He wants so badly to hate her but he is an Arrancar and Arrancar do not feel.

Well. Arrancar are not meant to feel. They are intended to be the ultimate warriors, with out fear, without passion.

Without want.

One need only look at Grimmjow to see how well that turned out. Nonetheless, Ulquiorra is not Grimmjow and does not feel, so all should be well.

And yet.

“Woman.”

Her head jerks up, brown eyes wide. Her lips tremble for a moment before settling into a firm line. “My name is Orihime,” she says softly.

He’s not sure whether she’s reminding him or herself.

xXx

He wants so badly to hate her, but he is an Arrancar and Arrancer do not feel.

“Ulquiorra-san?”

Impassively, he allows her to approach him. He does nothing as a small hand reaches up and a finger traces the green line bisecting his left cheek.

“Why are you crying?”

“I am not.” The reply is short, succinct, betraying nothing.

She observes him, a faint line creasing her forehead, hand still on his cheek. He does not move.

“Are you sad, Ulquiorra-san?”

“I do not feel,” he says immediately.

The line deepens and her hand falls to her side. She sighs.

“Thank you for the food, Ulquiorra-san.”

“Do not thank me.”

She blinks.

“I am merely following orders.”

xXx

He wants so badly to hate her, but he is an Arrancar and Arrancar do not feel.

She sits, looking into the distance. She does not look at him, standing as he is in he doorway.

“Are you going to kill me, Ulquiorra-san?”

“Aizen-sama wishes for you to live.”

She sighs, the sound disturbingly innocent despite her words. “So if Aizen-sama wishes for me to die?”

He notes the way she says his master’s name with no mocking hint.

“I will kill you.”

Another sigh. He senses no fear from her. Is she too stupid to be afraid, or does she simply not care?

“Thank you, Ulquiorra-san.”

He blinks. Of all possible responses, that was not the one he expected.

“Why?”

“For telling the truth.”

He wonders why someone would lie about killing her, then remembers Ichimaru-sama and some baser members of the Espada who would be all too willing to string her along.

Aizen-sama has not requested Ulquiorra to lie, so he has no reason to.

xXx

He wants so badly to hate her, but he is an Arrancar and Arrancar do not feel.

“Does it hurt?”

He wishes she would stop asking questions that make no sense. Instead of enquiring further, he waits for her to elaborate.

“The hole.” She nods at the base of his throat, where his Hollow hole is. “Does it hurt?”

“I do not feel.” He has said it before.

Her brow furrows. “I don’t believe that.”

He waits again.

“My brother, he was a Hollow,” she says brightly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “He had feelings. He remembered. Do you remember anything about before you were a Hollow?”

“I am not a Hollow. I am an Arrancar.”

It’s not an answer. He knows and doesn’t care.

“You both have no heart,” she points out.

He blinks at her candour. Usually she goes out of her way not to offend, although he doesn’t know why.

“If you know I have no heart, why do you ask how I feel?”

She smiles at him. “Because you still have a soul,” she says simply.

xXx

He wants so badly to hate her, but he is an Arrancar and Arrancar do not feel.

“May I have a pair of scissors, Ulquiorra-san?” she asks politely, looking off into the distance again.

“No.”

He watches her think about that. “I’m not going to hurt myself.”

“No.”

She frowns at him. “I just want to cut my hair.”

He raises an eyebrow, the most he has moved his face in months.

“Tatsuki-chan made me promise to never cut my hair,” she says softly, smiling at the wall. “She said she would protect me.”

His face blanks again as he realises she s crying softly.

“I don’t want to be protected anymore.”

He walks towards, hand on the hilt of his zanpakutō. She doesn’t see him.

Wordlessly, he unsheathes the weapon. She whips around to face him, mouth open as locks of orange-brown hair tumble down her back to the ground.

“There.”

xXx

He wants so badly to love her, but he is an Arrancar and Arrancar don’t feel.