Happy end of the year everybody! Sorry for the delay blah, blah, blah. I started adding names to the chapters so they are easier to keep straight. Chapter start!
Chapter 18: Kitty Games
Tier Harribel sat with closed eyes and enjoyed the rare moment of silence. Since becoming King there was a near constant stream of noise around her at all times, both welcomed and unwelcomed. The moment of solitude served as a much needed reprieve to the woman. "Your world is going to be invaded." It was the single sentence written on the letter addressed to her and since reading it Harribel had taken the message seriously. If there was even a possibility that Hueco Mundo was going to be attacked again she was determined to not lower her defenses. She would not allow herself to enter a lull of security by the pseudo peace that Las Noches has acquired. "What could possibly attack us? Since the Quincy war the Gotei 13 and I have been able to establish a sense of diplomacy between the Shinigami and Arrancar. Would they betray the new peace? Shunsui is clearly a man of secrets but he doesn't strike me as one who would betray a treaty. Nelliel said the attacker in the Menos Forest was a human… The Quincies are no longer a threat but they aren't necessarily the only Humans who could pose a threat. The beings known as Fullbringers might be a possibility but that doesn't explain the manipulation of all the Gillian. The information Urahara shared with me was clear, Fullbring can manipulate object that they are familiar with. Taking control of Hollows doesn't' make any sense to their abilities."
The Hollow King leaned into a hand and traced a finger along the fabric covered indent between two of her mask teeth as she thought through the information that she did have. The feeling of another Reiatsu leaving Las Noches, most precisely it was Grimmjow leaving through a Garganta, alerted Harribel of the population change. Grimmjow was the only person who seemed to know who the letter sender was and despite that he was adamantly against the idea of sharing any information. He had been highly secretive and distracted for a long time. Nelliel is certain that he has a human woman somewhere in Karakura that he had been running off to meet her on a daily basis. That he was seen wearing a different set of clothing a time or two and that a charm of some kind hung from his Zanpakuto for some time now was not lost on the tall blonde.
While Harribel considered the many ways a possible relationship between an Arrancar and a human could go wrong the doors to the throne room opened and her three long time comrades eagerly entered. "Tier-sama, we've returned from the forest." Apacci announced, as if their entrance wasn't enough to tell her that they were back.
"What did you see out there?" Harribel asked.
"There were a small number of Gillian roaming the forest but we still were unable to locate any Adjunchas." Mila Rose answered.
Harribel's expression changed very minimally as she took in the words. It was a positive to have more Gillian already appearing but concerning that Adjunchas still could not be located. Though they were not Vasto Lorde or Arrancar, that level of Menos were not weak either. It should be impossible for them to all simply vanish. "Your world will be invaded. That was all that was said, but does that mean that these enemies will weaken our numbers before a frontal assault?" Harribel needed answers if she wanted a clear plan for how to defend them. "Thank you for your good work. We will give it some time before checking the forest again. Why don't you all go and relax?"
They all smiled bashfully and bowed. "Thank you my King!" The three spoke together when it was to her but quietly argued over who deserved more of the praise as they left the room.
The king sighed slightly exasperated by their constant bickering but otherwise pretended that it wasn't occurring. Within minutes a mass of green waves peeked in through the doorway. "Harribel-san, may I come in?"
"Yes." She reflexively answered.
"Did the girls find anything of interest?" Nelliel asked.
Harribel nodded. "The Gillian are reappearing but nothing more."
"Humans are good at being resentful…" Nel murmured.
The blond nodded in agreement before speaking again. "What do you know of Grimmjow's female companion?"
Nel looked at her blankly for a moment, as if her brain was trying to process the sudden change in subject. "She's human and has a little spiritual power. I only saw her from afar but she seemed a little sickly. That's about it."
"Do you suppose she was the one who sent the letter?"
The other woman hummed in thought. "Maybe. I do have an idea on how we might get a clue without outright following him though."
"How?"
A large, childish smile pulled itself across Nelliel's face. "Let's snoop in his room!"
There was a pause between them.
"Absolutely."
The pair of women walked calmly through the general halls of the palace but when they entered the tower that had been designated as Grimmjow's during their Espada days they started walking more quietly and checking around themselves for any onlookers. Nel, being more familiar with those halls, led the way. She made sure to peek into Achiim's room and saw that he was out cold from working with Grimmjow. "Brute." The green haired woman said quietly.
"Would he lock the door?" Harribel asked when they reached the former Sexta's room.
Nel opened the door without hesitation. "Nope."
The room was painfully bare, even to the King. "For a man as boisterous as Grimmjow I was expecting something more for his personal space."
"At least there won't be much to search through." Nel responded, playfully relieved.
While Harribel rummage through the sofa cushions Nel checked under the mattress. "Nothing." The blond announced.
Nelliel grumbled to herself and flipped the bed over in frustration. "Why isn't there anything?!"
"Nel!" Harribel shouted her name in shock at the mess she made.
She flinched. "Sorry."
The pair began cleaning their mess; picking up and placing the mattress back where it belonged. The childish Arrancar gasped slightly then got an excited grin on her face. She dove for the mass of fabric that now lay on the floor. "I found something!" She shouted when she triumphantly held up a thick book of some kind.
Harribel shooed the older Arrancar off the bed and finished making it then the both of them sat down and opened the book to the inside cover and first page. Inside the cover a name was written in black marker: Ametsuchi Yukiko.
"Must be her name." The blond said.
The book itself was filled with beautiful pictures of a variety of thing. Landscapes, people, animals; they were all there and all executed with an obviously high level of skill. About a quarter of the way through the book a majority of the pictures were cats. "This is interesting." Harribel said picking up a loose page that had a picture of a woman.
Nel inspected the image and thought of the distant view she had of the woman she saw with Grimmjow. "That could be her. I wonder what the deal is with the cats though…"
"I think I might have an idea." Harribel said, looking at a short letter.
The green haired woman read through it herself and started laughing so hard tears flooded her face. "Grimmjow was a cat?! That's the hilarious!"
"You should have finished the letter. If you had than you would understand that whatever there is between the two it's something emotional and probably intimate."
"Hm?" Nelliel took another look through the words of the letter then her eyes softened. "Yeah, I can see it. For Grimmjow to even keep all of this tucked away under his pillow probably means she's really important to him too. Not just a passing interest…"
"Are you alright?" Harribel suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?" Nel asked with large questioning eyes.
"You were in a relationship of some kind with Grimmjow correct? Are you alright?"
Nel jumped in surprise and embarrassment. "Oh! I'm completely fine. That was never anything serious. We were just passing the time. I promise!"
Harribel nodded slightly. "That's good, I suppose."
"What should we do with this new information?"
The king thought for a moment. "When Grimmjow next come back see if you can track down the woman. Speak to her and get whatever information you can from her about our new enemy."
Nel's eyes sharpened. "I understand. What if Grimmjow decides to return to her before I find her though?"
"I have a job that I was uncertain was worth the time and risk but I think it would make for a perfect delay on his return. I'll send Achiim with him to ensure he doesn't abandon the assignment."
"What is the job?"
Harribel chuckled. "You will see."
()
It took quite a few long hours but eventually Grimmjow did indeed return to Las Noches. As soon as Nel had noticed his Reiatsu she raced to his location, naturally it was his room. She knocked on his door, rehearsing what she was going to say to him. "I don't care!" He yelled from his side of the door.
"I haven't said anything yet!" Nel replied.
There was a slight shuffle and the fragile door burst open revealing the Arrancar who was wearing the denim pants and navy shirt that he acquired since what seemed to be the start of his affair with the human. "What?" Grimmjow asked curtly.
"Tier-sama requested you as soon as you returned."
"I don't care." He slammed the door in her face.
Nel sighed. "Alright then." She took hold of the door handle and yanked, removing the entire door from its hinges. "Tier-sama requested you as soon as you returned." She repeated.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Grimmjow shouted.
She placed the door down and spoke calmly but with a tone of authority. "I am tired of your disrespectful attitude. Come, it's time for you to receive new orders from your king."
Grimmjow glared at her with gritting teeth and an ugly expression. He swiftly drew his sword and sliced at her face but Nel was fast herself and blocked with her own Zanpukto. "If you want a fight then go speak to Tier-sama. She wants you for this assignment for-"
She didn't finish her sentence because the angry man grabbed her sword hand and pulled her forward, where he slammed his forehead against her face. Nel stumbled backwards in surprise and disorientation. She held her hand up to her nose to try and contain the heavy bleeding and check the damage. It was definitely broken. The impulse to lash out at him and get retribution for her injury was certainly there but she had to remain focused on the big picture. "Come to Tier-sama and receive your orders."
She began her return to the throne room with hopes that Grimmjow would follow. He was. "That's a relief." She thought with absolute thankfulness. If they can't get Grimmjow to remain in Hueco Mundo for a long period of time then there was not going to be a safe way to track down his human. She entered Harribel's throne room where the king was waiting; the throb of her broken nose had already vanished along with the injury. "Nelliel-san? What happened to you?" Harribel asked. The damage was healed but the blood was still there.
"The bitch ripped my door off its hinges." Grimmjow answered. "What's so important that you can't leave me in peace?"
"There have been rumors of Coyote Starrk and Lilynette being spotted among ruined remains of an old outpost. I would like you to go and see for us." Harribel answered.
Surprisingly, Grimmjow did not immediately refuse the assignment. He actually seemed to think on it. He came to a decision then he smiled. "I'll go but don't expect me to negotiate getting them to come back. I'm a lot more interested in fighting them."
"I knew you would be. I want Achiim to go with you too. He will handle the negotiating. All you have to do is keep him safe until that is done. And as I said, these are only rumors. There is no certainty that Coyote-san is still there or ever was."
The man's features twitched. "You're going to send a kid as a negotiator? Sounds like you don't actually want Starrk and his brat to come here; if you did, you'd send Nelliel."
The woman in question retorted. "I have been teaching Achiim the basics of negotiations during your comings and goings. If Starrk does not wish to come then no amount of convincing would change his mind. Besides, unlike you I'm still investigating the human intruders."
Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "You're still hung up on that? If you don't know anything about them other than that they are human then where do you expect to start?"
"Oh? Do you wish to help with the investigation?" Harribel asked.
"Where am I supposed to go?" The man went back to the task they wanted to give him to avoid getting deeper involved with the long term work. Perfect.
"You will need to leave out of the East Gate and travel about 400 kilometers. That area is often overrun with Hollows. I have yet to inform Achiim of the assignment though so you may spend the next thirty minutes taking any preparation you desire." The king answered.
"So that's why you're sending me. You don't want to give your trio of bitches any work that might prove to challenge them?" Grimmjow accused.
"I thought you would like such a job. From what I understand wild animals require their legs to be stretched on occasion."
The man smirked dangerously. "Alright. I'll take you up on it." Right there in front of them, he opened a Garganta.
"Grimmjow! Where do you think you're going?" Nel yelled.
He turned his back to them and waved as he walked in the corridor. "I'll be back in time to leave."
When the portal closed the two women released sighs. "I was worried he wouldn't take the bait." Harribel admitted.
"Me too. It's a good thing you lied about Starrk being around that area." Nel responded.
"That wasn't a lie, though the rumors are a bit outdated. Go ahead and bring Achiim here. We need to inform him on the assignment."
Nel bowed slightly. "Of course."
She left the room and paused for a moment to expand her Pesquisa and locate the boy. He was outside with Bawabawa. She walked there with moderate haste since the hallway leading to the outer doors was rather long. "Achiim-chan, Bawabawa!" She called out when she reached the sand of the desert.
The pair looked towards her and approached with excitement. "Nelliel-san what happened to you?" Achiim immediately asked in concern.
The woman self consciously covered her nose and gave a reassuring smile. "Oh, don't worry about this. I just had a bit of a disagreement with Grimmjow."
"What?!" The child questioned in discomfort. For some reason he looked up to the aggressive male so it probably made him uncomfortable that he hit Nel.
"Don't worry, really. I promise I was the one who started it. I'm actually out here to tell you that Harribel-sama has a request for you."
The little boy's gold eyes lit up in excitement. This was going to be the first official assignment he was given. "Let's go, let's go!"
Nel chuckled. "Alright let's go."
They returned to the throne room in even better time than when the green haired woman left and she watched as Achiim excitedly listened to the instructions that were being imparted on him. He would go with Grimmjow and was in charge of recruiting any new Arrancar they came across. "It'll be my honor!" The boy responded in complete joy.
"I see Grimmjow's personality didn't rub off on you." Harribel said with a touch of pride.
"Um. Thank you?" The boy said sounding uncertain if that was a compliment.
Nel gave him a big hug. "That's most definitely a good thing."
"Is there anything you wish to prepare before leaving?" The king asked.
"Nope. I'll leave as soon as Grimmjow's ready."
There was a sound that carried to Nel's ears and her gaze sharpened. There was screaming coming from the halls. It was her two Fraccion members, Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne. They charged their way into the throne room with fear and tears in their eyes. "What's happened?!" Nel immediately asked, expecting the worst.
After taking a moment to wail Guatiche managed to answer. "It's Grimmjow! He just appeared in your hall through a Garganta and blasted a hole in your bedroom wall with a Bala!"
Everyone was at a loss for words. Somehow Nel managed to find her voice. "He blasted a hole through my wall?"
"Yeah I did." Grimmjow answered to announce his arrival to the room. He had changed into his black pants and shirt. "You got a problem with that?"
Guatiche and Birstanne ran behind their mistress in fear of the violent man. The woman however sighed in defeat. It's kind of fair. "Just… Take Achiim-chan and get going. Remember to bring him back safe Grimmjow."
He sneered at her more or less surrender on the matter. "Let's go kid."
"O-Okay!" Achiim responded.
Once those two males were out of earshot Nel spoke again. "I'll clean up my face then leave."
"Very well."
"Where are you going?" Birstanne asked.
"Can we come?" Guatiche added. They didn't get to do as much together as they used to and she knew they missed it greatly. She did too.
"Unfortunately no. I'm going to the World of the Living to speak to a woman. I think a one on one conversation would be less intimidating on her." Nel answered sadly. When she meets Ametsuchi Yukiko she needs to be as nonthreatening as possible. While her brothers were as kind and warm as any individual could possibly be, their appearance might concern the human.
"Okay…" They said dejectedly and Nel felt a big frown pull her face down.
"We will definitely all go together on my next assignment. Right Harribel-sama?"
The king shared Nel's sentimental connection to old Fraccion members. "Of course."
"You know what? It's fine that we'll stay behind today. It'll give us a chance to fix the wall." The larger of the male Arrancar said.
"Yeah! Let us real men clean up after that brute." Guatiche said in his most heroic voice.
Nel laughed and clapped her hands together. "That sounds wonderful!"
"Yes it does! Come let's all get to work." The purple Arrancar said in agreement with his own plan.
After cleaning up her face the former Tres Espada used her Descorrer to enter the dark corridor and exited into the World of the Living. It was still sunny out and there was a bit of a nip in the air. If she remembered correctly that world had shifting seasons as well as light cycles. It was a wonder to her but she was also certain that it must feel bothersome to have to constantly adjust to new climates. "If anyone knows where Grimmjow comes and goes from it would be Urahara." The woman concluded and darted off towards his shop.
Upon her arrival the Arrancar was greeted by the sight of a teenage girl sweeping the entrance. "Hello Ururu. Is Urahara in?"
The young human spoke in her soft voice. "Oh, hello Nel-san. Yes he's inside."
"Thank you." The woman entered the shop and saw that Urahara was actually at the counter.
"Nelliel. This is an interesting surprise. How can I help you?"
"I was hoping you would know where Grimmjow goes when he comes to this world." She answered, getting straight to the point.
"Oooh! Looking into his cute human?" He said.
"So you do know about her?" That was a relief. Nel didn't want to go around revealing to others he was visiting the human if she could help it. It could only incite the panther's anger if she did.
"Of course. I even know where she lives. Grimmjow probably doesn't know this but Shinigami have had the technology to locate open Gargantas for a while now and he usually goes directly to her residence." Urahara spoke smugly.
Nel didn't want to admit it but she was unaware of this too. She was simply hoping that the shop owner's ability to have seemingly all the information on any given happenings would pull through here as well. While she was thinking about it she thought to ask him another question. "Do you know anything about humans with the power to enter Hueco Mundo?"
Urahara closed his fan and appeared to think. "Ichigo, Orihime, Sado and Uruyu have all entered with the use of my artificial Garganta. The Quincies clearly had their method. And I suppose one could enter with the assistance of the Soul Society."
"No. A human opening a gateway with their own power without being a Quincey." Nel said.
The shopkeeper's eyes seemed to focus now. "None that I'm aware of." There was an unspoken yet attached to his words. "Are you certain it was a human?"
"Yes."
"What did the gate look like?"
Nel could still clearly picture it. "A circle then the air within shattered, connecting directly to the World of the Living. It completely bypassed the In-Between."
Urahara was silent for a moment. "I'll look into this."
Nel nodded in appreciation though she was doubtful his decision was for the sake of Hueco Mundo.
"Oh that's right! You wanted the location of Grimmjow's girlfriend. I'll take you." He then leaned backwards toward the backrooms. "Tessai! I need you to look after the shop!"
The large, dark man stepped out. "Of course Boss. Please don't cause trouble while you're out."
"Of course not." The blond man brushed to request off as if was a ridiculous one to make.
Kiskue led Nel back out of the shop and up into the air. "Off we go!"
After about fifteen minutes of silent traveling the man stopped and pointed. "That window there looks in on the woman's apartment. Also, I wasn't the one who led you here."
Nel understood. If Grimmjow caught wind of this he might get upset. The Arrancar continued forward to the window while the Shinigami disappeared from sight. Nelliel looked through the window and inspected the room within. It was small and appeared even smaller because of the table in the middle of the room and a dresser against a wall. She lifted the window and entered. It was comfortably warm inside so she closed the window behind her to protect the heat. There was a door that had a light escape from beneath it and there was a distinct sound of running water. "She must be taking a shower." Since Nel wasn't about to barge in on the bathing woman she preoccupied herself with inspecting more of the room. There was a stack of painted canvases and multiple books that resembled the one she found in Grimmjow's room.
She peeked through the pages and inspected the various pictures. They were of the same quality as the ones in the other book as well and the same name was scrawled on the inner cover of the book. "This is definitely the right place." Nel murmured to herself.
The water stopped running and within a couple of minutes the door opened revealing a wet, slim woman with pale skin and copper eyes wearing nothing but a towel around her torso and another towel draped on her head. She looked at the Arrancar with her mouth slightly open and eyes fixated on her. Her hand twitched on the door handle for the bathroom, threatening to retreat there. "Please wait. My name is Nelliel. I'm a friend of Grimmjow's, I came here to talk."
The woman looked at her with disbelief but let go of the door and rubbed the towel on her head. She didn't speak but did put a teakettle on the stove before crossing the room and pulled clothes from the dresser. "I'm sorry to intrude in your home like this." Nel offered.
The woman removed the towel on her head, showing her pixie cut hair then turned around before dropping the towel around her body and dressing then went to her stove. Nel watched with a combination of confusion and interest. She was silent and seemed polite as she poured the heated water into a cup apparently making tea.
After a moment of working on the counter Yukiko pulled a small white board off of the refrigerator and sat down with one cup of tea in her hands and placing the board on the table. "Oh, the tea is just for her." Nel realized. Yukiko took a sip of her tea and wrote on the board in marker. "What do you want?"
"I take it back she's kind of rude." Nel realized with disappointment. "Wouldn't it be easier to speak?"
More writing. "I cannot. What do you want?"
"Oh. I'm sorry."
The human frowned and looked annoyed. She erased the message on the board and wrote a new one. "You said you're Nelliel. Grimmjow said you do a lot of work with the Hollow King. I know he wouldn't call you his friend even if you do. What do you want?"
"You sent a message to the king correct? How did you know that someone was going to attack Hueco Mundo?" Nel asked, seeing that the human wanted to get to the point.
Yukiko wiped away the message currently on the board and wrote. "I just did. I can't explain it."
That wasn't the kind of answer she was hoping for. "You have no idea where the knowledge came from?"
The human shook her head. "I do not."
"Do you know who this aggressor is or what they are planning?"
She shook her head and tapped the board again to indicate the same answer.
Nel was having trouble believing the woman. How could she possibly have information but none at the same time? If she knew that Hueco Mundo was going to be attacked then she had some method of coming to that conclusion. "It wouldn't too farfetched to think that she's connected to the attackers but then why would she warn us?"
While Nel was considering how to best get more information from the woman she was writing on her board. "Did you and the King trick Grimmjow into going on a crap mission so that you can come talk to me without getting caught by him?"
The Arrancar went nervous and tried to quickly think of a different answer. "No of course not! Grimmjow was sent on that assignment because it would require a strong fighter and I'm busy."
Yukiko had already been clearing her board as soon as Nel began speaking was able to write an immediate response. "Busy sneaking around behind his back."
"NO! I'm trying to gather information about the new threat to Hollows and you know something so I'm here investigating." She wasn't expecting the human to be so perceptive.
The human blinked then immediately wrote a new message. "Only I don't know anything."
"How could I know that?" Nel said defensively.
"Why would I intentionally withhold information regarding the security of Hueco Mundo?" Yukiko challenged.
"I mean, no… I guess that wouldn't make any sense…" Nel was trying her best to not further imply that the human was being malicious. Yukiko stared with sharp eyes and took a calm sip from her tea. The Arrancar stood and bowed. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time Ametsuchi-san."
She wasted no time in opening a Garganta and escaped the World of the Living. Back in Las Noches Nel immediately returned to Harribel. "How did it go?" The king asked.
Nel sighed. "She's everything and nothing like what I would expect Grimmjow's woman to be."
"I meant did you get any information." Harribel ushered.
"Oh. No. She said she doesn't know where she received the information or anything more about it."
"But…That makes no sense..."
()
"I'm so excited for this!" Achiim spoke in an irritatingly joyous voice when they walked away from Las Noches. They weren't quite out of the palace territory as they were still surrounded by artificial day but the buildings were shrinking behind them.
Grimmjow yawned in boredom at the situation. He was excited at the prospect of running into Coyote Starrk, and subsequently crushing him into the sand, but it was only a possibility. "Calm down kid. If I have to listen to your screeching this whole time then expect to be left behind."
The child jumped with a start at the threat. "I'm sorry."
The older man kept moving at a quick pace and expected the kid to keep up. He didn't trust Nelliel and Harribel's intentions in sending him to track down Starrk. They were unusually willing to send him somewhere to potentially get into a fight with someone they wanted to make allies with. He suspected that they were intending to find Yukiko and warned the human when he went back to see her. Well, warn her, tell her he won't be back for a day or three and change into his black shirt and pants that he took from the clothes the three Fraccion Arrancar had collected. He was okay with wearing the shirt and jeans she bought him but they weren't as comfortable for sleeping in, something he learned pretty quickly and vocalized plenty as retribution against the woman who gave them to him.
When they reached the edge of the sunlight Grimmjow passed through it without hesitation, passing through the energy that felt like he was walking through a liquid veil and exited in a cold world. He did not hesitate but Achiim did. The child was stopped and looking back towards the palace then forward at Grimmjow. "I'm not waiting for you." The older man said and resumed his trek. He heard a sound of slight panic from the child but then the boy followed behind him.
"It's so cold." Achiim complained.
"Hueco Mundo has always been this cold." Grimmjow said.
"Are you sure? It wasn't this unbearable before."
"You think that because those women have spoiled you."
The kid looked shocked by the words and didn't seem sure on how to respond to them so Grimmjow continued. "In fact, as far as you should be concerned you're on your own out here."
"B-but Nel-san said you had to bring me back!"
Grimmjow looked back at him with narrowed eyes. "Do you even realize what you are at Las Noches for? You're there to be a soldier. Live or die I don't care, but learn to do it on your own."
The boy looked him in the eye and appeared to be trying to be mulling through the words. Grimmjow smiled slightly. "Perfect timing."
The ground began to shake and the adult man jumped away and watched as a colossal snake Hollow exploded from beneath the sand. Achiim was thrown backwards with a scream. Grimmjow landed far away from the snake and watched as it coiled up and gazed at the black and red haired child. Achiim got back to his feet and looked at the creature in terror. "Grimmjow-san. Please help!"
Instead of going to the child's aide he lay down on his side and propped his head up on a hand. "It's not even a Menos. Fight for your own life."
The snake launched itself at Achiim with a gaping mouth and fangs bared. The kid used his Sonido to avoid the attacks and clearly stumbled with every step. The snake slithered and quickly followed his movements. To slow it down, as Achiim ran from the Hollow he turned around and shot off four Bala consecutively, stunning it enough to make it stop chasing him for a moment. When it recovered the snake shot out again beside him and quickly curved around the Arrancar, wrapping around the boy and tightened its position to constrict the child. The masked face of the snake rose as it gazed at its next meal. Grimmjow watched and wondered slightly if he should intervene. "No. This kid needs to learn to function on his own."
When the snake reared its head back to strike again a Cero blasted through the side of its body and it released him as it collapsed to its side. When Achiim fell he landed on his feet and for the first time put his hand on his sword. The snake pushed itself up and hissed at Achiim. The boy jumped forward and drew his sword, with a basic vertical slash the Arrancar cut through the snake Hollow's face and the body disintegrated.
The child panted heavily but Grimmjow wasn't going to give him a chance to rest. "Come on! Don't slow us down any more than you already did!"
"Coming!" Achiim shouted and hurried to his feet to follow.
The two Arrancar traveled at a good pace but the younger one was slowly falling behind. After some undeterminable amount of hours Grimmjow looked behind him and saw that the boy was face down in the sand a few hundred meters behind him. He heaved a discontent sigh and returned to the child and carried him to the top of the nearest sand dune. Once there he dropped him again and lay back on the sand himself. "We need to hurry. If Starrk is there I don't want to lose him."
He looked over at Achiim and considered leaving him where he was. He wanted to leave him there but… The man growled to himself and rolled on his side. "I guess I'll sleep."
To say he slept was a slight overstatement. Grimmjow rested but if he started to truly fall into a deep comfortable sleep he was turn himself over or sit up and readjust himself so that he would not fall into a true unconsciousness and maintained his awareness. When he felt a stir in the air around him, Grimmjow opened his eyes with a sharpness that made them look like they were glowing in the eternally full moon and looked around him.
From his sitting position he launched down the sand dune and punched a hole through a Hollow that seemed to be attempting to creep up on the two. He then clenched his fingers and shifted his hand into their resurreccion form and jumped high into the air to slice through the neck of a flying Hollow that somewhat looked like an owl. From there he kicked off the disintegrating body and into a third Hollow that simply looked like some human-beastly thing. He took hold of the creature by its face and turned his body which allowed him to easily thrown it over his shoulder. When it landed on its back he punched down on the center of the mask causing it to completely shatter in on itself, resulting in the Hollow perishing as well. From his position he stood up straight and very clearly eyed the other five Hollows that were roaming at what they seem to consider a safe distance. "None of you are worth the effort to kill so this is your only chance to escape."
The roaming Hollows took the out that was offered and all turned-tail and ran. Grimmjow returned to the top of the dune and Achiim was still asleep. The older man nearly stepped on his face to wake him up but decided to sit down instead. If he allows the child to sleep more they will be less likely to make another sudden stop.
Thankfully he didn't have to wait too long before the child woke up. He seemed utterly confused about what happened and ashamed that he had clearly slowed them down even more. "Don't expect another break for the rest of the trip." Grimmjow told him in response to his concerns.
Achiim nodded and they resumed their trek east. The child kept up well enough and they encountered only about seventy or so low level Hollows so there was little interference, allowing the, to reach their destination before too much time had passed.
The ruins really were just that: ruins. Vestiges of stone columns and old petrified wooden support beams throughout and even a couple of skeletons from Shinigami or possibly humans whom somehow made it to the outpost were littered about. The destroyed outpost was in itself an indicator of time long forgotten, even to the oldest of Hollows. It was a lonely place that did provide a semblance of shelter and protection from the ever scanning eyes of other Hollows, making it a likely place for someone like Coyote Starrk to hideaway in. The man was powerful, that could never be disputed, but he was also lazy and would stay out of conflicts just so that he could be left alone; only ever really getting roused into battle by an exceptionally strong opponent.
"Do you see anyone?" Achiim asked.
"Don't need to." Grimmjow answered, eyes sharpening and posture tensed slightly. They were being watched. After a split second to confirm with his Presquia, Grimmjow turned to face the only Hollow that had taken up residence in the outpost. It wasn't Starrk but whoever it is, he or she is powerful enough to completely chase away all others. "Don't you know how to greet a guest?" The panther said.
An Arrancar in a ragged cloak slowly walked out from the shadow of a small chunk of a building. The man had a dark skin tone that was close to that of Kurosaki's giant human friend. His black hair was cut short and he had gray eyes. Two rows of orange spots splashed across each cheek, shrinking in size then disappearing in his hairline. The man had a fragment of a Hollow mask around his neck like a collar with four evenly spaced protrusions that looked like canine teeth, the two inner ones pointing up and the outer ones pointed down. He walked with the posture of a stalking animal that was almost a perfect mirror of Grimmjow's own. Everything about this Arrancar spoke of him being a predator and every fiber in Grimmjow's body singed its bloodlust.
"What do you want?" The stranger asked.
"We're looking for a couple of Arrancars, but I can settle for you." The panther said with a wide grin.
"I don't know who you're looking for but I've been staying here for a long time and haven't seen anything stronger than an Adjunchas." The dark skinned man turned away slightly and spoke dismissively.
"Um. Excuse me." Achiim stepped forward nervously.
The stranger's gaze shifted to the child and there was a look of calculation in them.
"My name is Stuttgart Achiim and this is Jaegerjaquez Grimmjow. We are here on behalf of the Hollow King Tier Harribel."
Grimmjow rolled his eyes; the kid was about to play diplomat.
Possibly out of interest in where this was going the stranger responded. "Alamanach Riverra."
"We were sent here find a pair of Arrancar known as Coyote Starrk and Gingerbuck Lilynette in hopes of bringing them back to the palace Las Noches." The boy was obviously nervous speaking to the new man and both the adult Arrancar could see it. "While you clearly are neither of them the invitation is open to all Arrancar and Vasto Lorde. If you'd like, you are welcome to return to the palace with us. It is large enough that you would have your space and you would be protected from stray Hollows."
Riverra maintained his same neutral expression, not appearing to be sold.
"Also the palace is surrounded by a weird dome that creates daylight. It's almost like being in the World of the Living." Achiim almost sounded desperate now, probably not wanting to fail in his first negotiations.
"Sorry kid. You might come bearing an invitation but your friend doesn't seem like he is." Now those grey eyes locked back on to Grimmjow.
"Naw. You can do whatever you want, after we fight." He could barely contain his excitement so he didn't try. He launched himself forward and punched forward with a right hook.
Riverra jumped back into the shadow and slipped out of sight but Grimmjow could sense that he had simply jumped high above the ground so he followed him up and grabbed him by the ankle, spun and threw him back to the ground, crashing through the remnants of a stone structure. The panther laughed as he jumped from foot to foot like a joyous child and watched as the Arrancar stood and leapt up to strike him with a palm thrust but Grimmjow hopped just out of the way and turned for a roundhouse kick. The kick was blocked by Riverra's forearm and he then flipped and slammed his heel down on Grimmjow's shoulder, a strike that sent him hard into the ground. The former Espada eagerly stood with a growing smile.
Achiim started yelling in distress. "Grimmjow-san please stop!"
"Shut up and stay out of this, kid!" He wasn't going to let the little one disrupt his fun.
"Child…" Riverra started to speak as he returned to the sand. "You should not interrupt a fight between men. Go hide somewhere out of the way."
Achiim could be heard making a noise of concern but then started to run as far as he could.
With the child officially out of the two men dashed forward and punched straight at each other's face. Because they were of about equal height and proportion both of their strikes landed; they both stood their ground though and neither hesitated to strike again. Grimmjow attempted a left uppercut while Riverra stepped a little closer to strike with his elbow. Neither of those hits landed and Grimmjow stepped closer attempted another right hook but Riverra used Sonido to sidestep it and revealed that he had been holding a sheathed Zanpukto in his left hand, which he slammed into Grimmjow's ribcage. Grimmjow stumbled slightly and shifted his hand into claws, slashing out and cutting through the left bicep of his opponent. When the panther shifted his left hand as well and thrusted it in a stabbing motion Riverra jumped back. Grimmjow closed his left hand into a fist and shot of several Bala to chase him while shallowly he sank his claws into his own right palm.
Riverra used Sonido to avoid the blasts and drew his Zanpukto to cut through the last one as he repeated another Sonido to close back in on his opponent. However he was met with Grimmjow's extended arm and a bubbling buildup of blue Reiatsu. "Gran Rey Cero!"
The bright blue blast engulfed the area in a light that almost looked like an explosion of a sunlit sky but Grimmjow saw as Riverra released a wide radius green Cero which buffered his own blast. The panther waited for the light to clear to see whether his opponent survived. To his utter pleasure the dark skinned Arrancar was still standing. He had obvious burns on his right hand and arm but it seemed that his Cero buffer had actually worked to protect him from being hit by the entirety of the blue blast. Grimmjow smiled brightly with a cackle. "That's it! Come on; show me all you've got!"
Riverra narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Very well." He drew his sword and dropped his sheath. He held out the Zanpukto but faced the blade in his own heart. "Sacrifice, Leopardus!" He stabbed the blade into himself but rather than break his skin it converted into green Reiatsu and engulfed his body. The energy calmly flowed away from him as he exhaled and the man was revealed to have gone through relatively minimal changes compared to many other Arrancar which indicated that he was likely a Vasto Lorde when he removed his mask. He now had white plating covering his forearms and starting from his hips extended up his sides and extended in on his exposed chest. His hands had changed to thick paws with elongated metacarpals to slightly resemble fingers though they could not be called anything that human-like. His paws had white fur and black pads on his palms while the back of his hands had orange fur. His legs had anatomically changed as well, having become jointed more like that of a cat's with his acutely curved legs and raised hocks. The fur on his lower body was orange and spotted with thick and broken black circles while the inside of his thighs were white. A thick orange tail with black rings could be seen behind him. His mask had moved and followed his jaw line with only two, even more pronounced fangs both of which pointed up, resembling a mandible. His hair had grown out only enough to give it a more wild appearance and his spotted grew in size and now covered most of his cheeks.
When Grimmjow saw the transformation he drew his sword and held it in front himself with a slight crouch in his posture. When he placed his palm and fingers on the flat of his blade he spoke. "This is going to be fun."
He clenched his fingers and drugged them across his sword. "Grind, Pantera!"
Unlike his opponent, the former Espada roared in pleasure at his released state and stood feral with teeth bared.
Riverra smiled and crouched in a more readied stance. "Ah. I thought I felt a kindred impression with you."
Grimmjow charged first, slashing with claws and blades while Riverra ducked and stepped in whatever direction he needed to in order to stay safe. It didn't take long for his evasions to not be enough to escape Grimmjow's superior speed and the front of his chest was split open by Grimmjow's right forearm blade. When the panther swiped his right hand with spread claws the leopard spread apart his hand toes as much as they seemed to and caught the attacking hand, raking his claws across the back of Grimmjow fuzzy black hand. Riverra clenched his fist and punched at him. Grimmjow easily caught the hand but the force was more than he could push against and his own hand impacted against his torso and made him cough up his breath. With his opponent stunned slammed their foreheads together and released the hand he was still holding to strike with a powerful back fist. Grimmjow was sent flying back but he was able to regain his composure and twisted himself to impact feet and hands first onto a remnant of a stone wall. For the split second that he was suspended there, perpendicular to the wall, his tail swished and a growled rumbled in his chest while his truly psychotic smile showed itself.
He leapt from the side of the wall ran a stride on all fours to propel himself even faster with his Sonido and at a speed Riverra seemed to not even be able to see, sliced through his thick bicep then sharply turned and repeated with another strike to his right leg, slicing deep into the muscle. It was clear; in their resurreccion forms Riverra had superior strength while Grimmjow outclassed him in agility.
Riverra roared in pain at the injuries and when Grimmjow turned for another strike the leopard anticipated it and with Reiatsu coated claws he slashed and created a wall of sharpened Reiatsu to block the way. At the last moment Grimmjow jumped and flipped over the defense and extended his left leg to hook the blade deep into the back of Riverra's shoulder. While the darker man roared in pain Grimmjow twisted and kicked off of him to cause maximum damage. He landed with his back to his opponent though and to his surprise the man had launched at him and by the time he realized it there wasn't enough time to avoid damage. Sharp fangs pierced the back of Grimmjow's neck and he was slammed into the ground, a back foot pushed against his lower back. He pooled his Reiatsu into his Hierro at his neck to try and prevent the teeth from tearing any further into his body and bent his arm so his elbow was aimed at the man, than launched a full set of Garra de la Pantera. Only three of the crystals impacted into the target but they all lodged and detonated into the side of his abdomen, blasting him open. When he still didn't release Grimmjow created another set of the projectiles but before he could release them Riverra removed himself from the panther's neck and jumped away, gouging the claws in his back foot through the side of the man on the ground.
While the bombs missed Grimmjow was able to catch his opponent's hock with his tail and nearly disrupted his balance but he could see the furry, thick orange tail move and correct his weight distribution, allowing Riverra to land on his feet. He didn't stay there for long though as he almost immediately fell to one hand while his other was pressed against his newest wound.
Grimmjow turned and twisted himself as quickly as he could to face the leopard Arrancar who was looking at him with ferocity. Grimmjow returned the feral glare while he pressed his hand against his own abdominal wound and sent a large amount of Reiatsu to the claws on his right hand, causing them to glow. The glow extended until his claws seemed to grow twice the length of his body. He uttered the name of his favorite technique and slashed. "Desgarron!"
Riverra coated the hand on his wound in his own Reiatsu, mixing it in his blood causing it to quiver and bubble while it shaped into a form that mimicked his paw but at twice its size. "Puno de Leopardos!"
When the two attacks clashed one of Grimmjow's claws shattered along with Riverra's fist but it couldn't completely destroy the attack and the leopard Arrancar was struck by the panther's claws. Riverra fell and his reserruccion dissipated, leaving the blood soaked man collapsed on the stained sand.
Grimmjow walked forward and stood over his opponent. Clearly couldn't move and didn't even seem conscious. "NO MORE!"
Achiim screamed out of nowhere and used his Sonido to stand between Grimmjow and the fallen man. "Please, no more!" The child demanded while releasing an impressive spiritual pressure.
Grimmjow looked the child dead in his eyes, not relenting his gaze in anyway and to his surprise the boy held his ground with. He felt his ears droop ever so slightly with his sigh and he released his reserruccion form. "I'm not going to attack someone who can't defend himself."
Achiim noticeably became shocked. "Really?!"
"This was a dead end as far as looking for Starrk so let's go." Grimmjow said and began walking away.
"Wait, we're going to leave him?"
"Yeah."
"But he'll die like this! Nel-san told me about a human who can heal any injury. Let's take him to her."
Grimmjow knew without a doubt he was talking about Orihime. "I'm not dealing with those people. If it's so important to you then use Descorrer go take him there yourself."
"Good luck with that than." The older Arrancar said and continued on his way.
"You won't even wait?!"
"Nope get back to Las Noches yourself."
"Fine!" He said and made an obvious effort to open a Garganta but he managed to do it, then he picked up the wounded man and jumped through.
Before he completely left the outpost he took a strip of the old fabric from the ruins and tied it tightly around his stomach over his deepest wound. He moved through the desert slowly and did his best to ignore the persistent pain and the throbbing in the back of his neck. After what had to have been a few hours he decided he needed a break and laid down on the side of a shallow dune. While he rested there a set of feet shuffled his way but he couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.
"Grimmjow-san. Are you going to be okay?" Achiim asked.
"You finally made it." He said, instead of answering.
"You should have come with me to Inoue-san."
"I ain't running to a human over a scratch."
"Really? But her powers are amazing! Riverra is already completely healed. He returned to the outpost though."
"Ya know what your problem is kid? You rely on everyone else instead of using your own power to do anything."
Achiim opened his golden eyes wide. "What do you mean?"
"You'd be plenty capable yourself if you would stop being so spineless all the time. You better be at least with all the time I've had to put into you." He answered as he stood up. "Let's go."
Still distracted by Grimmjow's comment, it took Achiim a second to react. "Okay!"
With that they returned to their trek to Las Noches. When they returned Grimmjow and Achiim entered Tier's throne room where she was talking to Mila Rose. When the women looked up at them the child waved in a friendly way and Grimmjow rolled his eyes with his hands in his pockets. The Amazon looking woman left and the two males informed the king of their trip. Achiim did most of the talking, while Grimmjow grunted or made a curt comment when prompted.
Harribel lifted a hand to her chin as if in thought. "Thank you, you two. You are free to do as you wish."
When they left the room the child looked up at the man and spoke tepidly. "Sun-sung has been practicing her medical treatments. Maybe you can get her to take care of your injuries?"
Without hesitation the man opened a Garganta. "Fuck that and fuck her."
Grimmjow was finally able to return to the apartment and he fully intended to complain to his human about the decisions of the female Arrancar and the way they ordered him around. Problem was… His human was nowhere to be found. He glanced around the room and checked the bathroom but there wasn't a hint of her being there. What she did leave for him was a tall paper bag on the table with a note. He read it aloud to himself. "Take a shower and stop bitching about the clothes I buy you."
Inside the bag was two pairs of sweat pants, solid black and solid red, both had a thin white stripe running down the sides from the hip to the unfitted ankles. With the pants were a white tee shirt and a gray tee shirt, both a size larger than the last one she got him. Beneath all of that was a new pack of underwear. Grimmjow was sincerely surprised by the gift, even if it came with a backhanded note. He had complained repeatedly that the clothes she previously purchased him were uncomfortable to sleep in. He complained, but not once had he demanded or told her to get something else for him. It actually hadn't even occurred to him to make such a request.
Perhaps being in the human world for so long was starting to affect him, but after being in the same exact clothes for a few days he was starting to feel a little dirty and uncomfortable. He took the black pants, gray shirt and a pair of underwear and went to the shower.
He exited the bathroom in the black pants and a towel pressed against his reopened wound and continued to rub his wet hair with a towel, careful of the bite on his neck. She still hadn't returned so he opted to raid her refrigerator in search of food. He found what seemed to be her dinner from the previous night: cod, white rice and a mix of steamed vegetables. He unwrapped the food and heated it in the microwave. Grimmjow took the plate and sat down with his own set of blue lacquered chopsticks and ate. "It's boring eating alone." He complained.
He took the plate and dropped it in the sink, nearly shattering it, and sat back down by the table. …For a minute. He returned to his feet and walked around the room in impatience. "Where the fuck is she?"
He looked at the clock. He'd already been back for twenty minutes and he stopped bleeding so he pulled the gray shirt on over his torso. She should have come back by now. "That bitch! Is she ignoring me now?" He has had it. He was going to track her down and reprimand her for her negligence.
He took a step to the door but stopped himself. "Wait… Why am I acting like some desperate idiot? I didn't come here just to see her, right?"
While Grimmjow attempted to work out his personal dilemma the door opened and Yukiko walked, silently announcing that she was home.
The Arrancar looked at her feeling like he was caught doing something embarrassing but she breathed out a sigh of relief and immediately hugged him. Grimmjow's entire body stiffened in surprise, entirely uncertain what was happening. Somehow he managed to collect himself enough to release his Hierro but he didn't return the hug, instead his arms dropped down to his sides. She murmured something against his collarbone. "You really think I have any clue what you said." He stated in annoyance.
Yukiko backed up and said something but wasn't doing it clearly and the message still escaped Grimmjow. "Speak clearly damn it!"
The woman frowned and used hand gestures now. Grimmjow dusted off his already hazy memory of the many different sign language gestures that she practiced with him but did understand. *"I missed you."*
"Good." He responded.
She added another gesture after he said that. *"You idiot."*
He wanted to pull her face at her cheeks but didn't trust his restraint enough to do so without hurting her so he just held it between his hands and gave her a dead stare. "You want to try that again?"
In a very deliberate way she mouthed her words. {"You dumbass."}
"Fuck you." He said and let go of her. "Where you anyways?"
{"Work. I have a job now, remember?"}
"Oh yeah." His expression must have shown what he was thinking because she repeated the "you idiot" gesture.
He growled slightly at her but she ignored it and went to her refrigerator, opened then closed it without touching anything in it. She looked back at Grimmjow in displeasure. {"You ate all the leftover food?"}
"Yeah." He said, happy to see that she wasn't happy.
She sighed and went to a cabinet and pulled out some rice and other things. "What're you making now?" Grimmjow looked over her shoulder and asked.
The woman turned back to him with a frown. {"Curry and rice."}
"Boring." He said with lost interest.
{"I agree. That's why I wanted to eat my cod."} She said with narrowed eyes.
The Arrancar stepped away from the woman and sat down at the table to watch her. "Was I right about the Arrancar women?"
Likely because she wanted to continue focusing on her cooking, Yukiko pulled the little white board off her refrigerator and wrote on it. "Yes. Nelliel visited me within an hour after you left. I don't know how but she figured out where we live."
Grimmjow clicked his tongue. "That bitch sure doesn't waste any time… Urahara probably tracked down the apartment. What did she want?"
Yukiko stopped measuring out her flour to write her response. "She wanted to know how I knew that someone was targeting Hueco Mundo."
"What did you tell her?"
Yukiko glanced back with a slight smile and used her sign language. *"Nothing."*
Grimmjow leaned down on his leg closer to her. "And she left without getting anything from you?"
"I turned the conversation back on her and pointed out that she was sneaking around behind your back. She couldn't get out of here fast enough."
Grimmjow busted out laughing and used Sonido to stand just behind her and threw an arm around her shoulder. "Nicely done!"
Yukiko added the last of her ingredients to the pot for her curry and started stirring. As she did she looked back at Grimmjow. {"How did she know my name?"}
"What do you mean?" He asked in return.
{"Nelliel called me by my name. Did you tell her what it was?"}
"Why the hell would I do that? You probably told it to her and forgot."
She frowned deeply at him. {"Don't insult me."}
The man rolled his eyes and stepped away from her since she decided to be annoying. She knocked on the counter to get his eyes back on her. {"I'm serious. Are you sure you didn't tell anyone about me? Or just thought aloud and they overheard?"}
Grimmjow growled. "What do you take me for? Kurosaki tailed us when we went out that one day; he probably heard it and then blabbed to Urahara. If that bastard is telling Nelliel where you live he probably would tell her your name too."
{"Sure but you call me Yukiko. Nelliel called me Ametsuchi."}
This caught Grimmjow's attention. Not once had he ever used her last name. How could anyone else know it? Yukiko spoke again. {"I suppose Kurosaki's clinic would have my full name but getting it from whatever paperwork had been filed on me sounds like a lot of trouble."}
The Arrancar frowned a little deeper then released it. "Who cares?"
Yukiko frowned. {"I guess it doesn't matter…"}
"It doesn't. You're hiding from humans so how will Hollows finding you make a difference?" Grimmjow affirmed.
Yukiko shook her head and started to say something but Grimmjow cut her off. "They already found out you exist so that can't be helped anymore. As long as Harribel doesn't find out that you're actually a useful human then who gives a shit if they know your name?"
Yukiko's frown took on an annoyed aspect and she returned to her pots. The food was finished so she shut the stove off and put the small amount that was cooked on a plate for herself only. They didn't talk anymore as she ate; she kept her back to him, seeming unhappy by something.
By the time she finished eating she stilled had not looked his way and Grimmjow's patients was out. "What the fuck is your problem?"
She didn't look at him nor did she reach for anything to write on. Instead, she just remained in her place and stared down at her empty plate. Grimmjow walked behind her leaned over, holding her face beneath her chin and pulling it back so she was looking up and at him. He spoke in a deep and slightly threatening tone. "Don't fucking ignore me."
Yukiko put her hand on his wrist and pushed it away from her as she turned to face him head on. {"Nelliel came looking for information because Harribel and she think the humans that attack Hueco Mundo are a threat, correct? If they were so quickly able to find my home, name and know that I was the one who warned them than it is only a matter of time until they figure out that I am connected to them. Do you honestly think Harribel will not trade me for the safety of Hueco Mundo if it came down to it?"}
Grimmjow was slightly surprised by the legitimacy of her concerns though he also found it to be a leap in conclusions. "How the hell would they find out about anything else?"
{"I have no doubt that my family knows I'm in Karakura. The more all the pieces in this situation move the more information will become known to all parties involved."} Yukiko answered with an apathetic expression.
Grimmjow squatted down and looked at her on eye level. "Then leave."
Her expression jumped to confusion with wide eyes and an open mouth.
He was tired of always having to spell the answer out for other people. "If you were so afraid of your family getting to you and they know where you are then leave; if you don't care enough to do that than stop worrying about it at all."
Yukiko's mouth closed but her eyes remained wide. {"You're either the smartest man I've ever met or the dumbest."}
Grimmjow smiled smugly. "Also you're giving those women too much credit. I doubt they'll pick up on any other information without anyone purposely cluing them in. You sent me a letter along with the one to Harribel so it would be obvious that it came from someone I know." A realization came over the Arrancar as he said that and his expression changed to one of anger and he started yelling in every direction around himself. "Those bitches! They went snooping through my room at Las Noches! They probably got your name from the book."
He felt a hand land on his and looked back at Yukiko. {"What book?"}
Grimmjow pulled his mouth tight and looked away again out of embarrassment. He never mentioned that he took one of her sketch books. "I meant the letter." He lied, hoping she didn't remember that she didn't sign the letter with her full name.
Her expression dropped and he could tell she didn't buy it so he reached for a change in subject. "If you're done eating than how about you be useful and take care of my injuries."
{"I thought you don't need treatment since your wounds heal in a matter of days."} She challenged, making him work for the escape.
"They heal faster when I let you take care of them so I might as well." He forced himself to say, finding this hit to his pride less than she knowing that he was being sentimental and took something of hers.
She was smiling and started to shake slightly. The woman was laughing at him. "Yukiko…" He growled threateningly.
She nodded and finally placed her plate and pots in the sink before she retrieved her first aid kit. When she returned to the table Grimmjow leaned back and pulled his shirt up, exposing his abdomen and the four claw marks there. "Deal with this one first, it's the most annoying."
Her eyes widened in surprise then she rummaged around a drawer rather than her cabinent where the first aid kit is and pulled out a needle and thread. {I've never tried it before but I can try."}
"Fine by me." He shrugged.
As she got to work on his injuries he began telling her about how his assignment went, starting from the beginning of the women baiting him with the possibility of encountering Coyote Starrk. Because his explanation of that part also required him to explain who Starrk was by the time she finished treating him he was only as far into the recounting as the encounter with the snake Hollow on their way to the ruins. She didn't seem any less interested in his words so while she returned the medical supplies to their place he pulled out his futon and laid there as he continued. Yukiko changed in the bathroom with the door open so that she could still listen and when she returned to the main room the woman lay with him, leaning into his torso as she listened to his story. In an attempt to get more comfortable he opened one of his arms and she moved to rest her head on his shoulder and bicep and less on his torso, then bent his arm, cradling her slightly as a coincidence rather than an intention. He felt her tense slightly when he got to the part about his fight with Riverra despite the fact that in his opinion that was the best part of the whole mission. He finished his recounting and looked at her, expecting some kind of response. To his surprise the woman was asleep. Asleep against him… That's something that has never happened.
He was tempted to push her off and send her to her own futon but she was warm and soft. It wasn't uncomfortable having her there. Grimmjow smirked slightly. "Why ruin a good thing?"
He turned himself a little and leaned into her somewhat just to get that little bit more settled and went to sleep.
Chapter is finished guys. Part of why it was so delayed was because I had a couple of weeks of testing in school and because I couldn't decided if I wanted to kill or keep Riverra. When I came up with that part of the chapter the character fighting Grimmjow was going to die but then I really liked him! He's too much of a sweetheart and I didn't have it in me to kill him off. I don't know if I'll bring him back in the story later but I like having the option. For him I'll play it by ear and see if there is an appropriate place in the story for his return, if not it was a nice little moment for Achiim to stand up to Grimmjow and protect him.
Yay Comments! (´｡• ω •｡`) :
rainydayswriting: I thought he would like a bed of his own besides it gives opportunity for little moments like the one at the end of this chapter.
Azul23blue: I count the movie as a date. I want them to be a good couple and for the fact that they are a couple to make some sense to that means constant development.
Beautiful-note2895: He has already accepted that he will have to take physical things at her pace so he can't do much about it. As the story progresses it regain some of its slice of life aspect with them so you will get more.
Meleesha: Welcome to the story! Thanks for the review and I glad that you like Yukiko :)
Jemstone6259: Grimmjow is a bit of a rough kind of guy and they will not be shy about kissing each other.
anaLOUser: I want to write more stories but I can barely keep up with writing for the two I have going on now so I won't torture myself and all the people who already have to wait longer than they should to get new chapters. Maybe when this one is done I start something new but it would probably be for D. Gray-man; I've already got a plot for a story for that series swimming around in my head.