Chapter 5: Something More

By: castawaycal

Each day was nearly identical. Ulquiorra would come in the early mornings, they would train together until midday, he would send her to the kitchens for lunch, then she would meet him back at the Eastern Grounds for more training until she either passed out from exhaustion or was promptly stopped by Ulquiorra before she did so. Pushing herself this hard was the least she could do.

She was making progress. Before she would tire around twenty resurrections, but now she could reach fifty with ease. It had been roughly a week since the incident with Nnoitra, but every time she thought about the eyepatched Espada, she could still remember the feeling of his cold fingers grazing her cheek as if he owned her. The memory was enough to make her push herself even more.

Besides Ulquiorra, Orihime saw no one. Even the nameless Arrancar had stopped tending to her, as if that had all been tasked to Ulquiorra. She wondered what he did in his spare time before she was brought to Hueco Mundo.

So she decided to ask. They were closer these days, which didn't really mean much, but he certainly seemed less uptight around her now. And she felt freer to speak her mind around him, knowing he wouldn't use her words against her.

"I tended to whatever Aizen-sama willed."

Orihime focused on restoring the small creature before her. "Like what?"

"I don't think you would like my answer."

The orange glow of Soten Kisshun dimmed as she finished. "What do you mean?"

She realized that she already knew the answer, but for some reason she wanted him to say more. Words were a precious commodity when it came to Ulquiorra. Thankfully, in the recent days he seemed more inclined to speak with her as if she was… an equal. Still, he was a man a few words and she couldn't help but feel a little prideful when she prompted him to say more than a few words at a time.

"I observed your shinigami friends and relayed information about their weaknesses."

She waited for a sense of disappointment or anger at his words, but there was none. Only a sense of a fleeting feeling - like watching something that once belonged to her float away in the wind. Her legs wanted to run after it, but her heart knew it was futile.

Ulquiorra peered at her inquisitively, waiting for her to react. "Does it not bother you?"

The words left her mouth without much thought. "I'm not angry. I understand… that it was your duty."

He seemed surprised by her answer. "Do you not wish for their safety?"

She stood so that they were eye to eye. "I do. I always will. But I no longer feel that I'm entitled to worry for them."

Ulquiorra looked up to the dark sky. "I never understood why humans would waste their time doing something as useless as worrying."

Orihime laughed. Except it had been such a long time that it came out more like an awkward cough. She decided she didn't really care enough to feel embarrassed by it, especially not in front of Ulquiorra. "You're right, it seems like an awful waste of time."

He looked back down at her, moonlight reflecting in his emerald eyes. They stood there for a moment and Orihime found herself studying his features more deeply. His high cheekbones, thin lips, dark hair.

Ulquiorra broke eye contact first, turning his head to the side. "You seem... livelier."

She was. Something about beating her body into exhaustion every day had made her feel more alive. Just weeks ago she felt herself on the brink of complete emotional deterioration, but now she was recovering. Training gave her a purpose. Her mind was sharper, thoughts clearer - it was like she was back in Soul Society, nothing on her mind but saving Rukia.

But now she was saving herself. And for once it didn't feel selfish.

"I think I realized that I was only miserable because I couldn't be honest with myself," she said, the words falling out of her mouth. "I hated the thought of being abandoned and gave my friends the benefit of the doubt, lying to myself when I couldn't bear the loneliness."

Ulquiorra was quiet but she knew he was listening.

"When I finally admitted that they weren't coming, I decided the most I could do was put my mind elsewhere." She touched his shoulder lightly. "Training with you has helped me a lot, so thank you, Ulquiorra. Truly."

Her gratitude would have shocked her past self. Or would it have? She would like to think that the old Orihime would have understood what this gesture meant, that she wasn't betraying the shinigami or humans with it, but that she was simply thanking the one person who had been beside her as she nearly tore herself apart. Although he probably thought nothing of it, she wanted to say it regardless.

Finally his gaze returned to hers. "I have done nothing deserving of thanks."

She smiled. "I thought you would say that."

He watched her carefully, like he'd never seen anything like her before.

It was Orihime's turn to turn away this time as she flushed, thinking back to when he had touched her cheek during a more vulnerable time. Why was she feeling embarrassed now?

"Your face is red," he said matter-of-factly.

Orihime blocked her face with her hands. "Don't look at me."

He didn't listen. Instead, Ulquiorra gently grabbed the hand she was using to block her face and moved it downwards to reveal her face. "Why does this happen?"

She assumed he meant the color of her face. Swallowing her lingering embarrassment, she told herself that Ulquiorra was the last person to make judgements about the tinge in her cheeks. "It happens when I feel self-conscious."

Ulquiorra raised his brows. "I didn't know humans knew how to be conscious of themselves."

Orihime mimicked the movement, feeling the heat in her face subside. "We aren't completely mindless, you know."

With complete seriousness he replied, "I know." He paused again and finally let go of her hand, as if just realizing he was still holding it. "We've wasted enough time already. Follow me."

Orihime felt his touch linger on her hand, the place where he touched feeling hot. She shook her head, blaming the strange feeling in her stomach on her fatigue.

She followed Ulquiorra out of the training grounds. It was still morning, too early for lunch. They wandered the fluorescent halls in the opposite direction of the kitchens, down corridors she had never been taken to before.

"Where are we going?"

Without turning around, Ulquiorra responded, "To your next appointment."

Before she could inquire further, he brought her to the end of the hall where a brassy door stood. Ulquiorra reached for the handle, but as soon as his fingertips touched the knob, the door sprung open to reveal an arrancar with groomed, vibrant pink hair, white-rimmed glasses framing his slender face.

"Finally!" The arrancar exclaimed, brushing past Ulquiorra and extending his arms towards her. Instinctively, Orihime backed away, surprised at the sudden proximity of this unknown male. But she wasn't afraid of him like she was Nnoitra, for some reason, his gaze beheld little menacing intent. As a replacement, he seemed curious, perhaps overly curious about her, his hazel eyes darting around as he observed every inch of her body.

However, despite how close he was, he didn't touch her. She was relieved at that.

"My name is Szayelaporro Granz, Octava Espada," he bowed mockingly. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Miss Orihime, you have no idea how difficult it was to get Ulquiorra to agree to this."

Orihime blinked. "Nice to meet you," she said out of habit. "Pardon me, but what did Ulquiorra agree to exactly?"

She shot a look towards the Espada in question and he seemed to be conveniently distracted by the decorative flourishing surrounding the door.

"My, my. How typical of Ulquiorra to omit from telling you. He is a man of few words, after all."

She was inclined to agree with him, but wasn't sure she wanted to establish that kind of relationship with another Espada.

"You're here so I can study you," Szayelapporo smiled and Orihime suspected there was little kindness behind it.

"I brought you here so he can help improve your abilities," Ulquiorra clarified. "Szayelapporo specializes in science, he works with Aizen-sama on developing the Hogyoku and other technologies."

Ulquiorra turned towards the refined-looking yet flamboyant scientist. His gaze had hardened, so unlike the inquisitiveness that had danced in his eyes earlier. "I will not let him be alone with you for a single moment," he said, speaking to her. "He will do nothing but prescribe you potential supplements to your powers."

"Woah, woah. No need to have such a scary look in your eyes, Ulquiorra. As if I'd do anything to harm a precious, human girl," Szayelapporo said, his tone suggesting he was willing to do quite that.

Orihime didn't know what to think of this proposition. Or was it an order? Szayelapporo seemed untrustworthy, and if even Ulquiorra was wary of him, shouldn't she be staying far, far away?

No, that was the thinking of her past self. One that made excuses for backing away from anything that seemed remotely difficult. If there was something she could do to improve her Shun Shun Rikka, she would do it. She had come to trust Ulquiorra's judgement, and if he was allowing this, it would be okay.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

"First, I'd like to see you use your powers," Szayelapporo said. With that, he turned back into what Orihime realized was his laboratory, motioning for them to follow him. "Aizen-sama has briefed us on your role here. Restoring the Vagabond… only he would dream of being able to do such a thing."

Orihime surveyed her surroundings as Szayelapporo continued on about the Vagabond, reiterating what Aizen had told her almost a month ago. The scientist's laboratory was a single, large room with various equipment lining the walls. Similar to the Eastern Grounds, it had no ceiling and she was greeted again by the moonlit sky. Apparently it was a theme of Las Noches to enjoy the uninhibited night sky in several of the rooms.

She found herself wishing for a similar view in her own cell, the small, barred window seeming significantly inadequate compared to this. But alas, she was still a prisoner who had not yet earned the trust of such a luxury.

Szayelapporo stopped at the far right edge of the room, where an upright glass container, large enough for her to fit, stood.

"Step in, please," he said, gesturing to the container as if it was a seat at an expensive restaurant.

"I thought you wanted to see my powers," Orihime said.

"Yes, I would like for you to use them while this machine here monitors your reiatsu. Don't worry, I'll make sure you can get out," he said with a wink.

She looked to Ulquiorra and he nodded his approval. The container was large enough she wouldn't feel claustrophobic, but it was still unnerving. She felt like no more than a lab rat.

But she obliged and stepped into the glass structure.

"Very good, Miss Orihime. In a moment, you'll see a broken plate before you. If you could use your Soten Kisshun on it, I would very much appreciate it. Once you restore it, it will automatically break again. I want to measure your current stamina and depth of your powers, which will help me devise a proper supplement to expand your abilities."

She nodded, a little surprised by his transparency. The container was shut and she watched as a plate materialized before her and shattered, just as he described. She promptly called out for Shun'o and Ayame and went to work.

After a few restorations, Orihime realized she wasn't even concentrating. After doing resurrections with Ulquiorra, restoring something without life was like blinking. Before, she had to keep her mind on all of her work in order to ensure the job would be complete. She marveled at the revelation, the sense of improvement more fulfilling than anything she'd experienced before.

She let her mind wander as she continued to restore the plate again and again. She had no idea how much time passed before the plate stopped shattering automatically and the container reopened.

Szayelapporo had been monitoring her from a few feet away, watching various graphs and numbers fluctuate upon a small screen.

"It seems your powers have increased greatly from a month ago," he observed, still staring at the graphs. "I suppose we have Ulquiorra to thank."

Ulquiorra was leaning against the wall beside the container, watching her the entire time. "Her improvement is entirely of her own merit," he said, again deflecting any credit given to him.

Szayelapporo chuckled. "Humble as always. Well, that's enough for today. As much as I 'd like to experiment more with such a beautiful woman, I'm afraid I'm quite busy."

Orihime paled slightly at the comment, feeling uncomfortable with the way he spoke of her. She would gladly take her leave now.

Ulquiorra seemed to feel the same because he quickly nodded his head towards the door and she swiftly followed him out.

As soon as they were far from Szayelapporo's laboratory, Orihime asked, "Where are we headed now?"

"Kitchens," he said simply.

They didn't speak again until they reached the dining area, and that was when Orihime realized she had never seen Ulquiorra eat before.

"Are you eating with me?" she asked him. At home, she was used to eating alone ever since her brother passed away. Yet, she still very much enjoyed eating with others. It always seemed to make the food taste better.

"I do not need to eat human food. I survive off the air in Hueco Mundo."

His answer was both sad and disappointing. Not being able to eat, even if it was just bland food, was like taking away one of the very joys of life. Not wanting to give up just yet, she asked, "Can you eat it, though? Human food?"

Ulquiorra pondered the question as he led her to a solitary table in front of the kitchen. "I suppose I could. But I do not see any merit in doing so."

Orihime hummed in response and sat down. He sat down as well, which surprised her after his previous response.

But before she could ask about it, he said, "To make sure Szayelapporo doesn't try to take you back without my supervision."

Her eyes widened. "Would he do that?"

"I can't be sure, but he has been known to be overly devoted to his test subjects."

She thought about the strange mannerisms of the pink-haired Espada and realized she definitely could see him trying to snatch her once she was out of Ulquiorra's reach. The thought didn't sit well with her at all. "Are all the Espada like this? So… intense."

She'd seen Yammy's uncontrollable need for destruction, Grimmjow's unending rage towards her friends, Nnoitra's smothering menace, and now Szayelapporo's crazed curiosity. The only one who wasn't like them was Ulquiorra, who always remained calm. But she supposed that was intensity in its own right.

"The higher-ranking Espada are known to be more collected. The others are simply acting on their own hunger for power."

It was an easy answer, she realized, for Ulquiorra to point their personalities to something as vague as power. She thought of how Grimmjow thanked her and was unable to think of him as entirely one thing. "Do you really think that?"

The food arrived then, an Arrancar placing a single tray before her. She didn't touch it.

"Why do you ask that?" It didn't seem like he was trying to deflect her question, rather he seemed genuinely curious about her thoughts.

"A while back, when we were heading out to train and Grimmjow stopped us. He thanked me for healing his arm. I…" She didn't really know where she was going with this.

"You want to know if the Espada are capable of human emotion."

She nodded, glad that he understood.

His eyes had that same faraway look she'd seen when she'd broken down in front of him. "Lately I find myself wondering the same thing." He focused his gaze back on her. "I believe these thoughts began ever since I saw you cry."

Although she would feel embarrassed by his words in any other situation, she found herself noticing that his demeanor had grown softer. She remembered her first week in her room, cursing the lack of emotion in his words, in his gaze. He still felt incredibly distant, so different from the friends that always had worn their hearts on their sleeves. But she realized she was becoming used to his steeling presence, the one that had given her the space to sort her thoughts.

"The fact that you wonder about these things shows that you do possess something," she said. "Although I can't even understand it myself, I do not see you as a monster, Ulquiorra."

He watched her carefully, just as he always did. "Do you not resent me for taking you from your home? Your friends?"

A continuation from their earlier conversation. He seemed to remember, too. "I don't think I ever resented you. I was frustrated, of course, by the circumstances, and by my own powerlessness, most of all."

"There was nothing you could have done. If you didn't agree to come with me, I would have had to forcibly take you."

It was almost like he was telling her not to blame herself. "Still, I can't help but think about what I could have done differently."

"That feeling of regret," he said. "I think I can come to understand it as well."

"And what," Orihime said, "exactly do you regret?"

Again that faraway look. "A few things."

She felt he didn't want to speak about it further, so she didn't press despite how curious she was.

Orihime realized she hadn't touched her food yet, so she finally picked up her fork to eat. They didn't speak for the rest of the meal.

A/N: You can probably tell by how I've written him, but Szayelapporo's personality confuses me a lot, lol. So please ignore any OOC moments because I'm still trying to figure out who he is really and what he thinks about things.

A faster update because I read all your reviews and they make me smile :))