Siete

-

She was lying in the street, in a puddle of her own blood

It was almost like waking up from a nap, except when he usually woke up from his naps, his eye didn't hurt the way it did then.

He was grasping that stupid newspaper, and his reading glasses were on the other side of the road, mangled and smashed, but none of that mattered. It didn't even register.

The only thing he noticed at that point was her, lying – barely three yards away – on the pavement, small hands pressed painfully against the wound in her side. She was smiling at him, though. Even through her pain, she was still smiling, and he hated her a little for it.

Couldn't she just take a situation seriously for once? Didn't she realize the trouble they were in?!

He stood up with surprising ease. The only thing that really hurt was his left eye, but the pain wasn't so extensive that it limited his ability to function.

She was still smiling when he knelt down beside her. She said, "Hey," so casually that it baffled Nnoitra. It was like they were greeting each other, or talking about weather. She spoke as if she wasn't dying, as if he wasn't watching her die.

He wanted to scold her, but he didn't.

Moving her carefully, he gently cradled her against his chest, his good eye never leaving hers. "It's going to be okay." he whispered, knowing for a fact that it wasn't. Even if they made it out of this alive (they wouldn't) she'd still lost a lot of blood.

Looking at her now, seeing that she was the one covered in it, he'd never been more disgusted by the sight of blood.

She nodded at him with some effort, not dropping her smile, even as a roar shook the earth beneath them.

Nnoitra didn't seem too bothered by it himself, he just stared down at her sadly, and held her a little closer.

The quaking increased, and it wasn't long before the giant masked creature came into view, immediately zeroing in on them, as it laughed a terrible laugh.

Neliel ignored the approaching giant, and placed a shaky hand on Nnoitra's pale cheek, smearing it with her blood.

"I love you." she whispered, her eyes finally glazing over with tears, as she stared up at him.

He'd never said it back to her, didn't even say it now, when they were about to die.

She tugged him down, and he immediately sensed what she wanted, and complied, pressed his lips to hers, as the Hollow bared its claws down on them.

Love you, too.