|Author's Note|

Happy New Year! Here's the last chapter. Thanks again to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed.

[Chapter twenty-one- Uryuu- Conclusion]

There's this idiotic sandwich place over on the corner of Suika and Asagao. I hate it with a deep intense loathing, mostly because they always put mustard on their sandwiches, even if you mention you don't want any. They're mustard maniacs. The other reason being that they have a total of two servers- a slim girl with cute eyes and a haircut that has inspired many of my own, and then a big beefy guy with a collective vocabulary just short of one hundred words. This wouldn't be a problem if I ever got the cut girl and not the big beefy guy, but as things are the closest she's ever come to any of our tables is one two away. Every time, without fail. And no, it's not my fault- my fashion can't offend her since I've tried wearing different shirts before, and it's not my scent because I've come in with different cologne before, and I never put it on too heavy. It's just dumb luck, and I hate it. "Hey, you're back!" The beefy guy pulls a notepad from his grease-stained apron. "Man, it's a good thing, too. You really need to put some meat on those bones!" "Whatever." "What can I get for you?" "A water, for now. I'm waiting for someone."

It's the only reason I'm here. Orihime called me last night, timidly asking me to come to lunch here so that she could tell me something. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I won't deny that I was pretty excited when she called. Most likely she wants to tell me about her latest sewing success, which would be good to hear. I don't care about the reason she called me, I'm just happy to be with her.

Oddly enough, she's late.

I hate being here by myself. There's a bike gang that frequents this place, and as things stand I would feel like a loser sitting here by myself, but their frequent glances at my empty table aren't helping in the least. They know Kurosaki well enough- they're probably wondering where he is since I'm here.

After all, this is Ichigo's go-to place as of late. He really likes the bread. Which is weird, but whatever. It started out with both Inoue and I disliking the place, but she never had the heart to tell Ichigo, and so she would act excited every time he mentioned it. Then she'd discovered the Hawaiian Sandwich, a collection of barbecue chicken, pineapple chunks, pickles, sardines, and- of course- mustard. She discovered the sandwich the day it was supposed to be taken off the menu. Now she alone keeps it on, and in her honor they renamed it the Orihime Sandwich. So now she loves this place just as much Kurosaki, if not more. She refers to the regulars here by name.

I continue to hate it with every dark corner of my soul.

I'm almost praying that Ichigo will stroll in, just so that I don't have to take another awkward moment of this. One of the biker guys looks back at me and shakes his head, like he feels sorry, maybe thinking I've been stood up on a date.

I check my phone to see if I missed a text from Orihime saying she couldn't come or something, and find that she has sent me a message.

… Text from: Orihime Inoue …

Hey Ishida! Sorry I'm running late, I promise I'll be there soon, but there was a wardrobe explosion! Literally. Never try to stuff to much into an old dresser or bad things happen.

We'll be there soon~

~Orihime-Chan~ :) :) :)

For a moment I stare at the text, wondering both how she managed to make a dresser explode, and then noticing something else. "We." It must have been a typo.

I sigh. Just as I think I'm about to text her back asking how far out she is I sense her spiritual pressure nearby. A moment later I hear her laugh, and then the bell to the door rings. I turn around and find her animated as she talks about something or another to…

Ulquiorra.

He's wearing dark jeans and a white button-up with a black jacket thrown over. He almost looks human, in the clothes, and seems really interested in what Orihime is talking about- as she gets closer I hear that she's explaining the concept of rubber ducks to him. He's completely absorbed in the topic.

I'm so shocked by the sight that I don't have idea what to do as Orihime spots me. She smiles wide and waves, and then… grabs his hand. She grabs Ulquiorra's hand, and then leads him over to the booth I'm sitting at.

"Hi!" She cheers, coming to sit in front of me. She scoots all the way to the wall and then pulls Ulquiorra down to sit beside her. If possible, he looks more uncomfortable than I do.

I stare, wide-eyed.

"Sorry we took so long, I tried to shove all of Ulquiorra's new shirts into the top drawer, and I did it! To get it to stick I put tape on it but then the whole back of the thing just kind of shot off, and there were clothes everywhere so we had to clean up and then while I was getting my make-up on I didn't see Ulquiorra and I ran right into him and got lipstick all over the shoulder of his shirt so he had to change but-"

"What is he doing here?" I interrupt. Call me a grudge-holding bastard, but it's hard to forgive and forget the guy who violently tore your hand of seconds after murdering your friend- as much as I loath referring to Kurosaki as such. Not to mention the whole 'kid napping the girl of your dreams' business. "No, forget that, what is he doing alive?"

She doesn't seem too terribly concerned. Neither does he.

"Well," Orihime answered. "I healed him! Ulquiorra was a bad guy, but that doesn't mean he's a bad guy, you know? Like Wreck It Ralf."

"Orihime, now is not the time for Disney comparisons." I find myself saying.

"Right." She nods. "Well, um, the point of this is… I like Ulquiorra. So there."

"Like him?"

She gives a small shrug. "He's not that bad."

He gives her a doubtful look.

"I mean, he didn't want to do all that stuff in the war."

"By the end of our second battle, woman, I can assure you that I did want to silence your friend. It would have been immensely satisfying were it not for your reaction and the situation to follow."

I stare.

She isn't even surprised. "Okay, but you never would have fought him to begin with if it weren't for orders, right?"

He gives a nod.

"And you don't like killing."

He gives a half-hearted shrug.

"And now that you're here you're on our side!"

"As you wish."

I stare at the two of them. Surely she can't be serious? "… Is this the part where I wake up screaming, because this is a little bizarre for real life." What am I talking about? This is honestly the least weird thing to have happened this year concerning these matters.

"I understand the feeling." Ulquiorra says. "I find it hard to believe I now reside in a world where bath customs include a small plastic water fowl."

"Rubber duckies are for kids." I off-handedly remark.

Orihime pouts. "I think they're too cute to just be for kids."

"All that aside." I shake my head. "He's on our side now?"

"I am." He remarks.

"I wasn't talking to you."

Orihime laughs. "He says he is."

"Okay. Fine. I can live with that. But if he hurts a single hair on your head-"

"Then you will end my life. I understand."

"… I was going to say dismembering, but you know, that's much more realistic."

"But it won't happen!" Orihime sings. "Ulquiorra is my friend!"

"Hn."

"Fine. Fine, fine, fine, I can agree with this. But-"

The big burly man is back. "Inoue!" He yells. "Your usual?"

"Yes please, Don! And the same for him!" She points to Ulquiorra.

"Coming right up! What about you?" He asks me.

"I- I think I'll just have the ham…"

"You got it!"

As he walks away I realize I forgot to order it without mustard. Damn it.

Turning back to Orihime with a sigh, I say, "What are you going to tell Ichigo?"

"I-" She sort of deflates. "I don't know."

"Somehow I doubt he's going to be happy his alleged killer is back from the dead."

The burly man comes back with a trey that has two big pink lemonades with umbrellas and a toothpicks supporting cherries and pineapple slices. He drops the drinks off before Orihime and Ulquiorra and leaves.

"I mean, this is the guy that punched a hole in Kurosaki's chest!" I gesture at him. "How-"

I'm stuck in the middle of a sentence, then, rendered speechless by the sight of the man who had once been my greatest fear sipping pink lemonade out of a cutesy yellow straw. He plucks the umbrella from his drink and inspects it as he drinks, seemingly intrigued.

"Woman," He says, "What is the point of this?"

"It's for fun!"

"Hn." He puts it in her drink.

"Yay! Double fun for me!"

I take it back. This is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen.

I shake my head and get back to my point. "What will you-"

My phone buzzes in my pocket. With a groan I take it out and look at the screen.

New Text

… Text from: Kurosaki …

Gotta talk. Where are you?

With a sigh I text him back.

… New Text To: Kurosaki…

your shady sandwich place

Text from Kurosaki

Oh cool we're heading there right now

Shit. Well, it looks like Inoue wasn't going to get much time to think over how to tell him the news. And, wait, what does he mean by "we?"

To Kurosaki

how close are you?

I want time to prepare her for the abrupt introduction to Ichigo since she had Ulquiorra with her. I look up at her to say something and find she and Ulquiorra are stacking salt and pepper shakers with their silverware to make a tower.

"Are you sure this is the purpose of these tools?"

"No, but that's okay, this is what I always do. Plus you're making it so that it hasn't fallen yet!"

I clear my throat. "Um, Orihime-"

My phone buzzes, which actually makes me feel a little bitter because she'd been so awed over how Ulquiorra balanced the spoon on the tip of a knife.

New Text

… Text from: Kurosaki …

We're outside now.

My eyes went wide. Damn. Thanks for the heads-up, Kurosaki! "Inoue, um-"

Ding!

We heard the noise as soon as we all felt the familiar spiritual pressure. Not just one, but two.

In walked Ichigo, with Rukia at her side, both of them bickering about the correct way to open a ketchup bottle. Rukia was arguing on the side of putting your nail or thumb under the little notch in the front of the lid and lifting, and Ichigo said that in order to not get your fingers gross you had to hold the entire top and pull it.

"That's ridiculous!" Rukia argued. "Some lids are too secure for that, and if not, you could end up ripping the whole top part of the lid right off!"

"Better than getting that gross dried ketchup crap on your hands."

"If you use your nail-"

"How long do you think my nails are?!"

It was then they both saw. Rukia- who we were all surprised to see- merrily waved. Ichigo, however, just stared.

For a second it was as though no one could even breathe. Then, Ichigo gave a small smile

He walked over to our table and stuck out his hand. "Hey." He said.

Ulquiorra looked at the hand for a moment before taking it, giving a firm shake like they were both Americans. "Kurosaki." He greeted.

"Good to see you."

"Hn."

I watch.

Soon, Rukia passes her hellos around, and Orihime happily explains the details of Ulquiorra's new life in our world. Rukia announces that she's going to go shopping soon, and so Orihime says she wants to go and take Ulquiorra to get him new clothes, and since Rukia has no money Ichigo has to go, and then Orihime mentions that because I always repair her clothes I have to come, too.

So, it's all of us together again, with the added old-enemy on our side, huh?

I guess… the war's truly ended.

And maybe there were no victors here. But we all survived. And I suppose that's what counts.

[Finish]

|Secondary Author's note|

I'll be putting out a sequel, sort of! A bunch of Ulquihime following this from Ulquiorra's perspective. I plan to call the story Nothing Simple. If you look forward to more Ulquihime, head on over there. I should have it published tomorrow. (Or should I say next year? hahahahaha... haha... ha. Kill me...)

Thanks so much everyone! I hope your new year is great!