Chapter Fifty Eight:
Shiro snorted as he read the more recent reports for the goings on in Las Noches, reclining on the sofa near Aizen's balcony as he flicked another page over. His eyes were squinted, his upper lip raised in a sneer as he failed to understand how this week Zommari was responsible for the majority of the damage to the palace. He was certain he'd never seen the man so much as raise his voice let alone lose his temper.
"Fuck knows what happened to him then..." He clicked his tongue against his teeth, "Wait... What... Oh come on, ya seriously expect me to believe Szayel 'accidentally' left a noxious substance in Zommari's meditation room? Fuckin'... Stupid ass."
"Oh, I don't believe it was an accident for even a moment." Aizen chuckled from his seat at the desk, "However, it is far easier and far more entertaining to allow them to get away with... At least a little bit of what they do."
"Uh-huh." Shiro peered over at the brunet over the top of the papers, "That sounds like an excuse from a man with too much time on his hands."
"Perhaps." The Shinigami smirked, signing a few more documents, "Perhaps if you stayed more often I would have better things to do than place bets on which one of my Espada will kill the other each week."
"Don't blame me for your bad habit!" The albino shook his head in disbelief, "Honestly. Besides, I'll be able to stick around more once Szayel's finished fixin' Nel."
At the mention of the former Tres Espada, both men looked at the green haired girl currently sleeping with her head on Shiro's lap, drooling. It appeared the Octavo was thinking outside of the box, using Orihime Ishida's powers to try and reverse the damage done to Nel's mask in order to restore her to her proper form. But it seemed that Nnoitra's lingering reiatsu in the scar was impeding the progress.
Nel was able to transform into her adult body for about half an hour every day. It was an event that had mentally scarred Shiro for life the first time she'd done it. He'd been sound asleep in his own room, having dozed off with a very child-like Nel in his arms seeing as she refused to use the bed he'd arranged for her, only to wake up in the middle of the night with a fully grown woman straddling his body, green dress ripped and exposing way more flesh than he had been comfortable with. His screams had woken half the palace and Aizen, Starrk, Barragan and Harribel had bundled into his room to find out what the hell was going on.
He wasn't sure he was ever going to live that down. What made it worse was that Nel had no memories of anything that happened while she was in her adult body, and yet she seemed fully aware of everything that happened to her child form in those half hour episodes of adulthood.
Shiro sighed softly and combed his fingers through the girls' hair, it would be a lie to say he wasn't fond of her. They were almost joined at the hip, going everywhere together. She had no shame, no fear, no hesitation. He'd taken her out into the sands when he'd been hunting Hollows for sport. She was with him when he went to the recreation area, the canteen, the Espada meetings. It was like being a parent, she even wore a white uniform very similar to his own in design instead of the tatty dress she tended to outgrow at inopportune moments.
He had overcome his fears that Nel would hate him for his bloodlust, and had taken to ignoring Nnoitra's existence altogether as a result. In fact, besides visiting Szayel to treat Nel, and attending meetings with the other Espada he had taken to avoiding them all completely. Aizen had put his mind at rest about a lot of things. The main one being that he didn't need to change himself to make the Espada like him. He was the Cero no matter what they thought.
Golden eyes roamed distractedly away from Nel's sleeping form to focus on the brunet opposite him. It had been little over a month, maybe even closer to two since the day he'd found Nel. Since he and Aizen had fucked each other senseless. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that his life had never been better.
The only time he ever parted from Nel was when he left her in the safety of the Primera or the Tres, and that only ever happened when he was intending on staying in the King's Suite over night. It would be unfair to leave Nel alone, she was too small to care for herself, and he certainly wasn't ready to get cock-blocked by a kid.
Aizen had been vastly different, at least in his company. The foundations of their relationship were the same, fantastic sex, a little bit of violence, mutual marking and experimenting with every possible position they could think of. But, there were differences too. Aizen never asked him to leave his bed after sex, post-sex contact like cuddling was allowed, and there had been one or two instances of him waking up to find breakfast prepared and waiting at the end of the bed.
He was happy. Content. He had everything he'd longed for and more.
"Next week I will be leaving Las Noches with Tōsen and Gin, it's time I found some apt replacements for the Espada. A Noveno and Décimo. I've put it aside for far too long, once the war begins with Soul Society I will require my Espada to be at full strength." Aizen's voice snapped Shiro from his thoughts.
"Mm. Sounds like a good idea. But what about Cuatro?"
"I was thinking of offering the position to Nelliel once she is completely back to her old self. She cannot return to being the Tres, Harribel is stronger. But I am confident Nelliel is still stronger than Nnoitra. She would make an excellent replacement for Ulquiorra."
Shiro nodded, setting the reports aside as he went back to playing with Nel's hair, "I'm gonna miss moments like this when she's all grown up again. I know she'll still enjoy being around me but... It won't be the same."
"Indeed, I think your time together has vastly improved you as a person. You've grown. It takes a great deal of responsibility and time to care for a child and you have done so flawlessly." The brunet offered a rare smile.
"Mm." A non-committal sound escaped the Cero Espada as he considered his lover's words, "Did ya know that Ichigo would have been able to have kids with Kuchiki? Because they're both nobles?"
"I did not." A raised eyebrow, "How?"
"Not sure, he never got around to askin'." He shrugged and glanced out of the balcony doors, "Dunno where that thought even came from."
Aizen hummed thoughtfully, seemingly returning to his work, "I'm uncertain if you are aware, but I too come from a noble family. Certainly, not as high up and prestigious as the likes of the Kuchiki, Shihōin or Shiba Clans, but lesser nobility nevertheless."
"I didn't know that..." The albino rested his head back before frowning curiously, "Why are ya tellin' me? I ain't nobility."
"I do believe you are currently possessing the body of a noble, however. You should give that some thought."
Shiro felt his face warm, clearing his throat shyly as he cottoned on to Aizen's meaning. It was a silly thought though. Aizen wasn't a domesticated man, he was a warrior, a leader, a fighter. And despite his own attachment to Nel, Shiro was more than aware that he also was not made for domestic life. He was, sadly, as likely to kill his own young as he was to successfully raise them.
Still. It was a nice thought. A kind offer.
"I might take her to see Szayel, I know he was planning on testing something new later today." The Cero got to his feet, carefully picking Nel up and cradling her in his arms, "Maybe afterwards I can... Drop her into Starrk and come back here?"
Chocolate eyes rose from the paperwork and documents long enough to fix the white Hollow with a heated gaze, "That sounds like an excellent idea."
Grinning widely, the albino laughed as he left the King's Suite. Nel continued to sleep soundly in his grasp as he freely wove a silent dance down the hallways, no longer bothered by who saw him and who might consider it strange. The music in his head was his own to enjoy. He even found himself humming along to it shamelessly as he pushed the laboratory doors open with his hip.
A quick glance around revealed the presence of the Primera, the Quinto, the Sexta and the Octavo Espada. Starrk was nose deep in what looked like a report of some kind, while Szayel was reattaching Nnoitra's hand to his wrist and arguing with Grimmjow about the recklessness of unleashing a Gran Rey Cero inside the palace walls.
"Stop yellin' at me!" The blue haired Espada snapped, "I know it was dumb, he told me to do it!"
"And if Nnoitra told you to jump of a cliff, would you do that too?" Angry whiskey coloured eyes were fixed on Grimmjow with such fury that the scientist ended up dropping a stitch, which only increased his ire.
"Of course not! But this wasn't a cliff!" Arms were folded now, blue eyes narrowed in annoyance, "He challenged me to successfully cut him, because apparently he's been improvin' his Hierro. Whatever means necessary! I tried everythin' else!"
"You are pair of children I swear!" Szayel hissed scathingly, "What would you have done if you'd taken his damned head off?"
"What a stupid question. I would have brought him to you, of course."
"I can't fix decapitations!"
Shiro snorted loud enough to catch their attention, immediately attempting to stifle the sound as three sets of angry eyes latched onto him. He couldn't do it. It was too funny and he ended up cackling loudly as he set Nel down on one of the other beds, holding his gut as it ached.
"I'm so glad my pain amuses you." Nnoitra sneered.
"Oh it's not that." He waved a hand, catching his breath, "It... It's just the idea... Haha... Of Grimmjow carryin' ya in here... Body under one arm, head under the other... Beggin' Szayel to make it look... Hehehe... Like an accident!"
Starrk snickered from his seat near the computer consoles as he looked at Szayel, "He has a point, my friend. One day someone is going to discover exactly what your limits are and I would not put it past being the Quinto and Sexta."
"Tch," the Octavo rolled his eyes as he snipped the thread, "You are probably correct. I should ask for a pay rise."
"You're getting paid?" The Primera smirked.
"Shut up." Came the aggravated response before Szayel snapped his gloves off and threw them in the nearby bin.
Nnoitra was flexing his fingers experimentally and seemed to nod to himself that everything was in working order as he sat up on the bed, "Cheers Szayel, I owe you one."
"You owe me several." Szayel said snarkily, "So, Shiro, what can I do for you? Please tell me it's not a battle related wound..."
"Please, the day I need patchin' up after a battle is the day I throw myself off the palace walls." He rolled his eyes and patted Nel's bed, "Ya said ya had somethin' planned for her treatment today. I wanted to come down and see if ya were ready."
"Indeed your regenerative speed is far beyond any other Hollow I have ever seen." The pink haired man approached the bed and gently brushed some of Nel's hair back off her face, "I believe I have synthesised a serum to help extract the lingering residue of Nnoitra's reiatsu, allowing Orihime-chan's powers to work better."
Raising one white eyebrow, the Cero shoved his hands in his pockets, "Is it safe? Is it gonna hurt her?"
"It is as safe as anything can be when dealing with these kinds of injuries," a stern gaze fixed the albino in place, "It may be... Uncomfortable while the reiatsu is extracted but afterwards she should feel much better. And once Orihime-chan's powers begin to work it should numb any lingering discomfort."
"Mm." Frowning, Shiro looked down at the sleeping girl, biting his bottom lip worriedly. He hated the idea of putting her through something that would upset or hurt her, she had cried terribly the first time Szayel had tried to help her, she hadn't calmed down for hours afterwards. The experience had almost been enough to convince Shiro to leave her in her child form forever.
"If I might offer some insight, my friend," Starrk walked over slowly, tucking his report under his arm, "Perhaps we could distract her with a game or a toy while the serum works on her... Try to take her mind off the pain. Orihime-chan is excellent with children, we could bring her up here now to help us keep Nel calm."
"Sounds good to me." The albino nodded, glancing towards Nnoitra and Grimmjow, "Can ya be trusted to bring her up here without rippin' a limb off each other?"
Neither answered him with more than a glare as they stalked out of the laboratory to collect the Human girl from the detention centre. Shiro watched them go and shook his head in disbelief at the idea of Grimmjow actually using a Gran Rey Cero just because Nnoitra asked him to.
"Sometimes I wonder how they're still alive." He muttered.
"Sheer dumb luck." Starrk said quietly.
"Dumb luck? Dumb luck?! It's because I keep putting them back together again, thank you very much!" Szayel half shrieked, grumbling unintelligibly as he stomped into his office.
Shiro giggled slightly and leaned against the bed, "What were ya readin' when I came in? Ya seemed engrossed."
The Primera sighed and flourished the papers again, "Just a report from one of Aizen-sama's field agents. Nothing too serious."
"Field agents?" The albino repeated, tilting his head curiously.
"Yeah, he's got someone in Soul Society keeping an eye on things. I receive the reports from him and pass them on to Aizen-sama when I've checked them thoroughly." Gloved fingers combed through wavy hair, "It's pretty bland this week. Nothing happening beyond the usual."
"So, this would be the person who enabled Ulquiorra and Nnoitra into Rukongai to kidnap Byakuya to begin with huh?"
"Yeah, that's the guy."
"Sounds like a pretty good spy, keeping his cover after all this time." Shiro scratched his head thoughtfully.
"He's strong, and would undoubtedly be an asset here in Las Noches, but his talents make him better suited to espionage." Stark stowed the documents in his jacket.
"Huh, sounds like a handy guy to have around." The Cero Espada looked around as he heard Nel yawn, smiling immediately as he watched her big hazel eyes flutter open, "Hey sweet cheeks. Ya sleep well?"
She beamed up at him and looked around, taking in her surroundings before he got onto her knees and crawled down the bed towards him, "Nel always sleeps good when Shiro is with her."
"Well I am very glad to hear it." He turned around and scooped her up, bouncing her gently on his hip, "Szayel thinks he's got somethin' to help ya mask feel a bit better, and Orihime is gonna come play some games with ya. Ya like the sound of that? Ya like Orihime right?"
"She's very pretty." Nel grabbed onto his long hair and started curling it.
"I guess..." He muttered with a small shrug, "How'd ya feel about lettin' Szayel take another look at ya mask?"
She pouted a little and let out a huge breath, "I guess it's okay... Shiro will beat him up if it hurts, right?"
He laughed at the sudden wicked look in her eyes, "I will definitely beat him up for ya."
"Then, Nel doesn't mind."
"I bet you're going to miss this, right?" Starrk chuckled, "You're like an honorary dad."
"Mm, Aizen-sama said the same thing." Shiro sighed, "I'll miss it, I'll miss carryin' her around and playin' dumb games but... If it means she can live her own life again, without the pain in that mask it's worth it."
"Ah well it seems help is at hand." The Primera nodded towards the doors as they were pushed open.
The Cero glanced around, one eyebrow raised as he saw Nnoitra and Grimmjow nudge Orihime into the room. Their eyes met for a long moment, gold clashing against pale brown. She looked mildly terrified at the sight of him, not that he blamed her. Normally, he would go and sit in Szayel's office during Nel's treatment so he didn't intimidate the Human girl, as neither of them had forgotten the day he'd thrown Ulquiorra's carcass in a cell next to hers, and threatened to rip her arm off for touching him.
"Ah, Orihime-chan!" Szayel seemed happy to see her, which was strange in Shiro's opinion, "I'm glad you were... Free to join us. Did either of these baboons fill you in?"
"Baboons?!" The Quinto and Sexta exclaimed in unison.
Orihime glanced at them both and then stumbled forwards, clearing her throat uncomfortably, her eyes seemingly trying to land anywhere but on the tall albino figure, "They did not, Szayel-san. But I am assuming you have some good news about Nel-chan?"
"I do! Come here, I'll fill you in on everything. Would you like a drink? I have tea." The pink haired man ushered her over excitedly, "Shiro may we borrow Nel from you, it will be easier to show Orihime-chan what I mean."
"Sure." He passed the child Espada to Szayel and watched as the three of them disappeared into the side office, "Anyone else find it weird that Szayel's so happy to see her?"
"Nah, he's always happy to analyse her powers." Grimmjow shrugged.
"Not to mention Szayel's terrified you'll de-mask him if he can't turn Nel back properly." Nnoitra muttered.
Shiro snorted, "Well, I wasn't planning on it but if the threat makes him work harder then... I'm not gonna correct him."
"You've been spending too much time with Aizen." The Quinto scoffed.
"Or not enough." The albino winked.
They didn't have to wait long for Szayel to re-emerge with Orihime and Nel, the woman placed the child Espada back on the bed and perched beside her as the Octavo prepared a pale purple liquid over at one of the many overflowing counters.
Shiro watched from the bedside as Nel drank the serum without complaints, belching loudly afterwards. He chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly, watching as her pupils dilated and drool began dripping from her mouth. A single look at Szayel calmed his nerves, it seemed this was a normal reaction.
"I'm going to begin extracting Nnoitra's reiatsu now." The scientist lifted his hands, resting them on Nel's mask carefully.
The Cero Espada let out a breath, glad when she didn't flinch at his touch. Gold eyes flickered to the side in surprise as he heard the fluttering of wings, staring at the small sprites flying around Orihime's head. Nel was giggling, reaching for them, completely distracted from what Szayel was doing.
Thick, oiling strands of dark yellow were coiling around Szayel's fingers, slithering free from the deep groove in the bone, Shiro was certain he could almost hear a tearing sound like the remnants of Nnoitra's reiatsu was being ripped free. The thought made his eyes narrow as he shot a look at the Quinto.
"I want ya gone, Nnoitra. If this works... I don't her to count ya among the first people she sees." He was surprised by how even his voice was despite his temper.
The lanky Espada hesitated for a moment but nodded, "Probably for the best."
Shiro was only able to relax when the door slammed shut behind the Quinto and his attention returned fully to the little girl in front of him. She was still smiling and giggling as the sprites of Shun Shun Rikka chattered animatedly to her and Orihime, but there was a pinch at the corners of her eyes suggesting she was experiencing at least a little bit of discomfort.
With a whimper from Nel, a gasp from Orihime and a victorious grunt from Szayel he pulled his hands away from her mask as the last dregs of reiatsu came free. The ugly yellow sludge evaporated as soon as the entirety of it was exposed to the air, and the Octavo Espada quickly wiped his hands on a cloth with a look of disgust on his face.
"Is that... It?" Shiro asked, combing his fingers through Nel's green bob of hair as she flopped back on the bed.
"I've managed to remove the reiatsu, yes. All that remains now if for Orihime-chan to work her magic." Szayel nudged his glasses up his nose and let out a breath.
"You look tired." Grimmjow said suddenly, eyes scanning the Octavo.
"Yes, well... It takes rather a lot of energy to extract another Espada's reiatsu from a wound, especially one stronger than I am."
Even Shiro could see that the Octavo was looking a little pale and clammy around the edges, "Why don't ya take him into the office Grimmjow, get him a drink. Ya earned it, Szayel."
Whiskey eyes widened momentarily at the approval before he merely spluttered, "Well, I would hardly be likely to allow Nnoitra's reiatsu impede my progress. What do you take me for?"
"Shut up and take the praise, idiot." The Sexta was already steering the other Espada into the office.
Shiro glanced at Starrk, they shared a brief eye roll at the Octavo's very normal behaviour and then the Cero became distracted by the pale orange barrier formed by Orihime's powers. He folded his arms, finding it hard to stay still when he couldn't touch Nel to comfort her. She seemed calm, still a little out of it from the serum, but he still wished he could hold her.
He really was going to miss taking care of her, it had become such a natural part of his day to feed her, clean her, clothe her, entertain her... What the hell was he going to do without all that to keep him occupied?! He was fairly confident that even Aizen couldn't fuck him that much.
"How's it lookin' 'Hime?" He asked, barely realising he'd used the stupid nickname Ichigo had for her until she looked up at him with wide eyes.
"I... It's looking good so far... Shiro-kun..." She offered an uncertain smile and seemed happy when he didn't growl at her in response, "I think... With Nnoitra-san's reiatsu gone I should be able to completely heal Nel-chan."
"That's good." His smile had faded even as he spoke, watching as Nel's mask began to change.
The change began at the very top of the skull shaped mask, the deep groove seemed to ripple and move, swirling like liquid mesh, tendrils of white reaching out from either side, groping over the black cavity to touch and interlock. And like a zip, when the connections were made the mask began to pull together, damage reverting to pristine flawless bone. The missing teeth on the left side regrew, clicking back into place along the faux jawline with a soft tapping noise.
Shiro's ears pricked at the sound of the laboratory door opening again, he didn't want to take his eyes away from Nel for even a moment but the subtle scent of blossom caught his attention and dragged his gaze towards the source.
Gold and steel clashed for what felt like an eternity as Byakuya stood proudly despite the Cero's glare. Shiro's expression mellowed slowly as he remembered the last time he'd seen the nobleman, and he looked away in shame. His jaw set uncomfortably as he watched Orihime continue her work, trying to heal the harsh scar on Nel's face.
"Did Harribel bring you up, Byakuya?" Starrk asked.
"Yes." The nobleman's voice was hard, clearly just as uncomfortable as Shiro, "It appears I am due my monthly check in with Szayel. I am certain I can return later if now is inconvenient."
The Primera cleared his throat, "It may be for the best if-"
"Stay." Shiro growled out, refusing to lift his eyes away from Nel again, "Szayel is restin' but he'll be out soon I'm sure."
"My thanks." Byakuya's tone didn't change as he crossed the room, perching on one of the spare beds as he noticed what Orihime was doing.
"I-I don't think I can get rid of this scar, I'm not sure why..." The Human girl said suddenly, frowning softly, "I wonder if perhaps it has become part of her very Soul. It is the only reason I can think that I would be unable to heal it. I'm sorry Shiro-kun, I don't think I can turn her back into an adult..."
The albino offered a rare smile as the orange barrier faded and Orihime's sprites returned to her hair pins, he leaned down over Nel, brushing her hair back as he examined her completed mask, "Don't sound so sad 'Hime, ya did a great job. I'm..." He hesitated and forced the words out, "At least she won't be in pain anymore."
Her smile was sad as she stood up, brushing her clothes down as she gave the Cero some space. Shiro took a breath and sat down on the bed, watching as Nel's eyes fluttered open to look at him as he caressed her cheek affectionately.
"Hey sweet cheeks." He purred, smiling at her, "How ya feelin'?"
"Nel feels good." She said quietly, her head tilting to one side, "Nel... Was wondering if she would have to stop playing games with Shiro... If she got better..."
"What?" Shiro's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "No, no of course not! We will play as many games as you can think of, no matter what."
"Really?" Nel's smile widened slowly, " And... And Nel can still play on the sands and help Shiro fight? And Nel can still play with Shiro's hair?"
He gulped hard, his heart aching at the excitement in her voice and for a moment he forgot there was anyone else around, "Nel... We can still do all those things! No matter what! Ya will always be my friend."
"Best friends?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
"The very best." He whispered, sucking in a small breath, "So, if yer fightin' to stay the way ya are then... Ya can stop now. Ya don't need to be scared, ya don't need to worry... No matter what happens... We'll still have a ton of fun, and we can follow Aizen-sama together and cause him all kinds of trouble."
Nel broke into a heartbreaking smile as her small hands cupped his face, "Silly Shiro. Nel doesn't follow Aizen-sama. I follow you."
The albino's eyes widened at her words, breath catching in his throat as he watched pink mist rising from her body, swirling around her until she was completely shielded from view. Her hands slipped from his face and he stood up, hands balled tightly into fists. He heard her hiccup behind the screen of smoke and saw Szayel and Grimmjow watching from the doorway to the Octavo's office.
Shiro flinched as he watched a larger hand reach out towards him, touching his face sweetly as the smokescreen began to fade, despite his sadness and the bemusing feeling of grief the albino couldn't help but smile as he came face to face with Nel's true appearance.
Resting his hand over hers, the Cero squeezed softly, "Welcome back, Nelliel."
