Title: Espada in Ruins
Rating: K+
Warnings: Very mild language warning.
Summary: A world crumbles and layers of dust are left to settle. Amongst the dust, and the last of his kind, lays the battered body of strong spirit worn away by time and lack of hope until a hand arrives to help him stand. Mild language warning. One shot.
Pairings: Grimmjow and Ichigo friendship
Author's Notes: The setting came to me whilst watching Rihanna feat. Eminem's 'Love the Way You Lie' video. It's a brief but descriptive one shot and my focus was mainly expression of setting and mood and body language. Uh let me know your thoughts please.
Espada in Ruins
The scene was unfamiliar to him but still the feel of the place tugged at his chest. Eyes, whose colour had dulled after the war had taken much of his life away from him, took in the surroundings. A hand trailed through a thick layer of dust that had settled on top of a table, the fingertips painting a line the colour of oak in their wake. Chairs had been knocked askew from their matching partner, the table, and a lot of the other furniture wasn't in much better condition. Paper littered the floor, also covered in a thick layer of dust. The lack of care wasn't just noticeable in the visible sense; a smell of damp was also noticeable too. It made the air feel thicker in the lungs. Through a murky window, the last vestiges of the afternoon sun were filtering through the grimy window and setting afire the dust particles in the air with a golden light. The house looked as if it was borderline structurally unsound. Elements revealed to the air over time. Columns exposed like bones of a half-gnawed hand. Plasterboard missing in places like lacerated flesh.
He didn't know exactly why he was there but facing anything living wasn't the top of his agenda so to a semi-dilapidated house in outskirts of Karakura was where he found himself. With a tired sigh, he sat in the corner of the room and huddled in on himself. Just once he'd allow himself this weakness, after all: who would be there to see it? The Winter War had left him with nothing, nothing but this pathetic excuse of a life. It stung that he no longer had those that surrounded him before, even that cold bastard would have been company enough right now… but he was gone with the rest of them. A sob wanted to wrench itself from his throat but he would not allow it.
Tears won't bring them back.
His badge screeched at him and Ichigo was instantly alert and stepping into his spiritual body. He felt the rush of being in his otherworldly form. Ichigo honed in on the foreign reiatsu and found he was heading further from Karakura. He found it strange that a Hollow would head away from civilisation rather than towards. Still, not one to jump to conclusions, Ichigo ploughed onwards to find himself stood in front of a house that had seen better days. He could taste the flaring reiatsu from the being inside and felt how familiar it was and the surges were powerful but not matching up to Ichigo's strength.
Stepping inside, Ichigo held the hilt of Zangetsu and was prepared to attack at a moment's notice. He silently pressed forward, concealing his reiatsu as best as he could manage and followed a trail of footprints and finger trails in the dust to a corner. He stayed back as he took in the sight before him. The man his eyes were on was curled up and covering his face but even without seeing that there was no mistaking the identity of the arrancar before him.
"Grimmjow."
The man was on his feet in a mere second and had his hand ready on the hilt of his blade. The blue eyes finally took the time to identify Ichigo. Ichigo moved his hand away from Zangetsu's hilt.
"Shinigami."
"Don't call me that." Ichigo snapped irritably before sighing. "If you are going to fight me Grimmjow, I am warning you that I am far more powerful now and I could risk killing you. And you are in no condition to fight." The boy – no, young man – spoke levelly and calmly. Grimmjow scowled but let his hands fall to his sides. "Why are you here?"
"There's nowhere else."
Ichigo's scowl softened, much to the annoyance of Grimmjow who snarled and launched himself at Ichigo, gripping the man's throat.
"I don't want yer pity!"
"You'll find no pity from me." Ichigo wanted to add that he understood but there was no need to say anything that the man would take as insulting his pride.
"Then why haven't ya attacked?"
"No point in fighting you when you are in this state."
"Oh?" Grimmjow said sharply, his eyebrow arching upwards and a feral look overcame his features. "An' what state am I in, exactly?"
"A preoccupied one." Ichigo answered smoothly. "Your head and heart won't be into the fight and that's not what I want. There will always be another day."
"Wouldn't I be easier to beat?"
"We fight on even grounds or not at all." Ichigo said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment and Grimmjow finally conceded with a slight sigh.
"Whatever." He muttered and let his hand fall lax by his side and gaze redirected to the side. The dark look on his face didn't go unnoticed by Ichigo and he hesitantly took a step closer to Grimmjow who looked at him immediately after he moved.
"You're alive." Ichigo said with tone of amazement only slightly tinting his voice. The oddest urge to touch Grimmjow came over him but he held back his hand.
"Full points fer observation, block head." Grimmjow bit out sarcastically.
"Piss off." Ichigo hissed. "Believe it or not I'm glad you're alive."
"That's a first." Grimmjow was genuinely surprised.
Ichigo averted his eyes. "You're not the only one without the will to fight."
"Ya could've fooled me. Ya were ready to kill me at any provocation moments ago." Grimmjow looked at the man sceptically.
"Would you kick a wounded animal?"
Grimmjow frowned at the words. "Ya callin' me an animal?" Ichigo gave an irritated sigh. "Nah, I wouldn't."
"I'm glad you said that, makes it easier." Ichigo laughed dryly. He sat himself down atop the table he'd passed on the way to Grimmjow earlier. Grimmjow followed after him but stood by the corner of the table about a metre away from Ichigo. "No offence Grimmjow, you look like hell."
"None taken." Grimmjow replied gruffly. "Still healing in places."
Ichigo nodded and crooked a finger to try and draw Grimmjow closer. Hesitantly, Grimmjow stood in front of Ichigo. The man's eyes ran over Grimmjow's exposed chest and he reached out to touch the edge of a particularly nasty mark.
"This is more recent. You have been fighting with other Arrancar?"
Grimmjow figured there was no point trying to hide it anymore. He looked down at the floor. "Yeah. Things there aren't as easy as 'ere."
"I don't doubt that." Ichigo mumbled. "I suppose after the removal of most of the Espada and Aizen the balance of power has been lost. If you had been allowed time to recover, I have little doubt you'd be the most powerful of the arrancar."
Grimmjow's breath caught at Ichigo's compliment. "What's yer angle?" He suddenly hissed.
Ichigo jolted and he moved away slightly. "This isn't Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow. I don't have an angle. I'd no sooner take advantage of you than sit back and watch my friends get hurt without doing something to stop it. So just stop thinking the worst of me." He urged.
The ex-Espada couldn't see anything beyond the earnestness he could hear in the young man's voice. Even he had to concede to Ichigo's truth. "I- I apologise."
"I know we used to be enemies, Grimmjow. But… I ask that you put your trust in me. I… know you're in a lot of pain right now and I want to help."
"Why?"
"I made you a promise, didn't I? That we would fight again? But until we're both back to full strength I don't want us to fight."
"I don't know if I can trust you."
"Then I'll earn it with time." Ichigo agreed. "If you're okay with it, we can see Orihime so she can fix up those wounds. They could become infected."
"Woman?"
"She has a name. But yes, she is who I am referring to."
"She's sided with the Shinigami though." Grimmjow said after some hesitation.
Ichigo's brow furrowed. "You're injured, Grimmjow. The first thing we should worry about is getting you back to health. I'm… only a bit knowledgeable in treating wounds. The safest option is to go to Orihime. I trust her."
The words hung in the air for a moment as Grimmjow considered them. "Fine, we'll see her."