Seven Reasons We're Together

Part 4: Apprentice

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

**

Day: Wednesday

"All right, we finally took care of that little problem," Grimmjow said with satisfaction, carrying the box or window blinds under his arm as he and Halibel left the hardware store of Karakura Town. "Human currency is kind of a funny thing, how they use metal coins and paper bills to exchange goodies at stores. Where did we find our money to spend, again?"

"I forget," Halibel said honestly, frowning as she thought hard about it. Then she looked nervous. "We didn't… just steal any, did we?"

"Oh, yeah, we found it leftover from the last renter of the house we're living in," Grimmjow recalled, slapping a hand to his forehead. "It's okay, we didn't break any human laws or anything. But really. I'm going to appreciate the early mornings actually being dark with this baby."

Grimmjow hefted the box of window blinds under his arm, grinning as Halibel sighed good-naturedly. "It's so no one can see into our house. The old blinds were half-gone," she reminded him as they went down the sidewalk and past the stores there. "I like the morning sun. It's a good way to start the day, really invigorating. Right?"

"Ahhhhh, sleeping in is better," Grimmjow teased her, giving her a humored sideways look.

Then, Halibel made an amused smile before turning into one of the passing stores without warning, and Grimmjow had to turn and hurry to follow her in. "Wait, what's this?" he asked.

"We've hardly done or seen anything today, since you insisted on sleeping in late," Halibel explained. "This is a tailor's shop, Grimmjow!" She sounded rather excited.

"Huh? Isn't that where humans make clothing from needles and looms and stuff?" Grimmjow asked in confusion as he scratched his head and looked around, aware of all the threads and needles and cloth samples here, as well as the clothing already made by the shop owner.

"It's not just that," Halibel prodded him. "It can be a means of expression, using your own two hands to make clothing of all different kinds. It's a human thing, I know, but fascinating. Don't you agree?"

"Well, it's interesting…" Grimmjow offered, unsure. "But the hardware store had…"

"Oh, don't be like that. You like all the sharp objects in the hardware store, but this kind of thing is what interests me," Halibel mused, looking around with bounding curiosity, past a clothing rack. She couldn't identify who that was on the other side.

"I didn't know you were into tailoring," Grimmjow commented with a friendly grin as he followed her. "Secret passion, Hallie?"

"Actually, I'm tempted to try it out today. I've always been meaning to, especially since all our Arrancar clothes are black-and-white uniforms anyway. Lord Aizen is powerful, but his wardrobe selection is – oh! I'm sorry!"

Halibel collided with the other person who emerged from the other side of the clothing rack at the exact same time as her, colliding suddenly and backing up in a hurry.

"No no, it's all right, I –" the other person started, before he realized who was there. Uryu Ishida's eyes widened as he took in Grimmjow and Halibel before him, and he almost dropped his own armful of items in surprise. "Halibel? Grimmjow? What brings you here?"

"I was going to ask the same," Halibel said honestly, greeting him. "You're one of Ichigo's friends, aren't you? What brings you here?"

Uryu grinned as his pointing finger pushed up his squarish glasses, the panes catching the light. "What am I doing here? Why, I am gathering the necessary materials to perfect my masterful artistic ability!" he exclaimed proudly. "I go here nearly every day. I just make sure Chad and Ichigo aren't around or they'd make fun of me. Or at least, Ichigo would."

"Really? You're into tailoring too?" Halibel asked excitedly. "In that case… can you teach me? I've been looking for a hobby to pursue while in the human world, you see."

"An apprentice? That's…" Uryu started in an unreadable tone before he broke into a smile. "…perfect! Follow me."

"Now, another important thing to remember is safety. These needles are small but can still poke you," Uryu warned Halibel in his house an hour later, after an incredibly long-winded start-up. His dad was out of the house right now, leaving the threesome alone. "Okay, ready to try it?"

Halibel accepted the practice cloth from Uryu, taking the needle in her hand and threading it through the cloth a few times, speeding up as she gained confidence in her activity.

"Perfect!" Uryu applauded. "Such speed and accuracy… you're a natural at this!"

"It looks like this was a really good idea, huh?" Halibel asked Grimmjow enthusiastically, turning to face him before realizing that he was working on a practice cloth too, going as fast as her. Then, Grimmjow jumped out of his seat, howling as he gripped his finger with the needle plowed into the fingertip. He tore the needle out and threw it in rage, the silver projectile accidentally aimed right at Uryu's head. The Quincy freaked out and ducked just in time, allowing the needle to hit the wall behind him.

"Are you crazy? Don't throw that!" Uryu cried, his hair frayed in alarm as he pointed at Grimmjow. "Where's your common sense?"

"I think I left it in Hueco Mundo," Grimmjow shrugged before Halibel made a sound of triumph. "I did it!" she exclaimed, and the other two turned to see her creation: a bonnet!

"Here, try it," she urged Grimmjow, trying to place it on his head. The Sexta Espada quickly backed away, his eyes wide in fear. "If I were seen wearing that by Ulquiorra or Nnoitora, I'd… I'd never live it down!" he sputtered, eyeing the pink and frilly creation before him.

"But I made it just for you," Halibel protested. "Please?"

"Give it to Orihime or Rukia or someone," Grimmjow pleaded, edging away from it with a sideways look of terror. "What is this, Little House on the Prairie?!"

"Well… okay," Halibel relented with a smile, tossing it over to Uryu who caught it. "Make use of it, all right?"

"I think a certain mod-soul will appreciate this," Uryu muttered with glee, pushing up his glasses again as he pocketed the bonnet.

"Okay, Grimmjow, try to make something while I make another item!" Halibel urged him, picking up some new cloth. "You can do it."

"As long as I don't have to wear it," Grimmjow commented, grabbing a handful of random cloth scraps. Uryu set to work as well, his needle and thread flying about with blinding speed and grace, making it look like Uryu had ten arms going at once. "Learn from the master!" he exclaimed, grinning again.

"I won't lose just yet!" Halibel retorted, her own thread and needle whirring at top speed. After a frantic minute, everybody was done. Halibel held up the scarf she made, with various colors melding perfectly along its length to make it a work of stunning beauty.

"How's that?" Halibel challenged Uryu.

"Not bad. But my training has allowed me to make clothing far greater!" Uryu announced, before whipping out an entire Quincy uniform, decked out in tie-dye patterns without even using tie-dye. Incredible skill had gone into that piece! Halibel hoped that Grimmjow had made something even better to give the Arrancars a lead over the Quincy.

"What did you make, Grimmjow?" Halibel asked him apprehensively, then Grimmjow had a look of fierce pride cross his feline face as he revealed his own creation.

"I call it – random cloth!" he announced, holding up the ragged patchwork of cloth scraps that he made, a bunch of random pieces of different colors crudely stitched together, hardly a foot square in size. "And I only poked myself ten times making it! I win!"

Uryu freaked out again. "Do you think this is a joke?! Do you not take my craft seriously, Arrancar?" he raged, resisting the urge to whip out his bow.

"Wanna bet, Quincy boy?" Grimmjow challenged him, leaping to his feet as he placed a hand on his sword's handle. One poke on the arm with a needle as all Halibel needed to make her friend settle down again.

"I'm getting scared of needles!" Grimmjow cried. "Much craftier than a sword and harder to block. I wonder why there aren't more needle-user fighters around…"

"Grimmjow…" Halibel started, as Uryu settled down again.

"Huh?" he asked, turning to face her again before she slipped the scarf onto his neck, and he marveled at the warmth and comforting softness of her creation. His eyes widened.

"This feels really nice," he commented, fiddling with one end with his hands, careful not to pull the yarns apart.

"And I made it just for you," Halibel told him sweetly, leaning forth and placing a hand on his shoulder before kissing him on the cheek. "So enjoy it for me, okay?"

"I gotcha," he smiled. "Thanks, Hallie."

"I'm telling you, those needles really did hurt," Grimmjow said again as he and Halibel walked down the evening sidewalk back to their rental house, the air surprisingly chilly as a gust blew past the trees and streetlamps. "Not that I'm complaining…"

"Nonsense. You had a good time, too," Halibel reminded him, hugging his arm. "Didn't you?"

"Well, I did make this," Grimmjow said proudly, holding up his random-cloth contraption. "You should have seen the look on the Quincy boy's face when he saw it! Success!"

"That was a look of horror, not envy," Halibel pointed out.

"B-but I worked hard on it!" Grimmjow sputtered. "A masterpiece brought to you by the Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, who –"

"May I have it?" Halibel asked.

"My cloth masterpiece? I was only joking anyway, it's not good at all, I was just trying to compete…" Grimmjow hesitated, but then decided differently and handed it to her. "Here you go. From the heart."

"Thank you, Grimmjow," Halibel said gently, feeling the random cloth texture against her cheek. "I'll be keeping this, okay?"

"Well, I guess it could double as a tiny quilt," Grimmjow jested, but knew that he had made Halibel happy today, as he carried the blinds under his other arm, glad he didn't forget them –money didn't grow on trees, as the humans always said. But then again, other things could grow and flourish, and this thought struck him all at once today.

"Okay, this is the fourth reason we're together," he said, voicing his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah?" Halibel asked. "What is it?"

"It must be creativity. Every day, we can come up with new ways to express ourselves to each other," Grimmjow mused as they neared their home, the sun finally settling behind the horizon. Moths fluttered about the streetlamps, attracted to their light. "Does that sound about right?"

"Yes, it does," Halibel nodded as she unlocked the front door. "I'm impressed, Grimmjow. You've really been showing a new side to yourself these past few days, especially today."

"Same about you," Grimmjow added. "I didn't know you were so good a tailoring."

"That bonnet is still available, and I can get it back from Uryu if you want…" Halibel teased, before Grimmjow yelped and dove under the table to hide. "I don't want it!" he cried.

"I'm only teasing you, Grimmjow!" Halibel laughed, going up the stairs to the upper floor, before yawning. "Whew, I'm more tired than I realized. Are you going to retire for the night, too?"
"Yeah, I'll be right up," Grimmjow said, emerging from under the table. "As long as you don't slip some weird frilly thing one me while I'm asleep."

"Darn, you got me."

"You were going to?!"

"I'm teasing you again, silly!" Halibel laughed again. "Aren't you ever going to see past my jokes?"

"Maybe one of these days," Grimmjow thought out loud as he joined her up the stairs for the night, turning on the hallway light.