What is a Heart?

Chapter 3

She sat once again in that dark lonely room. The single couch that she had was also to serve as her bed. Besides that the large room was empty. She looked out the window at the only connection to the outside world, though the world outside was still not the world she longed for. She fiddled with her fingers as she heard the door creeked open. Ulquiorra walked fallowed by one of the servants. She noticed that the servant was pushing a cart of food. She was far from hungry.

Ulquiorra motioned for the servant to leave. "Woman, you meal is ready."

She looked to him and with out a word looked back to the window. "I'm not hungry." She replied with a saddened voice.

He closed his eyes. "Woman, Lord Aizen has ordered me to protect you, even if it's from your self. Eat now."

She remained unmoved from her position.

"Would you rather me shove it in your mouth and force feed you, or would you rather me strap you down and feed you through an IV?" after this, he opened her eyes. She had turned to him. Her eyes expressing an emotion that was unknown to him.

"May I ask you something, Ulquiorra-sama?" she asked softly.

"Only if you eat afterwards." He said pushing the cart to her.

"Espada are Arrancars, correct?"

"Hai."

"And Arrancars were Hollows right?"

"Hai."

"Hollows were once humans, correct?"

"Hai, is that what you wanted to ask?"

"No, I-I was wondering Ulquiorra-sama, do-do you remember being one?" she was looking in his emerald eyes now.

"No, I have no memory of being a Hollow."

She shook her head. "No, do you remember being human?"

He paused a moment. Why would she want to know such a thing? She was truly strange to him. "Just as when I was a Hollow, I remember nothing of being human. Now, eat."

She took the lid off of the tray. Not one of the items on the tray she could recognize. They were all varying sized, colored and textured cubes. She looked up at him. "What is this?" she asked.

"Eight Espada Szayel Aporrow Granz has researched what humans need to survive. Each of these are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other things your body needs to function." He said, clearly annoyed at the fact she was ignorant of such.

She took the fork and cut a piece of the greenish colored cube which she guessed was the vegetables. It didn't smell too well. Yet, she was true to her word. It was hard to stomach the awful taste of what the Arrancars considered human food.

She swallowed hard and looked up at Ulquiorra. He was still standing there in his white tailcoat uniform, his hands in the pockets of his hakama. He was watching her with those mysterious emerald gems called eyes. His messy black hair only heightened the other features of his face. She had never seen someone so handsome before. His eyes met hers. She turned away and blushed. What was she thinking? Why was her heart beating so fast? She loves Kurosaki Ichigo, doesn't she? She held her hand to her heart. 'What's happening to me?' she asked herself over and over again only to find she bore no knowledge as to what the answer could possibly be.

"Woman," the sound of his voice breaking the sudden silence caught her by surprise. She had jolted upward in fear and knocked the tray over. The supposed food had fallen at her feet.

She fell to her knees before him. "Sumimasen! I'm sorry Ulquiorra-sama! I beg you forgive me!"

He watched as her body shook with fear. He didn't understand her. Just a moment ago she had been so bold as to look him in the eyes and now… 'What curious creatures humans are.' He thought.

He moved toward her. She braced herself for her punishment. Yet, nothing happened. Orihime gather her strength to pick her head up slightly as to see why he had not punished her. Her eyes widened as she watched him bending over cleaning up the mess she had made.

"It's the proper thing to help clean your own mess, Woman." He said not looking at her.

"R-Right, I'm sorry." She began picking up he shattered remains of her tea cup. As she picked up the pieces she found herself watching him again.

There was truly something about him that was far different from the others. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Suddenly he looked at her. She looked away as well but in doing so she had forgotten about the piece of glass that she went to pick up. Blood slowly ran down her finger.

He sighed and took her hand in his. It was so warm to him. There was little in this world that was warm. This human female was quite odd, quite strange, and quite unique.

She smiled nervously. "I-I'll be fine, Ulquiorra-sama. It's only a flesh wound."

He paid no attention to her. He did not understand why he had the sudden urge to do it, but he did not regret it. He licked the blood from it. As he did, a strange sensation ran through his body. The sweetness of her blood sent hot waves rushing through his body. He didn't understand what was happening, but all he knew was that it was right. He moved and placed the tip of her finger completely in his mouth now. He closed his eyes as the sweet sensation rush through his body once more.

Orihime could only watch. Just as before, she refused to do anything that may provoke any of them to cause harm to her friends. She held her other arm across her chest. Her face red with what she couldn't be sure if she was blushing or if it was sheer embarrassment. Her eyes were narrowed with sorrow and fear. Fear of him going any further.

She tried her best. She tried not to allow such feeling to exist. Waves of warmth rushed through her. Her body felt so odd. It was becoming far too sensitive. The slightest movement of his tongue sent the waves rushing through her body. She tightened her legs. The worst part was there. It was tingling, as if begging for something that it needed. She could stand it no longer. She pulled her hand from him. She held it close to her heart and covered it with her other hand protectively.

His expression was as it always was, emotionless. She looked away as her long orange hair created a feeble wall between them. She was wrong about him. He wasn't different from the others at all.

He stood silently and walked to the door. She remained where she was, unmoved. "I shall return tomorrow, Woman, sleep now."

She heard the door slam shut. These Arrancars, they truly are not so different from humans. For she has known many cruel humans in her life, some that would even put the Arrancars to shame. She gently touched her hairpins. Those small beautiful blue flowers that she had been given by someone she truly loved. By the person whom saved her from a life of hate and misery. "Sora, my nii-san, give me strength." She whispered softly as what painful memories she bore returned to her.

Ulquiorra was at the door, listening to her. 'Sora?' he wondered what kind of elder brother she had. Aizen had never mentioned a brother in his initial report. This only meant that he must be dead. He huffed. 'How useless, crying over the dead.' He thought as he walked to his room.