They walked the streets of Karakura town with department store clothing bags in each of their hands, making their way to the apartment. "Phew, I'm beat! But wasn't that fun, Ulquiorra?" Orihime said smiling, "Oh and I'm sorry about this morning for leaving you, but I can't afford to miss school any more especially during the middle of the semester." Ulquiorra said nothing to this, he wasn't in the least bit bothered to be left alone, in fact he preferred it that way but during the time Orihime was in school he felt his new heart fluttering time after time and he spent most of the day trying to control the beating in his chest that seemed to never subside. It goes without saying sharing this woman's heart is no walk in the park for someone who is new to having one. But as for their little adventure today at the mall was not something he'd call fun in the slightest. The moment they got to the department store or even so before when they were even in the train everybody who saw Ulquiorra stared: some in awe and some in utter suspicion.

Those who stared in awe were mostly girls giggling and whispering about how attractive his mysterious allure and reserved demeanor was, probably gossiping about his possible being a foreigner, especially because of his eyes! "Wow he is so good looking! And did you see his eyes? Kyaaa! So cool," one girl said in the train on their way to the mall. A sales clerk in one of the many clothing stores said to another employee "Kyaa! Is he a model or an actor? Maybe he's half European or something…he is so handsome. Maybe I should ask him for his number?"

Ulquiorra didn't care in the slightest what these women thought of him. Orihime had her fun playing dress up with him as she made him try on different clothes trying to find his right style but what suited him most were dark colors; black, grey, brown, blue. The only other non-dark colors that suited him were red, white, and tan. And almost no patterns suited either. Which annoyed her to no end, she wanted to buy him flashy colors! She was tired of the same colors, get him used to more "human" colors, so to speak.

Orihime had noticed the gossiping but pretended to have not noticed because even though it bothered her that so many girls looked at Ulquiorra in that way—almost love struck way. She wasn't going to let him know that and she wouldn't know how to explain her reaction to this even if he did notice, which she was certain he did being as every time a girl would try to approach him, it gave her heart a little tug but in the moment that happened she would brush it off with the excuse of it being the cause of clothes "Oh Ulquiorra look at these clothes! Wouldn't they look nice on you!" all the while trying to pull him away from the incoming girls. She didn't understand it. "Why am I so annoyed that these girls want to be closer to him?" she'd question herself, "I should encourage this, it'd be a great experience for him to go out on dates, to be more normal. But it's too soon for that. Besides it's probably a maternal feeling that I'm getting. I love Ichigo anyway!" convincing herself that her actions were justified by her supposed "maternal" instincts. She brushed these recalled thoughts aside and sighed as they walked towards the new Italian restaurant they had just opened up.

"Well instead of cooking tonight, let's go out to eat, huh? What do you say?" Ulquiorra looked to the woman and said "It doesn't matter all human food is disgusting!"

Orihime gasped "What do mean 'disgusting' you mean, you don't enjoy my cooking?" Ulquiorra looked at her as he analyzed her reaction to his comment, she was upset and insulted but he didn't see how it was his problem "No I don't it's the most revolting sustenance I ever tasted." But at the end of his words he felt the throbbing in his chest accelerate and now he regretted ever saying anything. Nothing was more annoying to him then this feeling. "Ulquiorra you're a jerk!" she shouted at him and walked further away from him trying to put distance between them. But the beating only worsened, it felt as if it was going to erupt from the inside of his chest!

"Will you learn to control that wretched heart of yours it feel horrible!" Ulquiorra's patience was wearing thin. He was practically shouting at this point as he staggered forward trying with all his might not to give in to the urge to pant in fatigue, to show weakness. They didn't eat lunch because Orihime wanted to shop until the mall closed and since it was a school night they only had about three to four hours till closing. And the breakfast Orihime left for Ulquiorra to eat before she left…well he didn't want to be stuck on the crapper all day so he didn't bother to even give it the slightest glance. "Can't you stop this incessant beating!" he said, his voice dangerously close to screaming; his patience was thinning by the second.

Orihime took offense to this which gave her heart a harder kick, "Well you didn't have to be so rude!" it raced faster [Bum-bum-Bum-bum-Bum-bum]. "If you don't like my cooking, cook for yourself next time!"

[Panting, panting, panting]

"I work very hard to prepare the foods I make for you. So the least you could do is show some RESPECT!"

[Panting] [Bum-bum-Bum-bum-Bum-bum] [Panting, panting, panting]

He was hyperventilating and could no longer stand properly on his own, he had to prop himself against a nearby post. His vision was blurred and his composure was shot. All he could think and wish at that moment was for that incompetent woman to control her emotions. He wished for nothing more than to be rid of that woman's "heart-sync."

"Ulquiorra?" she had not noticed he was no longer following behind her for some time but once she turned she could see him lying on the ground with his back to the sky. "Ulquiorra! Oh my gosh are you ok?" she shouted as she ran toward to the body and was just about to put up her healing barrier but people had begun to crowd around them whispering in curiosity. She knelt to his side trying to turn his head to rest on her lap and when she saw his face she came to the realization that it was her doing. It was her fault. He wasn't used to his human body reactions or 'her' to 'his' to be exact. Like everything new and gentle, it has to be broken in to slowly or otherwise too much at once can cause damage.

His face was flushed in a high fever and drenched in sweat and even in his unconscious state he was still panting profusely. She was beginning to panic… [Bum-bum Bum-bum] she couldn't help him relieve the fever without using her powers and with all the people gathering around them…

"Is he alright? Should we call an ambulance?" ….

"What's going on? Is that young man going to be OK?"

The only way to help him was to lower her heart rate but the more desperate she was to slow it down the faster it got… "Stop it…" [Bum-bum-Bum-bum!] "Stop it…" [Bum-bum-Bum-bum!] nothing she could say or do was helping. His breathing was quickening, his face burned, and at this rate she knew his body was going to go into cardiac arrest…faster and faster, faster [Bum-bum-Bum-bum-Bum-bum!]

"STO—"

"Orihime." She heard a strange but familiar voice say in a calm composed tone as a hand rested on her shoulder. Just as the hand laid its weight she was beginning to lose consciousness. "Everything's going to be fine ladies and gentleman. This is my son and his girlfriend. It happens all the time. Please do not concern yourselves I'll be taking them home. Tessai, if you would," the man said and just as she beginning to lose her vision she slowly turned her torso to where a tall man in clogs and stripped hat was standing. "Mr. Ura…hara…"

[The following morning…]

"Don't worry about him, Tessai will tend to him," Ulquiorra heard a man say as he was coming to. "You go on to school but I will ask you to try to control your emotions from taking over again. If you let your heart rate take a sprint like it did yesterday he'll probably have a heart attack this time. Remember he's just beginning to adjusting to his body alone and to have emotions and a heart…well it can take its toll. You understand right?" "Yes," he heard the woman say. The man continued "Well off you go!" the seriousness in his tone was gone and was replaced by an upbeat one "Remember come straight after school and bring Ichigo while you're at it. Now go on, go on, you're going to be late." "Alright then, I'll be going then," Orihime didn't sound like her usual self as he heard a door close and another open.

"Well your awake, are you?" Urahara said as he looked to the futon where Ulquiorra laid all the while looking up at him. "Urahara Kisuke," his monotone and composure was as impenetrable as it was before the ordeal from yesterday. He sat up dressed in a white yukata, he didn't bother to ask who it was that dressed him. "I knew you'd be awake shortly after Orihime. This is quite an usual…." Urahara paused trying to think of the right word "condition, you guys have."

"It's repugnant and uncalled for. I don't think I can handle another day of this," he said irritated as he stood there staring off Urahara recalling the unseeingly event that took place yesterday evening. "That woman has no self-restraint when it comes to her emotions." He couldn't see the man's face clearly under that hat of his but he could tell he was intrigued by their "condition."

"It may not be pleasant for you now but Orihime did risk a lot by reviving you. You should be thanking her," Ulquiorra could hear the partial sarcasm in Urahara's voice. "Soul Society is not someone to become enemy with, now are they?" Urahara continued with the seriousness he had when addressing Orihime just moments ago. "Soul Society as you know from your own experience and encounters, they do not take lightly to tampering with the balance they deem just. And what Orihime did—whether she did it knowingly or not—is against that balance. And I don't think they'll make any exceptions. Even for her. But if you don't like having this connection to Orihime I could try and break the bond. But it will be difficult and practically dangers to the both of your bodies. Orihime has agreed to this. You should have seen her face last night she agonized over your well-being."

Ulquiorra felt a sudden relief to hear such words. Relief to be rid of their bond but… "It doesn't matter if we do it or not. Either way I am powerless even if I refused and was out voted. I wouldn't be able to defend myself. If it will be the same as it were, only to be separated at 'heart' is meaningless." Ulquiorra walked to a corner of the room were his clothes from the previous day were laid out and begun to undress despite Urahara standing there… "What are you doing? Ah you know there is a lady in this house!" Urahara shouted dramatically poking his head out the door looking left and right. He sighed tiredly in relief "Ugh! You know you really need to get some manners on how to be a gentlemen," there was another sigh after Ulquiorra had finished dressing and just as he was about to walk out the bedroom door Urahara stepped in front of the door frame, blocking his way. Ulquiorra did and said nothing to question his actions and waited their patiently.

"So are you saying it'd be pointless to separate your bond with Orihime because you have to no power? Is that what you're saying?" the breaded man said sounded deadly serious. "Or is it because you want to fight? Or because you have no reason to fight?" questioning as he removed himself from his path and waited for him to make the choice.

Ulquiorra looked to the mans over-shadowed face to what seemed to be deep thought and just as it seemed he had an resolution he mentally brushed it off and continued onward "It doesn't matter anymore."

There was an almost tangible aura of intense silence, as Ulquiorra walked towards the visible exit to the front of the shop; he took every step with caution. He knew the limits of his hollow body but his human body was all new to him. It had only been a few days since his reborn and already he could feel the difference and with the woman's heart to boot. He didn't want to remain fragile and vulnerable. If were to continue living his human existence he wanted to do it with a purpose and with his own limits. He felt like he was no longer the yielder of his own skin and in truth he did want the power to fight again.

He reached the front door, slipped on his shoes and walked out the door stopping only momentarily to speak knowing Urahara was now standing only a few feet behind him, "I will return in a few hours notify that woman and soul reaper that if I am not back before they return to do whatever they wish. Whether or not to go on with the procedure, that is. Let them make the decision," and walked on.

"You have a choice now you know? And Orihime is giving you a choice. This procedure could cause her more harm than good yet still she has kept you in her graces to make the choice." Ulquiorra never stopped but he had heard him but still it made no difference, because it wouldn't give him what he deeply wanted most to make this "stay" a lot more comforting and that was the only other being that understood or rather related to his nihilistic beliefs. Now it was gone, never to return. And that being was Murcielago.

A/N: Sorry this chapter doesn't really have much context and that is because I've been working on some FanArt Of Ulquiorra and someone else..which whom I am not revealing yet. But I will say it relates to the story and will put a link to share with my readers when the time comes. It was inspired by a manga that I love hehehe! Hopefully i will be forgiven for my long absence of updating. Also I had an EXTREME case of writers block T_T