Chapter 20: Take Care

True to his word, Ulquiorra stayed by Orihime's side all that night. He kept checking on her and making sure that her eye wasn't too bad. She was going to have a massive black eye once it was all said and done.

He even got more sleep than he had in a couple months. Six hours of sleep in one night. It was unheard of in his world. Without waking Orihime, he got out of bed and decided to go about his morning routine. She needed to rest. She needed to heal from what had happened to her.

Orihime woke up with a pounding headache and short of breath. She had been running from a man with a mask over one eye, obscured by a big hood. He had the same wicked smile as Nnoitra, and that was the only part of his face that she could see except a long tongue that kept lashing out at her. When she realized it was just a nightmare, she turned her head. This wasn't the smell she was used to. It didn't smell like her shampoo or Grimmjow. It was familiar though.

Cloves.

Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh my god, how did this happen? Her mind raced as she recalled the previous night. She had been very drunk, but not too drunk to forget.

He had saved her. She owed him her life. He wouldn't want it, but still… She knew that he deserved appreciation for what he had done for her.

She got up as softly as she could and tried to remember her way around. When she felt a bit more oriented, she left his bed and ventured out into the rest of the apartment.

"Going somewhere?" Ulquiorra asked from where he was standing in the kitchen. "How are you feeling?"

"I have to use the bathroom and my head is killing me. Um, I know…" She sighed. She didn't know a damn thing. "Thank you, Ulquiorra. You saved my life."

He gave a sigh. "Don't think anything of it. I would-" No, he wouldn't say that. He didn't want to get his hopes up. "Do you want an Uber to drop you off at home? I can drive you if you'd like. You look uncomfortable being here."

"It's not that… I…" There was no use beating around the bush. She took a deep breath. "I don't want you to have any trouble." Her eyes drifted to the throw blanket briefly. "I'll use the bathroom and we can decide what to do?" she proposed.

Again his eyes followed hers. "Trouble? From whom? I'm an adult who makes his own decisions. I'll have a cup of coffee ready for you when you come back out." He disappeared behind the huge bookcase and started grinding coffee beans and working the espresso machine.

Obviously Orihime had a problem with Rangiku.

Orihime went into the bathroom and did her business, then got up to wash her hands and saw her face. She didn't recognize herself. Her left eye was purple and swollen nearly shut. Her lip was not much better. "Oh, God. Oh my god," she muttered as she examined herself. No wonder he was acting so weird. She looked like a monster.

She came out and stood in the living room awkwardly, waiting for him.

Ulquiorra came out of the kitchen a moment later, holding a paper cup with the Coffee & Sadness bird printed on it. "Triple espresso with a shot of skim milk and some whipped cream," he said, holding the cup out to her.

She tried to smile, but it just hurt. "Thank you. Since when…" No. It was none of her business if he or his girlfriend drank skim milk. "The whipped cream is a treat."

He shrugged. "I figured you would need it with everything that has been happening lately. You're more than welcome to stick around here if you'd like, but I have to get down to the shop and help Ethan open."

She shook her head. "It wouldn't be good for me to be here when she gets here, I think. When I came back… It was just really awkward. Mr. Kuchiki thought it was a good idea, but she was not happy." Orihime didn't know why it was so impossible to say the other woman's name.

Ulquiorra nodded. "I know. I watched you on the security cam feeds. She doesn't-" He stopped and then shook his head. Orihime wouldn't care if he was just using her or if they were on again and off again. "The offer is there. If you need help, or if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

"It's Saturday, right? I just need to go home, and I have to meet with a funeral home person today, I think… It's hard to remember, they said so much yesterday." She didn't realize she that sat down before she looked up at him again.

"My mom is dead," she said, almost confused. "She's actually dead."

He nodded again. He knew what it was like to have dead parents. He'd been without his since he was young. "Yeah, it's a surreal thing sometimes. I can relate to what you're going through. I lost my parents at a young age."

"Were you close to them?" she asked.

"I don't remember. They died when I was four or five," he said, then rubbed his forehead. "I don't really remember them all that well."

"Oh," she replied, feeling sad for him. "My mother was always the way she was. It's hard to understand how to feel." She took a sip of the coffee he had given her. Her chest flooded with an unknown feeling. This is what she had been missing. She sniffed. "You always make the best coffee," she whimpered, then started to cry.

Ulquiorra shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He was trying not to get sucked into his feelings concerning the woman. He had never let them go and still felt as deeply for her as he had months ago. "Sometimes we all deserve the best, Orihime," he stated.

She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. She was semi successful. "You definitely do," she said in as warm a voice as she could muster. "I'm glad— I'm really glad to see you again, despite circumstances." She looked down at the cup in her hands. What she said was true.

"You do, too. You deserve better." Ulquiorra shook his head and sighed. "You'll be okay."

She nodded, but didn't look up at him. She knew when she was being dismissed. "Eventually," she replied, trying to be brave. She stood up and walked around the sofa toward the door. "I should get out of your hair."

"You're not bothering me. You're welcomed here anytime. I'm willing to leave you here because I trust you," Ulquiorra replied. "I have to get to work, though. Please don't think you're bothering me."

She turned her face toward him but didn't look in his eyes. "I would, though, if I stayed. She doesn't want me here."

He swallowed. There was no way he could explain his relationship with Rangiku without sounding like an asshole. "This isn't her place. It's mine."

"I know. Still, I am not worth the trouble." She walked to the door. "I will come back for coffee when my face doesn't look like it's been through a machine," she said with a self-effacing laugh.

He didn't think it was funny, but he gave her a hint of a smile. "I'll see you around then, Orihime. Remember what I said, if you need anything, just text me."

"Okay," she lied. She knew she wouldn't text him. Even being here with him like this, knowing that he wasn't free to have the same relationship he had with her as before -whatever it had been- was killing her. "See ya," she said and let herself out.

Ulquiorra waited ten minutes before he left his apartment and entered the coffee shop. He knew that if he went out that door after her, there would be no way he'd be able to stop himself from begging her to stay.

Ethan was already bitching at the morning guys, and as soon as he saw Ulquiorra, the words intensified.

"Where the fuck have you been? I texted Ran, but she said you spent the night alone."

Well that explained why his phone wouldn't stop vibrating in his pocket while he was talking to Orihime. Ulquiorra hadn't checked it, because he didn't want any distractions while dealing with the redhead. He still didn't want the distraction. He wished he could tell her how little Rangiku meant to him. "I had something to deal with this morning," Ulquiorra said and began working.

Orihime kept her head down as she walked quickly back to her place. It took her about half an hour. When she got to her building, she was confused. The street door had been broken. She cautiously walked up the stairs, a feeling of dread growing with each step. She sucked in a sharp breath when she looked into her broken, open door, and her stomach heaved.

Her bed and desk were overturned; closet torn apart. In the middle of it all was one of her sketch pads opened with a note written in thick black marker.

I paid $800 for this! Where the fuck are you?! I want my money back NOW or I will be back to claim what I paid for with interest. You think your little rape fantasy was going to be safe and quiet? Think again, you conniving whore!

She freaked out. She sprinted down the stairs and back to the street. He said she could ask him for anything. He was her lifeline at the moment.

Less than twenty minutes later, she stood, grasping her knees and gasping for breath in front of Coffee & Sadness. She looked through the glass door before she went in.

Rangiku was there. She had her arms wrapped around his torso as she stood behind him, whispering something in his ear.

He was smiling.

She closed her eyes. She was stupid to come here. She turned around and walked to RBM, let herself into the office, and called her boss.

She regretted this decision soon afterward. Byakuya happened to already be in his office, and when he came out and saw her face and heard the story about the break-in, he got the police involved. They searched her apartment. They made reports. Kuchiki insisted that Renji come in on his day off and help Charlie, the new intern, pack up Orihime's apartment and bring her belongings to RBM's storage rooms. He didn't want her in harm's way, and he determined that her apartment was no longer safe.

She couldn't disagree.

After all was said and done, he called her for a chat.

"Orihime, I want you to know that you're a valued member of the Rotten Brand Management team."

"Thank you—"

"Listen to me, Orihime. You've been through a lot, lately. You have to go through more, sadly. I want you to take a leave of absence. I've already called your advisor at Northwestern and they're willing to let you take bereavement leave and resume your studies in the fall."

"But I'm so close to graduating, I—"

"Have you even begun your final projects? You barely have a month to complete them! You need help, Orihime. Serious help. I want you to stay with Susan this weekend, and then on Monday come to the office. I'll have a plan for you to consider then."

Because he didn't answer his phone, Rangiku came into the shop. She came up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist, then started whispering in his ear. She was tickling him and she knew it. It was really the only time Ulquiorra laughed or smiled around Rangiku.

The moment he saw Orihime turn and walk away from the front of the shop, Ulquiorra pushed the busty blonde woman away. Of course Rangiku saw Orihime, and that, combined with the fact that he was distancing himself from her, caused the biggest public screaming match inside of Coffee and Sadness to date.

Ethan had to ask them to take it upstairs, which they did, still screaming at each other.

Ulquiorra told Rangiku the entire truth. "I don't love you, Ran. I can't. I still-"

"I know. I know you have feelings for her, Ulquiorra. I see it on your face all the time. I guess we're done. I can't be the runner up for someone's emotions," Rangiku said.

Ulquiorra nodded, sat heavily down on the couch, and put his head in his hands as Rangiku left. The apartment door closed quietly, leaving him in silence.

On Monday, the decision had been made. Orihime's request for bereavement leave was approved by the University, so she packed a bag and left for the suburbs. Her mother's ashes would be delivered to her new temporary home: an inpatient mental health hospital. She would stay there for ten days, and after she completed the inpatient therapy, she would stay at a rental property Mr. Kuchiki owned. She was going to be doing some light filing and reception at the RBM West satellite office. She would continue to do individual and group therapy at least twice a week.

Byakuya wanted her to be better when she returned to Evanston. He even gave her a creative work order. He had high hopes for her. He expected a return on this investment.

Before she left, she decided to send Ulquiorra a message.

- Hi. I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving town for a little while. Somebody broke into my place and my school is giving me bereavement leave for the rest of the semester, so I'll graduate later, I guess. Thank you again, so much, for what you did this past weekend. I'm sad that I'm going to have to settle for subpar coffee for awhile.

She reread the message after she sent it and felt dissatisfied. She was leaving. She wouldn't have to see him for a long time. She could tell him how she felt, at least a little.

- I miss you. I'll miss you. Take care of yourself, okay?

Ulquiorra was devastated when he got her message. He sniffled over a cup of coffee and shook his head. He was being ridiculous. She was going on with her life and Ulquiorra couldn't stop her. He couldn't tell her everything he thought or felt about her. It took him several hours after her last message to text her back.

- You take care of yourself. Maybe we'll run into each other one of these days.

Swallowing his pride, Ulquiorra called Rangiku. She wasn't mad. She wasn't angry. They had been friends for years and she wouldn't let a little thing like this get between them.

"Thanks Rangiku. Listen," Ulquiorra started saying.

"Don't apologize again."

"I wasn't. I'm going to Highland Park for a while. I'm taking a vacation. Maybe I'll travel. I just need-"

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "Do it, Ulq. You've been working non-stop since you got out of prison. Go enjoy yourself. Relax. Take a cruise. Go rent a house in the middle of Door County for a month or two."

He knew she was right. He knew she was only suggesting that because it was true. "I'll think about it, Rangiku."

"Take care of yourself Ulq. Sleep more."

This was twice in as many days that someone was telling him to take care of himself. "Okay. You're still going to work for me, right?"

"With a raise," she said, laughing.

"Consider it done. I'll let you know my plans."

Mr. Kuchiki noticed Mr. Cifer's absence after about a month. He had been into C&S to get his own coffee after work regularly for a while now. Tonight, he was curious.

"Miss Matsumoto, what happened to your employer? I haven't seen him around in some time."

"Um, hey, Byakuya. Ulquiorra? He's um… He's taking some time off," Rangiku said, stumbling over her words at the man's question. She wasn't sure how to tell people about Ulquiorra's decision to take a vacation.

The businessman nodded. "Sounds like a great idea. My employee, Miss Inoue…" He sighed here, unsure whether it was any of his business to be passing on this information, but he was feeling sentimental. "She used to really enjoy coming in here. It seems lonely without either of them here."

Rangiku sighed. She felt Ulquiorra's absence the most. "Yeah, I kind of miss both of their faces and their banter sometimes," she replied. "How is Orihime?"

Byakuya frowned. "It's a slow process. She checks in once a week and assures me she is making strides towards recovery, but her mother's death and the intruder… Who would do something like that to their own daughter? It's disgusting," he muttered, shaking his head. "Be careful, they caught the man who broke into her place, but apparently there is a website that those sickos use to set up these violent fantasy things." He closed his eyes and exhaled quickly out of his nose. He looked back at her and stared into her eyes for a moment. "Keep your doors locked."

"The door is always locked where I live," she said in a confident voice. Rangiku gave him a brief smile. "I live where you need to be buzzed into the building. But it's good that Orihime is making progress. I'm glad. It's so sad to hear about someone losing their parent."

He nodded. "Indeed. Well, usually. In her case I believe it was a blessing. If you hear from Mr. Cifer, give him my regards, will you?" he said as he picked up his order off the counter.

She gave him a brilliant smile. "I will, Byakuya! Make sure you come back and visit me. Have a good night."

5.17.2020

Sorry for the quiet blog as of late. I have been busy working offsite for my company, and for myself. Part of my absence is beyond my control, and I have had limited access to the outside world until now. I have a big project in the works, though, and I'm really excited to unveil it, but it's top secret for now .

She added a drawing of a happy sparrow flying with a small flower in its beak.

Today's playlist: The Reason - Hoobastank, Fix You - Coldplay, Stand - REM, Shake It Out - Florence and the Machine, Nothing Else Matters -Metallica, Answer - Sarah McLachlan

Ulquiorra spent two weeks in Highland Park in that empty mansion, watching spring unfold in front of him. The trees budded with blossoms; birds and different animals were seen out and about.

He was pretty shut in during his time at his family home.

Then Ulquiorra decided to go to New York City; after that he went to London. City after city. Stamp after stamp in his passport. Tickets, airplanes, hotel rooms; the weeks turned into months.

Ulquiorra was still nowhere near having any peace of mind. Being away from Evanston just made his heart ache more.

He was standing in Kyoto, Japan, at the end of August, when he decided to call Rangiku.

"Hey, Ulq. Where are you calling from?" She asked.

"I'm coming home soon."

"Soon?"

"I'll be home in a couple of days."

"Oh." Her tone sounded worried.

"What happened?"

There was a long pause. "You'll see when you get here," Rangiku said.

A/N: Short, yes, but a lot of change in this chapter. Thoughts?