DISCLAIMER - see chapter one
Class continued as normal for the most part, except Orihime was slightly colder towards Tatsuki than usual and she spoke with Ulquiorra more openly, much to the annoyance of the other girls in the class. For the most part Ulquiorra didn't change, but he was more open to talking with Orihime than he was with anyone else.
By the time lunch arrived there were many rumours flying around the class, which made Tatsuki reluctant to leave Orihime by herself, however the redhead had no intention of forgiving Tatsuki just yet. As the bell rang Orihime got to her feet and grabbed her bag before heading out of the classroom. The reason for this was that in her hurry she had forgotten to make lunch, so she needed to go home and make something, or I could go to the supermarket…
"Inoue!" A voice called, the young girl looking back over her shoulder to see Ulquiorra hurrying after her. It seemed to be an unspoken agreement that the girls in class would leave him alone at lunch, for which he was extremely grateful. With a smile the girl stopped and waited, the earlier awkwardness completely evaporated by now, "Where are you headed?" Ulquiorra asked as he joined her, the pair ambling along together,
"I forgot my lunch this morning." Orihime replied simply as they walked in the direction of the town, which was marginally closer than her apartment. "How about you?" She asked, reluctant to let a silence fall between them. She didn't think that a silence would be particularly comfortable between them, not after what had happened earlier. The mere memory sent a slight blush to her cheeks.
"I too was in a hurry this morning." The Espada replied simply, Orihime brightening as they reached the edge of town, smiling up at Ulquiorra warmly. Both hands gripped the handle of her book bag as she stepped in front of him and began walking backwards,
"Then let me treat you to lunch! You've helped me with so much over the past few days! It's the least I can do!" The redhead insisted kindly, looking at the boy in front of her expectantly, though he seemed a little uncomfortable at her suggestion.
"Is it not customary for the males of your species to purchase the meal?" Ulquiorra asked as they stood at the edge of the street together, many students in their uniform hurrying ahead into town on a similar quest. Orihime found herself giggling at the boy before her, who looked somewhat confused and a little embarrassed at her outburst,
"Gomen! That's quite an old tradition, and it doesn't count in situations like this. I feel like giving you something for helping me, and food just happens to be what we need right now, so come on!" Orihime replied as she grabbed the Espada's wrist tightly and started running. As he was pulled along Ulquiorra felt his cheeks flush as he looked at their clasped hands and then up at Orihime's back, her long orange hair whipping out behind her in the breeze and almost stroking his cheek.
After a few minutes they reached a café, Orihime leading the way. Inside there were scattered tables and booths, Orihime choosing a cosy looking booth in the far corner by the window, where they were least likely to be disturbed. Once they were seated they looked through the menu, Ulquiorra having no idea what he was supposed to do. Seeing this Orihime helped, explaining what the foods were and which she preferred. Following her lead Ulquiorra ordered a cheeseburger and chips with a strawberry milkshake, the same as Orihime.
"Ano, how do you like Urahara-san's shop?" Orihime asked a little awkwardly, this being the first question that popped into her head. She had noticed how quickly he had settled into school and secretly hoped that the same was true of life at the shop. Urahara's home had always been a sort of sanctuary for her when she was feeling lost. The shopkeeper always had some wisdom to impart.
"It is…" Ulquiorra began, pausing as he struggled to find the words to put to the feelings he felt. Urahara was always there with a smile and sound advice, and Yoruichi was his guide as he settled into human life. Jinta was fairly aloof about his presence, Tessai was silently kind, Ururu was always there watching him and Renji he didn't often see apart from at the loud and active meal times. There was always some argument or other going on between Jinta and Renji while Yoruichi laughed and Urahara awkwardly tried to calm things down. "Nice." The Espada finally settled on, though of course he knew it was hardly doing his host justice.
"Oh, well that's good! What do you like about it?" Orihime asked brightly as she rested her elbows on the table and cradled her delicate chin in her hands. Ulquiorra hid his surprise as he leaned back on the long cushioned seat. He hadn't expected Orihime to take such an interest in his life,
"There are many agreeable aspects." He began with some difficulty, unsure how to continue. He didn't feel that he could adequately put into words the way he felt about the shop. "I find it hard to pick out anything certain that gives me pleasure…The residents are accommodating, helpful and kind in their own ways…the whole act of living there gives me a feeling of…" He stopped. For once he was completely stumped. He had no way of finishing that sentence, which was a feat in itself. Nothing had ever stopped him so abruptly in all his long existence. Orihime found herself smiling softly at the warmth and confusion in his eyes,
"Home?" Orihime supplied softly, remembering the same look in her brother's eyes when he would finally flop down on one of the cushions at the round table at the end of a day's work. She'd run over to him shouting 'Okaeri!' to welcome him home, jumping into his waiting arms so fast that they fell back to the floor laughing, his deep hazel eyes always warm as he looked at her.
"I…have nothing to compare this feeling with…While Espada, as you well know, I had no emotions whatsoever…I can look back on my days in Las Noches and say, perhaps, that it was my home…however there is no emotional attachment." Ulquiorra replied, and Orihime had to bite her tongue. If she was to say anything to this it would be that she wasn't surprised that he had no attachment to such a cold and heartless place, however it seemed that this would be like calling Ulquiorra himself cold and heartless.
"Then this can be your first experience of what 'home' feels like." She said instead, giving him her usual bright smile. He looked at the wooden tabletop with a musing expression, which caused the girl opposite to sigh softly as she watched him internally analysing her suggestion. As he thought the food arrived and Orihime watched on in amusement as Ulquiorra had his first experience of fast food. His green eyes widen in surprise and something akin to delight, particularly when he tried the sweet pink milkshake.
They ate quietly with only the occasionally spattering of conversation. It wasn't that they felt awkward together, but Ulquiorra was prone to companionable silence and Orihime was loathe to break the quiet mood with needless questions. Once they finished their main meal Orihime insisted that he try a desert. She ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a banana-split, saying that they could share so that he could try everything.
"This is…good!" He said in a voice filled with childish astonishment that she never knew Ulquiorra could possess. She found herself delighting in his expressions, the way his eyes widened as he took his first mouthful of ice cream, the way he grimaced as he quickly swallowed the cold substance, the bright delight in his green orbs as he took a smaller spoon and savoured the strawberry taste and the way he went cross eyed in surprise as he got a bit of vanilla on his nose.
"Here, let me…" Orihime said as she reached across with the napkin and gently wiped away all evidence of their deserts from his lips, watching his cheeks colour slightly at the contact. She couldn't get over how different he seemed with his emotions intact, he was a completely different man to the one who had taken her to Hueco Mundo. If he had been able to feel back then…would things have been different?
"We must return." Ulquiorra observed as students in their uniform began walking by, heading back to school for fifth period. Orihime nodded and followed his lead, pausing only to pay the bill before heading out onto the street. As they walked Orihime wondered what else Ulquiorra had yet to experience and stopped as she saw the arcade, a wild idea coming over her as she grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist,
"Come on!" She exclaimed as she ran towards the open doors, Ulquiorra frowning slightly at the girl pulled him along, assuming that she had lost her sanity. At the doors he pulled her gently to a stop and looked down at her refreshing expression, so full of innocent joy and life,
"What are you doing? We have class." He pointed out, Orihime laughing as she took his hand in hers once again and walked through the doors. She knew she must seemed insane as the adrenaline pumped through her veins. This would be the first time she'd skipped class to do something for herself.
"I know, let's skip out! We can catch up later." She decided, unable to tell herself what had suddenly come over her. She supposed it was the impulse to show new things to Ulquiorra and experience his innocent joy with him as he saw things for the first time. She paused as she felt a gentle hand on her forehead and looked up to see Ulquiorra hum thoughtfully, "I'm not sick! I just feel like being spontaneous!" Orihime replied as she dragged Ulquiorra to the first machine.
"Spontaneity is fine, however we will be punished for skipping class." Ulquiorra replied as she handed him a strange blue plastic gun, his finger resting on the trigger as he looked at it in confusion. He watched as Orihime put a coin in the machine and picked up the pink gun, pointing it at the screen as she hit the start button.
"I know, but for today let's have some fun, okay?" She replied brightly as she shot a zombie that came up on the screen, laughing at Ulquiorra's horrified expression. She knew that he had never seen a zombie before, and didn't know the concept either, so as she taught him to play she explained some of their origins.
After they tried the first shooting game she took him around every other shooting game, some using larger shot guns, and one even had machine guns. After this Ulquiorra displayed curiosity in the driving games and Orihime was delighted to find someone as useless at driving as she was. She laughed as they tore across the grass and skidded off the main route, the game starting again as they crashed,
"Is driving really that hard?" Ulquiorra asked as they headed to a snowboarding game, Orihime watching as Ulquiorra hopped lightly onto the board. She brought the instructions up and watched as his green eyes flicked over them quickly,
"I don't know, I've heard people say it isn't…I might try it when I'm old enough." She added as Ulquiorra began to play, he was good too. He was gifted for picking things up it seemed and easily slid down the snow track on the screen, weaving in and out of flags and rocks until he crossed the finishing line.
Next Orihime dragged him to her favourite machine, the Dance-Dance-Revolution, more popularly abbreviated to DDR. The only time it was free was usually when school was in or just before the arcade closed, so Orihime couldn't hide her delight as she hopped onto the plastic platform. Ulquiorra listened carefully to Orihime's instructions and they began, playing on the easy setting since Orihime admitted that she wasn't very good.
Orihime didn't remember how long it had been since she'd had so much fun, certainly not since the war with Aizen. They were on the platform for over an hour, students from their school pouring in and crowding to watch and wait impatiently for their turn. Orihime squealed and jumped up and down, throwing her arms around Ulquiorra as she beat her high score, blushing as she found her face inches from his.
"Hey! You done?" A grade school kid demanded, Orihime colouring as she grabbed her bag and hopped down with a humble apology. Ulquiorra followed quickly and they escaped into the streets, Orihime wondering what they could do now. They had played all the games in the arcade, so there was no point in staying there.
"I should be heading back." Ulquiorra observed as he looked up at the slightly darker sky, Orihime grabbing his wrist gently as she thought he might walk away. He looked down at her with a gently curious expression as she looked up with slightly flushed cheeks,
"Ano…do you have to?" She asked timidly, Ulquiorra looking slightly taken back at her question. It hadn't occurred to him that Orihime would want to spend more time with him and he found himself feeling pleasantly surprised. He gave her a small smile as he looked down at her hopeful expression,
"Not if you wish me to remain." He replied simply, neither of them realising that she was still gently clutching his wrist. She smiled up at him softly, the boy before her thinking how fortunate he was to have taken up a friendship with Orihime, though he was hesitant to use the word 'friend.'
"What would you like to do?" Orihime asked, finding it hard to think of anything herself on the spot, though she swiftly realised it was useless to ask the Espada either since he didn't know anything about the town in the way of 'things to do.' They paused awkwardly for a few moments until Orihime had an epiphany, a smile breaking out across her face as she pulled Ulquiorra down the street at a run.
"Where are we going?" He asked as they ran, again wondering about the girl's sanity as she pulled him along on an impulse of some sort. She said nothing but a simple 'You'll see!' as she pulled him along, and Ulquiorra found there was a small well of something building up in his chest. A small smile broke across his lips as he ran, the feeling suddenly coming into focus as excitement.
She stopped in front of a large windowless building with wide glass doors automatically swinging open for people. As they stepped inside there was a screen with a list of titles, numbers and times above a row of service points with people waiting to serve in a casual sort of uniform. Orihime pulled Ulquiorra in line and looked up at the screen brightly,
"How does 'Kataude mashin gâru' grab you?" She asked brightly, Ulquiorra raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her,
"What is 'The Machine Girl?' Some sort of…artificial life form?" He asked in confusion as Orihime giggled at his side, her red locks spilling over her shoulders in the process.
"No! It's a movie, something we watch to entertain ourselves." She replied as they got to the front of the short queue. Without waiting for his reply Orihime bought two tickets before hurrying over to the snack stand, where Ulquiorra about them a large popcorn and two drinks.
Orihime led the way up to screen four and handed their tickets to the young man on the door, who nodded them in. Ulquiorra took his first look around the room curiously as Orihime led him down to the front row, the heavy red curtains hanging a few feet in front of them.
"I love sitting at the front! No one can sit in the way then." Orihime exclaimed as they sat, going on to explain how the cinema worked. They watched the adverts, which were all a similar age range and genre. Orihime jumped periodically at his side as people suddenly appeared or blood splattered across the screen. The redhead quickly offered her assurances that none of them were real and the blood was definitely fake.
As the film started Ulquiorra watched in horrified amazement. It was shocking that humans actually enjoyed watching the suffering of their own kind in this way. Beside him Orihime had her eyes tightly shut, opening them sometimes to look at the screen, usually at the bloodiest moments, at which she would quickly squeak and look away.
Somewhere during the movie, at a particularly violent part, Ulquiorra found Orihime's arms wrapped around his, her face buried in his shoulder and her hand gripping his tightly. He looked down at her and smiled softly, wondering why she had chosen this film if all she was going to do was bury her face.
"Do you wish to leave?" Ulquiorra asked quietly, conscious of the fact that there were dozens of other people trying to watch. Orihime lifted her frightened grey eyes to peer up at him timidly as a loud scream sounded,
"N-no, I'm fine!" She insisted as she stole a glance at the bloody screen before burying her face again. Ulquiorra sighed and sat back, ignoring the pain in his hand where Orihime was crushing the bones together painfully. He watched the film in mild disinterest, having seen many worse deaths than appeared on the screen, and caused a few himself.
Finally the end came and the credits rolled, Orihime slowly pulling away from his arm and releasing his hand. She watched as Ulquiorra winced, flexing and cracking the hand she had been gripping so tightly, a pang of guilt running through her. She blushed as he looked across at her, noticing her gaze,
"It's alright." He replied to her unspoken apology as he got to his feet and grabbed his bags, waiting for Orihime to follow him as the lights went up and the crowds of people began to leave. "I don't understand." He said as Orihime hefted her book bag, looking over her shoulder at him with a curious look as she waited for him to follow. "Why did you choose to watch this film if it scared you so much?" He asked as he caught up to walk beside her,
"Well…humans like to feel scared sometimes; I guess you could call it a quirk!" She added with a smile as they waited for a group of teens to start walking up the steps ahead of them. "I heard this film would be bad, but I didn't realise it would be so bloody! Tatsuki-chan will love it!" She added with a bright smile as they slowly made their way up the steps.
"Do you always like to watch these…'horror films?'" Ulquiorra asked as the people slowly moved along ahead of them, a few still sitting in their seats to watch the credits. On reflection that probably would have been the best thing to do to allow the flow of people die down.
"Not at all! I love all sorts of films! I have a tonne of them back at mine!" She added enthusiastically as they finally approached the doors, trying not to get jostled about too much. "What did you think of the film?" She asked as they headed downstairs to the exit, the flow of people gradually declining as they broke off to use the toilets or meet up with friends.
"I must admit it was not to my taste." Ulquiorra replied, noticing Orihime's downcast look, "I have offended you." He observed, Orihime looking up at him with a blush before quickly shaking her head. They paused in the large waiting area, moving aside as the flow of people kept going, most of them older teens.
"Not at all! I just hoped that your first experience of cinema would be…better." She finished, obviously a little disappointed, "I guess I assumed guys always liked horror and action movies best." She added sheepishly, Ulquiorra feeling slightly guilty that he had hurt Orihime's feelings. Orihime looked up wide eyed as Ulquiorra grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door,
"Inoue…can we come here again tomorrow?" He asked as they stepped out into the cool evening. Orihime shivered slightly since she hadn't bothered with her jacket that day, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she felt a light jacket slip over her shoulders. She looked across at Ulquiorra to find him standing casually beside her with his hands shoved in his pocket waiting for her answer.
"Hai." She replied simply as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of the jacket, finding that it almost covered her short skirt and only the tips of her delicate fingers showed through the ends of the long sleeves. If Ulquiorra had to find a word for how she looked he would have to say she was 'adorable' in his school blazer.
"I'll walk you home." Ulquiorra said as he pulled his phone out, turning it on to find hundreds of missed calls and messages from the girls of his class, all of them asking where he was and why he had missed class. They had also noticed that Orihime had 'skipped out' too and demanded to know if they spent the time together. These girls are really grating on my nerves! He thought as he switched the phone off once again,
"Ah! Tatsuki-chan must be mad!" Orihime thought aloud as she looked at all the missed calls and texts. The texts started off slightly annoyed and became more and more worried as it became obvious she wasn't coming back and Ulquiorra was probably with her. Ulquiorra waited patiently as Orihime called Tatsuki, the redhead cringing visibly as she confessed to skipping class to spend time with Ulquiorra.
"Are you alright Orihime?" The Espada asked as she closed her pink phone with a tired sigh, the lucky charms attached to it jingling as she slipped it back into her bag. She looked up with a quietly annoyed smile in return,
"I'm fine." She said as she started walking, Ulquiorra walking silently beside her, eyeing her quietly from time to time. "I'm fine! I can take care of myself you know! I don't need babying all the time!" She continued finally as she huffed and folded her arms, blushing as she heard Ulquiorra chuckle lightly. She looked up at his quietly smiling face, his green eyes shifting to her as he felt her gaze,
"Gomen, I shouldn't find it amusing, but affection isn't a bad thing…Arisawa only lectures you because she is concerned for your safety, and for that I cannot blame her where I am concerned." He replied to Orihime's sulky look, which only grew more sulky at his words. He paused as Orihime stopped and looked up at him with tearful eyes, the Espada unable to understand her current emotional state,
"Why doesn't it bother you? How can you just take it? Tatsuki-chan doesn't like you! Ishida-kun despises you! No one trusts you! They don't bother to pay attention to how much you've changed or how hard you're trying to fit in! If something goes wrong they'll just blame you! How can you take it? It isn't fair!" Orihime declared as she balled her hands into fists inside the jacket sleeves and half shouted at the boy in front of her, who looked taken back by her words. She found her vision obscured by tears and reached up to stop the flow, feeling herself pulled into a warm embrace, Ulquiorra's scent filling her senses.
"Arigato…Orihime." Ulquiorra whispered, Orihime's grey eyes widening as she heard her first name roll from his lips. She looked up at him too find herself shocked again as his green eyes glistened, a few tears slowly snaking down his delicate cheeks, "Thank you for believing in me." He added as he looked down at her with a warm smile.
Ulquiorra entered the shop quietly, hoping that he wasn't going to wake anyone up, though he expected someone to be awake waiting for him. Sure enough he found Ururu sitting on the bottom step. She was slumped forward, sleeping peacefully as he looked down at her small body.
"She wouldn't go to bed until you'd come back safely." Urahara's voice said quietly from further up the stairs. Ulquiorra looked up to see the older man wearing a white sleeping yakuta, Yoruichi standing behind him looking over his shoulder in a flowing white kimono, her long hair loose about her shoulders.
"Gomenasai, I was with Inoue." Ulquiorra replied to their questioning looks as he stooped down to lift the sleeping girl, who subconsciously wrapped her small arms around his shoulders. Ulquiorra smiled softly as he climbed the stairs, being careful not to trip. He wasn't worried about hurting himself, but he didn't want to injure Ururu.
"Ulquiorra-san…I know you're not used to human customs, but it's considered a rule that children tell their parents where they are. I know our relationship differs somewhat, but I would like to know that you're safe…and so would Ururu." Urahara explained tentatively as he allowed Ulquiorra to pass, softly padding after the boy to Ururu's room. He watched as Ulquiorra laid the girl down gently in her futon and tucked the covers up to her chin gently,
"I will…Sorry I worried you." Ulquiorra replied hesitantly as he looked up at the two adults in the doorway. Urahara looked surprised before breaking into a warm smile while Yoruichi grinned her tired approval. Ulquiorra was slowly getting to his feet as a small hand tugged at his shirt, pale grey eyes looking up at him sleepily,
"Onii-chan…Okaeri…" Ururu said tiredly as she looked up at him. Ulquiorra looked surprised at first before letting a warm smile cross his lips, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the smaller girl's forehead.
"Tadaima…Oyasumi Ururu." He said softly, the small girl smiling before her eyes slid shut and she fell asleep once more. As Ulquiorra got to his feet Urahara and Yoruichi headed back to bed, the older woman ruffling Ulquiorra's hair as he went by, reminding him to be up for training in the morning.
Ulquiorra was quick to change and lay back in bed with a contented sigh, his body slowly relaxing as he bathed in the darkness of his room, quietly relishing the feeling of his spine clicking and cracking as he shifted. After a few moments of quiet enjoyment Ulquiorra folded his arms beneath his head and looked up at the dark ceiling, the streetlights barely penetrating the darkness.
As he slowly went to sleep he processed all that he had done during the day, all that he had learned and experienced about human culture. Above that he cherished what he had learned about Orihime, yes; 'Orihime.' He could no longer think of her as 'Inoue,' though he would always call her that out loud when others were around. He couldn't believe the effect he had had on her. He had never thought that anyone would care for him so deeply.
As he began to fall asleep he found himself wondering what Orihime was doing at that moment, whether she was watching another one of those strange 'movies,' or preparing for bed, or lying awake as he was now. She may even have been asleep, curled innocently on her side with a relaxed expression as she dreamed sweet dreams. Ulquiorra couldn't imagine her having nightmares, he just couldn't, not when she was so cheerful most of the time. He also wondered, if she was lying awake, whether she was thinking of him a little too, this image quietly pleasing him as he drifted to sleep.
Orihime started as there was a loud tap on the door, sighing quietly as she got to her feet to open it, already knowing exactly who would be waiting on the other side. She was right. As she opened the door there stood Tatsuki with her hands on her hips and a small scowl marring her usually cheerful features. Without a word Tatsuki walked in and sat at the table,
"Ohayo Tatsuki-chan." Orihime greeted, getting a frosty reception as she had expected. With a quiet sigh Orihime slipped into her shoes and grabbed her bag, shoving in the books she needed before sitting down beside Tatsuki. She knew they wouldn't be going anywhere until her friend had had her say.
"Well?" Tatsuki said as she looked up with disapproving eyes. Orihime fixed a firm look on her face, determined not to apologise for once,
"Well what?" The redhead returned, her grey eyes fixed on Tatsuki's brown. The sporty girl sighed as she dropped her shoulders slightly, knowing what Orihime was like when she got her mind set on something, and right now she seemed to have her mind set on defending Ulquiorra.
"Aren't you going to explain why you skipped out on class yesterday? I was worried about you! How could you be so irresponsible? You know what he is!" Tatsuki snapped, noticing the way Orihime's hand clenched into a small fist when she mentioned Ulquiorra, "I know you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth! He's a Hollow! He can't be trusted!" The dark haired girl added firmly. Orihime clenched her teeth, feeling anger well up in her chest. She had never fallen out with Tatsuki before, they had never had a disagreement. Until now.
"Stop saying that! Do you have any idea how it feels? I…can't imagine how he must feel…every time someone says that…He's trying Tatsuki! He's trying really hard! And he's not a bad person! Do you know what we did yesterday?" Orihime asked as her eyes filled with tears and she looked across at her best friend with a warm smile, Tatsuki shaking her head in response. "We went to the arcade, we played every game, I took him to the cinema and we watched a horror movie…He let me bury my face in his shoulder the whole time! And then…we stayed out all night, just walking around…We went to the park, sat by the river…and then he walked me home…I had a really great time!" She continued, remembering how she had talked about herself almost all night, because when she asked about him he couldn't tell her much.
"Orihime…you…" Tatsuki trailed off in shock as she looked at the warm and open look on her friend's face. It was a look she used to think was reserved only for Ichigo when he wasn't looking, but to see it again, to see it for him was unacceptable in Tatsuki's mind. After a moment of worry she quickly pushed it aside, sighing as she sat back on her hands, "I know what this is." She said as she looked across as Orihime, who looked surprised, "You're transferring your emotions for Ichigo onto Ulquiorra." The girl concluded.
"What?" Orihime said in surprise, blushing as she realised she hadn't thought of Ichigo at all for the past few days. Since Ulquiorra had turned up she had gone through various phases of shock, fear, worry and now she was gradually warming up to him. In her preoccupation with Ulquiorra, Ichigo and his relationship with Rukia had completely passed her by.
"It makes sense! Don't try to hide it…You're hurting over Ichigo and now suddenly Ulquiorra's turned up out of the blue in human form. I don't deny he's good looking, he looks human, hell; he's even starting to act human, but he's not…Don't forget that." Tatsuki continued as she got to her feet. Orihime looked down at her small folded hands in her lap, remembering the way her heart had pounded in her chest as Ulquiorra pulled her to his chest and thanked her. It's not that…I'm not just switching from one to the other…
"I-I'm going out with Ulquiorra after school." Orihime said as she got to her feet, Tatsuki looking over her shoulder with a sigh. The look in Orihime's eye told her the girl wouldn't be talked out of it, so there wasn't anything she could say as she turned back to the door, "Tatsuki-chan…ano…thank you for worrying about me all this time but…I…don't need to be coddled, I can look after myself now." Orihime added with some difficulty, knowing this would probably hurt Tatsuki, but the sporty girl's constant berating was beginning to hurt her. In front of her Tatsuki froze, her hand inches from the door handle.
"Yeah…I guess you're right." She replied simply before opening the door and looking over her shoulder with a smile, which was a little forced, but at the same time her dark eyes held a sort of pride. "Let's go, Orihime." She added as she held a hand back to her friend, who broke out a smile as she took the offered hand and left, both of them talking and laughing the same as usual as they headed to school.
"Ohayo Orihime." Ulquiorra greeted quietly as she sat down beside him, her cheeks colouring a little at the sound of her first name on his lips. His voice was so quiet that it had almost sounded like a purr, which caused the orange haired girl's voice to stick in her throat, so she just turned her head with a bright smile. On her other side Tatsuki sighed as she rested her bag on the table and gritted her teeth,
"Ohayo Ulquiorra-san." She greeted, barely turning her head to look at him. Ulquiorra and Orihime both looked at her in surprise, a grateful smile breaking out across Orihime's face as she looked at her friend. She had never expected Tatsuki to really give him a chance, but now it seemed she had changed her mind.
"Arisawa." Ulquiorra replied with a nod, Orihime leaning across to eye the book he was reading, her eyes widening as she saw all the confusing equations. Ulquiorra noticed her dopy look and felt something in his chest, clapping a hand over his mouth as he felt his shoulders shake. Orihime paused and looked at him worriedly as he stood and walked quickly towards the door, many of the other students watching him.
"Ulquiorra!" Orihime called as she hurriedly got out of her chair and raced into the hall, Tatsuki close behind both of them pausing as they reached the end of the hall to find the boy leaning on the corridor wall looking out of the window. Tatsuki was shocked as she looked at him while Orihime felt her cheeks heat a little.
As much as he tried to suppress it Ulquiorra couldn't stop the feeling trying to break free. He leaned his hands on the ledge below the glass and leaned over, letting the feeling break free in the empty corridor. He laughed. His breaths came in gasps as the strange sound escaped his open mouth, tears stung his eyes and his ribs began to ache slightly as he calmed down.
Orihime smiled as she listened to the clear sound of Ulquiorra's laughter. It wasn't harsh or manly, but it wasn't a girlish giggle, it seemed perfectly balanced. She closed her eyes to enjoy the sound, opening them to glance at Tatsuki, who was still looking at him in shock. Orihime secretly hoped that this would show how human Ulquiorra was becoming. As a Hollow Orihime knew he had been incapable of laughter, of any emotion in fact, so seeing him this way now lifted her spirits,
"Ulquiorra, are you alright?" Orihime asked with a smile as she approached him. She laughed as Ulquiorra turned around looking embarrassed as he frantically wiped his eyes and coughed to stop the after-spasms of his laughter. "Here, let me." Orihime added as she stepped up to him with a tissue from her shirt pocket and gently wiped away the trails of tears,
"A-arigato…" He trailed off awkwardly, still embarrassed by her presence. He had escaped the classroom so that people wouldn't see him like this. His body's reactions surprised him sometimes, and not being used to emotions he had hoped to keep his reactions hidden until he wasn't so uncomfortable.
"You have a nice laugh…I'd like to hear it again." Orihime said with a blush as she looked back up the corridor, noticing Tatsuki had disappeared. "What was so funny anyway?" She asked innocently as she turned back to the taller boy, who blushed and looked away sheepishly. This peaked Orihime's interest as she stood on tip toe and leaned across into his field of vision,
"Ano, well, you see…" He began awkwardly looking off, one hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head nervously, but then he froze, his eyes widening and then narrowing as he felt a familiar vibe in the air. "Go back to class." Ulquiorra ordered in a serious tone, Orihime nodding gingerly as she stepped back, her own sensitive senses picking it up too. There was a Hollow close by.
"A-ano!" Orihime's voice called as Ulquiorra took off, watching as he paused to look over his shoulder at her call, "Come back safe." The redhead added with a blush and smile. Ulquiorra looked surprised for a moment before a warm smile spread across his features as he turned to run off again,
"Hai!" He called in response, leaving Orihime behind as he pelted through the empty corridor and out into the playground. Wherever the Hollow was he could feel it getting closer, and fast. The speed was too much for a ground Hollow, so it was either a high level Arrancar, just below Espada, or an airborne Hollow. Judging by the reiatsu's strength Ulquiorra judged the latter.
"This better not take too long." The Espada thought aloud in mild annoyance as he left the school grounds and ran up the street, his green eyes searching the skies above. The reiatsu was almost right on top of him, but he could see no sign of the creature he was looking for. A Hollow of this level shouldn't be able to mask itself, so where is it? He wondered, shifting his gaze to the street ahead to make sure he didn't run into anything.
As he rounded a corner to head to the park where it was more open he saw it. It was very similar to an insect, the six delicate bone legs, the long thin mask and delicate buzzing wings. As it overtook him Ulquiorra saw that it had a large pointed rear end like a wasp sting, most of it made of hard bone, in fact he could see little or no soft flesh, not that that matters.
"I was wondering when you'd notice." Ulquiorra said calmly as the Hollow seemed to look down as it paused and turned to him. Before the Hollow could move to swoop down Ulquiorra had already taken a powerful leap, his hands in his pockets as he landed lightly on the edge of a tall building. As his deep green eyes looked up at the Hollow in disinterest it seemed to waver, hovering above him uncertainly, "You're so feral you can't even talk? How pathetic!" Ulquiorra snapped as he looked at it in disgust.
The Hollow remained hovering at his words, and Ulquiorra doubted that the creature could even understand him. It was rare for Hollows such as this one to come to the real world. Usually they would just feed on spirit particles, only this Hollow was much larger than the average one of its level. How did it get so large? Though it is not unheard of…
"In any case, I'll dispose of it." Ulquiorra sighed out loud as he pulled his hand from his pocket and held it up. Snapping his fingers boredly he watched as sparks of green Cero erupted from the friction and flew at the insect Hollow, which didn't even move. How did such a low level creature open a portal in the first place? Creating the portals requires a certain amount of energy, energy this Hollow should not possess.
With another sigh Ulquiorra looked over the edge of the building to see a few people pointing up at him and put a hand to his head in exasperation. Living in the human world was quite an inconvenience at times like this, he forgot it wasn't normal for a mere human to jump this high. Hopefully it won't get too out of hand…
"Humans." Ulquiorra sighed as he returned his hand to his pocket and stepped away from the edge, freezing as he felt another reiatsu on the roof with him. It wasn't like the rest, it was much more like his own, however it felt opposite somehow, which was confusing to say the least.
"Know the feeling." A young man's voice said casually. Ulquiorra turned to see a tall man, about Urahara's height. He had a young face, older than Ichigo but younger than Yoruichi. His blonde hair reached his ears and was cut in a sharp bob, his fringe coming down to his hazel eyes. He had a mouth that reminded him of Noitora, though his manner couldn't be more different. "Yo, you must be Ulquiorra." He added, sitting on the edge of the building in a casual suit, his red tie loose on the black shirt,
"And you?" Ulquiorra asked, keeping his distance but not feeling particularly threatened. The man seemed to know Ulquiorra's feeling as he grinned in a goofy manner, though the Espada had the feeling that this man was anything but a fool. He seemed to keep up an outwardly foolish persona for the amusement of others, and to make himself more open for trust.
"Hirako Shinji, ex-Shinigami, ex-captain of the Fifth Division in Soul Society, now a humble Vizard of the human world." He replied with the same smile, his tone relaxed and casual. Ulquiorra paused at the mention of 'Vizard,' the only other one he had encountered was Ichigo. This man felt more powerful, and certainly more experienced. Ulquiorra didn't doubt that Ichigo would surpass this man someday, but right now Shinji had complete control over his flow of reiatsu while Ichigo was still learning.
"Ulquiorra Schiffer, ex-Espada, Number Four in Hueco Mundo, now protector of the Hougyoku and resident of Earth." The Espada presented in return. Shinji lifted his head to look at him with a grin, the strong updrafts of the building tossing his neatly cut blonde hair,
"No kiddin'" He retorted as he walked towards Ulquiorra in a similar fashion, his hands casually in his pockets. He made no aggressive motion as he approached, though Ulquiorra still puzzled over what he wanted. It was no coincidence that they were on the same rooftop, and it briefly occurred to the Espada that this man may have been hunting the Hollow too. Ulquiorra held up his hand and caught the fist that he been aimed at his cheek with ease, "Nice reflexes." The Vizard complimented with a grin,
"So you came all this way to aggravate me?" Ulquiorra asked with an energetic glint in his eyes, a glint that the Vizard shared. It had been a while since Ulquiorra had cut loose with anyone other than Yoruichi, and the Vizard seemed to feel the same way as he grinned and took a step back.
"No, I came all this way ta play…Wanna go?" Shinji asked, his grin widening as Ulquiorra settled back into a defensive stance, his answer clear in his adrenaline fuelled green orbs. Shinji jumped up and delivered a firm kick, which Ulquiorra dodged with ease, the Vizard grunting as Ulquiorra's fist impacted his side on the way by.
Once he landed Shinji barely had time to turn and catch Ulquiorra's foot as the Espada swung into a side kick. Shinji smirked as he held the boy's leg, his grin dropping as Ulquiorra jumped and twisted in mid-air to bring his other foot across to impact Shinji's face. The Vizard dropped to the hard roof, slowly getting to his feet as he cracked his jaw loudly,
"You're good Ulquiorra…That Gigai barely makes a difference to your movements and yet you've only worn it for a few weeks…" Shinji said thoughtfully as they paused, Ulquiorra standing side-on a few feet away. Shinji's thoughts had often been voiced to him by Yoruichi, though Ulquiorra was grateful it hadn't taken too long to settle into his new body. Not settling in quickly would have made it an even bigger inconvenience.
"I must return." Ulquiorra stated as his adrenaline slowed, his mind fixing on Orihime's kind words. He didn't want to worry her by staying away longer than was necessary, and Sensei would already be displeased with his absence for no adequately explained reason. Had he been able to leave his body this wouldn't be a problem; he could leave a mod-soul in his Gigai while he dealt with Hollows, however the Hougyoku wouldn't allow that.
"We'll meet again." Shinji replied as he slipped his hands in his pockets, Ulquiorra nodding his agreement before he turned and ran. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop until he was able to climb down a fire escape, hoping that he hadn't drawn too much attention as he hurried back to school.
Orihime sat in the classroom looking across to the window distractedly, worried about Ulquiorra. Maybe I shouldn't have let him run off…but then maybe he can handle it. Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun are still here, so Ulquiorra must have dealt with it, right? She thought as she looked out of the window at the pale blue sky. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt Ulquiorra's reiatsu peak a little, but then the Hollow disappeared. Good! That means he's okay.
Tatsuki noticed Orihime straighten up slightly, seeming a little brighter than a few moments ago. Tatsuki wasn't the only one who had noticed Orihime's preoccupied state either. Rukia and Ichigo shared a few significant glances while Sado and Ishida looked over their shoulders at her. It was unusual for the bright girl to look downcast for no reason, and they didn't yet know about her slowly growing affection for the ex-Espada.
"What are you doing?" Orihime mouthed quietly at the window nearest to Sensei, where Ulquiorra had just appeared. The redhead sweat dropped as she looked around at the whispering students, Ichigo putting a hand over his face in exasperation. Tatsuki suddenly got up on her chair and screamed, the class's attention drawn to her,
"A mouse! A mouse!" She shrieked, Orihime and most of the other girls gasping and climbing onto their own chairs. While she shrieked Tatsuki gave Ichigo a significant look and the orange haired boy hurried over and opened the window. Ulquiorra hopped inside as Sensei hurried over to calm the girls, who were shrieking in terror.
"What happened?" Ulquiorra asked as he hopped lightly to the floor, the orange haired boy clamping a hand on his shoulder and steering him over to his desk, where Rukia was waiting with her hands on her hips. She wasn't angry, how could she be? It was their own fault for not keeping an eye on him,
"You can't appear at the window like that! This is the third floor!" Ichigo exclaimed as Ulquiorra sat down, his green eyes shifting across to Orihime, who gave him a smile as she stood on her chair, Tatsuki turning on the water-works to distract Sensei a while longer.
"Leave the Hollow to us in future unless you have no other choice, you can't leave the classroom without Sensei noticing. Hunting down Hollow is our job." Rukia added firmly, Ulquiorra giving in to her demands with little trouble. If the Hollow was too close for comfort he would go, otherwise it was no big deal to leave things to the Shinigami.
Noticing that they were finished talking and returned to their seats Tatsuki made a show of slowly calming down and admitting she was probably mistaken about the mouse. She flushed a little in embarrassment. Her tough reputation was going to pay hell for this, but it had been the first thing she'd thought of as a distraction.
"Well now, let's return to; oh! Schiffer! When did you get back?" Sensei asked as she was about to start the lecture, noticing the green eyed boy elegantly sitting in his seat, patiently reading his book. A few of the students looked like they were about to say something about seeing him outside at the window, however on reflection they thought how ridiculous is was for a human to be standing outside a third floor window and decided that they were wrong.
"Just now. There was a commotion when I entered so I thought it best to take my seat." He replied simply, which was technically true since he didn't mention he hadn't come through the door. Sensei hurried over with a concerned look and put her hand to his forehead gently, Ulquiorra pulling back slightly at the sudden open contact,
"Hmm, still a little hot…Are you sure you're not coming down with something?" The older woman asked, Ulquiorra frowning slightly as he looked across at Orihime, wondering just what excuse the girl had used for his absence. Ulquiorra gently moved Sensei's hand away from him with an unconcerned look,
"I assure you I feel fine." He replied as he looked down at his text book, the writing slightly blurred for a moment. Ulquiorra blinked to bring it back into focus, deciding to speak to Urahara after his trip to the cinema with Orihime that night. He also noticed a slight pain in his skull, which was more annoying than anything else; still he could handle a little discomfort.
"Ulquiorra, did it go well?" Orihime asked as the bell for lunch rang and the students began hurrying off to meet their friends. The Espada quickly packed away his bag and grabbed his violin case as he got to his feet, giving Orihime a soft and somewhat tired smile. Orihime could understand how he felt, she also used to feel drained after using even a little of her power, and since he was in a Gigai that might make it even worse,
"It did." He replied simply, Orihime smiling at his short and simple reply. He hadn't changed much where that was concerned. His replies were simple and to the point, using as few words a possible. It was the same with his explanations, and it always astounded her how he could bring light to a task with so few words,
"Hey! Inoue! Ulquiorra! Come eat with us!" Ichigo's voice called from the open door, where he waited with Rukia, having told the others to head up to the roof. Orihime glanced across with a smile before looking up at Ulquiorra brightly, noticing he looked slightly more awkward than usual,
"I don't think my presence would be appreciated." Ulquiorra replied evasively as he went to walk by, stopping as Ichigo's strong hand clamped down on his shoulder firmly. Ulquiorra looked up at him with surprised green orbs, a look shared momentarily by Ichigo, who had expected to be shrugged off with a look of contempt and loathing. The Espada had always been proud and considered himself far above Humans and Shinigami, so he had always found Ichigo's existence to be a minor inconvenience.
"We wouldn't have invited you if we didn't mean it." The Younger man said awkwardly, still trying to process the fact that Ulquiorra had somehow changed without him even noticing. Ulquiorra shifted his green eyes to Rukia, who also seemed genuinely welcoming towards him and then Orihime was at his side gripping his jacket sleeve excitedly,
"Isn't this great Ulquiorra? You can make more friends!" She encouraged, a light blush colouring the Espada's pale cheeks, the green lines seeming slightly darker than usual. At Orihime's bright smile Ulquiorra felt his resolve crack and allowed himself to be dragged up to the roof, where a group of familiar faces awaited.
Ulquiorra received many different receptions from the group as he sat down beside Sado, who gave him a calm and welcoming smile, obviously deciding it was best to let the past lie. Ishida sat on Sado's other side, ignoring Ulquiorra to show his disdain, though Ulquiorra had expected little better from the Quincy. A boy introduced as 'Keigo' seemed overly enthusiastic about having a new face in the group and had to be held back by Ichigo from asking too many questions, and the final new face was that of a boy called 'Mizuiro.' This boy seemed largely indifferent towards everything that took place around him, preoccupied with his mobile phone mostly, though he looked up to offer a polite greeting and join in on distracting Keigo.
"See? Isn't this nice?" Orihime beamed as she sat beside Ulquiorra and pulled out her lunch, which was a large bean paste cake that she had experimented with. She laughed as Rukia politely refused a slice and everyone else looked as if they were going to be sick at the thought, however the group had yet to warn Ulquiorra of Orihime's strange tastes and were unable to stop him accepting.
"What is 'bean paste?'" He asked innocently as Orihime handed him a small slice of the dark red cake on a piece of tissue. The group looked on in horror and sympathy at the exchange, none of them wanting to speak out in case they hurt Orihime's feelings, but at the same time they didn't think it fair for the Espada to get ill.
"It's a type of spread for bread! It's really sweet and yummy!" Orihime replied as she watched Ulquiorra stare at the cake warily, sniffing it cautiously, which the redhead couldn't help but find cute. He was like a cautious animal as he eyed the cake in his hand, gingerly taking a small bite before looking down at it in surprise, the group waiting with baited breath for his reaction,
"It is sweet." He said as he took a slightly larger bite, the group unable to believe what they had just heard, or what they were seeing. Either Ulquiorra had strange taste in food or Orihime had succeeded in making something edible. Rukia hesitantly reached across and took a large crumb from Orihime's box as the girl looked across at Ulquiorra's seemingly amazed expression. Ichigo watched worriedly as Rukia ate the crumb, her eyes widening in shock,
"It's good." She said, the group turning to Orihime in horror. They had never imagined that the food she made actually tasted good, they had thought it was just her own strange choices. Orihime happily handed out more of her cake to each of them, watching proudly as they all ate and enjoyed. Since they had eaten a lot of her cake Orihime found herself receiving random snacks and sandwiches from everyone's lunch box, and then the swapping began with the others too.
Ulquiorra watched these exchanges with a soft look, slowly beginning to realise why the Shinigami wanted to protect this world so much. These moments were precious and all too short, he could see that now. He leaned back tiredly and looked up at the slightly clouded blue sky, the breeze still fairly warm,
"Ulquiorra! Can you play for us?" Orihime asked as she looked down at his youth filled face, his eyes slightly closed as he lay back. She watched as his green eyes opened and shifted to her hopeful expression with a small smile. Ulquiorra pulled himself up and looked around the small group, all eyes fixed on him except for Ishida, though the way his head tilted slightly away from his book told him that the Quincy was listening.
"If it would please you." Ulquiorra replied as Orihime handed him the case with a beaming smile that the Espada knew he would never be able to refuse. This isn't going to help my headache…He thought with an inward sigh as he lifted the delicate instrument and began to play his sad tune, his green eyes closing as he moved the bow back and forth.
There was silence on the rooftop as Ulquiorra played, the sorrow of the song touching each of them in its own way. Ichigo found himself thinking of his mother, while Rukia thought of all that had happened over the past year. Orihime thought of her brother and the way Ulquiorra's expression seemed to become more and more sorrowful as he went on. Sado smiled softly to himself, able to find a note of hope beneath the sadness of the song and Ishida, though he hated to complement the Espada, had to admit his playing was both technically and emotionally beautiful.
"Ulquiorra…are you…" Orihime trailed off gently, the Espada not making any acknowledgement of her as he played, trails of tears running down his delicate cheeks. Ishida could do nothing but stare as his image of the Espada was broken, leaving a vulnerable lonely boy in its place. Ulquiorra hadn't even realised that he was crying, and didn't until he felt something soft touch his cheek, his green eyes snapping open to find concerned grey eyes looking back at him. "Please stop…you're crying." Orihime said as Ulquiorra looked up at her in shock and lowered his violin,
"I'm…" He began softly as he raised his hand to his face and touched the wet skin of his cheek, bringing it away to find some green mixed in with the water where his painted tear tracks were being washed away. I am crying…He thought in surprise as he looked down at the evidence on his delicate fingers. Why?
"You okay?" Ichigo asked as he watched Orihime finish wiping the Espada's cheeks, taking off the makeup with the tears. He had to admit, he thought Ulquiorra looked better without the makeup, though the Espada was probably uncomfortable without the tears after having them for so long. He had always supposed Ulquiorra to be at least three hundred years old, sure that it would take at least that long to evolve into a Vasto Lorde.
"I am fine." Ulquiorra replied as he slowly packed his violin away, all of them knowing that the bell was imminent. There was an awkward silence amongst the group then, none of them sure what they would do or say now that lunch was done with. Orihime sat quietly until an idea seized her and she jumped to her feet,
"I'm taking Ulquiorra to the cinema tonight! Do any of you want to come?" She asked as she looked around the group hopefully, beaming at the general hum of agreement she received. With the plans now made the group hurried back to class, where Ulquiorra was hounded by the other girls for details of his absence from class, the ebony haired boy giving the same excuse Orihime had used.
The last lessons were largely uneventful, though Ulquiorra seemed more subdued than before as his head pounded rather painfully. He hadn't hit his head during training, and he had slept well enough the night before, so he put the headache down to a fault with his Gigai and ignored it. He continued his rounds, helping the girls who needed help until the bell rang.
"Ulquiorra! Can we walk home with you today?" A dark haired girl called, a girl he had learned was named Kikyo. The other girls of his class flocked around him as he packed his bags, his eyes squinting slightly as his head pounded uncomfortably. He sighed as he shook it off and grabbed his bags,
"My apologies, I have already agreed to go to the cinema with Inoue." He replied absently as he raised a hand to massage his temple, distracted by Orihime's shout from the doorway, where she waited with Ichigo and the others. Ulquiorra bid the girls farewell, promising to be available to them later if they needed him and leaving them all largely disappointed.