AN:HELLO PPL! I'm back with another update! Hopefully this is going somewhere. I'm rather bad at the development of characters, all I want is just to get to the smexy part. LOL. Anyhow, I started a new fic for Stark X Ichigo as a request from a friend. and I will alternate between updates. If you like the pariing be sure to check it out and leave a note of how you think! =)

By the way, the cute adorable baby is responsible for causing Grimmjow to release the alluring smell because it wants its daddy. =)


Seven

Morning light filtered through the thin curtains and Grimmjow cracked open his blue eyes to glance out the window. A golden beam fell on his face and he relaxed as the sunlight tickled his sensitive skin. It felt warm. He felt a certain amount of relief when nausea didn't rush at him immediately. The bump on his torso became larger day by day but Grimmjow tried not to dwell on the thought too much. It was a stupid topic to lose sleep on. He knew fully well he was only trying to lie to himself and failing miserably. He had a feeling Aizen was closing in on him and he would have to make his move soon.

He had been staying with Ichigo's family for over a month and the two girls were starting to get over the shock of their brother bringing over a bleeding half-dead man so casually. But it wasn't the girls' curiosity annoyed him. It was the fact that the Kurosaki family treated him with some form of care that had Grimmjow on edge. He groaned when his ears picked up the sounds of small feet pattering toward the door. There was a polite knock and Grimmjow hesitated, torn between ignoring and answering. Finally after several seconds' hesitation, he grunted his permission. A small blonde head poked into the room timidly and there was a small shout as the dark-haired sister pushed the blonde one inside and shut the door. The two girls stared at Grimmjow for a few moments and the espada turned his attention back to the window, his tail twitching in annoyance.

"Uhh… Ichi-nii said we should take you out for a stroll in the park…"the one named Yuzu tugged on the pink blouse she wore nervously and gave him a tentative smile. Grimmjow rolled his eyes and shook his head in silence. There was no way he was going outside. His back was killing him and the stiffness and cramps in his body wasn't helping.

"It wasn't a question, hollow! Now move your fat ass!" the black-haired girl broke the silence quite abruptly and Grimmjow gave her a glare, opening his mouth to retaliate.

"Karen, please! Don't say such rude…" Yuzu squealed indignantly and turned toward her sister. The girl huffed and crossed her arms.

"Just repeating what Ichigo said…" she defended. Grimmjow felt annoyance flare inside him at the mention of the carrot top and he forced himself to stand up from the bed he had been sitting on. Grimmjow grimaced as his stiff back cracked several times. The blue-haired hollow took a deep breath before making his way down the stairs, ignoring the dismayed blonde and the annoyed black-haired Kurosakis. Ichigo was sitting by the island counter and sipping a cool glass of lemonade. He looked up as Grimmjow approached and blinked as the other man yanked the glass from his loose fingers and downed the cool liquid in a few gulps. Grimmjow passed the glass back and ignored the teen's beet red face as he wiped his chin and dragged himself over to the fridge and pulled it open. He ducked inside and started searching for food.

Ichigo felt the blood rush to his face in embarrassment. Words refused to come into his blank brain. He was still clutching the empty glass and staring at the rather attractive behind offered to him. Grimmjow was busy rummaging through the groceries and Ichigo's eyes latched onto the smooth curve of the arrancar's spine as he bent down, his slender tail brushing against his inner thigh once in a while. The teen gulped and tore his eyes away with difficulty when Grimmjow stood up with a satisfied smirk and pulled the lid off an ice cream container. He found a spoon and sat down across from Ichigo. The shinigami coughed at the rather awkward silence as Grimmjow dipped the spoon into the mini-cup and drew out the spoon.

Amber eyes met electric blue as Grimmjow locked eyes with him. Then a pink tongue flicked out and licked along the tip of the spoon agonizingly slow. Grimmjow briefly closed his eyes in pleasure as the cool creamy vanilla melted on his hot tongue. Lashes fluttered open and fell on the teen across from him and Grimmjow smirked inwardly. The boy was such an amateur. He felt a certain form of satisfaction at the results of his teasing. It was so easy to mess with Ichigo's head.

The teen watched as Grimmjow's full lips closed over the spoon and sucked at the ice cream. He felt his heartbeat increase. There was that familiar sweet scent again. Not just the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream but something else and it was starting to arouse him. Ichigo found himself leaning forward again like the last time and wanting to kiss those pink lips.

"I got the gigai, Ichigo." The front door burst open and Rukia pranced inside with a huge smile. She had a grocery bag with her. She blinked at the display and rolled her eyes. "Here, read the manual first before giving it to him."

Rukia handed the small package to Ichigo and the teen blinked several times before nodding slowly and clearing his head of the humiliating thoughts from before. Several minutes passed while they worked on the gigai and Grimmjow sat on his stool, ignoring them and eating his treat.

After half an hour of work, Rukia managed to convince the espada to slip into the gigai and go out for some exercise. Grimmjow frowned at he weird feeling of incased in something solid and glanced down at his flat stomach, covered by a light t-shirt. He tugged on the blue jeans and glanced at his casual black beaded flip-flops. The gigai looked exactly like him except in normal civilian clothes.

And so he found himself in the company of the two Kurosaki sisters and walking to the park. He was finally getting the picture about Rukia. Underneath the innocent pretty looks, she was definitely a manipulative she-devil. He sighed and dragged a hand though his short blue hair.

"Ichi-nii says you're very brave, Grimmjow-san." Yuzu suddenly blurted out and gave him a small smile. Grimmjow raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Karen snorted and tucked her hands into her pockets as she walked.

"Ichi-nii seems really happy you're getting well. He can't bear it if the people he cares about get hurt." She continued. Grimmjow glanced briefly at eh small girl as they crossed a street and entered the small park. Karen had a soccer ball with her but she didn't join the small children playing soccer in the grass immediately. Instead both girls sat down next to Grimmjow on a white bench and Yuzu looked down at her hands. "Our mother died when we were just two. I can't really remember much but Ichi-nii said it was his entire fault. He said if he hadn't been so disobedient and listened to her instead, she wouldn't have died for him." she confessed quietly.

Karen remained silent and turned her eyes to the vibrant green tress. Yuzu still looked down and sniffed faintly. "Nii-san wants to protect us from harm but he always get hurt…" she sniffed again. Grimmjow looked away uncomfortably. He wasn't really good at comforting others. "Please be a good friend to him, Grimmjow-san. Karen and I can tell he likes you very much. We want him to be happy." She looked up and blue eyes met teary green. The color reminded Grimmjow of spring leaves.

"Your eyes take after your mother, don't you?" he asked finally and Yuzu smiled through her sadness and nodded happily. She reached out and clutched his arm. Grimmjow didn't push her away. Instead he turned his eyes to the clear blue summer sky and tried to relax his stiffened form.

They sat there for a few moments before a boy came over and asked Karen to play soccer with them. She accepted coolly and ran off the join them. Yuzu chattered happily about her mysterious meeting with a particular dark-haired gentleman a few days ago.

"…and I went chasing after the laundry and found it hanging in a tree. I was too short so he helped me. He was such a nice man!" she exclaimed happily. Grimmjow didn't listen much. His thoughts went back to the way Ichigo had looked when he was trying to rescue Orihime.

Such intense eyes. His eyes burnt like fire. The determination to protect his loved ones fueling him on and helping him defeat his enemies. And there was the smile. The happy smile he wore when he was around Rukia or when he had finally defeated an opponent. Someone with such a hard past could still smile like that. Grimmjow couldn't help but feel a small amount of respect for the teen.

Grimmjow closed his eyes briefly and allowed the warm summer breeze to caress his skin. But a scream pulled him from the peace and quiet. Grimmjow opened his eyes and felt his heart lurch as his eyes fell on the huge hollow in the middle of the soccer field. It had come out of nowhere and it was looking at Karen with an interested glint in its eyes. The small girl was frozen in shock and surprise and standing in the middle o the field. He had to act fast, before the hollow made its move.

"Stay here, Yuzu!" Grimmjow gave Yuzu a hard look before turning and running toward the mass of scattering kids. His heart thumped painfully hard in his chest as he moved, the gigai slowing him down considerably. Perhaps it was Yuzu's tears that rubbed off on him, but he had never felt such a need to protect something.

Grimmjow reached Karen just in time to tackle her and roll to the side as a large fist slammed down, crushing the spot of grass where Karen had just been standing on. Grimmjow jerked upright, panting hard and pulled the girl into himself, shielding Karen from the hollow. He looked up just in time as another large fist came crashing down. Grimmjow braced himself for the pain.

Yuzu screamed in horror as the fist crushed down and a cloud of dust exploded where Grimmjow and Karen were crouching.


Sorry for the cliffy but I ran out of time typing today. Review and Grimmy won't get hurt!