Cool

Blood and Math

Grimmjow stood in front of his whiteboard tapping his lip with the marker, going over the theory again. He had been trying to solve the Birchi and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture for five months and 21 days now. It had of course been on his free time, the university wouldn't let him work on it as he wasn't finished with the work he was hired to do. Not that he didn't put an effort into his normal research, it was that he had hit a snag and got tired of throwing a tennis ball at the wall.

He almost had it. He just had to think. Argh! How could he think with all that noise? That annoying ringing. Ringing? Carp his phone! Sorting through papers on his desk he tried to locate the sound. Finding it in an empty coffee cup he answered it.

"Finally! I thought you had died." Starks lazy tones drew themselves out of the speaker. "Still at work?"

"No, home. But I'm working."

"Good, then you can come over to the gym." Grimmjow frowned.

"I said I was working." He heard Stark sigh.

"I thought you wanted to try boxing? 'cause that time we went to the pub you said and I quote 'Stark, I want to do what you do. I may be built like a brick shithouse but if something really happened I would fall like I was made of hay.' So are you coming?"

He had to have been really drunk if he had admitted that to his friend.

"Yeah."

….oooo0000000oooo…..

Hefting the bag when it slipped off his shoulder he walked through the door to the gym. He had never been here before even though Stark owned it. The hallway was filled with photographs, news clippings and posters. There was a trophy case filled with trophies, belts and framed photographs. There were a lot of them; apparently Stark's gym was good. Grimmjow felt bad seeing that Stark was his only friend and he only knew that he was a retired professional boxer and that he owned a gym. He looked at one photograph showing Stark in the ring beating the crap out of his opponent. Next to it was two green belts with WBC inscribed into the metal buckles. World champion, huh… Suddenly he was kicked on the back of the knee causing him grab the case.

"How long are you gonna stand there and stare, shithead!" Turning around he saw a small blond girl wearing a white bikini top and pink hot pants.

"What the hell Lily! Don't go kicking people like that, and what the fuck are you wearing?" Grimmjow growled at Stark's wild daughter. She smiled and posed.

"Like it? When I'm with Stark I get to wear whatever I like."

"Aw, Lily… Can't you at least call me dad?" Stark stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame. "Grimmjow, it's good that you could make it." Grimmjow looked at the tired man who he hardly knew anything about even if he called him his friend.

"Yeah." He couldn't think of anything else to say, but then again he was never gifted with the ability to sustain a normal conversation unless he was talking about mathematics. Lily growing bored at the lack of action kick him in the shin.

"Come on, you're not gonna learn how to box by standing in the hallway." She walked into the gym and Stark came up to him.

"You can put your things in here." He opened a door that led to the locker room. "Change your shoes and join us, okay?"

"Sure." Stark looked at him again then left. Quickly tying his running shoes and dumping his bag on a bench, he walked out and into the heart of the gym. Two rings on platforms filled out the back of the large hall. Boxing bags hung from the ceiling and there were mirrors on one side of the wall. A couple of men lifted free weights and jumped rope. Others were using the bags and a pair was up in the ring. They were in the middle of beating each other senseless and Stark and Lily watched. He walked over and he could feel the eyes on him. Sure he was big, had large muscles and blue hair so it wasn't so surprising but that didn't mean he liked it. Stark noticed him when he came closer.

"I have to coach these two but Lily will help you with the gloves and then I'll get one of the guys to help you." Grimmjow nodded and followed Lily.

She wrapped his hands and wrists then proceeded with tying on the gloves.

"Feel good?" He flexed his hands and nodded. "Okay, let's find Stark so you can get going."

He rose from the chair he had been sitting on but then the doors suddenly burst open. In walked an orange haired man, skinny and shorter than average with a beer in his hand boxing gloves in the other. Lilynette screamed and then threw herself on the man. Apparently used to it he grabbed her with the hand holding the gloves and spun her around.

"Berry, I missed you!" He put her down and pulled her into a headlock.

"What up with this Berry name calling and I saw you last week." Lily giggled and pulled herself out.

"You used to come a lot more often, and you are my berry-chan aren't ya." The man rolled his eyes and smiled.

"You have been watching too much anime." Stark had now walked over and stood towering over the man.

"Ichigo, I told you, you can't train here if you're drunk." Ichigo smiled and waved the bottle.

"I'm not drunk, though I have been drinking." Stark looked more tired than usual and pinched his nose bridge.

"I still can't let you, but since you're already here you help with the fresh meat." Ichigo groaned.

"Fine, but if they're trash I will hurt someone." Stark waved Grimmjow over and standing close to Ichigo, he saw that he was Asian and pretty. It took a lot for Grimmjow to notice someone else's attractiveness so Ichigo must be a real looker to everyone else. Stark noticed Grimmjow's stares and both he and Lilynette left quietly.

"Whoa, you're a big one. Name's Ichigo."

"Grimmjow."

"Got any experience with boxing?" He smiled at him.

"None." Grimmjow didn't smile back and Ichigo frowned.

"How about fighting, you look like you fight?" Grimmjow shook his head.

"What! You're in a gang and don't fight? Rely on your gun, yeah?"

"I'm not in a gang, and I have never used a gun." Ichigo looked confused.

"Then who the hell tattoos their face and is not in a gang. Is it some kind of fetish?" Grimmjow touched the teal mark under his eye. He had forgotten he had those.

"Got drunk at a frat party, woke up this these in a strip club." Ichigo gaped.

"Seriously? So, what do you do then?"

"I'm a mathematics professor at the university."

Ichigo blinked. "Dude! I was not expecting that, I was more thinking along the lines of a bouncer."

"…" Grimmjow, say something, now! "Ehm… W-what do you do?" Ichigo looked up at him, no longer smiling.

"I'm a fighter, that's all I know. Me and Stark grew up together, we both trained here, at his dad's gym. He went on to become world champion and I didn't. Enough talk; let's see if ya are something more than big." He threw the beer in the trash and walked over to a bag. Grimmjow followed silently.

"Okay, I'm going to show you the basic punches then you can try. When I think you're ready we can practice with punching mitts and at the end if you're up for it we can try out the ring. Sounds good?" He nodded and Ichigo began giving him instructions. Grimmjow worked out regularly since he was a kid. He had been taught to keep a strong mind you need a strong body but boxing was different from lifting weights. It demanded concentration and Ichigo had to show him many times before he got it. But when he got it Ichigo smile grew bright and he playfully punched his arm.

"Great work Grimmjow! Come on, let's work with your feet now and try out some feints." They moved to the open area in front of the rings and Ichigo brought the punching mitts with him. First he showed him the basic foot movements used in boxing and then some blocks and feints. Strapping on his mitts they went to work. Grimmjow had a hard time with the coordination but was slowly getting it. Luckily it was easy for him to remember what Ichigo told him so when Ichigo called out different stances he could do them, though not good. That apparently didn't matter, Ichigo was happy with him. He complemented him and theorized that most that train boxing have had to little brain cells to remember everything at the first. Though he was sweating and tired, he was having fun and when Ichigo asked him if he wanted to spar he said yes. Ichigo changed Grimmjow's gloves to sparring gloves, smacked a helmet on his head and shoved mouth-guard in his mouth. Then wrapped his own hands up with an expert's skills and put on both helmet and a mouth-guard. He tied one glove himself but Grimmjow had to help him with the other. Ichigo easily ducked under the rope and held it up for Grimmjow.

"Now, we're just going to have fun and if you think you have to hold back because you're heavier than me you got another thing coming. So gloves up and let's begin."

It was a lot harder hitting someone who was hitting back. Ichigo kept dodging his punches and liked to jab him in the stomach. During the fight Ichigo yelled out helpful tips and at the end he managed to get in some good hits. Especially the one to the cheek that made Ichigo's head snap to the side in what looked really painful. Thinking he had hurt him he lowered his gloves and Ichigo punched him so hard in the face he fell. Ichigo stood over him smiling.

"I told you to keep the gloves up, not matter what. Or else that happens." Grimmjow picked himself off the floor. "Always protect your vitals, head and chest. Now, how was it?"

Grimmjow smiled for the first time they had talked and Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, it was fun." Ichigo punched him again on the shoulder.

"Good. Hit the showers and I hope you'll come again." Grimmjow nodded and left.

…ooo0000000000ooooo…

When he came out from the gym he saw Stark, Ichigo and Lilynette waiting for him outside in the parking lot. They all smiled at him, it was a bit creepy because it had that hungry edge like a predator.

"Ichi tells me you're going to come back." Stark said. Grimmjow nodded.

"Good! I liked your moves out there, you're still young so it will come easy for you and I think you can benefit from getting away from your work." Ichigo looked startled at Stark.

"What do you mean young? He's a professor!"

"Grimmjow is one of those kids who are annoyingly smart. You're 22 now right?" Grimmjow nodded and Ichigo gaped at him.

"I thought you were our age." He flicked his thumb between Stark and him.

"Don't worry Berry-chan! You still look young!" Lilynette hugged Ichigo's waist.

"Why berry, Lily?" Stark asked and Ichigo smacked his forehead.

"Ichigo is strawberry in Japanese! Like the heroin in Tokyo Mew Mew!"

"Mew mew? What the hell did your parents name you?" Ichigo growled

"It means the one who protects! Not strawberry! Totally different kanjis!" Lilynette giggled as Ichigo got more flustered and both Grimmjow and Stark laughed. Though the laughter was cut short by a black car's that drove into the parking lot. Ichigo frowned and Stark looked sad.

"That's my ride, see you later guy." Ichigo threw his gloves over his shoulder and walked towards the car. He looked over his shoulder. "Lilynette, if I see you wearing something that vulgar again I won't hang out with you anymore!" Lily yelled profanities back at him but Ichigo just laughed. He opened the backseat door and Grimmjow could see a man in a white suit sitting on the other side. He couldn't see his face though. Ichigo got in and the car drove off.

"What was that?" Grimmjow asked.

"Ichigo's job. He's a grad-A idiot. Ignore him. Now, do you want a beer?"

"What about Lily?"

"Oh yeah… We'll grab one at my place."

I wanted to write something were Grimmjow isn't the fighter/gangster/whatevva and somewhat geeky/awkward, sorry if he's horrible ooc in this chapter. I want him to grow into his normal cockiness . Also I wanted a strong Ichi and that he was the older one. All to mix it up! Guess who Ichi is working for, and what is he doing that makes poor Stark sad O_o

Also I don't know anything about boxing (googled it) and though I have studied mathematics at the university I have no idea of the Birchi and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture is actually solvable. If something is horrible wrong please tell me ^^ Cheerio