NOTE:

Holy crap guise! Had the longest hiatus ever, much? Just got a little lazy, but now continuing on haha. Thanks for the patience. Enjoy (and more to come).

Chapter 5: Confessions

Orihime's POV:

If in love, there were more things like compassion and realization, I think that life could be easier. Love messes people up, because many people can't control their emotions. It messes me up, especially when I'm not allowed to fall in love. I know it's a trap, I know it's all a lie. He's not nice to me because he feels any sympathy for me; he has to.

Ulquiorra-san was pouring a cup of tea and I noticed that he was very skinny. His skin a light tone of gray and his slender figure was menacing to look at, although I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was elegant, charismatic, and very open minded.

I found it attractive that Ulquiorra-san wasn't afraid of what people would think. Although he's feared because of his straightforwardness and over exaggerations, calling people and other hollows "trash" and whatnot.

"Ulquiorra-san, do you enjoy my company?" I asked, waiting for him to finish serving the tea and rice crackers.

"I have to enjoy it."

As expected, it isn't him. He doesn't seem to have any emotions or feelings; at least he's not showing it. I tried a different approach, possibly like the one Grimmjow-san used, but I tried it in a more indirect manner, "If you could leave me and not have me in custody anymore, would you never come to see me?"

He overflowed the tea cup and the tea dripped off onto the floor.

He snapped and an Arrancar ran in to fix up the mess. He stayed quiet until the Arrancar left and said: "No, I wouldn't."

My heart stroke in a piercing motion. Instead of feeling it in my left side of the chest, I felt it in the middle. As if he just cut me open and attempted to break my heart. I stood my stance, trying to act as if it didn't matter to me, and that I felt the same way. He looked over at me, "but occasionally I would run into you and say a word or two."

I wondered if he was trying to mend the pain. Like, if he was trying to make me feel better. Does that mean he cares? Even a bit?

Even so, I was happy. I smiled softly and said, "Lets eat."

Today was soft. Ulquiorra-san was more easy. He was caring, less rude and left his clean remarks on foolishness to himself. He didn't make me feel uneasy today, but it was probably just me brushing off his rudeness due to the fact I'm lovesick.

If he knew this, I can probably predict: "You say that word so easily."

Ulquiorra's POV:

How do I tell her; her friends are dead. We slaughtered them and ate them whole, devouring them with no care or grief we should cause to her, or the Soul Society.

But this is war. We have war so we may have peace; it's a chain reaction. Lord Aizen is in vain. I can't believe these lowly lives could possibly pull something so stupid. We could've done something more reasonable with the capture of Kurosaki Ichigo and the rest of the Shinigami. I say that with a tingly feeling in my chest. I want it so badly because, I mean. This woman. She yearns for him so much, it's disgusting. She's getting her hopes up just to have them knocked down. This buzzing feeling, what is it?

Her room is almost done repairing. As expected from Lord Aizen. I'll miss her having around here; her face near mine every morning, seeing her afternoon smile and the laughter of joy. Even if it was only for two or three days, she's made me for the first time enjoy spending time with someone.

I've started to feel that I've forgotten the feeling of being feared, only loved. By this woman, that knows nothing of me.

"Get up," I said, laying on the sofa that I usually lay on whenever I think. She woke up instantly. "Once you wash up, we must talk."

I may have just been feigning myself. I knew that I wanted to tell her about that imbecile, but I didn't. Maybe I had planned this out all along in my subconscious, or maybe I just am that weak. I didn't say a single word to her at all as she was lagging while she ate. Once she came back, I was still thinking, worrying about what I should say.

"What is it, Ulquiorra-san?" She said to me.

Immediately, although hesitant, "You-" I was going to say "your friends," but out came: "You're going back to your original room soon. It is almost done getting repaired."

I'm a fool.

She looked at me with a forced smile, "I see. I can finally get out of your hair now, huh?"

I didn't respond, I simply just looked away to hide the pained expression on my face. Really, what am I doing?

Suddenly, a uneasy reaitsu appeared, rushing to our castle straight out of no where. It was impossible to know where it was coming from; I couldn't tell. Everywhere, was it? No. This was the presence of one being. Suddenly, behind the woman sparked a flare, I then knew it was one of the lower class Hollows using an illusion. I was being naïve, and was easily tricked.

Pulling her back in my arms, the Hollow appeared before me. I snickered at the sight of this one; a weakling. His powers are also non-destructive, only to fool a being, but never someone like me. At least again.

"So, how did you end up here anyways? The pressure of the miasma in his area is the most intense, especially for such weak Hollows such are you. Who do you think you are going against?" But of course, it was obvious. He had already sneaked in beforehand, way early before Lord Aizen set such thing to protect this place.

"Oh, Ulquiorra-sama, you've gotten it wrong," he was laughing under his breath. "I am not here to fight you, you see. I am only here...for the girl." An ugly grin surfaced his face, and I was disgusted. Holding the woman with my left arm, I held my right one up, formed a small cero, and without hesitation stabbed it right through his heart. As if I haven't dealt with these types of Hollows before. Stabbing them in the heart usually does the trick, whether it is an illusion or not.

I thought it was humorous how I didn't blast him with my head-on cero, but it'd be troublesome to have my dormitory wrecked too.

Blood splattered on my face, covering nearly half of it. The blood was thick, and it smelled vile. Looking down at the woman, I see her face in shock, she wouldn't blink, and the gleam of her eyes were gone. The excessive blood that drenched my face dripped down onto her cheek and she curled herself up, afraid.

Bombarding my dorm, a person came in; it was Grimmjow. "Orihime! Is she okay?"

As soon as he opened the door, the woman fled to him out of my arms and into his. "Hey, what, what happened? What the hell?" He then looked at me and then made a furious face with intense pressure on his brows, "What the fuck did you do, Ulquiorra? If you're going to fucking let this happen, I might as well watch over her, you scum!"

I looked at Grimmjow in a condescending way, losing the rest of the humanity I had left in me (if I had any at all), and said blandly, "don't lay your hands on what is mine, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

Grimmjow's POV:

I wanted to laugh, maybe call that Ulquiorra out if I could, because I've never seen him so angry before, but it was strange. My gut told me to fight Ulquiorra, but my heart told me to console Orihime. I've really been getting used to that name.

Looking away at his petty silhouette gleaming in the moon, I found more important matters to attend to: "Hey, answer me, you dumb bitch."

"That's definitely the right thing to say when you are trying to 'comfort' them."

"Hey! What the hell are you implying, you wanna fight?"

He sighed and then exited the premises, "I'm going to go wash my face."

Taking out a handkerchief, I wipe the blood off of Orihime's face and the some that I could get off on her clothes. It really wasn't a lot, since Ulquiorra had taken most of it, but there were still specks, and I know she was terrified.

"It's just blood, Orihime; there is nothing be be afraid about."

She was still holding onto me, but simply grasping my hand now. Her warmth and somehow, feeling, was traveling over to my body. Somehow, I was able to feel everything she was feeling, because I started to feel tears swell up as she was bawling (exaggeration), but it may have been an illusion, for that is something I would never do; that's ridiculous. I wanted to do more than hold her hand though, I know she needed more than that, but for me, I wanted it.

"That's not it, Grimmjow-san," she said, grim. I didn't need to ask what it was, I already fucking knew. It was that damned Ulquiorra; he is always the problem for everything. Infuriating and raging with ire, I then grasp her hand hard enough to make her squeal. While apologizing and stopping her from crying, I was thinking of ways how to blow off that Ulquiorra's fucking head.

There had never been a time like this where I've actually been frustrated by Ulquiorra other than just existing and being there. I actually had a reason to want to chastise him and that was what made today so different.

I realized some things that were going on without me knowing it.

I was never as annoyed of Ulquiorra more than I was today. For lunch, Lord Aizen wanted all the Espada to gather together to eat every now and then, so we all joined in. Having Nnoitra gone was nothing special; no one seemed to care, but I did. Somehow, the view of Ulquiorra seemed more different. I wanted to fucking shove this table in his face at this moment.

After the meeting, I met with the king.

"Today was odd, Lord Aizen," I said. "I know it's impossible, but I can't deny it: I have this throbbing feeling right here my my chest whenever I see that girl, Orihime Inuoe." I said, slapping my right hand on my left breast, looking away and trying to add things together, to comprehend this invigorating mystery.

Lord Aizen sagely grinned at me "You've fallen in love" was what he said.

I looked at him; he did not even second-think that. He straight out said it, confident and blunt. "And also, Lord Aizen. I feel like I don't hate that damned Ulquiorra as much as I thought."

There was a pause. "And why is that?"

I looked around, trying to think of the words to say. "I feel as if I finally found a common ground with him," I said. There was a hesitant pause.

"Because I know for a fact that he feels the same way I do."