Chapter 4: Mixed Feelings
-Lucy's POV-
A week had passed by since my incident with Ulquiorra. He hasn't spoken a word to me since. In a mysterious way that I was completely unaware of, it made me feel more lonely than usual. The day after however, I seen the girl named Orihime again. We hit it off great and became quick friends. I told her all about my plan to try and get Ulquiorra to open up to me. We didn't really get to talk much since then because we were in different towers. But today was our chance to finally catch back up. We sat a good little piece outside of the meeting room and waited for them to be done. I finally decided to ask her.
"Orihime, so tell me what it's like to be in Grimmjow's tower. Does he talk to you?"
"Actually, yes. He treats me better than he does the other Espada. He's plain right down harsh to them, but he's soft and kind to me. I'm starting to question my feelings for Ichigo. You sound somewhat sad. What's bothering you?"
"It's Ulquiorra, Orihime. I haven't been able to get him to open up to me at all. To be truthful I don't even understand why I want him to open up to me. I always thought my greatest feelings resided with Natsu. But now I'm not so sure. I'm trying so hard to get him to open up to me and I don't even know why. Maybe it's because I've always found myself able to see the better of people. I want to believe that he has emotions somewhere deep down inside of him. I want to know that he has what it takes to be a good person."
"Don't hate me for this but…I THINK SOMEONE HAS A CRUSH!"
"No! It's not like that at all Orihime. Not…at…all."
-Ulquiorra's POV-
That meeting was rather dull. All we did was discuss the intruders that had entered Hueco Mundo. They were friends of that Orihime girl. I absolutely despised that orange haired shinigami. It didn't matter though. They all would die within this place. I walked outside of the room. Grimmjow was beside me because we had to pick up the girls. After we left the room I happened to catch the end of the girls' conversation.
"…I haven't been able to get him to open up to me at all. To be truthful I don't even understand why I want him to open up to me. I always thought my greatest feelings resided with Natsu. But now I'm not so sure. I'm trying so hard to get him to open up to me and I don't even know why. Maybe it's because I've always found myself able to see the better of people. I want to believe that he has emotions somewhere deep down inside of him. I want to know that he has what it takes to be a good person."
"Don't hate me for this but…I THINK SOMEONE HAS A CRUSH!"
"No! It's not like that at all Orihime. Not…at…all."
Me and Grimmjow stopped in the middle of the hall right before we rounded the corner to reach the girls. I slowly looked down towards the ground. Grimmjow put his hand on my shoulder and sighed.
"Dude she has a point. If it is you she's talking about that is. You seriously need to soften up. A lot!"
"Such things as emotions are ridiculous! Get your hand off of me Grimmjow."
He took his hand off of my shoulder and turned the corner to face Orihime and Lucy. I slowly followed and watched as Orihime and Grimmjow walked away. I closed my eyes and waited for her to get off of the floor. We walked in complete silence down the hallways and for some reason I found myself pondering over what the girl said. "I want to believe that he has emotions somewhere deep down inside of him. I want to know that he has what it takes to be a good person." I'm not a good person. I don't care about what others think. All that mattered was following Lord Aizen's orders. I didn't understand though. Every time I thought about what she said I got this strange warm feeling around my hollow hole. 'Why is what she said affecting me so much?' I blew it off and held the door open in front of me and watched as the girl entered. I slowly entered behind her and sat at the small table and watched as she ate her meal.
"Why are you so concerned woman?"
She looked up from her plate and my eyes locked with hers.
"Concerned about what?"
"Why are you so concerned about me having emotions?"
"You…heard that? My conversation with Orihime?"
"…"
"Why wouldn't I be concerned? All of my life I have spent trying to see the good in others. No matter how futile it is. That part of me is NOT going to change. I know you're not a horrible person Ulquiorra. I can see that whenever I look into your eyes. I know you're not some emotionless beast. You just don't know how to express…"
I abruptly got up from the chair. I startled her because she dropped her fork.
"That's foolish human. Just about as foolish as that Orihime girl's talk about a heart. I have no emotions. None. As for a heart, hearts do not exist. How can something that cannot be seen be real?" I don't understand why you insist on…"
"SHUT UP! Why are you so harsh on yourself and on others Ulquiorra?! I don't understand it. How can you not say there isn't such thing as a heart?! Orihime is the perfect example of it. Her friends came to save her knowing deep within themselves that they probably didn't stand a chance here! But they care enough about her that they would risk their lives just to bring her back home with them! I don't care what you say but that's heart!"
I watched as the girl ranted on about this. For some reason I felt a tight feeling in my stomach. I turned from her and made my way towards the door. I heard harsh footsteps behind me. She was running after me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me back around to face her. I was completely surprised whenever she smashed her lips on top of mine. I felt that warm feeling around my hollow hole again. And for some reason I closed my eyes and kissed her back. 'What the hell am I doing?' I quickly pulled away from the kiss before it went any further and walked away from the girl. I saw a slight shade of pink dust her cheeks as I turned from her. 'What is happening to me?' I walked down the hall in the direction of a familiar spiritual pressure. It was this 'Ichigo' character. I was going to kill him myself.
~Timeskip: After Ulquiorra .vs. Ichigo Battle 1~
-Orihime's POV-
Grimmjow and I walked down the hall in silence. He had giving me a small tour of part of Los Noches. Once we arrived to the room I walked in and was fixing to say goodbye but was completely surprised when Grimmjow grabbed my wrist and entered the room behind me and closed the door. His blue eyes pierced my silvers. I couldn't seem to escape his gaze. He slowly started to lower his face towards mine. I felt my face heat up. He was going to kiss me. The moment was ruined by an abrupt knocking on the door. We turned and one of his fracctiones entered the room.
"I hate to interrupt Grimmjow sir but we just got in a report."
"A report of what?"
"Ichigo Kurosaki has been killed."
I felt my chest nearly explode at his comment. Grimmjow grabbed my wrist and walked out of the room in the direction of the fourth tower.
"Grimmjow, where are we going?"
"To get your friend, Lucy. You will probably feel more comfortable around her."
-Lucy's POV-
I sat on my couch in total silence. I don't know why but I felt so rejected and unwanted. I heard the door open expecting it to be Ulquiorra. I was surprised to hear Orihime call my name. I looked up at her and she gave me the come here notion. I got up and went outside of my room to see Grimmjow standing there as well. He grabbed me under one arm and Orihime under the other and we sonidoed away to somewhere I had no clue about. I closed my eyes hoping it would go by faster. When we finally stopped I opened my eyes in total astonishment. There in front of me was an orange haired soul reaper. Orihime got down on her knees and summoned a couple of her fairies. An orange shield surrounded the man. I recognized this. This is what she used to heal that boy from before. I turned my head away and looked towards Grimmjow.
"Grimmjow, who did this?"
"Ulquiorra."