Updated: 21st June 2019 (bigger cosmetic changes, and a new omake)

Hello, everyone!

First of all I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed the last chapter! You always make my day!

NiaNia, Tsunayoshi, yume girl 91, Yuki Miyazawa, scarlet white cross, Paper Bullet (Ami), Yaruki, SoraXNamine, Red Princess, Sweet Scrifice, VirgoStargirl, Anjiska, phoenix-aerith, Kita of Nature, CookieMonster666, ColourPearl, tatsujun41

Thank you very much!

It has taken me some time to finish this chapter, but it's not entirely my fault! Part of it is someone else's… Yes, it's yours! If you haven't told me about Rock Musical Bleach, I'd have written this chapter much quicker! But I'm very grateful you have! Hahaha ;D Sankyuu! I've found myself a new obsession, thanks to that xD

Enough of this pointless intro and onto the chapter!

Do enjoy!

朝霧 -Asagiri-

The Frozen Whisper
by Asagiri

Chapter 9
Concord

Ulquiorra woke up exactly at six o'clock in the morning, just like almost every day. It became such a routine for him, that he didn't need an alarm clock (he did have one, though, just in case). It didn't even matter what time he went to sleep. When the clock showed 06:00 a.m., his eyes opened and he was awake and ready for the new day to faithfully serve Aizen-sama.

He got up and dressed. The air in his room was crisp and refreshing, but the temperature was normal. He approached the Shinigami's zanpakutō and brushed his fingers on her hilt. Cold pricked his fingertips, but it wasn't as biting as yesterday.

Rubbing his fingers to make them warm again, Ulquiorra left his room. He headed towards the Espadas' exclusive dining hall to eat a breakfast before starting his everyday duties. Most of the Espadas had their meals in their chambers, however he didn't want anyone coming to his, unless absolutely necessary, so most of the times he ate there. When he arrived, however, he was surprised to see he wasn't the only one to come for breakfast this morning. There, eating his meal, was one of his fellow associates, whom he didn't get along that well with.

"Grimmjow," he acknowledged his presence, and sat in his usual seat.

"Ulquiorra," the 6th Espada returned quite reluctantly with a scowl on his face.

Ulquiorra looked at him scrutinisingly. His unzipped jacket didn't hide them well, so the fresh scars on his torso were clearly visible. They were disgraceful mementos of his lost fight with Ichigo Kurosaki and that nasty slash from Nnoitra. He had been lucky to survive that. One more blow and he would have been dead for sure.

…Pathetic. Being beaten to a pulp by some Shinigami representative who hadn't been even trained properly. It did serve him right, though. Hadn't it been for his selfishness, Orihime Inoue wouldn't have got snatched away from them and he wouldn't have failed his mission.

"The fuck you're looking at?" Grimmjow asked angrily.

Ignoring him, Ulquiorra ordered his breakfast with the servant that had just approached him. He wasn't interested in a petty fight with him, anyway. Defeating a loser like him would bring him no satisfaction; not to mention, it would be pointless and with no benefits to Aizen-sama. In fact, selfish conflicts between Espadas might be quite disadvantageous for their master, and that was impermissible.

・

"Don't you ignore me, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow growled menacingly. He despised it, when someone disregarded him this way, as if he was of lower kind. He didn't and would never feel inferior to anyone, and it would be better if no-one tried to make him such.

Ulquiorra looked at him closely. "What's your problem?"

Grimmjow glared at him hatefully, but left the question unanswered. Oh, how he wanted to gouge those dissecting eyes of his and shove them up his arse!

"Just because you got badly beaten up," the emotionless bastard continued nonchalantly, "It doesn't mean you have to take it out on me, Grimmjow. Take your frustrations somewhere else."

"Ulquiorra," he hissed warningly through his clenched teeth. His hands instinctively balled into fists, ready to smash that annoying, blank face the moment it produced the next insult.

"Beaten dogs shouldn't bark," Ulquiorra said, unfazed by the murderous intent in the air.

In a flash Grimmjow appeared next to him, and catching his collar, he shook him violently. "Don't mess with me, you son of a bitch!"

He wouldn't stand anyone insulting, humiliating or making fun of him. Yet the bastard in front of him had this peculiar trait of doing all that simultaneously, even if he was simply nearby, doing nothing in particular. Not to mention, the fact that a prick like him existed was enough to grate on his nerves.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and grasped tightly the wrist of the hand holding his jacket. At the same time he brought his other hand in front of Grimmjow's chest, threatening him with Cero. "Let go of me, I have better things to do than fight with you," he said impassively.

The 6th Espada scowled at this, but still it cooled his anger just enough to make him realise that this fight would be pointless and most probably would end in his shameful defeat. He had more or less recovered from his wounds, but still was far from his top shape. So he roughly released Ulquiorra and took a few steps back. "You're not worth a time of my day, anyway," he spat.

He really despised this bastard in front of him. That yes-man attitude really got on his nerves. He did understand why Ulquiorra served Aizen – he did it for the same reasons, after all – but what that guy was doing, was way too smarmy for his tastes. He would do everything for their superior, even give his life away. No dignity at all, if you asked him.

And that undisturbed composure… He was constantly calm, no matter the situation; ever focused on given task, doing everything to carry it out flawlessly. Which he always did. That was another trait in Ulquiorra that immensely pissed him off. He never made any mistakes, he always calculated everything correctly beforehand, with just one percent margin of error at most! He was an example of a perfect soldier – something completely different from himself.

Grimmjow in a way respected Ulquiorra (not that he would ever admit it, even to himself), but at the same time he detested him wholeheartedly. They were like polar opposites.

What he found most vexing about the bastard, however, was his complete lack of passion. Ulquiorra did everything perfectly, but he showed no emotions at all. Whether he fought, whether he killed, whether he drank the fucking tea during the Espadas' meetings – he was always indifferent. His eyes never showed any spark, be it of interest or anger, they were utterly blank.

He could stab him, but he wouldn't get more than a cold stare in return before a countermove. Ulquiorra was one of the people most difficult to read. Always calm, his posture betrayed boredom at most. He had never seen more than a small frown or a raised eyebrow on his face. Honestly, was he afraid that his face would crack or something?

When Grimmjow had told him, that he had been scared of fighting him in a fear of destroying each other, he had been, in fact, bluffing. It had been just a talk to get some reaction out of his opponent, nothing more. He simply had had this feeling in his gut and had just spilled it, without thinking… Surprisingly enough it had turned out to be rather more than less correct.

He wondered if he would be able to get any reaction out of him this time. He had this little guess… Ulquiorra was a warrior, he had to be one to survive in the Hollow realm as long as to become a Vasto Lorde. If he had spent so much time fighting, he had to have a warrior's pride. And what did true warriors do? Exactly! Fight! And babysitting some woman (second one in a row, too!) was the exact opposite of this…

Take that, you son of a bitch! he mentally smirked to himself.

"How's the new 'Pet-sama'?" he asked casually, as if they had not just been at each other throats a minute ago.

"What's it to you?" Ulquiorra returned. An idea of a morning chat with the 6th Espada was probably quite odd to him, like any chat under any other circumstances, for that matter.

Grimmjow shrugged. "No reason. She just seems different from the previous one. Less… meek."

Ulquiorra replied after a pause, "She is."

"Thought so," he nodded. He remembered the way she had tried to protect Ichigo from him. Even though she should have known better, she had attacked him with one of her ice blasts. He could tell she had guts. "She doesn't believe that made up story of yours, does she? About Ichigo abandoning her?"

"No, I don't think she does," Ulquiorra confirmed.

"She's a stubborn one," he commented, inwardly laughing that something wasn't going according to Ulquiorra's plans. He liked that Shinigami girl already.

"That she is."

"Difficult to handle?" Grimmjow asked, trying his best to prevent himself from smirking.

This time Ulquiorra looked at him with slightly raised eyebrows. "Not really."

It was difficult to keep his composure, when it was obvious Ulquiorra wasn't telling the truth. He had seen yesterday that the girl wasn't docile. She might act like it out of self-preservation, but her eyes betrayed determination and tenacity. If he had noticed that, then surely someone like Ulquiorra must have noticed it as well, yet he let her be; didn't try to subdue her. Perhaps because she would be even more bothersome if he tried.

Grimmjow could no longer hold his smirk, right about when a servant appeared with Ulquiorra's meal. He saw this as his cue to leave, but not before he jested, "Tell my regards to your little 'Pet-sama'. While you play games with her, the rest of us will be doing more productive things."

Satisfied with the glare he received, Grimmjow left the dining hall, whistling merrily. The bastard didn't feel happy about his baby-sitting duty, and this knowledge made his day, or even a week.

・

Ulquiorra ignored Grimmjow. As much as he wasn't too keen on his responsibility and would rather train, fight or plot than spend his time baby-sitting some woman, it was Aizen-sama's order. He felt honoured, that his master trusted him enough to assign him such an unprecedented task, and that was the only thing that mattered. Grimmjow could take that smug look on his face and shove it.

After finishing his meal, he waited for one of the servants to clean the table. When one approached, he ordered, "Prepare breakfast for Rukia Kuchiki. Have it ready in front of her door at seven thirty sharp."

"Understood, Ulquiorra-sama," the female Arrancar bowed, and quickly disappeared behind the kitchen door.

Ulquiorra returned to his room to end his morning routine, and when the time came, he went to the Shinigami's room. With a short look he acknowledged the servant, who was punctually waiting for him with a trolley full of food for Las Noches' 'finest guest'.

He knocked on the door and after a brisk "It's me" he entered the room. He was quite surprised to find her still in bed, sound asleep. Had last night worn her out this much, that she was still asleep, even though it was already past 07:30?

"Leave," he dismissed the servant, and once she closed the door after herself, he approached the Shinigami with a frown.

A soft smile played on her lips. It seemed she was dreaming pleasant dreams. He wondered what it was like. All he ever experienced during the night was either pitch black emptiness or nightmares.

The Shinigami looked completely different from when awake. The usual glower on her face, the clenched jaws or narrowed eyes were gone, replaced by relaxed and peaceful expression. Her ebony locks spilled on the pillow in a silky mess, however that one strand of her hair was there, as always, crossing her face.

She lied there, her body showing nothing of the tension and stress that took a hold of her during the day. But even now, engulfed in deep slumber, she gave out some mysterious strength so contrasting with her fragile appearance.

Still observing her serene expression, he extended his hand and touched the back of her hand, and then her cheek. Her skin was soft and warm, just like Nnoitra had supposed out loud it would be. Different from before. His fingers moved to her neck, where her carotid artery throbbed with every beat of her heart. A content sigh escaped her lips, and he quickly withdrew his hand. It appeared the Shinigami was about to wake up.

・

Rukia's dream began to slip away, but she didn't want to wake up yet. It was a warm dream, giving her that cosy feel she wanted to hold onto as long as possible. A Wednesday training session with unseated officers was waiting for her, but just a minute or two of more sleep wouldn't hurt, right? Sighing contently she slowly opened her eyes. An unfamiliar mixture of green, black and white appeared before her. The green was mesmerisingly beautiful, though a little bit hard and cold, like an emerald. She wanted nothing more but to drown in it and fall back asleep.

Then it blinked, brutally pulling her out from her morning haze.

"What the—?" she cried in surprise, as if a bucket of cold water was thrown in her face. She quickly moved away from the Espada, her body tense and ready to fight, though entangled in sheets. "What do you want?" she asked sharply.

"I brought you your breakfast," he answered matter-of-factly, while his eyes emotionlessly observed her efforts to get herself out of the messy bed sheets.

Rukia took a quick glance at the clock. 07:39. Meaning – she slept in.

"I'm not hungry," she told him with a dismissive wave of her hand, finally freeing herself and getting out of the bed on its opposite side, as far away as possible from him.

"Eat," he told her in a way that made it clear that she had no choice but to comply.

"Not now."

"Eat."

"I will, but not now," she huffed at him in frustration. "If that's all, you can go."

・

Ulquiorra was quite irked by her behaviour. Again. When he thought that she had already learned her place, she was again bumping heads with him over a trifle. What a stubborn and foolish woman! His hand twitched in his pocked, itching to just end this. "Listen, Shinigami—"

"Rukia Kuchiki," she cut in, her arms defiantly crossed in front of her chest.

He looked at her questioningly, wondering what she was getting at.

"That's my name," she pointed out.

"I know."

"Then use it properly, you Arrancar," she snapped at him, her eyes coldly glowering at him.

"Listen, Kuchiki…" Ulquiorra replied nonchalantly. She wanted him to call her by her name? Fine by him. But she better ate that breakfast. He wanted to be over and done with this petty matter as soon as possible, so he could do something more productive instead of wasting his time on a pointless argument with someone who didn't matter.

・

Rukia was quite surprised that he complied almost immediately, even though he wasn't too polite – but that was to be expected. She smiled sweetly at him and started clapping.

"Bravo, Ulquiorra! You're a quick-learner!" With the same expression plastered on her face, she extended her arm, pointing at the door. "Now, if you don't mind, I want you to leave."

"Not until you eat."

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Rukia asked, exasperated. Had none of her words reached him? Especially since he was supposed to be an intelligent man? Why was he being so persistent over a mere breakfast?

"I have to make sure that you eat your meals properly, and not just throw them away," he stated matter-of-factly.

Rukia stared at him for a moment, processing his words. Was he implying what she thought he was? "Why would I do that?" she asked incredulously. "Do you really think I would want to starve myself?"

"Then just eat."

"Not. Now. I'm. Not. Hungry. Yet," she accentuated each word, hoping he would finally understand. "Leave me alone."

"Eat," the Espada said for the umpteenth time, unfazed neither by her threatening tone nor simple logic. This situation was slowly but steadily pushing her to the verge of her patience, and the idea of grabbing a bowl and throwing it in his face was becoming more and more tempting. She hated wasting food, but she was getting desperate.

"What is so hard to understand that I just woke up and I'm not hungry yet?"

"Listen, Shinigami…"

That did it for her.

"It's Kuchiki-sama for you, you bastard!" Rukia yelled, throwing her hands in the air. She might be overreacting a little bit, but she couldn't help it. He was bringing the worst in her. It annoyed her to no end that he treated her like an object that had no name and individuality, and needed to be fed, despite her actual needs. She was a person and had a name, and had an appetite when she had it, not when he told her she had it. What was so difficult to understand about it, for gods' sake?!

・

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at her sudden outburst of haughtiness. It didn't really surprise him, though. She was a Shinigami, all right.

"Very well, Rukia. Be it your way," Ulquiorra surlily complied. Not only was she wasting his time, but she was also getting on his nerves. Soon the urge to kill her would be too strong to suppress. "I'll be back in half an hour. By that time I expect all those plates clear."

"Fine, Ulquiorra," she retorted frostily.

And he left without another word.

No, she wasn't difficult to handle. Not at all.

・

Rukia knew she overstepped, it was also obvious from his narrowed eyes and cold displeasure written all over his face, despite looking almost the same as always. She sent a glare after his retreating figure, however when he closed the door with more force than usual, a sense of fear spread over her, joining her anger.

Last day had proven they could be civil to each other, but now she didn't think they would be able to stand being in the same room together. At least she wouldn't be able to stand him, as long as he treated her like an object, that bastard! Who the Hell did he think he was?! Oh, he was driving her mad!

Her fit of arrogance was all his fault. If he hadn't acted like a total jerk, she wouldn't have yelled and titled herself like this. And she hated it when somebody called her 'Rukia-sama' or 'Kuchiki-sama'!

In a huff she went to the bathroom for a quick shower. Cold water calmed her enough that a new feeling surfaced – embarrassment at her sudden outburst. How could she have allowed him to provoke her to this extent? She should know better, she should control her emotions. Especially now, when it could determine whether she lived another day or not. She wondered what the price for this would be. The look he had given her could mean he wouldn't let it slide.

A feeling of dread sunk to the pit of her stomach. Well, there was nothing she could do now, but to get dressed and then have that bloody breakfast.

Five minutes before the Espada's return – and she was pretty sure he would return exactly 30 minutes later, just as he told her, as if he was standing behind the door with a clock in his hand, counting minutes – Rukia was finally feeling peckish. She approached the trolley, and to her amazement the covers revealed an amount of food she would never be able to finish in one sitting, even if she was famished.

"Clear plates, sure," she scoffed under her breath. If he really had meant it, he would be greatly disappointed.

Everything looked so wonderful, she felt bad she would have to leave most of it. She decided on rice with some vegetables and fish, and a salad. It was more than enough for her.

Rukia normally didn't eat much, but she always had small breakfasts. In Seireitei almost everyone started their day with a light meal, no more (with the exception of Lieutenant Ōmaeda Marechiyo, but he was a special case). It was a common, unwritten rule in all Divisions of the Gotei 13, because going into a morning training with a full stomach was simply stupid for it might not end pretty. Luckily the word had reached her before her first training, so she hadn't embarrassed herself. However some had had to learn it the hard way (namely Renji – she had rubbed it in for a few weeks until he had stopped responding and picking on him had become boring).

She was finishing her salad when a knock on the door came, followed by the Espada's entrance. She narrowed her eyes at him, but one look from him made her avert her glare.

"I'm eating, happy?" she said, pointing at the bowl with her chopsticks.

・

Ulquiorra didn't say anything, just stood there with his hands in the pockets, studying her.

"I don't eat much…" she started hesitantly, but soon she masked the signs of nervousness with testy, though reasonable, question, "It didn't occur to you to ask me about my meal preferences, did it? It would make things much easier."

It hadn't. He had to admit that perhaps she wasn't trying to be difficult just for the sake of being difficult. Perhaps if he listened to her, she would listen to him in return, just as Ichimaru had advised. So he said, "Let's hear it then, Rukia."

Surprise lightened her frown, and she mumbled, "Do you need paper and a pen?"

"I'll remember."

He listened to her listing her meal suggestions. Nothing extravagant, just simple dishes that would sustain her and keep her healthy. She took this seriously, even describing the size of the portions she preferred.

"That's it, I guess," she concluded. "Do you think it'll be feasible?"

"I don't see why not. I'll inform the cooks of your preferences."

She nodded her head in what he guessed was a sign of gratitude.

It seemed he had been in the wrong for not giving her enough credit. She was reasonable enough that they could work things out without resorting to petty squabbles. Moreover, Ulquiorra noticed something curious – the Shinigami visibly relaxed after they came to this some sort of a mutual understanding. She wanted to keep the civility between them. Perhaps she wasn't as conceited as the rest of her kin?

Good. If only she wasn't this stubborn, he mused and observed her as she finished her breakfast, got up, and put away the empty plates.

"Will this be all, or do you want anything else from the trolley?" he asked.

Her eyes met his, but soon she looked away. She was tense again. "I'm full. All this is way too much for me."

Ulquiorra had to admit that he shouldn't have expected her to eat all the food he had brought her. Just looking at her small frame should have been enough to come to a conclusion that she didn't eat much. More compliant and less prideful, she seemed even more breakable, but oddly enough the urge to do just that, to break her and be over and done with this charade, wasn't there anymore.

So trying to maintain the fragile peace between them, he told her, "Clear plates… next time, then."

The Shinigami finally looked at him properly. "You got it, Ulquiorra."

Dinner and supper went fairly well as both of them continued trying to be civil. Though there was one thing that kept bothering Rukia – his eyes staring at her constantly. She tried staring back, but the memory of how she had wanted to drown in their green depths got her distracted and she had to look away, trying not to blush in shame. He had gorgeous eyes, like a cat's, she couldn't help but notice. And this made her irritated even more.

To keep her sanity as healthy as possible, she snapped, "Do you mind?"

"Do I mind what?" he returned as if he was mildly confused, though nothing in his face indicated this.

"Can you not stare at me? Especially when I eat?"

"I'm not staring. I'm simply observing," he stated matter-of-factly.

Rukia crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well, whatever you call it, please stop it. It's unnerving."

He paused, his eyes still fixed on her, but eventually he looked away. "If you insist."

"I do. Much appreciated," she said, and quietly let out a sigh of relief. It went better than she expected – without a fuss he did what she asked for. Perhaps he wasn't as overbearing as she thought he was. If only it would be this easy to make him return Sode no Shirayuki to her, though… It seemed there was no other way than to take this matter into her own hands.

Rukia finished her supper and put the plates back on the trolley, and before long she was alone.

It was high time she started to draw her Las Noches Diary. It was still a working title, though, as she needed a more dramatic one that would convey her plight to the potential readers, and spark their interest.

She went through her memory and sketched a number of panels of the most important events that had happened in the last days. To her surprise, she counted this was the ninth day of her imprisonment. If no-one from Soul Society had come for her by now, then it was more than clear they thought her dead. It upset her a bit, she couldn't deny it, but she could do nothing but move forward and prove otherwise by returning home.

To cheer herself up, she decided to draw her favourite character. Chappy it is, she mused, forcing herself to smile. She couldn't count how many times she had drawn the bunny – by now she could do it blindfolded – so it took a moment to finish it. With a few more colours added, Chappy looked as if he was about to jump off the sheet of paper, alive.

Proud of her drawing, Rukia grabbed an adhesive tape and looked around the room, searching for the most appropriate spot to display it. The wall just above her bed seemed best. After sticking it there, she took a couple steps back to have a better view. Perfect, she thought, giving herself and Chappy two big thumbs-up.

Before sleep she drew few more, this time picturing bunny versions of her friends – Ichigo, Renji, her brother and Inoue. They all came out better than great. It was almost as if they were here with her. Almost…

She smiled at them, and promised, "I'll be back before you come to terms with my death. Just give me some time…"

It was half past seven in the morning and Ulquiorra was walking towards the Shiniga—Rukia's room. He could feel her reiatsu, subtle but with a note of firmness. He didn't know why, but he somewhat liked it. There was something soothing about it. As for the one who emitted it – he had ambivalent feelings. She was a curious thing, that was for sure. On one hand she could be reasonable and agreeable, but on the other – bossy, temperamental and stubborn as a mule. And there was her pride, too.

When he arrived at her door, a servant was already waiting for him with the food trolley, so he knocked, and saying "It's me" he entered.

He found her sitting by the desk scribbling or drawing something.

"Hey." Without looking up at him Rukia raised her hand in a greeting, engrossed in whatever it was she was doing at the moment.

"Your breakfast," Ulquiorra said, a bit taken aback by her casual behaviour.

"Yeah, just a second," she responded. It was evident she wasn't paying any real attention to him.

In the meantime he dismissed the servant and sat down in his armchair. Using the opportunity she was practically ignoring him, he studied her. There was something odd about her, something new that she hadn't shown him before. She was completely caught up in her activity, with a soft smile playing on her lips, from time to time blooming into a real smile. And her violet eyes were gentle and lit up by inner sparks. She was clearly relishing whatever she was doing.

It surprised him how completely different she could appear. It was just nine days, and yet he had witnessed many aspects of her: defeated and fading, broken, determined, anxious, devious, agitated, angry, overbearing, sarcastic, waspish, even sheepish… But he would have never thought he would see her… happy. Ever. Not in Las Noches, where she had absolutely no reason to feel this way; without friends, surrounded not only by enemies, but also ill-will, despair and lies.

Yet, she was able to smile. Genuinely.

Deep inside Ulquiorra admitted that he kind of liked that expression on her, it suited her best.

… He wasn't staring, was he?

Looking somewhere else before Rukia noticed, he spotted a drawing adhered to the wall above her bed. So that was what she was doing… That small pile on the desk were her other works. They seemed to be the origin of her delight. From his spot he couldn't tell what they depicted, but if the opportunity arose, he would check them out, curious what brought her such joy.

・

Rukia did notice his gaze on her, but shrugged it off, too preoccupied with finishing the bunny portrait of Uryū Ishida. Just a little touch-up with a dark blue crayon and it was ready! The Quincy himself, for all the world! She still had to draw Kiyone, Sentarō and Hanatarō, and collection of her dearest people would be finished.

Firstly, though, she had to eat breakfast, before Ulquiorra started to fuss. She wasn't happy that he felt the need to make sure that she ate properly – personally, too – but at least he stopped staring at her. But even his presence couldn't destroy her great mood. There weren't many things she enjoyed more than drawing, after all.

When she was putting away her empty plates, she dared to steal a glance at him.

His eyes were closed and he looked rather relaxed. His chest was evenly rising and falling with each breath. If she didn't know better, she would think he was asleep.

Rukia was curious about those two marks on his face, so contrasting with his pale skin. What were they? She caught herself wanting to touch them. Also, for the first time being able to actually look at him, she noticed he wasn't half bad-looking. And with those eyes…

Startled by her own thoughts, she firmly looked away and returned to her chair to wait for him to go away.

・

Ulquiorra felt her gaze on himself, but didn't open his eyes until he heard her sit back in the chair. He guessed she was making sure he didn't fall asleep. The armchair sure was cosy, and her reiatsu soothing, but it wasn't enough to make him nod off.

He wouldn't mind relaxing a bit longer, but he had duties he had to take care of today, and that included giving a report to Aizen-sama. It was time he went about his day.

Standing up, he told her, "Today the dinner will be later, around two."

Rukia nodded her head. "See you then, Ulquiorra."

He looked at her carefully, as there was something odd about her. She was too casual. Too agreeable. It was as if she was up to something, but sensing nothing else suspicious, he left, wondering if it was just how she really was, if in a good mood. Ichimaru did call her a 'sweetheart', after all.

・

As much as she wasn't faking anything, Rukia was indeed up to something. She wanted to take a small trip around Las Noches to find Sode no Shirayuki. She could feel the presence of her zanpakutō and it wasn't that far away. She missed her. Without her she felt as if a part of her body had been torn off, leaving a throbbing void in its place.

Her plan was simple: to find Sode no Shirayuki without being noticed. No big philosophy in there. She wanted to know where she was, what state she was in, and, if possible, take her. However, she was well aware that the last one would be rather impossible. So just seeing her friend – her only friend here – would be enough for her.

She was walking on thin ice here, but they wouldn't kill her for that, would they? Besides she theoretically could wander around Las Noches, being a 'guest' and all… It wasn't safe for her, sure, Ulquiorra had warned her for a reason, but if she was careful, she should be fine, right?

Around nine o'clock Rukia started a warm-up, and at nine-thirty she was ready to go.

She soundlessly left the room and, guided by Sode no Shirayuki's aura, she made her way in her direction. Her zanpakutō was on a higher level, so firstly she needed to find a stairway.

She advanced stealthily, making as little noise as possible, suppressing her reiatsu to the minimum, so no-one would notice her. At the same time she tried her best to remember the way, so she wouldn't have problems getting back. An idea that Ulquiorra would have to find her and lead her to her room was humiliating.

Every time the corridor forked, Rukia chose the first one to the right. However, at the fifth fork in her way, her gut feeling warned her of a danger lurking ahead, so she went left, her movements even quicker and more inconspicuous. She didn't know who or what it was, and she didn't care to find out.

Then, a lecherous voice from behind stopped her in her tracks and made her hair stand on end.

"Well, well, well, and what do we have here? Are you lost, little chick?"

OMAKE I (Some random stuff…)

"Beaten dogs shouldn't bark," Ulquiorra said, unfazed by the murderous intent in the air.

In a flash Grimmjow appeared next to him, and catching his collar, he shook him violently. "I'm a panther! So that makes me a cat!"

He wouldn't stand anyone insulting, humiliating or making fun of him.

OMAKE II (I wrote this for the updated version of this chapter, but in the end I couldn't find a suitable place for it, so I put it here!)

"What did you dream of in the morning?"

Rukia blinked and stared at him, unsure whether she heard him right.

Seeing her confusion, he added, "You were smiling when you were waking up."

"Was I?" she wondered out loud, but inwardly she couldn't decide whether his question was casual or creepy. Still, in order to maintain the civil atmosphere between them, she replied, "I don't remember, frankly. It was a nice dream, though, I know that."

He frowned. "How can you not remember what you dreamt?"

"Isn't it like normal not to remember? I don't remember most of my dreams. Even if it's fresh in my memory and I retell it to myself just after waking up, it soon just slips away from the memory anyway. Isn't it similar for you?"

Ulquiorra shrugged. "I remember everything, the smallest details." It never was pleasant.

"Really? That's great. I wish I could remember my dreams like that. So what is the last thing you dreamt of?"

"My dreams aren't very coherent. It's either swallowing emptiness or some grotesque images filled with despair and pain. They're difficult to put into words, even though I recall them quite vividly now."

"Oh… That's… That's awful," she said, and he could tell she meant it.

A/N:

Hope you liked it! ;D

Slowly I'm beginning to plan the ending of this story, though I'm not even sure if I've reached its middle yet. And I don't know what to do with Gin, so if you could help me… Of course I'm not sure what I'll do with him in the end, but I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what you think should happen with him during the final battle. So help me and vote in a poll on my profile, in a review or in a PM! xD

A. vanish in thin air
B. vanish spectacularly
C. die
D. die spectacularly
E. return to the Soul Society rehabilitated
F. return to the Soul Society as a prisoner (possible execution)

If you have any comments regarding Gin or any other character, do write!

Bye!

朝霧 -Asagiri-