"What did you say, Ulquiorra?" asked Orihime, glancing up from the book in her hands.

Ulquiorra suppressed a sigh. He didn't like repeating himself. "Woman, put the book down and pay attention." He waited while she marked her place and set the book on the table. "As I was saying, I will not have any missions for this next month, so it won't be necessary for you to be under the Octava Espada's care."

"Why?"

The Cuatro Espada stared at her.

"What I mean," Orihime said, "is why are you won't have any missions for a month?"

Ulquiorra was tempted to shrug, the same way he saw her do from time to time when she didn't know the answer to one of his or Aizen's questions, but he crushed the urge. "It's not important for us to understand Aizen-sama's reasons, only to accept them."

Of course, Orihime thought. She smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, if that's the case, I guess that means we have some time to get to know each other better, huh?"

Her question was met with silence.

"Ulquiorra?"

"Yes," he said finally, his eyes closed in an almost weary fashion, though Orihime didn't know why. "If you don't need anything else, I'll leave you until dinner." His words were not negotiable in any way.

"Okay. Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked, as he was headed for the door. After a moment, she shook her head. "Nevermind. Forget it."

Nodding, Ulquiorra exited the room. Once the door had shut completely, he allowed himself a sigh. This would be a long month.

If Szayel weren't obviously up to something devious in his newfound fascination with Orihime, Ulquiorra would've applauded the patience he possessed in dealing with her. He couldn't understand how one human could have so many questions. Why did it matter if he kept his hands in his pockets all the time? Ulquiorra didn't spend time thinking about it. It was simply something he did.

The questions had started the day he announced his month break from missions and hadn't let up since. Always questions. A select handful of them were, arguably, deep and profound, and Ulquiorra allowed himself to indulge her. Other questions were not.

"Ulquiorra, are there make up stores in Hueco Mundo?" Orihime asked one day, while eating her meal of peanut-pickle-honey rice. "Or is it some Arrancar's mission to go and buy it in the human world?"

Ulquiorra stood beside her table, his hands out of his pockets for once. They were folded across his chest. "What?"

"I was wondering because of your makeup," said Orihime with a shrug. "It's a very nice shade of green, and I wanted to know where you got it, because if it is from the human word, then there's a chance I could find it, and personally, I think it would look make a really pretty shade of—"

Ulquiorra held up his hand to stop her. "You're not making any sense."

"Your tear marks," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

He blinked. "No."

"No…what?"

Bringing Orihime's hand to his face, Ulquiorra brushed her fingers down the outline of his marks. Then he released his grip. Orihime brought her hand closer and inspected her finger, not a speck green to be seen.

"As you can see," he said tersely, "they are not make up."

After a week of her inane questions, Ulquiorra began answering with either a 'yes' or a 'no,' regardless of whether it made sense.

"Ulquiorra, does the moon here in Hueco Mundo look different from the moon in my world, like it's been flipped?"

"Yes."

"Umm, that wasn't a yes or no question, you know…"

The Cuatro Espada couldn't have cared less.

But the most frequent question Ulquiorra received by far was:

"Can we get out of this room for just a bit? Please?"

Orihime asked him that at least once a day, but his answer never changed:

"No."

A small part of him admired her perseverance. A very small part. But when it came down to it, her refusal to drop the issue became another source of irritation for Ulquiorra. He couldn't help feeling this was Szayel's fault. If the other Espada hadn't allowed her leave the room to begin with…

Ulquiorra allowed his thoughts to trail off. Instead he decided what he could do for Szayel to 'thank' him the next time they met up.

It was the day before he would return to his missions, and while Ulquiorra would never admit it, some part of him was almost disheartened that his time with Orihime would come to an end. He was perplexed to say the least. He should've been relieved he wouldn't have to deal with her incessant chatter. And yet, he wasn't. His frown deepened. Perhaps the thought of where she would be returning once he was gone was the source of his hesitation.

Ulquiorra's hand rested on the door handle. Yes, that must've been it. He felt unnerved because he knew Szayel was up to something. That was all.

Pushing the door open, Ulquiorra found Orihime at the table reading a large book, a chess piece on the cover. The sight didn't surprise him. She had started it at the beginning of his month break, but was still only half-way finished.

"Hi, Ulquiorra," Orihime said, marking her place. "What's up?"

Ulquiorra didn't answer. There was a brief moment of silence that he relished and she despised.

Orihime looked down at her hands, and then cleared her throat. "This is the last day before…Aizen-san sends you on missions again, huh? Do you already have one assigned?"

"Yes," he said, still standing in the doorframe, the light pouring in from outside the room.

"Oh. At least you won't have to deal with me and my crazy questions anymore, right? Actually," Orihime said quickly, "you don't have to answer. Look, I know I've asked you this every day and your answer has never changed, but I figured I'd ask anyway. You know, so we have a perfect record of you telling me no." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Can we go outside this room for a bit?"

Ulquiorra opened the door wider. "Yes."

"Really?" Orihime blinked, her head tilted to the side. "Wait, did you say 'yes'? But I thought you didn't want me to go—"

"If you want to leave, you'd better do so before I change my mind."

Orihime jumped up from the chair and quickly headed to his side, smiling as Ulquiorra closed the door behind them. "Where are we going? Oh, can we go see Szayel-san? It's been forever since I've seen him! Well, actually, I guess it's been a month. But still, I wonder how he's—"

"No. He is preoccupied with something right now."

Orihime deflated slightly at Ulquiorra's words. "Then where are we going?"

They started walking in the opposite direction of Szayel's domain, Ulquiorra a step or two ahead of her. "We're going to a room the Espada go when they have no missions and do not wish to be in their own domains."

"Kind of like a common room?" said Orihime, perking up again. Ulquiorra nodded. "How many Espada do you think will be there? Oh…they wouldn't try to hurt me, would they?"

Ulquiorra looked back as Orihime half-walked, half-ran to keep up with him. Why did she have to ask multiple questions at once? "I don't know how many there will be. Starrk will most likely be there, if he has returned from his mission already. There's a good chance Barragan and Harribel will be there as well. It really doesn't matter. No one would dare do anything to you. If they did, they would have to deal with Aizen-sama's wrath."

He silently hoped Zommari would not be present. All of the Septima Espada's 'amor' talk grated on Ulquiorra's nerves. He could only imagine what would happen if Zommari and Orihime met. Ulquiorra inwardly shuddered at the thought of her ranting about 'amor' this and 'amor' that.

The pair rounded a corner and entered the third room on the right. Surprisingly all the Espada, minus Szayel and Zommari, were there. All chattering ceased the moment Ulquiorra and Orihime stepped into the room.

"Well, well, Ulquiorra. What have you got there?" asked Nnoitra, breaking the silence as he stood. "You finally let Pet-sama outta her cage for a bit?"

Ulquiorra glared up at the tall Arrancar. "Nnoitra Jiruga, Quinta Espada." Ulquiorra turned to Orihime, who had stiffened the moment Nnoitra spoke. "If you ever encounter him by yourself, do not hesitate to kill him."

"Hey!" Nnoitra protested. "What the hell kind of an introduction was that?"

Harribel pulled him back down into his seat. "Quiet. Yours was no better."

Aaroniero stood, the odd gurgling behind his mask getting louder. He hurried to the door. "Too bright," muttered a deep voice as he passed Orihime and Ulquiorra. Then a higher pitched moaned, "It's like sunlight. It hurts!"

"Aaroniero Arruruerie, Novena Espada. You probably won't encounter him again," Ulquiorra said, walking into the room and sitting on one of the couches. "He tends to remain in his own domain."

Most of the Espada had already resumed their conversations. Orihime eyed them wearily as she sat next to Ulquiorra. "But what did Aaroniero-san mean? What was 'too bright'?"

"Perhaps the light in the room was too much for him. His domain is not as well lit as most of Las Noches," Ulquiorra said, although he had a sneaking suspicion it had nothing to do with the lighting, and everything to do with the young woman sitting beside him.

Orihime glanced at him. "Are we going to sit here and watch them all day?"

"No." Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed as his gaze fell on Grimmjow. He was currently talking with Nnoitra, most likely about fighting. "I brought you here so you would know which Espada to avoid, in the event you were to meet any of them by yourself."

"Why would I find myself alone with any of them?"

"You never know," he said, but he knew there were some who were more likely to arrange an 'accidental' meeting than others. "I'll start with the highest ranked and work my way down. Starrk is the Primera Espada."

Orihime followed Ulquiorra's line of sight to a brown-haired male taking up one of the lounges. A young girl sat next to him.

"I didn't know Arrancar could sleep," said Orihime, watching the even rise and fall of his chest.

"It's not necessary. Next is Barragan, the Segunda Espada." Ulquiorra looked over at an old-looking Arrancar. He was currently staring at the others, like a grumpy grandfather stuck babysitting his grandchildren. "And Harribel is the Tercer Espada."

"Wow! She's that high ranked?" Orihime said, taking in the beautiful dark-skinned woman sitting across from Nnoitra. "Say, are Harribel-san and that other Espada—you know—together?"

Ulquiorra's train of thought momentarily crashed. He tried not to shudder at the mental image of Nnoitra with anyone. "There have been rumors, but not that I am aware," he said in a clipped manner. "These three will not harm you."

They had been in the room for almost an hour, far longer than Ulquiorra was comfortable with. He forced himself to finish quickly.

"Grimmjow Jagerjacques you already know. You healed his arm," Ulquiorra said, a bit accusingly. "He is the Sexta Espada. The Septima Espada, Zommari Leroux, is not present. And then there's Yammy." His gaze shifted to the large man laughing with Nnoitra and Grimmjow.

"I remember him," said Orihime, scratching the back of her head. "He's the one you ordered to kill me. That one…time."

Awkward silence fell between them.

Ulquiorra cleared his throat. "You should avoid Nnoitra, Grimmjow, and Zommari at all costs. As I told you earlier, with Nnoitra, do not hesitate to kill them."

"I know you said that," Orihime said, eyebrows furrowed slightly, "but I'm not sure how I could…kill someone as high ranked as Nnoitra-san. I'm not even sure I could handle—"

"Hey, Ulquiorra!" bellowed Yammy as he approached them. "Aizen-sama's calling a meeting. We need to go. You know how he rewards us when we're late."

Ulquiorra nodded in thanks. "Yes. Please tell Aizen-sama I will be late. I am returning the woman to her room."

Orihime followed him out into the hallway. Forced to keep up with Ulquiorra's fast pace she was nearly out of breath by the time they returned. She had refrained from commenting at his title for her, but that didn't stop her from frowning the whole way back. It would be nice if Ulquiorra called her by her name, for a change.

"Thank you for allowing me to meet the others," she said once she finally caught her breath.

"It served its purpose," said Ulquiorra, his hand on the doorknob. "Now, if you will excuse me."

"Ulquiorra?"

"Hmm."

"I really meant the 'thank you,'" Orihime said, and smiled. "In a weird way it was like you brought me over to meet your family." Ulquiorra turned back to her, a blank expression on his face. "Anyway, you probably need to be going. I'll see you later?"

"Yes," he said after a beat, closing the door behind him.

A day later Ulquiorra announced he would be leaving for a mission. Orihime nodded, not sure what else to say. She had barely started on her book again when the door creaked open. A familiar face greeted her.

"Szayel-san!" said Orihime, smiling brightly. The book forgotten, she stood and made her way to the door. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has," Szayel agreed, smirking. "Shall we? I'm sure you're dying to get out of this room." He closed the door behind them, and they headed to his domain.

"Actually," Orihime said, walking next him at a steady pace, "Ulquiorra did let me out a yesterday."

"Is that so?" Szayel asked curiously. "That's strange. How on Earth were you able to convince him to allow that?"

"I don't know about convince. Ulquiorra just said 'yes' this time. He took me to your—well, he didn't have a name for it. I guess it would be like a break or common room. I got to meet the other Espada there."

Szayel nodded. "So you would know which to avoid and which would be…safer, for lack of a better term, if you were to meet up with them on your own."

"That's right!" Orihime said, her eyes wide. Her sudden exclamation caused an Arrancar in the hall to jump. "How did you know?"

"Ulquiorra's motivations are easy to figure out," chuckled Szayel.

They continued walking, neither saying a word. Orihime faintly noticed the clicking of their heels and the low mutterings of Arrancar around them. This silence felt different from the one she and Ulquiorra shared when they were together. It was light, comfortable almost, rather than awkward.

"I really missed you, Szayel-san," she said out-of-the-blue. She blushed, her statement sinking in. "I-I mean, I missed talking with you."

"You're too kind, Orihime-san." Grinning, Szayel asked, "Do you not enjoy the Cuatro Espada's company?"

"It's not that I don't," said Orihime. "But, it's just that—you can only reach out to someone for so long before you realize they're not going to reach back."

Szayel raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Ulquiorra answers all your questions. Well, usually."

"That's not the same," she insisted, shaking her head. "It's like Ulquiorra is out at sea, and I'm in the lifeboat trying to save him. Me asking him a question is like throwing one of those life preserver rings to him."

"All right," said Szayel. "Then him answering your questions would be the same as grabbing onto the life preserver."

"No, it wouldn't. Him answering my questions is the same as him acknowledging the life preserver's presence."

Szayel frowned, his arms folded across his chest. "Then what would be similar to reaching out for it?"

"Asking me a question. A real one, not a rhetorical one. And not one to ask for clarification." Noticing Szayel was about to say something, Orihime added, "Something that let's him know more about me, even if its something silly like what my favorite color is." She sighed. "Everything he tells me sounds like an order."

"And that's not reaching out," Szayel finished for her. Orihime nodded. "Then, using your metaphor, Ulquiorra recognizes the life preserver but would rather drown than take hold of it."

Orihime smiled sadly. "You can only reach out so many times before you realize that they're not going to reach back. So, in the end, you have to pull away to save yourself from more pain."

There was a brief pause.

"Are we talking about the lifeboat metaphor still," asked Szayel, "or real life?"

"Hey! I was being serious, you know," said Orihime, pointing a finger at him.

Szayel laughed. "So was I."

Orihime laughed with him, and then shook her head. "I don't know." She looked down at her feet. "You're the only one who has reached out. I mean, I haven't spent time with the other Espada, not really, but you actually ask me questions and seem interested in what I have to say. It's…nice."

Szayel turned to her, like he was about to comment.

"Anyway, this conversation is getting too depressing," said Orihime. "What have you been up to, Szayel-san? I wanted to visit you yesterday, but Ulquiorra told me you were very busy with something."

Szayel nodded as they entered his domain. "He was right. I've been working on something very important."

"I wish I could see it!" Orihime exclaimed before she could stop herself. "Oh…but if it's important I guess I can't. It's probably something for…Aizen-san."

"Actually, no," Szayel said, though to which statement Orihime wasn't sure.

He motioned for her to follow. The pair walked down one of the halls, the same hall his laboratory was located and turned the corner. They stood in front of a door that looked no different from any of the others.

"Here we are," he said, and opened the door. His hand on the small of her back, Szayel nudged her into the room. "Enjoy, Orihime-san."