A/N: Gahh, I'm sorry if the previous chapter was too horrible for your liking~ I really did try. Well, I'm adding the second chapter, but my updates will be more than slightly random~ Thank you for the reviews anyway! They made me smile x)


Ichigo's eyes fluttered across the monochrome desert of Hueco Mundo, crossing over a quartz tree now and again. He sat in a stark white rocking chair set in the corner of Grimmjow's quarters. Ichigo often sat in the chair whenever he wanted to get as close to relaxation as possible. His arm was now almost always draped over his large belly, as if trying to protect the life within from the grimaces and hatred aimed at both of them. His thoughts then took him to Grimmjow. Grimmjow had been almost avoiding him lately; whenever they would be walking in the labyrinth of Las Noches, Grimmjow refused to look at him, talk to him, or even acknowledge his presence. Since this obvious distance started, Ichigo had since refused to leave Grimmjow's quarters and had stopped attempting conversation with the Espada.

The more Ichigo thought about it, the more it made sense to avoid him. After all, how could the most outrageous and crazed Espada, who would kill you if you looked at him wrong, become a father? Ichigo felt guilty for having the realization; how could he have not noticed Grimmjow's situation in all this? Ichigo closed his eyes and thought about how they were when they had first encountered each other in Karakura Town: both of them had no feelings other than hatred for each other, life was so simple, just kill the other. Grimmjow and Ichigo would both get a good fight, but before one of them actually won, Grimmjow would be summoned back to Hueco Mundo, and the fight would begin again some other time.

Ichigo's reminiscence brought him back to his friends: Rukia, Renji, Chad, Orihime, Urahara, even Tatsuki. He wondered if they were worried about him, why had he had suddenly disappeared. Ichigo remembered his old shinigami outfit, now replaced with a standard while arrancar uniform. He missed Zangetsu, who was locked away somewhere in Las Noches to prevent any fights from breaking out. He then thought back to his family, which was the reason for the existence of his shinigami powers to begin with.

Ichigo continued to retrospect with a small, bitter smile on his face. Why couldn't it go back to being so simple?


Grimmjow stalked around, brooding over the past few days. He felt confused; why had this happened? It felt like he was tossed backwards and flipped upside down. He had begun to separate himself from Ichigo, his one and only symbol that he had some sanity left in him. Grimmjow's scattered thoughts had justified this by claiming that if Grimmjow got too close to Ichigo, he might want to fight again, and if Grimmjow couldn't control the urge, who's to say that he might turn around and strike Ichigo without a second thought, and hurt the baby?

Grimmjow stopped. 'The baby.' That was a phrase that came up often in his pondering. He still hadn't accepted he had a child developing inside his partner. Thinking of baby, Grimmjow thought, it's about time for Ichigo to head to Szayel's place. Grimmjow turned the opposite direction, towards his room, where Ichigo undoubtedly was.

By the time Grimmjow had reached his own room, Ichigo had disappeared and left everything untouched. Grimmjow paused for a second to think: Why was Ichigo gone? He didn't know the way to Szayel's on his own, there's no way! Maybe he was taken? That last thought stopped Grimmjow's contemplation of the situation right there; he tensed up, as if going only on instinct now. Grimmjow quickly tracked down the hall, hoping to sense Ichigo.

Grimmjow's normal unapproachable attitude was magnified 10 fold; he had knocked quite a few arrancar into the walls of Las Noches for simply being within a few feet of him. And then, there it was: there somewhere down the hall, he sensed Ichigo, his most prized possession. Grimmjow subconsciously sped up until he ran into a sight he never thought he'd see...


Ichigo smiled at the arrancar accompanying him. It was Tesla, Nnoitra's Fraccion. Ichigo had posed his head outside the door to see if Grimmjow was coming for their visit to Szayel, but had discovered Tesla instead. The Fraccion seemed to be temporarily startled by Ichigo's sudden appearance, but his surprise increased when Ichigo asked him to show him to Szayel.

Ichigo had a large smile on his face as Tesla small-talked with him. It was so much better to have a conversation while walking, rather than go in a stand-off silence, like him and Grimmjow. Funny that Ichigo should think of Grimmjow in that moment; not only was Grimmjow suddenly behind him, his reiatsu was obviously very irate. Ichigo opened his mouth to ask Grimmjow where he was, but the attempt was cut off by Grimmjow's large, firm hand covering his mouth, with a very riled look at Tesla.

-----

Tesla's bashful smile quickly fled his features when he saw Grimmjow Jeagerjaques standing just inches away from him, without Nnoitra-sama present, though it was highly doubtful Nnoitra-sama would save him anyhow. Tesla took an involuntary step back as Grimmjow confronted him: "And where do you think you're going with him?" Grimmjow inclined his head towards Ichigo, whose mouth was still covered with Grimmjow's hand.

"I was merely taking him to Szayel, like he asked," Tesla answered.

Grimmjow started at Tesla, but was stopped with a firm hand of Ichigo settled on his wrist. "I asked him so you wouldn't have to deal with and this anymore," Ichigo angrily shot back, is arm draping delicately over his stomach. Ichigo slapped Grimmjow's hand away, reaching out for Tesla's instead. "We're going."

Grimmjow stood dumbfounded; he was just talked back to by a simple human? A shinigami? And even worse, his lover? Grimmjow glared at Ichigo's back as he and that shrimp of a man walked away from him.

-----

Standing a little ways behind Grimmjow stood another slightly irked Espada, one with piano-key teeth and a thinly slit eye. His Fraccion had disappeared on him to join their enemy? Nnoitra would make his point of view clear once Tesla was free from that shinigami brat. All he had to do was waiting, right? A wide-spread grin donned his features. 'Just wait.'


OHH SNAP! Shit's gonna hit the fan here pretty soon. I like reviews. And thanks to all who actually reads this. n___n