Title: Miniature Murcielago

Pairing: Ulquiorra x Orihime

Read: NOW!


The heat of mid-day patted down on the pavement of Karukura. Orihime had been walking for about thirty minutes now and the heat was getting to her. The next store she saw, she immediately walked in and was welcomed with a cooling gush of air.

"Ahhh."

Orihime blinked and took in her surroundings.

It was a clothing store. Just what she needed. Beyond racks and racks of clothes she could make out a department for traditional clothing.

Making her way through the store she finally reached the back with an additional set of racks put aside that was full of kimonos. They all looked so pretty.

Orihime checked one of the prices and nearly choked on her own breath. She sighed in desperation and clutched the back of her head.

"How am I ever going to find someting to wear for the festival..."

She puckered her lips as she continued checking through the rack for something cheaper but to no avail.

"Maybe I just shouldn't go."

She dropped her head and stared at her feet for a while thinking about what she should do until-

"Orihime!"

She immeditaly turned around by the sound of her name.

"Orihime it's me!"

Before she knew it she was being clutched tightly by a significanly shorter girl. Pulling her away and grasping her by her shoulders, she was finally able to see who it was.

"Rukia! What are you doing here?"

She looked her up and down and took in her outfit. Jean shorts and a sexy looking black blouse. It looked great on her, Orihime thought.

Rukia gleemed and said, "I came to the human realm to search for some things for the festival."

"Oh really? You and Renji are planning it right?" Orihime asked, somewhat curious.

A drop of sweat glided down Rukia's forehead and she laughed lightly, "Heh, well yeah appearantly. He's barely doing anything though so basically all pressure is on me."

Orihime furrowed her eyebrows, "Well that's unfair...if you need help with anything though feel free to ask."

"Well if you're offering..." A smuck look shown on Rukia's face, "I have this whole list of things I couldn't find in the seretei, think you can help me?"

Orihime nodded her head, "Of course! Well is there anything you need in here, must be something since we're in the same store."

"No not really. I just saw you through the window and couldn't keep walking until I said hello."

"Ahh."

Rukia took a look at the rack of traditional clothing, then back to her friend. "Well what are you in here for?"

The question suddenly caught her off guard. She didn't really want to bug her friend with her slight financial problem, but it wasn't exactly a big deal that she couldn't share. Her evershowing positivity suddenly made it's way in her mind.

She would come up with another solution to finding something suitable to wear for the festival!

Orihime scratched the back of her head, "Ehh well I was actually trying to find something to wear for the upcoming festival, but I don't think there's anything I want here."

Rukia puckered her lips, "Hmm you sure? If so let's get started on the list."


They were outside now walking in pace with one another.

Even though it couldn't have been Ulquiorra that was with her, she was glad she had atleast someone to keep her company. Especially since that it was Rukia, and they rarely get the chance to hang out one on one.

A thought that was bothering her though...was still Ulquiorra. She still didn't understand why he turned this size or how he can turn back. All she wanted was for him to live a normal life, it's the least he deserved to have. Atleast that's what she thought.

He seemed to have changed significantly, but was still the same old Ulquiorra she knew. Maybe it was that she sometimes saw him smile, or maybe it was that he seemed more caring, or it could even be the way she was able to easily talk to him.

She'd hate to admit it but the thought of having him back to normal size and living with her seemed...exciting. Still though, she was a young adult and to have someone that looks like him, plus the strange bond they've seemed to form...Orihime didn't know how she'd be able to control herself.

She started to blush furiously when realizing this. Then suddenly started laughing half heartedly.

"Ahahahahaaa..."

Rukia blinked and turned to look at her, "Hmm? What's so funny?" She noticed the deep tinge of pink accompanying her cheecks, and how she was biting down on her buttom lip.

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows...

"Orihime...um what are you doing?"

Orihime jumped suddenly, "Oh um nothing nothing!" She began waving her hands in front of her face, "I just zoned out again...eheh."

Rukia gave her a curious look, "Eh well if you say so. By the way, you won't believe what Ichigo did."

"Eh what?"

"You'll get a kick out of this. He called me to say that one of those espada had shrunken and was living with him. Aha can you believe that?" She began to laugh.

Orihime's eyes widened. She thought soul society had been aware of their situation, maybe Rukia hadn't heard? So when Ichigo told her, it was just such an unbelievable story. To be honest, it was quite unbelievable to Inoue herself.

"Ehe...it doesn't make much sense does it?" She rubbed the back of her head.

Rukia caught her breath, "You're telling me."

"But if you think about it..." Orihime paused, "just maybe it all can make sense."

Her gaze had shifted to the floor. She was saying this more from her own view on her and Ulquiorra's current position. There had to be something he knew, something he wasn't telling her. And the fact that he wasn't or couldn't tell her, squeezed her heart with sadness.

"What?" Rukia asked confused, "Don't tell me you believe him. I mean seriously...an espada...shrinking? What the hell is that?"

"Ehehehe..."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and stopped walking, standing in front of Orihime's path and blocking her. She placed her hand on her hip. "Orihime...is there something you're not telling me?"

A cheesy and nervous smile plastered itself across Orihime's face, and she began scratching her cheek nervously, trying to avoid eye contact with her shinigami friend.

She didn't know how to explain her and Ulquiorra's situation. The exact espada that had kidnapped her, the espada that had shrunken and was now living with her, or the espada that she seemed to be falling for despite their extremely odd situation.

"Well you see..." She went off, trying to think how to word together her explanation.

"I'm waiting." Rukia sounded somewhat impatient. If something like what Ichigo had said was true, well she didn't know how she'd react to this.

Orihime took a deep breath, "Ulquiorra turned to ash but then he didn't and he shrunk instead and Urahara told me to keep him and I've had a mini Ulquiorra in my house this whole time. And it's strange because he isn't like the way he used to be and he's not really a bad guy anymore and we're friends now and it's fun to be around him. Grimmjow shrunk too but he's with Ichigo and we don't know why they shrunk but they just did and I really really really want Ulquiorra to be back to normal so maybe he can live a normal life and finally be happy and-"

"Orihime slow down!"

Rukia waited as Orihime caught her breath from giving that whole explanation in 5 seconds flat. She couldn't understand everything her friend had said, but for the most part...

"So...Ichigo was telling the truth?" The raven haired shinigami asked, a lighte tone to her voice.

Orihime, who was still trying to catch her breath, simply closed her eyes and nodded confidently.

"Oh ho ho ho..." Rukia grabbed Orihime's hand. "The list can wait, I got to see this for myself."


Ulquiorra finally reached Urahara's shop and was hovering in front of the entrance. The door was suspiciously already opened. The murcielago peered inside the dark room. He could make out shelf after shelf of what appeared to be full of expired and dusty candy. The room was dark but he could see down the hall, a ray of light falling out the bottom of another door.

He flapped his wings and entered deeper into the ram-shacked building. He could sense Urahara's riatsu passed that door.

He was now hovering in front of the door and pressed his ear to it and listened.

Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows when he could hear absolutely nothing and-

He suddenly felt a bone crushing impact and was thrown across the room.

Someone had slammed open the door.

"I sense someone's presence~ Oh I wonder who it could be!"

Ulquiorra met the wall and slid to the ground with a thud. It hurt, that's all he could think about in that moment. But when a sarcastic sounding man's voice began to ring in his ears, he could only hold his head in ache as he grumbled something under his breath.

Urahara's face was partially covered with his fan. His eyes immediately turned to the murcielago that was laying on the ground of his shop. He slowly made his way towards him, the sound of wood clicking with every step he took. Once he was in front of Ulquiorra he crouched down and began to speak.

"Well it's been a while since I've seen you now hasn't it."

Ulquiorra looked up and met the eyes of the candy shop owner, "Barely."

"Hmm I was wondering when I'd be seeing you here again."

Ulquiorra didn't reply. Urahara continued.

"I'm guessing you're here because of your..." he reached over and grabbed hold of one of the murcielago's wings an lifted him so he was directly in front of his face.

"...predicament." He continued.

Ulquiorra was annoyed on being held like this. His shoulders were slouched over and he tried to keep his head from drooping over as well so that he could look Urahara directly in the face.

The candy shop owner finally placed the murcielago in his other hand.

"I sense you know more about all of this than what you let it come off as."

Urahara didn't reply.

"I need you to tell me how much you know."

The shadow from his green and white hat covered his face.

Ulquiorra waited.

Urahara took a breath and then sighed, "Oh trust me I know enough and plenty more."

His hopes suddenly skyrocketed. "Then you must know a way to change me back to normal."

The blonde man held up his finger, "Ahhhh-" and then poked Ulquiorra in the stomach, "But now who says I want that."

The murcielago's eyes widened. "What?" Was all he could spew out before Urahara continued.

Urahara stood up with Ulquiorra still in hand, and began to walk towards the back of the store.

"In your current position you're basically powerless. But who knows what you'll do to the people around you if you ever got your power back. And a certain someone might I add."

Ulquiorra frowned upon hearing this. Was this shop owner accusing him of possibly harming Orihime in any way if he returned to normal? Just the thought of it was ridiculous. Even before Aizen was locked away, Ulquiorra never laid a hand of harm on her. And then there were those few circumstances where he actually protected her.

They were now in the back of the store in an empty brown room. The floor boarded up with what appeared to be extremely old and overused wood.

"So..." Urahara started back up, "Do you have any response?"

Ulquiorra turned to face him from his current position still on his hand.

"I feel as if you do not understand my situation at all if you're only bringing up my possible harm to Orihime, which by the way is utterly ridiculous."

Urahara raised his eyebrows. "Oooo ridiculous you say? And me not understanding? That itself is an amusing thought." He rubbed his chin, "But I'll have to agree to disagree with you."

Ulquiorra glared. He obviously didn't understand anything, he thought.

"Only having four days left for my own sake, why would I want to put any harm to the woman, it's absolutely ridiculous. I never once harmed her before in my previous state and I can honestly say I find no reason to do so now. Even more of a reason for me to prevent any harm to come on to her."

Urahara listened as he continued.

"Also if you did understand anything you would know of the timer implanted on me counting down the days until I die. You would know the reason I shrunk, you would know what I need to do in order to return to my original size, and you should know whats going to be happening in a few days to me and the other espada."

There was a moment of silence before Urahara replied. A shadow was still casted over his face by his hat so Ulquiorra couldn't see his eyes or his reaction, whether or not he was shocked.

"Well now, I wouldn't expect you of all people to have so much to say. You always seemed like one of those reserved types."

"This is to important for me to care how I come off to you." Ulquiorra interjected.

Urahara nodded. "You're right though, it appears I do not understand everything. So why don't tell you tell me all that you know."

"Does this mean you're willing to help me?" Ulquiorra inquired.

"Oh ho ho ho, we'll see. But at the moment I'm just curious."

Ulquiorra frowned.

Urahara tipped his hat up slightly and began with his questions.

"So do tell me, why exactly did you shrunk? Do you know?"

Ulquiorra sighed. Yes he did know and he supposed there was nothing left to lose by telling him.

"When an arrancar is seconds away from their death and is met with the feelings of love, a timer is implanted on them and they shrink to this."

Urahara's eyes widened, "Wow hold up there, did you just say love?"

"I'd rather not talk about that with you."

A smirk painted itself across Urahara's face, "Alright then, go on. What is this timer?"

Ulquiorra showed him the timer on his arm underneath his fur. He explained what it meant and that the only way to stop his death from happening was for mutual feelings of love to take place. He explained how he wasn't up for that challenge in fear or rejection from the person in which these feelings were born for and also not desiring to force her into a situation where if she doesn't love him back then he dies. He explained how he wanted to find another way.

A few seconds passed and Urahara didn't say anything. The expression on his face was so contured that even Ulquiorra found it impossible to read.

The things Ulquiorra had just said was sinking in. Trust me, Urahara had heard of even more insane scenarios before, so he didn't doubt the murcielago. But he thouht about it and a gut feeling told him that this bat meant no harm to Orihime Inoue.

Well, he'd have to take a look see himself.

Urahara nodded, "Ahh well...it seems there is only one way."

Ulquiorra stared blankly.

"And you already know it!" He announced joyfully.

A deep frown set in on Ulquiorra's face. This man did not understand his situaion at all. Even after a thorough explanation on how the "only way" of breaking this spell will not work well with his current feelings, or should I say hers.

As the murcielago stood dumbfounded within Urahara's hand, a smirk creeped up his face. He could sense them coming, and how marvelous this situation could be.

He turned his attention back to Ulquiorra to see if he sensed them coming to.

'I guess not?' Urahara thought to himself.

At that he started towards the main room in his shop. The sudden movement made Ulquiorra lose balance and nearly fall, but he regained it just as quick.

Once they were a few feet away from the front door, Urahara started off again.

"So it looks like if that's all I need, you better be off then."

Ulquiorra turned with a perplexed look to the blonde headed man. He hadn't helped him with a single thing and all but wasted his time.

"It's nice to acknowledge the fact that I have confidence in finding someone to aid me in the future." He paused, "If I ever get one." He added with a slight tone of annoyance.

"Now now I don't understand why you're so upset." Urahara started, "If she never does return these feelings, why would you still want to be here anyways? A broken heart isn't all that fun you know."

Ulquiorra let the words sink in. He found those words odd...feelings...heart. Despite after everything it was still hard to accept the fact he had these things now. And it felt a bit odd to have Urahara talk so freely about it especially when it pertained to him.

But really though, he thought. What is a broken heart?

He was still facing Urahara when he heard footsteps enter the room, and stop a few feet away from them.

"Ulquiorra...is that you?"

He heard the familiar voice chime behind him, and instantly turned around to meet her eyes.

She was accompanied with a shorter female with raven black hair. Ulquiorra condluded her to be Rukia Kuchiki. His eyes fell over her and he was met with the most shoked expression he had ever seen.

Ulquiorra turned back to Orihime, as she took a step closer.

"Ulquiorra?" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, "What are you doing here?"

Before he could answer though, Urahara sling shotted himself into the conversation.

"It seems Ulqui here needed some advice from me." He pointed at the murcielago in his hands while explaining.

"Seems he got everything he needed to know out of me." And at that, he threw Ulquiorra towards Orihime. "Here."

He tumbled in the air. One moment his eyse were still locked on the woman and the next he was tossled in the air, he felt his stomach churn, and the next...

"Oi!"

...he landed in a heap in her hands.

Ulquiorra was on his back and his hair was covering his entire face.

"Are you alright?" She called out to him.

He then felt her soft delicate finger carefully brush aside his hair, and he was able to see her face again.

"I'm fine." He groaned out.


From afar Urahara watched them interact, and a smirk creeped up his lips.

"I can't be the only one here who thinks this is weird, right?" Rukia whispered to him, who had walked next to Urahara without him noticing. He was paying to much attention to what was going on before them.

He turned to her and said, "Oh I think I've seen weirder things."

Rukia frowned.

Orihime was smiling at Ulquiorra but then suddenly turned to her shinigami friend.

"Oi Rukia! Do you know where you're gonna be staying tonight?"

She scratched her chin, "Ehh well I was thinking about asking-"

Urahara wrapped his arm around her petite body and quickly covered her mouth, "Don't worry Inoue! As always the shinigami in town will be residing at my shop!"

Ulquiorra and Orihime both gave Urahara a perplexed look.

"Are you sure?" Orihime asked unsuringly.

Urahara nodded repeatedly, still clutching the shinigami's mouth closed.

At that, Orihime and Ulquiorra left.

Urahara finally released her, and Rukia was choking for breath.

"Are you mad? You almost killed me!" She blurted out at him, trying to catch her breath.

"Tsk Tsk, how can you ask Inoue such a thing? You wouldn't want to get in between them at such a vital time too!"

Rukia only stared at him menacingly. "Are you daft? I was trying to sayI was thinking about asking Ichigo, but then you attacked me."

She coughed a bit more.

"And of course I wouldn't ask Orihime. She told me enough about that little bat for me to pick up something was going on."

Urahara smirked upon hearing this, then chuckled darkly.

Oh little bat I don't know what you're so worried about.


AN: So this right here is me apologizing for he 6-7 month wait. Oh gawd I apologize at the end of every chapter what is this. Sorry for the lack of legit ulquihime head on action, expect more next chapter.

Remember, if you enjoyed reading this, be sure to leave a review.