DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine. Review and critique encouraged.

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That incessant noise, the rhythmic 'ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum'. I can always hear it, or if I don't, I feel it. It's in my fingertips, making them throb, that annoying… pulse of life. Misplaced. And when I get closer to her, that throbbing starts to corrupt my feet and up my arms until, when I'm standing right next to her, I can feel it up the back of my spine, pushing something, not blood, through my veins. It's not natural. No, it's too natural. In a world like this one, it just doesn't fit. Even Aizen's heart beats differently.

The girls, they wanna be her. They're all wicked jealous 'cause she's got a heart and they don't. That's what makes her so much like a breath of fresh air to Aizen-sama. The guys? Ah… To each his own. I can't speak for the lot of those monkeys, but I have to admit, that girl's got the tits. Second thing I noticed anyway, right after the heartbeat.

So annoying… It's infuriating at times. Gatta go all the way to the other side of the compound to get some rest. Otherwise it's ringin' in my ears. Makes me wanna put a stop to it, you know? Shut it up. Just reach in and squish it.

I knew she was in her room 'cause as I made my way towards that general area, I could hear it in there. Hadn't planned on donning her doorstep if it weren't for the sudden rapid increase, the sound of fear bangin' like drums in my head. I'm surprised no one else heard it. So I went to investigate, like any good underling would.

Heard some rustling… shouting… Inoue was getting the crap kicked out of her. I figured I'd scare the shit out of Lolly and that other good-for-nothing so I broke the door down with some pretty lights and a smoke show - make it look like the lone cowboy came to save her. Hey- why not? It worked. They were pissin' themselves. Couldn't even get my name out without stuttering. 'Damn straight' is all I can say to that.

Killed one, broke another one's leg and was planning on leaving her, but she kept hollering. Sounded like a f&ing goose. I stomped on her throat. By the time I was done with the two of them, Inoue was looking up at me like a pathetic wounded animal. No, a deer. A wounded deer. Deer will just look up at you and shake, kinda' like they're waiting for you to put 'em out of their misery. For a second there, I was seriously contemplating doing it.

"Wh… Why…?" she asked with her big doe eyes. Yeah, if I were her, I'd be confused too.

"To repay the debt of healing my left hand," I told her.

'Such a weak little thing', I thought as she sat so crumpled on the ground. I could. I wanted to. I didn't. Aizen and all… F$ing, mother f&#er Tousen would cut off my arm again. Or worse. One of these days… As soon as I'm not shackled by rank… or Aizen-sama's plans. Of course.

And then suddenly she was looking at me like I'd just blown her away. I thought quickly, better do something fast or else she's going to think I'm not such a bad guy after all. Couldn't let that happen. I dug my fingers into the collar of her shirt and heaved her up off the ground. She was as limp as a wet noodle and went wherever I dragged her. If I were a four-year-old, I'd attach strings to her and put on a show.

"What - what are you doing?" she was tired, and she was no longer looking at me like I had potential. That, I was relieved by.

"What am I doing?" I reiterated. "Do you really think I'm here to save you? That's too naïve!!!"

The fact of it was, that was the reason I was there. Not 'cause I liked her and her annoying heart, but because of Aizen.

And before I knew it, more excuses were flying out of my mouth, "I've repaid the favor owed to you. Do you still have any opinions now?" She was silent. I grinned up at her like I had something on my mind, "So it's time for you to do me another favor."

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What I had with Inoue was like a mutual relationship. Like ah… birds and buffalos. You know. Birds eat the flies attracted by the buffalos, buffalos attract the flies for the birds to eat. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. That kind of thing. Nobody likes Inoue except Aizen, Gin, and maybe Ulquiorra, but the jury's still out on that one. Nobody knows what he likes. I'm sticking with nine year old boys, though.

The bottom line is that Aizen likes her, which puts her in a position to sway him my direction sometimes, like extra dessert and nap-times on Friday, not to mention battle tactics and political advice… In exchange for her persuasive services, I was kind of like a non-official body guard when Ulquiorra was off diddling pre-pubescent boys.

Inoue was stronger than I gave her credit for in the beginning. I mean, physically, she was probably the weakest person in the entire compound. But she was strong like 'woman' strong. What do you call that? Emotionally strong? I'll admit that as long as I never have to say it. She peaked my curiosity because she kept coming up with ways to smile. They were sad, but they were still smiles, and most of the time it was to get me to do it. Smile, I mean. Never worked. She still tried.

The more time we spent together, the more she became casual around me. She wasn't so scared anymore. Her heartbeat didn't elevate as often. I didn't care like I used to though. Way I figure, who was she going to tell?

We'd been sitting on that small couch in her room, next to the window. It was a normal thing to not speak to each other., only because we had nothing to say. We had nothing in common, no similar interests, I hated her friends and the subject wouldn't be a pleasant one if I were to bring it up. So we just sat, me acting like one of those citronella candles, keeping the 'mosquitoes' away.

She fell asleep. She fell asleep on my shoulder. She didn't start out that way but kind of kept moving towards me. I didn't know if she knew she was doing it or not. I think the kid was so starved for comfort that she was seeking anything out.

Orihime cries in her sleep. No sounds, no expressions, just a couple of tears. For a while I was beginning to think she wasn't capable - I hadn't seen her cry.

Ba-dum…… ba-dum…… ba-dum…… Steady and slow.

I took her arm, the one closest to me, and gently dragged her from my shoulder over my lap. She stirred and slowly was lifted out from of her light sleep, eyes fluttering open into slender crescents, pupils shifting around, trying to find me. They met me when she reclined her head back, exposing her throat to me. She was in a half-conscious daze. Her honey-dipped hair draped over my thighs and tickled the skin of my stomach just above my waistline. Every motion was very deliberate, slow, and full of grace.

"…Grimmjow… What are you doing…?"

She was the one to break the silence with a weak voice, meek, somewhere behind a wall it sounded like. I had to ask myself whether or not I had actually heard it.

"Relax," I said, looking down at her, yet tilting my face up towards the ceiling at the same time. "I was uncomfortable. Go back to sleep."

Her back was resting on my lap, body curved up from there to where her head was cradled in the curve of the inside of my elbow where it rested on the couch. Her face was pointed towards me, and sank until I got a three-quarter view from a back angle, watching her ear and the curve of her cheek. Her arm was laying against her side lifelessly. I couldn't see the other one, but I assumed it was beneath her somewhere. She closed her eyes and pretended to rest. I say pretended because her heartbeat had sped up slightly. Yeah, her eyes were closed, but she was thinking…

I let my arm dangle along the back of the couch and watched her.

"I didn't… expect any of this…" she whispered. "…When I was a girl, I dreamed of becoming a teacher… or a nurse… My problems were getting good grades and trying to avoid Ichigo… When I woke up that morning, I didn't expect to spend the night …here."

"M hm," I replied, more of a grunt than anything else. "Yeah, well, life throws a buncha shit at you. Some more than others."

"…I'm glad to have helped where I could," she went on. Her voice began to collect a hopeless tone to it, "…but sometimes…" she hesitated, as if the words were stuck to the roof of her mouth, "…I think… maybe… it was more trouble than it was worth. Maybe I should have just stayed ignorant. Maybe things would be better for everyone…"

I frowned, "This place gettin' to you that fast?"

She turned her head back up to look at me, blinking. I could still see the remnants of the silent tears. She was expecting me to explain. I didn't really wanna, but I did, letting my tongue slid over my lips, thinking about how to phrase it. I wasn't good at words of comfort - or even neutrality. I wasn't trying to comfort her.

"This place saps the goodness outta people. It taxes your mind and forces people to lose hope. It's all that negative energy in the air, keeping the plants dead and the hollows frustrated. We don't have hope here. We have fact and the sad reality of things."

"You're saying it's natural for me to feel like this? That it's not just me?"

I shrugged. Again, I didn't want her to think I was comforting her. I wasn't. Just sayin'. I think I accidentally did it anyway.

It had made it to the point where there was nothing to say again. Orihime curled up a little more and nuzzled my arm in an attempt to go back to sleep. I don't know how long it was that we stayed like that, but eventually I had to leave. Ulquiorra walked in, looking all blank and unreadable.

He didn't say anything but looked at me as if telepathically waving a finger at me or something. I was out of it and didn't give a f, so all I did was sneer at him lazily.

"I don't have to tell you where your place is again, do I?" he asked me quietly as not to wake her, floating like a ghost across the floor.

Again, I only gestured, this time with my middle finger extended up at him.

"Right…" he replied. "You have to leave now."

"Yeah, I got it." I slid my arms beneath the girl and lifted her up. She barely moved, curling up against my chest. I moved her over to her bed and set her down. She stirred when I fell away and stuffed my hands - now free at last - into my pockets, gingerly walking towards the door without looking back. I could feel Ulquiorra's eyes boring into my head.

Yeah, we all like Orihime, and loathed her at the same time. It was that heart of her's.