Chapter Three: Brothers
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Period.
To say it bluntly: Nnoitra hated people. He despised them. Every single one of those tiny little humans, each of them claiming to be something different and better than the rest of the lot, without realizing that they were all the same insignificant filth. They struggled all their life to clamber with tiny steps the society ladder, while trampling over their colleagues and backstabbing friends to attain something as trifling, ephemeral and earthbound as money and influence. And then what? They died. They FUCKIN died, and all their efforts they'd put over the decades would go to waste; their achievements would crumble and disappear, as if they have never existed. People were fuckin morons who never learned, they blindly obeyed the law, zealously pursued that ready-made standard social model of existence and detested anything that strayed from this pattern.
The man sitting next to him seemed to be the same type. No, not quite. He was the unrealized type, the kind of guy who was too incompetent, too stupid or downright unlucky to end up living in poverty. Nnoitra could judge that by the large bald spots mottling his dishelved, grey hair, the dark circles of fatigue and old age around his eyes, the network of wrinkles crossing across his forehead, those tired grayish-green eyes who stared with vague anxiousness and elderly senility. His clothes were old and worn out, his shoes were in a horrible condition. What Nnoitra could make out of the ruins of his apartment were old, worn out furniture and a-quarter-century-old kitchen appliances, most of them ill-kept. That old fart probably had nobody in his life but his niece, who was most likely the only working person from the two of them, and now he'd either die from starvation or fright till she was discharged from the hospital. The lowliest scum on Earth.
Then why. Why in Buddah's giant fat ass and Allah's hairy testicles did he bother to get that bitch and her senile uncle out of that crumbling building? Why did he waste his time and money with people whom he was probably never going to meet again in his life after all of this shit was over? He was also never going to see them again either if he'd left them to their fate back then. For sure! Then why!? What kind of devil possessed him to get out of his way to lend them an undeserved helping hand?! What kind of weak-minded subconscious feeling of guilt pushed him towards this… idiotic act of chivalry, this unnecessary interference in events that didn't concern him the slightest? He should have just walked away. He should have ignored that weak, reproachful whisper of his dignity and instinctive adherence towards humanity which he hated so much and thought with his head about what awaited him after embarking on this act. He was going to waste so much valuable time with these people, so much time he was going to put to better use by sitting in his room, contemplating the setting sun and brooding over the world and his own existence…
Yeah… certainly a better way to spend time…
The taxi stopped in front of the hospital, dropping them on the bustling street, where unfamiliar faces were pacing in every direction, completely indifferent to what was happening to Nnoitra and his companions. There was an empty ambulance parked in front of the entrance of the hospital with its doors wide open. The driver was still fussing around the vehicle, seemingly not doing anything of importance. Neliel's uncle walked over to the driver and asked him if they were the ones who had escorted his niece into the hospital. The man denied, stating that he'd never seen a green-haired woman with a broken leg today. Nnoitra could see that the old man's nerves were on the edge of breaking from worry, but he didn't care. He called over to him to follow him inside.
The hospital was busier than usual, with doctors and nurses dashing back and froth in every corridor, ushering patients with all sorts of ailments and injuries into different operating rooms, pushing handicapped people in wheelchairs, watching and talking with other patients moving through the hallways, or just pacing evenly while examining documents and medical records. It was chaos in every direction and Nnoitra had a hunch that the fire and the attack an hour ago had a lot to do with it. There was no telling how many other people got hurt badly during those disasters. Other people whom, thankfully, he couldn't take care of. He walked over to the reception with Neliel's uncle still following him, dumbfound and wordless in his anxiety, and asked the receptionist:
"A girl with green hair and a broken right leg were rushed in here a while ago. She got stuck in that building that was attacked."
The woman examined him for a few seconds carefully, probably thinking who the hell was this man with greasy hair and malicious eyes, when she answered: "Yes, there is a patient like that. Neliel Aizen, right?"
The old man nodded franticly.
"We rarely have patients with hair color like hers, so it was easy to remember her. She's in room 206, the doctors are treating her leg. As you can see, the situation here is quite serious, there are dozens of people with serious injuries and burns from the two accidents being ushered in, the entire medical staff is busy handling the situation, so I can't tell you exactly when you'll be able to see her."
Nnoitra and the uncle walked away and sat on the only unoccupied bench in total silence. A minute later, Neliel's uncle spat out:
"God send those bastards to hell!" His eyes were red and watery. "Curse them all for what they did to my Neliel!"
Nnoitra just stared at him. There was no point in saying anything. It was one of those somber moments when it was better to remain silent. There were no words that could ease his pain, that could set him at rest. It was natural for a uncle to be worried sick for her niece and to curse the agent of her misfortunes. Stuff like 'Don't worry, she'll be alright' were useless small talk. They could easily transform from well-meant encouragements to cruel lies, because death was a cruel mistress who could take away a person's life on a whim. Nnoitra made a correct choice by remaining silent. Plus, trying to console the man would have also been an act of hypocrisy, because, to tell the truth, Nnoitra didn't care much what happened to that girl. He started regretting what he did the moment he escorted them out of their collapsing apartment building. He just… couldn't put himself in their situation. He wasn't that type of understanding man who could cry for somebody else, who could experience a pain different than his own. It was egoism and callosity in their ultimate forms and Nnoitra knew that. It wasn't something he wished for. He was just made that way. Right now, he should be feeling a vague sensation of guilt and pain for these people, just like any normal person should. However, he didn't.
He just didn't. Simple as that.
A couple of minutes later a doctor came to ask them to leave the hospital, as it was not the right moment for visitors of any sort when there were so many injured people rushed in. Nnoitra took the man to a small café near the hospital, where the staff used to relax when they had free time. Today the place was nearly empty. He ordered two cappuccinos and took a seat at one of the small white round tables.
"Got free time to wait, old man?" Nnoitra asked evenly.
He nodded. "I'll wait as long as it takes. I'm terribly sorry for having you dragged in this dilemma, sir. I'll repay for your kindness and generosity as soon as this is over with, that's a promise!"
For a moment there, Nnoitra didn't know how to react. That guy thanked him. Expressed his gratitude towards him for wasting his time with something he might have easily passed by. Somehow, Nnoitra never considered seriously the thought that this man might be in his debt for saving his niece. Now, what should he say? He wasn't angry or irritated enough to nag at him about it. However, he also disliked the idea of acting like a noble hero of Good and Justice and acting as if saving damsels in distress was his bread and butter. So all Nnoitra did was snort and look away, as if putting an end to that discussion. The old man stared at him, confused at this strange reaction.
"I'm tired of calling you 'old man'." Nnoitra stated. "Why don't you introduce yourself already? Seems like I'll be hanging around you for some time."
Neliel's uncle blinked a few times till his brain processed the request. He answered in a faint voice:
"Shou Aizen. And my niece's name is Neliel Aizen."
An uncomfortable silence settled afterwards. 'Well, this discussion was obviously going nowhere the way it started' Nnoitra thought. Though Nnoitra was one of the people who'd say 'Silence is gold', even this silence was too heavy for him to bear. He rummaged through his head for something to talk about, but nothing appropriate came up to him. Thankfully, Shou saved him the trouble of picking up a topic to talk about when he said:
"To think how bad things can go, just when you least expect them. And to think that it was one of those rare times she visits me…"
"She doesn't live with you, eh?"
Shou shook his head. "No. Though I wish she did."
Nnoitra leaned on his seat more comfortably, while looking for some sort of answer. Unfortunately, everything he could think of sounded either too personal or too stupid. He gave up and gave this question a try:
"Busy working?"
"No. Her father won't let her see me."
Nnoitra let out a quiet humming sound. Shou's story sparkled a little interest in him.
"Not on good terms with your brother, eh?"
"Not at all. It's because we are total opposites that he keeps us away from each other. My younger brother, Sosuke Aizen, turned out to have a very successful life. He started from a simple accountant in 'Supernova' software technologies and worked his way all the way to the top. Or cheated and bribed, in many occasions. He's now the president of the company and earns more than 10 million a year."
The mentioning of the company name made Nnoitra's eyes widen. It was the same fuckin company! The one where he was going to apply for the job of a delivery guy! Good fuckin Lord, it was a golden opportunity he couldn't miss! That woman's father was going to fall on his knees and kiss his feet in gratitude for saving his daughter. And when he asked Nnoitra how could he ever repay himself, Nnoitra would know exactly what he'd ask for. Holy shit, he was going to become outrageously rich! His mouth was already watering. It would mean the end to that claustrophobically small apartment with its grey walls and scarce furniture. He was going to get a new, bigger apartment... No! A house! A big house in the countryside with a large pitbull in the front yard, a new S-class Mercedes, a huge plasma television, an enormous couch where he could sink his body and drift asleep…
He stared at Shou with an even stronger interest, laced with a greedy intention.
"This Aizen guy looks like the type of parent who'd buy expensive shit for his daughter but wouldn't spend quality time with her."
"Your supposition is a right one. My brother values his time far too much to waste it with something as insignificant as his one and only child. He claims to know everything about marketing and finances, but he doesn't know a single thing about his daughter. If he did and if he cared about it, my brother and I would have buried the hatched a long time ago and Neliel wouldn't have to sneak out of the house under the pretext that she is hanging out with her friends. It is horrifying how money and power can ravage a person's soul…"
A pang of a vague, strange feeling stirred Nnoitra's soul. Was that guilt? He completely ignored it seconds later as the golden mirage flashed before his eyes again.
"So why are ya two fighting anyway?" Nnoitra asked.
"It's like I said: we are total opposites. Our radically different views on the world are the main reason for the dissension between us. I value nature and human life, he values money and influence. I am a religious Christian, he is atheist. I enjoy staring at the sunrise, he enjoys driving expensive cars and traveling all over the world. I've worked all my life with my own strengths and an honest heart and remained on the same position as the chief engineer in the factory where I used to work, while he swindled and bribed his way all the way to the top, along with the help of some string-pulling. I was discharged when the factory closed down, Aizen's company continued to prosper and is now one of the leading software producing corporations in a global scale. He offered me the job of a cleaner there, but I refused. Aizen did so not because of brotherly feelings towards me or because he took pity on my state, but to demonstrate his superiority to me. He was going to exploit and humiliate me to his heart's content. I chose to preserve the remnants of my dignity."
"That wasn't a job with prospects, but hell, if I could choose between that and poverty, I'd bend down and kiss his feet." Nnoitra commented.
"My pride got the best of me. I've changed several jobs since then, but over the last three years my health's been deteriorating, so I was forced to retire."
"Why take more than one job? Couldn't you find the same job somewhere else?"
"There hasn't been labor-market for engineers in the last few years. It turned out no one needed workers like me."
Nnoitra clicked his tongue. It was a gesture that could express (dis)agreement, sympathy, anger, indignation, anticipation or any other feeling depending on the situation. It was the perfect solution for those times when he couldn't think of a better response.
"With that financial crisis going amok everywhere, I'm not surprised." Nnoitra murmured.
Shou continued his story without paying much heed to Nnoitra's observation. "Back then, when the bonds between the two of us weren't completely broken, I would visit Neliel every week. She was just a young lass who needed her father's care and love, but didn't get any of it. I had little money, I rarely brought her any presents, but Neliel didn't request anything from me which I already didn't have. She just wanted someone who would listen to what she really wants to say, someone she could confide in. Sosuke thought that I was trying to steal his daughter away from her as a payback for being more successful than I was and he forbid us from seeing each other. A scandal like none other kicked up that night, blowing a hole in the relationships between father and daughter which would never be filled up. Since then, there has always been this tension and silent disagreement between the two of them. Neliel started visiting me secretly. She drew small sums of money from her father's bank account under the excuse that she buys herself new stuff with them. He didn't mind, as long as she spent the money for herself. If he knew that she gave the money to me, he would have never consented to it. I was ashamed that my niece was supporting me behind her father's back, but the situation I was in was too grim for me to refuse."
The waitress brought their beverages and left in a hurry.
"Your brother is seriously fucked up." Nnoitra stated bluntly and picked up his cup. "Doing all that shit just to bring you low. Doesn't his wife has a say in this squabble?"
"His wife is dead." Shou answered laconically.
Nnoitra stood petrified in a position with his hand bringing the cup up to his lips. A second later he broke the silence:
"That's… bad."
He took a sip from his drink. Neliel's uncle added in the same brief manner:
"He killed her."
Nnoitra was prudent enough to turn his head before spitting the cappuccino all over the ground. He bent in two while coughing hard. When his lungs were finally at ease and his eyesight no longer blurry, he gabbled out:
"What the fuck are you saying!?"
"Exactly what I mean. He killed his wife. She was found in the park one night, lying on the ground with her throat slit open. They couldn't find anything; the murder was carried out flawlessly, leaving no clues or traces. Sosuke was one of the main suspects, but he had a steel alibi and he had people who vouched for it. No one could prove that he did it and the case was closed. But I don't need anybody to prove me that my brother did it. I just know it. It was obvious. Sosuke and Retsu have been fighting ever since she gave birth to Neliel. It wasn't rare for their arguments to escalate to fierce brawls, when the odds were against him he tended to impose his will onto her through brute force. This outcome was bound to happen sooner or later. The news about her death were aired on the news when Neliel was five years old. Sosuke didn't shed a tear at his wife's funeral."
Nnoitra was wiping some cappuccino from his mouth when he said:
"Making assumptions like that is a bit biased, taking in mind the fact that you and your brother don't get along."
"That is why I couldn't act as a witness against him. The only thing I had was my opinion about him. Nothing else. You can't throw a person in prison because of what he is. You need to have solid evidence that he did something. However, if you've only lived in our family as long as I have… if you ever got the chance to know Sosuke the way I do, you'd see what I mean. You'd see the sides of him that the world doesn't see. You'll comprehend what he is capable of."
Nnoitra was silent for a few minutes, taking his time to sip from his cup before the cappuccino got cold. It was an uncomfortable silence once again. What the hell was he supposed to say after hearing something like this? And how the hell was he supposed to react? A man he knew from less than an hour was confiding him in his most private thoughts and his family life. How was it possible for Shou to drop his guard so easily around Nnoitra? Just because he happened to be the one to risk his own skin to get them out of the building didn't necessarily render him a saint. He wasn't compassionate or selfless by nature. It was just a rare spur of altruism which got the best of him. Nnoitra regretted again for getting involved with this man, because he was leaving him with a very, very false impression of himself.
They sat there for God-knows how long, killing time with random chit-chat about anything that crossed their minds. Tomorrow Nnoitra wouldn't be able to recollect most of the things they were talking about. Because he passionately prayed that he'd never have to meet these people again in his life. At some point, they stood up and went to the hospital to check how Neliel was doing. The bustle through the corridors had died out significantly, there was no longer that atmosphere of tension and lives hanging by the thread. For his own surprise, the receptionist immediately recognized Nnoitra and Neliel's uncle.
"You may go see her now. Her room is on the second floor, in the bottom of the corridor."
They took the stairs to the second floor, bypassing nurses and doctors who shot glances at them. They immediately orientated themselves in their surroundings and found room 206. A middle-aged man was just walking out of the room and greeted them.
"We treated the wound and set her leg in plaster. A broken knee and multiple bruises on the leg, as well as some other minor injuries all over the body. She is conscious right now, but don't take too much time to see her. She needs rest."
The door opened with a gentle creak as Shou peeked inside the room with the tentativeness of a parent who is cautious not to wake up a sleeping child. He completely entered it moments later, followed closely by Nnoitra.
It was an average hospital room with several beds lined against the sterile-white walls. Neliel was lying in her bed, dressed in the clean, white apparel presented to the patients who would be staying in the hospital for some time. Her face bore a stubborn expression, as if she was trying to deny the fact that she had been hospitalized and left immobilized on this bed. Her uncle hobbled to her bed and stroked her face.
"Neliel, my little Neliel! You're alright!" He wailed in relief. Hot tears were streaming down his cheeks. "It's all my fault!"
The green-haired woman frowned slightly and said in a gentle voice: "You should stop blaming yourself for everything that happens to me, uncle. There are things that you just can't predict or prevent."
"No! I had this feeling that something bad was going to happen ever since the day started! I should have called you and postponed our meeting for some other day! But I was too selfish; I wanted to see you so badly I completely disregarded that ominous feeling!" He wept even harder while pressing her niece's head to his chest. The tragic atmosphere was ruined by the awkward expression on Neliel's face, which made this whole scene look unnatural and slightly humorous. Nnoitra was tenaciously staring through the curtained window, just to prevent himself from chuckling.
"Cut it out already!" Neliel exclaimed. "I told you to stop worrying! The doctor said that the only serious injury is my broken knee; it'll take three months or so to completely heal."
"Please, Nel-chan, you know you mean the world to me! It's natural for your old uncle to be worried sick about you." He complained and stroked her cheek lovingly. She smiled cheerfully like a little girl.
And at long last, she noticed his presence. She turned to face him with a puzzled look. Nnoitra stared back sheepishly. Neliel glanced at her uncle in an unspoken question. Shou Aizen smiled in a broad grin of reverence and rapture and spoke:
"That man over there, Neliel, is the one who saved your life."
Nnoitra suddenly felt painfully uncomfortable in his own skin. A blush was crawling up his face and his intestines were wriggling like snakes. He was overcome by the sudden urge to dash towards his apartment, hide under the bed sheets, fall asleep and woke up with absolutely no memory of this ever happening. Shou had picked up the most lofty and venerable way to introduce him to her. He didn't want her first impression of him to be like he was some kind of selfless hero or a knight in shiny armor, because Nnoitra was rustier than a World War I aircraft engine. He also didn't have the physique or face of a hero: he was tall and skinny, had a small with a pointy chin and his lips curved in an unsightly smile, revealing a row of bucked teeth kept in a questionable condition. If a competition for the most heroic face was ever held and Nnoitra tried to participate in it, he would be kicked out the moment the audition set their eyes on him and be directed towards the nearest Most Villainous Countenance competition in town. His hair was in an even more woeful condition from the whole experience in Shou's apartment. All he needed was a ragged shirt and a straw hat and he'd easily pass as a scarecrow.
Neliel's face lost its previous expression. Perhaps she was puzzled by the concept that someone had saved her life and still needed time to put it in the category of things that could happen to her in real life. Because she knew perfectly that nobody would risk his skin for her. Because things like that happened only in movies. Her distant gaze that seemed to go right through him was a fair-spoken reflection of the mental processes that went through her head right now.
"That man rushed up the corridor, completely ignoring any fear of getting crushed by rubble or bricks, kicked the door open and barged in the room, not showing the slightest of concern for himself and completely unabashed to the fact that he may not leave alive! He helped me remove the concrete that was pinning you down and carried you all by himself outside!"
"Okay, Shou-san, that isn't completely accurate!" Nnoitra exclaimed in an injured air. "You and I brought her outside and I would have never have done it if you hadn't supported her under the other arm. Don't give all the credit to me!"
"You did far better than I would have ever acted in this situation, child." Shou replied with a wide grin. "I've never seen someone as collected as you!"
"Bullshit! I nearly crapped my pants when I saw all that blood!" Nnoitra turned obstinate and blushed hard. "Stop portraying me like some fuckin superman, cuz' I'm not like that, at all."
"It doesn't matter what you are, rather than what you did." Neliel's uncle stated wisely. "Your quick thinking and confident actions were what saved our lives. Many people would have panicked in that situation. Even more would have turned their backs on us and shamefully ran away."
'I wish I did the same', a bitter thought crossed Nnoitra's mind. It would have saved him this embarrassment.
"Now that I think about it, you never introduced yourself." Shou remembered.
Oh. That. Maybe because it was unnecessary. After all, they'd never meet again. Nevertheless, he answered:
"Nnoitra Jiruga. But just call me Nnoitra. No need for formalities."
No, he wasn't acting as if nothing happened. He told everyone to address him as casually as the could. He wasn't an etiquette man. The problem in this situation was that there was no way he could act impassive about this 'feat' of his without looking like some stereotypical self-righteous good guy who secretly knew how great he was, but was just playing all humble about it. But in truth, this whole business really meant nothing to him: he didn't feel proud about it, he didn't want to get praised about it. The only thing that sparkled his interest were the financial benefits he might favor from, but even that couldn't compensate for all the unwanted attention he received. For fuck's sake, all he wanted was to be left alone!
Neliel's gaze finally returned to the boundaries of reality, to this hospital room, and settled on Nnoitra.
"Thank you, Nnoitra-san." She said in a sonorous, happy voice.
Nnoitra's expression was the facial equivalent of constipation. It was hardened and racking.
"You have my eternal gratitude for rescuing me… I am indebted to you for what you did. I've… I've never imagined that something like this might happen to me. It still feels like a bad dream from which I've just awakened."
'I haven't woken up yet, though' Nnoitra thought.
"Nnoitra-san, it may take me a lifetime to repay you such an enormous debt, but I promise you that I'll return this favor!"
Nnoitra sighed in irritation and scowled. "You're taking this way too seriously. Also, I don't recall asking you to give me anything in return." He wasn't impudent enough to ask them directly for a reward. However, it would have been really nice if someone proffered the possibility of tossing him some money. It was a complicated, delicate situation, where he would have to pirouette gracefully and gently around the whole 'Payback' affair till those people got the hint that financial subsidy would suffice the most. Words, no matter how earnest and passionate they were, always bore more weight when presented with a small gift of appreciation, isn't that right?
"No, no! It's unthinkable to leave you empty-handed after you risked your life for us, two total strangers." Neliel refused after shifting in her sheets. "Please, Nnoitra-san, tell us what you'd like and I'll do anything in my power to make it possible!"
Nnoitra mentally rolled his eyes. 'Since when did this girl become a genie? Hmm, let's see… a pack of beer would be nice. A sack of money would be even nicer. By the way, your breasts look really big and soft, can you take those clothes off so I can ascertain it? You won't have to do a thing: I'll just pin you to the bed, stick my dick between your boobs and tit fuck till I cum all over your pretty face!'
What Nnoitra did say was: "If you insist so much on it, you can start off by getting me something to drink. Some Pepsi, maybe."
"Pepsi, you say?" Shou repeated.
"There's a vending machine down the corridor. I saw it when we were coming this way."
"Right! I'm on it! I'll get you something to drink, too, Neliel, you shouldn't get dehydrated at a time like this."
"Thank you, uncle." Neliel replied beamingly. When Shou left the room, Nnoitra slumped on one of the chairs and rested his head on the wall, exhaling an exhausted sigh.
His head hung loosely and his eyes closed.
"Nnoitra-san, are you alright?" Neliel asked.
"I told you not to call me Nnoitra-san. Nnoitra is just fine!" He grumbled. He ran his fingers through his dirty hair and murmured: "I hate it when people act all polite towards me. It's unnatural."
Neliel blinked a few times, probably because she couldn't quite understand why demonstrating good manners towards strangers was unnatural, but she did not in agreement: "Sorry, Nnoitra, I'll have it in mind from now on."
"So… how are you?" This question levered out of his mouth after a short silence. Neliel's face darkened noticeably, it no longer radiated the same liveliness and girlish giddiness when her relative was in the room. She seemed a lot more serious and wistful now.
"Well, my leg still hurts a little, even when I'm not moving it. Guess I got it messed up pretty badly." Neliel replied pensively.
"You have no idea. It looked like it was ran flat by a bulldozer. No wonder it still hurts." The man answered without a hint of consideration. Neliel shuddered at the imaginary picture of her ruined bones.
"The doctors said that I'll be staying here a few weeks till my leg gets better. After that I'll be spending the next three months walking with crutches." The woman went on. Her voice was not as grievous as was irritated, like someone who'd cancelled his holiday due to urgent office work. "And here I was yesterday, driving home from Pizza Hut."
"You work there?" Nnoitra checked.
"Yes. I'm the chef."
"Do you happen to know a guy by the name of Grimmjow?"
"Of course, he's the manager."
"New manager!?" Nnoitra exclaimed, wide-eyed. "He was a fuckin waiter three years ago!"
"Don't tell me you used to work there." Neliel chuckled.
"Yeah. It wasn't for long, though." Nnoitra snorted. "I got fired less than a year later because I got in a fight with him. The stuck-up bastard was asking for it, he just didn't know his place."
"He was annoying you to such an extent that you had to settle your dispute with brute force?" Neliel asked in surprise.
"Let's say that we just didn't bond at all. We were like a cat and a dog all the time."
"To tell the truth, he can be really obnoxious and haughty at times, but so far no one's gone out of his way to punch that fact in his face."
"Because he's the goddamn manager, right?" Nnoitra checked with a leer.
"That plays a big part, too." She laughed light-heartedly.
Nnoitra was still exploring his social surroundings and from what he deduced, there was nothing that was upsetting or annoying so far, which was a noteworthy occasion, considering Nnoitra's chronic inability to deal with people. Neliel seemed like a decent person, someone whom can be relied on. And from what her uncle had shared with him, she was a self-opinionated one, as well. It would be risky to abuse her benevolent will to repay herself by exploiting her excessively. The idea of asking money from her now seemed… idiotic, lowly and hypocritical towards his own morals. Why the fuck did he even consider the option of getting paid for saving her? It wasn't like he was in dire need for money, he could still get by with the savings he had.
"You know, you don't have to force yourself to repay me anythin'." Nnoitra muttered at some point.
Neliel smiled enigmatically, as if being entertained at a joke only she knew. "You don't like dealing with other people, do you, Nnoitra?"
He snorted and looked away. "I'm not trying to hide it, you can see that."
"Maybe you are embarrassed of having someone else indebted to you?" She tried.
"I don't want you to give me anythin', because I know how it feels to be in someone else's debt." Nnoitra relied sorely and leaned his head on his hands. "You feel a kind of guilt about it, you can't rest till you've settled your business…"
"That depends on the situation and one's personal perceptions of the notion." Neliel continued. "You consider indebtedness as something that restrains a man's free will and actions, an obligation that tolerates no deferment, a deal of some sorts that benefits you little to nothing. I consider it a natural response that evens out the giving-receiving process. In order to receive, you have to give something and vice versa, that is one of the fundamental natural orders, don't you agree, Nnoitra?"
'Aren't you a little old to watch Fullmetal Alchemist?' Nnoitra thought tartly. He sighed and admitted: "Yeah, you can say that."
"Every single aspect of life functions this way. Economy is based solely on this principle: the stocks exchange from one person to another. The possession of two different items by two different sides is like the balancing of scales: neither scale must weigh more, or else the balance will be lost. The October revolution in Russia is a perfect example of the consequences from not upholding this rule: it broke out because the material wealth was not distributed equally among the entire population: the aristocrats and royalty held all the money and power, while the working class lived in poverty."
'At what point did this conversation take an economic-historical turn?' Nnoitra asked himself, feeling himself drowning in desperation like someone who was trying to count every single snowflake in a raging blizzard. Maybe it was high time he interrupted her. Nothing personal.
"So to put it in a nutshell: you've got nothing against it."
"Absolutely. I feel happy by expressing my gratitude towards someone who has done me such a good deed."
"Y'know, I'm pretty sure you'll be regretting this later." He started in a high voice. "I don't make a good company and I'm definitely not the best guy to hang out with. I'm not a loner for no apparent reason. People who consort with me find out that I'm usually a very unpleasant, cheeky, ill-tempered guy."
"Not everyone is a Mother Teresa, Nnoitra." Neliel answered seriously. "We all have flaws and bad sides. This, however, can't stop us from making the best of our good sides."
"You're saying this because that's what you're supposed to say in a situation like this one: encourage me that my personality is not that abominable. However, you don't know me." He stood up and strolled towards her. "You'll make a terrible mistake to judge what I am just by a single action, no matter how generous or selfless it is. To say the truth, I don't know why I rushed in to save you. No, no, don't take it the wrong way. I'm not saying that I would have necessarily felt better if you had died back then. I just can't help myself sometimes. No matter how much I hate people, there are times when my humane part takes over and does… unthinkable stupidities to help others. Seldom times. If your uncle hadn't screamed for help from that gaping hole in his apartment, I wouldn't have even considered thinking if there was someone up there, hurt, in need of help. I would have just ran out of that street, taken cover somewhere till everything was brought under control and then I would have ran as fast as my legs could hold towards that goddamn office of Supernova where I was supposed to have an interview for a job, but I was probably going to get rejected anyway, seeing as the people there don't comprehend what 'delay' means. Neliel, I'm not your stereotypical shy, introverted lone wolf who puts up a cold façade and dark sunglasses, so that the world won't see his tears or yearning for companionship or love. I don't cry." He stopped in front of her and leaned forward. "I am an outrageous, hot-headed, intolerant misanthrope, a fanatical bigot, a chauvinist. I don't kill people for having a different opinion than mine because I don't have the guts or the authority to do it. I can also be an annoying free-loader and an ungrateful bastard. The people whom I can call, though as a strong overstatement, friends, will best describe me as a 'psychotic good-for-nothing son of a bitch'. My negative qualities are vastly outnumbering my positive ones. I realize with a sober mind what kind of sick fuck I am and, to be honest, I don't give a shit about it." Nnoitra's face was mere inches away from hers. "Do you understand who you are dealing with, Neliel? Do you understand in what kind of mess you might be getting into?"
Heavy silence settled afterwards. The ticking of the clock was the only sound that marked the passing of time.
Neliel's face was rock solid, motionless as if chiseled out of the stones of a million-year-old mountain. Nnoitra was surprised that he didn't hear a 'crack' when her lips curved into a smile.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Nnoitra." She said affably.
His mouth hung loose. What the— What the fuck was wrong with this woman!? Was she daft!? And what the – what the fuck – is up with this reaction!!? Anyone else would have been sick to his stomach from him, but she…!? How the fuck was it possible to act so seriously and maturely at one time and a second later turn so childishly naive and innocent!? HOW?! He couldn't get it!
The door opened with a loud bang and a man's voice shook the room:
"Who the hell are you? What are you doing to my Neliel!?"
Nnoitra turned around in horror to behold the infuriated speaker. A blood-shivering thought was already crawling through his mind while his head traveled from pointing at one direction to another.
A tall man in his mid-forties was standing in the doorway, clad in an expensive white shirt, deep-blue trousers and a red necktie. They were obviously part of a business suit, but the upper part was discarded somewhere along the way. The man could be identified as one in hurry, judging by the sweat trickling down his forehead and the ruffles on his clothes. His intelligent, ebony eyes were currently staring at Nnoitra in an unfeigned anger.
Expensive clothes and a possessive attiude. Yep. That was her father.
Nnoitra recoiled from the girl as if there was electricity running through her.
"What!? No… me, I didn't… I was… I, she, she… Me and her… She was just…"
"Hello, dad." Neliel spoke. Her expression underwent a complete transformation from a cheerful and playful mood to a detached, cold temper. Nnoitra could tell by a simple look that she wasn't pleased to see her father here.
"Neliel, who is this man?" Sosuke Aizen insisted for an answer.
"He is the man who saved me and brought me here." She answered briefly.
Nnoitra's face blushed scarlet. Once again he regretted ever getting involved with her as her father peered in surprise and great disbelief at him.
"He saved you?" He asked dubiously. "He saved you?"
"Yes, dad. My leg was trapped under a block of concrete and he single-handedly removed it from me, then he carried me all the way to here." Neliel answered in an even, blasé tone.
"Hey, wait a—" Nnoitra protested at this blatant embellishment of the truth, but he was cut off when Sosuke lunged towards him. Nnoitra found out too late that he was trapped in this fierce man's iron embrace. Oh, shit. That wasn't at all what he had in mind when he thought 'an overjoyed reaction'. He was going to die by the arms of this madman for a deed of generosity he should have never done…
"Thank you, my friend! Thank you!" Sosuke exclaimed in a shaky voice. He seemed to be deeply moved. Nnoitra realized a second later that this hug wasn't all that intimidating to begin with. He dared look down at the man's face. A mug of relief and thankfulness was splattered all over it. "When I heard that my daughter had gone through an accident, I rushed as fast as I could here. I never imagined that there would be someone as selfless and compassionate as you out there, someone like you who'd even be there in the nick of time when my daughter's life was at peril!"
Were all Aizens this sentimental!? Why would someone, who is supposedly known among his relatives for his selfishness and standoffishness, get so… so… emotional and fatherly over his disobedient daughter? Maybe an accident like this one was required for him to actually realize how much she meant to him… Yeah, stuff like these needed to happen from time to time. It was for the best, Nnoitra guessed. Pulls the family together, renews the binds or something like that.
Nnoitra glanced at Neliel. She seemed to be in her own little hell right now, though it was radically different from Nnoitra's. All the liveliness had been sucked out of her the moment her father trod in this room. In the bed right now lay a completely different woman. It seemed that the joy from this reunion was one-sided. Nnoitra could only imagine what kind of oppression she was forced to deal with in her home when this stiffness and hostility coming from her was so easily triggered off as a radiating aura the moment her parent came near her.
Sosuke released him and backed away, examining him from head to toes. "My friend, I have so many questions to ask, both you and my daughter. But first, I would like to express my gratitude towards you. There is no man who has done the Aizens a favor this big and was left unrewarded."
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a leather wallet. Nnoitra felt his eyes widening noticeably, expecting Aizen to pull out a wad of $1000 bills or a gold bar.
Nnoitra could only wonder and dream what unspeakable treasures resided in Sosuke's wallet, for Neliel's father froze motionless when the door swung open and an elderly man trod in.
"Sorry for taking so long, it's just that I met a friend on the way there and we had a small chat." Shou's voice sounded from the door. "I've brought you some—"
He was cut off by the sudden realization of the presence of a certain person in the room. His brother's.
The temperature decreased noticeably. It was a frightening ambiance, much like the supernatural phenomena occurring at times in haunted houses when a specter manifested itself in a room. The current atmosphere, however, was far more foreboding and blood-chilling than anything a ghost could produce.
"What are you doing here?" Sosuke Aizen asked in a freezing-cold voice. "Didn't I tell you to keep your distance from me and my family?"
Shou trembled weakly.
"Neliel, Neliel… She is…"
"I asked you a question!" Sosuke barked out.
The two cans of Pepsi fell from Shou's weakening grip and clanged on the floor.
"N-Neliel's leg is broken… I had to take her here…"
"I have already been informed about Neliel's condition, brother. What I cannot comprehend is why you disobeyed my orders and got yourself involved with my daughter?"
Nnoitra's impression of Sosuke changed in less than a second. The first thing that came to his mind was to ask what kind of grudge, no matter how deep it was, would have the power to prevent an uncle doing whatever he can to secure the life of his beloved niece. Sosuke's reasoning was trespassing the boundaries of rational thinking and completely disregarded parental instincts and morals of putting the survival of the child, the offspring as top priority. When someone from the family was endangered, personal dissensions were set aside, at least temporarily, and the efforts of the entire family were combined in order to help the one in need. Sosuke should have been far too worried about his daughter to even bother spending energy to get in a wrangle with his brother. And yet, here he was, stating that 'he knew everything he needed to know' and starting a fight with Shou in a hospital in front of Neliel's eyes and Nnoitra's.
"Sosuke, what do you expect me to do? Stand aside and watch Neliel suffer?! She's my niece, for God's sake!"
"She was your niece! I told you a million times to stay away from her! You are a bad influence to her."
"Dad, cut it out!" Neliel yelled.
"Sosuke, how can—"
"I will not have my daughter associate with a social reject and a failure such as you. You are incompetent, unreliable and incapable of achieving anything, Shou, you are a danger to everyone, including yourself." Her father grumbled threateningly.
Tears were welling up in the old man's eyes. "S-Sosuke, please, please!... It's all my fault this happened!"
His brother lunged towards the man and gripped him by the collar.
"What have you done!?" He roared.
"Dad, stop it!" Neliel screamed.
Nnoitra was desperately looking for a safe spot to cower in till the battle was over. It seemed like Sosuke Aizen was going to resort to violence any moment now.
"What were you doing together with my daughter!?"
"We… we were at my home, I…"
"What was my daughter doing at your filthy place!?" Aizen roared like a beast, his face turning redder by the second. "Why was my daughter in your home when I forbid both of you from meeting ever again!?"
"It's all my fault, Sosuke, it's all my fault!" Shou cried bitterly. "I wanted to meet her so badly I dared call her, despite what you told me! It's been so long, so very long… I wanted to lay my eyes on her for just a few minutes, then I was going to let her be on her way. I have never meant any harm! All I wanted to do was see my niece…"
"How dare you—" Neliel's father began, but his daughter's firm voice cut him off:
"No, dad. I'm to be blamed for everything. I suggested the idea that uncle an I should meet. I did all of this entirely of my own accord."
Sosuke released his hapless brother and strode towards Neliel.
"You ugrateful girl!" He yelled. "How dare you defy my orders!? After all the efforts I put in raising you correctly, after satisfying your every single whim, you give me your disobedience in return!? Do you not realize that I am doing all of this for your own well-being and nothing else!?"
So this was Sosuke Aizen. Underneath the petty diplomacy and the sophisticated façade of an overachieving president of a computer company lied the worst example of human atrocity imaginable. He was a primitive and backward representative of that old, nearly-extinct generation of possessive, despotic parents, who felt it was their duty to manipulate every aspect of their child's life. His idea of ensuring his child's 'well-being' was limited to placing her in a small, ready-made social frame and forcing her to follow strictly and unquestioningly its rules. A total asshole, Nnoitra thought. He did look like someone who'd lick his superiors' asses and trample those inferior to him. Nnoitra felt sick just by listening to his insane screams and threats. And to think that he was going to take money from this piece of shit…
"It's your own fault for getting that leg broken! That's what you get for disobeying me! I could care less for your condition if you're going to stray from my rule and be the stubborn thickhead you've always been! I'll have a long talk with you once you get home, girl!" Sosuke yelled one last time before barging out of the room and slamming the door with a thunderous bang behind him. Everyone was left petrified in the pose Neliel's dad had left them. Silence was weighing like a ton of lead on top of them.
Nnoitra snorted. He took one gloomy look at Neliel and her uncle and muttered:
"I've stayed here for too long. I gotta go."
"Nnoitra, wait—" Neliel shouted and stretched a hand, but Nnoitra had already walked out of the room. Shou Aizen slumped in the chair and wept bitterly.
Nnoitra leaned on the wall, feeling like the whole world was swaying under his feet. He really was sick. His head ached as if a herd of cows had danced on top of it. The man pushed himself off the wall and plodded through the corridor, down the stairway and out of the hospital. He didn't remember how he got another taxi to drive him home, he didn't remember when he took his clothes off, took a shower and collapsed in his bed. The only thing he remembered was that he prayed and prayed, half-asleep, that all of this had been one of those horrible nightmares that haunted him every night, that none of this had ever happened, that the agitated, grey-haired old man, the insane oppressive brown-haired father and the green-haired woman with her broken leg, soft-spoken voice and inconstant mood were all an illusion. An illusion that had wrung him out his grey, empty, meaningless world, though temporarily, and made him experience a vague feeling he had forgotten a long, long time ago.
The joy of living.
From the Author: That's all for this chapter. Sorry that it took so long, but I was going one step at a time with it. Review when done reading, please!