He stared down at the defeated butterfly who was curled up on the floor by his feet.

What am I doing?! Yylfordt thought. He's crying and I should be laughing may head off telling him that it serves him right and oh… I can't do that. Besides…I guess I have to face that I still care about him. Yes, odd I know. But…I can't just leave him here alone.

"Hey?"

"What do you want?" Szayel choked out, just wanting to be left alone and not farther tormented by his brother.

"I…I came to see if you were okay." Yylfordt confessed, bending down to fix Szayel's hair that always seemed to be such a mess. "I know that you might not fully accept my apology, it's fine if you don't. I just don't like to see you cry. I might laugh at you, but it's because I don't know what else to do."

"…May… maybe stop laugh… laughing." Szayel suggested as his brother was doing just as said he didn't want to do."Or I'll join you. Because… I… I find all of this too funny and yet… Yylfordt… I'm coming down. I… I don't want to."

"I know. But it's okay." The Blonde sighed and sat down next to his brother on the floor. "It's okay to feel sad right now."

"No… Not it's not." Szayel whispered, not caring he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. "I….I hate it. I want to curl up and die, but I…can't get these thoughts to stop. I can't sleep."

"Well, that's a problem." Yylfordt had to admit. "Is there anything I can do?"

"..no. I… I wanted to go after him. I hate myself because I didn't. I can't."

"Why, Szayel?" if it had been him, Yylfordt would have been gone from the hotel the instant Nnoitra walked away.

"Because…we are not going to the same place in death. I…I am going to Hell and I will never see him again. And…" Szayel wasn't sure why he was laughing, but something about this just seemed so funny! "Nnoitra just left to go die! It's just too much! He… he actually left and I just feel so helpless. I couldn't…"

"I know." Yylfordt figured it wasn't going to help if he tried to comfort himself with the fact that Szayel was hysteric. Or insane. I think it's a combination.. "I'm sorry."

"And what's… what's worse is that…" Szayel sobbed through his laughter, not caring that his brother was trying to comfort him. "I'm… I'm stuck with you and… Telsa. You, especially."

"Speaking of…" Yylfordt paused, not sure why his hand messing lovingly with Szayel's mess of pink hair.. "Does Telsa know yet?"

"Yes… I think he does. He'd have to."

"And where is he?"

"In… In his room, I think."

"Well…" Yylfordt knew one thing, even if it were a humorous point, "Misery loves company. We should go to him."

"No." Szayel wanted to stay right were he was. He was comfortable and the carpet was a dark red, making it possible for him to pretend he were dying. "I don't want to."

"Oh, come on…" Yylfordt scolded half-heartedly. "You love Telsa and you know it."

"Yeah… I do."

"And he doesn't deserve to be alone now, does he?"

Szayel shook his head.

"Then." Yylfordt grabbed his young brother's shoulders and peeled him off the floor, making him stand up. "Let's go to him."

Szayel knocked on the door and it opened in a instant.

"Nnoi…" Telsa stared at Szayel and he stared back. The Fraccion sighed and gave a small bow. "Szayel-sama, what can I do for you?"

Szayel couldn't help but notice that Telsa's eyes were red as well and he just looked:

"Pitiful."

The Fraccion looked up. "What?"

Szayel grabbed the Fraccion and held him tight. "Oh, Telsa…I…" He didn't know what to say. There was so much to say. "We'll… be okay. I know it. Why/ because w''ere both still here and I just don't know what else to say on the matter as I really hate what I'm feeling right now and-"

"Well, sir." Telsa interrupted, trying to hold in the tears, but his efforts were in vain. "I am sure we will and… I am going to miss him so much."

"I know…" Szayel couldn't believe he was crying to Telsa's shoulder of all things, but he did not want to let go of the last piece of his life. "You and I… We'll…"

"Just live on." Telsa finished once he found it in him to talk. "And… sir. Can I serve you?"

Szayel nodded and buried his face in his fraccion's shoulder. "And…I will never…eat you."

"That's good to know, sir." Telsa sobbed, trying to figure out if he should laugh or cry while Yylfordt wondered if he should go find a box of tissue. And this he did after a moment of thought. "And you two, if you need…"

Telsa and Szayel glanced up to see someone kind enough to bring each of them a box of tissue.

"Thanks…" Szayel muttered, reaching for one.

"Yes…" Telsa knew he looked like hell and didn't really care. "Thanks."

Yylfordt grinned and said, "You're welcome. Do you want me to raid the Continental Breakfast kitchen for some sugar?"

"Yeah…" Szayel nodded, suddenly wanting food. "And wait!" He called as his brother turned to leave. "I… I am sorry about Susie and everything and… I….I am so glad you're here."

Yylfordt paused, mid-step. What had Szayel just said? "You… you mean that, don't you?"

His brother nodded.

Yylfordt didn't believe it. Is this?

Is this what I really wanted all these years? After all this pain?

Forgiveness?

"You…You evil little thing…" He reached a hand up to try and stop himself. "You… you made me cry."

"Of…Of course I did." Szayel whispered, his voice wearing out."I made you cry too much and I don't want to do that anymore."

"Neither…" Yylfordt wanted to crush the two in a hug, but couldn't move from his place a few feet away. "Neither do I. It's…All been…"

"A mess of pain." Szayel finished. "And I… I am so sorry."

"I am sorry too. It's…both of us." Yylfordt finally confessed, knowing he were to blame as well. "And I hope that maybe we can learn to get along."

"Me… Me too. I just… hated you because you… well, it doesn't matter anymore."

"You're right, Szayel. It doesn't." As much as he wanted, Yylfordt knew that going through the list of reasons for his hate would get them no where. What was past was past and it had to stay there, forgotten forever. "And I really want to hug you and I know it sounds strange and-"

"It isn't." Szayel smiled a little. " We just have to face the sad and pitiful fact called we love one another and I want to hug you too, oddly enough, but." He hugged Telsa tighter, knowing of all things, "he needs the most love right now."

Yylfordt nodded and let out a long sigh. It was going to be a long night and they needed a shit load of sugar. "I'll be right back." He stepped to his right and disappeared, leaving Telsa in Szayel's care.

When Yylfordt returned ten minutes later with two boxes of doughnuts, a case of cereal and platter of fruit, he found Szayel and Telsa sitting on the floor next to one another, talking.

"So…" The Fraccion began, reaching for another tissue from the box next to him. "You would really do that?"

Szayel nodded, figuring it were best and besides, he'd been dying for years for the chance. "I mean, Aaroniero really wants a promotion and I… I kind of want to keep my number for sentimental reasons."

"I understand, Szayel." Telsa said, having been given permission to just use first name a few minutes ago. "And thank you so much."

"No, no. You're welcome. I…I would want you to have Santa Teresa. And I see that you've been nice enough to being us food, not so stupid, Brother."

"Yeah." Yylfordt came over and set down his findings, rather pleased to be addressed in such manner. "Feast away. Just take in mind, you two really shouldn't get a stomach ache."

"It doesn't matter." Szayel gestured for him to sit down next to him and Yylfordt did. "We have you to look after us."

"Oh no." His brother said back. "I am NOT taking care of both of your stomachaches. Eat Responsibly, chil-"

Telsa and Szayel slapped him across the face in unison.

"Ow…."

"How can we be responsible when we're…" Telsa couldn't find the words to describe his feelings. "Feeling this way!"

"Fine, fine.." Yylfordt held his hands up in defeat. He wasn't going to argue. "You two win. Eat up."

"Thanks." Szayel went for the doughnuts while Telsa went for a box of cereal. "I…I still feel so confused and…I still feel horrible. I am going to eat as much sugar as it takes for my mood to improve. Because I can't stand this. I…I haven't felt depressed like this in…maybe a hundred years and someone bring me the phone. I need to call Aaroniero."

"Why?" Yylfordt wasn't sure why his brother wanted to make phone call in a time like this.

"Because, I do! Just get me the phone."

Szayel watched his brother disappear and re-appear with a cellphone in hand. "Here. It's dialing. Had to go ask Ulquiorra-sama for the number."

Author's Notes: I AM BACK!

I know how long it has been since I updated this work and I do think I DO owe you, my dear Readers. It's been two years and I am very, very sorry. It was due to my wanting this to be perfect, when in reality, it is just fanfiction, It need not to be perfect. (And before you say, hey, Aceidia. But it should be before you post it online!) Stop. Please. Because I know that you many think perfection is a good thing and for you it might be. But I stress over it daily and it isn't healthy. I feel I have to be perfect at everything I do or do not want to do it at all. It makes me stressed and anxious and then I crash into depression from time to time.

So, with that rant over, I bring you the latest chapter of The Royal Court of Harribel. Because I am trying to fight off trying to be perfect and I really hope you enjoy. As for Life of a Caterpillar, I will get back to that one too. But once again, I have to fix the storyline to match this one again. I was thinking of over-hauling this story but now I am not going to do that.

Phew.

Anyhow, to warn you, the writing style may change in the next few chapters as I have grown as a writer these two years. But I will try and keep the writing as close as possible.

Enjoy!

Aceidia

P.s. this chapter a few others after this were written two years ago. :)