It's been a week since that incident with Ichigo and Grimmjow. Ichigo had questioned everyone connected with them about Grimmjow and found that for a hollow, he's been behaving himself rather well. So even though he didn't like it, he at least didn't try and find a way to burst into Soul Society to bash their brains in. But they did get into fights on occasion. The most recent one actually resulted in some injuries on both sides. So when Orihime arrived home, she was horrified to find Grimmjow sitting at the table with a bored look on his face. As well as some dried blood that ran down his right cheek from a cut on his forehead, as well as some other parts of his face, and his arms.

"Grimmjow-san! What happened?" she ran over and knelt beside him.

"That damn strawberry was mouthing off on me again," his voice even sounded bored. Like getting in a fight and being injured was nothing to him. Probably was nothing to him really. He's the kind to take on the strongest person he could and fight and fight till he beats them. So he probably had been injured a lot in Hueco Mundo.

"Soten Kisshun, I reject," she said quietly.

Grimmjow looked at her startled. "What are you doing woman?" even though it was obvious what she was doing with a golden globe covering his injuries.

"Healing you of course, did you think I wouldn't?"

"No, no one's ever helped me before."

"I'm not surprised; hollows don't really seem to have any loyalties to anyone. With the exception of the Espada."

"Sometimes they find ties, like Tia and her fraccion."

"Nel-chan was friends with her fraccion too," she smiled at the thought of Nel.

"Heh, low lifes. Can't depend on themselves so they need help from others."

Orihime looked at Grimmjow, a little surprised, and not surprised at the same time. "I don't think it's because they can't depend on themselves. If Kurosaki-kun didn't have others, would there have been a reason for him to become stronger? Every fight he ever was in was to protect someone. First it was his family, and then it was his friends and the city, then Rukia-chan, and then me and the rest of Soul Society and the world. He never would have gone through the training he did if he was just trying to save himself. Kurosaki-kun even says his father gave him his name meaning "to protect one thing" and not strawberry as everyone says. I know I wouldn't be as strong as I am today if it weren't for my friends. They strengthen me."

Grimmjow's injuries sealed up as she said that, "Alright, all better now," she looked at him and saw the strangest expression of astonishment and confusion on his face. "What?"

Grimmjow seemed to catch himself and turned his face away. "Nothing, and what's with the lame speech there?" He got up and went to the kitchen and looked into the refrigerator.

As Grimmjow reached into the refrigerator for some milk, he admitted, if only to himself, that that woman had a point. If his friends were in danger, Ichigo got even stronger than he was before. He even went to Hueco Mundo for her. A place crawling with enemies intent on eating his soul. Ichigo even gave the ultimate shinigami sacrifice to protect his own; he gave up all his powers.

He sighed, maybe there was something to friendships after all. And maybe this woman was smarter than she seemed.

He drank some milk then headed towards the door. "I'm going to go take a walk."

"Sounds like a good idea, I'll join you."

He hadn't planned on her going with him, but he couldn't think of any good reason he should leave her behind so he grumbled and let her follow him.

They walked in silence, both thinking their own thoughts. Grimmjow kept thinking about what Orihime had said. He never had anyone he could really call friend. He did have his fraccion before, but they were all weaklings, and his subordinates. He couldn't think of them as friends. Other than those guys, he's always been a loner. It was probably mostly because of his nature. No one could handle him for very long. But that suited him just fine. Sooner or later people would challenge him and he'd have a fight. Mostly they weren't really any one that could even come close to rivaling him though. So, not very interesting.

As a result he didn't really have any motivation to get stronger. He was already the strongest than everyone he fought, since he was still alive, so to speak. So if he wanted to get stronger than he was now, he should get some friends?

Grimmjow kept thinking along those lines as they continued walking.

They ended up walking along the river when the sky ripped open with an accompanying roar. Grimmjow smiled in glee. When a garganta opens up, it means that the hollow was menos class. Maybe this time he'll get more of a show out of this one. It wasn't one of the slow mindless gillian either. This, we an adjuchas class hollow. Booya! He was going to have a lot of fun with this one.

Grimmjow popped one of his soul pills into his mouth and he flew right out of his gigai towards the hollow.

Orihime called out to him, "Be careful Grimmjow-san."

Heh, that woman. Worrying about everything. It was only an adjuchas, granted that it's a lot stronger than even a gillian, but it was still no match at all for an arrancar. As he faced the hollow, he had his signature sadistic grin on his face, "Well adjuchas, it's about time one of you guys showed up."

The adjuchas looked at him rather surprised, "Did you try and call one of us?"

"No, but I am so damn bored of all the regular hollows that show up all the time I want something more challenging."

"So you're the arrancar we've been hearing about. You traitor, siding with the shinigami when they are out to kill us."

"Hey, I didn't choose to become like this, I didn't have any choice. Given the option, I'd definitely go back to Hueco Mundo." Or would he? Despite the fact that it can be rather boring here, he mostly enjoyed the time he spends here. The times he spent with Orihime and her senseless chattering kinda filled the void that he was discover within him.

He glanced at Orihime, a little confused. The hollow noted his gaze, and the look in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Oh, now I see what's going on here." The hollow placed its palms together and let out a high piercing screech. Grimmjow felt the reiatsu pass by him but it didn't bother him at all, and he grinned.

"Ha, is that the best you got? I've got more energy within my little toe than what you just sent at me."

The hollow laughed, "Who said I was aiming it at you?"

"What?" Grimmjow looked down at Orihime and noticed her standing perfectly still, which was unusual for her, and a blank stare. "What did you do to her?"

"Heh, I've taken control of her body and mind. She can't move without my consent, and she won't hear you if you yell at her. She won't feel you either if you try to touch her. "

"You sick bastard," he sonidoed towards the hollow, fist raised.

"Tsk tsk tsk, if you kill me, she will die as well. We are connected, her and I. How do you think I've made it to adjuchas class?"

Grimmjow's fist froze just inches from the adjuchas' face. Damn, that's just perfect. Now what was he supposed to do? If he killed the hollow anyways and she died, the Soul Society would probably kill him at the least, and probably torture him and then kill him at the worst.

The adjuchas laughed at Grimmjow's reaction and took advantage of his hesitation to kick him in the ribs and send him flying into the water. Ah crap, now he was wet too. He hated the water, other than the water in the shower. That was fine, but nothing else.

As his head broke the surface of the water he let out a low growl of frustration. Just how was he supposed to beat this stupid worthless hollow if it is possessing Orihime as well? How did it do that anyways? Put some of its reiatsu in her?

Hey, that's it! And people think he's dumb, well this will show them.

He came up out of the water and then stood between Orihime and the adjuchas and started raising his reiatsu level. The hollow began to laugh.

"You think a show of your stupid reiatsu will scare me off?" it charged down to Grimmjow. He caught its fist right before his face was hit and grinned again. Apparently the adjuchas didn't know its own weakness. Looks like no one thought of this before.

"No, I'm trying for something else." He gripped the adjuchas' fist tighter as he continued to raise his power even higher. A look of pain appeared on its face as its hand was slowly becoming crushed. The pain served as a distraction from what Grimmjow was really doing.

The higher Grimmjow raised his level, the tighter he squeezed his opponent's fist. Till when at the same time, the fist broke, and his hold of Orihime broke as well. His reiatsu, along with the adjuchas' was too much for her and her own reiatsu rebelled and threw them both out. He knew she was strong enough for that, anyone who wasn't strong would have died from a reiatsu overload. But her friends had made her strong, at least that damn strawberry, the muscle head, and the white pencil was good for something.

As the adjuchas cried out in pain, and Orihime blinked in surprise, Grimmjow fell to the ground panting. Damn that took more energy than he thought it would. She must be as strong as hell for that to take so long.

"You bastard! How did you do that?" The adjuchas punched Grimmjow in the face. Since he lost so much of his reiatsu, he lost a lot of his physical strength as well and he was sent flying. Damn, now what was he going to do? He couldn't fight this bastard in his weakened state.

That was obvious as he was sent flying again by a kick to the stomach this time. After he landed Orihime came in between him and the hollow. That stupid female, what was she doing? She was going to get killed and he'd be blamed for it.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject." A golden triangle shaped shield appeared between them and the adjuchas. It laughed and charged at her.

Orihime wasn't sure on what happened, but one minute the two hollows were in the sky, and the next they were in front of her with the adjuchas screaming in pain and holding his hand, and with Grimmjow sinking to his knees. Obviously something had happened to her, but she wasn't sure on what. But as the battle raged on, and Grimmjow not being able to do anything, she decided she would figure it out later.

She shielded Grimmjow, but as the hollow pressed against the shield, she struggled to keep it in place. The pressure it was putting on her shield was incredible. What was she to do? She wasn't powerful enough to kill it with Tsubaki. But as a dark fairy-like creature appeared beside her, it appeared that he had different ideas.

"Hey girl, use me and we can beat this stupid hollow."

"But how, you're not powerful enough for it."

"But I can be. There is another incantation that you weren't ready for before. Just say Shiten Kōshun, followed by….. well you should be able to figure out the next part, even if you are a ditz."

Orihime giggled a little at that and cried out "Shiten Kōshun, I reject." As she did Tsubaki moved himself in the middle of the triangle formed by Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon. As he did, darker golden lines connected Tsubaki with the other three, and as they connected, a golden beam erupted from Tsubaki, and hit the adjuchas in the face.

As the mask broke, you could see a look of surprise in the eyes of the now apparent female adjuchas as she slowly disintegrated.

Orihime stared in surprise at the location the hollow used to be. Tsubaki, Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon flew in front of her.

"Now you're strong enough to use this technique. Your love for this man has strengthened you so much. Continue to gain strength and use us to great effect." Lily grinned at her.

"Love?" Hinagiku cackled a little and the three of them disappeared, but not before Tsubaki winked at her.

Love? Did she really? Love him? She turned her face to look at him, and he had the cutest expression of surprise on his face. She giggled and kneeled beside him. "You alright?"

"How the hell did you do that woman?"

"My Shun Shun Rikka spirits taught me something new. I've gotten stronger, and this time it was thanks to you Grimmjow-san." She smiled and gently took his hand, and the fluttering in her heart confirmed what Lily had said. She did love him.

Thanks to him? How can that be? Did she think of him as a friend?

But as she daintily took his hand, the feeling he got in his gut, now that he had one, told him it was something more. Did he actually really care for this human, is this the feeling that they call love?

He gazed at her in wonder and astonishment as she slowly leaned her face towards his. And as their lips touched, energy kindled through his now beating heart and through his lips as he kissed her back, deepening his first kiss.