She was standing in the light of the window when he returned, turning to look at him when entered. Snapping his fingers, he watched the servant roll the cart in a take away the empty plate and fork. What she had asked him before lingered in his mind, made him think about the question much more then he had ever planned to.
"Woman." She completely turned to face him, her eyes never leaving his. Her hair was pulled forward over her shoulders like she had leaned forward, gray eyes rimmed with red. Ulquiorra couldn't ask her if she was alright, he couldn't ask her what bothered her; that was something glaringly outside of his range. He wouldn't submit himself to that even if he had to. He would take her to Aizen since that seemed to help her so much.
"Yes?" She asked after the silence extended longer then it usually did when he called her to attention. As the Espada watched, tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her paling skin. "What is it?" The girl's voice was thick with anguish and despair. Much to Ulquiorra's dismay, something turned over in his mind and he wanted to comfort her but that desire wasn't as strong as his revulsion at displaying such a weak willed emotion, if he decided to show it at all. Many thought he was uncomprehending, unable to show such a thing. That wasn't true. He just wasn't willing to display something that he supposedly left behind.
"Why do you cry? Is it your friends again? I've told you. You waste your tears." To his utter amazement, she shook her head viciously, tears fanning away from her face to splatter on the floor in dots her human eyes wouldn't ever catch. The salt water pooled on the white floor, making it darker until they dried.
"No..." She whispered, the Espada having to strain to hear even with his advanced ears. "It's not them." Surprise ran through his mind and made his thoughts spin, his face staying in the same mask he always wore. If it wasn't that, then what was it? What? He wanted to ask so many questions and get answers, his hungry mind wanting to expand.
He didn't ask. Instead, he turned and left her to her tears. The hall was quiet again save for the faint noise of her sobs coming from within the room behind him, the other Arrancar staring at him as he walked silent past them all. None of them bothered to say anything to him anymore since he has stopped speaking to them. They all have trivial minds, regardless. None of them held any fascination for him and his quick thoughts; he had spent too much time around them.
"Ulquiorra, turn." Aizen called from within the throne room. A half second later, he was before his lord. "How are things with Orihime? It seems to me that she hasn't been doing too well, has she?"
"No, Aizen-sama, she has not." Ulquiorra monotoned, staring openly at Aizen. The man ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, standing from the chair.
"Why has she not improved? You have been tending to her, making sure she is comfortable, yes?" The Fourth nodded in agreement, his eyes following Aizen as he moved across the dark floor.
"I am not equipped to handle what she requires." He spoke, his tone saying that Aizen should know that. Instead of frowning like the Espada thought he would do, Aizen burst into laughter, a low ringing noise that sounded more like a fork against glass instead of humor, an agonizing sound.
"It seems our little bud is starting to become a very beautiful flower despite the situation. She has dreams that predict the future, as inconsistent as those dreams may seem at this point in time, all of the pieces are there: We just have to put them together." Ulquiorra's brow drooped even lower on this face and his frown deepened, looking more depressed then he did before. Ulquiorra didn't understand what Aizen was getting at, or why his master would even confide such important information to him.
"I do not see how that is relevant, Aizen-sama. What would you like me to do?"
"I want you to try and get closer to her, to try and get what happens in those dreams out of her. I don't want you to harm her, I want you to get to know her, to get her to trust you. That is why I have assigned you to watching her. I know you can handle this." He waved his hand at the Fourth as a sign of dismissal at which Ulquiorra stood and walked from the chamber in curious silence.
Orihime was asleep when he went to check on her, rolled into a tight ball that looked uncomfortable to sleep in. How can she sleep like that? Doesn't it hurt? She is only human after all. Walking to the edge of the bed as he always did, he lifted the blanket that had been thrown off of her and placed it at Orihime's slender shoulder. She had dreams the told of the future, did she? It was remarkable that such a tiny human girl could gain such abilities, be able to expand in such a way. Maybe they weren't all useless trash like her friends made them out to be. 'Talents' as humans called them weren't really talents at all but the perfection of a trait already latent within someone or something. Talents were like the young woman's gifts. Those were special.
Orihime wasn't keeping track of the days anymore. She got up, ate, deadpanned with Ulquiorra and went back to bed. Mealtime after mealtime were beginning to blur together until it seemed she was constantly eating, constantly lying there in the silence. Several times did she see Aizen and several times did her mood change, only to drop back into the despair where she lingered. It was like being in suspended animation. Nothing to keep you anchored safely to happiness. Nothing to keep you from falling into a dark depression. Nothing but the one person who kept pulling you back and forth until you hovered between the two emotions, not really feeling anything anymore. Ulquiorra did that to Orihime. She was confused about how she should feel, hurt by his sudden silences after making an attempt to speak to her, angered by his misconceptions.
"Orihime." That same voice, the same Arrancar. "I would like it if you weren't in bed." That was how he spoke to her now. He told her what he would like her to do, but it still meant 'Do it, or I'll make you suffer.' Rolling from her side, she set her bare feet on the floor and stood, turning to face Ulquiorra in the same motion. She could tell he was trying to be something other then emotionally dead, but frankly, she didn't give a hoot at the moment. She needed her friends. Something struck her... Did he say her name?
"Come sit with me." He jerked his head towards the empty chair across the table, his eyes never leaving hers. Orihime moved to take the seat, wondering when another chair had even appeared in the room. Most likely when he tried to become more friendly to his captive, she assumed. "How... are you?" He asked once she took the chair, her gray eyes on the granite of the table. At once, her head jerked up and a bleary gaze met his hypnotic stare.
"I'm... okay. How are you?" This was so unlike the Espada. Orihime found herself trying to remember the days that seemed to meld together rather then forget. This was the first time he had ever asked such a question. Ulquiorra tilted his head before replying, his eyes not once wavering from hers.
"My body is well." The young woman stifled a sigh. She wasn't meaning to ask that, but of course he took it that way... He was who he was, and there was no changing that. Wringing her hands together, she nibbled her lip before looking away from the male across from her.
"I meant to... ask if you are doing okay, having to force yourself to do this? Talking to me..." As she watched the teal eyes narrowed slightly and his lips pressed together, he had even shifted so he was leaning forward by a few degrees.
"You believe I am forcing myself to do this? That I wouldn't wish it of myself to be more 'open', as you humans say, with you?" His voice has taken on a slightly angered tone, his eyes flashing once before they continued to stare at her. His gaze was as hard as ice.
"I know you are." Orihime whispered, yanking her eyes from his to stare at the table top. "Normally you're so cold towards me... So unchanging." Ulquiorra gave a frustrated sigh. Again, Orihime was taken aback. When did all of this start happeneing? She wanted to kick herself for not paying attention. A long white hand grasped her wrist, yanking her right arm across the table so she was leaning over it, her left arm holding herself up.
"I am not cold." As he spoke, he pressed her hand against his cheek. His skin was too smooth for human skin, too abnormally shaded to even look like it should hold warmth but beneath Orihime's palm was warm, only a few degrees cooler then her own skin. "And I am not forcing myself. to do anything I do not wish to do." His cheek barely moved when he spoke, his fingers uncoiling from her wrist so she could leave the uncomfortable position. Slowly, she retook her seat and tried to sort out her thoughts. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was so wrapped up in thinking the worst of him that she couldn't see that he had been trying this whole time. Trying to make things easier for her though they both knew it would never happen. Then something clicked.
In the beginning, Orihime was so set on Ulquiorra being the 'bad guy' that she overlooked everything. She had come her of her own accord, they didn't force her. Ulquiorra's bad traits were only a projection of her own expectations, a painting created by her inner mind of what he really should be like. Now that the veil of sorts was lifted, she could see that she had the wrong image of him the entire time: He was only trying to help. Smiling slightly, she turned her gaze back to his face.
"Thank you for everything."
"What have I done?"
"You've been helping me."
Ulquiorra was watching her as she moved around the table with cautious steps. Orihime herself didn't know what she was doing until she was next to his chair and leaning down. Teal eyes never left hers as she hesitantly brushed her lips across his. It wasn't a bad thing, Orihime decided, but it wasn't something she would do every day. Instead of saying anything farther, she pulled away and moved to stand in the light of the window, smiling for the first time in a long while.
"Why?" Ulquiorra finally spoke, still sitting in the chair. "Why did you do that, Orihime?" He did say her name! Excitement flooded her system and made her heart race. She didn't turn to look at him, afraid her expression would give her away. Speaking as calmly as she could, she replied:
"I have not forced myself to do anything I haven't wanted to do."
Now things were really getting confusing for Ulquiorra. For the last week, he had been trying deperately to play nice with the woman and the only time he spoke harshly to her in that entire time frame, she rewarded him with a kiss. Maybe she lost her mind... Ulquiorra was in his own quarters that much resembled Orihime's in their lack of decoration and habitation, his fingers upon his lips. They burned, but he felt no wound. Even the side of his face where he had placed her hand himself tingled violently. What was happening to him? He would have to ask the woman what she meant by what he had done. He still didn't understand what she meant by that in the slightest.
"What have you done to me, Orihime?" He whispered to the shadows of his room. They didn't say anything back, the silence almost unbearble for someone who had once cherished it. He was so used to having Orihime around, hearing her breathe, hearing her talk... This wasn't right. This was NOT RIGHT. If it wasn't for Aizen's command, he would have turned the task down: He felt himself changing inside. How would she continue to affect him the more he stayed around him. Everything about her drew him in and one way or another, he would have to try and fight the feeling raging inside him off. Slipping off the bed, he went to the table and brushed his hand along the cold surface, the bite of the stone clearing his head. He was not human. Why did he feel human things?
And when she kissed him....
It took everything he had to resist the urge to press his lips back, to keep his face blank of the the desire he felt. Was it entirely obvious in the way he looked at her that he wanted her that badly? That he wanted that stupid, naive woman, of all things? Slouching forward, he placed his forehead against his knees and thought.
Something had to give.
Hey guys! A little fluff here for you!
Thanks to the people that have reviewed! It's nice to know someone likes my work!
I write for you guys.
CJ
