Title: Comforting The Dead
Summary: They both felt dead inside. And yet, they could be the only ones to revive each other.
Pairing/Characters: Ulquiorra and Orihime Inoue
Rating: T? Yeah, I think that's about right.
Genre: Drama/Romance
Notes: A try at crack pairings, and it's also an attempt at something un-humorous. Bear with me? And lookie there! There's not Hitsugaya, Hinamori, Ichigo, or Rukia in it! Whoopty doo. And, I don't know whether Ulquiorra's out of character, because... well, we haven't seen too much of him.
Don't own Bleach.
It had been a week since Inoue Orihime had felt Sado's riatsu flicker in Hueco Mundo, as if he were dying. A week already had passed, and she still hadn't felt his presence yet.
He couldn't be, could he?
He had been one of her great friends, after they both realized that they had spiritual powers. She had figured he was stronger. But now...
Was he... dead?
Sado-kun...?
Sado-kun.
Sado-kun.
Sado-kun...!
There was a knock on the door.
"I'm coming in." Ulquiorra stated, entering Inoue Orihime's cell. Orihime blinked, trying to avoid his eyes. He hadn't entered her room since a week ago; when he had criticized her friends. Not a good choice.
"Ulquiorra-sama." Orihime nodded slightly at his presence. She didn't speak another word as she stood in the corner, as far as she could possibly stay away from him.
He had hurt her. Orihime didn't want to be hurt again.
Ulquiorra took a step forward, glancing at the tray that had been cast off to the side of the room. "I see you haven't touched your food." He spoke quietly, walking up to it and picking the grey platter up. "You haven't forgotten what I said, did you?"
She faced away from him. "I don't care." She whimpered in the corner.
What was this?
It was the typical mouse-and-cat scenario. She was the mouse in the corner, and he was cat edging on his prey.
Was she that weak?
Weak.
Underrated.
Useless.
Her friends had come to Hueco Mundo, faced with death, to come rescue her. And what could she do?
Nothing.
She clenched her hands and brought it near her face. "D- Don't... Don't come near..." Her voice was hoarse-- less than a whisper. "I- If you take a step... I- I will..." She took a step back. "I... I will..."
Orihime slumped to the ground, her arms covering her face in tears.
Ulquiorra looked at her, his eyes full of questions. "Why?" He took a step forward. "Does it make you feel better to mourn over those who have passed on?" He questioned her. "Is it enjoyable for you?"
"No..." Orihime covered her face with her hands-- her long, orange hair covering sprawled all over her face as well. "Those... those who I have mourned for... it's never pleasurable, Ulquiorra-sama." She said. "He's not dead... Sado-kun isn't... he isn't..."
She felt cold-- Hueco Mundo might have been a barren desert, but it was as cold as winter there. Inoue shivered slightly, biting back the tears that were ready to fall out of her eyes.
Orihime didn't see it, but at that time Ulquiorra's face softened a bit, watching her hold down her tears-- he felt some new type of emotion. He didn't know what to do.
"I'll come again in an hour." Ulquiorra finally said.
He bowed slightly, and walked out the door. "Please eat."
As she heard the click of the door, Orihime let herself cry, the tears straining out of her eyes. "... why?" She mourned for her friend.
Ulquiorra shut the door and leaned on it. "What the hell," His face remained unemotional, but his voice seemed strained. "I don't know what to do anymore..."
He normally never had any emotions raging inside of him; but today-- today-- it felt like some sort of feeling inside of him had burst out. All thanks to the prisoner he was forced to attend to-- none other than that girl who stood against the opposite side of the wall.
He needed to sort everything out-- an hour would do.
There was a tap on her door an hour later, making Inoue snap out of her previous daze, making her sit up as if nothing happened. "Come in." She nodded her head.
Ulquiorra opened the door wider, gazing at her face.
Dried tears.
"You were crying again." He pointed out, edging closer once again, to the girl who sat in the corner, her knees scrunched up to her chest.
"You have no proof that I have, Ulquiorra-sama." She commented back; although it was quite obvious-- her eyes were red, as if she had been crying for awhile now. Her sleeve was brought up to her eyes to wipe away any remaining tears.
He sighed quietly, walking up to the girl. "Your tears..." he spoke, "... tell all. You cannot hide that fact."
Orihime mumbled. "..." She looked down at her fingers, fumbling with her thumbs. She wanted to cry again, but in front of one of Aizen's trusted? She couldn't. She would just have to hold it... again.
"I don't mind." his voice snapped her out of thinking again.
Orihime's face was covered in confusion as she stared at the arrancar. "What do you mean?" She asked, her head lifting up.
"You can cry," Ulquiorra explained, his gaze set on her, "if it would please you."
Her shaded eyes widened at his last statement. "Wh... What did you say?" She asked him quietly, staring right through him. "I... I don't think that I heard you very well, Ulquiorra-sama... and... and..."
Orihime's sentence was cut short by two arms wrapping around her fully. She looked up at the man, who stared right back down to her. "I do not know what I am feeling right now," He said with a bit of emotion, more than Orihime had ever heard from him, wiping the tears threatening to fall, "But... if you would ever need anyone..."
"... I am here." His mouth was slightly raised-- it was like he was attempting to smile.
Three words and a small smile. To other people, those three words wouldn't mean anything, and that smile would've been something they would see daily. Those three words weren't even 'I love you'-- and the smile wasn't even so wide.
But to Orihime, it meant the world to her at that moment.
Orihime smiled warmly, for the first time Ulquiorra had seen, returning the hug he had given. "Thank you."
And she cried.
"Orihime."
A couple of days later, Ulquiorra approached her in her cell, grabbing her hand to get her attention. "I have news."
Orihime's eyes widened.
"Your Sado-kun's alive." He nodded to her, giving her exactly the information she needed. Orihime's face turned bright, pulling him into a warm hug.
"Thank you for everything." She whispered in his ear. Ulquiorra nodded, wrapping his own arms around her figure, breathing her in.
Thank you... as well.
It might not have been love at that time, but what they gave each other was good enough.おわり--- OWARI
Eh... well, that's that. Like that would happen in Bleach. Oh well.
Review. Tell me if it's not good, or good. Whatever floats the boat.
It took about... 1 hour to write. Geez.