I did not thank all my reviewers and readers last chapter! I am so sorry! As such, I will take the moment right now to thank all of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I love all of you.
This chapter is the longest thus far. I have no clue why all my chapters have suddenly gotten much longer, but that's good news for all of you!
On another note: Hiro and Mai are currently going to be out of commission for a few chapters. Someone had called in Ichigo to beat them up, not that they didn't deserve it. You may all thank Bookgal7 for taking the time to have those villains beaten up! Thank you for the very amusing and highly entertaining comment Bookgal7. It made me laugh so much.
I am also curious about something. What part of the Chapter 21 made you guys tear up or cry? I just want to know what I did to cause such a strong emotional reaction. In all honesty, I had not expected any of my readers to cry. However, I am touched that my writing had such a profound effect.
-O-
Chapter 22:
A Flower's Name
Christmas passed by rather uneventfully. It was supposed to be the happiest day of the year, but the young woman found it impossible to channel the holiday spirit when her own spirit was already crushed.
It was the coldest Christmas of her life.
Sayuri plastered on her smile so that her family could enjoy the holidays without having to worry about her.
After being left to suffer loneliness the snowy day before, she found that her tears have ceased coming. The betrayal and the confusing situation with Ulquiorra had frozen her on the inside. She still felt the depthless depression that came with everything that occurred, but it was immured within her; she could no longer express the emotion of sadness.
All she could manage now was an empty and emotionless face whenever she felt as though the dam containing her tears would collapse. Yet, the tears never came, and the blankness of her face continued to persist when she was in solitude.
She did not want her family, Ulquiorra, Orihime, or Ichigo to see this face because this expressionless face was the symbol of her broken self.
She was not proud of the emptiness that expressed itself through her.
Sayuri Kimura felt ashamed for herself - for her foolishness, for her gullibility...
As such, she became an expert in forcing a smile to her otherwise dulled facade. The people that surrounded her were not broken, and she refused to pull them into her shattered and cracked world. Yet, whenever she was faced with Ulquiorra shortly after cementing her resolve to unburden him from herself, her smile was always genuine. It was always real when it was directed to him. After all, she wanted to keep her promise of smiling for him until he learned to smile himself. She did not, however, lie to herself that it did not hurt having to truly smile for the very male that detested her so, but this is what love does: sacrifice.
That morning, following the festivities of the day before, she woke up with a start.
To the naive and blinded human eye, everything appeared to be normal. The pre-dawn darkness was the same as it usually was. Sayuri, unfortunately, was a human graced with an abnormal level of spiritual energy. As compensation for the gift, she was forced to acknowledge the truth beyond what normal humans could not see: hollows. Due to her above normal spiritual energy, she was not able to experience the ignorance of the supernatural that most humans were graced with.
Like a splinter, she felt their presence pinch her skin.
It was near. Resembling a researched performance, she pulled on a thick black jacket and slipped on her snow boots.
Ulquiorra's spiritual energy, she deduced, was still in the process of fading completely from her own spiritual energy. He had continually been in his gigai since he became a student at her school. Ichigo had recently explained that the fake human body hid and suppressed the spiritual energy of the soul inhabiting it. It was therefore an effective way of hiding the Espada's presence while reducing the contact of his strong power with hers. However, unless he severed all ties with her, it was impossible to completely prevent his spiritual pressure from mingling with her own. At some point, he would have to take his normal form, causing their spiritual energies to mingle once again. She may as well be forever stuck with his spiritual energy, an idea that did not bother her as much as it should. Besides, she could always blame the dark spiritual energy that persists around her to the incessant hollow attacks. Orihime and the Soul Reapers even have traces of dark spiritual energy lacing their own auras. The mixing of spiritual energies just comes with the territory of the supernatural.
She still felt the intruding hollow.
Even with the Ichigo and Ulquiorra nearby, she still expected hollows to come near her, though to a lesser degree. One hollow was bound to have escaped their skillful blades.
The presence of this hollow was strong enough to forcefully pull her from her slumber. Her ability unfortunately only extended to sensing spiritual energy; she was unable to locate its exact whereabouts. The raven haired woman made a mental note to learn, somehow and someway, how to detect the locations of hollows.
Dealing with hollows was something she grew accustomed to, but it was like being suddenly thrown into a tub of cold water. The experience was both exhilarating and deadly.
Sayuri dashed out of her home where her family continued to sleep peacefully. It was still an hour before dawn was expected to bring about the beginning of the new day. The snow fell in darkened spheres from the moonless sky.
She needed to distance herself from her family so that they would not become casualties to the nearby hollow.
Her boots sank in the soft white ground, a crunch penetrating the eerie silence of night.
She always ran towards the forest where civilians were completely absent. She shielded her face from the low branches as she dashed through the darkness, unable to fully see her path. Her windows had yet to adjust to the low light suffocating her.
A shiver went up her spine. The spiritual pressure of this hollow was immense. It felt as though the force of gravity pulling her to the ground had augmented. Still, she continued running while attempting to formulate some sort of escape strategy if and when the beast finally catches her. She knew that Ulquiorra, Ichigo, or some other fighter must have sensed the hollow's power, but it was difficult to estimate when they would arrive. She had to learn to survive on her own.
She looked around her to see whether the hollow was within sight. There, in the gloomy and unlit sky, flew a dark outline. She squinted her eyes to locate any other details, and sure enough, the white gleam of its mask shone starkly against the night.
The lily child strained her legs to fight the heaviness of the monster's power. She cannot get caught. Her mind had not yet formulated a suitable strategy to deal with the hollow.
"Ok. I have to keep running and stay calm or..." She felt her thought wander and remain unfinished when a human sleeping in the forest was seen through her peripheral vision.
From the pitched black surroundings, she could not discern his hair color or even the color of his clothes. She could only tell that his frame was that of a human.
Sapphire orbs checked behind her, and her beaten heart sank low as the vague satanic cloud began to descend towards them. Without hesitance, she altered her course and ran towards him.
"Run!" she yelled towards the stranger. She had no time to cognize the situation on a deeper level. She acquiesced all of her control to instinct.
She could only see his profile, but she was able to see one of his eyes slowly opening. He rolled this orb to the side, directly peering at her running towards him. However, he remained unmoving from where he sat on the ground, his back supported by one of the trees.
Sayuri glimpsed at the hollow and observed that it was much closer to the ground now. They needed to get out of the area immediately.
Upon reaching the stranger, she quickly took hold of his hand as she passed him, and dragged him behind her as she continued to sprint.
The hollow was beginning its attack, and this stranger would most likely fall prey to it. She would not allow such a thing to happen.
"What the hell do you think you're doing human?" was the irritated and deep voice of the stranger, no signs of drowsiness in its clear masculinity.
Sayuri maintained her gaze on the path in front of her, carefully avoiding walls of shrubs and large roots.
"I promise I will explain later. For now, just run," she said, her words coming in pauses as she breathed irregularly. She was getting tired, but she promised herself that she would not rest until she got this human somewhere safe.
Being one of the few humans who can actually see the masked creatures made it her duty to help and protect those of her species who could not. She will defend his life somehow.
He growled in irritation at her answer. "Woman, get lost," were his words.
Sayuri felt him yank his hands away from her tight grasp. Frustrated, she turned around to express her own annoyance at the stubborn human male, but what her eyes landed on kept her voice trapped in her throat.
She analyzed his appearance and extracted from her memory words that he had used.
"What the hell do you think you're doing human?"
"Woman, get lost."
Unconsciously, her hands were brought to cover her mouth as she gave an audible gasp at the surprise before her.
The male gave her an irate and condescending look as he himself took the chance to inspect her.
"What the hell are you staring at?" he gruffly barked.
The bone-like armor, which, upon a second look, resembled a maniacal smile with large teeth, was on the lower right side his face and moved with his jaw with each word he spoke. Now that she was before him, she noted the clear cerulean, much paler than her own, of his eyes. His matching hair was styled to be incredibly spiky with four loose strands of bangs hanging over his forehead. He had some sort of teal markings surrounding the underside of both his eyes. The male also wore similar tattered white clothes that Ulquiorra had donned on their first encounter. He was handsome, the trimness of his features holding a slight resemblance to Ichigo's own face. Yet, something about him was different.
He stepped closer to her and bent his head to look at her smaller stature. She supposed it was his attempt to intimidate her.
He spoke, "Answer human."
Sayuri opened her lips, but the screech of the hunter circling them from above interrupted their conversation.
The stranger kept his body facing her, but his aquamarine windows turned to the side to blandly gaze at the interfering hollow.
"Tsk," the unnamed man muttered, "Annoying weakling."
Sayuri observed as his body blurred before her and reappeared on top of the other hollow. He took a bite out of its head before punching its back, sending it on a collision course with mother earth. The stranger quickly landed on the incapacitated monster's build before crushing its head with the soles of his feet. The creature, at the rapidity of its death, did not even have a chance to scream before it disappeared.
The oppressive spiritual energy remained.
She now knew what woke her up so suddenly this very morning. The strong spiritual energy belonged to him, and she had ran directly to his location. If she managed to survive this encounter, she vowed to memory once more to be taught how to locate a hollow, if such a thing was even possible.
He began sauntering towards her, his composure relaxed but ready.
Coming to a stop some ways before her, he said, "Mind telling me why you aren't fazed by any of this woman?"
He gestured to the crater where the black body formerly laid. Sayuri observed his body language. He did not seem to intend to attack her. His muscles looked far too relaxed, the only contradiction being the spiritual energy that he steadily released. His face also only showed genuine curiosity. Regardless, she knew that he has the power to kill her with a simple squeeze of his deceivingly slender fingers.
She kept her guard up. "You are an Espada I presume?"
The stranger quirked one of his delicate eyebrows at her question.
"How would you know that?" he inquired, the edge in his voice barely concealed.
Sayuri fixated her gaze on his reaction. She needed to start running at any sign of violence that he conveys.
"Ulquiorra," she began her answer, "You talk a little bit like him."
He lowered his face, hiding her view of his eyes in shadows. He then lifted his head as loud and exuberant laughter then bombarded the air.
Immediately, Sayuri began running.
"That bastard's still alive huh?" he cackled, "That's perfect! Now I can kill him myself and gain the title of Cuatro!"
The blue-haired man followed closely behind her. She knew that if he wanted to, he could have already caught her in his clutches. He was toying with her, and she was more than aware of it.
"Tell me where the bastard is woman!" he continued to laugh.
The heaviness weighing her down persisted. She felt herself stumble with her heavy legs, barely managing not to trip.
She ran for about a minute until suddenly, the spiritual pressure ceased completely. Gravity returned to its normal force, and she was able to move with more ease.
'Did a Soul Reaper arrive?' she wondered, and then thought, 'No, a fight would have taken place if one did.'
Taking a small risk while still running forwards, she glanced behind her to see what had caused the heaviness to stop. She easily spotted the white and blue figure sprawled on the ground.
There was no way he could have been attacked by anything; there was no change in the spiritual pressure in the surrounding area. She would have felt another being if someone did arrive and injured him.
Her sprinting slowed to a jog and then finally, to a complete stop. Though the man had attempted to attack her, she could not help but wonder if he was alright. The scene reminded her of his first encounter with the dark haired Espada. She cautiously walked towards his fallen and still form, locking away the part of her thoughts that screamed at her to run.
His eyes, she noted, were clenched shut, and his face was contorted into an expression of pain. Perspiration could be seen glazing his pale skin.
As she kneeled before him, his eyes snapped open, glaring at her in defiance.
"Get the hell away from me!" he roared weakly through clenched teeth.
She responded with a smile.
"I promise I won't hurt you," she stated in a soothing voice.
She slowly moved her hands closer to his body, watching for any negative signals. When there was none, her hands made contact with his shoulders as she maneuvered him to lie from his side to his back.
She removed her black jacket and used it as a makeshift blanket for him. The snow had stopped, but the cold, flaky white ground and frigid temperatures remained.
"What the hell are you doing human?" he asked, the roughness in his tone still present.
"Trying to see if there's anything I can do to help you right now before moving you somewhere warmer and more secure," she explained, her words acting like a salve to his anger.
Then as an afterthought, she joked, "If it would help to make you feel better, you can try to kill me after you heal."
The Espada's exterior prominently displayed disgust. Towards who, she had no idea.
Her hands inspected his skin for any signs of a fever, though she did not know if hollows were even capable of fevers, and injuries. His skin was cold - colder than Ulquiorra's - and there were no external wounds she could find.
"You are an odd human," he commented, his voice no longer hinting violence and irritation.
She answered shortly with a, "I have seen my fair share of the odd."
Silence took over as she began to figure out the reason to his condition.
"What happened to you?" she gently interrogated as she took note of the anguished gleam of his eyes.
She doubted he would tell her anything. From her experience, hollows were very prideful beings, which leaves her with the duty of solving the mystery using her own wits.
Her mind began to work. Even as a child, she adored puzzles.
The spiritual pressure of this hollow was immense.
She knew that Ulquiorra, Ichigo, or some other fighter must have sensed the hollow's power...
"Tsk," the unnamed man muttered, "Annoying weakling."
"That bastard's still alive huh?" he cackled, "That's perfect! Now I can kill him myself and gain the title of Cuatro!"
...the spiritual pressure ceased completely.
She recollected the striking details since she had first became aware of him. Steadily, the pieces joined together to form a coherent picture.
With a gasp, she whispered, "You're trying to kill yourself."
She watched as blue spheres widened minutely at her statement before quickly returning to their original size.
"What made you arrive at that conclusion woman?" he asked mockingly, but she still heard the latent surprise in his question.
"You reminded me of what happened to someone I know," she began. "I know weak hollows were trying to kill you for your power so that they themselves can evolve. However, I would bet that for an Espada, such as yourself, to die to a lesser evolved hollow would haunt you even in death. As a result, you flared your spiritual energy to catch the attention of the Soul Society, but instead, you ended up with some human girl who is acquainted with another Espada. You wanted to die by a powerful fighter's hands..."
His face turned in the direction away from her after she finished her deduction.
"Your story is incomplete," he muttered defiantly, "Why would I even want to die in the first place?"
Sayuri touched the area of the black jacket that covered him.
"Your internal organs are wounded. It takes about a couple weeks for hollows to fully heal their internal injuries. I would bet that you have been here for at least a week without having the chance to recuperate due to all the recent hollows in the area who were formerly attracted to Ulquiorra but are now drawn to you. This was the first time I felt your spiritual pressure. You just decided to die in battle tonight did you not?"
He glared at her - at the sadness that coated her words.
"What is it to you that I decided to die human?" he retorted bitingly.
Instead of answering, she murmured, "Why... Why do you want to die in the first place rather than fight to live?"
He opened his mouth, but a grin took the place of his words.
"Well, it seems I get my wish after all," he howled as he turned his attention to the shadows before them.
The online of a human body approaching them came into view. As it walked forward, its features became all the more discernible until the form of Ulquiorra, in his hollow form, took shape.
Sayuri's expression transformed into that of horror, first at the sight of the ashen man, and then at stranger making the effort to stand upright.
The Kimura woman watched as Ulquiorra unsheathed the sword in his hand, his white human clothing not possessing a sash to hold his weapon.
She then stood up and placed herself directly between the two powerful hollows.
"What are you doing?" she questioned the higher ranked Espada, eyeing the gleaming steel of the supernatural sword.
If she remembered correctly, Ichigo had informed him that Ulquiorra's sword was named Murcielago. The whitish metal and the jade colored cloth on the scabbard perfectly reflected Ulquiorra's own image.
Emerald orbs did not bother to address Sayuri's attendance. Instead, he stared at the injured arrancar behind her.
He replied coldly, "I am going to end his miserable existence. Out of the way woman."
She spread her arms wide to further block the blue-haired man from Ulquiorra's detrimental gaze.
Vehemently, she stated, "No. You shouldn't kill him."
At the end of her sentence, she heard the stranger collapsed on his knees, his breaths uneven.
Emerald jewels remained fixated on the fallen form.
"The weakling should just be put out of his existence."
"I am far weaker than he is," she whispered, "Should I die too?"
The ashen man could not help the momentary shock that was expressed in his eyes. Within milliseconds, it was gone. Yet, Sayuri managed to catch it.
"Even if someone is weak, they need to live so that they can become stronger," she spoke to him directly.
Then, she lowered her arms and turned to the stranger. She uttered, "Besides, only the strongest people have the will to survive. I know you're strong, so prove it by choosing to live on."
Blue eyes watched the genuine smile that was aimed to him by the human.
In a sarcastic but genuine tone, he commented, "You're going to regret letting me live human."
"I will never regret saving someone's life," were her honest words.
Ulquiorra approached the two conversing figures while sheathing his weapon.
"And if I don't agree?" he articulated.
Sayuri's attention returned to him. Then, as though she was stung by looking at his face, she brought her head down and focused on the blank ground.
Quietly, she said, "You seem to have already agreed. You put away your sword."
"Hn."
Without his consent, it the fool was given the chance to exist for a little while longer. He would trust the woman's judgment for the time being, but she was once more befriending someone who could kill her or would get her killed. Whether it was from the innocent and undefiled goodness of her heart or from her naivety, he could not entirely conclude.
"Stand up if you actually choose to live," he commanded, "I don't intend to protect you, so be prepared to fight for yourself Number Six."
"Whatever you say Number Four," the spiked haired male retorted.
As the stranger shakily stood on his legs, the ashen man kneeled to quickly pick up the forgotten jacket. He tossed it towards Sayuri.
"Put it on," he instructed her too.
"Uh, s-sure," she replied while looking away from his gaze and barely realizing that she was shivering excessively. The intense moment had made her forget about the frigid conditions that they were in, but now that the adrenaline was gone, she felt the numbness that took over her legs.
'Getting home is going to be a fantastic experience,' she thought sarcastically.
She looked at the ground again. Her chest was still aching, but she will recover eventually. She just has to ride in the storm or learn to simply dance in the rain that comes with living. She was in the middle of a metaphorical storm, Ulquiorra being her rain, at that point in her life. The storm will pass; it always does.
A hand placed before her pulled her from her thoughts however. She traced the arm up to the face of the stranger.
"Name's Grimmjow Jaggerjacks," he spoke.
"Sayuri Kimura," she said, extending her own hand to wrap around his, which was surprisingly gentle, "Pleasure to meet you."
"Hn. Same to you human."
They stood in awkward silence. Ulquiorra did not seem to care.
To end the odd situation, Sayuri positioned herself under Grimmjow's left arm, supporting some of his weight. She was aware that he had yet to fully recover from his anguish and releasing all of his spiritual energy must have burdened him greatly.
"Now, let's head off to somewhere warmer where your injuries can be looked at more carefully," she smiled at him.
Ulquiorra analyzed the two's interaction from the corner of his eyes. He knew that she hasa bad habit of making other people her friends easily and without any questions or judgments. In fact, it was how those two bastards she had called friends managed to trick her in the first place. However, it was also how he had been able to meet her. Regardless, he was aware that her accepting and kind personality was one of the most defining features of her soul - of her identity. She was too innocently naive, the proof being that she has just placed herself under the arm of a hollow she barely knows without even caring of the possible consequences. Ulquiorra, however, was cognizant that Grimmjow has no desire to harm her. The weaker Espada, in fact, seems to have already accepted the human woman; his eyes did not have the sharp and steely quality that they have when he was about to kill, and the mal intent that was characteristic of his aura was absent. The Number Six Espada was completely at ease.
Were that not the case and should he actually cause any trouble, Ulquiorra would easily put his subordinate out of his misery.
Slowly and grudgingly, Grimmjow leaned on the human woman as they walked out of the forest. He had used up most of his spiritual energy when he had increased his spiritual pressure to attract his enemies. His plan has obviously failed. Yet now, he is faced with something intriguing and unprecedented.
'How the hell did these two become friends?' he smirked, shifting his gaze from the woman struggling to carry his weight and the emotionless arrancar in front of them.
The black haired male led them to the apartment that he now called home. It was far closer that the woman's abode.
Sayuri began to make noises of discomfort, but not from the weight that she bore on her upper body. It had initially started with her simply clearing her throat, but it gradually evolved into an uncontrollable fit. Half way to their intended location, loud and crackled coughs began to explode through the human's mouth. Ulquiorra heard her efforts in muffling her coughs with her hand, but it made the matter worst. Her coughs did not stop, and he noted her labored breaths.
"She gets sick really easily," Shin spoke, "Especially when it's cold. It's been this way since we were little."
He recalled Shin's words the morning after the woman had fallen in the river. The young boy had often visited him when her sister was still at school; his classes ended a little earlier than hers. Ulquiorra did not mind his daily visits; his statements were highly intriguing and characterized with pure boyish curiosity.
"What's wrong with you?" Grimmjow's question interrupted the silence.
"Sorry," she answered during her brief respites from her coughs, "I can't...stop...i-it."
It sounded like dry thunder escaping her throat. The ashen man turned his head to look at the pair behind him. Sayuri was covering her mouth with her hand, her coughing incessant.
Just as he was about to say something, the familiar metallic smell filled his senses. Grimmjow, by the sudden alertness in his face, noticed it too. Green eyes watched as Sayuri looked into her hand, her sapphire spheres going a little wide.
She had coughed up some blood. Even from a distance, he could see it seep through her fingers. Her throat, he deduced, was raw and most likely bleeding from all her coughing. It was nothing life threatening, that much he knew.
Her eyes quickly returned to normal. In the short pause of her coughing, she smiled and assured them, "Let's keep going. I will feel better once I get some sleep."
Grimmjow glared at her in accusation. "You're bleeding."
Though his arm remained wrapped around her shoulders, he stopped leaning on her and stood unsteadily on his own.
She lowered her hand and casually wiped the blood on her pants.
She gave a short laugh. "It's normal. It's happened before. Nothing to wor-."
Her words were cut off when another round of the thunderous noise roared out of her throat. Her eyes were tightly shut as she waited for it to subside. Ulquiorra knew that her throat was in pain.
He sauntered to the duo. His mystic jewels fell momentarily on Sayuri's trembling form before landing on an icy blue glare.
"Can you run on your own for a short distance?" he coldly asked him.
"Pft," the taller man scoffed, "What do you take me for?"
At his answer, Ulquiorra turned his attention to the human woman who could barely look at him through her scrunched eyes. He took off the white jacket he wore and hung it over her shoulders.
"Hold on," he stated simply.
Before Sayuri could even ask what it was he was planning, a squeak left her lips as they sped off in the sky. Her hands automatically locked around his slender neck, the white skin smooth under her touch. She was terrified of heights, but somehow, this felt safe. She knew that he would not let her fall.
In less than ten seconds, they were in front of a door on the third story of a building. Grimmjow landed behind them a second after, his face slightly contorted in pain and exhaustion. Sayuri knew that it must have taken all of his remaining energy to move and keep up with Ulquiorra. She felt a little guilty for not being able to help him walk all the way to their destination.
'Why is everything about me so...' she thought sadly, 'Weak?'
"Open the door," Ulquiorra monotonically told the other Espada.
"Tch. Bossy bastard," Grimmjow muttered under his breath before doing the task.
As his hand was about to touch the door knob, the wooden entrance flew open, and they were face to face with two worried orange-haired figures.
"What the hell took you so long? You said you would handle i-" Ichigo quickly scolded Ulquiorra before noticing the two other faces.
His face paled at the sight of Grimmjow. "What the hell are you doing here!?" he yelled and then turned his attention to Sayuri, who was still in the Espada's arms. "What's wrong with her?" he asked apprehensively.
His mind was battling between fighting, upon the sight of the other Espada, and worrying over his classmate.
Orihime interrupted, "Why don't all of you come in so we can talk about this?"
Ulquiorra set the human woman on the sofa, disappeared into a nearby room, and then tossed a blanket and pillow that he had brought in at her. He had also relinquished his hollow form and had entered his gigai.
Orihime noticed the flushed skin on Sayuri's face and knew she was ill. The voluptuous woman helped her settle into the couch while Ulquiorra took a seat on the windowsill, one knee propped up to support his left arm while the other leg was stretched out over the wooden frame.
Ichigo and Grimmjow took a seat on the other sofa, both glaring at each other in anticipation.
"Were you the one releasing that spiritual pressure earlier?" the Soul Reaper spoke first.
"Obviously," the blue haired hollow responded. Then, looking at Sayuri, whose coughing began again, said, "She ran into me."
Orihime was about to call forth her healing powers when Sayuri held her wrist to stop her.
"Heal him...first," she struggled to speak in between coughs, "He... needs...it more."
Hesitantly, the beautiful female left her friend's side. The woman with god like powers set her attention to the Sixth Espada, finally seeing the hidden pain in his eyes. She also realized that his spiritual energy was almost nonexistent; it would have explained why they had only sensed Ulquiorra at the entrance to the apartment. He was essentially barely holding on.
Quickly, she called forth her fairies from her crystalline hair pin.
"Wait, is it even a good idea to heal this guy?" Ichigo expressed his reluctance.
Sayuri set her dull sapphire orbs at him. "I don't think he will hurt us."
"The woman is right," Ulquiorra added, "He was probably thrown out of Hueco Mundo for losing during the war."
Ichigo closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He was outvoted. However, he trusted his friends'.
"But the war has been over for several weeks," he said. "What will both of you do now that Aizen is in prison."
This time, it was Grimmjow that answered, "Whatever we want."
His body was beginning to feel light and his powers were returning.
Ichigo glared at him. "I still don't trust you."
"If you want," the ginger-haired maiden quietly suggested, "I can heal him only half-way, so that he isn't at full power in case he has negative intentions."
The Soul Reaper nodded. "That sounds good."
Grimmjow laughed at their attempt at prudence. The fact that a hollow and a Soul Reaper still have problems with each other was a sign of normalcy. It would be more alarming if they had formed an unstrained alliance so soon.
"I don't really care. I will heal eventually, but don't worry Kurosaki, I don't plan to eating your precious human souls."
"Don't attack them for fun either," the teen added.
"Yeah, yeah," the Espada waved his words away.
Sayuri smiled at their conversation. She knew that those two would eventually become friends. She had seen how tense Ichigo had been with Ulquiorra at first; he was like a loaded gun. Yet, here they both were now: sharing an apartment and working together to protect both she and Orhime from hollows and the Soul Society.
Grimmjow acts like a delinquent, but he has a kind side to him as well. He just wants to live now. The three males, she prayed, would grow to take care of each other.
When Orihime was done partially healing Grimmjow, she set to work on the Kimura child's illness. It took several minutes, but soon, the incessant coughing and pain of her throat subsided.
Finally, she was able to sit upright and take part in the conversation.
"So where is Grimmjow going to stay?" she wondered. "I have space in my room if it helps."
Suddenly, she found an arm slung around her shoulders and Grimmjow sitting closely next to her.
"I would prefer to stay with Sayuri," he smirked.
Green eyes momentarily shifted to the scene in the living room. Grimmjow was able to barely catch the Cuatro's latent interest in the subject. His smirk grew larger.
Ichigo stood up from his seat and interfered. "Like hell you do! You're staying here Grimmjow. I don't trust you being left alone with Sayuri, and get your hands off her!"
Orihime, looking from one party to the other with a worried expression, spoke, "But we don't have any more room in the apartment for one more person."
The blue-eyed hollow cackled, "Oh well. I guess I get to stay with Sayuri."
"No, you're not! You haven't proven your loyalty yet Espada," Kurosaki exclaimed.
Grimmjow stood up and casually walked up to the Soul Reaper, their bodies fully facing each other and each trying to intimidate the other.
"Then what do you suggest Soul Reaper?" he began, his voice low. "Do you want to stay with Sayuri?"
Ichigo almost took a step back at his accusation. His face, however, could not control the blush that was crawling up from his neck. Earthy eyes watched as a large and victorious grin planted itself on Grimmjow's white face.
Before Ichigo could recover, another voice filled the room.
"I will stay with her."
Orihime, Ichigo, and Sayuri's wide orbs stared at Ulquiorra. The other Espada continued to smirk knowingly.
Walking over to the commotion, the ashen man explained, "I have had plenty of chances to kill her. If I had wanted her dead, she would already be in her grave."
Reluctantly, Inoue started to nod her head, murmuring, "Alright, that settles it."
The lily girl, frozen in shock, could not bring herself to move or speak.
This was the absolute worst case scenario. The man she is trying to forget is now going to stay with her in her room. Her chest screamed in protest, but at the same time... she felt a little happy.
Ichigo did not have anything to protest. He, too, was unmoving at the center of the room. Grimmjow sat down on the couch and just shrugged. With no opposing arguments given, the matter closed. Ulquiorra headed for the door. When Sayuri did not stand to follow him, he looked directly at her.
"Let's go woman," he said blandly.
The Kimura child scrambled out of the couch and ran up to him. They exited the apartment, leaving behind two wide eyed teens and a hollow barely containing his amusement.
Ulquiorra carried her back to the white house, claiming that it was faster this way - and it was. They reached the house within fifteen seconds. Even in his gigai, he still appeared to possess supernatural abilities.
'He sure is fast,' she noted.
He entered the house via the window with dawn having arrived a few minutes before. The ashen man laid her on the bed, and she watched as he sat down at the foot of her bed and closed his eyes. He had already made himself comfortable in her room, but she could not settle her own nerves.
She then remembered that his jacket was still draped comfortably around her shoulders.
"Um.." she trailed off, unsure if he wanted to be bothered.
His eyes opened immediately at her word.
Looking at her from the corner of his mesmerizing windows, he said, "What is it woman?"
She gripped the white fabric covering her and held it out to him. "Thank you for this."
He stood up and towered above her, while extending a hand to receive the jacket. For the briefest moments, their hands touched. Sayuri could not help the slight twist in her chest at the contact, but she knew that there was no point in hoping for more than what their relationship is now.
They are friends - not even friends, actually. They are just a hollow and a human who so happened to live in the same room.
"Hn," came his melodious voice.
With that all said and done, Uqluiorra returned to his old position.
For an hour, she simply laid in bed, her body turned away from Ulquiorra. She could not sleep. Her chest was making too much of a racket for her mind to be at ease.
She looked at the still form of the Espada. She had not heard him move since he had sat down. Her body rose from its position out of restlessness.
His face looked so peaceful.
Sayuri slid her legs over the edge of the bed, quietly making her way to Ulquiorra. The rays of the baby sun was sobered by her thick curtains, but there was still enough that penetrated the cloth to brighten the room. The partition between the two curtains allowed for a sliver of pure and unobscured gold to embrace the supernatural form at the foot of her bed.
She kneeled before him with absolutely no idea what she was doing. Her body was just drawn to him. She is always drawn to him.
Oceanic windows absorbed the ethereal sight of the ashen man. In the bright glow of the early morning sun, his emerald tear stains grew animated and colorful. They were dancing on the unblemished planes of his cheeks.
'I wonder how he received those streaks?' she wondered.
Her hand unconsciously lifted and traced, in a fleeting and languid touch, the jade path from the bottom of his eyes to his jawbone. His skin was cool and smooth, no imperfection in sight.
When her curtains moved slightly so that the warm light immersed her momentarily, her thoughts caught up with her actions. Her awareness suddenly returned and she snapped her hands back to her sides. Fearing that he might wake up and catch her in such an embarrassing predicament, she rushed to her bed and tried to fall asleep.
Her heart was beating quickly, and her face was blushing.
She knew that she was still in love with him.
As her heart slowed to a pleasant hum, her mind also eased. Her breathing soon became even as sleep finally took her away.
Jade jewels slowly opened and looked at Sayuri's figure. He was baffled by her intrusion of his personal space, but oddly enough, he did not find it intrusive in the least. His hands touched the side of his cheeks where her fingers had been.
He could still feel it - the warmth of her touch.
"Sa-."
He could not say it.
Yet, it was new. It felt new.
This was a start.
-O-
Long chapter right!? Haha.
Please let me know if Grimmjow is in character. I had actually not planned in involving him in my story, but some of the suggestions from the reviews were very helpful. Just know that I do take all your reviews to heart. I am listening to your voices.
Moreover, please, please, please scream at me if Ulquiorra is becoming too out of character. Since Bleach never showed him have a close and intimate connection with a woman, I am basing his reactions from my imagination. I hope it is accurate and to your liking.
I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. Stay tune for more!