I…

"Nnoitra!" she screamed as she dashed with all of her will across the land that separated them. "No, Nnoitra!" He lay face-down in the sand, no longer breathing.

Nelliel's normal grace was lost as she tried to keep her balance while running. Her heart was beating faster than she thought was possible. She refused to think…no she wouldn't.

The woman flipped over his limp body, not caring if she got soaked in his blood in the process. She gasped at the wounds, how deep they were! She could almost see his ribs through the blood. Whimpering now, she raised her hand.

Slap. "Wake…up." He didn't move. Reality was creeping into her brain, traveling along the neurons.

Slap! "Wake up." She said it harder now. Once again, he didn't move. She felt cold all of a sudden, her eyes began to bulge and her breathing got shallow.

SLAP! "Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" she screamed. The slap would have brought a bruise to his face, had blood kept moving through his veins. Her vision was blurring, panic taking over her. She took him into her arms, her breathing now coming out in ragged gasps. Sobs racked her body and hysteria filled her voice. She lay on his chest letting her emotions overtake her whole being.

"Don't die! You can't die!" she felt tears run down her face. "You can't die! I…I love you!"

Plop. A tear fell. She could remember why she stopped her sword before piercing his head. She couldn't bring herself to kill him; the man she was in love with. It would have killed her.

Plop. She remembered why she used to follow him everywhere. If he died, it would ultimately claim her as well. She couldn't live without him.

Plop. Nelliel recalled the reason she wouldn't refuse to fight him to death. She would rather be eaten by thousands of Menos than end his life. But, it seemed that no matter what, hid end (and hers) couldn't be avoided.

"Please, no!" she sobbed.

"No, what, Nelliel?" a voice asked. She felt his chest move and his heartbeat. She could feel his lungs fill with air once more.

"Nnoitra?" she whispered. "You're alive?"

"Yea. Apparently, nothing can kill me. So tell me- no what?" he asked. She moved away from the man's body and looked into his eye. The dark shade of gray was softer than she remembered. She was sucked into it. And before she could tell what she was doing, she had leaned down and kissed him full on the lips. They were softer than she imagined and she felt Nnoitra kiss her back.

It was better than anything she could have ever imagined. Better than eternal tag, being carried by Ichigo, and laughing with her brothers combined. It was the heaven she had always hoped for.

She reached her hands into his messy black hair and tangled her fingers there. His hands trailed down her back and rested at her hips. If she could, she would never leave.

"Nelliel?" Nnoitra asked when they had finally separated and she rested her head once more on his chest and he played with her green hair.

"Mmm?" she sighed.

"I… love you." And Nelliel knew that she wanted to freeze that moment forever.

I'm not dead! In fact, I am quite alive. This is what I want to have happened when they left Nel and Nnoitra back. (How do leave a child?) I support the Espada's return!