The days went by slowly. All of them boring, hazy.

"Let go of me, damn it!"

The first days were the worst. No conscience, no memory, no will.

"I'll kill you, bitch! KILL YOU!"

Sedation was annoying. He wasn't free to do anything alone. He couldn't even eat with his own hand.

"You and your family too! All of them! All of you! I'll kill everyone! I'll stand on top of your corpses! I'll-"

He had always been like this. A tiny spark was enough to make him mad, angry. Lack of patience. Lack of rules. The overwhelming desire to fight. No, more than that. He had been like this all of his life, abandoned as a child, choosing the wrong "friends", growing up. No one had cared to do anything, to help, to care... to treat. Upon reaching the boiling point, he was taken away. A psychiatric disorder.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, eh? I think we can already reduce the dosage. Start reducing it bit by bit and we'll see how he reacts."

"Very well, sir."

He could recognize the first as his doctor and the second as the nurse. Although he was sedated almost to the limit, he could still recognize the one who gave him the sedatives every day. A tiny girl with dark hair. He vaguely remembered her name starting with an "S".

"Stay still." Commanding as usual, even if he could barely move, her precision with needles was almost scary. Fast and efficient.

Weeks went by and the dosage was gradually being decreased. To him, it didn't matter much. From what he could understand, he would have to stay there for six months.

"Hueco Mundo Psychiatry Hospital? 'Hollow world'? Talk about ironic..." If he was going to stay in a lunatic asylum, he'd rather be drugged. Wearing pyjamas and a robe everyday was disturbing, not to mention humiliating and degrading. Having the so-called "normal" people visit their family and looking at them as though they were circus beasts didn't help in the least. He got a kick from scaring them, though. From suddenly appearing in front of them to suddenly screaming all kinds of things, he spent most of his time planning the next attack. Even though he would often get scolded and sedated later.

"Dude, the best are those chicks that come here in mini-skirts. Now that's what I call a party!"

Relaxing at the yard on a sunny day was also nice. Talking with his partner-in-crime, Nnoitra Gilga, a drug addict in detox, was even better. Sometimes.

He snorted. "Seriously, coming to a lunatic hospital in a skirt... they're just asking for it. Although forgiving us because we're crazy ain't that bad." He concluded with a grin. Nnoitra laughed.

"Yeah, remember that dark-haired girl that comes for appointments once in awhile? You should've seen her face when I flipped her skirt! Terrified!" They kept laughing at their pranks for a while. Soon, they had to part. They had only a bit of time to goof around, since they were from different buildings and the people there were quite strict with schedules.

Two months had passed since he was "admitted". Heading back to his place, he was met with news from his "room mates". There was a new guy coming. Not like he wanted to add more guys to the building, but something new was always welcome in that place. He went to see who it was out of boredom, no more. But the reality he was met with told him he would be visiting more often, even if he didn't realize it right away.

The new guy was, first of all, sedated. That meant the case wasn't light. Second, he was tiny. And lastly,

"He looks like a girl," Grimmjow deadpanned. A giggle came from behind him.

"You better not tell him that..."

Grimmjow shuddered.

"Szayel... They took the restraints out, heh? Bad move..." He grimaced. Szayel Aporro Granz, the mad scientist that experimented on people. Still does. Just not physically. His good point: the man seemed to know everything. Or managed to get his info from anyone. "What's with the kid?"

"Aw, Grimmjow, don't be mean to me." That mad grin was uninviting, in the least. "Depression. And a bad case. He tried to kill himself... he'll be here for four months..." The amazed expression at the mention of suicide wasn't helping either.

"Heh. Suicidal?" Grimmjow grinned. "Cool, an emo kid. Should be fun to pick on. What's his name?" Of course, Grimmjow's indifference wasn't inviting either.

"Ulquiorra Cifer... 18 years old... ohh, I'd love to get my hands on-"

"Granz! Jaegerjaquez!"

They almost jumped out of their skin.

"You will by no means get your hands on him!" Suì-Fēng, the nurse, scolded them. Her wrath was most definitely not inviting. "He is already a bad case as it is! Understood?" She glared.

"Yes, ma'am." Szayel's voice was dripping with venom when he retired himself, biting his nails. She turned to Grimmjow, still glaring.

"Understood?"

He sighed, annoyed. It wasn't like he could go against her. She was the one who gave the injections and she knew exactly how to make it a very painful experience.

"Yeah... sure..." he answered absentmindedly. He'd have his chance to annoy the kid later. He watched the woman stomp away.

Several more days went by before he got a chance to talk with the kid. And some boring several days those were. Nnoitra, having completed his five months of treatment, was sent away. That cut half the fun in playing pranks on people, even though Grimmjow was sure he would be seeing Nnoitra here again some time.

His chance came when he found the kid walking around outside, clearly lost. He wasn't surprised. The hospital was a huge complex with at least twenty buildings with a maximum of two floors, spread over a wide, forest-like area. Easy for a newbie to get lost.

"Oi, kid! You lost or something?" Grimmjow shouted at him.

The kid didn't even spare him a glance. Grimmjow hated to be ignored.

"Oi!" He grabbed his arm. "I'm talking to you, damn it!" He tried his best not to lose his temper. He didn't want to get sedated again.

Still not looking at him, the kid only muttered, "I am not lost."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Sure you're not, idiot. You only passed here twice already." He let the other's arm go. It wouldn't be good if they found a bruise on the new kid.

Silence.

Grimmjow almost growled.

"Come on, I'll show you the way, idiot. You're wasting my time." He turned and started walking.

"If you think it is a waste of time, why are you showing me the way?" The kid's soft, low voice made him stop. He turned around to see his huge green orbs staring dispassionately at him. Emo, indeed, Grimmjow thought. He twitched.

"If you think I am such an idiot, why were you following me?" The kid's question made him snap.

"Oh, fuck you!" Grimmjow turned and kept walking at a fast pace, hands in his robe's pockets, muttering to himself. "Little, annoying, ungrateful bastard..." He tried his best not to turn and punch the kid right there. Seemed like the sessions were being effective.

Only a few steps ahead did he realize that the kid was following him. He avoided rolling his eyes again. Not lost, my ass... This gave him an idea. He smirked. He suddenly dashed and made a quick turn to a narrow passage. The surprised gasp he heard said it all. He waited, hiding, smirking, leaning against a wall. Sure enough, he heard running and, a few seconds later, the kid appeared, almost skidding to a stop. Grimmjow saw his eyes widening when the other man saw him stopped, waiting.

"Not following me, heh?" He smirked at the younger one, who merely looked away, fixing his clothes. Not that they were out of place. "Prideful little..." Grimmjow sighed and chuckled. This kid was amusing, at least. Might relieve his boredom a bit. He made his way towards the boy and put his big hand on the other's back, pushing him a bit. "Come on, let's get going. Don't test my patience." Although seemingly reluctant, the kid walked by his side to their building.

Their first walk was a silent one. Grimmjow wasn't the type to start a conversation just because and Ulquiorra didn't look like he wanted to talk at all, merely staring ahead, his face showing no emotion. When the time to part came, Grimmjow shouted over his shoulder. "Oi! Don't I get a 'thank you' for that?" But Ulquiorra merely kept walking to his room. "Tche... son of a..." Grimmjow would soon realize that he couldn't stay mad at the kid for long.

"Ow!"

Grimmjow wasn't the type to complain, but the way the nurse had stung him this time had hurt a good bit more than necessary.

"Shut up, don't be such a child."

"A child would be crying and screaming bloody murder by now," Grimmjow bit back. "And why the hell am I still being sedated?"

"Because the doctor says so. And it's not much, so don't complain."

Grimmjow glared. "And what did I do this time to get on your nerves?" He knew fairly well that had hurt for a reason.

"I warned you not to mess with the kid." Her short answers weren't much help, though.

"I didn't mess with him, damn it! I showed him the right path, rescued the little princess in distress and this is what I get as payment?" He was careful to speak in a low voice and not to curse in front of her. He was still allowed to be sarcastic, at least.

She looked surprised. "Oh? He stopped talking in his sessions. I thought that had something to do with you." Grimmjow twitched.

"Don't just assume things as you wish!" he growled, rubbing his sore arm, annoyed. She just chuckled.

"Oh well... A bit of pain sometimes is also good."

The fact that he did not kick the woman was proof that his treatment was working very well.

Three months had passed. Three more to go. Not that he was looking forward to it, he had no one to go back to, anyway. He was sitting outside his building, simply watching people pass by. He was that bored. Some guy rushed by, apparently talking to himself. Aaroniero, the guy who thinks he has a twin brother/head. Schizophrenic. Fun to watch, though. Grimmjow snickered to himself, got up and followed him quietly. The guy was constantly "arguing" with his twin about which one was the best. It got boring after a while and Grimmjow gave up on following him. Gotta find someone more interesting.

His first thought went to Ulquiorra, but the kid was a mystery and rarely spoke. Besides, it wasn't easy to find him these days. He wondered where he could be. He wandered around aimlessly for an hour or so. While passing by another building, he recognized Ulquiorra's voice coming from nearby and he went there to check it. He rarely speaks, so it should be interesting. Or so he told himself.

The scene he saw, though, wasn't quite what he was expecting. A brown-haired man was making a whole-hearted speech and Ulquiorra seemed to be listening to him with interest. Strange... Grimmjow thought. But when he looked closer and realized that the man was Aizen Sousuke, he didn't think it was strange anymore. The schizophrenic who thought he was God. Aizen had a strange charisma that made people follow him with just a few words, both patients and their caregivers. Wait, maybe it was fear. The man knew a lot of martial arts and he was damn strong. That fact made it nearly impossible for the doctors to try and explain to him that it was all in his head.

This all led to the doctors making a deal with him. As long as he didn't cause a ruckus, they would let him roam free. It seemed one of the doctors, Starrk, had great skills as a sniper, so shooting him with a tranquilizer would be easy. Too bad that idiot is always sleeping... Grimmjow positively hated Aizen.

"... together we shall conquer the world and make everyone bow before us. Those lowly beings should know their place." That twat is so full of himself... The blue-haired male couldn't take that man's speeches for long. He twitched when he saw Ulquiorra nod in approval.

"... and lastly, you shall call me Aizen-sama. That is all for today. You may retire."

"..." Hesitation. But even then, "Yes, Aizen-sama" was heard. Grimmjow saw Aizen go away and Ulquiorra coming down the path he was on. He waited until the kid saw him. Grimmjow glared.

"Is that the reason you're not talking during your sessions with the doc?"

Ulquiorra passed by him without saying anything. Grimmjow sighed and walked with him.

"Look, kid, you won't hear me complimenting this place often, so when I say it, I mean it. What they do is for your own good."

Still not answering. Grimmjow grabbed his arm and made him stop. He stayed there, glaring at the raven-haired male. After a while, the kid finally decided to speak.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't!"

"Then let me go." Grimmjow tightened his hold.

"That guy's dangerous, kid. Especially for people like you, who go with anything he says."

"... My name isn't kid."

Grimmjow chuckled. The kid's stubbornness was almost cute.

"If you want me to call you by your name, look at me when I'm talking." That worked wonders. Ulquiorra turned his head, giving Grimmjow his full attention, staring at him with those huge green eyes. Grimmjow smirked.

"That's better, Ulqui." He could almost see Ulquiorra twitching at the nickname. If only he showed a bit more emotion...

"It's Ulquiorra, trash. Get it right. Now, if you're finished, let me go." Instead of angering him, this only amused Grimmjow further. Getting on the kid's nerves meant he still had some emotion hidden inside.

"Nah, I ain't finished, Ulqui. I wanna talk to you for a bit." Although Ulquiorra didn't look amused in the least, he glared, nodded and they started walking after Grimmjow released his arm.

And since Grimmjow wasn't the type to beat around the bush, he started right away.

"Why did you try to kill yourself?" He enjoyed the look of surprise on the kid's face. As expected, he was met with silence. He sighed. And breathed. In and out, in and out. He reminded himself to slowly count to ten. But even then, no answer. He tried again, a bit more moody.

"You know, your life ain't something you should trifle with." This time, the answer came fast.

"You're one to talk, Mr. I'll-Kill-You."

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at him. So the kid was also well-informed?

"Ah... Well..." Grimmjow scratched the back of his head. What moral did he have to scold the kid? "At least I didn't trifle with my life..." The look Ulquiorra gave him was enough to tell him it was a bad choice of words.

"By killing others, you do a lot more damage, trash. Their life isn't yours to take."

"Or nobody's, for that matter..." Not helping, again. A sigh. "Okay, okay, I get it... I already realized my mistake, 'aite? I'm trying to get better, kay? And apparently, it's more for others than myself. So take that. I'm an altruistic person, now. You're an egoistic idiot." He grinned.

"Do you always feel the need to insult me?"

"What? You're the one calling me trash all the time!" He pointed his finger accusingly. Ulquiorra went silent. Grimmjow stared at him for a while. He looks different... is he thinking? His supposition turned out right.

"I had no reason to be alive. Aizen-sama gave me one. To follow him."

"He's crazy. Mentally unstable. Dangerous."

"It's still a reason."

"What about your family?"

Ulquiorra looked away. "An unwanted child is never welcome." He looked up, closed his eyes and sighed softly. "As soon as I turned 18, they told me they wanted me out of the house."

Grimmjow blinked. "Why did they wait 'till you were 18?"

"Apparently, they didn't want to look bad to the neighbours." Only now did Grimmjow realize Ulquiorra's sad expression. He felt a pang of guilt and sympathy.

"Fuck man, those guys are the worst..." He was more than surprised to hear a chuckle. "What's so funny?"

Ulquiorra shook his head lightly, a little playful smirk tugging at his lips. "You're the worst when it comes to dealing with words, Grimmjow."

This left him torn between laughing along or being pissed off. He was being insulted, but he managed to lighten the depressed kid's mood. Right? He smirked.

"You look cute when you smile, Ulqui." He ruffled the kid's hair. The scowl and the slap at his hand he got in return told everything. Bad mood was back.

"Do not call me cute. And if you even dare to mention my so-called 'feminine' looks, I will twist your arm so badly it will eventually rot and fall. Understand?" His voice practically dripped venom.

Grimmjow gulped and raised his hands in defeat. "Got it. Nothing like that. Understood. No worries. I won't."

They walked a bit more in silence. Grimmjow went serious again.

"Ulqui... drop that reason. He'll end up hurting you."

Ulquiorra's almost silent voice almost made Grimmjow's heart stop.

"So you'd rather I have no reason for living?"

"No! Find another one! There are plenty of reasons to live, damn it!"

Silence.

Grimmjow growled in frustration. They had reached the building's door, meaning, they had to part ways. Was the kid lost forever? He felt a tug at his sleeve and turned to see Ulquiorra hesitating. He blinked.

"Ulqui...?"

He had to wait a few seconds before an answer came.

"... Give me one."

Grimmjow blinked again and tilted his head, confused.

"Give me a better reason and I'll drop it."

It was Grimmjow's turn to go silent. What reason did he have to live?

Ulquiorra sighed softly and let go. "Thought so." He turned and walked away, leaving Grimmjow to stare at his retreating back.

Time passed, this time seemingly faster. He would go on occasional strolls with Ulquiorra and chat with him about almost anything. Two months passed by as quickly and quietly as a gentle breeze. Grimmjow started to notice things, certain details, as time went by. He didn't know when it happened or how it happened, but he simply knew he enjoyed their time together a bit too much for a simple friendship.

Every time their eyes met, he felt something. Every time Ulquiorra gave a little chuckle, he felt like laughing his heart out. Every time Ulquiorra gave him one of his faint smiles, he felt like he would explode in happiness. Every time they touched, no matter how lightly, he felt his heart racing. Every time Ulquiorra said his name, he felt like melting. He cherished every moment they spent together and he cursed every moment the other spent with Aizen. He thought he felt overprotective over the boy. That the other could have awoken a fatherly instinct he never had.

It was during a bright, sunny afternoon that he finally realized his feelings. The weather was peaceful, calm. The warmth he felt was not only from the sun, but also from his realization. He had finally found a reason to live, for both Ulquiorra and himself. He loved him. And he would never let that go. Happy, he rushed to their building, anxious for his talk with the other. How would it go? Would the other be happy? Would it be difficult? Would he feel shy while saying it? Would they be alone, in a quiet, beautiful place on this bright, sunny day? He wanted to find out.

But real life never goes so well. When he got back to the building, there was a crowd. A huge crowd gathered around an ambulance. A feeling of dread was creeping inside him. It can't be... He rushed to Suì-Fēng.

"Oi! What happened?" She looked pale and worried.

"Grimmjow..." He could hear everything. Everyone whispering, trying to see. The machines beeping. People screaming. The electric shocks from the resurrection machine. "Ulquiorra tried to kill himself again. I don't know if he's going to make it."

His whole world collapsed.

When he woke up again, it was already night. The window was open, letting the chilling wind in. This cold, this emptiness fit him well. Ulquiorra... He had never been like this... Never felt so weak, so sad, so empty, so lost. He chuckled darkly. So this was what it felt like to be depressed? Or was this the feeling of loss of a loved one? He wondered how many people would be mourning their loved ones, as he was now, if he hadn't been brought to the hospital. He wondered why this was happening to him. Why now...?

He cursed them from bringing him here. He cursed Aizen for robbing more of his precious time with Ulquiorra. He especially cursed Ulquiorra for making him like this.

He cursed himself for not realizing sooner.

His love for the boy and the boy's growing sadness.

Now that he finally thought about it, he had noticed something. Ulquiorra had gotten thinner. He had gotten more pale, more gloomy. He had been talking less. And yesterday...

They were sitting on a bench, just outside the building. The weather was getting chilly and it was already time to go.

"Grimmjow..."

Happy to hear his name roll out of those lips again, he didn't notice the sad tone.

"Yeah?" he said with a grin. He watched Ulquiorra hesitate.

"I... I'm sorry."

This left Grimmjow confused. "'Bout what, Ulqui?"

The other merely shook his head lightly, a faint, sad smile playing on his lips.

"I'm glad I met you."

These words were music to Grimmjow's ears. He laughed a bit.

"Yeah... me too..."

It was so obvious now. So obvious the meaning behind those words. A parting. A farewell. A goodbye.

He felt like crying.

"I... I'm sorry."

He couldn't stop listening to it. Entranced by his voice, amazed by his words, enchanted by his smile. Blinded. He had failed to see what had been right before his eyes. He had failed in knowing him. He had failed in saving him.

"I'm glad I met you."

The tears fell without him realizing. He shivered, the cold only inside him. He curled himself, trying to run away, to shut himself. He didn't want to know.

Despair.

He didn't want to feel. He wanted to forget. To sleep and never wake up.

It seemed his will wouldn't be satisfied. He woke up to a loud sound and someone shaking him, shouting something.

He could barely understand it. He couldn't bring himself to care. Until someone slapped his face.

He hissed in pain, his conscience returning bit by bit. He blinked to find Suì-Fēng shaking him by the shoulders.

"... this isn't the time to be depressing! He woke up!"

This made him snap.

"What?"

"He woke up, Ulquiorra is fine!"

He stared. He felt hope fill his chest.

"You mean... he's not..."

"He's not dead, idiot!"

He threw the covers to the side, rushing after the nurse. He couldn't think. His head was filled with relief, hope and thoughts of he's alive. He ran after her through corridors, only vaguely realizing that he was in the infirmary.

He busted through the door of the room, his gaze fixing itself on the tiny form of Ulquiorra, who looked at him, surprised. Relief rushed through his whole body. Ulquiorra looked paler than ever, thinner than ever, weaker than ever. Grimmjow felt anger tugging at a vague corner of his brain.

Grimmjow watched as guilt passed through those green eyes and Ulquiorra looked away.

And suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore. He punched a wall, furious.

"Stupid idiot!" Everyone in the room stared at him, not understanding what was going on. All but Ulquiorra, who kept his gaze far. This angered him further, making him scream in anger. The kid needed to be slapped hard. "How could you? Why the fuck did you do it?"

By now, everybody was around him, ushering him, trying to calm him down.

"You're a fucking moron! A bloody coward! An ungrateful bastard!" He tried to pass by the people around him. He needed to go closer. Closer.

With everyone trying to restrain him, he felt suffocated. Trapped. Panic rushed in his veins. He struggled.

"LET GO!" He kicked and punched blindly, trying to break free. He just wanted to get closer. "LET ME THE FUCK GO!" He lost it. He screamed. Roared. Closer. "ULQUIORRA!" He barely felt the needle on his arm.

He lost consciousness two seconds later.

He woke up with the sun hitting his face. He groaned in pain. His head felt like it had been hit by a train. He felt like something was off. The taste and feeling in his mouth told it all. He had been restrained and gagged.

"Hmpf-!" He struggled against his bindings.

"Stop it, Grimmjow, you'll make it worse. I thought you had learned how this works already." The nurse, always so gentle. He groaned and looked at her, his eyes pleading. She smirked. "As if that would work with me. Behave and I'll take off one or two. You're already lucky they didn't decide to sedate you again." He rolled his eyes and cursed himself. He whimpered a bit. How stupid of him... Did he really try to hit Ulquiorra? And right when he looked so frail...

Grimmjow stared at nothing for almost two hours before they decided to take the gag off. He coughed a bit.

"You know that crap tastes as bad as... crap, right?" She paid him no mind as she undid almost every rope, leaving only his wrists and ankles tied to the bed.

"There. Now you can move a bit."

"O-Oi..."

She put her hands on both sides of her waist, glaring a bit. "If you want to say something, hurry up. I have no time to deal with idiots." He twitched.

"Tchh..." A sigh. He looked away. "How's... Ulqui...?"

She chuckled. "Ask him yourself." She turned and left him there, confused. But not for long. Moments after, the object of his worry and affection appeared at the door, knocking softly.

"... Grimmjow? Can I come in?"

Grimmjow stared for a bit. Then blushed a bit and looked away, nodding. "Yeah..."

Ulquiorra walked in and seated himself next to his bed.

Silence.

Grimmjow was the one to break it.

"Should you be up already?"

"... The doctor said it was fine, that I have a fast metabolism, so the drugs were already all out of my system."

Grimmjow didn't question him about his newest attempt. He changed the topic.

"... Are you mad at me?"

Ulquiorra looked at him for a bit before answering.

"No... Are you mad at me?"

Grimmjow finally looked at the boy, his face a bit sad.

"... Definitely."

Ulquiorra looked away. "I'm so-"

"Don't apologise." This made him look back at Grimmjow. "It doesn't suit you to regret something you did."

"... Hn." Silence, once again. It was Ulquiorra's turn to break it. "... I heard you passed out." The answer came quick.

"I didn't pass out! I just... suddenly fell asleep." Grimmjow looked away, blushing lightly and grumbling. Ulquiorra allowed himself a small smile.

They spent the rest of the day chatting.

He had wondered for the past few days. Where did Ulquiorra manage to get such a large quantity of meds? The docs had found a whole 60 pills box in his room, but no one would walk around with that many in a psychiatric hospital and the kid still refused to talk. The reason came to him on a Sunday morning.

As he was coming back from breakfast, he casually walked by the schizophrenic aisle. Overhearing Aizen, Grimmjow stopped, frozen in his tracks. He turned to the smirking man, trying to control his rage.

"You did what?" His voice dripping with venom, he approached the brown-haired man.

Trademark smirk in place, the man simply answered, "I gave him what he wanted. Happiness and punishment. Death would bring him both. And since I am God, only I am free to grant it."

Grimmjow lost it.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKING ASSHOLE!" He launched himself at him, ready to kill.

The last things he felt were his world spinning and someone screaming his name.

Once more, he woke up with a massive headache. It almost seemed natural nowadays. He groaned in pain.

"Awake already? It's surprising with the beating you took." A chuckle. Bloody nurse.

He tried sitting up. He felt dizzy and his head felt so heavy.

"What now...?"

"Aizen beat you to a pulp."

He glared at her.

"And he almost beat Ulquiorra too. But, for once, Starrk was awake and took care of the situation." Another chuckle.

"You seem way too happy with it." He drank a glass of water.

"Well, we'll finally be able to administrate the meds to him."

"... Wait, no more God Aizen?" He grinned, happy.

"Yup."

Grimmjow laughed. Those were good news. "He'll still walk around, though, so don't piss him off, anyway." The scolding was back.

He fell back to the mattress, resting a bit more. Now he really needed to see Ulquiorra. He was sure that last voice belonged to him.

That afternoon, he went looking for him. All bandaged up, but since everyone already thought he was crazy, he had no worries. He finally found Ulquiorra talking to some orange-haired girl. Well, not like he cared.

"Ulquiorra!" Said man turned around and greeted him with a small smile. He was about to turn away to continue talking with the girl when Grimmjow grabbed his hand and took him away.

"Ack-! Grimmjow-!" The blue-haired male merely laughed and kept walking, holding his hand. Ulquiorra was stunned with the sudden mood change. Grimmjow took him to a restricted room, far from sight. He sighed.

"Grimmjow, what is the meaning of this?"

The older male merely grinned and pulled him closer by the waist. He had had enough of stalling. Enough nuisances. Enough hindering. This was it.

He was quite surprised to see the kid blushing and squirming in his hold, pushing lightly at his chest. Grimmjow chuckled, amused.

"Don't like to be this close, Ulqui?"

He glared. "You better have a good reason for this, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow held him tighter. "I have. I found it." He grinned.

Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

"Found what?"

Grimmjow smiled.

"Your reason for living. And mine."

Ulquiorra blinked, eyes wide. He looked away. "You... you remember that?"

The other merely grinned. He was obviously waiting for Ulquiorra to ask him what it was.

"That... you didn't need to..." Even though Ulquiorra didn't realize it.

Grimmjow nuzzled his neck, making the younger one stiffen in his arms.

"Ask me what it is."

Ulquiorra shivered. His throat felt dry. "What... what is it?"

Grimmjow smiled at him, making his heart flutter.

"I love you," he breathed, making Ulquiorra gasp lightly and tremble against him.

Grimmjow leaned in, softly brushing his lips over Ulquiorra's. It didn't take long before the other responded heatedly to the kiss.

Author's Note: This was fun to write. I hope you enjoy it ^_^ oh, and lots of thanks to Dior for beta-ing... and for fixing my hopeless attempts at writing a decent summary xD