Just thought I'd put this in here as a heads up: This will be an adventure tale as well. I can't have 3 genres listed, but there will be adventure in later chapters. I'm still in planning mode but I've got more than enough set in stone and I definitely have time to organize future events, but I hope you realize what a journey this is going to be.

And thanks for the reviews! To say I got 42 for 5 chapters is something. Motivation to keep this story as interesting/engaging as possible is what I'd call it.

So I hope you enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think afterwards.

a certain charm

Bare-skinned and sweaty…

Ichigo, now waking from his sleep, slowly opened his eyes and stayed completely still despite how uncomfortable he was. After looking around, he could tell this was not the hotel room he'd been sharing with Renji or his room back home.

The boy sat up and stared at the unfamiliar bed and the velvet sheets wrapped around him. Then he looked at the white stone walls and the furniture. His hopes for everything that had happened to have just been a terrible nightmare were crushed.

After turning to his right, he saw that Grimmjow wasn't on the other side of the bed. Actually, after searching for his Reiatsu, he found that the man wasn't even in the area.

That was a relief of sorts. Perhaps he could find some way to escape while he was gone.

Before putting his feet on the floor, Ichigo made sure he was still functional on all ends. His head was still hurting from the hit he took, but it wasn't anything he couldn't get through. The pain that was getting to him emanated from his lower backside. As a minor medic, he knew from the moment Grimmjow had pressed against him that he'd have to deal with some discomforting after effects.

But he could get through it. If nothing else, his will to prove he could take whatever Grimmjow threw at him was what drove him to stand up and begin walking around.

Immediately, his nakedness made him uncomfortable, even though he was the only one in the room. The doors to the courtyard were open so that only furthered his want to find something to wear.

He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on a large closet.

"Perfect." He commented before walking over to it.

It came as no surprise that these were all Grimmjow's clothes, but some of the things in the closet were... unexpected to say the least. He picked a gray sleeveless vest and a pair of dark blue fitted shorts to wear. After putting them on and seeing how tight they were, he couldn't resist imagining the bluenette in these. And the thought made him giggle.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques in shorts…"

The boy stopped and shook his head of the thoughts. This was no time to be thinking of the Espada in any way but repulsively.

Ichigo walked across the room to the doors that were sealed by Grimmjow's Reiatsu. After pressing himself against them once more to see if they really were sealed, he found that their status had not changed since yesterday. Grimmjow must have resealed them when he left.

"No use wasting time here then…" the boy commented.

He turned to the left and stared out to the courtyard. The next thing to check was Aizen's force field. That one was so powerful it had repelled him with a jolt of electricity.

After stepping out of the quarters and into the sunlight, Ichigo cautiously walked down the stone path and approached the edge of the railing. Although it was invisible, he wasn't foolish enough to think the force field was gone and throw himself against it a second time.

The boy's brown eyes moved from staring at the large town to the higher ground on which he stood on. Then he got an idea.

Without hesitation, he picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them in the direction of the hospital.

They stopped midair and, as expected, were violently repelled by a yellow bolt of electricity.

Trying to figure out its origin, configuration, and limitations, he did not look away from the force field until it disappeared again. It was unlike any Kido he'd ever seen Rukia use, or even her more skilled older brother, Byakuya. It was as if Aizen had created a brand new one for the sole purpose of protecting the palace.

His reasoning in doing so wasn't entirely understood by Ichigo, considering that Los Noches and Seireitei were at peace now.

"Why would he keep such a powerful shield up if we're on peaceful terms…?" the boy asked aloud.

Was he planning something…?

At hearing a disruption in Aizen's force field, Pantera woke from his sleep and yawned.

Grimmjow had been gone since earlier and he'd left that human in his bed. After using his own fine-tuned senses, he felt that even though Grimmjow was out, his Reiatsu still enveloped in that boy.

Again, he wondered what was so special about him. Thinking back, the beast considered that maybe they met in a similar way to how he and Grimmjow had met.

Flashback

Pantera, just a few days old, stalked through the golden sands of the daunting desert in search of his mother. She had left him just a while ago and he was in need of her company, as are most young.

After climbing to the top of a large sand dune, he found her. She was battling a deep black, tow-tailed scorpion that was nearly three times her size. And she was losing terribly.

No matter how much she scratched, or what leg she attacked, the monstrous beast retaliated by slamming its pincers against her, knocking her back through the sand. But she would not give up. Pantera wondered why she wouldn't just surrender and fall back.

To a newborn cub barely able to see, this was absolutely horrifying. There was nothing he could do but watch as she was defeated by it. After she slipped up, she was run through by both scorpion's telson*.

Pantera's blue eyes watched as the monster held her in place with its pincers and stabbed her in the back repeatedly, injecting her with its venom over and over. Effortlessly, it lifted her into the air dropped her into its dark, cave-like mouth.

Once it swallowed, its black eyes caught sight of the panther's cub just a few meters away. It immediately charged, all six legs moving supernaturally fast, and then leaped into the air.

The sight was enough to cause Pantera to turn and try to run in fear. But he was just getting used to walking so speeding up was very hard for him.

Just as he was about to be crushed to death, he heard an echoing clang above him.

He turned and saw a cerulean-haired man with a pure white sword holding off the monster in midair. Both of its pincers were being blocked by his enchanting sword and he didn't seem to be giving in.

Suddenly, he vanished and then reappeared behind the scorpion.

Both it, still suspended in air, and Pantera watched as he brutally cut both of its tails off and they fell to the ground.

The scorpion hissed in agony, but the man was not finished with it yet. He jumped right above its back and aimed an open palm at it. After slivers of red light appeared at the center of his palm, he fired something bright and echoing through its head.

The scorpion's large corpse fell to the ground, and when it landed it created a large gust of sand.

Pantera was about to be consumed by it until the man sped down, picked him up, and then dashed a great distance away.

When he stopped, he carelessly dropped Pantera onto the ground and stared down at him with complete disdain.

"What a worthless animal you are! I should have just let you get crushed." And with that, he turned and began walking in the direction of Los Noches, his home.

Pantera watched him in shock as his footsteps in the sand grew in number. He was able to understand this warrior's words, just as he'd been able to with his mother. Even though he was a humanoid creature, his words had registered perfectly to him.

He began calling out as best he could to the man, but it appeared as though he could not hear him. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Afraid of being alone, he tried one last time with much more vigor. This time, when he opened his mouth, a large gust of clear energy flew in the direction he shouted to, knocking the man face forward into the sand and sending him sliding through it.

Grimmjow dug his face out of the sand, pushed himself off the ground with the arm that was not buried, spit out a mouthful of sand, and then turned to stare angrily at the animal.

"Why you little-!"

He squinted when the cub started walking briskly towards him.

After digging his other arm out of the sand, he stood and casually brushed himself off. There was no need to worry himself with the strange creatures of this desert. His kingdom awaited its fifth prince's return.

He ignored the cub and kept walking in the direction of Los Noches.

"I came to thank you…!"

Blue eyes went wide and Grimmjow whipped around. The panther cub was behind him, but there was no one else in the area.

"Where did that voice-"

"Don't leave me alone out here…! Can I come with you?"

Grimmjow stared in awe at the cub. It was talking to him. And he understood what it was saying!

"What the hell are you?" he asked, before bending down and grabbing the thing by the ears questionably.

"Please stop. That hurts… You're not nice like my mother, but I don't want to be alone. Can I come with you?"

"Che! As if! You're weak! I don't need a weakling following me around. Get lost!" the man shouted the last part in Pantera's face.

"But I can get strong! I promise I won't disappoint you! So don't leave me alone out here…"

Grimmjow stood and turned away from the panther cub. Then he continued walking without a word.

Pantera sat in place and watched him, completely crestfallen. But then the man turned and stared over his shoulder, "Are you coming or what? I don't have all day to play around with you."

Eagerly, Pantera stood and followed this strange warrior. And it was during his walk to Los Noches that he learned to run, because the man was not willing to slow down for him.

One of the strangest people caught his attention when they arrived at their destination. He was pale and had green eyes. The thing he enjoyed most about him was that he was smart and he was also able to get under Grimmjow's skin through sheer condescension.

"That's your spirit animal, you dimwitted buffoon. That's why you understood him. Had you left him in the desert, you wouldn't have had the chance to get another." The pale man stated.

"What do I need a spirit animal for anyway? I'm strong enough on my own!"

"Grimmjow, I thought I discussed this with everyone a long time ago. Spirit animals give you an immense boost in strength and Reiatsu when you're in your Resurrección state." A brown-haired man said as he entered the room.

"Is that so…?" Grimmjow asked. He looked down to the cub, "Well then, I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. You'll be serving me from now on."

"If that creature had half a brain he'd head for the hills right now. But since he is your spirit animal, I'll assume he's just as dense as you are..." The pale man commented and then left the room.

Pantera looked up to Grimmjow, "Thank you for saving me! I won't let you down!"

End Flashback

Over the few years he'd been with him, Pantera had grown to both love and loathe Grimmjow. His strength had always been something to admire, but after seeing what else the man was capable of, he'd grown to respect him. On the other hand, his attitude could have used a major adjustment. In actuality, they did not get along too often, but considering Pantera owed him his life, he supposed that he could be a good spirit animal for him.

Perhaps something similar was going on with him and the new human. Why else would he be here? What other purpose could he possibly serve?

Lethargically, Pantera got up, stretched his long body out, and then entered the room from his favorite sleeping spot on the upstairs terrace.

His timing was perfect.

The orange-haired human had just entered from the courtyard, and Grimmjow was coming in from the front doors.

Immediately, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow and squinted, "Are you going to let me go today?"

"Hadn't planned on it. Pantera, it's bath time." Grimmjow said, disregarding Ichigo's presence.

"Don't you ignore me, Espada!" the orange head exclaimed.

Pantera, seeing that this could only end badly, turned and quickly started to go back up the stairs to the terrace. Unfortunately, he was caught.

Ichigo stared in shock. Grimmjow had used a Sonído to catch him.

"You're not getting out of it this time!" The bluenette said with a smirk.

A growl emanated from the beast as Grimmjow carried him to the bathroom. Before he entered, the man turned to Ichigo, "You come too."

At first, Ichigo was appalled. Then he remembered what happened last night and felt tainted with guilt. Perhaps a bath would be a good idea.

He followed the other two into the bathroom and was surprised at what he found.

Unlike any bathroom he had ever seen before, this one was gargantuan in size. A large, pool-like bath tub resided in the center, one of the walls was nothing but mirror, in one of the corners there was a private area that had a shower, and finally, the ceiling was glass which allowed him to see the multitude of clouds up in the blue sky.

"This is what royalty is used to…?" he thought.

His brown eyes went wide when Grimmjow undressed and cannonballed into the large pool of hot water in the center of the room. He came back up and shouted out excitedly before slicking his hair back and wiping his eyes.

The scar he received was still very prominent on his torso, momentarily making Ichigo feel bad. But then he remembered why he had done it.

Rukia and Renji had been slain by his blade. And that was something he'd never be able to forgive the Espada for.

"Gonna join me, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked.

"My name's Ichigo Kurosaki! Not Court Guard you ass!"

"Well, Mr. Kurosaki, are you gonna join me?"

"Piss off!" Ichigo said angrily, before walking over to the private shower.

He undressed quickly, not self-conscious anymore since last night, and then stepped in.

When he turned the water on and it hit his skin, it felt like he was being cleansed. The sin of last night being washed down the drain.

Last night was something he'd never expected to befall him. He'd been dominated in the worst possible way by a manic soldier who seemed to care for nothing but himself and his own desires. Someone like that deserved the death penal-

*SPLASH*

Ichigo jumped and turned around to open the shower door. He stuck his head out to see what had happened.

Grimmjow was chasing Pantera around the room, as naked as the day he was born. As he ran he carelessly knocked decorations, dry towels, and other items into the water. The look on his face was one of eager determination as he sped after the panther. But somehow, this look seemed much more appealing than the ones Ichigo had seen before.

After catching the panther in a bear hug, the Espada jumped into the water and held him down.

Upon seeing that, Ichigo stepped out of the shower and was about to yell at him for treating the animal so cruelly. Then Pantera's tail shot up from under the water and hit Grimmjow so hard in the face it seemed like he had punched him with it.

It effectively forced the man to release his grip on him and he swam to the shallow end before climbing the stairs.

"You're getting a bath!" the bluenette shouted while rubbing his left cheek.

Pantera growled back and then he and Grimmjow had a spat. It seemed like they were arguing back and forth. Like, literally back and forth. But that wasn't possible, right? Pantera was an animal!

For a moment, Ichigo blushed and allowed himself the pleasure of admiring Grimmjow. He was a very appealing man, despite how psychotic he was. Perhaps if he wasn't always sadistically smirking, he'd be easier on the eyes.

He had a certain charm about him that was hard to miss if you were just staring at him. It helped that they weren't currently clashing blades and at each other's throats. Seeing him with that panther offered a completely different perspective. He was aggressive on all levels, that didn't seem to change, but this behavior was much more playful if anything.

That white, bone-like mask on his right cheek puzzled him. And for the first time, he actually noticed the hole in Grimmjow's lower abdomen. The other pale Espada he'd seen had the same features, just in different locations.

Was that customary for them?

Grimmjow noticed Ichigo staring at him and gave him the finger before diving back in the water.

The boy shook his head in response. Surely he wasn't actually finding another male attractive… Was he? Especially not one who had mercilessly taken Rukia and Renji down… Right?

"Argh!" Deciding to distract himself, the orange head grabbed a towel and soap then walked slowly over to the panther who watched him closely. He lathered the towel and then cautiously lifted it, which earned a growl from the beast, but he continued nonetheless.

Gently, he pressed it to Pantera's fur and scrubbed.

Surprisingly, he was not retaliated against. In fact, he was able to even get a low purr from the animal.

"You're pretty good at that…" Grimmjow commented from behind, causing Ichigo to jump.

"Well you can't just be forceful all the time."

The bluenette's blue eyes watched as the boy scrubbed Pantera. Normally, no one could get this close to the beast. Even he had moments when it seemed impossible to touch him.

When a strong hand grabbed his arm, Ichigo turned. "Wh-"

"It's time for some entertainment."

Pantera stood and shook himself dry before stalking in the opposite direction of the two. Honestly, Grimmjow was like a sex animal… And he did not intend to be near him when he smelled of mating.

Forcefully, the Espada put Ichigo down on the ground and opened his legs to make room for himself.

"Ugh! Get off of me!" the boy demanded angrily.

"Only when I'm finished with you." The man breathed out heavily.

He positioned himself perfectly, but stopped just before he entered the boy. Perhaps, since they had both just bathed, oral sex would suit the situation better.

That way he could save the real fun for later tonight.

After grabbing Ichigo by the chin, he forced him down on his erect member.

Initially, Ichigo felt like he was being choked. At some point during this forced fellatio session though, Grimmjow let up on him. Only just enough so that the head of his penis wasn't hitting his uvula.

Maybe his words about forcefulness hadn't gone in one ear and simply come out of the other.

To thank him for making this more bearable, though he didn't understand why considering this was Grimmjow's fault in the first place, Ichigo did his best at this unfamiliar activity. It wasn't too hard to manage. All he had to do was move his mouth up and down along the shaft, licking the head to give some pleasure from time to time.

The reason he wanted to please Grimmjow at all was unknown to him. He assumed it was because after actually looking at him, he'd realized how appealing to the eyes he was… when he wasn't being a maniac that is…

When his actions earned a moan from the other, he couldn't help but open his eyes and look up. Grimmjow had thrown his head back in pure ecstasy. The cracking of his toes meant this was literally toe-curling good for him.

Against his better instincts, Ichigo brought his hand up and rested it on Grimmjow's scar like he'd done last night. It was smoother than ever now. It was enough to make him run his hand along it, which surprisingly aroused him.

Immediately, he removed his hand. It was a sin to be aroused by another man and Court Guards had always been taught that sinners go to Hell. So if Grimmjow was going to burn, he'd burn alone.

"Shit…" the bluenette panted as he came.

Ichigo spitefully swallowed all of it. At least that'd be his way of getting back at the man for this, since he seemed to enjoy his own taste so much.

When Grimmjow pulled the boy up and pressed his lips to his swollen ones, he was unpleasantly surprised to find that Ichigo had already swallowed his essence.

He callously pushed the boy away and wiped his lips before standing and leaving the bathroom.

Pantera saw the door open and took his chance to leave as well.

But Ichigo sat still on the floor. He brought his fingers to his lips and blushed. The strong taste of Grimmjow was still present in his mouth, and it wasn't necessarily unpleasant.

A sudden feeling got him in the gut. He shook his head to relinquish any thoughts that weren't malicious towards the Espada. He had killed Rukia and Renji, and for someone who had done that, there was no room for pleasant thoughts.

But no matter how much he pushed them away, the thoughts of Grimmjow that weren't so full of contempt seemed to keep creeping back into his head.

*Telson – The stinger. The telson consists of the vesicle, which holds a pair of venom glands, and the hypodermic aculeus, the venom-injecting barb.