Chapter 4 - Rainy Resolution

Her heartbeat raced, 3:44 PM; the clock read. Just a few more minutes and she'll be dashing to the playground to meet with the arrancar. 3:49... 3:55... damn. Why does the time move so slow when you want it to tick thrice its speed? RIIING! There it was, the final bell. Orihime got up and snatched her bag quickly. Then she felt something tug her free hand which was not holding her school bag. "Inoue-san."

"Oh, hi Kurosaki-kun! Sorry can't talk, I have to hurry." Orihime caught her hand back as she ran away.

"Wait, Inoue! Your umbrella!" Ichigo yelled.

It was a shady afternoon and nimbus came playing with the sky but Orihime didn't seem to notice that. She was busy pacing herself to the playground, their meeting place. When she finally reached the playground, her breathing was heavy and ragged from running. Her hopes turned down when she saw no traces of Ulquiorra there. Maybe it's still to early, she thought, so she headed straight to the swing to sit and wait. The sky began to cry, shedding rainfall, but for Orihime, it doesnt matter. She's going to wait. Maybe the sky's tears became rivers and Orihime finally found herself too drenched in the rain. He isnt comming, is he? Tears that threatened to shed came like stars in the sky. She was crying again. She felt so alone as the rain poured harder. Hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless. Then everything seemed to have flashed back on her...

"You are to come with me woman. This is an order from Lord Aizen. I shall not entertain any of your questions... You have not eaten your meal woman; do not make me shave it down your throat... I believe I have made myself clear, I am not here to pamper you but I am here to make sure you are well nourished, according to Lord Aizen's orders... What is the heart you speak of? I see these as plain blasphemies from human beings... Your friends will not come and rescue you... As long as I'm here, you will never leave Hueco Mundo or Las Noches, not even your room, woman... You have saved me once, is that not enough damage you inflicted upon me, woman?... Woman, I wish to start a new life, you do not know me and I do not know you. Let me live in peace, woman. I am neither Ulquiorra Schiffer whom you knew in Las Noches nor the Ulquiorra whom you resurrected from the dead."

Orihime clenched her hand hard enough and shut her eyes as rain continued to soak her. How could she let Ulquiorra do all of this to her? She was not the weak girl who needed to call her fairies just to save her. She does not need the Soul Society to save her from the clutches of Hueco Mundo and most of all, she does not Ulquiorra to tell her what to do. "Woman." that voice again. She heard it. When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure standing infront of her."Woman." that monotonous voice... she knew it was him.

"PAAAK!"

The rain trinkled on the bricked pavement a little more harder and that monotonous voice has stopped. Orihime's eyes were wide and as furious as the time she first had her palm meet his pale but soft face. His head was turned to the right, not because of the pain or impact but the mere fact, he let her do it. The time she had slapped Ulquiorra back in Hueco Mundo, his head turned to the side because he was surprised, but today, he gave in. Orihime's breathing were heavy and ragged, it was as if she had ran a thousand miles.

"I hate you." Orihime whispered in ragged voice.

Seeing how upset Orihime is, Ulquiorra, for the first time, held the wrist of girl infront of him softly in which she had not expected to be as gentle as holding a newborn bird in his palms. Slowly, he turned his head to make his green orbs meet her grey ones as he gently pushed her hand down to her sides.

"Do you hate me that much?" he asked. Orihime flinched but forced herself not to look at him. There was a long pause before Ulquiorra let go of her hand before asking again. "Do you hate me that much, Inoue Orihime?" This time, Orihime was surprised. Hearing her real name from Ulquiorra was already an ecstasy. How she wished many times before for him to say her name. She shook her head a little. She was not going to surrender to this arrancar. She was not going to surrender just because this espada said her name. All the dilemma in her head kept pounding and pounding her heart. And then, there it was again.

"Do you really hate me that much, Inoue Orihime? For you to avoid me all these times just because I told you that was to start a new life, you managed to distance yourself away from me."

"Then what do you want me to do Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime said softly, trying to give a smiling facade despite of the fact that the rain only hid her river of tears. "What role do you want me to play in your new life? You're fine in academics, has a future in sports, talented in arts and you're even a fine pair for Kamillah-chan." she bowed her head down low.

Orihime was a strong girl, but ths time, her knees weakened and her lips trembled. She managed to survive her days as a prisoner in Hueco Mundo and serve Aizen to awaken the Hogyoku stone he stole from Rukia. She was as strong as the shinigamis in the Soul Society because of her ability to reject anything, but when it comes to concealing emotions, Orihime accepted the truth that she was the weakest. Ulquiorra looked at the trembling Orihime. She was soaked wet with the rain. He took his jacket off and placed it over her head.

"You, Orihime. I wanted you to play your role as Inoue Orihime." he said softly. Orihime's trembling body lightened up as he pulled the coat over her head to somewhat sheild her from the pouring rain.

Ulquiorra picked her light body up and removed his limiter bracelet that Urahara gave him. "I'll take you home, woman. I don't want to get blamed by Urahara and Yoruichi if you get a fever." Secretly, Orihime smiled as they sonidoed across the empty sidewalks. 'He's back to his old self, I guess...' she told herself.

When they reached her apartment, she handed his coat back to him. "Thank you, Ulquiorra-san." she said as she bowed her head.

"Give me your phone number."

"What?"

"Give me your phone number. I want to know... if you would feel unwell or as you humans put it... if you would catch a cold. You stayed long under the rain." Ulquiorra said monotonously. But knowing Ulquiorra's monotonous voice, there was a hint of concern and bashfulness mixed in his voice. Orihime smiled and handed Ulquiorra her mobile phone showing her number. As soon as he got her number, he sonidoed away.


(Orihime's POV)

Even though I resolved some of the things that gave me headaches, I am still unsure about a lot of things. Ulquiorra told me to play the role of myself in his life but all I did before was to be a captive to be taken care of by him. Did he just asked me to be a burden once more? Speaking of burden, because I gave Ulquiorra my phone number, I've been receiving messages every 10 minutes. He kept asking if I was okay. Of course, I am very happy he opened his... uhm... heart for me once more. Maybe out of curousity, I asked Ulquiorra-san a certain question that I soon regretted asking.

"do u like someone in school?"

"do not be rdiculous, woman. why do you ask such question?"

"bcoz evry1 at school is curious about u & kamillah-chan"

"kamillah, you say? she is my fraccion. i taught you things about fraccions."

" O_o ooh. i nvr knew u had a fraccion, ulquiorra-san."

"you never asked, woman."

":P whtever ulquiorra-san."

"what is :P?"

"its a representation of me sticking my tongue out."

"very well then. ]:|"

"very funny ulquiorra-san."

"you are being sarcastic, woman. ]:|"

"lets sleep now, ulquiorra-san. :P 3 we have school tmrw."

"3 is a heart, am i right?"

"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

"woman, look outside your window."

"it's raining. what else would i see?"

"]:|"

I immidietly proceeded to the window. Ulquiorra was not the type who would play pranks. When I opened the window pane, I saw a dark figure above the electric post. It had a seemingly recognizable bat wings. Since when was the last time I saw his second release? The prisons in Soul Society maybe? I can see Ulquiorra's second release watching over me from that post. I looked at my phone and a new message appeared.

"I thought you were gong to sleep." he said. I pouted and looked at the figure in the rain closely. I chuckled in seeing the sight of an Ulquiorra in a second release holding a mobile phone. I waved at Ulquiorra and closed the window pane. Better get some sleep then.