Chapter 10: Mi Corazon

Byakuya slipped back into the inner cave and turned toward the shower. He was nearly there when Grimmjow's voice rose out of the early morning darkness.

"So what's the news from the Seireitei?"

Byakuya sighed.

It is not good," he said, meeting Grimmjow's eyes worriedly, "They are near the point of having to switch from cryogenic suspension to suspended animation…a much more risky solution. We must find an answer soon, or I will lose my sister and my fukutaichou."

"Your fukutaichou?"

"Abarai Renji," Byakuya said softly, "He came here with Rukia and Ichigo and their friends. I do not know if you have met him. But Renji grew up with my sister in the Rukongai. They are very close…and Renji watches out for her."

"You speak as though he is a friend," said Grimmjow, "a close friend."

"He is," admitted the noble, "…a very close…and dependable friend."

"And more, perhaps?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"It's never been like that. We both love and protect Rukia and he is my subordinate. I would never complicate our association by stepping over boundaries and approaching him romantically."

"Ah…"

Byakuya slipped out of his yukata and stepped in under the waterfall. Grimmjow laid in the bed, watching with hungry eyes as the noble closed his eyes and let the water run down his body. After a few moments of watching, the Espada climbed out of the bed and moved across the room to the dressing area. He removed his yukata and stepped into the water. Byakuya's eyes opened as the Espada reached him and slipped his arms around the noble's wet body. Their lips met tentatively first, then more hungrily. Grimmjow's arms tightened and he pushed Byakuya back against the rock wall, holding him there and exploring his mouth deeply. The noble's hands slid down the wet, slender body of the sixth Espada, lingering on the smooth curves and his firm buttocks. Grimmjow growled softly with pleasure at the contact and plunged deeper into his mouth, letting his own hands slide down Byakuya's pale flesh, pleasuring everywhere they touched and leaving the noble's fine skin flushed.

"Damn," he muttered, nipping at the sweet, pale throat, "I told myself I'd just look, then that I would only touch lightly…but there's just no keeping my promises to hold back when I'm with you, Byakuya."

The noble felt a shiver pass through him at the sound of his name on those pleasing lips…and the honesty in those words! It was the first time he remembered the Espada expressing such sentiment openly. He was deeply touched…delighted and entranced…

"Then, by all means, do not restrain yourself, Grimmjow," Byakuya urged him, "My injuries have healed enough…"

"Yeah right, they've healed enough!" Grimmjow huffed, "I don't think so."

"I assure you that they have," Byakuya said, frowning, "and after having teased me in such a fashion, I hope you do not plan to leave me to my own devices…"

"Why?" laughed Grimmjow, "Don't taichous know how to masturbate? Or is it that they are just too damned proud?"

"That's quite vulgar…" Byakuya said, his frown deepening.

"I want to see it," said Grimmjow, his voice still soft, but becoming more feral.

"You want to see what?" Byakuya asked, his eyebrow rising.

"I want to see you touch yourself," said the Espada, "You're not my servant anymore, so you don't have to if you don't want to."

"But you desire this?" Byakuya asked curiously, "Why?"

Grimmjow laughed.

"I guess I'm in a mood to be teased. Go ahead…if you want to…"

Dark gray eyes held glinting blue for a long moment, then Byakuya pulled back from Grimmjow and slipped further beneath the waterfall, letting the water splash down over the crown of his head, run through his hair and stream down the long torso. Grimmjow leaned against the wall opposite him, watching with a curious expression, wondering if the straight-laced noble would dare to do something so…so…like he said…vulgar.

And…fucking hot…

The noble's head dropped forward slightly and wet strands of hair fell onto his face, obscuring, but not completely covering…leaving some question as to what was playing out on his face, but hinting relentlessly. His head tilted back then, slender fingers running through the strands on the right side of his face, pulling the hair on that side back, but leaving the left side tantalizingly covered. Water rained in long streams down back and front and all Grimmjow could do was think of catching that water on his tongue as it rolled down the soft, white flesh. Byakuya tilted his head back more, raising his hands to cradle it lightly and arching his back in bliss at the pleasant sensation of the warm water striking his body. Grimmjow stared, rapt, the sound of his own soft growl startling him.

The slender fingers moved over the noble's partially revealed face and the Espada caught his breath at the glimpse of a passionate expression he was given to see. The lovely fingers danced gracefully down from his face to the long, pale throat, lingering there, the nails digging in slightly and creating pink lines on the otherwise pure surface. Grimmjow licked his lips and swallowed hard. Byakuya's arms crossed and curled around his body, hands sliding down muscular arms, then meeting, clasping lightly and unclasping. His left hand fell away to his side and the right rose, the slim fingers finding his lips and stroking them lightly, then plunging deeply into his mouth.

Grimmjow groaned and he felt a heavy throb in his loins as the noble's mouth sucked in the long, beautiful fingers, as the pink tongue stroked them and sharp teeth nipped at them. The look on the part of his face that Grimmjow could see was calm and deeply absorbed…and the shadowed portion he couldn't see made all the more attractive for being covered. By the time Byakuya's fingers were drenched in water and saliva, and left the noble's mouth, the Espada felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. He sucked in a choked breath, nearly groaning and stared fixedly.

Byakuya's partially exposed lips curved upward and the wet fingers traveled down a sculpted pectoral, sliding over a lovely pink nipple and causing a sudden tension in the full length of the noble's body. Between his thighs, his member twitched softly and began to swell. The searching fingertips went on a gentle offensive, teasing one erect nipple and then the other shamelessly, until the noble's head tilted slightly and a soft moan of pleasure escaped him. The sound traveled straight to Grimmjow's loins, making him harden painfully and leaving him wondering just what the hell he had gotten himself into…

The Espada felt his teased arousal leaking as the noble's tensed hands slid down his ribs, onto the soft abdomen, one finger dipping into the navel, then sliding in and out provocatively. Grimmjow looked up and saw one heated gray eye observing him as the right hand slid down…fingers sinking into wet, black curls, finding the flushed and leaking treasure there and sliding slowly around it. The fingers pushed past to the soft sac at the base…and tantalizingly deeper, giving the tight pink entrance just the gentlest of touches, before moving back and caressing the sac…then slowly licking the fingers of his other hand and sliding them down the long, beautiful body to join the others. His left hand remained there, softly lifting his genitals, while the fingers of the right hand curled around his hardness…sliding up its length, curling around the blushing head and exploring the small slit until Byakuya's lips parted to release soft, panting breaths. His head dropped forward slightly and beneath the curtain of black hair, Grimmjow could see the half-closed eyes…the intense arousal…the beginning of one hell of a sexy loss of control…

The graceful fingers wrapped around the noble's length and slid up and down, the strong body quivering softly as Byakuya's pleasure increased. His eyes slid closed the rest of the way and he groaned softly, teasing Grimmjow finally to the point of breaking.

He wasn't sure exactly how it happened…one moment Byakuya stood in front of him, stroking his own thick arousal and making those beautiful, intense sounds of pleasure, and the next, Grimmjow was across the pool and forcing him down onto his back, with the water exploding outward in all directions around them.

Byakuya gave a startled cry as the Espada's searching mouth found his length beneath the water. Grimmjow gripped Byakuya's thighs tightly, pushing them wide as he attacked the noble's swollen erection. His hands stroked the soft sac and hard, urgent fingers penetrated the tight entrance. Byakuya gasped in a hard seizure of pleasure and slight pain, then warm pulses of fluid erupted into Grimmjow's mouth. The Espada closed his eyes and devoured every drop, then licked the noble's softening member warmly for the last traces. He climbed up the strong, slender body, settling between Byakuya's opened thighs and entering him in a single, hard thrust. Byakuya's body contracted and the slender hands tightened. The Espada heard a sound of mingled pain and pleasure as he held the noble against him, turning his head to meet the soft lips for a bout of rough, hungry kisses.

He meant to give the noble a moment to adjust, but his body would have no more waiting and began to thrust heatedly into Byakuya's. The pale hands gripped him tightly and Byakuya's face burrowed into his shoulder, the hot mouth sucking at his throat as Grimmjow pounded relentlessly into him, growling with pleasure…and words coming out of his mouth with unexpected force.

"T-te amo! Ah…ah…mi amor! No puedo dejar de pensar en tí…Te…amo…Te adoro…Te necesito!"

He took a dragging breath and plunged his fingers into the shinigami's thick hair, burying his tongue in Byakuya's mouth to stop himself from saying any more…but the words continue to expel themselves against Byakuya's lips…inside his mouth…on the fine skin of his throat and into his hair. His body arched upward into the one that laid atop it, and as the Espada's body shuddered and began to climax, a phrase whispered into his ear amazed, touched and terrified him all in turn…

"Grimmjow…Yo tambien te amo…"

He couldn't have heard it. It wasn't possible. No shinigamis bothered to learn the language of Hueco Mundo. But, he reminded himself, he had known that Byakuya was different from other shinigamis…and now he knew how very different he was…and he couldn't believe their stupidity in falling in love like this…in admitting it to each other…in hoping for any kind of future. It was crazy…too damned crazy.

"You…" he panted, his mind still spinning with pleasure, "you aren't just a shinigami…not just a taichou. You are more than that! Tell me…tell me how you're different…why you know our language…how you knew what to say to me! Tell me!"

He held Byakuya tightly by the shoulders, their bodies still joined and their faces scant inches apart.

"I come from a noble family," Byakuya said softly, "Actually…I am its leader…and all noble youths are required to learn the languages of the living folk as part of our education. We study the connections between languages to help make us multi-lingual. It was a requirement set forth in the earliest days of our current monarch…a way to ensure we understood all beings…to better serve his needs."

"Noble," panted Grimmjow, "and a clan leader…great…fucking great. Byakuya, do you have any idea just how screwed we are?"

Byakuya reached up and let his fingers play over the bone mask on the side of Grimmjow's face.

"We are not screwed…and whatever happens, I do not intend to leave you."

Grimmjow stared at him incredulously.

"You're fucking kidding me, right? B-byakuya, that is insane! You can't take a hollow back to your fucking clan! They'll kill both of us!"

"I don't intend to take a hollow back with me," Byakuya said solemnly, "Grimmjow…I don't know yet how to make it happen…but I know there is a way…to make you a shinigami again."

"Huh?" grunted the Espada, his brow furrowing in disbelief, "I thought your mission was to put me on the damned throne, whether I wanted it or not! Now you want to make me a shinigami? What makes you think I want that any more than I want to be king?"

"It's in your eyes…every time we make love! You want this…I know you do. You hate being a hollow. And my friend in the Seireitei uncovered information which makes me believe I can make you a shinigami again!"

"But you don't know! It could just be a big huge dead end."

"I don't believe that," Byakuya insisted, "not for a moment. There is a way…and I am going to find it. I'm taking you back with me!"

Grimmjow stared at him in fascination.

"Crazy…" he breathed, "Fucking loco!"

He laughed sarcastically.

"And have you given any thought to what your soutaichou will think of you doing such a thing?"

Byakuya's eyes lowered and closed for a moment.

"He still expects me to put you on the throne."

"Did you tell him about Kirei?" Grimmjow asked.

"Hai," Byakuya answered, "and Soutaichou said that the Central 46 and Gotei 13 agree that you are a better choice. Kirei is royalty, but he is not powerful enough…"

"Don't jerk me around, Byakuya. I know why they want me and not him. If he comes into his birthright powers, he will be a strong leader. They want strength, but not competition."

"You are correct," admitted Byakuya, "And they went so far as to order me to ensure he does not obstruct your path to the throne."

"Wh-what? You mean…"

"To kill him if he becomes too strong."

Grimmjow stared.

"And would you do that, Byakuya? Would you kill Kirei to keep the hollow leadership from becoming too strong?" Grimmjow asked, his eyes intense.

Byakuya stared back at him with equal forcefulness.

"I do not intend that you shall remain a viable option. If you regain your shinigami form, then there is no choice but to seat Kirei on the throne."

"And you think it's that easy…change me back and seat him on the throne and all is forgiven? Are you nuts? Your soutaichou and the Central 46? They are going to kill you!"

"They won't know the mechanism of your transformation."

"Huh…you are dreaming, mi corazon! There ain't no fucking way they won't know just what you did! Your ass will fry for this!"

"And you care what happens to me?" Byakuya asked, a lovely, thin smile claiming his lips.

Grimmjow scowled, but couldn't quite manage to make the expression real.

"Well…what good would it be going back a shinigami if my lover is going to die for it?"

"I won't be killed. I might face some prison time, but my clan won't allow them to kill me."

"Your clan?" muttered Grimmjow, "You'll be lucky if your clan doesn't volunteer to kill you themselves!"

He rested his head on the noble's chest and watched with dazed eyes as the waterfall splashed down into the water all around them.

"Fucking insane…that's what you are!"

"Hmmm," sighed Byakuya, "That's your fault. Estoy loco por ti."

"Loco is right," Grimmjow answered, "You're out of your fucking mind, thinking you can do this."

"Maybe," the noble said softly, "but I have to try."

He leaned forward to kiss the Espada, but froze as Kirei's voice rose up in the outer part of the cave. In an instant, the two were out of the water and pulling their yukatas into place. They rushed out of the inner cave and found the handsome hollow stumbling into camp, bleeding profusely and holding Nel's toddler form in his arms.

"What the hell happened?" demanded Grimmjow.

"W-we…finished searching and found nothing in…Aizen's room, s-so we…looked in mine. I found…he had been…in my secret study. I didn't even think…you know…because he left me. We found…some papers…we think are them…but they are encoded. We can't read them. We were leaving…when we were attacked by the beast. Nel attacked it to protect me…and she was doing well, but couldn't make herself kill it. She changed forms and it…bit her. I healed the poison…but she bled profusely. She will require rest."

He turned to Byakuya, his eyes intense.

"I need you to do something for me," he said forcefully, "I must reach Aizen Sousuke! I can enter his body, using an extension of my healing art. I can invade his mind and I can learn the code…but I have to reach him. You have to get me in to see him!"