Chapter threee! Yes, i can upload fast, but that's only because track season has ended and I have run out of homework (it's not really that tough being a freshman).

Fluffy, random chappie with a bit of angst- the beginning of our angst in this story, i think!

Thank you so much to all who reviewed, and those who put me on alert. It nice to have even some attention to this fic, but it's not that popular. oh well c:

So how long do you think i should make it? I've had issues with overwriting before, where i wrote such a long fic that it lost plot and general interest. so some one tell me when i should stop.

NOTE. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE!! does anyone need a beta? I'm dying to read something, so seriously, SOMEONE MAKE ME YOUR BETA. PLEAZZES!!

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach.

Chapter 3

-

Grimmjow counted the deaths.

And then he couldn't count them anymore.

Everyone around him was dropping off, falling behind in the struggle to survive. One by one, Grimmjow watched them die and fade, falling away from the ranks of the arrancar. From Aizen.

He knew he would never see them again.

Count to ten… no, count from ten, down… count down… nine… eight… seven…down… dowwwnnnnn………………

One.

It wasn't the first time his hands were coated in shinigami blood.

-

Green eyes snapped open, and Ulquiorra sat bolt upright. He gasped, only just realizing he had been holding his breath.

Just a dream.

He raised a hand to his face, running his fingertips over the smooth surface if his skin. Glancing down, he confirmed that Grimmjow was still there. Blinking slowly, he curled up under his sheets, trying to ignore the Sexta Espada sleeping beside him. How the hell had he gotten himself into this situation? The only thing he was glad of was that he was still wearing his own clothes.

He shouldn't have done it. He shouldn't have let Grimmjow come with him. There were too many instances that he'd already lived through, and all of them were horribly familiar to this one, though a little less willing on his part.

A sliver of bright light cut across the dark room, illuminating half a face. The eyes showed now surprise at the intrusion, but then again, they rarely showed any emotion at all.

Wide smile in place, Ichimaru Gin peered into the darkness. His eyes were narrowed in an almost playful manner, but anyone who bothered to look harder noticed the way the outside corners curved downward, the eyebrows lifted gently so he almost looked sad. Almost like he pitied the one he spoke to. Pushing the door open further, he let the light completely reveal the Espada that stood inside. One hand was in his pocket, while the other rested on the surface of the desk beside him. His eyes pierced the renegade shinigami like no cero could, the searching gaze eating the sight alive.

"Aizen-sama told me to come find you." He said, smirk stretching wider.

Ulquiorra nodded, and put both hands in his pockets. Such calls were not unusual. "Thank you. I will be there shortly."

Gin's smile fell ever so slightly, his expression looking all the more miserable. "Sorry." He whispered quietly.

His hand fisted in the sheets, the dark nails the only thing that stood out against the white. His skin blended perfectly with the cloth.

"Ulquiorra."

Aizen's voice echoed so coldly through the room. Ulquiorra allowed himself to wonder why it echoed like that, but then wiped his mind blank, ready to take orders from his creator.

"Aizen-sama, you called for me?"

The lofty smirk changed subtly. It was a small movement, really, but the entire feel of that expression grew all the more feral and ardent. "Yes. There are certain services I require from you."

"Anything you wish…" Ulquiorra murmured, knowing that Aizen would catch every word.

Suddenly, he was at Ulquiorra's side.

The arrancar's heart didn't miss a single beat. He continued to stare ahead, still calm and collected. The only movement was that of his eyes, following his lord as Aizen circled around him, drawing closer. There was something in his eyes that Ulquiorra had never seen before, and he hated to admit that he was dimly aware of the fear it caused.

"The other Espada have been told to stay away from here." Aizen said, watching carefully as his subordinate's stance became a little more rigid, the slow breaths quickening their pace faintly. Every meeting between them was comprised completely of finely tuned expressions and subtle exchanges of feelings and thoughts. "They will not interrupt us."

A hand reached up and gripped the smaller Espada's chin, tilting his head up so that he was looking into Aizen's eyes. Ulquiorra didn't know what to do. It was too close… too close for him to still be able to maintain his façade of calm.

Grimmjow made a small sound and stirred, his brow furrowing. Ulquiorra paused long enough to wonder what Grimmjow was thinking.

"Aizen-sama…" he began slowly, his voice hitching slightly. "What are you doing?"

"That depends on you." The deep voice washed over him, sending shivers down his spine. Ulquiorra squirmed slightly, trying to back away, but the iron grip tightened and wrapped around his body, pulling him closer until he was pressed up against Aizen in a very compromising position, or so Ulquiorra thought.

"A-Aizen-sama!" he gasped, his heart racing. "Please don't-"

But Aizen swung him around, forcing him backwards and into a wall. Aizen, gripping both of Ulquiorra's wrists in one fist, pulled the Espada's arms over his head, trapping it against the wall. Ulquiorra's eyes widened, but still he could not fight back, he would not struggle against the master for whom he would lay down his life.

"Don't worry…" Aizen breathed, his breath ghosting over the angled jaw, "It'll get better, I promise." Then he was leaning forward, closer… closer… Ulquiorra's heart pounded louder and louder, filling up his entire world. He couldn't breath, he couldn't think, at least not about anything but what was about to happen-

"Dammit." Ulquiorra flinched at the loud voice. "Wha time'sit?" Grimmjow asked, his words slurred as he sat up, still half asleep.

"Not as late as you'd like it, I'm sure." Ulquiorra replied wryly. There was no time in Hueco Mundo, only the night.

"Fuck…" Grimmjow mumbled, running a hand through his tousled hair. He swung himself out of bed, pulling on his sandals and Ulquiorra followed. He cast out for anything with reiatsu, noting that some of the woman's friends were still running amok within Las Noches. Then, he realized said woman was no longer in her own room, and Kurosaki Ichigo's reiatsu had once again returned to its normal state.

It was only on rare occasions that Ulquiorra said any of those funny words that Grimmjow used. Now was one of those occasions. "Shit." He stopped in the hallway. Grimmjow, not realizing the pause immediately, went a few meters ahead, turning at the sound. "Shit. Fuck. Fucking… Shit, shit, shit…"

Without hesitation, he sonido-ed towards the source of Ichigo's reiatsu, determined to bring the shinigami to his knees for the final time. He grew weary of the intrusion.

-

"Inoue." Ichigo's eyes softened when they fell on her. "Thank you."

She smiled, pushing her worry down to the dark recesses of her mind where all the terrible things hid. Ulquiorra-san will be angry. She thought, trying and failing to imagine the expression on the Espada. "I- I need to get back to my room, Ichigo." She said, dropping her smile when it hurt.

Ichigo blinked in confusion. "Wh-What? Wait, why would you do that? I'm here to rescue you; I can take you back to Soul Society. You don't need to go back, it's pointless!"

"Well…" She said, looking at the ground. "I- I promised."

"Promised…"

She felt terrible. It must sound so stupid, saying these stupid, stupid things. All she was doing was hurting people, really, even when she tried to make things right. "I- I promised Ulquiorra-s-san that if he left my door unlocked, I wouldn't try to run away."

"What?" Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief. "So you agreed that if he unlocked your door, you'd still stay in your room like it was locked anyways? And you think you need to keep this promise?"

She shook her head frantically. "N-no, I could go around Las-" Her words were cut off abruptly.

"Woman."

Orihime stiffened. Slowly, fearfully, she turned her head to see Ulquiorra step out from a Garganta.

"Woman, what do you think you are doing?" he asked, walked towards them.

"I… I…" she squeaked, her eyes wide with fear.

Ulquiorra's eyes darkened with something akin to disapproval. Of course he would only take emotions by halves, never the entire thing. "Woman, answer me."

"W-wait…" she said. She wanted to say something, and she knew what that something was, but her mouth had frozen, refusing to work on its own. Her lips trembled with the effort, but before she could continue, Ichigo stepped forward. Ulquiorra only looked a little angrier.

"Your fight is with me, Ulquiorra." Ichigo said, glaring.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes in exasperation. "Shinigami, we have gone through this. This is most definitely not your fight, so leave while you still can."

"Che." Ichigo pulled out Zangetsu. "I was considering not letting you finish there. You say too many useless things. Inoue," he said, turning to look at Orihime. "Go stand somewhere safe."

Orihime blinked. "A-Alright." I think I'll just… go… back to my… room…

Ulquiorra echoed her thoughts. "Return to your quarters. I will deal with you later."

"Don't you dare touch her. Don't you even talk to her." Ichigo crouched, dark reiatsu swirling around him. "Bankai."

"Trash…" Ulquiorra said, and Ichigo's heart leapt at the word. He tried to quell his feelings, but that same writhing, burning desire for Ulquiorra's acknowledgement refused to be denied.

The dark blur sped towards him, but Ulquiorra saw it as if it was in slow motion. He leaned to the right, watching Ichigo fly by before turning around fully to face him. His eyes were impassive and cold; he hated useless bloodshed like this. He moved forward and appeared at Ichigo's side, arm swinging at the orange head-

An arm came up and blocked his, their limbs meeting with a sharp report. Ulquiorra paused, pushing his arm downward painstakingly slowly. The bones and joints in Ichigo's arm creaked as he fought against his enemy, hand clenched tightly in a fist.

You won't do it alone, King.

Ichigo's eyes widened. Gritting his teeth, he leapt back, away from Ulquiorra.

I know your desires…

"Shit…" he muttered under his breath as he turned inward, trying to suppress his Hollow. "Go away, not now."

It has to be now! The hollow laughed, yellow eyes watching with feral cunning. That clown Espada is going to beat you again unless you use me.

"You think I'm afraid of death?" Ichigo retorted, eyes wide.

The Hollow continued to laugh, the sound grating harshly against the air. No. You're afraid of what he'll say, aren't cha?

Brown eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

He found the Hollow's face inches from his own, leering at him. You want him, don't you?

Ichigo gasped at the words. "W-what are you talking about?"

Don't play dumb. The altered image of himself snorted. I know how you feel whenever you see him. I know how you want to hear him say 'trash' again, over and over. You don't realize just how fucked up that is, don't you? You must like it rough… It licked its lips, a pensive look plastered on its face. Then, grinning at Ichigo's poorly composed mask of what he hoped to be confusion, it added: What? Don't look at me like that, it's not like I'm completely unaware of your lust.

"Shut up."

Come on. You need me. Besides, once I beat him, you'll be able to enjoy him all you want. Or maybe, the Hollow leered, a tongue sliding over white lips, I'll just enjoy him myself.

"Shit, no, no, NO STOP!" Ichigo shouted as the Hollow pushed outward, forcibly taking over the shinigami's body. Slowly, the image faded in his mind as it took control, pushing Ichigo farther and farther down into darkness.

"SHIT!" Ichigo screamed, spinning around and trying to find where it had gone. "FUCK!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed around him.

Too late, King. He could hear the amusement in the mocking words. But don't worry. You'll enjoy this, I'm sure.

We'll both enjoy this.

Ichigo thought being wrong had never felt worse.

A:N

Not much of a cliffhanger, I think... not that strong a chapter, either. makes me sad, I'm having mini writer's blocks everywhere. And plot bunnies that are screaming at me to write a oneshot. If the beginning part with Grimmjow is kinda confusing, sorry, i was really debating whether i should make that Grimmjow's dream, or make Ulquiorra kinda... think he was Grimmjow in the dream or something. I dunno.

Explanations!!

Um, and no, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow didn't get too naughty in bed, but they were in bed with each other. i was a lame author and glossed over how it happened, but just imagine a scene in which Grimmjow followed Ulquiorra into his room and annoyed the shit out of our poor little emo Espada, and somehow managed to get in bed with Ulquiorra. Fill in the gaps, please.

Please review! it makes my brain happy and plot bunny free! (i think).