During a big argument Orihime breaks up with Grimmjow. Are they better off without each other or do they need each other more than either of them is willing to admit? Orihime & Grimmjow OOCness.

Linked at the Heart

I

"I belong to you?!" Orihime glared at her boyfriend, who stood on the other side of the living room, behind the couch, "Oh so now all of the sudden I'm your property?"

"I never said you were, woman!" Her light blue haired Arrancar protested.

"When you say I belong to you you're basically implying that I'm property, Grimmjow! I don't belong to anybody!" Orihime said.

"You're my girlfriend, woman." Grimmjow slammed his hands down on the back of the couch.

"Yeah, I'm your girlfriend, Grimmjow. Not your property, not your servant, not your toy, and especially not your whore!" Orihime walked closer to the couch.

"That's not what I meant, woman!" Grimmjow stated.

"MY NAME ISN'T WOMAN, GRIMMJOW! Not human, not whore, not slut. It's Orihime, Ori-hi-me!" She snarled.

"When have I ever called you a slut or whore?" Grimmjow got in her face. He stared down into those angry grey eyes, which when he was still the Espada Sexta he loathed with a deep burning passion.

"Every single time we had sex and not once during those times or any other time, when we're not having sex, have I ever heard you say you love me or my name." Orihime replied, "That's all I'm good for to you apparently; a good fuck."

Grimmjow just stared at her, not protesting the statement in the least. Orihime's eyes widened when Grimmjow didn't protest, she backed away, "Get out..." Orihime said lowly, looking at her feet as she clinched her fists. Orihime headed for the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

"Oh come on woman…" The former Sexta followed after the small, but shapely woman.

"GET OUT!" Orihime turned around, bringing her open hand hard across Grimmjow's cheek and yelled with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Grimmjow looked at her a little surprised; he never saw that look in Orihime's eyes before, "Baby…" Grimmjow began.

"I'm not your baby anymore, we're through!" Orihime turned, "But I'll tell you this though; I don't want to see you or hear from you, ever."

"Fine. You'll be begging for me to come back by the end of the week." Grimmjow growled, headed upstairs grabbed a bag full of clothes, then left Orihime's apartment, slamming the door behind him for good measure.

Orihime watched him leave, and then said after the door was slammed shut, "Don't count on it."

######################### (End of Flashback, One month later)

II

"Damn it all to fucking hell. How could this day get any worse?" Grimmjow walked up the stairs to his run-down apartment with a snarl. He had just gotten laid off from his job at the bar downtown. When he reached the door, he pulled out his key ring and flipped through his keys and found the right one. He looked at the door when he noticed something taped to it. He raised an eyebrow, pulled it off then opened it, a low growl ripped from his throat when he saw the big bold letters in red read "evicted". "I just had to ask." Grimmjow went into his apartment, filled his bag then left.

The former Espada sat on the park bench silently. His hand slipped underneath the collar of his t-shirt and pulled out the necklace that he never took off. He felt of the charm of a panther made of a black metal on a black leather chain. Orihime had given it to him on their one month anniversary and Grimmjow had given her a night of passion. That night, one month ago after their fight, Grimmjow had taken it off and attempted to throw it in the river that ran under the park bridge, but he couldn't; some part of him deep down just couldn't let go. He didn't like to admit it, but he missed his girl; he missed the way she laughed, the way she smiled, the way she blushed when Grimmjow flirted with her. Then all of that ended when Orihime broke up with him. He also hated to admit that his heart had been aching since Orihime told him they were over and when she slapped him.

Grimmjow sighed as he lied down on the park bench and closed his eyes, his head supported by the bag he had, and waited until morning. He groaned when he heard thunder.

III

She rolled over underneath the soft sheets, trying hard to ignore the continuous irksome beeping of her alarm clock. Orihime yawned then turned off the alarm, stretched with a long groan, and then sat up in her king size bed. Orihime yawned widely as she ruffled her sleep-matted hair and got out of bed, her feet coming in contact with the cool wood floor. She slept well despite the storm last night; thunder always made Grimmjow nervous, he would keep Orihime up with his clinging and continuous flinching. She went to the bathroom, flipped on the light, went to the sink and turned it on, and then splashed cold water on her face. She patted her face dry with the plush hand towel then looked into the mirror. Right about this time Grimmjow would come in, say, "hey sexy", and then start sucking on her neck. That is, when they were together, but now Orihime was free to get ready without any distractions. Orihime shook off the memory and opened the medicine cabinet, pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste, then closed the cabinet and began to brush. After she finished she ran a brush through her long hair.

Orihime looked into the mirror and sighed when she realized what she was wearing, "That's the third time this week." Orihime pulled off the shirt then looked at it. It was one of Grimmjow's old t-shirts. Her brows bunched together as her mouth formed a frown, she threw the shirt on the floor. Orihime gripped either side of the porcelain sink and bowed her head with a big sigh. She looked at the shirt that lied on the stone tiled floor. She picked it up and held it up in front of her as if it were on Grimmjow that very moment and looked at it. She remembered that shirt, it was the one she had bought Grimmjow at the Avenged Sevenfold concert in America that one summer after High School. Orihime sighed again, she folded the shirt, went to the oak dresser and put it in the drawer were Grimmjow once kept his t-shirts, she pushed the drawer closed. She walked away and finished getting ready. Orihime was just about to head out the door when her eyes were drawn back to the oak dresser drawer, "Forget him Orihime," She told herself aloud averting her eyes from the dresser, "You're better off without him." She walked out the door.

#############

IV

He ignored the stares he received as he walked through the streets towards his destination, which was now only three more blocks away. He peered in through the glass window to see the light on over by the counter. His back was to the window. Grimmjow knocked on the window to get his attention. He turned around. He came to the door, unlocked it, and let him in, "Hey Grimmjow, I haven't seen you in a while." Ichigo greeted him. The two were on okay terms now that the war was over.

"Hey Kurosaki," Grimmjow said.

"What can I do for you?" Ichigo wondered.

"I was wondering if I could use your shower." Grimmjow answered.

Ichigo lifted a brow at him, "My shower?"

"Yeah…mine's broken." Grimmjow lied, it was embarrassing enough that he got evicted; it would be even more embarrassing to tell his ex-rival about it, "I just need fifteen minutes."

"Sure that's no problem. Go ahead. Take all the time you need." Ichigo said.

Grimmjow could always count on Ichigo for a favor, "Thanks." Grimmjow headed to the other side of the café and went up the stairs to Ichigo's apartment. It slipped his mind that Orihime worked at the café on the weekends. Orihime was rich yet she helped her friend out with his business. Grimmjow loved how Orihime had such a big heart.

Four minutes after Grimmjow went up the stairs Ichigo unlocked the door and propped it open. Three customers bid him good morning as he let them in; he smiled at them and bid the greeting back. Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, and Chizuru came in right behind the customers.

"Morning Ichigo." Tatsuki grinned.

"Hi Tatsuki." Ichigo said. They went behind the counter. Chad went to the kitchen. Chizuru, Tatsuki, and Uryu put on their waist aprons and went to business.

Ichigo waved at Orihime from back behind the counter as she walked in, "Good Morning Orihime."

"Hey Ichigo." Orihime grinned at her friend's smiling face. Ichigo always managed to greet her with a smile whenever she walked into the building despite any mood that he was in.

"Hey Ichigo, we're out of skim milk." Uryu called from the fridge.

"Shit, I knew I was forgetting something when I went shopping last night." Ichigo turned, and then he looked at Orihime, "Orihime, I have a gallon of skim upstairs in the fridge, would you mind go getting it for me?"

"Sure, I'll be right back." Orihime headed for the stairs.

"Uh-oh." Ichigo gasped a minute after Orihime went up the stairs.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Chizuru looked at him. Uryu and Tatsuki stopped what they were doing and looked at him too.

"I just remembered something…" Ichigo said as they came over to him.

"What?" Tatsuki wondered.

"Grimmjow's upstairs using my shower." He answered.

Tatsuki's eyes widened. Being one of Orihime's closest friends Orihime told her what had happened the day they split up, "Big Uh-oh."

################

V

Orihime opened the door to the apartment and went in. On her way back from the kitchen she noticed that there was steam pouring from the open door of the bathroom. She went to the door and her eyes went wide at who she saw standing with their back to her. The number six was tattooed on his back, even though he was in a Gigai the tattoo remained.

"Grimmjow?" Orihime never imagined that she would see the Pantera, in Ichigo's apartment.

Grimmjow turned around in surprise when he heard that voice call his name, he stared at her, "Woman…"

"What are you doing here?" Orihime wondered. Those two things about her not wanting to see or hear from Grimmjow just flew out the window.

"I was just using Kurosaki's shower." Grimmjow replied as he squeezed the water out of the chain of his necklace with a towel.

"What's wrong with yours?"

"Don't have one…I got evicted." Grimmjow looked away as he slipped on a clean shirt. Grimmjow thought it was embarrassing to tell Ichigo about being evicted, but it wasn't just embarrassing to tell his ex-girlfriend about being evicted, it was humiliating, yet he told her, it just didn't make any sense.

"Evicted? What about your job?" Orihime didn't really care because what happened to Grimmjow was no longer her business, but she just couldn't help being curious.

"I got laid off." Grimmjow slipped on his shoes.

Orihime looked at him for a minute, then chuckled, "What happened, did your boss and landlord finally realize how big of a jerk you are?" She wondered. Grimmjow looked at her, not a shred of amusement on his face. "So you've been staying here?" Orihime asked.

"No." Grimmjow replied as he stood.

"Then where?" She watched the former Sexta towel dry his hair.

"What do you care, woman?" Grimmjow glared. Grimmjow hated that he was being teased. "Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut?" He wondered inwardly.

"I don't." Orihime sat down the milk, leaned against the doorframe, and crossed her arms with a smirk; she found this amusing. Grimmjow always laughed at people like that, broke and homeless and now he was in their situation.

Grimmjow threw the towel into the hamper then turned his back to her, "Then why ask?"

"Curiosity." Orihime answered.

"More like looking for more reasons to make fun of me." Grimmjow reached into his shirt and rubbed on some deodorant.

"So what if I am?"

"So what if I don't like it?"

"Well then that's just your problem, now isn't?"

"Now you're the jerk, woman." Grimmjow and Orihime just looked at each other glaring. She rolled her eyes, picked up the milk, and turned to walk away. "I need you…" Grimmjow suddenly stated.

Orihime turned on her heels with a glare on her face, "Yeah to be your fuck toy, well I've already been down that road, Grimmjow, and there's no way in hell I'm going down it again."

"Why do you always call yourself my fuck toy?"

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS! I WAS YOUR TOY, BECAUSE YOU PRADADED ME AROUND IN FRONT OF YOUR FRIENDS TO RUB IT IN THEIR FACES THAT YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND WHO IS RICH, WHEN WE HUNG OUT WITH ICHIGO AND THE OTHERS YOU JUST COMPLETELY IGNORED ME LIKE I WASN'T EVEN THERE. I WAS YOUR FUCK TOY, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU'D START SOMETHING ALMOST EVERYDAY BECAUSE YOU WERE JUST HORNY NOT BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO SHOW ME HOW MUCH YOU LOVED ME, WHICH YOU DIDN'T AND STILL DON'T. WHENEVER YOU WERE DONE YOU'D JUST WALK AWAY WITHOUT LETTING ME DO A THING. " She yelled before they went silent. "Why the hell should I take you back after all you did?" She turned around and walked into the hall.

Grimmjow followed Orihime out into the hall, "I thought I was losing you to Ulquiorra!"

She stopped dead in her tracks; she turned, and looked at the Sexta, confusion on her face, "What?"

A deep blush covered Grimmjow's face, "N-Nothing. Forget it." Grimmjow turned to head back into the bathroom.

"No, no. What did you say?" Orihime walked up to him.

"I said…" Grimmjow looked in those big grey eyes and went quiet for a second, "…I said; I thought I was losing you to Ulquiorra."

"What on Earth would give you that idea?" Orihime arched a brow as she crossed her arms.

"I saw how much you smiled whenever you were around him and I thought he made you happier than I did, I thought you like him more than you like me, and if I didn't keep you entertained then you would leave me for someone who could."

Orihime's eyes widened, "So all that time he was trying to…" Her mind raced back to that argument they had over a month ago. Her eyes went round as saucers when Grimmjow pressed his lips against hers.

Grimmjow pulled away then wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead against her shoulder, "I didn't realize when I thought I was making you happy that I was making you miserable. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you and I'm sorry that I did. And I never said I loved you because I thought you knew, Hime." Grimmjow whispered against his ex-girlfriend's ear then her let him go. Grimmjow grabbed his bag, and then went downstairs.

################ (Three Days Later)

VI

Everyone on Main Street pitched in for the yearly Main Street Festival. There were games, music, contests, food, and so much more. Orihime and his friends agreed that this was the best Main Street Festival ever. Orihime walked through the crowd carrying two drinks. She said hello to the people that she knew as she passed them. She went to the bridge that connected the upper and lower parts of Main Street. "I knew I'd find you here." She said as the fireworks began. Grimmjow liked the Festival, he mainly came because it made Orihime happy and for the drinks, but he hated the fireworks much like he hated thunder.

He turned around from looking off in the distance, "Hey." He said before looking away.

"I got you a Brusque." Orihime stated holding the drink out to him. Grimmjow took it and took a big swig of it before sitting it down.

She looked at him then sat on the stone wall of the bridge, she drank her green tea. Orihime couldn't be drinking a beer or anything of the like if she was going to drive home. "So…how are you and Ulquiorra doing?" Grimmjow didn't really want know, but he wanted to get rid of the awkwardness.

"I'm not seeing anyone, Grimmjow." Orihime looked at the Pantera.

Grimmjow looked at her, "I thought…"

"I never stopped loving you, Grimmjow. There isn't and never was anything going on between me and Ulquiorra, he and I don't care for each other that way." Orihime said. Grimmjow looked at his drink. "About your shirts…" Orihime changed the subject.

"Yeah, I'll be by tomorrow to get 'em." Grimmjow was going to get the rest of his clothes out of Orihime's place. Grimmjow stood in front of her drinking the rest of his drink.

"Actually…I was thinking that you could leave them and maybe…move back in with me?" Orihime smiled when Grimmjow looked at her with shock. Grimmjow smiled when she grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"I missed you." Grimmjow whispered against his girl's lips.

Orihime ran her hands through the Sexta's soft thick hair, "I missed you too."

##########

"You know if you had told me everything you said the other day from the beginning we could have avoided this whole thing?" Orihime licked her ice cream cone as she held Grimmjow's fight calloused hand. They walked the sidewalk towards where Orihime's Mercedes was parked.

Grimmjow adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, "I know… I'm sor-" Grimmjow was cut off when Orihime laid her fingertips against his lips.

"Shhh, don't apologize anymore, I've already forgiven you." Orihime said, "I'm the one who should be saying sorry."

"What for? I'm the one who was in the wrong." Grimmjow walked around to the shotgun side of the car as Orihime got in on the driver's side. He threw his bag into the back seat.

"I feel bad; I feel like everything you went through after we broke up is my fault." She said when Grimmjow closed the door.

"It's not." Grimmjow looked at her.

"Next time something's bothering either one of us, let's just sit down and talk it out, okay?" Orihime closed her door.

"Yeah." Grimmjow nodded, "Can I ask you a question, Hime?"

"What baby?" Orihime put the key in the ignition.

"You're freaking rich, so why do you pick me instead of another rich dude?"

She looked at Grimmjow then smiled tenderly at him, "Because I love you." Orihime reached out and cupped Grimmjow's cheek with a warm hand. Grimmjow kissed the palm of Orihime's hand. "Come here," She whispered. They both leaned in, meeting each other half way with their lips. "Let's go home." Orihime said after they released each other, caressing Grimmjow's cheek.

"Sure." Grimmjow said. Orihime started the car, backed out, and got on the road. They both smiled when they say Ichigo and the others cheer as they drove past the café. "What about sex?" Grimmjow started out his window.

"What about it?" Orihime stopped the car at a red light. She could still see the fireworks from the festival out of the rearview mirror.

"We rule it down to when we're both horny?" Grimmjow looked at her.

"Fine, but we take turns being on top." Orihime smirked at him.

"What if I don't wanna?" Grimmjow smirked back, the AC blowing through his hair.

"Grimmjow…" Orihime said looking at him from the road then back again as she pressed down on the gas.

"Okay, that's fair."

VII

They fell back on the bed. Bare hot skin pressed together, sweat streaming down either body. Grimmjow was on top, Orihime on the bottom. Orihime wrapped and arm around Grimmjow's waist and locked a hand in his cerulean hair. Grimmjow laced his hands into her hair. Orihime fought a losing battle with Grimmjow for dominance over the kiss. Grimmjow pushed Orihime's tongue out of his mouth and then ravished every bit of hers. Orihime moaned when Grimmjow's hot talented tongue ran over her gums. Orihime forced her way into her lover's mouth and began to wrestle with Grimmjow's tongue, it made the Pantera groan.

Grimmjow released Orihime's mouth, he trailed kisses down her jawline, down her neck, and he paused to suck on Orihime's pulse for a minute before moving down to her chest, taking each nipple between his teeth and tugging gently. He left kisses in his wake as he moved down Orihime's stomach and across her waist line. Orihime was moaning uncontrollably. Grimmjow pulled away before he got carried away. He stopped and looked at the girl underneath him when a pair of arms locked him in place, "Where do you think you're going?" Orihime asked huskily with a lustful smirk. Grimmjow looked at her surprised and then grinned down at her.

Grimmjow smirked feral and licked his lips, "You asked for it."

##################

Grimmjow lied on his side of the bed wide awake; after he and Orihime were done a big thunderstorm came out of nowhere. He couldn't sleep with the continuous thunder, he felt weak being bothered by it. He had to force himself to lie still and not roll over and cling to the sleeping form beside him; he knew she hated that, especially when she was trying to sleep. Orihime was Grimmjow's source of comfort like a stuffed bear was for a child. He flinched again when a loud clap of thunder made the window and sky light shudder.

"Come here baby." Orihime said gently. Grimmjow rolled over without hesitating and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head against her stomach. In truth Orihime couldn't sleep either; they hadn't had a storm this bad in almost a year. She held Grimmjow to her as Grimmjow grabbed onto her. "Shh," Orihime began to massage Grimmjow's scalp remembering that he liked that. Grimmjow leaned into her touch with a purr. Orihime continued to massage Grimmjow's scalp to help him relax. Grimmjow's purring slowly helped her go to sleep. Grimmjow fell asleep along with her.

############

Grimmjow groaned awake with a big yawn. He looked out the window when he heard that the thunder had ceased to see that it was still raining, he looked at the bedside table where the lamp there served as the only source of light at the moment. He looked at the clock to see it was only eight o'clock in the morning. Grimmjow growled then rolled over, it was too early. Orihime had already gotten up; she was always an early riser.

Grimmjow poked his head up when he heard soft crying. "Hime," Grimmjow called, there was no reply. Grimmjow got out of bed, slipped on his boxers and jeans, and went to the closed bathroom door. "Orihime," Grimmjow said and still didn't get any answer, "Hime, I'm coming in." Grimmjow stated then opened the door. He saw Orihime sitting down by the tub with her legs against her chest, her arms crossed over the top of her knees, her face buried into her arms. Grimmjow cocked his head to the side slightly with an arched brow. "Hime," Grimmjow kneeled and petted Orihime's drenched hair, "What's wrong?" Grimmjow asked as he sat crossed legged in front of his girlfriend.

Orihime sniffled as she raised her head; she didn't look at the Pantera, "Nothing," Was her reply. She tried to wipe her tears away as she exhaled raggedly.

Grimmjow sighed, he took the hand towel off the rack, he put it over Orihime's head, and rubbed her hair dry, "Hime, do you remember what you told me last night?" Grimmjow wondered as he pulled the towel away.

"What?" She still didn't look at him.

"You said that the next time something's bothering either one of us we're gonna talk it out." The former Sexta said, "So tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not going to stay this age forever, Grimmjow." Orihime said, laying her head on her arms, "You're an Arrancar and will never age and I'm a human and will eventually grow old and when I do…" The girl's voice broke, "…You won't want me anymore…" She began crying again, lowering her head.

Orihime looked into those smoldering solid blue eyes when Grimmjow caught her chin and made her look at him, "Okay first, let's get rid of these tears," Grimmjow tenderly wiped the fresh tears from his lover's red puffy eyes, "Second, you're getting yourself worked up over nothing; there's no way in hell that that's ever gonna happen. I'm not going anywhere." Grimmjow held Orihime's face in his rough hands.

"Why wouldn't you?" Orihime asked as Grimmjow wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.

"Because I love you, Hime," Grimmjow answered.

Orihime smiled happily, "I love you too." She straddled the Pantera, braced the back of his head, and kissed him hungrily. Grimmjow smiled against Orihime's lips, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and rubbed Orihime through her pants. She moaned into Grimmjow's mouth as Grimmjow applied more pressure. Orihime deepened the kiss yearningly, running her tongue over Grimmjow's fangs, she lightly tugged on Grimmjow's hair making him growl lowly. She reached and unbuckled Grimmjow's belt.

"You want me that badly, huh?" Grimmjow asked gutturally as he smirked up at the girl. Orihime threw her head back and cried out throatily in pure pleasure when Grimmjow slipped his hand in and flicked his fingers over her clit. Grimmjow grinned and chuckled, "I'll take that as a yes."

FIN

It took a lot of hard work to finish and name this little jewel.

When I started I mainly just jotted down random dialogue that came to mind, when I went more into depth with my notes this is what I pieced together. I figured I made Orihime too forgiving, but whatever.

I hope you enjoyed it.