Two days ago…
Szayel came to Ilforte's room, searching for him.
"Ilforte" he said, opening the door without warning and looking at him.
The older brother was in his bed with only the inferior part of his hakama on, not sleeping.
"Szayel," he echoed. With his hands crossed behind his head, he was gazing at the ceiling. "Do you know what 'privacy' is?" continued, after a small pause. "I think not – since just a couple of days ago I found and destroyed the last of the cameras you did put into my room".
Szayel closed softly the door behind him. "I know that you discovered them," said in a plain tone. "They were for a research I was working on. I needed to watch your behaviours and reactions to analyze your skills, because-".
"Yeah, yeah…" said the blonde Arrancar.
Szayel adjusted his glasses. "I needed natural actions, so I couldn't tell you-".
"Sure, sure…"
"I see that, like always, you talk just to let air coming in your mouth," concluded Szayel, glancing away, taking some steps in the small and badly ordered room, so different from his huge and immaculate laboratory.
In that moment, for the first time, Ilforte removed his eyes from the ceiling and rolled them discreetly towards the pink Espada.
Due to Szayel's work for Aizen and Ilforte's missions for Grimmjow, they had not the occasion to see each other for a long period – and Ilforte immediately noticed that during this period Szayel, if possible, had become more thin than he was, while his face was more pale and tired than usual.
There was also something strange with his attitude: his golden eyes were pointed on the floor, his fists clenched; his mouth was closed as he was secretly biting his lips – Ilforte realized that it was just like he was about to cry.
The blonde Fraccion looked at him just like you can look at Yammy dancing tango together with Ulquiorra.
Neither in his wildest dreams, he'd imagined that a thing like this could happen. He stood up from the bed. "What's wrong?" said to Szayel, almost panicking.
"Nothing…"
"Don't make me lau-"
"…that a fool like you can understand".
Ilforte scratched his head, unsure. He took his jacket and put it on, thinking.
That wasn't a normal behaviour for his brother. But he knew that in the past months, Aizen had made him work a lot on a complex and very secret project.
Grimmjow, while laughing, once said to him and his other Fraccion that Aizen, on the last meeting, swore to Szayel that he would have had his head, if he wasn't able to make it out.
"Oh, now I understand why you went here", said Ilforte, realizing this. "You are about to be killed by Aizen, and want to tell me your last words, right?"
Szayel didn't say anything, so Ilforte smiled.
"Hey, Szayel, when you'll be dead, can I take your place? Octava Espada Ilforte Grantz, Pale-Horned Prince of Las Noches, sounds quite cool".
Szayel glared at him, who began laughing.
He found this out, and immediately returned serious. He caught him up and grabbed his neck with hands. "What's with that look?"
Szayel smirked a little, without fighting. "I was just thinking of that awful attitude of yours… always thinking at yourself, despite the others…brother".
"I have never realized you think in another way…Szayel".
"Indeed, that's true. But –" he said, gently removing some golden hairs from Ilforte's eyes with a hand, "I was thinking that even if you're just a selfish idiot, you still are the person more close to me. So we should be more…" his gloved hand slipped slowly on Ilforte's cheek "…gentle to each other, don't you think so?" he kept drawing a line under his chin with his fingers, and with the other hand he grabbed his neck as well. "…brother?" he concluded, smiling at him.
Ilforte blinked, looking at Szayel's smirk – that was more like an imploration than a smirk – and finally understood why his brother was there, looking for him.
But that realization was nothing for him but annoying.
He pushed Szayel away, ignoring the sudden beat acceleration of his own heart. "Get away from me," he said rapidly. "I don't even want to listen what do you want to say, or why you are here. You just piss me off".
Szayel released his arms along his waist, but didn't lose his usual grin. "Sorry if irritate you. I thought you like that-".
"I don't like anything that has something to do with you," roared the other. "Now go away, and don't come that near to me again!"
Ilforte showed his back to Szayel and remained there, without moving. It was like he was waiting to hear the door open and his brother exit. But a minute passed, and the only sound he could hear in the room was a fast, almost excited breath, and he soon realized that it was his own breath.
'Damn it, Szayel'.
He turned back to face his brother, and found him in the same position he left him, but this time he had a strange expression his face. Those serious, unreadable glances of him, that he couldn't understand – or maybe that he could understand too well – were just the things that pissed him off most in the world.
Ilforte just grabbed him – and literally threw him out of his room.
"That was a predictable reaction," said Szayel, not changing his expression.
"Oh, really?" said Ilforte, ironic. He had noticed the shock Szayel's eyes at his reaction – even if for just a second. Szayel was so an actor…
"Yes," he repeated calmly, adjusting his glasses. "After all, trash is always trash".
"THIS is exactly why I hate you!" yelled the blonde in the corridor, losing his mind. "If I'm trash, then why the HELL were you trying to seduce me?"
Sensing Ilforte's anger, Szayel grinned again and crossed his arms behind his back, feeling superior. "Because you are good for me just to make…that sort of things you can imagine youself'.
Becoming – if possible – more angry, Ilforte violently grabbed his brother's uniform and raised a punch, ready to hit Szayel. But a third voice made him stop.
"Oh damn, the Grantz brothers' yellin' here! What tha fuck are ya thinkin'?!"
Di Roy, another of Grimmjow's fraccion, had just came out from his room, that was the nearest to Ilforte's one.
He saw Ilforte still grabbing Szayel's collar, and his face shined: "Yeah, Forte, kick him, punch him, right'n the face!"
With a sigh, Szayel got free from his brother's grab, and adjusted again his glasses, watching the fraccion. "I guess the IQ of the Sexta Espada's wing is way below average…".
"Shut up your fuckin' mouth, Di Roy," cut out Ilforte, putting his hands in the pockets and turning to him.
The small Arrancar stared at the two brothers glaring at him at the same way – and he felt so more small, compared to them. "Oh, hell, yeah," he muttered, frightened. "I think I'll…go to Nakeem. See ya, Forte, Octava," said, and sonidoes away.
When he was sure they were alone, Ilforte turned again to Szayel. "Go away," he repeated, now more calm. "If you have that kind of needs, go finding someone that has the courage to fuck you, oh I forgot – nobody wants you".
"I see that still you don't understand. Well, it's normal – you always prefer yelling around like an animal, run away from what fright you, leaving others behind, just like a little coward animal – you've never changed, Ilforte".
Ilforte felt just like he stabbed him in his chest. That was a painful point, and Szayel always liked to remember it to him. "Just… say another thing…" he whispered, livid, "…and I'll kill you".
"I'm not gonna talk any more," answered Szayel, smirking a little. "I suppose we have nothing else to say each other".
Ilforte was now trembling, did not answer so Szayel, still smirking and with the hands on his back, began walking away.
When Szayel was distant enough, the fraccion kicked the wall of the corridor so hard that made it tremble, and then returned in his room, slamming the door, feeling so stupid.
In that occasion, he swore to himself that he would have talk or got near no more to his hated brother.
But now, after two days, in which they had not talking each other, IlForte returned to Szayel's wing. He found him down in his lab working, as usual, for the Aizen's project.
But he – even if probably had seen him coming from the cameras in the corridors – didn't give to him a single glance.
The blonde felt his head pulsing, and his last energies rapidly leaving him. He had no much time left so, putting apart his pride, he decided to break his promise.
"Hello," said painfully, smiling but almost crying, "Octava…Espada".
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2nd chapter. Wah. XD
I hope I can write more in these days, to publish soon also the 3rd.
Please R&R, and…thanks for reading. ^^;