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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: Finally! I have been through more drafts of this one bloody chapter than anymore would believe - and just when I would think I was getting it right...something would step in and I would be back at square one. It was bloody maddening. I'd like to thank everyone for putting up with me while I beat my head against the wall and hammered out this chapter, you are all wonderful.

I would like to welcome silverblaise to the madness and also give a huge thank you to mandalee1013 for the playlist. It was posted right on my birthday and was a nice treat. Summaries for who each song is for can be found on page 43 of the review section for this story or on my LJ under the Jan 23rd posting. Give it a listen - http://www.youtube.com/mandalee1013

Now, on with the insanity!

* * *

The explosion drew them. He and Shunsui had been working on paperwork, or more accurately, he had been working on paperwork while Shunsui hid from Nanao and his own work, amended Jyuushiro as he stared out at the courtyard of the Thirteenth and the pandemonium that reigned there.

Half a dozen members of his division stood between the furious figure of Grimmjow Jeagerjaques and his office, swords drawn and bodies tense. It was Grimmjow or at least Jyuushiro assumed it was the Arrancar. The creature looming in the courtyard bore only the faintest of resemblances to the former Espada. A fall of blue hair cascaded down his back like a mane, the color the only thing to link it to Grimmjow. Fuzzy ears peeked above, looking ticklishly soft and adorably cute. Wicked claws tipped his fingers and a tail lashed angrily behind him. His reiatsu hiss and crackled, a low angry hum that carried with it the promise and power of a predator, a creature created for the hunt, a being versed in blood and death, something primal. It was Grimmjow stripped of the veneer of civilization, realized Jyuushiro. The former Espada as he should have been - beautiful and terrible - a wild thing of darkness and passion. This was the promise of every early human who had stared into the darkness and been afraid of what lurked in the night beyond. This was a creature of nightmare - primal, deadly and utterly enchanting.

"Well, things will certainly never be boring with him," mused Shunsui with a delighted grin, as Grimmjow roared when two the junior officers ventured too close. The Espada swung at them and instant later all the others were on him. Six Shinigami buried the Espada under their weight and for a moment it looked as if they might be enough to subdue him - an instant later Grimmjow exploded from the tangle. Two of the youngsters went flying, one clung to each of the Arrancar's arms, a third was tangled in the Arrancar's legs, and a final hung from around his neck. Grimmjow howled his outrage, struggling under the barrage, his reiatsu a terrible storm of sharp edged hate.

"That is enough!" shouted Jyuushiro, drawing himself up straight and tall, and sending his reiatsu crashing into the courtyard in a heavy wave. Shunsui took his hand, adding his own power to the mix, and sending the combatants to the ground - even Grimmjow wilting under the oppressive power, struggling futilely, but never just accepting or bowing.

And Aizen wanted to break this creature, he thought, anger and outrage surging through him. How could anyone want to shatter the brilliant man before him, shackle and destroy that incredible vitality?

"I'll get the kitty," murmured Shunsui as they let their power wane. Jyuushiro nodded and looked sternly at his underlings, able to guess what had happened easily enough - Grimmjow had come to see them and the members of his division had objected to an angry and unpredictable Arrancar charging in on their captain.

He watched as Shunsui carefully helped untangle Grimmjow, earning snaps and growls from the former Espada. When Grimmjow was finally free the Arrancar lunged and tackled Shunsui, growling angrily at him. When Shunsui just gave him a roguish smile Jyuushiro was amazed that Grimmjow didn't throttle his lover. The Arrancar's anger crashed through the courtyard chased by a menacing growl.

"What the fuck do you want?!?" snarled the Arrancar, slamming Shunsui's shoulders into the ground.

"It's alright, Grimm-chan. Just calm down," soothed Jyuushiro, his hands extended to show that his intensions were peaceful, as he slowly approached the agitated feline and Shunsui - whom experience told him would do nothing to defuse the situation.

There really were times he wanted to strangle his lover.

Grimmjow growled warningly at him, but when the kitty glanced at him, he could see the fear and confusion in the other man's eyes. "Oh love," he sighed, saddened by the scope and depth of the damage inflicted upon the Arrancar. There was so very much pain for so very few years of life. Grimmjow was just a baby when compared to them and yet the Arrancar had to have lost so much. For just a moment he want to wrap the other man in his arms and never let go, to protect this brilliant soul.

Shunsui held a hand out to silence him, to stop him from coming any closer or trying to soothe the Arrancar. Jyuushiro gave him a questioning look, Grimmjow might have been a baby, but he was a dangerous baby. Something dark and predatory moved in his lover's eyes, a tiny hint of man Shunsui could be -

The children forgot what they were...the , of the powerful, ruthless . "What do we want? To walk the darkness beside you. To make your enemies our own and destroy them. To guard your slumber and lay beside you," purred Shunsui, dark eyes pinning blue.

Jyuushiro watched as his lover's words flowed over the former Espada, amazed when Grimmjow yelped and released Shunsui as if burned. He watched surprise and fear transform into fury in the space of a heartbeat, barely managing to catch the blue-haired man's arm before his fist plowed into Shunsui's jaw.

A face twisted with rage turned to hiss at him. "LIARS!" snarled the Espada. Jyuushiro leapt back as wickedly sharp claws raked his chest, the move the only thing that keep Grimmjow from opening his throat. Grimmjow fell sideways, landing on the soft earth of the courtyard, his legs tangling in Shunsui's. Shunhsui rolled atop the furious man as best he could and Jyuushiro quickly added his weight to the pile. It was barely enough and Grimmjow thrashed and howled beneath them, his reiatsu beating a steady pattern of hatred and violence against their senses.

"Calm down. Please, Grimm-chan, you have to calm down," he pleaded, his voice breaking over the words as tears threatened to break free. So very much anger, so much hate and hurt, Jyuushiro wondered if anything could ever make it right. "Baby, please."

Grimmjow howled that thrashed beneath them for what seemed like forever, even going so far as to snarl and snap at them when he no longer had the energy to really fight. When even that waned the Arrancar still glared murder at them, something terribly young and hurt lurking in those furious blue eyes. "Bastards," hissed the former Espada. "Lying bastards."

Jyuushiro closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain that cut across his heart, a pain that was magnified a hundred fold when he saw the same aching denial in Shunsui's eyes. At some point they had both gone and fallen in love with this foolish kitten.

He slowly shifted his weight off the Arrancar, Shunsui moving to keep Grimmjow pinned in case the kitty found a second or third wind. Grimmjow watched him with hate filled eyes as he reached out cautiously to caress the kitty's cheek. "Why would you think we were lying to you, Grimmjow? Why would you think we would toy with you that way? We aren't going to hurt you, kitty-cat," he told the Arrancar firmly, brown eyes meeting blue and trying to impress the truth of his words on the other man.

A fine tremble moved through the kitty as he continued to gently stroked the Arrancar's cheek. "Why is it so hard to believe that we might like you, sweetheart?" pressed Shunsui, his voice breathed softly into the blue-haired man's ear and accompanied by a quick kiss that made Grimmjow flick his ears.

"Why do you do that?" demanded the Arrancar, giving them a disdainful sniff and glancing between them.

Jyuushiro sighed softy, flexing his fingers in the thick blue hair and gently scratching the furry ears. "It's a way of expressing affection. Don't hollows ever show affection?" he asked, watching as Shunsui caught Grimmjow's tail, the long appendage wrapping around his hand before twitching away.

The Arrancar stared at him suspiciously before very quietly admitting, "Sometimes."

Jyuushiro gave him a small encouraging nod. "Maybe share food with your mates?" pressed Shunsui, stroking Grimmjow's tail and earning a sharp glare.

"Who told you about that?" hissed the Arrancar, that feral wariness slipping back into his eyes and bearing.

Shunsui chuckled, that soft velvety one that always made Jyuushiro think of dark chocolate and sin. "We spoke to Ulquiorra-san, he was quite enlightening." The growl that rose in Grimmjow's throat made Jyuushiro think that distracting the kitty would be wise. He pressed a gentle kiss on the Arrancar, smiling as Grimmjow blinked at him. A pink tongue darted over the Arrancar's lips, almost as if Grimmjow thought he could taste the kiss.

Shunsui tapped the blue-haired man, pressing another quick kiss on him as Grimmjow turned to look at him. Jyuushiro scratched one of those soft ears, earning a soft rumble of pleasure. As his hand withdrew a rough pink tongue darted out to lick delicately at his fingertips.

"Mates?" whispered the Arrancar, something very young crossing his face.

Jyuushiro made a soft affirmative noise, rubbing his cheek against Grimmjow's, the Arrancar pressing back eagerly and a deep rumble coming from his chest. Shunsui leaned forward and caught his lips in a deep slow kiss, both of them laughing when Grimmjow knocked them apart with a gentle butted demand for attention.

"Now we just have to break the news about getting a kitty to Nanao," chuckled Shunsui.
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A Shadow of What Was