/* Hi all. So this chapter does get a little cliché and cheesy (but I need a little bit of that in my life so why not?). The biggest struggle is keeping true to Grimmjow's personality and not going too far down the mushy path (because honestly it ain't his style). That said, this chapter is nsfw and does contain a lemon along with the usual strong language and violence. You've been warned! Enjoy! */

Chapter 5 -

She had to get herself under control. She had half a mind to just leave that place, let the two of them battle to the death. Conflict left a steady ache in her chest. She didn't know who to believe, but despite that, she couldn't just let Grimmjow attack Zev unprovoked.

After taking a few minutes to compose herself, she stormed off in the direction he went. It didn't take long to discover them face to face in the large arena-like room. She saw Grimmjow hunched over and ragged with rage. He was about to attack Zev who was calm and composed, barely lifting a finger to him.

In a flash of shunpo, she was between them, Dairokkan pointed at Grimmjow's throat. "Stop this!" She shouted, her fury and anguish mingling with her voice. A large, devious smile had formed on Zev's face, one that Haruka could not see in her current stance.

Grimmjow snarled, fed up with this nonsense. "You just won't fucking listen."

"Are you going to attack your very own lover, Grimmjow?" Zev smirked and Haruka faltered, hearing the amusement in his voice.

Without another hesitation, Grimmjow charged. Haruka blocked him with her zanpakuto and allowed Zev to flash away in a burst of sonido. Enraged, Grimmjow grasped her sword, allowing it to dig into his hand before ripping it wildly to the side and sending Haruka to the ground. She collided with a loud thud, groaning from the impact.

Zev, on the other hand, had seemingly vanished just before the unthinkable happened. A barrier had appeared instantly, blocking Grimmjow from Haruka and trapping her inside. "I know you'd never kill her to get to me." Zev's voice interrupted as panic started forming in Grimmjow's gut. "But I suppose this will have to do."

Above them, on a balcony, Zev appeared with a switch. A large red button was pressed before the erupting screams deafened them. Haruka pushed herself up, looking frantically around as the sands began distorting around her. She backed away, until she felt the sting of the barrier on her skin. "Oh no." She whispered as the floor exploded around her.

"Your biggest folly, Haruka-chan, is your naive trust in anything that moves." Zev chuckled as the dust settled and his screaming minions were finally revealed.

"Haruka!" Grimmjow shouted as he sliced at the shield keeping her locked in. "You son of a bitch, Zev. Let her go!"

"I have to say, Grimmjow, I was a bit torn. Part of me wanted to keep your little Shinigami for my own experimentations and just turn you into one of my Vasto Lordes, but somehow this feels much more satisfying. How does it feel, to watch someone you love be ripped to shreds?" Zev declared from above, his warm and welcoming features deteriorating into a cold evil that spoke of his obvious intent.

"You manipulated me." Haruka bellowed as the first faceless being charged her. She slashed at its face, sparks exploding as contact was made. The creature pushed forward, ignoring the sharp blade pressing into its face. Haruka jumped back attempting to avoid the incoming swipe.

"I did." He replied, clearly amused. "I wasn't expecting it to be quite so easy, but then again, Aizen chose his victims wisely." He watched as one of his Vasto Lordes slashed Haruka in the back. Her cry echoed across the room, causing Grimmjow's reiatsu to flare as he continued to slash at the barrier. Trickles of blood fell to his feet as the barrier started cutting into his flesh. His shouts of utter agony and rage caused the grin on Zev's face to widen.

"Haruka! Haruka!" Grimmjow's voice began distorting with panic until her name became a desperate cry.

She screamed as another creature slashed across her chest. She grunted and fell to a single knee as blood splashed on the dusty surface. With a deep gasp, she pushed herself to a shaky stand. "Void, Dairokkan!" She shouted as she attempted to draw out her weapon, but there was no response. "Dairokkan!" She yelled desperately several more times before Zev's laugh finally reached her ears.

"Never let your weapon fall into the hands of the enemy, Shinigami." He mock scolded. "I wish I could spend more time watching this wretched love story, but alas, I have a kingdom to overtake. I hope your pain is everlasting, Grimmjow. I'll return later to be sure of it." He turned from the gruesome scene and made his way deeper into his lair.

"I'll kill you!" Grimmjow's twisted voice filled the room, his breathing ragged and strained. "Grind, Pantera!" His reiatsu exploded as he watched Haruka get tackled to the ground, a sharp limb cutting into the flesh where shoulder met torso. Her head tilted towards him as Dairokkan trembled in her fist. She was as pale as the moon, her struggle lessening and her life on a thread.

In that instant, everything inside him distorted. Power that he had never felt before culminated at his palm and then he released it. The attack itself resembled a Grand Rey Cero, but was vastly more organized and more powerful. The hit erupted against the barrier, shattering it instantly, before tearing apart the rocks beyond.

An enraged battle cry left his lungs as he charged the faceless creatures currently mutilating his Shinigami. Bright blue slashes erased the Vasto Lordes from existence. One by one they shattered until the remaining fled for their lives. Grimmjow paused for a breath of a second, his body heaving with the tremendous effort of sustaining this form. Wild blue hair cascaded around his shoulders and into his face, dirtied with blood and sweat. When he felt the myriad of powerful reiatsu ebb away into the distance, his piercing sapphire gaze shifted.

Instantly he was beside her, pulling her limp form into his arms. Dairokkan dragged against the dirt surface as her grip was still iron tight around the hilt. Blood drenched her clothing and stained her skin. Those perfect purple orbs were tightly shut, wrinkles distorted her face, and sweat coated her skin. She was in a lot of pain and it showed even in her unconscious state.

"Hang on, Ruka." His voice faltered as he held her tightly against his chest. He gently removed her zanpakuto from her grip, sliding it safely next to his own weapon. Using sonido, he rushed through the underground lair, following his instincts and towards his temporary reprieve. Her raspy breaths and pained groans caused his stomach to twist with apprehension. Everything inside him was screaming to do something; everything was telling him she was dying.

The burning in his lungs and cramping in his legs was easy enough to ignore every time he glanced down. His teeth were clenched, painfully so, in an effort to contain the absolute fury he was feeling. Zev would pay for this. He would pay infinitely so.

Finally he found that soft spot where the sand seemingly hovered, and burst through it effortlessly. The light of the moon washed over them, bright enough to hurt his eyes after being in the underground for so long. An eerie silence surrounded them, only being interrupted by the light patter of his footfalls against the sand and Haruka's quiet groans. It wasn't enough to keep the assaulting thoughts at bay. How could he let this happen? How could he even consider attempting to be king of Hueco Mundo when he couldn't even protect her? Why the hell did he toss her to the side?

Eventually, his eyes found the concealed entrance in the side of that familiar rock formation. As soon as he was inside, he found the safest corner of the cavern and gently laid her down. "Ruka." He urged gently as his hand slid along her cheek. When she didn't respond, he began tearing away her clothing, being sure to spare her anymore pain in the process. Little by little each injury was revealed to him, turning that rage into guilt and sorrow and regret.

He wasn't usually one for attempting fancy kido tricks, but he had to try something. He had watched her do it enough times now to get the idea, however, he had always used his abilities for destruction, never for healing. His regenerative techniques were always for him, never for another.

It started as a subtle tingling, the power pooling at his fingertips. Then, he slid them over the first injury at her shoulder; focusing on fixing it, picturing the skin knitting itself back together. The energy suddenly felt cool as it lapped at damaged skin and scabbing. Much to his surprise, it was working, the sensation not all that different from when he lapped at his own wounds. Perhaps he did know how to use his reiatsu for healing.

She shifted and groaned as her shoulder was mostly healed, save for a bit of scarring. Next, his hand moved to her chest, following a relatively deep slash that ran from her collarbone and down to her abdomen. It reminded him of his own scar that had been a direct result of Kurosaki, one that he kept around just for that memory. He didn't want her to remember this. He didn't want her to remember how he failed her, failed to protect what was his. He didn't want her to remember how he almost got her killed.

His concentration faltered and he paused half way down the injury. Desperate, noisy gasps followed as he attempted to catch his breath. This was as exhausting as fighting those endless hordes of Vasto Lordes. It took every bit of his concentration to focus his reiatsu so precisely and to use it in a way he was not used to.

"G-grimm-jow…" Her tone was weak as she struggled to call to him. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, searching.

"Don't try to move." He insisted. Immediately cool fingers were running along the giant gash again.

Her hand shifted up, icy fingers entangling around his wrist. "Grimmjow…what are you doing?"

"Healing you." He answered matter-of-factly.

"H-how…"

"Don't worry about it, Ruka. Just lie back and let me finish this, will ya?" He strained. Sweat dripped along his forehead, running down the side of his face.

Haruka sighed as the pain slowly started fading. Her gaze shifted to the stone ceiling above her, counting the stalactites reaching down towards her. Her thoughts began replaying the mistakes she had made, each one in intricate detail. From her dealings with the S4G, to her blind devotion to Aizen, to her trusting of Zev; each was a result of her own foolish naivety. Except this time, she was the one to finally pay the price. If she had just listened to Grimmjow instead of chastising him…

"I'm sorry." She choked out as his hands slid to the final severe laceration. "I should have listened to you."

His concentration broke, his gaze shifting to her face. He regarded his response longer than he would have normally before shifting his focus back to her injury and speaking, "yea you should have." Pale blue energy moved along deformed skin, numbing the pain as it went. "But I shouldn't have left you out of the loop."

He caught her surprised expression as he pushed himself back on his haunches. She attempted to push herself up, but there was still a lot of pain. "Don't move." He wrapped his arms around her torso, holding her up.

Her head tilted, viewing her zanpakuto settled next to his weapon and she crumbled. "I'm so stupid." She declared as her hand outstretched to the hilt, her fingers running along it. "Why am I so stupid?"

"You ain't stupid." He scolded as he moved her, propping her back against the wall so she could sit up and look him in the eyes. Her gaze averted and he found himself pressing his firm grasp into her cheeks to guide her purple stare back to his. "You have a very annoying habit of seeing even the tiniest bit of good in everyone you come across, but you know what? If you didn't have that habit, you wouldn't be mine." His fingers idly moved loose locks of hair out of her face as hers traveled up his shoulders, tugging him towards her. He pressed his forehead against hers, sighing deeply.

"We have to stop him." Her quiet declaration shattered the fragile revere they had fallen into. "I mean, I don't know how. But we can't let him take Las Noches. He won't stop there. Eventually he'll build his army enough to go after Soul Society and the World of the Living."

He broke free from her, plopping his tired form next to her and pressing his back against the wall. "We ain't much use like this, Ruka. We need time to recover. And from what I saw back there, your zanpakuto ain't doing too well either." He pulled Dairokkan free and settled the sword on his lap. Haruka deflated, her chin falling to her chest and unable to even look at the piece of herself she had betrayed once again.

"He broke my connection to her." She muttered with defeat.

"I got a feeling you did that on your own, Kitten." He replied gently. Her glare was scathing, but it faded fast as realization overtook her.

"I did…" She whispered. "I broke her trust."

"Then you gotta get it back. She ain't going to fight for you if she don't trust you." He mentioned idly. "I guess it's the same with us too, right?"

She looked up at him, confusion pulling at her features. "What do you mean? I trust you."

"No you don't." He rebutted nonchalantly. "Not after that."

She paused, "I-" Her pained whisper dragged his eyes to her tear stained cheeks.

"You believed Zev that I was just a bloodthirsty Arrancar looking for a good fight. So is that how it is? You didn't believe a word I said to you? Didn't trust that I wanted to come back to you?" He asked as gently as he could manage, though it still came out scathing.

Shame flushed her cheeks as she averted her eyes to the stony cave floor. "I believed what little information you chose to give me." She attempted. "Not like it was any reason to throw me around like a rag doll."

His jaw clenched. "You pissed me off. Normally I kill things that piss me off." He did all he could to curb his temper. She knew how to infuriate him that was certain.

He waited for her comeback, some loathing statement confirming his actions almost did kill her. Yet, it never came. "I guess I did it to myself." she mumbled.

He paused, watching her fiddle with her thumbs as she shifted away from him slightly. His large palm fell to her leg, dragging her back towards him. "I ain't perfect, Ruka. Far from it actually. And I know I fucked up too. I tried to keep you in the dark to keep you safe and all it did was forced you to find the truth somewhere else. I almost lost you." His throat felt dry as the image of Haruka getting slashed apart flashed across his mind. He swallowed hard while redirecting his train of thought quickly before the image consumed him. "Point is, we ain't going to last if we keep butting heads like this."

"So what are you suggesting?" Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

"Fight with me." He said as he slid her zanpakuto into her lap. Her breath caught slightly at first, but her surprised expression was quickly replaced with a small smile as her eyes locked onto her weapon. "Like you said, this ain't just my fight anymore. And even if it was-" his gaze moved towards the cave entrance as he collected his thoughts, "the last time I shared a fight was with my fraccion and they all ended up dead. I didn't care. Back then, if you couldn't hold your own weight then you didn't deserve to fight with me. It ain't going to be like that this time around."

"You're not worried I'll just get in your way?" She half-teased, though the underlying connotation was not lost on him.

He sighed deeply, the lengthy pause surprising her as opposed to his usual impulsiveness. "The only thing I worry about, Ruka, is seeing you a breath away from death." His voice rumbled with deep, exhaustive sorrow.

Haruka managed to push herself off the wall enough to look at him in full. His head craned back against the rock, his tiredness finally breaking him. "Grimmjow-"

"At least with you fighting next to me I have a better chance at dying first." He meant for some humor to come out on that statement, but it fell completely flat. Her pretty face twisted before she collided into him, burying her face against his chest.

"I'm not letting anything happen to you." The muffled declaration caused an amused smirk to form on his lips.

"Says the woman who pointed a sword at my throat." He joked, but it only caused her to choke down a sob. "Ruka, I was only kidding." He placated her while pulling her into his lap, her legs straddling his hips. Her head dipped against his neck as her breathing settled. He felt as her lips brushed against his skin, gentle needy affection that nearly burned him. He released a throaty sigh at the sensation as she continued, her kisses coming more fervently.

"Ruka…" He groaned as her hands began roaming bare skin, sliding along his chest and stomach. "You need to rest." He grabbed her wrists to halt her continued movement.

She pushed herself up so that she could look him in the eyes, purple boring into blue. "I need you." She whispered.

His grip slackened, her hands moving to his hair as she leaned forward. Her lips crashed against his, desperately seeking to satisfy that aching need. Her tongue slid against his bottom lip, easily earning a stifled groan in response before his lips parted to allow her access.

His hands slid to her body, gently discarding the remains of her tattered clothing and fully revealing her for his taking. Her naked thighs remained straddled around his hips, her sex pressing against the hardened member still hidden by his hakama. His calloused palms ran along the skin of her outer thighs and caused her to release a trembling moan.

"Please, Grimmjow. I need you." The mumbled request between their combined lips had his fingers fumbling with his own clothing. She wasted no time when he finally managed to free himself, immediately sheathing him with her wet heat. Their heads craned back as a simultaneous groan came from both their lips, filling the silence of the cave. Her arms settled on his shoulders, her fingers still toying with his hair. His rough palms slid up and along her back, pressing her forward so that his lips could dip to her breasts. Slowly, teasingly, he took one hardened peak into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. She hissed as her fingers tugged on his hair, pressing his head against her chest and demanding more.

He moaned with delight as she lifted herself up, feeling him sliding pleasantly out of her before she crashed her hips back down against him. She pushed aside the residual pain of her injuries and got lost in the intense sensations forming where their hips joined. His hands moved to her ass, helping her keep a steady rhythm that was slowly building heat in both of them. His lips moved to her neck, brushing whispering kisses along her skin and causing her to cry out in pure and utter ecstasy. Each crash of their hips brought them closer and closer to that pinnacle.

"Grimmjow, I-" Everything was overwhelming her. The sensations, the emotion, the pure delicious need were all pushing her closer to that dangerous truth she was trying hard to keep to herself. But even he knew it was beyond just wants and need now.

"Say it, Kitten." He demanded as he felt his control slipping. He felt her tight, slick heat clenching him, signalling she was nearing that edge as he was. His teeth grazed along the thin skin of her neck, feeling her racing pulse with his tongue. She clung to him, losing control of her own movements as a pleasurable fog overtook her senses.

Loud moans ripped from her throat as his hips thrust upward, amplifying the sensations and lessening her effort. "I-" She could barely speak, her mind solely focusing on the building heat within her core that threatened to overtake her.

He continued the frantic motion of his hips, building her until he felt her nails dig into his shoulder. "Ruka...tell me…"

Her head craned back as she screamed, her orgasm crashing through her entire body. She clung to him as he pounded through it, reaching the pinnacle of his own need shortly thereafter. She collapsed against him, breathless. Her arms reached around his neck as her lips nuzzled against his ear. "I love you." She whispered.

His arms tightened their hold on her, keeping her flush against him. It was enough of a response for her.

He sighed, long and heavy; half regretting his demand to hear that definite little statement. It didn't really matter because he already knew it was true. What difference did it make if she said it or not? The real question was what he felt in return. He had no doubt in his mind that she was his and that was the way he wanted it. Who gave a fuck about the rest?

That and none of this shit would matter if they didn't take care of Zev. He could deal with his own feelings when the bastard was dead and gone.

"Do you think he's made it by now?" The question took him a little off guard. It was her attempt at changing the subject, getting away from the quiet little declaration that he did not return.

"Get some rest, will ya? We'll figure that shit out in a couple of hours. For now, Nel and Halibel are going to have to hold their own." He grabbed some clothing and wrapped it around her naked, trembling form.

"Do you really think they stand a chance?" Her voice rumbled against the nape of his neck, tickling his skin.

His head dropped, his lips pressing lovingly to her shoulder before responding. "They ain't got a choice."