A/N: next chapter... hah. Ah, so I did write Ichigo and Grimm's last night together, but it didn't fit into the chapter right... but if anyone wants it, just let me know. I'll edit it some and send it along, if so. All right, really hope you enjoy, still struggling to get this out.

Kisuke Urahara stood in the doorway that led to the back of his shop. His grey eyes, partially hidden under a muted green and white striped hat, held an air of seriousness in them Grimmjow had been thoroughly convinced was impossible. "Do I...?" he asked.

The tall blue-haired man ground his teeth together, muscles tensing, his nose wrinkling up as rage simmered just beneath the veneer he was struggling to maintain. He'd let Ichigo come over to stay one more night, and then he'd slipped out after he'd been sure the heavy-sleeping shinigami was out cold for the night.

Intense cobalt eyes flashed at the raw memory, and the blue-haired man felt his chest begin to vibrate in warning as the blond shinigami sauntered towards him without concern.

"So testy..." Kisuke observed with an immature pout, pulling up short to give the Espada some space, and he sighed wearily in a way Grimmjow didn't believe for a second. "You'll have to find someone else to send you back there, though. You should know, this isn't the end I was hoping for you, Mr. Jaegerjaquez..."

Grimmjow sneered, crossing muscular arms over his broad chest. "I don't give a damn what you want," he snapped, his deep voice almost a growl, and he narrowly eyed the cane in the meddling shopkeeper's hand. "Tell me, Kisuke, do you manipulate Ichigo too when he won't do exactly what you want?"

Grey eyes narrowed in an uncharacteristically affected way, and Grimmjow huffed a sharp laugh, baring his teeth aggressively in response, his pulse speeding up on Ichigo's behalf. "Yeah... I figured as much."

Urahara moved closer at that, his cane rising to bump Grimmjow soundly in the chest, and the pale yellow light above flickered a few times. "You. Should be thanking me for my help, and you will, once this is all through."

"Doubt it," Grimmjow said, then—without any warning—he grabbed the cane falling away from him and slammed it as hard as he could squarely into his chest.

He fell back onto the ground, his right hand catching him, his other gone. He felt a sudden violent whirling inside of him, dark and hollow like a black hole where his heart used to be, and his eyes shot around sharply looking for an Espada to appear.

"They can't sense you in here," Kisuke said, his tone solemn as he eyed the Espada's once gigai slouched on the floor with obvious dissatisfaction. "I wasn't lying before, Grimmjow, you should stay, work with us to take down Aizen. He'll destroy you as soon as you return... and you know he has plans for Ichigo."

Grimmjow stood slowly, and he flexed his right hand out and then clenched it tightly, his power humming like electric just under his skin, the feeling intoxicating. He didn't bother to look over at the shinigami, his blue eyes disinterested, aloof. Then he remembered something, and his expression curled darkly. "Tell Kurosaki I'll be waiting for him."

Time passed strangely in Las Noches.

Grimmjow sat alone outside, closely studying his new left arm. White sand stretched out in all directions, the air thin and stagnant, no moisture, no life to it. He tested his fingers one-by-one, and then made a tight fist, releasing it with a dissatisfied grunt. Something was different about it, or maybe he was just imagining it.

He hated the orange-haired girl Orihime; all she did was cry for Kurosaki-kun, like a stupid lovesick bitch. Never anyone else.

Lips curled up in a feral fashion, and teal tattoos wrinkled around narrow blue orbs. He knew Kurosaki would be showing up soon to save her too. It was only a matter of time, even if he had forgotten about him.

"Tch." Grimmjow shoved the weak thought away. He'd known Kurosaki wouldn't show up for him. Fuck, he'd specifically told him not to, that he wouldn't be the same. And he wasn't...

The tall blue-haired Espada rested his elbows on his knees, glaring at his returned arm still with suspicion. He wasn't the same as he'd been in the gigai, but, he wasn't exactly back to his old self either. He was weaker, he could feel it. He had to hide it though, so no one else would figure it out, not if he wanted to survive.

"Grimmjow, is something wrong?"

Cobalt eyes shot up, the right one squinting up as he snarled at the unwelcome company. "What do you want?"

Tesra Lindocruz studied him quietly with his one eye. "You seem different lately, are you feeling okay...?"

The blue-haired Espada grinned widely at that, displaying all his sharp teeth in warning as he sat upright, his broad shoulders stretching out. "What's wrong, Tesra, can't find anyone else to fuck you?"

The blond's cheeks bloomed with a subtle flush, and his demeanor grew more stiff. "Did I do something to offend you?"

Grimmjow let out a harsh laugh. "If you had, you'd be dead." He watched in disgust as the Arrancar struggled to respond, like he fucking wanted to hear his whining. Just the sight of him made him sick, and he didn't know why, just that he wanted him gone.

The tall Espada stood slowly, and he glared down at a piece of his past he wanted nothing more than to erase. He spoke quietly then, his low voice a rumble. "You think Nnoitra would be pissed if he knew you've been following me around like some sad puppy? Hm?"

His words had their intended impact as Grimmjow stood blissfully alone once more, the Arrancar gone like he'd never been there.

Ichigo dropped to his knees, chin almost resting on his chest that was heaving, and his muscles burning like they were never going to relent. He scraped his fingernails over dry ground, holding back a frustrated scream he was too exhausted to voice.

"You have to focus, Ichigo. You're distracted again."

Ichigo slumped back to sit on the ground, still not able to catch his breath. He clenched his eyes shut when they started to burn, and he cursed himself mentally as the next exhale shuddered threateningly through his chest. He couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't keep thinking about him. Problem was though, he didn't even know what had caused it; he'd just been training and blue hair and even bluer eyes had flashed through his mind without warning and blinded him to the oncoming attack. "I need a break."

"You need to get stronger."

Ichigo nodded, eyes still closed. It was true. He needed to push through the crippling sadness and anger that had become a part of his life ever since—No. No, he wouldn't think of it. He wouldn't think of him.

Copper eyes opened back, flashing with determination, and Ichigo pushed himself back up, ignoring the weakness in his chest. Hollow, he'd felt hollow ever since he'd left. Like the blue-haired Espada had stolen a piece of him when he'd snuck out in the middle of the night, and Ichigo didn't know how to get it back... or if he even could. "Okay, let's go again."

Grimmjow lay on his bed, shirtless, his blue eyes glaring up at a perfectly white ceiling. The Espada felt the distinct urge to raise his hand and blow a giant fucking hole through it, through all of it. He resisted only because he knew it would draw Aizen's wrath. He wasn't in the position to test the shinigami's generosity.

Gleaming, sharp teeth revealed themselves, clenched tightly together. He hated that the shinigami was stronger than him, but mostly, he hated how he, Ichimaru, and Kaname reminded him of fucking Kurosaki every time he saw them since his return.

The Espada briefly considered getting up but decided against it almost immediately, rolling onto his side instead to stare stubbornly at another fucking white wall. So what if he'd been lying there for fuck-knows how long? What else was he going to do? There was no one to fight at the moment, and he wasn't interested in anything else. He growled lowly, a seemingly directionless agitation filling his chest and trying to rouse him.

"They're almost here. To try to save her, I heard Ichimaru say it." There were low voices outside his room.

Grimmjow lay silent, suddenly on high alert. He was waiting for something specific—

"Kurosaki too, yes."

Grimmjow sat up immediately.