Cold Interface

I Hate You

It had been approximately one month since the run-in with Ulquiorra. Grimmjow and Rukia had continued traveling, staying low and never going through large crowds. They'd had to get used to each other. They both thought they were already "used" to the other, having lived in the same cell for months. But it was different now. For one, there was no Ichigo to play mediator. For two, they were both on the run for their lives. They didn't realize how large-scale this entire ordeal was. Even Rukia had thrown away her conversation with Gin Ichimaru. This wasn't just about two runaway slaves. It was about Japan. Hell, the whole world.

There were nights when they didn't say a word to each other, and there were nights where they couldn't stop talking. Grimmjow and Rukia were very mood-based people, albeit Rukia was more adept at maintaining composure. Much more adept. Grimmjow seemed to channel any emotion through anger, which Rukia could relate to, but only to a certain extent. Her anger was more comical and harmless. His anger was violent. Scary. Murderous.

Even though they endured daily fights, they still built a bond. They learned things about each other. Some of these things they didn't even know about themselves. But the weird thing was that they worked. They had a disposition to balance each other out, providing some semblance of partnership. They didn't know where they were going, but they had each other, and that was the force that drove them on. But it wasn't the only one. They also had an innate want to survive. And they also didn't want Ichigo's death to be in vain. And then there was... Well, there was fear.

It was raining heavily, and they had no place left to go. They had reached the mountainside yesterday morning and decided to travel around it rather than through it, but that didn't seem like a viable option at the moment. It was about thirty five degrees, and neither of them had adequate clothing to protect them from the biting wind. So they sought refuge in a hollow cave. It was large enough that the wind couldn't touch them, but Grimmjow was unable to stand up to his full height without hitting his head on the ceiling. Rukia, however, had no issue.

"Fuck, it's freezing." Grimmjow, as profane as always.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Rukia was in a bitter mood that matched the frigid air around them quite well. A fire crackled between the two, and they both tried to sit as close to it as they could without getting burnt. Rukia couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably, seeing as she didn't have as much tissue padding to keep her body warm as Grimmjow did. The man was just a haven of muscles, and it almost made her jealous that he was ten times stronger than she was. She was strong for her frame, but not that strong. They had found this out on many occasions.

"Listen bitch, I'm not in the mood for your shit." His icy blue eyes slid to the side, staring at her coldly.

"Does it look like I care? I'm not the one making unnecessary statements about the weather."

Maybe a few weeks ago this would have caused them to erupt into a full-blown fight. But now they both just learned to ignore it. Grimmjow was getting good at mirroring Rukia's passive-aggressive tendencies. So instead of replying in out lash, the blue-haired man settled for grunting and averting his eyes back to the fire angrily. Soon enough, his glare turned back into its usual dull, emotionless stare. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Grimmjow's mind being plagued by a thought that he was actually hesitating on voicing. What the hell? Grimmjow didn't vacillate with anything. So why the fuck was this any different? He was just going to say it.

"Take off your clothes."

"W-!" It was a good thing she hadn't been eating anything, because she would've choked.

"Just shut the hell up and do it. Our clothes and wet and are only gonna make us colder. We'll use our own body heat to stay warm."

Rukia knew Grimmjow, and she knew him well. He wasn't a pervert. And if he had wanted in her pants, he wouldn't taken one of the multitude of opportunities he'd been given in the past to do so. Sighing out, she glanced to the side before untying her ratty kimono. Her face reddened slightly as she tossed the wet mess of clothing to the side, remaining only in her white underwear and bra. When Grimmjow gave her an expectant look, she shot back a glare that spoke volumes: Don't even suggest it.

Grimmjow shrugged before removing his shirt and pants, tossing the soaked cloth to the side. His boxers were still a little wet, but they weren't bad. Now that his skin was exposed, it felt frozen solid. But he knew what he was doing. He glanced over to Rukia, who was obviously having a harder time with this than he was. Grimmjow wasn't really the shy type, nor was he one to notice an awkward atmosphere even when it bit him. Rukia, however, could taste the tension easily. Nonetheless, she slid over to him.

The only sound currently in the cave was that of the fire, snapping and crackling as it waved back and forth. Grimmjow wrapped his arms around Rukia's thin body, and she leaned into him. Wherever his skin met hers felt infinitely warmer, they both noticed. Suddenly, any awkward tension was gone and they both relished in the warmth. His arms were strong around her, and he rested his chin on the top of her head, staring out into the cave opening. Grimmjow exhaled, a puff of visible air escaping his lips.

Rukia awoke as the sunlight invaded the cave, attacking her eyes even through her eyelids. She grimaced and opened them, squinting through the bright rays. It was still freezing, but the rain was no more and she couldn't see any clouds from where she lay. It was then that she took notice of the strong arm wrapped around her. She lay on her side with Grimmjow pressed tightly against her back, his arm draped over her body and keeping her close. She swallowed, half wanting to get up and half wanting to stay there forever.

The raven-haired girl opened her mouth to say something, but before anything else, Grimmjow's arm tightened around her, bringing her in closer. She felt his chest moving against her bare back as he breathed heavily. He kept tightening his hold on her, and she stayed silent as she heard him mumbling under his breath.

"No!" Grimmjow shouted from his sleep.

His arm tightened around her painfully, and she couldn't breathe. She tried to twist free or at least turn around so she could see him, but his arm wouldn't allow her to budge. It seemed every time she moved, he pulled her in closer. Rukia gasped for air before digging her nails into his thick arm, trying to get him to wake up. He growled animalistically before she began drawing blood under her nails. His eyes finally snapped open, and he panted for a second before realizing he was about to crack her rib cage with his arm.

"Shit."

He let go immediately, and she rolled onto her stomach, coughing and panting. Grimmjow stared at her in disbelief. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and he glanced around the cave to regain his bearings. What happened? Had he done that to her? She seemed fine now, at least, but what if he hadn't waken up? What was he even dreaming about? He couldn't remember. Once Rukia caught her breath, she pushed herself up, sitting on her knees and staring at him with slight worry in her eyes.

Grimmjow said nothing and proceeded to stand up and pull his pants back on. They weren't completely dry, but they were better than nothing. Plus, he was sweating anyway.

"Grimmjow..."

"Leave it alone," he bit out, slipping his shirt on.

"You need to-."

"No, bitch, I don't need to do anything. What you need to do is shut the fuck up and leave me be when shit doesn't concern you."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes. "Why are you being such a jerk? I was only asking if you were alright."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're obviously not."

"Fuck, I said I'm fine!" Grimmjow reached out and struck her with his hand, causing her face to snap to the side. He instantly regretted it.

Rukia stared to the side, her head still in the position the slap had turned it to. She said nothing for a moment. Huffing, her eyes averted to him coldly. "I hate you."

Author's Note: I...really am sorry for updating so slowly. Please forgive me guys! D: Also, I haven't spell/grammar-checked this and it's 2 AM on a school night. Forgive me for any errors!