FALL FROM GRACE A GrimUlqui fic. May contain yaoi and "indecent" launguage
Chapter 9: RESOLVE
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Ulquiorra crushed the note in his hand hard enough until it was less then shreds. He used sonido to speed out of Las Noches as fast as he could. Feeling around carefully for Grimmjow's reiatsu. It was very far away.
He loved him. Words Ulquiorra wanted to hear for along time, but they seemed very sudden and out of place. But he didn't want the entire situation to be resolved just yet. It wasn't bad, just in the air. Hanging above them ominously until it was fixed. But then what would happen? Would Grimmjow be part of his fraccion? Would they stay in Ulquiorra's suite, like some weird couple? Stark knew, if Grimmjow continued to stay, they would all know eventually. The pressure felt palpable.
Ulquiorra stopped as he sprung out into the faded day light of Hueco Mundo, finally out of Las Noches.
He bent, wretching and coughing out all the alcohol from last night he still had in him. His hangover felt murderous.
Trying to mantain the little dignity that could be had in throwing up, he stood up, spat, and wiped his mouth clean. The sun had faded behind clouds and he could hear something in the distance. Like thunder. It barely ever rained in the desert world, but when it did, it rained hard. Hopefully Grimmjow was somewhere dry.
No matter how bad he felt, he had to keep moving.
He sped up, trying to make it to Grimmjow before a downpour. Most hollow didn't like the rain and it was smart to get in shelter or under ground during storms because of the lightning. In some ways it was good for him because he wouldn't run into any hollow foolish enough to challenge an espada. But if he didn't get out of the rain soon, he would likely become a lightning rod.
Normally on these days he would make some coffee and cake, curl up in a blanket and listen to the storm rage outside. Or he would take a nice bath.
Now he was running in the storm, but the fact Grimmjow was at the end warmed him more then any caffinated drink.
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Grimmjow lay against the side of the cave, he could hear hollow very far back, shuffling around, but they dared not come out. He was burning his reiatsu very violently so Ulquiorra could find him and so Hollow would know to not fuck with him, it had already started to sprinkle outside and Grimmjow was beginning to get bored sitting and waiting. He felt he needed to work out some of the horrible adrenaline he was getting. He had started to feel it- Ulquiorra's reiatsu, slow, but there. Scaring him and relieving him at the same time. He would be here soon, they would be talking face to face.
Grimmjow wasn't very awkward, but talking face to face to the man he had proposed love to, made him shiver a bit. He had been the one who had planned it out, but it was still frightening as hell.
He rubbed the scar on his chest carefully, thinking.
He loved Ulquiorra. He was sure Ulquiorra felt something for him as well. It would work out, in one way or another.
He relaxed carefully, sighing and closing his eyes.
Just a little longer.
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"Grimmjow?"
Grimmjow opened his eyes slowly, he felt Ulquiorra's hand cupping his cheek, he opened his eyes to see him standing above him. He was very wet and looked very tired and paler then usual. But he was actually smiling as he stood, his hair and clothes dripping.
Their eyes met and Ulquiorra bent in, they kissed passionatly, and even though there was still words to be said, they shared an unconfused moment of bliss together. Grimmjow slid his hand up Ulquiorra's wet side and pulled him in tighter to warm up, he could feel him shivering slightly in his wet clothes.
The kiss was only broken for air, Ulquiorra sat on Grimmjow's lap in an offhanded side hug, while he calmly ruffled his wet hair dry. They sat for maybe five minutes, relishing this moment they had, then Grimmjow pulled away and sat Ulquiorra next to him.
"So," Grimmjow whispered. Holding Ulquiorra's hand carefully.
"I got your note," Ulquiorra said slowly. "I love you too."
Grimmjow nodded dumbly. After all this he still wasn't sure what to say.
"Would you like to come back to the suite after this?" Ulquiorra said. "Your welcome to."
"Haven't got anywhere else to go right?" Grimmjow smirked. "Thanks."
Ulquiorra didn't think he had ever seen Grimmjow this happy without someone getting hurt in the process, he was smiling nicely and looked sweet.
"We aren't going to tell anyone else though..." Ulquiorra stated openly. "I don't need anyone breathing down my neck about it."
"Agreed." Grimmjow said. If Szayel knew other people, well...
He couldn't quite say the G word out loud. Not refering to himself or Ulquiorra. It felt to much like a condescending thing to say about someone, it had been made vulgar by others. He felt weak saying it, like he wasn't really a man if he was...it.
But he didn't really care, if he had Ulquiorra, he could make up a new damn word. Call himself what he pleased, and do what he wanted without fear of being made fun of, as long as it wasn't in public.
"Stark won't tell." Grimmjow said, more to reassure himself more the anyone else. Ulquiorra nodded.
There was a distracting silence filling the cave now. Even the hollow in the far back weren't moving. Ulquiorra looked at the floor, still slightly hungover.
"Where is the pin?"
Grimmjow looked up, then dug in his pockets carefully, snatching the pin out and handing it over.
"I'm sorry again for taking it." Grimmjow bowed his head in apology and only raised it when he knew Ulquiorra wasn't going to tell him off for it.
"You know about my death already. You said so in the letter." Ulquiorra said, running his fingers over the pin carefully. "But did you know about the girl?"
"Girl?" Grimmjow searched his memories, there had been a girl there, he didn't quite remember her face but it was her pin. "Yeah I remember. Who is she?"
Ulquiorra sighed carefully.
"I don't remember her name, she told me once but I can't recall it." He said painfully. "She wasn't related to me or anything, I only really met her once he got hit."
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Ulquiorra began. "After we died, we had to wait for a shingami to send us to soul society. But after weeks, nobody came. But in that time I became a father to her."
Grimmjow's eyes widened. He couldn't imagine Ulquiorra with a child.
"I looked after her and made sure she stayed away from Hollow, but eventually my time ran out and I became one. So I kept her with me."
"You kept her with you?" Grimmjow stared.
Ulquiorra nodded.
"She meant too much to me, even as a hollow I didn't want to kill her, I still remembered everything. I was selfish."
"But how?" Grimmjow asked. He had never heard of this phenomenon.
"You might have heard of it from human legend." Ulquiorra said quietly, Grimmjow could tell he was beginning to feel embarrassed about choosing his words this way. "When people say places or items are haunted. Sometimes human souls have been put inside them, by accident or outside influence."
Ulquiorra opened his pale hand revealing the bright gold pin.
"This is her now."
Grimmjow took it in his hand carefully, making sure he didn't press to hard, making sure it wouldn't feel confined. This was a girl?
"But after all this, I still don't remember her name." Ulquiorra whispered. He looked on the verge of tears, frustrated with his poor memory. "She only said it once, its so stupid. I don't know why I can't remember. It should be obvious, right?"
Grimmjow couldn't answer. He merely passed the pin back, too afraid he would break it, or bend it and cause the girl pain.
"You put her in the pin, right?" Grimmjow said, getting off the rock so he could comfort Ulquiorra before emotional hell broke loose. He slid a hand around his shoulder, allowing Ulquiorra's head to rest on his own shoulder. "Do you know if there's anyway to get her out?"
Ulquiorra looked up, those green eyes burning into him again, very beautiful but sad.
"I do."
"Then lets set her free."
Ulquiorra's eyes widened. Grimmjow could tell he was both afraid of what would happen and afraid of losing her forever. He drew his gaze away, holding the pin out carefully.
"We can't do it here." Ulquiorra said. "She'll be eaten."
Grimmjow, bent over, kissing his cheek carefully.
"Then lets go."
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It was nighttime in Karakura when the two arrived, instantly masking their reiatsu so no one could find them. They touched ground and walked around for a nice spot were they could be alone. Holding hands as they went.
Hueco Mundo had nights, but their stars were nothing compared to the beautiful constellations above them. It was one of the many things Ulquiorra missed from his human life. He was glad they came at night.
"This is it, right?" Grimmjow said as they walked into the street, the street were Ulquiorra and the girl had been killed. It was very different now, the street had been repaved and the buildings around it looked very different. Perhaps it was the lighting or the lack of blood and screaming that made it alien.
"You don't remember where you died, do you Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked. His voice shaking a little.
Grimmjow felt scared to answer, he stood still and murmered a dark no.
"I want you to be thankful for that." Ulquiorra sighed, holding back tears. He turned away from the streetlights, toward the middle of the road. "Being here kills me all over again."
"Lets hurry up then." Grimmjow whispered. "I don't like it here either."
Ulquiorra nodded. Drawing out the pin like an offering and setting it on the ground. He drew back and held out his hands. Grimmjow watched carefully as the pin began to glow, and slowly the outline of a girl formed above it.
She was a beautiful girl with short black hair and a school uniform. She opened her eyes and they mirrored Ulquiorra's, green and bright.
Grimmjow stared unbelievingly. This was her. It matched up perfectly. This was insane.
Ulquiorra bent down and hugged her, much like a real father, she hugged back, her small hands holding onto his uniform.
"Your not mad at me for anything are you?" Ulquiorra said quietly "You've been thrown around quite carelessly these days."
"Uh-uh," She whispered "I don't care."
She shifted carefully and Grimmjow noticed she had one link left on her soul chain.
"I don't think I'll turn into a hollow anymore." she murmered. "I'll just be leaving."
Ulquiorra nodded. Letting her draw away from him, he wiped his eyes and she walked a couple of steps slinging her teddy bear backpack onto her back. Slowly, she seemed to be evaporating away, feet first.
"Wait, what's your name?" Ulquiorra asked, standing up again, looking desperate.
She smiled happily.
"Kaiya."
Ulquiorra's eyes widened. It all seemed to be coming back to him, the memory of her name being said over and over. All of the blanks he had being filled in.
She waved, and in a flash, was gone.
Grimmjow couldn't move with the shock he was feeling, he felt so small as Ulquiorra turned and walked past him but stopped only a couple paces behind him.
"Grimmjow."
Grimmjow turned, still wide eyed.
"I need to go home."
Grimmjow walked to him carefully. In the morning he would have to go on a new mission for Aizen. He suddenly felt ecstatic smiling and baring his jagged teeth.
"Why are you smiling?" Ulquiorra asked, confused.
Grimmjow laughed.
"I have a feeling something good is going to happen. This mission thing. After all this, something good is going to happen."
"What makes you say that?" Ulquiorra looked scared for his sanity, such a swing in emotion was foreign to him.
"After all this, it was supposed to be hell, torture, losing my rank, a horrible fall from grace right?" Grimmjow smiled. "And what do I have to show for it?"
He kissed Ulquiorra unexpectedly, holding him close.
"I dunno, the only thing I know is, I didn't really have any grace to lose now, did I?"
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HORRAY! IT'S OVER!!!
I'll do an epilogue sometime, but its really mostly over!
Again thanks to all the wonderful people who are my reviewers, you are the reason this fic is finally finished. Its all for you guys. I've been so goddamn busy, you guys have the patience of saints... I think... In any case, nobody got bitchy.
I have lots of ideas for future fanfics. I'm really glad this is over, just, the pressure is off.
If I get a lot of reviews again, the epilogue will come very fast and maybe Grimmjow and Ulquiorra will answer your mail.
Keep reading my fics if you like the way I write. You guys kick ass.
KISHIRE!
