12-23-2020

Merry Christmas, everyone! I wanted to get a chapter out before the 25th as a Christmas surprise. Oh, and if you liked the movie Penelope with Christina Ricci and James McAvoy, I'll be posting a short fanfic on that in a few days. Bleach isn't mine, only the plot. Happy reading, and Happy Holidays!

Ulquiorra silently passed his insufferable days in that insufferable house with those insufferable shinigami. He likened it to going from one prison to another, except the second prison was insufferable for entirely different reasons.

Silence was never a problem in Hueco Mundo, where the atmosphere was grim, and an eerie tranquility cursed the land. In the vast palace of Las Noches, Ulquiorra would often reflect or strategize on the balcony in his quarters, spending long hours just staring across the ivory sands. It did not take long for Ulquiorra to learn that his bedroom walls were poorly insulated. If he stayed perfectly still, he could hear bits and pieces of various conversations not meant for his ears. Most of the conversations he overheard were meaningless drivel about the shop, food they'd be consuming that evening, or the events of the day. It was these events, and the noise that accompanied them, that prompted him to start spending his evenings on the roof.

On occasion, the conversations on the other side of the walls revolved around him. These were difficult to overhear as they were usually spoken in hushed tones, but they were intriguing whenever they forgot to lower their voices. The shinigami had correctly assessed his level of hatred for his circumstances. Over time, he got the curious impression that their attempts at making his transition as comfortable as possible were genuine.

Their sincerity surprised him. He did not fully understand their motives. He'd almost slaughtered one of their own, and his allies in Hueco Mundo had certainly been the cause of several casualties. As an enemy, their attitude towards him made little sense, though he speculated it likely involved the woman.

Every once in a while, they'd speak of her. These conversations did not happen inside the house and only transpired among the three shinigami. Sometimes they occurred near the onsen they spent so much time around. Ulquiorra would overhear them through the window he left open to air out the stench of the old man's cooking. The woman's well-being was of great concern to them, as was his own role in her welfare. He was aware that she was the catalyst for his abduction from Soul Society.

He had not forgotten what transpired in Las Noches. Or of her sympathies for him. He had not expected her affections to have lasted this long.

The feeding routines were…adequate. There was no other word for it. He avoided thinking about his position to the extent he could, but his situation was bleak. The shopkeeper was making good on his promise to leave him alone, and now he was making promises to find another method for Ulquiorra's sustenance. His instinct told him the shopkeeper would likely fulfill his assurances, but it was certain to come at a cost.

He most often reflected on his former position in Las Noches, his authority, but most of all, his fealty to Aizen. He still remembered his earliest memory. Ulquiorra came to existence in the base of a pit where no light penetrated, under sediment black as night. He battled numerous hollows on his way out of the chasm and wandered for a long while, not knowing what would become of him until one day, Aizen appeared and told him that his name was Ulquiorra Schiffer.

Sword in hand, Aizen claimed he had gifted Ulquiorra with tremendous power through the Hogyoku. The force of the Hogyoku was so massive, it had erased the hollow's memory, forging him into a new creature. That was why he could not remember anything prior to the chasm. As further proof, Aizen described in significant detail the pit in which Ulquiorra was born.

"I fought my way out. There are no survivors," Ulquiorra had said.

Aizen gave him a sardonic grin. "Good. It was my plan that you would discover the magnitude of your strength on your own."

Ulquiorra had understood that Aizen would be back one day to steal the throne of Las Noches. He'd instructed Ulquiorra to be his eyes and ears throughout Hueco Mundo, and that he would be rewarded with a position of great authority at the proper time. Ulquiorra obeyed without question, embracing the power and the emptiness that saturated his bones. He wandered aimlessly for many years, collecting vast knowledge about the geography, flora, fauna, and potential opposition to Aizen throughout the land.

All of that power had now vanished into thin air. There was no longer an Aizen to serve; his life was thoroughly without meaning. Though he had accepted his nihilism long ago, he was surprised to find that part of him found this new lack of purpose unsettling. Yet, there were few things that could compel Ulquiorra to action. Even after such a comprehensive waste of effort and pathetic demise, the wretchedness of his situation stirred no passion within him.

There was simply no path forward.

.oOo.

Orihime stood at the edge of the backyard onsen and dipped her toe into the steaming water. Satisfied with the temperature, she removed her towel and submerged herself, releasing a well-deserved sigh after a trying day. Her boss at the bakery had spent the entire afternoon teaching Orihime the art of macaron anatomy, with clever precision techniques Orihime was eager to master. She loved learning from Makoto, and she adored bringing home leftover goods to her adopted family in Urahara's Shop. Orihime lived for the praises everyone endowed on the many samples she shared.

Well, almost everyone. Orihime's stomach still churned whenever she walked through the front door. It had been about two months since Ulquiorra joined them, and Orihime still felt trapped in an emotional whirlwind. She kept to herself initially, but it did not take long for her to miss the fun, chaotic moments she shared with others in the household. It wasn't two weeks before she cautiously began traversing to other parts of the house for more than just food or restroom breaks.

Ulquiorra was starting to show small signs of acclimation to his new circumstances, but it was hot and cold with him. At times, he appeared neutral, but it was like pulling teeth using the Shun Shun Rikka to assist with his hunger. The feeding encounters were chaperoned, as it was believed he would be better behaved with the shinigami nearby. Orihime's disheartened attempts at small talk were fruitless; the arrancar spoke very little, if he even spoke at all.

But his eyes said much.

In the moments Orihime gathered enough courage to meet his gaze, she often perceived apathy. It pained her to see resentment there every so often, but on occasion, he looked pensive. And though he never thanked her, there were many instances just after the tiny spirits vanished back into her palms where Ulquiorra's eyes would bore into hers. He would release a long breath, thick with relief, like a parched man who'd wandered days under a scorching desert sun, and her little spirits were the healing springs that quenched his thirst.

That she recognized such subtle variations in his expressions bewildered her. After all this time, she retained her ability to read him. She often wondered—with some trepidation—what he might be reading in her own gaze.

Orihime grazed the water with delicate fingers as she closed her eyes. Her time in the onsen was a good excuse to try out the new swimsuit she'd just purchased—a fetching cobalt two-piece that was surprisingly comfortable. Because of the fluctuations in her weight, Orihime would usually throw on a t-shirt and shorts over her battered old swimwear. After such a long while, she was finally feeling like herself again.

Yoruichi and Ururu joined her soon after, followed by Urahara and Tessai, who sat just outside the tub. Jinta also dipped his feet in for a bit before yawning his boredom aloud and disappearing back into his room. The two men smoked and drank sake for a while, having an involved discussion about the merits of different types of sugar for candy products. When Ururu dried off and headed to sleep, Urahara and Tessai retreated to the lab, leaving Orihime alone with Yoruichi.

It was a tranquil night, rejuvenating in many ways. Like Orihime, Yoruichi rested her head against the edge of the onsen with her eyes closed. Her voice was a lazy drawl when she remarked, "So. How have things been going?"

Oirhime was quick to answer. "I'm learning a lot of great things at the bakery. I'm doing really well in school, and I have some schools picked out that I'm going to apply to!"

Yoruichi was silent for a moment before she responded, "You know that's not what I was asking about."

Orihime took a deep breath, anticipating where the conversation was headed. It had been a while since anyone had directly brought up the subject of Ulquiorra.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you should. You're doing a hell of a lot better, but we're still worried about you with the arrancar around."

Orihime repositioned herself and wrapped her arms around her knees as she considered Yoruichi's statement. "I don't know how I feel."

"I get that. If he ever tries anything with you, though, you just tell me, and I'll handle it."

Orihime shook her head dismissively. "I don't think that'll be necessary. He won't do anything."

"You seem a little too sure about that."

Orihime was quiet for a moment. "Do you know he saved my life? In Las Noches?"

Yoruichi's eyes snapped open. Orihime told her the story of the libélula, her paralysis, and how, were it not for Ulquiorra's interference, she would have met an early demise in Hueco Mundo. She told her stories about Ulquiorra's diligent training, his adept sensitivity to her limits, and her foolish confession just before her rescue. Orihime told Yoruichi many things.

Yoruichi studied Orihime's face after she finished. Quietly, she asked, "What if nothing changes?"

Orihime's eyes roamed the water before her. She couldn't answer such a question. She wasn't ready to answer such a question.

"Kisuke thinks he'll be able to help," Yoruichi continued. "I'll be honest, I think it's a waste of time, but he's proven me wrong before."

Orihime smiled. "Thank you, Yoruichi-san."

Yoruichi smiled back and stood to leave. She exited the onsen and wrapped her soaked body in a towel as Orihime settled back in once more.

Just before Yoruichi reentered the house, she gave an odd warning. "Hey, you'll prune if you stay in too long."

Orihime furrowed her brows. Yoruichi never cared about how much time Orihime spent in the water. She also rarely told Orihime what to do. There must have been a good reason for Yoruichi's comment, so Orihime closed her eyes again and promised herself she'd only stay an extra five minutes before retiring for the night.

.oOo.

Once he and Kisuke arrived inside the downstairs lab, Tessai shut the door tightly behind them. Urahara, with that wayward gleam in his eye, turned to him and said, "I have an assignment for you."

Tessai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Regarding what?"

"Do you remember when I was doing all that back-up research when Inoue-san was preparing for the revivals?"

"Yes?"

"Well, let's just say I got sucked into a rabbit hole, and I found some really interesting information online about on our little hollow guest."

Tessai raised the other brow. "Online? How is that possible? How would the living realm have any information on an arrancar?"

Urahara angled his head a bit, the way he often did when a matter was of high importance. Tessai immediately knew the conversation they were about to have was the type reserved only for the lab. Satisfied no one would hear them, Urahara continued in a quieter voice, "I may have found some information on his history."

Tessai matched Urahara's hushed tone. "History? What sort of history? I thought a hollow at his level was a cluster of other hollows."

Kisuke raised the side of his mouth in a half smile. "Correct."

"Then? Wouldn't there be a 'series' of histories?"

Kisuke shook his head. "You remember what happened with the Vaizards."

Tessai gave Urahara a wary look. He didn't like where this was going. "Yes, I do."

"Well, his test subjects may not have been limited to just shinigami and souls."

Tessai's head jerked back slightly. "Humans?"

Kisuke nodded. "It would seem so."

"Are you saying you know Ulquiorra's human past?"

"I'm saying I found something. But I need you to gather some intel to prove my theory right."

"How is it possible that he could have survived the Hogyoku?"

Urahara sighed. "I don't think he would have. If I'm right, it would have killed him."

"You're saying Aizen turned Ulquiorra from a human into a hollow?"

"I'm saying it could have happened. At Aizen's level of power, and knowing what we know about the Vaizards, it's possible Aizen was also looking for human subjects to test out the Hogyoku."

Tessai grunted.

"Aizen may very well have just dumped him in Hueco Mundo and recruited him later. After an ordeal like that, I have a strong hunch the hollow wouldn't have remembered anything about his former life."

Tessai was silent for a long moment. "What leads you to believe all this is true?"

"Well, I was getting a nagging feeling about all this resurrection stuff, so for kicks, I punched in the names of the arrancars who were resurrected. I only found information on one." He gave Tessai a toothy grin. "Did you know that 'Ulquiorra' is actually a surname of a family in Spain?"

"Spain!"

"Si. There's some really interesting history there. But not everything I found online was in English, let alone Japanese! Your Spanish is a lot better than mine, so I'll need your help tracking down an address and a few other details."

Tessai stood in thought for several moments. "If your hunch is true, this might change things for him. Or it could backfire. Are you sure you want to open that door?"

"If it were me, I'd want to know."

Tessai considered his words. "Does Yoruichi-san know?"

"No. I didn't want to tell her until I was sure."

Tessai gave him another look. Kisuke rarely kept things from Yoruichi. He was highly skeptical about it all and believed it was usually best to just let the past stay the past. It was unknown what kind of reaction Ulquiorra would have to such news, if true. But he had to admit, he was curious about it all himself.

"Show me what you found?"

"With pleasure!"

The two of them strolled over to the wall of screens in the back of Kisuke's lab. The shopkeeper sat down in front of the keyboard and typed in a few words into a search engine. When the first link at the top showed up purple, he clicked on it, and Tessai leaned in with great interest.

"This is the page detailing the history of the Ulquiorra line," Kisuke explained. "Seems as though they still operate some sort of historical landmark that's been turned into a tourist spot."

Tessai moved even closer to the screens, taking in the information. "That means Ulquiorra could still have relatives?"

"It's possible. There aren't a whole lot of pictures or information on this website. Yare, they really need a new web designer. Also, some of this is in Spanish, and we all know what a whiz you are with other languages."

It was true. Some shinigami, with their long lives, opted to learn other languages to help with situations where they had missions outside of Japan, or even just for their own personal development. Tessai had picked up several over the years, Spanish being among the most useful since a whole continent spoke it, and since it was so close to various other tongues.

"How's your Castillian?" Kisuke asked, chuckling.

"It's alright, but I'm partial to the Mexican dialect."

"Well, then." Kisuke got up from the chair and gestured towards it. "Be my guest."

Tessai took Kisuke's spot opposite the keyboard and started typing and searching. Kisuke guided him through the webpages he'd already visited, and Tessai was able to pick up on additional links and information.

"You're right. There's a pazo in Galicia that belongs to an Ulquiorra. Looks like it's some sort of landmark that was recently renovated. There isn't much information here, but there's a number we can call to ask more."

"Well, it looks like you know what to do tomorrow."

"Hnh."

"For now, let's just keep this between us. I especially don't want the arrancar figuring this out. We don't even know if we're right about this. It could just be a coincidence, but even if it wasn't, this isn't the sort of thing we should be springing on him, even if he is obnoxious."

Tessai nodded. "He does seem to be improving a bit. He isn't as snappy or angry as he was in the beginning. Do you think, perhaps, Inoue-san' powers are having an effect on him?"

"Could be. Could also be Inoue-san is having an effect on him! But he still has a long way to go. If given the choice today, he'd go back to Hueco Mundo no questions asked, and he'd get eaten alive there at his current level." Kisuke glanced at the clock. "Yikes. It's getting late. Let's call it a night and get started on this first thing tomorrow."

Careful to exit out of all the windows and shut off the computer screen displaying their research, the two of them left the lab and headed off to bed.

.oOo.

Orihime's five more minutes of relaxation turned to ten, and then fifteen when she finally began the process of exiting the onsen's delicious water. Having forgotten to bring hairpins or a tie with her, she started the arduous chore of rinsing out her long, auburn locks. She collected all her hair and twisted across her body so that a stream of water fell to the ground before her feet. Orihime let go, ruffled her hair, and twisted again a few more times until she was on the verge of shivering from the light breeze hitting her wet skin.

She was mid-rinse when a familiar presence slid behind her.

Stomach churning, Orihime bit her lip. She finished rinsing, then released her thick tresses and ran trembling fingers through her tangled hair, delaying the inevitable. When Orihime finally gained enough courage to face him, she turned around.

His eyes were unreadable.

Orihime was shivering as she chuckled. She nervously began rubbing her forearm, managing a feeble hello.

A slow nod from Ulquiorra.

Growing ever conscious of her very bare, goose-pimpled flesh, her eyes darted to Ulquiorra's right, where she had draped her towel over a lawn chair. The wind, though light, was biting cold, but she dared not reach for the towel.

For a moment, it seemed as though he was about to say something, but instead he followed her gaze to the chair. In a slow move, he reached over to pick up the towel, and to her surprise, he held it out to her. Before Orihime could gather enough nerve to retrieve it, he took several measured steps towards her, eyes steady on hers.

"Oh."

As she reached out to grab it, his hand grazed across hers. She couldn't quite tell if it was just her imagination, but he did not pull back right away. He certainly did not flinch. The last time their hands touched was on the outskirts of Las Noches, where he disintegrated into a million flecks of black ash. Not wishing to dwell on that painful moment and the tragedies that followed, Orihime focused her attention on throwing the towel around her shoulders like a blanket and tugging it snugly about her. Ulquiorra watched her movements without a word.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. It gets pretty cold after a dip in the water."

Another unhurried nod.

Orihime was getting more nervous. She was astonished that he was out and about. This had to be what Yoruichi had warned her about, but despite the awkward exchange, Orihime was glad he wasn't cooped up in his room.

"It's really nice seeing you explore the outside of the house," Orihime blurted out. When she was anxious, she got talkative. "You should try the onsen. It's new. Urahara-san installed it a few months ago, and we all really love it. We all like to hang around it, and I've really enjoyed getting to know everyone even more. You know, when I first moved here, it was an adjustment, but I eventually grew to really love it. Everyone really is like a family…and I really think…you would…" Her voice trailed off.

Ulquiorra remained silent for a few moments, then he shocked her with words.

"The blue. It suits you."

He stated it like a fact. There was no emotion in his words, no smile or sweetness, but there was also no false flattery. Hot blood chased across her face, and she forgot all about the cold.

"Thank you."

He only blinked twice, then headed back the way he came, towards a ladder leaning on an outside wall of the house. She watched him in stunned silence as he leisurely climbed the ladder and settled atop the roof, staring out into the night skies of Karakura Town.

From that day on, Orihime's stomach still churned when walking through the front door, but for an entirely new set of reasons.

Still looking for a beta for this fic! If you are interested please send me a PM! Thanks for reading!