I am SO sorry for this late chapter. A lot of stuff happened, and then I had an accident with my computer and couldn't get anything to work. I'll try to write as much as I can this week!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
It had occurred to Orihime half way through the morning of her big get together with her friends, that she was actually nervous about seeing them.
The night before she'd dreamt of how cruel she was to her friends the night of her accident, and how she only had time for Ulquiorra. The onna felt horrible, anxious, and resentful. So, on an impulse, she did the only thing she could in that situation. She called Mine.
The phone rang for a few anxious seconds before Mine's voice answered pleasantly on the other line.
"Hey Orihime," Mine greeted her friend. "What's up?"
"I'm going to visit my friends today with Ulquiorra, but I'm really nervous." Orihime explained. "I was wondering if you could come with me, for support."
Mine chuckled on the other line. "They're your friends, Orihime. There's nothing to be nervous about."
"I know, but what about how I acted around them the last time we were all together." Orihime bit her fingernail at the memory.
"Don't worry about it 'Hime," Mine reassured her friend. "Look, if you really want me there, I'll go."
"Really? Thank you so much Mine!" Orihime sang into the speaker. "Come by my house and we'll all go together."
"Sure. See you then."
Orihime hung up, reassured and a little relieved about the turn out. She really appreciated having Mine around to depend on. Still, she knew she couldn't always lean on her friend, but it was still good to have extra support.
Taking a deep breath, Orihime went to face the next big obstacle: breakfast with Ulquiorra.
Because her roommate was such a picky eater and didn't seem to enjoy her classic chocolate, onion, grape-jelly omelet with tea breakfast, Orihime either ate his share, or had to give him some random food they had in the kitchen.
However, she needed the ex-espada to be at his best. And the start of a good day was a good breakfast.
Orihime hunched over a recipe book with her eyes narrowed to read the words. The recipe was for pancakes, sweet and simple.
She searched her kitchen for the right utensils, and got at it right as Ulquiorra entered the kitchen. He was already dressed for the day, and had been awake for a while, but had given the onna her space.
"Good morning," Orihime giggled as a drop of pancake mix popped out of her mixing pot and onto her cheek. "I'm making pancakes."
Ulquiorra had never eaten pancakes, but he could only assume that it was some sort of torturous monster disguised as strange looking food.
He sat at the small kitchen table and watched as the onna worked to keep a close eye on her. He made sure she didn't put any strange combination into the mix, such as tobacco sauce and peanut butter.
"When are we leaving, Onna?" Ulquiorra asked as Orihime poured all of the batter precariously into the miniscule pan.
"Around noon. Mine's coming too." Orihime told him. She finally seemed to realize that she wasn't supposed to pour all the batter in at once, but she shrugged it off and let the batter cook.
"Why is she coming?" Ulquoirra asked.
"Why shouldn't she come?" Orihime asked. She sat across from Ulquiorra at the table. "It'll be fun."
Ulquiorra didn't respond.
After Orihime finished the pancakes … or pancake, and served the large fat flap of food in front of Ulquiorra, she cleaned the kitchen and left to shower and get ready, all the while leaving Ulquiorra to gaze at the monstrosity before him. Tentatively, he picked up a fork and cut a small, yet fat, triangle out of the pancake, and moved it slowly towards his mouth.
The scent that rose from the food wasn't bad, and the pancake, though foreign to his eyes, didn't offend him as much as Orihime's other creations.
He took a bite, and chewed slowly and carefully, as if each bite was bringing him towards his last.
… it was good, though.
Ulquiorra relaxed and dived back into the meal with confidence.
Meanwhile, as Ulquiorra ate his first pancake, Orihime ran from her room and into her bathroom. She started the water to let it heat up, waited, and then stripped before hopping in the now hot shower.
"EEEEEEEEEE!" Orihime squealed as the hot water hit her shoulder blades. She stayed frozen under the hot water, until like ice she thawed out and her body relaxed.
In the kitchen, Ulquoirra just finished his meal. The large pancake was surprisingly good. He would have to tell Orihime to make another for him.
Ulquiorra took his dish to the sink and then proceeded on to the living room/ his bedroom.
The TV was already on, but muted. He grabbed for the controller, and at the same moment Orihime dashed from the bathroom with a towel around her body, and into her room.
Her door closed shut with a bang.
Suddenly, Ulquiorra didn't feel like watching TV anymore. He could feel it in the air, It being what happened when Orihime was in one of her moods. One of her moods being when she was energetic mixed with scatterbrained.
Her door opened again she the onna came out wearing her hair up in a ponytail and a long summery dress.
"What do you think?" she asked, twirling for him. Ulquiorra frowned a bit, remembering last chapter when he told her she didn't need to be reassured of what she looked like and how she was beautiful either way.
"W-why are you not saying anything?" Orihime cried. "I'm hideous right?" the girl turned around and sprinted back into her room to try again.
This time she came out in shorts, a white blouse, and her hair down.
"I think this is sophisticated, but still cute. What do you think?"
Due to similar circumstances, Orihime turned around again to go into her room and try, try, try again.
Ulquiorra sighed and waited for the next outfit to be shone to him.
"You are beautiful either way, Orihime," he murmured.
M!M!
Orihime was debating on either the fluffy animal print shirt, or a shirt with monkeys on it. She puzzled as she observed them each.
"I know," she smiled, picking up both shirts by their hangers. "I'll ask Ulquiorra."
She ran to the door and opened it awkwardly with the two hangers in her hands, but-
"You are beautiful either way, Orihime."
His words stopped her. Tears started to form in Orihime's eyes before she knew it, and her heart beat a little faster.
She closed the door quietly and put the animal shirts away. The girl found the summery dress amongst the pile of clothes she's uprooted, and pulled it on. She ran a brush through her long hair and admired it down.
Putting on a nice pair of shoes, she walked from her room and to the living room.
"I'm ready," Orihime said. "Now we just have to wait for Mine, then we'll go."
"That's fine, Onna."
Short chapter, I know, but I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING!
So let me explain what happened with this chapter.
First of all, the week, and week after I was supposed to update Matte, Matte! were by far the busiest two weeks of my life. They were then followed by serious writers block, and another busy week! And then I finally wrote something, and then my computer kinda sorta died on me, and erased a lot of stuff I had written :( including this chapter.
So I finally sat down and told myself that I would give you guys this chapter.
I'm so sorry about this! I started Matte, Matte! in the summer, and now I don't have time to keep up with it. By the way, I might be ending it soon. But not too soon. See ya next chapter, which should be very soon. So many soons!