Well, here is Chapter 5!

Sorry, I started school again, so I was busy for a while.

I hope you love this chapter. Sparks are beginning to fly!

Note: For those of you who read this chapter already, I added a bit more to the end. You don't have to reread the entire chapter.

-O-

Chapter 5:

Softer

Sayuri helped Ulquiorra get back to his feet again. He told her he had wanted to get cleaned up. Or in his exact words, "Take me to where I can clean up, woman."

So, here she was, trying to help him walk all the way to the bathroom.

"I can get there myself," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"If I was not, I would not have said it," came the harsh reply.

Reluctantly, Sayuri let her arms that had been supporting him fall to her side, watching cautiously and following him closely for any sign that he may fall as he began to take his own steps.

As Ulquiorra nearly reached the door leading out of her room, his legs buckled.

'Curses,' he thought to himself. His legs had never felt this weak for quite a long time.

Sayuri, with mere reflex, moved quickly in front of him to catch him in her arms, but he was too heavy for her. Both of them dove downwards, Sayuri falling on her back while Ulquiorra continued to fall forward.

Unfortunately, their fall was stopped short when Sayuri's head and body collided with the unopened door with a loud thump. Her body skidded down the wood of the door, her hands gripping the injured man to her chest safely, until her bottom landed on the floor.

Ulquiorra was released from her gentle and protective grip, and he sat looking at her.

Her eyes were closed tightly in pain from the impact of her head to the door.

Sayuri held her head with both her hands; she felt dizzy and sick and deeply in pain.

She opened her eyes, looked at Ulquiorra, and smiled.

"I'm ok."

The intelligent Espada knew she was lying. It was obvious.

Her hands remained tightly gripping her sore head as she looked down and blinked furiously to rid of the gathering tears.

She cried inwards, 'My head.'

She felt miserable. Now, she probably looked like some crying girl in front of the boy she hardly knew.

Feeling embarrassed, the blued eyed young lady stood up, ignoring the protest from her head.

"Excuse me," she smiled at him, pain evident on her face, "I have to use the bathroom."

Ulquiorra watched as she wobbled dangerously while walking out the door and towards the bathroom at the end of the hall.

'That was so embarrass-,' she thought until her world turned suddenly black.

Ulquiorra used what strength he had and ran to the falling body. She had caught him. It was only fair if he did the same.

The petite body landed in his hands, her head placed gently on his chest. He ignored the soreness that struck his body as he gazed at her tormented face.

He numbed the pain screaming from his body –ignoring it –as he positioned the fragile body on his arms, her head resting by his chest and her limbs dangling limply.

He steadied his legs. As he walked back to the room, he felt her head move.

Sayuri felt the cool touch radiating near her head. She opened her eyes. Panicked engulfed her.

"Wh-what's going on?" she began, simply realizing that she was off the ground, "Where a-am I? Wha-"

"Be quiet woman," Ulquiorra said impatiently. "Stop your squirming about."

Sayuri looked up, shock. She had not realized it was him.

She settled in her place in his arms, a blush creeping its way to her cheeks.

"I have never been carried by someone before," she explained, "Sorry for the troub-"

"Stop your apologizing," he interrupted.

Sayuri opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped when she felt another searing shock traveling in her head.

"Don't move your head," Ulquiorra instructed, "Keep it still."

"Mm ok. Ulquiorra, you can set me down on the floo-"

Sayuri was unable to finish when Ulquiorra interrupted her once more when he carefully placed her on the bed.

"W-wait. This is your bed," she protested as she tried to sit up.

Her shoulders were kept down, however, by a pair of strong, white hands.

"Stay."

Sayuri gave in, "Ok." Her head would not let her protest.

She grabbed the blanket Ulquiorra used since hers was on the floor and laid her head on the pillow.

Ulquiorra was about to turn around but was halted by slender fingers grabbing hold of his hands.

He looked at her.

"What is it, woman?"

"Thank you for lending me your bed."

"It was yours to begin with."

Another smile placed itself on her lips.

'She smiles too much,' he commented.

"If you would like, the bathroom is down the hall. You can clean yourself there."

"I can do that another time," came his response.

Ulquiorra sat down on the floor at the center of the room, his back facing the bed.

Sayuri realized as she laid on the bed that her tests were within three days.

'Oh no!'

In a moment of panic she began to sit up on the bed.

"I told you not to move," she heard him.

"I need to study," she pleaded, "I can't fail on my tests, and they are coming up soon."

"Do you want to faint again?" he said, not turning his head to look at her.

"Please…" she begged.

She looked at his back, and thought that he saw him sigh.

He got up and gathered the scattered books on the floor. He looked at them as he walked over to the bed.

"This is simple," he commented, "You need not study for it."

The young man placed the books on the desk just out of reach of Sayuri's hand.

"Ulquiorra, please. I need to learn them, so I do not fail my classes."

Ulquiorra assessed her face and her posture. She felt herself shrink back under the scrutiny of his mesmerizing but powerful gaze.

But she could not let him win. Even if did she dislike school, she did not want to fail in it.

Ulquiorra noticed the flicker of determination in her blue eyes.

"I will teach them to you."

Sayuri sighed.

"What? Do you believe that I cannot teach you?" he asked.

Sayuri laughed. It was the first time he had heard laughter that had no evil intention behind it.

She said, "No. It's just that you're so difficult to read."

He would not admit it, but it was difficult for him to read her as well.

"Hm."

The black haired man sat back down on the floor –his back no longer facing the bed.

Sayuri settled herself on the familiar bed. She held the blanket just below her chin.

'It smells different…,' she noted.

'It smells like him.'

"Ulquiorra?" she asked, not knowing why she said his name in the first place.

"Shouldn't you be resting woman."

She had began to become accustomed to his distant way of talking. To her, it felt like they were becoming familiar.

Sayuri turned her head on the pillow so that she looked straight at him. Her black hair was braided, but loose strands settled themselves on the sides of her rosy face, effectively framing her head like a dark frame on a beautiful painting. Her gentle eyes that mimicked the serenity of the ocean gazed at the man sitting before her.

His face looked calm, but she saw that beyond that calmness was a glare directly aimed at her. His features were trim and hard but gorgeous, like a well cut diamond.

She smiled. "You should be more relaxed. You're young, so you should look at the world with open eyes."

"Hn."

His glare was still in place. Sayuri sighed.

"I just wanted to know what type of food you like. I realized that I've been giving you food without knowing whether or not you like them."

She knew that all the plates she had left behind for him to eat had all been emptied whenever she returned, but she deduced that it may be due to the fact that there was no other food for him to consume.

Ulquiorra's constant glare broke for a very brief second, but it was enough time for Sayuri to notice it. It was easy to spot a change in his stoic face. She saw hesitance, surprise, the ever present distant look in his eyes, and a bit of hunger in that short absence of his defenses.

"I apologize for giving you food you didn't like," Sayuri stated after seeing that hunger deep within his orbs. She felt guilty. She was supposed to look after him until he got better, but she was careless enough to give him food that he didn't prefer.

"The food is fine." The sweet baritone voice that she came to look forward to hearing broke her thoughts.

Somehow, that voice always mesmerizes her. It was beautiful. It was rough, but it brought peace within her. Most of all, since that baritone voice contrasts with his stone-like characteristics, it reveals that he has a softer part of him. His voice was more flexible -more alive.

Ulquiorra looked at Sayuri with the same faraway coldness.

"The food is fine," he repeated.

He couldn't tell her he fed on souls. That was one basic rule in the interaction of humans and other worldly beings. Anyone with common sense should know that rule. And he had a lot of common sense.

She smiled.

"I'm glad," the black haired young teen said, unaware of the lie in Ulquiorra's words.

Yet, she continued to wear her innocent grin for the youth that had no innocent smile to give.

Out of nowhere, Ulquiorra heard Sayuri inhale a sharp breath of air.

"Ow," she whispered thinly. She grasped her sore head with her left hand. "I should have been more careful," she said more to herself than to Ulquiorra. Still, the same innocent smile graced her lips.

This time, however, Sayuri failed to notice one thing: the tiniest upwards curve on the ashen man's lips.

It was the only smile he could give.

-O-

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