yo it been a while! i took the time to plot this out and i gotta say i have things planned for this fic, but i dont know when ill get around to it. id like to thank honeyMellon and ShadowThorne for their amazing fics because i took inspiration from them for this fic.

this is kinda more of a prologue than a chapter, but feel free to leave feedback! its always welcome and appreciated.

EDIT: PLEASE READ! i fixed the currency because i forgot that this story is set in japan lmao- so instead of $50 its ¥5,000. sorry for the notification to those of you that followed this story im working on it right now as we speak i swear! thanks!

PROLOGUE:

THE ROUTINE

Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep bee-!

A heavy hand slammed the snooze button on the annoying digital alarm, amber irises cracking open to glare at the too bright red numbers. Tangerine locks were mussed, but nothing a hat couldn't fix. He let his eyes close for a moment, a deep sigh leaving the man's chest.

3:00AM.

Have you ever heard the expression about 'carrying the world on your shoulders'? Well, it wasn't the world, but it sure felt like it. Ichigo's day started at 3:00AM. He would wake up and make sure breakfast was made, his sisters lunches packed and their alarms set for them to wake up in time for school. Then, he would pack all his uniforms he washed the prior night and head off to his first job. At the bus station, he would wiggle into his first uniform by 4:00AM and begin his route at 4:15AM.

When he pulled into the last station of his route and switched places with the afternoon driver at noon, Ichigo would change into to his second uniform. A delivery guy for Unagiya Deliveries until 6:00PM, when he would again, switch uniforms. By 6:30PM, he was a busser for Kageyoshi, a highly upstanding restaurant in the city. This job held him captive until 11:00PM, though he usually got home around 12:00AM because of the walk home and the rare times he would stay late and help close. His sisters tried not to cause him too much stress, because they knew he had too much on his plate already, but he trusted them to do their school work and come home safely. If they weren't asleep by the time he got home, he would usually scold them, but they were good kids.

After checking his sisters, Ichigo would wash his uniforms and crash. Then, rinse and repeat.

...It wasn't always this way.

Ichigo could still hear his sister's cries when their father passed away. Isshin had been a great father and worked himself bone tired everyday at the hospital, but in the end his life had withered away just like anyone else's. For a while, Ichigo believed that no matter how much you tried the world would find a way to bring you down and in the back of his head, behind all his duties and worries, he probably did still believe that. Except now he took his sisters lives into consideration. Before their old man had bit the dust, Ichigo had been a successful college student studying in medicine to follow in his father's footsteps. It just seemed right to do so. He didn't want to be a doctor- but what other choice did he have?

He regretted that soon enough, though. Going to college to become a doctor was expensive, and it would take too long. He didn't have the money nor the time to continue his studies, so he dropped all his classes. Yuzu and Karin- his sisters- had told him they would drop out of Highschool to get jobs as well, but he refused to let them. He would carry their burdens just like how their father had. He was their caretaker now.

He would carry the world on his shoulders if it meant his sisters got to live their lives in peace.

-o0o0o-

"Grimmjow-sama, your father has requested you to meet him in his office in ten minutes. Will you be awake by then?" Grimmjow groaned at the sound of Shawlong's smooth tenor, burrowing further into the plush mountain of pillows that were scattered among his bed. These pillows moved, however, and they were accompanied by even, slow breaths; which made him growl. Seriously? This bitch hadn't left during the night like they'd arranged? And now he was cuddling with her?

Grimmjow lifted his face from the soft mounds that belonged to the woman he'd picked up the night before. She was alright, but she had agreed to his terms and here she was, in all her naked glory. Still. In. His. Fucking. Bed. Shawlong cleared his throat, but remained quiet, still waiting for a response.

"Yeah, yeah. Let 'm know I'll be up in twenty." The blue haired man grumbled in response, lifting his body from the bed to make his way to his adjoined bathroom. The tall butler bowed as he walked by, not bothered by Grimmjow's lack of clothing. "Yes, Grimmjow-sama. Shall I bring breakfast for your guest?" Grimmjow snorted at Shawlong's inquiry, a filthy grin splitting his features in two. Vivid, cruel eyes flickered to the clock near his rooms entrance, before returning to his butler.

11:03AM.

"Nah, just call security. I want her gone before 'm done with my shower."

"Yes, Grimmjow-sama."

-o0o0o-

2:36PM.

Ichigo tipped his hat to the elderly woman that climbed aboard the bus, smiling politely as she gathered her change for the bus fare. Only two more hours to go, then he could run to his next job and hope it was a slow day at the delivery agency. It was Tuesday, so he would be working the shift with Chad.

All the drivers carried a phone that acted like a walkie-talkie, so they could communicate to the other drivers during their shifts. Ichigo waved to the two young boys that climbed aboard with their mother and thanked her as she paid for the fare when he heard a beep from the device hooked onto his belt. He frowned, thinking of all the drivers that were on the shift with him today and concluding he never really talked to any of them. It was strange that they'd be contacting him rather than waiting for the end of the shift, when Ichigo would stand and listen to them gripe in the employee room for a few minutes before he was off to his other job.

He unlatched the walkie-talkie and pressed the blinking red button, leaning into the mic as he turned the corner onto the next street. "Yo, Kurosaki here." He mumbled, trying to keep his voice down as to not disturb the passengers.

"Hey, Kurosaki. You're in for a real treat when you get to Kinogaya and Mitsumiya." A rough growl came through the speaker, making him raise an eyebrow. Madarame? What the hell was he talking about? Ichigo pursed his lips as he slowed the bus down when he reached the next stop. "What're you talking about, Madarame? You're creepin' me out." Ichigo replied, greeting the people at the stop with a smile despite his worries.

"Haha! Well, I wouldn't say a treat. This guy's kinda an ass." Madarame continued, a mysterious chime in his voice. "Anyway, I'll leave you alone. Hope that guy don't try to give you a big ol 5,000 bill for what it's worth. Madarame out." The call ended abruptly, making Ichigo blink dumbly at the makeshift phone before he placed it back on his belt, the streets Madarame had given him repeating in his head over and over again ominously.

Kinogaya and Mitsumiya. He'd be there in thirty minutes, maybe less.

Who in their right mind tried to pay for bus fare with a 5,000 bill, though? That was just completely inconsiderate.