A/N: Thanks guys for all the positive feedback :3 I'm so happy you guys like the story so far! I just wanted to let you know that I went back and edited a few things to make the first chap flow better (and make it less weird that Ulquiorra just decided to go live with Orihime, lol). It's not necessary to read it again though, as there were only a few minor changes, such as Grimmjow and Orihime having known each other (kind of) before. Anyway, on to the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Chapter 2- Of Hot Chocolate and Cardboard Boxes
Not that he would ever admit it, but the raven-haired man was relieved that Grimmjow decided to stay and help him pack up. The blue-haired youth was currently carrying a stack of cardboard boxes, cursing loudly as he jammed his toe into the side of the door.
"Damnit, Ulquiorra! What do you have in these boxes, bricks?!"
"...Mind your language. And they are books, not bricks." He chastised, carrying a much smaller box filled with miscellaneous items.
"Freaking hell, did you rob a library? I've never seen so many books before..."
"That's because the closest you've ever gotten to going into a library is the one at our high school, when you walked in thinking it was the gym."
"Shut up! It was a mistake anyone could have made!"
"There was a metal plaque by the door that had the word library engraved into it."
Grimmjow let out an annoyed sigh, plopping the stack of books onto the coffee table. "If you keep being a smartass I'll let you carry all of your stupid books to Orihime's apartment by yourself."
Ulquiorra gave the man a cold glare, crossing his legs indignantly. "That would be unwise. I might accidentally tell your girlfriend about that incident."
The cerulean-eyed teen blushed heavily, remembering the incident very well. "F-fine, I'll help ya. Geeze, I was just kidding..."
Regardless of his intentions before, Grimmjow picked up the stack of boxes, nearly sprinting out the door in his haste.
A small smile flitted across the man's face as he opened up the book in his lap. Sometimes it was too easy to manipulate the reckless youth.
Three hours later and after more than a hundred curses (in which Orihime had to cover her ears more than once), all of Ulquiorra's belongings had been moved into the second room of Orihime's apartment. Her apartment was significantly larger than his own, making it easy to understand as to why the orange-haired girl needed a roommate.
There were still left-over boxes stocked haphazardly around the apartment as well as a collection of books scattered across any flat surface. Ulquiorra had been sure to move most of his more personal belongings into his room, but left his books and other miscellaneous belongings scattered around the apartment. It was how he always kept his belongings organized; disorganized, but in a way where he knew everything was. And he planned to keep it that way, regardless of who he was rooming with.
"Well, I'm gonna go pack up my stuff now. See ya later, Ulqui, Ginger." The foul-mouthed man waved at the pair, a feline grin on his face.
"Bye, Grimmjow-kun!" Orihime waved, smiling back happily.
The door clicked behind him, leaving the two alone in her (their apartment, he corrected). The girl let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her head.
"He's not as mean as I thought he was! He seems pretty nice, actually! I wonder why Ichigo always told me he was such a jerk..."
Ulquiorra did not respond, fingers gliding over the page in his lap. He appeared to be absorbed in the text, emerald orbs never once leaving the paper.
"H-how did you guys meet, if you don't mind me asking?"
"...It is a long story." That I do not wish to tell, he added in his head, flipping the page.
"Oh..." She trailed off, the room lapsing into silence. This continued for a good few minutes, with Ulquiorra taking his usual position on the couch and Orihime standing to the side, fidgeting awkwardly with her hair. Eventually, a light bulb went off in her head as she bolted into the kitchen, nearly slipping to the floor on her way there.
"Since it's getting cold outside a cup of hot chocolate would be great! Do you want a cup?"
Before he could refuse her (he disliked sweet things) the orange-haired girl had already taken it upon herself to get out two cups, humming as she set up the drinks. He sighed, realizing that it would be useless to try and stop her.
A few minutes later she came out of the kitchen holding two steaming mugs, giving one to the silent boy. He mumbled a small thanks before staring uncertainly at the drink. Was there something... moving in the dark liquid?
"I hope you don't mind, but I added some bean paste and peppermint! It's a favorite combination of mine." She chirped happily, taking a sip of her own concoction.
Reluctantly, the man brought the cup to his lips, taking a hesitant sip. To his relief, it was not too sweet. It was almost bitter and most certainly not an average cup of hot chocolate. But, surprisingly, he found himself enjoying the drink, taking another less hesitant sip.
"Do you like it?" Orihime questioned, a look of anticipation in her grey orbs. She sat on the pinstriped couch eagerly, nearly holding her breath as she waited for the man's answer.
The man gave a small nod, taking another sip. It really wasn't all that bad... and before he knew it, he had drunk the entire cup.
Orihime giggled as the man stared pitifully at the bottom of the cup, an almost sorrowful look on his face. He instantly returned to his neutral expression when he noticed her staring, giving the girl a questioning look.
"It's nothing... I'm just happy you like it! Rukia would never eat my cooking; we got take-out more times than I can count." She waved her hands around wildly as if it would somehow help convey her emotions.
His gaze travels again from her outstretched hands and for a moment, loses himself in the blur of white. It reminded him faintly of the diaphanous wings of a butterfly that leaves a warm feeling in the back of his mind, but immediately shakes away the thought. In his world there was only black and white, what he could see and feel and touch, nothing else. And that meant feelings such as friendship, camaraderie, or even love were not real.
The raven-haired man buttoned his coat, staring dimly at the girl beside him who was currently fiddling with her green scarf. She then proceeded to zip up her jacket, catching locks of her orange hair into the zipper more than once.
"Are you ready to go?" She questioned once she had finally slipped on her boots, fingers encased in a pair of warm, hand-knit gloves.
He nodded, reaching for the doorknob. They had agreed to go grocery shopping as most of Orihime's purchases from the day before had been spoiled from their collision with the concrete floor. Ulquiorra had no real likes or dislikes as far as food, but decided to appease the girl, finding that the somewhat dismal weather had been a blessing for his eyes. No longer did the pristine snow seem to give off as harsh as a glare, making the trek to the grocery store much more bearable.
They walked in relative silence, the only sound coming from the dull crunch of snow underneath their boots. The emerald-eyed man kept his gaze towards the sky, letting the cold grey blend into his vision and blot out the slight glow of white from the heavy snow. He was faring well with the weather, enjoying the cold wind that tickled his cheeks and unprotected hands. The pale man turned to the woman beside him, noticing that she was shivering.
Orihime's cheeks were flushed a rosy pink as she tugged the scarf around her tighter, teeth chattering in the biting wind. Shivers wracked her lithe frame, but a small smile still framed her face.
"Why are you smiling?" He asked suddenly, emerald eyes piercing and cold.
"W-what are you talking about, Ulquiorra?"
"You're cold yet you smile. Why is this?"
She laughed, pressing a gloved hand to her mouth. "Well, that's because I am happy! It's no fun to be mopey just because of the weather. Besides, I like the fresh air—when it's not this cold, anyway."
He absorbed the information, a frown flitting across his face. She was obviously in a state of distress; cold, perhaps even miserable, yet she smiled for no particular reason. How odd... he mused, caught up in his own thoughts until they reached the small grocery store.
The woman immediately ran towards the discount aisles, taking whatever she deemed was on sale. He followed behind quietly, hands stuffed comfortably in his pockets. He watched with mild interest as the orange-haired woman stuffed the cart with all manner of confectionary goods, an adequate distraction from the too-bright fluorescent lights.
"Hey, Ulquiorra, do you like leeks? How about bean paste? I put it in your hot chocolate. Ooh, maybe some takoyaki or mochi…" She seemed to be in her own little world, piling item after item into the small shopping cart.
"Do you have the sufficient funds to pay for these?" He asked just as Orihime placed a gallon of mint-flavored ice-cream into the cart.
She laughed nervously, pulling her wallet from her purse. It was empty.
"W-well, I have a shift at the diner tomorrow so it should be fine—"
He pulled a wad of money from his own wallet, silently placing it into the girl's hands.
"Wait, I can't just take your money!"
"We are roommates; it is only customary that we share the payment for both our groceries and the room we live in. Think nothing of it." He explained, walking ahead of her.
Orihime sighed, but followed after the man. Perhaps he was kinder than he let on. A small smile graced her lips. Ulquiorra Cifer was a nice person… and a good roommate indeed.
The pair shared the load of groceries equally, both carrying two plastic bags of various foods. Orihime hummed to herself as they walked, taking a short-cut to their apartment. Turning a corner, they heard the sound of a dim mewl.
"Did you hear that, Ulquiorra-kun?"
He nodded, turning his attention to what appeared to be a cardboard box sandwiched between two run-down buildings. Nestled inside the box was a tiny kitten, fur slicked from the snow.
Orihime immediately bent down to pick it up, dropping her groceries to bring the shivering creature to her chest. "Oh, no! What should we do, Ulquiorra?" She petted the animal's head softly, gazing warmly at the kitten's topaz orbs. It mewled helplessly against her, burrowing its head into the soft fabric of her jacket.
"Do what you want; I care little for annoying pests." He spoke, although a hint of interest could be seen in his expression. He was not a fan of pets; but cats were… average, in his opinion. They required little effort and could otherwise fend for themselves. They cared not for the will of their masters, but for themselves.
"Don't say that about Mr. Kitty! He's shivering and cold and probably hungry too! Let's keep him! The apartment doesn't have anything against pets, after all."
"No." He replied quickly, walking away from the woman. Keeping the animal would still require some effort, regardless of its independent nature. He had not time for silly animals... even if they were warm and soft.
"Come on, Ulquiorra-kun, just hold him! You'll definitely change your mind if you do!" She held out the kitten to him, grey eyes wide with determination.
"…If it will hasten our return home." He sighed, picking up the cat. The white-furred animal instantly curled towards him, purring softly. Ulquiorra stared confused at the bundle of fur in his arms, a strange sensation in his chest. It was warm… and not too unpleasant.
"See, didn't I tell you? He's such a sweetie; can we take him home, please?" She begged, giving her best imitation of puppy-dog eyes.
The green-eyed man looked to the kitten wearily and then back at the orange-haired woman. He eventually gave in, handing the animal back to Orihime.
"…Only if you give him a better name."
The woman's eyes instantly brightened as she let out a bell-like laugh, smiling widely. "I've always wanted a pet! Now, what should we name him…? Mint? Cookie? Maybe Brownie? Or Ice-cream?" The girl continued to rattle off food names as they walked home, Ulquiorra carrying all four bags of groceries.
"Cero." He stated simply before returning his gaze to the street.
Orihime smiled. "Cero it is then! What do you think about the name, Cero?" The cat meowed happily, burrowing further into the soft fabric of her jacket.
There was a quick trip to the vet in which they found out the cat was perfectly healthy, if not a little cold and hungry. They then traveled to the animal store to buy the necessary items needed to keep a cat, once again using Ulquiorra's money.
They eventually returned to the apartment where the ginger-haired girl set out the animal supplies, placing the sleek white kitten into the pet bed. It burrowed happily into the soft bedding, before Ulquiorra returned to the couch, picking up just a regular novel from the counter.
He sat contentedly, fingers skimming the pages while Orihime brought out her laptop. The room was filled with the sound of clicking and pages turning, leaving an overall amicable atmosphere. Suddenly, Cero got up from his bed, the little bell on his collar ringing loudly.
He stretched before ambling towards the raven-haired man. Cero meowed, hopping onto the couch to settle in Ulquiorra's lap. The man pretended to not notice the animal's presence, eyes cast to the book in his hands.
The cat eventually drifted off to sleep in the man's lap, tail flicking languidly in the quiet peace. Orihime smiled at the picture of the two, watching as Ulquiorra began to subconsciously pet the animal. Cero purred in his sleep, obviously more content with the man as a pillow than his bed.
Needless to say, it was quite a heartwarming sight, especially when the smallest of smiles flitted across Ulquiorra's lips for a brief moment.
A/N: And the fluff begins XD Just imagine Ulquiorra with a little white kitten in his lap ^^ I do promise more comedy in the future to balance out the fluff, so stay tuned! Also, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review/favorite/follow this story; it makes me really happy :3
Anyway, I'll see you guys later for Chapter 3!
Review?
-Isis