New chapter already. Yay!
I've decided ahead of time that there will be some side Grimmhime. I absolutely adore the pairing. So all you who aren't in favor of the Ulquiorra/OC pairing, there will be Grimmhime in the future.
BleachTite Kubo
In the shadows I haunt,
In the darkness I hide,
Tell me what you want,
Power…or genocide?
Chapter 2 - History
Laughter followed Ulquiorra down the hallway. Several gasps, a few jealous remarks, but mostly laughter. Apparently, the sulky Espada was never expected to have a woman slung over him.
He ignored them all. Nothing irritated him more than misinterpreted orders, and this was an instance where nearly everyone misinterpreted them. He'd had no choice but to lift her up. Otherwise, he would've had to drag her. And that would've indeed been a sight to behold.
He preferred the humiliation at times. It proved his willingness to suffer for Aizen-sama. Ignoring the other arrancar came naturally.
Now, he had to decide where to place the female. He disliked carrying a being with such little relevance, but he had been told to give her a room. And give her a room he shall.
The closest empty room was at least a hundred yards away. Ulquiorra would have to bear the taunts for a while.
He felt the female's head hit his back on several occasions. It wasn't particularly painful; just bothersome. A shinigami was bothersome anyway, especially when it came in close contact. This was definitely in that category.
But it wasn't too much farther to the room so Ulquiorra didn't give the female much thought. This would probably be all he would see of her, especially if Szayel ended up having his way. The girl would be poked and prodded for years to come.
Upon reaching the room, the entrance – a tall, ghost-white door – didn't block him for very long. A slice of light from a barred window gave the room a gloomy feel; almost like the rest of Las Noches. He decided to let the shinigami keep some of her dignity so, instead of throwing her on the floor as he'd originally planned, he laid her on the only couch the room had to offer. He was careful not to ruffle his hakama too much in the process.
As soon as the woman reached the furniture, she turned over and grabbed at the nearest reddish-brown pillow. Ulquiorra observed her movements, expecting her to wake up, only to faint again after seeing him. But the girl seemed rather exhausted.
"Staring, Ulquiorra? That's not like you."
What a forgetful voice; definitely not something he liked to hear first thing in the afternoon.
Ulquiorra turned to see a large man standing in the doorway. His hakama consisted of nothing but a white jacket and flared slacks, leaving his muscled chest open for scrutiny. A heavy scar careened down from his neck all the way to his hip. Blue-green marks on the sides of his eyes accentuated his features while a gaping hole filled his stomach; the hole of a true hollow.
"I'm merely dropping her off, Grimmjow. It's none of your concern."
The teal-haired Espada scratched at his jaw-line as he spoke. He ignored the large rack of jagged hollow teeth covering his cheek. "Fuck off man; I just wanted to see what she looked like."
"Leave, Grimmjow," said Ulquiorra with force in his voice.
"Whatever." Flicking his hand in a mock wave, Grimmjow left with a smug look on his face. Ulquiorra knew there'd be much to answer for later.
Shuhei heaved a large slab of oak wood over his shoulders, making sure it was balanced before walking. A disorganized pile of sticks, logs and bark lay in a wheelbarrow in front of him. He quickly added the oak piece to the stack.
The shinigami stood straight then bent his back till it cracked. It was a gorgeous day in Soul Society and the lieutenant had decided to take advantage of the weather. The homey fireplace back in his room had run out of wood weeks ago and he hadn't found the time to restock. He considered having a fellow shinigami take care of it, but Shuhei Hisagi preferred the peace that came with log-cutting. And the exercise didn't hurt either.
Clouds whispered by, pressed on by light, cool breezes. Shuhei closed his eyes and breathed deeply, taking it all in…
"Lieutenant! Lieutenant!"
…And letting it all back out. There's always someone who has to stop by, he thought.
"Lieutenant Hisagi!" A small, boyish shinigami ran up to him and stopped just long enough to pant for breath. Wrapped securely across his back in a blue sling was an old fashioned med kit. "Lieutenant…sir!"
"Calm down, Yamada. You're starting to hyperventilate."
Hanataro Yamada nearly keeled over as Shuhei spoke, but righted himself just in time.
"Sir," Hanataro squeezed out once last pant before starting again. "Izuru Kira of Squad 3 would like to speak with you. He and Lieutenant Matsumoto are waiting for you at Squad 10's food lounge. They insist that you come quickly."
"Nice to know, Yamada. Thanks for telling me."
"Sir!" The petite boy stood anxiously at attention. Shuhei couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't be so nervous! I'm not going to bite!" With a smile on his face, Shuhei organized the wood so it wouldn't fall out of the barrow while he pushed it.
"I-I know that sir. I just don't…"
"Feel comfortable?" Hisagi answered for him. Hanataro froze. "It's okay! I should be used to it by now. But there's no need to be intimidated by me, alright? Just because I'm higher up doesn't mean I'm evil."
"S-sure, Hisagi-san."
"That's more like it." A sudden thought entered his head, completely out of nowhere. "Yamada, why'd they send you? Don't they have someone in their squads to run errands for them?"
"Well, yes, but miss Matsumoto insisted that I tell you personally. And lieutenant Kira wasn't exactly paying attention."
"That makes sense. Thanks again, Yamada." Shuhei balanced the out-of-date cart with both hands and headed back towards town. Hanataro had already begun to run off.
"You're welcome sir!"
Well, if Matsumoto and Kira are together, I'm almost positive sake is involved. But even the prospect of sake peeked Shuhei's interest, and he picked up his speed.
"Hisagi! Give your buddies a hug!"
Matsumoto Rangiku ran headlong into Shuhei, her massive breasts bouncing as she went. The lieutenant of Squad 3, Izuru Kira, sat on a traditional long-table behind them holding a cup in his hands. Everyone else in the room minded their own business.
"Yes, hello to you to, Matsumoto." Shuhei glanced at Kira with a 'help me!' look as Rangiku smothered him. Kira held up his hands in immediate defeat.
"You've missed so much sake Hisagi! Darn Yamada, little man just can't run fast enough!" Matsumoto placed her small hands over her large hips. "Well, now that you're here, we might as well start drinking!"
"Not too much for me today. I'm trying to cut back."
The look on Matsumoto's face could never be duplicated. It was a mix between shock, annoyance, and laughter; like she couldn't decide which one to use.
So she ignored him instead, ordering a large round of alcohol for the three of them.
Shuhei decided to start in on a real conversation once they were all seated. Kira didn't seem too drunk, so he started with him. "So, how is Squad 3 holding up without a captain around?"
"Fairly well, actually," Kira said. "They seem pretty taken with me as a substitute for now."
"That's probably a good thing. Maybe you'll be the next one up for promotion," implied Matsumoto. Despite her drunken state, she barely sloshed her words.
"No way. I'd never assume that kind of responsibility."
"I feel the same way," Shuhei cut in. His former captain, Tosen, had been a calm, thoughtful leader. The idea of replacing such a role model was extremely intimidating. "It will work fine for now, but I could never handle something so permanent."
"Exactly! If it hadn't been for Captain Ichimaru's absence, I could've…" Izuru fell silent. Ichimaru had been close to a brother figure for him. It was still hard to imagine he, of all people, had disobeyed the ancient laws.
Even though it had only been a month since the rebellion in Soul Society, it still was clear in the minds of nearly everyone who witnessed it. Three of the Gotei Thirteen's captains had decided, out of the blue, to revolt. According to the investigators, the act of destroying Soul Society from the inside out had been planned for years; possibly even centuries. It took only a day for that world to be turned upside down. Chaos erupted when ryoka entered the city, but it was all part of the traitor Aizen's intricate designs. It had all happened so quickly, and many were still tinkering with their mistakes from that day; figuring out what went wrong, where it had happened, how they could fix it.
However, past situations could be changed, and Aizen was at that very moment plotting a future domination.
It was quiet with the lieutenants as they all reminisced. That day was both far and near for them.
"I never really took Aizen for the overtaker type," Matsumoto said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes, well. None of us did."
Kira slammed his sake cup on the table, its contents flooding out. Without a glance to either lieutenant, he left the café with depression on his face.
"It's probably going to take Kira longer to recuperate than anyone else," said Shuhei after the blonde had disappeared. Matsumoto sighed in agreement. She hadn't had to endure a captain's rebellion; after all, Toshirou Hitsaguya was still loyal to Soul Society. But she did have to endure a good friend rebelling. Ichimaru had been the one to find her when she was lost, scared, and alone. It seemed so very long ago, but Gin had once been a kind soul. She hadn't seen that side of him for centuries; now she probably never would.
With her drunken state nearly passed, Rangiku spoke again, "Have you ever lost someone, Hisagi? Someone so close to you, you'd give anything for their safety."
Odd question. "I think everyone has, Matsumoto. Living the way we do, as soul reapers, we have a dangerous line of work. We lose someone almost daily. It's hard not to lose friends."
"But I don't mean old friends, Hisagi. I mean your closest friend; someone who holds a special place in your heart."
Hisagi tinkered with the question before answering. Had he truly lost an extraordinary someone? But if he had, why couldn't he remember them?
"I'm not sure if I have or not. Many have come and gone over the years, I really can't be certain."
"…That's too bad."
"What about you? Have you lost someone in particular?"
Matsumoto's face fell, and rose again with a fake smile plastered on it. "Several…over time."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Their memories still live on. I'm not too upset about it, because they wouldn't want me to be."
That makes good sense, Hisagi thought. Men and women trailed back and forth around their table, only pausing to glance and then keep walking.
"Well, I'd better be off. I'll never hear the end of it if I don't finish Hitsaguya's paperwork."
"Good luck," Hisagi said mockingly.
"…You too."
Please review guys! I see that a bunch of people read the first chapter, but didn't say if it was good or not! Remember, authors need criticism to improve! Help me out!
And major thanks to itachi-hates-you (awesome name btw, ;D ) and xenocanaan for reviewing earlier. You rock guys!