It had been three days since Grimmjow arrived and during those long hours they had come up with a routine. Henry scrounged around the kitchen to make sure they had enough food for two and Grimmjow took to familiarizing himself with the layout of the apartment. He had the strangest feeling of unease whenever he'd stand at the end of the hallway where the bedroom and bathroom lie. There was a strange, unsettling presence that made itself known and Grimmjow wasn't sure if he should bring it up or not.
Especially not with how strung out Henry was already.
He'd tried snapping the chains on the door on the second day, during the night when Henry was sleeping peacefully in his bed. There was no give no matter how hard he tugged and at one point Grimmjow felt as if his skin was on fire. Reluctantly, he'd let go and glared at the chains, locks and the message scrawled under the peep hole.
It had been laced with some form of spiritual power. One that even Grimmjow, as strong as he was, couldn't force to submit to his will.
And since he'd gotten a feel for how much influence Henry had, Grimmjow easily ruled him out and began to wonder if the presence in the hall was the cause of this.
Now, however, Grimmjow was busing himself with sitting at the breakfast island and watching Henry take stock of what he had left in the fridge. "Do you want me to go with? S'not like I got anything else to do."
Henry rose a hand and waved it to indicate that, no, he didn't want him to come with. "I know you don't believe me, but this place is the safest out of the two."
Grimmjow scowled. "Then what should I do? Sit here and wait fer ya?" That only made Henry to toss a matter-of-fact look over his shoulder. "Really...?"
"You did it yesterday, so what's the problem?" He then placed his hand on the edge of the fridge and used the leverage to stand. "You wouldn't fit anyway. You're, uh, not fat but..." Henry shut the refridgerator door as he turned to face Grimmjow. "You're bigger than me."
True, Grimmjow almost got stuck the first time.
"Fine," he grumbled, crossing his arms and sighing. "I'll try not to blow anything up while you're gone. Again. But if I hear anythin', I'm coming to help. I'll blast my way through if I have to."
It might seem a little too soon for such loyalty to others, but Henry was his comrade now and Grimmjow would do what it took to watch his back. Back in Hueco Mundo, it was eat or be eaten but here he had a companion, one that wouldn't eat him. It was a nice thought actually.
Henry laughed before offering up a small smile. "There's still some wine and milk left. I think you already know where everything else is." He stepped away from the fridge and made his way down the hallway, Grimmjow's eyes tracking his progress until he entered the bathroom.
Grimmjow dug his nails into his biceps the second Henry's spiritual pressure disappeared. Just like the day before.
When it had happened the first time, it surprised Grimmjow and he'd stared at the hole for a couple minutes. It wasn't until he blinked that he finally moved, shrugging and making his way to the living room. He'd figured Henry could handle himself since it had seemed like he'd been through this millions of times before.
He just hoped Henry would come back in one piece.
Tearing his gaze away from the bathroom, Grimmjow pushed the chair out to stand and went to get the lone bottle of wine. He looked it over and shook it, determining it to be about a third full as he shut the fridge. It was almost gone, so there'd be no harm in finishing it off. With that in mind, he took a long pull from it and sighed from delight.
It was sweet, but not overly so.
Grimmjow went to sit on the couch, pondering over what he should do and recalled the negotiation they'd had over masturbating. Henry had a point, it wouldn't do to be caught in the middle of it and have to kill one of those fucking monsters again but he'd done it before. Privacy wasn't that much of a delicacy in Hueco Mundo and Ichigo had been one hell of a looker and Grimmjow still managed to fight just fine with a hard on.
Lounging on the couch, he stretched out and took an occasional swig from the bottle.
To jerk off or not? It was safer than accidentally breaking something and Henry returning to an apartment that looked like a hurricane came through. And trying to rip the binds on the door wasn't an option either.
He took another drink.
Henry had reached the other side with no problems and looked up from his sitting position. He glanced from side to side, taking note of the prison doors that adorned the hall and furrowed his brows. "A prison, huh?"
He reached a hand up and scratched his cheek as he pivoted, looking behind him to the opposite hallway. Turning his gaze forth once more, Henry reached for his pistol and checked the clip. He made a mental note that it had a couple rounds left before he'd have to reload. Pleased with this, he ventured into the building and briefly considered checking the main office for some supplies. Namely, getting more food.
It didn't take long for him to run into more monsters.
However, these ones had him freeze in place as he looked them over. It looked like a giant, black, legless mass with a baby face mask, but with two baby faces with different expressions. One was happy while the other seemed like it was in extreme distress. Not to mention the wail it let out once it saw him.
Henry took a step back before he raised his gun, levelling it on the creature and fired multiple rounds. It screamed as the bullets pierced its skin and after a well aimed shot, it wobbled and fell on its side with a moan. His hands, he realized, were less shakey than they had been the previous times he'd used the pistol and Henry felt somewhat relieved by this fact. If that had kept happening every time he did then he knew he was heading for trouble.
Though he knew that Grimmjow had something to do with it.
After the first day of Grimmjow waiting for him to return, Henry had been entirely shaken up by not only what he'd seen, but also using the gun for the first time. When he'd pulled it on Grimmjow before, Henry knew it was only for face instead of practicallity. He never fired it after recently obtaining it. So when Henry had returned with his hands shaking like crazy to the point he almost lost hold of a plate he'd been drying, Grimmjow had pulled him aside and told him to sit down.
The funny thing of it was that Grimmjow didn't mince words in the conversation that followed. He put his foot down and told Henry that the gun shouldn't make him afraid. That it should make him feel safe, just as Panthera did for Grimmjow, and that if it didn't then Henry should just lock it up before throwing away the key.
It surprised him though when Henry asked if Grimmjow could show him the proper technique when using a firearm. There was a mumble of someone named 'Starrk' and how Grimmjow was glad he had paid some attention, although briefly, before he took the pistol from Henry to demonstrate.
After he took the clip out, of course.
"Don't need ya blowin' a goddamn hole in me or wastin' the rounds." was all he said once Henry asked. The next two hours were filled with Grimmjow going over the basics and making sure Henry knew about all he could before they were done. He even went so far as to physically re-correct Henry's pose if it was off by an inch. Simply, "The hell ya tryin' to aim at? If ya miss the killin' blow and they get close enough then you're fucked."
Henry furrowed his brow as he checked the clip and pressed his mouth in a thin line.
I'll try avoiding them. He cast a brief glance toward the deceased creature's outstretched arm. I don't think I want to risk getting too close.
Grimmjow scowled as he bent down to get a better look at what was left in the fridge. He drummed his fingers on the lip of the door and narrowed his eyes at the dwindling nourishment. Even if he knew that Henry didn't mind him staying despite the fact there would be two mouths to feed, it worried Grimmjow that he had so little to begin with. Though, as he shut the door and stood up, he recalled Henry's explanation pertaining to the chains barring him from the outside world. That, perhaps, Henry hadn't had the chance to go shopping before they appeared.
He cast a look toward the front door and flexed his jaw.
It's not like Henry did it himself. Who the fuck would lock themselves in their own apartment and forget where they put the key? Not to mention that Grimmjow knows, without a doubt, that it's not Henry's spiritual energy intertwined into the binds.
What bothered him was the fact that he could feel another presence in the hall but the damn thing wouldn't reveal itself.
Just as he was about to step away from the fridge, Grimmjow froze where he stood once a chill ran down his spine. The unknown spiritual pressure spiked and Grimmjow spun around on his heel, reaching for Panthera on instinct. He paused, momentarily, once he saw no one behind him but hurried into the living room once he felt a shift in the room's temperature. Glancing around, Grimmjow's eyes widened once he caught sight of a blond haired man stepping out of the bathroom with an unconscious Henry cradled in his arms.
The man paid Grimmjow no mind, however, as he walked right into Henry's room as if whatever he was doing was just a normal routine.
With a curse, Grimmjow unsheathed his sword as he hurried down the hall and turned sharply to barge into the bedroom. His hackles raised as he surveyed the room, barely noticing how the massive amounts of spiritual pressure dissipated once he stepped foot inside. He turned his focus to Henry once Grimmjow made sure that whoever carried him was gone. The first thing he noticed was that Henry was relatively unharmed aside from what looked like a patch of blood on his pant leg. Another thing Grimmjow saw was a plastic bag that sat beside Henry's hip.
He cast a glance back toward the hall and grit his teeth as he came to realize he'd been careless. How Grimmjow unknowingly let his guard down and allowed the man to enter the apartment without any resistance. So easy to the point he could have killed Henry if he so desired.
"Shit."
There was a soft, "Mmn," that caught his attention and Grimmjow turned to see Henry shift to his side on the bed. Thankfully not on his, possibly, injured leg.
Sheathing Panthera with a heavy sigh, Grimmjow made his way over to the bed and sat down. He reached out to lightly prod at the bloodstain and frowned when Henry's muscles jumped in response. Taking his hand away, he rolled up the pant leg to get a look at the wound and furrowed his brow at the teeth marks that stood out amoungst the smeared blood. Grimmjow pushed up to stand, grabbing the bag while he was at it and headed into the living room to dig out the first-aid kit after setting the bag down on the breakfast bar.
Grimmjow stood at the trunk for a moment as he stared down on the kit, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping it.
How the fuck can I protect him when I can't do anything to help? He grit his teeth as his muscles tensed. I can't follow 'im and I can't - Grimmjow forced himself to ease up on his hold once he saw small cracks beginning to form. ...the only thing I can do is this.
The sun had begun to set by the time Henry opened his eyes and he took a moment to rub his face with a disgruntled mumble. He lowered his hand as he tipped his head back to look at the clock and blinked a few times before the numbers realigned themselves. Henry's eyes widened once he saw '6:45PM' staring right back at him and he pushed to sit up. He twisted around, trying to locate the bag he knew he'd been clutching to once he saw the man laying dead in the prison.
Henry could also vividly recall seeing 18121 etched into the man's bloated chest and how the smell of blood was nauseating.
He curled his hand into a fist at the memory and squeezed his eyes shut as his chest hitched. Breathe. Breathe in and out. In. Out. Henry swallowed the lump in his throat and released the sheet to then run both hands over his face. In, out, repeat.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he managed to calm down and push the sight into the darkest recesses of his mind. Locking it away to hopefully never resurface again least he find himself hunched over his toilet and expelling the contents of his stomach. Like he had when he saw Jasper burn himself alive. The sight so horrific, the heat practically like Henry himself was on fire and the smell of burning flesh overpowering.
Breathe.
He lowered his hands and peered up to the doorway once he heard a knock on the door. A small wave of relief washed over him once he saw Grimmjow standing at the threshold with what looked like concern. "Grimmjow." Henry shifted on the bed, tucking in a leg but hissed once it pulled at the bite. "Ah!" His hand immediately moving to cover it as his face pinched from pain. "...fuck."
"Yeah. Ya might not wanna move fer a while." Grimmjow pushed away from the door and made his way over. "It looked like ya took a nasty bite while you were gone. Luckily there was enough ointment fer it." He sat down and propped his elbows on his knees, hands hanging limp between his spread legs. Grimmjow furrowed his brow as he cast a glance toward Henry. "Wrapped it up too. Just in case."
"Oh..." Henry lowered his gaze and massaged his leg to soothe away the lingering pain. He ducked his head as Grimmjow twisted around to face him with a frown. "Thank you."
"Henry," Grimmjow waited until Henry lifted his head to look at him before he said, "yer not used to bein' taken care of, are you?" He didn't miss the way Henry's cheeks colored before he looked away again.
"Um...no." Henry took his hand off his leg and raked his fingers through his hair. "I mean, my parents did. Obviously." He lowered his leg back down, mindful to not jostle it, and bit his lip. "Just not after that. When I moved out it was just...well, me." A small, sad smile pulled at his lips. "I'm not really a social butterfly, if you hadn't noticed. I don't have many friends. At least, not ones who would stick with me through something like this." Henry gestured in the vague direction of the bathroom.
Grimmjow's hand moved toward his leg and Henry blinked once Grimmjow set it down on his knee with a soft squeeze after. He peered up from under his bangs with a confused look and the question that wanted to fall from his lips silenced itself once he caught sight of Grimmjow's expression. It was a mixture of concern, frustration and, oddly enough, disgust. Almost as if he couldn't fathom what Henry had told him but swallowed it like a bitter pill.
"Well..." Grimmjow squeezed his knee again and lightly shook it. "Guess it's a good thing I ain't leavin'."
"Why?"
Blue eyes connected with green then and Grimmjow scowled. "Whaddya mean, 'Why?'"
"I mean, 'Why would you stay here?'" Henry clenched his jaw as he curled his hands into loose fists. "Why would you risk dying here? It's not like you're obligated to stay and I'm sure you can go home the same way you came."
"I already told ya that I don't plan on dyin'." Grimmjow tisked, removing his hand and dropping it to the mattress. "'sides, why the fuck would I wanna leave? Especially after today." He motioned toward the injury. "If it gets worse, yer gonna have a hard time keepin' up with demands and yer gonna run yerself into the ground." Grimmjow reached out and grabbed Henry's arm. He watched as Henry's eyes widened from the unexpected touch before he pulled him forward. Just close enough for Henry to see that he's being completely serious as he says, "I can't follow ya but I'm sure as hell gonna make sure ya make it through this shit."
Henry's expression turned from shock to torn as his voice shook when he spoke. "You...you don't -"
"Don't go tellin' me what I do and don't mean, Henry." He tightened his hold just a bit to convey the meaning. "Just 'cause you've been alone this long doesn't mean I'm gonna up and abandon ya 'cause you don't want me here."
"I never said that!" Henry grabbed at Grimmjow's forearm. "I just - I don't understand...it's only been three days and you're..."
"Yeah, well..." Grimmjow loosened his hold and scoffed as he averted his gaze. "There's nothin' waitin' fer me back in Hueco Mundo. 'sides assholes tryin' to kill me to take my place." He flexed his jaw for a moment, his face muscles twitching before he returned his focus to Henry. "Right now I'm someplace where someone needs me. Even if I can't go kickin' ass and takin' names."
"Grimmjow..."
"Besides, how gentlemanly of me would it be to leave ya here to fight all by yerself? When it comes down to it, I can be useful in a fight as long as I have weapons that work." The side of his mouth turned up in a teasing grin. "'sides, at least I can spend my time with someone who's cute."
Henry's face heated up at that and he turned his head away with a rough swallow. "I guess it wouldn't be very 'gentlemanly' if you did that."
Grimmjow huffed a laugh at the obvious dismissal. However, he chose not to push any further in case Henry turned right back around and rejected his offer to help. "Despite my language and rough around the edges attitude, I can be a gentleman."
Assassination's Note: So for those possibly new to this fic and to those potentially returning...this fic has some dark themes attached to it. As if the fact 'Silent Hill' didn't describe that enough alongside Grimmjow's, 'Fuck going back. I'm staying here.' So, in other words, continue reading at your own discretion.
