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

Warnings: Implied GinGrimm smut? Twice.

A/N: *crawls out from her grave* Hnng...? *shields eyes from sunlight* Is... is there anyone out there... still?
Seriously though, sorry, SO SORRY for the giant wait! I had a violent writer's block, a minor identity crisis and a breakup to deal with. Murr.

Story 10 - Replacement

By the time he woke, they have shifted their positions. Both on their sides, Gin was spooning him softly from behind, snoozing into his messy, blue hair. Grimmjow yawned delightedly, shifting his hips about a little until he got comfortable again in the other man's hold. He blinked his eyes open sleepily, feeling lazy and unwilling to get up just yet. That was just fine, wasn't it? Nothing much was happening right now anyways. It was a time of boring peace, but Grimmjow felt more content than he ever remembered being. It wasn't all that bad to take some time off from being a vicious monster, especially if it meant getting snuggled by that handsome bastard behind him. Heheh.

He felt Gin move behind him, press closer to his shifting hips and he grinned lightly. Sensitive, was he? He considered teasing the man, but his little idea was ruined the very next second.

"Mmm... I see you're up." Gin whispered into his hair. Grimmjow wanted to huff that he couldn't even pick on him for his sharp senses, but didn't dwell on it too long in the end. Gin was nuzzling him now, after all, and it felt really good.

"Yeah. I think I slept enough." He responded, voice a rough drawl from sleep. He pressed his face into the pillows and tensed his back muscles lightly before slumping again. A little stiff, but he could live with that. Especially if he got more Gin-nuzzles in return for the aches he endured. Hm, he deserved all that spoiling, he thought.

"You did?" Gin sounded considerably more awake than himself despite having his face buried in the crook of his neck, Grimmjow noted sulkily. How could one sound so aware and collected just after waking? Unfair. But the stroking to his hipbone felt very nice, so he didn't mention it.

"I think." He stifled a yawn to try and pretend he was just as much of a morning person and it failed miserably. Hmm, he still felt like sleeping some more in the end. Sleep was one of the nicest things to do... and now he sounded like Starrk so he needed to get his act together. He reached up and rubbed under one of his sharp aqua blue eyes. "Aaah... my hole doesn't hurt anymore."

"That's dirty." Gin pointed out gleefully, earning himself a disgruntled squirm from his panther.

"Your mind's what's dirty, bastard!" Grimmjow tried to snarl, far less vile than when he was actually fully awake. Nevertheless, he reached down to scratch at Gin's lower arms viciously. The man hissed with the red welts growing on his pale skin, but they seemed to have a completely different effect than what Grimmjow had hoped for.

"Oh, don't tempt me, kitten..." The silver-haired man purred, thin lips pressed at his ear suddenly and Grimmjow kicked out in protest at the teasing.

"Who's tempting ya?! Lemme go! Oi!"

"Haha..." Gin laughed quietly, cheerful over his apparent distress and Grimmjow bristled at the noise. Oh, he was going to smash his handsome face in someday!

"Stop snickering! I can hear ya! I can goddamn hear ya!" He finally fought himself free of Gin's arms and turned around to fix him with a glare, full force.

Gin remained amused and obviously unafraid. "Now, now. Don't wrinkle your eyebrows at me, panther-san." He murmured playfully. Slowly, he eased a sneaky hand across the surface of the bed and Grimmjow quickly scooted back from it. Gin chuckled as he stretched his forefinger out and wriggled it about teasingly, scratching the surface of the bed a couple of times. Grimmjow eyed that finger suspiciously, mouth turned down with a frown settling on his face.

"Whatcha up to?" He asked cautiously, shoulders tensing lightly, body moving to flatten against the bed when Gin moved the scritchy-scratching finger towards him. Horrified, he realized he really wanted to pounce that finger and try to catch it. Consciously, he forced himself to scoot further away from it and Gin laughed out loud at the panicked little expression he was making.

"Oh, Grimmjow..." He moved across the bed in one fluid motion and pulled the man into his arms at once. He kissed him, playful and fleeting, in small pecks that left tingles behind on the panther's mouth.

Grimmjow blushed to an inexplicable shade of red when he realized he had been teased upon his feline instincts, but even more when he realized what the obvious continuation of that sigh of his name would have been. The void somewhere within him ached terribly and he shivered down his spine with the nervous sting. Desperate to hide his reddened cheeks, he pressed into the kisses to deepen them and moved his arm to cling to Gin's back with his nails pressing into his muscles through his clothes. Even with his imaginary fur ruffled, he felt the same. He definitely felt the same for this man. God damn it. And there was no way back from there, he was painfully aware, only deeper in.

Once they had the mind to let go of each other's lips, Gin raked his fingers through his hair and Grimmjow growled pleasantly at the touch. He nipped on his earlobe though, not forgetting the joke on him just now. Gin hissed for the feel of his sharp teeth and Grimmjow took what small reaction he could get happily.

Silence ticked away and Grimmjow was just about to fall asleep all over again, lulled by Gin's closeness and the warmth they were sharing, when Gin spoke up, voice edged on anxiety, "Aizen is going to appoint a new Sexta, soon."

Naturally, Grimmjow didn't like the sound of that. He pushed himself away to try and catch Gin's gaze with his unhappy glare and he finally managed for once. The cool blue were softened on worry, a slightly awkward expression on the man's sharp features, but still unquestionably attractive. No wonder Grimmjow all of a sudden found it difficult to focus on the topic at hand and not at how else Gin could look at him with those eyes of his. Sufficiently distracted, he took a kiss first before forcing himself to remember the man's words and let the rage build inside.

"You sure of that?" He asked eventually, his voice rumbling into a growl. He was not only angry at the thought of being replaced, but uncomfortable as well. He dreaded what that would mean for himself. Would he be appointed as the fracción of some higher-ranking arrancar? Like Nnoitra? Or worse, Ulquiorra? That wasn't how it normally worked, but this was Aizen, one could never know. He couldn't stand the idea and growled more at just imagining it. So much for being peaceful and content for once.

"It's certain." Gin confirmed quietly. "He needs ten Espada, plus the three of us, to oppose the Gotei Thirteen... never mind that now. Listen to me, Grimmjow." Gin ran his hand from his hair behind his ear and rubbed the sensitive skin there slowly. He was trying his best to cool him down and Grimmjow felt he was about to yield, though unwilling, to his magical touch. He didn't want to listen to reason right now. Grimmjow kicked lightly, trying to move further back on the bed, but Gin caught his side and held him fast.

"Shit, let me go..." The panther hissed, glaring the man in the eyes. "Don't tell me that shit here! No, don't tell me that shit at all! I don't want to know! I'm NOT going to be replaced!" He swatted at Gin's hand, clawed at it, needed to escape from the truth. Gin gripped his arm and yanked on him once, calling his name in a cold, authoritative tone.

"Grimmjow!" When the arrancar only growled and glared and didn't try to move away again, he softened on his touch and voice, going on quietly, "Listen now... Aizen is going to make you watch the numbering. He wants you to snap and give Tousen an excuse to kill you. Do you understand me? You have to keep yourself in check. No matter how angry you get, you absolutely can't let yourself go on a rampage." He moved his hand back up to the man's face, thumb slipping in behind his ear to let his thumb continue circling, a hypnotic touch that slowly left Grimmjow feeling numb to his fingertips. His vision began narrowing down, focused solely on Gin, his eyes especially. Soon, his ears were wide open, drinking his smoothly whispered words like he was some sort of deity to him. "I can't afford to lose you to something stupid like that. I refuse to allow it."

"Mm... okay..." Grimmjow muttered, sounding dazed, a little out of it like he wasn't exactly aware of what was happening to him. His eyelids drooped, heavy and he yawned loudly with the rubs continuing on his ear. Oh... damn, what was he supposed to be angry about...? Just now...

"Good. Now, let me look at your hollow hole..." Gin pressed him onto his back all of a sudden and rose to his hands and knees over him, trailing his fingertips down his chest towards the abused hole on the arrancar's abdomen. When Grimmjow didn't shy away from his touch, he caressed it in a loving circle to trace the outline of the hole with a feather light touch. It still looked scarred, bruised, but it was definitely healing. Gently, he slipped his fingertips inside-

He didn't quite expect to earn himself a low, guttural moan and an insistent grab and yank down from his lover. With a quiet yelp, he toppled onto Grimmjow's body, covering it with his own. He fumbled a little, tried to get up, but found that impossible with how his lustful panther was hanging off of him. Eventually, he gave up and groaning, followed his lover into madness...

It seems the time had come. To say Grimmjow was unhappy about it was a huge understatement. He remained growling in the background as he watched the tattooing of the little slutfaced bastard, the new Sexta, Luppi... Luppi whatever. He didn't care to remember his full name. He'd kill him sooner or later anyways. He didn't know how, just yet, but he would wipe that sultry grin off his face one way or another. Damn it, he was boiling over with the desire to just tear him to pieces!

But figures that Aizen would make him watch the ceremony. Gin had warned him he would. Aizen would want to watch him squirm and fall apart, he was a cruel puppeteer, he wanted Grimmjow to snap and attack Luppi so it would give Tousen a petty excuse to kill him. Gin had warned him about it all and he still felt like doing it anyways. His blood was raging. He wanted to rip Luppi to shreds, carve out his eyes with his claws, especially, especially when the little brat threw glances at Gin. Threw fucking slutty glances at Gin.

Shit. He was barely holding back. He couldn't stand this. He didn't want to stand this. His nature hissed and raged, but he shoved his fisted hands into his pockets and scoffed, glaring the bitch down viciously as he flounced past him. He wanted to fuck that ugly face up so bad. Why would he make eyes at Gin when he was obviously-

...well, not obviously, there was no mark. But Gin was his anyways! Wasn't he? He knew he was! And Gin knew he was! Right?! Gin knew he was Grimmjow's only... right?

Apparently Gin was ignoring Luppi altogether, but that didn't make Grimmjow feel any better about the situation. And it certainly didn't stop Luppi from flaunting his hips at the man. What was worse that if Grimmjow was forced to be honest, he would have to admit that Luppi was the sort of arrancar that would make the perfect submissive partner: small, slim, seductive eyes, obviously sensual - to the point of being obscene about it. Crippled in his pride with the loss of his arm, Grimmjow felt a fresh, creeping sensation of inferiority and roared in anger on the inside.

What Aizen next said didn't help one bit.

"Ah... and before I forget." His brown eyes focused on Grimmjow all of a sudden and the panther felt his skin prickle uncomfortably under the stare. He felt an imaginary noose coil around his throat and the chokehold was more than worrying. "Grimmjow, I am going to appoint you as Luppi-kun's fracción. I expect you to be supportive of him to the best of your abilities."

Grimmjow couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned his disbelieving glare from the godman to Luppi's choked, ugly little sniggers and felt his hands twitch in his pockets. He physically felt the sword on his hip wail to be sunk into the giggling pest's eyeballs. Shit. He was so close to just ripping his face off!

But Grimmjow knew Gin was focused on him right then, was aware he was at the ready to stop him or stop Tousen or Luppi, or all three of them. The air was so tense that only Aizen dared to breathe, the mocking asshole. Grimmjow knew Gin had curled his fingers around the handle of his sword. Damn it, but he wanted to kill both Aizen and Luppi! He needed to see them writhe in agony at his feet... He couldn't STAND this! But he couldn't do anything! He knew that already! Fine! Shit...

"Yeah." He got out on a barely restrained growl, flashing both Aizen and Luppi a final, scathing glare before quickly turning and opting to hightail it out of the room. He needed to get out of there before he decided to screw it and fuck up the entire gathering of merry little spectators.

The meeting dispersed quickly and Gin remained behind, turning towards Aizen. "How very clever of you..." He murmured, tongue sweetened still on his general mocking respect. "Aizen-han, that sort of cruelty is very creative."

"Why, thank you, Gin." Aizen tilted his smooth chin onto his knuckles and regarded him with an easy smile and a scrutinizing gaze. "I expected you to be more upset that I gave your little toy off to someone else."

"Me?" Gin's lips pulled apart into a wide expression that was nowhere near a smile. It was cold and unsettling, evil at the very core. "I am not that selfish, you know that too." He whispered. "Besides, did you see the look on his face? Wasn't that adorable? So angry!"

"Hm..." Aizen looked at him contemplatively and Gin knew he was trying to judge the honesty of his words - but that was impossible. "Really?" He went on quietly, tone softly triumphant. "Then why did you look about ready to strike when I appointed him?"

"Oh? Why, I thought it wouldn't be very nice if Grimmjow-kun decided to give in to his anger." Gin sighed, pushing his hands into the sleeves of his coat. With measured, cold cruelty ringing through the easy lilt of his voice, he went on. "We can't afford stupid cats to ruin our integrity, can we? Aizen-han." He tilted his chin down a little, beginning to walk away from the man. "It would have been fine if I had to kill him."

Gin felt Aizen's gaze on the back of his neck as he exited the room. Once out in the corridor, he paused to glance back and lamented silently on the fact that he was so far gone in his act that he was never entirely sure if he had really lied.

Then again, the fierce anger towards their leader only simmered worse inside when he declared his decision about Grimmjow's fate. What would happen now? A fracción needed to serve his or her master faithfully to the death. No matter the situation, a fracción had to remain obedient and unquestioning of his or her master's authority. Gin knew Grimmjow was never cut out to be a fracción. What Aizen did was basically ensure that Grimmjow did something to draw his wrath on him. Aizen wanted to provoke Grimmjow into acting out of line so he could have an excuse to kill him.

Well, Gin was not going to let him have that pleasure. After all, he had one obvious advantage: that he stood above Luppi and so Luppi owed obedience towards him. Though he wouldn't trust his fidelity too much, he was going to use him for his purpose easily. It was never difficult for Gin to terrify people into being nice and quiet about things.

With that decision made, Gin moved on to find his distressed panther-san and comfort him properly. Not that he knew a lot about comforting people and true, he was having a dirty idea when thinking that, but he was honestly worried what Grimmjow might do if put out to this humiliating situation for too long. He was well aware what pride meant to the feline arrancar and wasn't sure if he could endure his current state for much longer. Gin would never bet his life on Grimmjow's - actually, lack of - patience. He knew the panther was going to explode sooner or later and sooner seemed much more likely. Grimmjow needed an outlet of some sorts until Gin settled some sort of a deal with Luppi.

He found the ex-Sexta in his new room, a small chamber right next to his old quarters that now belonged to Luppi. With an expression more outraged than sulky, Grimmjow looked at Gin when he entered and hissed, "How do you expect me to not kill the bastard?!"

Gin sighed, moving to seat himself beside the man. The place was cramped and Gin knew the panther needed a much bigger place than this just to exist, let alone live comfortably. "We're going to make this work."

"Shut UP already!" Grimmjow snarled despite those being Gin's first words to him since that morning. He glared, full-force, back tense and his teeth showing. His fury was overwhelming. "You have NO IDEA how this feels! You don't know shit about me! You tell me to hold back, but do ya even know how fucking hard it is?! I'm an Espada! And I'm humiliated like this! The fuck are you thinking?! It would have been fine to kill the bastard! I gotta get rid of him! I HAVE TO! No other shit matters!"

Gin let the words wash over him and listened to Grimmjow curse and roar about his misfortune and anger. Eventually, he grew tired of being growled at the second he tried to open his mouth and reason with the man so he pressed the edge of his sword to the arrancar's throat in a very decisive, cold-blooded threat. "...will you quiet down a second?"

"Shit..." Grimmjow growled anyways, tilting his head back as he felt the sword press into his hierro, threatening to cut it through. "You put that damn thing down, right now..." He muttered, his glare still as firm as he looked at Gin. He wasn't easy to cool down, then again Gin didn't expect him to be. He was ready to take desperate measures.

"Hngh..." The sword sank into Grimmjow's flesh and he felt the hot red of his blood trickle to slip along the blade. Was Gin really...? "Asshole..." He whispered still, though his eyes has grown a little wider as he realized Gin was not joking and he was ready to kill him any second now.

Gin's expression didn't change. He looked cold, downright evil, a deadly snake ready to strike down and pump him full of poison. A beat, and then his thin, pale fingers curled around Grimmjow's throat and pressed him onto the bed with a loud creak.

"Shit!" Grimmjow wailed as he was suddenly staring at the tip of Gin's sword from up close. The man held the blade straight at his left eye, pointed down towards him, just a command away from piercing his skull through. Grimmjow tried to kick out, but Gin pinned him with his knees, his hand about his throat cutting off his windpipes painfully. "Ha-khhhh..." The arrancar fought for a gulp of air desperately while the sword was still glaring into the pupil of his eye, slowly coming closer. "F... a- kh... ngh... s...st...st...!" He was trying to tell the man to stop, why was Gin doing this, Gin, the Gin who would kiss him and embrace him and keep him safe, why would he, why him, why now, he didn't want this, what the fuck was happening?!

"Stop?" Gin whispered, the word rolling off his tongue in a smooth warning. Grimmjow froze up, the tip of the sword nearly touching his eyeball now, so god damn close and jesusfuckingchrist, was he going to die here? Was he going to? At Gin's hands? After all that happened between them? Was he just... was he going to disappear?!

A gasp, slight chatter from his teeth and his chest heaving violently as Gin's finger slowly loosened on his throat. Still in a state of terror at the idea of no longer existing, Grimmjow didn't dare to move even his little finger.

"Look, Grimmjow." Gin moved to sheathe his sword as he slowly climbed off of the man. "You're terrified of dying." He looked at him, cool blue pinning him to the spot. "You're not afraid of pain, fighting or even the agony of slowly bleeding out. You just don't want to disappear. It's that simple."

"Shit..." Grimmjow whispered, surprisingly feeble now as he turned his head away to the side and gritted his teeth. The rest of his body was still locked up in fright. He didn't dare to move.

"So please don't blabber about killing Luppi." Gin went on, merciless. He needed to do this, as much as it hurt him to break Grimmjow's rightful anger down. "You're not going to succeed. Not in your current state, you have to realize that."

"But-"

"No." Gin didn't let him go any further than the weak protest. "You have to realize that. You need to wait. Grimmjow, you're a predator. Hunting is not always a quick chase and an easy kill. Sometimes... no, more often than not, you wait quietly in the dark before striking down and fighting for survival. Finding a cosy place to belong here in Las Noches, you seemed to forget that."

Grimmjow's muscles slowly relaxed, but he was still refusing to look at Gin. He knew the man was right, but it was difficult to hear all that. He had been so stupid. His anger was so hot that he nearly did something ridiculously idiotic. Damn it, he was better than that! He definitely knew better than to get himself killed like that!

Gin didn't want to let him have very much time for thinking. It wouldn't do Grimmjow any good if he beat himself up about it for too long. Besides, he had other plans in mind.

"Good. Now don't worry too much. I am not going to let Luppi soil what's mine." Gin whispered, shrugging off his coat with a foreboding rustle of clothes. Grimmjow's head snapped up and his eyes widened in disbelief as he scooted up along the bed, away from Gin's spear-like, firm figure stalking him down, devouring him with solely his gaze.

"Fuck, damn..." The arrancar muttered helplessly as the man descended on him, unforgiving hands stealing quick fire beneath his skin with knowing caresses. His touch was cold and strange, familiar yet a thrilling new sensation every time. And just a few seconds ago he was about to kill him...! "You're a madman..."

"I am." Gin whispered against his mouth, felt his lover strain his thighs to accommodate him better. Lust simmered between them, burning inhibitions and hesitation with mocking ease. All that remained was instinct, primal and tender. "And you... despite being so keenly aware of it, can't help but want me all the same."

"Uhn..." Grimmjow's eyes fell closed at once to hear his voice all the better. Quickly, he threw his arm around his neck and dug his fingers into his back with violent need and with his breath hurrying through his lips, he whispered, "Keep talking, you bastard..."

TBC in next chapter