Title/Theme: "Photograph"

Author: Kaz (aka KamiKaze43v3r)

Pairing: Grimmjow x Ichigo

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach blah blah.

Notes: Another short one... Watch out guys, it's a tragic fic. And when tragic fics come from me, it means character death.

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Ichigo toppled onto his bed, face down, and breathed into the pillows. He closed his eyes tightly, desperately trying to relax his stiff, tired body from all the battles he had endured before.

The Winter War was finally over.

Was it really? Ichigo thought. It felt so surreal... Something that has been going on for months; so much pain, loss and strength lost in that period... to know that it was finally over in just a couple of days was just so surreal. But that wasn't the point. No, the point was his loss. A loss so great Ichigo still hadn't yet fully registered the situation. He didn't want to acknowledge it. He didn't want to feel the pain...

Ichigo buried his face further into the pillows. He didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to relive it. Yet flashes of that moment, splashed with blood, confusion, anger and sorrow, ran through his mind, taunting him like the monster inside him. Before he knew it, his eyes were stinging and moist with imminent tears. "...Grimmjow..." he muttered as he wrenched an eye open, trying his best to hold back the damned tears. His vision caught sight of something unfamiliar on his bedside table and he sat up.

Ichigo looked and saw it was photographs. Photographs of him... and Grimmjow. Ichigo smiled sadly despite himself. He remembered how he actually managed to convince the Arrancar, whom Urahara had for some reason, given him a faux body, to take a photograph together. Ichigo laughed softly as he recalled how apprehensive the blue-haired man was to the foreign mechanical object, and how agitated he was by the camera's flashes. Ichigo didn't know why he wanted to take the photographs, but there was a feeling inside him then, that told him he might need those photos later.

Well... he most definitely needed the photographs now, Ichigo cynically mused to himself. His face frowned, the emotions inside him welling up suddenly to the thoughts that came again. Covering his face with one hand and grasping on those photographs on the other, Ichigo sobbed in anguish.

He looked at the photographs again, studying it properly now. Both Grimmjow and him were in the photo, facing the camera in a seemingly awkward atmosphere. Grimmjow had his usual scowl that he wore, looking quite confused at what he was doing, while Ichigo had an awkward, shy smile on his face, reminding the teen how happy he actually was with the Arrancar. Yes, Ichigo was happy with him, despite all the harsh words, the battle scars, the anger and confusion from their predicament, the rough kisses and smothering embraces they shared together away from the war. From those occasionally sincere laughs, smiles and touches... Ichigo knew they had something between them – something they would never admit or say it out loud, but accepted it inside.

But now, that happiness would only stay in those photographs. His happiness was gone now. Along with the Winter War, along with Aizen, the Hougyoku, and all the other Arrancar.

Did they really win the war? To the shinigami, they did. But to Ichigo... too much has been lost to call it a war that has been won.

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Yeah apparently I seem to enjoy making Ichigo suffer emotionally... I keep doing this to him... If you check my LJ I wrote about 2 more of Grimm deaths and wrote about Ichigo crying like a baby over him. I guess it's a reflection of how I would react to Grimm dying. And of course, also how I think Ichigo, who, in our GrimmIchi fandom, is so in love with Grimm (though he'd never admit it), would react to his death. Lol. Sadist I is it.

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