A/N: This is an edited version of the same story that I wrote a zillion years ago. I go back and I read my stuff and then I find faults and I try to fix them. Which is what this is. I hope you all like it just as much as the previous version, hopefully more. XD
Ichigo was confused. Angry, confused, and outraged. Grimmjow had gone too far this time. Luring him to a secluded warehouse, molesting him… Yeah. Way too far. Ichigo felt pretty pathetic himself- Grimmjow only had one arm, why the hell couldn't he just fend off the Espada?!
Grimmjow was currently holding him to the wall by the throat with one hand, ignoring the punches and kicks Ichigo sent his way. If only he could reach his Zanpakto! Damn it! The blunette finally managed to get his tongue in Ichigo's mouth, and Ichigo bit down hard.
Grimmjow jerked back, his pain obvious in the grimace on his face. Ichigo glared, breathing furiously. Grimmjow let out a breath, and Ichigo couldn't tell if he was pissed or… Or something else. The blunette leaned forward again, but this time did nothing but rest his forehead against Ichigo's. Nothing was said for several minutes, and since Grimmjow wasn't moving, Ichigo took the time to get his breath back and figure out a plan to get away.
Grimmjow moved, making Ichigo flinch in anticipation, but all the Espada did was gently nudge their foreheads together a few times in a strange pantomime of beating one's head against a wall. He sighed, and Ichigo was forced to breathe in his exhalation. And then the Espada was gone, seemingly disappearing in to thin air. Ichigo cursed loudly after him, ignoring the way the encounter made him feel, like he had somehow let his rival down.
oooOOOooo
Grimmjow hadn't gone far. Just to where he knew Ichigo would not be able to detect his reiatsu so long as he tamped it down hard enough. He stood quietly among the machines at the power plant, his right hand trailing along the dirty metal. It came away dark with grime, and Grimmjow sneered and wiped it on his pants. He sighed again, sitting heavily against a small power shed. Raising his right knee and keeping his left leg flat on the ground, Grimmjow rested his elbow on his raised knee, ignoring how his left shoulder ached.
His left shoulder ached all the time now. It was as if it knew that an appendage should be there, and was confused and complaining as to why it wasn't. A flash of anger came at the thought of Tousen, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Anything forcibly taken is not truly yours, Grimmjow. Except for in a battle, if you stole it, it will never be yours."
"Damn Shinigami." Grimmjow muttered.
Those same words had been shouted to him across a battle field by the one and only Ichigo Kurosaki. At the time, Grimmjow had been pissed. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? But now he understood. Now he understood perfectly. And what sucked even more was that Ichigo was right.
He wanted Ichigo. He thought perhaps he could just take the berry-head by force and that would be that. One time. Just enough to get the stupid Shinigami out of his head forever, and let him go on with his life in peace.
But when he was kissing Ichigo, when Ichigo fought back, there was some arousal. But mostly it was hurt. Hurt that Ichigo obviously didn't respond well to spontaneous molesting, and hurt that he had been right. If he really wanted Ichigo, he was going to have to take the long way around. Win him over. But how was he supposed to do that? Grimmjow didn't know how to love someone. Not properly. All he knew how to do was fight and kill and win. That was it.
And why would Ichigo like him anyway? He'd nearly killed the sonofabitch more times than he could count on two hands, and the same way vice versa. And even if that stuff hadn't happened, Grimmjow was an asshole. He knew that. And even beyond personality-wise, he was maimed and broken. He was missing a fucking arm, for chrissake. He couldn't hug Ichigo, or hold him. And the whole Shinigami vs. Espada thing would definitely make things difficult.
He'd left the Arrancars. So now he was a fugitive, too. He'd almost forgotten about that. Once his position as Sexta was taken from him, Grimmjow was too pissed to even see any of their faces anymore. He just… Couldn't take it. And rather than challenging Aizen (Grimmjow was headstrong, not stupid) head on, he'd left instead. And now he was hiding like some scared little animal and-
"This is all fucked up." Grimmjow growled to himself, curling his leg closer and burying his face into the crook of his elbow. He didn't want to see the world right now. "Dammit, I fucked up."
"Yes, I'd say you did." A nonchalant voice called.
Grimmjow's head snapped up. He was met with the vision of a man in clogs and a fedora-looking hat, his face mostly in shadow. He growled, low and menacing in the back of his throat.
"You really want a chance with Ichigo?" The man's voice changed subtly, becoming more serious.
Grimmjow stood and grabbed the front of the man's robes, snarling in his face. "How the fuck do you know about that?!"
"Doesn't matter. All that matters is that I want to give you a chance."
"…Why?"
"Because I think you'd be good for each other." The man said dryly.
It only took a second for Grimmjow to make his decision.
"I'll do it."
oooOOOooo
"Oh, Ichigooooo~"
"What the hell are you doing at my house, Urahara?!" Ichigo had opened the door at nine in the morning, only to be met with an overly cheerful Kisuke Urahara who was carrying something white and blue under his arm.
"I have a surprise for youuuu~"
"…Get in here before the neighbors call the cops." Ichigo stood aside with a resigned sigh.
Urahara flounced in, taking a seat on the couch without being asked. Ichigo closed the door and followed, not offering to get him a drink or anything considering he'd come unannounced. Also, it was Urahara. Knowing him, some weird shit was about to happen and they wouldn't have time for drinks.
"What's this 'surprise'?" Yes, Ichigo was a little curious.
"Here he is!"
"…He?"
Kisuke was holding up a disgruntled looking cat. It was white all over with black-and-blue tiger stripes up and down it's body. It was missing it's left front leg. Ichigo wasn't quite sure how this was supposed to be a surprise. Yes- a dumbass cat that got hit by a car. Big deal. What did Urahara want him to do, feel sympathy for the thing? Ichigo didn't even like cats.
"Yes, he! He is your new pet."
"What."
"Well, I certainly can't keep him. And so I thought who would love a wonderful pet cat? Ichigo, of course!"
"I think Orihime would be more appreciative than I am."
"Oh, but he's incredibly smart!"
"I don't want a cat, Kisuke."
"Oops, look at the time, I've got to go." Kisuke ran out of the house, leaving the cat in a heap on the couch.
"Hey! Hey! Get back here!" Ichigo ran after him, but he was halfway down the front walk before he realized that he'd never be able to catch up with Urahara at that rate.
So instead he stomped back inside, slamming the door behind him. Well, at least the rest of his family would be thrilled. They were all out shopping at the moment, so Ichigo was left to take care of the clinic by himself. This seemed to be happening a lot more lately. He came back to the living room to see the cat trying to sort out all its limbs, awkwardly balancing on the cushions. It looked up at him with the most heart breaking look on its face. The cat opened his mouth like it was going to meow, but no sound came out.
"Yeah, we both got jipped. You get landed with a missing limb and I get landed with you." Ichigo sighed. "You better get used to having three legs real fast, because I am not carrying you around everywhere, dude. It's just not happening."
And he walked out again, intent on getting back to Tumblr.
oooOOOooo
"Meow."
Ichigo ignored it.
"Mroww…"
Ichigo clicked on an image to enlarge it.
"Mew."
He was pretty sure that if he looked over he'd see the most pitiful thing he'd ever seen in his entire life. And then not give a fuck. He knew he sounded like a heartless bastard, but he just didn't like cats, charity case or not. And he'd been much more frustrated than usual because of the Grimmjow incident.
"Meow!"
"FINE. I'll let you out. Good god…" Ichigo got up and opened the back door just enough for a cat to slip through.
It gave him a look that plainly said 'I absolutely hate your guts but thank you' and ran out the door, hobbling and unsteady. Ichigo closed it without a second thought and went back to Tumblr. He checked the clock- it was nearly four in the afternoon. His family should be home soon. Ichigo wondered how his sister's day had gone, and what sorts of stories they had to share. Because they always had stories. Smiling at the thought, Ichigo went to check his email to pass the time.
oooOOOooo
"Ichi-nii! We're home!" Yuzu called.
Ichigo shut off the television, appearing the hallway with a smile on his face.
"Need any help carrying anything in?" He asked.
"No, I think we got it all. Thanks, though!" Karin grinned.
"What took you guys so long?" It was almost seven now.
"Dad got… Erm…" Yuzu started, blushing.
"Sidetracked." Karin said flatly, rolling her eyes.
"Ah." Ichigo understood instantly. "Did you make it through the flood?" He chuckled- it had started to rain at about five thirty.
"Yeah, we're fine. Karin thought to bring umbrellas." Yuzu set the bags down on the kitchen table and began putting away the groceries.
Suddenly, something Ichigo had been trying to remember clicked in his head. Four o'clock, what had he done? Let the cat out. It was seven now. It started raining five thirty. How long was that? An hour and a half that that cat had been out there in the rain. Oh. Shit.
Ichigo ran to the back door. Whether he felt pity or not for the cat, whether or not he liked cats in general, it was still a living being and so far hadn't done anything to deserve being left out in the rain.
Sure enough, there it was, sitting miserably on the back step. It was huddled into itself, eyes closed and ears down against the relentless raindrops, fur soaked to the bone and shivering. When Ichigo opened the door, it didn't even move. He scooped it up, trying to get the least amount of water on himself as possible, and brought it inside, kicking the door shut behind him.
"Karin, could you get me a towel from the linen closet?" He called. He heard a faint affirmative from the kitchen, which was where he was headed now.
Karin brought it to him, barely blinking at the sight of the cat. "Nice pet." She grinned. "He's cute."
"Thanks." Ichigo muttered, taking the towel from her.
He brought the cat into the kitchen, slipping past Yuzu and her squeals of happiness at the cat. Ichigo placed the animal into the sink, washing him with warm water to help warm him up before he started drying it off. The entire time the little animal looked up at him with bright blue eyes, an expression in them that was too hard for him to read.
Ichigo wrapped the cat in the towel when he was done washing him, taking it to the couch so that he could finish watching TV while he toweled off the cat. His dad had yet to make an appearance, so hopefully things would be peaceful long enough for the cat to get his bearings again. Ichigo began to rub the fabric over the cat's fur, getting everywhere he could and being very thorough.
"I'm sorry about that. I don't have to like you, but that doesn't mean I have to be cruel to you." He murmured to the cat. "So… Sorry."
"Murrr."
"That sounds like an 'I forgive you' if I've ever heard one." Actually, it sounded more like 'fuck you, bastard'.
Ichigo noticed then that the cat actually had a collar and a name tag. He took the time to look at it. It was named Sita.
"Sita? That's your name? Maybe we should start over." Ichigo sighed.
oooOOOooo
The cat took to laying in Ichigo's lap the rest of the evening, whether Ichigo liked it or not. It wouldn't stop moving, licking itself dryer than Ichigo had managed with the towel. The first time Ichigo stood up to get it off his lap, Sita fell to the floor and flat on his face. Yuzu was concerned for the cat's safety, Karin thought it was the funniest thing in the entire world, and Ichigo tried to be indifferent, but found that the way Sita looked absolutely miserable was actually pretty cute.
When Ichigo made an executive decision to go to bed, he began climbing the stairs slowly. After a few seconds, he heard a gentle rhythm of thumps behind him. On the landing, he looked back. There was Sita, dutifully following him as if he was climbing a mountain. The cat was attempting to leap two stairs at a time, and actually making good progress. Once he was at Ichigo's feet, he looked up as if to say 'that's all you got?! Bring it!'
Ichigo just scooped him up and carried him the rest of the way, griping about how Sita really needed to learn how to use three legs instead of four.
oooOOOooo
Ichigo lay in bed, the lights off and a thin sheet covering him, keeping him cool in the summer heat. The only warning he got was a little purr before Sita jumped up on the bed for the fifteenth time. Ichigo didn't push him off this time. The cat seemed to get the message though and walked to the end of the bed, curling there and not making another noise. Kon's muffled yelling came from somewhere deep within the closet, but Ichigo ignored it.
He closed his eyes, and within minutes, was asleep.
oooOOOooo
Ichigo came home a week later to a very interesting scene. Sita, up on a very high shelf holding Kon's severed tail in his mouth, watching the stuffed animal running around the room, tail flicking behind him, bright blue eyes watching the lion's every move. Kon, meanwhile, was running in circles screaming at the cat to drop his tail this instant or so help him-
"Or so help you what?" Ichigo asked, amused. Sita's head snapped up, eyes suddenly alight.
"Mrow!" The meow sent Kon's tail falling to the floor, but the cat didn't seem to care anymore.
Kon snatched up his tail and ran for it, trying to figure out how to reattach it. Meanwhile, Sita leapt off of the shelf and trotted up to Ichigo, tail waving. He had gotten much better at walking and running over the past few days, and Ichigo had actually gotten pretty attached to him. He picked up the cat, cradling him gently against his own chest, listening to the loud purr that had started up from the animal.
The phone rang, so Ichigo, holding Sita in one arm, went to answer it.
"Hello, Kurosaki clinic, how may we help you?" He asked, trying to sound cheerful.
"Heyyy, Ichigo!"
"What do you want, Urahara?" Ichigo was suddenly no longer trying to sound happy.
"Would you mind coming over for a little bit? And bring the cat with you! Bye-bye now!"
As usual, Urahara left no room for argument and hung up. Sighing, Ichigo shrugged. He might as well go now. He wondered if he should get a cat carrier for Sita, but decided hesitantly to try just walking with the cat in his arms. He toed on his shoes and stepped outside. Sita did not move. Relief flooded his chest. Ichigo, shrugging it off, began walking down the sidewalk. No one was there but him, so there were no weird looks received. Thankfully.
Then, when they were almost there, Sita jumped out of his arms. Fear for the cat's safety overcame Ichigo for a moment, and he hesitated. Then he realized that the cat just wanted to walk- it was actually following him so closely that they were brushing each other. So he kept going, albeit a little more nervously this time.
"I'm here." They made it, however, with a minimum of trouble.
"Urahara wants you to go to the training room." So that's where Ichigo went, Sita still following his every move in that weird hobbling hop that he had.
A strange thing happened the moment they entered the room, however. Sita began to grow. And grow. And grow. And then there was cursing, lots of it.
"Urahara, what the fuck, you said three days-"
"Grimmjow?! What the hell?!"
"I never said anything about three days~"
"Ya fuckin' said, three fuckin' days. What the hell."
"Grimmjow!"
"What, Ichigo?!"
"I'm just going to leave you two here to sort out your issues. Please don't try and escape, you'll only hurt yourselves."
And again, Kisuke was gone, the glint in his eye telling them he was serious.
"…He really pisses me off." Grimmjow grunted. "Is he like that all the time?"
"That's not the point here. What the hell is going on?!"
"… Maybe we should sit down."
"Bullshit. Quit stalling, Grimmjow. What's going on?!"
"Alright. Just don't hit me when I say I told ya so." Grimmjow shrugged, grinning nervously. "So. Um. I… I… Fuck, I like you Ichigo."
"What."
"More than I ever should have, alright?! Don't ya dare make me fuckin' say it again." Grimmjow took a shuddering breath. "And you were right. You were always fucking right, Ichigo."
"What… What do you mean?" Ichigo was thoroughly dazed by now. Grimmjow…? Liked him?
"I mean, when you said that ya can't have anythin' if ya take it by force. That it ain't yers. And ya were right, 'kay? I… I tried ta take ya by force, but it didn't feel right. It didn't feel right here." Grimmjow wasn't looking at him as he placed his hand over his Hollow Hole. "Or here." His hand moved up to his chest. "Or here, even." And he tapped his temple.
What was this, Grimmjow becoming morally sound?! Ichigo eased down and sat on the last staircase step, Grimmjow watching his every move with trepidation. The teal haired man cleared his throat and continued, gathering the last vestiges of his pride and courage.
"So, like the fuckin' pussy I am, I ran and hid from ya. That's when Urahara found me and asked me if I wanted another chance. I wasn't 'bout to pass that up. I didn't know he was going to turn me into a fuckin' cat and send me to live with ya." Grimmjow's mouth went dry. "I'm… I'm sorry, Ichigo. I… I didn't know he was gonna-"
"Shut up."
"I wouldn't've gone with it if I kn-"
"Shut up, Grimmjow."
"I'm really, really sorry."
"Shut up, Grimmjow."
Grimmjow's jaws shut with an audible click. His right hand had clenched into a fist, and his knees felt like jelly. Ichigo was silent for a long, long time.
"…I-Ichigo? Say somethin'." He paused a second before confessing, "You're scaring me." Why did he feel so vulnerable right now? He was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, killer of many, fearsome Espada! And here he was, stuttering like a weak little fool?! What the hell was wrong with him?!
"Grimmjow, come here." Grimmjow scooted closer to Ichigo. "Sit down." He did, next to Ichigo on the step.
"I think… All you had to do to get me to go out with you was ask me on a date." Ichigo stated bluntly.
Grimmjow had no idea what to say to that for a little bit, and was quite gobsmacked.
"Kiss me you idiot." Ichigo finally grumbled under his breath, blushing furiously.
Grimmjow did.
It was soft, hesitant, and nothing at all like his previous attempt. This time it didn't feel wrong. It didn't feel way too fast and way too hard. It was firm, yes, but more gentle at the same time.
"What happened to all your ferocity, Grimmjow?" Ichigo taunted when they separated, a little misty eyed.
"I… I wanted to show ya that I'm not… Not always who people think I am." Grimmjow was afraid to touch Ichigo, afraid to send him running. But at the same time, he wanted to cling to Ichigo's shirt and prevent him from doing so, force him to listen. He didn't, though. "I wanted to show ya that I'm not always like that. That I'm not always such a horrible person." Grimmjow seemed to crumple under the weight of his own words, as if saying them made them true. Ichigo didn't miss this, watching as Grimmjow's head drooped to look at the ground rather than the person he was addressing. "That… Even if we're total opposites, that maybe we can work. If only for a little while."
"I don't want a little while." Ichigo growled, taking a hold of Grimmjow's cheek and forcing the Espada to look at him again. "I want forever. Or as close to it as we can get." He rubbed his thumb over Grimmjow's mask, trying to soothe the growing agitation he saw in the teal haired man's eyes.
"So… Ya still want me… even if I'm a total dick?"
"Even if you're a total dick."
"Even if I'm a Hollow?"
"Even if you're a Hollow."
"…Even if I've only got one arm?" Grimmjow smiled a very fragile, hopeless smile, gesturing to his left shoulder. For some reason, this felt like the most important question of all.
"Especially if you've only got one arm." Ichigo kissed him again, and Grimmjow felt like flying. Like maybe, just maybe, things weren't going to be so bad after all.