103 Pleasant Surprises

Harribel hugged Hisashi excitedly. "She did it!" she said.

Hisashi smiled watching her infectious excitement. It was rare for her to lower her walls like this after all.

"Oh congratulations," Cirucci said with a smile. She was trying to seem positive, but it was noticeably lacking in sincerity. Even though she got to remain as an Espada for now this would still be throwing a spanner in her plans after all. She knew now that they had an Espada amongst their group the odds of the rest joining Nelliel's Fracción over hers would be immense after all. She hadn't spent near as much time with them as Nelliel had.

"That's our Nel for you," Apacci said proudly, almost as if it had been her that had won the challenge.

Hisashi rolled his eyes at her behaviour. "Did you expect anything else from a former Espada?" he asked facetiously.

Cirucci glared at him. "I wasn't congratulating you," she said with a sneer.

"Jack will have to reward her," Sung-Sun said with a teasing smirk.

Mila Rose hugged Apacci. "Great! So when are we going to do the same?" she said with a competitive glint in her eyes.

Hisashi shook his head with a smile. "We still have a ways to go before we can do the same," he said. It wasn't entirely true as he suspected he could already defeat some of the weaker members of the Espada even as a Vasto Lorde, but that was not something he wanted Aizen or anyone loyal to him to be aware of. At least not anytime soon.

Apacci smirked. "Just watch me!" she said excitedly only egging on Mila Rose further.

Mila Rose smirked back. "You'll have to just enjoy coming in second after me," she said.

This caused Apacci to frown.

Hisashi chuckled. "How are you going to come in first when Nel has already done it?" he asked.

Apacci rolled her eyes. "She doesn't count, duh..." she said.

"Of course she counts," Harribel interjected.

"Of course Harribel-sama," Apacci said quickly.

Hisashi smirked. He could almost see her wagging her tail at her master's command. "Woof..." he said teasingly.

He could see a vein form on Apacci forehead. She seemed like she could explode any second. "Don't think I'm not also going to beat you," she threatened him and jumped up on him trying to get him in some kind of head lock with her arm around his neck trying to choke him.

Unfortunately for her the only thing it achieved was pressing her less than optimally comfortable chest into his cheek. Rather than the pillowy softness he would prefer he could feel her bones instead.

He raised his hands. "I give.. I give..." he said in a deadpan tone.

Apacci tisked, but let him go anyway. "Just you wait..." she said.

Sung-Sun's teasing smirk as she watched them only exacerbated her annoyance.

A widely smiling Nelliel barrelled towards Hisashi at high speed. "Jack!" she shouted excitedly.

He wasn't surprised by her exuberant behaviour as she liked to glomp on him in general and excitement only exacerbated this tendency. Something he didn't expect though was right as she jumped up to him her arms wrapped around his neck. She leaned forward and before he could react her soft lips suddenly pressed up against his shocking him.

They had been close to the point of even sleeping and cuddling together, but they had never moved beyond that. Hisashi was never sure what to make of their relationship. Between how they first met while she was in her child form and formed an almost sibling like relationship. How unlike him she was still a Hollow first and foremost unlike him who had managed to keep most of his humanity from the moment he died until now. Rather than a semblance of his consciousness only re-emerging after becomes an Adjuchas, Vasto Lorde, or Arrancar. He still had his human memories and most of the feelings.

There was their situation being in Hueco Mundo and now Las Noches constantly being hunted or hunting. Then when he healed her they remained close. Closer than before even maybe, but he never felt confident taking another step in their relationship. Now she had taken it instead though.

It took him a few moments for his brain to catch up with what had happened. Her kiss was messy due to lack of experience as she just pressed her lips against his instinctually while he stared at her wide-eyes in surprise without responding. When his brain finally caught up he carefully wrapped his arms around her, closed his eyes, and started returning the kiss savouring the soft texture of her lips on his.

Her arms tightened around his neck pressing her body into his after he started responding as she tried her best to act on the instinct. Her hands ran through the mane of hair that escaped from below his mask.

He could feel every curve of her body pressed against his. Part of him regretted being unable to hold her in his hands, but those thoughts didn't last long as he got caught up in the excitement and pleasure of the moment.

They were finally interrupted by an awkward cough. Everyone around them was looking at them with a variety of emotions painted on their faces. The Tres Bestias and the other Nel-Don-Pe thieves all looked surprised. Though Harribel also looked surprised, she seemed to be a little annoyed too. Cirucci though looked like the entire thing kind of disgusted her.

They finally broke the kiss, their lips parting a few inches. Nelliel had a shy smile as she gazed up into his eyes with a blush. "Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you," she whispered softly.

Hisashi smiled. "Sure you could have... it just would have just taken a lot longer," he said his smile slowly turning to a smirk.

Nelliel pouted a little, but Hisashi's gaze turned a little more serious.

"So what does this mean?" he asked her.

-X-X-X-

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