"So I'm a...descendant of a powerful mafia, the flavor family?"

"Fabre."

"Right… and I'm engaged to the boss of another family because I'm a descendant of... that other family?"

"That's obviously what I've been saying for the past two hours..."

"Well, it still seems unbelievable... Gromm... Grain...?"

"Grimmjow."

"Right, sorry..."

Grimmjow and Orihime sat at her kitchen table at 2 o'clock in the morning, sitting across from each other. This girl was beginning to get on his nerves. How dense could she be? She should be grateful that he got there in time to save her ass.

"How old are you?" He thought that he might as well find out how long he has to deal with this. He watched as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. 'She really has to think about it?' he heaved a big sigh.

"I'm seventeen."

Grimmjow's shoulders relaxed, "And how much longer until your next birthday?"

She started counting on her fingers. "A little more than six months?"

'Fuuuuuccccckkkkkk, half a year...' Although, from looking around her apartment, there weren't any signs of another person living here. So she lives alone.

As he was looking around the kitchen, he noticed that she was staring at him with pout on her lips and her brows drawn together. "...What?"

She jumped and blushed, looking away in embarrassment. "Um... It's just that... Um..." she stood up and clapped her hands together. "Oh my gosh, would you look at the time? I have to go to bed so that I can get up in time to go to school tomorrow! Well I guess I'll see you in the morning!"

He stood up and followed her. "Tomorrow's Saturday."

She froze. "Oh...Yeah... Right. Haha..." She then turned to face him. "But I need to go to sleep anyway! I have a busy day tomorrow! You can just um... Sleep on the couch! Good night!" She bolted and slammed her door behind her.

He just stared at the door for a couple moments, what a weird girl. Alas, he turned and sat on the lone couch, this house was barren. Though it seemed good enough for a girl who lived alone. He didn't sleep that night, if the girl was attacked during his first night on the job, there was a good chance it would happen again.

XXXXXXX

Orihime woke up the next morning to sun shining through her window, she sat up and stretched, feeling relaxed. She got up, took a shower, got dressed and left her room to find some breakfast. She walked through her living room to the kitchen, pulling out the bread, carrots, cheese, ketchup, Jell-O, and pickles.

She turned around and crashed into a warm, built chest. Screaming, she jumped back and grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on as a weapon… Which was a spatula.

"Calm down! It's just me." recognition hit her like a frying pan to the back of the head, and all the memories from the night before came flooding back to her. "Do NOT sneak up on me like that!" she was waving the spatula in the air. "I could've killed you!"

Doubt it. He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "I'll be sure to remember that next time." He looked over her shoulder to all the food spread out on the counter. "Is that... what you're eating?"

She blushed and looked around nervously. "Uh... yes?" She always got weird looks and remarks on her eating habits, she should be used to it by now. But he was the first to not say anything; he just shrugged and went back to his own business. It made her feel good, in the short time they've known each other, and he didn't treat her like a ditzy, cute and innocent little girl like everyone else she met did.

She made her food concoction, but before she took a bite she realized that she didn't offer her guest any breakfast. "Hey um... Grimmjow?" She went hunting for him and found him on the couch. "Do you want anything to eat?"

He leaned back and threw his arms behind his head. "I already ate. You're going to need to buy another box of Pop-tarts."

She thought for a moment. "But... that was a brand new box."

He grinned. "I know."

Okay, so he had a big appetite, nothing she couldn't handle. She was just about to get back to eating when there was a knock on her door. Who on earth could be visiting her on a Saturday at 8 o'clock in the morning? As she headed for the door, Grimmjow stood up and followed behind her. "Uh, what are you doing?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "My job."

She thought for a moment then passed it off to just ignore him. She finally reached the door and swung it open, only to see the visitor she really didn't want to see and at the worst possible time.

"Um... Hi, Ichigo."

He was standing on her doorstep with a sad expression on his face. "Hey, Orihime. I'm just stopping by to try and apologize for-" His eyes went from her face to over her shoulder. "Who's this guy?"

She whizzed around to see Grimmjow standing about an inch behind her with a challenging smirk plastered on his face.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He quipped, pushing past her to get in Ichigo's face. They stood nose to nose, one with a huge grin on his face and the other with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"That is why I asked, obviously."

"Wise ass."

"Shit for brains."

"Okay! Enough of that!" Orihime squeezed in between the two, trying the break the fight up, it was like throwing in a kitten to stop a fight between two wolves.

"Orihime, who is this guy?" Ichigo looked down at her, his voice a little louder than it should be.

"Oh, him? Oh he's uh, um... He's uh... He's a cousin! Twice removed on my aunt's husband's ex-wife's sister-in-law's side!" Both of the men present stared at her like she had sprouted a second head.

It didn't look like Ichigo believed it for a second. "If that's true, then why is he here?"

She was running out of excuses and time so she spat out; "He's here because he's on a business trip and it was cheaper just to stay with me!" Ichigo turned back to glaring at Grimmjow, who was sending back a look just as ugly.

"Ichigo, I thought you said you came here to talk to me. So forget about him!" She tried to shove him back inside and he let her push him, closing the door behind him.

She took Ichigo's hand and led him off to the side. "I don't like him..." She expected as much.

"So...What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Suddenly, Ichigo grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her. "Orihime, I'm sorry for what I said and how things turned out last night. I wasn't myself. I still want to be with you. Do you forgive me?"

She didn't know what to say, she had a lot on her plate now judging from what Grimmjow said, if it was true. But she didn't want to leave Ichigo; she did care for him, truly. "Of course I forgive you, Ichigo. And I want to be with you too."

He smiled brightly. "That's great! So do you want to do something this weekend or-"

She stuttered. "Oh! Um, I promised my cousin that I would um... take him sight-seeing so I'm booked all weekend!"

Ichigo's mood changed immediately to the dark side. "I'm not too sure I like that idea..."

She giggled and hugged him tightly, "Oh stop worrying he's just a cousin!"

He laughed and pulled her closer. "Fine, just come to me if he tries anything funny." He leaned down and kissed her like they never had any problems the night before. "I'll text you later." and he left with a wave.

She walked back into her apartment only to meet the chest, again. "Who was that little punk?"

She sighed. "That was my boyfriend." She saw something flash across his face so fast she almost missed it.

"If he pisses me off again, I will kill him."

What really scared her was that she knew he could actually do it. She ignored is comment and gave a shaky laugh. "Ah! My breakfast is getting cold!"

She ran around him towards the kitchen, then she got that sickening feeling again, the one she had when she noticed those men were following her the night before.

"Get down!"

Everything started to slow down around her as she heard glass shatter and went crashing to the floor. Everything went silent and her vision blurred; all she could feel was the protective body covering hers and a warm, thick liquid running down her side.