Some people say that Ulquiorra Cifer is incapable of love. They all believe that he is a heartless bastard who doesn't give a shit about anyone so long as they don't get in the way. And honestly, I was one of those people who thought that way. But now, now I'm not so sure what to think anymore. I used to think that if someone tried to hurt Ulquiorra in anyway, he wouldn't care less. But after what happened last time, who is to say that the supposedly emotionless Cuarta Espada won't be affected by anything at all?

"Why, Ulquiorra? Give me one fucking good reason why!" I am getting frustrated. He just stares up at me with a blank expression on his face, but his eyes... too much conflicting emotions flit through them that I can't tell what he is thinking.

"…"

"Answer me, damn it! Don't ignore me!"

Finally, he starts to speak. "Because," he says and then adds quietly that I have to strain my ears to hear, "because I don't want to think that you care."

Ulquiorra is still a mystery to me, but the mystery is slowly unravelling. I have seen a new side to him. A side that I'm not quite sure of. But it is certainly a side that I'm sure no one has ever seen before. For a split second there, I saw a more vulnerable side to him, a side that he has been trying so hard to hide. I thought that after that, I would be able to understand him better. But he has returned to his normal self and I'm no closer to understanding him than I was before.

I bite my bottom lip.

What is going through your mind?

Emerald orbs quickly avert their gaze as soon as I look up. The owner of emerald orbs is sitting right in front of me, his fists clenching and unclenching; the only sign that shows that he is nervous on his otherwise calm composure. Ulquiorra has changed. Not really changed, it's more like the side of him that he has kept hidden for so long seems to be showing. Hovering right beneath the surface. Ever since he woke up two weeks ago, he has been avoiding me.

In fact, he has been avoiding me so much that we have not spoken a single word to each other since that day. If this happened before Ulquiorra got injured in battle, I would not bat a single eyelid. I would have chalked it up to Ulquiorra being a bastard as usual, trying to punish me for talking back to him. But no. From our last conversation, I could tell that he holds no ill feeling towards me. This time is just different. Instead of looking at me in disgust whenever our eyes meet, he looks... lost.

I have tried talking to him, but it's obvious that he doesn't want to talk. The only times I see him nowadays are during meetings and meals, and every time each one ends, Ulquiorra leaves the room immediately before I can catch up. Even trying to strike a conversation with him during meals has proven fruitless. He always either answers with a curt nod or with one word answers, his eyes never quite meeting mine. I have been trying to get to talk to him alone, and asking him about his behaviour during meals is out of the question. Aizen may encourage conversation between fellow Espadas, but Ulquiorra appreciates his private life to stay the way it is. Private.

Besides, it's obvious that Ulquiorra is just not ready to talk.

The other Espadas must have noticed the tension between Ulquiorra and I because they have been throwing looks our way whenever we are faced with each other. No doubt Nnoitra did not help much in the matter of shutting his mouth about us. The bastard has been giving us lecherous looks, a grin stretching across his face.

Either Ulquiorra has not noticed the attention that we're receiving or he's determined to give Aizen's speech his full attention.

Like Ulquiorra, I direct my gaze up at the brown haired shinigami sitting at the head of the table.

Although Aizen is glad that we have not lost our Cuarta Espada, he is still angry with our crappy performance when the Ryoka broke into Las Noches. A smile may adorn his face, but anyone can tell that behind that smile is anger. We're just lucky that he has not decided to roast our behinds and give them to Yammy to eat.

Emerald eyes hold a slightly glazed over look. Even Ulquiorra who usually pays rapt attention to every word that comes out of that nutbag's mouth, is bored. So when Aizen finally shuts his trap and motions for everyone to leave, everyone immediately rises from their seats. Well, everyone except Starrk. The dude has fallen asleep.

Ulquiorra pushes his seat back as he stands up, eager to get the hell out of the room when Aizen suddenly speaks.

"Ulquiorra, I'd like to have a word with you." Brown eyes flick over to me. "You may leave, Grimmjow," he says pointedly, his hand gripping Ulquiorra's shoulder. "I'd like to speak to Ulquiorra alone."

"Fine," I grit through my teeth.

"Trouble in paradise?" a familiar voice says as soon as I walk out of the Meeting Hall.

I glare at him. "None of your fucking business."

"Ohhh... Must have been a huge fight, huh?" Nnoitra grins from where he leaned against the wall again.

Nnoitra would look so much better after my fist connects with his face. Seriously. But then Ulquiorra's words returned to me, forcing me to reconsider;

"You should respect your superiors, Sexta. Even if it is Nnoitra," Ulquiorra comments easily.

"We didn't have a fight," I answer stiffly. Damn it, why did I make myself promise to follow his words?

"Oh?" Nnoitra perks up at this piece of information. He looks into the hall where Aizen is still talking to Ulquiorra. He leers at Ulquiorra's ass shamelessly and licks his lips. "Are you saying that that piece of ass is free?"

"You should respect your superiors, Sexta. Even if it is Nnoitra," Ulquiorra comments easily.

Respect my superiors? Fuck that shit.

"Fuck you!" I grab the front of Jiruga's uniform, pulling him down till we are eye to eye. It pisses me off hearing him talk about Ulquiorra as though he is a mere object to be used and thrown away. "Don't you dare talk about Ulquiorra that way!"

"Why not?" Nnoitra challenges. "It's not like he treats you all that great. You're like his fucking bitch."

I tighten my hold on him.

"What did you just say?" I breathe.

A smirk. "Want me to repeat that?"

"..."

"You, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, are Ulquiorra Cifer's bitch. A bitch that goes down on his knees when told to. Who moans like a whore when taken from behind. A bitch who just begs for more even though you get tossed to the side when it's all over and done with."

His words stung. All I can do is stare up at him in shock.

"All for what? Love? You're an arrancar. Hollows don't love. And hoping for a thing like that from someone like Ulquiorra is stupid."

Because his words are all too true. They all hit home. How many times have I given in and let Ulquiorra have his way with me? Too many. How many times have I allowed him to treat me like trash? A lot. Except... Except...

"You're weak, Sexta. Need I say more? Ulquiorra never feels. He's dead."

Ulquiorra does feel.

"Even if he does feel, he won't love someone like you. He's a cold hearted bastard who just doesn't give a fuck." If possible, the smirk on his face widens. "A bastard with a sweet ass that deserves to be fucked till he passes out."

"ASSHOLE!" I slam him against the wall. I'm shaking now, my hand still fisted to the front of the Quinta's uniform. Yes, everything he said is true, but Ulquiorra isn't like that. Not at all. The Quinta is fucking wrong. "You shut up about Ulquiorra. You just shut up. You know nothing about him."

"What's there to know? He ain't that hard to read-"

"What's going on around here?" says a tired voice behind us.

I immediately let go of Nnoitra's uniform and turn around to face the source of the voice. "Starrk?" I say. "What are you doing here?" Meaning, what are you doing awake?

"I just woke up," he yawns, stretching himself. "What're you both arguing about?" Starrk is rubbing sleep away from his eyes, looking like he might just fall back to sleep any second. But what catches my eye is Ulquiorra, who has just come out of the Meeting Hall from his little chat with Aizen. For a few seconds, our eyes meet. The moment our eyes meet it seems as though a connection is formed. It's like the only people that matter right now are us. He opens his mouth, wanting to say something, hesitates, and then closes his mouth, his eyes full of conflicting emotions. He then turns away, breaking the connection before walking in the opposite direction, the coattails of his uniform swaying slightly behind him.

"Because," he says and then adds quietly that I have to strain my ears to hear, "because I don't want to think that you care."

"It's nothing. We were just talking," I lie, tearing my eyes away from Ulquiorra's retreating form.

"Sure doesn't sound like you guys were just talking," Starrk says doubtfully, but doesn't press me further.

Most of Nnoitra's words may hold some truth in them, but one thing is for sure:

Things aren't over just yet between Ulquiorra and I.

It has been a long time since I've been here. Things have been so hectic at Las Noches lately what with us preparing for the upcoming war that I haven't had the chance to take a walk here. The Hueco Mundo desert looks the same as ever. Just endless white sand. But somehow, I like it this way. Even though it reminds me of the time I used to be a mere adjunchas craving for power, it also reminds me of a simpler time when I had more freedom. No Aizen to order me around. I didn't have to obey anyone. Nor did I have to worship anyone as though he is my God. I didn't have to follow the orders of an obviously delusional man. I was free. I was just... Grimmjow. Plain and simple.

And this is also the place where I met Ulquiorra for the first time.

The wind blows slightly, kicking up the sand beneath my feet around me. A couple of hollows in the form of lizards crawl around, looking up at me strangely before scuttling away. They don't see arrancars around often. And when they do, they immediately find some place safe to hide.

"Yeah, that's right, piss off," I grumble moodily.

I look around my surroundings, sapphire eyes scanning over the dunes of endless white sand. As always, it is night, the moon a weak source of light. A couple of trees made out of quartz dot the area. Aside from us Hollows, there is no sign of life here in Hueco Mundo at all. I let out a breath that I have been holding in. I can still remember the times when I used to hunt other Hollows with my fraccions. That was all there was to life at the time. Hunt, kill, and get stronger. And now, I've got my wish. But still, I'm still trying to get stronger.

I walk around aimlessly, not really having a particular destination in mind. Walking around here relaxes me. Being away from Las Noches helps me think and forget my worries. I bite my bottom lip, my thoughts wandering back to a certain raven haired arrancar.

It has been said that Hollows cannot love because we don't have a heart. And that because of that, we consume the soul of others to fill that void. But is that really true? Love is pretty much unheard of amongst Hollows. Even amongst us arrancars. The only times that I have seen love is whenever I go to the human world and see couples spending time together. But I know, I know that I do love Ulquiorra. Despite all odds of it being impossible for a Hollow to love, I know that I love him.

I stop walking when I catch sight of a white figure standing on one of the sand dunes, looking up at the moon, his hands in his pockets. I recognise the figure immediately. Seeing him here, of all people, startles me. As far as I know, I'm probably one of the few arrancars that even bother coming here without being told to by Aizen. He looks especially beautiful, the weak light from the moon shining upon him, his emerald eyes large and pensive. He looks... vulnerable.

"Jaegerjaquez," he says, not even bothering to look over his shoulder, "I know that you are there."

I chuckle. Nothing ever escapes him, huh?

I walk up to him until I am right by his side. He is still gazing at the moon, looking lost. Seeing that he doesn't seem to want to talk at the moment, I stay silent and leave him to his own thoughts. After what seems like an eternity, he starts to speak, his voice low, "When Aizen-sama asked me to find Hollows of adjunchas level, I did what I was told." He looks down at his feet and takes a deep breath. I just listen and wait for him to continue. "But when he allowed an arrancar of adjunchas level join the ranks of the Espada, I was against it. I thought that those at that level are not worthy of such a rank. I hated you," he admits. And there is not a hint of a lie in his voice.

"..."

"But at the same time, you fascinated me. You were always open with your feelings and you acted on them. And you never gave up on becoming stronger. You were different from the rest. So I approached you..." he trails off. He doesn't need to elaborate more on the subject since we both know what happened. "I'm a flawed being, Sexta, no matter how much I try to act otherwise." He sighs, closing his eyes before turning to face me, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. When I open my mouth to speak, he holds his hand in front of my face, telling me to let him speak. "I have been thinking about this for some time now..." he says, referring to the time he has been avoiding me, "And I know that I'm wrong. I have not been treating you fairly, Jaegerjaquez. You do not deserve the treatment that I've been giving you." He struggles with his words. It must have taken a lot for him to admit this, but he's trying, determined to say everything that's on his mind. "And for that, I apologise."

What can I say? I'm speechless. "Ulquiorra... I..."

He shakes his head. "No. Don't even try. I know when I'm wrong. Trying to say otherwise is useless when we both know that it is true." He lets out a shuddering breath. "Do you believe in love?"

"What?" I say, startled.

"Do you believe in love?" Ulquiorra repeats. "Do you think that it exists? That us Hollows can love?" He holds my gaze, his eyes wide, the windows to his soul that show me his inner conflict. A part of him wants him to believe that it does exist for us Hollows. Another part of him knows the saying that it's impossible for Hollows to love. After all, he himself once told me that very same thing.

Ulquiorra stares down at me as I try to stand up. He frowns at me and says, his voice condescending, "To show, to have emotions is to show weakness." He pauses. "Hollows cannot love. Remember that, Sexta."

It is then that I finally understand.

"Grimmjow, this might sound strange, but Ulquiorra obviously cares about you." He walks back towards the door, giving me a small wave, ignoring the bewildered look on my face. "He just doesn't know how to show it."

Ulquiorra is just as vulnerable as I am. As an arrancar of Aizen's army, he is expected to be nothing more than a warrior. And since he's a Hollow, he is expected to not show any emotion other than the ruthless nature of a Hollow. He knows of the saying that Hollows are not capable of love, but something tells him that this is not true. But he doesn't know whether to believe something that he has known his whole life or the feeling that tells him otherwise.

"Yeah, I do." I clear my throat. "I think it exists. And that it's possible for Hollows to love."

"How do you know?" he presses.

"I just do. I can feel it. Right here." I press the palm of my hand over my heart.

Ulquiorra looks crestfallen. He lifts his hand to his Hollow hole, touching the edges lightly. "I don't have a heart."

I take his hand away from his Hollow hole. "Just because you don't have one doesn't mean that you can't love."

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Isn't the heart the source of emotions?"

I shake my head. "The heart is just an organ. Emotions come from us. From our very souls. Everyone can love." He stares at our intertwined hands, his eyebrows knitted together, trying to understand. Seeing his confusion, I continue, "When you love someone, you feel pain whenever they're hurt. You want them to be happy. You want to protect them. You care about them. That's love. Have you ever felt like that, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra lifts his eyes and looks at me. "Yes, I have, but I still don't understand it," he says slowly, "It's still something that I'm not familiar with. And I'm not sure if I ever will understand."

"You will. I know you will."

He smiles slightly at that. It's not a happy smile, though. It's a smile that has a hint of sadness to it. "I'm a Hollow. By nature, we are ruthless, and I am no different. Even if I do feel love or any sort of emotion, I don't know how to express them." A pause. "Such an act is unheard of amongst Hollows."

He falls silent then, not wanting to pursue the subject anymore.

"Ulquiorra," I say.

He looks at me questioningly.

"Why are you here?" I ask. At the look on his face, I explain, "I've never seen you out here before. I don't always see arrancars around here."

Another smile. "You're not the only one that comes here to think." He directs his gaze at the night sky, hesitates, and then answers, "I come here because this is where we first met."

He remembers.

My heart in my throat, I tighten my hold on his hand, making him look at me. "Do you really mean that?" I ask, my heart beating fast.

"Yes." And with that answer, he intertwines his fingers with mine. "I really mean that."

I hold Ulquiorra's hand as I watch him sleep. This time, this time he was not rough. This time, he was gentle. The only thing that is covering our naked bodies as we lay on his bed is the bed sheet. His hand is resting on my hip in a protective way, pulling me close. His flesh is no longer cold, I notice. He's warm. Raven hair falls across his closed eyes, his breathing calm and even. He looks so peaceful and happy. Something that I don't get to see very often. Seeing those tear tracks running down his face, I understand why they are there. Ulquiorra has always felt despair and was consumed by these feelings that he could no longer recognise the positive ones. He is slowly getting out of that, but it will take time. And when that happens, these tear tracks will no longer hold any meaning of his despair.

Mesmerised, I trace the contours of his face, a smile spreading across my face. I can hardly believe it. We're back together again. And this time, it's not a relationship based on lies and hatred. This is... I brush raven hair out of his eyes so that I can see his face more clearly... This is right.

Emerald eyes flutter open. Ulquiorra looks up at me tiredly. "Not sleeping?" he says.

We have decided to start everything all over again. This was the first time we've had sex after so long. We've decided to take things slow, but it's worth it. Getting to know each other before entering this stage of our relationship again has certainly helped. Damn, I sound like a chick, but damn it, it's true. And even though this is not perfect as he is still struggling with dealing with emotions, we are getting there. He's still cold sometimes and is unable to understand feelings, but he's trying. And that's what's important.

I shake my head. "No," I answer. "I was just thinking."

"Really?" he says, interested. "About what?"

"Us," I answer simply.

"And?"

"And I think you look cute when you sleep," I tease.

A most adorable blush spreads across his pale cheeks. "Don't be ridiculous, Grimmjow." He frowns when he sees me smiling. "Why are you smiling?"

If possible, the smile on my face widens. "You called me by my name."

He furrows his eyebrows. "Haven't I always called you by your name?"

"No," I answer. "It's always either Jaegerjaquez or Sexta. But never Grimmjow."

"I see." He plays with my fingers absentmindedly. "I've never noticed that."

"So..." I say casually as I climb on top of him, my hands on either side of his head. He looks up at me curiously, wondering what I am up to. I grin and nip at his neck playfully. "Does this mean you'll let me top sometimes?"

Another blush. This time, it's an even darker shade of pink.

"Don't push your luck, Grimmjow," he grumbles. Even as he says it, his breaths quicken as I set to work on his neck, sucking and biting, renewing an old love bite that I gave him before. He screws his eyes shut, curling his fingers into my teal hair. Placing a kiss on the now pink skin on his neck as though apologising for marring that perfect skin, I kiss a trail of kisses up his neck and along his jaw till I reach his mouth.

"Grimmjow..." he whispers, dragging his hands down to rest them on my hips.

"Shh..." I close the distance between our lips, effectively silencing him, tracing his lips with my own and licking his bottom lip, asking for permission to grant me entrance. He opens his mouth and I explore his wet cavern, our tongues moving against another's sensually. The air becomes heated, the feeling of skin meeting skin overwhelming. He tightens his grip on my hips before flipping us over, his mouth now busy sucking on my neck.

Oh, God. That feels so good. I screw my eyes shut at the sensation of having his mouth on me and moan from the sheer pleasure it brings, my fingers now curled in raven hair.

Yes, this is right. No more lies, no more hate. This time, it's just us as the way we are. And I have a feeling that things will only get better from now on. Our relationship is not perfect, but we're getting there. And when we do, we'll be there to hold each other's hands till the very end.

-THE END-