bChapter 9
Crashed/b
i"Welcome back from the moon," she whispered softly. Ulquiorra failed to notice a tear sliding down Orihime's face. A tear of happiness.
/i
Two hours after Orihime came home to find Ulquiorra Cifer, whom she had believed to be dead, in her apartment, the couple was sitting on Orihime's couch. There was a comfortable silence between them.
Suddenly, a gurgling sound coming from Ulquiorra's stomach made Ulquiorra stare at it oddly. Orihime giggled.
"Ulquiorra-san, you're hungry! Why didn't you say so before?" Orihime glanced at the clock and gasped when she saw the time. "10:00 PM? I have school tomorrow!"
Without further words, Orihime ran to the kitchen, only to realize she couldn't grab anything with her bandaged arms.
"Um… Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime sheepishly called the Cuatro Espada's name.
"Yes, Onna?" Ulquiorra Sonidoed the short distance from the small living room to the kitchen.
"Would you mind helping me cook? I can't use my arms…" Orihime just began realizing the effects her bandaged arms would have on her.
iI could call out my Shun Shun Rikka!/i Orihime quickly called out, "Santen Kesshun, I reject!"
When nothing happened she began panicking. Then it hit her. iI must have left my Shun Shun Rikka at Kurosaki-san's house…/i
Orihime felt like slamming her head against a wall. How could she be so forgetful?
Ulquiorra watched the onna's expression change every two seconds, slightly amused.
Orihime realized that Ulquiorra was standing beside her and saw the amusement dance in his eyes, though no one else would have noticed the slight change in the way he quirked his eyebrows or the slightly different light in his eyes.
Orihime glared at him halfheartedly and then ask him to open the refrigerator.
"Refrigerator?" Ulquiorra had never heard of such a contraption before.
"This thing over here," Orihime skipped over to a white box shaped piece of furniture. Ulquiorra followed her and opened the refrigerator, slightly surprised that the inside was cold.
Orihime giggled at the expression on Ulquiorra's face. This time it was his turn to glare at her.
Ignoring the Espada's glare, Orihime told him what to get out, "We could heat up the leftover pizza… Could you grab it please? It's the big plate on top. No not that one, the one… That one!"
Ulquiorra pulled out the round, white plate. He stared at the so called "pizza" on it with interest. When Orihime skipped over to the microwave he followed, opening up the small box like piece of furniture.
iWhat are all these human contraptions?/i Ulquiorra was slightly impressed that humans had developed this kind of technology.
"Okay… click the button at the very top of the microwave four times, quickly. Then click the green button near the bottom once and the pizza will be ready in four minutes!" Orihime beamed. Following the Onna's instructions precisely, Ulquiorra pressed the buttons on the "microwave".
"Can you get two glasses out of the cupboard over here?" Orihime inclined her head towards the cupboard to her left.
Ulquiorra mentally sighed. How long was the Onna going to be handicapped?
"Onna, why not call out your Shun Shun Rikka to heal your arms?"
"Well…" Orihime blushed, "I left them at Kurosaki-san's house when I went over there earlier to have his dad, who is a doctor, help me with my injuries."
Ulquiorra stiffen visibly at the name. iKurosaki Ichigo…/i
Why did he hate the Substitute Shinigami so? Ulquiorra had never felt a grudge towards anyone. Well, except Nnoitra.
Refocusing on the feeling he felt burning towards the Vizard, he realized it wasn't hatred, though it came close. He felt that his Onna had something to do with it. Ulquiorra thought of all that he knew, all that he had read about emotions, trying to pinpoint what he felt.
iJealousy,/i he realized. iI'm feeling jealousy.
"Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime called him back to reality. Had he really just lost himself in his thoughts? Ulquiorra cursed the weaknesses and habits that came with the heart he had always longed to understand.
Without saying a word, the Espada opened up the cupboard Orihime had motioned to and grabbed to glasses.
Orihime began to feel like a burden, and shyly asked, "Can you put some water in the glass for me, please, Ulquiorra-san?"
Ulquiorra-san nodded and turned on the sink faucet, filling both glasses up with water.
"Thank you!" Orihime beamed.
"Onna, how will you drink or eat?"
Orihime's eyes widened, realizing Ulquiorra was right. She sighed; she really was a burden when she was injured. To Orihime's surprise, Ulquiorra walked over to her and held her glass to her lips, allowing her to drink.
Orihime blushed, "Thanks, Ulquiorra-san."
Ulquiorra just nodded, keeping his usual silence. The microwave beeped, signaling the pizza was ready. (Ulquiorra wasn't stupid, so he realized that the beeping meant something, and since it was coming from the microwave and about four minutes had passed, he could connect the dots: The pizza is finished.)
iTen or so minutes later…/i
Orihime couldn't believe Ulquiorra-san was actually feeding her. Like a two year old baby. She couldn't help but blush a bit whenever the Espada's hands touched her face or lips.
It was impossible to read his expression; he had hardened his face into his usual stoic expression.
Finally (after taking 5 minutes), Orihime finished her first slice of pizza.
"Arigatou Gozaimasu!" Orihime chimed, and stood up. "I'm going to g-…"
iI can't even run myself a bath!/i Orihime pouted.
"Um... Ulquiorra-san?"
He slightly raised one of his eyebrows questioningly.
"Nevermind! I can do it myself," Orihime gave her most dazzling smile. iI can use my feet!/i
Without waiting for a reply, which wouldn't have come anyways, she skipped off happily to the bathroom in her room.
Ulquiorra stared after his Onna, who was joyfully skipping towards an unknown part of the house.
iI've only seen the kitchen and the living room, and the hallway connecting the two…i Ulquiorra pondered what else Orihime's apartment contained.
The Cuatro Espada turned his concentration back to the matter in front of him: the pizza.
He had never seen a pizza before, though he had read about it once or twice. Ignoring his instinctual aversion to human food, he picked up the triangular piece of food and bit into it. Chewing slowly, he savored the flavor. He took another bite.
iHuman's food is on a whole other dimension from the "food" Aizen served us in Las Noches. This "pizza" has flavor and texture… It is delicious./i
It didn't take long for Ulquiorra to devour half the pizza, stopping when his hunger was quenched.
Orihime wondered how on earth she was supposed to get out of her clothes. Deciding to use the help of some of the bathroom objects, she walked over to the door, pushing it shut with her foot. Then she positioned her body so that the handle on the door was under her top. Squatting down, she successfully removed her top. Stepping on one of the heels of her pants, she shimmied out of those as well.
iPfew…/i Orihime walked over to the bathtub. iKurosaki-san's father told me that I should keep my arms dry…/i
How was Orihime supposed to take a bath and not get her arms wet? She sighed.
iI would go get my Shun Shun Rikka from Kurosaki-san's house, but they're all probably asleep… I'll have to get them after school./i
She stepped into the rectangular bathtub and sat on the edge, reaching her foot up to turn on the faucet.
iSeveral minutes and temperature changes later…/i
Orihime Inoue was sitting blissfully in her steaming bathtub with her arms resting gently on the edge. She had been careful not to get her injuries wet.
iI hope things settle down soon… I don't know how much more of this I can take,/i Orihime sighed. It had been a long two days… Yesterday seemed like something out a dream. The only proof that remained of her being a captive in Hueco Mundo was the torn and tattered uniform she had been forced to wear, now laying on a chair in her room, and the Cuatro Espada sitting in her apartment eating pizza.
Orihime's overactive imagination began imagining Ulquiorra wearing Italian clothes and giggled, a small smile creeping over her face.
Ulquiorra was sitting patiently on the couch on Orihime's living room, waiting for the Onna to return. He had guessed that she was taking a bath, due to the sound of running water several minutes before.
The green-eyed Espada let his eyes wander over everything in the onna's apartment, noticing how old some of the furniture was. His eyes stopped on a small shrine against the far wall. A picture of a young man was sitting on the shrine; he was smiling the same genuine smile that his Onna always smiled.
This brought a realization to Ulquiorra's mind. He knew nothing about the Onna's past. He knew nothing about her dreams and goals. All he knew was what he had learned in the short weeks he had spent with the Onna. What did she strive for? What did she want out of life? These were all questions he did not know the answer to.
Oddly, Ulquiorra felt the urge to know everything about his Onna, everything from her favorite colors to what she thought about the world.
The opening of a door alerted Ulquiorra of the Onna's return.
Orihime walked out of her room, freshly dressed in a nightgown, wet hair sticking to her head and swishing out behind her.
"Did you enjoy the pizza, Ulquiorra-san?" She tilted her head to the side, smiling.
"Yes, I did, Onna," was his simple, monotonous reply.
iHow did the Onna get dressed and bathe with two bandaged arms?/i The Espada wondered, incredulous. She never ceased to amaze him with her strength and determination.
"Well," Orihime yawned after several minutes. "I really need to be going to sleep… It's almost 11:00 PM and I have school tomorrow!"
Ulquiorra nodded.
"Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Where will you sleep tonight? If you want you can sleep in my bed and I'll sleep on the couch?"
Ulquiorra shook his head, "I'm not tired."
Orihime blushed, iOf course Hollows don't sleep…/i
"Then what are you going to do while I'm asleep?" Orihime wondered.
"I need to go see Urahara Kisuke. If I am going to stay in the World of the Living, I am going to need a gigai," Orihime's heart raced with joy at Ulquiorra's statement.
iHe's going to stay!/i Orihime's mind shouted.
"Well, then I'll be going to bed. I'll be awake at 5:00, since it'll take me longer to get ready with these injuries," Orihime smiled sheepishly. "Goodnight, Ulquiorra-san."
Orihime turned to walk to her bedroom, swearing she heard the Espada bid her goodnight. A sleepy, but happy smile found it's way across the onna's mouth, which stayed in place long after she had fallen asleep…
Ulquiorra Cifer decided to go see Urahara Kisuke. He had just stepped outside of Orihime Inoue's apartment and shut the door behind him, when he turned around and was greeted by a most unexpected person.
"What were you doing in Inoue-san's apartment?" an angered Quincy hissed.
Ignoring him, Ulquiorra glared at Inside Uryuu and walked past him. The black-haired youth didn't give up, appearing in front of the Espada a split second later, this time wielding his Quincy bow, pointing an especially large arrow at him.
"I came here to see the Onna," was his simple, non-explanatory reply.
"At 11:00 PM?" Uryuu growled, preparing to release the arrow.
"Do not wake the Onna, or I will kill you," without warning Ulquiorra Cifer disappeared into the night, heading to the Urahara Shop to inquire about a gigai.
"Ah! Cifer-san!" a tired Urahara greeted the Espada, hiding his 5 o'clock shadow with his fan.
"Urahara Kisuke," Ulquiorra nodded a greeted, trying to ignore the way the ex-Captain addressed him. "I am in need of a gigai."
Urahara grinned, "I think I have just the thing for you…"
The man led the Espada to a back room in his shop. Unknown to the Espada, Urahara had been working on a gigai especially for him since the two had encountered each other earlier.
"Here we go!" Kisuke pulled out what looked like a limp body, which it sort of was. "This gigai won't slowly eat away your reiatsu and, with a little practice, you will be able to leave it whenever you want to. It also allows you to be more a human. You'll feel the urge to sleep like a human, along with several other things, like-"
"I'll take it." Ulquiorra interrupted the rambling man, becoming irritated with his incessant explanations. All he needed was a gigai that wouldn't drain his reiatsu and would allow him to exit it whenever necessary.
A grin appeared on the shop owner's face. Of course there was a catch.
"In return for the gigai, you must allow me to study you released from once a week. To make sure the gigai works properly and doesn't drain your reiatsu, of course."
Ulquiorra glared at the man, but he knew that this was the only man capable of creating a gigai for the Espada. Reluctantly, he nodded his approval and took the gigai out of Urahara's hands.
"I shall return tomorrow."
And with that, the Espada Sonidoed out of the Urahara Shop, gigai in hand, and headed back to his Onna's apartment…
Ulquiorra found it difficult to adjust to the feel of the gigai. It felt as if there was a constant film of slime covering his entire body. The Espada stopped when he passed a mirror in Orihime's hallway, in which he had been pacing nonstop.
His eyes widened. Ulquiorra Cifer's trademark tear marks and hollow mask were gone. He looked like a normal human, except for his extremely pale skin. The Espada noticed that his superhuman eyesight was still functioning properly.
The Cuatro Espada wondered if he could possibly Sonido while inside of the gigai. Deciding to try it, Ulquiorra focused on picturing his Onna's living room, down the hall. A split second later, he found himself standing in front of the couch, gigai unharmed and still in place.
iIt seems my outward appearance is all that was lost when I stepped into this gigai…/i Ulquiorra was content (for the moment) with this. He'd have to make Kisuke make him a new gigai, or modify this one, so that at least his tear marks would be present.
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit the Espada. Remembering what the sandal-hate man had told him, he sat down on his Onna's couch and fell asleep for the first time in over a millennium, for the first time since he became a hollow...
Ulquiorra's dreams were filled with a hint everything, confusing to say the least. The only constant throughout his dreams was his ever-smiling Onna. What were the chances that the two would have ever met? The Espada's dreams made it clear to him exactly how different he and his Onna were. He was a hollow: cold, emotionless, no past, no future. She was a human: lively, kind, generous, a (to him) unknown past, and a wide open future full of possibilities.
Ulquiorra Cifer's dreams were the only place, he was going to learn, that he could do whatever he wanted. They were controlled by his subconscious, his deepest desires. His dreams were the only place he could let his guard down entirely and discover things he had never known existed before.