Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH or any of its characters, this story is merely my own interpretation, a work of fun an curiosity.

Warnings: Some gross stuff?

A/N: This chapter contains unreasonable amount of fluff. I wrote it while feeling unfabulous to cheer mahself up. Besides... damn. I love these two being sweet together. :\

Story 9 - Healing

His peaceful - lazy - napping sadly didn't go undisturbed for too long. Grimmjow snapped his eyes open and grabbed the chalkwhite hand when it reached to touch his back. He shoved it away from himself with a vicious snarl and rolled onto his backside sitting, moving so the fresh wound on his back was the farthest away from the other man.

"Ulquiorra..." He seethed the name, trying to glare the shorter man down though he was looking up at him now and not to mention, was considerably weaker. But that didn't make him cower like a wimp. "Get out of my room. NOW."

"Your tattoo is gone." Ulquiorra murmured in that emotionless tone that Grimmjow despised so much. How could an arrancar - a creature of instinct - sound like he had no care for anything in the entire world. He couldn't fathom it himself. He was sure it was all just a second skin on Ulquiorra, a mask that happened to be pretty damn good at hiding the other's true nature. "I had been tasked with removing it. Had Ichimaru done it?"

"What does it matter who did it?!" Grimmjow hissed out. He was not entirely confident that he could drive Ulquiorra off. But what could he do? He wasn't sure if the Cuatro had orders to kill him for going against Aizen's wishes... but then again, it wasn't him, it was Gin who removed his tattoo... maybe he could get away with it. Shit, this was a mess.

"It was my privilege to do it." Ulquiorra reached out and clasped his upper arm with a steely grip, pressing him down onto the bed. Grimmjow naturally struggled against the hold on him, his spine prickling uncomfortably when he was forced into that position. He instinctively hated it and pressed his thighs tightly together. "You had Ichimaru remove it so I wouldn't come close to you. Why would you drop your guard after it happened?"

That was true though and it was stupid of him, but he had sort of forgotten all about Ulquiorra after those amazing hours with Gin out in the desert of Hueco Mundo.

"Look at you running your mouth like that." Grimmjow kicked out, grunting as he struggled to get loose from the Espada's grip, but the stoic man wouldn't budge. "Shit, leggo, fucker!" He snarled, twisting roughly on the bed... until Ulquiorra slipped his fingers into his hollow hole with a measured stroke. He immediately went still, snapping his eyes down to that menacing hand, eyebrows pulled together in anxiety. His body shivered in disgust at the touch at once. "Kh..."

"It shrunk." Ulquiorra curled his fingers and scraped his nails along the sensitive insides.

"SHIT!" Grimmjow howled out in pain, head tossing back helplessly, his body stiffening beneath the other. The scratches continued, slow and merciless and Grimmjow had no idea how to make him stop. God, it HURT. "Fuck you, FUCK you!"

"That's disgusting, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra murmured though he simply sounded apathetic as always. He went on with scraping an aching, bloody mess inside the other's hollow hole. "It's one thing to indulge in lust, but to fall in-"

"SHUT UP!" Grimmjow finally brought his knee up and smashed it into his stomach in a desperate move. He wheezed, face pale and covered in a light sheen of sweat from the agony that came in sharp, stinging waves and then a hard burn through his entire body, tingling off like little pricks of needles in his fingertips. He shuddered, groaning low and turning his head away. It hurt... he was bleeding and felt sick to the stomach with the pain and how Ulquiorra's touch repulsed him, however strange that sounded. "Shut up, let go... fucking bastard... don't touch me..."

Ulquiorra wasn't quite moved by the kick. He looked at him with those cold, green eyes and pulled his hand slowly from the hole. "He didn't mark you. And he never will. Don't you think it would be foolish of him to bind his soul to a hollow? He is a Shinigami. Your mortal enemy, Grimmjow. There is no future for you two. No future whatsoever." He lifted his slim, white hand to his lips. Blood smeared on his fingertips and Grimmjow hissed when he watched him open his mouth. His hand shot out, trembling and weak, grabbing that wrist.

"Don't you dare..." He growled through pants of pain and some strange fear he was struggling to ignore. "Don't you fucking DARE, you piece of shit."

"And why not?" Ulquiorra sized him up with his eyes. Grimmjow felt it and hated every second spent under that seemingly empty gaze. "Because you belong to him? How stupid, Grimmjow. As I said, he did not mark-"

"Ikorose."

"Gh!"

Grimmjow snapped his gaze to, and was was left staring at, the blade pierced into his pillow just inches beside his head. He blinked at it once the silence was broken by that wet little cough, coming from Ulquiorra. He slowly turned his head, following the blade of the sword, right up to where it was stuck through the arrancar's open mouth and lifted hand, the pierced wounds dripping blood down his chin and wrist, onto Grimmjow's fingers still clasping it, in a painful, crimson mess.

Gin stood behind the man with his white coat - another once since it was clean - barely finishing its flutter from the intense speed of his shunpo. His eyes were open, cold and blue and terrifying. "...I really didn't think you would ignore my warning, Cuatro-kun." He whispered through his thin lips in a hiss. "It's not like I wanted to do this, you know...?" He retracted his sword a bit from the pillow and lifted it slowly, with Ulquiorra dangling from it like a piece of grotesque marshmallow from a stick. "But didn't Aizen-han also say to try and refrain from antagonizing each other? Hmm..."

"Ha- kh! A-" Ulquiorra twitched and jerked as he hung from the sharp steel, coughing blood past his pierced mouth. His eyes rolled back and he shuddered in obvious pain as Gin raised his sword higher, his sleeve slipping back to show the tendons and muscles straining gorgeous strong on his pale forearm.

Ulquiorra slid down along the blade and came to an awkward kneeling position when the handguard hit the back of his head. His free hand lifted quivering to touch the flat side of the blade with cold fingertips and struggling for breath, he realized he had no means of escape. He was caught, the little bat, between the snake's fangs.

"G...Gin..." Was all that came through Grimmjow's tight throat as he watched, mesmerised, the merciless torture of his assailant. He stared on as Gin carried - dragged - Ulquiorra's bleeding form along the floor and dumped him outside his chambers like he was nothing but, ironically enough, trash.

Gin came back to his side soon enough, sheathing his sword. He seated himself beside the arrancar on his bed and reached out to brush his fingers along the edges of his violated hollow hole. His touch was cold and strange and Grimmjow couldn't help the instinctive jerk back from it. He was still aching, after all.

"I'm sorry." Gin said quietly as he drew his hand back and rested it on his lap.

Grimmjow reached out to clasp his rough fingers onto the man's long, pale digits, squeezing a little too weakly for his own liking. "Not your fault." He grumbled. "I let my guard down."

"That is no excuse for why I didn't take care of you." Gin pushed his hand away gently. "I left you at his mercy-"

"I said it ain't your fault!" Grimmjow snapped, grabbing onto his hand fiercely. He groped it with some awkward sense of desperation, his voice dropping from his snarl. "But it sure as hell gonna be your fault if you leave me alone now. Stay, you bastard. Stay and make it better."

Gin hesitated, watching his lover through his lashes. Even when all wrapped up in gauze, bleeding and missing an arm, Grimmjow was gorgeous. He was drawn to him, helplessly so, instinct beginning to overpower his will far too easily.

He bent down and kissed him. His lips were thin and cool, not the most comforting touch, but Grimmjow responded eagerly, receiving his kisses quietly. He moved carefully and eased himself on the bed beside him, wrapping his arms around his form to pull him into a soft embrace. Grimmjow shifted to tangle their legs together and they lay in silence, only their kisses communicating through tongue and lips, and no teeth at all because the moment didn't allow for it. Savagery was out of question.

They didn't move from the bed for long, lingering moments of strange delicacy. It was mostly Gin who wouldn't let Grimmjow out of his arms and the arrancar yielded to his hold. Breathing soft against each other's faces, their lips still met from time to time.

"He hurt you..." Gin said eventually, his voice strained on guilt. "I should have-"

"Gin." Grimmjow huffed out his name. His blue eyes were oddly warm and soft. "Quiet. Don't speak. Especially not stupid shit." But his mouth was still rough when talking. Gin smiled.

"My bad. Of course someone as prideful as you wouldn't like to be protected." He hummed, halfway teasingly.

"That too." Grimmjow eyed his mouth for a second before pecking a kiss to it. He really liked kissing Gin. He wasn't sure exactly what sort of feeling he got from it because it was a mix of anxiety, serenity and heat, but it was definitely something he enjoyed. "But just stop sulking about it, really. We're not glued together, you couldn't have known in advance so just be glad. You prevented him from going further."

"I would have gone mad if I didn't. I can't stand the thought of him wanting you." Gin whispered in an urgent, shuddering tone as he caught Grimmjow's mouth in a torrent of kisses, worried passion poured into every hurried nip of his lips, the long fiery licks of his tongue. The wet noises echoed between them quietly and Grimmjow soon felt himself grow dizzy with the sensation. His mouth began pleasantly aching, his tongue felt heavy and his lips tingled hotly. He was thoroughly breathless by the time Gin pulled back.

"Shit, don't stop." He muttered, pushing his hand into Gin's silver hair to tug him closer again. Their mouths melted into each other in a slippery mess and minutes seemed to slip through their fingers tightly gripping onto the other's body. The room around them was silent and reverent, no one dared disturb them.

Their vicious passion carefully quieted down into small, damp caresses across their faces. Grimmjow dropped a final kiss to Gin's chin before shifting on the bed to bury his face into the crook of his neck.

"Gin, I-"

"Don't say anything." Gin whispered, closing his eyes as he returned his lover's awkward cuddle. They fit together so well, meshing perfectly even while wearing clothes. It was wonderful. "You don't need to."

Grimmjow remained silent then, hand resting on Gin's back, so he rubbed his thumb along his spine. He wondered why neither of them felt truly aroused, despite all the kissing they did in the past hour. He loved Gin's kisses and they made him feel amazing, so why did he not get all frisky this time?

"Thinking too much again, panther-san?" Gin asked after a second, moving to drop a kiss to his ear. "Hmm? What's on your mind?"

Gin's voice was so gentle right now. A delicious hum to his sensitive ears. Grimmjow made a relaxed purr in response before answering. "Nah. Just nonsense. And you?"

"Me? I'm just wondering how gorgeous you are." Gin said very earnestly, earning himself a pinch to the back. "Itt-tete..."

"Don't tease me already." Grimmjow muttered, rolling his eyes. "I'm totally trashed up."

"Hm, can't say I wouldn't like to erase your injuries, but..." Gin shrugged a shoulder lightly. "I still think you're maddening."

"You're kinda good looking too." Grimmjow mumbled back, clumsily attempting to compliment the man in return. He wasn't sure how to put it into words that looking at Gin made him want to buff up against him and cling. It sounded ridiculously stupid to say just that. But it was true, he did think his lover was amazingly handsome. Especially those eyes of his.

"My, thank you." Gin chuckled and nuzzled his nose into his messy, blue hair. He didn't mind his lover's awkwardness. If anything, it only made the arrancar even more attractive. Gin was so tired of all the so-called 'perfection'. So tired of Aizen.

Grimmjow huffed quietly, face still hidden in the curve of Gin's neck. He liked burying it there because it was warm and he could sniff at him whenever he wanted. He liked doing that because Gin's scent did amazing things to him. It made him feel nervous, giddy, aroused and terribly attached at once. It was like a powerful magnet that he was helpless to resist.

"Are you sniffling me, kitten?" Gin blinked in surprise before laughing quietly. How charming could this man be? "That's adorable!"

"Shut up..." Grimmjow mumbled in embarrassment, clawing down his back as a form of playful punishment. "I like it. You can't argue with that."

"That's quite true." Gin agreed, hissing a little at the scratching to his back. It was vicious, despite being through his clothes. "Hm? I'm wondering..."

"Yeah?" Grimmjow picked up his head, still a little pink across his nose, but it wasn't too noticeable so he didn't mind showing his face. "Whassit?"

"What do you look like in your released state?" Gin asked, reaching up to rub his thumb behind Grimmjow's ear in an affectionate gesture, earning himself a happy purr from the panther.

"I'll show ya sometime." Grimmjow mumbled. He sniffed and was definitely not pouting. Well in his case, it was more of a mix between a scowl and a pout, menacingly adorable. "Maybe when you finally mark me." He huffed out defiantly.

"Ah." Gin chuckled at the ultimatum he received and at the endearing expression on Grimmjow's face. "I see. Fair enough."

"Hn." Grimmjow pushed him onto his back and clambered atop him, spreading himself out so his head rested on Gin's shoulder. "Now shaddap and be a good pillow."

"Oh?" Gin blinked at their new position before running his fingers through the other's messy, blue hair. It was soft to the touch and a very attractive colour. Grimmjow was really an art of nature. "Aren't I too bony to be a pillow?"

"Idiot." Grimmjow scoffed. Gin may have appeared bony, but he was lean and toned and just... very nice to cuddle. "You're comfy enough. And I need to sleep to heal." He nestled himself properly then breathed in deep, letting it out in a tired puff. "Stay with me."

"Hmm." Gin continued caressing his hair in slow pets. The man's weight on him didn't disturb him at all. Besides, he figured he deserved some shut-eye too after all the... excitements of the day. "There's no way I'll leave." He murmured, closing his eyes fully to follow his quietly snoozing lover off to dreamland.

TBC in nect chapter