***Sorry this chapter took so long guys. I hope you like it. It took me a while to write because it's hard to keep them in character while writing something so different than what happens in the anime/manga. XD PLEASE let me know if you think they are OOC, I do edits and rewrites all the time. Please also leave reviews, they give me a lot of motivation to write :3 Thanks!

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Chapter 5

"This is taking too long…" Orihime said worriedly, breaking from her frozen state of shock, her cheek still tingling cold where his hand had been.

Ulquiorra could feel himself getting stronger, his regenerative properties were speeding up the healing process of his arms and legs, but that couldn't aid the rebuilding of his lost organs. He looked at her, his eyes tired, but his body awake and busy.

"Woman…" he spoke, his hand rising to press gently against the field she'd put up, "Your friend destroyed integral parts of my body… It will take time for your power to heal that." His voice was his usual apathetic tone, his face expressionless, but his eyes betrayed him. They conveyed his confusion, and his thankfulness. He was dead. If it weren't for her, he would be ashes in the wind. What was he supposed to do in this situation? No one had ever saved him like this before; when Aizen had saved him it had been for his own greedy desires. Here, there was no ulterior motive. He couldn't figure out a way that this would benefit her. The explanation he'd been given didn't make sense. She didn't owe him anything; all he'd done so far is tried to hurt her. He just couldn't figure her out.

Orihime met his eyes, her gaze a bit stronger now at the realization that her friends were really all okay. "Why did you reach out for me?" her voice wavered as she voiced the question that lingered in her heart. In that split moment, when he'd begun to fade, her heart had started to scream. It was as if she was watching someone she loved die all over again, she couldn't bare it. Her hands shook for a second as she remembered it. Blinking, her imperial topaz eyes met his green peridot, her question hanging heavily between them.

He turned his face away, his eyes looking out at the darkness of Las Noches, the never ending desert sand and night sky seemingly melting together. What could he tell her? He didn't know why. He didn't understand it. But he didn't wish to lie to her, that didn't feel right to him, which was also a new feeling. He glanced back at her without moving his face; this sideways look was becoming a signature look to her. She waited patiently, hoping he wasn't upset with her for asking so abruptly. The espada swallowed before parting his lips.

"I don't know," he replied swiftly, his eyes scrutinizing her face, "I don't understand what this is."

He didn't lie, but he also didn't tell her everything. He knew what this was, knew very well what it symbolized and what it would mean for him. If Lord Aizen finds me, I'm dead, Ulquiorra realized, thinking to himself that Aizen would win this battle and that would mean the end of him...and the girl. The sudden thought shocked him, turning back to face her with wide eyes before his eyes began to narrow. No one will hurt her, I won't let them, he heard himself thinking this in his mind and almost felt like it was someone else's thought, not his own. Why her? Why him? None of it made sense, and his scientific way of processing just couldn't comprehend the logic of this. How could they create such a 'heart'? Something between them, something so...tangible, and yet so foreign to him. It was a concept he was struggling to grasp as he began to re-form his entire abdomen, his hips beginning to come back now as a final touch.

Orihime had been watching him, his answer not surprising her at all. There was something strange happening though; she couldn't really tell what it was. Her mind lingered on whether her friends would be okay, her body sensing that her friends were still fighting. Now that she was safe, she wondered if the espada would really let her go to save them. All she wanted was to heal them. It was all that mattered, no one could die today. No one she could save. Death was tiring and the thought of it was something her heart couldn't bear. Arrancar, human, or reaper, it didn't matter. The only person here who really deserved this was Aizen himself. At least, that was her opinion. She had a feeling the others wouldn't agree with that thought, though. Noticing that her powers were working much faster now that his abdomen was done healing, she looked up at him, smiling cheerfully at her handiwork. His expression surprised her and she almost wanted to take a step back. His eyes bore into hers with an intensity she wasn't accustomed to. Why was he looking at her so curiously? Was she acting odd again?

"W-What?" she asked tentatively, fighting not to avert her gaze, she felt oddly embarrassed, "What is it? Did I do something weird?"

He blinked, "Why are you asking me this?"

"You're looking at me strangely," she pointed out, realizing that he had no idea. She laughed softly. He was changing, she was right, but he wasn't noticing it himself. It was like watching a child.

"Am I?" his voice faded as he tilted his head back, looking up at the sky as her gold field blinked and disappeared. He was fully healed.

"You were," she informed him, taking a small step back as her hair clips came to her hair, "It seemed like you wanted to say something." The Arrancar raised a brow at her, watching her steadily.

"Why have you taken a step back? Are you afraid of me now?" he asked, slowly taking a step forward. Surely she wasn't afraid of him now? It would make sense, but he'd come to learn that she wasn't the kind of girl who made sense in that way. There was no way she'd suddenly decided to be normal. Or maybe...was she lying all along? His internal thoughts went in circles as the silence between them grew.

Orihime inhaled deeply, letting out the breath before biting her lip.

"I just thought...you'd want your personal space!" she laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head as she gave him a weak smile. She wasn't afraid; she just didn't know how to act now. They weren't captor and prisoner anymore, they really weren't anything. What was she supposed to say or do now? What were they? She hoped they could be friends, that he wouldn't go back on his silent promise and hurt her friends… Could she trust him?

"Personal...space…" he repeated, his voice quiet as he took another step forward, the girl froze in her spot, her eyes going up to meet his as he kept taking small steps closer to her, "I don't believe that has been an issue before." He recalled when she had slapped him, how she'd been inches away from him. Personal space hadn't seemed to be the problem then, so why now?

"Ah! Y-You're right…" she said, dropping her gaze as he was now centimeters away from her. What was he doing? He was making her nervous. The same question repeated in her mind, and she accidentally spoke aloud, "Can I trust you?" Her voice was a whisper, muffled by his chest as he rested his chin on her shoulder, arms wrapping around her.

The embrace was awkward at first, and the Arrancar immediately regretted it. He didn't know why, but he wanted so badly to just hold her. It was an odd impulse, another new sensation he wasn't used to. Was he doing it right? He didn't understand humans, and he didn't really care to either, but he also didn't want to make the girl hate him by overstepping himself. Right as he went to pull away, to say some monotone excuse, the girl's arms rose and wrapped around him in return. Warmth radiated from her and through him, warmth he'd never known. He'd been around fire and sunlight, but had never felt warmth like this in his hollow life.

"Yes," he told her, knowing it was the truth. He wouldn't lie to her. He may not be able to be good, but he knew, at the very least, that he would never lie. A small noise escaped between them, and suddenly he could feel wetness on his chest. His hands on her back sensed her shaking slightly and he realized what was happening. Instantly, he pulled away, afraid he'd hurt her and just gone back on his word in the same moment he'd spoken it, but to his surprise, the girl was smiling. She laughed, a wide grin spreading across her lips. She took a step forward; closing the space he'd opened between them, and fell into his arms, burying her face in his chest as she cried. The sudden jolt made him have to take a small step back, his arms catching and steadying her. With one hand, he patted her back, letting her stay there until she wanted to leave.

She cried and cried, the tears exploding from her. She'd held this in for so long, and for some reason...she didn't feel like she had to bury it anymore. So much had happened in so little time, and her heart was making so little sense to her. What did she want? What could she do? All she knew was that people were getting hurt and it was all because of her, her and Ulquiorra, and she'd saved him. Did she do the right thing? She felt odd thinking this while she was also using him to cry on, but the thought made her realize that she'd done the right thing. She was glad she hadn't let him die, but she was so confused and lost. What would she do from here? What would his next move be? She didn't know what would happen, but she fought to try and quiet her tears, trying so hard to calm herself so she could return to her friends soon...

Ulquiorra was patient, not complaining or moving her to the side. His mind was quiet, except for the constant thought of worry.

What will we do? What are we? What is this?

What is this heart?