I'm not acting
"Well, hello, there! Would you like to buy some ribbon? It's only 25 cents per inch!" The overeager salesman asked. I shook my head politely.
"No thank you." I declined. "Maybe another day." I continued along on my walk, taking care not to trip over my floor-length gown. My father had just gotten the silk from the best fabric shop in America, named Karakura Silk. The panel of my skirt was a pure, snowy white, while the bodice of my gown was a midnight black, painting the rest of the gown in a shimmering darkness.
"Fresh apples! Get your fresh apples!"
"Come taste the finest pastries in all the Americas!"
"Looking for a gift for a special someone? We have everything you need right here!"
I ignored the calls of the street vendors as I made my way back home. I sighed as I made my way to the massive mahogany doors, knowing full well what would happen as soon as I stepped through them.
"Nemu! Where have you been?" As usual, my father, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, demanded to know.
"I went for a walk, Father." I replied politely. My cheek stung as he backhanded me across the face. I said nothing, keeping my facial expression neutral.
"You're not allowed to go anywhere without my permission, and you know it!" He howled. I bowed my head submissively.
"I'm sorry."
"Now, go to your room, and don't come out until dinner is served!"
"Yes, Father." I headed up to my room, sighing dejectedly. When would I ever learn to go against my father? Perhaps never.
~(EE*33)~
Time flew by quickly, and, before I knew it, my punishment was over. I descended the massive staircase with the grace and poise befitting a lady of my status.
"Ah, there you are, Nemu." My father stated. "Nemu, there's someone I would like you to meet." Behind him stood a young man, not much older than my seventeen years. I understood immediately that this was another attempt at a marriage arrangement.
"So this is the famous Miss Nemu Kurotsuchi." The man mused, calculating amber eyes hidden slightly by his white spectacles. I curtsied politely. "My name is Szayel-Aporro Grantz."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Grantz." I did my best to smile charmingly at the man, grimacing internally. "Will you be joining us for dinner?"
"As a matter of fact, if your father doesn't object, I would like to join you very much." He turned to my father, who nodded. My eyes widened just the slightest bit. For Father to agree after the first meeting must mean that he approves of the man. That means that it will be much more difficult for me to dissuade this man from attempting marriage with me.
"Miss Kurotsuchi?" His voice broke through my musings.
"Forgive me, Mr. Grantz. I was lost in thought." I smiled coyly at him. He proffered his elbow, and I took it graciously. Mr. Grantz escorted me into the dining room, pulling out my seat for me. He finally sat down once my father and I were both seated. The serving maids immediately came in, bearing platters laden with food. There was clam chowder soup, lobster, crab, multiple types of fish, greens, corn hash, and potatoes.
"Do forgive us for not properly preparing a feast." My father apologized.
"It's quite all right, Mr. Kurotsuchi. This is more than enough." Mr. Grantz chuckled. We blessed the food and dug in, I at a more ladylike pace than the men.
"So, Mr. Grantz, what do you do for a living?" My father asked.
"I'm a scientist, Mr. Kurotsuchi. I study living things."
"How interesting! I am a scientist as well, as I'm sure you realized." My father boasted.
"Yes, I did." Mr. Grantz replied. "Miss Kurotsuchi, do you like science?" He turned to me.
"Yes, she does." My father interjected.
"No harm intended, Mr. Kurotsuchi, but I do believe I asked the lady." My father pressed his lips together tightly.
"Thank you for inquiring, Mr. Grantz." I smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do like science."
"Is there anything in particular that you like to study?" He rested his chin on his hands, staring at me in amusement.
"I like…studying the stars." I admitted. Silence fell upon the table.
"Well… That's very interesting, Miss Kurotsuchi." Mr. Grantz smiled at my approvingly. I flushed a faint pink color and stared at my plate of food. I could feel my father's disapproval emanating from him in waves. I pushed myself up from my seat, drawing their attention.
"Please pardon me, Father, Mr. Grantz, but I am feeling unwell." I stated before striding out of the dining room in as ladylike a fashion as I could muster. A pair of footsteps sounded behind me, indicating that someone was following me. Thin fingers wrapped themselves around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.
"Miss Kurotsuchi, are you all right?" Mr. Grantz's warm voice drifted over my ears, sending a calming feeling shooting through my body. "If I said anything offensive, please forgive me."
"No, Mr. Grantz, you did nothing wrong." I stated, tears pooling in my eyes. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him. I gasped slightly.
"Forgive me for this impropriety," He began. "But I need to know: does he abuse you in any way?"
"…Y-Yes…" I stammered quietly. His grip on me tightened.
"Despicable." Mr. Grantz spat. "To abuse your own daughter, it's sickening. Something must be done about this."
"Please, Mr. Grantz, I beg you, don't do anything rash." I beseeched. "It will only mean worse for you, and, ultimately, me." Tears flowed down my cheeks. How I had grown to care for this man in such a short time, I didn't know.
"Miss Kurotsuchi…come with me." His arms slipped away from my waist, gripping my hands instead. "You don't have to suffer under these conditions any longer." The sunlight filtered through his long, pink strands of hair, his amber eyes shining with such a sorrow-filled longing.
"Mr. Grantz, where would we go?" I asked. "Why do you want me out of this place so badly?"
"If you go with me, I'll explain it at my mansion." His amber eyes begged me to go with him, seeming familiar to me all of a sudden.
"…Very well." I agreed in a whisper. "Get me out of here." A smirk played at his lips.
"We'll sneak out through the stables." He murmured, gently twining his fingers with mine as he led me through my own mansion to sneak out to his carriage near the stables.
"How do you know so much about my home?" I questioned as his carriage wheeled away from my penitentiary. He gave me that cocky smirk that seemed so familiar, now that I thought about it.
"If my memory serves me correctly, I do believe I said that I would explain it at my mansion." He teased. I broke out into a grin, despite my attempts to keep it in.
"Forgive me. My mind slipped."
"It seems to do that a lot."
"Mr. Grantz, that is not very nice."
"I never said I was a nice man."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, will you be quiet?"
"I'm afraid not, Miss Kurotsuchi."
"What did I do to deserve this?"
~(EE*33)~
"Mr. Grantz, your mansion is beautiful." I stated in awe as his carriage pulled up to his white entrance doors. He smiled.
"You've always thought that way."
"And you know this how?"
"I told you I would explain…" He stepped out of the carriage and assisted me in getting down.
"Glad to see you're back, sir!" His portly butlers greeted as we strode through the doors into the interior of his very immaculate mansion. "And you brought Miss Kurotsuchi! Just like old times, eh?" I stared at them confusedly.
"Except for the fact that she doesn't remember me in the slightest." Mr. Grantz said sadly. "I shall remedy that immediately." He gently led me up a winding staircase until we reached the top, where one set of doors stood.
"Mr. Grantz…"
"Please, call me Szayel." He smiled charmingly. "For old time's sake."
"Very well…Szayel." I tried it out, liking the way his name sounded on my tongue. "If I must call you Szayel, you must call me Nemu."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Nemu." He opened the doors, behind which lay the master suite, which I took to be his bedchambers. "Please, make yourself at home." I sank into one of the plush chairs by an unlit fireplace.
"Now, if you please, explain to me how you know me." I demanded.
"All right, calm down, Nemu. I'll tell you." Szayel sank into one of the nearby chairs. "Now, although you may not remember it, we used to be the closest of friends when we were younger…"
As he explained the story to me, my head began to hurt, images from the past flashing through my brain. I cradled my head in my hands as I watched the memories pour out as if my memory dam had collapsed.
There we were, at three years of age. His older brother and my father were chatting away while we frolicked through the meadow, chasing after butterflies and picking flowers.
Then we were ten, and we were arguing over whose turn it was to ride his horse, Fornicaras. We both ended up riding at the same time, and came back all muddied and dirtied.
Then we were thirteen, and Szayel was declaring his love for me. He was taunting me from the top of his brother's orange tree, and telling me no one else could have me. I tried climbing up, but just as I reached the top, my branch snapped, and I plummeted to the ground. Szayel's terrified face as he reached out to grab my hand was the last image I saw before I blacked out.
When I woke up, I remembered nothing.
"Nemu…" Szayel's arms were around me again, stroking up and down my back in a comforting gesture. Tears had unknowingly begun spilling down my cheeks.
"Oh my God…it's you…" I sobbed, burying my face in his chest. Gentle fingers combed through my hair as I cried.
"Shh… It's all right, Nemu." He whispered. "I'm here now. Everything's okay."
"I feel so terrible…" I murmured through my tears. "You must've felt alone for so long…"
"That doesn't matter now. I'm not alone anymore." Then he gently tilted my face up to his, melding his lips with mine. I could taste the salt of my tears as his tongue rubbed my bottom lip, begging for entrance. My arms wound around his neck, my hands fisting in his pink hair.
"Szayel…"
"Please, marry me, Nemu." He breathed, his warm breath sending shivers of delight down my spine. "I can't bear to be separated from you again."
"I will." I sealed my promise with another kiss, which Szayel received eagerly.
~(EE*33)~
The thunderous roar of applause deafened me momentarily as we received a standing ovation from our loving audience. Szayel and I both stood up and bowed, sending smiles to each other as the rest of the cast came on stage and took their bows. The red curtains fell in front of us, shielding us from the view of the audience.
"Great show, folks! That was our best one yet!" The director called. I sighed in relief and headed for my dressing room. I wanted to do nothing more than go home and sleep. After working on this school play for weeks upon weeks, I was glad it was over with.
"Great acting, Nemu!" Orihime, who had played one of the street vendors, complimented. I nodded in her direction but continued on to my dressing room. When I got in the room, I sank into one of the chairs with a sigh, resting my head on the back of it.
"You seem exhausted." That familiar voice commented as a pair of hands began massaging my shoulders.
"Go away, Szayel." I commanded tiredly. "The play's over; you can stop acting romantic now."
"Who said I was acting?" Before I could do anything, his mouth was pinned against mine in a hungry desperation for love. I shoved his chest away from me, and he stumbled backwards over one of my mini pillows that decorated the room.
"Get away from me." I hissed. He frowned, a look of hurt in his amber eyes, before slinking out of my dressing room like a dog with its tail between its legs. I sighed once more and quickly changed into my normal clothes before heading out of the school's auditorium so I could head home.
"Where do you think you're going, Nemu?" A cold voice asked. I was thrust roughly against the wall as one of the light directors, Nnoitra Gilga, pressed his body against me. I struggled against his body weight, but he had me firmly trapped.
"Why can't I just go home?" I wondered aloud.
"Because I want to have some fun." Nnoitra sneered. I swallowed against the lump of fear forming in my throat.
"Hands off, Nnoitra." Szayel's voice demanded as he roughly shoved the man off of me.
"You're one to talk." Nnoitra snarled. "You think you're oh so high and mighty because you got the lead role. Well, listen up, Grantz. I'm about to bust your-."
"Nnoitra!" At that moment, Cirucci wandered over to us, grabbing her brother by the arm and dragging him away. "Don't make me tell Mom!"
"Aw, c'mon!" Nnoitra cursed as he disappeared from sight. I turned to Szayel.
"…Thanks." I offered him a weak smile.
"No problem." He smiled back at me before offering me his hand. "How about you come with me? Maybe go get some coffee or something?"
"…I'd like that." I gently took his hand and he led me to the nearby coffee shop. While we waited for our seats, I noticed how attractive he was. His glasses framed his amber eyes wonderfully, while his pink hair gave him an 'only-I-can-pull-this-off' attitude. His build was lithe and slim, but by no means was he lacking in muscular strength.
"…Nemu? Are you listening?" His deep voice cut into my thoughts. I blushed and turned my face away from his as a waitress led us to our table. Even after we were seated, I refused to look him in the eye, choosing instead to let my gaze wander around the shop. My gaze jolted to his face when he grasped my hand once again, concern etching itself into his features.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked. I shook my head.
"No, nothing's wrong." I stated. "I was just…wondering…"
"About what?"
"…Why did you stop Nnoitra?" I blurted. "Before the play, you wouldn't have even given it a second glance. Why now?" He was silent for a moment.
"…Didn't I tell you before that I wasn't acting?" He shot back, telling me all I needed to know. My gaze dropped to the tabletop as I idly drew circles with my other hand on the rough surface.
"Oh."
"Nemu… Will you go out with me?" My eyes widened as I glanced at his face. His eyes twinkled hopefully, yet beneath the hope lurked dread and despair. I hesitated before I answered.
"…I'd like that." We both broke out into simultaneous grins and laughter. He gently picked up my hand and brought it to his lips.
"Thanks." He said brightly. "How about we see a movie tomorrow night? My treat."
"That sounds fun." I stated, twining my fingers with his once more.
"Hey! Nemu!" I looked over as Orihime and another one of my friends, Nel, came over, respective boyfriends in tow.
"Hello." I greeted warmly. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Oh, we were just walking by and saw you guys, so we thought we should stop by!" Nel announced.
"More like stalking you guys." Her boyfriend, Grimmjow, snorted, groaning when he received a quick jab to the ribs by Nel's elbow.
"We were wondering if we could join you." Orihime asked.
"Well, we were fixing to leave." Szayel said. "Maybe some other night?" Orihime and Nel pouted, which tugged at my heart. I sighed.
"How about…you join Szayel and me at the movies tomorrow night?" I asked. "We could triple-date."
"That sounds cool…" Orihime agreed.
"Wait, triple-date?" Nel cried. "Does that mean…?
"Yeah." I blushed.
"I just asked." Szayel clarified as he slid out of the booth, draping an arm around my waist as soon as I had done the same.
"That's so cute!" They squealed, while Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, Orihime's boyfriend, rolled their eyes.
"Well, we have to go." Szayel interrupted. "See you guys tomorrow."
"Bye!" They waved emphatically, and I waved back. We walked in silence for a few minutes before we arrived at my apartment. I quietly unlocked and opened the door before turning back to Szayel, who was leaning against my doorframe, a content smile on his face.
"What?" I asked as I backed into my house, Szayel following me.
"Just appreciating how cute you are." He winked. A hot blush crept upon my cheeks.
"Shut up." I mumbled as I stepped into his open arms for a hug.
"It's my job as your boyfriend to shower you with compliments." He murmured in my ear, sending chills down my spine. I sighed and lay against his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. We stayed like that for a while until I pulled back.
"Would you…stay with me tonight?" I asked, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. "It's just so lonely in here…"
"Of course I will." He smiled, placing a gentle kiss to my forehead. A small grin quirked my lips as I allowed him to enter my humble abode.
"Sorry about the size." I apologized. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Yes, please. And don't be ashamed of this place. It's quite…cozy." I grabbed one of my pots and filled it with a can of chicken noodle soup, popping it in the microwave for a minute and a half. I turned back to my newfound-boyfriend, using the oven door as my support.
"What do you mean by 'cozy'?" I wondered.
"Just that it's the perfect size for one person…or maybe…" His last word was so quiet I couldn't hear it.
"What was the last word you just said?"
"I said, or maybe…" Again, it was inaudible. I frowned and made my way over to him.
"Szayel, I want to hear that last word." I gently caressed his jaw. He leaned into my touch with a sigh.
"The last word I said…was 'two'." He admitted. I stared at him in shock, my hand ceasing its movement.
"Why would you say that?" I whispered, half-angered, half-joyous.
"Because…even though we're just now officially dating…you've become the most precious thing to me. And I want to be around you a lot, but living in another house would make me look like a stalker." Tears welled in my eyes and happily spilled down my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly.
"No one's…ever loved me like that." I sniffled. His arms were a comforting presence. The microwave had just gone off, but neither of us made an effort to move.
"Because I'm the only one allowed to." He joked. I pulled back and smiled through my tears.
"I-I better go get the soup." I wiped my eyes and carefully pulled the soup out of the microwave, grabbing a spoon and setting it in front of Szayel. "Chicken noodle soup, fresh from the can." He smiled his thanks and silently pulled me into his lap.
"And who would be better to share it with, but my own girlfriend?" I blushed. He gently scooped some up and brought it to his mouth, offering some to me.
"I'm not a baby. I can feed myself." I protested.
"I know." He agreed. "But I want to treat you." I blushed again at the slight innuendo in his words.
"Perv." I mumbled. Szayel grinned cheekily and continued to eat his soup, offering me a spoonful every once in a while. When he had finally finished, we moved to the couch, where I leaned against his chest, his arm loosely around my waist.
"You know," Szayel started. "I really wasn't acting during the play tonight." I looked up at him, a small smile on my face.
"You know what?" I asked. "Neither was I."
Awww! Cuteness! Got inspiration for this as a regular story and decided to slip in my favorite Octava Espada in it. ^.^ This site needs more Szayel/Nemu fics anyway. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluff. Again, as with my other stories, I own nothing.
Don't forget to review and check out my other stories! Arigatou, and Hasta Luego!
-HeroofTwilightsgf