"Holy fucking shit."
"That's, easily, the most creepy fuckin' thing I've seen in my life."
A small crowd of Arrancar watched the scene before them with the attention of a voyeur. Most of them were lower leveled Arrancar, but behind them were Nnoitra, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra. This moment was one exception where Grimmjow could stand being next to the other two and not swearing or beating the shit out of them. Or both. Both is better.
"Eeeh, you're all retards." Nnoitra scowled. The lower Arrancars turned their heads to face him. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra kept their eyesight ahead.
"It's not like you fuckers haven't seen Aizen-sama having tea before." Nnoitra scoffed.
"Not with Orange Head!" One Arrancar responded loudly, pointing in the direction they were all previously facing.
It was a once in a lifetime sight. Aizen and Ichigo sitting in one of the large white dining rooms, sipping tea and exchanging small talk. And such an innocent act horrified the Arrancars. They were used to hearing Ichigo's pained howls or sobs. But for him to be so relaxed in Aizen's presence was something completely alien to them.
"I will admit, Ichigo, you are just full of surprises." Aizen blew gently on the freshly poured cup of tea. Ichigo watched the man with a serene smile.
"You flatter me. Really, don't let my ego get any bigger now." Ichigo had finished his cup of tea long ago. He was satisfied with looking into the empty cup and the sludgy brown stuff sticking to insides of the cup. Ichigo vaguely remembered the girls in his school telling fortunes this way.
"So. What is your resolve?""Hmm?" Ichigo snapped out of his daydream and looked up at Aizen. The older man had gently pushed aside his tea cup and rested his elbows on the table, fingers entwined. Ichigo smiled and leaned back into his chair.
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to tell the difference."
Aizen raised an eyebrow.
Ichigo continued, "At least that's how I think the quote goes. But that's the idea. The way it is now, I'm in the worst possible situation I could ever be in. I can't remember yesterday, how can I expect to remember what I know about the war situation?"
"You can trust what you've heard from the Arrancar." Aizen replied, mimicking Ichigo's pose. He liked where this was going.
"I can't trust that either. What memories are real? What are fake, fabricated by you? I can only trust right now. And right now, I'm completely helpless. I'll be tortured and humiliated by you in the worst possible ways at any given moment. So…"
"So what are the things you can change?" Ichigo looked back to his empty tea cup. The things I can change…
"How I spend my time here."Aizen felt a little disappointed by the bland answer. But something about the way Ichigo hesitated latched onto him. Something about the way that tufts of his spiky orange hair covering his eyes made Aizen all the more interested. Before he could speak, Ichigo continued.
"I can spent my time in that room, wallowing in anguish and poorly licking my wounds…" Ichigo sat up straight and looked up at Aizen. The older man felt a small shiver go down his spine at that smile.
"Or I can be sitting here. Enjoying some tea. Having a nice chat. Stretch my legs. Get some fresh air."
Aizen couldn't contain the grin spreading on his face. This boy…when did he become so addicting?
"I wouldn't mind having some fights with Grimmjow again, too. My muscles aren't what they used to be." Ichigo chuckled, feeling a little unnerved by Aizen's grin.
"Perhaps I can let you borrow a sword."
Ichigo smiled. "Perhaps."
"They're still talking! They're still talking!" One lower Arrancar fidgeted nervously. Grimmjow and Nnoitra both proceeded to kick the Arrancar and then glare at each other.
"He was mine to kick, bitch." The edge of Grimmjow's mouth twitched.
"Neh? Fuck you! I'm a higher rank, I'll kick your ass!" Nnoitra stuck out his long tongue and Grimmjow recoiled in disgust. That thing never ceases to make the blue haired Espada's stomach churn.
Ulquiorra ignored the strained whispers of the lower Arrancars and the increasing volume of Grimmjow and Nnoitra's fight. He was set on watching Aizen and Ichigo. Watching their lips, trying to put words to the movements.
"Lil Ichi is sure interestin' this time, ain't he?" Ichimaru leaned his head against Ulquiorra's shoulder, pushing his weight into the smaller Espada, purposely making the two stand in a tilted way. Ulquiorra dug his nails into his palm.
"Heeyyyyy, I said 'ain't he?'" Ichimaru pouted, nudging Ulquiorra's chin with his head.
"Who is watching the woman?"
"Eh? So lame, Ulquiorra. Some little guy. It's fineee!" Ichimaru took his head off of Ulquiorra's shoulder and walked away, towards the tea-sipping couple.
"…Where…Where are you going?" Ulquiorra stood up straight, out of his previous tilted stance.
"I'mma hav' some tea with lil Ichi and Aizen!" Ichimaru threw his hand up in a wave, and Ulquiorra ignored the bit of jealously and curiosity that arose within him. He wanted to hear what they were talking about, and he didn't have the ability to just walk in as Ichimaru did.
Watching Ichimaru give a most likely energetic greeting to Ichigo and Aizen, Ulquiorra turned his back on the scene. He supposed he could go watch the woman.
A short while ago, Orihime became rather withdrawn. Ulquiorra accredited that to the combination of knowing Ichigo's fate and the abuse from Ichimaru. However, recently, things had become a bit different. Ichimaru had completely ceased his abuse when he saw Orihime getting a smile out of Ulquiorra. It was far more amusing for him to tease Ulquiorra about it, anyway.
The corners of Ulquiorra's mouth twitched downward for a split second. He really hated that man and silently prayed that Ichigo would be interesting enough to distract Ichimaru from teasing the Espada.
But Ulquiorra had nothing to worry about.
Ichigo always was interesting enough.
"Heeyyyy, there lil Ichi!" Ichimaru waved energetically. Aizen chuckled lightly at Ichigo's cringe. Looks like he didn't like that nickname either.
"Uhh…I-Ichigo is just fine…uhh.." Ichigo wrinkled his nose, wracking his brain for the answer.
"Gin. Call me Gin, Ichigo!" Ichimaru was just a fountain of energy. Patting his hand on Ichigo's shoulder, the slim man took a seat next to the Shinigami.
Ichigo felt something in him scream in fear from close contact with this man. In the same way it screamed at him whenever Aizen smiled. I see. This is real. This man hurt me. Ichigo put on a smile, hiding the fear and anger boiling up in him.
"Gin, would you like some tea?" Aizen gestured at the teapot. Ichimaru shook his head.
"Nah, ah don't like tha' stuff very much."
"And here you've been drinking it this whole time and never told me how you hated it?" Aizen feigned a hurt tone and Ichigo laughed. "I thought we were better friends than that, Gin."
"Aaaah! Don't take it like tha', Sousuke! Ah'd tell ya anything!" Ichimaru played along and pouted.
The three continued their little tea time, jumping through conversation topics. Although, really, it was more of Ichigo and Ichimaru talking and Aizen popping in with a few comments, most likely to correct some insane fact that Ichimaru had concocted.
Somewhere between discussing the meaning of humanity and the structure of chairs if a human's knees bent the other way, Aizen realized something. Or rather, was curious about something. There was something he wanted to know. Something that he expected from Ichigo but with this new Ichigo…it made him wonder…
"Ichigo, what are your feelings towards me?"
The silence that fell was unbearable.
"Aaah, wha's this, Sousuke? Ya crushin' on lil Ichi?" Ichimaru looked to Ichigo, expecting him to wear a blush the same color as his hair.
Instead, he was greeted with the serene smile that Ichigo seemed to be so fond of recently. Ichimaru's smile dropped.
"I hate you. I really do."
Aizen only smiled.