They hadn't spoken since their ordeal in the hot spring. Shuuhei didn't want to, and it seemed like Renji couldn't. The redhead had gotten another servant to attend to him and had sent him to be with the others. A forlorn look shadowed the brunette's face as he made his way down the hall. Grimmjow and Izuru wouldn't be happy about him staying there, intruding on their time alone, but he wasn't about to spend time with Rangiku. Not that he didn't like her; he just had no experience on dealing with women, and the female liked to cling to him a lot.
The blonde and blue-haired male looked up from where they were sitting as he stepped into the room. Shuuhei winced as he stumbled a bit, but it barely showed on his face. Izuru had a mixed look of shock and concern, and Grimmjow seemed a bit angry. Without a word, the bigger of his two friends stood and walked over to him, pulling the small servant into a light embrace. Grimmjow wasn't usually one for affection, but he knew exactly what Shuuhei had gone through only an hour before. Renji didn't keep him around for nothing; his senses were incredible.
Besides that, Grimmjow had been the first one he had bonded with. Shuuhei wasn't sure how, but the feral man had become attached to him early on, probably because he had been treated like the brunette where he had lived. Renji had taken him away also, and although Grimmjow had started out a servant, he had been turned into a member of the redhead's secret guild, where Shuuhei had become the exact opposite.
Izuru hugged him next, his soft blonde hair tickling the brunette's chin. "The pain will go away after a few days, but you're gonna be sore," he said, meeting Shuuhei's gaze. The servant said nothing, letting himself be guided to the bed. He didn't sit down; it hurt to much. "Lay on your stomach; I'll massage your back," Izuru said after watching him for a moment. With some help from Grimmjow, he finally managed to stretch out on the bed, letting the blonde's talented fingers begin to work over his back.
"I can't believe that asshole sometimes. He made you run all the way here, almost freeze to death, and then this," he heard Grimmjow growl. So the previous anger hadn't been his interupting; it had been their master's actions. Izuru remained silent, letting the blue-haired male rant. "Shuuhei, you know he's gonna do it again. I don't know when, but he will; his selfish desires won't let him stay away for long."
Shuuhei curled up a bit tighter, hiding his face. ". . . I know that. But there's nothing that I can do about it," he said softly. For the first time in a long time, he cried. He cried about his past, his old friend, the childhood that had been stripped away from him, even his freedom. He cried for the life that he could no longer have, cried for the one he had been thrown into, wept for the shadows that had been attacking him in his dreams. But most of all, he cried for something or someone to save him.
Izuru rubbed his back gently, helping him through it, letting him get the emotional pain out of his system. Even Grimmjow joined them, petting Shuuhei's head. Unusual for him, but the servant smiled slightly at the fact that he cared.
All of them jumped, however, when a scratching noise came at the door. It was followed by a meow, and Shuuhei immediately knew who it was. "That's Sori. He's a cat that followed me from the palace," he explained, watching as Grimmjow let the animal in. The white cat ran up to him, pressing a paw against his cheek. He seemed almost . . . concerned.
"Hey, hey, there's nothing wrong with me; calm down, Sori." But even as he said so, the cat curled up by his head and rested it's chin in the long, soft locks of his hair. Shuuhei was oblivious to the stare it was giving to Izuru, but he felt the blonde shift uncomfortablly. A few moments passed, and the cat began to purr softly as it fell into sleep.
"He's lived there for a while now, although I'm not sure why he's stayed. You know that closed off garden outside of my room? That's where he usually sleeps," the servant said, smiling fondly at the memory. Moments of silence passed, and then a knock was heard at the door. "I need to speak with Izuru, Shuuhei, and Grimmjow. I have a message from Renji-sama." It was another servant of the hot springs. Grimmjow helped him stand again, and then went to the door, hearing an unamused meow from Sori.
Izuru opened the door, letting the servant in. He was a pale individual with teal marks running from his eyes to his chin, almost as if he was crying. The servant stood with an air of polite authority, face emotionless. Grimmjow stiffened next to Shuuhei, causing grey eyes to peer at him in question.
But that quickly passed as the strange male bowed. "Renji-sama wishes for you to meet him in the large hot springs later on. You will be meeting Juushiro-sama, my master. We shall await you there." WIth that, the pale individual bowed and walked away. "I wonder why he needed all of us here just to relay a message," Grimmjow growled. But Shuuhei caught the unease in his voice.
"Izuru, does that name sound familiar?" He asked, looking to his side. But the blonde was gone. "Izuru, hey, where'd you go," the brunette said, turning around on unsteady feet. Something struck the side of his head, a few drops of blood leaving his split lip. Shuuhei was out before he hit the floor.
I was feeling inspired, so new chapter already~ xD Short chapter, I know. But I hope I'm keeping up the suspense. See you all soon~ ^.^