Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Vicenta asked, glaring at me flatly.

I blinked at her from my place in Stark's arms, tilting my head, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" She hissed from her place at Grimmjow's side, her glare intensifying, "What are you doing with Stark?!"

I sighed heavily, "I do hope you're asking your father the same question about his little Thunderthighs."

Vicenta rolled her eyes, "I tried that, but you know Dad isn't exactly forthcoming. You are, though…"

I shrugged, leaning into Stark's chest, "I love Stark."

"That's a load of bullshit." Vicenta hissed, eyes narrowing. "You love Dad. I know you do. And Dad loves you… what the fuck are you two doing?! This is the fucking stupidest thing I've ever seen either of you do, and I remember the Wormhole incident…"

"Vicenta, don't worry about it." I shrugged, "Your father and I are just fine, okay?"

Vicenta tensed, standing, "Fine. You know what? Fine. I don't give a flying fuck anymore. You two want to be a bunch of stupid, immature bitches about this? Feel free. I don't have to take it." She turned and stormed off, a chuckling Grimmjow following close behind.

I sighed heavily, turning and curling up against Stark's chest.

"…Was that really such a good idea?"

"Having her pissed at me is a lot better than telling her the truth…" I mumbled, shivering as he slipped a hand under the covers and started rubbing my side, "A lot less damaging that way…"

"But will you be able to repair her relationship with you later?" Stark yawned widely, slumping back and leaving his hand on my side.

"Oh, yeah." I nodded, arching and yawning. "She's not actually mad mad at me, she's just pissed. She'll get over it pretty quickly…" I curled up again, nestling down against his chest and closing my eyes.

We both groaned when someone knocked on the door.

"Go… away…" I called, groaning when the door opened. When I saw who it was, I was awake almost immediately, though I made sure I didn't look it.

Szayel stepped through the doorway, his eyes immediately locking on Stark and I while Cirucci, hanging from his arm, looked around with a sneer.

And I guess I couldn't blame her… Stark was a slob.

"You need something?" I mumbled, yawning and pulling up the covers, "We were about to go back to sleep…"

"Of course you were…" Szayel muttered, looking around quickly before raising his voice to his normal speaking level. "I was wondering where you were… I needed your help with something in the lab last night but you weren't in your room."

What a crock of horseshit. Szayel never needed my help with anything in the lab.

"I was here…" I blinked, sitting up and holding the comforter against my chest, "With Stark. If you needed me, you should have asked beforehand…"

Stark slept topless, and I'd discarded both my top and my bra earlier when I'd thought Vicenta had been Szayel knocking on the door. We both still had our hakamas on, but who needed to know that?

"Do you need something now?" I went on as Szayel stared at both Stark and I with a distracted, dazed look.

He shook his head and blinked, the daze clearing a bit, "Huh?"

I quirked a brow, "I said did you need something now?"

"…No." Szayel shook his head. "Just wanted to confirm where you were… I apologize for the intrusion. We will be going now." He turned and stumbled out, dragging a protesting Cirucci behind him.

I smirked as the door shut, "Take that, you fucking prick…"

"Alright, you've had your fun." Stark rolled his eyes, yawning and pulling me back down. "Now go to sleep. Fucking with people's heads is very tiring…"

"You're just lazy…" I rolled my eyes, laying down and letting him tuck my head under his chin.

"Be that as it may…" Stark muttered, yawning, "It's sleep time…"

I hummed in agreement, closing my eyes.

"Alright, Szayel." I yawned, leaning against Stark as he leaned against the counter in Szayel's lab, falling asleep on his hand, the elbow of which was propped up on the countertop. I elbowed him slightly, looking back at Szayel as Stark snorted and woke up. "What do you want?"

"You're overdue for a physical…" Szayel glanced at Stark, "Will he be staying?"

I narrowed my eyes, glancing at Cirucci, "Will she?"

Szayel narrowed his eyes back, "Very well then." He handed me a medical gown, "You know the routine. Curtain is over there, wear nothing but the gown."

I nodded, grabbing the gown in one hand and Stark's chin in the other.

Stark smirked, rolling his eyes as I gave him a quick peck, then leaning in for another, longer kiss.

I smirked back and leaned in.

"…Ah-HEM." Szayel coughed loudly.

I waited a moment before pulling back, smiling at Stark before walking behind the curtain and stripping. When I came back out, then scene I was met with made it very hard not to burst into laughter.

Cirucci was hanging from Szayel's arm, rubbing up against him and touching him in… various places to try to get his attention. And while this pissed me off immensely, the fact that Szayel wasn't paying attention to Cirucci because he was too busy glaring at Stark certainly made up for it. Stark was staring right back at Szayel, one brow quirked slightly and an almost imperceptible smirk playing on his face.

"Okay," I interrupted the little battle of the eyes by yawning loudly, holding my arms over my head and stretching, "Same old, same old, Szayel? A few reflex tests, quick listening of the old ticker, quick blood pressure check?"

Szayel nodded, turning and readying his equipment, "For the initial, yes. Have a seat."

Sighing, I walked over to the table and hopped up onto the edge, holding out my arm as Szayel wrapped a length of bag nylon around it.

"…One-nineteen over seventy-eight… Tad high…" Szayel glanced at me, "Are you nervous?"

"No." I was. He was so close, and I could smell pomegranates…

I stared at the cloth-covered curve of his neck as he pressed close, wrapping his arm around my back and slipping a hand through the half-parted, barely laced back of my medical gown. His fingers brushed my skin as he pressed the head of a stethoscope to my back, his other hand pressing against my chest and gently forcing me to sit up.

I could feel my body reacting, skin heating at his touch and pulse racing.

Szayel glanced at me as he listened to my heart beat faster and faster, and I looked back at him through heavily lidded eyes, gaze smoldering. There was a faint, dull spark in Szayel's eyes, his pale cheeks taking the on slightest hint of red. He leaned in close, his eyes closing slightly…

"Ah-hem!"

Szayel recovered quickly, frowning, "Aporro, you have a rasp. Are you having problems breathing?"

"No…" He was right. I did still have a bit of a rasp… "My throat is just a bit raw."

"Is it?" He grabbed my head and tilted it back, holding up a penlight. "Open." He looked down as I did, eyes widening. "A bit raw? Aporro, you're still bleeding. What happened?!"

"I was sick." I snapped pulling back and glaring at him, "Violently sick. I saw something that disgusted me so fucking deeply my body made me throw up until I was upchucking bile. Which, as you can imagine, was a bitch."

Szayel stared at me for a moment, then sighed and turned, walking over and opening a few cabinets above the sink. Cirucci, who was standing near the sink, reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist as he shifted through a few bottles, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye and making a show of slipping her hand into his jacket.

"Has Vicenta spoken to you lately?"

Cirucci froze and Szayel glanced back, blinking.

"Vicenta." I repeated, throwing Cirucci a look and saying pointedly, "Our daughter." I then faced Szayel again, "Has she told you about how things are going between her and Grimmjow?"

"Ah… no." Szayel shook his head, turning back and walking over with a bottle, "She hasn't said a word. Actually, I think she's making it a point for me not to see them… Has she spoken to you?"

"I see them often enough…" I glanced at Cirucci, my heart singing.

Apparently, she didn't like being reminded of the fact that Szayel and I had a child together. Why she was even chasing Szayel when she knew this struck me stupid… Maybe she didn't know how Vicenta was conceived… Or maybe she was just in denial.

"If you two will excuse us now." Szayel nodded to Cirucci and Stark, "We have the second part of the physical to perform."

Stark smirked slightly and turned, shooting me a sly look that I threw him a wry glare for. Pervert…

Cirucci, though, paused, frowning, "Do I really have to leave, Szay-Szay?" She pouted, sauntering over to him and throwing her arms around his neck, "It's not like she has anything I don't…"

It took all of my self-restraint to hold back a gag. "Szay-Szay"? What the fuck? Szayel hated pet names…

"I am aware of that, Cirucci, but really, you have to leave for a moment." Szayel said gently, taking her by the shoulders and rubbing. "It's not for you, dear. It's for her…"

Cirucci threw me a look, then sighed heavily and turned, stomping out.

I glared after her, "How in the fuck can you stand being around her?"

"Oh, I don't know." Szayel threw me a look, handing me a pill, "How can you stand being around Stark?"

I rolled my eyes, popping the pull and chasing it with the liquid in the beaker he handed me, "Now, come on, Szay. You know Stark isn't bad in the least…" I sneered, "Not like Thunderthighs."

Szayel quirked a brow, "It's Thunderwitch."

"Oh, Thunderbitch? I think I liked that one better."

Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to hold back a smirk, "You are rather creative, aren't you?"

"Only if the name is practically begging for it. Like that whore's… or Grimmjow's. Listen to this!" I cleared my throat, grinning, "Jaegerjackass."

Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose harder, snickering. "Aporro…"

"…I miss you…"

He paused, turning towards me and blinking, "Apo—" He was cut off rather violently.

I grabbed Szayel and pulling him close, wrapping my legs around his waist and fisting my hand in his hair. I was met with no resistance as I jerked his head back, kissing him deeply.

Szayel jerked, then groaned and grabbed my sides, digging his fingers in and making me hiss. His hands then slipped down, grabbing my thighs and forcing my legs down from his back and onto the table.

Whining as he stroked up and down my thighs, I loosened my hold of his hair and grabbed his face with both hands, gasping and snapping my eyes wide open when he slipped a finger into my waiting heat.

"Sz-Szayel…"

"Aporro…" He rasped, sliding out and slipping in a second finger. "Ah… Aporro…"

"Szayel?! Are you two done yet?!"

Szayel froze, then pushed away from me quickly.

I watched with wide eyes as he walked over to the sink quickly, discarding his wet and soiled glove. "Szayel, what are you doing?"

"Cirucci is coming…" He muttered, pulling out another glove.

"Wh-what the fuck does it matter?!" I stood, bracing back as my knees buckled slightly, "Szayel, you don't give a damn about that slut!"

"I am with her right now."

"No you're not! You think I don't know?! Stark told me everything!"

Szayel froze.

I stared at his back, panting, "Or… or was Stark lying? Did you not… choose me… as your life-mate…? We have a child together… And what we just—"

"Szayeeeeel!!"

"No, Aporro… Stark wasn't lying. Arrancar do mate for life with the one they choose to reproduce with…"

"Then why the fuck are you doing this to me?"

He didn't answer.

"…Is it because… what, are you ashamed of me? Afraid of making a commitment? Am I a mistake?! FUCK, Szayel, tell me so I know what the fuck I'm doing wrong! Tell me why the FUCK Szayel Aporro Grantz won't take fucking responsibility for the first goddamned time since I've known him!"

This was all happening so goddamned fast I couldn't make heads or tails of it… I was getting so fucking nauseated…

Then Cirucci was in the room, tapping her foot impatiently, "What is taking so long?!"

"Fuck off, whore." She started to scream at me but I ignored her, storming over to Szayel and hissing, "You know what? This whole time this fucking drama, this goddamned soap opera has been going on, I thought I was losing you. And it made me sick… But now, I've had it. I'm not losing you. You're losing me. Until you make your goddamned mind, I don't want you. Until you decide to man up, don't you dare come near me again." I turned and stormed out.

Back in my room, I was pacing.

"What did I do, Stark? Where did I fuck up? Why the fuck won't he leave her?"

Stark sighed heavily and yawned, "Szayel tends to do stupid things when he's confused…"

"Confused?!" I turned to him, "Are you kidding?! What the hell does he have to be confused about?!"

"Having an Arrancar life-mate is one thing." Stark shrugged, "Having a human one? Completely different. Besides…" He shrugged again, "I highly doubt he ever seriously took the time to stop and think about it."

"What is there to think about?!"

Stark sighed, rolling over, "Give him time."

I stared at Stark, sighing when he started snoring, "I don't have time…" And I didn't. Not compared to what these Arrancar had…

I was sick of this.

I needed to get out.

I left the room, heading for the front of the complex. A quick walk around the complex under the desert sky wouldn't do any harm.