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It was safe to say that Grimmjaw, like all of the espada, frequently considered his position within the new hierarchy established by Aizen and the other shinigami when they arrived and starting fucking around with the hollows there. Like the rest of his ilk, he was only really ever inexplicably drawn to one thing and that was power. Before their arrival, life in Heuco Mundo had been relatively simple; it had been an entire world that functioned on instinct. All one had to do to get along was survive, kill or be killed but things changed.
On the rare occasion that he shared these thoughts with one of his comrades, they would all but tell him that he was ungrateful, except Ulquiorra, who had no problem telling the sixth espada his thankless attitude was disgraceful. It was true that Aizen had provided more power than any of them had previously imagined and, as long as they could maintain their status, they only had to answer to one. But, of course, for Grimmjaw, that was the problem. He wasn't very good a bowing and watching the other arrancar so easily kneel before a shinigami, of all things, made his stomach turn. The bastard was taking advantage of what could only described as an addiction to power that was inherent within all hollows.
One other, usually less major, aspect of a hollow's existence was altered when Aizen began meddling with them and it was something just as natural as the draw of great power. That was the fever, as Ulquiorra had referred to it, though Grimmjaw didn't like the term. In fact, the very idea that a term had been coined for the ordeal disgusted him. Before Aizen, it didn't have a name. It didn't need one. It was just something that happened, was dealt with, and was over just as quickly as it started. Okay, so, he had to admit that a prolonged, as opposed to frantic or furious, sexual experience was mind blowing but that didn't mean he liked the implications.
Before Aizen, if he'd seen Ulquiorra while under the influence of the fever, they would have just fucked and gotten it over with. No games. No worries about what the other, or anyone else, thought of them. No rejection…or fear of rejection. Just an instinctive need fulfilled. This, "self-awareness", as he heard Ichimaru say, ruined that because being aware of the self also meant being aware of others. It meant complex inter-personal relationships that had never before existed in Heuco Mundo and such a burdensome concept as shame had not existed prior. In fact, if it weren't for the reactions and judgments of others, he could see himself behaving the way he used to, totally giving into the animal, the monster, within and allow himself to act solely on instinct.
Grimmjaw played his first encounter with Ulquiorra back in his mind again. There were certain details that still made him shudder. It had been his first encounter of that sort since his rebirth under Aizen's rule and, all things considered, it could have been much worse. It could have been better, as locking himself up for a week wasn't exactly pleasant, but he had few complaints. Having time to reflect on all of this seemed to help a great deal. It helped him go over the preceding events in his mind so that he could identify the moments when it all began as well as realize that it was because he'd sequestered himself for so long that he was so desperate when he was finally given what he desired.
The train of thought that Grimmjaw had been using to keep his mind off his condition had come full circle. Shortly after he awoke, he had the sneaking suspicion that it was happening again and by mid-afternoon, he was sure to the point that the only thing left to do was test his theory…but he wasn't ready to do that, not just yet. He needed some more time to think but time was running out. Luckily, he hadn't seen anyone since the strangely familiar feelings began to surface, which made it less of a pressing matter than if he had. Briefly, he recalled the feeling of having that damn Ulquiorra ruling his thoughts for so many long days and nights while he tried to fight it off. He wasn't going to let that happen again. As far as he was concerned, it was something that needed to be addressed in a much more timely fashion than he had allowed prior. That meant that he needed to make a decision and make it quickly, before his hormones took over and he tracked down the first hollow he could find.
As far as he could reason, there were really two options. The first, and most obvious option, was to go find Ulquiorra. This meant avoiding all other hollows in his search because one misplaced glance, and any plans he might have would be totally done for. The other option was to simply find someone else. He was fairly sure this was the easier option…as long as whoever he found didn't flee for fear of the retribution of the one who'd marked the sixth.
With his thoughts still a mess and his need to seek out another hollow growing, Grimmjaw decided that he needed to get out of Heuco Mundo for a little while so he could finish thinking. As much as he wanted the convenience of going to Ulquiorra and demanding sex, he wasn't sure about how that would go over. He was fairly sure that it would eventually lead to his satisfaction…but at what cost? He didn't want to be the fourth's bitch again, even if he had enjoyed himself during their previous encounters. He opened a small hole in space and slipped through into the living world, where few hollows resided, in hopes that the lack of strong raietsus would help keep his head clear for just a little while longer.
Upon arrival, he hid his energy as well as he could and tried to keep a low profile. He found one of the taller buildings in Kurakaratown and sat on the roof contemplating. He was right, there were much fewer energies to distract him there and for quite some time he was allowed to think and plan in peace. That is, until a certain substitute shinigami finally tracked him down.
Ichigo didn't know what the arancar was up to but he knew that his presence was cause enough for him to act and, without a second thought, once he'd found Grimmjaw, he made his bankai transformation and then pulled out his hollow mask. He wasn't in the mood to mess around and had no issue with using his full power on the espada. He leapt up the side of the building to see Grimmjaw sitting on the roof, apparently spacing out.
Sure, he'd felt Ichigo's approach as well as his transformations, but he was too caught up in his own problems to really give him much thought. It wasn't until the soul reaper called his name from a few feet away that he actually acknowledged his presence, something that he would soon regret. "Oi, Grimmjaw. I coulda killed you three times by now."
As soon as he turned and locked eyes with the shinigami, his heart skipped a beat and he felt his entire body grow uncomfortably warm. He knew the feeling and immediately started cursing himself as well as the soul reaper for what just happened. "Damn it! What the fuck do you think you're doin'?"
"I'm here to make sure you don't cause any trouble, Grimmjaw," Ichigo's voice was chiding, almost teasing.
"I'm not doin' anything…" he had more to say but as he took in the sight of the young man before him, now with the raietsu of a hollow, he began to lose focus. "Damn it!"
"Then why not just go back to where you came from and we can save some time," Ichigo suggested, knowing that avoiding fights wasn't exactly in the arancar's nature.
"I can't just go back now." A lecherous grin formed on the espada's lips.
"What's stopping you? If you're not here for a reason, I don't see why you can't just leave. You know, if you stay here too much longer, I won't be the only one you'll have to fight."
Grimmjaw chuckled before disappearing only to reappear inches from Ichigo. "I ain't here to fight," he nearly purred. "But you don't understand."
"What's there to understand?" the masked soul reaper demanded as he backed away, unnerved by the look in Grimmjaw's bright teal eyes.
"Well…" he slowly drew closer, as though carefully stalking a wild animal, "I came here to think…but you ruined all that. So, I guess now, I'm here to play."
Ichigo never really cared for the way Grimmjaw behaved, but it was safe to say that he preferred the arancar's homicidal mania to whatever this was. "P-play?" he repeated as though he didn't know the meaning of the word.
"Sure. I don't really want to explain it to you so let's just say that, it's much easier." He continued to close the gap between their bodies until they were nearly touching once again.
Ichigo, still unsure of Grimmjaw's behavior, continued to back away.
"What's the matter, shinigami? Are you scared?" He reached out to him but was left grasping at air.
"I'm not scared of you," Ichigo weakly defended. He felt something similar to fear, an implacable anxiety, but he would never admit that.
"Then why do you keep runnin' away from me. I just wanna have a little fun with ya," he moved toward his prey again, missing again. His temper, as well as his patience, was growing short and he needed to do something soon. On top of that, he knew Ichigo couldn't maintain his mask indefinitely. What he didn't know is what would happen to his condition if the boy reverted back before he was done with him.
That last comment disturbed Ichigo enough to put him in a path of retreat. Now he needed time to think. What the hell was Grimmjaw talking about? He was acting really weird, even for him. Was he just messing with him? Or was there something wrong with the arancar? Whatever it was, he didn't like the look in his eyes and knew he didn't want to be near him even if that did mean running away.
At the sight of Ichigo's retreating form, Grimmjaw gave a heavy and very irritated sigh. "So that's how you wanna be? Fine!" he called after as he set in his pursuit. "Makin' me chase ya's only gunna make it worse for you!" he taunted though he knew he would suffer as well for the delay.
As he followed, he was slightly impressed with how long Ichigo's hollow transformation was lasting. Normally, it was only a couple of seconds but apparently, if he wasn't exerting himself and using up his energy reserves, it could last quite a while longer.
The first time he caught up with the young man, they exchanged blows. Grimmjaw's in attempt to subdue his prey and Ichigo's in attempt to fight off the espada. It was a different sort of fight than they were used to and Ichigo didn't like being on the defensive. It unnerved him so much that he used the last bits of his hollow energy on attacks on Grimmjaw which, though they did visible damage, seemed to have little effect as a deterrent. After that, his mask broke and he was weakened as a result. At that point his only option was to run.
When the mask broke, Grimmjaw gave him a genuinely concerned look. He took a moment to feel Ichigo's energy again. He could still feel the hollow raietsu but it wasn't enough for what he needed. "Put your mask back on!" he demanded as he continued to chase the boy.
Ichigo wasn't sure what to think about that. Normally, Grimmjaw would have wanted that for the purpose of fighting Ichigo with him a full power but this was different, he could tell by the tone the espada used. As much as he wanted to summon it again, at the moment, he could not and, quite frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted to simply because of how badly Grimmjaw wanted him to.
He thought he had the boy cornered a couple of times after that only to have him slip away before he could go in for the kill, so to speak. "I don't wanna hurt ya. I just wanna have a little fun with ya, that's all. Is that so bad?" he would say but the words were so peculiar coming from Grimmjaw that it actually made Ichigo more desperate to get away.
The last time he was cornered, he almost didn't get away. Grimmjaw had him pinned against a dumpster in some dank alleyway and was looking down at him with menacing eyes. It was disturbing to be chased and pinned by the espada only to have him look him up and down with a strangely greedy look in his eyes, licking his lips. It quickly became obvious that Grimmjaw's intent actually wasn't to cause the soul reaper irreparable bodily harm. Every time he got close enough that Ichigo thought he was in for some sort of attack or energy blast, the espada simply drew closer, closer, closer.
"What the hell's this all about?" Ichigo demanded, shifting uncomfortably under the intense gaze. "Why don't you wanna fight me?"
Grimmjaw's reply was growl and press his body against Ichigo's. Immediately, Ichigo could feel something hard press against his leg and without a second thought, disappeared from the arancar's grasp, appearing a few feet away before fleeing once again.
The implications of Grimmjaw's seemingly simple action raced through Ichigo's mind. There was no way he was going to engage in those sort of activities with the espada and the very idea that Grimmjaw was after him in such a way made his stomach turn. Also, now that his mind was racing, he wasn't paying as close of attention to where he was going, just that he was getting as far away from his pursuer as possible. If he had been paying closer attention, he might have noticed the tear in space that appeared just above him and the espada that stepped through it.
Ulquiorra gave a sigh of irritation as he looked down at the sight of Grimmjaw chasing the shinigami. At first he was angry that Grimmjaw had come to the living world just to pick a fight with that piece of trash but as he observed, he realized there was something off about the sixth espada. It quickly became obvious to him what had happened, as he had been waiting for the last couple of days for Grimmjaw's fever to reemerge so that they could have another romp. He did give a slight chuckle though, unsure as to which was more amusing, the look of panic on Ichigo's face or the single-minded air of lust that surrounded Grimmjaw. Either way, this wasn't getting them anywhere and he decided to interfere.
Ichigo, with a fair lead on Grimmjaw, was stopped suddenly by Ulquiorra when he appeared before him. The first thought on his mind was that this one might be after him as well but he didn't seem to have the same wild look about him as Grimmjaw. "You! What do you want? What is the meaning of this?" he demanded as he pointed his sword.
"It seems Grimmjaw's picked a rather interesting target this time. I am here to make sure you two don't cause too much of a ruckus," he informed shortly before blasting Ichigo with enough energy to stun him and knock him out of the sky.
Before he could regain his senses, Grimmjaw was on top of him, tearing at his clothes. He tried to fight him off, but his head was still spinning.
"Grimmjaw," he heard Ulquiorra's voice somewhere behind the teal-haired man molesting him, "you know it won't work if he's not transformed."
Grimmjaw didn't listen as he began to pull Ichigo's pants down, an action that earned him a renewed struggle.
Had it just been the two of them, the struggle might have been enough to free Ichigo but as it were, Ulquiorra simply shot him again, knocking him back to the pavement. "Let's take him back to Los Noches. There he will have time to recover and then you may proceed."
Grimmjaw growled, unwilling to give up his prize, even though he wasn't the one who caused the capture. He looked down at the frightened and disturbed teen beneath him, slowly becoming painfully aware of how right Ulquiorra was. This caused him almost unbearable irritation. Ichigo's raietsu alone was almost similar enough to do the job but not quite. He needed the boy to be in his hollow form if this was going to work, otherwise it would be a waste of time. "Fine, we'll take him back."
Ichigo felt another sharp blast of energy aimed at his head before everything went black.
"You know, if you'd quite shooting him like that, I wouldn't have to carry him," Grimmjaw complained.
Ulquiorra opened a portal.
"I don't see how taking him to Los Noches is going to change anything," the sixth continued to gripe.
"Szayel has been working on a few things recently, in response to your information about this boy's transformations. I think there's a couple of items that might be of use to you." With that, they left the living world and returned to their home.
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