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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87205 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
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Cold Snap

Work had, mercifully, kept him very busy. The Swarm took up much of his time and leading his Division rounded out the rest of his hours. The male Arrancar were not the only ones who became sexually aroused after a battle. But at least in his case, his Master�s fraccion were just as happy to relieve said stress with each other. Halibel, for her part, didn�t seem all that interested in sleeping with him in that regard either. In fact, when Toshiro really gave the matter some thought, it was rare that she did so outside of needing to refresh the Claim. It was one of the ways in which he felt he was far more fortunate than many others he could name.

He groaned and turned his thoughts away from things he had no control over and back to the paperwork in front of him. He had honestly been surprised he had been permitted to run a Division, and truthfully it was perhaps the only thing that had helped keep him sane. Well, that and the knowledge that Gin was getting his just desserts.

What a way of describing it, he thought wearily. Exhaling, he set his brush aside and rubbed his temples, trying to ward off the headache that threatened. So much had been revealed at the end of the war, and if he was honest with himself he was more upset that the snake had failed to kill that bastard Aizen than anything else Gin had done as a matter of betraying the Gotei 13. He even forgave him for the Hinamori�s death.

Once Toshiro had calmed down and had been given time to actually think instead of react, he realized Gin had done the girl a large favour. Hinamori had been irreparably broken with Aizen�s betrayal. She had never been particularly strong, and this Hollow-controlled world would have destroyed what little was left of her.

The thought of his childhood friend, one he would even dare to call a sister, living as a sex slave to a hungry, abusive bastard of an Arrancar made him sick to his stomach. If she had to live with even half of the torment he knew others suffered... No, death had been a much kinder fate.

There were days he envied the dead. They did not need to live in this mockery of a world under Aizen-kami�s tyrannical rule. They did not need to get down on hands and knees and take their humiliations up the rear, literally in many cases. Even someone as strong as Kuchiki Byakuya had nearly broken or he had been damned close to it. Something had once more hardened the noble�s resolve and Toshiro wished he knew what it was so he could tap into it as well.

The only bits of good news as far as he knew were that the Espada that had Claimed Matsumoto was at least treating her a little better, and he finally had Hyorinmaru in his proper place across his back. The comfortable feeling of his Zanpakuto had helped him find a little peace in a household dominated by quarrelsome, sex-obsessed women.

�Perhaps that is the source of Byakuya�s inner strength,� he considered. �It is comforting to be able to talk to one�s own soul and share in the pain.�

He felt Hyorinmaru brush against his mind, and Toshiro sighed and gratefully brushed back. Yes, things had become so much easier to deal with now that the ice dragon had been returned to him.

He frowned as a sudden disturbance grabbed his attention and broke him out of his brooding. Someone, a rather emotional someone, was apparently storming his way and doing nothing to control their chaotic reiatsu. It was familiar and he felt Hyorinmaru perk up in his mind as the disturbance approached them.

It took him a moment to recognize the source, but once he did he felt his back stiffen and prayed nothing had gone terribly wrong. Karin stormed into his office without even a polite �by your leave� and slammed her hands down on the edge of his desk while looking him dead in the eye.

�Fight me,� she ordered.

�Huh?� was his intelligent reply, one that was echoed by Hyorinmaru.

�Come on Toshiro, you are not an idiot and my demand was pretty clear. Fight me,� she ordered again.

�Why would I do that?�

�Because if you don�t, then I will find someone else and that someone else might not make it to the end of the fight as anything but shredded remains. Now get off your ass and come fight me,� she snapped in agitation.

Something had clearly upset her and he toyed with either accepting her request or denying it until he knew more about what was going on. Looking at the determined look in her eyes that were all but on fire with mixed emotions, he decided to take her up on the offer and interrogate her later.

Truthfully, a good sparing match would do him good as well and drag him out of his own, pointless brooding. Still, responsibility came first, even if it was an organization run by Aizen.

�Your Division?� he inquired.

�Byakuya-san has it well under control and today was supposed to be my day off anyway. Now, are you going to fight me or do I need to take my frustration out on your unseated Division members?� she half-threatened.

Now that, he thought, eyes narrowing, was going just a little overboard.

�I will spar with you,� he conceded, standing up. �No need to be nasty about it.�

Part of him was genuinely interested to see just how far she had come over the years. Other than catching flashes of her on the battlefield, Toshiro had never really had the chance to see her work and this would be a good opportunity to see how far she truly had come since the days when she�d hounded him to help her out with a ridiculous soccer match against opponents twice the size of herself and her friends.

�This way,� he indicated, pointing down the hallway as they left his office. �There is a field out back we can use. And Karin�?�

�What?� she snapped at him, teeth gritted.

�It�s still Hitsugaya-Taichou to you,� he said with a faint smile.

She looked at him with a hint of surprise, but the barest hint of a smile touched her lips as well.

�And it�s �Karin-Fukutaichou� to you,� she sniped back.

�We will see.�

He led her out of the office building and to one of the larger fields out back, ignoring the whispers of his Division as their eyes, and shortly after their bodies, followed the two of them to the training field.

�Rules?� he questioned.

�Anything but your Bankai goes,� she said firmly, falling into a defensive stance.

Her joints glowed softly as she fused her reiatsu into them.

�As you wish,� he said, drawing Hyorinmaru. �Remember, you asked for this.�

Toshiro might have questioned her sanity over fighting an armed opponent barehanded, but people like Soi Fon and Yoruichi had long since proven that having a sword didn�t mean you were going to be the winner of a given fight. He contemplated using his Shikai, but he had a feeling what Karin needed right now was good old, fist-in-the-face pummelling to work out whatever dilemma was eating at her.

The dark-haired woman made the first move, charging in and lashing out with a fist. He brought the flat edge of Hyorinmaru up to block and felt his arms go numb at the sheer strength behind the blow. He barely had time to shift his Zanpakuto to block the next three she flung at him and the low sweep she suddenly dropped into nearly took him off his feet.

In his mind he felt Hyorinmaru begin to stir with even greater interest and Toshiro quickly realized that fighting hand-to -hand with her would get his ass handed to him.

Brawling or the martial arts had never been his strong suit, whereas she had clearly been well trained in both styles. Still, he didn�t want to up the ante just yet and instead launched himself back at her as soon as his foot touched the ground, Hyorinmaru leading the way.

Karin batted the blade aside with a backhand and he noticed the reiatsu-fused to her hand prevented the blade from slicing into her skin, much the way Kenpachi�s own inherited reiatsu would prevent a weaker opponent from drawing blood.

Toshiro frowned in confusion. His reiatsu was several times stronger than Karin�s, even as pissed off as she was, so why had he failed to cut her? Several more swings and deflections later the tip of Hyorinmaru finally cut across Karin�s upper arm, drawing a thin line of blood.

She didn�t even flinch and her countering punch swiped the side of his face, causing them both to jump back and separate, resetting the dance. He freed one hand from Hyorinmaru�s hilt to brush over his cheek, wincing lightly at the pain and knowing it was going to leave a bruise.

He studied her as she returned his scrutiny. Her hands and feet could take on his Zanpakuto�s blade, but the upper arm had been cleanly sliced.

�I see,� he commented. �You focus the strength of your reiatsu into one place, consolidating its power by doing so. That is why Hyorinmaru can�t cut through your fist or feet, but I can cut you anywhere else, can�t I?� he questioned.

�What of it?� she questioned.

�It just took me by surprise. Ichigo has very little control over his reiatsu, yet yours is rather impressive.�

He had meant it as a compliment, but at the mention of Ichigo�s name her eyes darkened and she charge in at him. He barely brought Hyorinmaru up in time to parry and block her furious onslaught.

�All I did was mention her brother��

He needed to separate them, and quickly. Seeing as how Karin was clearly ready to go to the next level, it was only fair he return the favour.

�Soten ni zase, Hyorinmaru,� he declared.

Ice erupted from his blade and Karin leaped back, launching into a Shunpo to clear the distance between them. Toshiro didn�t pause in his assault at all and the line of ice shaped like a dragon raced after her.

Karin dodged the gapping mouth and slammed a fist into the �neck� shattering it and separating the head from the body before racing towards him again. He simply called forth another dragon, sending it after her while the first one dispersed into ice crystals.

It managed to stop her charge as she was force to deal with the new dragon. Like the last she sidestepped the head and attacked the body. He simply called forth another, and another.

He was driving her back and he switched from a two-handed hold to a single as he started to chant a Kido spell under his breath. He finished the incantation and launched the binding spell her way, hoping to tie her up.

The spell went off alright, but it slammed into a barrier that Karin managed to erect between her and the spell. The barrier shattered under his more powerful reiatsu, but it had done what it had needed to and cancelled his spell before it could hit her. His surprise, for he had seen her chant no spell herself, nearly cost him the match as she used his distraction to get past his latest dragon and close in on him again.

This time he did catch her lips moving and a binding spell of her own rose up around him. Cursing because he�d been so easily distracted, and amazed she knew Kido at all, let alone so well, he simply applied his reiatsu against the binding and shattered it with ease.

However, that still took precious seconds, seconds Karin had used to close the distance and he barely had time to bring Hyorinmaru up to block what would have been a very, very painful kick to the face. He felt the force hit his blade and nearly lost his grip as it was pushed back, nearly smacking his nose with his own sword.

That last move had put her within reach, not of his Zanpakuto�s blade, but of its hilt, a tactical error on her part that was about to cost her dearly. Grabbing the chain, he twirled it about and tangled Karin up in it, pulling down and causing her to crash to the ground.

Both of them were panting heavily from the exertion as they got to their feet and despite himself he discovered he was having fun. Heaven on high, he hadn�t felt so alive in years! In his mind Hyorinmaru was rumbling with pleasure at the match. He knew that if they really wanted to they could end it in a second, for she stood no chance against his full power, but that would completely defeat the purpose of training, and risk serious harm to each other.

Karin seemed to have calmed down a bit from whatever was frustrating her, but she seemed far from being happy. Still, they had been going at each other for about an hour now and physical exertion was physical exertion, regardless of whether or not they used the full brunt of their strength against each other.

Then reality reared its ugly head. Or pretty one, if one�s tastes ran in that direction.

�Oi, Toshi-chan, Halibel-sama wants you!�

Toshiro closed his eyes and counted silently to ten as Apache�s annoying voice cut across the practice yard. When he turned around he could see the Arrancar walking towards them. The Shinigami from his Division that had gathered to watch moved aside to let her through, though some of the less disciplined of the men ogled her figure as she passed them. A warning look from their Taichou, mostly for their own protection, made them look away just as quickly.

�It would seem we are required to cease for now,� he noted unhappily.

�So it would seem,� she agreed, extricating herself from the chain and letting it fall around her ankles. �Thank you for the match. It was diverting.�

�Any time,� he agreed before turning his attention to a frowning Apache. �Oi, get back to work,� he snapped at his Division, letting a bit of his reiatsu leak out to chill the air around him.

They snapped to attention and instantly began to look like they were all doing something other than standing around like idiots. He tried not to shake his head in irritation while he followed the female fraccion towards his office. He could detect his �Master�s� reiatsu waiting for him, which set his inner alarm bells clanging.

He honestly had no idea what Halibel wanted with him this time. She actually didn�t impede on his life very often and let him continue doing most of the things he�d once done with the Division without comment. If she wanted to talk to him now, he had a feeling it was because Aizen was behind it and that never boded well for anyone.

Karin would have normally felt great after the impromptu sparing match with Toshiro, for it had been one hell of a good work out, one that only Grimmjow had so far been able to give her. She was unfortunately too strong for Orihime and Tatsuki, a gift of her stronger reiatsu, and that left Nanao and Rangiku as her main opponents during their sessions. This had been much more satisfactory.

But now she was able to think, and think about HIM. She really shouldn�t be mad at him, and in truth it wasn�t anger that was eating her up. It was another far familiar and deeply painful emotion: the fear of rejection.

Orihime and Tatsuki both bore the names of their mates. Of course, only Tatsuki had been immediately informed that she was permitted to use it while Orihime had been clued in when Ulquiorra had deigned to call her full name as he saw it.

If she was truthful with herself, the thought of names and rights to them had never really come up in any of their conversations, and she had honestly been too afraid to bring it up since she was not sure what his reaction would be to the conversation. Whether or not he wanted a mere human to bear his title, the same human related to a man he considered his prey, was questionable.

She gave her head a shake at that thought and gave a mental groan of �men.� Honestly, they fought over the stupidest things. She had never asked him how the rivalry with her brother had started because she had a strong feeling she didn�t want to know.

�I need a shower,� she noted absently.

She was covered in sweat and dirt from her sparing session with Toshiro and washing off the grime sounded better and better as she thought more about it. She would be able to face the world once more once she was cleaned up and in fresh clothing.

The shower was as every bit as refreshing as she thought it to be as the muddy water, tinted with a little blood here and there, ran down into the drain. She was able to just float in warmth as the pounding water messaged her aching muscles.

By the end of it she almost felt human again. Towelling herself dry, she noted it was high time to catch up on the laundry, as the only clean clothing hanging in their closet was the kimono she wore during Claim meetings, the one yukata Nanao had given them that Yuzu had insisted she keep, and two of Grimmjow�s spare uniforms.

Sighing in annoyance, she pulled on the yukata before heading to the kitchen. It had been a long day and she was the only one on the Estate that could even attempt to cook their evening meal.

Jushiro was still confined to bed (if he knew what was good for him), Starrk was too damn lazy to lift a pan, Hana had been at lessons, and while Lilinette was capable of preparing food, she had no idea what went into making dinner for a large number of people. Karin wasn�t sure if Grimmjow even knew how to boil water, let alone cook; she had never seen him do it before and doubted it was part of his skill set.

Thinking of her mate reminded her all too much of the turmoil she was going through and a scowl that would have made her Nii-san proud worked its way across her face. She attacked the job of making dinner head-on, taking out her pent up frustrations on the helpless food.

She was so worked up that for once she didn�t see him coming. His voice took her by completely surprise, not just because she hadn�t known he was there and wasn�t expecting it, but because it held a serious tone that he rarely chose to use.

�It�s yours if you want it, you know.�

She spun about to face him, surprise taking a hold of her mind so that she didn�t register the words he had spoken, only that he had.

�What?� she asked, eyes narrowing.

He looked rather uncomfortable, like he always did when mushy crap came up between them.

�My name,� he said to clarify, �it�s yours if you want it.�

She stared at him, stunned for a moment, before her sullen glare returned.

�Do you want me to have it, or are you just saying that because I am pissed right now,� she demanded coldly.

She could tell she hit a nerve with that statement. Grimmjow wasn�t very good with emotions outside of lust (be it for sex or battle) and anger. Right now she didn�t care. She was angry and feeling vindictive. At that moment she might have given Toshiro a run for his yen at the icy air around her.

�What�s that supposed to mean?� he countered.

�If you really wanted me to bear your name you would have said something three years ago,� she snapped. �So what has changed now?�

Grimmjow stared at her for a moment before the heel of his hand smacked his forehead in exasperation and his other hand clenched into a fist.

�Because I didn�t think of it,� he snapped back. �Because I keep forgetting that you are not one of my kind and you don�t instinctively know stupid shit like the fact my name was automatically yours when we took each other as mates,� he snarled. �So don�t blame me for your ignorance. If you wanted my name so badly why didn�t YOU say something?�

She forced the hurtful words she wanted to snap back at him behind her teeth. Oh she wanted to tear into him so strongly, but he had raised a valid point. It was the same problem Orihime had with Ulquiorra. Briefly, Karin envied Tatsuki, who seemed to have had the easiest time of them all. The older woman got to draw on all of Orihime and Karin�s experiences and was lucky enough to have a mate that had been giving the low down on human expectations and behaviour by Rangiku. There were benefits sometimes in coming in last in some things, and this was definitely one of those times.

Karin shook those thoughts away and returned her focus to the here and now. They were both being childish. Yes she could have brought it up sooner, but for all she knew of him, and for all she was sure she loved him, there was still the unknown issue between him and her Nii-san. And she feared to raise his ire with any mention of Ichigo. It wasn�t that she feared he would hurt her physically, but she didn�t want to fight with him, not when she had put so much work into making this strange relationship they shared work.

Briefly, she wondered what their �marriage� would be like if she had never gotten pregnant. Would she have returned with Ichigo that fateful day in the park or would she have stayed here with him as she did?

She had a sudden desire to either have a bitchfest with Rangiku about men and their idiocies or a heart to heart with Jushiro-san, who always seemed to make her feel better. And she still hadn�t answered his question.

She took a few deep, steadying breaths and focused on their bond, feeling the pain of uncertainty coming from him and meshing with her own. Her eyes widened in surprise at what she was reading from him.

He was actually worried she would reject him, just as she had been worried that he would reject her. The whole situation suddenly seemed ridiculously absurd and despite herself she started to laugh.

�We are both fools,� she gasped out.

�Speak for yourself.�

His words may have been gruff, but she caught the emotional relief and amusement in his own eyes.

�Karin Jaegerjaquez,� she tried thoughtfully, looking at the ceiling as if trying to decide whether she like the ring of it or not.

�Oh, Kami say that again,� he moaned.

She looked at him with a raised eye in amusement as she repeated the name. He made another sound and closed the distance between them, dragging her into his arms and catching her lips with his own. She could tell how turned on he was with ease as he poked her lower stomach.

�Are you this turned on because you love me, or because you love the thought of taunting Nii-san the next time you see him that I bear your name?� she demanded.

�Maybe just a little,� he admitted. �Kurosaki is such a piss-poor name anyway. It sounds like black alcohol.�

�And Jaegerjaquez is better?� she challenged.

�Infinitely,� he smirked down at her. �By the way, you still look good in that,� he commented, garnering a blush from her.

�Oh, is that supper?� Nanao questioned, coming into the kitchen.

Karin blinked in surprise before shoving him away from her to turn her attention back to the stove with a curse and a prayer that she hadn�t destroyed dinner. He just laughed and earned himself a reiatsu infused elbow to the stomach, turning his laugh into a grunt.

�Oh, Mama�s home,� Ajuga said cheerily as she entered the kitchen as well. �Did you talk like Starrk-ji said to?� she questioned her father.

�Starrk-ji?� Karin questioned amused, noticing her mate seemed rather embarrassed.

�Yep. Starrk-ji was the one who talked to Papa about �important relationship material.�� Ajuga clearly quoted the last three words and said them slowly to get them right.

�Who told you that squirt?� Grimmjow demanded.

� �take-ji,� she answered innocently as she pulled up her stool to the stove and set the kettle going.

�For tea?� Nanao questioned, having stuck around to �help� Karin with dinner.

�Uh huh. It�s time for �take-ji�s medicine. Hana-chan is making sure he is alright and showing him her numbers. We were working on calligraphy again while Starrk-ji and Papa talked.� Ajuga beamed happily.

�Problems in the love nest?� Nanao asked her, ignoring Grimmjow.

�There isn�t a nest in the world that doesn�t have a few tangles that need to be ironed out from time to time,� Karin replied.

�True,� Nanao agreed in a distant voice, no doubt remembering some of those tangles from her own relationship with Hana-chan�s father.

�Well, supper is ready if you want to bring a tray to Jushiro-san with his medicine,� Karin turned her attention back to her daughter.

�Can Hana-chan and I eat with him?� Ajuga begged.

�Of course,� Karin said with a smile.

�I�ll help carry your dinners over,� Nanao offered, looking at both Karin and a slightly disgruntled Grimmjow knowingly.

Karin loaded up a tray with four plates of food while the water boiled. When it whistled in the kettle, Nanao added four cups to the tray and let Ajuga carry the hot kettle out of the kitchen, while she followed with the carefully balanced tray.

Karin cast a grateful look at Nanao�s back and nearly groaned in annoyance as Grimmjow grasped her from behind and began to nuzzle her neck.

�One day I swear I am getting him neutered,� she grouched. �And I�ll get Szayel to do it,� she added. �Without painkillers,� she finished as his mask scraped her skin and she slapped her hand to his shoulder in complaint.

He muttered a sorry and switched to the other side of her neck so his bare cheek rubbed against hers.

�I suppose it could be worse, at least he doesn�t feel the need to �mark his territory.�� she noted and had to hold back a snort at the mental image that suddenly came to her mind.

�What?� he demanded.

�Nothing,� she denied. �Fluff got caught in my nose,� she lied.

He snorted in disbelief, but went back to contently nuzzling her neck while his hands moved for the obi holding the yukata close.

�Alright, dinner smells great!� Lilinette exclaimed as she entered the room like a whirlwind.

�Maybe we should move this too our room, or hold it off for later,� Karin sighed, as the little Arrancar lifted the lid on the wok to peek inside.

She barely had time to brace herself as she caught him gathering his reiatsu and launched them into a Sonido, ending up in their room. Before she could open her mouth to berate him he covered her mouth with his own, swiping his tongue across her lips and groaning in pleasure.

Any resistance she had was stripped away as the overwhelming feeling of his lust came through the link and in the feel of his reiatsu coiling about her. She sighed and surrendered, ignoring the smirk against her lips as he worked her down onto the futon and quickly out of her yukata.

�Karin Jaegerjaquez,� he murmured.

�Be thankful I am the female, because I would love to see how well you would respond to being called Kurosaki Grimmjow,� she taunted.

He growled loudly in protest and she silenced any objections he might have made at the mere thought of such a thing the same way he silenced her, with her lips on his.

Loves to you all, have some extra hugs, although you will have to collect them from someone else since my stomach doesn�t permit for too close of a contact anymore, lol.

If Ajuga were to sit on the throne, his blood would change to Royal Blood, thus making him Royalty. If Karin were to sit on the throne and declare him her consort, his blood would also change. Aizen doesn�t trust Unohana enough to sit her on the throne and declare him her Consort, the power boost she would gain could also potentially be dangerous and he doesn�t want to lose his one known link to the throne.

Stay tuned for the next chapter: Where I believe Orihime goes into labour if I recall right.
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Prize of Victory