FEN: I changed the title to Co-Existing because I just found out that the previous one had already been used for four times already on different Bleach pairings... and it really didn't have much connection to the fic anymore anyway since I tweaked my story board again just before I went on with this chapter. Sorry about that. D8

Besides the story board, I also rewrote a few parts of chapter one. Nothing that had direct connection to the main plot has changed, so you wouldn't miss anything even if you decide not to read it. It's almost just Shiro being more pervy and annoying around Grimmjow, having the conversations a livelier, and everyone being a little more responsive. I got to say, Shiro is a really fun character to use. :3

Thank you for all the wonderful 12 reviews! I will Internet!Glomp you all! *GLOMP* 8D


Co-Existing.
Chapter Two.

Grimmjow awoke to the sound of a pleasant melody, coaxing him sweetly into consciousness along with the warmth of the sun's rays caressing his tan skin. Still dazed, the smooth rhythm met no resistance as it swarmed and crawled all over him to take him back to the unconscious world.

Was it a piano piece being played? It seemed quite so, but who was the one playing?

Hm...

He couldn't take a guess...

He felt far too relaxed to move from his place and find out.

xxx

"...itty. Rise an' shine, sleepy kitty. Kitty,"

The blue-haired guardian woke up the second time that morning with a melodic sound pulling him to the surface consciousness, although this time it wasn't in any way pleasant. The very second it reached his ears and registered in his brain, his lips automatically locked into a deep scowl. Mornings that started like this had never been once pleasant.

Grimmjow sat up with a grunt and rubbed his aching neck, having spent the whole night sleeping in an awkward position on a chair definitely had its downs. "What?" he muttered sleepily to the albino peering at him curiously.

The albino smirked; then tackled him off the wooden chair and into the gloriously carpeted floor. "Good mornin', buddy!"

See what it means? Although mornings started like this had been quite frequently made lately, Grimmjow just couldn't grasp whatever concept of it. Above everything, he hated being touched, but Shiro just had to have the habit of forgetting things like it and the habit of doing them every time.

"Agh! Get off, Shiro!" He struggled and growled as he clawed at the pale and long arms tightly wrapped around his torso for freedom. "The hell are you here for?!"

"'is yer wake up call, stuuuuupid." The albino drawled, entangling his partner's furiously kicking legs with his own to immobilize them. Smirking, he tightened his hold even more and pulled Grimmjow's blabbering mouth into his clothed chest to muffle it. Koichi giggled at the strong vibrations it brought.

"Mpfh! Mmfhhntt! Mhmmmnnn!! Mnmfhtt!!!"

"I do'wanna let ya go, kitty," he whined, rolling Grimmjow's now flushed face into his chest. "I was so cold an' lonely sleepin' without ya las' night."

"Mmfhhtt!!!"

The albino raised a brow, not quite getting what his partner wanted to say. He slid his hand up to Grimmjow's light blue hair and jerked it back a little to see his face. "Wha's that, Grimm?"

"Fuck you!" He gasped out before he was forced back into the albino's black shirt.

"Yer no fun, Grimm." Koichi muttered, shoving Grimmjow's face into his chest more to the point that he actually began feeling the man's spit getting smeared all over him. "Bu' wha'ever! Ichi owes me some money anyhow. Thanks fer yer patronage, kitty. I really don' see wha—ow! Wha' the hell, dammit?! Don' go sinkin' those canines on me!"

"You asked for it." Grimmjow wiped his lips with the back of his fists and moved off of the hissing albino. He stood up and walked into the adjoined bathroom where there was a mirror to check his teeth. "Tch. You made my teeth bleed."

"Yer th' one with th' bitin' fetish, kitty. Dun' blame this on me."

"This wouldn't have happened if you weren't being such a sap..." he muttered over his shoulder and then turned back to the mirror to check more closely. Pressing his thumb against his fangs, he smeared the blood all over his teeth until all the color was gone and spitted down the drain.

"I missed ya, ya kno'."

"Whatever." Grimmjow clicked his tongue and then walked back to the room. "Now, get out."

"Whhhaaaa'?? Yer gonna kick me out 'lready?"

"In my entire life, that's a question that will always be rhetorical to me." He nudged the albino's head. "Get up and get out."

"Noooooo~" the albino seized Grimmjow's leg and began to whine, "Dun' send me out 'lready! I'll do anythin' ya wan'! Jus' dun' send me away!"

"Gah! You had too much coffee again, didn't you?!" the blue-haired growled and stomped around, dragging the albino, who was on his stomach, all around the supposed room where everyone was supposed to always keep calm and quiet. "Shit! I totally forgot to tell those maids about it!"

"Stop movin' 'round, kitty. Yer hurtin meh~"

"Ain't that the point?! Let go!"

"Bu' I wanna' help yaaaaa~" the albino continued to whine much to Grimmjow's annoyance, but had luckily been nice to let go of the taller man's long leg although with a blatant pout. "I wanna give 'er a baaaaaaath~"

"...a bath?" one crooked brow rose, "What're you bitching about now?"

"Dun' tell me yer jus' gonna push 'er 'round 'thout lettin' 'er take a bath, Grimm!" Grimmjow suddenly turned away at this and grumbled. "Well? Were ya gonna?"

"Of course not! Why the hell would I do that?!"

"Uh-huh,"

"Shut up!"

"I ain't sayin' anythin'." The albino shrugged, getting up to his feet. "Well, whether yer lyin' or not, lemme do t'is choir fer ya, 'kay?"

"Whatever makes you happy."

"Tha's jus' wha' I love 'bout kitties." Koichi grinned and giggled, pushing the blue-haired guardian out of the room. "Now stay where ya 're until I call ya, 'kay?"

"Hn." Grimmjow crossed his arms and let his partner usher him outside. Once he was locked out for some mysterious reason, he began to look around and take in the different atmosphere floating around the large halls. It was quiet. So awfully quiet. He had seen lots of servants the first day they came here, but where were they? And what was with the crazy paintings covering every inch of the high walls? The paintings seemed really angry or something as if they'd shout if they had a voice, and nothing could be really made out with all the seemingly random splashes. Was abstract supposed to look this way? Something looked really off.

"WHA' IN TH' FUCKIN' HELL?!?"

Grimmjow jerked in surprise, all thoughts seemingly fell down the drain, and stared wide-eyed at the white door embedded with golden linings. "Shiro?" he raised a brow and cautiously walked next to it. "You okay?"

"Un... Grimm..." the albino's voice came rather softly. "I'm m'kay."

"What happened?"

"I's... n-nothing, kitty." the albino answered and sounded pretty much unsure from the other side of the door. "Dun' break th' door or somethin'... an' go crazy again."

"That's shit. I never did that."

"Yeah... and I ain't a freak." Grimmjow fought his eye's cursed urge to twitch at his partner's sarcastic reply. He was serious! Nothing like that happened before! Why would he do something crazy just for the sake of his idiotic friend! If anything, he'd be more than thankful to anyone who'd end the albino's life right then and there! Right?

"Whatever. So what happened to you?"

Oh, that's nice. He didn't throw back any smart retort. Nice. Really nice. It's as if he was guilty which he was so not.

"I jus' got surprised... 'bout somethin'."

"What something?"

"Uhh... I dunno if... well... maybe... uh, I dun' think... t'is..."

"Spit it out already."

"'m not 'ntirely sure 'ow t' tell ya, bu'... "

"Shiro..."

"well... i's a... bird? worm? Somethin'?"

"Seriously, Shiro. What is it? Is it a bird or a worm?"

"A rod?"

"...a what? Can't you straighten out what you think first before saying anything?"

"Jus' call that pig-tailed chick... I think I'm gonna be sick."

xxx

"So what happened in there?" Grimmjow asked as he crossed his arms and leaned back at the door frame. His partner had walked out of Ulquiorra's room looking genuinely sick almost half an hour ago, and he still looked the same with his hands either massaging his woozy head or his protesting stomach. For what reason, the blue-haired guardian has yet to find out; however, the albino didn't seem to have any plans of spilling the beans about it at the moment. Again, he didn't know the reason why.

Koichi snickered, "Got ya curious, didn' I?"

"No."

"Yeah, deny all ya wan'. It ain't like I gotcha mem'rized already." He shrugged, peering past his partner and at the raven-haired who was being dressed over the bed. The pig-tailed lady had just finished giving the young master the bath that the albino had initially volunteered to give if only hadn't seen what he had seen. It really scared him shitless the very second he laid eyes on it. He would've know that that was there? But it didn't seem like the maid had the same problems that he had. Everybody knew about it then? Well, of course except for him and Grimmjow since they were new...

Still really weird, though. Just rethinking of it made the albino shudder.

"Are you really okay?"

"Wha'? Yer worried of me now?" the albino chuckled, "Dun' worry, kitty. Ya'll fin' all 'bout it sooner or later."

"How about now?"

"Nah," he shrugged, "I ain't gonna spoil my own fun."

xxx

Grimmjow sighed, setting his client's daughter's wheelchair by the small river that split the enormous garden in two. What was with gardens and this blind girl? It kind of annoyed him to be in the same places he was at just yesterday. It made him feel like he had a schedule! And he hated schedules! It made him think of the past... made him think of...

Argh! He slapped his face with both of his hands, forcefully driving his mind far away from where his mind rather not treaded into. His memories weren't fun to reminisce. He hated it the most if he had to feel anything towards it. Grumbling, he inched a sharp rock in front of the chair's wheel and secured it from any movement. He glanced around the vast yard one last time and then jumped back into the sturdy branches of a nearby tree, swinging from one to another until he had reached the highest wooden platform.

He had always appreciated personal space... besides, he really felt awkward being with her always. Even his partner gave him time to enjoy solitude once in a while. That crazy jerk could be really nice but only when and how he wanted to.

Blue eyes gazed down at the fragile form by the river, taking in the contrast of Ulquiorra's dark hair to the clear stream close to her. Grimmjow felt weird every second he was with her, she made him think of things he never thought of before. The feeling was strange because he never used to care. He always believed that every man was only to himself, but her... she made him think of her. It was so much that it was disturbing. He felt sorry for her, he supposed.

He grumbled as he forced his eyes to turn away. He had so many questions and it was totally infuriating! He slapped himself even before his eye started to twitch in annoyance upon himself and before he got to think of it even deeper, but he just couldn't help it. He couldn't understand why he felt as if it was hurting him to think how Ulquiorra could feel if she were to find out that what she called life wasn't even half of what it truly was.

Scratching his head, he cast another glance at the peaceful woman on her wheelchair before flipping down the branches and landing just next to her. He moved in front of the pale-skinned woman and stared at her closely, wondering just how it could be like. Ulquiorra must be in some kind of special pain, some kind of pain that could be relived also only in a special way. Something Grimmjow hadn't and will never experience in his life.

"Grimm," The blue-haired guardian flinched upon someone suddenly calling his name, stumbling back and almost falling into the shallow river. The albino, who called him, broke into a fit of laughter as he came closer and closer with his hands crossed behind his head.

"What do you want?" Grimmjow growled and glared, seeing the familiar smirk on his partner's face. "Ain't you supposed to be resting?"

"'m doin' daily rounds." The albino stopped just a foot away from Grimmjow who was shuffling on the ground to get back up to his feet. He stared down at him with amusement filling his eyes and let his arms dangle by his side. Keeping the large smile on his face, he continued, "I'm fine. How 'bout ya? What were you doin'?"

"Nothing." He straightening up, and walked towards the tree he had jumped from.

"Looked like ya were plannin' somethin'." And when no reply was given, the albino's annoying trademark smirk slowly began to spread across the pale lips that were on an equally pale face like wildfire. "...you were planning something, weren't you? Ya big naughty boy?"

Grimmjow snorted and grimaced, choosing not to face the obviously amused albino. "There was dirt on her face."

"Yeah, right. Like I'd buy that."

"Stop asking me if you have something against the truth." He graciously took off and retreated back to his spot high in the branches, looking down at his partner who was staring back at him. He grunted and crossed his arms behind his head, leaning back to the fat trunk. "Now leave me alone."

"Ya shouldn't run too far up, kitty cat. Ya might get stuck."

"Scram, you freak."

"Come down."

"Give me a reason to." Grimmjow nonchalantly replied, turning his back at Koichi.

"Gift."

"Hn?" Blue eyes blinked.

"Come down."

"Come up."

"Lazy ass." The albino muttered and threw the gift he had been holding to the presented back at him, the hard bind successfully hitting the one hundred mark that was invisibly marked through Grimmjow's shining blue hair.

"Shit!"

"Oh, bull's eye." He said, this time it was his turn to sound offhand.

"Fuck you!" Grimmjow growled as he twisted and threw the book back down with all the force he managed to gather in his arm within that split second that the blasted gift was about to fall back down. "In your fa—OW!" But his annoying albino partner proved to be much faster and accurate as the same book returned to hit him square in the face... exactly what he was going to say. The only problem was that it was in his.

"Love ya, kitty!" And with that, strangely, the albino happily left him alone with his throbbing face injury.

His annoying partner now out of sight, Grimmjow frowned at the gift his friend had left. He raised it close to his face and stared at it like it was growing limbs only to find out that it was one of those idiotic guides to this and that, and apparently, the one on his hand was the book about how to get along well with people.

It almost made him laugh.

"So wha're ya in fer?" He remembered the first time they had met. He was hauled into a juvenile prison then for continuous street fights, obliterating peace, and vandalizing public and private properties. Rebellious teenagers neglected since childhood, what else would you expect?

"Fuck off."

"Heh, ya got guts. I think I'll like ya."

"I hate you. Who are you anyway?"

"I dun' have a name."

"...that must suck."

"It kinda does. Wha' 'bout ya? Wha's yer name?"

"Grimmjow. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

"Whoa. Tha's a weird name."

"It's weirder to have none."

"Touché."

The albino was just eleven then, and yet he talked far past his age. Only by that, Grimmjow was able to roughly understand what the brat had gone through. Years after that, when in one way or another they just keep on bumping into each other until they got stuck together permanently, Shiro had opened up his life story to him and made him realize that not everyone had hard childhood years. Some just couldn't be children like someone who had to stop being a child at the early age of nine.

Grunting, Grimmjow shook his head to rid of the memories of the distant past. That was almost a decade ago. It was enough time to let it go but not to forget. The albino had changed so much over the years that he didn't need anymore to be reminded of his goal. The Japanese was fairly well.

Opening the book on a random page, the blue-haired guardian began to read the bolded block of letters his bright eyes had instinctively fell on. "Lesson 1, step 2: Don't be annoying." He said blandly.

Twitch.

He isn't annoying... right?

Grimmjow jumped down and ran towards the mute woman sitting by the river, edgy at the thought of him being annoying so strangely. "Hey, am I annoying?"

xxx

Another end of another day, Grimmjow carried the still seemingly lifeless Ulquiorra to her extravagant four-poster bed and tucked her under the warm sheets. Deeming all things set well enough, he turned off the light from the white lamp and made to leave, but like the nights before, a surprisingly strong grip told him to stay. Maybe he should pull and place his bed here sometime. It'd be a shame if that queen-size foam wouldn't even get the slightest disfigured.

"...fine. But tomorrow I'll be sleeping in my bed, okay?"

"An' who 're ya talkin' to?" came a puzzled and inquiring voice of the albino. "Oh, hold tha' thought. I think I can answer tha' fer one million dollars! An' th' answer iiiiiiiis~ ding, ding, ding, ding!"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and sighed. Shiro and his antics—always something to look forward to.

"What do you want?"

"Nuthin'." Shiro crossed his arms across his chest and bit his lip, obviously wanting to say more but for some strange reason didn't. The blue-eyed guardian shrugged it off and kept silent although he knew his partner was precisely fidgeting like he was going to combust at any moment now. "'kay, there's somethin'! I'm jealous."

"Yeah, okay."

"Tha's mean, kitty. At least ask why." He pouted. "Bu' whatev'r. Guess I ain't that important anymore."

Grimmjow scoffed, pulling a chair behind him and settling down. "When were you important?"

"Right. Night, kitty."

"Goodnight."

"Love ya, kitty."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, just fuck off."

"Aww... "

Alone once again with the speechless lady, Grimmjow bent down to fix the thick bed sheets that reached the graciously carpeted floor. Whoever sets stuff in the mansion ought to learn how to conserve stuff; moreover, the weather wasn't that cold for a comforter, just random drizzles that lasted for a few minutes. Wouldn't even know it's raining unless you feel the weak drops yourself. Were they trying to have Ulquiorra's already weak legs actually melt off her bones?

He stood up and grabbed the first layer of sheet that was made of fur. Tch. Just touching it made him feel hot... seriously a smart move to silently torture somebody. Poor girl.

His blue eyes gazed up at the pale woman's face and noted its flawlessness like a porcelain doll's, so unique and inviting to touch. Maybe he could agree about the albino sometimes. He didn't know about that being hot thing when he was sure it usually goes with big boobs and fat butts going by the albino's usual standards that were set when they were out club-hopping. He didn't know much about beauty or romance, basically because he didn't give a damn.

Grimmjow moved down to examine her face more and found himself agreeing to the words his partner once said. He could agree with Shiro just this once, and it wasn't like anyone was going to find out. He really didn't know anything much about beauty, but yeah... he couldn't deny that he found Ulquiorra befitting to be a personification of that word.

"Yo, Grimmjow,"

Ack! Called man straightened and stiffened, causing the suddenly defiant spine to let out a sickening crack.

"Was' u—" before he was able to complete his greeting, a yellow book flew straight into his face, hitting him upwards to his high-perching nose and wounded something there. "Wha' th' fuck?!" he cussed, gripping his now bleeding nose and glared at his partner who appeared to be equally holding onto a hurting lower back.

"Stop popping anywhere you want like that!" he growled with a tearful eye hardly cracked open. "You're gonna break every bone I have."

"Wha' did I eva' do t' ya?! Is tha' the way yer supposed t' treat a person who jus' recovered?!"

Grimmjow continued to hiss, rubbing his poor, fragile spine. "I thought you're already fine?! Where's your high-speed regeneration shit now?"

"It doesn' work tha' way!"

"Then how the fuck does it work?!"

"It's fer wounds, ya stupid kitty! An' stop yellin' at me!"

"You're the first one who started yelling! You should stop yelling at me!"

"Stop yellin' at me!!!" the albino cried again, "I f'rgot to tell ya that I love ya, an' I jus' came back to tell ya tha' I love ya! An' this is wha' ya repay me fer th' gift I got ya 'cause I love ya an' fer worryin' 'bout ya broodin' 'cause I f'rgot to tell ya tha' I—"

"Quit saying it over and over! And you didn't forget, goddamit!" the blue-haired guardian growled, snatching the wooden chair as he was more than willing to give in into the temptation of throwing it at his annoying albino partner. "And for god's sake! Keep your fucking volume down!"


FEN: Oooh~ I missed you, guys! And has everyone heard of the issue about someone plagiarizing Bleach? 8O