Author's Note:

Again, thank you to Ferris for the gorgeous, detailed review on this story! In response to your last question: no, Aizen never poisoned the tea. Szayelaporro, on the other hand... you never know! And yes, Urahara definitely extracted every last drop of information from that conversation. I see him as a brilliant, manipulative, borderline-sociopath, and do my best to portray him that way.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! It would have been posted earlier, but a city-wide blackout due to a massive blizzard forestalled that.

Chapter 4: Homecoming

Grimmjow scowled furiously as he strode beside Ichigo, dust matted in his hair and grime under his fingernails. "And then he ordered me to help him clean the lab. I don't think that place had been dusted in years! Decades, maybe," he complained.

Ichigo hid a smile. Urahara never turned down free work. According to Renji, he would shanghai you into doing chores if you so much as murmured anything about boredom or had idle hands for more than a few seconds. Grimmjow's petulant complaints would have sounded at home in Renji's mouth; it was actually kind of adorable.

Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, glaring at a rock as he kicked it out of his way. "This is stupid," he muttered, kicking the rock again. "The living world is stupid." He plucked irritably at the formfitting white t-shirt he wore, emblazoned with the logo 'Rise Against' in gory red letters. "Why do I have to wear a gigai, anyway?"

As he prodded at the skin over his abdomen with an expression somewhere in between bemusement and disgust, Ichigo felt his lips twitch. Most shinigami reacted to their first time in a gigai in a very similar manner, although he suspected that Grimmjow would despise the comparison. He had to admit, though, that it was odd to see the espada without a gaping hole in his midsection and a jawbone covering his left cheek. The teal markings under his eyes had also vanished, although his hair retained its vivid shade of blue. Apart from the t-shirt, he wore soft black jeans, a studded leather bracelet, and, for some reason, a pair of belts. One draped diagonally across his hips, while the other lay in the proper position for a belt. The arrangement could have held a zanpakuto, but there was no sign of Pantera – she would have been confined within the gigai along with Grimmjow's spirit form.

Which is a good thing, Ichigo reflected, watching the way Grimmjow's hand repeatedly reached for a nonexistent hilt. He's attracting enough attention as it is. The current attention was mostly positive, but if he had been strolling around with a naked blade, that would have quickly changed. I don't want to have to deal with the police because someone got scared; he'd probably try to shred them.

Then again, it might get rid of the trio of giggling schoolgirls attempting to follow them. Ichigo groaned internally as the girls peeked out from around a building, hands covering their mouths in a futile attempt to stifle their laughter, before whipping back around the corner. Seriously, you'd think they had never seen a guy before. Admittedly, Grimmjow basically embodied the 'bad boy' stereotype, but that was no excuse.

If Grimmjow noticed the girls, he gave no sign of it. Instead, he scratched roughly at the tribal tattoo in the shape of panther's claws that covered his left shoulder. "Is it supposed to itch?" he asked dubiously, peering at his nails as though he expected to find particles of ink on them.

Ichigo shrugged. "I don't know; I've never seen a power limiter take that form." Usually, they appeared as miniature versions of the shinigami's division symbol, barely a centimeter across. The ebony marks on Grimmjow's shoulder were nearly a handspan wide, and far more complex than a typical division symbol.

Grimmjow heaved a sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Whatever." He glanced sidelong at Ichigo. "You sure this is a good idea?"

It was a valid question. Ichigo had been incredulous when Urahara suggested introducing Grimmjow to his family as a German transfer student, but the eccentric scientist had gradually managed to convince him. It still sounded like a crazy plan, but it was better than the alternatives. Someone had to watch over Grimmjow – everyone agreed on that much. Grimmjow had grumbled about it, but even he had seen the necessity of it. But that left open the question of who would take on espada babysitting duty.

Urahara had offered, but, "He'll have to work for his keep, of course." Grimmjow's eyes had widened at the cheerful pronouncement. While he had been far too proud to ask Ichigo for help, the substitute soul reaper couldn't surrender him to Urahara's untender mercies – not if it meant listening to his whining afterwards.

At least, Ichigo tried to pretend that that was the only reason he had volunteered to watch over Grimmjow. But he couldn't deny that he felt a certain kinship with the surly espada. He's really not so bad once he stops trying to kill you, he reasoned, sneaking a glance at the arrancar prowling beside him. And since he's promised not to do that anymore – at least until he's healed – he shouldn't cause any problems.

Unfortunately, Ichigo's father was unlikely to see things that way. "There's no way my dad won't recognize what you are," he warned Grimmjow, who snorted.

"Like I care."

"You should," Ichigo warned, stopping and giving Grimmjow a serious look. "If you can't convince him that you're no danger to my sisters, you'll be back at Urahara's place." When Grimmjow didn't look convinced, Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Scrubbing toilets," he added.

Grimmjow recoiled. "Fuck that!" He rolled his eyes, kicking at another rock. It bounced away into the gutter, and he heaved a sigh. "Fine. I'll play nice."

"Good," Ichigo muttered. He started walking again, noting with a corner of his mind that the girls had finally vanished. "Anyway, Karin may be able to tell that you're not fully human, but I don't know how far her training has progressed. Yuzu, however, doesn't have enough sensitivity to detect you while you're inside your gigai, so long as you keep your reiatsu damped." He glanced over to see Grimmjow studying the graffiti on the wall beside them, nodding along absently to Ichigo's words. "Are you listening?"

The espada shrugged. "Karin might be able to tell, Yuzu won't," he paraphrased with a bored expression. "Aizen used to pull that trick on us," he grumbled, pulling a hand out of his pocket and prodding again at the power limiter.

Ichigo exhaled heavily. "Karin will do anything to protect Yuzu, so don't do anything to upset her," he warned resignedly. "But since she probably won't notice anything, Karin and my dad will keep pretending that you're human." Hopefully. Though I really don't know how Dad will react to the presence of an espada in the home.

"My son is making friends!" Isshin leapt at Ichigo, arms outstretched and mouth spread in a goofy smile. "It's a miracle!"

Ichigo leaned to the side, snapping out his arm as his father hurtled past. Isshin collided with the arm and bounced off with a grunt. "Cut it out, dad," he grumbled, stepping past his father's prone form.

Isshin sat up, rubbing his chest ruefully. "I've taught you well, my son." He glanced at Grimmjow, who stood in the doorway with an incredulous look on his face, and his eyes narrowed. "Ichigo…" he started, in a tone devoid of humor and playfulness.

Then Yuzu poked her head around the corner. "Oh, Ichigo, you're home!" she exclaimed cheerfully, trotting forward and wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her back, giving Grimmjow a warning glare over her head. Grimmjow scowled, but quickly smoothed his face into a more pleasant expression when she asked, "Who's your friend? Is he staying for dinner?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yuzu, Dad, meet Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," he introduced, crossing his fingers behind his back in the hope that his dad wouldn't do anything too embarrassing. Isshin's mouth thinned as Ichigo said the name, but he said nothing as Ichigo continued, "He's an exchange student from Germany. I was wondering if he could stay with us for a few days." Ichigo trailed off, realizing how flimsy the cover story sounded, but unable to change it now.

Yuzu smiled brightly. "It's very nice to meet you, Jaegerjaquez-san," she said politely, giving him a little bow. "Do you like lasagna?" Ichigo furrowed his brow, and she grinned at him. "I'm experimenting with European cooking," she explained happily, smoothing down her apron. "I hope you all like it."

Grimmjow blinked in puzzlement at her as she turned her expectant look back on him. "Ah, um, that sounds great," he mumbled, running his fingers through his spiky hair.

"Dad, what are you doing on the floor?" Karin strolled into the hall, hands on her hips. "Come on, get up." When he didn't move, she kicked his shoulder. "Get up!" As he scrambled to his feet, she heaved a sigh. "Jeez, Dad, I swear you're nothing more than an overgrown toddler sometimes."

"Oh, Masaki, my children are so cruel to me," Isshin wailed, plastering himself against the giant poster of Masaki hanging on the far wall. Karin groaned, while Yuzu patted his shoulder sympathetically.

Grimmjow gave Ichigo a bemused glance. "Are they always like this?" he mouthed. Ichigo nodded resignedly. In fact, this is positively sane compared to the usual chaos. Isshin hadn't resumed his attack on Ichigo yet, and his current plaint was thankfully free of blubbering. When he thought that Yuzu wasn't looking, he snuck quick, assessing glances at Grimmjow., who looked torn between laughing and snarling.

Ichigo sighed. "Anyway, I've got that math test to study for," he announced loudly. "We'll be down in time for dinner, alright?" He began edging towards the stairs, motioning for Grimmjow to follow.

Isshin's waterworks cut off instantly. "You'd better not be late," he threatened, folding his arms in an attempt to look menacing. "You know what happens to those who threaten the harmony of this household." As Ichigo rolled his eyes, Isshin switched his attention to Grimmjow, who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle laughter. ""I suppose you have homework, too?" he challenged, tone making it very clear that he knew the truth of the matter. His spiritual pressure rose slightly, and Karin gave him an odd look.

Before she could turn her gaze on Grimmjow and discover his secret, Ichigo nodded firmly. "Yeah, he does. We'll be as quiet as mice, I promise." He locked eyes with his father, willing him to not make a scene. As Isshin nodded reluctantly, Ichigo took another step towards the stairs. Please, please, let this be the end of it, he prayed.

Then Yuzu spoke up. "Where will Jaegerjaquez-san be staying, Ichi-nii?" she asked innocently.. "I'm happy to share with Karin; he can have my room." She offered Grimmjow a brilliant smile, clearly flustering the espada.

"Ah, he'll stay with me," Ichigo replied hastily, intercepting his dad's warning look. Power limiter or not, I think we'd all be happier if he's under direct supervision. Part of Ichigo hated to feel so suspicious of a man who hadn't done anything wrong – at least on this visit – but the simple fact was that they couldn't fully trust the espada. No matter how much I want to believe that he'll keep his promise.

Karin glanced between the pair of them, confusion written all over her face. "So, is he your boyfriend, or something?" she demanded bluntly.

"What?" Ichigo spluttered, cheeks flaming. "No! Of course not!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Isshin wince.

Grimmjow smirked and winked at Karin. "Not yet, at any rate," he stage-whispered. Ichigo slugged him in the shoulder, punching him again when he opened his mouth to say more. Grimmjow obediently shut his mouth, but amusement tugged at the corners of his lips as he followed Ichigo up the stairs to his bedroom.

Ichigo slammed the door shut with more force than necessary, whirling to glare at the arrogant espada. "What the hell was that about?" he demanded, embarrassment and anger warring for dominance in his expression.

Grimmjow sprawled out on his bed and grinned. "Come on, Kurosaki, it was just a joke. Lighten up already." He raised a speculative eyebrow. "When was the last time you got laid, anyway?"

Ichigo slammed his palm into his forehead. "Just shut up," he muttered, stalking over to his desk and pulling his math textbook out of his bag. "I've got a test tomorrow that I need to study for, so you can do anything you want as long as it's quiet and in here." With that, he flopped down in his chair and yanked out his pencil, flipping open the book to the first practice problem. Back to L'Hopital's rule… great.

Grimmjow rose languidly and draped himself over the back of Ichigo's chair. His breath stirred Ichigo's hair as he murmured, "I bet you've never gotten laid. Am I right?" Ichigo didn't respond, and he snickered. "Of course I am." He ruffled Ichigo's hair, still chuckling. "That's okay, kid, you'll get there eventually."

"Have you ever heard of personal space?" Ichigo demanded, shoving his chair back and spinning to face the espada. His cheeks were beet red as he glared at Grimmjow, who grinned back unrepentantly. He was still too close for Ichigo's comfort. The substitute soul reaper opened his mouth, then paused at Grimmjow's raised eyebrow. "Just…" He sighed. "Just be quiet, okay?" he finished lamely, turning back to his desk.

The espada snickered again. "I bet you haven't even kissed anyone," he commented conversationally, perching on the corner of Ichigo's desk. "Though I bet you wouldn't complain if that friend of yours, with the long orange hair and the great figure, kissed you."

"What?" Ichigo spluttered, cheeks turning even redder. "No! What? That's…" He glared indignantly at Grimmjow. "Orihime is like a sister! That'd just be weird!" he protested. Besides, I think she's finally gotten over her crush on me, and I don't want it to return. Orihime was a sweet girl, and one of his best friends, but kissing her would be incredibly awkward. It'd be like… like… kissing Rukia, or something. Ichigo shivered. Of course, if I tried that, she'd probably bite my head off.

Grimmjow's smirk widened. "What about the Quincy, then?" he inquired, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Ichigo dropped his head onto his desk, firmly forcing that particular image out of his mind. "Grimmjow, shut up," he muttered hopelessly. The espada was clearly spoiling for a fight, and had apparently decided that baiting Ichigo was the best way to get one. While the substitute shinigami would normally be happy to oblige, studying took precedence.

Unfortunately, Grimmjow didn't see it that way. He shifted his weight and grinned like a cat with a full bowl of cream, exposing sharp canines. "Struck a nerve, Kurosaki?" he purred, leaning forward as Ichigo buried his head in his arms. "Is that what it is? You're not into girls?"

Do I really have to put up with this for the next four or five days? Ichigo groaned internally. I think I'll go insane. He wasn't exactly ashamed of his sexuality – he had wondered if he was gay ever since he saw Yoruichi naked for the first time, and felt nothing but excruciating embarrassment and awkwardness. Subsequent interactions with Rangiku Matsumoto and Nel in her adult form had reinforced that suspicion. He simply wasn't attracted to girls. But he hadn't told anyone that; he didn't know how they'd react.

Part of him knew that those worries were foolish. In all likelihood, Chad would simply nod and smile, accepting it without question or condemnation the same way he accepted everything about Ichigo. He couldn't see Orihime having an issue with it either. In fact, she might have already guessed; she's far more perceptive than most people give her credit for. Even Uryu, despite their constant bickering, was unlikely to react negatively. Nor would most of his soul society friends care – as far as he could tell, shinigami held no prejudices against same-sex relationships.

However, the same could not be said about human society. Homosexuality was more acceptable now than in the past, but it still carried a stigma. Chizuru had been harassed in the past for the way she flaunted her preferences, though that had stopped once Tatsuki – on the request of Orihime – threatened to knock out the next person who teased her. While Ichigo held less than zero fear of bullies at this point, a tiny part of him still cared what others thought; coming out as gay was a risky move.

Grimmjow huffed with frustration when Ichigo didn't respond. Swinging his legs off the desk, he prowled over to the window and leaned his forearms on the sill. Streetlights were beginning to flicker on in the street below as the sky darkened, casting distorted shadows over the d eserted road. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted; the faint sounds of the evening traffic drifted on the breeze. Grimmjow sighed. "The human world is so weird," he murmured, staring idly out the window.

"Yeah, maybe it is," Ichigo replied softly. Compared to Hueco Mundo, or even the soul society, this place is positively bizarre. For the first time, Ichigo realized how disorienting it must be, to suddenly be trapped in a world so foreign to anything Grimmjow had known before. He doesn't know any of the customs, the terrain is unknown and possibly inimical, and he's forced to rely on his enemies for shelter. No wonder he seems so irritable. Though Ichigo suspected that the espada's natural temperament had something to do with it as well. He glanced over at the espada, but Grimmjow appeared content to stare out of the window for now.

Good, Ichigo sighed, picking up his pencil again and pulling his textbook closer. Maybe I can actually get some math done before dinner.

Grimmjow's unusual silence lasted throughout dinner and into the night, which simultaneously pleased and worried Ichigo. He responded politely enough to Yuzu's chatter throughout the meal, and even remembered to compliment her on the lasagna, but lapsed back into silence as Ichigo returned to his studying. Ichigo would have wondered if he was getting sick, but espada couldn't catch living world illnesses.

Some of his usual snark returned when Isshin barged into the room shortly after dinner and not-so-subtly threatened to murder him if he harmed either of the girls, but even that interaction was more muted than usual. After Isshin left, Grimmjow started pacing around Ichigo's room, rubbing at the tattoo on his shoulder and casting unreadable glances out the window.

At last Ichigo set down his pencil and stretched his arms above his head. "What's going on?" he demanded, interrupting Grimmjow in mid-stride.

The espada shrugged, stalking over to the window and leaning against the sill. "It feels like a storm is coming," he replied, shaking his head in frustration. "But I can't tell what's going on." He scratched absently at his wounded shoulder, then dropped his hand to his belt. "This damn gigai and power limiter are screwing up my senses."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, a storm is coming?" he asked slowly. The night sky was mostly clear; the espada wasn't referring to a physical thunderstorm. But Ichigo couldn't sense anything amiss in the currents of spiritual energy, either. Then again, I'm not the greatest at reiatsu sensing – I might be missing something.

Grimmjow scowled and flexed his fingers. "The air feels heavy, like the way it does in Hueco Mundo before a sandstorm," he explained, glaring at the street outside.

"I can't sense anything," Ichigo admitted. "But that might not mean much." He rose and joined Grimmjow at the window, sliding it open to let in the breeze. The sounds of traffic had died down, leaving only the soft susurration of leaves and the call of a nightingale to break the hush of the night. An owl swooped out of the sky and circled once before soaring away; Grimmjow watched it with wary eyes.

"Is this normal?" he asked abruptly.

To Ichigo's senses, the night was no different from any other night in Karakura Town. Better than most, in fact – there were no emergency sirens streaming towards the clinic, no screaming patients or weeping relatives crowded into the minuscule waiting room. He said as much to Grimmjow, who made a face. "You sure it's not too quiet?" The blue-haired espada shifted restlessly, tapping his fingers on his hip. "It seems way too peaceful."

"Trust me, peaceful is good," Ichigo assured him dryly. Peaceful meant he could study for his math test; quiet meant that his sisters could get a full night's sleep. There's no such thing as too quiet. A night without hollow attacks or mundane crises was something to be savored, not something to be wary of.

Grimmjow clearly didn't share that opinion. He cast one more suspicious glance out the window and resumed pacing – four steps to the door, spin, four steps back. After three sets of this, he snarled and flopped down on Ichigo's bed. "How do you put up with this?" he complained, throwing his arms wide. "Trapped inside, night after night, while you have all of that to explore?" He waved a hand at the window, then winced. Rubbing at his shoulder, he continued, "Don't you get bored?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied dryly, casting a disparaging glance at his math homework. "Try spending four hours solving sequences and series… then you'll know what boredom really is." At least the interminable practice was good for one thing – there was a halfway decent chance that he would pass the exam now.

Grimmjow snorted with amusement. "You humans are weird." He sat up and fixed Ichigo with a predatory stare. The substitute soul reaper lifted his eyebrows as Grimmjow purred, "You've been doing that for a while now, right?" Ichigo nodded warily. "So you can afford to take a short break, right?" Ichigo nodded again, and the espada grinned triumphantly. "Great! Then you owe me a fight."

I should have known he'd be leading up to that, Ichigo groaned to himself, rubbing his temples. "Really, Grimmjow?" he asked out loud. "You don't even have a zanpakuto, and you want to fight?"

"Why not?" Grimmjow shrugged, an eager light burning in his azure eyes. "Just a friendly spar. What do you say?" His reiatsu rose within the confines of the power limiter, flavoring the air with wintergreen.

"It's a bad idea," Ichigo muttered. But he couldn't deny that the prospect of a sparring match was enough to get his blood pumping; it would be a welcome way to break up the tedium of studying. What can it hurt? He sparred with Renji all the time, and they never walked away with anything more than bruises. If it starts getting out of hand, I'll just end the match.

Ichigo heaved a sigh. "Fine," he told Grimmjow. "Let's spar. Barehanded, no zanpakutos, no other powers." Hopefully that would be enough to keep damage to a minimum.

A joyful smile spread across Grimmjow's face, all angles and predatory glee. If he found the conditions overly restrictive, he made no mention of it. Instead, he shucked his gigai, letting it crumple grotesquely to the floor as he smoothed down his bloodstained jacket. "Let's go."

Ichigo frowned. "Your shoulder doesn't look like it's healing," he pointed out, taking a step towards the espada. A dot of fresh crimson shone in the center of the rusty stains that covered half the bandage, and Grimmjow's movements were stiffer than usual. While he couldn't tell how bad it was underneath the bandages, fresh blood was never a good sign. The wound should have been halfway healed by now, not still leaking blood.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes irritably. "Enough with the mother-henning! Do you want to fight or not?" He flexed his arm, rotating it in a tight circle. "I'm fine."

"On your own head it be," Ichigo muttered back. If you're so desperate for a fight, I'll give it to you, but don't whine at me when you reinjure yourself. Not that he suspected that Grimmjow would complain of any injuries – his pride wouldn't let him show that much weakness.

As Grimmjow watched impatiently, Ichigo slapped himself on his chest with his substitute shinigami badge, lowering his body to rest on his bed before turning to the espada. "You might want to put your gigai in a more comfortable position," he suggested, glancing at the abandoned body.

Grimmjow heaved a sigh and kicked the gigai into a marginally less awkward pose. "Satisfied?" he asked sarcastically, giving Ichigo a sardonic look. Without waiting for an answer, he strode over to the window and hopped out into the night. "Come on, let's go!" he demanded impatiently.

Ichigo followed as the former sexta sonidoed into the sky, skidding to a halt a hundred yards above the twinkling city lights. He opened his mouth to remind Grimmjow of the rules, then closed it with a sigh. "Ready?" he called, taking up a battle stance across from Grimmjow. Zangetsu hung heavily on his back; he could feel his inner hollow's excitement as adrenaline surged through his veins.

Grimmjow grinned maniacally, showing Ichigo his sharpened canines. "Bring it on, Kurosaki!" As the last words left his mouth, he leapt at Ichigo, and the battle was on.

Ichigo spun to the side, letting Grimmjow's initial rush pass by him as he threw a punch at Grimmjow's head. The espada pivoted on the ball of his foot and lashed out with a roundhouse kick as he hurtled past, catching Ichigo under the ribs as he dodged the punch. Ichigo huffed. Even injured, he's fast. He whirled, blocking Grimmjow's punches and returning fire with a quick flurry of blows.

Grimmjow started laughing. "Perfect!" he crowed, throwing a vicious uppercut followed by a pair of hook punches. Ichigo's fist slipped past his guard and crashed into his jaw, but his grin didn't diminish. He ducked under Ichigo's next punch and wrapped his hand around Ichigo's shoulder, hooking a foot behind Ichigo's leg and heaving him off balance. Ichigo countered with a knee to the groin, forcing Grimmjow to relinquish his grip. The espada was practically purring as they broke apart and circled.

A battered old car trundled by on the streets below, burping plumes of smoke, and Grimmjow nearly leapt out of his skin. "What the hell?" He glared down at the street as the car meandered onwards, clanking as though it was one pothole away from collapsing.

Ichigo chuckled. "Welcome to the living world."

"Shut up, Kurosaki," Grimmjow growled, lunging at him. "Don't look at me like that!" A spark of anger flared in his eyes as his hand shot towards Ichigo's throat. Ichigo smacked it aside, but Grimmjow used the momentum of the block to turn his strike into an elbow to the temple. Ichigo swayed aside and punched Grimmjow in the gut, right above his hollow hole; the espada grunted and renewed his attack.

The substitute soul reaper quickly found himself on the defensive as Grimmjow pressed forward mercilessly, mixing hand strikes and kicks in an unpredictable whirlwind of attacks. Damn, he's good, Ichigo thought admiringly, wincing as a side kick hammered into his ribs. Without Zangetsu, I think he's better than me, even with the power limiter. The limiter did little to restrain Grimmjow's innate speed or strength, though it would slow his sonido and greatly weaken his cero. But he was a natural brawler, happiest when using hands and feet to beat his opponent to a pulp; the lack of spiritual attacks didn't bother him much. He doesn't need a weapon to be deadly. Ichigo, on the other hand, relied on Zangetsu and his bankai to win his battles – the barehanded combat at which Grimmjow excelled was not his forte. I can keep up, but I couldn't win like this, he realized, hissing as Grimmjow's fist connected with his jaw.

"Come on, kid, you can do better than this," Grimmjow taunted, dodging Ichigo's side kick and retaliating with a jab to the throat. Ichigo swayed out of the way in the nick of time, and the espada smirked. "Or are you really that useless without your zanpakuto?" He feinted with a low roundhouse kick before sweeping his foot up into a hook kick at Ichigo's face. The substitute shinigami caught it on his forearm, wincing as the blow drove him backwards.

"Just shut up," he growled, throwing a flurry of strikes at Grimmjow's head. The espada laughed maniacally as he stayed just out of range, then lunged in with a hook punch to Ichigo's gut. You should let me out to play with him, King, Ichigo's hollow suggested, peering through Ichigo's eyes as the substitute shinigami elbowed Grimmjow in the throat. Grimmjow retaliated with a spinning hook kick that missed Ichigo's nose by a millimeter, followed by a devastating backfist that sent the substitute shinigami flying.

Not now, Ichigo replied curtly, throwing up his hands up in an x-block to catch Grimmjow's next kick. Blood trickled from his split lip as he dodged backwards, letting Grimmjow's fist fly harmlessly past his head. The espada started to launch another roundhouse kick, and Ichigo stepped in with a jab, hoping to catch the espada off balance.

Big mistake. Rather than dodge out of the way, Grimmjow accepted the hit with a bloodthirsty grin. Something crunched in his nose, splattering blood everywhere, as he grabbed Ichigo's shihakusho with one hand and slugged him in the gut with the other. Ichigo doubled over, gasping, and Grimmjow swept his legs out from under him.

The pair tumbled out of the sky, landing with a thump on the rooftop of an apartment complex. Grimmjow smirked. "I think I win, Kurosaki," he purred, straddling Ichigo's hips as he pinned the substitute's shoulders to the roof.

Ichigo bucked against him, wincing as his zanpakuto dug into his spine. Grimmjow tightened his hold and applied more of his weight to Ichigo's chest, gleeful amusement dancing in his azure eyes. See, I told you that you should have let me fight him, Ichigo's hollow grumbled, but he didn't sound annoyed. For a brief moment, Ichigo wondered why, until his hollow added, Though I can't complain much about the current position.

Just shut up, Ichigo muttered silently, cheeks heating.

Grimmjow snorted. "Earth to Kurosaki." When he didn't get an immediate response, he prodded Ichigo's chest. "You still there?"

"Talking to my hollow," Ichigo explained, making another halfhearted attempt to wriggle out from under Grimmjow. Let's see… if I do this… yeah, no; he's got me fully pinned. Ichigo wasn't worried; he still had his zanpakuto, and Grimmjow would be no match for him if he released his bankai. I clearly need to brush up on my hand-to-hand combat, though.

Grimmjow smirked, leaning harder on Ichigo's shoulders. His breath mingled with Ichigo's as he murmured, "Ready to yield?" Ichigo felt more blood rush to his cheeks at the espada's unexpected closeness; those last words had sounded almost tender.

"Aww, isn't this touching?" a soprano voice drawled from above them.

Grimmjow immediately leapt to his feet, followed a second later by Ichigo. "Who are you?" the substitute shinigami demanded, drawing his zanpakuto in a flurry of fabric. Grimmjow assumed an expression of boredom, but his stance betrayed his tension.

The female hollow hovering above them simpered. "Now, that's not very polite," she chided, fanning her translucent wings lazily. Grimmjow growled subvocally as she coiled dark tresses around her finger, eyes wide and innocent. She laughed. "Now, don't get your tail in a twist," she called, propping her hand on her hip in an exaggerated pinup pose. "You, at least, should recognize me."

Grimmjow bared his teeth in a disdainful sneer. "Arietta. Yeah, I remember you. Didn't I tell you that I'd break off that pretty little horn of yours if I ever saw you again?"

The seemingly-young hollow ran a hand over the pearly horn in the middle of her forehead. "Yeah, you did," she muttered, before grinning humorlessly at them. "But I'm afraid you won't get the chance." Her smile broadened, and Ichigo shuddered. The rows of jagged teeth made her look like a goblin out of a Victorian children's book – all sparkles and light on the surface, but pure nastiness below.

Ichigo leveled Zangetsu at her, summoning reiatsu into the blade. "Tell us what you want," he ordered brusquely. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and he narrowed his eyes. Judging by her reiatsu, she was a lower-level arrancar. So why is she acting so confident? Her level of arrogant unconcern conflicted with her delicate appearance and evident lack of power.

Arietta opened her mouth to answer, but Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter." He held up a hand, summoning scarlet fire into his palm. "Say goodbye."

As the cero streaked towards her, she laughed scornfully. "Nice try." With a flick of her wings, she darted out of its path. "But you've gotten slower, darling." Grimmjow snarled in fury as she soared higher and fluttered her fingers at them. "Until next time!"

She darted off in a blur of sonido, and Grimmjow growled. His legs tensed, ready to propel himself into the air, but he relaxed with a huff when Ichigo laid a hand on his shoulder. "What was that all about?" the substitute soul reaper asked softly.

Grimmjow shrugged. "Don't ask me. Arietta's a sneaky little bitch; she's hated me for a while." He rolled his eyes. "But I've got no clue why she's in the human world now." He rolled his shoulders, absentmindedly running his fingers over the panther claw tattoo, and grimaced. "Probably to cause trouble."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. Arietta's presence couldn't be a coincidence. We'll be seeing more of her, he predicted grimly. Can't I at least finish this school year in peace? He grimaced. The chances of that had disappeared with Nel's visit, and he knew it. At least Grimmjow won't be here for much longer. How much trouble can he cause between now and then?