Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Bleach or anything affiliated with said show.

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

It's dark. And I'm not talking your everyday average night here, I mean black. Pitch black. Can't see your hand in front of your face black. Yeah, the kind of darkness that makes people run in fear and start praying to every deity they can think of that they'll be okay. The kind of darkness most people dread.

But then, I'm not most people. I happen to like the utter blackness that surrounds me. It lets me believe, if only for a moment, that I'm someone, something, else. That this obsession of mine could actually turn into something real. Something I don't feel ashamed of, that I can share with the world. And in those few seconds, I do. I imagine a world in which we're not mortal enemies, where I can tell him how I feel and not get a blade pressed against my throat.

And then that moment passes and I'm left with an emptiness that is only intensified by my bleak surroundings. It bothered me in the beginning, the first couple of times I made this trip between Soul Society and the human world, not anymore though. Now I know what's coming, know how it's going to end, and while I'd prefer it to be different, I've accepted things the way they are…for now.

I look around at the emptiness and for the thousandth time wonder why I'm doing this. At first it was merely a way of getting to know my enemy's weakness. Then it became something to pass the time, and now I just can't seem to stop. Time after time I find myself wandering down this desolate path in search of the one person I'm unable to get out of my head.

Aizen would have me killed if he ever found out about my little escapades to the human world, or worse yet let that psycho Gin do it for him, but not even that deters me. There's just something about the kid that draws me to him, he's like some kind of magnet or something and no matter what I do I'm unable to stay away.

The exit approaches and I slip through it excitedly. It's been two days since I last saw him, and while our little tussle was very entertaining, I'd much rather watch him when he's not fighting. The way he smiles at his younger sisters, those ridiculous fights with his father, and let's not forget how he chews on his lip when he's studying. It's really rather adorable.

It took me awhile, but I finally managed to find a doorway that let out one street over from his house. Now I don't have to go halfway across town to see him. Not that I minded the trip, but the less time I have to waste on travel the better. I'm already limited as to how long I can watch him, if I'm not back before Ulquiorra he'll get all suspicious and do some digging to find out what I'm up to. I can't let that happen, he'll rat me out before I have a chance to explain.

His lights are on when I take my perch on the tree outside his window, something I'm grateful for since this means I don't have to wait for him to head to his room. Taking a seat, I prop my back against the tree and make myself comfortable. It really is the perfect hiding place; the branches are full of leaves and block me out completely. They do make it a little difficult to see, but remaining hidden is my highest priority.

Once I'm settled in my eyes move to find their target and the barest of smiles crosses my lips when I spot him sitting at his desk with several large books spread out before him. I know he's studying for that "school" thing he attends, and I should be disappointed that I won't be seeing him in nothing but a towel tonight, but watching him pull at his hair as he struggles with whatever it is he's working on is almost as good. Okay, not really, but so long as I get to watch him I'm happy no matter what he's doing.

I hear a strange noise coming from below me and after making sure I haven't been caught I turn back around to find a very familiar blade at my throat. "Hey Strawberry." I say with my trademark smirk, hoping he'll assume I was there for a fight like usual. I should've known he'd see right through me.

"Why are you stalking me? What do you want?" He asks with anger in his voice and his sword presses in hard enough to draw several drops of blood.

"Che, I'm only here to fightcha." I reply back as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. The look in his eyes tells me he's not buying it.

"Bull. You've been out here watching me on and off for the last month. Now tell me what you want or I'll remove your head from your body."

He won't do it, and he knows I know it, but still he threatens me. I guess you could say it's our own little routine. It's how all our fights start. To be honest, I really wasn't looking for a fight tonight, I only wanted to watch him for awhile, but I've never been one to back down from anything so I crouched into a fighting stance the best I could and gave him a wicked grin. "Your move Berry."

I have to admit I didn't see what happened next coming. One minute we're staring each other down getting ready for one of our fights, and the next he has his lips pressed against mine. Shocked the hell out of me let me tell you. I never thought he'd have feelings like that for me, but I guess I was wrong, Very, very wrong if the tongue working its way into my mouth was any indication.

Not that I was complaining, in fact I was returning his kiss wholeheartedly. Pulling him closer to my body I was pleased to hear the sound of his precious sword dropping to the ground. It's not like he was going to be needing it for the foreseeable future anyway.

The kiss was short, too short in my opinion, and left me aching for more. Thankfully though he wasn't finished and I soon found myself with Ichigo in my lap, arms around my neck and lips once again on mine. So I did what anyone would do in that situation, I kissed him back.

My hands began to make their way down his sides and found themselves resting on the waistband of his sweatpants. I wasn't sure how far he was willing to go, but there was no way I was going to let him misunderstand my intentions. I wanted him and hoped like hell that he wanted me too.

I needn't have worried; Ichigo simply shifted his hips against mine and pulled back long enough to give me a mischievous grin. Returning it with one of my own, I began to pull at his shirt, mouth watering as inch after inch of that smooth skin was revealed to me.

o o o o o

Grimmjow awoke with a start, sweat pouring down his face and sheets a tangled mess around his feet. "Goddamn dream!" He growled angrily as he swung his legs off the bed and stood up slowly. Running a hand through his shaggy blue hair, he shook his head and stood up slowly, eyes trained on the body chained to the wall on the other side of his room.

Tightening the loose white pants that were hanging low on his hips, he made his way over to his prisoner with a scowl on his face. Glaring down at the pitiful orange haired form sprawled against the wall, he kicked the body harshly. "On your feet slave."

Ichigo blinked blearily at the towering body above him, so used to the pain by now he didn't even wince at the newly forming bruise on his side. Closing his eyes, he let his head drop back against the wall, not having enough strength left to do anything else.

"I said up." Grimmjow hissed, grabbing Ichigo by the hair and yanking him to his feet with a hard tug. "Do what you're told slave."

Tears sprang to his eyes unbidden, but Ichigo forced them back before they could fall. He wouldn't give the Espada the satisfaction of watching him break. He'd rather die than give in. Turning his head to the side, he refused to look Grimmjow in the face as he waited for the beating he was certain would come.

He'd been captured nearly a month ago, during a routine patrol that had somehow gone horribly wrong, and after being tortured by Aizen for information, which of course he didn't have, Ichigo was handed off to Grimmjow as some kind of sick joke. Once the blue haired man had gotten his hands on him, Ichigo's life became a living hell filled with multiple daily beatings and endless humiliation.

The first punch, which was aimed at Ichigo's stomach, had the younger man doubling over as he gasped for breath, but Grimmjow was far from finished with him. Pulling back his fist, Grimmjow let it fly once more, this time landing a little above and to the right of his last hit, and he almost smiled at the sound of bones breaking.

Ichigo couldn't help it, he cried out in pain as at least one of his ribs was broken, but barely had time to process the pain before another punch nailed him in the jaw. Thankfully it didn't break, but it would be sore and bruised for several weeks at the very least.

Another two hits landed on Ichigo's stomach and he coughed up blood as the air was forced from his lungs. Collapsing to his knees, he looked up at Grimmjow through swollen eyes in time to see the older man's fist coming straight at his head. The force of the punch knocked his head against the wall so hard he blacked out and fell to the ground in a heap.

Snorting at the pathetic human collapsed at his feet, Grimmjow made his way back over to sit on his bed, once again trying to figure out just where in the hell the dreams came from. He'd made the mistake of mentioning them to Gin, and the white haired psycho had started off on a tangent about soul mates and how cute it was that he'd finally managed to find his. Needless to say, Grimmjow had left in quite a hurry.

Unfortunately that left him without a clue as to the dreams origin. There was no way they were subconscious thoughts, he didn't even like the kid, let alone want him, but despite that fact, every few days he'd be plagued with a different, yet still disturbing dream.

If Grimmjow had bothered to look up during his contemplation, he would've noticed something not quite right with his captive. Namely the fact that Ichigo's eyes were open, and instead of their normal brown, were an eerie combination of black and yellow that made him appear almost demon like.

o o o o o

Deep inside the confines of Ichigo's mind, his hollow let out an evil laugh. "Just you wait, I'll destroy you yet." He said menacingly as a smirk found its way onto his face. "All of you. Including the one who dares to keep me locked up like some kind of dangerous wild animal." Glaring at his warped surroundings, he couldn't wait to get out of Ichigo's messed up inner world, the hollow grinned as he began to work on the next part of his plan.

Ichigo was getting weaker by the day and it wouldn't be long now before he'd be able to take over the boy's body completely. It had taken quite a bit of planning to get him kidnapped and brought to Aizen to be tortured and beaten, but he'd figured out a way. Getting him handed off to Grimmjow had been an unexpected turn of events, but it turned out that screwing with the annoying blue haired freak was very entertaining. Plus, by leading the Espada's dreams in a more perverted direction he managed to piss Grimmjow off, which in turn made the beatings Ichigo suffered all the more vicious. A win-win situation if ever there was one.

Ignoring the rain that seemed to always be falling around him, the hollow grinned as his patience was finally about to pay off. "Soon I will be free to kill as I see fit, starting with all these useless hollows that reside in Hueco Mundo. Then I'll move on to those bastards in Soul Society. In time, I will control everything. Mwahahahaaaa!"