Admin deleted my story :( I think it was for the potty word in my old summary. I didn't even know you couldn't do that lol! *goes to reread FFnet rules and guidelines*
Anyways, I loved writing this too much to not re-post it. So here!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
Grimmjow is the yin to my yang. The lighter to my cigarette (if I smoked, of course). He's the ebony to my ivory; peanut butter to my jelly; uh, lyrics to all my songs? Heh, yeah. And any other gay, simile-like shit you can come up with.
He's my soul mate in a completely heterosexual fashion. My heterosexual life partner, I guess you could say. You know. Like Jay and Silent Bob in those classic stoner American movies.
In other words, we're close. A cross your middle and index finger together type of close. Have been for a while. Since sixth grade.
Back then, at the beginning of the year, I didn't know who he was. Just some new transfer student with outrageous hair and one who had a common enemy with me.
Oichigawa Ryuu. Fucker always was fucking with anyone and everyone who stuck out just the tiniest bit. And it was over the stupidest shit. Grades higher than his, better at sports, better looking than him, or just different. I.e., me and Grimmjow especially.
It was a day where Oichigawa planned to beat me up after school that we first meet. Ryuu was always doing little petty stuff to bully me around. He'd steal my books and dump them in the school fountain, tie my shoelaces together, trip me, push me, shove me as he walked passed. Little shit that I could for the most part ignore. I'd glare at him, give him a few choice words and be on my way. But that day, he wanted a fight.
And if you know me now, you know that I'll kick anyone's ass that needs to be kicked, no problem. But back then, it was two years at best after my mother died. I'd quit going to karate and usually kept to myself. I was a loner 'round that time. Still beating myself up over her death and still pretty damn depressed.
See, from an early age my parents engraved in me the meaning of my name. No, it has nothing to do with the goddamn fruit. It's 'number one' or 'safeguard'. One who protects. And that's what I wanted to do; protect. Protect my mom and my sisters, my dad too. The whole damn family, cause I thought I was destined to, with a name like that.
But, apparently not. I couldn't save mom from that stray bullet that pierced her chest as she shielded me, protected me. I was supposed to do that, not her. So that's why I quit the dojo, that's how my mom died. Doing to me what I was training, meant, to do for to her. And that's why I was utterly fucking not amused and completely riled when Ooichigawa said he wanted a fight. Stirred up unpleasant feelings and memories I wanted to keep buried and hidden. Regardless of whether I was fending off someone for my sake or protecting someone else, it just… I just didn't like it. It just didn't sit well with me.
Anyways, I veered. Back on topic.
The bastard bully of the school'd apparently had enough of me and wanted to fight after classes. I knew it was gonna be a bullshit fight. He'd have his lame lackeys there to help him while I had no one. It'd be completely unfair, four or five against one, but I almost didn't care.
As the day progressed word about the fight did too. Kids would give me furtive glances in the hall, whisper about me, point. I didn't care bout that either. I planned to meet up with Oichigawa but I wasn't so sure I wanted to fight him, regardless of all the shit he put me through. But I was going, I wasn't just gonna run home like some punk.
So at the end of the day I walked to the black-top behind the school with a small crowd trailing me. My head was down and my hands were stuffed in my pockets so I didn't see what everyone was screaming about when I walked up. I looked up fully after a minute or so when I heard Oichigawa's voice. Immediately my eyes locked with another blue, blue stare right over Ryuu's shoulder. Transfer student Grimmjow Jaegerjaques' eyebrows were drawn together in a confused frown and I felt my face mirroring his. I pulled my eyes away from him and saw Ryuu between us, talking, and a bundle of students making a circle around the three of us. I quickly noted some of Oichigawa's hangers-on at the edges of the circle. I scoffed inwardly. Yeah, figures.
When I turned my attention back to Ryuu and heard what he was saying, I was incensed and extremely indignant. Come to find out he'd told both of us, me and Grimmjow, to be there; that he'd whip the both of us without a problem. At the same time. He'd do it easily, he said. He'd down me and Jaegerjaques without breaking a sweat, because we were nothing, worthless and weak he said and he laughed. And he looked so cocky and his words were so goddamn arrogant and… and belittling. I instantly felt white hot anger flare up inside. Like I could be taken down so easily. I briefly looked back to Grimmjow. His face was pissed and disgusted. Like either of us could.
As Oichigawa soaked up the crowd of on-lookers laughter my gaze strayed to Grimmjow again. The anger and disgust had faded from his face as a wicked grin took it's place. He raised his hand, cracked his knuckles and he was gone before I could even open my mouth.
A dull sound, like the sound you'd expect a five pound bag of flour hurtling into skin and flesh was heard. Everything got quiet, but then the second punch was thrown and the resurgence of the crowd was almost deafening
Grimmjow got in four straight blows before Oichigawa could even react. I was frozen solid, just watching.
"Fucking bastard!" he said as he caught Oichigawa with a mean right-hook.
Not long after Ryuu's buddies jumped in the fray. And things were moving so fast. Things were quickly escalating, but I was still froze. Still just watching, forgetting all about the fact that I was supposed to be in there too.
As I looked at Grimmjow's shit-crazed and deranged smile spreading across his face, I knew there was nothing I could protect him from or help him with. And watching as he swiftly dodged and fought back with Oichigawa and his friends, I was fucking certain. But amidst all the screaming students surrounding us, I was locked and keyed in on Grimmjow. It was obvious that he had formal training in martial arts. And some of his moves were so familiar. Moves that I'd tried out with sensei at the dojo but never mastered quite well before I quit.
My body was humming with awareness and life as I watched on, something I hadn't felt for those two years since moms passing. Buzzing with adrenaline and I hadn't even done anything yet.
And Grimmjow was screaming out taunts and insults left, right, and center. "C'mon bitch! That all you got?"
He'd say something different each time he downed one. "Goddamn, you punch like a real pussy!" I had the childish urge to cover my ears from some of the words that escaped his mouth. I'd very rarely heard someone use such vulgar language. I mean, we were sixth graders, twelve years old for Chrissake!
But Grimmjow cursed like a sailor and fought like someone that'd been born to, and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He ducked and threw punches, kneed guts and elbowed ribs. He moved so fluidly, he injured them with such effortlessness and he did it with the widest and most exhilarated grin on his face. When he got beat to the ground he'd get right back up, still smirking and laughing with such wild abandonment. His nose was bleeding and his lip was cut and swollen but he looked like he was having the time of his life. That smirk, that smile, that grin never wavered.
A movement to the far left caught my attention. Some random lackey. He had an object in his hand, a brick, and was easing his way towards the center of the tousle where Grimmjow was kneeling on someone and twisting their arm at a grotesque angle. He twisted and pulled and the pop was heard over all the yelling and screaming. Grimmjow grunted and applied a little more pressure, teeth bared in an aggressive and almost scary smirk. But he didn't see the guy. The lackey with the brick. He stood over that head of blue hair, red brick raised, ready to crash it over his skull. My heart skipped a beat and it was hard to swallow.
That - that brick could do serious damage. If it hit the right spot or a certain amount of force was applied, it could kill him. What was a sprained arm, a dislocated shoulder, bruises, cuts and black eyes compared to a potentially fatal blow to the head?
A gun shot resounds through my mind. Her bright, sunny hair and strangled cry. The redness seeping through her sundress… I took off, as fast as I could, before it was too late. Too late like it was the last time.
The kid was on the ground, brick forgotten, before I even knew what's going on again. I looked up from the kid on the ground and my eyes found light blue. Grimmjow looked at me and grinned. But it wasn't crazed, or scary, or wild. It was normal and grateful. Made my ears burn with a warm heat. I turned my head away.
But, long story short, that's how we met.
When it was all over Grimmjow'd taken down four or five guys while I only handled two. When it was all over I lent a hand to him and he got shakily to his feet; thanked me. He grinned at me one more time, slapped a strong hand on my back and limped off.
I stood there awhile. The rest of the class had fucked off and it was quiet, 'cept for the occasional groan from the beat-up boys around me. I stood there and watched as Grimmjow's hobbling figure disappeared from sight, reluctant to leave before it had.
That afternoon, I felt more awake than I had in days. More alive than I had in years.
And that's how it all began too.