Blades clashed all around the room as the Captain's attacked Aizen while Gin backed off to survey his damage, ignoring Izuru who fussed over him like a mother hen.
Grimmjow was in shock, he stared blankly off into the middle distance while Nnoitra tried his best to rouse him from the stupor to no avail.
Retsu calmly walked over and, after raising an eyebrow at Nnoitra making him back away, helped Grimmjow to his feet and led the empty shelled Espada away, motioning Nnoitra to follow them with only a brief moment of hesitation.
(One week later)
Grimmjow sat on the roof, his blue eyes dull and listless, his wounds healed except the one massive scar he insisted on keeping. Nnoitra and Grimmjow had been praised as spies and a heroes and been very widely respected, but the two of them didn't give a rats ass about it. Nnoitra was fully healed and only got mild cramps now and then. Gin was back in his duties of Captain and his squad has practically been in tears as they greeted him. Tousen and the other Espada had been found and killed, but Aizen had somehow managed to slip away. Everything was falling back together except four people.
Ichigo's family had been informed that their son was dead, Isshin had taken it rather well, but the girls had been distraught, sobbing and crying and wailing.
The fourth person was, of course, Grimmjow. In his mind they had lost. He had lost. Everything was over. Nnoitra had caught him eying his sword in a deep, pensive sort of look and had taken upon himself to stick with his old friend and keep sharp objects far away from him.
Grimmjow's blue eyes flickered over the horizon, scanning desperately for someone he knew he would never see again. But still he looked. He had too.
Nnoitra climbed up behind him and sat heavily on the tiles, wincing as his midsection cramped up, "Damn." His one violet eye scanned the defeated figure of the ex Espada before snorting, "Yo, get a hold of yourself man."
Grimmjow didn't respond.
Nnoitra glared, baring his teeth in what a rabid wolf would call a friendly smile, "Hey!" he shoved Grimmjow with his shoulder, "C'mon man, get over it. Look, I know it sucks. But it happened." He shifted uncomfortably, he really hated emotionally talks, "So just…I dunno, be happy. He would have wanted that!" he finished lamely.
Grimmjow's eyes slowly roved over to meet the purple one, narrowing, "What?"
The first word he had spoken since that day, and it was filled with malice, hate, and deep unbearable agony.
Nnoitra sighed and rested his chin in his palm, "I mean stop sulking. You'll see him again eventually."
That snapped the blue haired man out of his coma, "What!"
Nnoitra shrugged, "Well you'll die soon enough, then you can meet up and shit."
Grimmjow lurched to his feet suddenly, his eyes huge and clear, "Of course." He breathed, showing life for the first time in a week.
"Woah, hang on there." Nnoitra said, towering up to his impressive height, "Don't you go and kill yourself now!"
Grimmjow wasn't listening, he leapt off the roof and flash stepped at a break neck speed towards the Rukon District. West Rukon. Grimmjow ran faster, his blue hair flying backwards and his eye narrowed. West Rukon was Urahara's region right? The ex Espada was certain.
He leapt over the wall and into the poor district, shooting off and scattering people before him, his mind trained on one though only.
A white figure suddenly stepping in front of his path and they crashed instantly with the force of a mass pile up. Blue and white rolled away, leaving a good sized crater in the earth. Grimmjow groaned and opened his eyes, staring at a rather pissed off familiar looking person under him, "You!"
Hichigo spat out some dirt and snarled, "Yes me, now get the fuck off!" He shoved the blue haired man off him and dusted himself off, grumbling underneath his breath the entire time.
"Hichi?" Came a worried voice, "Hichigo, what's wrong?"
An orange haired teen dressed in a Shinigami outfit ran towards his look alike, concern written in his face, "What are you doing? I told you we needed to find—"
"Ichigo." Came a hoarse whisper.
The teen froze and turned slowly on the spot, his face filled with cautious hope, "G-….Grimmjow?"
Grimmjow gave a wild cry of happiness and tackled the shocked teen, landing himself in dirt for the second time that day.
"Grimmjow!" Ichigo sobbed, clinging desperately to his love, "Oh god it's you! It's really you!"
Grimmjow pulled back and stared down at Ichigo's dirty, tear streaked face and concluded he hadn't seen anything more beautiful in his life. He leaned down and kissed him deeply, putting all his feeling and though into one gesture.
Ichigo made a small noise of longing in the back of this throat and kissed passionately back, holding Grimmjow to him like a life line.
Hichigo coughed and looked away rather pointedly, but the two were far beyond caring. They would have stayed like that forever but unfortunately they both needed to breathe.
Grimmjow broke away with a gasp and they both caught their breath, eyes shining with happiness. "I can't believe it's you." He whispered.
A single tear escaped from the corner of Ichigo's eye and trailed down his cheek, washing away some of the dirt, "Grimmjow. God I love you so much." He whispered softly.
Grimmjow sat up and pulled him into a fierce hug, inhaling his scent and running his finger through the bright hair, "I love you too." He moaned.
Hichigo made barfing motions behind their backs, but when he was finished, a small smile formed on his face, "Alright knock it off. Shouldn't we go back to the Captain's place, or whatever?"
Ichigo gave a small strangled laugh and stood, helping Grimmjow up.
Grimmjow smiled warmly at the teen before turning to Hichigo, "Thank you."
"Huh?" the hollow asked, confusion coloring his voice.
"For helping Ichigo, and for staying with him." Grimmjow amended, "Thank you so much."
"Ah jeez, you're not gonna kiss me too, are ya?" the hollow whined, but he grinned and punched the ex Espada lightly on the shoulder. Hichigo laughed and then disappeared into Ichigo's mental world.
Ichigo held out his hand and Grimmjow took it firmly, determined never to let go. The two lovers walked back to the Official Buildings, smiling blissfully at each other as the sun set behind them, bathing everything in a gentle red.