I should probably wait longer between postings just to make everyone ~*~stew~*~ in the cliffhanger, but—oh well!
Ichigo gagged on his own breath, unable to dwell on his hateful thoughts for that stupid prick Grimmjow for long enough—he knew if he didn't do some damage to the hollow, he'd black out, and then what? He didn't delude himself with the ridiculous notion of help, and if it came from Grimmjow, Ichigo knew he'd hate that even more. Some things were worse than dying, and he knew the fucker would only lord the debt over him.
And so what if he did? Ichigo thought, very calmly. It wouldn't exactly change things one way or the other.
Oxygen deprivation was clearly setting in.
Ichigo thrashed in a panicked frenzy with the last of his failing strength, brain fogging at the edges—he almost imagined he saw something in the corner of his mind, and that was definitively impossible. His eyes were clenched tightly shut as he tried to force air into his chest, fingers growing numb even as they gripped the hilt of his sword; he heard a rushing like blood—
—Then his body jerked violently, and Ichigo's eyes snapped open. The tail holding him had been cut, and he was in free-fall. The enormous hollow howled in agony, and Ichigo's own limbs flailed wildly in the air.
An arm looped around his chest and swept him upwards, "Miss me, eh, shinigami?"
It was Grimmjow, and Ichigo was filled with both relief and seething hatred. He was unable to form words, gagging air back into his lungs. The Espada landed once, securing his grasp around Ichigo, before leaping off the ground. They alighted onto a tall, rocky outcropping, and Grimmjow dropped Ichigo at his feet. His shivering limbs failed to support him, and Ichigo retched; his chest burned, and he knew his ribs were broken. Still, he managed to shoot a glare at the arrancar from his prone position, heaving air back into his lungs.
Grimmjow smirked at him, snickering, "Che, I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?"
"Fuck you, you goddamn asshole!" It wasn't much of a comeback, but the most Ichigo could do, given the situation. The sentiment was clear, at the very least.
"Hah." Grimmjow was laughing. "Need rescuing, eh? I wonder why I even brought you along in the first place."
"Where the fuck were you, you stupid piece of shit?" Ichigo snarled, gathering his feet under him. He could barely take in a full breath, but even worse was Grimmjow; Ichigo wanted to hate him from the depths of his being but all he could do was feel relief. He couldn't understand the way he'd been saved, why Grimmjow would give a shit about him in the first place. The bastard probably didn't want to end up bored without Ichigo to kick around; shallow motivations to the end.
"Oh, I felt him, on the other side of this place," Grimmjow was saying, not looking at Ichigo but gazing excitedly at their prey, who was writhing about on the ground below. Grimmjow had sliced off the end of the hollow's tail, and it was screaming angrily. "Didn't think you'd find him first. Big fucker, ain't he?" Grimmjow crouched beside him, eyes attentive. "Guess I know now how weak you really are."
"Only how weak you've made me," Ichigo returned.
Before he could say anything else, Grimmjow was bounding down from their perch, landing before their prey, his sword held casually against his shoulder.
"Well, hey there, fucker," he called. Ichigo immediately felt embarrassed, as though Grimmjow were displaying what a complete dipshit he was, arrogant and over-confident. For a spiteful moment, Ichigo hoped the other hollow kicked his ass, if only so that Grimmjow's ego felt the bruise.
He leapt after the other man, stumbling as he hit the ground; his ribs ached like there was a knife stabbed between them, and Ichigo knew he needed to be careful. But all the pain the world wouldn't stop him from matching Grimmjow, especially now that the stupid fucker was convinced of his weakness. Ichigo would prove him wrong if it killed him.
He marched up behind Grimmjow, and punched him soundly in the arrancar's lower back. "You stupid asshole! Stop getting in my way!"
"Excuse me?" Grimmjow regarded him, bored and unthreatened.
"You said it yourself, I found him first. Quit stealing my kills and taking all the credit, fucking glory hog!"
"Heh, is that what you think?" Grimmjow spat on the ground, as though emphasizing his position. "Not a fucking chance. I saw how this thing was throwing you around, just like you were letting it."
"And I don't need you to save me!" Ichigo could feel fine tremors of anger shaking his shoulders, but he didn't care.
"Likewise, brat," the arrancar sneered, tilting his face so that he glared down at Ichigo. "You were a mistake to bring along; all you did yesterday was get in my way. I bet you're still waiting for a thanks on that, aren't you? Well, payback's fair—"
"Hey!" they both jerked towards their proper enemy; the hollow's boney face was twisted and enraged. "Don't fucking ignore me, you little shits!"
"Fuck off," Grimmjow snapped, before returning his attention to Ichigo. His grin was sharp and malicious, "I've got more important things to do, yeah?"
"Damn right, you stupid prick—"
Grimmjow poked a sharp finger into Ichigo's chest, "Now listen the fuck up, you little bastard: you trip me up one more time, and I really will kill you. You're living on borrowed time; maybe you just need a reminder of that, am I right?"
"Y'know, Grimmjow, I am so sick of this fucking routine of yours. You only push me around like this because you know you'll win—" Ichigo's words drew a loud cackle from the other man, which only served as fuel for the bitterness clawing up Ichigo's stomach. He slapped Grimmjow's arm away from his body, "Because you knew you couldn't beat me, unless you made me weak and helpless."
"Hey, I didn't do any of that, it was all Aizen. You can blame me for a lotta shit, but he's the one that sealed your sword."
"And you're just taking advantage of it, is that it?" Ichigo spat angrily at the arrancar's feet. "You've got less honor than even he does."
"Watch it, fucker—"
"No, Grimmjow, you better watch it." Ichigo hadn't forgotten their quarry, huge and hungry beside them, and had seen the severed stump of its tail whipping behind Grimmjow. It streaked towards the arrancar, but Ichigo didn't bother to tip the other man off; knowing Grimmjow, he'd never even acknowledge the help.
"And you better not tell me what to do—" Grimmjow's words ended as the hollow's tail crashed into him, and he was sent sprawling. But he got back up in an instant, spluttering and indignant. "Now what the fuck?" He glared at the hollow, which matched his seething eyes. "Will you butt the fuck out? I'm busy."
"You cut my tail, bastard!" It snarled, "That hurt!"
"Yeah, and that's just the start; I'll get to you in a minute. And you—" he rounded on Ichigo, "Think that was funny, eh?"
Ichigo shrugged, "I warned you."
"Then that was the shittiest warning I ever heard!"
"Try this one, then." Ichigo saw the hollow's whip-tail snapping around for another pass, and slammed a leg into Grimmjow's feet, flipping him on his back. The tail skimmed over Grimmjow's fallen form, but it was annoying—having the creature interfere, especially when Ichigo was more in the mood to take Grimmjow down a peg himself. But some things couldn't be avoided; Ichigo dashed forwards and lopped off another segment of the winding body.
The hollow roared, its shortened tail spasming before erupting into a new, forked length. Ichigo leapt back, away from it, landing side-by-side to Grimmjow.
"Well, that's, um. That's different," Grimmjow said, sounding perplexed.
"Regeneration?"
"Whatever it is, it's gross. Don't let that thing do it again, you hear?"
Ichigo bristled. "Don't give me orders!"
"Then don't get in the way!"
The hollow was sneering at them both. "I'll kill you first," it said to Grimmjow, "You stole my lunch, you little brat. That shinigami was mine."
"No, that shinigami is mine. He'll always be mine."
"What sort of belonging do you not eat, then?"
"What's it matter to you?" Grimmjow sneered, teeth bared and white. "Other than a meal you won't be having."
"He was telling me all sorts of things," the answered. "Like how I can have true power, if only I join you."
"He's nice," Grimmjow said. "He gave you the choice."
"I don't listen to the demands of tiny insects."
"They always said that, 'bout me," Grimmjow responded. "Always wondered how a little thing could be so goddamn powerful."
Ichigo was surprised to hear that; he'd always imagined Grimmjow as large as this being. His ego certainly matched the hollow's size. But he didn't particularly like being talked about as though he was a bartering chip, and streaked towards the hollow to leave a deep gash across its face. His sword stuck in the bone mask, and Ichigo was thrown aside as the hollow reared up in pain.
He landed, rolling, and Grimmjow followed through with Ichigo's initial advance, blasting a cero through its chest. Unbelievably, it wasn't enough to kill the creature; Ichigo saw its winding tail crashing towards him but his sword was still stuck in the thing's face. His chest protested angrily at the rough treatment, and Ichigo staggered to his feet—but then Grimmjow streaked in front of him, slashing through the hollow and amputating its tail a second time.
Ichigo felt grateful for a moment, but it was swiftly replaced by anger—goddammit, that was the second time the bastard had saved him. And by the wide smirk on Grimmjow's face, the arrancar wouldn't soon let him forget it.
"You should just sit this out, shinigami," Grimmjow smiled. "I can't beat this one and watch out for your ass at the same time."
"Then you suck," Ichigo huffed. He'd always done his best to protect others, but being on the receiving end left a bad taste in his mouth. "What, doing two things at once more than you can handle?"
"Doing one thing seems to be kicking your ass—"
"Why don't you sit back and watch, if that's all you can manage?" Ichigo snapped, and rushed the hollow, bounding up the side of its massive body until he'd reached his sword. Its teeth snapped at him, but Ichigo's comparatively small size made it easy for him to snatch his sword and slash out one of the hollow's eyes. He imagined it was Grimmjow's face he was laying into instead, and punched the hollow's snouted nose soundly before it shook him off.
"What's that supposed to do, shinigami?" He heard the Espada's mocking voice behind him, "Annoy it?
Ichigo landed, ready to pound Grimmjow properly but saw the arrancar leap at their enemy and slice open the hollow's throat. Grimmjow was doused in a gout of black blood before he could get away—not like the asshole probably cared. Grimmjow wiped his eyes clear before shaking himself like a wet dog, and Ichigo was glad he wasn't within splattering distance.
The hollow gave a choking scream before it crumpled, unmoving. Grimmjow sauntered towards Ichigo, dripping in gore though his white teeth shone through it. "That's how you fucking do it, shinigami."
"I thought you wanted this thing alive."
The Espada's grin faltered at its corners. "Fuck—"
"You dumbass!" Maybe it wasn't completely dead, and Ichigo approached the creature's body cautiously.
"Well, shit," Grimmjow cursed, beside him, and kicked the hollow's head vindictively. It lolled to the side, only attached by a few strings of tendons. To call it dead would've been generous; maybe the creature could regenerate most injuries, but not this much. Ichigo felt a slight twinge of remorse—even if he'd wanted to destroy the hollow, he felt somewhat bad mutilating it in place of Grimmjow. It hadn't really done enough to deserve that, though his painful, cracked ribs begged to differ.
"This is all your fault," Grimmjow added in a growl.
Ichigo could feel his temper snap, "The fuck it is, asshole!"
"You wanna bet? If you hadn't kept getting in my way, this never would've happened!"
"I think it's the other way around," Ichigo huffed, tired and annoyed. The aches from his crushed chest emerged with force now that he didn't have adrenaline and anger to dull the pain. But their earlier fight seemed to have lost its fire, in the wake of cruel reality; Ichigo wouldn't say it aloud, but he was glad. His body hurt everywhere, and Grimmjow would easily be able to beat him as a result.
"This sucks," Grimmjow said, glaring at the broken hollow, as though through force of will he could revive it. He looked surprisingly petulant, a child who'd broken a new toy that couldn't easily be replaced. It wasn't like Grimmjow knew much of restraint, and for a moment, Ichigo felt strangely thankful that the arrancar treated him with slightly more care. He wouldn't fall as readily as this hollow had, but he knew deeply how chaotic Grimmjow could become once his bloodlust took over—maybe he'd never riled the arrancar to that point, yet, limited as he was. Ichigo liked to imagine he was still a decent challenge for the arrancar, but without Zangetsu, things seemed already predetermined.
He kicked the sand irritably, still not wanting to concede that fact. "What's your big plan now?" Ichigo muttered. They hadn't come out all his way to go home empty-handed.
"Che." Grimmjow grunted, and aimed a fresh kick at the corpse. He acted as pissed as Ichigo was, though he knew Grimmjow had separate reasons for it. "This thing wasn't even worth it if it couldn't regenerate that little scratch."
"That scratch wasn't little, moron. You nearly took its head off."
Grimmjow shot him a silver smile, "Impressed?"
"Not a chance."
"Liar." Grimmjow slicked a hand through his blood-wetted hair. "C'mon. We're gonna find something better. I wouldn't even've taken this back to Aizen; would've gotten laughed outta the damn place if I did."
Ichigo snorted; Grimmjow was one to be calling others liars with talk like that. Covering up for being an idiot—it was disturbing to Ichigo that he could realize the arrancar's posturing for what it was, just something to keep his own ego afloat. Ichigo imagined that he'd have boundless confidence as well, if he relied on self-delusion to get it.
Grimmjow fixed his bloodied sword back in its place on his hip, not bothering to clean it; Ichigo was annoyed on principle, even if the arrancar's sword-blade always looked like shit anyway. Why take things for granted? He treated Ichigo in the same careless manner, and Ichigo could feel his temper rising anew.
"Well?" Grimmjow glared at him, and Ichigo realized he'd been staring. "C'mon, dipshit." And he began stalking away, back rigid and angry.
"Where are we going, Grimmjow?"
"What's it matter to you, eh?" Grimmjow shot over his shoulder. "We're gonna find another, a better one this time. I ain't going back with nothing to show for all of this."
Ichigo sighed heavily; no, he didn't want to have all this time go to waste either, but unlike the stupid prick arrancar, Ichigo had actually come out of their current fight worse off. Physically, at least—even if it hadn't meant much, his shoulders felt lighter now that he'd unloaded half of the built-up insults Grimmjow'd been piling on him since the day Ichigo had arrived in this hellhole.
Grimmjow stopped, waiting for him. "And we can definitely take something twice as strong as this little pipsqueak. I was watching back there; you're itching for another fight, yeah?"
Ichigo blinked; that almost sounded like a compliment. He knew he was wrong in thinking it as such, but Grimmjow's words were none the less surprising. Ichigo practically expected another mocking insult to cut him down; he'd had nothing less for as long as he could remember. A grudging acknowledgement of competency—against weak hollows, but still—was probably all that Grimmjow could manage without his ego getting in the way.
Ichigo jogged to catch up to the other man, and jostling his fresh injuries left him gasping. Grimmjow was pinning him with a considering glare; Ichigo snapped, "What?"
"Che, I feel another storm coming. We should wait it out here, where there's cover." Grimmjow glanced around, as if searching. Ichigo didn't feel any change in the still air, and it was suspicious, given Grimmjow's eagerness to set off not a moment ago.
"I ain't that bad off," Ichigo scowled. "I can travel, at least."
"Shut up, will you?" Grimmjow looked irritated. "And it ain't that. Not everything's about you."
"Asshole." Ichigo turned away. But isn't it? He wanted to ask, Isn't it always about me?
He didn't want to admit how much he welcomed resting for a while. The persistent pain wore against his already thin nerves, and he didn't like Grimmjow looking out for him again. Not after the prick had saved his ass twice already.
They bedded down in a sheltered cave; it might've belonged to the hollow they killed, but it'd never be needing it again. Ichigo tried to sleep, but couldn't find a comfortable position, and his mind seemed too awake for his injured and exhausted body.
It bothered him, the way Grimmjow had jumped in when the hollow could've easily crushed him. All of Grimmjow's mocking insults were designed to make Ichigo feel weak and helpless, as though he couldn't do anything, let alone protect himself. Ichigo half expected the bastard to let him get beaten, if only so that Grimmjow could taunt him with it later. But Grimmjow had leapt in to save him, as though the arrancar had wanted to—he'd rescued Ichigo, and Ichigo hated being rescued. He hadn't asked for it.
He hadn't stopped resenting the prick for making him weak enough to need the help. And Ichigo knew the arrancar would never admit what it was—he'd always pass the protectiveness off to possession, but it made him begin to wonder if that were true. He wondered if the other man hadn't captured him for anything else, and the leering gaze Grimmjow always looked him over with didn't help. It was creepy and made Ichigo's skin crawl. Grimmjow always behaved like an animal stalking him, and Ichigo didn't like putting things in a different context—he wasn't an idiot, and could pick signals up easily when they were as obvious as Grimmjow's were. But Ichigo was certain that if Grimmjow had wanted that from him, he'd have taken it by now. The prick didn't know the meaning of restraint, as he'd demonstrated previously against their hollow enemy.
Ichigo ground his teeth irritably, and cracked one eye open to see Grimmjow stomp past the opening to their cave. Why the kindness? Letting Ichigo rest, protecting him—it didn't fit with what he knew of the other man. Ichigo wasn't sure if he liked the change or not.
Thank you to: Q and B, my faithful betas :)
Please let me know if you enjoy the story, I welcome all feedback!
