Disclaimer: I could never have come up with such awesome characters as Nel or Hitsugaya, so obviously I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Yeah, I know I haven't updated anything lately (sorry, but while Zaraki has been awesome, there haven't been any moments to write about) but I have suddenly become inspired to do Nel/Nnoitra because of chapter 312 Fevorous Ferocious. It seems to be such a potentially twisted pairing, so let's write one and see how it goes.

--

As a child with perpetually messy, strangely blonde-green hair, Neliel Tu Oderschvank had been absolutely fascinated by horses. Their large, expressively dark eyes, their long swishing tails, and above all the graceful yet powerful way they ran would send Nel, as she was commonly called, into a state of glee as she scrambled to watch them gallop by on the race track.

As she grew older, her father, an avid fan of horse racing, indulgently bought her a chestnut pony, and hired a trainer to teach her daughter how to ride. A delighted Nel hugged her father tightly, thanked him repeatedly, and ran down to the stables, only to skid around a corner to run straight into the gangly, black-haired stable boy hired from the monastery orphanage.

--

Nnoitra had been the bully of the orphanage, beating up all of the other boys and terrifying all of the girls. The monks despaired of ever managing to tame his violent temper, so when Lord Oderschvank requested to hire a boy as a stable hand, the monks couldn't have been quicker in packing up all of Nnoitra's few possessions, and pointing the way to Oderschvank Manor.

Nnoitra didn't really care for horses, they stank like hell after all, but it was fine by him since it had long since gotten boring beating the shit out of the orphanage boys, and he might now find someone else to fight. What he hadn't counted on though, was the young lady of the manor knocking him to the ground on the very first day.

"I'm so sorry!" Nel exclaimed, offering out a hand to help him up with.

He knocked her hand away, glaring, "Watch it," he spat out.

Nel frowned, "Just trying to help, you know."

"I don't need any help from some fucking girl," Nnoitra sneered, pulling himself up and pulling straw out of his black hair.

"Funny, since a girl just knocked you over," Nel commented, flicking a few strands of her strange hair out of her face.

Nnoitra's face darkened, "You trying to pick a fight?" he asked slowly.

"No," she replied, walking off, "I'm going to see my horse."

Nnoitra grabbed her by the shoulder and whirled her around, "Don't ignore me," he said venomously.

She calmly drew her fist back and socked him squarely in the jaw, "Don't overreact to everything," she replied as he fell stunned to the ground.

--

They both grew older, Nnoitra constantly challenging Nel to another fight, and Nel always calmly beating Nnoitra to the ground, no matter if it was bare-handed combat or fencing. He grew taller, nearly like a praying mantis in how skinny he was, with long black hair. He refused to call her "Lady Neliel" like a servant should, or even "Nel" like her friends, but always "Neliel". He despised the way she always beat him when she was a fucking girl, my god. And unfortunately, she was beginning to turn into a pretty woman as well.

Nel blossomed into a voluptuous young lady, her still strangely green hair spilling down her shoulders. She considered Nnoitra something like a beast for always getting into fights, but for some reason she didn't really mind his company. She neatly concealed all of their fights from her father to keep Nnoitra from getting into trouble, and put up with all of his insults. She was beginning to think herself something of masochist. Her father on the other hand, anxiously organized wait lists for all of his daughter's suitors, as she blissfully rode Gamuza around the grounds.

Nnoitra balefully shoveled manure from the stables as today's two top-hatted suitors sat around waiting for Nel to return from her ride.

"Such a pretty girl," commented one of them.

"Indeed," agreed the other, "There is a sort of…exotic beauty about her."

Nnoitra snorted. You mean the fact that she has green hair?

"And such splendid horsemanship!"

"Yes, she rides quite well."

"The other smirked, "That could apply in other areas as well."

Nnoitra's head snapped up. Did they just…no way. There was no fucking way that Neliel was ever going to dominated by those weaklings. And yet, here they were talking about it as if they didn't know that the only one who would ever, ever dominate Neliel was him.

The former laughed, "Yes, well—"

Plop. A big heap of manure landed right in front of both gentlemen, spraying them a bit with a few flecks of the nasty stuff. Nnoitra propped the shovel on his shoulder, "Oops, sorry about that. My hand slipped."

The gentlemen stared at the pile of manure at their feet, and then lifted their heads up to glare at a smirking Nnoitra.

"You-you insolent servant!" finally roared one, standing up and flinging his glove at Nnoitra's face.

Nnoitra easily stepped back and grabbed the white glove. He grinned manically, baring his teeth "You're challenging me?"

"Whoever said anything about challenging you!" the suitor bellowed, pulling his sleeves up, "I'm going to beat some manners into you!"

Nnoitra didn't answer, and simply hit the man over the head with the shovel. The man blinked, and then keeled over. Nnoitra prodded the prone body, "Well, that was boring. You next?" he asked, looking at the other man.

The other man glanced at his fallen comrade, and slowly unsheathed the sword at his side. Nnoitra's grin grew even wider, "Great! Now I can use these," he commented, dropping the shovel on the fallen suitor's face, and grabbing to scythes.

The man didn't hesitate in swooping in in a blow that would have knocked the scythes out of Nnoitra's hands if he hadn't ducked lithely, and slammed his scythes into the sword with more force than seemed possible with his skinny build.

Nnoitra laughed as the man's eyes widened. "What's the matter?" he jeered, "Better get serious, or you're fixing to get killed."

"Nnoitra!"

Nnoitra (although he knew that voice so well) whirled around to see who was calling him. At that point, the man took his one chance, and slashed Nnoitra across his left eye.

Nel gasped, and stormed straight over to the two. Pushing the suitor aside, she automatically grasped Nnoitra by the shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Nnoitra's mouth twisted into a sneer as he shoved her aside, and threw a scythe at the suitor. It embedded in his arm, and he screamed in pain.

Nel groaned, "Okay…you!" she pointed at the suitor, "Go as fast as you can up to the house; my father will call the doctor in for you. Drag that other guy with you as well."

As the suitor painfully limped away, she turned to Nnoitra. She reached for his face, thought better of it at his glare, and simply asked, "Okay, what happened?"

Nnoitra wiped away the blood on his face and grimaced, "I got into a fight, okay/'

Nel bit her lip, "This," she said slowly, "was not your normal fight. Even you aren't usually in such a state of bloodlust that you go after nobles."

Nnoitra shrugged, "Got bored of the other servants. Thought a noble could be more of a challenge. But they weren't."

Nel made a slightly placating gesture, "How about just telling me the truth?"

Nnoitra spat on the ground, "Like there's anything else to say."

Nel stared at him for awhile before sighing, "Well, either ways, we need to get you cleaned up. How's that eye?"

"Horrible," muttered Nnoitra, wincing, "All thanks to you."

Nel winced, "I'm really sorry about it—"

"Shut the fuck up and help me bandage it then," snapped Nnoitra.

Nel frowned, pushing aside her green hair, "Is it that bad then?" she asked softly, "You never ask for help."

"Well I'm asking for it right now," Nnoitra said, side-stepping the question, "Get me a bandage or something."

"Alright, alright," Nel said, standing up, "Even if you won't tell me anything."

--

Despite Nnoitra's glibness, the wound to his eye was actually severe enough to have him wearing an eye patch most of the time. He never told Nel why he had actually fought with her suitors, but later Telsa, another stable hand that followed Nnoitra around even though he constantly bullied him, told Nel exactly what the suitors had said.

Upon hearing Nnoitra's motivation, Nel was torn between feelings of pleasure and apprehension. Nnoitra hated her, and she didn't really like him all that much did she?

To think about this situation, Nel went on longer and longer rides in the countryside. One day she was riding along, and then there was an accident.

--

Nnoitra stood in front of the body of Nel in disbelief. There was no way-no way that this could be her, right? There was none of the goddamn superiority that had infuriated him, none of the calmness, just a limp body with dull eyes surrounded by green hair.

Neliel could not be dead.

It was just not possible. She couldn't be dead now, not before he had ever managed to beat her, not at her peak. What was this? How could she be dead by her horse spooking at the sight of something, rearing, and making her fall down?

Telsa looked at the silent Nnoitra and said softly, "Nnoitra?"

Nnoitra didn't respond, still staring at her corpse.

"Nnoitra?" Telsa tried again, "Other people would like to pay their respects."

"Fuck them," Nnoitra bit off.

Telsa bowed his head, "Nnoitra," he began, "Did you—"

Nnoitra turned away, and gathering a small knapsack along with two scythes, began to stride out of the hall. Telsa chased after him, calling out, "Nnoitra? Nnoitra! What are you doing?"

"I'm going away," Nnoitra replied, not bothering to look back, wrenching the door open.

"What? Why?"

Nnoitra shrugged, walking out, "There's nothing left for me here."

--

Nnoitra dragged a hand through his long black hair in disgust. How the hell had he gotten tossed in a jail? Yeah, fine, he had gotten a bit drunk, and yeah maybe he had bloodied a few noses and slashed around, and destroyed half of the bar, but it wasn't like he had killed anyone or anything like that.

He leaned back on the dank wall, "Shit," he muttered, "See what you've reduced me to, Neliel?"

"Yes."

He whirled around, and stared at horror at a growing shadow in the corner of the room, "Someone there?" he called out cautiously.

A very familiar light laugh sounded, "Forgot me already, Nnoitra?"

"Neliel?" Nnoitra gasped out, squinting into the corner, "But how—"

His eye widened when he saw what was really hulking in the shadows. Some sort of monster with a skull mask with dangerously curled horns was crouched there in that corner, and was still speaking to him in Neliel's voice.

"Surprised Nnoitra?" the monster said softly.

"N-neleil?" he croaked out, "What-what's going on?"

"I missed you, Nnoitra," she said simply, "So I came here to see you."

"But, what—"

"You aren't happy seeing me?" Nel said sharply.

Nnoitra managed to sneer, "Why should I be happy to see you?"

The monster that was Neliel began to step in closer, "Are you really not happy to see me?"

Nnoitra felt a shiver of fear pass through him, as he carefully put his hand on the hilt of a concealed knife, "What's it to you?"

She gave a grotesque approximation of Neliel's calm smile as she leaned in, "Because if you aren't, I may have to resort to some more base methods to remind you," she said softly.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Nnoitra asked, both leering and gripping the blade even tighter.

"This," she replied, suddenly wrapping her long green arms around him, and sinking her claws into his back, dragging out his soul chain.

Nnoitra's eyes dulled, as his soul stared in shock at his body. But some instinct threw Nnoitra out of the way as Neliel attempted to pounce on him. Not looking back, he ran out of the jail, as fast as he could.

Neliel simply sat back and watched him run away. The loneliness that had gnawed away at her had been abated for now, so she was content.

--

It had been some time. She shook her head as she looked as she looked at her new adjuchas form. It was very different from her Gillian form; she now had the form of something like a cross between a goat and a horse, with sharp curling horns sprouting from her head.

"Nel-sama!"

She turned to survey the adjuchas that had also attached themselves to her. Pesche and Dondochakka looked frankly ridiculous, but their abilities were pretty good, if sort of…strange. But it suited her. She always had a penchant for things that were a little strange.

She frowned and clutched her head. There was something…missing. Something that seemed rather important, actually. What it was though, she wasn't sure, she couldn't remember anything about her life before now. Just running around and devouring souls…nothing else she could remember.

"Nel-sama!"

She snapped out of her reverie, to turn to her companions. There would be time to piece back together her past if she wanted, but it would have to wait till later, when things were finally settled.

--

Nnoitra flexed the many arms of his new adjuchas form. Now this, this was what he had been longing for. This power seeping through his veins, so different from the mindless fury as a hollow, or the dullness of his Gillian state. Yet, even this wasn't quite enough. Something was there that he still needed. Something…but he could no longer remember, except for a feeling of rage and exasperation that overtook him.

"Nnoitra-sama!"

Nnoitra ignored Telsa, as was his habit. What was it that he wanted? More power maybe? …that did sound familiar. So maybe that really was it. In that case, he would not spare any time in trying to become a vasto lorde.

"Nnoitra-sama!"

Nnoitra turned to his fraccion, "Hurry up," he stated as he began to stride forward.

Telsa frowned in confusion, "What? Where are we going Nnoitra-sama?"

"Never you mind," Nnoitra snarled, not bothering to look behind him, 'Either hurry the fuck up or you're going to be left behind."

Telsa wasn't one to disobey his master; no matter how cruel he was, so he hurried after him.

--

Maybe she was pretty-alright, she was beautiful-but that didn't stop him from hating Neliel the minute he set eyes on her. In fact, it made his hate burn even brighter. A pretty arrancar would only be good as a submissive fraccion like Loly or Menoly or something, not the number 3 Espada.

Especially not when he was only the number 8 Espada. It could not be tolerated.

What was worse was that sometimes when he was around her, he could suddenly smell the sweetly pungent smell of hay or feel a cool breeze on his face, which was impossible in deadly desert-like Hueco Mundo. It brought with it a sense of peace, something he didn't want at all. He wanted to be the strongest of the Espada, and Neliel was in the way.

So after their last fight, where she once again beat him, and he asked her why she never bothered with a finishing blow, to which she replied that he was nothing more than a beast, he had made up his mind. Although he would have loved to have actually beaten her one-on-one in a fair fight, it just wasn't possible right now. Not with his current state, anyway. He would have to get rid of her for some time, until he became strong enough to defeat her on his own.

He disliked Szayel on principle, but he did need his help, so Neliel and her fraccion were slashed, and thrown out of the gates. How he laughed when he saw Neliel transform into a small sniveling brat.

Maybe he did feel a hint of regret, but he dismissed that emotion as an obvious product that there would be no one to fight every day now. Besides, she would be back soon enough, if he knew Neliel.

--

Nel couldn't remember much. This tall black haired looming up above her seemed…nearly familiar in some ways.

A beast, a voice whispered in her mind.

She shook her head quickly and cupped her ears. What was this?

A beast, but not quite lost. Or else we would have killed him years ago. Along with other reasons.

She frowned. She didn't understand, what was going on?

The man, the 5th Espada drew back his zanpaktou to give Ichigo one final stab.

No.

"Ichigo!"

--

It felt good to be back in her true form, Nel reflected, stretching her fingers. And of course, there was Nnoitra standing across from her, his shocked expression replaced by a leering smirk.

And somehow even now she could still not convince herself to hate him enough to kill him, even after he had attacked her from behind and had her banished into wilderness of Hueco Mundo. Why?

She shrugged to herself as she prepared to fight Nnoitra once again. It was that masochist part of her that she could never understand, she supposed, that made her spare him over and over again instead of just ending this vicious cycle. Either ways it didn't matter. Right now she just wanted to keep Ichigo, who had been so kind to her, safe from Nnoitra, who she could still not figure out what he meant to her.

--

This was shit.

He didn't want pity. He fucking hated pity. Always that look from Neliel, and now from this overgrown bastard of a shinigami.

He never wanted it. But it seemed to be his doomed fate to always end up getting beat by people who didn't even have the fucking decency to at least end his misery, but instead stare at him with pity.

As he fell he shot a look at the child Neliel. Pathetically weak, wasn't she? He hated to look at her like that. It was a disgusting farce of what Neliel really was.

And yet when she opened her eyes, and whispered his name, he felt something like regret steal over him. It could have been different if either of them had done differently than they did, he realized.

Maybe next time.

--

It was over. Aizen was dead, and Gin and Tousen taken back to Soul Society for trial.

Nnoitra and Nel sat across from each other, neither saying anything. There really wasn't much to say.

Finally Nel sighed and said, "Care to do something besides glare at me, Nnoitra?"

"What are you offering?" Nnoitra snapped, with a customary leer.

"You know that an explanation or an apology from you would better your own case before Soul Society," Nel stated calmly.

Nnoitra snorted, "That's fucking rich coming from you Neliel. You know any apologies from me would be false anyway."

"So you have no regrets?" she asked seriously.

"None," replied Nnoitra, stolidly staring back at Nel's penetrating stare.

Nel smiled quietly, "I think you're lying again Nnoitra."

Nnoitra leaned back, "Don't really give a shit about what you think, Neliel," he said easily.

"Then why are you sitting here listening to me?"

"Can't exactly get away now, can I?" Nnoitra replied, "Not with all your shinigami friends running around outside."

Nel made a slightly impatient flicking motion with her hand, "Enough Nnoitra. Let's cut to the chase. I'm the one person who can possibly keep you away from destruction by the shinigami. Now, would you like to explain why you attacked me the way you did?"

Nnoitra sneered, "You already know my reasons."

"Do I? Do I really, Nnoitra?" she asked.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"How many times could you have killed me?" she asked softly, "And yet you did not."

"I think I hit your head too hard, Neliel," Nnoitra stated, "Of course I didn't kill you, then I couldn't fight you and beat you."

"And yet," she continued, "you did try to kill me when you saw me as a child."

Nnoitra snickered, "You looked so pathetic like that," he said bluntly, "I was trying to put you out of your misery."

"Were you? It seems you have my best interests in your heart, Nnoitra," Nel said dryly.

Nnoitra laughed, "And what about you, Neliel?" he challenged her, "Why did you never kill me?"

Nel blinked in surprise, "You already know of course."

"Ah, but do I? Do I really, Neliel?" he asked, repeating her words, and leaning into her, "You always said I was too much of a beast to kill, but really, didn't you have a better reason?"

Nel calmly gazed up into his face, "If I tell you, then will you explain yourself as well?"

Nnoitra gave out a harsh bark laughter, "Explain myself? Well, sure but—"

Nel leaned in and brushed her lips over his. "There. Now give me your explanation."

Nnoitra stared at Nel in shock, "What-what the hell did you just do?"

"Kissed you, obviously," Nel stated, slightly annoyed, "Which is an explanation all in itself, you know. So what's yours?"

Nnoitra frowned, and pulling her to him, kissed her furiously, dominating her with his mouth the way he had always wanted to do with a sword instead. But this could be considered better, in a way.

As they broke apart, Nel offered him a quirky smile, "Your explanation is the same?"

"Obviously," he spat out, before pulling her to him again.

She pulled away, "Ah," she said still smiling but now mischievously, "But you see I'm just a silly little girl, you might have to spell it out for me."

Nnoitra groaned as he pulled her back in, "I want you," he ground out.

She laughed, "Fair enough. That's all I'll get for now I know," she said as she was silenced by another kiss.

--

A/N: That was rather long. But I had fun writing it, so sorry if it was a bit OOC. I was listening to the Sweeney Todd soundtrack the entire time I was writing this, so it might have affected my head…anyway, if you want another chapter with Nnoitra and Nel in the human world, please review! Also, as a note, hollows go after those they love first, so I though that might be a nice touch.