Pure
Summary: He has found his pure soul and has no intentions of letting anyone take her. A battle between lust and love, darkness and light, humans and monsters will shake the world she thought she knew.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
"You have a meeting with Mr. Yune. He wants to discuss some business matters with the selling of his virus program. He will be bringing his lawyer with him. Should I also call your attorney?"
There was no response. Nel looked up from her tablet to see that her boss wasn't even looking at her. Despite it being her first day on the job, she knew that Ulquiorra Cifer was not the type of man to be lost in thought that he didn't pay attention to what was happening around him.
Clearing her throat, she called to him. "Mr. Cifer? Are you all right?"
Green clashed with gray. "I'm fine. Cancel my afternoon appointments and tell anyone who calls that I am attending to a pressing matter. I need to be somewhere now." He stood without waiting for her reply.
It was five minutes past twelve.
-:-
Orihime sighed as she glanced at her watch. Ten minutes had past and there was no sign of the man from yesterday. She realized that he hadn't even said he would come, as she had just assumed he would. She glanced around her spot near the hospital building as people passed by her. None of the people that passed by was him.
She gripped the handle to her bag a little tighter. "He's probably really busy…" she mumbled to herself.
The night before, she couldn't sleep. She laid awake in her bed thinking about her encounter. There was something very familiar about Ulquiorra, yet she couldn't quite figure out what. She had no recollection of meeting him before yesterday. The sense of familiarity, though, was so strong that she couldn't just brush it aside.
After tossing and turning, Orihime had made her way to the roof of her apartment. She remembered sneaking up to the roof when she was younger to talk to the moon. She had had deep conversation with the moon, she recalled. Going up to the roof always cleared her mind and made her feel much calmer than before. She had always found it to be her favorite place to be when she needed space.
Glancing at her watch, she shook her head before turning to leave. She stopped short when she nearly bumped into a person. Looking up, her eyes widened at the sight of the man she had been waiting for. He was dressed as impeccably as before and looked down at her with his cold eyes.
"Y-you came!?" she squeaked in surprise and wonder, as she took a step back..
"Did you think I wouldn't?" he asked while crossing his arms.
Orihime quickly shook her head. "No! I just...well I just thought...never mind." She chuckled nervously. "Let's head off then."
The two walked in silence to the cafe that Orihime had in mind. She glanced at him once and a while but his face remained impassive. Once inside, Orihime picked a table near the window. Momo came over and gave the menus; the younger female stared at the man curiously. Orihime knew it was rare for her to come to the cafe with anyone other than Tatsuki.
Smiling, Momo spoke, "Welcome to Urahara's Cafe. Today's special tea is chappy dreams and the dessert is a tiramisu. Please let me know if you need anything. I'll give you two some time to look the menu over."
Orihime knew what she wanted already but looked over the menu anyways so to give Ulquiorra some time to see what he wanted. After a few minutes she glanced up and saw that his menu was unopened and he was staring out the window. She chewed on her lower lip wondering if he didn't like anything on the menu. This was suppose to be a thank you treat, but she had forgotten to ask what he preferred.
At that moment, Momo came over. "Um, are you done?"
He turned his gaze to her. "I'll have non-decaf hazelnut coffee."
"Would you like cream or sugar in it?"
"No." He handed his menu to her.
Turning to Orihime, she waited for her order. "Um, I'll have the regular orange juice with cranberry and a chocolate molasses lava cake."
Once Momo left with their orders, Orihime attempted to start a conversation. "So Ulquiorra, what do you do for a job?"
He looked at her with those beautiful but empty eyes. "I am the CEO of Mono-Tone Micro Software." His answer short and clipped like yesterday.
Orihime had heard of the company but to know that the CEO of it was sitting across from her made her eyes widen in surprise. The fact that he was so important meant he had to have a lot of work and yet he was here having coffee with her. He didn't seem to think being the CEO was a big deal as he said no more about it.
"T-that must be a lot of work. I'm just a kindergarten teacher in Karakura Town." She smiled fondly at the thought of her job. "I really love children. They're all so creative and have such vivid imaginations."
He just stared back at her making no comment. "Um, I remember when I was little I use to talk to the moon and that it would listen to me. I also had an imaginary friend, though it has been a while and I don't really remember that." She chuckled nervously as he continued his silence.
Finally he spoke. "The moon is not alive. It will never talk back to you nor does it listen to what you have to say."
Her skipped suddenly and her head gave a painful throb. "W-what?"
He frowned. "I said-"
She shook her head quickly. "I-I heard you the first time. It's just what you said...sounds oddly familiar…"
Before he could say anything, Momo came back with their orders. Her attention diverted, Orihime smile widely as she took a sip of her drink. As she ate her cake, she tried to ignore the feeling of his eyes on her. She was a bit embarrassed that she was eating a cake while he just had coffee.
Having finished half the cake, she looked up. "Would you like some?" She gestured to her cake.
"I do not like sweets," he replied. Her shoulders sagged a bit as she went back to finishing her cake. She couldn't imagine why people liked to drink coffee black. She had tried it once and it made her gag at the bitter taste.
They had finished everything in silence. Orihime paid the bill and the two left. She felt a bit awkward as they stood outside the cafe. "Well this was nice. I'm glad to have met you Ulquiorra. I hope we can see each other again." She was being truthful as there was something that intrigued her about him. Maybe it was the way her heart skipped back at the cafe. There was something about him that she couldn't seem to put into words.
"It was acceptable," he said. She couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not as his face remained blank.
"Oh you can have my number if you want to have coffee again." She quickly dug through her bag and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Having written her number down, she handed it to him.
Ulquiorra took the piece of paper and put it in his pocket. He turned and left without another word. Orihime watched as he got further and further away. There was a sad look in her eyes as she watched him. She wondered what had made him the way he was now. He was distant and cold despite her attempts at trying to get him to be more open.
She turned and headed in the opposite direction toward home.
(Past)
"All this blood came gushing out like a sprinkler! The teacher had to take him to the nurse to get it looked at. That's why you don't try to run into poles." Orihime finished recounting her day at school.
"..." There was just silence. She wondered if the creature was even listening to her. She was silent for a moment before a question popped into her head.
"Hey, what's your name?" Orihime asked. She had been spending time talking to the creature every night for the past month. She enjoyed the time they shared even if her companion never talked back to her. Every night she snuck up to the roof and every night he was there though she often had to wait a bit. Recently, though, he was up on the roof by the time she came up, which made her happy.
The creature looked down at her. "Why do you wish to know?"
"'Cause I don't know what to call you. I mean Mr. monster doesn't sound too nice. Plus you know my name so it's only fair." Orihime nodded to herself.
She looked up at him expectantly. He turned his head away from her. "Fine don't tell me." Her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "I'll just call you...Bat-chan!"
He turned to her again. "Why do you have to make up such an absurd name?"
"Well you have wings that remind me of a bat. If you don't like it, tell me your name." She smiled brightly.
She thought she heard him sigh but it could have been the wind. "Ulquiorra."
"Huh?"
"My name, girl." He sounded a bit annoyed.
The child furrowed her brows as she tried to pronounce his name. "Ul-kaw-eeen-i-orra?" The look he gave her told her she was very off.
"Why do you have to have such a hard name?!" She pouted but then brightened up. "I'll call you U-chan!"
"No." His deadpan expression told her that she would have to work on learning how to say his name properly.
Sighing, Orihime shivered as a wind blew right through her. "Ahhh...ahhh..choooo!" She sniffed and rubbed her nose with her hand.
Ulquiorra made a sound of disapproval. "I must go." He stood from his spot on the roof floor.
Orihime scrambled to her feet as well. "Awe, already? It isn't even light out yet."
He stared down at her. "You complain about falling asleep during the day so go to sleep earlier; I do not wish to hear any more of your insistent wining. Also I do not need your disgusting human germs. I will not visit if you're sick."
Her eyes widened in fear. "No! I won't get sick! I promise!" He just walked to the railing of the roof and spread his wings. Orihime closed her eyes as his wings kicked up a strong gust of wind. Opening them again, she saw his figure already getting smaller.
-:-
As winter approached, Orihime would get dressed in her heavier clothes before meeting Ulquiorra on the roof. It was too cold to be wearing just her nightgown on the roof. As the first snow fell, Orihime found it harder to stay outside as long as she use to for her daily night talks. Ulquiorra would often leave early from their meetings. Every time before he left, he would remind her that he did not want to be near her if she got sick.
One night she didn't come up at all. Ulquiorra waited on the roof until the sun started coming up. The next night she didn't show as well. He was getting annoyed at her absence. The third night, she showed up with her winter garb on, but her hood was pushed all the way down her head.
He walked toward her, his clawed feet leaving their mark in the snow. She stood near the doorway of the roof as it was warmer for her. "H-hello, Ulqu-eee-ra." She had attempted to learn to pronounce his name each time. She seemed to be getting a bit closer.
"Why were you not here the day before or yesterday?" He crossed his arms. "I hate waiting."
She didn't look up. "Oh...um well I was busy with...homework and stuff. I forgot."
His eyes narrowed at the blatant lie. "Do not lie to me, girl. Tell me the truth."
She stood there silently before reaching for her hood. She pulled it off though kept her eyes on the ground. Her once long orange hair was now a short choppy mess. He could tell that the cut had been done with unskilled hands as it was uneven all around. Something told him she hadn't done it to herself or at least not willingly.
"Who did that?" His voice seemed colder than before. Orihime shivered despite feeling warm in her winter coat.
"I-I did. I felt like changing it," she said with a wide smile. Before she could blink, Ulquiorra had grabbed her chin and tilted it so that she stared into his eyes. He did not look happy at all.
His grip was harsh. "I said do not lie to me, girl. Yet you lie to me as if I wouldn't be able to tell. You may have been able to pass this off as truth to other humans, but I am not one to be fooled."
Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. He was right though as she had told her brother the same lie. "I...I'm sorry. These third year middle school girls said they didn't like my hair...so they…" She trailed off as the tears fell.
Ulquiorra let go of her chin as she covered her face with her hands. Her sobs were the only sound in the cold night. Orihime furiously rubbed her eyes as she tried in vain to get herself back together. She had managed to lie to Sora, but Ulquiorra had seen past her fake smile. She looked at him with watery eyes and fresh tear fell. She rushed into him and wrapped her arms around his waist; she cried into his chest. He stood there with his arms to his sides and let her cry until her eyes were red and her throat sore.
The two sat down. Orihime sat sideways on Ulquiorra's lap with her head on his chest. He had his back to the open roof door; he allowed her to sit like this only because she clung to him. She stared down at her hands. "I couldn't tell Sora-oniichan the truth. He always said he loved my hair 'cause it was a really warm color. I grew it out, but some girls said they didn't like it and cut it. I don't want to trouble him with these kinds of things because he's already working so hard."
"You cannot allow trash to get away with things like this. Break their bones; show them pain like they've never felt," he advised with a completely serious face.
Orihime blanched at the thought and shook her head. "I-I can't do that. That's too mean and cruel!"
"The world is a cruel place. The only way to survive it is to claw your way to the top. Looking out for yourself regardless of how others feel is the only way to live in this world." His gaze was far off as if remembering something.
"That's such a sad way to think of life. I think people should look at the good there is in their lives. I have Sora-oniichan and you, which makes every bad thing seem small. If you look at all the bad things, you'll only find bad things. Look for the nice things and you'll find something nice." She smiled softly as Ulquiorra stared at her.
He contemplated what she said. Those words were not fitting for someone her age and with her childish demeanor. "You are a fool, like always," he finally said. Orihime deflated a bit as she had thought that she had gotten through to him.
"You're so pes-pes...negative, Ulq-kee-aura, but I still like you!" She grinned widely at him.
He flicked her forehead with a clawed finger. "Ulquiorra."
"Owwie! Big meanie!" She pouted as she rubbed the spot he had hit. Despite that, she was grinning again which suited her more than her tears.
Kitkat
