opening her own and see what she most desperately wanted to see.
Thankfully, she didn't have to wait much longer. She heard a tiny creak and a click and the door was closed. She peaked her eyes open slowly and saw that he was no where to be found. What had he been doing? He didn't need anything. He didn't take anything. He didn't wake her or leave anything for her. Was he really just there to see her? Just to talk with her or sit with her? Orihime smiled to herself. She didn't know why but those thoughts made her incredibly happy whether they were true or not. Great. Now she would find it almost impossible to wait for dinner to come and see him again.