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A Shadow of What Was	By : katami Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 49594 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Author's Notes: The universe hates this chapter for some reason. I spent nearly 5 days and went through 3 drafts trying to get it to work...and then my internet connection dies when it is finally ready to go up. *shakes fist at the universe*

Irana, hon, we do not press me for pairings unless you are exceptionally brave. I like odd couples (as if Shadow wasn't clue enough). If you are feeling adventurous however, how about Grimm/Uryuu or Shirosaki/Urahara. (Told ya, I liked odd stuff). If you write me smut though, I will fall at your feet in thanks.

And you people have no faith. Kisuke can plot all on his own. And in this case, his goals happen to mesh nicely with the captain's - Aizen dead.

This one is dedicated to my sister in spirit for putting up with me.

* * *

Grimmjow stared at the water in exactly the same manner as any cat confronted with a large body of water, equal parts mistrust and disgust. Jyuushiro couldn't help but chuckle at the Arrancar's expression, earning a sharp look and a disdainful sniff as the former Espada slunk over to one of the large rocks lining the mineral pool. The blue-haired man curled up on top of it exactly like an offended cat and Jyuushiro couldn't help but find it amusing.

"The water really is quite nice," he murmured in a coaxing tone. He and Shunsui had spent most of the morning showing the other man around the Seireitei. Not that the Arrancar cared in the least for any of it. He had been short-tempered and irritable all morning until it had been pointed out that the guards would call them when Kisuke emerged.

The Arrancar had perked up slightly after that and made a passable show of touring the Eleventh. There had been one or two moments when Jyuushiro admitted he had been worried, but Grimmjow had shown surprising depths. He had gone so far as to chat with Ikkaku and Yumichika about some battle they had all been in. The three had found common ground in laughing over how spectacularly everyone else had screwed up. The Arrancar had managed to tolerate Nel and Yachiru without so much as a twitch, going so far as to ruffle the little Arrancar's hair in greeting. When it had been demanded he play with them, he had roared - much to the delight both girls who had responded with appropriate shrieks. He had even let them climbing on him for a brief time.

Grimmjiow had been less tolerant of the mothering lieutenants of the Thirteenth and had eventually driven them off with a sharp snarl. As Shunsui had pointed out though, having someone around who was able to banish his keepers could be useful.

"It's fucking wet," muttered Grimmjow, stealing another glance at the pool and shuddering slightly. Shunsui chuckled and shot him a look that dared Jyuushiro not to find the kitty adorable, and the pale-haired man had to admit that his lover was right. "Come on, Grimm-chan. You should at least try it. You might find you like the water," teased Shunsui, frowning as he tried to pour himself another round and found his jug empty.

"Don't need to try it!" snapped Grimmjow defensively with what could only be a pout.

Shunsui frowned and Jyuushiro laid a soothing hand on his arm. "Go see about another bottle. I'll see about the kitty," he told his lover softly. Jyuushiro watched as the Arrancar's interest peaked when Shunsui climbed from the warm water, blue eyes quickly traveling over his body before snapping back to the rock as the cat-like man shuddered faintly. The kitty was quite adamant about the water.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" asked Jyuushiro, drifting closer to where Grimmjow was curled up. A pale hand lifted from the water to pet the Arrancar's head. A low rumble came from the other man's chest but he didn't stir except to grumble slightly, that and shift slightly into the touches, noted Jyuushiro.

"The Eleventh wasn't so bad even if they are all batshit insane. Are any of you Shinigami not fucked in the head?" snapped Grimmjow, head lifting slightly to pin him with annoyed blue eyes that closed in bliss as Jyuushiro's fingers lightly scratched behind his ear.

Jyuushiro chuckled. "I think we prefer to think of ourselves as...uninhibited. One learns to relax a little when the centuries lay spread out before you."

Blue eyes slid open, curious and considering, reminding him that under all that rash violence was a brain with a cat's deviousness. "How old are you?"

"Far too old to answer that question. But I think I can safely say twenty times your senior and not be far off," murmured Jyuushiro, watching as Grimmjow crept slightly closer to the water's edge so that the scratches fell where he wanted.

"Shunsui is twenty years my senior. We are two to of the oldest Shinigami still serving."

He sighed softly for old friends who were no longer there. The youngsters were amusing and sweet, but they didn't have the same shared history; and sometimes a person didn't want to talk, he just wanted to sit with a friend who had been there with him and knew what he had seen.

"What happened to all the others? Ya ain't been fightin' Aizen that long," murmured Grimmjow, his head gently butting Jyuushiro's hand when he paused in his petting for too long.

The captain of the Thirteenth smiled and resumed his petting, moving back just a few centimeters and drawing the Arrancar that much closer. "Well, Yoruichi is still with us. She was just a few years behind Shunsui and me in school; but her time in the human realm changed her and Kisuke's loss hit her harder than I think even she realizes. Kisuke, our Kisuke, was lost almost a hundred years ago when he fled. Isshin has been gone for nearly as long. He abandoned Soul Society for the mortal realm when he fell in love with a human woman. Retsu is still here but she never ran much with our crowd. The others are dead or gone now, lost to various battles. It must be the same with you, a number of your Espada have fallen, haven�t they?"

"Didn't give a flyin' fuck about those bastards," grumbled the kitty, shifting still further forward. Jyuushiro's fingers brushed bone and he paused, brown eyes glancing down to take in the bone mask on Grimmjow's right cheek. He lightly trailed his fingers over the rough surface, drawing a soft, rumbling purr from former Espada. Jyuushiro smiled as a pink tongue slipped out to lick at his fingers with feline grace before the bone mask was pushed against his palm.

A few soft touches more and the Arrancar was straining at the edge of the pool to reach him for more attention. Jyuushiro smiled faintly, scratching behind the other man's ears and earning a soft, rumbling purr in return. It was the work of an instant to lean forward and touch his lips to the Arrancar's.

Blue eyes shot open and the former Sixth Espada backpedaled away from him to crouch with his back to a rock, blinking at him owlishly. "What the fuck?!?" snarled the other man.

An amused chuckle and the brush of Shunsui's finger's through his hair made the feline whirl, a snarl on his lips as he watched them both warily. "Just me, Kitty," laughed Shunsui, leaning down to tickle Grimmjow's his ears and playfully kiss the tip of his nose.

Grimmjow snapped at him, rubbing at his nose in a decidedly feline gesture and earning twin chuckles from Jyuushiro and Shunsui which made him glare angrily and huddle tensely against his rock. Shunsui shook his head and slid back into the pool, pouring a cup of sake for Jyuushiro and then himself. Jyuushiro smiled as Grimmjow crept closer, sniffing at the air. "That more of that sake crap?" he demanded.

Shunhsui nodded, taking a sip and leaning back against the stone ledge. Jyuushiro glanced between his lover and the Espada. "Would you like some, Kitty?" he asked, holding out his cup for the blue-haired man. Grimmjow leaned further over the pool, straining to reach the cup. Jyuushiro grinned at Shunsui and inched the cup slowly back, causing the Espada to extend even further over the water. It took only the tiniest of touches to unbalance him and send him toppling into the pool.

Jyuushiro had to chuckle slightly as the contented cat that had been purring under his hand a few moments before became a hissing, spitting, inferno of feline rage. Water splashed and claws flew wildly as Grimmjow yowled in outrage, frantically trying to right himself and climb from the much hated water.

Jyuushiro couldn�t have said how he knew when things turned wrong, but reiatsu exploded out of the Arrancar in a white hot rush. Water churned and rolled, almost boiling under the sudden and massive influx of energy. Grimmjow broke the surface with a roared scream and Jyuushiro felt his knees buckle and almost give way under the terror that washed over him.

�Help me get him out of the water!" screamed Jyuushiro.

Shunsui got to Grimmjow first, and claw tipped hands flew at his face as the former Espada desperately tried to escape, stumbling and falling back into the water in his haste. Jyuushiro caught him, wincing as sharp teeth caught pierced his shoulder and reiatsu beat madly against him. He pulled the Arrancar into a tight embrace, shocked at the shudders that were running through the other man�s large frame. A soft, low whine of unhappiness came from Grimmjow's throat and he seemed to grow very small and still in Jyuushiro�s arms, as if waiting for an attack to come.

He tugged the softly keening Arrancar from the water, carefully peeling the wet clothes from the blue-haired man, Shunsui silently helping him. They dried the kitty together, Grimmjow sniffling and miserable, huddled into upon himself the entire time. The moment he was dry he snapped at their hands and scrambled over to his rock to curl up and glare balefully at them.

"Fucking bastards," he hissed angrily, still clearly upset but masking it as best he could with a show of anger.

Shunsui shared a concerned look with him and they both cautiously approached the former Espada. Grimmjow tensed and growled as them, his reiatsu lashing uneasily and clearly expecting an attack. "Easy, Kitty. Jyuushiro didn't mean any harm. He was just playing, Grimm-chan," soothed Shunsui, crouching down and reaching out to pet damp blue hair.

"Fuck off!" snarled the former Espada, taking a swipe at the fingers. Jyuushiro used the motion to stroke a hand down his back and Grimmjow whirled to face him, tense and - Jyuushiro stared at him not quite believing what his eyes were telling him - the other man was actually frightened of them. The kitty truly thought they would hurt him.

Jyuushiro felt a flash of anger, wondering just how often Aizen had had this bright, rebellious creature beaten or tortured simply for being who and what he was. "No one is going to hurt you, Grimm-chan. Not Shunsui. Not me. No one here will ever hurt you," he soothed quietly, earning a low snarl from the Arrancar and a vicious swipe at his face from claw tipped fingers.

"I'm not afraid of you fuckers!" snapped the blue-haired man, his eyes blazing and his fangs bared even as he tried to keep both of them in his line of sight. He reminded Jyusshiro of nothing so much a cornered, wounded cat - all snarls and hissing, afraid of being hurt again and desperately in need of some kindness.

"Shhh. Hush, Kitty. It's alright," soothed Shunsui, carefully petting Grimmjow, snatching his hand away each time the Arrancar tried to claw or bite him. Jyuushiro quickly fetched some milk, carefully pouring the former Espada a bowl and offering it to him.

Grimmjow sniffed at the milk cautiously, watching them carefully for signs of duplicity. A pink tongue delicately touched the liquid before the Espada carefully drank it, watching then and growling softly each time they touched him.

�Aizen used to hold you under, love?� murmured Jyuushiro very softly, drawing both Grimmjow�s and Shunsui�s eyes. He was pleased to note the flash of outrage in his lover�s eyes on the Arrancar�s behalf.

�That fucker Tousen didn�t think I showed proper respect,� hissed Grimmjow, something dark and malevolent stirring in his eyes.

�Miserable son of a bitch,� snarled Shunsui softly, making the former Espada�s eyes widen. He looked between their stern faces searchingly, as if unable to believe that anyone would be outraged over the wrongs done to him.

�No one hurts you like that ever again, Grimm-chan,� vowed Jyuushiro, his hand against the Arrancar�s cheek as hard brown eyes met blue. Shunsui nodded, his hand on his lover�s shoulder in silent support of the pale-haired man�s promise.
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A Shadow of What Was