I always wanted to give good insight on my interpretation of her character- a lot of one's personality is shown when they are in love. Such a beautiful thing, is it not? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little piece. I still have mixed feelings on deciding if I want to continue this.

Drip,

Drip,

Splat…

..

…

Click.

Tier's eyes fluttered open, straining and bloodshot, a slight twinge of pain coming along the back of her retina as she took in the walking forms. It was blurry, but, she could swear she'd seen that mop of orange hair somewhere…

Ichigo?

The name came off the tip of her mind, she'd only been able to make out who he was from the faint glow of light coming from the reflecting moonlight of Hueco Mundo. Her mind, despite her resilience, was nothing but a numb, stuttering mess. It became quite difficult to fuse together a cohesive thought, let alone a slight train of thinking that may discover why the man was in her prison cell.

Judging from the still healing cuts, scrapes and bruises, and the numerous wounds inflicted on his person, it seemed he'd come out of a battle recently…

Dumbly, she nodded as he patted her cheek, raising her chin to meet his eyes. She was a broken mess, enough that Tier doubted she would feel the same without the spikes that went through her hands and feet, the shackles holding her hostage to the only table within the room, fresh water dripping onto her forehead from a hanging contraption.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed. Hueco Mundo was the only constant that she'd ever known- nothing special happened, nor did anything vary from its' naturally hostile environment of dry winds and sand, cohesive with the constantly battling adhuchas, arrancar, and sometimes Vasto Lorde that came and went.

Was it hours?

Days?

Months?

Years, even?

Alas, she wouldn't ever know until she was released- but everything hurt so much… the pain was searing as the spiked cuffs were gently removed from her ankles, building as he touched the pointed spears embedded in her palms that were attached to the wall, burning as Ichigo removed them from her hands, taking care to rub her back gently as he proceeded.

She hadn't registered the fact that her clothes were gone. She had been keeping herself in her Resurrección to subside the harsh treatment- to gather slight bits of energy to heal, to help ebb the pain scattered along every inch of her shattered body.

"Ngh…" She nearly cursed as a particularly strong sensation of pain shot throughout her arm when the last spike was removed. Yet, she had no more tears left… they'd long since been emptied after the final deaths of her Fracción.

Her mind was unfocused, coming in and out of consciousness, and she felt warm, strangely so. When had he picked her up from the table?

She buried her head into his chest, reveling in the safe haven that she was provided. Tier would grab onto the red thread of fate that dangled above her beating heart…

Light.

A soft breeze blew along the windowsill, trailing along her body, covered by a warm blanket. Birds chirped happily as they flew from branch to branch, relinquishing their control to the flowing winds that rustled the autumn colored leaves. A ray of light, bright in its own right, pouring light into the room, spilling along her body as it bathed the walls in a warm glow of the morning's ever-rising sun.

"She awoke gently, sitting up, noting the soft, very slight sinking feeling that wrapped around every crevice of space until it hugged the remains of her form. She blinked repeatedly, her gaze trailed around the room, noticing a desk, where a strange machine- a computer, she guessed from what she learned from him- sitting atop it, a monitor and a keyboard, with several neatly stacked papers and notebooks sat along its wood surface. Everything from the way the chair was pushed in to the dressers, every aspect of the room was just so well kept, and clean. And leaned against the dresser, a pillow supporting his back with a blanket draped over his form, she recognized Ichigo Kurosaki. Memories surfaced, and an unfamiliar feeling bubbled at the pit of her stomach. I remember… he's the one who rescued me from that Quincy prison. This boy…

No, he definitely was not a mere boy. Before her was a man of unimaginable power. She also knew of his integrity, his passion, his sacrifice. She'd always felt in tune with his reasoning. He was always the first to put everything on the line for his comrades- he long since earned her respect on his motives alone. But his determination was an entirely different thing.

She moved the blanket away, swinging her legs as her feet connected with the floor- her clothing had changed? A simple moeshe t-shirt, very tight around her chest, even though it was slightly large on her still. The same could be said about the athletic shorts on her person- they were comfy… though…

She brushed a hand through her hair- again she was surprised that it was silky soft, clean, a hint of honey behind it. A stark contrast to the grim ridden state she'd been in since she was last awake. A small, near unnoticeable smile came across her face as she kneeled beside the sleeping teen, resting one leg along the other as she studied him, quizzical. She could very clearly sense the power within him, but, it was missing that human aspect it once held. Had he died, somehow? She guessed that it must have been the reason why he was as strong as he was. She vaguely remembered what she knew- to fully control, to become a full Shinigami, or in his case, multi-talented spiritual being, it must have meant that he had to give up his human life once and for all. Such an honest sacrifice, it happens to be the case. How much more will he give up for this peace?

She had no doubt he would give up his own life, as would she, if it meant peaceful times for those close to her… if she had anyone left…

Reaching out with her hand, she brushed her fingers against his cheek, trailing along his temple as she reached his hair- spiked, wild, yet untameably soft at the same time. I owe his so much… he not only saved me once, but twice... and he defeated both Yhwach and Aizen as well. And now he has let me into his own home… But what do I have left to give? She hadn't noticed she had been slightly mumbling her thoughts- she wondered how long he was going to sleep for?

"Eep!" She let out a startled chirp as he stretched out his arms, almost in accordance to reach the newly ringing alarm on the wooden surface of the dresser above. Though she admitted he had a lot of clothes- there was a second, slightly larger dresser of the same color beside it…

A deep, drawn out yawn escaped his lips, prompting him to bring his hand to cover his mouth as it trailed away with a breath-heavy sigh. He opened his eyes, blinking, and a smile came across his features. He continued to confuse her…

"If you're up, it probably means that you're feelin' a lot better now, huh?" She was indeed. There was no pain besides small twinges from where she popped a few stif joints here and there, especially in her back.

"Yeah… but…" She looked down. Since when had the ground become so interesting? It was just a scattered, mixed pattern of gray carpet...

"But what? Is there any pain? I can help you out if you need any-"

"No, that's not it." He shifted a bit, almost questioningly as he stared into her own emerald eyes. It was as if he were looking straight past her, peering deep inside her soul, searching for answers. With a sigh, she connected her gaze back to his, swallowing the lump within her throat.

"It's just, that I don't know if I can repay the debt I owe to you."

"For what?" The hell is she talking about?

"Aizen… Ywhach… and now you've saved my life and watched over me, giving me a place to recover, safety that I haven't had in so long…"

"So?" Her heart dropped.

"I d-don't understand." He stood up, bringing her up to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her, and she just froze.

"I heard what you did for Nel, for the remaining arrancar, Dondochakka, Pesche. You took leadership and did everyone thought wasn't possible after Aizen's control subsided. For nineteen months, over one and a half years, things were starting to look peaceful in Hueco Mundo. You kept my close friends safe, and that is a debt that I cannot repay either." Her cheeks faintly burned, she ignored the butterflies inside of her stomach, yet, Tier couldn't move away from the man. She was glued to the spot.

"I did what I had to do… nothing more, nothing less…" He grasped her tighter, and pulled away- enough for him to keep his hands planted on her shoulders. She was tall for a woman, yet she still found herself a few inches shorter than him…

"As did I. So consider us even. You don't gotta repay any debt, and I sure as hell don't need someone to be stuck serving me or some other shit, ya hear?"

"But-"

"Nope. Besides, with the whole situation going on, you probably shouldn't return to Hueco Mundo. I mean, people accepted you as its leader during the time I was without my powers, but now that the whole Quincy War is over, they're gonna be crawling all over the place, probably to see if there's anybody left." She silently agreed. But there was a question that remained, yet to be asked.

"Where will I-"

"With me, of course. Honestly, my sisters know everything since I told them, and they're both probably excited to see you, since you just woke up and all."

"How do you know that I won't harm your family during my stay?"

"Because you're a great- no, amazing person from personal experience, Harribel-san." He let his arms go slack, falling back to his sides, and brought them up to his chest. I might as well… he's not going to take no as answer… but he irks me with that formal title.

"It's not that…" He rose an eyebrow- he didn't need to ask to relay his question.

"Call me Tier… I don't mind if you call me by my first name. I never cared for formalities on my name… makes me feel old…" He would have snapped back with a typical 'but, you are!,' yet he couldn't find it in him to make her feel worse than she already did. I mean, she just came back after losing her comrades and being tortured, for fucks sake!

"Alright… Tier. Are you sure you want to stay with me? I mean… we'll have to share my room since we don't have any spares…"

"I don't mind. You are a man of respectable character. I trust you will not try anything funny, unless…" Tier's eyes narrowed dangerously- after all, he was a healthy, growing teenage male… with hormones nonetheless. He waved his hands in front of his face, shaking his head from side to side with a small gulp.

"Of course not! I ain't a frigging pervert. I'd rather you keep your clothes on, anyways!" He slapped a hand over his mouth and frantically paced backwards as she backed him against the wall, pressed against him in a dangerously compromising position. He was sure her thigh would be brushing against another one of his tools…

"Are you insinuating I am unappealing to the eye, Ichigo?" Oh, he fucked up!

"N-No no no no no, that's not what I meant! I mean you're gorgeous! I mean… fuck… you know what I mean!"

"Oh. I mis-" Ichigo looked on in horror as the door blasted open- leaving his father to a grin that well described the depths of his insanity…

"Good morning, I-chi-go! Though it certainly looks like we may have a third daughter on the-" He grappled him, using his weight to kick him in the jaw- sending him straight through the hallway, and tumbling down the stairs. He raised his fist- he'd pop a vein one of these days.

"You're a lunatic!" He trailed off, muttering some incomprehensible nonsense, something related to his father, Tier was sure. Though she couldn't help but let a slight chuckle escape her throat, a smile, however miniscule, made its way to her face. She couldn't help but notice, even with their arguing, the atmosphere of the Kurosaki residence. It felt so much like home. It was warm, safe, it left a feeling of emotional security at every turn, every room was painted in some type of positive color, from lime green to a deep, ambient mix of burnt orange. Though despite that, she still had yet to fully understand the teen that had captured her full attention. As she brought a hand to her heart, steadily beating beneath her breast, she studied him once more. How does he draw me in like so?

I hope this was satisfactory for all of you. I enjoy this pairing quite a bit- because of her Aspect of Death as well as her beliefs, I always thought they could make a good pairing despite the whole mainstream IchiRuki/IchiHime bullshit. I mean, we get it. Those pairings have been washed up for a while. But it still doesn't stop me from enjoying a good IchiBel story that doesn't revolve around being a Hollow. I mean, my preferences for the pairing are a little specific, like the Hollow to Human idea not being overbaked or stressed too much that it completely influences the character development, or Ichigo becoming King of Hueco Mundo, becoming an Arrancar, joining Aizen, etc. etc. Most of all, because it completely diverges from the true points of the pairing as a whole! I mean, seriously! If you create a story where their singular relationship is the focus I'm positive that something could get running, or we could get those smooth, sweet, silky kind of vibes we expect from good romance.

I digress. But I will try to write this to the best of my ability, though I don't know how long this story will be, because it could be short, long, or in between. It all depends on my creativity for the work as a whole. Anyways, I've rambled on for too long. Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone!