Disclaimer: I do not use big words and I do not own Bleach. Also, I do not have beta reader.
The girl just stares at Grimmjow who is backing away from her towards the wall.
“What the fuck are you?” Grimmjow repeats his question again. He is still holding the shirt in his hands and his eyes travel from his bloody shirt to the girl’s wrist which was slit opened just a few minutes ago. There are no traces of that cut left though which explains why he is having a panic attack at the moment.
“I have been called many things,” the girl answered nonchalantly. She does not move a muscle from her spot besides the bed.
Gulping, Grimmjow moves towards the door that leads to the balcony. He heard that sun rays can kill a vampire. Yeah… laugh it out loud. That is the only logical explanation that came to his mind at the moment.
He gulps again. He only reads this kind of shit happening in books - not that he reads many but that is not what matters right now - or saw it on TV dramas or films. However this girl in front of him definitely fit the description for a she-vampire; pale skin, dark raven hair, enchanting mesmerizing eyes and can smitten anyone with her unconventionally gorgeous face. It is hard to comprehend the possibility of this vulnerable looking girl going out at night hunting for fresh blood but he has seen the kicked ass moves she pulled yesterday and let’s not forget the slit wrist… No human being can regenerate that fast!
“Are you a… a… vam –“
“Vampire?” questions the girl finishing what Grimmjow failed to utter. “Want to see my fangs –“
“No!” shrieks Grimmjow, hand already at the lock of the sliding door, his pains from yesterday are almost forgotten in his condition.
The girl chuckles at Grimmjow’s alarm face. Slowly, like stalking a prey she starts moving towards Grimmjow and by instinct the cobalt blue haired guy opens the sliding door and steps outside, finding his self sighing in relieve thinking that he is in a safe zone. But all of his efforts are in vain. All he did was blinked once and when he opens his eyes, the girl is only a couple of inches away in front of him, their noses almost touch. Grimmjow did not hear any footsteps, just a slight rush of air, possibly from her flapping yukata. It is like she is freaking hovering over him, but that cannot be, right?
“You… you can fucking fly too?!” asks Grimmjow idiotically which only encourages the girl to chuckle harder, her breath tickling his face.
The girl reaches out her hand to the side of his face. Grimmjow tenses and closes his eyes tightly shut by instinct. Would she be crazy enough to kill him now?
Great, this is the second time I find myself getting killed by this girl or-whatever-the-fuck-she-is in a span of an hour.
He has to be ready. It does not matter how exhausted, weak or shock he is, he has to defend himself. For all he knew, death is only seconds away. He has had enough. He takes a deep breath and summons what little strength he has left. He is about to lash out and start kicking some vampire butt when instead of a sharp nail clawing his face, he feels a soft hand correcting his messy bed hair.
Grimmjow opens his eyes reluctantly for he does not trust his senses completely at the moment. His eyes see the girl tip toeing to reach his height. He mentally smacks himself up the head for thinking ridiculous thoughts earlier. His eyes slowly travel up her petit form and when they reach her face, there is a soft smile on her lips. His eyes then meet her deep purple orbs and Grimmjow is utterly enthralls by the beauty of it. He can feel his fears and uncertainties fade away from his heart. Even his pains seem to ebb away. A sense of calmness overcomes his sense of dread. His lids too are becoming heavier by the seconds. He wonders if these are the effect of her powers as well. The last thing he sees before he falls unconscious is his hand journeys up to caresses the side of her face.
-o-
Rukia must admit that she is slightly surprise by his gentle gesture but before she could react to it; she is forces to catch the guy before he could fall flat on his face. God knows that the guy does not need another injury. His body supported by her tiny frame which held a surprising amount of strength. She slings his arm over her shoulder and wraps her arm around the blue haired guy’s waist.
Rukia settles the guy down on the bed, not as gentle as she should be though although she does make sure to put a pillow under his head. A smile tugs her lips when she sees that he still has his bloody shirt clenched in his hand. Without thinking, she takes it and tosses it onto a laundry basket underneath the bed where she usually puts her dirty clothes in as well.
Then Rukia goes into the kitchen to look at the cabinet under the sink for the first aid kit Ulquiorra has left for her. She returns to the bed with the first aid kit and takes her time cleaning the guy’s wounds that reopened earlier in his distress which she was the reason. She chuckles to herself when she remembers his reaction. Most people would have died by her hands for the things she has exposed to him. She was not kidding about having to kill him if he tells her who she is. But she has not have this much fun for such a long time.
While cleaning his wounds, Rukia uses the opportunity to study the guy’s physical features, from his unusual cobalt blue hair to his naked chest to his dirty jeans.
The last time she is this amused by a human being was when she first met Ulquiorra. How long ago was it? She could not remember since she is never good at keeping track of time. Rukia surmises that this guy is around the same age as Ulquiorra back then, not more than a high school senior.
The look that he gave her when she first set her eyes on him is still so vivid in her mind. The feral look that she has comes to know and love. It is totally different from the behavior he portrayed earlier when she was ‘playing’ with him. She cannot blame him for acting that way though. Human are just not capable of such feats. It would take sometimes for him to comprehend that.
Her hand clears the hair that covered his bruised face to examine his swollen eyes. She wonders what does he really looks like underneath all the bruises and swellings. She also wonders if that wild look she saw yesterday will come back.
Maybe she is extremely bored or she let her curiosity gets the better of her judgment but she finds herself contemplates whether or not she should heals his injuries.
Rukia stands at the side of the bed, thinking of her options for almost two hours before she finally made a decision. After all, her next assignment is not until the day after tomorrow. She has plenty of time to recuperate and gather her strength back. She just need to thought up a good excuse so Ulquiorra will not get on her back.
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she gently puts both of her hands on his face and let her power flows through her palms. Less than ten minutes later when she takes her hands off of his face, the swelling and bruises have gone. She takes notice of his handsome features but quickly distracts herself by continuing to do the exact same thing to his other injuries however it takes longer as she proceeds. She can feel her strength leaving her bit by bit. By the time she finished she was totally worn out, she can barely stand.
Using the wall to keep her balance, she drags herself to the corner of her apartment where she slumps down and waits for the guy to wake up.
Outside, the valiant sun has given its way to the enchanting full moon.
---
Grimmjow wakes up to the rumbling of his stomach but he let his lids remain closed. The rumbling reminds him that he has not eaten anything since two days ago, presuming that he did not just fall unconscious for more than a day.
The previous event that occurred just before he passed out keeps replaying in his mind, reminding him that he is probably still in her apartment based on the feeling of the hard mattress on his back. He tries not to move a muscle knowing that the springs of the mattress will creak and probably alert the girl that he is awake.
He strains his ears to listen to any sound or movement that might indicate the where about of the girl but the apartment is eerily quiet except for the sound that comes from his rising and fallen chest as he takes a breath.
Does the girl even breathe?
Grimmjow pushes the thought away. The guarantee of his survival depends on his ability to stay focus on the matter at hand.
His stomach rumbles again and he tenses. He wishes his stomach could stay quiet and be contented for a wee bit longer. He does not want to be on the menu for her dinner.
Damn it. Stay focus!
He listens again and heaves a silent sigh of relieve when no sound from inside the apartment can be heard. Perhaps the girl has gone out. She probably knows that he would not be able to go anywhere in his condition anyway.
Wait a second, speaking of my condition…
His body no longer feels any ache or soreness.
His eyes shot open in alarm. The room is dark and is only lighten by the dim moonlight that came from the balcony. It takes a while for him to adjust his vision to get accustom to the dimness.
His hand slowly moves to his eye which was swollen before he passed out. He can tell that the swelling has gone. He flex his arms and sits hurriedly up in apprehension when he feels no throbbing or paralyzing pain as he makes sudden movements.
Just how fucking long I was unconscious for?
“You finally decided to wake up, huh sleepy head?”
Grimmjow literally jumps several feet in the air. In his flustered condition, he totally forgot to be vigilant of the girl. His ass ungraciously hit the floor board as his head spontaneously turns towards the direction of her voice. He gets goosebumps when his sight is assaulted by two shimmering deep purple orbs in the dark at the corner, as if the pair belongs to a feline.
The light from the full moon failed to reach that part of the apartment and Grimmjow thought that is possibly why she chose that place to be her sanctuary. Who knows what form she takes in the night, especially during night of full moon such as tonight?
Grimmjow gulps and mentally curses his self for letting his imagination ran wild again.
“How long did I sleep this time?” he asked. His voice bounces on the wall and booms in the empty apartment. He congratulates himself for successfully masking the trepidation from being apparent in his voice.
Rukia laughs quietly to herself. His reaction is so predictable. She can pretty much computes what is on his mind at the very moment. He must think that she could not sense his bafflement or his fear for the unknown. Rukia almost feels sorry for him.
“More or less 12 hours since you passed out,” Rukia eventually replies.
“12 hours?” repeats Grimmjow disbelievingly. There are no way his fractured bones and bruised face can healed completely in 12 hours. “But my wounds… they are –“
“I was bored.”
Grimmjow is dumbfounded. It takes him several minutes to digest what she had meant. “Are you kidd –“
“Not really in the mood for jokes,” interrupts the girl straightforwardly.
Grimmjow blinks in the dim light knowing fully well that the girl can see his face with his jaw dropping. He does not care if he looks like an idiot. Any person would have reacts the same way under this circumstance, won’t they?
So the girl does not only have the ability to regenerate, she also has the power to heal? What other powers does the girl has, he wonders.
“Why?”
“I was bored,” she reiterates.
“How did you do it?”
Grimmjow thought he could see her shrugging her shoulder in her nonchalant way in the gloom. “I just do it.”
“I have never heard or read a vampire to have that kind of ability before,” he blurts out and quickly regrets it when he hears the girl laughs. He wants to see it though. He wants to see her laughing. It is not enough just to be able to see her eyes. The urge to see her face surpasses the feeling of fear for her that gritted him earlier that day. It is probably after knowing that she has healed him. If she had meant any harm, she would not have done so. Dare he say it that he actually feels safe in her presence?
“I never did say I am a vampire, kid.”
Upon hearing the girl called him a kid, Grimmjow scowls. Whoever or whatever she is, he still does not like to be addressed as a kid or a boy moreover by a girl that most certainly is younger looking than him.
“Grimmjow.”
Rukia raises her eyebrow in the darkness, marvel at his sudden change of manner. “You are still a kid though.”
“Irrelevant. I have a fucking name and it’s Grimmjow,” he emphasizes.
That is a fucking name, alright, thoughts Rukia as she listens to him. It is a name she never heard before, that is for sure.
“And where the fuck is the fucking light switch?” asks Grimmjow who is annoyed to be sitting in the dark for much longer.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like to talk to you in the dark”
“I can see you just fine”
Fucking arrogant bitch.
“Well… No offense but you ain’t what I called fucking normal.”
The girl laughs again, amused by his colorful choice of words but is not bother by it at all. “The switch is on the wall to your right, Grimmjow.”
Grimmjow could not help but smirking upon hearing his name being uttered by the girl. He notices that the girl did not ask what his surname is and he is thankful for that.
“Do you often bring guys into your apartment and heal them?” Grimmjow walks towards the direction and switches on the light. The fluorescent lamp flickers a couple of time before illuminating the apartment with its artificial light. His eyes quickly travel to the corner where he knows the girl is. He stop short from making his way back to the bed.
The girl is still watching him from the corner of the apartment but even from the distance Grimmjow could tell that something is wrong with her. Her skin is paler than usual, it is almost borderline translucent. She is sitting there, hugging her knees tightly as if she is finding whatever little warmth her body can provides. Her eyes are the only visible part of her face. The rest were hidden behind her knees. She looks just like a lost child with those immense eyes of hers.
“Hey, you okay?”
“You’re the first.”
“Huh?” asks Grimmjow bewilderedly. The girl does not respond but keep staring up at him. It took a while before he remembers his question earlier prior to him flipping the light switch on. He gets the feeling that the girl is avoiding his recent inquiry. Grimmjow does not want to step on her toes so he let his question slide although his mind still is unsure of her well being.
Perhaps it’s only her transformation during the full moon…
“The first time you bring a guy home or the first time you used your power on them?”
“The latter”
“I am honored then,” he lied. Grimmjow is not sure why he finds himself feels thwarted by the fact that he is not the first guy who has entered this apartment.
The girl snickers.
“You said you are not a vam –“
His stomach interrupts his queries with another rumble and he actually blushes, trying to hide his embarrassment. Nevertheless his eyes look at the girl expectantly.
Rukia thought he looks cute when he is being all shy-like. Her eyes then travel down to his naked abdomen. She can see the six pack muscle and deducts that either he likes to go to the gym or he gets his exercise from street fights. She suspects the latter based on the incident she helped him with yesterday and also the few scars that flawed his otherwise perfect body. She has heard his stomach rumbling even before he is awake and became aware that she has not feed him anything since she took him home. She has not even offered him a glass of water. That is why she decided to wait on him, also to make sure that he wakes up able-bodied with no side effects from her power. Judging from how his mouth has ran off, Rukia construed that he is all right and dandy. She does not sure why she was so worried about him in the first place.
“Help yourself.” Rukia points to the fridge in the kitchen.
Grimmjow does not need a second invitation. He goes to the kitchen and opens the fridge eagerly only to find bottles upon bottles of mineral water in the lower part. He opens the freezer and it is full with ice cream of every flavor you can think of, all in a 500ml container.
“Is this all you’ve got?” calls Grimmjow from the kitchen, clearly disappointed with his findings.
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” is the reply he received. Before he can retaliates, his stomach rumbles again, much more violently this time. Grimmjow grunts, knowing that he does not have much of a choice. He takes out several of the ice creams before returning to his place in the apartment; the bed. He is very aware of a couple of the deep purple orbs following his every moves and the fact that their blood that stained the floor earlier has been cleaned.
They sit in silence as Grimmjow eats his ice cream, only to stop on his second container to get a mineral water from the fridge before he resumes consuming the third container of ice cream. When he is done, he puts away the empty containers in the sink since he could not find the rubbish can.
“Are you allergic to solid food or something?” questions Grimmjow as he sits down on the bed. The mattress creaks.
The girl shakes her head in negative.
“You love ice cream huh?”
The girl shakes her head again. “I hate it.”
Grimmjow’s brows frown. “Why is the fridge full of that stuff then?”
“It’s a habit.”
“Huh?”
The mention of ice cream reminds Rukia of Ulquiorra. It was all his doing. When he got her this apartment, he bought her the fridge and whenever he came by he would brought her a canister of ice cream. Rukia hates cold food. She hates frozen food even more. Ulquiorra however does not pay any heed to Rukia’s protests and kept bringing the ice cream whenever he stopped by. Soon enough the freezer was filled with them. Sometimes he ate it himself. Sometimes he cleaned it up by throwing the overdue ice cream away. One day a blackout occurred while she was on her assignment (read: away). When she got home, all the ice creams have melted which forced her to chuck them all out. As soon as the freezer was empty, Rukia felt a sense of longing so bad, she went to the convenience store and bought all the ice creams that she thought would fit in her freezer. Since that day, her freezer is never empty from that cursed frozen food.
However Rukia does not care to explain all of these to Grimmjow simply because he does not need to know. Also because she barely has enough strength to keep her mind to stay awake.
Grimmjow pay no attention to the confusion that has set in his mind as his eyes scrutinize the girl. He notices that she is straining herself from falling unconscious and her skins seem to be shimmering. He disregards his later thought though assuming that it could be the reflection from the fluorescent light and his already paranoid mind is playing tricks on him.
“Hey you need the bed to sleep?” asks Grimmjow. He considers the possibility of the girl being courteous to him by letting her guest to have the bed. By what she told him earlier, he deduces that it must have been passed midnight already.
“I don’t sleep, kid.”
“Hey, I told you my name is –“
“Grimmjow. I kn –“
Before she could finish her sentence, she collapses.
-o-
Grimmjow rushes to the girl as she plops down to the floor.
“Hey? Hey! Wake up!”
The girl is apparently out cold. His right arm outstretches to reach the back of her neck while the other goes under her knees. He plans to carry her to bed suspecting that the girl must have been very sleepy not to stir even when her head hits the floor or when he yells in her ears. He quickly withdraws his arms though after he feels how icy and cold her skin is. Up close he can see the she is indeed translucent. He was right. It was not his overactive imagination working full-time.
Grimmjow gulps. He pokes her once but she does not rouse. He pokes again with the same result. It is like she is dead.
Grimmjow runs a nervous hand through his cobalt blue hair. This is just too freaking abnormal and he is too afraid to check whether or not she has stop breathing, not entirely sure if she breathe in the first place.
“Fuck, what am I supposed to do now?!” Grimmjow starts to panic for who knows how many times that day.
His eyes travel to the door.
He should run away. Yes, that is what he should do.
He stands up, eyes looking down at the lifeless girl in front of him.
I don’t need to worry myself about her. I didn’t do anything to her. I didn’t ask for her help either. If anything, she’s the one who fucking threatened me.
His fingers go to his chin only to find that the cut from her army knife has gone. Just like his wounds and fractured bones.
Grimmjow walks to the door and tries it out; afraid that she might have locked it. Much to his relieve, the door opens without resistance when he turns the knob. His eyes search for his shirt but could not find it, missing the basket underneath the bed. Painfully aware that he is going to roam the streets in the middle of the night half naked, he slips his shoes on. He takes a last look at the unconscious girl lying on the floor before he closes the door behind him, muttering “thank you” under his breath.
Savor the little details! Hehehe…
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