Late New Year Greetings: 2010 seemed so fast and now we're on the year 2011. First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I've already updated my latest UlquiHime Multichaptered fic entitled Angelice, which will also include the GrimmNel pairing. Speaking of GrimmNel, the one-shot here is about them. The story is inspired by an art made by safirahcomelDeviantArt. The fanart is actually Christmas-themed, but I portrayed the story during New Year time. It's sort of Grimmjow's late Christmas present for Nelliel. Before I forget, there's a bit of UlquiHime here.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I only own this story.

A Picture of Words
By: JcZala

Art Inspiration by: safirahcomel
Bleach Pairing: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez & Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck
Four Things to Greet the New Year: LQ, Apologies, Confessions, and Present

"Grimmjow, I know you're there. Pick up the phone now."

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez opened his eyes and slid a hand down his face. His whole apartment was dark, but the time on his digital clock was as clear as daylight. The time was 4:30 AM. "You've gotta be kidding me!" he grumbled.

"Pick up the phone or else I will be forced to use drastic measures." The cold voice was coming through his answering machine on the desk.

"Fuck you!" He jumped out of bed and marched across the room. He picked up the wireless phone and sunk into his desk chair, and yelled, "What the hell do you want, you bastard? And do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's 4:32 AM," the caller answered flatly.

Grimmjow growled, "I wasn't asking about the time!"

"I have something to say and it is imperative that you will listen."

"Just spill it." There was a brief silence, which Grimmjow found odd and annoying. He opened his mouth to shout curses at his caller, and then stopped when he finally replied.

"You have a package. It's at your doorstep."

Frowning, he stood and headed to the door, bringing the phone with him. "You called me just to tell me that?" He ran a hand through his blue hair and sighed in frustration. "What a way to annoy me first thing in the morning! And it's New Year for crying out loud!" He grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open.

Standing at his doorstep was a pale-skinned man of average height. He had emerald-green eyes, a black upper lip, and dark unruly hair. He was wearing a black long-sleeved turtleneck underneath the green jacket with a green scarf around his neck, along with black pants and shoes. To his utter dismay, the guy was Ulquiorra, the one who was on the phone with him at that very moment!

Grimmjow stared at him for an instant before he pushed the door closed and yelled into the phone, "You fuckin son of a bitch! You really love messing with me, don't you, Ulquiorra?"

"Did you just slam the door in Ulquiorra's face?" a new voice, a female one, asked in amazement.

Tossing a look over his shoulder, he saw an orange-haired beauty standing behind him. She was angelic in appearance, average in height, and had long, slender legs. She was wearing a white jacket on top of a black turtleneck, blue-pleated mini-skirt with black thigh-high stockings, and also wore a pair of brown knee-length boots. The girl was Orihime Inoue.

"How the hell did you get in here?" he questioned angrily.

But Orihime just gave off a smile. "Through the window," she answered cheerfully. "It wasn't locked, so I got in. I tried to convince Ulquiorra to use the window, but he didn't want to."

Grimmjow was about to burst as he lifted the phone to his ear. "You two are a real pain in ass," he said.

"I will not tolerate any ill-mannered words towards the woman, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra warned. "I suggest that you open this door this minute or else I will blast it with my Cero."

"A real pain in the ass." Grimmjow hung up and reached for the doorknob.

"You woke me up at this freakishly early hour just to tell me to go on a date with Nelliel?" Grimmjow exclaimed, dropping down on his sofa. "Forget it! I still wanna sleep, you know. And that party last night took a lot from me."

Shaking her head, Orihime walked toward him and pulled his arm. "Celebrating New Year in Japan means paying special attention to the 'firsts' of the year," she explained. "And did you forget the promise you made with her yesterday? You and Nel-chan were going to celebrate Hatsuhinode!"

Grimmjow looked up at her, raising a brow. "Hatsu-what now?"

"Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the year," Ulquiorra said, who was leaning against the wall, standing right beside the television. "Before sunrise on the 1st of January, some couples drive to the coast or climb a mountain to see the first sunrise of the New Year."

"And it's quite romantic!" Orihime added, still tugging on Grimmjow's arm.

"Why would I go through all the trouble just to drive to the coast or climb a mountain to see a stupid sunrise?" Grimmjow pulled his arm free. "To hell with that crap, I'm going back to bed."

A frown greased Orihime's lips. "But you promised Nel-chan," she said, clasping her hands together.

"I believe he was too drunk last night to even remember." Ulquiorra straightened and approached Grimmjow. "But I find it rather unpleasant that you wouldn't even consider Nelliel's feelings. Well, I somehow anticipated this."

Orihime sighed. "I feel sorry for Nel-chan. It's really important to spend the first day of the New Year with the people you care about."

Grimmjow stiffened as he recalled Nelliel's smiles and laughter during the New Year Eve's party last night. Unfortunately, they got into a big fight because of some misunderstanding, and then drank so much alcohol until he dropped. Everything was a blur after that, though he did realize that Ulquiorra and some other guy brought him back to his apartment in one piece. To be perfectly honest, he remembered the promise he made with her. He remembered about going to see the first sunrise of the year. But he wondered if Nelliel would even bother showing up. He was pretty sure she was still mad at him.

Still, he had to make it up for her...

Scratching the back of his head, he stood up and turned his head away from the curious gaze of Orihime. "Fine! I'm going!" he growled.

Clapping her hands in delight, Orihime turned on her heel and smiled up at Ulquiorra. "Isn't that great, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra shifted, drawing his green gaze at his blue-haired friend. He could see the hesitation he had and he was sure that Orihime could sense it too yet she still encouraged him. Both of them were aware of the big fight between Grimmjow and Nelliel.

While Orihime was busy preparing for their own date, Ulquiorra waited for her outside her apartment. He was leaning against the wall, hands inside the pockets of his pants. It was already 5:15 AM. Only an hour away till the sun will rise. It was a relief they managed to convince Grimmjow to go, and Orihime had also persuaded Nelliel earlier on the phone.

Just then, Nelliel came by, and Ulquiorra took notice of the sad look in her hazel eyes. While his woman was like a cross between an angel and a princess in appearance, Nelliel was a voluptuous beauty with an alluring charm and sophistication. She wore her blue-green hair long and wavy in a ponytail. She was clad in a pink coat with a pair of magenta-colored leggings and gloves, and pink boots.

"Happy New Year, Ulquiorra!" Nelliel said, taking note of how she forced herself to be cheerful. And it was evident that she didn't have a good sleep.

"A Happy New Year as well," Ulquiorra said in monotone. "What brings you here this early?"

"I'm just here to drop off this New Year card for Orihime," Nelliel replied with a smile as she held up the card.

"The woman is still getting dressed. Why aren't you wearing a kimono? Do you not intend to meet with Grimmjow today?"

Nelliel lowered her gaze as she knelt down in front of Orihime's apartment door. "I'm still going to watch the first sunrise...but I'm not expecting him to be there," she said, slipping the card under the door. "I don't see any reason to get dolled up." A sad smile graced her lips.

Ulquiorra looked up at the dim sky. "I may not understand the conflict between the two of you completely, but I can understand why you're angry," he started, and Nelliel stilled herself. "Grimmjow is impulsive, foolishly aggressive, and absolutely stupid most of the time. His temper always gets the best of him. His arrogance level is off the charts. He's all bark and no bite. You might want to consider him as a stupid single-celled organism."

With an anime sweat-drop, Nelliel let out an awkward giggle. I find it amazing how he can badmouth someone so smoothly like that and he said stupid twice.

"However..." Ulquiorra shifted his gaze from the sky to Nelliel. "That's the Grimmjow you harbour feelings for, the Grimmjow who shares the same feelings for you as well. Yes, he was being immoral back at the party, but I doubt he wanted to hurt you. Why don't you cut him some slack?"

Nelliel could only blink in surprise. "Ulquiorra..."

And it was pretty odd to have her stare at him as if he was some kind of freak show.

Then she burst with laughter. "I can't believe you're actually giving me an advice!" She patted Ulquiorra's shoulder hard. "You're way, way, way different from the way you were before. I guess I have Orihime to thank for this." She skipped back, spun around, and held onto the railings. "I'm glad I came here this early. Thanks, Ulquiorra!" With that, she jumped over the railings from the second floor and landed gracefully on the ground. Afterwards, she hurried off to the site where they were going to watch the first sunset of the year.

On top of a building located downtown, Grimmjow stood on the railings, looking completely composed as he stared into the horizon. He was wearing a black turtleneck underneath a purple coat and brown pants with a brown scarf around his neck, and a pair of black shoes and gloves. His blue hair was spiky and unkempt as usual but that didn't hinder his natural good looks.

"It's almost dawn and she's nowhere in sight. I can't even sense her," he grumbled under his breath. "Probably because of this stupid gigai." He scratched the back of his head as he sighed in frustration. Patient was never his virtue. He hated waiting most of all. He already knew that Nelliel was going to be a no-show. Well, after what he did last night, he knew that she wasn't going to forgive him easily.

A sigh escaped his lips once again as he hopped back off the railings. Only a few minutes left till sunrise and she still wasn't there. What a happy new year for him, he thought as he slipped his hands into his pockets. But the moment he turned on his heels, a big-breasted beauty burst through the entrance.

He froze on the spot. Behind him the sun was rising over the horizon and right in front of him was really his girlfriend, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. He couldn't believe it. She really came, despite what he did.

Between her pants, she looked up at him and said, "Looks like I made it on time..."

Grimmjow felt his heart jumping for joy, but he kept a grumpy face as he turned his gaze away from her. "What the hell are you doing here?" he spouted, mentally slapping himself for letting his pride take over.

"A promise is a promise," Nelliel said, placing both hands on her hips. "We both promised each other to see the first sunrise of the year. I guess you're too dumb enough to even remember..." She shook her head disappointedly.

And that got his temper flaring. "Who are you calling dumb?" he exclaimed. "Of course, I remembered that stupid promise. Real bothersome, if you ask me. I wanted to catch some more Zs."

Nelliel felt her chest tightened. "So, you really had no intention of coming here...?" she questioned, and Grimmjow gave out a grunt in reply. "I see..." She clenched her hands, walked up to him, and punched him on the face.

The punch was strong enough to send him sprawling onto the concrete and it hurt like hell. "You b—" He stopped his mouth from cursing when he saw tears flowing down her cheeks. Now he really felt guilty. Why can't he stop acting like a big, fat jerk for once? "N-Nelliel...I..."

"Grimmjow, I can't believe you!" Nelliel yelled, choking and sobbing. "Why did you come here in the first place if you...if you don't care at all?"

He lowered his head in shame. "I'm here, aren't I? I came because we promised," he said solemnly, his voice still had the touch of roughness to it. "And back at the party...I only acted like a complete asshole because I..." His voice trailed off.

Wiping the tears away, Nelliel folded her arms in front of her chest. "Because you what? You had no right to punch Ichigo just because I hugged him! I was only being friendly to him."

"That's about it!" he exclaimed angrily, looking up at her. "You hugged that stupid Soul Reaper! I know you had a crush on him before and you just hugged him like I wasn't even there!"

"Take note of the past tense you used, Grimmjow," Nelliel said calmly. "I had a crush on him. That was then, okay? And I chose you, didn't I? Do you know why? It's because I love you." She managed to say that with a straight face, with no hint of hesitation at all.

Clenching his teeth, he got up back to his feet. "And do you know why I punched him? I was freaking jealous, okay? I don't want you hugging another guy, especially that stupid Soul Reaper!" Yeah, he was jealous. It was a disgusting emotion for him, to think he was jealous of Ichigo Kurosaki, of all people. "But I hate it more when we're like this."

"Grimmjow..." Nelliel's eyes softened. "I don't love Ichigo the way I love you. Ichigo's just a friend to me. You don't have to feel jealous." She motioned over this left side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah," he replied with a grunt. "But don't stick so close to him next time. I'm okay with hand-shakes, but hugs? That's another—oof!" Between one breath and the next, he found himself with his arms full of giggling, smiling Nelliel. He took a moment to be thankful to see that smile on her face again.

"You're one complicated guy, Grimmjow," she said, kissing his cheek, making him slightly blush. "But I forgive you for being a jerk. All you need to do now is to apologize to Ichigo."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Me? Apologize to that shitty dandelion head? No way in—ugh!" Nelliel, with a bit of force, elbowed his side. "Fine! I'll apologize! Jeez!"

Nelliel smiled. "Thank you!" she said cheerfully, giving him one big hug. "Since the sun is already up, I was thinking of visiting the shrine. We'll probably see Ulquiorra and Orihime there. We should say our—"

Grimmjow wound his fingers into the thick weight of her blue-green hair, titled her head back and silenced her with his mouth. She simply melted against him, her body pressed close to his. He kissed her until they were breathless. "I'd rather not spend my New Year with those two," he said, recalling the unexpected wake-up call from them earlier, which was really annoying.

"So, you want to spend it with me and me alone?" she said, giggling, as her eyes sparkled.

His cheeks turned slightly red. "Err...yeah...whatever." He cleared his throat, drawing back to pull out a small rectangular box from inside his coat. The box was wrapped in a red wrapper tied with a golden ribbon. When Nelliel saw that, Grimmjow felt more awkward. "Here...it's for you."

Nelliel clasped her hands together against her chest in glee. "A New Year present for me?"

His eyes slid away from hers, his expression uneasy. "It's your late Christmas present. I'm still new to these celebrations the humans are fussing about. That woman once told me that you I should get you a present. Better late than never, she says."

"I'm pretty new to all of this as well, but I'm really glad we came to live in the human world. We get to experience so many wonderful things." She leaned closer and kissed the bridge of his nose. "Thank you, Grimmjow, and Happy New Year," she whispered against his mouth.

"Happy New Year," he murmured before claiming her lips once more.

THE END

JC: My first GrimmNel story is done! I would have posted it on January 1st if I wasn't so busy partying, eating, lighting fireworks, and did I mention eating? LOl... I'm pretty nervous about this at first. It's my first time writing a fic centered around Grimmjow and Nelliel. But the inspiration I got from the art really helped me. If you wanna see the art, just come visit my profile page and click on the link. It's up on DeviantArt. Please don't forget to review this story. No flaming!