Even before Harribel reached her throne room, she could hear the angry tones of their voices. She entered the great hall and took in the amused faces of her Fracciones, clearly enjoying the ongoing, furious discussion. The rebuilding of Las Noches had taken long enough but had been more than worth it. Whichever Hollows had committed labour to the efforts, were guaranteed refuge there.

Harribel marched over to her newly rebuilt throne and finally turned to look as Grimmjow and Nel yet again argued. She had grown so accustomed to the fights between them that she hadn't even heard what this one was about, tuning them out had become like an acquired skill. Her two best soldiers (the term Espada was outdated and had connotations that made all three of them uneasy, even if they didn't show it), had been at each other's throats ever since they had returned home.

At each other's throats in more ways than one if the noises from Grimmjow's room at night were heard, but she digressed.

Harribel would be lying if their squabbles didn't occasionally amuse her. Nel was always so calm and composed in the past, even when dealing with the likes of Nnoitra. Yet there was something about Grimmjow that seemed to constantly irritate her, perhaps it was because he had gotten closer than someone like Nnoitra ever could.

"We're not savages and we don't answer to anyone now. This is our chance to turn Hueco Mundo around." Nel argued.

"Turn Hueco Mundo around? The only way this place could get better is if someone found a way to destroy it completely." Grimmjow laughed.

"This is our home!"

"Whose home? The monsters out there who eat and tear each other apart. You got lucky with your Hollow buddies, the majority of them are ruthless bastards who would sooner try and kill us than respect us."

"I see why you fit in so well with them then."

Grimmjow snarled. "Hollows are inclined to follow strength, if we show a force of power now, they'll fall in line and recognise us as the dominating force in Hueco Mundo. Why do you think so many of us were drawn to Aizen?"

"We don't need to brutalise them. Las Noches is already recognised as the seat of power in Hueco Mundo-"

"Yeah, I'm sure we looked real strong when those Quincy pricks destroyed half of it and strung up Harribel like a hanging decoration. Speaking of which, you may call yourself the Queen of Hueco Mundo, but I resent that."

"Care to challenge me then, Grimmjow?" Harribel drew out the pronunciation of his name, causing him to scowl.

Harribel pinched the bridge of her nose and zoned out as Nel and Grimmjow continued arguing. Thankfully Sung-Sun approached the throne with a cup of tea, it was never as good as Aizen's but she could hardly complain. Plus, if she got too nostalgic, she would eventually remember the lack of comrades she currently had.

"You can't change something's nature, Hollows will always be violent creatures."

"Well you're a testament to that, once an asshole always an asshole."

"Enough! You both have been giving me headaches with your incessant arguing. Nelliel, what is it you are proposing?" Harribel snapped.

"We have already given some Hollows permission to stay here after they helped us rebuild the fortress, you saw how grateful they were. The weaker Hollows will always be ripped apart by the stronger ones, we can offer a place of solitude here, for the ones who have no desire for conflict."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually find myself agreeing with Grimmjow. It's nature, survival of the fittest, how many Hollows do you think are like that, one in a hundred, a thousand? I have no problem with you bringing your friends to stay here, but I don't think the benefits of providing shelter to a handful of Hollows outweigh the detriments."

"What detriments? They can provide the labour and build this place up back to what it once was. This time however, we won't be crushed under Aizen's heel. We're already the most powerful beings in Hueco Mundo, we can provide a haven here and institute a new hierarchy."

"Yeah, because a bunch of even more pussy ass Hollows like your friends are really going to inspire people to follow us." Grimmjow sneered.

Nel spun around and punched Grimmjow in the face, he responded with a wicked smile and tackled her to the ground. Harribel's Fracciones were ready to jump in and break it up, but she waved a hand and dismissed them.

"Let them fight it out." She sighed.

Nel and Grimmjow actually looked like they were wrestling more than fighting, they were a mess of tangled limbs, sweat and grunting. Mila Rose turned to look at her master with a raised eyebrow, Harribel wearily shrugged in response.

Eventually Nel rolled over, grabbed Grimmjow's arm and began twisting it. Grimmjow growled in pain and tried to escape Nel's hold but she held on with a firm grip.

"Now Grimmjow, are you going to be quiet while the more mature and intelligent people here engage in some civil discourse?"

"Are you implying that I can't be persuasive? You're normally always so agreeable with me when we fu-" Grimmjow's cocky grin turned into a grunt, as Nel bent his arm further.

"Orihime's not here to heal your arm this time Grimmjow, I'd recommend keeping your mouth shut." Harribel added.

Grimmjow was close to whimpering in pain, his arm felt like it was close to being pulled out of its socket. "Ah shit, alright alright Nel, get off."

"Mm, I do enjoy it when you moan my name." Nel grinned, standing back up. "Now, back to my idea..."

"I'll have to think about it, Nel." Harribel said.

"It's all I ask." Nel replied gratefully, with a small nod.

Grimmjow stood back up and brushed himself off. "The way you practically bow down to her almost makes me think that a threesome isn't off the table yet."

Nel turned around and hit Grimmjow with a Cero that sent him flying through a wall.

"Really? We just fixed this place and you're already putting new holes in it?" Harribel sighed yet again.

"Yes. Sorry about that, you can't say he didn't exactly deserve it?"

"Well, I guess-"

Harribel was interrupted by Nel blocking a Cero returned by Grimmjow. Sighing, Nel drew her sword and sauntered over to the hole in the wall that she had created. She had planned to spend her day reading that book Ichigo had got her, yet it seemed she would instead be disciplining a rabid beast.

"Do try and prevent any further damage being done to the fortress, won't you?" Harribel called to her.

"I make no promises." Nel ominously replied as she stepped out onto the sands of Hueco Mundo, an eager Grimmjow awaiting her.

Harribel was passing through the rooms in Las Noches that night, when she heard gentle voices coming from Grimmjow's room. She peered in through a crack in the door and saw Nel sitting on Grimmjow's lap.

"Does it still hurt?" Grimmjow asked.

"A bit. I think the memory is more painful than anything." Nel closed her eyes as Grimmjow ran his tongue up the top of her nose to her forehead, like an animal licking its wounded mate. Her scar was still prevalent even though she did her best to cover it up with her hair.

"What about you Sexta, does that scar across your chest ache from pain or merely pride?" Nel asked, as she ran her hand up his taut muscles.

"I told you before to stop using that term, there's three of us left. Plus, I don't really like being reminded that we were in service to a Shinigami."

"Is that because of Aizen, or Ichigo?" Nel smirked.

"Don't you mean Itsygo?" Grimmjow mocked.

"Touché." She smiled.

"I didn't get rid of it so it can remind me of him. Kurosaki is the one person who adamantly maintains that he can beat me any time, even after I've clearly kicked the shit out of him several times!" Grimmjow growled.

"Uh..."

"What?" He snapped.

"I mean, not to get technical or step all over your pride but, including today you still haven't beaten me. You didn't really have a chance to get your revenge on Nnoitra. From what Harribel tells me, Aizen constantly made you look weak by comparison. I sincerely doubt that Ulquiorra would have given you the time of day. While you did kill that Quincy, by stabbing him in the back I might add, I had to rescue all of you from his poison gas."

"Yes but Kurosaki is different, I can actually beat him now."

"Your logic is flawless as always Grimmjow. Also, what's stopping you from beating me?" Nel asked.

Grimmjow gave her an odd look and it took her a minute to realise what he was implying. "Aw, I knew there was a heart of gold under that vicious and stubborn exterior." Nel laughed.

"Yeah, well Kurosaki better watch his back next time he sees me." Grimmjow snarled.

"Uh again, I really hate to burst your bubble, but I'm pretty sure he's stronger than just about everyone. Hollow, Quincy, Shinigami, you name it."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to try extra hard to kill him."

"You know the way you talk and interact with Ichigo almost makes me think that a threesome isn't off the table yet. Also, I'll give you some credit, you're nothing if not persistent."

"Well I think I'd really have to kill him if that's your train of thought. I thought I told you before that you're mine." Grimmjow growled into her ear.

"Your jealousy and possessiveness is adorable." Nel rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of searing rivalries, how did yours end up?"

"Well after Nnoitra was done mopping the floor with you-"

"Pretty sure I was blindsided and already weakened from Kurosaki, but sure whatever you say." Grimmjow said irritably.

"You were still being an asshole, either that or incredibly stupid. Like really, you couldn't tell that that child was me?"

"What can I say, you're pretty hard to recognise without your ass and ti- Ow!" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at her.

"As I was saying, Nnoitra ran through you, Ichigo and then I came back-"

"Ass and tits intact." Grimmjow interrupted with glee.

"I'm going to fucking kill you if you don't shut up."

"No you won't, if you couldn't kill the biggest piece of shit either of us had the displeasure of meeting, you won't kill me."

"Not for lack of trying mind you," Nel sighed. "He just would not go down, and just before I was about to deliver the final blow, I reverted back to my child form."

"Annoying as fuck child form." Grimmjow added. "By the way, I know that's bullshit."

"What is?" Nel asked in surprise.

"You trying to kill Nnoitra, it's not in you. You're not ruthless enough."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing to have some level of honor, even I have a twisted level of nobility when it comes to fighting. But your level of compassion is truly staggering for a Hollow, it's almost impressive if it wasn't so ridiculous."

"You can be surprisingly sweet when you want to be, Grimmjow."

"I thought I was always an asshole?"

"You have your tolerable moments and emasculating you is always fun." Nel smiled before lowering her head to bring her lips to his. She slid her tongue into his mouth, enjoying the feeling of her lips on his. Grimmjow parted from the kiss and cupped her face, looking into her hazel eyes.

"You're not too bad yourself." He grinned.

Nel pushed Grimmjow back onto his bed and began placing gentle kisses down his torso, following the trail of his scar. She stopped and licked around the edge of his Hollow hole, Grimmjow gave a low groan in satisfaction.

"Oh by the way, self-proclaimed "Queen of Hueco Mundo", if you're not gonna join in then fuck off." Grimmjow called out to Harribel who was still listening in to their conversation. Rolling her eyes, she walked away feeling as though she had gained a bit more insight into the pair.

"Fucking asshole!" Nel stormed into the throne room the next morning with Grimmjow trailing after her.

"I'm sorry, I thought since he was your friend he'd be stronger. You should consider it a compliment that I used that much of my power." Grimmjow tried weakly.

"Here's a compliment for you, considering you value strength so much. If Pesche dies, I'll break my non-ruthless streak and kill you."

"He snuck up on me! What was I supposed to do?"

"He called your name. Not to mention you stared at him for five seconds before blasting him!" Nel cried.

Grimmjow sniggered at the description causing Nel to grab his arm, spin him around to gain momentum and launched him next to the same hole she created yesterday.

Harribel's eyes widened at the whole exchange. Whatever musings she had on them last night just went out the window, or the wall if she was being technical.

"You two confuse me, you know that?" Harribel informed Nel.

"Oh we're just like any other couple; attractive, loving, slightly murderous. What couple doesn't toss each other through walls?" Nel responded, rolling up her sleeves.

"Normal ones?"

"Yeah but where's the fun in that? Grimmjow maybe an asshole, but he's unpredictable, and incredibly sexy. Don't tell him I said that last part though, his ego is bad enough already." Nel looked back with the same wicked smile that Harribel saw on Grimmjow's features yesterday, before running out after her wayward lover.

"Never mind, I understand completely now. He's a psychopath who's bizarrely submissive to you, you're a masochist but also enjoy emasculating him, and you both form the most dysfunctional couple ever." Harribel muttered before sighing. "I miss Ulquiorra and Starrk."